Knock, knock.

"Annyeong hasseyo."

"Annyeong hasseyo. Oh, it's you, Jongin-ah. Come in."

Jongin stepped his feet into the Drama room.

"I am not bothering you, right, Yifan-songsaengnim?"

Yifan smiled.

"Nope. I am not busy. I am just restacking my drama script. And for your information, you can drop 'songsaengnim' anyway. Call me 'hyung', as I told you like a thousand times already."

Jongin grinned. He always forgot it when he met Yifan at school. Yifan was his Drama teacher at his high school, but he had known him long before. He had been teaching Jongin English when Jongin was in Junior School. Yifan was a transfer student from China but he once lived in Canada for ten years. He stayed in Korea for a scholarship that Drama College in Seoul University offered. Jongin never had too much knack for language ability. He always had hard time to learn new vocabularies and grammar and how to perform conversation in English. However, Yifan was a great teacher. Jongin's English level was turning into acceptable. He could handle a conversation in pretty sufficient English. Now even though Yifan had graduated from Drama College and become his teacher in high school, he was still Jongin's tutor every Tuesday and Thursday night.

Yifan was close to Jongin. He was kind-hearted and a good listener. He was ten years older than him yet it was like talking to a friend when Jongin talked to Yifan. Jongin could say anything to him, Yifan was attentive and his advice was always positive for Jongin. They shared many similar things: the same favorite football team, the same game choice, the same favorite idols, etc. On instance, Yifan was like an older brother Jongin never had.

"So, what's up? How's the dark chocolate? It's still sweet right? Albeit given under the falling tears?"

"What?"

"The Valentine chocolate? From Yoona-sunbae ....?"

Jongin's dark complexion turned deep red.

"Hyung! How did you know that?!"

"Well, someone came here in recess today and told me that you rejected Sunbae's confession two days ago. He said that Yoona looked really gloomy today and he was feeling like strangling you to death for declining her request to be your girlfriend. Would that summarize where my information came from?"

"Sehun ...."

Jongin muttered curses to his bloody bestfriend under his breath.

"Oh, this is really embarrassing." Jongin groaned.

"Relax, Jongin. He was just frustrated at you. But he is your bestfriend. He might be wanting to chop you into bits for knowing that his crush has a liking to you. He would surely feed your remaining to the fish in the sea that you rejected her as well. However, as a buddy, he will support you anyway, even though he is probably thinking of a thousand ways to kill you anonymously."

Jongin pouted, still having this redness on his cheeks. Yifan chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"So, why did you reject her?"

Jongin's mouth was close. He shrugged.

"I don't know, Hyung. I am not attracted to her. Well, yes, she is really beautiful. She undoubtedly is the most beautiful girl in this school --"

"Which makes Sehun's frustration very reasonable ...."

"Yeah, but I have no spark in my heart upon seeing her. No weird feeling in my stomach, no racing heartbeat, nothing, I don't know. I don't want to give her false hope, false love. I'd better reject her at once, it will be better for her than having me pretending to love her."

Yifan made a funny expression when looking at him.

"What, Hyung?"

"Nothing. I just had the feeling that I have heard that line before. Like one of Shakespeare's quotes. It is just strange. You are just fifteen years old yet you act like you are this gramps who has had many experience in love. I don't want to give her false hope, false love. I'd better reject her at once, it will be better for her than having me pretending to love her. That's epic, you know!"

"Come on, Hyung! That's not funny!"

"Really? Which turn was Yoona's when you rejected her? Was she the first, the tenth, the hundredth, the umptenth?"

"Hyung! Stop it!"

Jongin pouted, making Yifan laugh heartily. Jongin rolled his eyes and moved from his seat. He walked over the room and was astonished with all the books which seemed like put absent-mindedly. His gaze fell to a big bag on the floor where some of the books had been shoved into. Yifan was not this messy person. He always took everything neatly. Seeing this place like a wrecked ship made Jongin felt wrong.

"What did you say you were doing again, Hyung?"

The question stopped Yifan's laughter.

"Why are you putting all these books in chaos? You don't seem like you are stacking them ...."

