“Love makes life so confusing, but without love would you really want to live?” – Unknown

~~~

“Oppa, thanks for coming.” Sooyeon said cheerfully as she opened the door to welcome Siwon.

“Here... I hope you like it.” Siwon said as he handed a gift bag to Sooyeon.

“Oh, you don’t have to trouble yourself Oppa, but thank you.” Sooyeon said happily and she immediately takes the wooden plate inside the bag out. It’s a handmade door plate, engraved with ‘Live, Love & Laugh’.

“Oppa, this is so beautiful, I’m going to hang this on my bedroom door now.”

Siwon follows Sooyeon inside, his eyes skimmed through the inside of the modern minimalist apartment, and his eyes stopped at the figure of the familiar man, Kyuhyun.

“Hyung.” The younger man approached him with a huge grin plastered on his face and Kyuhyun dragged him into the main room. “What do you think?” His hands gesture to the interior of the apartment. “I personally appointed myself as the interior designer of Sooyeon new home.” Siwon chuckled upon seeing Kyuhyun’s antics; the younger man is so bright, he definitely knows how to make people feel comfortable around him. “It’s perfect, but somehow it looks quite alike yours.” Siwon joked.

“You got me there Hyung, I purposely want it to look like mine.” He said smugly.

Sooyeon joined them in the main room and she immediately sits next to Siwon, and Siwon can feel that his heart has beat faster than its normal pace. How can he turn to such a weak man? He has always been weak when it comes to Sooyeon.

He had known her for the past 17 years, seeing she turned from a little girl to such a mature young lady that she is now, but at this very moment he feels foreign to her. He takes a deep breath before he started speaking, because he has to get rid of the awkwardness and maybe, maybe get rid of the feelings that he felt for her.

“So Sooyeon, is there anything that I can help?” He asked as he turned to look at Sooyeon.

“Oh, don’t worry Oppa, there is nothing much to do anyway.”

“That is because she has been bossing me around all day long; I want something as a reward.” Kyuhyun teased.

Sooyeon rolled her eyes at Kyuhyun’s statement. “Yeah right, you had been slacking a lot.” Sooyeon retorted back to Kyuhyun.

“I think we should get some pizza and do some catch up with each other’s life. Just like the old times.” She literally jumped from the couch to get her phone and called for the delivery.

“Pizza?? I want something else.”

~~~

They ate at the bar table and Kyuhyun had been complaining about wanting something else, but they all knew that it is just Kyuhyun’s way to light the mood up. Kyuhyun is the jokester among them even though people who do not know him personally tend to regard him as cold and snarky. Siwon on the other hand is a man of a few words, he is the type that shows his affection towards people with his actions, because he believes that words never matched up to what he really want to say.

“So Oppa, tell me. What have been occupying you lately?” Sooyeon said and looked at Siwon.

“Nothing much actually. My days went by with work, trapped in my office with endless meetings and appointments, the same thing over and over again.”

“What about the girl named Victoria you tell me about? Did you get her number yet?” Kyuhyun is grinning smugly as he jumped into the conversation.

“What girl?” Sooyeon asked with a questioning tone in her voice.

“She’s just a colleague from work. Thank you very much Kyuhyun.”

“But Hyung, from what you’ve told me I can tell that she likes you. You know I can read girl antics easily, don’t you? And she is Chinese am I right Hyung?”

“Yes, she is, she is the daughter of the CEO of Han Group. I don’t want people to think that I’m manipulating our business relationship by getting close to her.” Siwon is telling the truth and at the same time he feels uncomfortable talking about girls what more in front of Sooyeon.

“Han Group? We met a few days ago there right Oppa? So your company...”

“Yes, we are affiliates since the past 5 years.” Siwon nodded weakly and wished that they should stop talking about her. Victoria is a nice girl, and Siwon can tell that she likes him; Kyuhyun is not the only one that can read the girl’s antics, but no. Siwon is not ready to get involved in any kind of relationship at the moment, even though he clearly knows that he should move on with his life and forget about Sooyeon because he can see now that she is very happy with Kyuhyun.

