“Hyun Seung...?”

He lifted up his head slowly, meeting her cold yet obviously surprised eyes. It made him want to crumble away shamefully under that intense stare, but he braved himself for the truth.

He was going to find out what exactly had happened after he had left.

“Gyuri,” he spoke her name coolly, offering her a small smile. “How have you been?”

He noticed gaping open slightly, her face still resigning in shock at his sudden presence. He could see her swallowing hard as the usually poised and confident woman tried to find her voice again.

“W-what are you doing here? I didn’t know you had return...” her voice trailed off as she tried to register the image in front of her. It looked as if she had seen a ghost; if it wasn’t for the fact Hyun Seung was actually standing on the ground on his two feet instead of floating.

“I just came back last week. I didn’t tell anyone about my return though. So nobody was expecting anything,” he said pointedly.

His eyes travelled past her face and glanced over her shoulder for any sign of anyone else approaching.

“Can I come in?” he asked instead when she didn’t say anything else.

“No!” Her voice shook with much power that it startled him a little. He blinked his eyes a few times.

“Gyuri...I think we need to talk.”

Shaking her head, “No, there’s nothing to talk about. And you have to go now Hyun Seung. Before...”

“Before what?” he interrupted her, a little bit crossly. “Before Seung Yeon sees me? Why? Why can’t she see me Gyuri? What are you hiding from me?”

“Seung Yeon has suffered enough Hyun Seung!” she replied in a firm tone and shot him a glare. “She’s getting on fine with life. She doesn’t need you to come back and ruin things for her.”

“What happened, Gyuri?” He chose to ignore her warnings. “What happened to Seung Yeon? I saw her at the club a few days back and she doesn’t remember me.”

The elder girl pursed her lips and kept silent.

“She doesn’t remember me Gyuri,” Hyun Seung repeated his statement in a defeated voice. “How is that even possible?”

“Please Hyun Seung, you should leave now. Just let things remain the way they are now. It’s for the best.”

“Gyuri? Who is that? I need you up here for awhile!”

He could feel his heart aching painfully at the sound of her familiar voice; the voice which he had missed so much. He longed to hear her call out his name again. He yearns for every single thing about her.

“Go, Hyun Seung,” Gyuri said once again, this time in an almost pleading tone. “And don’t come back.”

“Checkmate.”

Her eyes widened in surprise as her lips turned into a full pout. She stared at the chess board in front of her in disbelief.

“Not fair,” she whined for the fifth time that evening. “You’ve been winning for the past four games!”

Hyun Seung chuckled softly as he gathered the game pieces back together. Seung Yeon slumped back against her seat with her two arms crossed in front of her chest. She turned her head towards the cafe glass windows and listened to the ‘thumping’ noises the rain made when the droplets hit against them.

Hyun Seung slid off his booth and scooted next to her quietly, with the chess board already hidden away from her sight. He leaned back against the cushy red seat and laid his head against Seung Yeon’s shoulder gently.

She didn’t make a move to push him away so he took it as a good sign.

“Angry?”

She shook her head slightly.

“Sad?”

Again, she denied.

Hyun Seung nudged her softly in the ribs with his elbow.

“Look at me.”

“Shireo.”

“Yeonnie...” he cooed out her name cutely, putting much aegyo that he could muster in that one name.

From the side, he could see her lips curving up into a pleasing smile, something which she was trying hard to resist. Hyun Seung grinned in satisfaction.

Of course she couldn’t stay mad at him for too long.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked her when she still wouldn’t turn to face him.

“Nothing...” she replied but her voice was sad and distant. Something was definitely bothering her.

Straightening himself up, he rested one arm across the back of her seat and leaned in closer to her. Placing his chin on her shoulder, he gazed out of the window just like her and was greeted back with their reflections on the glass panels.

Outside, they look just like any other couple out there. In love. Yet inside, their two hearts are battling with their own emotions; the thought of having to leave and the fear of being left behind.

“I love you,” he said in a voice above a whisper. “Don’t ever forget that.”

“We’re going to be okay Seung Yeon...I’ll make sure nothing changes between us.”