First Heart Break

Mayu went back home that evening. This time she’s eating on the dining table with Hea across her. She’s eating bibimbap* while Hea’s eating salad with protein as a drink on the side. (Mixed rice) Usually, Mayu would eat with enthusiasm but tonight she’s gently chewing the food. While eating she’s also been thinking. She thinks that it’s not that she’s bothered about it, but instead, she’s wondering. She keeps on thinking why a portrait of her would be displayed at Hwan’s house. She wanted to talk about this with Hea but she also thought that she had not told Hea about what happened to her and Hwan before.

“Mayu-ah,” Hea said while chewing.

“Yeah?”

She swallowed first, “Do you want a blind date?”

“Not sure.”

“My friend’s friend has broken up with her girlfriend. He wants to date a foreign woman for a change.”

“I would, but I would not do it for free.” Mayu grinned and looked at Hea.

“Araso, tell me. What do you want?”

“For two weeks you’ll do the chores.”

“Call. That’s easy.”

“Give me his number.”

“Okay, I’ll ask first then I’ll text you tomorrow,” Hea said after chewing. “I noticed you seem down, what happened?”

Mayu signed before she looked at her, “What if you found a photo of you in a man’s house?”

“My ex?”

She gently shakes her head, “Just a man you had a history with.”

“Did something happen in Ye-sung’s house?”

Mayu signed, “I think so. I found a sketch portrait of me.”

Hea stopped eating before she drank her drink, “J-jinjja?”

“What do you think that means?”

“You and Ye-sung were close during senior high. It made me think that there’s something going on between the two of you.”

“But he liked Areum.”

“Ah, yeah.”

“D-do you think that having my portrait on his house means that he might have liked me?” Mayu asked as if she were whispering.

“Maybe? You were close before.”

“I’ll tell you something.” Mayu thrusts her head near Hea. “Hwan and I are not just close before, there’s an untold event I did not tell you.”

“Jinjja? What is that?”

“It will take us a whole night.”

“That’s fine. My work tomorrow is in the afternoon. Tell me.”

Mayu smiled, “Araso, I’ll tell you what happened.”

###

Mayu’s rest day has come. She decided to schedule the blind date on that day in the afternoon. In the Philippines she was always late unlike in Seoul she learned to manage her time properly. Manners here are important and being polite is of value to anyone.

She arrived first at the restaurant where the guy reserved a table for them. The place is casual dining that serves authentic Korean food in Gangnam. Their seat is located at the middle part of the restaurant where she’s seated at the right side of the chair across to the other. While waiting Mayu read the text of Hea for the meantime. The message contained the information about the man she had to meet. He graduated from a business school here in Seoul and his family is wealthy. He broke up with his girlfriend a few months ago. He’s currently interested in arts because his sister is handling an art gallery. The guy looks young although he’s already 28 years old.

Minutes later while she was reading on her handphone a man approached her.

“Excuse me, are you Mayumi-shi?” the man asked.

Mayu looked at him. “Ne. Annyeong haseyo.” She stood up to greet him and bowed her head.

“Annyeong haseyo.” He insisted a handshake at the same time bowed his head. “I am Bu Chung-hee, nice meeting you.”

Mayu looked at his entire body. The man looks handsome with his slanted eyes. His nose is slightly sharp and his lips are wide and thin. He’s wearing jeans and a blue casual shirt. He indeed looked young for his age but that made her wonder.

Mayu reached her hand for a handshake, “I am Mayumi Acda.”

“Let’s take a seat,” Chung-hee said so they both seated across from each other.

The guy called a waiter to order. When the waiter arrived, he requested their special dish when it comes to dates.

“You are a Filipino?” the guy asked when the waiter left.

“Ne, I grew up here but my family needed to go back to the Philippines when I was in senior high. How about you?”

“I grew up here.”

“My friend said you want to date a foreigner? May I know why?”

He chuckled, “I'm a fan of The Return of Superman. The kids with half-foreign blood look adorable. I want to have one.”

Mayu awkwardly laughed, “J-jinjjayo*?” (Really, formal)

“How about you? Do you want a Korean boyfriend?”

“Not really. When you fall in love, nationality does not matter.”

“Have you ever had a Korean boyfriend before?”

“None so far. I actually did not have one.”

“Jeongmalyo*? Why is that?” (Really, formal)

“It’s a choice at the same time based on experience.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know a cheater.”

“Not all men would do that to you.”

“I wasn’t sure about that before.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Is it okay to ask you about what happened between you and your ex?”

Chung-hee slightly smiled, “She does not want to live the life that I have. She got tired of it.”

“How long have you been together?”

“We’ve been together since senior high.”

“Whoa, jinjjayo? First love?”

He chuckled and nodded, “Yes, she was.”

“They said first love never works.”

“I guess that is right.”

Mayu stared at his eyes to see his feelings. And she can clearly see that he hasn’t moved on yet. The pain and rejection still lingered in his eyes. She was also wondering about the side story of the girl. The guy seems nice with an impressive background and it seems that he loved her a lot.

“Are you ready to have a new relationship?”

“To be honest, not yet. My friends forced me to have blind dates to get over her.”

