Seoul, Autumn 2015

Kwang Soo looked at his boss worriedly. Jong Kook didn’t say anything since he came in the morning except just to tell Kwang Soo to cancel all his meetings for that day. Kwang Soo didn’t dare to ask for his reason and just carried out his duty. It wasn’t the first time that he did this and Kwang Soo noticed that this started to happen after the party few weeks ago.

Kwang Soo decided to give someone a call, he knew this person could help Jong Kook. “Hyung, I’m sorry this is so sudden but can you come here?”

Jong Kook was just sitting in his chair, looking outside the window. He just stayed silently there until the time he went home. He had hangover and he didn’t feel to meet anyone today so he cancelled all his meetings for today. Sometimes his hand went up to his forehead and massaged it to relief the pain. He hated the headache the most.

He started to drink every time he remembered her. At first, he could forget her and just sleep by drinking a shot of soju. Night after night, it increased from a shot to a glass then a bottle. Now he needed 2 bottles of soju to help him numbed his mind. He knew that drinking wasn’t going to solve his problem but it could help to soothe his mind.

He didn’t know how long time had passed until someone knocked his door. He only glanced at the door when it opened and just greeted the guest modestly. “Hyung…”

“Is that a way to greet your hyung, huh, Jong Kook –ah?” Jae Suk chuckled. He knew that his dongsaeng actually a polite person and he had some problems to solve so he would tolerate this rude gesture from him.

Jong Kook stood up and bowed a little, “Sorry, hyung.”

“No, it’s alright. I understand.” Jae Suk sat in front of Jong kook and he also sat back, “What happened to you?” Jae Suk asked bluntly.

“It just a headache. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, hyung.” He winced at the throbbing headache.

“Are you fine, Jong Kook –ah?” Jae Suk asked again.

“Yes, of course I’m fine, hyung.” Jong Kook answered quickly, too quick.

“Are you really fine?”

This time Jong Kook didn’t answer quickly. Jae Suk waited patiently until Jong Kook whispered, “No.”

“Mind to tell me what happened?” Jae Suk asked cautiously. He knew if he asked harshly, Jong Kook probably wouldn’t share anything with him.

Jong Kook battled with his mind if he should tell Jae Suk or not. He knew that he could trust his hyung like he could trust Dong Hoon. He already filled Dong Hoon about him and Ji Hyo, what happened between them before and now.

“I met someone.” Jong Kook said slowly, “…And she was someone important for me.”

Jae Suk still stayed quiet, he let Jong Kook finished his story before he said anything to him.

“We were a couple back then, when we were younger. We dated for 2 years and then we broke up 5 years ago, around 3 months after I came back here to Seoul. I couldn’t forget her no matter how hard I try and I met her again last month at the party. That encounter made everything worse. I started to drink to not to remember her.” Jong Kook raked his hand through his golden brown hair.

“I talked with her there but it didn’t lead us to anything. She just told me what’s wrong with us. She told me that she asked to break up because we didn’t communicate properly but apparently her definition with mine is different.” He leaned back to his chair.

“What do you expect from her, Jong Kook –ah?”

“Honestly, I don’t know hyung. I want to get back together with her but I’m too scared to listen to her answer. What if she doesn’t want to start all over again with me?” He sighed.

“Then you have to accept the truth.” Jae Suk told him sternly, “I don’t like to see you like this, Jong Kook –ah. Stop drinking. You have a very healthy lifestyle, do you want to waste your health just because of this?”