Stepping back into Taek’s house, I pondered why is Taek behaving that way. He usually bottles up his emotion and I rarely see him cry so badly. It’s definitely not because of his match. He was lying and I can see right through his eyes when he looked at me. I just couldn’t understand why he lied to me and what secrets is he keeping from me.

“Where’s Taek?” Junghwan asked as I sat down beside him. “He taking a smoke outside, he will be back soon.” I lied, not wanting them to be worried about Taek’s distraught state. Junghwan nodded and pulled me closer to him as we continued to watch the music festival. However, my thoughts always slipped back to Taek during the entire period of the broadcast, wondering about the reasons for his behaviour. Occasionally, Junghwan noticed that I was in deep thought and was worried that I had caught a cold. I simply assured him that I was alright and was a little tired. Shyly, he gently directed my head towards his shoulder. “You can rest on my shoulder if you’re tired. It will be here for you 24/7.” Smiling at his thoughtfulness, I laid my head on his broad and firm shoulder.

I never expected to be Junghwan girlfriend as I laid on his shoulder. I always thought that my crush for him was one-sided until the day he confessed to me.

Flashback:

I walked out of the gates after a long flight. “Deok-Sun ah!” I heard a familiar voice calling my name. There, stood Junghwan decked in casual clothing, waving furiously at me. In disbelief, I made my way towards him. “Jungpal, what are you doing at the airport, don’t you need to be in the base?” He took my carry-on as we walked towards the exit, telling me that today is his day off. “I was nearby, so I decided to fetch you knowing you had a flight today.” Stunned by his thoughtfulness, we boarded his jeep and drove back to Ssangmun-dong.

“Deok Sun ah, I’m hungry, can I stop by the store and get some food.” Junghwan said suddenly. Feeling sleepy, I simply nodded. The jeep came to a stop and he parked the car. But instead of getting out the car, he turned around and faced me. Reaching his hand towards the back of the jeep, he presented me with a bouquet of roses. “Sung Deok Sun, I’ve been wanting to say this ever since when we were in high school. I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Even till today, I was still in disbelief that I was actually Kim Junghwan girlfriend. Despite knowing that my crush is my boyfriend now, I felt that something was missing. Junghwan is extremely caring towards me and I’m happy when I’m with him, but deep down it just does not feel complete when we are together. At this moment, the sound of the door knob disrupted my thought. It was Taek. Instantly turning around, I noticed Taek looked so lifeless, his eyes extremely puffy (must be because of the crying) and he is sneezing. Stupid boy, he must have caught of a cold from staying outside for so long.

“Taek-ah, are you alright?” Sunwoo said as he noticed Taek lifeless state. “I’m fine, I think I just need some sleep.” Taek simply replied. Looking at Taek, my heart ached and worried for him. He seemed so fragile and he seems like he could shatter into pieces any moment. “Why don’t we leave and let Taek rest. The show is over anyway.” I said gently but my eyes were glaring at the others hoping that they will take the hint and let Taek rest. Fortunately, Junghwan understood my hint. “Let’s go guys, I’m tired too, let Taek have a good rest so that we can go out tomorrow.” Whispering a silent “thank you” to him, we bade goodbye to Taek and left the room.

OUTSIDE TAEK’S HOUSE

“Thank you for just now.” I said to Junghwan as we stood outside, wanting to spend some alone time before we head off to bed. “It’s nothing, I noticed Taek was tired too, plus you looked like you could need some rest.” Taking my hand, we headed for home.

TAEK’S ROOM

I finally managed to calm myself down before stepping back to into my room. However, when I opened the door, I was greeted with the sight of Deok Sun laying her head on Junghwan shoulder. Almost instantly, Deok Sun turned around and looked at me, her eyes filled with worried. Suppressing my emotions as we made eye contact, I was extremely relived when Sunwoo asked me whether I am alright. Before I could answer, Deok Sun had asked everyone to leave and allow me to rest. Junghwan was the first to support her idea and everyone agreed. We bade goodbye as the four of them stream out of the room. Deok Sun was the last to leave and my eyes linger on her until she closed the door shut.

The moment it shut, I sank down to the floor. There were no tears this time. I spread my mattress on the floor and laid down. I shut my eyes, hoping that the pain of losing Deok Sun would go away and everything will be alright tomorrow.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen the next day and also for the next two years.

Chapter 3 Preview:

“Breaking News! Flight 103 that was due to arrive in Incheon from Tokyo at 1050 KST has lost contact with air traffic controls. It’s unsure whether the plane has crashed at this moment. Flight 103 was carrying 150 passengers including 8 crew. Stay tuned for more updates.”