I

Meeting

They say love will come over time.

My name is Cha Hakyeon, twenty-four years, an adult woman who was grateful to get a job as one of the top managers at a well-known bank in the city of Seoul. A very good achievement for a woman’s career. There’s nothing special about my life, in addition to live together since two years ago with a man whom I loved so much, I guess it was a special thing for me.

Since graduating from college two years ago, I lived with a man who I have loved since we were in high school. His name is Jung Taekwoon, the man who just five months younger than me, who I had admired since the days of high school. Taekwoon is a good man, has a very handsome face even though he is too much silent and shy. All girls would scream admired him, both in high school and when we were in the university.

He is so perfect for me. My life feels so fun and perfect when he is near me. All was perfect.

At least that’s my wish.

If only Taekwoon also loves me like I love him.

Yes, Taekwoon never loved me. He himself told me. Many times, he always said if I had too much hope on him.

“I may love you, but not for love you.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t.”

It was the first time he was telling the truth to me. I’ll never forget that day. Spring in our last year in high school. At that time I foolishly made aware without a chance to express my feelings. And as I suspected, he rejected me before I could say. Since then I kept trying to wake myself that I was nothing more than a friend to him. Friends for a loner, cool and chic, Jung Taekwoon.

Unfortunately I could never let go of me from him. Starting from college, our relationship became more and more inexplicable with words. We did remain friends, always together. That’s why our relationship is getting better, even too good for the size of a friend though.

Friends for benefit.

The phrase that I think deserve for me, for our relationship. I too love Taekwoon. So when he needed a rest when he was tired, I was the one who was always at his side, to support his body so as not to fall. Everything felt so slowly but surely, and all just started with a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re so cute, Hakyeon-ah.”

My eyes blinked repeatedly, trying to wake myself so as not to pass out after a kiss landed on my cheek. “W-What?”

“Thank You.”

I can still feel how my body heat increases the time, as my soul almost drifted away from my body. Starting from a kiss on the cheek, then walked to the sweet and gentle kiss on the lips, until somehow that kiss slowly becomes hot, as volatile appetite, along with a sigh breath chasing each other, until then we realized that we had gone too far when we find ourselves with no clothes on under the covers, in one bed.

“Argh, I think I made a really big mistake this time.” He disclosed that time, holding his head still felt dizzy due to the influence of alcohol overnight.

I still silent silently after realizing that I was not wearing anything under this blanket, so did he. Not that I don’t remember anything that happened last night, I even remember everything clearly. I don’t drink too much alcohol last night, it is actually very beneficial to me. But still I can’t help it. Besides his grip is too strong on me, I deliberately let myself fall into his arms, let him call my name so many times when he reached the point of pleasure, let the red spots soiling the bed linen.

“...Hakyeon-ah...?” He called my name, while sitting on the bed, staring at me with a look of sadness.

“No problem.”

“Huh?”

“Everything has happened. It’s okay. I’m fine.” I said, saying that I was fine even though I never was fine since the day he was rejecting me.

Taekwoon still looking at me with that look the same, then suddenly he pulled me into his arms, making my head against his bare chest, while slowly my hair and kissed my forehead repeatedly. He didn’t say anything, just be quiet and hugged me tightly.

At that moment, I didn’t regret what I’ve done.

Yes, I never regret what I did. I let Taekwoon doing these things to me. I like it. I love all the things he did to me. Because when he did it, that’s when Taekwoon remember me, only I had in his mind. And I’m always happy for it, I feel happy when I’m being needed by him. Therefore, as long as it makes him happy, I will always love everything he did.

We both graduated from college and eventually get a proper job for each of us, I got a job in a bank renowned as one of the top managers, while he continuing his family’s company as Taekwoon replace his father who retiring and give the company entirely to Taekwoon. A few months after that, he went on to say the very thing that makes me happy that time. He invited me to stay with him. To live together with him.

“I’m not going to stay tonight.” I said, taking back my shirt, glancing at Taekwoon still lying without clothes behind a blanket, watching my movements in silence. “My apartment isn’t neglected since I too often stay here, you know.”

“Why don’t you just move here?” He replied then, makes me a little startled and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

“Live together with me, Hakyeon-ah. You don’t have to commute from my apartment to yours. We’ve known each other for a long time. Why don’t you live with me?”

After wearing my clothes right back, I walked over, sat on the bed, right in front of him. “Are you sure?”

