“NO”

Hakyeon pulled Eri by the collar to the kitchen. “This is my final word – NO. What do you think you’re doing?! Are you stupid?”

Eri shoved his hand away and pushed him to sit on a stool. He won’t think straight when he’s angry so the only way to make him agree to this is to calm Hakyeon down.

“Hakyeon-ah, just help me for once. Please? Eung?”

Hakyeon froze for ten seconds.  He was looking at Eri like he has never look at her properly.

“What? What’s wrong with you?” asked a bewildered Eri.

“Who are you?”

“What are you talking about?”

He began tearing up fake tears. “THREE YEARS!!! It has been three damn years Eri-yah!! That’s how you used to talk to me when you want my help!! Your aegyo just now – it’s – it’s – oh YANG ERI YOU’RE BACK!!”

He pulled her into a tight hug, wiping his non-existent tears away with his hand. Eri wanted to punch him in the face but since she needed his consent she held it back. Before she knows it, Hakyeon had release her and kindly offers her a seat in front of him.

“So what’s got into you? Don’t tell me it’s that guy” said Hakyeon.

“Will you help me or not?”

“Don’t change the subject! Do you know how long I’ve been dying to see the old you?!”

“Just help me this once Hakyeon”

“Once?” Hakyeon snorted. “If we were to count since the first day I met you at school until now, you should be thankful of me countless of times missy!”

“I know – I know. And I’m grateful for that but you gotta help me on this” pleaded Eri.

Realizing that the chance of Eri starting to turn into her old self because of Jaehwan, he needed to take this opportunity before it disappears right under his nose.

“Fine but what’s his deal? I need to know everything and by everything I REALLY DO MEAN EVERYTHING!”

And so Eri ended up spilling everything she knows about Jaehwan since that night until recently to Hakyeon. He has been with her all through difficult times. It’s just fair that he has the right to know if a stranger needs her help on something.

Eri was asking Hakyeon to give Jaehwan a job in the café while they figure out where he lives and if possible tries to regain his memories back. Hakyeon protested violently with the idea of Jaehwan staying with Eri temporarily and criticize her for not letting him stay with him instead. She made Hakyeon promise to never tell Jaehwan about his suicide attempt and filled him in with the lies she told Jaehwan so that he’ll be careful when he talks to him.

She went outside where Jaehwan was sitting anxiously on one of the chairs. Eri gave him the thumbs up resulting to a very ecstatic Jaehwan. He went inside to greet Hakyeon but the latter was doing the smug face so Eri had to step in and pull Jaehwan away from the cranky manager.

“Listen here kiddo, you will follow my orders as long as you work here and I do mean every single order that comes out from my mouth, no matter where, when and what you were doing at the time, do we get ourselves clear?”

“Ye – yes sir” replied Jaehwan timidly.

“Don’t bother calling him that. He’s just a year older than you” said Eri. She ignored Hakyeon’s dirty look and pushed Jaehwan into the kitchen.

“He doesn’t seem to like me” Jaehwan complained sadly.

“Ignore him, he’s always like that. Don’t worry about it too much. You two will get along together later on. Hakyeon is a really friendly guy”

“You two must be close”

“We’ve been friends since we were thirteen. He can be a bit of a pain in the sometimes but other times he’s just a really precious friend”

Jaehwan smiled slightly. The two spent a lot of time together the next few days with Eri teaching most things to do in the café to Jaehwan. Hakyeon would shot curious glances from afar when he’s done talking to hot female customers just to pinpoint on Jaehwan’s mistakes. But surprisingly Jaehwan was quite good in adapting. He would make sure that no customer leaves the café unsatisfied. Sometimes he would crack some jokes just to see if Hakyeon would react. He wouldn’t give in but Eri knows her best friend more than anyone else in the world. Hakyeon held his feelings back because he cares about Eri. He has been like a brother for her and no brother like a stranger to stand between their good relationships. She told him to just give Jaehwan a chance because of his unfortunate condition. Hakyeon began to take in Eri’s word. He approached Jaehwan one day when he sent Eri out to deal with a retailer.

“What are you doing?” Hakyeon asked.

Jaehwan who was busy wiping a table turned around. He looked at the dirty rag on his hand and then at Hakyeon.

“I’m – uh – cleaning”

“You think I can’t see that?” Hakyeon snapped at him. “I mean what do you think you’re doing with Eri?”

Jaehwan finally understood what he really meant.

“She just wants to help me. I’m sorry if I’m an inconvenience to you but I don’t have anyone to turn to anymore” Jaehwan said.

Hakyeon saw another version of Eri in front of him all of a sudden. His weak heart began to waver when old memories started to hit him.

“I understand. I’m sorry for being a jerk these few days. I’ll try and help you as well” said Hakyeon. He etched a smile to Jaehwan.

“Thank you so much” said Jaehwan, relieved. “Can I call you hyung? Hakyeon hyung?”

Hakyeon nodded. Jaehwan’s smile grew wider as he bowed with gratitude to Hakyeon.

“Great. Now that we’re friends, you should go back to work now” Hakyeon joked. He tapped Jaehwan on the back and told him that he’ll drive the two home today.

