XXVI

Waking up at Saturday morning never been Sehun’s thing. But this time, at the last day of November, he had to do so. Sehun walked through the corridor, he just got back from toilet and he had to go back to his step-sister—his only one sister, Sooyoung—as soon as possible.

Sooyoung got headache since yesterday and whether he liked it or not, Sehun had to accompany his sister to go check up. He had been offering himself a few times before, though, but Sooyoung didn't take it seriously. Even until this morning, she complained her head hurts a lot.

So here he was, walking through the corridor back to his sister were, with deadly sleepy face of his. Sehun turned to the left, eyes sticking to the front. He was wearing a black eye glasses—this was an old yet relateable tips, he always covered his sleepy eyes whenever he walked outside of his comfortable places—and his eyes spotted some—two figures of people who was really familiar.

He stopped his steps all of sudden. Sehun’s eyes wandered around and fastly dragged himself to hide behind a plain white wall. There, he slowly sticking out his head and took off his glasses, only to make sure they were..

“Impossible,” he whispered to himself. Jongin was there, sitting with relaxed face with a girl that Sehun thought he would never see again for the rest of his life named Son Naeun. Sehun eyed them for a full ten seconds and moved his gaze to the signpost not far from them—gynecologist.

Only by reading the title already made Sehun has that deep frown. He stared at them for the last time and fastly hide himself when he sensed Jongin was about to moved his gaze. His eyes moved to the other side, without any hesitation, Sehun decided to walked away as soon as possible. He didn't take any picture of them, no he didn't even think about it.

His mind was already full of questions. What was happening just now? wasn't Jongin supposed to be with Soojung now? Sehun still remembered when they both talked on last Wednesday—Soojung said her and Jongin would go to Busan this Saturday, like usual—but why the hell did Jongin stucked in this hospital? Along with Son Naeun?

His heart felt heavy even by saying her name in his head. Sehun stopped not far from Sooyoung’s place and took out his phone. Whatever, he thought. I should ask her first no matter what.

Sehun dialed Soojung’s number in a blink of an eye and waited silently. His waiting didn't waste long as he heard hi Sehun across.

“Hey, Soojung, you’re awake?” he asked carefully. Sehun tried to not sound suspicious—though he doubt Soojung would think so—as he held his breathe.

“Yeah, why?” she replied calmly. “Anything wrong?”

“Ah, no,” Sehun let out an awkward laugh to erase his nervous, damn. “You’re at your place now?”

“Uhm, wait, no, actually no.”

“No..? So, where are you?”

“I’m... uh,” Soojung paused. “I’m in Busan now, why is that?”

Sehun took a glance to the clock on wall across his place. It’s only seven in the morning, for heaven’s sake! “Seriously? You’re there now.. isn’t it still early?”

She let out a small chuckle from far, “Yeah, I know. I actually went here around twelve  last night—I didn't remember it clearly—and, arrived around—”

“You went there at night?!”

Sehun now fully sensed there was something wrong. That was obvious, how could Jongin was still here in Seoul when his girlfriend went to Busan alone by herself, in one freaking night??? Was he out of his mind???

“Seriously, Sehun, what’s wrong with that?” Sehun could sense she rolled her eyes rudely, “I’ve been alone by myself for around ten years. Don't be ridiculous!”

Silence came to them and it did take a matter of seconds to both of them realized something obvious. She said herself she was alone.

“You were alone last night?” Sehun sternly said. So something was going on.

“I-I—no, I didn't! Jongin is here with me, relax, boy.”

“Then let me talk to him now,” he calmly said. Soojung suddely went silent, but Sehun waited her to reply. “Soojung?”

“He is.. away, I asked him to take grandma’s medicine,” Soojung said slowly. “Anyway, Sehun, I’ve to go. Grandma wants me to take her outside so, see you!”

Without waiting for his reply, Soojung cut off the line. Sehun let out a deep sigh, knowing that she hid something behind him. He didn't know what is it, but only today he let her pass. He could ask her later, though.

And also, he won’t say anything about Jongin and Naeun to Soojung, only he found out what was going on between the three. This was just his assumption but Soojung probably didn't know about Naeun with her boyfriend—because Sehun knew Jongin  too well that he didn't want tell her anything about this.

Far away from the hospital Sehun called her, Soojung nervously turn off her phone and stuffed them inside her small bag. Then, she turned around. Her grandma looked at her in warm, her back was leaned to the wheel chair still looking far from okay.

But one thing her grandma knew, Soojung wasn’t okay.

“Who’s that, Soojung?” she carefully asked her only grandchild. Soojung walked passed her and she could sense Soojung’s grip on the wheel chair.

“It’s my friend, Grandma,” she said as she pushed the wheel chair slowly to be out of the room. “Is everything okay?” Soojung heard Grandma ask.

It took few seconds for her to reply, “Yeah. You have nothing to worry about me, let’s just focus about your recovering, eo?”

Grandma definitely didn't buy her words but she nodded her head, anyway. They almost arrived in front of the escalator when she asked Soojung, “Where is Jongin? I don't know you could be away from him even for a second.”

Soojung knew her grandma was trying to make jokes. But it didn't work, at all. Soojung pressed the button and waited, leaving her grandma’s question hanging on the air. She took almost a good minute to reply—much to her displeasure, because she actually didn't want to talk about Jongin today—“He’s busy. Let the boy be with himself and enjoy our time together, okay?”

Luckily, her grandma took her words as a sign she didn't want to talk about it furtherly. So her grandma only nodded this time and decided to shut .

Only this time, she let Soojung didn't tell her. Soojung is a grown up woman, though. I should believe she could fix her problems by herself.

