“I’m down the street… Meet me?”

The sun had started to set but it wasn’t fully dark outside yet. Sarang took a deep breath as she stood up from the floor where she sat for too long, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to let the truth that her mom had told her sink in.

She was married to Park Chanyeol; a man she loved deeply, but he didn’t love her. She did everything for him, she took care of him, she loved him, but he never did. He never welcomed her, he played her as if she was his personal little toy, he cheated on her, and he got her pregnant yet never cared about her or her baby.

Sarang wiped her tears. She moved the curtain slightly and glanced outside. Chanyeol’s car was parked a little down the street, not directly next to her house.

Now that she washed her face and drank some water, she looked better.

As soon as she appeared on the street Chanyeol got out of his car and smiled as she got closer and closer.

“What took you so long?” he slipped his hand into hers and held it. “I thought you didn’t want to see me.”

Sarang couldn’t smile, not even forcefully.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Chanyeol frowned.

“Chanyeol-ah,” Sarang looked up at him, “Do you want to come in?” she offered.

She noticed how his face changed, his eyes widened a little but he quickly tried to cover it and sound casual.

“Now?”

“Hmm,” she nodded.

“Uh… can we do it tomorrow?”

“Why? Come on it’s not like I’m asking you to meet my parents as my boyfriend or something too serious and official, so don’t freak out.”

“Hey that’s not the case,” his brows furrowed, “It’s not that I freaked out because of that,” he started, “I just think…” he thought for a moment about how to finish his sentence.

He couldn’t go inside right away. He needed at least this night to explain to Sarang everything. He was already planning on telling her the truth tonight.

“…I think we need to talk first,” he finished.

“Why?” She pretended to think for a moment then smiled, “Ahh I get it now. You’re just afraid because you know they will recognize you.”

Chanyeol caught his breath.

“What?” he whispered.

Sarang could no longer pretend to be okay. Her eyes welled with tears but she didn’t cry.

“No wonder you didn’t come back for me,” her shoulders hung low, “No wonder you didn’t tell me who you really are. It’s because you never loved me in the first place. Did you want to take revenge because you were forced to marry me? Is that why you came back and pretended not to know me? So I would fall in love with you all over again and then you could break my heart?”

“What nonsense are you saying? Is that what you’ve been told?” Chanyeol was too shocked, he breathed a laugh, “This is ridiculous. Listen, I can explain—“ he stepped closer to her but was immediately stopped by a loud slap on his cheek.

“You’re such a liar. I wish I never knew you,” Sarang spoke hatefully, ignoring the tears that were streaming down on her cheeks, “I wish you never showed up again. Don’t ever let me see your face again, Park Chanyeol.”

“No, Sarang—“ he tried to hold her arms but she pushed him away before turning around and taking quick steps up the street toward her house.

“Sarang wait!” he followed her.

“Go away!” she yelled, not stopping nor looking at him.

“Listen I can explain!” he pleaded, “I know I should have told you earlier but I was waiting for a good chance.”

“The only chance you were waiting for was to get me in bed,” she spat as she ran up the stairs followed by him.

“For god’s sake Sarang this is not true! Can’t you just listen to me for a minute?” he half yelled.

Sarang turned around to look at him. She had already stepped into the house and was now standing by the doorframe.

“No, I can’t!” she yelled before slamming the door shut.

~

Two things amazed Sarang; first, Chanyeol had been standing in the same position down her room window for around an hour or so, refusing to leave. Although she thought he’d get bored and decide to go, he still stayed.

He tried calling Sarang and texting her, he even threw a couple of tiny stones at her window, but nothing worked. She didn’t want to answer him.

The second thing was that even though she had been watching him this whole time, she never got tired of it.

There was something about him. She wasn’t sure what it was but it got her and she hated the fact that even though he lied to her apparently many times before, she still couldn’t get her eyes off of him.

The streetlight shone above his head. He’d look sideways and press his hair back every once in a while, standing down there with no progress, but he didn’t leave. It was every time he glanced up at her window that her heart skipped a beat.

She knew he couldn’t see her because her lights were kept off and she hid behind a thin layer of the curtain, yet every time he looked up she froze, as if he just looked straight into her.

“I hate you,” she whispered as she looked at him up from her window.

Chanyeol was massaging his neck when Jongin approached, grabbing Sarang’s attention. He was probably on his way out when he saw Chanyeol and stopped by him.

Their lips were moving, making her curious. What were they saying? What was Chanyeol explaining and why was Jongin nodding as if to agree to everything Chanyeol had said?

“Aishhh!” Sarang shook her hair with frustration. “Yah Kim Jongin,” she muttered, “What are you talking to him about?” she scolded her cousin even though he wasn’t there with her.

Sarang jumped slightly when her phone suddenly rang aloud.

