Juniper
Things quieted down a bit after our outing to Lotte World. Min Jun said he hadn't heard from Samantha, so we figured she had gotten the hint. I occasionally went to the studio and danced with Min Jun and without fail, the videos of us were still being posted online. Every once in a while, occasionally people would notice us ask us for a picture. I had gotten used to being with him and being noticed as it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. While at work, I had gotten a call from Arc Interactive, so I stepped outside to take the call.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Juniper Brown?” The man said over the phone.
“Yes, this is her. How can I help you?”
“This is Park Ho-Seok, I’m the project director for Arc Interactive.” He said. My eyes brightened up and I started walking around outside.
“Hello, nice to meet you. How can I help you?” I responded.
“I received your resume and I was informed that you had an amazing interview as well.” He said. I did, to be honest. I interviewed with the company shortly after the trip to Lotte World; I clicked really well with the interviewer, especially after I told him my concept of the video game I wanted to create and produce. He was very interested and loved the idea that I had for it. He even asked, if I got the job, if he could help on it. I was flattered! Of course I wouldn’t turn down any help on the project, I was excited that he wanted to help me with it.
“Thank you, I’m glad.” I answered.
“Well we would like to offer you the position. You can make your own schedule as long as you are in the office at least 2 days a week to show us your progress on any project you are assigned. Your position will be with a team of developers with the opportunity to grow and become a team lead.” He offered. I was stunned, I had landed my dream job as a game developer. “Hello, are you there?” He asked.
“Uh, Yes, I’m here. Thank you so much! I accept.” I answered. I turned around and looked at my building. I wouldn’t be going back there for long.
“Great, so we know you have to give notice to your current job. We also have a signing bonus for you as well that will be discussed when you come in to complete your onboarding paperwork.” Shit, a signing bonus? I didn’t know about that! I guess the guy failed to tell me that part at the interview.
“Thank you! Thank you again. I will give my notice today. Thank you again.” I said. I jumped up and down outside and screamed. A few people looked at me as if I had lost my damn mind. I composed myself and took it down a notch. I had to tell Se-ra and Min Jun.
Just as I was about to dial Min Jun, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number; I thought it was someone from the office again so I answered it immediately.
“Hello?” I said excitedly.
“Hello Juniper baby. I’m glad you answered my call.” A familiar voice came over the phone, it was Caleb. I froze, why was he calling me? Why did he have a South Korean phone number? “Hello? Are you still there?”
“What do you want?” I answered.
“I want you baby.” He answered. My skin crawled.
“Why are you calling me?”
“I’m here baby.” My heart dropped.
“What? You’re where?”
“In South Korea. I just landed, I’m waiting for my bags.” My heart started pounding fast. This could not be happening to me. Did this motherfucker just tell me that he was in South Korea?
Why was he here? Where exactly was he? Where was he planning to go?
“What the fuck do you mean you are in South Korea?” I asked, getting upset.
“I’m here for you baby. I came over here to show you that I want you back.” This motherfucker is stupid. Did he really think I would take him back? It has been almost a year since we have been together. Did he really think he could just walk back into my life that easily? Or at all?
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you are not needed or wanted. I have someone already and I’m very happy with him.” I said sternly.
“Oh yeah, Lee Min Jun. Don’t worry about him anymore. You won’t need him, I’m here baby.” He said confidently. What the fuck was going on? How did he know his name? What the fuck? I instantly got ill. I was so sick to my stomach, I couldn’t even deal.
“You need to leave and leave me alone. I don’t want or need you.” I said.
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“It’s okay baby. I’ll find you. I know you won’t tell me where you are and that’s okay. I’ll come to you. I’ll come to you when you least expect it.” He said laughing. “I love you baby. I’ll always love you.” It made me sick to my stomach hearing him say those words out of his mouth. I am waiting for the moment when Min Jun to tells me those three little words and now Caleb was tainting them.
“Fuck you Caleb. You messed that up a long time ago. I can guarantee this will be a wasted trip.” I said and hung up the phone. I ran back into the office and straight to the bathroom. Se-ra followed me in after I zoomed past her desk.
“What is wrong Juniper?” She asked. I was dry heaving in the toilet, nothing was coming up. I hadn’t eaten yet and breakfast had already been digested. My head was spinning and I was not going to relax until I saw Min Jun. I barely managed to get it out to Se-ra in between heaves.
“Are you fucking serious?” She stated. That was the first time I heard Se-ra upset. She said that shit so quickly, you couldn’t even hear her Korean accent. I stumbled out of the bathroom stall over to the sink. I had to put water on my face and neck.
