She's Home...With Him! (Part-2)

"…..Ray!"

Ray smiled at him, "I'm so happy to see you after this long time!"

Jun went and gave him a brief hug. "…It's nice to see you too…" He smiled weakly.

Charlie was still barking at Ray so Jun quickly pulled him inside, "Calm down boy, calm down….It's fine…It's fine…"

When both of them came inside, Charlie started growling looking at Ray, "GRR! GRRR!!"

Ray was frantically avoiding his gaze. "I don't think he likes me…" He said.

"Oh no! You are new that's why he is like that. After a while he'll be fine."

"I hope so!" He said scratching back of his head.

"JUNAAA!!!" Mia came from the back with her arms wide open. "Surprise!" She said as she hugged him tight.

Jun pulled her away and said. "What so surprise in that? I already knew about it."

"What? How?"

"Jina texted, to come fast home because you've come. But she didn't tell me that Ray is also here…"

"That Jina! She ruined my surprise." Mia pouted.

"Well, you are forgetting that this was a surprise for you too!" Ray chuckled.

"Yeah well. I forgot to say thank you to you…"

"See how people are these days? I expected this from you…"

Jun was listening to them being confused.

"I said I'm sorry, I forgot…" Mia whined.

"Oh see! A reunion! So sweet!!" Jina's cold and dry words made all of them look at turn back.

Seeing her standing in the staircase, Charlie ran towards her wagging his tail happily.

She bent down and scratched his head. "Let's go Charlie! I know you can't also see this anymore, right?"

"Jina!" Mia said being angry a little.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did I interrupt? My bad. I didn't mean to. Nor I'm interested. Let's go Charlie…" and saying this she went towards the kitchen.

"What is wrong with this girl?" Mia said.

~

"Hey!" Jun said as he saw Mia sitting alone in the staircase.

"…Hey…"

"What happened?" He asked sitting beside her.

"Nothing….Just thinking, about Jina's behavior…."

"It's fine. You know how she is, right? The anger is always on the tip of her nose! She'll be fine…"

"I hope so….But this time it feels a little different…She seems harsh towards me…"

"...Give her a little time, she'll be back…."

"Hmm…."

"…."

"…."

"So…." Jun said. "When did he come back from New York?"

"Ray?...Well, he came back a week ago…."

"And you didn't even tell me?" He sounded disappointed.

"No. I mean, yes. I wanted to tell you….But…..

Do you remember at the train station I told you that I want to tell you something?"

"That was regarding this? You could've just told me on a call or by a text at least…"

"No. I wanted to tell you in person because this is not it…I is way more complicated than this…"

"What do you mean?"

"….I don't know how to tell you….I….I..." Mia was more nervous to tell Jun about it than telling her parents. 'Why am I so nervous to tell him this?' She thought. 'It's worse than telling father!'

"What? That you two are dating?!!" He answered instead.

"Huh?"

He didn't say anything and just looked in the front.

"How do you? Wait! Did that Jina tell you this? That girl is getting on my nerves now."

"No no. Jina didn't say anything to me…."

"Then?"

"….I don't know. I just knew it. When I saw him standing in the door….When I saw you two talking…..I just knew it…."

"….." Mia didn't say anything for a while. "So…?" She talked.

"So what?" He asked looking at her after all this time.

"So…Umm…You are okay with us dating?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"No…I mean, Jina and others also in the house got upset when they got to know about it. So….I just wanted to know what you feel…"

"Hehe…" Jun laughed. Mia didn't realize but that laugh had a hint of sadness.

"Why are you asking me?" He said. "It's your life. Your decision. You love him and you two are dating now. It has nothing to do with me!"

"Huh?" Mia couldn't believe him saying those words. "How can you say that? You have a lot to do with all this. You are my best friend Juna so what you feel obviously matters."

Jun couldn't look more into her eyes so he avoided her gaze and looked in the front. "I have already done some really bad things with you two. And I don't want that to happen again. I'm just happy that…What couldn't happen two years back is happening now…."

"….."

"I gotta go…" Saying that he got up and climbed down the stairs. As he turned he nearly bumped into Ray who was coming towards them, "I'm sorry…" Jun said and walked away.

"What's with him?" Ray asked.

"Nothing…." Mia said as she saw him walking away. 'I don't know when you are going to stop blaming yourself….' She thought.

~

"JUN!! JUN!!!" Mia's father was calling for his name, sitting in the living room. Hearing his call, Jun hurriedly came, "Yes uncle?"

"Come here sit! It's the last year's football world cup finals!" He patted on the seat beside him to make him sit. "This game was memorable in the history of S. Korea!!" He said excitedly.

