Beautiful Goodbye
CHAPTER 24: Dry Twig

       Countless number of pairs of eyes that anchor the face on the four-wheeled vehicle. On a Bentley Mulsanne sedan, now treading on the university they ketap. Jungkook who just arrived with a sports motorcycle he was riding was stunned, feeling familiar with the luxury car that now stops in the parking lot near the main building of Gangwon University. The successful ones captured the attention of the residents around.

       His eyes wobbled as a man got out of the car, complete with his suit, was circling into the trunk, pulling something out of there—a wheelchair. There was no mistaking it, it must have been Sohyun. Jungkook sat in the air while watching. He got off after locking his bike, then walked over.

        Meanwhile, Sohyun's sudden appearance after disappearing without news managed to steal the attention. Especially when Jonghoon helped Sohyun down, lifted the body of the master and sat him in a wheelchair. Almost a look of disbelief dominates their eyes, which focus on seeing that the women they always make gossip material, come again with a condition not the same as last time. Sohyun no problem, after all he is used to be the lips of many people. It's pointless, serving those same people. Starting today, Sohyun also has to adapt in addition to his new appearance whispers are increasing later.

          "Your job is enough here. I can do it myself." Sohyun's voice restrained Jonghoon's movement that would push his wheelchair. The man frowned, between confused and prepared to reject the master's order.

        "But, Miss ..."

        "Didn't you hear her words?"

        Not Sohyun, but Jungkook who suddenly appeared in front of Jonghoon. The man stood up, putting on a defiant face ready to squabble.

         "You who?" Jonghoon asked coldly, glancing at Sohyun at a glance, but it seemed that his master had no passion translating the meaning of his view that demanded an answer.

        Sohyun who started to get distracted from being an object for dozens of eyes at the moment, decided to leave.

          "Miss Kim!" jonghoon wanted to chase. But Jungkook who did not stay silent prevented by pulling the private driver's arm.

         "You don't seem to know his nature?" he said to Jonghoon. "Let me take care of her while here. Your job is done driving her, it's my turn, Driver Choi."

          The pat on Jonghoon's right shoulder ended their conversation. Jungkook quickly ran after Sohyun who had not shrunk from his sight. Jonghoon was fixated on himself, observing Jungkook's behavior the first time he met and perhaps the only person to ask him informal talk. This made Jonghoon even more confused and gave up, when he saw many curious eyes that seemed to be eyeing him, Jonghoon gushed into the car, speeding away from the university area.

🔔

          Jungkook's bead sparkles to find Sohyun's body. The girl was five steps ahead of him, so smooth with the wheeled chair she was wearing. Both of his legs continued to follow in whatever direction Sohyun was heading, ignoring how sharp the spotlight was killing haters who did not like Sohyun's presence. Increasingly, squeezed by the situation, making Jungkook feel anxious, seeing how indifferent Sohyun is to the surroundings that are considered inanimate objects like stones. While whistling, Jungkook grabbed the rear grip of Sohyun's wheelchair, which automatically stopped the floor-slashing wheel movement.

         Sohyun was silent. His hand lifted from the wheel, staring straight ahead. There was only one person who dared to do so and there was no point in facing Jungkook, it was solemn as to what kind of temperament the man who was ducking near his earlobe was now. The man whispered, "Why not use an electric wheelchair? It's not an expensive tool, is it, for a rich man like you?"

       "I just can't move both my legs. My motor skills are still good, my heart and breathing have no serious problems, no reason to use them, Jeon."

         Jungkook chuckled at the flat response coming out of Sohyun's mouth. Jeon, I don't know why Jungkook tetiba likes the call. Sohyun is indeed a woman who does not have manners, easily calling her family surname as stiff as a stone. It was not easy to conquer this woman. It's trying to be normal, Jungkook can not display his own look after knowing what happened to Sohyun from the search results a few days back. Miris. One word that does not quite summarize all the bitterness of life experienced.

        "Yes, Kim So Hyun does like the manual ones. I believe." Jungkook half-gruel gave up. Now his feet were moving forward, pushing the manual wheelchair he was referring to.

        "Often call me Jeon, I've loved it ever since you said it at that restaurant."  The man spoke without letting go of a smile.

         "If I couldn't call you Jeon that often, what would you do?" sohyun.

          Jungkook thought again, feeling the question from Sohyun was a puzzle he had to solve. "Why ask me that? If you feel heavy, it's up to you. That's your right."

         Likes not to like, that's the answer from Jungkook. A completely unsurprising solution. Sohyun apparently not used to Jungkook treatment that even feels sweeter, compared to the past, when they are still bound in pretense.

