February 9th, 2014

Everyone at the table was quiet while exchanging glances, trying to figure out what the others were thinking. They had not spoken a word since Sunggyu announced with his eyes dimmed and his face brooding; 'Lee Seul-ki is my wife'. Dongwoo was furrowing hard, and he was sitting in front of Woohyun who was next to Sunggyu. Woohyun looked around worriedly, especially at Dongwoo while Howon was his bottom lip with his eyes fixed on Sunggyu and Sungyeol and Sungjong who were sitting at both ends of the table stared at each other with widened eyes.

If it wasn't because of Sunggyu looking so down and sad, the kids wouldn't even believe what their hyung had just said, but strangely, none of them actually felt surprised when they heard the news. Howon sat up straight and opened his mouth.

"So hyung and Seul-ki aren't cousins?"

"No, we're not. I introduced her as my cousin because... I was being stupid. Because I never thought that it'd hurt her so much." Sunggyu answered, solemnly. The kids were looking restless because they had never seen him so gloomy and they felt a little guilty for no reason. "And so now she wouldn't come home. At this rate..."

"Don't tell me you're just going to give her up like that?" Dongwoo snapped, and everyone was then looking at him. Dongwoo kept on staring at Sunggyu with his angry face.

"She doesn't even want to see me..."

"You've spent so much time with Seul-ki that you have become a child as well." Dongwoo said, with a sigh. Howon wanted to laugh but seeing that everyone was looking apprehended, he maintained his straight face. "Where is she right now?"

"With Kim Myungsoo."

Everyone was again looking at each other, but this time, they were furrowing and exchanging mental notes while Sunggyu was looking even more miserable.

"Don't you think you should look for her?" Sungjong finally spoke, and he did so carefully, watching Dongwoo's reaction from time to time. "I can call Myungsoo and ask him where he is."

"Don't you guys think..." Sunggyu said, suddenly, making everyone alarmed, "...that perhaps... Kim Myungsoo is better for Seul-ki?"

"Hyung..." Woohyun's face turned distraught.

"You're right. He's right. All I do is making her cry." Sunggyu said, smiling dryly. "Maybe I-"

"So, after you've hurt her and made her cry, you're just going to hand her over to someone else?" Dongwoo asked, scoffing. "She's your wife for God's sake, Kim Sunggyu! You have to take responsibility towards her; towards her feelings!"

Everyone's eyes were on Dongwoo again, because he had just spoken at the top of his voice, and it was a rare moment to see him so uptight like that. He sighed and slammed his forehead with a loud smack with his palm to calm himself down. "Do you think she'd react like this if she doesn't love you, hyung? Just like how you become angry at her because of Kim Myungsoo, she's also disappointed because of what happened. She deserves to be upset, and perhaps some time to think on her own." He paused and continued in a softer voice, "But it doesn't mean she wants you to let her go."

Howon clapped his hands, making everyone's attention turned to him. He eyed the others conspicuously, "What? It was a nice speech." He said, indifferently, making everyone rolled their eyes, except for Sunggyu who was looking thoughtful. "And Dongwoo-hyung is right. Gyu-hyung, you shouldn't just sit here and leave her with that Myungsoo. I know he's a nice kid and all but then we all know that he likes her, but she's your wife."

"Yeah, although I'm upset to know that Seul-ki is hyung's wife, because I don't think it makes sense that you'd marry such a pretty girl who is so my type, I know that she likes you very much." Sungyeol added, finally loosening himself as he laughed by himself, earning smiles from the others.

"True. Myungsoo might be my friend, but hyung's hyung, and Seul-ki is hyung's." Sungjong added, looking at Sunggyu dearly. Sunggyu looked around at the kids, who were smiling at him, and he felt a little strange, but nevertheless, happy.

"Why... I thought that if you kids knew I was married, you would laugh at me..." He began, looking down his hands on the table. "But you kids are not even surprised..."

"We sort of knew something was going on. Besides, Dongwoo -hyung once mentioned that you guys were married, and so I was thinking a lot about it, but we've just decided not to say a thing." Howon chuckled. "Well, except for Woohyun."

"Yeah, you guys are always leaving me out!" He complained, and shot a glare at Howon.

