You are my Endless Memory: episode 37 "The gaps between us"

.............................................

Immediately, a guy walked into the room. Jumi turned to the door and exclaimed......

“Kei!!!”

Kei bowed a bit to Jumi’s mother. He then smiled at Jumi and responded.....

“Good morning princess! Are you feeling better now?”

Jumi smiled and responded......

“I’m much better now. Thank you!”

“What are you doing??? Here! Let me help you!”

Kei said and lifted Jumi’s bag up. Jumi’s mother spoke out.....

“Jumi and Kei, you can go and wait for me outside first. I have to prepare something more and check out. So I’ll be there soon.”

Jumi and Kei smiled and responded.....

“Ok!”

They both said and walked out of the patient room together. They were walking, talking and laughing together, without even realizing just a little bit that someone had been standing and staring at them from a distance. He had been watching them since the moment when Jumi was preparing her stuffs, Kei was walking in, and they were talking and smiling together. The more he looked at them, the more he felt like being a stalker who couldn’t do anything besides watching them from a far far far distance. Suddenly, Jumi’s mother walked out of the room and noticed him. She spoke out with a smile.....

“Hello! You are Jumi’s friend, right?”

Joon suddenly stopped walking. He turned to Jumi’s mother and bowed......

“Yes, ma’am. I am Jumi’s friend.”

“Yeah..... I seem to recognize you. You’re the one who came to visit her last night. Anyway, Jumi had been preparing to leave hospital. She’s waiting for me outside right now. Why don’t you go and meet her?”

Joon smiled and responded.....

“It’s ok ma’am. I just drop by to see if Jumi is ok right now. It seems like she’s totally fine now. So I’ll take your leave now. Goodbye, ma’am! Have a nice day!”

Joon bowed and then walked away, leaving Jumi’s mother who was still wondering why he didn’t go out and meet Jumi if he had already decided to come to the hospital. As Jumi’s mother walked out of the hospital, she saw Jumi and Kei sitting on a bench. She walked toward them and said.....

“Alright! Have you been waiting for me long?”

“No, mum! We had just sat down and you came already.”

Jumi’s mother turned to Kei and said....

“Kei! You’re going to school, right? I’ll give you a lift.”

Kei smiled and replied....

“It’s ok, aunt! I can take the bus. Anyway, Jumi, you should have a good rest at home and go back to school soon.”

Jumi smiled and responded....

“Yes... Thank you so much Kei!”

“Alright then! I’ll be going now. Goodbye Jumi and aunt.”

“Goodbye Kei!”

Once Kei had already left, Jumi and her mum walked into the car. While Jumi’s mother was driving her home, she spoke out......

“Jumi! Earlier at the hospital, one of your friends came to visit you but he didn’t go in to meet you and didn’t even go out to meet you when I told him to.”

Jumi suddenly exclaimed.....

“Really? Who is that, mum?”

“Hmmmm..... I forgot to ask his name. But I think he’s quite familiar. The more I look at him, the more I feel like I used to see him somewhere before.”

Jumi listened to her mum’s words and she was suddenly reminded of that piece of paper and that guy’s shadow again..........

......................................................................

Time had been passing by, Jumi hadn’t been to school for 3 days already. Joon, who was sitting quietly alone in the classroom, suddenly turned to the door as he had heard people chatting at the door.....

“Jumi! How have you been?”

“You haven’t been to school for a few days. We’re so worried about you.”

“Yeah... We miss you a lot.”

Jumi’s bright smile appeared on her face once again. She said in a sweet voice......

“I was a little bit sick but I’m totally fine now. Thanks guys for worrying about me.”

She said and walked to her seat. As she sat down, Joon said nothing but kept staring at her, who was looking at the whiteboard silently. Time passed by and Joon started to get far and far away from Jumi. Whatever he did, he always tried to keep a distance between him and her. There was one time when Jumi walking into the cafeteria with Kei and Joon couldn’t even greet Jumi as he used to. All he could do was just taking a glimpse at her and walking pass each other like strangers....................

“Joon! Let’s have lunch together. Where are you going???”

Rena spoke out loud and hanged on to Joon’s arm. Joon took his arm out of her hands and said in an indifferent expression.....

“Rena! I’m tired. Can you spare me some times? I need to be alone for a while.”

He said and walked away, leaving Rena who was turning slowly to the direction where Jumi was at. She clenched her both fists and bit her lips in anger...........

Later on, many things remained the same, including the fact that Joon always kept the distance between himself and Jumi, the fact that Jumi and Joon acted like strangers toward each other and the fact that Jumi’s heart almost stopped beating seeing Joon in that situation. She always wanted to talk to him and smile at him like she had used to. But every times she’s about to do it, there seemed to be the gaps between them which was unable to cross. Those things went on, until one day when Jumi was sitting in her room all alone reading a book. It’s already past midnight. She stood up and walked toward the window. She opened the curtain slowly and looked at the hard falling snow. Jumi kept staring at the snow, which was falling down really hard, and then turned to the gate. What she saw almost shocked her to death. A tall guy in jeans, coat, boots and a white scarf was standing stiff in front of her house. The weather was really cold outside but he managed to stand still without showing any expressions..........

