[Author's Note: I would just first and forewould like to say I AM SO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED IN AGES. I got too caught up with school and the inspiration just would not get to me. ; n ; I APOLOGIZE TO MY SUBSCIBERS and thank you if you have still been with me since the start. This is my first chapter update in ages and I really promise to try my hardest for another update before the end of the month! ]

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I can’t.

Yunji sighed heavily, sitting outside the building on the sidewalk, hugging her knees She didn’t want to go, and she really wasn’t going to just leave Jaeni’s going away party. She just wanted a little quiet time away from the small festivities, to give her time to clear her mind and breathe.

And also she couldn’t deny the fact that having Dongwoon there made her uneasy and painfully awkward. She closed her eyes, simply enjoying the silence, attempting to brush away any thoughts that tried to worm themselves inside her mind. For the past few days she had been thinking back and recalling the last time that she and Dongwoon had spoken. How he had poured out his feelings, and how she had so simply said no and left.

I can’t.

But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She refused to go down that path again, to involve herself with someone of that profession. It was the hurt she didn’t want to go through again. Again, she sighed.

She was so lost in thought, or the attempt to brush any off, that she didn’t hear the footsteps approaching behind her.

Dongwoon stood there, his eyes on her back. He wanted to speak, but what was he going to say? Just a casual hello? A how are you? The weather’s nice tonight?

“Yunji.”

She turned around, surprised to find the taller man standing there and saying her name. “Dongwoon…?” It was more of a question of what are you doing here?, rather than a question of yes?

“What are you doing out here?” Though he was quite sure that what Kikwang said was true, that she was just being in a quiet place to get rid of any stress that could be bothering her.

Yunji shrugged a shoulder. “Enjoying the breeze.” It was the simplest reply. She didn’t move as Dongwoon sat right beside her.

“I guess it is a little cold tonight.”

“The party’s doing okay?” She didn’t want to talk, to be honest, but she would rather have small talk rather than to sit there in complete silence, with Dongwoon of all people.

Dongwoon looked at her from his periphery, she wasn’t smiling, and despite the question, she seemed uninterested to whatever he would reply to anyway. “It’s fine.” He hated the mood; he hated the tension, and the awkward atmosphere that surrounded them both. Even with everything that had happened, and his rejection, he didn’t find his feelings for her to go away. He still liked her, a lot. Slowly, cautiously, he leaned his head against her shoulder.

Yunji froze, for a quick second, then she relaxed, though she remained unmoving. “I’m not so good at party planning.” She said after a while, saying aloud the first thing that popped in her head to avoid any awkward silences.

“It’s not so bad, they seem to be enjoying themselves.” Dongwoon continued, being in the same topic first, staying quiet for some few seconds before he spoke up again. “Hey Yunji? I need advice.”

“For what?”

“Well, there’s this girl that I like…-

“Dongwoon, please.” Yunji interrupted quickly, not liking where the conversation was heading too, though oddly enough she didn’t push Dongwoon away from her shoulder. She didn’t even move.

“Just hear me out.” His tone was insistent, as if he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “You see, this girl.” He continued, “I haven’t known her for so long. It’s only been a couple of months. She’s funny, she’s beautiful, she’s caring.”

Yunji could only let out a soft sigh, forced to having to sit there, listening to Dongwoon talk about her. “She sounds pretty typical.”

Dongwoon continued as if not having heard Yunji’s remark. “But there’s just something about her that I can’t exactly put my finger on. Like she’s afraid.”

“Why do you say that…?” She was curious about his point of view, though she knew he was so close to how she really felt.

“She’s really cold to me, a lot of times. Not exactly giving me the cold shoulder – Okay, sometimes she does. It’s mostly as if she doesn’t want to be my friend, or she doesn’t like hanging around with me. Weird, though, she doesn’t seem to mind being around my hyungs. Sometimes I feel like she hates me.”

“She sounds horrible.”

“That’s because you don’t see her the way I do.” Dongwoon shook his head. “I know that’s way over-clichéd and said before, but it’s true. Despite the fact that she’s that way, It’s like… How do I say? It’s like maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t really feel that way towards me. Or am I being delusional?”

Yunji remained quiet.

“I told her I like her, a couple of weeks back. It probably wasn’t the smartest move or the sweetest confession. Went over her place almost midnight, I think? And I told her.”

At that point, Yunji couldn’t reply or think straight. It was far too painful for her to listen to, though oddly enough, Dongwoon’s voice didn’t sound as heartbroken as she would have expected it to be.

“She said she liked me. She even said she liked me the most.” He took a short pause, clearing his throat. “But then she said she couldn’t, and that it was complicated. I don’t see how it’s complicated, though. Maybe she’s crazy. What do you think?” He added with a chuckle, lightly nudging Yunji’s side. She chuckled back, surprising even herself.

“Yeah, maybe she’s a little crazy…” She mumbled.

“Is it because of my old looks? Or my big nose? Or the fact that I may look a little Arab?” He sat up straight, looking beside him at Yunji, who was looking down at her fingers.

“It’s not that, I’m sure.” She almost choked on her own words, not being affected by Dongwoon’s attempts to keep her laughing.

“I wanted to know what I could do to change her mind. I know maybe other people would tell me to give up but there’s just something that keeps pulling me back to her. Maybe she drugged me!”

Yunji’s lips cracked a small, awkward smile, her eyes slowly glancing up to Dongwoon’s face. “She’s just needs a little fixing, that’s all.” She finally found the courage to say. She took a deep breath; she knew she didn’t want to dig through her past again, but then after everything, all of Dongwoon’s efforts since the beginning, maybe he deserved to know what exactly was complicated.

“She used to be with someone.” Yunji continued, her voice soft. “And long story short, he broke it off with her. She knew she couldn’t be selfish and the reason for him to stop doing what he loved – performing. But at the same time it was hard for her, having been left without any closure.” She knew giving a gist of everything was better than going on and on about the whole thing again. She didn’t want to.

Dongwoon was a bit thrown back. He didn’t expect the story to be like that, he had no idea Yunji had once been involved with someone under the same industry that he was in. No wonder she was so apprehensive about being so close to him. He didn’t press her to tell more, it was obvious in her tone and her expression that she didn’t want to carry on with the story, or go into detail. And it was alright with him, not because he’d be jealous of whoever the previous guy was, but because he didn’t want Yunji to get hurt over it again, and he believed that the past is past.

“You’re right. She’s afraid.” Her gaze dropped back on her hands, sighing heavily. “She just needs fixing.” Yunji repeated again.

Without another thought, Dongwoon reached for Yunji’s hand, taking it in his, slipping his fingers in the spaces between hers. Yunji, surprised, turned quickly to Dongwoon, her expression a mix of confusion and relief. He gave her hand a small squeeze, his lips pulling into a small smile.

“You can’t fix what isn't broken, Yunji.”