"You kids are all grown up." Sunggyu said, smiling to himself while looking down.

"Don't make it sound like we're your children, hyung." Sungyeol laughed.

"You're more like a grandpa."Dongwoo said, finally looking like himself, much to everyone's relief, and they all started laughing, including Sunggyu himself.

When they had stopped, Sunggyu looked at everyone. "Thank you." Woohyun slapped his back and made him coughed a little, but everyone laughed and joked about Sunggyu's lack of strength and how they pity Seul-ki for marrying him, but Sunggyu was only laughing.

"I guess I'll go and find Seul-ki now." He said, once the sound of laughter died down.

"Do you know where she might be at?" Woohyun asked, watching him getting up.

"I have a guess..." He replied, his face getting a little serious. "I could be wrong, but there's no other place she would really be at, at this moment. I'll just have to try."

"Go and catch your wife, hyung!" Woohyun said, loudly.

"Good luck, Gyu-hyung." Sungjong said, earnestly and everyone chimed in, and with a little more teasing, Dongwoo threw him the van's keys and Sunggyu smiled brightly, looking at everyone.

Myungsoo knew something was off when he picked her up at the hospital that morning. She was all dressed up and had packed up her belongings into her small backpack and she was sitting on her bed, looking towards the windows. He couldn't help but to pause his steps and savored the moment for a while. He couldn't really explain it, but whenever he sees Seul-ki from the back, she seems weak and fragile and it only made him wants to protect her and be by her side. It was probably why he was always letting her run ahead of him; he never thought she would run too far.

Then they spent the whole day just roaming around the city aimlessly. They visited the SM building in hope to see Changmin and Yunho coming out of it but they never did, and then they visited Coffee Cojjee to see if any of the trio would pay a visit but they weren't there as well. But they never entered the shop because she didn't have any money and the drinks were quite pricey for students like them. Although it was Seul-ki who gave the suggestions to visit these places, she was the least enthusiastic and she was just spacing out most of the time they were squatting somewhere. In the end, she stood up and left the cafe without a word with Myungsoo trailing her from behind.

"Aren't you hungry?" Myungsoo.

"Not really." Seul-ki.

"Well, I'm hungry."

"You're always are though." She said, looking over her shoulder and it was the first time she gave him a smile that day. "I think your stomach is comparable to Changmin's. You guys should marry a refrigerator." Her voice was a melodious tone as she entered the convenience store and it was the moment he received that call from Sunggyu.

"I hate Sunggyu-sshi."

And Myungsoo knew it was selfish and wrong, but he felt glad to hear it somehow. Though it didn't mean that he had overcome the guilt for being selfish the other day, he knew time was running out for him, and it was then or never.

"I want to see Eomma."

Myungsoo nodded and took her hand and silently, they walked to the nearest train station.

They said nothing after they had boarded the train. Seul-ki was sitting by the window, leaning her head against the glass; not actually looking at anything. Myungsoo was staring at her side profile, but she had her head turned completely away that he couldn't see her face at all. Nevertheless, he kept on watching her and the more he did, the more he felt the regret over his selfishness. He felt his heart broke when Seul-ki raised her hand secretly and wiped her face, knowing well that she was crying silently with her face still turned away. It felt a little lonely that she wouldn't even let him know she was crying.

Seul-ki didn't know why she started crying but she did, and it was hard to stop. She guessed it was because she was reminded of Sunggyu, and the moment she did, her chest was in pain and soon, everything about him came into her mind. And the quietness in the train wasn't helping as she thought about how he was holding her hand the night before, and his lips on hers, sending her off to sleep. Maybe she shouldn't be running away like this, she thought, but she also felt the fear to go back and not being able to control herself again like before. She thought she deserved that slap on her face, and that she was really a bad wife, and that made her cried even more. She closed her eyes and saw Sunggyu and Youngeun again and it almost made her sobbed. She opened her eyes again and watched the sky turning a darker blue and felt empty.

It was near dusk when they arrived at the cemetery after climbing up the hills and they were pulling out some weeds from the mound and she took a moment of just holding the little tomb over the mound silently. They said a little prayer after bowing and Myungsoo retreated behind her, watching her just sitting there, staring at the tomb without saying a single word. He felt the need to embrace her from behind at that moment