A few days after the phone call, the long-awaited day arrived when all three novelists decided to finally meet up. Messages in the group chat started pouring in – Megumi had just arrived off the plane, while Emily was at baggage claim to retrieve her suitcase. They had originally planned to take Yun-hee out every night for the next four days, hoping to persuade her to accept the marriage. Their plan involved sneaking her out of her home, with the hope that her parents wouldn't find out–though they hadn't put much thought into what they would do if her parents did find out.
Emily was the first one out of the airport. Already having claimed her suitcase, she waited just outside the double doors for the young student. The tall woman was wearing a beige puffer jacket over a thick black romper; none of them had any idea about what each other looked like, so they settled on tying a blue and yellow ribbon on their luggage, and so that's what she did.
Walking down the escalator and reaching the ground floor, Megumi held only a small backpack and an average-sized suitcase. She checked the group chat for any updates while walking towards the exit, and when none had shown up, she inevitably shoved her phone back into her jacket pocket.
As the student approached the airport exit, a gentle gust of breeze revealed a yellow-blue ribbon fluttering in the wind just outside, with a tall woman standing right beside it. Catching sight of the small detail, a wide grin spread across her face. Emily, unaware of Megumi, fidgets with her phone, waiting for a message when suddenly, someone appears behind her and wraps their hands around her neck, forming what some would call a "hug."
The office worker wheezed at the sudden approach, but knew immediately it was the cheeky first-year, "Megumi–Megumi, you're...choking me!" Emily's hands were on the student's arms while her entire body tipped backwards at the unbalanced weight, almost falling over.
"Ah! Sorry, big sis, I just got too excited." Megumi releases her grip and the brunette gasps for air. She holds her neck and sees the small woman closing in beside her with an apologetic expression–that didn't seem at all sorry.
As Emily stood up, she gazed at the smiling first-year student; Megumi, of average height, had short, messy tied-up hair in a ponytail, with her side bangs tucked behind her ears. She was wearing a stylish red racer jacket and oversized pants, exuding a casual yet confident vibe.
"What? Surprised? I told you guys I had long hair but I decided to cut it the day before this trip to surprise ya." She beams, throwing up a peace sign with her right hand.
"No, it's not that. It's just...you're shorter than I imagined." Emily puts her hand on her chin, turning her body to her and tilting her head as if observing her.
The first-year blinks, "Haaaah?! What does that mean?!"
Grinning, the tall woman's cheeks puffed and then unexpectedly burst out laughing, "I'm kidding!" she said, her face quickly placing on a neutral expression knowing Megumi's character was utterly unpredictable. Like a ticking time bomb.
Quickly changing the atmosphere, she waves her hand to hail out for a cab. The doubtful woman beside her leans in and narrows her eyes, "Doesn't that mean you expected this height?"
Emily slowly looks back and peaks at her just above her waving hands, dumbfounded at her lack of social awareness, which was much on par with Yun-hee's, "That's–not what I meant..." she says in a small voice, "Did you think that's what it meant?" Megumi shrugs with her hands in her jacket's pockets, a cab halting directly in front of them before she lets out another word.
As the taxi sped through the winding streets, the city lights blurred into colourful streaks that reflected in the windows. Inside, they found themselves reminiscing about the conversation they'd had earlier, laughing about the last two days they'd spent packing and preparing for this much-anticipated trip. Their discussion cut short as they finally reached the hotel.
As they exited the taxi and shouldered their bags, they stepped through the opulent revolving gold-plated doors. Emily made a beeline for the front desk to secure their pre-booked rooms, while Megumi found her gaze drawn to the extravagant spiral staircase that ascended to the first floor.
Turning her head to take in the surroundings, she was met with the mesmerising sight of the chandeliers illuminating across the expansive lobby. In the distance, she noticed the vertical garden walls behind the two lavish L-shaped sectional couches in the lounge, which were bathed in natural light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the glass, she caught a glimpse of the fountain in the hotel's garden, with its waters dancing in the afternoon sun. It was all beautiful.
"Goddamnit Yun-hee, you and your money." Megumi frowns, "I guess your parents are the price for this luxurious life." she crosses her arms on her chest.
"Megumi, stop cursing out Yun-hee." the brunette appears in front of her, "I got our room card, so could you bring your head down from the clouds now?" Emily says, bringing up her suitcase and heading for the elevators.
"Oh come on, don't tell me you don't think this is a little pretentious, big sis," she says, hurriedly catching up with the big strides the tall woman was taking, pressing the elevator button and both being greeted with dirty-white walls that were painted with small vined gold flowers. "Okay, Forget little. Too pretentious." she corrected.
