Myungsoo’s POV

“I already said I’m sorry,” I tell Sungyeol.

“Sorry for what?” he asks me. “You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for. You don’t even remember anything that happened that night.”

It’s been two weeks since Sungyeol talked to me and I was always wondering why. Now, it’s the first time that I’m confronting him about it, but he’s blowing up at me.

“Okay, so I may not remember anything,” I begin, “but why can’t you just tell me what happened?”

“L,” Sungyeol begins. “What does that name stand for anyway?” It’s like he’s going off on a tangent and asking himself random questions.

“What?” I ask looking at him.

“It was a nickname because you reminded us of someone from a manga. Well now Infinite and I have decided that it now stands for lovestruck loser. You still don’t get it, do you?” I just shake my head. “Ever since you met Uee, things have gone downhill.”

“Downhill?” I ask. I don’t know how things have gone downhill. “But I don’t see how, I love her and she loves me.”

“That’s what you said two weeks ago when I had to take you home and when Uee was still partying with who knows who.”

“It doesn’t matter, she would never cheat on me,” I tell him.

“See, that’s exactly it, you’re living in a fantasy world,” Sungyeol says. “You don’t know the obvious.”

“And what is the obvious?” I ask.

“If it’s so obvious, you should see it for yourself,” he says walking away.

I don’t know what he’s talking about and I’m too tired to put up a fight with him. It still didn’t answer my question about why he doesn’t want anything to do with me. What happened to weeks ago? I don’t remember anything so more than likely, I was probably drunk. Why must I get drunk all of the time? What has gotten into me? Is this the change that Sungyeol was talking about?

Quietly, I make my way home to a once again empty house. I don’t know where Uee is. She rarely spends any time home anymore, but it’s still a couple of more years until our wedding, or maybe a year. I’m a junior, when I’m a senior we’re supposed to get married. Maybe this wedding can’t come fast enough. I love Uee, it’s enough for me.

I hear the door open and I automatically know that it’s Uee. “Are you going out again?” I ask from the couch.

“Yes, would you like to come?” she offers. I look over at her entering the room and she sits down on my lap.

“No thanks, I think I would rather do some studying, okay?” I ask. Unknowingly, I’ve gotten behind in my studies. It must be from all of the partying. I should attempt to catch up a bit.

“Well, okay,” she says with a lovely smile that makes my heart melt a thousand times over. “You’re going to be missing all of the fun, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” I say, although I don’t know what type of fun she’s talking about. “Hey,” I suddenly say after Uee gets off of my lap. She stops in her tracks and turns around to face me. “You would never cheat on me, right?” I know I must sound desperate, but there’s been something that has been bugging me lately, I don’t really know what it is.

“Of course not, L,” she says calling me by the nickname that everyone else does. Has she ever called me Myungsoo? Has she ever called me by my real name? Slowly, Uee makes her way back over to my lap and wraps her arm around my neck. Unconsciously, my arms go around her waist. I just wish that I were able to hug her like this all of the time. “Why would you ever think that?”

“I don’t know,” I say shrugging my shoulders. “There are just a lot of parties and alcohol. I’m just worried that one day you may get drunk and do something,” I confess.

“You’re the only one for me; shouldn’t you know that by now? It’s been two years since we first got engaged.”

“I know, I guess I’m just a little insecure when it comes to these things,” I admit. Uee leans down and kisses me on my lips and I kiss back. “I love you, you know that?”

“I know,” she says getting off of my lap. “I should get going or else I’m going to be late.”

I watch her as she goes up the stairs to go get changed for the party or wherever she’s going. I know that she said that she’s not cheating on me, but I still can’t help but feel uneasy about the whole situation. Partying a lot isn’t going to help the cause and it might provoke it even more.

Pulling out my phone, I decide to call some of the guys, besides Sungyeol who is still mad at me. Dongwoo and Sungjong end up on my doorstep after a while.

“What’s wrong hyung?” Sungjong asks coming into the house.

“Sunggyu couldn’t make it?” I ask as I lead them into the living room.

“We don’t know where he’s been, honestly,” Dongwoo says. “We haven’t seen him for about two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” I ask. Two weeks ago, Sungyeol got mad at me for something, are they somehow connected?

“Anyway, what’s wrong?” Sungjong asks.

“Do you guys think that I’ve changed?” I blurt.

“Changed? How?” Dongwoo asks. He’s sometimes lost in situations like this.

“Like…ever since I met Uee, do you think that I’ve become different?” I see Dongwoo and Sungjong give nervous glances at each other, that as to mean that they think that I’ve changed. “Go ahead, say what you think.”

“We think you became a party animal,” Sungjong says without any regrets.

“Harsh,” I say pretending to be hurt. “You couldn’t have found a nicer way to phrase it?”

