It had been three weeks since she had talked to Byunghun. It was when she had rejected him. 

 

"I like you, I like you way more than just a friend," she began, his lips formed a smile, "But I can't go out with you. We're two kids with not that much luck on our side. We have things other than relationships, to focus on," her heart broke telling him. But it was true, he needed to go to college, he had so much to do but hadn't lately because of the lessons, and of course her. She knew cutting one of them out of the picture would help him, so she decided to cut herself out. 

 

"But we like each other, I thought-" He stammered, she immediately stood up, leaving the spot that was rightfully hers, the spot next to him.

 

"We could still talk at Mr. Ryu's store, and in school," she tried to make it seem better, but seeing his torn face, was making her hurt as well. 

 

"Can we still meet here?" His voice was soft, looking down at the keys of the piano. 

 

"I don't think that's a good idea," she whispered, turning her back to him.

 

She heard him push the bench even further from the piano, his moves were slow, as if he were trying to comprehend what was happening. To try and recover from a broken heart. She heard him shuffle around to gather his phone and wallet, and he left. Just a quick as they came. She sat back down on the bench, shaking her head.

 

"Hey, Suji, where's Byunghun?" Coach Hwang asked, she was dressed for PE, but sitting out, "I've noticed you've actually been going here, did you two break up?" 

 

"We were never dating," she shrugged, picking at the grass she was sitting on. 

 

"I feel a little sad now, I really liked you two together," he mentioned. She just shut up and looked down. 

 

She walked into the piano store, waving at Mr. Ryu before going straight for her practice room, she only need two more lessons with Hyunshik before Byunghun could finally get the piano he vied for. She, of course, continued to teach the lesson, if she hadn't it wouldn't have been fair to him. She promised him, though of course they didn't talk to each other, or even have seen each other as well. 

 

"I'm thinking about going to your mom's concert," Hyunshik swiftly played The Girl With The Flaxan Hair,"It's during your summer break right?" Her mom's concert was at the end of the month, it was also the first term ending. She had overheard the teachers talking awhile back on how Byunghyun was doing exceptionally well, that he would probably be the Dean's List. She felt happy for him. 

 

"But doesn't that mean you have to stay longer?" She was sitting near the wall, Hyunshik had told her to sit there, to relax. He knew of the issue of her and Byunghun, he knew she made a mistake but decided against saying anything about him to her. 

 

"I could always come back, my parents are thinking of coming as well," he finished up his piece, she yawned, lately she hadn't been getting too much sleep. 

 

"You could go home now, I'm bored," Hyunshik noticed her fatigue. 

 

"Are you sure?" 

 

"Yeah, plus my aunt has been saying I've been going out to much," he added, packing up his things, "I'll see you around?" He smiled before leaving and closing the door behind him. 

 

"Yeah, next week," she got up from her seat and stretched a little, unsure of what to do next. It was almost 7:00, an hour before she was originally supposed to leave. She began to pack up and decided that it would be a good idea to get something to eat, her mom wouldn't be home tonight, leaving her to fend for herself. She looked around the room before turning off the light and closing the door, she walked up to the front of the store, where Mr. Ryu was in his known spot. 

 

"Suji, you only need to teach one lesson starting next week, well if you want. Hyunshik, he didn't want to continue the lessons, but he insisted to keep the full amount of money for Byunghun's piano," he explained. 

 

She looked at him confused, why would he leave so suddenly? But she remembered what he said to her before he left, 'I'll see you around?' it wasn't like his usual, 'See you next week.' She nodded, excepting it. "Is it okay if I discontinue my lesson's with Jihoo?" 

 

"Of course," he understood, "But don't hesitate to visit me okay?"

 

She smiled, nodding. She looked back down the hallway, how Byunghun was there, and that it would be the last day she would have a chance to see him in this setting. 

 

Suji was at a convenience store, in the heart of Seoul. She was unsure of what she wanted to eat, and decided to settle with ramen. She was at the window seating, looking at the people who were passing by paying no attention to her. 

 

"What are you doing here?" Her heart began to ache, it was Byunghun. 

 

"I'm eating?" She lifted up her cup of ramen, what she loved about here was that the convenience stores here had microwaves so you could easily heat it up here. 

 

"When was the last time you ate a real meal?" He scowled, but he tried to lighten up, not wanting to scare her away. 

 

"A week ago?" She guessed, maybe it was longer, she was unsure at this point. 

 

"Do you want to come over to my house?" He could feel his ears heat up again, he was still nervous to be around her like always. Maybe even more since they hadn't talked in so long.

