My heart started racing even more when the cab pulled into the familiar street of Busan. What will my family’s reaction would be? Would they be happy? What about Myungsoo? Will he be waiting for me? From now on, I promised to myself that I would never travel, that incident was enough for me to stay away. I stared at the engagement ring on my finger, I have been keeping this one safely even during the incident because I am afraid it will go missing if I wore it.

   “The second house to the last at the end of the street, ahjusshi”

After paying the fare, I brought my luggage and stood in front of the house. The house I had missed so much. The house I never thought of seeing again. Calming my ragged breathing, I stepped forward to the front door. I pushed the bell and waited. The sound of the door lock rattling made me more nervous and started fidgeting around. At last, the door flew open and there stood my eldest brother, Kim Sunggyu. Without hesitating, I jumped forward and hugged him tightly.

   “Oppa!”

But his reaction was nowhere near my expectation. He looked rather stuttered, as if he was not expecting me at all.

   “H…hyuna-ah”

That was all he managed to mutter. I tried to shrug off the awkward feeling.

   “Oppa, aren’t you going to invite me in?”

   “Huh? Oh, come in”

     He picked up my luggage and brought it in with me following close behind. Then, a familiar voice spoke. A voice I have been dying to hear it again. My mom’s voice.

   “Sunggyu? Who’s at the door earlier?”

   “It’s me, mom. Your daughter”

I hugged her too but her reaction was just like Sunggyu earlier. Cold. As if she was surprised to see me, she does not want me to come back at all. Then, I felt hot tears wetting my shoulders.

   “Why did you come back, Hyuna?”

It was my turn to be surprised. My own mother asking me why I came back. My two orbs was threatening to break but I held back.

   “You don’t understand, Hyuna, honey. It’s not that I don’t want you to come back. You’re my daughter, I’d be more than happy to have you back. But your father…”

   “Oh, so you’re back. Why don’t you just disown us already?”

A rough voice appeared from upstairs, Father.

   “Yeobo!”

   “Father. Enough for now, it’s late, we are all tired and she just got back. Let’s discuss this tomorrow. We haven’t heard her side of story yet.”

   “Hmmph! She will just make up excuses, then. It’s not the first time. Flight delays, passport problems, now what? Ah, maybe she’s going to say that she’s been kidnapped this time. I won’t buy any of it anymore”

That’s what really happened, Father. But I’ve known better not to open my mouth right now. Then, it will really lead to a massive fight.

   “You can stay here tonight. But tomorrow, pack up all your things and leave this house immediately”

     This is too much. Why father is kicking me out from my own house? It couldn’t be because my absence at the wedding, there must be other reasons, the one they have been hiding from me. I looked up, glaring at my father.

   “Why are you so persistent on getting me out of here, father?”

I tried making my words as sarcastic as possible. Then, I saw him. I was going to ask him to explain everything when I saw Hyomin too. She was hiding behind him, her face was white  like she had seen a ghost. I could see their hands intertwined together. He even clutched her hand tighter, reassuring her. My blood boiled and I felt like exploding.

   “Why are they holding hands? Hyomin, why are you hiding behind him? Is there something I didn’t know about?”

I glared accusingly at each and every member of my family. Why aren’t they answering me? Why is my fiancée doing, holding my sister’s hand? My eyes began tearing up.

   “Hyuna, look. This isn’t his fault or Hyomin’s. You didn’t show up at the ceremony. There were already too many people present. His family didn’t want to cancel the wedding anymore. We had no choice”

Sunggyu was the first to speak up, his head hung low out of guilt. I rolled my eyes. This doesn’t even make any sense.

   “Oh, I see. Hyomin sacrificed herself to save from shame, is that it? What a joke”

As soon as I finished the sentence, I felt a slap on my face. Father?

   “Get out, now! Before I lose my temper”

     I took a glance at Myungsoo. He realised this and threw his elsewhere, avoiding my eyes. I could not even explain how I felt then. What I am sure, he betrayed me.

   “Fine! If this is how it’s going to be, than be it. But remember”

I pointed at Hyomin who was already on the verge tears.

   “Your ‘husband’ and I are lovers long before you even met him. What makes you think he will stay with you? I will get  him back, and it will be just for the fun of it. I mean it”

With that being said, I went towards my brother and pulled my luggage away from him.

   “Look, sis…”

   “Save it”

A hand held me back.

   “Hyuna-ah, don’t do this please”

It was my sister-in-law, Jiyoon unnie. She was already ‘heavy’, I felt a pang of guilt for leaving her like this. She was my best friend long before she married my brother. Fighting back my tears, I hugged her tight but still gently so not to hurt the baby she was carrying. I swept away her tears.

   “I have to do this, unnie. I am not needed in this house anymore, don’t cry please. You’ll stress yourself and the baby. I’ll visit you often. Just maybe not in this house”

I retrieved my car keys from the small basket on the coffee table where I usually placed and went towards the door when I suddenly thought of something and turned back.

   “My other things, I’ll come back to retrieve them. Or, you can just throw them away like you just did to me. I don’t even care anymore”

Then, I went out to my car and drove it out from the porch towards the highway as I cried and cried my heart out. What did I ever do wrong to deserve this kind of punishment? My vision flicked at the ring on my finger. This doesn’t even have a meaning anymore. I removed the ring and threw it to only god knows where at the back seat of the car. My tears flowed down again as I drove to my birth place, Seoul.

………….

     Woohyun was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. He glanced at the clock beside his bed and hissed. Just who is crazy enough to call people at 3 a.m. in the morning? Eyes half-opened, he answered his phone lazily.

   “Hello?”

   “Hello, is this Mr. Nam Woohyun?”

   “This is me speaking”

   “I am very sorry to be disturbing you, sir. I am calling from Gangnam Police Station, do you,  by any chance know Ms. Kim Hyuna?”

His eyes widen when he heard that name. He hadn’t heard of it for so long since her supposed wedding.

   “I’ll be there”

He arrived at the police station in less than 20 minutes thanks to his close to a maniac-like driving. When he walked in, he could see the girl he cared for so much in the state of a mess. Why are you like this, Hyuna-yah? As if on cue, she lifted her head and looked at him, grinning like a dork she was. A dork he knew so well and loved. He smiled back at her.

   “Oh? Look who’s here? It’s my beloved Hyunnie”

She’s drunk. She only called him ‘Hyunnie’ when she’s drunk. She got up from her seat and stumbled towards him. He caught her just in time she was about to fall. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back.

   “Why are you not startled, Hyunnie? They all startled when I hug them”

   “Why should I, jing jing? You’ve done that each and every time you were back from your trip. Pabo”

He ruffled her hair like she was a lost little child. Well, she seemed like one now. What happened to you, Hyuna-yah?

     Woohyun brought Hyuna back to his house he shared with his older sister and once, with her too during her studies after settling things with the police. He glanced at the now sleeping Hyuna beside him. She looked so…drained. He let out a sigh as he sped his car through the traffic.

Author's note

Hi, guys. It's been so long. So, I guess I did have a plan for this story. I don't know, since I got the news that I'll be going to PLKN this end of the month, ideas for this story came like a river. Where should I start? Okay, firstly thank you so much for not giving up on me and thanks for the comments ( yinaliz and JunahDaebak I'm watching you) So, I took the advice and add a new character non other than our beloved grease, Infinite's Woohyun! I hope all of you continue giving this story much support and lots of love. Do comment once in a while, okay? I'd love to read what you think of the story, suggestions is also very much welcomed. Thank you, yeorobun!