“Hyung, you’ve been partying nonstop with Uee and sometimes she brings the parties home. Whatever happened to the guy that always did his schoolwork diligently?” Sungjong asks.

I think about what Sungjong says to me. It is true that I’ve been going out a lot lately, but it’s all to please Uee. If I don’t have a happy wife, then my married life is going to be miserable.

“Why don’t you think about your wellbeing sometime?” Dongwoo asks.

“Hyung, you’re still in high school, Uee’s not. If you want to graduate, you should buckle down and get some work done.”

“Do you really think I should?” I ask looking eagerly at both of them.

“You used to get really awesome grades, and now you’re falling behind and falling asleep in classes. This isn’t the L that we’re used to,” Sungjong says.

I stare at the both of them. Maybe they’re right, is this what Sungyeol is mad at me for. Maybe they know.

“Guys, what is Sungyeol mad at me for?”

They both stare at each other with an awkward glance. Should that mean something?

“He said that he wasn’t being your friend anymore,” Sungjong says.

“Sungjong, are you the bearer of harsh words?” I ask with a light smile. “It seems like everything is coming out of your mouth.”

“Hyung, if you don’t hear it now, you’re never going to listen in the future,” Sungjong protests. I guess he has a point there.

“He doesn’t like how you’ve become a party animal,” Dongwoo says taking the reins. “He says that you’ve become too different from the person that we’re used to. He said that he’s not going to rescue you anymore when you become too drunk to understand what you’re doing. He’s really serious about this, L.”

“Well, I’m serious about changing my ways,” I suddenly say standing up from the couch.

“That’s the L that we know,” Dongwoo says standing up and patting me on the back.

“Fighting!” Sungjong says with his fists.

It’s been another year, it’s already my senior year, and I’m going to graduate, which means that I’m going to get married. Within the year, I’ve improved my grades and have done my best attempt to keep it that way and stay out of the parties, much to Uee’s annoyance. I guess if this marriage is going to work, I have to think about myself as much as I think about her. It can’t just be one-sided the whole time. Things have to give and take. I’m still in high school, it’s important for me to do things that normal high school children would do, things that I would do if Uee wasn’t my fiancée.

Slowly, Sungyeol and I became good friends again, but there was always that gap between us of me returning back to the lifestyle that Uee brought upon me. He can see that I’m trying my best to stay away from it, though. It’s not like I want to go back to it, it was more like I was doing anything for Uee that she wanted me to. I wanted her to be happy, I wanted to have a happy marriage, but I guess it was true that I was in over my head on some of the matters.

“What are you guys doing after school today?” Sungjong asks.

“I dunno,” I say looking at him. “What are you doing?” I ask Sungyeol.

“Probably studying for exams,” he replies. “Shouldn’t you be planning for your wedding?”

“I guess,” I say shrugging my shoulders. “I haven’t heard any news about it.”

“But aren’t you getting married the day after we graduate?”

“Yeah, but still,” I begin. I’m not entirely sure what to tell him. I don’t know what’s going on with the wedding. As far as I know, my parents and her parents have hired some of the best people in the world to plan it because it’s not only a marriage, but it’s also a business deal. Somehow, though, that doesn’t bother me. It almost seems expectant from my parents.

“Do you not know what’s going on in your wedding?” Sungjong asks curiously.

“Maybe I don’t,” I say looking down at the ground. “Fine, I don’t. My parents and her parents are controlling this whole thing. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“I guess you’ll just have to guess,” Sungyeol says putting his arm around me with a smile. I look up at him and smile back.

“Hey, did you hear that Woohyun-hyung is back in Korea for a little while?”

“Is he?” Sungyeol and I say at the same time.

“It’s been forever since we last saw him,” I say thinking about elementary school. Suddenly, the girl that I saw three years ago flashes in my mind. I shake my head trying to get her image out. I wonder what she looks like now, she’s probably different. I probably couldn’t recognize her.

“Well, he’s staying back for about a week or two,” Sungjong explains. “He called me last night to ask if we wanted to get together after school, hence the question.”

“Sure, I’d be up for it. How about you, Mr. Study Pants?” I ask looking at Sungyeol.

“Well, maybe one night of not studying won’t do me any harm,” Sungyeol hesitantly says.

“Awesome,” I say with a smile. “Hey, maybe he can come to my wedding.”

“I’m sure that he’d love to see that,” Sungjong says.

Before I know it, the end of school comes and it’s time to see Woohyun after who knows how long. We haven’t seen him since elementary school, but when he would come back on breaks, he was immediately a part of Infinite. We even got him some of the customized sweatshirts that we all got with our nicknames on it to make him feel like he’s part of the group. His parents sent him away to America and then to Europe to learn the art of cooking. I guess he’s really serious about it. His parents own one of the most famous restaurants in Seoul, it’s really good there. It’s one of my favorites to go to. His parents are preparing him to take over the business.

