Yonghwa was seated anxiously in the middle of the plane. This was the best seat that he could get for the shortest period of time.  Getting reservations was the longest time of his entire life.  He was sandwiched between two burly men who probably would be going overseas to work.  But he does not care.  What keeps playing in his mind was the time when he went to the girls' apartment to know where she was. 

He remembered what happened two days ago.

****

Two days ago.

Yonghwa rushed to Seohyun's apartment, upon knowing that the most important woman in her life has vanished from his life. He knocked until his fist became red. Nichkhun opened the door, and Yonghwa forgot all his manners and barged inside. 

“Where is she?” Yonghwa asked Hyoyeon, the first person he saw upon entering the apartment. 

Hyoyeon was caught by surprise and was unable to answer immediately.

“Where is she?” Yonghwa asked Tiffany when he was unable to get some answers from Hyoyeon. 

“She’s not here,” answered Nichkhun quietly. Pulling Tiffany away from Yonghwa slowly.  “I told you on the phone, she’s gone.” Nichkhun continued.

“Let her go, Yonghwa,” Hyoyeon said sharply. “She’s finally moving on. She’s finally going to get her life back.”

Yonghwa shook his head. “I can’t let her go. I can’t.”

“Why?” Taeyeon demanded angrily. “You left her. And now you’re telling us, that you can’t let her go? Make up your freaking mind.”

“I made a mistake,” Yonghwa admitted. He sat down on a chair and cradled his head in his hands. I made a mistake.

“Bo-hoo,” Tiffany said sarcastically. “You realize it when it’s already too late.”

The girls started to walk away.  Obviously controlling their anger. Seohyun has always been the fighter among the three, she has always been their defender. It is about time that they pay her back. Even it means, throwing harsh words on a beaten man in their living room.

Nichkhun sat down beside Yonghwa.  “If you’re meant to be together, then you will be together.”

Yonghwa shook his head vehemently. “I can’t just sit and wait. I can’t live a day thinking and asking myself if she would be back, when she will be back.  I need to do something to make her come back.”

Nichkhun looked at Yonghwa and saw the sincerity of his words. He looked at the girls, asking for permission. But they shook their head.  They should not tell him where Seohyun is. 

Yonghwa looked pleadingly at Nichkhun but he also shook his head and lowered his eyes.  Yonghwa felt anger, surging.  Angry not to these people, but to himself. How could he possibly let everything slip away from him? How could he?  Yonghwa heard Jungshin cleared his throat. He was sitting on the chair on the far corner.

“I’m sorry, hyung”  said Jungshin. “We can’t tell you where she is. We promised never to tell you that she is going to Japan.”

Yonghwa nodded. “I know you can’t,” but he immediately cut his statement and looked at Jungshin, unbelievably. “Japan?”

A slipper flew across the room and hit Jungshin on his cheek. “What the eff?” he remarked and looked at the direction of the flying slipper.  Hyoyeon was holding her other slipper on her hand, ready to throw it again. Jungshin immediately slid out of his chair and hid behind it.

“She’s in Japan?” Yonghwa repeated.  He stood up and started to browse his phone. The good thing about travelling so much is that you get to save airline numbers on your phone. He quickly dialled the airline number and patiently waited for somebody to get on the phone.

It’s taking too long, he angrily mumbled.  He started to walk towards the door when suddenly somebody answered.

“I want to book a flight to Japan, for tonight,” demanded  Yonghwa. “I don’t care how much it is, I need it tonight.”

The female voice on the other end of the line calmly answered, “I’m sorry sir, all flights are grounded for tonight because of the typhoon.”

“What typhoon?” Yonghwa asked angrily.

“Sir, if you would check the news, you would see that there is a typhoon in Korea and would be hitting Seoul by 9 o’clock tonight.”

“What, there are no flights?” Yonghwa demanded. “How about tomorrow?”

Yonghwa waited, pacing back and forth.  The representative came back on the line, telling them that the flights for the next day are all booked. The earliest flight he could get would be the day after tomorrow, at three in the morning.  Yonghwa was frustrated and decided to hang up on the representative. He used Jonghyun’s phone to call all airlines. But all of them have the same news. No flights for that night, booked until tomorrow.

“When did Japan became a freaking world destination?” Yonghwa growled frustratingly.  “How could it be possible that all flights are booked?”

“Cause you’re not really supposed to go after her,” Hyoyeon insisted. But she was taken aback when she saw Yonghwa's reaction.  His eyes bear all his emotions. He is wearing them all on his sleeve, vulnerable. He does not care if he gets hurt.

“All I need is to see her and tell her what I feel,” Yonghwa told them.  He started to dial again, while the lightning, thunder and heavy rain vibrates in the entire house.

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