BLISS
CHAPTER 2
Myung Soo sees the woman smiling and returns to singing. Her voice was soft, the same as the first time Myung Soo heard her voice. Although he himself did not know how his perspective contained the song, because for now, the voice of the woman was the most attention-grabbing.
Gakkeumen buranhajiman jideuncheoreom neol mideullae
Yongwhonhi nae gyeoteseo hamkkehaejwo igoseeo my love
Aneun bimilseureon muneul yeorro chodaehalge
Datyeoitdeon nae mam kkok yeorojun neorul wihae
Neoman anaeun naui jeongwon yeah
Dulman aneun bimilseuron gobaekdeureul soksagyeojwo yeah
Amudo moreul uri dulmanui
Muni yeollimyeon sarangi sijakdeoneun
Jigeum nunbusin haruwa hamkke
Secret Garden–Apink
Carrying the atmosphere, Myung Soo clasped his hands several times which concluded the sound of clapping. The woman in front of the piano put on a look of dislike that made Myung Soo misbehave.
“What are you doing here?”
***
“What are you doing here?” ask Eun Ji. Clearly unhappy with the presence of other people in his room, the man in front of him even entered his room without permission or knocking on the door.
For a moment Eun Ji felt Lee Kyung Won–his first love– was better than the man who earlier introduced himself as Kim Myung Soo.
“Only pass. I happened to hear the piano outside, so I just went in. Besides the door in front is unlocked.”
Eun Ji laughed crisply in response to Myung Soo's reason. Not that he considers the reason Myung Soo is unreasonable, but he knows that every room in this music studio is made with a soundproof design. So, it was impossible for Myung Soo to hear the piano from the front.
“Whatever you say.” Eun Ji's response was indifferent.
Eun Ji returns to the back of her piano and begins to suppress the keys-by-tuts that catch her attention. While Myung Soo swept his vision, looking at the corners of the room he now came to.
“What's your name?”
Eun Ji turned her head to hear Myung Soo making a sound. Returning his gaze from Myung Soo, he said, “Jung Eun Ji.”
“It seems I have never heard of any singer named like that.” said Myung Soo, “Do you use a stage name?”
For the second time, Eun Ji threw an unhappy look at Myung Soo. However, as far as he knows, Myung Soo does not know him and he does not know Myung Soo either. What makes Myung Soo think he's a singer?
“What makes you think I'm a singer?” Eun Ji conveyed her thoughts.
“Your voice,” Myung Soo answered easily. “Your voice is soft and beautiful. Isn't that enough to prove that you're a singer? Or maybe..”
Eun Ji turned her attention to the door of her room that had just been knocked, and a few seconds later two burly people entered her room.
“PD-nim waiting for you to record. He hopes you don't forget your duty to play music, while they sing.” Say one of the two men.
“I'll be there soon.” Eun Ji replied briefly.
Without waiting for long, the man had already walked out of Eun Ji's room. Eun Ji and Myung Soo's questions remain unanswered.
“So, you...”.
“Yes. I'm Jung Eun Ji, music distributor.”
***
Myung Soo was flabbergasted for a moment upon hearing Eun Ji's confession. The woman did not sing, she only wrote song lyrics and created or sometimes arranged her music. It really doesn't make any sense.
How could such a soft voice be wasted?
Myung Soo noticed the six women he had seen standing in a row, starting from the most beautiful in the middle and the tallest in the back. Myung Soo knows them, but does not know if their songwriter has a much more beautiful voice than their voice. How could?
During the recording, what Myung Soo noticed was none other than Jung Eun Ji. The woman with the golden voice who did not sing. The woman played her piano very well. Unlike when in her softer, more callous room, Myung Soo knows Eun Ji feels neglected. And Myung Soo realizes the disappointment from the woman's face.
The clock shows at 7pm when Eun Ji exits the music studio. The woman did not walk directly towards her apartment, she walked to another place. And Myung Soo realizes the direction of the woman. Kali's pillow.
What is really on this woman's mind? He didn't even protest a bit about me being who already looked like a stalker.
“You don't mind following me this far?”
Myung Soo almost pulled the woman's hand and took her away when she felt something go through her leg. Not too terrible, but at least it surprised him.
“I still don't know what you have in mind. Like a puzzle.” Answer Myung Soo origin.
Eun Ji stopped stepping, Myung Soo spontaneously did it. It wasn't Myung Soo's answer that Eun Ji was the reason to stop stepping. But, it was the existence of some small children that made the girl smile and spread out her hands.
