It took him three tries before his call was finally being picked up, as he was rushing toward somewhere he doesn't even know, he stops, catching his breath.

“Jihoon?” He was about to say something when the other side speaks first, “did Minhyuk told u about me being at the hotel?” she chuckles then, a light hearted carefree chuckle that manages to mummed him a little longer.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell u, I don’t want to disturb u, u said that u will be busy this week, beside it is just a simple reunion dinner. It’s nothing fancy and beside it is being held at a hotel, imagine that? So I guess it will be alright, though they are insisting on going to the nearest bar now, for more. Men and drinking...”

That alarmed him in an instant, he was right to be looking for her, he knows he is, “Where are u?” did he try to mimic Jihoon? Pretty sure he can’t do that especially the whole deep voice thingy, but he was hoping that she would answer him anyway.

The other side stays quiet then, he could practically see her blinking her eyes staring at her own phone checking the phone number, getting more and more confused, “where are u?” he asked again, this time he said it a little louder.

“Who is this?” there’s a tint of suspicion in her words, she is retreating back to her formal self and even the carefree manner she had earlier disappear in an instant.

 “Minhyuk? Is that u?”

He knows he shouldn’t be happy just the same as he wasn’t supposed to be sad when she couldn’t recognize his voice earlier, but it did, it surely did.

He couldn’t bring to himself to tell her who he is, it’s simple actually, ‘it’s me.’ Pretty sure she would recognize who he is, and he could even throw in his name ‘Minhyuk’ too just to be more evident, but the thought of she couldn’t recognize his voice anymore somehow hurts his pride even more than what he could have imagined.

Slowing down, he ignores her question and instead repeated his question once more, “where are u?”

“Me? At the hot…” he truly smiles then, listening as she stops mid-way in her answer and then curses so softly mainly to herself only, “I mean, the dinner is done so we are like…” she stops again then, chuckling, “let me start over, right now, I’m at the parking lot. We are getting ready to go home already.”

“We?” he walks again after verifying the direction of the hotel’s parking lot, pressing the phone closer to his eyes as he heard some noises in the background of her.

“Yeah we, just a bunch of us, we park at the same parking area, we it’s better to get the car together, that’s all. Minhyuk ah, is there anything u need?”

He stops then, what do he wants? Is there really anything that he was aiming for while looking for her aside from him worrying about her safety, which seeming to be just fine in spite of his worries?

“I…”

“Hmmm?”

“There’s something I need to tell u.” the words come out from his mouth even before he was thinking about it, though he can’t denies that he really have something to say to her.

Actually, he has more than something to tell her.

Another moment of silent, before he heard her sighing and whispers the “Okay.” to him.

After that it was almost like a euphoric moment of yet another silence moment from her, though it wasn’t long before he heard her chuckles into the phone, “that is actually the cue for u to start talking Minhyuk ah.”

He started to shake his head before stopping seconds after that, realizing that she couldn’t see it through the phone, “I need to see u.”

There it was again, the silence, he can almost feel she stops smiling and her darkening look, most probably her heart would be conflicted at this moment and he could almost see how she is contemplating now.

He better go search for her instead of waiting, he realized, though looking up at the directory, he groans, realizing the simplest equation of life, big hotel constitutes big parking space too.

“I don’t think it will be a good idea.” He focuses his attention back to the phone then.

“I know.”

“This isn’t right Minhyuk ah.”

“Please.”

“But why?”

“At least let me see u go safe and sound. It’s something that I just need to do, please.”

“U are not responsible of me anymore Minhyuk, u don’t need to do that.”

“U will always be my responsibility Seungyeon ah, even not as lovers, at least as someone that are still very dear to me.”

“This is just for ur own ease of mind isn’t it?”

“Yeah u could basically say that.”

“Fine. I’ll wait, but hurry up, the others are leaving already, I don’t want to be in this dark place all alone for long. It’s scary.”

He started running then, although he still doesn't know where he is going, “where are u? I mean which parking lot are u at?”

“Ah, it’s… got it, H4, the purple zone.”

“Got that, wait, I’m coming.”

“Hurry up.”

He started running again then after confirming the correct direction that he needs to go, he took off life his life dependent on it, basically though that is what he is feeling, it took him less than a minute to go from the lobby to the parking lot, it took him another few seconds to find the purple zone area, though as he scours the surrounding, he started panicking as she was nowhere to be found.

He should have asked about her car at least he could make sure, or something.

Turning around at a corner, he heaves a breath of relief there she is, the car, Minhyuk smiles then, she is still driving her old car after all, the car that they both chosen together.

The car that they both fought a lot, she wanted something that is more muscular and more power and yet he insisted that this small cute adorable is the best one for her. She relented mainly because he insisted, but nevertheless she didn’t forget to remind him from time to time how she wanted different car instead of it.

Her car was there, but, as he looks around once more, she is nowhere to be found. Huge knot started to form in his stomach; he started to feel queasy thinking of the worse that could happen to her. He whipped out Jihoon’s phone again, curses out loud when he realized that the phone was on lock again.