Jun quickly sat beside him, his eyes on the TV. "Cho Hyushik was great in this one. After this game, he was on every single news channel!"

"Yes!"

Both of them were completely immersed in the game.

"Pass!"

"Pass the ball dammit!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!!Yess!! GO GO GO!!!!!"

Hearing to them clapping and yelling, Ray came to the living room and stood behind the couch. "Oh! Last year's world cup?"

"Yeah…" Jun answered, still looking at the TV.

"Finals?"

"Hmm….Oh!" Jun clapped. "Run! Run! Sh**!"

"I don't get why they took him in the game? He couldn't even run fast because of his ankle injury…" Father said frustrated.

"Well, they had no better option than him." Ray commented.

Father just looked back over shoulder and then again looked towards the game.

"I remember…" Jun said. "In this quarter, their captain got a red card and—"

"He was kicked out from the field!!" Father exclaimed. "Oh I still remember his face when he was told to go out. Hahaha…"

"But some of the people still think that it was not worth it!" Ray said as he came forward and sat in the chair.

"HA? What are you saying?" Father's eyebrows curved up.

"I mean some experts say that this decision of giving the red card was taken too soon…" Ray justified.

"Well, what do you know about the football?"

"Umm…uncle…." Jun interrupted. "Ray also plays football…"

"So what? But that doesn't mean he can say anything…This incident was one of the main components of our victory."

"Yeah that' what." Ray said. "If you'll ask me, the victory was a little biased."

"Haha! I can't believe what you are saying." Father said. "Oh wait, I forgot that you will support those white men. After all you are from there." He shook his head.

"This match is between S. Korea and England, sir. I came from America!"

"…..Huh! Whatever….Still it's the west….And you support them…"

"But you are forgetting sir, I'm from Korea only. I just went to America for two years."

As the time was passing, the statements were taking turn of arguments. The temperature was rising and Jun who was in the middle of all this couldn't do anything.

"You should be at least happy that you are born in such country." Father said.

"I am happy and proud of it."

"Hehe…Umm….Excuse me?" Jun dared to interrupt. "Can't we just sit back and enjoy the game?"

"….."

"….."

Both, Ray and Father didn't say anything but the air was intense.

"I think…I'll go and get us some beers!" Jun said and got up to go. 'The thing I need the most right now! A beer and some silence!' He thought.

~

It was around 7 o' clock in the evening. Ray came into the dining area where all ladies were sitting and talking.

As soon as he entered, Charlie who was sitting below the table started growling.

He took a step back. "I don't think he still got used to me…."

"Well, dogs can feel the bad in a person, and they hate such people!" Jina said as she took a chip from the packet she was holding and tossed it in her mouth.

"Jina!" Mia glared at her.

"What? Google it if you think it's fake!" She said.

Mia ignored her completely and asked, "What happened Ray? Do you want anything?"

"Well, it's almost 7 now and I think I should head back."

"Oh Yes! Pleaseee…" Jina rolled her eyes.

Mia again ignored her and said, "What? What are you saying? At least have dinner with us…."

"Yes she is right!" Grandma said. "Don't go home without eating anything."

"Have dinner dear." Nana agreed.

"…..Or I'd rather say, stay here tonight!" Mother said.

"WHAT?" Jina literally screamed.

"No aunty. Please." Ray said. "I can't stay here…."

"Oh come on!" Mother said. "I can't let a little child like you to drive alone at this hour."

"Yes! It's not that safe." Nana said.

"I'm used to it aunty…" He said.

"Listen to the elders, we think you should stay here for the night and tomorrow you can go back with her…" Grandma said.

"No…NO…." He kept denying.

"Ray…" Mia said. "Please stay…We'll go back tomorrow….together…."

Ray thought for a second and said, "Well…If you all are insisting so much…I think I'll stay…." He smiled.

"Yay!!!" Jina got up from her chair and acted like being happy. "He's going to stay? I'm so happy!" The sarcasm was clearly visible. Before anyone else could say anything, she pushed the chair and walked away from there.

On the way out, she stumbled into her Father and Jun who were also coming towards the dining room.

"You know what father?" She said. "That guy is going to stay here for the night!"

"What?"

"Yes!" and with that she ran upstairs.

With confused expressions, Father entered the dining area. "He is going to stay here?"

"Yes father!!" Mia smiled wide.

"…Ohh…Umm….Okay…." He agreed looking at her smile and without saying anything further he turned back and went out.

Jun who was watching all this sighed to himself and thought, "…..This Christmas night is going to be a looooooong one!!!'

~