Eunwoo moved around the kitchen as if he was performing in his own concert. At times he moved from one dish to another as though he were dancing ballet, graceful and sophisticated. Other times he was full on jazz mode, fun and energetic. The ingredients were the poetic lyrics to his sweet songs and the recipes his spotlight. Yet whatever genre he played from day to day, be them calm as a ballad or tempest as punk rock, what he made was just heavenly. And he would stand in the kitchen counter as the customers take a bite, the Sous-chef and his gentle disposition, awaiting their facial expressions and sounds. He cared about their words, but less so, always looking for the truth in their reaction whether it was of awe or of disdain.

“Cha Eunwoo, Mr. Bang is calling for you.” Mrs. Kim, the Head Chef, called as she gestured him to head over to the main office.

Eunwoo quickly removed his apron, skillfully dodging his busy colleagues as he exits the kitchen. He navigated his way outside and quietly bowed when he made eye-contact with a customer. He ran to the elevator only barely making it on time for the doors to close. He assumed Mr. Bang had called for him to talk about the construction of the new flagship restaurant as he would be leaving for the States this weekend and indeed, he was right.

“How did the bidding go?” Mr. Bang queried. There must be something quite brooding about his office because Eunwoo always felt intimidated every time he was there. Was it the goth-reminiscent chandelier that hovered over them? Or was it the towering statue of a half-bowed squinting man? He was not sure but one fact remained: the office definitely needed a make-over, ASAP.

“There were a total of four contractors present so it took a while but ―” Eunwoo paused and a montage of his and Seungwan’s brief meeting started playing in his head. It was a fleeting moment yet it affected him far more than he thought it would. He found himself so unsettled and flabbergasted that he couldn’t read through the bidding documents without having to gather himself repeatedly. She was really there, seating just across the room, and it had taken all of his self-restraint to not walk out. That night he could hardly sleep and he didn’t have anyone else to blame but himself for still feeling the way he did that fateful night in Hallstatt. “We’re currently in the process of negotiating an agreement with the contractor who won. I’ll email you when everything has been finalized.”

With a straight face still plastered in his face, Mr. Bang nodded in approval. “Good. How is your father doing these days?”

“I haven’t been able to speak to my father in a while but I believe he’s doing well. The doctor said it’s best not stress himself for the time being so he’s been out about enjoying a much needed break with mom.” Eunwoo answered, not a single hint of disquietude in his words. His voice trailed, “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be going now.”

“Ah, yes. Go on ahead. Please send my regards to your parents.” Eunwoo bowed his head and walked out of the office.

The day passed on like any other day for Eunwoo. He got off work at nine in the evening and went straight home after dropping off at a local grocery store to pick up a few things. Emptiness welcomed him at his apartment. It wasn’t the kind of emptiness that made you wish you had someone to go home to, no, it was the kind that made you question what’s next?

He slipped out of his black loafers and walked directly to the kitchen to prepare for dinner. Believe it or not, Eunwoo had never missed a single meal in his life. Sure he may not always be able to eat at the right time but he always made it a point to eat three times a day. To him, food is one of the very few pleasures in life so why should he deprive himself of it?

It only took Eunwoo thirty minutes to whip up a mouth-watering meal. He had cooked spaghetti aglio e olio partnered with braised fennel and shallots, and a glass of wine― a favorite combo of his. He gobbled them up like a hungry hyena who hasn’t been fed in days and left no trace. He would soon be in bed after washing the dishes and a quick shower, tucked and curled securely underneath the warm confines of his blanket as he scrolled relentlessly on his phone.

Baekhyun’s social media account was a sorry excuse for a timeline. He was one of those annoying friends that would post your derp pictures online and comment nonsensical jokes on your posts for the heck of it. And if you’re ever the type to follow you ex-girlfriend’s friend’s Instagram account just to see what she has been up to then sorry, Baekhyun isn’t the right guy for you.

Eunwoo tussled in bed with conflicting thoughts. What was he trying to prove while looking for Seungwan’s pictures online? She and him have long been over and he was sure he had moved on. He should be focusing on completing the tasks that Mr. Bang entrusted him, not foolishly stalk his ex-girlfriend on social media.

He glowered at the ceiling as the ticking of the clock played to his sanity. The comprehensibility of his thoughts vaporized some time ago but his mind still churns on in the darkness like a broken record playing the same old song over and over again.

A well-rested mind will have the sharpness to make the kind of judgement that could be the difference between work and personal matters. In his twenties he was the kind of person who slept all night and into the morning without a hitch. In his thirties however, he was up with the call of his alarm, reluctant and sleep-drunk. After a few hours of vivid past-fueled dreaming, Eunwoo wakes up as if a gunshot was fired by his ears. His work doesn’t start until ten in the morning and normally he remains in the inkiness, willing himself to return to sleep but this time, he cannot.

He sluggishly got out of bed, a weary yawn fleeing his system. His shoulders dropped and he stared blankly in space for what felt like hours. He sat on his bed, a lot on his mind, and contemplated if he should just skip work or not but decided on the latter. He had a shooting scheduled today and it would be so unprofessional of him not to show up.

He grabbed his phone and saw two messages from Sojung.

            Good morning, Eunwoo! So excited to see you later today >.< Text me when you’re up, okay? XOXO p.s. I miss you.

            Spoiler alert! We have a very special guest coming to the show today. Guess who? It’s none other than the Nation’s Little Sister, IU. I’m so excited.

Reading Sojung’s messages made Eunwoo smile. Yes, this isn’t the time to be problematic about something that has already passed, he thought. He hurriedly dialed Chanyeol’s number.

He was quick to answer. "What’s this? It’s so unlike you to call so early in the morning. What’s up?”

“Chanyeol, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Sehun, where did you put the revised floor plan for the apartment complex in Myeongdong?” Seungwan asked, rummaging through the insane amount of papers scattered morosely on her table. Mr. Yoon Jisung, the 65 year-old owner of the said apartment who had a knack for dad jokes, had asked them to change the height of the balcony handrail so it was high enough to avoid accidents when kids are around.

“It’s somewhere in there ― I assume.” Sehun stopped at his tracks as his eyes widen in horror at the horrible sight of spilled coffee, fallen sticky notes, and shambolic documents on Seungwan’s desk. “Wow, your table’s a mess. Ever thought of cleaning up once in a while?”

“ off, I’m in no mood to joke with you right now. Mr. Yoon wants to see the plan by tomorrow but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.” Seungwan said annoyingly, plonking down to her chair. If she hadn’t been so preoccupied with thoughts of Eunwoo and their ‘what ifs’, she wouldn’t have felt this lost and heedless.

“Come on, don’t fret. We can always reprint it. Did you save the file on your laptop?” Sehun suggested, walking to the photocopier with a rim of material testing request forms.

“About that ― I saved it on my USB but I can’t seem to find that either.” Seungwan voice trailed off. She moaned as she slouches on the table, messaging her temples. “What the hell is wrong with me these days?! I keep forgetting stuff and look, I haven’t even started reviewing the subcontract agreement with Build Works yet.”          

“You’re either having a bad case of the forgetsies or you’re simply being haunted by an out of this