Woohyun stared at the initials as his heart sped up. The design was associated with a fond memory dated back to the time he had just started dating Sunggyu. He could picture it clearly though, like it had happened only yesterday.

“Remind me again why we’re going to a sewing class?” Sunggyu asked exasperatedly.

“It’s a sewing club where they’re going to teach sewing. Don’t you want to pick up a new talent?” Woohyun said excitedly.

The sewing club actually belonged to Kibum and he had promised him he would show up. He made Sunggyu accompany him because he thought it was a wonderful opportunity for his boyfriend and best friend to get closer.

“Sewing’s not my idea of a talent,” Sunggyu mumbled.

“Come on Gyu.” Woohyun s his hand around his arm. “This will be fun!”

Unfortunately though, while he had spent the couple of hours sewing Sunggyu’s initials into a plain white handkerchief, his boyfriend had best friend had been glowering at each other, making no conversation and putting up no pretenses that they were graced by each other’s presence.

He brushed his thumb over the stitches – he himself had made those stitches, putting his heart into it. He had weaved in all his love and he had thought that it was fitting because he was making it for the man he loved – Sunggyu.

But as the memory started to dissipate, his mind was prodded by one important question.

Sunggyu had this on him the last time I checked – what is it doing here?

His heart started to thump wildly as he looked around him, hoping to spot a familiar pair of eyes. But in the crowd, it was impossible to detect one person. He quickly showed it to the woman at the counter.

“Please, do you know who left this?” He tried to look as sincere and polite as possible, hoping to get some answers from her. She took one reluctant look at the handkerchief.

“Yes,” she snapped. “Of course I know, people keep leaving their things at my desk, they think this is a trash can, of course I remember them. I wish I could throw these out, I wish we didn’t had this lost and found policy – this office -”

Woohyun stopped her before she could start railing against the office. As much as he had got to know her, she liked to criticize everything and once she begun, she didn’t stop on her own.

“He’s a man with small eyes right?”

“Tiny eyes, that man…he probably didn’t even see he left it…”

Woohyun tried not to snap at her for the insult.

“Could you please tell me why he was here Mademoiselle? I’m asking since you’re so sharp, I mean you remember everyone and that’s not something a lot of people can do,” Woohyun softened his voice and smiled at her courteously, winking. Her nose twitched slightly as she observed him coldly but he could tell the flattery had worked its magic. Slightly.

“And why will I tell you?”

“He’s a friend. I know his name, Kim Sunggyu, isn’t it? Was he here for a ticket to Seoul? Or maybe Tokyo?”

The woman scrutinized him for a minute, apparently trying to discern if he could be trusted. When he smirked at her flirtatiously again, she unclasped her lips. Finally, she broke eye contact with him motioned him to come forward with a finger. He leaned in and she said, conspiratorially, “How bad do you need this information?”

Woohyun looked around – there were no officials nearby. He placed his wallet on the table.

“Very badly,” he whispered back. She eyed his wallet for some time before cracking a smile.

Extracting a few notes from his wallet, she said, “He came to change his ticket. Ten minutes before you actually. To confirm his booking for London. The flight leaves in 5 hours.”

Even though he was shocked, he didn’t show it front of the woman. But his head was whirling as he pondered the big question.

London? But…why?

As far as he could remember, Sunggyu had no relatives in London. He didn’t have any friends either, so it didn’t make sense why he would abruptly change his destination. He had no idea that Woohyun was still following him; he could simply go back to Tokyo and live without Woohyun ever finding out.

This is weird…is he seeing someone in London?

“Is that all?” The woman’s voice was sharp again and he now saw that a small queue had been formed behind him. He retrieved his passport from his pocket.

“I would like you to change my ticket to London too.”

The woman looked at him quizzically.

“I want to surprise my friend.” He smiled again. Huffing, the woman started to work on her computer.

“The next open flight is day after tomorrow,” she announced, reaching out for his passport.

Woohyun clicked his tongue impatiently.

“Isn’t there a quicker flight? This is important!”

The woman glared at him.

“I’ll put you on the waiting list for tomorrow. We’ll call you if something opens up.”

Woohyun couldn’t argue. The truth was, there was nothing he could do. But that didn’t mean he would give up on Sunggyu – he would see the bottom of this. He was only worried about locating Sunggyu in London – the search at Paris had proved futile even when he had a native accomplice. In London, he didn’t know anyone.

Neither does Sunggyu. Or does he?

The thought had been bothering him for a while now – at first he had thought Sunggyu was running away from him but now that he was flying to a city for no apparent reason, it pointed to something more suspicious.

He can’t be having an affair.

The idea chilled his marrow. He shook his head in denial and instead turned his attention to his next course of action. If he were lucky, he would be able to board the plane tomorrow. If not, then the day after tomorrow. For now, he would have to go back to the hotel and pack everything. He decided not to call Kibum until after he reached London. He would send him an email, explaining that he was doing fine and he would call him in two days. That would slightly abate his anger and worry.

But what do I do about Sungyeol?

Sungyeol would probably come to meet him at the hotel if he didn’t find him at his place. He couldn’t possibly behave normally with him, knowing what he did, and he didn’t want to talk about what had happened, confront his friend. Because Sungyeol was his friend and he had helped him out in the past few days.

But he couldn’t simply forgive him, knowing he had destroyed two lives, erased love from two people who were madly in love with each other. He thought about Sungjong again, wincing as he imagines his unsettled face.

How did he ever manage to persuade Sungjong?

Could he have actually forced himself on him?

As he caught a taxi to the hotel, he kept thinking about how Sungyeol had gotten Sungjong to do something like that – or maybe, it was all a misunderstanding. Either way, the truth was, Sungjong and Myungsoo were hurting alone. And so was Sungyeol because the pleasure of revenge couldn’t outweigh the pang of unrequited love.

Their lives are so messed up.

Finally, when he was entering his hotel room, he came to the conclusion that he would have to meet Sungyeol, at least to thank him for what he had done for him, but he wouldn’t say anything about the picture or what he knew.

What’s the point of bringing up the past anyway? It’s done.

His heart still ached for Sungjong, recalling how lost he had looked with his sunken eyes and hollowed face. And yet, the ethereal glow hung over his face - a sad beauty. And if what he thought about the relationship between Youngjae and Sungjong was true, then the young man was sinking deeper into the abyss of helplessness every day.

Sunggyu, I have to rescue Sungjong. And for that, I need to find you.

“This is not only about us anymore,” he murmured to himself, hoping Sunggyu would hear him somehow.

Sometimes, he liked to think that he and Sunggyu had a special connection, that his voice could reach him across valleys and voids. He knew it was childish, but he liked to think that way. As he changed into fresh clothes for dinner, he hoped that now, of all times, Sunggyu could hear him.

Sunggyu, I love you.