Girl In The Winter's

Chapter 23

Kevin sat quietly in front of the doctors' dugout, he had already heard Ayumi's story of what happened to her today. Emotions burned his chest, he did not expect Erik the man he believed could take care of his sister turned out to have very shallow thoughts. She is the one who knows best and witnesses how Ayumi suffered for the past three years separated from the man until finally the girl's heart froze and closed to every man who tried to approach her.

He could have gone to Erik by now and explained what was really going on, but he didn't. He would not just tell the man the true status of his and Ayumi's relationship. First he would make Erik suffer from curiosity about their relationship until finally the man would fall into the pit of deepest regret for his own faults.

Kevin took a deep breath, his figure wearing a hat covered the top of his face and the mask covering his bottom attracted the attention of the nurses and doctors passing by. Now he must be more careful considering that this afternoon he carelessly invited Ayumi to lunch together in the open and the result is now a photo of the two of them has been circulating in cyberspace and it was her first scandal.

News circulating on the internet could have been broken easily had he told the world about their relationship, but that's not the best solution for the girl because when the world finds out who Ayumi really is then the motion will be the spotlight all over the country, her privacy will be lost just like her, she said, and Kevin doesn't want that to happen to Ayumi.

Kevin closed his eyes thinking about his plan which would certainly be fatal to Ayumi considering he would definitely be targeted by the reporters and also his fans in the next few days, he would of course be a shield and a protector for his brother, but he would not always be there to look after him. Kevin took a deep breath considering their current condition, was he too selfish to let this happen?

"I'm ready."

Kevin lifted his face and looked at Ayumi who had changed clothes, he looked like any other young man when he took off his white coat, wearing only skiny jeans, a long T-shirt and cardigan, she looks like the UBC student Kevin knew.

"Is something wrong with my clothes?" Ayumi looked down at her appearance.

"No, you just remind me of someone" Kevin replied as he got up from his seat.

"Who?"

"My co-worker when I was a waitress at a Vancouver cafe."

Ayumi smiled at the man's reply with dimples, "Aaah, she must be a very pretty girl."

"She's not so pretty, and also she's skinny like a board, not sexy at all."

"Well!" Ayumi protested with a laugh.

"Omo, can you yell at me now?"

Kevin laughed hearing Ayumi snap at him and after hearing the girl's laughter, he has made the decision for now all he has to do is make Ayumi laugh after that he will think of a way out about the gossip on the internet and also about Erik, without hurting the girl.

And without both realizing that someone was watching them, his heart trembled again when he saw the laughter, the laughter that he had longed for even when his memory was gone, the laughter that had always been transmitted to him, the laughter that used to color his days, the laughter that used to belong to him, but now the laughter was no longer for him.

***

"The dream is that now you are rich, you can buy me in an expensive place like this" said Ayumi, smiling at Kevin sitting in front of her.

"Did you just find out? I am now a famous idol, so now I have a lot of money," replied Kevin boasting that made Ayumi laugh, "Therefore you have to eat a lot in order to have the strength to face the brash man tomorrow" he continued, taking fresh fish and giving it to the girl to eat.

"Listen to me, you have to eat a lot of fish so that your skin is good and looks beautiful."

Ayumi smiled at Kevin's words, "How do you know?"

"Yeah! didn't you know the Busan man was famous for his good looks? Such as Yonghwa, Jonghyun, Choi Kevin, Kevin Choi and Choi Yong Jung. That's because we like to eat fish."

Ayumi laughed considering that three of the five names the man before her was herself, "Alright then I will eat a lot of fish," Ayumi replied as she returned to eating the dish in front of her.

"Good," said kevin triumphantly, "Ayumi, from now on you have to look beautiful, take a little time to go to the salon or spa, change the style of your clothes to be a little more graceful." Kevin looked at Ayumi seriously before continuing, saying, "Show her that you're okay after she dumped you, make her regret for betraying you."

"It's too late, she's engaged and I don't want to take someone else's fiancee."

"No, you don't need to take someone else's fiancee, you change not for that but change for your own sake," Kevin took a deep breath, "Ayumi, I know best how to suffer you all along, and I've been, because of Mom's problem and that guy's problem. Now it's time for you to keep going, time for you to find your own happiness, time for you to open yourself and your heart to another man."

Ayumi was speechless at Kevin's words, her tongue wanting to refute but her little heart justifies all of the man's words, it was enough she suffered all this time, abandoned by her mother and now her treacherous lover, he doesn't even seem to have time for himself.

"Can I? Am I not going to be betrayed again?" Ayumi asked as she looked at Kevin with sad eyes.

"We don't know what awaits us up front, but for now you don't need to be in a serious relationship, I mean you're still young looking for a lot of friends, a lot of friends, make friends with anyone you want, have fun with them, go out to eat, shop or take a vacation with your friends. We live only once and do not waste it by wallowing in sorrow."

Ayumi was silent for a while to reflect on Kevin's speech which again was true, all this time he was too busy studying and working to support him during his stay in Canada, and now he is too busy with work and dissolves in grief because of a man. Kevin was right, he barely had time for himself to have fun.

"Do you understand? I say this because I care about you, I want to see you happy," continued Kevin who Ayumi answered with a nod while re-inserting a piece of fresh abalone into her mouth.

"It's good to finish your meal now, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Secret." Kevin said with a mysterious smile.

*****