Why hasn't he called.. He has my number. Hyo-Jin tapped her finger on her desk. Changjo had been on her mind for some time and she had been so distracted that she had put salt in her coffee instead of sugar. Hyo-Jin rested her head on the table top and heaved a sigh. She felt someone nudge her and she looked up from the table top. It was Jinnee who was seated next to her. Hyo-Jin straightened up and looked at her.

"What's wrong? You don't look as normal as always. Guy problem? Work?" Jinnee surmised.

"Have I always been normal?" Hyo-Jin scoffed in teasing manner and continued, "Anyway its nothing. I'm just tired."

"It doesn't seem so." Jinnee said in a sing-song manner, turning away from Hyo-Jin.

Hyo-Jin widened her eyes and then laughed it off like it was nothing. She looked through the stack of paper on her desk and took one out. She wanted to occupy herself with work and soon enough, she was lost in the mountain of reports. 

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

Hyo-Jin stretched her neck to the left and right. It had been a tiring day indeed. She hadn't realised how much work she had gotten done. She kept burying herself in more work everytime she finished one. Hyo-Jin sighed and headed out of the police station, wearing a forest green sweater with black skinnies. She was wearing brown sandals. When she reached the bus stop, her phone rang and she picked it up. 

"Hello." Hyo-Jin said.

"Hi. Hyo-Jin its me Eunjung!"

"Oh, hi. Whats up?" Hyo-Jin asked.

"Shouldn't you say, 'Oh, hi eonnie. How are you'? That would have sounded more appropriate considering that I'm your senior." Eunjung mocked.

"Yeah, yeah. You're such a nag." Hyo-Jin cleared and copied Eunjung's greeting with a hint of sarcasm. "Hi eonnie! How are you? Its been so long!"

"Ahh. Thats more like it. Anyways I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. I asked AJ and Ki Woong too. But of course my husband will be present too." Eunjung said.

"Sure. I just knocked off work. Where are we meeting?" Hyo-Jin asked. 

Eunjung messaged her the meeting place and Hyo-Jin made her way there. As she sat by the window in the bus, her wandered off to Changjo. She wondered if he had also made plans for the night. She wondered who he might have been with and what he was doing at that moment. Hyo-Jin closed her eyes as she thought of how Changjo might have a lover already. It ached her heart to think so. She thought her feelings for him were long gone but it seems that she was still pining for him. She felt stupid to still desire his love when he would have moved on living his now perfect life. Hyo-Jin took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She looked at her phone to see if she had overlooked a message from him. Her shoulders fell to see that there was no such thing. 

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

Hyo-Jin got off from the bus at her stop and headed for the said restaurant. When she arrived, the others who Eunjung were expecting had already arrived. Hyo-Jin bowed to them and grinned before she settled down in her seat beside AJ. 

"I invited all of you guys to dinner today because..." Eunjung paused as she glanced at her husband, Kevin. "We wanted to announce that we're expecting a baby!"

All of us were clapping for them. I was taken aback but smiled afterwards saying my congratulations to them. 

"Its about time you guys had one. How long have you been married? One, two years?" I said.

"Three to be exact." Kevin said. 

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

Changjo picked up bottle of beer and emptied it put in his mouth. He drank in big gulps. He was alone in the crowded pub. He had always been alone. He was used to depending on himself throughout the years. Several girls had come up to him to hit on him. Changjo refused them and chased them away. Cheap girls. Changjo thought. He continued downing bottles after bottles of beer. 

-----------

The group of friends said their goodbyes to one another and started to leave the restaurant. AJ offered Hyo-Jin a ride on his motorcycle but Hyo-Jin kindly refused, claiming she wanted to take the bus. AJ did not insist and they parted ways. Hyo-Jin walked on the pavement, admiring the streetlights. Hyo-Jin did not feel like going home yet and decided to walk aimlessly, allowing her legs to bring her wherever they wanted. She breathed in the air and smelled hotdogs, sweat and perfume around her. 

As she neared the street where most pubs and bars were located, she turned to walk back in the direction she came. Hyo-Jin did not like to handle drunkards, especially those who end up in the police station. They just meant big trouble. Hyo-Jin's thoughts were abruptly disturbed when she was being shoved. She struggled to balance herself and turned her head swiftly to see the culprit. Her eyes widened in disbelief to see Changjo in a drunken stupor. Changjo was holding onto his head with hunched back. Hyo-Jin gathered herself and moved closer to him. 

"Changjo ah." Hyo-Jin said out. 

Changjo seemed to respond because he turned to Hyo-Jin's direction and his eyes were squinted as if trying to focus his vision. He smirked and continued walking, his body swaying. Hyo-Jin looked at him and frowned. She grabbed his arm and put it over her shoulder. She could not leave him alone in such a condition. She did not want to leave him. She helped him to the nearest bench and he leaned back.

"Why did you drink so much? Had too much fun?" Hyo-Jin mocked. 

Changjo fidgeted and he mumbled. Hyo-Jin moved closer to listen to him.

"Don't leave me. I think I love you." Changjo mumbled.

Hyo-Jin felt jealous listening to what he said. Who was this woman that he loved. Her heart sank thinking that it was most probably not her. She leaned back on the bench too. She looked at his face and smiled in admiration. This man still had the power to make her heart beat quickly. Hyo-Jin unconsciously touched his warm face. She remembered their first kiss despite knowing that it was all part of an act. She was angry to remember that he had made fun of her feelings but she also remembered that she had not genuinely loved him either. Hyo-Jin had let go of the past. All she cared about now was the present. She closed her eyes but opened it again when she felt another hand over hers. It was Changjo. His eyes were still closed but he was holding on to the hand she had on his face. 

"Hyo-Jin ah its all my fault that we can't be together. I hate this so much." Changjo muttered and began sobbing. His grip on her hand tightened.

Hyo-Jin was surprised and her heart beat even faster. Did he... love her? She tapped on his thigh with her free hand in an attempt to soothe him. The sobbing soon ceased and Changjo let go of her hand slowly. Hyo-Jin stared at him for a while before going over to flag for a cab. When she succeeded in hiring one, she ran over to Changjo to help him into the cab. He was heavier and taller than her but she managed to get him in. She told the driver to bring them to her place since she did not know where he lived. 

-----------

Both Changjo and Hyo-Jin hobbled to Hyo-Jin's apartment on the 10th floor. Hyo-Jin was now living alone in her own house. Her grandmother had gone back to Busan and her sister, Yubin got married. Hyo-Jin could not possibly stay in her sister's house with her husband. They would have no privacy. It did not matter much to Hyo-Jin to live alone since she had the means to buy an apartment. 

Hyo-Jin helped Changjo into her apartment and helped him down on a spare bed in her guest room. Hyo-Jin went into the kitchen to get a wet towel. She got back to him and wiped his flushed face. Hyo-Jin thought about what he said as she sat on the bed. She laid down on her side, beside him and rested her head on her forearm as she stared at his face again. She was overwhelmed by fatigue and closed her eyes.