*

Both Naeun and Jongin arrived at their apartment building when it was almost noon. They walked out of escalator and walk straight to Naeun’s place. Jongin was the one who submitted key door and in less than one second, it opened. He let Naeun walked first silently, then he followed behind.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Naeun said almost in whisper. “Actually, I don't want you to—”

“Stop that, Naeun. It’s my willing to help you, can you just shut up and let everything be like it?” Jongin turned around as he put groceries on kitchen table.

Naeun stood at her place for a moment until she let out a sigh. She walked closer to Jongin and grabbed his arm softly, “Come here, I need to talk with you.”

“What?”

She ignored his ignorant tone and slowly dragged Jongin to seat on one of kitchen chair. He, on the other hand, though he actually didn't want to talk anything with Naeun at the moment, decided to follow her order and seat down silently. In silent he watched Naeun who plopped herself across him and crossed her arms on table, “I want to ask something to you.”

“About what we talked earlier?” Jongin replied; Naeun simply nodded at his words. “As I said, I cancelled my plan for you, wasn't it good enough?”

“I know it’s more than that, Jongin,” Naeun softened her gaze at him as she continued, “Let’s be real here, I’ve known you for almost ten years. I know you.. deeply. There must be something wrong and something you tried to hide from me for the past weeks,” this made Naeun held her breathe for a second—“but you know you can always tell me.”

Jongin looked away as soon as she said there must be something wrong and listened to her words in silent. Yeah, of course, Naeun knew him more than anyone. Naeun probably knew him better than Seulgi, even Ravi, as she was the one who spend his teenager life with.

But he didn't want to tell her about Soojung—somehow, he just didn't want to.

He shut his eyes as he let out a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry if I sound too curious,” Naeun mumbled. “But you can always tell me, as I said before, in return I will try my best to help you.”

In return I will try my best to help you.

That was one line Naeun always said to him whenever he was down. She never pushed him to spoil everything, but she always assure she would help him.

Painful memory from last night started to coming into his mind, running and running around his heart without mercy. He didn't like it; the fact that she cried because of him, he hated himself for did that. But he also hated the fact Soojung had been stubborn for one month, drawning both of them into endless tired and sleepiness after going back Seoul-Busan every weekend.

It pained him to keep them all by himself.

“I never told you what do I do every weekend, didn’t I?”

Naeun shook her head as she watched Jongin started to tell her carefully. “Would you like to tell me why..”

“There is a girl..actually, she is not just a random girl that I throw myself at, like I always did for years. She is someone that.. what,” Jongin took a glance at Naeun, “You know, she’s like my muse now, she is the reason why am I breathe now.”

Knowing that one day when Jongin would find someone that replace her in his heart finally came, she simply smiled at him. She knew it, there was no way Jongin still crazy head to toe over her, she simply knew. Maybe today was finally the day their past became memories, only memories.

“I think I shouldn’t explain to you how much I love her, right?” Jongin smiled faintly. “Her name is Jung Soojung, even her names sounds really beautiful...” he murmured to himself.

Then Jongin started telling her story, how they first met, oh Jongin still remembered that day. That day, Jongin need someone to accompany him for stressful day, so he simply asked Seulgi out—like usual—but it turned out the night wasn't just an usual night. It was the day he finally saw her, the cold Soojung that Seulgi always said. He chuckled at her first reaction when she saw him, I thought we came here for girls night out, she said to Seulgi yet her voice clear enough for Jongin to hear.

Days passed, Jongin made the long story short, and he just realized he falls for this girl. For real and for the first time in three years. He promised to himself, and later to her too, that he would take care of her and cherish every moment of her life. Jongin felt bitter as he realized that line, We’ll get through this together.

We’ll get through this together, my .

Naeun looked at him in pity—she swore she didn't mean to, she just can't help it—as she realized he didn't change. His ego, his emotion always took over himself and made things became worse.

“And I haven’t tell her about you yet. I want to tell her so bad, I really do—it’s just.. hard. I don't know how to tell her without making her mad or losing her from my hand.”

“But things became worse now, Jongin.”

“I know,” Jongin messed his hair as he leaned to the chair. His gaze was blank, his eyes looked off.

It didn't take much time for Naeun to realise he’s tired at the moment. Mentally and physically.

“You can't blame her for everything, Jongin. Sure, she’s at fault too, because she’s selfish—you think—but have you consider her feelings? What will she feel with your words? She is just a girl, she can't do it by herself so she asked you a favor. She didn't think about your feeling, because she didn't think about herself too,” Naeun paused and leaned closer to him.

“If you called her selfish, you are wrong. Judging by your story, she’s selfless. All she’s thinking is her grandma, not herself.”

“But she doesn't think about me, even after what I said.”

“Why in the world she should think about you?” Naeun sent a glare, “I don't mean to sound harsh but she’s in fragile state right now. She probably couldn’t think straight and all she wanted to do is making sure she won’t be alone. That’s all.”

The silence finally came between them, none of them said a thing though they exchanged gaze for time only God knows. They remained calm at their place, unknowing how to break the ice. Sure, Jongin probably thought about Naeun’s words at the moment—she wished about this—but no one knew what’s going on his mind except himself.

Naeun wished to herself, if only she knew about Soojung earlier, maybe she would came up to Soojung and explain about everything by herself. Perhaps, that way Soojung would understand and even if she doesn't, Naeun would beg by herself. Or at least, the least thing she could do was pushing Jongin to tell Soojung.

But now, would Naeun still do the same thing to Soojung, after what happened to Soojung and Jongin last night?

“Jongi