[Chapter 5] *Close But Too Far Away* Hwanhee felt the warmth of the arms around his waist…. He found himself slowly taking his hands to Dani’s hands… They stood there in silence… But it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable… They found little happiness in it….. Dongwan ran through the school hallway and searched for the main office. Finally, he found it and opened it.. To his surprise, he saw a woman slapping Andy…. The woman wore expensive jewels, it was no puzzle to figure out that she was a rich woman. And next to her, stood a boy who looked pretty bad with a torn shirt and cast on his nose. Teachers tried to stop the woman…but not effectively… “STOP!!!” Dongwan yelled and ran to his brother… “What the HELL do you think you are doing??” “Mr.Kim,” A teacher calmed him down. “She’s a parent of a student that your brother physically abused.” Dongwan, surprised, turned to see Andy, who turned his face and stared down on the floor, trying to avoid Dongwan’s stare…. “What happened???” Dongwan asked…. “Well, the student here, I guess teased about your family….and Andy started punching him according to their clssmates.” “Then that’s not my brother’s fault. That student started it first…” “But….” “What the hell are you talking about???” The woman interrupted… “Do you see this nose?????” “I’ll pay for the expenses.” “Money isn’t a problem…what are you gonna do when this leaves a scar on my son’s face???” Dongwan opened his mouth to say something, but found nothing to say….nothing that he can say… The woman smiled in victory… Dongwan again turned to see Andy….who again turned away… But Dongwan clearly saw the tears in Andy’s eyes….. “…………” “Hwanhee is that you??” Minwoo yelled out… “…………..” Hwanhee didn’t answer… Minwoo watched him as Hwanhee walked into his room…..he looked kind of ‘out there’ “What’s his problem?” Hwanhee stared at his hands… He still felt the warmth of her hands….. He smiled…..he just couldn’t help smiling…. Yet….he didn’t know why….. Tired and disappointed, Dongwan came back to his office… Again, the sigh on front of his office door, ‘Vice President Kim Dongwan’ annoyed him terribly. On his desk, there were several mails… He saw a mail from the elementary school that his sister was attending… He opened the mail…. There was a drawing by his 7 year old sister…..and a letter from her teacher…. Dongwan took a look at her drawing first…. There were 5 people in the drawing… 1 person was incredibly drawn big….far different from the other people….the big person had horns sticking out of his head too…. In the hands of the ‘monster’ there was beer cans, bottles…. Shocked, Dongwan slowly took a look at the other characters…… 3 littlest ones were crouched in the corner…. There were big tear drops from their faces….. And he saw an angel, with white wings and bright magic wand, crying for them….. The other person stood in the middle…..the whole face and body was colored in red….indicating blood… Dongwan….felt his hands slightly shaking as he opened the letter from the teacher…. With the explanation that they had to send a mail because Dongwan didn’t seem to have time for an appointement… The teacher said that she recommends his sister a therapy that would hopefully cure her internal conflict…. And she also included that she was having bad effects on other classmates….so she can’t have her in her classroom anymore…. Hwanhee walked towards Dani’s house….. It was surprising how LONG the way seemed to be….. It was also weird how he didn’t get tired after running the WHOLE way…. He wore a big smile as he got closer to Dani’s house…. He looked towards her window…. But soon, he saw another person looking towards the same window… It was Brian…. Brian was wearing a suit as he usually did and stood next to his black Mercedes… This time, he didn’t have his Driver or Eric along with him… He probably came in secret…without telling anybody… The red rose in his hand…..seemed to be more beautiful under the moonlight…. Brian took notice of Hwanhee. “What are you doing here???” Brian asked, surprised…. “Ummm….um….” Hwanhee mumbled… “I’m Daso’s tutor…remember??” “You come this late???” “Uh…yeah…sometimes….just to check if she did the homework….” “ok…..” Brian said, not fully convinced… “Um…what are you doing here?” “Well, it’s my fiancee’s house…” Somehow…what he said came as shock to Hwanhee…. Actually for the first time after yesterday…. He realized……Dani and Brian were engaged…. How stupid for him to just…..forget….. “Why are you not….going in???” Hwanhee asked… Brian sighed….then…..started laughing…. Hwanhee looked at him with a weird expression on his face… “I look funny, don’t I….. pondering whether I should go in or not to my fiancee’s house….” “………….” “I…I’m just afraid…she’ll…tell me to go away…..I’m just scared….” “I thought she was your fiancee…….” “I think that…..but she doesn’t…” Strangely…..Brian’s