It’s not a good morning for Lee Hyukjae.

He has woken up an hour late for an important conference call and has a monster hangover from indulging a little too much at Donghae’ s bachelor party. (But as the Best Man he couldn’t slack off, could he?  Winning the competition to be chosen as best man beating out the Princely Siwon alone had called for a celebration of epic proportions.)

‘Maybe I can get by with saying that I forgot that they turn the clocks back in the U.S. Yes, that might work.’ (He conveniently deletes all the reminders his secretary, the always immaculate Seo Ju Hyun, has left –  on his computer… and his table… and his coffee mug.. and the door – from his memory.)

That’s one problem solved and he is well on his way to solving the next – crossing the street to run into his local coffee shop for their strongest blend with extra shots of expresso – when he hears her laugh.

His head whips back so fast his insides give a little lurch – but he ignores it. And never mind the intense pounding in his head… all that consumes his thoughts, his instincts, his entire being is – it really is her.

“Hyoyeon.”

He says the name outloud – not a whisper but not a shout (meant to draw her attention) either. He says it just because…  he hasn’t been able to in so long. But it still rolls off his tongue just as easily.

=================================

There’s a loud honking of a car horn that startles him out of his reverie.

“You got a deathwish, ?” The driver of the car – a stocky guy who seems his age with a buzz cut – yells out at him.

Normally, this would have been all Hyukjae needed to get into a fist fight but today was not a normal day ….. it was the day his deepest wish finally came true.

He wasn’t going to ruin it by being reckless.

He turns back around almost mechanically..  his coffee, his hangover, his urgent conference call all forgotten and  heads in the direction of the park. That’s where the sound of her laughter came from.. carried by the wind from somewhere behind the clump of trees.

His heart is now racing – pounding in his ears.

He’s not quite sure what to expect ….

He’s not quite sure what he’s going to do…

 But it’s his chance (and as Donghae constantly reminds him, "when you get a second chance with a girl so special, you take it, man!")

He is close now, close enough to hear her voice loud and clear – the sweet warm honey-like voice that used to whisper his name, followed by an “I love you” sometimes on the phone, sometimes on cold nights in his bed; and for the past two years, torturing his mind like a broken recorder.

He takes two more steps forward – and there she really is.

Her hair is still blonde but a shade darker, piled into an unfussy bun on top of her head. It gives him a clear view of her face and he draws in a sharp breath – Christ! She is even more beautiful than he remembered.

His eyes hungrily take in her features – softer, more womanly, and glowing even brighter than the sun. He gives a little chuckle as his eyes travel lower (she is still quite the unique dresser!) Wearing an oversized abstract patterned sweater dress and tasselled boots, she looks …

well she looks just like Hyoyeon, 

his Hyoyeon.

===============================================

He gets transported back in time – and all their memories together flash by like he’s in a car watching the scenery outside. 

The way her eyes lit up when she spotted him in a crowded room, the way her cheeks puffed up when showing him her aegyo, the way her hands threaded through his hair when they kissed, the way she slithered in his arms when they danced, the way her body clung to his when they made love.. and the way her eyes almost teared up with emotion each time she said those three words.

His gaze instinctively shifts to her hands – 'no rings, thank god!'

It gives him the confidence to take those few more steps forward to approach her.  

“Hi Hyoyeonah, it’s been a long time!”

Her body jerks up at the sound of his voice and Hyoyeon slowly lifts her head up in disbelief. ‘It can’t be…’

But it is… it really is.. Lee Hyukjae standing before her in the flesh – still with that stupid gummy smile that made her fall for him the first time.

=========================================================

Hyukjae watches eagerly as her round eyes get even rounder making her look even more doll-like. He sees something else also in those familiar eyes but he can’t quite read them – it’s the first sign.

Suddenly, he feels slightly on edge, wondering whether it was the right choice to just barge in on her … but then she smiles..

And he lets out the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding.

“It has been a really long time Hyukjae shhi.”

“Hyukjae shhi?” he mumbles stupidly looking more than a little confused because it's the first time she's called him that , ever,  until it dawns on him –

 'of course, things have changed.'

But he still smiles because he’s finally found her.. Nothing’s going to ruin this and he’s going to do everything in his power to get her back to calling him “Oppa” again.

For the past year, eleven months and seventeen days he’s been planning – planning all kinds of things to make up for the wrongs that he’s done. He plans on making her feel like the most adored, most loved woman in the entire world.. no the entire universe (because she believes aliens exist!)

So he doesn't run and tug her roughly into his arms, raining kisses over her face, scolding her for leaving him, crying for all the things he's done -

like his instincts are telling him to.

Instead, he takes a few more calm steps towards her.

There is still a few feet of space between them.

 “How have you…” he is in the middle of asking when he hears the sound of a baby crying behind her.

He looks around at the mothers playing with their children all around them to see who would come to claim the crying child but when he turns back to her, his eyes almost pop out.

It’s Hyoyeon who is gently cradling the baby in her arms, cooing a soft soothing sound.

She is so good with the tiny infant – bringing an instant calm by swaying her naturally rhythmic body and dropping light kisses on the head.

His heart drops.

He’s pictured her like this many times –

but in his imagination he was right there beside her, and they are holding their baby.

And it stings his heart even worse than it would have if he had discovered her to have a boyfriend or even a fiancée ..because it means

he officially has no chance.