Jonghyun pressed the bell again for the umpteenth time as he kept holding his phone on his right ear. But there was still no answer from the other line. And no indication that she was in her apartment too.

She is so stubborn…Jonghyun said inwardly as he let out his sigh.

He had done this before. And she kept ignoring him too. If it was not because he was sick that night, she wouldn’t ever open her door for him. But this time was so difficult because she was really not in her apartment since that day.

Yes, since that day, the day when she saw him with Shinhye…again.

He always knew that Yoona never liked Shinhye since the beginning. And what Shinhye had done to Joohyun made it worst. She hated Shinhye even more.

And he didn’t deny it. Shinhye really did something wrong this time. He couldn’t shield her because of this too.

But Shinhye was his best friend since 15 years ago. She was like his little sister all this time. So, as her brother, he couldn’t leave her alone too.

Shinhye basically had a cheerful and bright personality. She was a very easy going. That was why they could become good friends easily since beginning. But she changed after her parents divorced. It devastated her so much.

He still remembered too when her mother chose to marry again and didn’t bring her along to LA, she felt like she was being abandoned. Beside, her father never brought her into his new family too. She refused to go to school after that. And if he and Yonghwa didn’t come to her home that day, she maybe wouldn’t be here until that time. It was so fortunate that they found her right before she slit her own wrist. Since then, they became best friends.

He always knew too that Shinhye loved Yonghwa. And if he was asked, did he ever love her too, he would definitely say yes. But no, it was not love in a romantic way. It was true that he loved her, but as a sister. People wouldn’t believe it if he said that, but it happened to them. That was the fact. He cared for her. But he never saw her as a woman in his eyes or as a potential girlfriend all this time.

Actually, Jonghyun always thought that Shinhye would be end up together with Yonghwa. No, he always hoped it would be like that since beginning. But the destiny told otherwise. Yonghwa married Seo Joohyun. And it devastated Shinhye again in the end.

It might be so cliché, but he understood what Shinhye felt. She was left too many times. And he cared for her so much. That was why he thought that at least, he should be there for her. He should make sure she could get up again and reached her own happiness.

But it didn’t turn like he expected.

He never thought that he would fall for a girl…who suddenly ruined his plan.

Im Yoona…he was introduced to her after Yonghwa married to Seo Joohyun.

His first impression of her was not so special. She was a lovely girl in his eyes. But that was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

Until one day, she scolded him hard when he told Joohyun about Shinhye’s feeling. She was so mad at him that night. And for the first time, he realized that Yoona had the same eyes as him. She cared for Joohyun so much. And the way she protected her beloved friend made him realized too that what he did for Shinhye was too bias. He was impressed with the way she thought. And he felt so ashamed too because of that.

She hated him since then, but he felt like he wanted to know about her more because of that. So he, without he realized it, kept insisting to be close with her, when she obviously kept ignoring him.

He just followed what his heart told him. But he couldn’t leave Shinhye too since she was in a bad state at that time.

He thought deeply about this too. He didn’t want what happened between Shinhye and Joohyun was repeated again. He wanted Yoona could get along with Shinhye in the end. And he didn’t want to leave Shinhye like Yonghwa did to her. That was why he tried to be always with her during her bad condition. He hoped Yoona would understand him.

But he was wrong. Yoona refused to understand him. And he couldn’t blame her too.

He didn’t want to give up on her, and yet he couldn’t leave Shinhye too. He couldn’t do that. Shinhye just had him.

And for the first time in his life, he finally understood what Yonghwa felt. He always thought that Yonghwa was too selfish when he decided to choose Joohyun over Shinhye. He wouldn’t ever do that if he found the love of his life in the end. But, when he experienced it himself, he admitted it. It was definitely not that simple. He regretted for blaming Yonghwa.

His situation at that time was almost similar. He was trapped between his love and his promise. He loved Im Yoona, but he promised to not leave Shinhye too.

Then Jonghyun sighed again before decided to give up again that day. He really couldn’t reach her again since the last time he met her, in front of a café, with Shinhye. And he knew it would be more difficult to make up with her again this time.

He then walked down the stairs and was about to leave when he caught Yoona’s apartment security ahjussi. He decided to ask him first.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Sir.” He greeted him politely.

“Ahh…you’re Miss Im’s friend, aren’t you?” security ahjussi noticed him right away. He must be knew him because of that night, when he was sick.

“Ne~,” He replied him calmly. “But, did Yoona come to her apartment last night, Sir?” he finally asked.

“Miss Im…?” he was trying to remember something. “I just realized that I didn’t meet her since two days ago. Is there something wrong?” he asked worriedly.

“Ahh, aniyo, Sir. I just want to know where she is, since I couldn’t meet her too since three days ago.” Jonghyun suddenly felt so sad to hear that.

“Jeongmalyo? Then she must be in her father’s house. She sometimes goes visiting her father for some days.” Security ahjussi explained it to him further.

“Ahh…geuraeyo…” Jonghyun didn’t know about that. And after he told his gratitude to security ahjussi for the information, he bade him goodbye.

I think I need to persuade Minhyuk again…he concluded inwardly after that.

He actually already went to SKKU, but he got information that Professor Im took a leave for one week. He asked to Minhyuk too, but he told him he didn’t know about Yoona’s whereabouts. Jonghyun knew that Minhyuk lied. But he understood that Yoona must be threatened him to not tell anything. She had done it to Yonghwa too before. But Minhyuk told Yonghwa in the end. So, he thought that if he could show him more efforts, Minhyuk would help him too in the end.

***

Jonghyun entered the café, and saw Yonghwa who waved at him.

Yonghwa asked him to meet up, since he would go to Busan and stayed there with Joohyun until their baby born.

Time indeed moved so fast. He felt like it was just yesterday Yonghwa married Joohyun, but they would have their own baby in the next month. And he was getting old too.

“Yahh! How have you been?” Yonghwa greeted him the moment Jonghyun sat in front of him. They couldn’t meet so often due to their busy schedule.

“Busy…as always…” Jonghyun replied simply.

Jonghyun made an order first, before he asked, “So, you’ll go next week?”

“Yes, Joohyun will start her maternity leave in next week.” Yonghwa replied as he sipped his favorite Iced Americano.

Jonghyun then considered something in his mind, but he felt so hesitant.

“Wae? What happened with that face?” and Yonghwa caught it fast.

But Jonghyun still didn’t know how to start it. “So, Joohyun will wrap up all her jobs in this week?” He just asked unnecessary thing in the end.

“Yes, she even did a farewell party with her friends in SKKU last night.” Yonghwa said again simply.

And how is Im Yoona? Did she attend Joohyun’s farewell party too?

He really wanted to ask him that. But he decided not to ask it in the end.

If something strange happened with Yoona, Joohyun must have known it already and Yonghwa would know too. But Yonghwa didn’t say anything about Yoona. So, it meant Yoona didn’t tell Joohyun about this problem too.

Jonghyun then sighed heavily again. Im Yoona…where are you?

He just smirked bitterly after that. He felt so stupid out of sudden. He really felt so worried but he knew that he couldn’t talk about this matter with Yonghwa.

“Wae? Yahh, don’t be like that. Just tell me what happen.” but Yonghwa really could fell it and insisted him to say something.

But Jonghyun