We now gathered in our living room. Me, mom and dad shared the 3-seater sofa while Soyeon and Hyukjae sat across us, side by side. Although mom and dad did ask me if I already knew Hyukjae before this after our 'awkward' first greeting, I just answered that he used to be my schoolmate; dismissing their further question. 

"So, Hyukjae. Tell me properly and precisely how did you met my baby here?" Dad's voice snapped me out of my reverie and focus back to the current conversation.

Soyeon huffed and crossed her arms to her chest, a sign that showed she was not happy with my father's attempt to scared Hyukjae with his question. 

"I first met her in the campus. She was my student and I was a part-time lecturer at that time, while pursuing my study."

Hyukjae answered quite confidently. 

"He's so smart, Dad. Now he already finished his doctorate program. Right, oppa?"

Soyeon looked so proud of Hyukjae. And I feel jealousy bubbling in my chest knowing that she's the one who stayed beside Hyukjae all this time

'Snap out of it, Donghae!  She's your own sister you can't be jealous to her!'  

"May I know what are you doing right now, Hyukjae-shi?" I found myself asking that question to him, out of purpose. 

"Now I'm in KIST research team. You know, all that boring stuff, paperworks and such"

Hyukjae answered nonchalantly, before adding something more. 

"And Donghae, please drop the formalities. I think our relationship already pass the line for the formalities, don't you think?"

Soyeon agreeing to Hyukjae's statement saying that we will become family one day so there's no need for formalities. But my guts telling me that Hyukjae did not referred to our current relationship, but to the things that happened in the past.

So in order to avoid saying something that will aroused more suspicions, Donghae excused himself to the kitchen.

"I think I'll go to the kitchen to prepare some drinks and snacks for us now. Please excuse me."

*

Donghae was so immersed in his task of cutting the fruits into small pieces, that he didn't realised that someone has occupied a seat beside him at the kitchen counter. 

"Fancy seeing you here, I must say." 

Donghae was so surprised that the knife slipped from his grip and fall into the kitchen counter. 

"Oh , Hyukjae. Don't surprised me like that." Donghae said without thinking. When he realised what he said, he quickly apologized. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to curse at you. Soyeon would be mad if she know I curse at her dear fiancé."

"Stop the pretending, Donghae. It's not like you never cursed at me before. And what with the formalities just now?" Hyukjae raised his voice a little. 

"What pretending? I'm just trying to be good to my sister's future husband. What's wrong with that?" 

Donghae felt his anger inside and raised his voice to match Hyukjae's. 

"And that's all what I am to you? Your sister's future husband? Am I not your friend? Was I not someone you once hold so dearl--"

"Stop right there, Hyukjae. I beg you. Stop mentioning the past when there is nothing happened to us. We were nothing."

Donghae raised from the seat and brought the plates with half-cut fruits along with him. 

"I'm going to the living room. Please help yourself in our kitchen."

*

4th November 2002

Donghae stayed in the classroom, his head on the table while listening to the song blasting through the earphones. Most of the students already outside of the class, celebrating the last day of their final examination. Donghae somehow felt more comfortable being alone in the class accompanied by the Walkman given by his brother. But the calm atmosphere didn't last that long when he heard a familiar voice calling for his name. 

"Donghae! Guess what I got in my hand right now. You wouldn't believe it."  

Judging by the way how the boy panting for breath, Donghae knew that the boy ran all the way from his class to Donghae's. And he looked so radiant. 

"Come on, Donghae. Faster. Guess." his sentence came in short due to the excitement. And Donghae tried to hide the smile in his face and pretend to be uninterested. When in reality he already saw a Chemistry test paper in his hand that must be belong to the boy himself. 

"I don't know what is in your hand, Hyukjae. But let me guess. Maybe it's your new plan to prank your classmate?"

"No you idiot. I already stop pranking my classmate since yesterday. This" Hyukjae shaved the paper towards Donghae's face. "is my Chemistry exam paper. I got a B+ this time. Can you believe it?!"

"Well, good then. Congratulations ! But why did you telling me all this?"

"Because you are the one that helped me and believed in me. Even Mrs. Park said that too. So,to show my gratitude towards you I want to buy you a dinner tonight. Okay.  See ya."

And Hyukjae went back to his class without waiting for Donghae's answer to his plan. 

"That brat ! Did he think that I will agree to his plan. I have my own plan too, dummy! "

And that evening when Hyukjae saw Donghae approached him lazily while mumbling something tnat sounds like 'why do I ever agree with this plan why am I so weak' - he knows that Donghae would never says 'No' to him.

Until the day that he asked and begged  for one thing from Donghae, one precious thing that only Donghae can gave to him, never from anyone else, when he knew confidently Donghae won't say 'No' to him, he ended with a blatant rejection from Donghae. And that day where two hearts that supposed to be as one, we're broken into uncountable pieces and would never mend to be the same again. 

*

Back in Seoul, a week after meeting Hyukjae in his hometown Donghae continued with his usual daily routine. But tonight, Donghae felt really nauseous and out of place. He regretted saying yes to his sister request. But his conscience can't just let him to say no, moreover towards his sister. So now here he is, dreading for tomorrow and hoping that today will never pass. 

Because he already agree that tomorrow, he will have to meet Hyukjae on his own, in order to find the best location  for the wedding that due to be in 3 months. They chose Seoul as the wedding location because most of their relatives and friends reside here. He knew that Hyukjae parent's died a long time ago, when they were still in high school so Hyukjae is left with his sister, Sora. Sora noona also stayed in Seoul, making it as the best location for the wedding.

"Oh my God! What I have to do now." Donghae was panicking. At the same time, his cellphone rang with Imagine Dragon's Demon ringtone and he immediately knew who was calling.

"What do you want, Cho Kyuhun?" he asked, annoyed. 

"Oh wow, hello to you too, you PMS-ing lady."

"Shut up you demon in disguised. Now tell me, why do you call?" Dinghae asked again. 

"Nothing. I'm just bored after I already finished my data analysis task so I decided to bother you."

Cho Kyuhyun is his friend since university. They clicked on an instant after their first met through their friend. Maybe because they both like to keep things to theirself so they understand each other more than other people. Although Donghae like to keep things alone because he afraid to open up to people and he quite shy, while Kyuhyun just because he hate to talk to people. He once said to Donghae that people is just a mere being in this world that will turn to ashes one day, so why bother talking to them when Starcaraft offers more permanent satisfaction. He's cruel like that but they stay as besfriend until now so everything's good. 

"How is the progress of your meeting with your ex-lover from school that day?" Kyuhun asked, wanted to know more. 

"For the hundredth time I tell you Kyuhyun, he's not my lover and never was. Why can't your brilliant brain registered such a simple information like this? And what progress? It's not like I'm the one who