“Sure.”

Wrinkled my forehead, still looked at him uncertainly. “Living together isn’t easy as you say, Taekwoon-ah. We’re just friends. What will other peoples think if know we live together? Your parents must be think–”

“I’ve spoken to them and they agreed to it.” He interrupted suddenly. I still looked at him as if in disbelief. He then got up, sat on the bed with a blanket that fell and just cover his waist ad down. “Well, if you don’t want, I don’t want to force you.”

Like didn’t want to miss it, I nodded and said, “Okay. I want.”

And he smiled.

It didn’t take long because the next day I had to haul all my stuff from my apartment to his apartment, of course with the help of Taekwoon who deliberately take a day off that day just to helping of my move. Since it all seemed so perfect to me. Every day I like very much enjoyed my life. Waking up in the morning and be in his arms, became the first person he saw when he woke up, make breakfast, and cook dinner for him when he comes home from work, spend leisure time in the day to relax with our holiday.

Nothing feels more perfect addition to valuable things like this.

“Eonnie?”

Call from someone woke me from my long reverie. I don’t know how long I was dreaming, but I think long enough to be able to make a girl with long dark brown hair that looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

“Ah, mianhae, Hongbin-ah. What’s wrong?”

Lee Hongbin, the name of the girl, twenty-two years old, two years younger than me, a beautiful girl that are excellent in college, my best friend who has always been a place to hearing my stories since the lecture. We met in college, majored in the same there and became close since then. Somehow we became close, I didn’t know for sure. All I remember is that we always meet in the same class, sitting side by side, until then used to talk and be familiar. Hongbin is a very beautiful girl. Beautiful long flowing hair adds to her beauty. All men will fall in love with her and all the girls would always whisper envy her. Unfortunately, the belle of just fell in love with a final semester of a college student who is two years younger than him, who is now twenty years old. Naughty kid who lives his future was assured because his family has a large company like Taekwoon, the kid who Hongbin loved since high school, he said. Han Sanghyuk, that kid’s name.

Why do I call him a kid? That kid was too annoying. He too often mocked my beautiful skin that he was said too dark and even that ing naughty kid is often mocked my height which I think is quite high for the size of a woman. 175 cm is very high for the size of the female, I think so. But he said I’m short. That’s why I prefer to call him ‘kid’, and not my fault if I am too often hit his head to make his mouth to stop babbling, which then makes Hongbin always yelling resent me for hurting his “baby”.

It’s disgusting.

“You’d been daydreaming. What did you think, eonnie?” Hongbin back asked me while sipping her latte. As usual, this girl always knew when I was a lot of thought.

I shook my head slowly with a slight smile, “nothing.”

“Did Taekwoon oppa said something that hurt you again?” She asked again, while giving emphasis on the last word.

I chuckled, then clapped her hands softly, making her almost spilled her latte. She looked at me sharply, annoyed that almost made her favorite polka-dot skirt wet.

“No, Hongbin-ah. He didn’t do anything to me. Taekwoon is a very good man.”

Hongbin sharp glance, then muttered as if not agree with the previous words. “Yeah, very good, a good man who until now has not said his feelings to you even though you’ve lived together for two years.”

This time I was staring at her sharp turns, making her stares back at me as she shrugged her shoulders as if to say that what she said was true. Although I admit she was right, but still I don’t like if there were a satirical about my relationship problems. I always convince myself and believe that Taekwoon will change someday. He just was not ready for this moment.

Maybe.

“Then, you will go with him to your high school reunion event tonight?” Hongbin back asking when we walked into the office after spending an hour lunch at a café not far from the bank, considering we work in the same bank.

Yesterday evening we received an invitation to attend a high school reunion event, and Taekwoon agreed to come there. He said he had long been met his friends in high school. And because we are always together since high school, of course, I also will come to the event.

“Yes.” I answered briefly, while occupying my work bench in my personal work space. Hongbin was sitting on my desk, rather a little sit down with the resting on the edge of the table.

“Well then, good luck for you, Eonnie.” Hongbin patted my shoulder gently, then leave to go back to her room, leaving me who can only sigh imagine what will happen in the next reunion event.

***

I thought my life was running perfectly, at least before that incident came.

I looked in my closet while continuing to think hard. It has been almost half that I took out of the closet in there. Some dress lying on the bed. Thirty minutes ago I just got out of the shower after cleaning myself before going to the reunion event. Just