Nari slowed her pace as she weaved her way through the booths. The atmosphere of the Orange Festival truly brought back memories of her childhood, good ones and bad ones. Of course, when she was young there weren’t nearly as many people or attractions, but the fact that such a small event had turned into such a big tradition was amazing.
One thing that hadn’t changed, thankfully, was the food. All the ahjummas in the city always made the most amazing food you’d ever eat and Nari had often told Chulsoo and Chanmo about it. For the first time now, she was able to prove her words to one of them. But as she exited the crowd with large foil-wrapped kimbap in hand, she spotted the familiar face. Of course, she should have known. The blast to the past with the island traditions wouldn’t be quite the same without old friends as well.
“Jun-ssi,” Quickly making her way over to him, Nari smiled as she caught her breath. “I didn’t think you’d come.” @junhoxjj
As much as she was nervous, excitement coated every fiber of Nari’s being. She had been through this once before, when she was pregnant with Chulsoo, but being in a room with so many machines and the near nauseating smell of antiseptic was enough to make anyone feel nervous. Maybe it was just the ingrained fear of hospitals that made her feel uneasy. Hospitals were for sick people, and no one ever wanted to be sick. Especially not pregnant women.
But her husband was sweet and he held her hand through the whole thing, figuratively and literally. He even cracked a few jokes in order to make Nari smile which she appreciated. Never in a million years would she have picked Chanmo as a husband, but after their time together and raising their son together, she couldn’t imagine growing old with anyone else. And as the new little heartbeat registered on the monitor, the woman couldn’t help but squeeze his hand tightly. He cringed. She was petite, but she was strong.
“Would you like to know the gender?” The doctor asked, peeking at the couple over her rims of her glasses.
In unison, the pair gave a solid, “Yes!” The woman laughed and nodded, turning her attention back to the monitor. Her hand moved around Nari’s stomach a few more times before the doctor wiped off her skin and placed the device back in it’s holder. With a sweet, congratulatory smile, the woman bowed her head. “It looks like its going to be a girl.”
Tears welled up to Nari’s eyes and she pulled Chanmo in for a tight hug. He squirmed at first, never really used to her unexpected strength, but this was exciting news for the both of them, so he returned her hug but a bit gentler. After the nurse left the room, he beamed with happiness, pulling a chair over to the side of the bed while maintaining his hold on his wife’s hand.
“Ha Na?” He asked, reassuring the name both parents had agreed on if it was a girl. Clearly Chanmo had been expecting an immediate confirmation, for he seemed a bit surprised when Nari hesitated.
She always wanted one boy and one girl if she were to have kids. Chul-soo if it’s a boy, and Ha Na if it’s a girl. That’s what she always told people who asked. And up until this very moment, where it all became reality, her choices had never swayed even a bit. Her son, now almost four years old, was named Chulsoo and he was the light of her life. But as she thought about how real it was all becoming, her childhood fantasies, a memory struck her.
A flashback to a moment in her childhood when she had poured her worries and heart out to her best friend at the time, Junho. He had always listened to her nonsense and ramblings, playing along and accepting her words without judgement. After the recent years she’d endured, this memory was a warm reminder. She smiled at the thought. Back then she had been so worried about marriage and the life ahead of her. Junho had told her that things would work out and she shouldn’t worry so much. They even made a pact to wed one another if they both turned out to be lonely by adulthood. Nari chuckled audibly, resulting in a confused look from Chanmo.
“What is it? You don’t want Ha Na anymore?” He said with a cock of his head.
“Mmm,” Nari hummed for a moment. She really did like the name Ha Na. It was sweet and simple, much like her own, but from that memory of Junho spurred another recollection.
“Chul-soo I am alright with, but, if it’s a girl, the name must be In Hwa, like my mother.” He had said as a reply to her ridiculous plans. In which she agreed to the deal.
