Outside, the world is covered in the darkness of the night, only brightened by the blazing fire. Inside though, it is just as dark as it is outside, not the lighting particularly, but the aura. The people inside could only try and brighten up the atmosphere even just a little.

"Where's Donghae-sshi and Jessica-sshi, anyway?" Leeteuk asked. "Talking" Sungmin shrugged.

"They knew each other?" Yesung surprisedly asked and the brothers nodded with Eunhyuk's witty remark "They do. More than what it seem"

Speaking of which, the two suddenly arrived, Jessica removed the coat and reached it to Donghae, silence falling on everyone. Jessica was obviously trying hard to control her tears while Donghae had his head bowed while slowly wearing the coat. Everyone observed them curiously but they were all sensible enough not to ask any questions.

"So, where are you guys from?" Leeteuk tried to make conversation. "Taeyeon and I are both from Seoul"

"Me too" Sunny, Yoona and Seohyun answered in unison and Yoona giggled.

"We are actually from Mokpo" Sungmin smiled and Hyoyeon's eyes widened. "Seriously?! Me too!"

"Oh really? Sungmin excitedly answered, "Jessica too is--" but he cut himself, knowing it might lead to something sensitive.

"Yeah, she told us" Taeyeon nodded carefully, watching Jessica  move from the corner of her eye.

"It's packed in here, I'm going out" she announced and crept her way out. Heechul watched her seriously and quietly followed. Yesung asked where he's going and he snobly answered that he is bored.

Sighing, the others watched him go.

-----------------------------

She knew very well that it was her fault. She knew that if anyone was to blame, it was herself. The forever stupid Jessica Jung. She kept on sobbing, releasing all the emotions she has kept for a little too long.

Suddenly, a figure blocked the sun's rays. Looking up, she saw the narcisstic Kim Heechul standing there, offering her a handkerchief.

...

He didn't know why but he just found himself following Jessica. Seeing her here, crying her heart out, he again felt the same guilty feeling.

"A-are you okay?" Damn. Stupid question. He knew the answer is No, of course, but he had no other words to say.

If only I could take all the pain away...

...

She was just too wasted at the moment. Tears were practically flooding her face, eyes and nose red from sniffing. Everything finally took its toll and she terribly threw all her anger and hurt to  the oblivious Heechul.

"Are you stupid?! Look, I'm so not okay!" she yelled.

"That Donghae, he hurt you again?"

How could he know? Why is he even here? She thought but it was probably better that he's here, at least there's someone to talk to. He must care about me...

"Again? No. Not really. I was the one who had hurt him before, in fact" she forced a laugh. "That's why I don't have the right to cry here right now"

---------------------------

"Sunny-sshi, can I ask you something?" Eunhyuk asked. They were left inside the house, while some went off to fish.

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"What's your ideal type of guy?" he sneakily asked.

Hyoyeon literally gasped and Sungmin noticed it. He nudged his brother. "Why do you keep on bothering Sunny-sshi?" he kindly questioned to which Eunhyuk grinned.

"Right, Eunhyuk. You're such a playboy!" Taeyeon commented.

"Why, noona? If you like me then say so, then I won't be a playboy anymore" he snickered and Sungmin hit the back of his head. "Eunhyuk-ah!" he shook his head. "So immature!" while the girls laughed.

 Donghae suddenly sighed despite the quirky atmosphere of the group. "I'm just going to get fresh air, hyung" he said without even sparing a glance to the others.

Eunhyuk and Sungmin looked at each other and followed their  obviously troubled maknae.

---------------------------------

I was the one who had hurt him before...

He was speechless. He had already swallowed his pride not to yell back at her when she yelled.  After all, no one yells at Kim Heechul. However, keeping his pride down, was perhaps the least he could do.

"Why?" was all he could ask.

...

She was grateful for his presence, she really is. But everything is too much, just too much... And that question... That one question: Why? All the memories came flooding in and she suddenly exploded.

She stood up and turned to him, shouting "Why do you care?!"

She noticed his shock at her sudden anger as he threw his hands in the air as he answered "What? Fine. Who cares?!"

She was stunned. Ha! Who cares, he said. Right. Who Cares? Even from when she was young, no one actually cared for the stupid Jessica Jung. Not even her friends who badmouthed her, not even her parents who left her in an orphanage... No one, except Donghae.

...

Why do you care?

Right. Do I care? Then why do I care? Why does the narcisstic Kim Heechul actually care about this certain girl?

Jessica threw him that question that he could never answer. So, as a defense mechanism he told her who cares without even thinking twice.

But that look on her face...

Heechul knew he must have said something wrong. But now what?

...