Joon had been standing under the snowfall for a few hours without complaining or even thinking of leaving. The snow started to fall down harder and harder but Joon didn’t care. He kept on standing until a girl walked out with an umbrella in her hand and said worryingly.......

“Joon! What are you doing here? It’s really cold outside. You should go home.”

Joon turned to Jumi slowly and smiled. He responded......

“I’m here to end a misunderstanding.”

“Joon!”

“I know I have nothing to prove that I’m saying the truth and I know I have nothing to make you believe me. But I just can’t continue to live without explaining this to you. About, what you saw that day.....”

Jumi interrupted because she started to notice that Joon started to shake because of coldness. His face seemed pale and his voice started to change....

“Joon! You can talk about it later. It’s really cold out here. You will be sick if you’re still doing this.”

“Jumi! Please! Listen to me once. Just this time please!”

Jumi knew she couldn’t stop him so she just stood still and listened to him silently. Joon continued....

“What you saw that day isn’t like what you think. I didn’t call you there just to make you see me kissing Rena. I know it upset you and I’m truly sorry for everything, Jumi. I know this explanation is not enough for you to forgive me. But I just feel incomplete being unable to tell you this. It’s getting colder. You should go back in now. Goodbye Jumi!”

Joon said and walked slowly away, leaving Jumi, who was still staring at him with a few teardrops rolling on her cheeks............

......................................................................

A new day had started. Jumi was sitting in the classroom during the lunch break while Joon was putting his head on the table. There was no one in the room besides them. Jumi stared at Joon and noticed his unusual condition. She was about to tap his shoulder and asked if he was ok but she suddenly back her hand. Jumi stood up and walked out of the classroom. A while later she walked back in with a bottle of water and some pills. Jumi put those things on his desk and posted a sticker beside them written ‘You must have caught a cold. Take these pills and rest well’. Then Jumi sat down in her place and kept staring at Joon expressionlessly, without realizing Rena was standing by the window and staring at her in anger. A moment later, Jumi walked out of the classroom alone toward the cafeteria. Suddenly, Rena walked out of nowhere and slammed her to the wall. She spoke to Jumi in scary expression.......

“I’ve told you to stay away from Joon many times already. You seem to be unable to get what I’ve been trying to tell you at all.”

Jumi stared at Rena and responded in her usual expression......

“I don’t understand you at all. When did I ever try to get close to him?”

“What you’ve done, you can tell yourself. You’re such a dramaqueen pretending to be innocent in front of Joon. I’m sick of that trick of yours.”

Jumi clenched her fists and replied......

“You can think of me in whichever way you want to but let me ask you this once. You love Joon and I know that but have you ever valued that love just a little bit? Sometimes I think you love him so much until being able to sacrifice anything for him but later on, I’ve just realized it’s just nothing. You can’t do anything besides putting pressure on him.”

“SHUT UP!!!!!”

“I hope you can do better than this. I hope you can do something for that love besides wasting your time telling me to stay away from Joon.”

Rena clenched her fists and replied in anger.....

“Enough!!! I don’t need to be told by someone like you. I know what I’m doing. Keep in mind, girl. Joon is mine and will always be mine. I won’t let him go to anyone, especially you.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll always keep that in mind after Joon admits himself to be yours. But you think Joon will admit that while you’re treating him like a stuff like this??? I guess he never will.”

“YOU!!!!”

Rena exclaimed and raised her hand to slap Jumi. After the sound of slapping, everyone turned silent. Rena looked at the one who, was standing before her, and exclaimed out of surprising....

“Joon!”

Joon had dragged Jumi away and received Rena’s slapping instead of her. Joon’s pale cheek started to turn painfully red. His expression remained blank. Joon let go of Jumi hand slowly and dragged Rena to a place where there were only him and her. He let go of her hand and said.......

“Rena! Can you stop doing that?”

Rena’s tears started to fall down. She spoke out......

“Joon! Why are you doing this to me? You know I love you but you still ignore my feeling. Joon! You are too cruel!”

Rena said and her tears started to flow harder and harder. Without any response, Joon suddenly went down on his knees. He spoke out of broken heart.....

“I’m sorry for everything Rena but as I told you, I’ve always kept you as my friend and nothing can change that. You can tell me to do anything but please stop doing things that hurts Jumi’s feeling anymore. I’m begging you.”

Rena was too shocked seeing Joon going down on his knees. She responded with her tears flowing....

“You’re afraid she might get hurt but have you been afraid just a little bit that I might get hurt too?”

Without any response, Joon just kept staring at the floor with his hands shaking. Meanwhile, Jumi was secretly watching them with her tears flowing like a river................................

.........................................................

To be continued

JuLinA

Things are getting complicated...

Will they be able to carry on????