Although that promise had been made if the two friends ended up together, Nari hadn’t seen or heard from Junho in years. Knowing him, he probably only got better looking with age and, as a rich doctor, he most likely had women throwing themselves at him for his attention. It was impossible that he’d be unwed or single by now. And as she watched her husband’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, she realized that those childhood plans were ultimately empty. The two would probably never see each other again, let alone marry. Besides, Nari was somewhat happily married, with a beautiful son and now a daughter on the way. However, this didn’t change the skip of her heart at the thought of her childhood.
“What do you think about the name In Hwa? Isn’t that pretty too?” The corners of her lips tugged upwards into a nostalgic smile.
“Hm,” Chanmo thought for a moment before giving her hand a light kiss. “Alright. I like it if you like it. It’s very pretty. She’ll be just like her mom, even down to her name.”
As summer came to an end and fall began to creep its way onto the island, Nari found herself walking to school more often. Normally, she would choose to catch the bus and sit in comfort on her journey to and from classes, but today she decided to take advantage of the weather. Wearing a light jacket over her school uniform, she made her way home.
About halfway to her house, Nari made of change of plans. With a sneaky grin, she turned tail and headed towards her friend’s house. The wind was chilly and made her legs go numb as she jogged to her destination. Her backpack jingled with each step and the sound of shuffling papers and books could be heard as the bag hopped along with her.
Nari paused in front of the mailboxes when she arrived, looking for the name plaque. ‘Min.’ As in Min Junho, her longtime friend and classmate who she hoped had already already arrived home. After trudging up the stairs, she smiled and approached the door, letting three solid knocks in a rhythmic pattern signal her arrival. Nari often had different knocks for different meanings, although she didn’t really know if Junho had caught onto it yet. Three solid ones in quick recession were a happy arrival. Four soft knocks on the door, or small pebbles at a bedroom window were her code for secret meetings. She had used this one before with her middle-school boyfriends when they snuck out after dark to meet her. The final code in her main arsenal of knocks were two heavy, but slow knocks which would indicate a need for a friend. She rarely used this since life had been going pretty well for her, but it was stored in her mind just in case.
As she waited for someone to come to the door, Nari took a step back, peering up at the ceiling and seeing if she could make out shapes in the plaster. They had studied together before, sure, but Nari didn’t feel comfortable enough to knock more than once. The heels of her school shoes clacked against the floor beneath her feet as she hummed to herself. Being a teenager was nice. Nari didn’t know what it was like to be an adult, but she hoped it was similar to childhood. Maybe her and Junho would be friends when they were adults too and everything could stay the same.
“Hey!” A grin appeared on her face as she waved, noticing the figure at the door. “Are you busy?” @junhoxjj
It had only been a day or two since nari had officially finished settling into her new home. All her bags were unpacked and the room was finally feeling like a happy place. But now that she was finished, and there weren't any classes today nor did she feel the need to stop by the spa, Nari thought that maybe it would be a good day for shopping. Buying her son some gifts sounded like a good idea and so Nari soon dressed up and headed out the door.
Based on her appearance it wouldn't be someone's first guess when seeing her that she was simply going shopping. A silky dress with sky high heels and a faux fur coat draped on her shoulders. Dressed for more of a formal occasion, Nari felt more confident when she looked nice. It was also a good distraction from her scars. While tights and makeup could cover the markings well enough, she always knew they were there. Her limp had finally recovered after months in therapy and wearing lavish clothes and outfits was her way of drawing eyes to the right parts of her.
With her head held high and her heels clicking against the floor, Nari made her way to the elevator. Much to her dismay, a large sign was taped onto the metal doors and read "OUT OF ORDER". Nari let out an exasperated sigh and began maki her way down the four flights of stairs. On her descent, she noticed a male figure approaching. The look in his face didn't make him appear to be very happy or a social butterfly, but something about him seemed oddly familiar. Because of this Nari found herself stopped in her tracks, eyeing him with curiosity. @junhoxjj
