TOKKI CLUB ~ UNREQUITED

Chapter 21

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"SoHyun-ah, it's me." 

It most definitely was.

I scanned his form and he looked the same yet completely different. His dimples were pointedly in place, I could smell the scent of the same apple-flavoured shampoo he used and he still had this ambiguous aura around him.

Ji-Soo and So-Hee couldn't have competed with the transformation that Seung-Ho had made within the months he'd been gone.

Was it the buzz cut? Or the shades ever so mysteriously covering his eyes? Maybe it was the fact that he was wearing his uniform so clean and tailor-cut.

Quite a contrast to the baggy jeans and varsity jacket he used to wear might I add.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted. He didn't need to take his glasses off for me to know he was taken aback by my question, then I corrected myself. "No, I mean how are you here?" I asked, still startled by his sudden appearance.

The slight crease in his mouth let me know that his eyes were smiling.

"I was granted leave. Two days only."

I wonder what he had to do to get this little bit of freedom.

On a second thought, I don't want to imagine it. I'd heard enough stories from my father's military days, I had a rough clue as to what went down.

"That's great." I commended, finally gathering myself together. Although I disliked how obvious I made my shock, I couldn't help it. It was almost beyond the control of my emotions and maybe if you were in my shoes you'd be a little startled too. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Are you? You don't sound too glad."

"No, I am. I just..." wasn't expecting you. "I am." I produced a smile on my face, hoping that would convince him.

"Have you seen the others?" I asked, "They're all on the same table-"

"I came to see you first."

"P-pardon?"

"I saw you as soon as I came in and... My feet just carried me here."

"..."

Inexplicably, I was left speechless. There were plenty of possible responses running through my mind, but all I could come up with was breathless air.

'The ceremony will be starting in five minutes, please find your seats.'

"We should get going." I voiced, pointing to the ceiling at the invisible speaker phone. His response was laboured as if he was expecting a different response from me. I swiftly pushed that thought aside though, what would he have wanted me to say? Thank you?

I led the way slowly and silently through the carpeted corridors and into the hall. When we got to the table, everyone was in their own world, fidgeting or lost in space – doing everything else but speaking.

I placed a hand on Soo's shoulder and cleared my throat to get his attention.

"I was wondering where you went." As he turned around, I shifted a little so that Seung-Ho's full body length could be seen.

"Seung-Ho? Is that you?" So-Hee screeched, finally taking in his appearance. She jumped up to hug him, knocking her empty wine glass on the table at the same time. A twinge in my heart arose at the sight, not out of jealousy or any misconstrued reason, but simply because it reminded me of the lies that I lived believing all those years.