Chapter 5
Once again the Hwang and Shin family dines together, this time at the Hwang family’s house. Yeji’s parents has cooked something with the groceries Yeji bought earlier in the week. It tastes good but is nothing out of the ordinary Sunday dinner, not like that time when Ryujin showed her parents that new recipe. Perhaps Yeji should try cook it the next time? Ryujin did after all send her the recipe last night. It cannot be too hard, can it?
After the main dish is finished the teenagers gather in the living room to avoid having to help with the dishes. The parents does not want them there anyways. Therefore all four of them end up in the sofas. This time they all sit in the same sofa, four in a row. Yeji unfortunately has Hanguk to her left. Yuna is on her right side and Hyunjin sists on Hanguk’s left side, everyone with a phone in their hand. They scroll up and down on their phones and when Yeji has finished her own she glances over at the others. Yuna seems to do some internet window shopping, because she never puts anything into her basket. Hyunjin watches a video clip and Hanguk is going through his Instagram feed, or does he? When looking closer Yeji realizes he is actually looking through someone else’s feed. To be more exact, his ex-girlfriend’s. Yeji feels a shiver run through her body. Not only by the fact that this guy obviously isn’t over his ex-girlfriend and it’s started to creep her out, but also because of the pictures themselves. He seems to be pretty far down in her feed since she still has dark brown hair at all pictures. Her hypnotizing gaze is penetrating the camera lens and making its way into Yeji’s heart. What’s with this girl and her hypnotizing superpower eyes? Is this why Hanguk cannot stop staring at her?
Yeji turns towards Yuna. She must ask her, but not when they’re all in the same room.
“Yuna, do you want to get some fresh air?” Yeji asks and gives her a look.
“Sure!” Yuna answers enthusiastically, probably sick of just sitting there. Hyunjin gives Yeji a questioning look but she just brushes it off.
When having closed the front door behind them Yeji immediately lets her question slip through her lips.
“Can you tell me about Hanguk and Ryujin’s breakup?”
Yuna stares at her neighbor with big eyes before bursting out in a big laughter. “Wow, you just couldn’t hold it back.” Her eyes glitter of amusement as she continues speaking. “I will tell you what I know, even though it’s probably not everything.
Yeji nods eagerly and Yuna turns around, seemingly to check if someone else can hear them. She leans closer to Yeji as she starts speaking in a low voice.
“My brother says it ended because Ryujin slowly started to keep him at distance. They did not meet as often and she was less warm and loving towards him. He said that she turned into an ice queen without any emotions and therefore he broke up with her.”
“Really?” Yeji answers questioningly. From what Yeji has seen Ryujin is far from being an ice queen. She seems to be rather sweet and caring all the time. However, she does not know Ryujin too well and for all she knows Hanguk can be right. She should not be too quick in her judgement.
“But,” Yuna continues. “I believe that is a slightly altered version.”
“In what way?” Yejis curiosity grows stronger inside of her.
“I think she just stopped loving him. Therefore she kept him at a distance, before she had made up her mind to break up with him. You see, he can be quite clingy. I mean it was not like she was the one insisting to join our Sunday dinners. He always persuaded her into joining.”
“He did?” Yeji hears herself sounding surprised, but on the inside she can picture if perfectly. Hanguk and his nagging voice, always speaking his mind and playing the emotional guilt-tripping game. She has seen it in school as well. Once he fooled a teacher about being sick during a test to make them pity him and be easier in their judging of his answers. He is a good actor indeed.
Yuna nods and looks at Yeji with a serious face. “He really did love her though.” With a sigh she goes silent and lowers her gaze. She presses her lips tightly together. Is she going to say anything more? Is there even anything more to say?
Suddenly the door pushes open behind them. Yeji is forced to take a step forward to avoid getting hit by it. When turning her head she faces her brother.
“There you are.” His voice is calm but his face says something else. Yeji gives him a questioning look but he ignores it completely. Instead he sits down on the stairs leading down from the porch. Yuna continues staring into the void and Yeji suddenly feels lonely. None of them seem to be present mentally, weird.
“I need to use the bathroom.” Yeji says and turns around to walk back into the house. She passes the living room and shoots a glance into the living room and the sofa where Hanguk remains. He’s still sitting with his phone in his hands, but this time has it close to his face. Judging by his movements he seems to be zooming in on something. Once again Yeji shivers, if it’s because of the autumn cold she just left or because of Hanguk’s manners she has no idea. Nonetheless she does not want to remain in the hallway and therefore proceeds into the bathroom. Hopefully the dinner can end soon. She has had enough of Hanguk and his bad aura by now.
Just as she has put her hand on the doorhandle she hears something from the living room, followed by a loud thud. What is going on inside there? Without thinking any further Yeji takes the few steps back. She leans over to peek into the room. Her heart skips a beat when she realizes what she’s watching. Hanguk has left his phone on the ground while pointing at it with such hectic movements that Yeji fear the health of his arms. A quiet but high-pitched noise comes from his mouth and sends shivers down Yeji’s spine, the second time during the same minute. His face is red and breathing intense. What in the world is going on? Yeji would really like to leave this place but finds herself frozen in her spot. It’s like watching a monster from afar, raging and destroying what’s in its way. Hopefully the monster will not notice her.
“How could you?” Hanguk whispers loudly and picks up his phone. With an intense staring he eyes the screen. “I loved you so damn much and then you just shut me off like I was a worthless piece of shit, you fucking bitch!”
Yeji gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. Her pulse raises and breathing intensifies. She is not used to outbursts like these, it’s unfamiliar territory, undiscovered, scary.
Forcefully Hanguk throws his phone across the room. It hits one of the sofas and falls back on its cushion. His breathing is visibly heavy when he marches to pick it up. Slowly Yeji leaves the opening to the living room and heads for the bathroom. Even though the actions and words frighten her she cannot deny a feeling of compassion. In the end Hanguk is just another heartbroken guy who loved his girlfriend very much, and now it’s hard to let her go, because he is not yet ready.