Forgotten but not Mistaken

Chapter 13

The next morning Minji comes out to the car park to see her car still needing the fix. She was about to call her PA to get someone to fix it when Jae Won pulls up next to her. A little surprised to see him stopping by at her place, Jae Won puts his hand out indicating he was asking for the keys to the car. Minji handed him the keys and he went off.

While he was going to get that fixed Minji pulls out the old camera bag. Minji is happy with her new fixed side mirror and she hands him the bag "please take it. It'll make me feel better." Jae Won takes the bag not before opening the trunk of his car to give her back her suitcase she left at his house. "I hope you're able to find yourself" Jae Won said giving her smile as he closes the truck of the car. Minji thanks him "I'll uh. See you at work" Jae Won smiles and goes back into his car and drives off. Finally agreeing on the upcoming project the two of them will be seeing one another more often now.  Minji sends out a group message to Rin-i and Geon.

I'm lighting the candle today. I have something to tell you. My place, at ten

When it's candle day it's when one person lights the candle while the other two just listen. It's something the three of them have been doing since kindergarten. It was ten and like promised Rin I and Geon were sitting in front of Minji with a candle lit.
Minji has been thinking about what to say this all say; here goes nothing. "Do you remember...a year ago? When I suddenly disappeared for awhile then came back to Seoul? Back then you kept my apartment warm for me. And the two of you waited for me. Thank you."
Both her friend were tearing up about that knowing they couldn't reach Minji at all and were worried sick "That's all in the past why bring that up" Geon asks "You probably wanted to ask me many things, but chose not to. You both gave me space and were respectful. I knew all along, but pretended that I didn't. I hid behind your kindness instead. I'm sorry. I am very sorry. Thank you" Minji looking at both Geon and Rin I trying not to get choked up on her words.
"So I..." clearing her throat "So I.." trying to push past the lump in her throat. "Tell us next time if it's hard" Geon helping Minji out seeing how much she is struggling to talk about this. "Geon's right. Minji...Don't pressure yourself." Minji was done running from this secret she was done was all the lies. Minji shook her eyes "I have to. I won't hide from this again. I kept secrets from you. And also you" Minji glancing at both Rin I and Geon.

"It won't happen again. I..." taking a deep breath "I..uh...I am Ji Young. I'm the one who stole from Jae Won." Finally saying those words out lout in front of her best friends felt like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders "Telling the truth hurts so bad" Geon and Rin I both stared at each other then back at Minji. Her eyes were now full of tears and sobbing she puts her hand up to her mouth. "Honestly I haven't changed at all. I'm still the same person that I was before. I'm still the same stupid Kim Minji" wiping away her tears. "You're not stupid, why do you think that" Rin I asking her best friend.

"I just think that everything happened back then because I was stupid"
"It's not your fault. It was Min Soo's" Geon stated because it truly wasn't her fault in his eyes "Yeah and those executives don't know what they are talking about".Rin I adding to Geon's statement

"I just didn't want Jae Won to find out how stupid and pathetic I actually was.  I really didn't. I hated that the girl Jae Won met in Yangyang was so fake. And I really didn't want Jae Won to find out why I ended up going to Yangyang in the first place. I didn't want you to know this because it's embarrassing and humiliating." Now all three of them are crying in the middle of the living room. Sniffles can be heard from Rin I "I'm so mad at you. How could you keep that a secret? What are friends for?"

Minji apologizes over and over again feeling horrible for not letting them on her secret. She was to ashamed of ever bringing out the truth and that her friends would judge her for being so pathetic.  "It wasn't because I didn't think of you as friends. I just wanted to keep this to myself, so that nobody would know." Her voice breaking by the end of it.

"The old Minji wasn't stupid." Rin I spoke was she was trying to hold in her tears.
"She's right. You were warm hearted and kind" their comments starts to put a smile on Minji's face. "I liked the old you, but the new you and good too. Now you cry when you want to, smile a lot, get angry easily...move on quickly and goof around. I like this new version of you a lot" Rin I reassuring Minji that there's nothing wrong with her and that it's okay to grow and look past at her old self and learn from it. "The old you, the new you, both of them are Kim Minji. They're all you. So I don't want you to say that again." Rin I wiping her own tears away. Now they were all a sobbing crying mess. Each of them started to hug one another and sat there taking in the moment. Minji was relived that there has been a weight lifted off her shoulders and no longer carries a burden.

Minji noticed her suitcase in her room still thinking to when she left it at Jae Won's place. About to put it away she noticed something shaking inside of it. Minji unzipping the suitcase she sees a small brown box carefully opening she sees a necklace with a locket. "What is this for?"