“Geez,” she breathed.

When she saw that Jongin’s name was flashing on her phone she squinted down and saw him holding his phone to his ear while Chanyeol stood next to him expectantly.

“What?” Sarang snapped.

“Ehh, why are you talking to me like that?” Jongin asked.

“Uh, I’m sorry, Jongin-ah, what do you want?”

Sarang raised her brow as she saw that Jongin handed the phone to Chanyeol.

“Yah,” she scoffed, offended, “You really think I’m stupid? Yah you’re making him call me from literally down my window so you could snatch the phone and talk? I saw that! If I wanted to talk to you I would have answered your calls!” Sarang yelled.

“Eyy,” Sarang saw Chanyeol looking up at her window with a smirk, “you’ve been watching me, Sarang-ah.”

Sarang stepped back nervously but made sure she could still see what’s going on down.

“Tshh, you wish! I have better things to do.”

“Really?” Chanyeol sighed tiredly, “I wish you didn’t have better things to do. Maybe if you came down here I wouldn’t have to tolerate random girls trying to flirt with me every five minutes. It gets tiring you know?”

“Yah you’re really so full of yourself aren’t you?” Sarang scoffed with disbelief, “You liar no girl has tried to even look at you this whole time. Not even elder women!”

Sarang could see Chanyeol laughing.

“How could you know if you weren’t watching me?” he asked.

“Uh… Well, I just—I… What the hell do you want Chanyeol?” she frowned, “Just leave already!” she demanded before disconnecting the call, not allowing him to speak.

She could tell Chanyeol thanked Jongin as he handed back his phone then he looked up at Sarang’s window. He knew she was watching.

“I’m not leaving,” he mouthed, “Let’s talk.”

Sarang clutched the curtain. She wanted to open it and tell him she’ll be down in a minute but she also wouldn’t allow herself to be that weak.

A part of her was dying to listen to his side of the story but she knew he would only lie. Her mother had already told her the truth, and she could never doubt her own mother.

On the other hand why would she trust Chanyeol? She didn’t even remember him?

“Is he still there?”

Sarang turned around quickly, her mom was standing by the door of Sarang’s room.

“Hmm,” Sarang nodded.

Her mother shook her head disapprovingly before walking away wordlessly.

~

Chanyeol was now sitting down on the sidewalk wondering if Sarang was still watching him. He wished she’d come down for a little while.

He couldn’t blame her for her reaction because the only side of the story that she heard was from her mom who didn’t trust him in the first place. And of course Sarang believed her.

But it wasn’t the truth and he just wanted a chance to explain it to Sarang that’s why he decided not to leave until she’d accept to talk to him.

His heart jumped slightly when the front door opened but he was soon disappointed when it wasn’t Sarang.

“You should leave,” her mother ordered.

Chanyeol thought for a moment. This woman was so nice when he first met her so how did she get so cold and mean? But then again she only wanted to protect her daughter.

“I’m not going to leave,” Chanyeol decided.

“She doesn’t want to see you,” she said, “You can stay here till morning. She won’t come out.”

“I can try,” Chanyeol shrugged.

“Don’t be stubborn, Chanyeol.”

“I said I won’t leave.”

“She doesn’t want to see you!” she emphasized every word.

“Well that’s because of all the lies you had told her!” he yelled.

Just when he finished his sentence, a loud thud was heard as Sarang’s mother slapped him harshly.

“Jesus,” he breathed as he touched his now warm cheek, “You hit in the exact same place,” he winced.

“Leave, Park Chanyeol.”

“Not before I explain the truth to Sarang,” he insisted.

Chanyeol was faster this time to notice that the woman lifted her arm wanting to slap him again but before he or even she could do or say anything, Sarang’s voice blasted from behind.

“Stop!” she shouted, making her mom stop halfway before hitting him. The two looked back at her, she was running toward them.

“Stop it mom!” she panted.

Sarang who was watching from the window couldn’t tolerate seeing her mom, or anyone, hitting Chanyeol. Although she hit him earlier, she still felt like protecting him when someone else did it.

“You go inside,” her mom ordered.

“Mom,” Sarang held her hand, “Let me talk to him for a minute.”

“No, don’t even think—“

“Mom, please!” Sarang squeezed her hand, “Just for a minute.”

Sarang’s mother glared at Chanyeol then looked at her daughter.

“Make it quick,” she ordered before walking away. She didn’t go inside, she stood by the stairs of her house while the two stayed on the other side across the street.

Chanyeol could see Sarang’s worried eyes checking his –probably bruised by now- cheek. She wanted to know if it was hurting and if he was okay but she didn’t want to ask.

“It just stings a little,” Chanyeol scrunched his nose, “I mean yours was tolerable but this one, woah,” he shook his head im