“5 more seconds, u would have seen the back of that car leaving this place instead of it being parked like that.”

He turns around toward her voice.

There she was standing just about a meter away from him, smiling softly to him, her hands cross over her chest.

“U still drive that car?”

She shrugs then, walking slowly to her car, not even once stopping or pausing to check whether he followed her or not.

“As long as it can move.”

“I thought u would be using other car already.”

“And abandon my lil Bibum? Sshh… he might hears u.”

Ah, he forgot, she named the car Bibum, something to remind her of him, or maybe it’s the other way around.

“U still call it that.”

She spun at him then, still smiling “it’s a he, and yes I call him that, it’s his name, silly.”

Yeah silly him, so silly of him, silly enough that he is there at the parking just alone with her, so late at night trying his best to find anything that they could talk, or even anything that he could do to hold her back just a little longer, so he could make her stay with him just a few seconds more, just that tiny few more seconds.

“Well what do u think?”

That snapped his attention back to her who was standing in front of him spreading both of her arms wide now.

Upon the eye contact; she slowly turns around, as if she was parading herself for his scrutiny.

“Satisfied?” she asked him again, half teasing half serious, “good.”

Rummaging through her purse, she laughs a little, “so now can I leave then? U’re lucky u’re staying here, me on the other hand, have a long way to drive to go back home and it’s late already. U know how I hate driving alone late in the night?”

Oh he remembers it alright, sending her back home after their date was one of the most relaxing time he has before, even when they both drive their own car, him escorting her home was something that he would treasure, “Then stay here for tonight, don’t go home. It’s late already. I can easily get u any room that u want.”

She stops, pausing, he saw her taking a deep breath, before slowly turning around to face him again, “don’t.”

It was just one simple word, but he knows what she is trying to say, what she is implying, he knows it to well, but for now, he just want to pretend that he doesn’t at all.

“It’s nothing noona, I wasn’t implying anything, it was just a suggestion. I was only concern about u.”

“I am thankful for ur concern, and although the suggestion is nice and sweet, I’m afraid I have to say no. My parents are expecting me to be home I already told them that and before u suggested anything else,” she quickly interjects, when she saw him opening his mouth to say something else, “before u suggested anything else, I better leave, I can take care of myself, u don’t have to worry about me.”

“Still…”

“Minhyuk ah, stop! U are no longer responsible for me, so u need to stop. Stop worrying about me, I’m fine and I totally can take care of myself. I have been doing that just fine for the last one year, so stop! Please stop!”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Even u, urself know that that is a lie.” She started to walk toward him, though she stops after a few steps, shaking her head then, “Thank u for still worrying about me, and thank u for still caring for me. But this is not good, not good for u and definitely not good for me. U’ve moved on already, and it’s better if u keep moving on Minhyuk ah. And, I,” she wrestled a smile to him then,” and I need u to move on so that I can move on too.”

“Moved on, is it that easy noona?”

“It will get better in time, some people say. Hey, u are doing such a great job at it already, Jihoon was telling me how happy u are now. U have ur career life perfectly on the right track and even ur love live is gaining its traction now. What else do u want?” turning around, she fishes out the car key from her purse and unlock her car, “It’s late, I better be heading home already. Goodbye Minhyuk, and hopefully this will be the last we see of each other. It’s better that way.”

Last we see of each other, why does it sound so painful, why does this felt even worse than their last goodbye before?

His heart aches when he heard that, even more than what he could have imagined.

He watches in silent as she opens the door to her car, getting ready to get into it.

He knows that this is for real now, the real deal, the real goodbye, the one that is the mark for their ending.

Is he ready for that?

“I lie!” she stops hearing those words from him, he rushes to her side, holding on to her shoulder, he turns her around to face him, “don’t say anything. U have said enough, it’s my turn now. Just hear me out.”

She tries to get free from his hold, though that only makes him tightened his grip on her, “MInhyuk.”

“I said don’t say anything, just hear me out, I need to get this out of my chest, if after this u don’t want to have anything to do with me, u don’t want to see me, it’s okay, I will try to understand, but for now please just listen to me, please.”

He was pleading with her, pleading for this last chance, unlike before, unlike their break up which happen under their mutual agreement, this goodbye was even more hurting for him. That dull ache he felt in his heart even now it hasn’t subsided.

“I lied, when I said my life is okay now, I lied! When I said I’m happy just now, I lied! The smile on my face, the laughter in my voice, those are all just bunch of lies. Life has been nice to me, everything is super amazing to me too. But yes I lied, I’m not okay, even though it’s great and amazing, I don’t feel it at all,” he falters, shaking his head, “my life without u, my life with no u, it just not the same.”

He pulls her into his embrace then, gripping her hard in his arms, hugging her like there will be no tomorrow, something that he is wishing now, that tomorrow should never come.

“Minhyuk…”

“Shhsh, just listen to me, don’t say anything, it’s my turn now. My turn!”

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

2nd part of lie

the next part will be the ending

^_^

will they get together?

who knows

*shrugged

a christmas gift from me to my fellow wonderful and amazing readers

thank u for keep on reading this story

:)