The tall woman laughs weakly, "Did anyone ever tell you that you just...say whatever you think?" she says, worried, but also trying to find the right words, "Even if it isn't in your...best interest."
Megumi presses their floor button and smiles at her. "At some point in our friendship, big sis, I won't need to say anything anymore~ Also, it's better to be truthful, no?"
"Well, not if the 'truth' may hurt someone." she frets.
"Oh c'mon! The truth always hurts." Megumi emphasises as if she knew firsthand what that sentence truly meant.
. . .
When they first met, both Megumi and Emily were sceptical about getting along due to their differing personalities and significant age gap which spanned almost an entire generation. However, after getting to know one another, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the student's lively and intellectual nature, always eager to initiate discussions, complemented the worker's composed and mature demeanour, which made her more inclined to be a great listener. These contrasting qualities led to them instantly hitting it off on the first day.
As they explored the hotel amenities, went for a leisurely walk just beyond the hotel grounds, and ventured into the bustling city centre, they found themselves learning more about each other and growing closer.
Emily gazed at the lively thoroughfare, watching cars whiz past, "Now, how did we get here?” She remarks, "Let's go back Megumi, we're too far from the hotel.
"Big sis. We have an hour or two before the pickup, and I'm not going to spend it holed up in a hotel room with a TV playing movies in a language I have zero knowledge about." Megumi huffs, looking around at all the buildings and small shops. They all sat next to each other creating an architectural ensemble along the sidelines, helping them decide where to head next.
"I'm telling Yun-hee it's your fault if we're late." Emily scoffs in disbelief at the situation.
Despite the older woman's attempts to get her attention, Megumi continued her determined stride and made her way directly to the little café situated just across the street. The tall woman found herself with no other option but to follow the student, ensuring that she didn't overlook the designated pick-up time.
While exploring the area, the pair leisurely visited quaint coffee shops and charming boutique stores offering a diverse range of products including both clothing and stationery. They intentionally avoided entering larger malls or buildings as Emily believed that fully exploring these spaces would require more time than they had allocated for their outing.
Time went by fast, forcing them to leave a clothing store and decide to head back. As the two saw the sun starting to set, meaning it was time, the pair needed to drop off some leftovers and items Megumi had bought before heading to Yun-hee's place. It was an hour-and-a-half train ride away, so they had to leave as soon as possible.
“You bought too much,” Emily wryly smiles at the bags of clothes and merchandise.
“And you didn’t buy anything at all,” Megumi mentions, organising them all in the vacuum bag she brought.
“I don't wanna spend my entire life savings on this trip," she says, before looking at the bag Megumi was hauling her things in, "You anticipated this didn’t you.”
“You could say that I’m overprepared~” the first-year snickers.
“It’s just been one day, Meg. We have to go or else we’ll be late.” she says, “And Yun-hee has something against being tardy.”
“Okay, okay! I’m packing it up…Mom,” the first year says mockingly, swiftly making her way to the door before she hears anything more from Emily. “M–mom?!”
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
The worker shouts in disbelief, “Megumi!” She looks out the door to see her already down the hall in the elevator, hands in her pockets acting all innocent. Emily turns off all the lights and closes the door, not being able to help but grumble under her breath about the student's remark.
Meanwhile, Megumi was waiting in front of the elevator for her, when she heard a 'ding' sound coming from her pocket. Curious, she took out her phone and was surprised to see a notification from Yun-hee. It contained her exact address and an image of her home layout attached below it. Megumi opens it and her mouth gapes, "How big is your house sis??" she whispers, "Oh, all of these rich person vibes make me want to throw up."
Suddenly, a looming shadow appears before her, leaning in beside her. After taking a moment, she realised it was just Emily. "What's that? Is that from Yun-hee?"
“I can never get used to how tall you actually are, big sis,” she commented, looking at her for a quick minute before directing her attention back to the house details.
Emily snorts, “Okay…but that still doesn’t answer my question.”
Megumi explained that Yun-hee had sent her address, along with a detailed house layout, and instructions on the best way to enter without being noticed. If they followed these directions, they could return without her parents ever realising she was gone. Once they heard the elevator ding, they stepped inside, and the two friends carefully studied the instructions. Glancing at the clock, they noticed that it was already 8:45.
. . .
