City Lights: Chapter 5

Chapter: 5 Characters (in order of appearance): Jin Chul, mystery idol, Seung Hyun (of F.Cuz), Young Hak (of F.Cuz), Ye Jun (of F.Cuz), & Kim Dong Sun* *indicates original character Words: 2,431 Edits: 2 Added: January 31, 2011

Wednesday, July 14, 2:07pm
Seoul, South Korea

Jin Chul sat in front of the computer at Owner Dong Sun's café staring intently at the screen. He seemed to be in deep thought, considering. He hand moved and hovered over the mouse. He stayed like that for several seconds and then he pulled his hand away.

The computer monitor displayed Snowy_summer's profile. The profile picture was of a beautiful purple sky rather than a photo of the user herself. There were several links under the profile picture and one in particular was highlighted by the cursor; the "remove as friend" link.

Jin Chul sighed and continued to stare at Hee Jin's profile. Finally he clicked the logout button and turned off the monitor.

In his effort to get up from his chair, he knocked over a cup of paperclips, scattering them everywhere. He rolled his eyes and bent down to pick them up. He eventually had to get on his hands and knees in order to reach the ones that had fallen under the desk. As he picked them up, one by one, he noticed a paper that with his username on it. He pulled it out and recognized it as a private chat he had had quite awhile ago with Snowy_summer. He thought he had thrown the papers out after accidentally hitting the print button.

He started to read it:

Snowy_summer10 started chat 27 hours ago MSTRMND_61 joined the chat 27 hours ago MSTRMND_61: hey! wat's up Snowy_summer10: Hey. Not much. You? MSTRMND_61: just chillin Snowy_summer10: Cool. MSTRMND_61: hevent heard from you for awile. Everything ok wit you? Snowy_summer10: Nah. I've just been down a bit. MSTRMND_61: y? Snowy_summer10: The usual. School, friends, family. It's just getting to me a bit more than usual. MSTRMND_61: oh. that sucks. Snowy_summer10: Yeah. Snowy_summer10: What about you? MSTRMND_61: cant complane. i just got paid so i boght new shoes. Snowy_summer10: Really? MSTRMND_61: theyre pretty sweet MSTRMND_61: i'll send a pic laters Snowy_summer10: Okay. MSTRMND_61: wow you must really been down MSTRMND_61: *be Snowy_summer10: Why do you say that? MSTRMND_61: cuz usually you talk lots. like about random stuff. Snowy_summer10: Oh. Right >__< MSTRMND_61: sometimes you iritate me when you keep talkin about stupid things Snowy_summer10: lol MSTRMND_61: but i like the annoying you better then the quit you MSTRMND_61: *queit MSTRMND_61: *quiet Snowy_summer10: lol Sorry. Can't seem to cheer up. Snowy_summer10: Sing me a song. MSTRMND_61: but you cant hear me Snowy_summer10: I'll pretend I can. MSTRMND_61: i suck Snowy_summer10: So? Sing! MSTRMND_61: i sound worse then jugernaut kid. Snowy_summer10: lol Snowy_summer10: SING! MSTRMND_61: alright Snowy_summer10: Are you singing? MSTRMND_61: yea Snowy_summer10: What song? MSTRMND_61: mary had a little lamb Snowy_summer10: pfft You're so lame! MSTRMND_61: wat?! you dont like it? MSTRMND_61: if you dont want me 2 sing i wont Snowy_summer10: Okay okay. Sing Mary Had a Little Lamb. MSTRMND_61: mary had a litttle lamb little lamb little lamb MSTRMND_61: mary had a little lamb little lamb little lamb Snowy_summer10: Is that all you know? MSTRMND_61: yea Snowy_summer10: lol You're so lame! lol MSTRMND_61: you feelin bettr? Snowy_summer10: A little. MSTRMND_61: *better MSTRMND_61: gud MSTRMND_61: *good Snowy_summer10: Thanks. MSTRMND_61: Gotta go. The boss is nagging me. Snowy_summer10: Okay. Bye. MSTRMND_61: bye MSTRMND_61 joined the chat 7 hours ago MSTRMND_61: you on ss? Snowy_summer10 joined the chat 7 hours ago Snowy_summer10: Yeah. I am now. Snowy_summer10: What's up? MSTRMND_61: you been silent again MSTRMND_61: still havin a bad week? Snowy_summer10: More like a bad month. MSTRMND_61: mind tellin me y Snowy_summer10: I already said. MSTRMND_61: yea but i mean be more specific Snowy_summer10: It's just been a really tough month. That's it. MSTRMND_61: thats it? Snowy_summer10: Yep. MSTRMND_61: you not tellin me the full truth. dont think i know you by now? Snowy_summer10: Okay. Promise me you won't hate me for it? MSTRMND_61: y wuld i hate you? Snowy_summer10: I mean, like you won't get all weirded out or scared or something. Snowy_summer10: Promise? MSTRMND_61: yea i guess.