“Woohyun-hyung,” I say going up to him and hugging him. “It’s been too long.”

“I know, look at how all of you have grown,” he comments.

“You last saw us before we went to high school,” Sungyeol says, “of course we would’ve grown.”

“I was only kidding,” Woohyun says rubbing the top of his head. “So I hear L here is getting married.” I silently nod my head. “Who are you getting married to?”

“Uee,” I simply state.

At the name, I see Woohyun slightly tense up, but after I blink again, he’s back to his normal self. It wasn’t just a trick on my eyes, right?

“Have you kept in contact with anyone?” Sungjong asks.

“Sunggyu-hyung,” Woohyun says, he’s now avoiding eye contact with me. “But that’s about it. All of you guys seem to busy with school, and Dongwoo-hyung is doing who knows what.” We all laugh at the statement. “Well, why don’t we go somewhere and do something?”

“Why don’t we all go to my house?” I suggest. “Woohyun-hyung hasn’t seen it yet.”

We all travel to my marriage house and, like always, it’s empty. “Where’s your fiancée?” Woohyun asks.

I shrug my shoulders. “She just comes and goes.”

“And you let her?”

“It’s not like I have any power to stop her,” I say. “She does what she wants.”

“Do you guys sleep in the same bed?” he asks curiously.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” I comment sticking my tongue out, but I shake my head. “No, we don’t sleep in the same bed. We have different rooms and we leave and come back to the house at different times.”

“Hmm,” Woohyun says as though he’s thinking about something.

“Hey, why don’t you come to my wedding?” I suggest.

“When is it?” Woohyun asks.

“It’s the day after we graduate from high school, which is in like a week or so. Do you want to come?”

“Sure,” Woohyun says with a smile. “I’d love to come.” Somehow, I have a feeling that says this isn’t going to end well. The feelings of a year ago are starting to come up, the insecurity with Uee. Why is it coming back?

Before any of us know it, graduation is only a couple of days away, which means that my wedding day is only a couple of days away. Strangely, Uee and I are eating lunch out today before we have to go settle some of the details that our parents let us pick. The only detail of the wedding that will actually be what we want it to be, or what we pick as a couple.

“Are you nervous for the wedding?” I ask Uee starting up the conversation. Upon my suggestion, we decided to go to Woohyun’s restaurant. During his break, his parents have him work there doing little odd and end jobs. I saw him clearing a table when we walked in. Now, he might be in the kitchen cutting up some vegetables or washing something. His parents believe that he should work his way up to the main chef, which I’m sure that he’ll get in no time.

“You could say,” Uee says looking down at her plate.

“So does that mean that you’re not nervous?” I ask.

“I guess I am nervous,” she says with a slight smile. She looks me in my eyes and I can feel my heart getting faster. “I don’t deserve you, L. Do you know that?”

“You deserve me,” I say to her. “You deserve every part of me. It’s me that doesn’t deserve you.”

“I haven’t been a good fiancée through these years. I know that I’m almost never at home.”

“But that doesn’t matter, I’m still in high school and you are living your life. I’ll graduate soon and we’ll both have the same schedule.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Uee asks leaning back in her chair.

“What are you talking about?” I ask with confusing in my voice over the sudden change in her tone of voice. “Is there something wrong?”

Uee sighs and looks in another direction. “L, I don’t think I can marry you.”

“Why not?” I ask.

“Because I don’t love you,” she replies simply like it’s nothing to her. Hearing those words, it feels like my heart just burst into a million pieces. It feels like I could cry right then and there, but I shouldn’t, I’m the man, she’s the woman. It should be me telling her those words. It should be me not loving her, but it’s like the roles are reversed. She’s telling me a couple of days before our wedding that she doesn’t love me, that she doesn’t want to get married.

“Why?” I ask sternly not showing her my weak side.

“Isn’t it simple enough?” she asks with a snapping tone in her voice. “I. Don’t. Love. You. In actuality, I never did.” It seems like those words hurt me the most. “This was only something to appease my parents or else they never would’ve let me do anything that I do. Do you want to know that I always did at the clubs whenever I separated from you?” It seems like she’s going to tell me anyway. “I made out with other guys, I met with other guys. That’s why I was never home.”

“So you were cheating on me,” I say. It’s not that I’m sad because she doesn’t love me, it’s more like I’m angry at myself for believing that she did. Sungyeol was right all along. Why didn’t I ever believe him? Oh yeah, I thought she loved me, that’s why.

“A year ago, I found someone who was perfect for me.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Correct.”

“And who was it?” I ask curiously. I’m really curious as to who this mystery person might be.

“Kim Sunggyu,” Uee states as a smile forms on her lips.

