“So, going anywhere tonight?” A slow smirk crossed his handsome features as I rolled my eyes at him, ing an empty tray in his hands.

“Get over yourself, Hyunseung,” I scoffed as I tossed the dirty dish rag over my shoulder, “table three needs a refill of coffee.”

“Why don’t you do it then?” he returned my scoff as he tossed the empty tray down behind the counter, picking up the coffee pot. “If you ask me, girlfriend, you really need to—“

“Yeah, but did I ever ask you, Hyunseung?” I rolled my eyes at him yet again—an action that I do often, especially around someone like him.

“Even then,” he continued to grin as he walked around me like a fly that refuses to go away, “honey, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?”

“There is nothing wrong with me,” I glared at him, pointing to the table that needed assistance. “Table three. Now.”

“Aye, aye, el manager,” he grinned cheekily, slowly starting to turn, “but you know, if you would just—“

“Hyunseung!” I exclaimed, pointing at the table, “go!”

“Fine, fine, fine,” he put up his hands in defeat, “but we’re still not done—“ I glared at him once again, causing him to shut up and do his job. With a sigh, I walked behind the counter and sat down in the cashier’s stool, watching the people inside the diner enjoying their late night meals. I stifled a yawn—it was nearly midnight, but this late night diner in particular refused to close until 2AM. Rubbing my eyes sleepily, I watched the clock above the doors ticking away each second of my life, taking away another breath from her. I watched as the minute hand moved each minute, as the hour hand moved each hour, as my eyes began to drop heavily with each passing moment. It was only when the small little bell above the door rang that I shot up, straightening my frizzled hair and plastering a bright smile, as if I was happy to be working at a minimum wage job.

“Hi, welcome to—oh,” I started to say in my bright, chipper, happy camper voice, dropping it down about fifteen notches as soon as I realized who had walked in door. “It’s you guys.”

“We appreciate the enthusiasm, Sis,” Kikwang grinned cheerfully as he walked in, his arm thrown over Jaemin, as usual. “Could we get a table for four?” I raised an eyebrow at him, suspicious as to what my younger brother was up to on that late Friday night.

“Last time I checked,” I replied, grabbing four menus off of the counter, “there’s only two of you.”

“Oh, we’re waiting on Songyi and her new man,” Jaemin grinned, just as cheerfully as her boyfriend did. “I heard he’s totally cute!” I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her, attempting to maintain the professional image that got me the manager position in the first place.

“Booth or table?” I asked them monotonously, ignoring Jaemin’s attempt to get me to squeal as if I cared.

“Booth,” Kikwang grinned naughtily at Jaemin, causing a giggle to escape from her lips. The urge to roll my eyes was overwhelming me this time as I nearly slammed the grease covered menus down on the table.

“Hyunseung will be your server for tonight,” I managed to speak, “so let him know when you’re ready.” I began to turn myself away from the happy couple—I burned in such jealousy whenever I saw my brother look at his girlfriend, especially knowing that I will never be looked at like that the same way again.

And that I will never be looked at like that by the same pair of eyes again.

“Wait, Taeyoung!” I heard Kikwang call me back as I froze in my place, not sure whether to turn my brother. “Taeyoung,” his voice softened as I continued to stay frozen, not letting my guard down for a second. “Are you okay?” I rolled my hands up into a ball, turning my knuckles white as I forced my professional smile on my face once again, turning around slowly.

“Of course,” I smiled, “why wouldn’t I be?” He glanced down at the discoloration of my knuckles, then back up at my incredibly forced smile. If he knew that my eyes were screaming in pain, that my heart was burning in jealousy, that my mind longed to be part of the past again, he didn’t let on. He looked at me for a long moment, not saying a word nor making a sound.

“Would you like to come out with us tonight? After your shift?” Jaemin cut in, asking me with such hopeful eyes, it almost hurt me to turn her down.

“I work until closing tonight,” I replied, not breaking my brother’s gaze. “Sorry.”

“Taeyoung, you never hang out with us anymore,” Jaemin spoke softly, reaching out for my hand. I flinched slightly as she touched my roughness with the smooth texture of her hands, ones that have most likely never seen a hard day’s work. “Not ever since…”

“Don’t say it,” I whispered, breaking the eye contact as I glanced down at her, squeezing her hand slightly, “please don’t say it.”

“Say what, Taeyoung?” I heard Kikwang scoff from across the table, “say that you’ve become a completely different person ever since Doojoon died?” The blood that had been previously flowing through my veins came to a screeching halt as it froze into red icicles, filling my body with a coldness that I have only felt once before. I slowly raised my eyes to meet that of my brother’s, who now stood towering over me. “Taeyoung, what are you doing to yourself?” he demanded, his heart pounding in his chest at the sight of his deteriorating sister. “He’s dead, Taeyoung! Stop moping around like he’s going to come back!”

“We’re here!” Songyi’s high pitched voice echoed through the restaurant as she approached the booth, stopping in her tracks the moment she saw the look on Kikwang’s face.

“Don’t say it,” I whispered dangerously, my eyes sending more than death rays at my younger brother, “don’t say it.”

“Say what, Taeyoung?” his gaze equaled mine in peril, “say that you need to move on because Doojoon is dead?”

“Lee Kikwang,” I spoke, never raising my voice above a whisper, “you sit down and you don’t say another word about…”

“About?” A cynical smirk crawled across his face as I rolled up my fists into balls again, the blood in my hands disappearing quickly.

“Kikwang,” Jaemin whispered, standing up and grabbing her boyfriend’s arm, “sit down, you’re causing a scene.” But without a second glance at her, he shook her off, his eyes focused on me and only me.

“Well, Taeyoung?” he spoke, “what, you can’t even say your own dead boyfriend’s name?”

“Kikwang, I will ask you one more time,” I continued to speak in a low voice. “Sit down and behave.”

“I am not a ing twelve year old, Taeyoung,” he replied, lowering his voice, his face a mere two inches from mine, “so maybe you should take a good look at yourself and figure out who’s the one that really needs to behave.”

“What’s going on here?” A male voice cut in between the thick tension that surrounded my brother and me. The two of us didn’t move as we continued to glare at each other, neither of us backing down or giving up. “Hey, what’s going on here?” the familiar yet strange voice asked Songyi, who only shrugged in response.

“We just got here,” she replied in a loud whisper, “we have no idea what’s going on.” She paused for a moment and looked over at the new person on the scene, suddenly realizing that she’s never seen him before. “Who are you, anyways?” But he ignored her and walked up to the bickering siblings once again.

“Hey, buddy, give her some space,” he pulled me gently away from Kikwang, wedging himself in between us two. “Don’t you know it’s polite to stand at least a few feet away from an unattached woman?”

“Who the hell are you?” Kikwang exclaimed, shaken by the tension we had shared. “Mind your own business” A smirk crossed the stranger’s face as I stared at him dumbly, feeling his familiarity but unable to put my finger on it.

“I’m your worst nightmare, kid.”