At that point, the paper cut off. He was starting to get curious as to what exactly had been making her so depressed. He couldn't remember what she had told him. He looked around to see if the next page was there but stopped himself after realizing what he was doing. Why on earth would he be concerned about her?

Thinking about all the times he chatted with her, Jin Chul wondered why he never caught on Snowy_summer was a girl. Now that he thought about it, she did sound somewhat like a girl. She never talked about other girls, not even celebrities, in the ways his friends did. But he was fine with that. He didn't like talking about how sexy and hot girls were anyway. That kind of thing never interested him. He figured Snowy_summer was the same so he never questioned it. But it only made sense why she never did.

The more he thought about it, the more stupid he felt. All this time he was talking to a girl. He had told her things he had never even told his close guy friends. He felt so comfortable talking to her that, before he realized it, he had opened up completely. He felt so upset and betrayed. He had told her everything about himself but she lied to him and pretended to be someone she was not. He didn't care if everything else she said was true. What she had done was far beyond repair.

Jin Chul crumpled up paper and threw it in the trash can. He put the last few paper clips into the cup and walked out into the front area of the café.

"Owner Dong Sun!" he called out, glancing around the place. "Owner Dong Sun? I'm about to head out the door." He continued to look around as he slowly walked toward the front doors. "Okay. I'm leaving. Bye!"

Just as he was about to open the door, someone came bursting through the doors, knocking Jin Chul to the floor.

"Oh! Sorry! I'm sorry!" said a man as he reached out his hand to help Jin Chul up.

As Jin Chul stood up, he mumbled something that sounded like "It's fine."

The man laughed a little, looking quite embarrassed. He bowed to Jin Chul and walked over to the counter and looked around for some sign of an employee. He didn't see anyone so he turned around and looked at Jin Chul.

Jin Chul started for the door again and mumbled to himself, "Please don't talk to me."

"Excuse me," the man said. Jin Chul stopped and rolled his eyes. The man continued, "You wouldn't happen to know where any of the workers went to, would you? I haven't eaten all day so I was hoping I could catch a bite here."

Jin Chul sighed and turned around. Stupid Owner Dong Sun. "Have a seat over there," Jin Chul said dully, pointing to a nearby table.

"Really?" the man smiled brightly and hurried over to the table.

Jin Chul took the man's order and stood against the counter as he waited for him to finish eating. He rolled his eyes when the man kept saying how delicious the food was.

When the man finally put down his utensils, Jin Chul rushed over and began cleaning up the table.

"Thanks so much. It was great!" the man said as he stretched.

After Jin Chul finished cleaning up, the man paid and then gave a quick bow as he headed out the door.

Jin Chul sighed as he washed the dishes. He had been hoping to get home early today but it was over an hour later and he still wasn't gone. Plus, he had no idea where Owner Dong Sun was.

After Jin Chul was finished, he pulled out a large flour jar from under the counter, and reached to the back of the counter and grabbed out a set of keys on a keyring. He put the flour jar back and locked up the café.

Wednesday, July 14, 4:12pm
Seoul, South Korea

Jin Chul finally made it back home, feeling down more than ever, especially after reading that chat he and Snowy_summer had had before. He missed talking to her but was still upset at her.

He walked up the step and down the walkway to his apartment door. The building looked old from the outside and the sun had faded the cheap paint job on all the doors on that side of the building. The railing shook with every step he took and looked like it could collapse at any time. Jin Chul kept wondering when it would whenever he saw the neighbors' children climbing over it.

Jin Chul unlocked his apartment door and lazily made his way inside. He jumped at the sudden shout, "Surprise!" He looked around the room and saw his three best friends, Seung Hyun, Young Hak, and Ye Jun staring at him with huge smiles on their faces.

"He's here?" came a shout from the kitchen. Owner Dong Sun came walking out carrying a large rectangle cake. "About time. We've been waiting forever for you."

"No thanks to you," Jin Chul retorted, though unable to keep from smiling. "Thanks to you disappearing without a word, a customer came by just before I was going to leave."

"Did he order anything?" Owner Dong Sun quickly asked.

"No," Jin Chul lied. "He took one look at the kitchen and ran out before I got to give him the menu." Jin Chul smirked and then said, "Actually, unlike you, I'm able to keep a customer's attention away from the café's, how should I put it?" he paused for a second as if thinking. Then he continued, "Unique interior and on the menu."