Yun-hee looked out of her window and the slightly open balcony door as the once blue sky turned a baby pink colour. She dashed to her closet, not knowing what to wear since she'd never gone out without her parents escorting her. She looked over her dresser, where even more clothing lay, and decided to rummage through all of them.
She was feeling incredibly anxious, a sensation she had never experienced before in her 22 years of life. Despite her age, Yun-hee had never socialised with others under the casual context of "friendship.” She was always stuck feeling uncertain about how to behave in social situations and found herself unfamiliar with the sensation of nerves. She experienced a sinking feeling in her stomach, and worried about all the potential scenarios where she might say the wrong things at the late-night get-together.
Yun-hee, from an early age, struggled to connect with strong emotions, unlike her more expressive parents. She recalls the time when their housekeeper tearfully pleaded with her mother not to dismiss her, but Yun-hee remained unable to comprehend the depth of the situation.
Similarly, she couldn't fathom her father's intense anger when the young girl disobeyed him, and even more so how she felt a sense of detachment from her mother's joy in material possessions. Whenever her parents expressed such intense emotions, she felt trapped in the middle, and experienced a deep sense of unease and discomfort she struggled to define.
Feeling and comprehending basic human emotions was a luxury Yun-hee could only ever dream of, so luckily, she learned how to adapt to her mother's actions. She smiled when necessary, and refused when told to do so, all in an effort to avoid being yelled at or hurt. She feared that her lack of sympathy and empathy would cause her to lose the first real friends she had ever made.
Those thoughts keep her busy as she continues searching through her wardrobe when at last, she finds an outfit to wear: a dark maxi skirt and a long light puffer jacket over a graphic tee. She grabs a red scarf to finish it off and takes her sneakers from under her bed when all of a sudden, she hears a few clunks against her window.
It was them.
She quickly finished tying her sneakers, locked the doors to her bedroom, and ran out to the veranda. Just a story below, Emily, with her brown coat, black shirt, and jeans, was smiling and waving, while Megumi, who wore long baggy pants paired with a green hoodie and black gloves, picked up more rocks to throw before she realised Yun-hee was already out.
“Yun-hee sis!” the student drops the rocks and waves with both her hands.
“Keep your voice down Megumi,” Yun-hee says in a sharp whisper.
Megumi's eyes widened in surprise as she swiftly brought her hand up to cover her mouth, trying to stifle any sound. With a determined look, she reached for her phone and began tapping on the screen, her fingers moving rapidly. Meanwhile, Yun-hee was taken aback as she felt a subtle vibration emanating from her pocket. Startled, she reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, finding a message waiting for her from the ravenette.
[How’re you gonna get down?]
Yun-hee puts her phone back, not replying to the message, and grabs a pair of gloves to wear. The student tilts her head, a confused expression blanketing her face as she double-checks her phone for any new messages. Suddenly, the young woman on the balcony climbs on top of its bannister and jumps to the tree branch right next to it. The two gasped, Emily, looking more worried if anything when Yun-hee jumped down like a parkour master and picked herself up dusting off the small amounts that had gotten on her clothes.
“How’d you do that?” the two said simultaneously. Yun-hee looks at them with a placid expression, “I've had my fair share of sneaking out,” she says, “Why are you just standing? Let’s go.”
Megumi smirks, "So badass," she whispers under her breath before running to Yun-hee and grabbing her hand. Together, they started walking towards the small broken fence opening from which they originally entered.
They journeyed back, the trio wandering through the bustling metropolis. The streets dazzled with a myriad of Christmas lights, while countless pubs enticed passersby with sales for the festive season. They delved into narrow back alleys decorated with street performers and an array of delectable street food. They also stumbled upon hidden convenience stores nestled within the residential neighbourhoods, and an abundance of shops sprawling as far as the eye could see.
They window-shopped in malls, ate meals that could've fed ten people, and ended the first night by visiting a karaoke pub.
Emily and Megumi stood side by side, their voices filling the room with melodies that seemed to dance through the air. Yun-hee reclined on the comfortable lounge, right behind them, taking in every moment of the two friends' chaotic performance. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the younger student's exuberant joy and the older woman's valiant effort to match her energy.
Before she knew it, the ends of her mouth curved upward, posing a small smile. Yun-hee immersed herself in thought, reminiscing about the enjoyable moments of the night, but was taken by surprise when a delirious Megumi suddenly appeared right in front of her, "Was––that a smile Yun-hee sis?" The small student's smile turned into a grin, "That was a smile, wasn't it Yun-hee sis?!" getting louder.
“I smile all the time. It isn’t new.” Yun-hee says, back to her neutral expression.
