“Tell me what’s going on Key, I need to know. I can’t have you lying to me, please.”

The moment Woohyun had seen Kibum, he had ambushed him. He didn’t even return the smile or the hug. Kibum was probably a little hurt but Woohyun didn’t have time to be nice and sweet to his best friend when he had been lying to him all this time. Hoya had moved away, giving the two privacy.

“Look Woohyunnie -”

“Key! I really don’t want to do this anymore. I have travelled to 5 cities in the last week, chasing the man I love. I really can’t afford to do this anymore. Please.”

Woohyun’s voice was choked; he stopped talking, knowing he would outwardly break down any minute now. His heart was swimming with emotions he couldn’t control; he felt as if he was sinking.

They owe me the truth.

“What do you want to know?” Kibum asked listlessly.

He looked weary and he had dark circles under his eyes but Woohyun didn’t want to spare him because he himself had been in worse condition. He recalled all the nights he couldn’t sleep even if his eyes hurt.

“For starters,” he said sternly. “How did you know Sunggyu’s in LA and don’t you dare give me that contact crap.”

Kibum flinched visibly, but Woohyun felt no pity for him, at least not now. He knew though that he would regret his outbiurst later but for now he had adopted a savageness that was alien to him.

“Why I know Sunggyu’s in LA? Because Sunggyu told me so himself.”

Tilting his head to one side, Woohyun surveyed his friend for any sign of lies. It seemed absurd that of all the people, Sunggyu would contact Kibum to confide in him his destination, knowing that he could very well pass on the information to Woohyun.

This is insane!

“You want me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth. He called me up, told me you were in London and that he was leaving for LA.”

Why would he do that?

As if sensing the question inside Woohyun’s mind, Kibum shook his head and replied, “Woo, I have been arranging his travels all along. I fixed his ticket for Shanghai, then to Paris, then to London – I am his travel agent. How else do you think he moved so quickly from place to place? I do have contacts, but they didn’t have to tip me off because I used them to get him tickets whenever you were nearby.”

The silence stretched into minutes as they stood there, looking at each other. Even their breaths were hushed and the distant buzz of the airport had disappeared.

Woohyun’s insides were churning like a choppy sea. Kibum’s voice crashed upon him like waves, dragging him into the ocean and drowning him and all he could do was struggle. A great serpent was coiling around his throat, choking his voice and breath.

He could only stare at his best friend.

He betrayed me.

How could he?

Why would he?

“He told me to keep his destinations secret. But I started feeling guilty when I thought about you, roaming the streets of Tokyo, looking for him when he was in Shanghai. So I – I phoned you.”

As his legs lurched unsteadily, he walked to the rows of chairs on their right and sat down. At that moment, he felt he would never be able to speak again; his lips were sealed eternally. He felt so deceived, so foolish that he didn’t want to talk anymore, or interact with the world.

I’ll be fine…

After several minutes, Kibum came to seat beside him. A moment later, he was holding out a long white envelope in front of him.

“Your mail. I visited your house and collected the mail; I think you should see this one.”

Taking the envelope, Woohyun frowned. It was addressed to him and the sender was a name and address in Tokyo he was vaguely familiar with.

What’s going on?

“Kim Myungsoo?”

He remembered the dimly lit bar, the handsome man with the sallow face and eye bags.  

“How did he know my address?”

Kibum sighed.

“He knows Sunggyu’s address so…”

“Wait a minute,” Woohyun looked at Kibum with confused eyes. He was too busy pondering about the mystery to notice that he was talking with Kibum again, even though he had thought he’d never be able to meet his best friend’s eyes anymore. “Myungsoo knows Sunggyu?”

Instead of replying, Kibum nodded at the envelope.

Kibum knows everything, and I don’t.

Feeling trepidation, Woohyun tore open the top of the envelope. He was wary of the letter; one letter had changed his life – he wasn’t sure what this would bring. He was seriously confused about how Myungsoo could know Sunggyu.

The letter was written in Korean, and it seemed from the handwriting that it was written hastily. Woohyun started to read:

Woohyun hyung,

I was too disturbed and drunk the night we met, that’s why your name didn’t ring any bell then. But after I was clear-headed in the afternoon, I realised who you actually are. I was familiar with your name, but not too familiar.

We never met before, excluding the bar incident of course, but I think you have the right to know.

I’m not doing this because I want revenge…I just want you to know.

I have enclosed the picture that will help to explain things. I have a copy of it in a frame on my bedside table. You’d probably ask why I keep the picture of the one who betrayed me there – it’s because this picture reminds me of the happiest time of my life.

Take care.

Myungsoo.

The letter didn’t explain anything – it only seemed to complicate matters. Impatient, Woohyun inserted his fingers into the envelope and dragged out the picture.

He had indeed seen this picture on Myungsoo’s bedside table, but there he had seen the face of Myungsoo only. He had also seen it at Sungyeol’s house. However, this one was slightly different.

On the other end from a smiling Myungsoo, sat a thoughtful looking Sungjong; whether it was a pose or he was in a brooding mood, he couldn’t tell. The person sitting in the middle, with each of his arm wrapped around Myungsoo and Sungjong was however, not Sungyeol.

What the…