제39회 

Once, this place was called their home.

"Here you go." The girls thanked the worker, paying him accordingly before putting the brand new keys in their palms. The cold stainless steel touches their skin with tingling excitement.

These are keys to their new apartment. 

Seolhee reached for inside of her left pocket, fishing for something that Yejin has yet to find out. "I have a surprise ." She teased, eventually taking out a keychain, heart shaped, swinging it in the air for the latter's anticipation. "Do you remember this?"

Yejin nodded eagerly, sharing the same attachment. "Our school's festival. I won it for your birthday." Her guess was correct. The keychain was one of a kind, it was able to break in two. Each of them received half of the piece, attaching it to their own set of keys before admiring them dearly.

"I heart you."

"You're so cheesy! I heart you too."

They burst into laughter.

The certain piece of memory blurs abruptly, forced by multiple knockings from outside the driver's seat. Seolhee leaned away from the steering wheel, finally realizing that she had been lost in her thoughts for so long. Albeit her curiosity, meeting the person standing outside her car was least expected. Yet again, there's the possibility.

"Sorry. I fell asleep." She fibbed.

"Oh," He responds. "I thought you might've..." He paused, contemplating the scenario of her passing out in a locked car which could been dangerous and sharing his earlier assumption. "Never mind. Sorry to bother you."

"Hoya-ssi?"

He stopped his tracks. "Can we talk?"

= = = = = = =

His guest was long gone yet Sungkyu remained still in the room, in his chair, spinning the ballpen in his hand reflecting what the younger just said to him.

"Yejin or Seolhee? Ask yourself."

The screen of his phone stayed black as it has been for a few days now. Not once it has blinked, lit up during a phone call or beeped at an incoming message. Not even once.

He was startled by his own stomach growling. For once, the habit of irregular eating is starting to take a toll on him. Between that and finding a solution to the mess of his own creation, everything falls on number two in his list of priorities.

But, if there's anything to eat, he craves for homemade muffin and freshly brewed coffee he always had every morning.

He felt empty without waking up to or going to sleep before listening to her voice or even reading her text messages sent from time to time reminding him to eat.

He'll never forget the day they laid under the stars promising each other to be together no matter what. She was dolled up to perfection but never been more beautiful than the moment he found her sleeping soundly in his arms.

"Here's Kim Sungkyu looking lonely and pathetic. It must be my lucky day." He looked up to the person who made the less entertaining comment. It was none other than his rumored 'fiancee-to-be'.

Not a rumor anymore. Both sides already circulated the invitations. They were confirmed for the engagement.

Sungkyu was never thrilled by the it. She knew. Yet it was hard to resist the bitter look of his. She enjoyed it. Yuri shows off a smirk.

At least they were both on the same page.

"What do you want?" She responded nonchalantly at his hostility. She lived to see him losing his control and she succeeded. Halfway there, actually. Kim Sungkyu somehow still managed to live up to his reputation without breaking out emotionally.

From her past experiences, men usually lose themselves over a girl. Jiyong did.

"Go away. I don't have time for this."

"You're chasing away your fiancee? Imagine what would my dad say."

"Imagine what he would say when he finds out you tried to kill Yejin twice."

Still riding with confidence, Yuri closed the door behind her. He judged her reason for doing it, yet as if she cared. People have no right to pry into her business, specifically unimportant subordinates. "Save the drama." She falters not one bit, every time taking one step approaching Sungkyu. "I know you can do better than that."

Jiyong taught her not to show her weakness in front of an enemy. Jiyong taught her well.

"Yejin was a collateral damage. It's supposed to be Seolhee but you two were practically attached to the hip. Or did you two already...?"

By that time, Sungkyu had already left his seat with determination. There's only the two of them in the room. No one shall see what he was about to do next.

"Come on, fiance," She touched his collars, his neck with her gaze landing on his lips. If she harbored genuine feelings for Sungkyu, his anger would've turned her on by now.

He pushed her away, mentally scolding himself for letting their lips meet. Yuri wiped hers, satisfied by the lipstick smudge left on Sungkyu. That'll convince the audience of their play. She didn't choose the colour rouge today for nothing.

For Sungkyu, the lip lock did tick him off. He loosened his neck tie furiously, missing another smudge on his shirt. To him, this is outrageous.

Yuri nearly winced when he pinned her body to the wall. For the first time ever, he shows a different expression aside from the usual glint in his eyes.

He looks deadly.

"Touch her and the world will know what Kwon Yuri did. I will drag you out myself."

She clenched her teeth as hard as she could. Kim Sungkyu is indeed a tough opponent.

"Try me. I can always do more than staging accidents. Make them look even more real. I will." She whispered to his ear, declaring her triumph as she walks out of his office with the pleasure of his priceless reaction.

If I go down, you're going down with me.

After all, Jiyong taught her to go all the way.

He wasn't that certain until a minute ago Yuri shared one of her diabolical plans by whispering it to his ear.

"For someone as pretty as your girlfriend, she lacks self-esteem. I used that to my advantage. Brilliant, isn't it? It's called divide and conquer."

He already chose her. His heart did right from the beginning but he had to make the biggest mistake. 

"You're the girl I chose. Remember that."

Sungkyu broke his own promise. What a fool.

He was a fool for not realizing it much sooner. The flooding memories of their happy times confirmed it.

It was not her cooking, caring messages, shy kisses or the gentle tone in her voice that he missed.

It was her. He misses her.

It's only been a few days but he's driven to the walls. Now that he has identified the source of his agony, it amplifies his misery by ten times fold. He needs to see her right away. Sungkyu grabbed his coat, car keys before darting towards Yejin's desk.

"Seolhee. Tell me where she is."

Unlike his enthusiasm, Yejin has yet to learn about his newfound resolution. Lately she resolved to avoid any contact with her superior, often using Manager Han or Nara as intermediate.

"Why?" She crossed her arms, far from amused. So what? He's getting engaged to Yuri soon. Getting back