"So, what are you going to do now?"

Such a simple question, yet the answer was complex.

"Nothing...."

"Byu--'' Yonghee started before being interrupted by a tired and heartbroken Byul. 

"It's the only thing I can do! It's not like I'm going to hunt her down and demand answers," Byul growled as she leaned back against the tree. Her arm covering the childishly engraved letters of Y and B encircled by a heart. 

Yonghee could only sigh as she gazed into the sunset. It was one thing finding out Byul's plan on marrying Yong, but the fact that Yong left in the middle of the night without a word shook her core. Why? Why would Yong do such a thing? Logically speaking there's no reason for it. 

Or maybe there's no logic at all. 

The only thing left she could possibly do is offer some sort of comfort. Some sort of twisted reason as the last strand of hope. Last strand of reason.

"Have you told your parents yet?" Yonghee asked as she slowly started to swing back and forth. The motion calmed her nerves and gave her brain plenty of time to think and theorize. The tree that the swing was attached to gently creaked under the pressure.

"No," Byul's voice rattled as unshed tears finally started to push through, "I......I don't know if I can....."

Tears started their trek down Byul's face. Glistening lightly as the dying rays of the sunset bounced off them. And as her tears shed, her face was emotionless. Her tears were endless as she was broken. 

On that fateful morning, Byul just thought that Yong had those strange errands to run and would be back later in the day. She continued her day as normal, cleaning up and preparing for the upcoming week while mentally preparing herself. She finally asked Yong the question and she was nervous. She spent months saving on a ring, saving for their first place, their first car, their first everything. Saving for the future that she dreamed of having with the one she loves most. 

"I haven't told ours either....." Yonghee's voice gently broke through the fog of memories in Byul's mind.

Byul only turned her head to see Yonghee gently swinging on the ancient wooden swing. In a way it was painful but cathartic. Yongsun and Yonghee were alike in many ways but were so different that it brought a sense of peace to Byul's erratic mind, body, and soul.

"You know, Byul, in a way I'm not surprised...." Yonghee continued to speak without cue, "I...I don't know what made her actually leave, but I do know there is one factor that could influence such a decision....."

Yonghee's voice faded as the ringing in Byul's ears became louder. A confirmation she never wanted. 

"Yong never told you what she actually did, did she?"

Such a simple question with damning consequences.

"N-no....she told me she did delivery work to help the local business owners in town," Byul blurted in a desperate attempt to avoid the unavoidable. 

"That's only partially true," Yonghee sighed as she finally stopped swinging to stand. She wiped her own tears out of her face as the fleeting orange of the sky began to turn purple and blue, "Yong worked as a courier of sorts but for the underworld types."

Byul stared. In the depths of her mind, she knew. She knew what Yonghee was admitting was true. The late nights, the lack of a consistent schedule, being called on at random, ungodly hours, coming back with bruises and cuts. It was obvious. But no matter how much Byul tried to get Yong to admit it, it was no use. Yong did everything she could to cover what she did, did everything she could to keep that life away from Byul. 

It was tiresome. Hence why Byul wanted to do something. Anything to give Yong the chance to get out of whatever she was doing. 

But all she received was nothing.

"You're smart, Byul....You know what I'm talking about. Yes, Yong was a courier and even did legal work during the day, but once night fell, or if she got one of those calls, well, that's when her real job started....." Yonghee sighed as she absentmindedly kicked a pebble and watched it bounce for a bit before continuing, "I don't know how she got involved with them but she did.....And in the end she became their hitman in a sense."

Byul froze. She knew Yong could be dangerous if push ever came to shove, after all she is a skilled boxer, but a hitman?

"Wh-what??" Byul's voice cracked at the end as her pitch rose. 

"Ah, . Maybe hitman isn't the right word for it," Yonghee scratched her shin with a deep breath as she tried thinking of the correct term she's looking for, "Maybe bouncer would be a better term. Being part of the underground boxing circuit kinda makes you perfect for that kind of job. Roughing people up and all that."

Byul pressed her lips together. She knew Yong fought. A courier job wasn't going to pay the bills or their dreams so doing some fights was a way to expedite that process. But now another question remains.

Why didn't she say anything before or question it? Why did she let it continue? Was college really that distracting?

"You must be berating yourself," Yonghee muttered as she examined Byul. She saw how stiff she was against the tree as turmoil raged across her face. It was obvious what she was thinking, "But don't be so hard on yourself. Do you really think you could've talked Yong out of fighting?"

A true observation. Ever since Yong discovered the art of boxing back in high school, it became one of her first loves next to Byul. Of course she couldn't take that away from Yong. 

"How do you know this?" Byul finally asked the obvious question as her mind began to settle.

"I'm not a detective for nothing, you know?" Yonghee gave Byul a small smile, "And, I'm sorry to say, I'm glad she ran off when she did."

Byul jerked as the words were spoken.

"Don't get me wrong! I'm still upset at her for leaving, but she left right when we were about to bust 'em. The whole gang and their affiliates...."

"So, you're killing two birds with one stone, huh? Seeing what other information I may have while also checking in?" Byul's tone was accusatory. But she knows....She knows Yonghee better than that. 

"No! I'm saying that.....The situation is killing two birds with one stone. By being away, she's avoiding going down with those scum and it's giving her plenty of time to think."

"Think? Think about what? Her answer is obvious. She doesn't want to be married to me...." Byul slumped against the tree in defeat.

"But she does want to be with you...." Yonghee whispered as she gently placed a comforting hand on Byul's shoulder.

"Then why the did she leave without saying anything?!" Byul exploded. Anger was her only emotion now. Raging like a dying flame.

"Byul...."

"Even if she did get caught in that bust she would still be here though! Yeah, it would ruin her record and make the future hard, but we would've figured it out! The future...." Byul paused as her anger turned into sadness again and her emotions overwhelmed her, "We could still have a future....."

"Byul.....she'll come back....."

"Why? And for what? To apologize? Besides, we don't know where she went. For all we know she went across the country and maybe found a new life!" Byul was getting hysterical. 

"We both know how she is. She---"

"I thought I knew her," Any anger, sadness, hysterics instantly left like a small flame. And left behind was nothing but ash, "I thought we could solve all of our problems by talking....Sure, sometimes we get angry at each other and give each other the silent treatment, but we were always near each other. So why. Why did she leave?? Why did she leave me over a simple question?!"

The look on Byul's face as she asked was so pathetic that Yonghee couldn't help but feel pity and anger. Pity that Byul has to go through this alone. Anger at her sister for leaving without a word. 

"Byul......"

"Why.....Yong...."

The stars began to gently sparkle against the cool sky as Byul collapsed into Yonghee's arms and clung like a newborn baby as she wailed against cruel reality.