Jinah: ~Good morning. : ) Are we still on for the picnic this evening?~
                 Thunder read the text as he rubbed his eyes. Another night without Rhea at his side had passed. He felt the other side of the bed. And it was empty, like it had been for the past month. Yup, she was gone alright.

“I’m fine, right? I have Jinah now. The members and my busy schedule keep me on my toes,” he said to himself as he got up from his bed.

“I’m okay! Okay!” he proclaimed out loud and chucked as he stretched his arms and proceeded onto opening the curtains to let in some sunshine.

Cheondung: ~Yes we’re still on. Meet me in front of the café. : )~ See you later~ He replied to Jinah’s text.

                He met Jinah at his favorite café a few days ago when they got their orders got switched by accident. “What a better way to move on than to see other people,” Thunder thought that day when Jinah boldly asked him out on a picnic date. He liked her confidence and he wanted to get to know her. Hence, she entered his life.

                He slid his feet into his fuzzy black slippers and headed to the kitchen. He opened the fridge. Nothing but a few beer cans met his forlorn eyes. He opened his rice cooker, and nothing but the hot air greeted him. He craved some breakfast food. Not a hearty traditional Korean breakfast but those Western quick-fixes instead. Toast? Waffles? Pancakes? He chose toast. With only a loaf of bread in the pantry the other choices were out of reach.  Plus, it would be the easiest for a novice cook like himself.

                Just like one should, he prepared the two slices of bread and put them in the toaster. Minutes later, Thunder walked back into the kitchen. The charcoal pieces of toast spoke for themselves. Too long and too late. He sighed deeply with his arms on his waist like a fed up housewife who’d grown exhausted from endless cooking and cleaning. He left the toast alone for now. As he took a seat on one of the tall kitchen stools, he felt a buzz in his pocket.

Jinah: ~Hey. I’ll take care of all of the food. But bring some drinks. See you in a few hours.~

                He was relieved that all he would have to do is stop by the supermarket for some refreshments. Juice, soda, and the like. He went back to his bedroom to change his clothes. It was his day off & he had plans with a cool girl, so far so good.

                He took his time getting ready, hoping he’d impress Jinah. As he stopped by his dresser to pick up his watch, he noticed what looked like Rhea’s old perfume. He had given it to her as a part of her birthday present a year ago.  For some reason, it was still here. She didn’t take it with the rest of her stuff. He picked up the pricey gift and carelessly threw the half full glass bottle into the bathroom wastebasket. “Moving on…” he silently muttered to himself. Then he left the house, anticipating his first date with Jinah.

                They met in front of the café, as planned. Jinah looked casual but very appealing. Her long brunette hair was curled into flowing locks and she wore a blue blazer, which Thunder liked. She had a different aura than Rhea. Rhea was more of a mysterious and untouchable girl. Whereas, with Jinah, Thunder felt like he’d known her forever. She appeared so candid and welcoming; he might’ve instantly fallen for her.

                Side by side, they walked to the park. The crisp, flawless spring day was perfect for a picnic date, and the cherry blossoms were at their peak so they’d add a delightful romantic touch to the evening.

Not having been to the park in months, Thunder forgot that he’d have to go through an area he’d been avoiding for quite some time now. That dreadful neon sign that would bring back all the memories that were better off resting at the back of his head. And he was right. At the end of the busy street crowded with street vendors and little coffee and cake shops, there was that glowing street sign.

                That obnoxious thing physically marked their beginning and their end. He met Rhea when he bumped into her about two years ago after she came out of one of the shops. And a month ago, she’d chosen to meet him there to break his frail heart. He gradually snapped out of his trip to memory’s obscure cave and he reached for Jinah’s hand.  They were about to cross the street but the street light turned red and the white walking sign disappeared just as they reached the crosswalk.

                When one side of the road got the red light, the street corner perpendicular to them got green light. Therefore, people began to walk to their side from their left. Thunder turned at the sudden rush of people approaching the street and his gaze met those of a girl who awfully resembled Rhea. He felt his heart jump and he fixed his eyes on the girl, examining her every part to check whether it was his former lover or not. Just when he was finishing up his check, Jinah tugged on his shirt, signaling him that it’s green light and it was time to go their way to the park.

                He chuckles in his head. He tells himself how silly he is for forgetting the lovely girl at his side. Rhea doesn’t matter anymore, right? She hasn’t showed any sign of regret for breaking his heart or wanting to get back with him. But there was a girl who wanted to be in his life right at his side. Why were his feelings not behaving the way a logical person’s should? Well, when one is deeply in love, logic is the first to go out of their system, and irrationally is the first to check in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jinah: ~Hey Cheondung. I had a great time today. I’d like to meet up again sometime soon. Good night~

He smiled when he read the text. But he shut his phone, placed it on his bedside table, and closed his eyes.  He had a great time too, but..just not yet. Too fast. And too soon to be falling for another girl.

“Are you okay, Rhea-ssi?”

“Are you okay without me tonight?”

“Will I be okay like this, without you?”

He repeated these questions in his head, drowning in a sea of confused emotions until he finally fell asleep. He dreamt of Rhea that night, once again. As cliché as it sounds, he was a prisoner of his past love, even in his dreams.

A/N: So how was it? Any corrections, questions, suggestions? All input/comments/signs of interests are appreciated from the heart. <3 <3 Thank you for reading.

Seungho's "Celebrate" is next. : )