“Hello Damon!”

Suzy smiled as she petted the dog who welcomed her. She carried Damon in her arms and she giggled as the dog kissed her cheeks. She then switched on the lights to find her apartment clean and organized. She smiled bitterly as she closed the door behind her, dropped her bag in the sofa before plopping herself onto it.

“I told him to leave the mess behind,” she whispered to herself.

She then found herself switching the channels of the TV, brushing Damon’s hair, and feeding on the chips she got from her refrigerator. She had already come late from work but sleep was elusive to her. She was desperately trying to keep herself busy, trying to keep her mind away from thinking that she was lonely. But then she would realize that her mind was nowhere but with the thoughts of Myungsoo. In a perfect world, she would have been beside him, sharing the same warmth, under the same blanket covers, with their fingers tangled together and his breathing would do well to sing her a lullaby. But she has to suffer life’s imperfections. She sighed as she cursed the circumstances.

Just then, her phone started ringing and her lips slowly tugged into a smile as she saw the caller ID. She fiddled with the ears of the sleeping dog on her lap as she answered,

“Hello, Soo.”

“Hello, Su,” he greeted. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing,” she mumbled. “Waiting for sleep to come and visit. How about you?”

“In front of my laptop, reviewing the company’s sales,” he answered. “Did you find a new model yet?”

“We did,” Suzy answered. “We’re going to shoot on the other day. He has to show up or else we’re screwed.”

“Then, I’ll be your substitute model,” he joked. “I bet I’ll look good.”

“You can’t be,” Suzy whined. “I know you know that you’re handsome but you can’t commit to be our model. You’re already extremely busy now. You even take home your work.”

“I have to work hard,” he whispered after a few seconds of silence. “Maybe if the company is stable enough, my parents will give us a chance.”

Silence surrounded both of them and Suzy listened to his breaths over the phone and she felt that sleep was slowly taking a toll on her.

“I miss you, Su,” he suddenly whispered.

“That’s taboo, Soo,” she said as she lay down on her couch and closed her eyes.

They have agreed to never say those words unless they have met up again, because saying those would just intensify the feelings of loneliness and sadness of being apart.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh. “I can’t help it.”

When Myungsoo didn’t get any answer, he chuckled as he said, “Yah. Did you sleep already?”

She yawned as a reply and mumbled, “Don’t hang up yet.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed. “I’ll wait for you to sleep.”

A comfortable silence filled both of the lines and when Myungsoo was about to ask her again if she had already slept, he heard her spoke.

“Myungsoo?”

“Neh?” he asked with a small smile playing on his lips.

Suzy smiled as sleep slowly consumed her and she whispered, “I love you.”

Myungsoo’s grin went wider as he contentedly sighed and replied, “I love you too, Suzy.”

She then went to dream land and she realized that perhaps, she just wanted a reassurance that she could go to sleep peacefully and wake up tomorrow morning, still basking in Myungsoo’s love.

Soojung was already done with her shower minutes ago, but as she heard Myungsoo talk on the phone, she found herself hiding behind the door, pressing her ear on it to listen to their conversation. Sometimes, she found Myungsoo’s lovely voice comforting, even if all these years, she knew that all his sweet words were never for her. As she closed her eyes, she remembered how everything came up to the point where she had to be the desperate wife.

Soojung first met Myungsoo when she was thirteen and he was sixteen. In a social gathering for the elites, he was garnering attention because his parents continued to brag about how he graduated middle school with the highest honors and passed the entrance exam of the most prestige high school with flying colors. Their parents introduced them with each other and Soojung still remembers how stunning he looked even with a forced smile on his face. She knew that she was not memorable to Myungsoo, because she was just like every spoiled child in that hall, but he to her, had a special effect.  Since then, she had been crushing on him and she would secretly steal glances in every social gathering that they would both attend. It was just a little and simple crush and nothing serious, until that night when she turned sixteen and Myungsoo, who was nineteen at that time, attended her birthday party.

She was sitting at a bench in their garden as she slowly took off her shoes and saw the blisters they have created. She was wearing heels and standing and walking for too long that they have already caused pain. She was wincing in pain as she tried to relax her feet when she felt that a shadow had blocked the light path. She turned to find the man that she had never spoken with.

“Are you the birthday girl?” Myungsoo asked as his height towered over hers.

She smiled not just because her crush was the one who initiated the conversation but also because she had confirmed that Myungsoo has no memory of her. Slowly, she nodded.

“I’m Kim Myungsoo,” he introduced himself before adding, “I’m sorry I came empty handed.”

He whispered the last part as he scratched the back of his neck and Soojung giggled, finding his mannerisms adorable.

“It’s okay,” she said. “It looks like your parents have forced you to attend a party again.”

He hummed but he did not give a hint whether he was affirming or denying it. Instead he took out something from his pocket and gave it to her. Soojung raised her gaze only to find him handing out a small box of plasters.

“But coincidentally, I brought something with me that you need right now,” he said with a small smile.

Soojung cannot explain how Myungsoo had a stronger effect in her in that moment, making her heart beat a thousand ti