Chapter Text
Sometimes moments are all a person has. Moments for them to be happy. Moments for them to be sad. Moments of love and moments of loss… Meeting Wonsik was like that for her. She met him in a moment and then he was lost, but lets go back to different day one long before she was old enough to really understand what that loss was like, or even what real love was like.
“Hey dad I know you said mom disappeared in the accident that day, but where did she go?” She asked her father one night at the dinner table when she was about fifteen. She swung her legs back and forth nervously because it had never occurred to her to think about what happened when someone died before now and because of her father's unpredictable temper since that day she'd always too afraid to ask about her mom.
“JangMi... I don’t think we should talk about this right now. Just eat your dinner. Your brother will be coming in from work soon and your step mother will get upset if she comes back in here and overhears you.” He tried to shut the conversation down by mentioning her stepmother, but she wouldn’t let it go so easily.
“Dad," She sighed knowing that she was about to start another fight. "We can’t just keep treating it like she didn’t exist. You have to talk to me about it someday. I'm not a kid anymore.” She said sitting her chopsticks down with a loud thump on the table and looking at him.
“I'm sorry. You’re right; that night when your mother died I was drinking. We went to a party and left you with your grandparents. Do you remember?” He asked and she just nodded.
“Well when the driver hit the car I had run a red light and your mother was hit. The car rolled over and when we landed your mother was fading. Right before my eyes she just started to disappear. It wasn’t something that we are meant to see JangMi. They just disappear. Like you said…. its like she never existed. The only thing left behind was her wedding ring.” He broke down and started sobbing in front of her.
“That’s it? No one knows where we go or if we can be saved? Nothing?” She pressed.
“Death doesn’t work like that JangMi. Jesus, what do you want me to say?! She is in a better place?! You are naive if you think that! I’m done eating. don’t forget to clean up.” He stood and walked out of the dining room. She flinched when she heard the door slam to his room. Fights like this were common between the two of them because she looked like her.
“MiMi are you even listening right now?” Her friend brought her back out of the memory of the argument she’d had with her father all those years ago. She didn’t know why she was thinking about it now, but then again it was close to the anniversary of the accident.
“Yeah, sorr… wait what?” She said when it registered that she actually hadn’t heard a word her friend had said to her.
“I asked how the dating was going? Did your dad find you a match yet?” Her friend asked knowing full well what the answer would be.
“Nope, and if you actually think he will Jina you have more faith in him than I do. The only reason I agreed to go on these stupid dates was because I disappoint him so often since mom died and even more since he remarried to that nightmare woman.” She replied nearly spilling hot coffee on her hand. She was always gesturing with her hands when she spoke it came to be a real problem at all of the parties and social gatherings she went to growing up, but she just couldn't help it.
“Well what about that one guy Taekwan or Taekyung or whatever his name was that you were supposed to meet with. what was wrong with him?” Jina asked.
“No clue. He stood me up for something else.” JangMi shrugged and took a sip of her drink.
“Really? Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe he was too much of an idiot for you. You deserve better.” She said causing JangMi to laugh and almost spit her drink everywhere.
“What’s your rush for me to get married anyway? Aren’t you the one always complaining that you don’t want to marry Hakyeon because he is so annoying, and if you two were married then you really wouldn’t be able to get away from him?” JangMi teased and Jina threw a piece of ice at her causing her to laugh and turn away.
Moment One: their eyes met as he was walking in the room with his friends joking about something.
Moment Two: He smiled at her.
Moment Three: She smiled back.
“What are you…. Oh. They’re cute.” Jina said grinning. It was JangMi's turn to swat at her friend when the guy grinned again, and laughed like he’d heard what she said.
“What? it’s true. Besides if you date one of them you don’t have to go on those stupid dates your dad keeps setting up for you.” She said defensively.
“You really think I’m just going to walk over there and leave with a date? Are you really that out of your mind?”
“No, I think he’s going to walk over here and leave with one.” She said laughing. JangMi felt a blush creeping over her face and took a new found interest in the drink she'd ordered smiling to herself and secretly hoping it was the one from earlier.
“Hi.” He said politely bowing to Jina.