“That is wrong. Blind dates would not help you to move on. It’s yourself.”

He smiled with sadness. “I guess.”

“I think I could be your friend instead of your date.”

“You mean that?”

“Why not?”

“I was actually doubting if I should come here.”

“Be comfortable.”

Chung-hee smiled, “I am.”

###

Mayu went home alone after class. When she arrived home, she decided to take a nap in her room since her mom was not around. When she woke up, she heard muttering words outside her room. She stood up to slightly open the door, and there she saw her father alone on the sofa while he was talking over the phone. She heard words like her housewife was not at home same as her only daughter. He said that tomorrow he would meet her in the same place. At first, the words of her father did not make her wonder. But what surprised her was that he repeatedly said I love you over the phone. That made her question who he was talking to.

Later that same evening her mother arrived. Her father was in the bedroom while her mother was in the kitchen arranging the grocery items she bought.

Mayu went beside her mom. “Did you call through the phone earlier?”

“Ani, I was in the supermarket with Hwan’s mother. Wae?”

“N-nothing.” She hesitated to answer.

The phone rang in the living room which made her a bit nervous. She now finally realized that sometimes the caller would not speak when she and her mom would answer it. She thought maybe the call would be the same call as her father had earlier. But she went near the phone as it rang several times already. She swallowed first before she answered the call.

“Yeo-yeoboseyo?” She said.

“May I speak with Mayu?” A boy answered in the other line.

She frowned while she was confused because she did not give her number to anyone. “Who’s this?”

“It’s Hwan.”

“This is Mayu, wae?”

“Mom said you did not go with them earlier. Why would you lie?”

“Why does it matter to you anyway?”

“Are you sick?”

“Maybe? I felt sleepy. Where the hell did you get my number?”

“Areum gave it.”

“Why the hell would you call me? We’re just neighbors.”

“Why the hell not?”

“You’re talking to Areum over the phone anyway, why bothered chatting with me?”

“Wae? Am I not allowed to talk to you?”

“You can call me on my personal phone.”

“I’m not comfortable using that kind of phone.”

“Hay, jinjja, you’re so old school.”

“Come outside.”

“Wae?”

“Just come!”

“Tell why first.”

“Hay, jinjja, you’re so stubborn. You won’t listen. Let’s eat chicken together. Mom brought it home.”

“You know I don’t like that kind of chicken.”

“Ara*, that’s why I’m asking you.” (I know, informal)

“Jugule*? (Do you want to die?)

“Wake me up tomorrow again.”

“I won’t, you won’t even wake up.”

“Araso, see you tomorrow. Jalja*.” Hwan said this after Mayu ended the call. (Good night, informal)

Mayu did not sleep well that night because she’s been curious about who’s the person her father had talked to over the phone. She only had 4 hours of sleep when she decided to wake up early. When she went out of her room her father and mother were in the kitchen. Her mother was preparing breakfast while her father was reading an English newspaper at the dining table.

“You’re awake already?” Her mother asked.

“I have some important things to do at school.” She said before she went to the bathroom.

When she’s inside the bathroom she does everything fast while she focuses her hearing outside. After 10 minutes she was done doing her thing. She immediately ran towards her room to change into her uniform and wear her autumn coat outside it. While she was preparing, she heard her father saying goodbye to her mother. She suddenly went to open the door slightly to see him leave the house.

She waited for minutes before she went out of the room.

“I’m going, mama.” She said to her mother.

“You’re not eating breakfast—” Her mother said but she proceeded to the door to go out.

When she reached outside, she ran and searched for his father. When she saw him, she followed him behind until she reached the bus stop. When they arrived at the bus stop, she removed her backpack to get the face mask, and then she wore it to cover her face. She stood meters away from her father while waiting at the bus stop. Minutes later the bus arrived, she let her father and others enter the vehicle first before she went inside it. Her father stood at the tail while standing because the bus was full. Meanwhile, she stayed at the front while standing.

After 20 minutes her father went out of the bus. She frowned when she noticed that this station was not the one near to his workplace but still, she followed him. When she went outside the bus, she saw her father talking to a Korean woman who had pale white skin with red lipstick. When they started to walk away from the bus stop, they held hands as a couple does.

That made her speechless and she could not move her entire body. But she also felt frail due to being shocked. She just stared at them as they walked holding each other’s hands. And then she wondered if what she saw was sinful enough to tell her mother.

Mayu rode the bus going to school without the face mask on her face. During the entire trip, she was quiet. Her mind became blank after the thought if she’d tell her mother about it. But inside her, she could not explain how she would feel.

She went out of the bus when it arrived near her school. She strolled looking sworn out while she sluggishly wandered on the street. Seconds later she paused from walking at the center of the side road. She suddenly felt her knees weak which made her fall down on the ground. After that, her eyes became teary until she wept with indescribable pain in her chest.

It was her first broken heart.

A boy behind her who’s wearing the same uniform came towards her. “Gwenchanayo*?” He asked. (Are you okay? Formal) When he saw that she cried her eyes out, he became conscious of their surroundings. He looked around them feeling awkward with people passing by. She kept on crying so he took off his autumn coat to cover Mayu’s head.