Lies and Secret

“Hyun soo” A voice calls my name, I’m deep in my sleep yet I still manage to hear the voice calling me, it sounds real familiar as my name is repeated a couple of times and it takes me a moment to recognize that the voice belongs to my friend ‘Lee Seung Gi’ I lift my head up from the desk before slowly opening my eyes, there he stood in front of me with a smirk on his face and in his hands were two bottles of banana milk, my favorite snack Lee Seung Gi stood at 175cm tall, almost the same height as me although I stood at 174cm, he has a tan skin with beautiful light brown eyes, his middle length bowl cut over an undercut was made for him, he has a small face and an uneven dimple that would pop up at the slightest of smiles. I can’t help but smile at him as he placed both bottles of banana milks on the desk before sitting beside me I took one of the banana milk, stab the straw into the seal then take a sip my head falls on the shoulder of my friend of almost three years, Lee Seung Gi. Seung Gi and I are the same age; eighteen years old in the Korean age but seventeen years old in the international age although Seung Gi is older than me with a little past five months I still treat him like we were born in the same month “What would I do without you?” I questioned as I let out a sigh of satisfaction, savoring the taste of the banana milk on my tongue “Nothing, that’s why you should love me for the rest of your life” he replies. I laugh falling into him and he slightly pushes me back up “I only love anyone who takes care of me” I responded closing my eyes taking another sip of my banana milk. I could already feel Seung Gi’s glare all over me “Then I should take good care of you, who knows maybe you’ll fall in love with me again” “Hell” I said “I love you enough now, what do you want to do? Ruin me?” Seung Gi turns to face me all of a sudden, staring straight into my eyes, his eyes is so brown like honey, I hate honey but I definitely love Seungi Gi’s eyes “Yes, I want to ruin you” he replies softly and my heart kind of jumped and before I would even stop myself I replied “Good. That’s what I want too” “Hey, hey” Our classmate and friend So Ra hits the desk, naturally our attention goes to her. So Ra is a petite girl with the darkest hair I have ever seen, she has a small birth mark on the side of her low bridge nose “If someone doesn’t know both of you well enough they might think you guys are really in love or something” “Who says we aren’t” Seung Gi asked as he pulls me closer to him, So Ra smacks his hands away from my shoulder and I laughed. Min So Ra, Lee Seung-Gi and I are friends, although I have known So Ra much longer than Seung Gi, it just happens that I am closer to someone I met less than three years ago than So Ra who I’ve known all my life “Anyways is the party still holding?” So Ra asked referring to the party my parents were throwing, actually it was more of my mom throwing a party for successfully signing a deal with a huge investor or something, I’m not really interested in the company’s business even though I know I am the one who will eventually inherit the company. I’m the only son of the only son, I would say I am a bit spoiled for this reason but it would be only by my father’s side of the family. My mom’s parent died in the United States of America from a car accident a year after I was born and my Uncle, who is my mother’s only sibling is not really close to us. I’ve barely spoken to him since the last time I saw him which is a really long time if I think about it, nine years if not ten years ago. I have never met any other person from my mother’s side apart from him. “Definitely” I replied “I’ll have a car pick both of you by seven” “I’m coming with my parents anyways there’s really no need” So Ra informs “I don’t think I’ll be able to make it” Seung Gi said all of a sudden “What?” “My dad wasn’t feeling too well this morning; I think I’ll have to take care of the convenience store today for him” Seung Gi explains “What? No! I need you today. I’ve been planning this for a week, Seung Gi c’mon you can’t just ditch me” “I’m not ditching you; I have to make money today” I know what he meant by that, Lee Seung Gi is one of the few people to attend our school whose family was not well off. I, So Ra and literally every one of our classmates both in this class and the other classes and grades below us were all from well off families. It was difficult for people who aren’t too well off to even get an admission here talk less of a scholarship except you are really smart and that really smart person turns out to be my friend Lee Seung Gi I looked at So Ra who looked disappointed that Seung Gi couldn’t come because of something as trivial as money and then at Seung GI “How much do