true feelings came out as he talked to Hwanhee….. Hwanhee felt his heart lighten up…..just hearing that she might not love Brian as much…. “But I do…..that’s all that matters…now….at least….” “……….” “Cause I’ll make her mine….” “You really love her don’t you?” “More than anything…” “Can you make her happy?” “That’s all I want to do….for rest of my life….” Eric and Dongwan sat in a bar…. Around them, there was several bottles of beer…. “Why are you so determined to be a President Dongwan???” Eric asked Dongwan who clearly had too much drink…… “To be someone….that my family could be proud of….” Suddenly, Eric lowered his voice and got closer to Dongwan’s ear… “But do we HAVE to do this???” “It’s the only way….” Dongwan whispered…. He smiled mischievously…. Hwanhee walked back to his house from his long walk just around the streets….he didn’t know where exactly his legs were leading to….. And Hwanhee just hated himself for letting his legs take him back to Dani’s house again several times after he left…. The more he thought about it…. The more he laughed at himself at his stupidity…. What kind of guy does girls like? Brian who is handsome, smart and rich… Or me….just a plain ordinary guy with no intellect or money….. He was stupid to just even think about being with Dani…. So stupid…..to be thinking about his happiness before Dani’s….. When he reached his house…. He saw someone standing in front of his house… It was Dani… “What are you doing here?” Hwanhee asked….annoyed…or pretending to be annoyed. “How did you find the address??” “I…..I got it from mom…..” Dani stuttered by the coldness in Hwanhee’s voice….. It wasn’t suppose to be like this…. Hwanhee couldn’t look straight in her eye…. She came all the way here, to see me…like I wanted to see her…. But all he must do was to….sent her back…. “Go, it’s late….” “But….” Dani was shocked……. She never pictured he would be treating her this way… I thought…he’ll…..gladly….welcome her with open arms…. Hwanhee knew that Dani wasn’t going to go….just like this… He had to find something……to say…that would break her heart…. HE had to break her heart….on purpose…. “I’m strictly your sister’s tutor…nothing more…..nothing to you…..” Surprised…..Dani opened her mouth to speak but no words came into her mind…. “Go….and don’t…… come…..again….” Dani felt her tears drop….. For the second time….in her life…. Someone had turned their back on her…. One, by leaving… One, by making her leave…. But she couldn’t stand there and beg to be with him…. All she found herself doing was… Turning around, and walking away from Hwanhee, dragging each step…… Hwanhee watched were go away from him…. She wasn’t leaving just for tonight… But forever from him…. If I just reach….she’s right there…. She’ll be….with me…. But…even though she’s close…. She’s too far away….. I can’t……hold her….in my arms…. Because….eventually…she’ll fly away….. To arms of someone warmer…someone better…. Dani couldn’t see the tear dripping down Hwanhee’s face….. [Chapter 6] *Sign* “Hello?” Brian answered his cell phone. -………..- “Hello??” Brian raised his voice…. -It’s me…..- Brian recognized the voice in one second. “Dani?” -Can you take me out for a drink?- “Dani, are you ok?” -Can you?- “But….you are in High School…” -please…..- Brian couldn’t say ‘no’ Her voice sounded depressed…and it was a first favor she ever asked…. “Dani!!” Brian grabbed her wrist as she reached for another cup of drink. Dani just shook him off as she grabbed the beer. “Dani!!! What’s wrong with you!!!” Dani kept silent and closed her eyes as she swallowed the beer… “….let’s go.” Brian stood up and pulled her arm. She didn’t move…. Brian sighed… “You are too drunk…. You know how mad your mom’s gonna be if she finds out that I brought you here?” “She wouldn’t care……you’re my fiancee.” Brian sat down…. In disbelief….he gazed at Dani… Did that just meant….she considers me…her fiancee…?? Someone…she will get marry to….? someone that she wants to share her whole life with? “FUCK!!!” Dani screamed…. She knew…..why Hwanhee made her leave…. She knew…. It was because of what she had around her…and what Hwanhee didn’t…. He doesn’t realize that all I need…..to have is him…. I would throw away everything….I have…to be with him…. “Hwanhee oppa…..” She silently whispered his name in tears…. Brian looked at her…. “What did you say??” “Hwanhee…..” She looked at Brian teary-eyed….. Brian held her shoulders. “What….what about him…..” Brian knew already…what she was going to say….but his heart won’t let him give up his last hope… “I….love him….” Dani whispered……. Brian…..slowly let his grip on the shoulders lighten…… He looked back at her…. She was drunk…..her tears watery… But she would never say anything like this, unless she really meant it….. Brian felt his heart, stopping, skipping beats…..as he stared at Dani…… He never thought…he never thought, he would lose her…to somebody else after Hyesung died… “You…you love him….?” Brian asked……still in awe…. Dani nodded her head…. As Brian turned his head to hide his years, Dani collapsed on to the table….and closed her eyes… But she still mouthed the name… ‘Hwanhee…..Hwanhee…..Hwanhee….’ Hwanhee found himself….walking in the streets that he did not know….. He followed wherever his legs took him…. But then he had to turn around and run several times because he found himself front of Dani’s house. He was walking by a noisy street…. There were a lot of people passing by him… He looked at couples, holding hands and smiling at each other, envying them…. How easy it was for them….to…be true to each other….. But after that, everywhere he turned….he saw Dani’s face….. He tried to remember her smiling…but he couldn’t….. I don’t think she was ever happy….with me…… Hwanhee sighed…. Because he knew….even though she wouldn’t be happy…. He wanted her with him….always…. He loved her….so much….he did….. Suddenly, he missed her so much…… “God!!!” He yelled…..but no one heard him because of the loud are noises and people really didn’t care, they just minded their own business… “Can I have her….please?????” Hwanhee laughed at himself….for talking to the air….but still, he continued… “I loVe her!!!” He waited for a second… “Is that a Yes or No….? Gosh, give me a sign!!!” Hwanhee was still yelling when a car stopping nearby him… The car looked familiar… Hwanhee watched as the door opened….It was Brian….. Brian walked over to Hwanhee… “What….are you doing here….?” Hwanhee asked… In the split second….Hwanhee imagined Brian finding out what happened between him and Dani through his skilled spies….Becoming furious to know that I have feelings for her….and searching everywhere to find me and throw a punch…. Hwanhee exercised his jaws quickly…hoping it would lessen the pain. Brian still stood silently in right front of Hwanhee…. And then Brian moved a slight inch…. Hwanhee closed his eyes tightly….but there was no pain or stars flying around his head…. He watched Brian…. Brian kneeled down. Hwanhee’s eyes grew bigger as much as he was surprised….. “Dani….needs you……” Brian whispered. He knew it…..He knew that Dani wanted Hwanhee to be by her side, and not himself… That’s how it was…. She was never mine…and never could be mine…… As long as Hwanhee was there, in the distance she could reach, she was never going to let go…. “Please….go back to her….” Brian told Hwanhee…. People started gathering around them…and mumbled….. Hwanhee still in awe, quickly bent to help Brian up… But Brian remained on the ground…. “Tell me you are going to be with her….promise me…..” “…………” Hwanhee did not say anything…. He wanted to more than anything in the world… But he had nothing to offer her… She would be much happier with Brian…. “She’ll be better off with you…..” Hwanhee whispered……..taking it in…..he still needed to realize that too…. Brian smiled sarcastically…… “You are her fiancee…” “It was forced by parents….” Hwanhee looked surprised… “And Dani….doesn’t want to be with me….she wants you…..needs you……” Hwanhee quietly stared at Brain… Hwanhee knew Brian loved her…. ‘more than anything’ like once that he had told him…. “She might be better off…..with me….but she’ll be happier with you….and that’s all I want….” Hwanhee also knew it wasn’t easy for Brian to say this…. “Promise me….you’ll make her happy…..” “…………” “Promise me!” Brian raised his voice… “I promise…..” Hwanhee whispered and watched Brian get up….. Brian put on a fake smile….and Hwanhee knew that…. “And another thing…..” Brian spoke… “If you don’t keep that promise…I’ll take it as you want her to be with me…..” Hwanhee nodded…. As Brian turned around….he tried to smile….. Thinking….he did what he was suppose to do…. He was just meant to be….her guide…nothing more….. He smiled…..happy that at least he was something to her…. He also felt his tears on his cheeks…. Hwanhee watched as Brian drove away… He looked up at the night sky… He yelled, louder than before… “THANK YOU!!!” And he didn’t care if everyone stared at him…. “Here’s a map to that place.” Dongwan handed Eric a paper…. Eric skimmed through it and quickly put it in his pocket…. “Are you sure this is place will work….?” “Positive…..my grandmother’s ashes her thrown in the river by there….I remember Andy going near it…..yep….it will work….” “And they wouldn’t have any evidence.” Eric smiled mischievously…. “Now go while I think of how to lead that stupid ass to that place….” “When do you want me to throw away the sign by….?” “Day after tomorrow.” “Gottcha.” Eric said as he walked out the door….. Dongwan sat back in his chair, leaning his head against it, closed his eyes… He imagined himself, in the chair of the President….. and he also imagined Brian…..in the coffin…….. ************************************************************