Time could either work for you or against you. It could either heal the wounds or leave a nasty looking scar that would make you feel the pain, over and over again. Time could either be your friend or your worst enemy.

For Seohyun, it was neither. 

Two months after she and Yonghwa parted ways, time was unable to heal her wounded heart.  But time helped her get numb. She feels sad whenever she would see their photographs together, but she no longer cried. She would feel pain when she hears Khun and Tiff silently talking about Yonghwa carefully trying not to let her hear, but she no longer cried.  She has been moving through her duties and work responsibilities, mechanically.  She’s fulfilling her task but she no longer feels triumphant.  She has continued her life, but the past proves to be difficult to forget.

For Yonghwa, it was both.  

In two months, there were snippets of things he would remember: the death of a friend’s father, being promoted, or an old college mate who moved away. It was random, and in those random images he would always see a glimpse of Seohyun in his memory.  Her smile, her laughter, even her tears. And in every random thought, he would feel a pang of pain on his chest. Physically, he has healed perfectly. Shinhye was also wonderful to be with.  But there would be times when he would feel that something was missing. Something was not in its proper place. He would shrug the feeling off, but it would come back, again.

And again.

And again.

And if Yonghwa felt that he can't help but stare at the butterfly necklace and the silver ring Seohyun returned to him through Jonghyun a week after Seohyun made her last phonecall to Yonghwa telling him she's letting him go.

****

Shinhye and Yonghwa were in the mall and stopped on a record and video store.  Shinhye was checking the CD shelf, with Yonghwa standing beside her. He was smiling at each of her comment about the recording artist, when something caught Yonghwa’s eye.  He saw a shelf of drama films. He started to walk towards them. It was a weird assortment of films, but only one stood out. aptly titled “Once.”

Yonghwa took it out of the shelf and looked at it.  He remembered watching and talking about it.  He felt Shinhye standing beside him.

“You’re gonna buy that?” Shinhye asked, weirdly.

Yonghwa smiled and nodded.  “I want to watch it again. We’ve watched it before. Remember?”

Shinhye looked at Yonghwa and shook her head. “I have never watched that before. Not even with you. I don’t even know what that movie is about.”  She turned away and started to browse through the other CDs.

Yonghwa looked at Shinhye. We haven’t watched it before, Yonghwa wondered.  But I remember watching it with somebody and having a great time.  Could it be?

****

“Hyunnie, you need to get out more,” Hyoyeon pleaded.

“I’m fine,” Seohyun insisted.  Tiffany, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon will be attending a friend’s birthday party.  They were trying their best to coax Seohyun out of her pyjamas and go out with them.  “I like to stay home tonight.”

“My gawd,” Tiffany countered. “You’ve been staying inside the house for two months. The only time you’ll leave the house is when you go to work.”

Seohyun shook her head and started to munch on a cookie. “Not true.  I went out with you guys, the other night.”

“That’s not even qualified as going out,” Taeyeon insisted. “We only went out to get dinner. And it was a take-out.”

“Still I went out,” Seohyun pointed out. And started to walk away from her friends.

She knows that her friends meant well, but partying is not her kind of thing.  Back in college, she would only go with them just because she does not want guys stalking her friends. But now, Nichkhun, Jonghyun and Jungshin would be with them, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Tiff’s phone rang and she called on Taeng and Hyo, “Khun’s already downstairs with the boys.”

“Are you sure, you’re going to be fine maknae?” Taeyeon asked Seohyun. Hyoyeon was looking at Seohyun guiltily.

“We can stay here if you want,” Hyoyeon asked Seohyun.

Seohyun started to shoo her two pretty friends, “I’m fine eonnies. Go and have a good time.”

They looked at each other, hesitant to leave. Seohyun started to push them towards the door.  The girls embraced their maknae and kissed her cheek, “We’ll be back early,” Taeyeon promised.

“No need to,” Seohyun answered back. “I’ll be fine eonnie. Jinjja.”

It was awfully quiet when the three girls left. Seohyun clicked the television on and started to surf through different channels. She finished the cookies in the plate.  She got up and opened the fridge looking for the rest of the cookies, only to find the empty wrapper. 

She was looking for other sweet stuff or anything with chocolate on it in the fridge, but she was unable to find any.  She pulled herself up and started to rummage the cupboards.  She hates it when she craves for something and there’s nothing at home to satisfy it.  In less than a minute, she changed into a pair of shorts and d