you make in a night?” “What?” Seung Gi asked confused “How much money do you make from the convenience store in a night? No, in a day I’ll give it to you” I said and mean it. I mean what kind of friend would I be if I have this much and can’t help him when he was needing some Seung Gi looks at me in a very particular way and I couldn’t figure out what the look in his eyes was. Was he perhaps angry? “Choi Hyun soo” He calls my full name “You can’t just do that?” his tone was cold. There is no way Seung Gi was actually angry at me, I’m the one who should be furious that our plan is going to shits “Why not when I have enough money to do that” “You can’t just flaunt money like that because you have more” Seung Gi scolds “If I don’t spend money on you who would I spend it on?” “I know your intentions are good but how about how I feel” I never understand how and why Seung Gi always puts his emotions first over me trying to help him, I wasn’t mocking him for having less it’s not his fault and it most definitely wasn’t my own fault for coming from a wealthy home. I don’t reply Seung Gi and just bite down on my lips, I’m sure if I continued this conversation it was going to end in us having an argument, I know I should be more understanding it was his dad, not anyone else’s dad but Seung Gi’s dad. The most important person to him, I’m number two. I’m always number two to him and I should respect that so I just stood up from my seat, take my bag and head out of the class “Hyun soo” Seung Gi called “Choi Hyun soo” I don’t reply I don’t want to say it is okay for him not to come, it is not but as someone who is his number two I can’t help to feel angry at the littlest of things ***** I sat down at the table, watching guest slowly fill the hall, it feels so empty without Seung Gi here so I fetch out my phone from my pocket and stare at the wallpaper. It was a picture of us, more like a picture of So Ra forcing Seung Gi to take a selfie with us but it made me smile. I should call him I should probably apologize for not being understanding, I mean it’s a situation where he has no choice but my stupid hotheaded temper always gets the best of me. I stood up from my seat “Where are you going?” So Ra asked. I kind of forgot that she was here. Min So Ra unlike Seung Gi was from a rich family like me; her father is a congressman and holds more power politically than my father. My father inherited a multi billionaire tech company while my mom runs a branch of his company as a Co Ceo. I of all people know how small Lee Seung Gi always feels when he is around my family or even So Ra’s family and I started to think that might be the reason he never accompany me to parties. He might really hate seeing our parent flaunt money; he has mention something similar to this once and I can’t believe that despite knowing this I still talked about wanting to pay for how much he gets in a day. I really am a shitty friend “I want to call Seung Gi” “Finally you’re going to go make up with him” So Ra rolls her eyes “You know you’ll always lose when fighting with him, why do you even do it?” I don’t know if she really wants me to reply to this so I just roll my eyes. Despite my actions I feel like my reasoning for wanting to bring him here should be excused, Seung G’s father cannot afford to take him places that I could and Seung Gi was okay and contented with what he had but I wasn’t. He deserved the world and I wanted to give him the world but how can I give him the world when it felt like every time I tried I just ended up sounding like an ignorant cliché rich kid I turned away from So Ra heading to the entrance and I met my grandmother walking inside the hall “Grandma” I run to hug her “Hyun Soo my sweet grandson” she hugs me tightly “Look how tall you’ve become” she teases. My grandmother was a tall woman who looks nothing like her age, she does have a single strand of grey hair and you would hardly believe she was over seventy years old “I’m not” I laughed “You look more matured than the last time I saw you. I can’t believe it’s been months since we mer, your mom keeps trying to hide you from me” Here we go again My grandmother is not a fan of my mother for numerous ridiculous reasons; one is that my mother is four years older than my dad. Number two, my grandma doesn’t like my mom because she got pregnant before she got married to my dad which makes no sense to me, they were already in love and was still going to get married whether she had gotten pregnant or not. My grandma would nags at my mom at every family meeting we hold and complains at the slightest thing my mom does, I try my best to protect my mom from grandma’s wrath but dad is always there to protect his woman, speaking of the devil, my dad walks up to us to welcome grandma. “Mother, you’re welcome” My father unlike mom and I was shorter, he looked very neat in his blue suit and had a curtain parted hairstyle “Why are you the one coming to greet guest, where is that wife of yours?” Grandma complains as soon as my dad reaches us “She has been the one greeting the guest, she just has an important call to pick up” my dad defends his wife again and it reminds me of how much my parent love each other I hope to find such love one day speaking of love, I excuse myself from their midst and go find a quiet place to call Seung Gi. On the way of looking for a quiet place, I am very surprised to see my uncle, my mother’s brother. