Inhye remembers it all way too well. She remembers the Japanese boy in her class, how she fell in love with his smile, his straight teeth, brown hair, plump lips, his laugh, his hands, his way of speaking. She couldn’t find any flaws in him. No one did. Everyone loved the boy, whose name was nothing other than Nakamoto Yuta. 

Even though he was almost everyone’s crush, Inhye was never the one to back off, she had always held her head up high; never underestimated herself. She took Japanese classes after school in order to get closer to him. It was a course that you could choose if you had nothing to do after school (which was never because of the mountain of homework they got, but she still decided to take the class), and never had Inhye worked so hard in school before.

Then a few months later, she walked up to Nakamoto Yuta. He stood with his friends, speaking with them when suddenly Inhye came up to them.

”Hey Inhye, what’s up?” he had asked, smiling that smile that never failed to make Inhye feel warm inside.

Inhye had cleared . ”What’s your number?” she had asked, purely in Japanese. The surprised look on Yuta’s face never left her mind and she still remembers it as if it happened recently. As if it’s a picture in her head.

Then he had smiled, said his number super quickly in Japanese, asking for hers, which she said a little too slowly - her mind blank. Remembering both her number and the Japanese numbers and also Yuta’s number on top of that were too much at the moment. Yuta on the other hand had spoke way too quickly. She almost couldn’t catch up the number, and she repeated the numbers slowly for the whole day; even writing it on her wrist. Inhye remembers sitting up all night, considering texting him. 

She didn’t. Because when she actually came to the conclusion to yes indeed, I should text him; it was 1 AM. 

But she didn’t have to text him, because the next day, Yuta had walked up beside her after their first lesson, walking her all the way to her locker.

”Hey,” he had greeted. ”I waited for your call, but I guess you changed your mind, or didn’t you catch the number? Should I say it again?”

Inhye smiled, feeling somewhat superior. Because Nakamoto Yuta, without doubt her biggest crush so far in her small recently 16 years, had been waiting for her call. 

”So you waited for it? What were you expecting?”

Yuta smiled. ”I don’t know, a hello maybe?”

”That’s a good start.”

So that started their friendship. One day, when Yuta had been helping Inhye with her Japanese homework, Inhye had been asking about why Yuta came to Korea, how long he had been here and how he became fluent so quickly.

”Lived here for a while, mostly I was tired of Japan and the schools there, the same old thing every day. And I love mountains; I’ve already climbed all of the mountains in Japan, so I thought that the Korean ones are a good beginning. My goal is Mount Everest.”

Inhye had enjoyed listening to him speaking about things he enjoys, explaining that he hadn’t been speaking Japanese at all before he started helping Inhye with her homework's, because he had been so determined to get fluent in Korean.

”Will you be going back to Japan after high school?

Yuta tilted his head, smiled almost teasingly. ”Why? Considering dating me if I don’t?”

”Exactly,” Inhye didn’t deny it, since he had already figured it out. ”I need to know if you will leave me or not, if you will stay or not, if you-”

She had been interrupted by Yuta pressing his lips to hers, shutting her up. Never before had she felt so in love, so happy and so close to melting through the ground. It was short, but so incredibly sweet. Inhye touched her lips carefully when Yuta pulled away, her cheeks rosy.

”I won’t ever leave you, don’t worry,” he had taken her hand in his. ”Even if I leave, i’d take you with me.”

When Inhye wakes up, the feeling is still tingling in her body. She hadn’t been dreaming about Yuta for months, and never ever had she ever dreamed of memories. It was only when he just left that she dreamed of him; dreaming of him knocking on her door and telling her that he’d never leave without her. Because he had told her not to worry, that he wouldn’t leave without her.

But he had. He had left her and hurt her like no one ever had. Well, he did leave and took her heart with him. But he had put it in a cabinet, left it there to dust itself grey. Her heart felt grey, to be honest. She had loved him whole heartedly, thought he loved her the same. She trusted him, but it all turned out to be in vain. Because he’s in Japan now, surrounded by pretty Japanese females. 

She sat in her bed, putting her face into her hands. Why did she suddenly dream of Yuta? Out of nowhere? She hadn’t even been thinking about him these days, only that one time when Taeyong had asked if she were single but that didn’t count. She didn’t feel love for him anymore, so why did she dream of the time when she started loving him? Why didn’t she dream of when she stopped loving him? Is it because she doesn’t know when or how that is? Is it because in her heart, Yuta is slowly but surely fading away? Or is it because someone else is trying to break the chains to her heart? She shakes her head. She has other things to think about. Like Lee Taeyong. How they don’t even have to call each other anymore to meet, 3 p.m. outside of the cafe every day. It was a routine by now, just like brushing your teeth every morning.

But she also thinks about his case, about Inseong’s words. Lee Taeyong, did he really say those things to Doyeon? Did he really do that to Soohyun? Meeting Taeyong everyday totally made her forget about his past, only think about his present. Because that’s what counts, right?

No. That’s not right. That’s not right when her job is digging in his past, throwing all those things he wants to forget right up his face.