"Umm ..., Jongin ...."

"Why are you stacking these scripts? Why are you putting some of the books inside the bag? Are you gonna throw it?"

"No ..., I ...."

Jongin examined Yifan's desk. Many things had been missing from its surface.

"Where are your stuffs? You lose your pictures, the craft that students made for you, that souvenir from our last school picnic? Where are those? Why is it squeaky clean here ...."

He clamped his mouth. Understanding crept on Jongin's face. Horror was there.

"You are leaving!"

Yifan looked at him with unreadable expression.

"You are leaving the school, are you? You are leaving us, you are leaving me!"

Yifan sighed. He walked to Jongin who was frozen on his spot. He grabbed Jongin's shoulder and dragged him to his seat, sitting him there. Yifan seated himself on the table in front of Jongin before he opened his mouth to speak.

"I didn't mean to reveal it so soon, but yes, I am leaving, Jongin."

"Why, Hyung? Why? You don't like being here again? Did I do something wrong that you have to leave?"

Yifan chuckled humorlessly.

"Who says it is about you? The world doesn't center around you, Jongin. Stop being that big-headed jock."

Yifan sighed.

"I was accepted in a stage in New York. I sent an application to a theatre there alongside my audition tape. The director of the show was really interested in me and they offered me to star as their male lead in their new play. The director himself even flew here and met me personally. He auditioned me and I performed in front of him. I made it! I made it, Jongin! Then he asked me to move there, so I can be close with the production team and the rehearsals. Everything was prepared already. I shall be leaving by next month."

Every word coming from Yifan made Jongin's heart fall. He lowered his gaze to the floor.

"I am really happy for you, Hyung. This is your dream. It finally came true. But at the same time, I can't deny that I don't want you to go."

"...."

"So, a month huh? In one month I won't see my Hyung anymore, for I don't know how long ...."

"Oh, Jongin ...." Yifan pulled Jongin in a hug, he could feel Jongin trembling in his hug, "I know it is hard for you. It is hard for me too. I am sorry, Jongin. I don't want to leave Korea. I don't want to leave you and everyone else here. But as you said, this is my dream. This is the dream I always dream since I was little. I finally get the chance to live in my dream and there's nothing I can do but doing it."

"Why is everyone leaving me? First, that guy. The second, Joonmyeon-hyung. Now, it is you. Who else will be leaving me later?"

Yifan broke the hug and clutched Jongin's forearem.

"Hey, no one is leaving you. We don't go like we don't want to see you anymore. We go for we have to do something in our life. You will do the same eventually. It is not like we are bidding farewell for ever. I will come to Korea as many time as I can, as much as my budget allows me. We still have this Twitter, email, Kakaotalk, we can communicate anytime. So please don't say something like that. It is bad for me to leave and I need you to encourage me, to strengthen my emotion, my heart."

Jongin sighed.

"You are right, Hyung. I will be selfish if I stop you from chasing your dream. I still feel really sad though. I'll be missing you and your English session so much. I'll be missing you with  all your stupid quotes from your drama ...."

Yifan jabbed Jongin's arm slowly.

"And I'll be missing you for your lame, girly punch like this."

Yifan shoved him hard. Jongin laughed, half happy and half broken-hearted.

"Alright, you clearly want me to go. But I am not going to leave without impression. Let us spend this one month together. You can invite Sehun all along. Three of us will venture together. We need to do all the things we need to do before my departure. After that, promise that you all will have no hard feelings. Smile later. I want no tears when I leave."

(#\/#)   (#\/#)   (#\/#)

So that was it, Jongin and Yifan spent the rest of Yifan's time in Seoul together. Sehun, who tagged along, had the same reaction as Jongin's when he first knew that Yifan would leave, if not harsher. He was sullen for a week before finally giving up and joining the remaining-time-to-do-list of Jongin and Yifan.

The night before Yifan's departure, Yifan, Jongin's family, and Sehun had dinner together. Yifan was long considered a family member by Jongin's family and Sehun was just Jongin's unsimilar twin. It was a very memorable moment, the atmosphere kept changing between happy and sad, to happy, sad, sad, happy, happy, sad, and happy-sad. Everyone was sad for Yifan's leaving, but they were happy to see him chasing his dream.

