"You don't really have to do what you don't want to do."         Park Hyatt Seoul 606 Gangnam-gu, Teheran-ro, Seoul 01:48 a.m.    

She was resting comfortably on the bed when her phone rang. Taking the white device, she glanced at the display to check the caller ID. She had been anticipating a call actually. A smile tugged at the corner of as she saw an expected name on the display.

 

“The process is completed,” the caller told her. It was a man’s voice. “The documents will be ready tomorrow.”

 

“Double checked?” she asked to make sure.

 

“Sure ma’am,” he replied, using the honorific but his tone was rather playful. “Still, I don’t understand why you are doing this without telling him.”

 

“He will understand, like he always does. Undoubtedly.” She nodded her head.

 

“You surely have a big faith in him.”

 

“Even when he doesn’t, he will pretend to understand me. It is really entertaining to see him try not to fight me.”

 

“You make it sound as if he is your toy.”

 

“He is, sometimes.” She let out a soft chuckle.

 

“You are cruel, woman. He will be mad if he hears you.”

 

“But he won’t stay mad for long. I know his limit.”

 

“Being confident as ever, uh?” he replied. Her inexorable confidence always amused him.

 

“Confidence is my middle name, remember?” She rolled on her side and rested her head on her arm, but suddenly a voice in her head pronounced a name that she didn’t even want to remember. She nibbled her lower lip, hesitated to ask something that she wasn’t even sure whether she wanted to know or not.

 

“He is not here, if that’s what you are contemplating to ask me,” the man said in comforting tone as if he could hear her silent thought.

 

She laughed, biting back her bitterness.

 

“It has been five years, yet I’m still being a coward.”

 

And she hated how his name only still affected her, how a mere thought of him still caused her pain even after five years.

          Mango Six Cafe Garosugil Store, Shinsa-dong 12:02 p.m.    

Bam Bam was the first one who arrived at the scene, followed by the excited Choi Youngjae and exhausted-but-enthusiastic Kim Yugyeom. The trio took the table near the window which was Seyoung’s favorite spot. They ordered some dessert while waiting for the rests to come.

 

Jinyoung and Jaebum came about ten minutes later and joined the three younger males at the table. It was one of those rare days when their favorite girl was back in town so the eight of them could finally hang out together just like the old times.

 

“I heard from Mark hyung, she is losing weight again,” Yugyeom stated with a frown, clearly unhappy with the fact. “What exactly does she do in LA? Starving herself?”

 

“She is running two Oh Group’s subsidiaries by herself, remember?” Jaebum calmly said.

 

“And she basically hates her job,” Jinyoung added.

 

“I hear that, Park Jinyoung.” A way too familiar feminine voice came from behind them.

 

Five of them turned their heads in no time and smiled as they found her stand before them with Mark on her left and Jackson on her right. She was wearing a gray turtleneck and a pair of black skinny jeans, which she teamed with her favorite Louboutin heeled ankle boots to elongate her already statuesque frame.

 

“Seyoung noona!” Bam Bam jumped off his seat to hug her and she comfortably draped her arms around his petite figure. Once he pulled away, she lifted her hands to pinch his cheeks.

 

“How could you not aged, Bamiyeom?” she asked while settling herself down in the empty spot between the two youngests.

 

“And oh, my Kyum, you look more handsome than Mark Tuan now,” she continued as she cupped the maknae’s cheeks with her palms, gaining