Her POV.
What would you do if the person you trusted most, betrayed when you least expected?
That was a thought that had never crossed my mind before. Until it happened to me, and I stopped trusting in others.
***
"Wait...Ms. Hyun-ji!" His annoying voice kept calling out my name.
"Are you telling me I cannot see my own grandmother?!" I snapped at him.
"It is not so, Ms. Hyun-ji. She is in a highly important meeting as we speak, with the foreign investors." He replied. As if expecting me to stand down.
I hated how lately, everyone kept telling me what I should and should not do, like I was a child. Was I not entitled to my own whims anymore? And his rhetorical tone of voice, was what I hated the most. I had enough to deal with already, with the sudden news I had just heard.
"Enough Assistant Park! I will see my grandmother, whether or not she wants me to!" I yelled at him.
I gave him a long stern glare, and he instinctively knew I was not joking around, so, he let me through.
As I walked down the hallway, heading to my grandmother's office, I suddenly felt nostalgic and conflicted, as I saw portraits of my family members hung up on the walls. I remembered how as a child, I found great delight in these visits to my grandmother's Mansion. And now, I dreaded them more than anything.
The portraits, with gold laced engravings, were of the past twenty generations of my family's leaders. From my great-great grandfather's to my father's. All men, excluding mine. There it was, Kim Hyun-ji; twenty-first heiress of the Kim family. Just seeing my portrait there, made my heart ache; almost bringing tears to my eyes.
I was not supposed to have that honor, and I did not want it either. He deserved it more than I did, but he died before he could attain it. My twin brother, Kim Min-ho, was all I had left after our parents died, but even he, left me all alone soon after.
I stormed into my grandmother's office angrily. I was fuming with rage and distress, I could not believe she was doing something like that to me all over again. Locking me up and sending me away, at her own convenience.
"Grandmother! How could you do this to me again?!" I yelled out at the top of my voice.
"Oh, Hyun-ji dear, I did not realize you came over!" She smiled at me, excitedly.
My grandmother was the epitome of beauty. Despite the fact that she was fast approaching eighty, she looked no older than fifty at best. Her Easterly Blessing had worked its wonders on her. She had lived a life of luxury since childhood, so she rarely had anything to stress over, or worry about. If anything, her only concern at that time was me; her rogue granddaughter.
"Why are you sending me to Tokyo grandmother?!" I exclaimed, my voice almost choking, as I asked; "Am I not entitled to making my own decisions anymore?!"
"The moment you became my last living grandchild, you lost that entitlement Hyun-ji! I have let you do as you pleased for far too long young lady! Remember what happened five years ago?! None of that would have happened to you, had you listened to me—and not stopped home schooling!" She exclaimed.
I could tell grandmother was furious. And she had good reason to be. I went through hell back then. I had just lost my parents to a car accident, and my brother was in a coma, for three months until he died too. Soon after; that incident happened. An incident that scarred me the most.
Grandmother was there for me, when I was most vulnerable, when all seemed bleak and uncertain. I knew she cared for me more than anyone else, but I wish she trusted me more, and let me make my own decisions.
***
His POV
"You again!? What are you doing here?!" She yelled. "Was what you did the last time not bad enough?!"
"I…It's not what you think! I had no idea…" I stuttered.
"For how much longer do you wish to torment me?! She yelled, as her voice trembled. "I hate you so much!"
"I know, I hate myself too...For being a coward." I muttered silently to myself, as i walked away.
"Oh my God! You're shaking! Are you okay?! Was he a stalker?!"
Imagine that, someone actually asked if I was stalking her.
***
What would you do, if you had to choose between two people you love and care for?
I had never really thought about the gravity of that question before. Until I was confronted with it, and had to make that dreaded choice.
"Hiro…Hey Hiromi!"
I woke up feeling clammy and out of breath. The sound of someone's voice calling out my name, had seemingly saved me from a nightmare. One I had to live through five years ago. I sat up, and faced the direction of the voice that was piercingly calling out my name. My vision was blurry and I could barely make out who it was, as the room was poorly lit.
"Oh, morning Alex! Thanks for saving me from my nightmare!" I said, as I let out a slight chuckle.
He looked at me with a somewhat perplexed look on his face. And unlike the usual smile he greeted me with, this time, it was a slight frown. I could tell he wasn't as amused about being my apparent savior as I was.
"Look Hiro. I know you're having a hard time adjusting; being so far away from home and all. But disturbing others' sleep, simply isn't cool. You know I pulled an all-nighter for my last assignment right? I need to hit the reset button and rest right now. You're not exactly making it easy for me to do so." Alex said, as he put up what seemed to me, like his best attempt at a sympathetic face.
"Wait, it's still only 3 am?! I'm so sorry Alex! Was I talking in my sleep again?!" I asked him awkwardly.
Since childhood, I had a habit of talking in my sleep, whenever I was stressed out or worried about something. It was not one of my more redeeming qualities, but it was one I had to live with. And the worst part was that I had no control over it.
"Talking in your sleep? No. It was more like yelling in your sleep this time. Alex said, as he asked with a grin on his face. "You kept calling out a girl's name. I think it was Hyun-ji? Were you dreaming of something naughty?"
"Huh? No way! Are you crazy?!" I exclaimed, failing to control my emotions.
Alex looked somewhat stunned by my sudden outburst. I normally wasn't the type to just blurt out my thoughts. This sudden altercation was odd and unlike me.
"Relax Hiro, I was only messing with you a little." Alex replied, with a slight chuckle. "Let's talk a little later though, I need to get some sleep!"
"Sure thing Alex!" I replied, with a rather awkward smile.
Alex promptly got into his bed and was soon fast asleep. I, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep again after that.
The memories of five years ago kept flooding into my mind. I was plagued by regret and guilt. But this time, I was determined to put it all behind me and finally start over. I was in a new place, where no one knew about me, or my past. If ever there was a time to move on, and forget about her, that was it. Or so I thought.