Madame Cho was gone on a business trip for a week now. Yesung was also out in Busan for the musical. Kyuhyun was left alone at the mansion. He used this alone time to think over of Gyuri’s proposal.

“For the peace of everyone, it’s your only choice.”

Kyuhyun thought about this over and over until he came up with a decision. He thought it’s time to deal this on his own. He would play Gyuri’s game.

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

Yesung arrived three days later and the only thing that he found in Kyuhyun’s room was a short brown envelope on his bed. Gone were his clothes and his other stuff. He picked up the envelope and found a small note stuck in front. Yesung widened his eyes when he finally read what was on the note.

“How can he be so rash?! Deciding about this on his own!”

He quickly dashed outside the mansion and looked for Seohyun.

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

“Yuri! Where’s Seohyun?” a panting Yesung asked Yuri the moment she opened their apartment door.

“She is at the university, rehearsing for her recital.” Yuri replied. “Why? Is there a problem?”

“Kyuhyun… he is leaving… now.”

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

It had been several days since they haven’t talked to each other and it had also been several days since she had been busying herself, attending extra classes and practicing here and there just to distract herself. As each second passed, the feeling got heavier and heavier. In the face of many people, she tried to act normally, like there’s not a single matter that’s bothering her. Among all of the people, she did not know that there was one person that could not be fooled by her front, he knew exactly what was bothering her even if she did not say a single word to him.

“Hyun, how is your day?” Yonghwa asked her.

“Fine, as usual,” Seohyun lied and then she walked off and went back studying her piece.

“You are lying, Seohyun. I know you are. I know what is bothering you.”

After that day of pretense, when Seohyun was already all alone, she would feel the gravity of her heart's emptiness. Finally, when no one could see her, she would let it out and cry.

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

Yuri and Yesung arrived at the auditorium where some of her classmates told them that she was probably there again practicing by herself. When they went there, they saw that it was empty. Yuri checked the restroom and from the outside she heard somebody sobbing. She opened the door and found Seohyun on the floor with her head buried in between her knees.

“Seohyun! Get up there! You have to know something!”

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

Seohyun opened the envelope that Kyuhyun requested Yesung in his note to give to her. She pulled a piece of paper out. It was a torn leaf from his sketchpad, the drawing that she accidentally saw when she was taking care of him while he’s sick, the one with the sketch of her as the mascot girl. On the back of it, he wrote a letter.

Dear Seohyun,

I might already be out of the country when you read this. I wrote this letter to let you know that I am leaving not because I am giving up on us but rather, I am fighting for us. Gyuri will not leave us unless I agree on her proposal to go with her to Paris. Don’t worry I will show her that despite the distance, it is still you that will occupy my heart.

By the way, I bet you have seen the sketch. It is my first sketch of you. I have already told you before, that the first time I saw you as the mascot girl, I already felt something about you but because I resented love, I dismissed that feeling, thinking that perhaps I just found you interesting to be my art subject.

I had two heartbreaks before. One was from my mother who left us. The second was with Gyuri. Since then I told myself that I would not fall in love again. I went back to being the cold-hearted person that I was. Remember when grandma introduced me to you? I am sorry for being mean but it was just my way to push you away from me, the same way that I pushed other girls who attempt to get close to me. I was afraid of being attached to someone that I chose to be mean cold, annoying, arrogant, and bossy so that you yourself would dislike me. However, you managed to get through me. You were able to climb up the high walls of my heavily guarded heart. You let me open its doors to you.

Who knows that I would find love in this city, the place that I once dreaded and abandoned because of the painful memories I have of it? You replaced them all with memories that are worth cherishing. Even though I haven’t reached Europe yet, I am already itching to go back home, to the place where I left my heart… that is you.

Wait for me, okay? Please don't worry much. As much as possible, be happy. I want to imagine that you're smiling each day waiting for me. I don't want to see you crying when I'm back, okay? I’ll be back soon. I promise. I love you, Seo. I always will.

Love,

Kyuhyun

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

Sometimes it is when we are at the edge that we get to know the deepest desires of our hearts.

“Pabo Kyuhyun! How can you leave me? How can you expect me to understand this easily?”

She ran along the streets of Incheon with his letter clutched against her chest. Endless honks of cars rushing to get to the airport on time could be heard everywhere. Their car got stuck on traffic and she could not wait for the red light to turn to green or for the traffic enforcer to fix the problem.  She could not afford to waste even a single second. She got off and got herself moving. Exhaustion started building up on her legs but she had to keep up. She was challenging time here.

Upon reaching the airport, she dashed to the information desk.

“May I know if there is a plane that is leaving for Paris around this time?” Seohyun stood there waiting with bated breath as the desk person checked it. Then she told her the dreaded news.

“It has just taken off, ma’am.”

She did not want to believe it. She thought that perhaps just like in the movies, he would suddenly appear and tell her that he changed his mind. He can’t leave her.

She waited and waited but there was no Kyuhyun and that was when the cruel reality finally dawned on her. He’s gone… already gone and she was faced with the uncertainty of when he will come back or will he ever come back.

She was already on one of the waiting chairs when Yuri and Yesung reached the airport. Her eyes that were flooded with tears were enough to tell them what happened.

They failed.

And all they could do was console her.

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

Back in the university, Yonghwa was pondering over what transpired between him and Kyuhyun yesterday.

“While I’m away, please take care of her… for me.”

That was his last words to him.

“Don’t worry Kyuhyun, I’ll do it as I promised. I'll take care of her.”