“Hello” She replied back barely containing her laughter.
“Um.. do you mind if I talk to your friend for a moment?” He said nervously ruffling the back of his hair.
“Cut it out Wonsik. JangMi this is a friend of Hakyeon’s. He’s just being an idiot. Speaking of if you two will excuse me I am going to go talk to my idiot over there, have fun. Babe!” She said waving at the group that had come in a moment ago. How had she not noticed before? She thought as she waved at her other friend sitting in the middle of the group.
“She told you to meet us over here didn’t she?” JangMi asked returning her attention to the tall man standing next to her.
“No. That was N. He saw the two of us looking at each other when we came in. Recognized you immediately. Then the other guys blocked the booth so that I couldn’t sit down until I came over. I’m Ravi.” He said rushing out. He was still standing, awkwardly tapping his boot on the ground, and, she realized, waiting on her to tell him to sit down.
“Ravi is a nickname, right?” She asked leaning on the table and motioning him to sit down.
“Yeah, Wonsik is my real name. So how did you become friends with Hakyeon and Jina anyway?” He asked.
“I work with Jina. Aren’t you going to ask my name?” She replied.
“Not yet. Why? I figured I would just call you beautiful.” He said and she laughed taking a bite of the cake pop she’d ordered with her drink once she calmed back down.
“Does that line usually work?” JangMi asked amused. He was definitely her type, but no need to let him know that just yet.
“No, but when I meet someone worthy of that compliment they get it.” He said confidently.
“So how come I don’t usually see you with Hakyeon?” She hedged and he smirked. He knew she liked him now. It was just a matter of if she wanted to play cat or mouse.
“My family keeps me pretty busy. My Father... he has been trying to get me to work in the company recently, and it takes up a lot of my time. My sister and her family take up the rest. Do you have any siblings?” He asked smiling.
“No. My mother died when I was a kid. It’s just me and my dad and step mother... well there is my step brother too but he's always busy.” She replied thinking back to the accident and how if it weren’t for her father giving up so easily it would have been her real mother. Maybe she would have had a real sibling, but she’d never know since her mother had gone through the vanishing that day. That’s what they called it she'd found out, when souls disappeared at death rather than just dying, the Vanishing.
“I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He stumbled. Stupid Wonsik. Way to go. He thought to himself.
“No worries. Ravi its fine. I was just thinking about my mother. What else would you like to talk about? Or did you think just coming by with a name and a cute smile would work?” She changed the subject and smiled leaning forward a little and propping on her hands. Truth be told she would have listened to the alphabet if it meant that he kept talking. He had the most beautiful deep voice but it was also something she was sure was uniquely his.
“So… N kind of bet Ken 20,000 won that I wouldn’t get you to agree to a date with me.”
“And N is Hakyeon isn’t he?” She asked annoyed. It sounded like something her friend would do sometimes she wondered why they were even still friends.
“Yeah.” Ravi admitted sheepishly. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned the bet, but it kind of just slipped out after that spectacular mess up from a moment ago.
“He should have bet 40,000. Ken won’t make that much of a profit hope he’s okay with that.” She muttered and shrugged.
“What?” Ravi gave her a confused look, but instead of answering she grabbed up the waiter’s pen and wrote her number on his hand then stood up, and walked over to the group at the other table making sure to lean over it a little and give Ravi a good show.
“Pay up Hakyeon. Ken next time double the bet. Jina I will see you back at work.” She said looking at the one who grinned widely and held his hand out. She was met with laughs and Ohh’s from around the table and a couple others who’d heard what was going on just smiled sipped at her drink then walked out the door.
“What the hell was that?” Hyuk asked watching the girl leave with wide eyed amazement.
“That was Jeon JangMi, and don’t even think about it kid. She may even be too much for Ravi to handle. Leo, you alright?” Hakyeon asked when he noticed that Taekwoon had gotten a weird look on his face.
“Oh. yeah, I just thought I remembered something.” Taekwoon replied going back to his coffee. Hadn’t that been the name of the girl that he was supposed to go on the matchmaking date with? It didn’t matter now anyway he supposed things just turned out that way.