Defective Banana - Chapter 51
Seohyuk smiled, his face bright and boyish as he said, “I’ve been running and flying for two days just to see you, Ara.”
“Two days?”
Ara blinked at him, staring into his eyes like she was trying to figure out how such a thing was even possible.
“There was a typhoon there, so all the flights were canceled. I had to run to the next country just to catch a plane.”
“…Ha.”
Her eyes widened, then softened. She kept looking at him, and soon her lashes trembled as her eyes reddened. But just as quickly, she narrowed them and scolded him.
“This guy… he must be insane.”
“You just realized I’m crazy about you?”
His playful tone made her crack a reluctant smile. She took his hand, tugging him along.
“Come on. We’re getting you some proper food. If you’re going to lose weight, you should at least get ugly. What am I supposed to do if you get even better looking?”
They took the gondola back down and headed toward the car where Seungbok was waiting.
Ara knocked on the window, and Seungbok, who had been staring at his phone, immediately looked up and broke into a wide smile as he jumped out.
“You two found each other!”
He was practically bouncing with excitement, and Seohyuk, a little embarrassed, grabbed his arm to make introductions.
“Ara, this is my manager, Na Seungbok hyung. Hyung, this is Baek Ara.”
“Hello. It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Hello. Nice to meet you too.”
“Hyung, I’ll be staying with Ara for a few days, so don’t worry.”
The two men hugged briefly, sharing the relief of finally meeting.
“Alright. Just keep your phone on.”
“Got it. Hyung, thanks for everything. I’ll call you.”
Seohyuk pulled his suitcase from the trunk and loaded it into Ara’s car.
Seungbok grinned at Ara and gave her a big thumbs-up.
“Baek Ara, I’ll always be rooting for you.”
“Oh, thank you.”
After saying their goodbyes, Ara and Seohyuk headed to her place.
***
“Did you get any sleep?”
“A little, on the plane.”
The entire drive, Seohyuk’s gaze never left her. It had been too long since he’d last seen her, and a part of him was terrified she might slip away again.
The ten-minute drive felt like it passed in a single minute. They stopped in front of a two-story house with a yard.
“Where are we?”
“My place. Come on in.”
Through the blue gate, fresh green grass stretched out across the yard, with square stepping stones leading to the front door. In the center stood a wide wooden platform, almost identical in color to the one they’d seen in Jeonju.
Beyond that, two clotheslines stretched side by side, a small outdoor sink, and along the fence line, white daisies swayed toward the sky.
Standing there for a moment, he could hear seagulls crying in the distance, the sound of waves rolling in.
Living alone in such a peaceful place, it suited her. But no wonder he’d had trouble finding her. He took a deep breath, staring past the wall at the endless ocean, and a smile tugged at his lips.
When he turned back, Ara was watching him. Without hesitation, he strode toward her and pulled her into his arms.
“You have no idea how much I missed you. God, I missed you so damn much.”
“I missed you too.”
“Don’t you dare think about running away again. I’m never letting go now. Got it?”
“Yes. I got it.”
***
Inside, Ara immediately started preparing food. She’d already planned to bring him here if they met, so she went grocery shopping yesterday. The meat was marinated and resting in the fridge, and pasta ingredients had been prepped since morning.
One by one, she set the dishes on the table, and the two of them began a late lunch.
She briefly regretted not making Korean food, knowing now that he’d been overseas, but… it was too late. The food was here.
They shared salad, steak, and pasta.
“Does it suit your taste? Is it okay?”
“Yeah. It’s all great.”
She smirked.
“No, I’m asking if it’s delicious.”
“Yes. It’s delicious. I love it.”
“Here, have the rest of my steak. I’m full.”
Smiles kept breaking out between them.
Cooking, eating, and laughing with the person you love, maybe this was what happiness really was. Ara felt her heart swell and thought, This… this is what living should feel like.
***
They moved to the couch, sitting side by side, finally starting the conversation they hadn’t been able to have.
“Did you live well after I left? How could you just send one text and vanish like that? You should’ve told me to my face, so I could at least beg, or cry, or hold on to you. Do you have any idea how much I worried and missed you?”
“I heard from the puffed-rice lady that you came by often, looking for me.”
“What? When did you meet her?”
Ara tilted her eyes upward in thought. “Around last December?”
Seohyuk’s brows lifted sharply.
“Ha. And you still didn’t contact me? I begged her!”
Ara kept a blank face, pretending not to know. She already guessed what he’d asked, but wanted to see if he’d admit it.
“What did you beg her for?”
“I just… asked her to tell you to call me if she saw you.”
So he’d not only asked for her number, he’d begged the woman to get in touch the moment they met. Her heart squeezed with guilt. She should’ve given her number back then.
“Ah… maybe she couldn’t find my number, so she didn’t call.”
“What? How do you know I asked for your number? Did she tell you everything?”
His brows furrowed as if feeling betrayed, and Ara let out a small laugh.
“No. She didn’t say anything. But she kept insisting I write my number down before I left. How much did you pay her?”
He brushed it off. “Just a little. She works so hard.”
“How little?” Ara’s eyes narrowed. “She practically blocked the door, demanding I give her my number. Tell me. How much?”
“…A hundred.”
“100,000 won?”
“…No.”
Her voice shot up. “Don’t tell me, a million won?!”
She stared at him, round-eyed, until he pulled her into another hug, rubbing her back.
“It was getting colder, and she works out there selling puffed rice… I thought she could use it. And maybe she’d have the strength to get your number for me.”
“I see. Well then, I’ll go give her my number soon and ask her to buy me jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk.”
Seohyuk let go and looked straight into her eyes.
“So you really didn’t give her your number?”
“No.”
“Why? Afraid I’d bother you?”
“…No. More like… I figured if we met again, it’d just get hard for both of us. For you, for me… and for your mom.”
“You think Kim Yeosa would hate you?”
Ara nodded, worry clouding her expression. Seohyuk pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, then handed it to her.
“Look at this. She’s one of your biggest fans.”
Ara blinked, confused, until she saw the screen, a photo of Donghee standing in front of an art museum, smiling and flashing a peace sign.