She forced another laugh. She knew that she must have looked too far. Heechul is just like the others. He doesn't care as well. He's here just because he's bored.

"I knew it. You go back now. I'm perfectly fine" she shrugged. Just then, as if contradicting herself, a warm tear flowed in her right cheek.

Heechul opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when he heard footsteps nearing them. Looking behind him, he saw Leeteuk, Yesung and Kyuhyun walking with the fish net.

He sighed, and quietly turned away without even greeting the three.

--------------------------------

"This is so annoying" Hyoyeon sighed and the others looked at her. She just realized that again, the girls are the only ones left.

"Why?" Sunny asked but Hyoyeon didn't even glance at her. Taeyeon noticed the aura between the two, and being the eldest, decided to try talking it out.

"Hyoyeon, why are you annoyed?" she asked calmly.

"You like Eunhyuk-sshi, don't you?" Sunny said before the other could even answer. "You were bothered about his relationship with Jessica-sshi, and then now you're annoyed at the way he flirts with me, yeah?"

Hyoyeon flinched. This girl. How could she say that Hyuk is flirting with her so casually.

"So?" She glared at Sunny and the tension increased a thousand feet higher. Sunny bit her lip. "I am not interested with Eunhyuk-sshi, or with anyone else. If you like him and then why don't you just say it to him directly?"

What? No. I can't. How could I just tell him that?! She sighed.

"Men are just men. We can live without them" Sunny shrugged and the other girls can't help but wonder how this girl could hate men that easily.

----------------------------

"Donghae~" Eunhyuk called.

The sun was starting to set, and the waves consistently produce that sound, the only sound that they hear.

He looked at his brothers and  though they haven't asked, muttered "She... She wanted to get back with me, hyung"

Sungmin breathed, unable to think of a proper advice. His brother looked obviously troubled; he put an arm on the younger's shoulder and asked "And? What did you say?"

"I. I refused" he bowed his head. Eunhyuk nodded and said "That's right. She had hurt you before, after all"

Sungmin silently replied "But... Are you sure of your decision?"

Donghae sighed, suppressing his tears as the memories came rushing back.

"She... I saw her kissing a guy while we were still on a relationship. She dumped me, hyung. No. She didn't even speak to me. I-- I'd understand probably if she gave me a reason; if she told me she doesn't like me anymore or if she said she likes someone else but no. She just replaced me all of a sudden. And then... And then she didn't even say a proper goodbye when we left..."

A stray tear fell on his cheek, unable to keep it any longer.

The two were speechless. They knew more than anyone else what Donghae had been through. How for how many months he kept texting and calling Jessica but there was no response. How he never had a girlfriend since they moved to Seoul, and instead just kept looking at their old photographs. And how Donghae, even after all this years... Still call out Jessica's name in his sleep.

"... So-- so I can't start over again. It just hurts so much hyung. That girl..." Donghae started sobbing like a little child and it broke his brothers' hearts to see him that way. "Hyung. I. I. I hate myself. I want to hate Jessica but I can't. She had hurt me, hyung. And just when I was moving on she had to come back and say that we should start over? I want to hate her. But I... I can't hate her... What should I do?" he ranted and sobbed uncontrollably.

Eunhyuk hugged Donghae and started rubbing circles on his back, hoping that that simple gesture could take the pain away.

---------------------------------

With two big fishes on a small bamboo pole in his hands, Leeteuk walked back to the house. Yesung and Kyuhyun quietly followed him. They had just finished catching their dinner after they volunteered to do so.

Yesung observed the woods, trying to convince himself that there was really nothing in there. Kyuhyun fidgeted with the net, still critical about its efficiency. It was the reason why he volunteered in the first place: to prove that indigenous materials are never comparable to his dear technology.

Leeteuk absent-mindedly walked. He was extremely worried about his left business in Seoul. How it's working? Is it open? Can my Noona manage it well?

He was too troubled by his thoughts that he didn't even notice that there was a glimmering something in the tree...

----------------------------

I decided to make Jessica and Heechul's scene shown from two perspectives. That is because their conversation was almost purely misunderstandings. They don't say what they mean nor mean what they say... So I had to show their thoughts as well.

I hope you didn't get confused but I'll explain anyway.

Jessica likes Heechul's presence but she's just too tired that she uncontrollably threw her rage to Heechul.

Heechul really cared for Jessica but he wouldn't admit it because he's too badass. When asked why does he care, he didn't know how to respond and just answered "who cares" which triggered Jessica's past again. So it ended unhappily. :)

There is also what happened in the past... Well, from Donghae's point of view. Jessica dumped him for another guy.

Feel free to comment! :)