Victoria stopped her car in the parking lot of a floral store and stepped inside the store. The fresh scent of flowers drifted up her nose as the lady behind the counter greeted her.

“Can I help you with anything? Perhaps you’re looking for any specific flowers?” the woman approached Victoria.

“I’m just buying a bouquet,” Victoria replied then made her way toward the back to another row of buckets filled with flowers.

Picking up the bouquet she’d bought and seen so many times she paid for it and quickly left. Finally she arrived at the cemetery and as she drove up the gravel path she suddenly began thinking about how she’d probably have to travel up this same path to the burial of Il Chung and Sandy. How many burial ceremonies had she been to in her whole life? Grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, and aunt. That was probably enough of seeing the dirt being piled upon the casket in the ground.

Victoria got out of her car a while later and made her way down the dirt path among the green grass passing all the tombs where many loved ones were buried. To many others the cemetery gave off chills, but Victoria found it an almost sacred and special area where she could come back as many times as she wanted to see the person she’d lost. Where she could replay memories in her mind and cry without feeling shame.

She paused before his marble stone with his name and birth and death dates engraved in it and looked around. There were also other people, possibly friends and relatives, who were carrying flowers and making their ways up the paths to whoever they were visiting. Victoria gulped and returned to glance at the grave before her.

Her parents had passed away from a fatal car accident when she was 13 and after their deaths she was taken in by her aunt. What she remembered of her aunt was that she was a beautiful feminine person who was full of love and cared deeply for her. 5 years later she’d developed serious depression and anorexia nervosa. Her aunt sent her to rehab in Hangzhou, China and Victoria remained there for almost two and a half years before her aunt fell sick. Two months after her return to Korea her aunt passed away. She could still recall that at her aunt’s funeral she’d run into many of her high school classmates she’d left behind. They questioned her about her education in China and wanted to know all about it but Victoria had made up lies and felt deep regret for doing so. Before she’d left to receive treatment she cried and begged her aunt to make up an excuse for her because she had not wanted her classmates to know about how weak she was or what she was going through. And in the end it all came to this, her lies and her aunt’s death. Her aunt had given her money all to her and with it combined with her parents’ money she was able to go to college where she met him, Han In Seol. She dated him throughout her years of college and discovered herself to be pregnant 2 months after his death. And now she was here just wishing to rid herself of her past.

Victoria knelt down before the grave and placed the flowers on the stone.

/////

It was a pity that he wasn’t able to get a hold of both of the professors, but at least he now had an appointment with Im Jee Su. He wouldn’t be able to meet her until tomorrow early in the morning so he had nothing left to do but wait.

The ringing of his own phone surprised him and he answered it before the fifth ring, “Lee Donghae speaking.”

“When are you getting off work?” it was Jung Hee Sun, Lee Hyukjae’s or rather he’d call himself Eunhyuk’s step sister.

“I don’t know. I might have a lot of stuff to do and I might not. What’s up?” Donghae questioned holding the phone to his ear while he busied himself with a game on the computer.

“It’s my birthday today,” the girl answered.

“Oh, is it? Then you’re an adult now aren’t you?” questioned Donghae.

“Yes! I’m so excited so I really want to spend tonight with you.”

“What about Eunhyuk? Can’t he take you out?”

“But I want you to be there too.”

Donghae debated to himself and knew that if he rejected her she’d find a way to make him feel bad so he reluctantly gave in, “If Eunhyuk is there then I’ll meet up with you at 7. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds great! Thank you!”

After hanging up Donghae leaned back in his chair, “Sasha, sometimes I think I’m too nice.”

“Everybody’s too nice, hun,” she replied without looking up from her papers sprawled out on her desk before her.

/////

After roaming around and driving around the small city for hours Victoria stopped at a small restaurant to fill her stomach. Usually she’d never eat out, but tonight she felt the need to. She thanked the waitress for her soup and began to eat it slowly as if she had all the time in the world, which she was pretty sure she had right now.

From behind her the door opened and a man wearing simple clothes walked in followed by a girl in a flower patterned dress. Her curly hair bounced upon her shoulder as the waiter led them to a table that seated four people.

“Would you like to try our chef’s special steamed lobster tonight?” the waiter asked.

Victoria was sure she’d heard that same person recite that question to more than a dozen customers since she’d arrived at the restaurant.

“We’re going to wait for our friend,” the man replied.

The waiter nodded and walked off and Victoria couldn’t help, but turn to take a glance at the two.

/////

“Yea, yea, I know, I’m on my way right now. I can’t help it if there’s traffic,” Donghae replied into the phone as he made his way down the hallway and out the front doors. “I’m not super man and I don’t idolize him Hyukie.” Donghae opened his car door and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Ok, I’m on the road now so tell me where you are and I’ll be there in 20.”

He’d known Eunhyuk after he’d been taken in by his uncle and had transferred schools. The two of them had remained best friends ever since, but Eunhyuk’s little step sister had always followed him around and it wasn’t hard to see that she had a deep crush on him which grew and grew every year. Donghae really hoped that she’d move on some time soon as he drove his car out of the lot.

After he’d arrived at the restaurant he found a space to park his car and got out. He glanced up at the building of the restaurant then through the square windows to see that it was packed inside. With no last thought Donghae entered through the doors and was first greeted by the waiter before being led to Eunhyuk’s table.

“Oppa!” Hee Sun exclaimed.

“Sorry, I was held by back traffic,” Donghae excused as he sat beside Eunhyuk. “How long have you been waiting?”

Before Eunhyuk could finish his sentence Hee Sun interrupted, “Not long. We just got here a second ago.”

“Actually we waited 15 minutes,” Eunhyuk whispered into his ear.

Donghae nodded as the waitress handed them the menus and after they ordered Donghae glanced around while Hee Sun continued talking about her future plans. His eyes landed upon a familiar face and he watched as she thanked the waitress for refilling her cup of water.