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. My fiancée loves my best friend. He’s not even my best friend anymore, an ex-best friend. I guess that that means that Infinite is now done for. I started it and I can end it. I never want to see him ever again. His name coming out of makes it feel like a ton of bricks just came onto me. It makes me feel like I can’t breathe, it’s suffocating. At this moment, I hate Kim Sunggyu and I hate Uee. I can’t believe that I spent almost four years loving her endlessly, changing myself to fit her lifestyle when she didn’t love me all along. I’m such a fool, an idiot.

Without saying anything else, I get up from the table. I have to do something; I have to get my mind off of this. I call Sungyeol. He’s my best friend, I forgive him for those times and I’ll admit to all of my faults for the past four years. He was right, he was right about everything. It all clicks. I remember how Woohyun got tense when I mentioned the name Uee and how he said that the only one he kept in touch with was Sunggyu. I remember that after the two weeks that Sungyeol said he was no longer my friend, they said that they haven’t seen Sunggyu very much for the past two weeks. He was with Uee the whole time. He was with her for a year. How couldn’t I have noticed?

“I’m sorry,” I say to Sungyeol as we sit outside. It’s the only place that I feel as though I can breathe and get away from everything. It’s a pretty far away road that we found together as Infinite. It has a breathtaking view of the city; it’s sort of on like a hill. Now, it’s become my meditation center.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Sungyeol says. “You’re probably hurt right now and you probably understand, right?”

“But why Sunggyu?” I ask staring up at the clouds since it’s in the afternoon. “For a year, she cheated on me for a year.”

“Well, life doesn’t always work out the way that we plan it. Don’t worry, there will be other girls.”

“No, there won’t be,” I say sternly. “I don’t trust them anymore. I devoted four years to Uee and she just throws it all away like it was nothing. Girls aren’t things to be loved, they’re objects and they’re toys.”

“L, you don’t know what you’re saying. You’re just too shocked—”

“No,” I say looking at him and cutting him off. “Don’t call me by L anymore; call me by my name, Myungsoo. L, L is a thing of the past. And I’m not in shock; this is my new lifestyle now. I’m graduating soon; I can do whatever I want.”

Suddenly, Sungyeol and I hear a splintering crash and both of our heads instinctively towards the road where we see an ugly car crash. Sungyeol and I both get up off of where we’re sitting and immediately run over to the cars. “Call an ambulance,” I say quickly. “And go to that car, I’ll go to this one.” Sungyeol quickly takes out his phone and calls an ambulance while I go over and see who is in the car.

“Hello? Excuse me,” I loudly say. The car is overturned and I’m not sure if anyone is conscious inside of it.

“Young man,” I hear a man say. I quickly turn my attention to him and see that he’s strapped in the car.

“Don’t worry,” I say attempting to reach over and unbuckle his seatbelt. “There’s an ambulance on the way, okay? Do you think you can make it a little longer?”

“Young man, I just need for you to do something for me before I die.”

“No, you aren’t going to die,” I say trying to convince the man, but he thinks otherwise. I have to do his wish. “I’ll do anything for you, but you aren’t going to die, okay?”

“Young man, you are a good person, I can tell. Please tell my daughters that I love them.”

“Your daughters?” I ask. “Where are your daughters?”

“They’re back home,” he replies. His voice is getting lighter and softer.

“Sir, can you keep awake? Is there anyone else in the vehicle with you?”

“Tell my daughters that their parents love them, who knows, maybe you might fall in love with one of them.” I see the man put a smile on his face, at least that’s a good sign.

I gently laugh along with him as I attempt to unstuck his seatbelt. “Who knows,” I say. “But the ambulance is coming, okay? You can tell them yourself that you love them.”

“Please, tell them for me,” he begs again.

“Okay,” I say nodding my head furiously, “I’ll tell them for you. Okay?”

Just then, I hear an ambulance siren as they come around the corner to check on the car crash. Sungyeol and I stand aside since they said that the police would need to question us about it. I watch as the paramedics pull out the man and his wife, who I didn’t know was in there. I watch as he lightly opens his eyes and looks at me, giving me a thumbs up. He’s going to be okay, if he made it into the ambulance; he’s going to be okay.

Somehow, my day seems to have gotten brighter. Even if there was a car crash, I helped save some people, and so did Sungyeol. It’s not about being mad at Uee and Sunggyu anymore. They can do whatever they want for all I care. I’ve kicked them out of my life. From now on, it’s all about me.

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So, Myungsoo's past is now done. How was the story?

What is Allie going to think of the story? Is she going to feel sympathy for Myungsoo? Is she going to fall in love with him like he's already planned? What about the accident that Myungsoo helped? What about the girl that Myungsoo suddenly thought about from school? What is Allie going to think about those things?

Another chapter is finished. Hope you enjoyed :D