The Day Before the Party (Part VII)

(I'm going to mostly summarise Day 10 as, while a lot of things started getting wrapped up and set up for the next day, there were also lots of bits that Seong wouldn't know about -- more Jumin & Rika flashbacks, things that happened at the C&R Offices -- and stuff that moves the story forward but weren't particular exciting. Besides, Seong and Jumin didn't really spend any time together on this day and there wasn't anything shmexy to cover...And, yeah, it's 11 PM and I'm tired but this is the only chance I've had to write it up. Little dude is on his half term break. There were actually some really good phone calls today, though, with less creeptastic-ness in them. Seong has made it past all of the break points. You go, girl! And I mostly avoided using the walkthroughs. I just looked up a couple of things when it felt like both options were horrible.)

Jumin left early for work, promising to be back for lunch, after which Seong was supposed to go home. Home? She was starting to wonder what that really meant. Everyone in the RFA kept referring to Rika's apartment as "home," the place that she was supposed to go back to. But it wasn't home, not at all. She'd barely lived there longer than she'd been at Jumin's. And home wasn't that temporary apartment she had been staying in either, with the boxes still stacked against the wall. Home was starting to feel more and more like wherever Jumin was. But she couldn't say that out loud, not to anyone, least of all to Jumin. She had realised that they needed to start over. Not completely over, no, that was impossible. They had gone too far for that. But they needed a starting point, a clear starting point where they could some day look back and say, yes, that's when we came to our love together. That's when things really began. A starting point that was normal. One where she could come and go as she pleased without him threatening to fall apart.

Aw, Jumin. You can be such a
charmer when you aren't being
a creepy sadist.

So she waited for him, filling her day with trying to pry information out of the elusive Seven without success and trying to comfort Yoosung, who apparently couldn't handle one fluffy white cat on his own. (I'm finding it rather comic that Yoosung becomes a vet in the good end in his route. Really, Yoosung? haha) She finished up her last freelance article that was pending and sent out emails to party guests. They were a very random collection of people and they had such strange questions...but she was getting used to strange. It seemed that was her life now.

She was getting very worried about Seven, though. Everything else seemed to be getting better, though when Jaehee told her that Jumin had invited Sarah and Glam to the party, she had to wonder what he was thinking. But she trusted him to take care of it. She held no jealousy for that woman, only pity. But that didn't mean she had to like her though. Another package had arrived from Jumin...a new dress for the party. It was gorgeous and she was going to wear it.

But Seven...something was really wrong there. She hoped whatever it was wasn't as bad as it seemed to be. She liked Seven. She wanted him to be his usual strange and weirdly wonderful self.

This cracked me up.
Seong: Come see me.
Jumin: I'm leaving now.

Then it was past lunchtime and no Jumin. He'd gotten stuck at work. She was disappointed and lonely and somehow, somehow it felt okay to admit it, so she did. And Jumin, ah, Jumin. He was coming home.

Yes. She did know where home was. She just couldn't call it that yet.

But she still had a wait. She called when he still hadn't arrived an hour later. He was stuck in traffic and wishing he'd taken the helicopter. 

"I hate that the road doesn't understand my feelings," he said and she almost laughed at how sad he sounded. 

He finally arrived and they had barely said hello when V arrived. V! She was finally meeting him. And he'd brought Elizabeth the 3rd. Between the two of them, they convinced Jumin to keep the cat. She promised him that there wouldn't be any problem if they took care of her together. She needed him to understand that she was here to stay and that he wasn't alone. It seemed to get through to him.

(Honestly, I only picked the "keep the cat" options because I knew I had to. I like cats and it isn't the cat's fault, but I'm so annoyed at Rika that I kinda wanted to be all, no, you take the damn cat V and while you're at it, go get the stupid eye surgery, you big idiot, and go talk to Seven because he's making me cry. And enough with the secretive shit. You're a grown man. Start acting like one. But none of that was an option. Hmph.)

How adorable is this?
In part because Jaehee is all,
"Dude. You can't propose
over the messenger."

Then V took her back to the apartment. Jumin was ready to let her go. When she walked out the door, she couldn't help but look back. He was watching her go. They hadn't even kissed goodbye because V was there and it had all happened so quickly. She took a deep breath. She'd see him at the party tomorrow. That would have to be enough.

But, it wasn't. Not for either of them. Jumin called first. She'd only just stepped foot inside the door to Rika's apartment. It felt cold and the air was stale and she didn't want to be there. He told her it felt like there was a giant hole in the middle of the house. She knew just what he meant. As far as she was concerned, Rika's entire apartment felt like a black hole. It was an empty place.

"There's something I really want to say to you right now." He was almost whispering. "To be honest, this is what I wanted to say the most...from the moment you took my heart."

"What is it?" Could it, would it be...what she hoped? What she so wanted to hear?

"I love you. I love you so much."

It was.

They talked for a little longer but finally, reluctantly, hung up. Seong went to the window and looked out. The view was still good, but there was nothing in it she wanted to see. She hesitated for a moment, then called Jumin back. She needed to hear his voice just one more time before she could go to sleep.

She couldn't wait for the party.

(Go on to The Party Part VIII)

(Ugh, the story mode at the end of Day 10. Not something Seong would know, so not part of the playthrough, but I'm gonna be a bit pissed if something bad happens to Seven. Or maybe it's V that went to Mint Eye. But I think it might be Seven. Would rather it was V because he kind of ticks me off and I wouldn't really care if something bad happens to him. In every route I've done so far, it seems like a lot of problems could have been avoided if V would start being honest.)