Nayoung’s POV

The day after he came to my office, I chose to curl up in my bed and listen to some pacifying music. All day long. I needed them so bad. Kyuhyun had told the maid to make a cup of warm Chamomile tea for me every morning so I could be calmed down. He made sure that I ate my breakfast every morning and not skip the other meals. He made Jinhee came to my house before she went to her own in the evenings. Not that she was complaining, but she was confused. She still thought how the stomach cramp was still there even after a day had passed.

But, this feeling is a hundred times worse than a stomach cramp.

Kyuhyun suggested me to take three days off. He thought three days would be a perfect distraction- or rest, to release everything that’s crumpling into complicated knots in my head. Even though he couldn’t be there the whole time with me – he’s busy with his own work, after all – but things had worked. Quite better. I just don’t know how to face the days after that.

What am I going to do when we have to meet for the next project meeting? I can’t keep going onto downfalls. Just like him, I have a life to live. And he’s living well, I can tell. Leaving me the only one who’s being this pathetic. Ugh, I hate myself sometimes. Why does it feel so hard just to move on?

I was having my fingers closed around the ballpoint and just staring at a non-existent spot on my desk when my secretary walked in and announced something. Something that effectively stops the time in my own world.

“President Lee is outside. He wants to meet you.” That was what she said seconds ago. And now I’m frozen in my seat trying to repeat her words in my head.

President Lee. He wants to meet you.

I flinch; I can feel something climbing up to my throat. Nothing fills my head but something that has been lingering in my thoughts for days.

Is he here to take his phone back?

I take a glance to my purse where the phone is put, before mentally scolding myself. Oh God, why are you even so positive that the phone is his?

“I didn’t make an appointment with him.” I tell her, trying to sound indifferent.

Deep inside my heart is jolting in nervousness now, and it’s almost suffocating me. It’s surprising enough that apparently I still can talk properly and well, audibly.

“He said it’s going to be urgent, Miss.” She explains respectfully.

I clutch onto the ballpoint in my grasp, feeling the whole room suddenly as cold as the North Pole. What could be urgent? Is it about the project or something else? Is it about-

NO. Stop, Kang Nayoung. Cut it off.

He didn’t even remember you, why are you thinking so high?

I swallow the tension building in my throat and nod to her.

“Let him in.” My stomach does several flips as I say that.

My secretary nods in respect before excusing herself from the room.

After making sure she closed the door shut, I slump down on my seat getting a tad bit hyperventilated. Why is he coming without warning? I close my eyes and take a shallow breath, waiting for a familiar figure to open the door and walk into the room.

Keep it calm, keep it calm. You’ll do it right.

All of sudden the sound of the door opening booms in my ears causing my eyes to shoot opened right at the door. Immediately my breath is halted short.

I meet the stare of a guy who looks back at me, he does an all-too-familiar eye smile and holds his right hand up to wave it beside his face. He easily salutes, “Hello,”

I cringe at his cheery tone. ‘Hello’?

Still in disbelief, my eyes travel from his face to look at him up and down, and finally back to his face again. I take my time confirming that my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me, and come to an obvious conclusion someone would have come to at the second they see this guy: he’s nothing like Hyukjae. His hair, his face, his body – no. He’s not Hyukjae.

How is he even called ‘President Lee’?

“Annyeonghaseyo.” I nod in a formal manner and stand up from my seat, still confused with the whole thing.

The guy snickers. But he sure looks familiar. “What’s with the formality?”

He chuckles letting his eyes wander around my office, observing the whole room; the coffee table, the couch, the desk, and eventually back to me. When he raises his brows for an answer, I blink.

“H-huh?” was the best response popping up in my head.

He looks at me out of confusion, and I reflect him the same expression. The staring competition keeps continuing until he breaks it by heaving out a snort.

Suddenly he takes curt steps closer to where my desk is located. I am stunned on my feet as he stops and places his palms on my wooden desk. Slowly leaning in, he makes the desk as the only barrier between us. He glared down at me.

“You don’t remember me?” he asks in a deep, scary voice.

I gulp hard, throwing another question cautiously. “Y-you...?”

The guy throws his head back for a scoff before leaning back in even closer. His glare isn’t harmful. It’s just... scary. Not in a bad way but still, it’s scary. Familiarly scary.

“S-sir...” I mutter unknowingly. Little did I know his eyes would go as big as saucers, his jaw drops reaching the carpeting.

“Sir?!” He practically hollers into my face. “Yah, rabbit! You really forget me? Like, seriously?!”

Rabbit...? W-wait.

I take a careful look at his features and nearly faint right after. I let out stutters. “Y-you’re...” and exclaim with my hand on my lips to prevent letting out a loud squeal. “No way! You are... Lee Donghae...? Fishy?”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “I’m sure you don’t call many hot guys fish, so yeah. It’s me.” He looks at my frowning face. “Yah tokki, don’t I get a hug?”

Coming back to my senses I grin widely and run around the table, taking him into surprise when I throw my arms around him and burst into ear-piercing squeals. “FIIISSHHH! Oh my God!!”

A harmonious laugh joins mine right after, and I find myself squeezed in his built arms. I laugh along with him joyfully, before realizing my body is being lifted off the ground. My eyes shoot opened in horror.

“Yah, fish, fish! Put me down!” I scream, but he doesn’t budge. “YAH, LEE DONGHAE!”

“Ah, sorry!” he yelps and puts me back on my feet. He looks at me, grinning a derpy beam. “Yah Kang Nayoung, you’re still so so so squishy. No! I mean, you’re getting even squishier! Aigoo.”