        "I'm sure it's not because of the status you already know about me. There's another thing .. it's disturbing, very."

        Jungkook is not stupid, meaning the words of Sohyun who left a strange noise in his heart. "Never change. Still the pretentious Kim Sohyun!" His words were doubtful.

         The woman looked down to hide her little smile. The more days, for Sohyun the man who continues to babble behind him is increasingly obvious the original. He is not very familiar with the figure of Jungkook, a rare meeting and communication that he deliberately limit, perhaps trigger a foreign word knitting on the relationship of the two in the past. But today, it could be, God has a plan that he never thought was coming, he and Jungkook begin the introduction again.

        "By the way .. I didn't see your friends. Where are they going?" Sohyun calmed down.

        "Huh ...," Jungkook let out a tired breath. "Jimin is busy with his possessive girlfriend, then, Yoongi .. he takes care of his mother who fell ill because her father was arrested by the police last night. They know better who to prioritize than me."

       Sohyun nodded in understanding. An extrovert like Jungkook cannot survive on his own without the noise of his close friends, and among the hundreds or even thousands of university residents, why is he approaching himself today?

        "Sometimes I wonder, what's in your head? You almost never stop thinking, is that what keeps you quieter?"

        "There are secrets that not many people know about. Those who are silent are more chatty. You know, Jeon, that question of yours got me interested in answering your curiosity, my brain was a mess. It's more than just a hiccup, and I can't stop it."

         Jungkook's forehead to shrivel inside. Not unable to digest Sohyun's sentence, only he was lazy to think hard, lately he was tired of finding out information about the girl who often got the title of campus monster. It cannot be said that the results are good, because not everything he can get easily. It's not as easy as Jungkook thought. To him, Sohyun was very skilled at hiding and hiding.

         Not felt, the room Sohyun was in front of his eyes. Jungkook stopped pushing, turning to show his form in front of Sohyun who did not know what he meant and wanted.

        "Even though I don't know you very well .. I believe, you can get through it all. Don't mind how those who hate looking at you, rest assured, Kim So Hyun, you're not alone."

        The girl did not answer immediately. The elusan at the top of his head from Jungkook's cold hands resuscitated his fullness. She's not alone, is Jungkook really going to be with her? As a friend sent by God to encourage his broken soul.

       "Jeon Jungkook..." Sohyun looked up, the shrill call cut off, needing an explanation.

        "What?" Jungkook replied, a thump pulling his hand from above Sohyun's head. He realized what one of his limbs had just done.

        "Let's be friends!"

       Looking back at Jungkook's eyes right now, Sohyun's invitation to be friends can actually turn his facial water into randomadut.

        "So what did you say? Befriends? You mean us?" tanyanya made sure while pointing at Sohyun and herself.

      Sohyun commented a smile, accompanied by a small nod. A gesture will definitely answer Jungkook later.

        Jungkook himself is still overwhelmed with disbelief, after what he got this morning. An offer of friendship, from a former lover who he had played with.

       While up ahead, Sohyun had dragged his wheelchair away, getting closer to the music practice room. Leaving Jungkook who still had to reflect on the sentence that was said to his frame.

🔔

        Many times the sweat fell through his white skin. His breathing fibers sounded short, tired of whacking Taehyung who was just finished with his new job. A smile full of relief filled his happy face instead of playing, after seeing the results of his own hands. The man crouched down, bare-chested, as if the coming of winter had not been able to dispel the sultry felt. His gaze went in one direction, on the tree house he managed to change shape.

        There was one thing the man wanted to do upon his return to Korea, namely, repair the tree house and beautify it, what's more after seeing for yourself the condition of the weathered wooden bench early on his arrival here. Exactly one month ago, Taehyung deliberately set aside time to design a tree house design.  Even so enthusiastic, Taehyung made a special mockup that he displayed in his personal space, with the aim, so that he could always remember the memories he went through with his friend in the hill garden.

      During the week, Taehyung was busy struggling in the hill park, either after coming home from the hospital and office, he took two to five hours per day to pay for work. Do it yourself with both hands.

       "Hold, Sohyun. Let's fill in more memories in the hill garden. Together."

🔔

       Two hours in music class today, for Sohyun, was very different. If usually the girl was always left at the edge of the room without saying much, this time, one by one the students who were initially apathetic towards her began to approach. Whether because of what, five to seven people came to ask the news like a friend who long did not say hello. Even Mr. George who often likes to misuh-misuh with a myriad of words firmly looks calm. One question came to his mind that did not want to be silent, was it because of his condition?