Owner Dong Sun looked at Jin Chul as if unsure and then he asked, "So, he did order something?"

"Yes. Meal number two," Jin Chul answered.

Owner Dong Sun's face lit up.

Seung Hyun said loudly, "Wow! Looks like we're celebrating for two today! Ye Jun, you better get more candles." Owner Dong Sun glared and tried to slap his head but nearly dropped the cake. Seung Hyun laughed.

"I just hope the poor guy doesn't get a stomachache," Young Hak said.

"You too?" Owner Dong Sun shouted.

"Let's have cake!" Ye Jun said.

After singing happy birthday to Jin Chul and after he unwrapped the gifts, they sat around the living room eating cake. Seung Hyun and Ye Jun kept taking turns telling Jin Chul about their trip to the beach. Ye Jun said several times how hot the girls looked in their bikinis but quit after Owner Dong Sun yelled at him. Young Hak started cleaning up around them and eventually moved to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

By the evening, Seung Hyun and Ye Jun had completely filled Jin Chul in on everything that happened. The moment they started repeating anything, Owner Dong Sun would get ticked.

Owner Dong Sun finally got up, "I better get going. Need to open the café up for suppertime."

"You do realize it's well past suppertime," Ye Jun pointed out.

"Tch. Punk, I get to decide when suppertime is. It's my café." Owner Dong Sun then looked at Jin Chul. "It's nice to see you finally having a good time. I was getting sick of the grumpy Jin Chul."

"This party was Owner Dong Sun's idea," Seung Hyun told Jin Chul. "He does care after all." They all started laughing.

Owner Dong Sun's face turned a little pink. "Tch. Whatever." He then waved and stepped out the door.

"Hey!" Ye Jun said. "Why don't we have a barbecue at my place?"

"Because we need food for that. And Jin Chul has nothing in his fridge." Young Hak replied.

"My grandma recently made some baechu kimchi. I can run home and get some."

"Well, I should have enough lettuce and pajori at my place," Young Hak said.

Ye Jun smiled, "All we need is the meat."

The three looked at Jin Chul. "Fine," he said. "I'll go to the store."

"Great!" Seung Hyun jumped up. "Then I'll go get the baechu kimchi from my place, Young Hak will get the lettuce and pajori, Ye Jun get everything ready at his place, and Jin Chul will go get the meat. We'll meet at Ye Jun's place in an hour."

"I need more than an hour. The supermarket is packed at this time of day," Jin Chul said.

"Fine. Two hours," Seung Hyun said.

Wednesday, July 14, 7:45pm
Seoul, South Korea

Jin Chul wandered around the store, looking for the meat section. It was crowded so he had a hard time finding it.

He glanced down at the list Young Hak wrote up. He wrote down what kind of meat to get but Ye Jun decided to add in some extra food and snacks which made it hard to read. Jin Chul guessed Seung Hyun felt like he had to contribute to the list as well because he drew something that looked like a cross between a chicken and a bear with whiskers. There was a speech bubble next to it with the word "meow" in it.

Jin Chul spotted the meat area and made his way past an elderly couple and a ruffled looking woman with a crying baby. He grabbed the meat he need and put it into the basket. He looked at the list again and walked over to an aisle with cookies and other snacks.

"Hee Jin!"

Jin Chul froze when he heard that name. He turned around to see a man walking quickly past people, looking around. Jin Chul could barely see the man at first, but as the man got nearer, he recognized him as the customer from the café earlier.

The man continued to call for Hee Jin. No. For "a" Hee Jin. Jin Chul corrected. He was sure there were plenty of other girls named Hee Jin. Besides, why would the man be looking for a grown woman? He was certain the man was searching for a little girl named Hee Jin. She probably wandered off somewhere and was now crying, completely lost.

Despite Jin Chul's reasoning of the Hee Jin the man was looking for, it didn't erase the thoughts of the Hee Jin he knew. He felt his depression coming back so he went back to looking for the food on the list. He wanted to get to Ye Jun's place as quickly as possible so he could keep Hee Jin completely off his mind.

---

Author's Notes:

So I decided to change the whole chat thing between Hee Jin and Jin Chul. If you read on the international F.Cuz forum, it sounded different. I actually hated the previous one. This one sounds waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better. It's more realistic too (in my opinion). I decided to use Chatzy to do my two characters' chat with each other. I used CometBird & Firefox so I could talk back in forth. It was a way better idea than just typing it out in Word like I had originally done. I felt like I really got into my characters' shoes. I like the whole roleplaying thing. It felt more real whenever I switched back and forth.