“Well, that only makes it even better Hyung. Imagine Choi and Han combined together...” Kyuhyun can be so insensitive sometimes and Siwon think that smacking the younger man looked so attractive at the moment.

“It doesn’t work that way Kyuhyun. Can we please talk about something else?” Siwon said as he noticed that Sooyeon has stopped joining their conversation.

“Well, it’s up to you Hyung. I’m just saying this because I want the best for you, you might lose your chance if you keep on waiting, she might be someone else’s while you keep on hesitating.”

Siwon chuckled. “I know better Kyuhyun.”

Sooyeon has been listening to their conversation, and it all makes sense to her now. No wonder Siwon looked so surprised when they met at Han Group the other day and even though it is too early to make any guess right now, she can’t help but wonder whether there is more than just the work relationship between Siwon and this girl named Victoria. But she let her curiosity died because looked like Siwon is not ready to open up about his personal affairs anyway.

The door bell distracted them and Siwon is very thankful because finally something is going to stop them from talking about him.

“I’ll get it.” Kyuhyun immediately get up from his seat to answer the door.

Sooyeon quirked her brows in confusion, she is clearly not expecting any guest other than Siwon.

“Do you expect anyone else?” Siwon asked as he read the confused look in Sooyeon’s face.

“Definitely not.” Sooyeon get up from her seat following Kyuhyun. This better didn't be any kind of Kyuhyun frolics, she knows that Kyuhyun is a man full of surprises and it is very difficult for one to guess what he has in mind.

“Taaddddddaaa.”

Sooyeon almost jumped in surprise as she is taken aback by Kyuhyun sudden shriek.

“What is that Oppa?” Sooyeon asked as her eyes landed on the huge rectangular frame that was brought into her apartment by two men.

Siwon has joined them in the main room, wanting to know what exactly has happened.

Kyuhyun stand next to Sooyeon and he wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this a secret from you? Now I want you to unwrap it.”

Sooyeon almost cried as she unwraps the frame; it is a portrait of her, Kyuhyun and Siwon when they were kids. She still can vividly remember the event when the picture was taken. It is during her 10^thbirthday celebration; she was wearing a white gown with both Sooyeon and Kyuhyun on her side. It is probably one of the most memorable memories of her childhood, because it was the first birthday party that she ever celebrated, thanks to Kyuhyun mother for organizing the celebration for her. She touched the picture and tears started to fall.

“Hey, don’t be such a cry baby.” Kyuhyun cupped her face and his thumbs wiped her tears.

“Thank you Oppa, you have no idea how much this means to me.” Sooyeon said with a muffled sobs as she hugged him.

“Trust me, I know. Now where should we hang this?” Kyuhyun knows how important the birthday event has been to Sooyeon, and he wanted to make her memory alive by portraying this picture of them together. It is also a symbol of their friendship and all the things that they have been through together.  

“I want it in my bedroom please.”

Siwon stood silently witnessing it all. He can see the look of happiness plastered on Sooyeon’s face. Kyuhyun is definitely the one that can make her happy, not him. Even though it pains him, but seeing her happy convinces him that he should move forward and let them be together. But it is always easier said than done. He followed them to Sooyeon’s bedroom to hang the frame, he really admires Kyuhyun, the younger man is full of creative ideas and that make him silently cursed himself.

Kyuhyun helped to hang the frame, because he has this weird habit of not trusting other people’s work. He prefers to take matters into his own hands, because only then he can make sure that things will fall according to his level of perfection. He stood on the chair, but the sudden attack of headache makes his body to turn rigid. He ignored it at first and closed his eyes to make it go away.

“Hey.” If Siwon is not fast enough Kyuhyun might have hit the floor.

“Are you okay?” Siwon said, concerned.

“Oppa, what’s wrong?” Sooyeon almost screamed in surprise.

“Nice catch Hyung.” Kyuhyun joked to let both Siwon and Sooeyon that he is okay, but he can never lie to himself. Headache has been frequently attacked him lately, and he blames his messed up sleeping schedule, but deep inside he can’t help but to feel worried.

TBC