Woohyun comes to the living room after parking his car, quiet shocked finds Chorong blocks him in the way. He darts an uninteresting glance before resuming his walk.

But Chorong is so determined now. She blocks him again.

“What?”

“Can you stop that?!” She tries to suppress her anger but seeing him scoffing at her doesn’t help. “Can’t you stop being such a kid and two-faced person?!” She spats.

Now Woohyun’s face contorts in dislike. He shoots her a ridiculous glare as the words formed out of his mouth.

“It’s not my fault that someone tricked me to marry such a girl like you.”

She glares back. “Excuse me?!”

“What? Are you keeping that innocent mask of yours? Don’t tell me you have no idea how my supposed model bride turned into an average girl like you. It’s not my fault then I’m becoming two-faced person then.”

Chorong squeezes shut her eyes, feels a little light headed now. So he still holds a grudge because the super model Im Jinah was canceled to be his bride? When she finally opens them, Woohyun lifts an eyebrow as in challenging her.

“Fine, I know about it. But you know it too! And it’s not like you’re gonna marry because of a pure feeling called love! You’re gonna marry her because of business contract! And you were there too when discussed it with both families. Why didn’t you complain then?! It’s not like I’m willing to marry a guy like you too!”

The words are jumbled and Chorong doesn’t pull a brake to stop them. She’s so frustrated that she lets them out to empty her burdened mind. At this point she already forgets how to speak calmly without yelling and popping out veins.

The smirk plastered on the corner of his mouth. “So what? You want love in this marriage?” Woohyun sneers. “Why didn’t you complain back then?”

Chorong growls. “I have no right to complain! I’m not the Im breed! They help me to live, what an ungrateful child I am to be complaining over my angels?!”

“Tch. Then what do you want? A divorce?” His smile is mocking her because both of them know a divorce paper will lead to an agreement-cancelation paper.

Chorong grits her teeth, trying to compile her remining sanity to not mess up the thing. “Just,” Her breath is heavy. “Just don’t treat me like your wife in front of people. If you’re gonna ignore me when we’re alone, I prefer to have you ignoring me too when we’re in public.”

It’s Woohyun’s turn to grit his teeth, utterly in disbelief with the girl in front of him.

“Are you kidding?!”

“You weren’t helping when your friends made fun of me! I don’t wanna be their pitiful object for the prank!”

“You are really an ungrateful person. I was trying to save you from embarrassment! Why did you think I was not helping?!”

“You said something disgusting about me, aside the fact I am your wife! How utterly embarrassing was that to have your husband said nasty thing about his wife’s body!”

“I didn’t say nasty thing about your body! I’m trying to save you from embarrassment!”

“No, you’re not! You only try to save yourself from embarras—“

Abruptly turning back, Woohyun storms out of the house without saying anything. He closes the door with a loud bang then his car engine is heard leaving the yard.

Still in daze, Chorong looks at the door in utter shocked. How could he?! Tears finally roll down onto her soft cheeks as the crying sound voiced out of in saddening tone. She’s crouching down, bawling with face on her knees. Her body is trembled hard and she needs someone to hug her, to soothe her down; to assure her that everything is gonna alright.

But that night goes as usual, it’s still a cold silent lingers at the house. The difference is there’s a ripping-heart crying sounded so painfully for a moment.

Moment later, Chorong is seen out of the door with her luggage trailing behind.

***

The door in front of her won’t budge although Chorong already knocked for multiple times already. She doesn’t care if the neighborhood is disturbed by the noise, she doesn’t have anywhere to go. She can’t meet her step sister because Im Jinah is on runaway in New York, she chooses to visit her best friend’s apartment in this late night. Yoon Bomi is going to understand her by the way.

“Unnie?!” Bomi squeaks when swollen eyes and red nose come to the view once she opens the door, and a medium size luggage places beside the sobbing girl. Chorong looks like a mess.

“I,” Chorong muffles a sob. “I can’t take it anymore.” She sobs even harder.

“Oh God, come in Chorong unnie.” Bomi lets her in. What Chorong doesn’t know is there’s another guest at Bomi’s apartment. She finds Lee Howon gawks at the end of front hall, looks bewildered.

“Why is he here?!” Chorong sharply turns her head and shoots her friend a disapproving glare. She wants only two best friends time, and clearly he is not categorized as her best friend. “You hate him!” She hisses, her sob is changed into anger now.

Instead of answering, Bomi only ushers the best friend of hers into the living room and makes her sit on the couch. She’s then gone to the kitchen after commanding the only guy there to get Chorong’s luggage inside.

“You fight with Woohyun?” Howon voices out his anxiousness as placing the luggage beside the owner. He has no idea that hearing that name only boiling her head more, no, actually talking to one of his friends upsets her too.

Bomi comes with a warm lemon tea in hand when Chorong points her index finger to Howon. “You! It’s all because of you too!” She accuses madly.

The guy doesn’t say anything except sending a glance to Bomi.

“You should go now.” Bomi speaks up, lifts her chin toward the front door. Howon moves reluctantly, grabs his stuff on the dinner table before walks to the front door.

