IRENE

3 AM in the morning. I silently curse when I heard someone ring the bell. For a God’s sake how come people doesn’t have a manner at all about visiting someone’s house in the freaking early morning like this?

I’m walking toward the front door, checking the intercom before. Well, just in case there are some creepy people outside.

“Mino?” I gasp. For a second, I’m making sure that he’s really Mino and it is really him.

Hurriedly, I push open the door. Song Mino is standing outside my house right now, he looks like a drunkard guy in his 30’s, trying to get home but he got the wrong way to get home, his hairstyle looks messy, his eyes look red, to put it mildly he looks rather mess.

“Noona.” Mino mumbles, he tries to keep his two feet in balance but failed. I help him to get up before he can touch the ground.

“Are you really not having a manner at all? This is freaking 3 in the morning!”

“Noona, I think I need to use a bathroom, now.” Mino rushes to the bathroom right away. How many alcohol did he take, geez.

Mino throw up for the third times in a row. Seeing him getting a bad hangover, it makes me feel a headache too. First, because I feel sick of him keep throwing up, second I feel sick because I know there something isn’t right.

I hand over a warm honey and lemon tea. “Take this, it will make you feel better.”

Mino gets up from the couch and a sheepish smile releases from his lips as he takes a sip of the tea. “Thanks, noona. You’re really the best.”

I take a seat beside him, I stare at him for a moment, trying to read his mood. It may be only a wild guess, but I am 100% sure there’s something happened to him, which probably it’s related to Seulgi.

“How many shots did you take? You look horrible, don’t you know?”

“Life is a cruel bastard, isn’t it?” Mino says.

“Life is supposed to be cruel, that thing will make us stronger.”

Mino meets his gaze against mine. He sighs heavily.

“Life is indeed hard and cruel, but there’s nothing more cruel than seeing people closest to you have changed when you’re not even change a bit.”

“Can you talk to me more specific, and please stop your ing prolog? Just tell me what happened to you, I know something is not right with you.”

“You are really know me the best, Joohyun-ah.” Mino chuckles.

“Fyi, I am two years older.”

“Noona.” He corrects it. I smile. I love how our relationship hasn’t turned to be all awkward and distant after all the things that happened to us years ago. After all, Mino is still the same, he’s the most precious dongsaeng I’ve ever had.

“Mino, you know, sometimes we need to be changed, for good. You see? People made mistakes every single days, and is it funny if they keep repeating the same mistake they have ever made over and over again, no? That is the time when we need to change, Mino. For good, for us to be better.”

“I’ve changed, I’ve made up my mind but it was too late. I’m too late. I’m so ing dumb.” Mino’s voice begins to crack, tears stream down his cheek slowly. I’m getting panic over the fact that he’s crying and sobbing really hard. For the first time in my life, I’m witnessed how desperate and weak Mino is.

I reach his back, hoping that I can reassured him a bit. “Mino, if you don’t mind I can hear all your worries. Noona’s here.”

I’m waited Mino to talk about it but his lips keep sealed. So, I make a bet over this matter. I may be wrong but I’m about ninety eight percent sure it may be related to Seulgi.

How long do they need to feel this pain? I’m now questioning to myself.

“It is about Seulgi, right?”

“I think karma hits me really hard.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can you love two person in the same time?” Mino asks.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Mino chuckles. “Karma is a .”

Silence fills the air as I let him to think about everything. Mino never knows that he’s never fully love me in the first place. All this time, his heart always belongs to Seulgi how many times he denies it. Sometimes, love could make you blind, sometimes we could mistook it and that happened to Mino. He mistook it, his love for me is not how love supposed to look at, he loves me because he just get used to be around me without any emotional sparks between us, but his loves for Seulgi is the real deal; it’s a big spark, it’s entwined, it’s something he’ll realize soon or later that he loves Seulgi because he can’t live without her and now I only wish that he isn’t too late.

“Mino, we’ve never really fell in love for each other, though, haven’t we?”

Mino shifts his gaze to me, his eyes still teary. I wipe away his tears.

“We’ve never fell in love in the very first place, you just mistook it. You thought you love me but actually you were not. You just get used to have me to be around you, you do love Seulgi from time to time.” I’m looking straight into his eyes. “Do you remember? You used to talk about Seulgi whenever we’re together back then, we never talk about us, it's always about you or Seulgi. If only you’re not denying your feeling and look properly into your heart, you’ll find your answer. Your heart screams for Seulgi not me.”

“That’s why, I’m really a fool right?” Mino sighs as he’s leaned back to the couch. “If only I’ve realized everything soonest it wouldn’t turn to be like this.”

“Why do you over underestimate yourself?” I ask.

“He’s Jihoon, noona. It will be much better if it’s someone else but it’s ing Pyo Jihoon. Even if I tried to re-evaluated myself, Jihoon is still over the top against me.”

“Well, this is what I really hate about guy, seriously. It’s not about better or not better it is all about feeling Mino. Geez! If you want Seulgi, then fight for her, owns her heart to the fullest.”

“Then, what should I do about Jihoon? Even my head hurts so bad just to think about it. I’m literally screwed.”

“Sleep now.” I put a blanket over his body and guides him to s