“Yes. This motherfucker just landed in Seoul. I can’t do this today, I really can’t.” My mind was going a mile a minute and it wasn’t slowing down.
“Have you told Min Jun yet?” She asked. I shook my head and just flushed my mouth out. “You need to call him.” She said.
“I know, I need to see him.” I wanted to cry.
Why was this happening to me? What the fuck is it with the ex’s these days? Why the fuck are they popping back up all of a sudden? First it was Samantha, Min Jun’s ex and now it was Caleb. My mind kept racing, how in the fuck did he find out where I was? I couldn’t even get an understanding.
“Does Chanel know?” Se-ra asked. I needed to call her. She had left Seoul two days ago and I really needed to talk to her.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t talked to her. I was going to call her when I got home tonight. I figured she had jet lag so I was going to let her rest.”
“Well, I’m sure she would want to hear what is going on, even if the bitch is tired.” Se-ra said. She had been around Chanel way too much that she had rubbed off her. She made me smile when she said that because she sounded just like Chanel. I giggled and she laughed. She made me feel a little better. I was just thrown off center and I had to get my shit together and keep it together.
“You’re right. I need to call Chanel.”
“Hey, why don’t you take off for the rest of the day. I’ll tell them you got sick and had to go home. Don’t worry about it. I got you.” She said, I gave her a hug so tight she squealed.
“Love you girl.” I said.
“I know.” She smiled. I left the bathroom, grabbed my shit and left the office. I called Chanel on the way to the train station.
“Bitch you are lying!” She said when I told her that Caleb called me when he landed.
“I wish I was. How the fuck did he find me?” I asked.
“Not to be funny Juni, but I bet it was your mother.”
“How do you figure?” I asked. There was no way she could find out where I was.
“You said she saw the video right?”
“Yeah, and?”
“Maybe she was the one who showed it to Caleb.” She made a point. She made a really good point. My mind went racing again; even though it was a long stretch but she was going down the right track.
“Do you think he could have contacted the owner of the channel?” I asked.
“It’s a possibility. Y’all never found out who was posting the videos huh?” She asked.
“Nah, and they are still posting them too. They even posted a video of me and Min Jun shopping for groceries. That shit is stalkerish.” I said. Shit is getting fucked up; I needed to call Min Jun.
“Did you tell Min Jun yet?” She asked, yawning in between words.
“No, not yet. I was about to call him after I told you.”
“Call him, you know he would want to know.” She said she was right, he would want to know as soon as possible.
“I will. Keep your ear out for me.” I said.
“I will. Oh and I got word I’ll be back next week or so. Maybe two weeks at the most. Hopefully that stupid motherfucker can’t find you by then.” She said, I was happy she was coming back, but two weeks seemed far away as fuck. I called Min Jun after I hung up from Chanel. I can just imagine his shock when I tell him.
“Where are you?” He asked, sounding agitated.
“I’m on my way to the train station.” I said.
“Wait for me there, I’m on my way.” He said and hung up the phone. I knew he would be on it quickly. He wasn’t about to let that shit fly. He was coming to get his woman. I smiled at the fact that he wanted to protect me.
Even though we had been together for only a short period of time, we were getting closer and closer day by day. He made me feel as though he would stand by me through it all, no matter what came my way, he wasn’t going to leave. His reaction was the same as that day I was in his car arguing with my mother. Just thinking about that night, I realized I haven't spoken to my mother since then. She hadn’t called or tried to get someone else to call for her. I could care less to be honest, but I remembered what Chanel said which made me wonder if she was behind this shit. She wanted me to get back with Caleb and she was just disgusted that I was with someone else. As I turned the corner nearest the station, I saw Min Jun standing in front of the station. My phone rang, it was Min Jun.
“Where are you?” He said when I answered. He looked worried as he stood outside the station.
“Look to your right.” I said. He turned and saw me. We disconnected and he ran to meet me. He was dressed in black jeans, a nice turtleneck sweater and a black leather jacket and a pair of black shoes to complete his look. He looked damn good, but worried. As soon as I was in reach, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him, I could smell his cologne.
“Are you okay?” He said leaning back to look at me.
“Yeah, I am now.” I smiled a weak smile. He pulled me close and held me tightly as if he wasn’t going to let me go.
“Let’s go.” He said holding me as we walked back to his car. I sat in the car just looking out the window as he held my hand. We drove in silence, with my mind was a million miles away. I really didn’t want this to be happening to me. Before I knew it, Min Jun had turned into my building’s parking lot. He knew I wanted to be at home, honestly I wouldn’t have minded if we would have stayed at his place. Either way, as long as I was with him that’s all that mattered. Just as I figured, each and every time just as things are going good, here comes something to try and fuck it up.