“Don’t you dare saying I’m here to that jerk!”

He hears Chorong’s shout right before twisting the knob.

Bomi rubs Chorong’s back when it’s only two of them in the room. “What happened?”

“Why did he come here?!” But it seems Chorong still in disbelief, Yoon Bomi letting someone she hates into her shelter.

“Ignore him.” Bomi just dismisses the topic like that. “What did Woo—“

“Don’t.” The mellow feeling is coming back to Chorong one more. “Don’t say his name in front of me.” Through the gritted teeth, she hisses hoarsely.

“I’m sorry unnie,” Bomi envelopes her in a warm hug. It makes Chorong sniffs; it’s been a long time since she receives the warmth from someone else.

“I hate him.” Chorong murmurs. “I don’t wanna live with him.” She breaks into a bawl.

Bomi only tightens her hug, completely understands what the elder girl has been through. “It’s okay unnie, you can live here with me.”

She may not know Nam Woohyun that well, but since that guy linked with Lee Howon, somehow she gets a picture of what kind of guy he is. They are friend after all.

***

Yoon Bomi is like the only warm air to make Chorong alive. They first met at the campus, she’s a junior there but her bravery and bluntness are on several levels above her. They share the same lifestyle and Chorong thinks that is the main point why she likes the younger girl so much. Yoon Bomi is like a family left she only has. Although she also has a good relationship with Jinah, their different lifestyle grows them apart.

Chorong feels so much better living in Bomi’s apartment. She has someone to converse with, her meal time is more appetizing with a light chat and sometimes there’s a late night talk when Bomi doesn’t feel exhausted after working the whole day.

The most important thing is, Park Chorong doesn’t feel like the only one living in the house anymore.

Chorong smiles reminiscing how happy her life turns now.

“What are you smiling at?” Bomi nudges her lightly. Both of them lay on the mattress Bomi places in the living room, after pushed the couch to the corner. Night goes deep but Chorong doesn’t feel cold anymore.

“Nothing.” She hums. But then she remembers one big thing she forgets to confront at the first time. “Hey, are you dating Lee Howon, Bomi-ah?”

The younger girl giggles beside her. “No, unnie.”

“But why he comes here frequently? It’s disturbing. I still hate him too because he’s one of the jerk’s friend.” Chorong whines.

The giggle from Bomi’s mouth doesn’t die down yet. “We are friends.”

Is she for real?! Chorong turns to face her best friend abruptly. “What? How? You hate him. You two hate each other’s gut!”

There’s an awful silent before Bomi answers her question and makes Chorong feels a bit guilty. But then from the side, Chorong sees the younger looks like glowing as beautiful smile slowly formed on her lips.

“Well,” Bomi turns to face her unnie, and now they are facing each other. “He came to me and apologizing. So why not? I’m not without fault too in the first place. Then, we’re kind of good friends now.” She smiles.

Chorong’s forehead creased, unable to accept Bomi’s easy attitude.

“You should too, unnie.”

“What?”

“Trying to forgive him.”

They fall on a silence again. Chorong lays on her back again and looks at the ceiling in wonder. Why should she? He even doesn’t care with her, there’s no single text or call that asking where she is now. No. Of course the great Nam Woohyun will never do that.

“Unnie,” Bomi nudges her arm lightly. “It’s been almost a week, right? He came here yesterday when you’re out to the market.”

Chorong’s eyes bulge out. She sits straight all of a sudden. “What?!” Then panic. “Did you tell him I was here?!”

“No, chill unnie. Although it’s kind of useless since your luggage stands there for the whole time.” Bomi’s finger directs to the medium box that stays quietly in front of her bedroom door.

Chorong turns pale.

“The point is, he has the effort trying to find you.” Smiling softly, Bomi grabs Chorong’s hands and squeezes them.

Although he’s kind of dumb for not noticing it. She adds it only in her mind.

***

Seoul in the night is always as bright as the day. Having a glass of drink in his hand, Nam Woohyun watches the night view through the glass window. People busily pasing by the bar and can’t see him from the outside as he enjoys it without a word for a moment. He lets his attention divided when a light tap on his shoulder happens.

“Hey.” Lee Howon takes a sit beside him. “A rough night?”

A sigh escapes from Woohyun’s mouth. He stares at his drink for a second before gulping it down in oneshot.

“I still can’t find her.”

Her as in Park Chorong and Howon stays silent for a while.

“Have you searched everywhere?” When he finally speaks up, Howon uses a flat tone as eyebrows lifted in wonder.

“What is the exact place of everywhere? I’m not his mother, I don’t know her favorite place when she’s mourning over something childish like this.”

Woohyun looks tensed. He orders the barista to pour him the drink again. After gulping it in another oneshot, he continues on rambling.

“The best part is, there will be a family dinner for tomorrow night.” He sighs. “She does know how to take revenge.”

They fall in silence again before Howon takes turn to talk.

“I’ll help you finding her.”

Woohyun only hums in response. Then they spend the rest of the night with a busy dialogue in their own mind.