12

              It has been a month since the engagement. Jiyong decide to busy himself with work, not coming home and stayed almost most of his nights in his office. the only time he slept at his own bed was when his mother called him and asked him to come home to celebrate Hwaseok and her wedding anniversary. It was a mistake. Seeing Seunghyun again was a mistake. The older never once looked away from him. his cold and intense stare bored a hole through Jiyong’s forehead. Fortunately, Daesung was there to distract him from Seunghyun. Her mother, who grew fond of Daesung’s warm personality (and also knowing he’s Seunghyun’s best friend) invited him and his parents. Jiyong figured that Daesung was a year younger than he is, but Jiyong refused to be called Hyung. He was used to being the youngest and hearing someone calling him Hyung was awkward. Daesung acted like he’s older than him anyways. After that night, Daesung had been regularly calling him and exchange text with Jiyong. They became as close as one can be to Jiyong, and it helped him forget about his sorrow once in a while. Daesung was also his saviour when the blonde said that he’s not going back to Bali until a few weeks before the wedding and he’s going to fly with them instead. The wedding preparaton has been done in advance by Seunghyun’s and Jiyong’s parents who flied to Bali earlier. Seunghyun himself flew back to Bali with their parents to see the preparations, but came back to Korea a few weeks later to ‘pick up’ his fiance. At the day of their flight to Bali, Jiyong was nervous when Bom whined to him that Seunghyun got a seat beside Jiyong instead of her. He can’t stop praying to the Lord for miracles, and it was answered when his blonde knight asked Seunghyun to switch place with him because it’s against the ethic to sit beside someone if her fiance is on the same plane. So he took his seat beside Jiyong, ignoring Seunghyun’s grumbling and sulking. They spent a good time chatting throughout the whole trip - Jiyong swore Daesung even kissed his forehead as he drifted into slumber with his head on the younger man’s shoulder. And here Jiyong was, a month after the engagement party, at the Choi’s residence in Bali for the wedding preparation.

               “Hey, y.”

               The familiar female voice snapped Jiyong out of his thoughts of unicorns running around the ricefields in front of him chasing a leprechaun who was skipping it’s way to the bridge of rainbow with a bucket full of golds. The shirtless Jiyong looked up, smiling at Bom who looked beautiful as always, her hair now a shade of tosca with black highlights. She was wearing a one-piece skirt with a see through cardigans on top. Unlike Jiyong, Bom doesn’t like being burned under the hot heated sun of the tropical Indonesia. she doesn’t want her skin being tanned a few weeks before her wedding, so she protected it by wearing long sleeved clothing all the time. Even if it kills her by how hot it is underneath.

               “Hey, beautiful,” Jiyong complimented her in return. “Tomorrow’s a big day.”

               The couple was scheduled for a pre-wedding photoshoot the next day. Bom has been crazy in searching for dresses to wear in the photoshoot, as well as suits for Seunghyun. Seunghyun didn't seem that interested in planning anything for the photoshoot, he accepted anything Bom wanted. it was a gesture of a very loving husband-to-be to most people, but Jiyong knows better. He had been praying desperately for Seunghyun to at least look entusiastic in preparing the wedding, but Seunghyun didn't seem to care. Bom also didn't seem to be bothered by this. Her excitement was enough for the both of them.

                        “What are you doing here? Everybody’s having a nice cup of tea inside,” she leaned on the pillar beside Jiyong, looking at the remnant of the orange sun the ricefields.

               “Enjoying the view. You won’t find any of this in Seoul, you know,” he answered, feeling Bom sitting down at his side and leaned her head to his shoulder. “What are you doing outside?”

               “Nothing. I was wondering where you were and.. well, guess it’s been a long time since we spent sometime together, just you and me.”

               “Yeah, I know,” Jiyong smiled as Bom reached for his hand, entwining their fingers together. “I missed us. It has been a very long time since we spend time like this.”

             “I  know,” Bom nod and let out a smile. “Shopping at Dongdaemun and Myeongdong..”

              “Eating tteokpokki from the street vendors..”

              “Sitting by the Han River at night..”

              “Noraebang..”

               “Oh my gosh Bommie there’s so much we’ve missed! Since when did we grew apart?” Jiyong lost count at how many things they used to do together back in the days. It seems like nowadays they just grew further apart. What happened? Since when? “But I can’t say I regret Seunghyun coming to our picture.” Jiyong hurriedly added. He didn’t want Bom (or himself) think that he was blaming Seunghyun for this thing.

               The older girl snorted, “No, of course not. I just.. missed you, that’s all.”

               “But, hey, I’ve been there with you all the time. How could you say you miss me? You forgot who acompannied you to that wedding gown designer? They thought I was a the one looking for a dress for my wedding!!” he said, pretending to be angry, shaking his shoulder deliberately making Bom dizzy.

               At the memory, Bom laughed. “I would’ve done the same if I were the store employees. You looked so pretty in this hair, Ji,” she ran one of her hair down Jiyong’s now blonde-platinum hair. It was short, but he resemble a girl so much looking at his feline body and feminime face feature, and also his high-pitched voice.

               Jiyong smiled, patted the other’s knee and they sat there in silence, just looking at the dark consuming the last light from the sun.

               “I know you were there, Ji,” Bom suddenly said. Jiyong didn’t say a word, but Bom knew he was listening. “But it feels like.. it feels like you’re somewhere else at the same time. You didn’t talk to me, you didn’t talk to Seunghyun, you answer our question with a simple nod or a smile, and not your usually cheery smile. What happened to you, Kwon Jiyong?”

               “Well, wor—“

               “And don’t even try to use work as your excuse. I have seen the worst of it, yet it didn’t made you so distant from us before. From me.”

               Jiyong tried hard to supress the urge to tell her the truth. To tell Bom about Seunghyun an