“No, you don’t. Those are the smiles you give when you accept something from your stupid parents! That one just earlier,” Megumi says, using her index fingers to reach the corners of her mouth, trying to lift them, “That one just earlier was a genuine one, wasn’t it?”
“How should I know?” Yun-hee says, not backing down from the allegations.
“Tsk. You’re too fake sometimes sis.” she rolls her eyes.
“You have no proof, I wasn’t lying when I said I smile all the time.”
Megumi groans, “That’s not the point Yun-hee sis! You haven’t smiled the entire trip here but just now you did!!!”
Emily glances back to figure out what the commotion is about and only finds the usual. In-person and on-call, their relationship never changes. She chuckles, puts down the mic, and tries to drag the student away from Yun-hee to sing another song.
. . .
Leaving the pub as the clock struck midnight, the trio felt trashed, two of the three leaving with a fatigued complexion.
“Ah! What a night!” Megumi exclaims, throwing her hands up as Yun-hee smiles at the dramatic woman. The three needed to get across the long pedestrian that connected to the hotel Megumi and Emily were staying in. The two in the front, arguing about who knows what, as the tall woman in the back started laughing, as they went at it for the fifth time tonight.
Just like Yun-hee, Emily too hadn't felt this much fun or joy since Theodore was born. She was grateful for these two and to have three more nights like this was the exact break she needed.
They were waiting at the traffic light as the light turned green, and as they walked with the crowd, Emily noticed a lady who passed by her, walking the opposite way. She thought about how she met this woman, feeling like she'd seen her before, and she definitely did. The worker turned back to get a second look when suddenly her chest started throbbing, the pain eventually engulfing her entire body.
Yun-hee and Megumi almost reached the other side, when they realised the eldest wasn't with them. Megumi swiftly turns her head and sees Emily on her knees in the middle of the crossroad. A hand was on her chest, her eyes shut while gritting her teeth, and her other hand gripped the concrete. The student stops, the weight of the situation still incomprehensible until she notices a huge grey semi-trailer truck with its bright headlights on nearing the crossroad.
The timer on the crosswalk was slowly counting down from 30 until the red light had fifteen seconds left. Megumi widened her eyes in horror, realising the familiarity of this situation. A memory she had been trying to forget ever since she was a child.
“Big sis, get up…” she tried to shout but her voice was too small, and before she knew it her body was moving on its own. “Big sis! Get up now! There’s a truck coming!” she exclaimed, desperately reaching her hand out. Emily hears her but it’s all muffled.
The cold season didn’t compensate for the heat Emily was feeling right there. Sweat dripped from her forehead, the heat messing with her thinking as she tried to get up but kept stumbling at the unusual heaviness of her body. She can feel the pain everywhere, in every corner of her body, consuming her very being.
Yun-hee was startled when the student had suddenly tugged her hand away from her arm and ran behind her, “Megu…” she stammered, looking back at where she ran off to, to realise it was to Emily.
Yun-hee saw the truck too as the green light turned red and the vehicle neared, she took a glimpse at the driver's seat. The man was grabbing something across the seat from him, not at all paying attention to the road. The situation infuriated her, she needed to try and at least save one of them, so she ran after Megumi.
The student gets to Emily, and the tall woman finally sees her clearer, “Big sis, you have to help me. You have to get up, there's a truck coming, C'mon!” Emily sees it with its bright white headlights flashing at them, she couldn’t get up, she felt like all her energy had been sucked out. “Megumi…please, save yourself. Leave me.”
The woman on her right looks at her with detest in her eyes. “I’m not losing anyone else ev—“
“Megumi! Emily! The truck!” Yun-hee shouts, interrupting the student's words, sounding even more desperate as the once-isolated woman sees her two first and only friends about to face death right in front of her eyes.
Megumi doesn't look back at her, but she looks at Emily with eyes that beamed with determination, not a single thought of turning back and fleeing without her. As she looked at the woman hanging on her shoulder, “I’m not leaving you.” Megumi says, barely able to walk at the weight of the tall woman.
As she did, she looked around, as the bystanders watched and filmed. It disgusted her, this entire world had always disgusted her. Her head hung low, trying to keep the tall woman up, when Yun-hee finally reached them, grabbing Emily's other shoulder.
But they were too late, the truck was inches––centimetres away. The sound of the crash echoed. Wheels of different vehicles screeched against the rough pavement, and the chatter and shouts of the crowd echoed. Before any of the three knew it, they were dead, if not dying.