Eternity [ryeji]

Chapter 47

A month after their supposed fifth anniversary is Yeji's birthday. She wants to spend it with her family and friends but her father has flown back to the States just last month because of an urgent matter regarding one of his stores and her friends are unavailable until weekend. Chaeryeong is out of town for a music video shoot and Yuna has to work overtime. Jisu's parents are visiting so she and her husband are busy keeping them company.

Luckily, she has work to do so that manages to distract her from feeling down and lonely that day.

Her colleagues got her a cake and gifts so she's feeling quite okay until she arrives home, greeted by an empty apartment.

She can't help but feel hollow inside. Her birthdays always leave her moody thanks to her mother's death and this year, it feels at least ten times worse because she's missing Ryujin and has no one to celebrate it with.

She checks her phone for the umpteenth time that day, hoping for a message or a short email from Ryujin. All she wants is two words from her. A simple 'happy birthday' from the person she's been longing for would mean the world to her at that moment. Too bad there is still nothing.

Her colleagues had given her a bottle of wine so she decides to pop it open, hoping that the alcohol would make her sleepy because sleeping means ending the gloomy day.

She brings the open bottle and a wine glass to her room, sits on the bed and looks at the two paintings.

After pouring some wine into the glass, she lifts it and toasts herself.

"Here's to the second worse birthday ever," she says. "All thanks to you, Jinnie," she tells the painting. "You could've been here with me but you chose to leave. I didn't want to blame you but right now, I can't help myself." She then drinks the wine in one go and winces a bit as the alcohol burns her throat. "I know you're just as miserable as I am so why don't you come back to me? Why are you so afraid of something that might never happen? I can't be happy without you. Why can't you see that?"

Yeji pours herself another glass of wine, empties it then sets the glass and the bottle on the nightstand. She then lies down, pulling all three teddy bears into one big hug. Ryujin's recorded voice echoes in the quiet room and Yeji feels another stab at her lonely heart when she hears it.

She can't stop herself from crying anymore but before she can let it all out, her buzzer rings, surprising her.

Yeji sits up, quickly wipes her eyes and nose and walks out of the room to see who the visitor is.

The face that greets her in the small display on the wall belongs to none other than the man whom she thought she had successfully gotten rid of.

She hesitates but since he keeps pressing the buzzer, she has no choice but to answer.

"Yes?"

"Hi, Yeji?"

"Yes?"

"It's me, Sangjin oppa." He waves at the camera.

"Ah yes, Oppa. What brings you here?"

"I come to bring the birthday girl her present."

Yeji raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Thank you but you don't have to."

"I want to. Um... can you let me in?"

"S-sure."

Yeji opens the door for him then runs to her room to fix her makeup and make sure she doesn't look like she's been crying.

When her doorbell rings, she calms herself and goes to answer the door.

"Hey," he greets her with a smile. "I hope I'm not intruding."