If fingers could easily break, Seulbi's would have been less than ten now; she's so busy fiddling with those on her thighs under the table. The table's diameter is barely two meters but she feels so distant.

It was so obvious that she wanted to leave the place.

Seulbi feels like the furniture was so vast, she herself was lost.

Because of the uncomfortable silence, Mrs. Oh can't help but clear . 

"Seulbi,"

Seulbi almost flinched on her mother's contact with her arm. As she stare as her mother, she can't help but wonder... was those years just nothing to her?

Twelve years was just nothing to her?

"...You are so easy."

Whatever her mom was saying was stopped, making both adults freeze on their seats because of what Seulbi said. Mr. Oh wants to step in but he knows Seulbi would just push her aside.

"What?" Her mom asked, hoping she heard her wrong.

With a straight face, she repeated what she said while looking at her, "You are so easy. Just because of few dates, you're now embracing him back—"

Seulbi was forced to face her right, her left cheek throbbing.

"Seulbi!"

Mrs. Oh was taken aback on what she just did but Mr. Oh beat her to it, calling their daughter out. Seulbi, with now moistened eyes, ignored her father but looked at her mom again, now clutching her cheek. "That person whom you say wants us back left us for twelve years!"

As if regret on she did just vanished, Mrs. Oh wants to slap her once again. "Where is your respect?! He's still your father!"

Almost crumpling her cheek, Seulbi continues to glare. "My father would not leave me because of some ."

It was like Mr. Oh wasn't with them on the table.

"You," Mrs. Oh pointed at her, now standing, "Watch your language, Seulbi."

"Why? Isn't it true?" This time, she looks at her father. But she wasn't expecting her father to look so broken.

Just a tiny bit, Seulbi felt the urge to take her words back.

Silence ensued afterwards, and Mrs. Oh took a seat and deep breath before breaking it again.

"I love him."

Seulbi's grip on her wet cheek loosened. Her mom looks like her life depends on it.

"Call me stupid, but I still love your father."

She bit her lips before responding, "How can you love someone who can't love you back equally?"

With that, she stood up and went upstairs to her room. A slam of the door followed suit, and Mrs. Oh stopped the man beside her from going upstairs.

"Let her be."

"But—"

"She will just get out once she's hungry. I know Seulbi. I know my daughter."

With that, Mr. Oh kept himself mum, accepting all the attacks of these women. He sat once again, and he heard wife say, "You know, she has a point."

Oh Seungyoon wanted to retort something back but all of those were facts; he left them for twelve years because of a ; a mistress, a quick lay.

"Still, I am giving you a second chance. Seungyoon, I could afford to get hurt. But once you hurt Seulbi for the second time," Mrs. Oh started and looked at him straight in the eyes, "You will never see the sun rise once again."

* 

Times like this makes her long for someone. With a locked door behind her, Seulbi has her phone on her ears, listening to the dial tone from the other line. Then, a beeping sound followed suit.

That was her ninth attempt on calling Neighbor yet none of those were answered. 

Pacing on her room with her messed up state, Seulbi didn't give up and rang him once again.

Eventually she did, around the 30th trial. 

Her call was rejected. 

She slowly took the device off her ears, not even giving the screen a glance.

Aren't they official? Why can he pick up her calls? Was he that busy that he needs to hang up on her?

Where is Baekhyun when she needs him the most?

Biting her lips because of paranoia, Seulbi slides her curtain to the side. It was silly to hope for the opposite window to be lit and he'll be there with just one call, but she still anticipated. Baekhyun's window shows how lifeless and mute his room is. He is nowhere near her.

Seulbi wants to talk, hug, run with Baekhyun because he is that person whom she finds comfort with. To her, Baekhyun is her safe zone.

But to him? What is she, really? 

Thirty missed calls made her doubt.

*

It feels like blood left all his veins. 

He just got home, he just accompanied Seulbi to their gates, he was just about to take off his school sneakers when his father's most trusted person came. His thoughts about Seulbi's sudden shift in mood was cut by Jaesuk's announcement.

Words like Mr. Kim, hospital, and heart attack made his throat dry.

At that moment, he pushed all his issues aside to run fast to his father's car. As Jaesuk was driving to the hospital, Baekhyun saw his hands trembling on his thighs. 

This had already happened before; the difference was just it was just him and his mother in a room, with his mother losing her breath while the young Baekhyun was a crying mess, his hands trembling because of unhelpness.

He wasn't aware that he's already crying by just hoping not for the history not to repeat itself, but with Mr. Kim's life at stake this time.

*

The white walls surrounding him keeps him thinking. 

Minseok was wondering if this day could turn worst—because so far, it was just worse. With his trip to Sooyoun's university, to his father's condition.

And his thoughts were answered by the running Jaesuk and a breathless Baekhyun.

Worst. 

"Where is he? How is he?" 

Minseok doesn't want to answer him. , if he could just keep his father for his own.

But he can't.

"He's inside."

That small voice that if the corridor is not silent won't be ever heard. Baekhyun was about to head to the door when he grabbed his arm. "We still can't go inside. He's still under surveillance."

Minseok saw it. That desperation in Baekhyun's eyes for somebody, anybody to please tell him that everything will be alright—those eyes that resembles the reason why his family went crumbling down.

The reason why his mother felt depressed, almost losing him when he was still inside her womb.

"...He'll be alright," Minseok gulped hard to keep his voice still, "The father I know won't be taken down by just a mere heart attack."

He doesn't know, but he felt a lump in his throat taken out because of relief that washed over Baekhyun's face.

He doesn't want to know why, but he guided him to sit down on the bleachers opposite of the room's door. That's what a good older brother woul