        Sohyun felt, his appearance today was a big contribution, bringing an impact that Sohyun himself did not want to happen. Unlike Yeri, his first friend was sitting together on his stool. Since his arrival, not a few feet of his female friend was moving towards his stool, although many times Sohyun also observed, Yeri was caught stealing glances at him. The class ended as usual. Sohyun became the student who most quickly mastered the material, although often absent. Entrenched with near-perfect values.

        Yeri and herself in one room. Sharing equally heavily inhaled air. Sohyun smiled thinly, while scraping his luggage. The same thing Yeri did.

        "You don't want to ask me how I'm doing?"

         Yeri froze, her hands floating in the air, Sohyun's words obliterating his movements.

         "Actually .. My main reason for entering today, is because someone complained to me, if Kim Yeri was looking for me. Your name is Kim Yeri, right? Or has it changed?"

          Yeri closed her eyes, stunned by the venomous sentence from Sohyun.

         "You want me to come to you?" Sohyun slowly moved his wheelchair. Closer to the bench occupied by Yeri.

          "Now I'm in front of you. Don't look for me for fear that my position will be replaced. George Purcell didn't comment much in class today."

Sohyun displayed her sweet smile, slightly revealing the arrangement of her front white teeth, but it seemed, Yeri was still reluctant to look back at her.

         "Sumiyuan..." Yeri. "I'm sorry, forgive me," he said regretfully.

        Not much Sohyun gave in response to Yeri's statement. The girl for a moment grinned faintly, before a gesture came from her.

🔔

      The wind that was running slowly thinned as the door of the cafe across from the university closed. For the first time for Sohyun who set foot on a modern minimalist style building, the girl was stunned for a moment. Yeri remained silent at the back, helping to push her wheelchair patiently.

         They came here at Sohyun's own request. Sassy, Yeri's apology was answered by another request. One of them, visiting a cafe that happens to be quiet during the day.

        "Where do you want to be at?" yeri asked, while glancing at some empty benches.

        "Just up to you."

        "All right."

       Yeri led Sohyun towards the middle table. The center of the circular table is round. The chairs look small when overwritten by an adult body. Each consists of four color cross chairs. They sat face to face after Yeri shifted the bench for Sohyun.

         "Sohyun, I—"

         "What do you want to order?" cut off Sohyun, asking while reading the menu book in his hand.

          With weight, Yeri comes to see the menu list. The girl sighed, as if the range of available beverage foods had not been able to interest her. He was not lustful, for Jeri there was something more important. He must immediately resolve this misunderstanding with Sohyun. Bad, when his friend heard it from an outsider.

         "Don't think too much, Kim Yeri," Sohyun said softly. Putting the thing he was holding, immediately looked at Yeri's bead eyes. Although the one who is stared at chooses to remain submissive.

          "Let me know, so take your guilt. At least I should be grateful, the police did not reveal my identity. My life is safe now."

          "Why is it that easy? Why is it so easy for you to forgive me, Hyun?"

          Yeri's question was floating, paused because of the small steps a servant took to the table number five they were sitting on. A woman in a dark blue uniform who had prepared with her menu notebook. Matcha green tea latte and .. a glass of water, held a few moments later on the table. Sohyun enjoyed the drink as well as Yeri who occasionally sipped her warm tea.

          "Didn't you just beg me? Excuse me. When you were able to say in front of me, it was a form of regret, wasn't it?"

          Yeri. The woman was silent on the verge of her own doubt. How about so easily, Sohyun read his feelings.

         "Or maybe I was wrong. Did you know, Yeri, that no creature can know a person's mind and heart? Including myself." Sohyun.

         "Aren't you tired of living like this?" ask Yeri.

         "Do you think what I'm doing is exhausting?"

          "The world needs to know who you are. I can't keep seeing you denigrated. I know my actions were wrong, sorry to hurt you, because of my carelessness, now you..."

         "Disfucked."

         "God-ah!"

        "Why?"

       Jeri was crazy, feeling in vain what he was doing. The woman in front of him didn't care.

         "We live by our own perceptions. You can't impose your will, nor can anyone else's mind."

         Yeri was silent, taking another sip of the latte in her cup with trembling hands. Sohyun paid enough attention, observing all the movements of Yeri's body.

         "You look like my mother for a long time." Sohyun smiled in passing, interrupted when the vibrating tone of his phone rang.

         A fine gnarly stuck to his forehead. An unknown number, and a new hunch appeared. Sohyun did not like this sensation, but it seemed exciting after seeing the new message coming in.

        "If you're really my friend, then behave like a real friend. I have to go, I have a new friend to meet."

        Sohyun's gone. Completely gone until lost in his net view.

        "New friend, he said?" Yeri sighed loudly while groaning. Glancing at two pieces of money that do not know since when it was on the table.