Fringe children? So, that woman came here just to meet the suburban kids? Really like an angel.
Myung Soo's daydream breaks down when a girl pulls her hand and takes her back to the real world. For a while, Myung Soo didn't know what to say. All he did was stare at Eun Ji who was also looking at him confused.
“We'd better get in now. The air here is quite cold, I will tell you my new song today.” Eun Ji, unknowingly saved Myung Soo from the little kids earlier.
Like a bodyguard, Myung Soo follows the direction of Eun Ji and the children she leads. He likes to see the view in front of him. A very beautiful woman, leading her beloved children to their home. Really a perfect figure.
Wait for. When did I start praising him? Myung Soo hits his head, throwing away all his thoughts regarding Jung Eun Ji.
It only took two minutes to get to the suburban children's residence. There were only two simple houses arranged out of various cardboard boxes, and one hall large enough for a gathering place. In his heart, Myung Soo was still grateful for what he had, and without a sound he prayed for the end of the difficult circumstances that the children of the periphery experienced.
While Eun Ji takes the kids talking, joking, and–sometimes–acting crying and laughing like a boss. Myung Soo realized one thing, one day, he had not seen Eun Ji display such an expression, laughing expression, even smiling with her eyes narrowing. An expression that says he is forgetting all his problems…
“Ahjussi!”
Myung Soo turns to find someone calling himself ‘Ahjussi’. He felt like he was old in the eyes of the kids. Still not knowing what words deserved to come out of his mouth, he glanced at Eun Ji. The woman was waiting for herself to speak.
“Yes. What's up?” ask Myung Soo carefully.
“Ahjussi who? Why is it suddenly here?”
“Ahjussi Eun Ji's new boyfriend eonni, yes?”
“Do Ahjussi want to hear eonni cheer as well?”
With bated breath, Myung Soo looked one by one at the child's periphery who pressed him with various questions. One was missed, let alone the other.
“Hei,” Eun Ji mediates, “How Ahjussi would like to answer that you are constantly attacking him with questions that are very-very-no-sopan.”
“What is impolite eonni? We just want to know who the uncle is, and why he could be here. Will he do the same as Kyung Won Oppa?”
Myung Soo feels himself being cornered. Kyung Won Oppa's? Who do they mean by Kyung Won? And, what did Kyung Won do to them?
His curiosity also led his own argument. Not caring about Eun Ji's piercing gaze being directed at him, he still forced himself to ask.
“Who do you mean by Kyung Won Oppa?”
***
“What is impolite eonni? We just want to know who the uncle is, and why he could be here. Will he do the same as Kyung Won Oppa?”
Eun Ji felt herself starting to heat up. Not because of Myung Soo's strange attitude or ZIA–'s annoying attitudethe name of the group of children subur–but because the name Kyung Won was earlier by Minhwa, one of the oldest children in ZIA.
“Who do you mean by Kyung Won Oppa?”
This time, it's not just heating up. Eun Ji was aware of her emotions that changed her mood. Not wanting to hear the conversation, he decided to get up from his place and walk away before finally one of the ZIA called his name.
“Eonnie-ya! Why suddenly go inside?” shouted one of the ZIA commonly called Eun Ji with the name Kensy.
Eun Ji pulled a little of her lips and said, “I'll make you some food, just continue chatting with her Ahjussi.”
Eun Ji knew she had just lied to the ZIA children who were already like her brothers. In addition, he has also lied to himself who had claimed not to hate Kyung Won. If only time could repeat itself, they would definitely not be here.
Eun Ji prepared some light cakes that she had bought by the roadside. Just need to arrange the cake on a tray made of cardboard and he was ready to face the gaze of Myung Soo. He was sure the kids would have told him everything.
However, Eun Ji has not yet moved from her place. Crasping sounds rang out from outside and the children ran into the house where Eun Ji prepared the cake. Eun Ji blinked. Some of the children who ran into the house chose to stand behind Eun Ji, and some of the older–– chose to stand behind Myung Soo.
One thing Eun Ji realized, the children were terrified. There is something or maybe someone that scares her and chooses to hide behind an older person. In fact, Minhwa was standing next to Myung Soo while rendering herself to Myung Soo.
“What's up?” ask Eun Ji.
No one dared to answer. One of them pointed his hand towards the door. Eun Ji saw no one there except Myung Soo and some of the oldest children. And the next second, Eun Ji realized the difference seen in the look on Myung Soo's face.