•  •  •

Taeyong stood outside of the cafe, earlier than usual. It’s about time for him to tell Inhye that he’s going to Busan, but only for maybe a week. Because even though he was only invited to the party, he really wanted to spend some time with his Busan friends. But after meeting Inhye every day for the past weeks, if it isn’t almost a month already?, and then suddenly not will feel weird. She’ll be okay, he thinks. After all, she’s only his lawyer. He doesn’t acknowledge the fact that it’s he himself that he’s worrying about; will he be okay?

Speaking of which, she shows up only minutes after he thought that. She smiles, but something is hiding under that smile. Something Taeyong can’t put his finger on.

”Hey,” he greets her. ”Feeling blue today or something?”

Inhye shakes her head. ”Just tired, had nightmares. Sorry if I look bad.”

”Nah, you look the usual,” Taeyong tries to joke with her.

Luckily, he gets that slap on the arm that he was looking for. Then they get going, walking their usual path in the park. Neither of them says anything, and for a minute Taeyong actually felt like the atmosphere between them were awkward. He can’t remember when that last was, that the atmosphere felt this stiff.

Maybe I shouldn’t tell her about Busan just yet, is what Taeyong thinks.

But he is so desperate to start a conversation, that his mouth speaks on itss own. ”I’m going on a trip,” he speaks, both of them getting startled by his words. ”Tomorrow or the day after that, I’ll be going to Busan for that midsummer thing I mentioned, remember?”

Inhye just nods, her mind twisted. ”I see. For how long will you stay?”

”A week, maybe a little less or little more I’m not sure,” he answers.

Inhye nods again. Once again, it was about to become a little awkward between them, when Taeyong speaks again.

”Would you like to come?” This time Taeyong is even more surprised by his words than Inhye. And she was surprised to death, that’s for sure. ”I mean, that could be a great opportunity for bonding, right?”

Inhye suddenly feels warm all over. She doesn’t know why, maybe because them meeting everyday just felt like a routine, like something Inseong reminds her to do. Without feelings. Getting invited to Busan was completely on free will. Like he actually wanted to hang out with her, be close to her.

”If you don’t want to I completely understand, but won’t it feel weird that we meet everyday and then suddenly we don’t meet for a week? And I mean, not that I’d miss you, but-”

”Sounds fun,” Inhye finally interrupts him, smiling up towards him. 

”R-Really?” Taeyong never stuttered before. 

Inhye nods again. ”Yeah, I’d love to.”

Because at the moment, she wants to put Taeyong’s past behind her. Just for a week, she wants to be with Taeyong for the person he is right now, not the person he was two years ago. She really, really, wants to see Taeyong laugh.

•  •  •

”I’m home,” Inhye informs as she gets home.

Inseong is already standing on the stairs. ”How did it go?”

Inhye shrugs, really didn’t want to see her brother’s face at the moment. ”Good, I guess. He’s off to Busan for a week or two.”

Inseong frowns. ”What? Did you actually let him leave town, why don’t you ever listen to m-”

”I’m joining the trip,” she glares at him, feeling superior that she interrupted him mid-sentence for once. It was probably the first time in history. She watches him close his mouth, thinking of something to say.

”Good girl,” is all he says. ”That’s a great opportunity for bonding with him and hurry up with the case, right?”

She wishes he could stop saying that; that she’s a good girl. She didn’t even listen to the rest of his sentence after those two words. Because she’s tired of being a good girl to him all the time. Maybe a little trip to Busan will be good for her. It’s an opportunity for her to get away from Inseong, to grow some backbone and actually do an investigation to this murderer without letting Inseong know. Because he’s hiding something from her; even if his lies are impossible to read through he is indeed hiding something. Something important.

•  •  •

”This is not reality,” the older male says from the other side of the phone to Taeyong.

”What?” Taeyong asks, picking up a strawberry from the bowl on the table and then leaning back into the chair.

”You actually called?” Johnny sounds so genuinely sceptical that Taeyong actually considered hanging up on him. ”Wow, honestly, I’m touched.”

”You should be,” Taeyong answers, biting down on the fruit. ”No, really, I just called to ask if you could drive to Seoul to pick me up tomorrow?”

”Wow, you sure you wanna’ come tomorrow? That’s a whole week early? What will your lawyer say?”

”Um...” Taeyong starts, scratching his neck uncomfortably. ”That’s my other request. Is it okay if I bring her? I know that it’s a lads night and all but-”

”I knew it!” Johnny exclaims. ”I knew it, when I met you two in the middle of the night you two did not look like you were only ’lawyer and client’. I totally thought you two were dating, that’s why I was so surprised when she said she was your lawyer!”

”I’m hanging up.”

Johnny laughs. ”I think it’ll be fun with a little female hormones. Really, the midsummer party is way too much testosterone.”

”Shut up.”

”I think I’m in Seoul around 3, 4 p.m.? Is that okay?”

”Yeah, that’s perfect. How much do you take, Mr. Fake taxi?”

”A hug?”

”How’s 13.000₩?”

Johnny laughs again. ”Just as feisty as usual. I really can’t wait until your lawyer takes that murderer title away from your name.”

Taeyong smiles. ”Yeah, me too.”

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