Jongin was mostly quiet, but he kept his smile all the time. He was very sad that his hyung would leave and still couldn't believe he would be off the next day. However, he didn't want to make Yifan felt bad.

He put his best expression when he accompanied him to the airport.

"Thank you, everyone, for being such very nice people to me. Thank you so much for having me around and bother you with all my presence. Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, for your love and support while I am here."

"Don't say those words, Yifan! As far as I know, you are Jongin's brother already! All these four years together, you have given us many things. You give us happiness." Jongin's mother hugged Yifan very tightly.

"Thank you for making Jongin pretty much honed in his English. Thank you for being such wonderful big brother for Jongin. We will really miss you, Yifan." Jongin's father squeezed Yifan's shoulder.

Jongin bit his lips, trying not to spill his tears. His mother and father's words were enough to tell what's inside him.

"Have a nice journey, Hyung! I am still really mad at you for leaving us, but I will still miss you very much! You have to promise you will come to Korea often! Or else, I will come to New York and ram your down open."

Yifan chuckled on Sehun's words.

"Well, do you even know some English to find direction to my apartment?"

"Well ..., I might ... not .... But don't worry, my personal assistant Jongin will do the language job for me."

Everyone chuckled, half sadly. Yifan turned his head to Jongin, who was quite all the time.

"Come here, my brother."

Jongin slowly walked to him. He stood before Yifan who was taking off his watch.

"Give me your hand."

"What?"

Jongin's left hand was pulled gently by Yifan. He put the watch on Jongin's wrist and wore it on him.

"This is for you to always remember me, little brother. You'll feel that I am close to you even if we are miles away. I am sorry that I couldn't be around that much to you anymore but believe me, you are always my little brother for me."

His defense crumbled. Jongin couldn't hold his tears anymore. His eyes closed once Yifan took him in a warm hug. Jongin kept trying to wipe his tears with little success. His chest tightened with the thought of not seeing Yifan anymore.

They eventually broke off the hug. Jongin wiped his red eyes and so did Yifan. Chuckling, he ruffled Jongin's hair, punched Sehun's shoulder lightly, and bowed to both Mr. and Mrs. Kim.

"See you later, everyone!"

He entered the waiting room, turning around to wave for one last time, and disappeared into the crowd. Jongin let a sigh when he felt hugged from his back by his mother.

"It's okay, Jongin. Your Hyung will be okay. He will come back here, don't worry."

"If your English score is still good next semester, your mother and I will send you to New York to visit Yifan." His father gave him a pat on shoulder.

Jongin was still deeply sad, but his lips twitched upon hearing his parents' promise.

"Hey .... It's not fair .... I don't think my parents will send me to New York too even if I get good score in English. This is unfair! Life is unfair!"

"Don't worry, Sehun-ah. I will send you together with Jongin. You two are inseparable anyway."

"What? Really, Uncle?" Sehun's eyes bulged. "Yehet! Yehet! Yeheeeeeeeeeettttt!!!!"

"Of course. Only in one condition."

"What is that?"

"You wash my car for three months every day."

"And do the dishes in my kitchen too for a month."

Mr. and Mrs. Kim laughed their asses off looking at Sehun scrunched face. He pouted. Jongin smiled and touched the watch Yifan gave him.

Good luck with your work, Hyung! Hwaiting!

(#\/#)   (#\/#)   (#\/#)   (#\/#)   (#\/#)

June 16, 2014

Really, really sorry for the very late update. I was having some bit writer's block. Once I made some chaps, the internet was down. Shoot! Thank you for reading and commenting and subscribing and even upvoting. You guys rock!! Words can't describe how awesome you are!

Do comment on this chap! I love to hear what you think of it. I might not reply to each of you but trust me I read all of them and appreciate you for being active readers.

Haha, I'm blabbering. Off to bed now. Tomorrow is my business launching day. Wish me luck! :D

Schandelierre