 

She hesitated before she nodded her head, "Yeah, why not?" She stood up, throwing her ramen in the nearest trash can and followed him out of the store. 

 

He didn't live too far from the piano store, maybe a fifteen minute walk, he lived in a little townhouse. He told her to wait by the entrance once he opened the door, he didn't have an extra pair of slippers out for guests. She saw there was only another out, other than Byunghun's. 

 

"Here you go," he placed the plain white slippers by her, she quickly changed out of her sneakers. He let her walk ahead into the hallway, while he closed the door. Straight ahead were stairs, and to the right was an opening to the living room. She went into the living room, it was revealed that the living room transitioned into the kitchen. What separated the two spaces was a long rectangular table that fit six. 

 

"I'm sorry, the house is a little small," he said behind her. It wasn't small, it was spacey, but he said that because compared to hers it was. "You can sit here while I prepare dinner, my dad will join us, is that okay?" 

 

"Of course it is," she nodded, he motioned for her sit down. She sat down, but the silence was deafening. She was trying to come to terms that she was over at his house, the guy she told she likes but rejected. "Do you want some help?" She got up and walked toward the island in the middle of the kitchen area. 

 

"If you want, but it's okay if you don't," he was a little distracted, he was cutting some seaweed. "I'm making Kimchi Fried Rice, is that okay?" He moved away from his cutting board, going to one of the drawers and getting a knife and another cutting board, placing the two next to his own. He went into the refrigerator and got out some green onions and some garlic. "Can you cut the green onions and garlic?"

 

"Yeah, I can," she walked over the the place next to him, she picked up the green onions, going over to the sink to wash it. When she walked back she prepared herself to cut it, the knife in her right hand, her left holding the end of the onions, but she was a bit nervous, 

 

"You know how to cut it right?" He chuckled, he went behind her, placing his hand over her left one, and his right on hers. She held in her breath. He began to help her cut it slowly, she could feel his breath on her shoulder. She became stiff, and he noticed, he began to cut the onions faster. Cursing himself in his mind for making her uncomfortable, "I think you shouldn't help me," he let go of her when he finished, "Just go watch TV or something," she winced, his voice sounding angry. 

 

He finished it up on his own, finishing it a few minutes before his father came home. 

 

"Byunghun, is this your friend? Suji?" His dad was all smiles when she saw him sitting on the sofa stiffly, she was still shaken from before. 

 

"Yeah, I invited her over since her mom wasn't home," he explained as he was setting the table. 

 

"I'm Lee Sunghwan, Byunhyun's father obviously."

 

"Hello, I'm Suji Taylor," she bowed, trying to leave a good impression on him.

 

"Your mom is the pianist, am I right? Byunghun is a big fan of her," he revealed. 

 

"Yeah, she is. I didn't know he was a big fan, I just thought he knew of her," she answered, before his father could say anything else Byunghun called them over to each, which they complied. 

 

Dinner was quiet, not too much talking, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she wasn't here. When dinner had finished, she had helped Byunghun clean the table and the kitchen up. 

 

"It was really good, thank you for inviting me," she said, wishing she could eat like this at home. 

 

"Yeah, no problem," he didn't look at her but rather at the island that he was wiping down. She finished her chores and began to gather her things. 

 

"Suji, I'll drive you home," his dad suddenly spoke out, "Byunghun, you should go upstairs and study," he suggested. 

 

He nodded, looking over at her before he went out of the living room and upstairs. 

 

"I know this may seem weird but I just wanted to say thank you," Sunghwan confessed, they were in his car, half way to her house already when he began to speak. "Byunghun, he used to always be out, and I thought it was your fault at first." 

 

'But it was,' she thought to herself. 

 

"He has good grades now, it's always been a little hard on him since he moved here three years ago, after his mom died."

 

She remembered when he told her he'd moved her three years ago, of course he didn't say why, but now that she knew she felt her heart become heavy. 

 

"But he's opened up more, and I'd like to think it's because of you," he continued, "So thank you, and I hope you and my son continue being good friends." 

 

She bit her lip, unsure on what to say. He didn't tell her that his mother passed away, in the end he didn't tell him much about himself, but when he really began to, she had shut him down.

 

When they pulled up to her house, there was someone there, she couldn't see who it was until they came a little closer, "Suji, do you know that person?" Sunghwan asked, trying to make sure she would be safe. 

 

She nodded her head before answering, "Yes, I do. That's my father."