It had been a little over two weeks since we went to the club. The day after the drunken phone call, I asked YongGuk again if he was ok, paying careful attention not to directly mention YongNam. He either couldn't recall much of the late night phone call or didn't want to bring it up. He was completely back to normal, but I was struggling to keep all my pieces together. We hadn't hung out after that at all.I filled in the time hanging out with other friends, but we were pushing three weeks of not really speaking and if I were honest, I had to admit that I missed him. It seemed like every day he had something to do with Minah. I thought today would be another day that we wouldn't talk, seeing as I was wrapping up my lunch and getting ready to head home. However, just as I  finished the last bite of lunch I saw him walk into the cafeteria with Minah. He mouthed a few words to her then detached her hand from his arm. I tried to avoid eye contact, but I could see out the corner of my eye that he was walking in my direction. 

"Hey"

"Hey, YoungGuk," I answered swiftly while dumping the remains of my lunch in the trash.

"I feel like you have been giving me the cold shoulder lately. What's up?" He was right. We hadn't gotten the chance to hang out, but when we had the opportunity to talk my annoyance made me extremely terse.

"Nothing. I've just been very busy lately.....seems like you have been too." My words sounded too sarcastic even to my own ears. 

"Did I do something wrong? he asked with such sincerity.

My face was drained of all emotion at that moment. I was on the brink of hysterical laughter. Did he do anything wrong?! It took me a moment to reflect on why I was mad and honestly I had no reason to be. Him kissing Minah shouldn't have affected me since he doesn't know how I feel about him and he was drunk when he brought up YongNam. In a sense, he hadn't done anything wrong, yet I felt like he was purposely torturing me. I ran my hand across my face to recompose myself.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just stressed out." I forced a closed lip smile that didn't reach my eyes.

"I haven't seen you lately. I'll walk you home"

"You really don't have to YongGuk. Besides, you came here with Minah"

"It's fine. I already said my goodbyes anyway."

He didn't give me time to further object as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the cafeteria. Lately, I've been feeling like a rag doll being pulled and swung around by him. 

The walk to my small studio apartment was surprisingly silent. My head had been filled with thoughts of YongNam lately. He was all I wanted to talk about. I needed to vent, but YongGuk was not the person to do this with. Our unspoke oath was still in effect, but with each step I felt myself breaking down. I was weak and I had been holding in my sorrow by myself for three weeks now. We were rounding the corner that led to my apartment building when YonGuk's pace slowed down. We had come to a complete stop in front of my neighborhood convenient store. 

"Want a melon ice cream? 

I honestly just wanted to lay in bed. I had been trying to keep myself exhausted all this time so I wouldn't stay up at night thinking. But, I was never one to turn down a free ice cream.

"Sure."

---------------------------------------------------------------------YongGuk's Perspective------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I walked out of the store Areum was sitting at the park across the narrow street. She sat on a swing as her feet limply danced across the padded flooring. Her head was focused on her feet. I knew that something was bothering her but I thought that she would bring it up herself

Minah had occupied most of my time lately and I liked it since it kept me from doing anything stupid like I did that night at the club. But, it had almost been three weeks since I last really talked to Areum and I missed her. 

"Ja jan!" I said while holding the popsicle in front of her face before taking a seat on the swing next to her. 

"Oh, thanks, YongGuk," she said as she lazily reached for the melon treat. 

"Why don't you call me Gukkie anymore? You're the only one I let call me that, but all I hear is YongGuk, YongGuk, YongGuk. Should I start using honorifics?"

"Sorry"

"Sorry, what?"

"Sorry..Gukkie"

"That's more like it"

She chuckled a little bit and suddenly I felt so much better. She unwrapped the ice cream began to eat it while staring off into the night. As her hand went up the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt fell down exposing a thin silver bracelet. It looked strangely familiar, but I couldn't exactly remember where I had seen it before. When we were in the cafeteria I had first noticed it but thought it might have been a new purchase. 

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks causing my heart rate to quicken. It was YongNam's bracelet.

 As quickly as my mood lifted it went back down. Before I could say anything else my phone went off alerting me that Minah had texted. I decided that I would answer later since my mind was still on that bracelet. I observed the thin metal limply dangling from her delicate skin. I wanted to rip it off of her wrist.

"So what's the deal with Minah? Are you guys together or..?" 

I couldn't control my annoyance at that moment, "Why? What does it matter what we are?" My voice was so dark it caused her eyes to open wide in shock. 

"O-Ohh I umm.. I just thought..I was just curious because she must be something special. I always wondered what it was a