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him last and I don’t really remember him to be a warm person, he was always frowning and now almost ten years later he still holds that perfect frown sitting on his face. He had his hands inside his pocket as he looked around. For a second I thought maybe mom invited him over to the party but then again he wasn’t dressed for a party, he had a head warmer on, a dark blue winter jacket that looks like he has been wearing for ages, his shoe was worn out and his jean had a terrible stain to it not to mention that his face looked rough like he hasn’t been sleeping for days. I saw my mom walk out of one of the rooms and she’s shocked to see him. Well that makes two of us. He never wanted anything to do with us as he disappeared for years and all of a sudden now he is here? My mom said something to him that I couldn’t make out and he replied her before she turned walking as fast as her heels could take her and she was fast for a woman in her mid fifties. My uncle walks closely behind her. I should mind my business, I really should but instead I follow both of them instead, they do not notice me as they entered one of the empty rooms. I stood besides the door, I just wanted to be near my mom and keep her safe. I don’t trust an uncle that I haven’t seen in a decade and the face my mom made after seeing him was more like she was scared “What are you doing here?” My mom’s voice is filled with rage “Our agreement was to never see each other again” Agreement? What kind of agreement was that? “Well I need more money” my uncle replied “Are you crazy? No you definitely must be crazy. In fact you are totally out of your mind to think that I would give you a dine” ”Then you won’t mind if I go and rant your little secret to your husband” “Don’t you dare!” “It’s a full house today, I even saw your mother in law, I’m sure they’ll all be excited to know that you’re fake. I’m sure they will be thrilled to know who you really are and it was all a big fat lie” My heart drops What is fake? What is he talking about, what was my mother hiding? “You’re crazy. I already gave you a hundred thousand dollars what else do you want?” “You think a hundred thousand dollars can pay for all the sleepless nights I’ve had over the years, you think a hundred thousand dollars can pay for the guilt? Look here Park Ji soo I also have a son I feel guilty looking at him every day because he doesn’t know what his father has done. I am this way because of you” “You are this way because of yourself and your choices” my mom replied “I don’t care if you have a son or not. I hired you eighteen years ago, you went extreme to get the job done when it wasn’t even in our contract but I still forgave you and worked with you” “Listen up Ji Soo...” “No you listen up, our contract ended eighteen years ago. I won’t stand here and listen to this bullshit” “If you take a single step away from the place I will call the police” he threatens My head at this point starts spinning and I do not know or understand what I’m hearing. My mom hired my uncle for what? Why does he want to call the police? Did they do something illegal? “And tell them what?” my mom questioned “That you murdered someone?” Murder? Did I just hear my mom say my uncle murdered a person? “Then call the police. I’ve never even met the person, what would they arrest me for” she laughs “It’s your fault that she’s dead. It’s your fault Park Ji soo. If I didn’t pretend to be related to you, If I didn’t take the deal maybe…” my uncle blamed “No it’s your fault that she’s dead! You killed her with your two hands. It was your choice and your mistake I never told you to do that. You think you can threaten me? I am more powerful than I was eighteen years ago” “It’s seems like nothing scares you” then there was a short silence “Perhaps I should tell Hyun Soo everything” “Hey! Leave Hyun Soo out of it” “Why? Are you scared he will finally out the truth” “If you put Hyun Soo into this I will kill you myself!” “Then my dear sister; if you don’t want your Son to find out the truth, prepare three times the original amount you paid me and I want it ready by next week” My legs were somehow still strong enough to carry me back to the entrance. I am in the state of confusion and I don’t know how to digest what I just heard. There are some many things I wanted to know but the biggest question I have is ‘is my mother involved in murder?’ My leg just kept on walking till I found myself outside The man I thought was family turns out to be a fake and then who was he? Why did my mom lie that he was her brother? Why did she lie that he was my uncle? He is a murderer He killed someone, took away someone’s life. Life that he cannot even create and my mom is protecting him; My mother is protecting a murderer, she is protecting him because he has something on her that she doesn’t want anyone to know, she doesn’t want me to know. I don’t understand how is he not even my real uncle? At home in my parent’s wedding album they were pictures of him, my grandparent from my mom’s side all taking a picture smiling. Did my grandparent not know that he wasn’t their son? Was he adopted? Was my mom adopted? But even if she was he wouldn’t still refer to her as the world ‘fake’ Fake “if only I didn’t pretend to be related to you..” those words kept in ringing in my head, filled with so many emotions that I couldn’t understand, so many emotions I couldn’t control, I am so occupied with my own thought that it took someone pushing away from the road to avoid getting hit by a car for me to notice that I had walked far away from the hall I looked up to the person who just saved my life and there Seung Gi was, he was neatly dressed in a suit, with his hair styled so perfectly I saw his front head, I never see his front head as he always wore his hair down at school. My mind shifts for a second from me worrying about everything I thought I knew about my mom whom I feel could turn out to be a big lie to being stunned by Lee Seung Gi’s revealing forehead “Choi Hyun soo are you okay?” Seung Gi asked, his brown eyes are filled with worry and it takes me back to this afternoon and the little fight we had. He came Lee Seung Gi really came “What are you doing here?” I try not to show that I was thrilled that he actually came for the party “I thought you said couldn’t come” “Yeah I thought so too but the other part timer volunteered to work at the convenience store for three hours since she had nothing to do, so I decided to come at least for three hours” Lee Seung Gi stands up from the cold fall dust his body up and helps me up “You look nice” he compliments me as he helps me get up from the floor “You don’t seem as happy as I thought you’ll be when you saw me” he added helping me dust off the snow that was on my back and my suit trouser “I’m sorry” I softly apologized “I’m sorry you came here for nothing” Emotions hit me again as the thought of my mother floods in. “What’s going on? Did something happen?” Seung Gi asked. I wonder if I have always being so readable, so transparent or was Lee Seung Gi just really good at figuring me out. “Nothing happened” I lied “I am perfectly and completely fine” I debated on whether I should tell him or I should not tell him, I mean this is not exactly something I can brag about. What am I going to say? My mom is keeping a secret that could potentially ruin her life, if it ruins her life then it will most definitely ruin my dad’s life and mine, oh and you know the uncle I rarely talk about turns out to not be my real uncle, he also happens to be a murderer, he might have even killed someone because my mom might have hired him to do so. This wasn’t exactly what I could say out to Seung Gi, there is a lot of things I don’t know about and that kills me “Hyun soo look at me” He holds my shoulders with those huge hands of his and looked into my eyes, I don’t look at him for too long as it feels like he can read my thoughts, mind and soul “You don’t want to go back inside right?” he guessed right and I couldn’t help but nod my head Seung Gi gave me a reassuring smile that it was going to be okay “Do you want to go on a drive?” he asked Automatically I find myself smiling even when I don’t want to; going for a drive always makes me feel better and Seung Gi more than anyone knows this. He puts his hands inside my pocket and brings out my car key “Hold on a second okay. I’ll go get your car” he said and took a few steps forward, suddenly he stops then turns back and walks towards me pulling me into a hug, he smells like nature and I cannot help but inhale his familiar scent. “Whatever it is I’m sure it’s going to be okay” How does he do this? How does he calm the raging storm inside of me with that smile of his that showed his uneven dimple? Lee Seung Gi places an unexpected kiss on my forehead before leaving to get the car, leaving me in the snow, shocked.