I roll my eyes at him. Who would’ve thought a guy standing tall in this neat black suit would be this dork? Me. I mean, no matter what he wears, as long as he’s still Lee Donghae, then he’s still that dork.

“How did you know I’m here?” I sit down on the couch and pat the seat next to me.

In a split second he is already fuming again and pointing an accusing finger at me. “Yah! You forgot me, didn’t you?!”

And he’s still that bipolar boy, apparently.

“I didn’t! It’s just, you’ve changed so much that I couldn’t even recognize you.” I reason out.

You and your cousin changed so much, Lee Donghae. The both of you are so grown up now. I mentally slump down.

The only difference is that you didn’t forget me. Your cousin... he kind of did.

Out of nowhere a smirk is tugged on his face. That used to irritate me but wow, he’s handsome now. Not that he wasn’t. He’s always been that sweet faced flower boy. But maybe it’s because he was always standing side by side with his cousin that I was too blinded to see that.

“I’ve transformed into a damn hot guy, you mean?” Donghae pulls me out of thoughts and I have to restrain a rolling-eyes motion.

Dork.

“Just sit down here.” I urge him, and once again he’s being obedient. “What are you doing here again?”

Donghae puts his hand over his chest. “Ouch, that sounds offensive, you know.”

Now that I can’t hold it back, I roll my eyes. Seriously, his mental is still that one that should be belonged to 5-year-old kids.

He chuckles. “Well, I’m here to have a bonding time with my childhood bestie. Can’t I?”

With that the smile on my face instantly disappears. I look at him, almost in disbelief. Seriously, what happens with these Lee’s? What happened to the memory of leaving me behind in their heads?

“Bonding time? Then where were you these past 7 years?” I can’t help but ask quietly. The warm smile on his face is immediately wiped off as well.

I drop my head down, trying to control the raging pain in my heart. This guy, that guy – they used to hold an important role in my life. They were practically everything to me. We had a friendship; a friendship that’s started before I could even mutter my name properly; a friendship that made me depend my days on it; a friendship that once it breaks, it would definitely make me broken as well. And 7 years ago... it did. Started from when Donghae left to America, to be exact. And no, the reason of the bound to breaking up was not because I was that clingy girl who wished her bestfriends to be around her for 24/7. Not because of the distance; we had too many devices to blame it on distance.

The communication, it was. People say that every relationship is built and strengthened from one thing. Communication. Each person involved, whatever the relationship is, they need to do some efforts to communicate to each other. When the communication is cut short, then it’s done. The relationship is over. The friendship, it’s over.

Donghae moving away to America was like an inevitable final step for our friendship, like it just had to come to an end with no reason. I was breaking down, of course. It felt like a part of my body was missing. But then, I thought at least I still had him. With him by my side, I thought everything would be okay. I didn’t mind having my only best friend leaving me for some unknown reason. All I knew was, I just tried to overcome everything by smiling along with him, with Hyukjae. When he became my world, the other things didn’t matter; I still had him. But a year after Donghae’s departure, I knew it was a mistake to depend myself too much on him. That boy that I claimed to be my first love, my happiness, my world... he shatters every single thing into millions of pieces. He got away.

“I’m sorry.” He smiles apologetically. But then his lips are tugged down, maybe because my eyes are unintentionally demanding his explanation now. He turns serious. “Sorry, Nayoung-ah. I really didn’t know he would leave, too. I think...” he trails off. “Did he tell you the reason why he left?”

I nod my head stiffly. “He... wanted to chase his dreams.”

I feel my shoulders shaking just at the memory of him stating that sentence. “I need to go to US. I have things to achieve.”

I look back up at Donghae only to find him gaping in shock. “He seriously said that?”

I nod again, somehow leaving him speechless. Not even his cousin knows why he had left?

“That stupid brat.” Donghae hisses lowly. “So uhmm... I heard you two have met yesterday...” He says, his tone is questioning. “...How was it?”

I sigh, just having the urge to get out of this topic.

“Let’s not talk about this?” I shoot at the floor. Fortunately, he immediately understands.

“Alright. Sorry.” He nods in defeat.

An awkward silence slices the air.

“So how are there two Presidents at one company?” I ask him trying to change the topic.

“Well, do you remember Harabeoji? A few months ago he had decided to give the company to his grandsons. But to make it fair for the both of us, he divided it into two divisions. One division is given to Hyuk-” Donghae stops mid-sentence, glancing awkwardly at me. “To him, and the other division is given to me. I’m responsible of the apartment construction while he’s responsible for the hotel construction.”

“Oh.” I rigidly respond. Seems like butler Jeon had explained this to me but I wasn’t paying attention at that time.

After that, the silence takes over again.

“Hey Nayoung,” this time he breaks the quiet air. I look over at him and find his eyes sparkling, as if a light bulb were popping up in his head for an idea. “How about we eat lunch tomorrow?”

“Where?”

“My friend owns an Italian restaurant around here, it’s just opened. Should we go there?”

I smile. Apparently he still knows my little obsession for Italian foods.

“Yeah, sure. What time?”

Donghae grins widely at my response. Uh, maybe a bit... too wide? Wait. I know all the types of his grins since we were toddlers and this one, it looks like there’s something behind it. One certain thing about that grin; it’s creepy.

“1 PM!” he exclaims. “I’ll fetch you tomorrow!” 

Hey alll :D *waves hand* 

How are you all guys? Heehee there's actually one exam left in my course but it's due next week so here I am, updating! 

Well well, here's Lee Donghae stretching his hand out to help his hopeless cousin. But will that really help? Kekeke stay tuned! And thank you to those who have subscribed and commented! You make my day! Keep supporting me guys. But I want to ask, are those chapters updated running too slow or too fast? :D

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