Eri came back half an hour later to find the two new friends chatting madly at the counter. It was her first time seeing Hakyeon laugh that loud after all these years. She began to feel guilt-ridden towards Hakyeon again. She has been the cause why Hakyeon hasn’t been that cheerful as usual. He tried so many times to get his best friend back – so many times just to be let down every single time. Without warning, a tear drops from her eyes. When Jaehwan noticed that Eri was standing outside, she quickly wipes her tears and blames it all on dust. She headed straight into the kitchen without letting anyone see her properly.

“Jaehwan-ah, can you help me put these on the board outside?” said Eri handing him a couple of pamphlets. “It’s for our new product”

“Sure”

When Jaehwan made his way towards the board, he noticed something. He asked Hakyeon who was nearby.

“Hyung, do you know whose flowers are these?” asked Jaehwan.

Hakyeon’s gaze found what Jaehwan was pointing at; a bouquet of fresh blue roses sitting elegantly on a small table just at a corner outside the café.

“Oh – that” Hakyeon responded. “Someone has been leaving that since last month every Wednesday. Just leave it there. I’ll throw it in the trash can later”

Jaehwan rummaged through the flowers but found no note whatsoever. It was send anonymously. He once waited on an early Wednesday morning in front of the café just to see who sent them. It was always a different guy. They told him that a man ordered a florist to send the café blue roses on a particular day. When he visited the florist one day, he was upset to hear that the florist had sworn to keep the identity of the sender a secret.

He didn’t exactly know why he was doing all these things just to know who the sender was. The fact that it could be delivered specially for Eri seemed to bother him slightly. It didn’t help that their friendship has been growing closer day by day and whenever he sees the flower, his stomach felt like acid reflux.

There was another thing that troubled him the most. This boyfriend of hers hasn’t been calling ever since that day when he told her that he was going to spend a long time abroad. He only knows about Taekwoon through Hakyeon who asked her about him one day.

“Eri-yah, enlighten me if I’m wrong but please let this happy rumor be true that you and Taekwoon broke up?”

“Where did you hear this?” said Eri completely annoyed.

“Someone called Hakyeon – I dunno – he seemed to be a reliable source and I hope he is – you know, since I haven’t been seeing him lately so I thought – I mean Hakyeon thought that you two are over now”

“I’m sorry to let you down but the source is as crappy as you are”

Hakyeon gave her his usual how-dare-you- dirty look.

“Taekwoon’s busy doing something in Taiwan. You won’t be seeing him for another two months”

“What does he do in real life actually?” asked Hakyeon carefully.

“You’ve always been so skeptical about him aren’t you? Just leave him alone will you?!” Eri demanded.

Jaehwan who was staying put at the counter bar looked as if he was watching a tennis competition.

“JUST LOOK AT HIM!! HE DOESN’T EVEN TALK! AND LOOK AT HOW HE DRESSES UP AND HOW HE TREATS PEOPLE AROUND HIM! WHAT IMPRESSION WILL YOU HAVE ON HIM?!” Hakyeon burst out.

“Why are you judging him just how he looks and acts like on the outside?! You don’t even know him!!!” shouted Eri.

“I don’t know him? And you think you know him well? He’s probably doing something illegal behind you!”

“STOP THAT!!! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SAYING!!”

“You know what – I think I can see how you two can click together seeing how you treat your last boyfriend years ago!!!”

It was a final strike. Eri slapped him with all her might. Hakyeon was too stunned to say anything else in defense. He appeared to be seriously mortified with what he has done. He tried saying something but the pain on his cheek was too much. Jaehwan decided to step in. He grabbed Eri’s wrist and pulled her forcefully out from the café. When they arrived at the park, Jaehwan told her to sit down on a bench and calm down.

“What was all that back there?” he asked cautiously. Eri was still red on her face.

She sighed; resting her head on his shoulder without prior notice. Jaehwan kept his composure though his insides were quavering like crazy.

“My entire life has been nothing but chaos” Eri started. “I just don’t know why I got here in the first place. Why me? What have I done?”

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t have any memories about my life so I’m not in the right place to say anything to you” said Jaehwan trying to brighten the mood a little.

Eri was scrutinizing Jaehwan’s face for any hint of sadness. He doesn’t seem to have it – yet. In some ways, the Jaehwan who tried to jump off a bridge that cold night has disappears.

“Why do you sound so carefree about it? Don’t you want to remember again?”

“Of course I do. I just think that despite all these bad things going on, I can’t do anything much but to have faith”

“On what?”

“That everything will work out on its own somehow – that it’ll be okay – that I’ll be okay one day” said Jaehwan, shrugged.

“You’re such an optimist” said Eri, smiling.

“And you should too. I don’t think Hakyeon hyung has any intention to hurt your feelings. He looks really sad back there”

“I know. It’s just that – what he just said really hurts”

“You mean about that Taekwoon guy?”

Eri shook her head slowly. “No – the other one”

“Your ex-boyfriend?”

She nodded.

“Mind telling me about it?” asked Jaehwan.

“I don’t want to bother you about my life. Besides, it’s your life that we need to concentrate from now on”

“I know getting back my memory is important but I still want to know everything about you. The only thing I can do for you is to keep you in my memories. Who knows if I lost my memory again one day?”

“Don’t say stuff like that”

“I won’t if you start telling” said Jaehwan.

Eri hasn’t been this comfortable talking with anyone for years. She was always quarrelling with Hakyeon and keeping him away from her was her main priority since what happened. Jaehwan was the first person who manages to persuade her in unfolding her past.

“I was seventeen…”

To be continued…