“What is this?”

When Chanwoo receives a call from June asking for a dinner he doesn’t expect to be invited to a romantic candlelight dinner. He has no idea where do June takes him, a rooftop of a building so foreign for Chanwoo with a table served in the middle under the stars and sky. One candle along with other decorations as if they are newlyweds.

“So, how do you think?”

Chanwoo has to force himself not to roll his eyes. He hates it especially the fact June acts as if he can just take advantage of his amnesia to woo him back. He is disgust. “What are you doing?” He asks nonchalantly, raising eyebrows and intentionally making a mocking voice. He could see June doesn’t appreciate his reaction, well exactly what Chanwoo wanted; pissing him off.

“I ask you out for a dinner.” Said June matter of factly.

“I agree with that. But not this!” He points to the candle and table and everywhere. “What are you taking me for? Your boyfriend or something?” Chanwoo sees the hurt flashes off June’s eyes as he puts his head down facing Chanwoo.

“You were.” The words are soft, almost inaudible. But Chanwoo could hear it perfectly fine.

“Well that’s it. I was.” He presses on the past reference. “When will you stop dwelling yourself in the past and live in the future, idiot? I am no longer your boyfriend, your fiancé or whatever. You’re a creep.” Chanwoo turns on his heel to the stairs. “You disgust me.” But before he can leave, June has a hold on his arm, spinning Chanwoo around to see him.

“Chanwoo wait!” June sounds so desperate. He doesn’t want him to leave, he wants him to stay.

June loses his grip when a sting is felt over his left cheek. He freezes; as if the ground his legs making it unable to move. He doesn’t see the hand coming. But he sees Chanwoo walking away from him.

He doesn’t stop him.

Chanwoo comes back home that night feeling utterly relief. He couldn’t stop smiling, not even when he tells everything to Yunhyeong, not even when his brother gives him a disapproving look. Chanwoo sees it coming anyway, including the next lecture Yunhyeong has in store for him.

“Chanu, this is serious. You should stop.” Yunhyeong said while the two brothers are inside the elder’s room. “Can’t you see? His effort for tonight shows how much he wants you back. That he is sorry! Why would you still want to lie to June?”

He has to snort; like literally has to because of how naïve Yunhyeong is. “Hyung, he is not sorry! He is just trying to take advantage of my stupid amnesia to get me back. He is cheap! He deserves what happened earlier!” Chanwoo watches the shake of Yunhyeong’s head over his words. Not able to believe that his own flesh and blood won’t trust him.

“How did you even know he’s taking advantage of you?” Yunhyeong asks eventually, feeling fed up.

“He never said sorry! For these past 3 weeks I’m faking things up to him, he never did!”

“Maybe he wants to say so tonight? That’s why he made those preparations.”

Chanwoo has both his hands gripping his hair in frustration. He can’t get Yunhyeong at this moment. “What is wrong with you, Yunhyeong hyung?! Why are you siding him?! The one who smeared dirt all over our family’s face!” He shouts, not paying any heed even if their neighbors come banging on the door.

“That is what you and mom think. Chanwoo, why don’t you just talk things out with June properly? Give him a chance to explain.” Coax Yunhyeong trying to get senses back into Chanwoo. He couldn’t take it to fool June anymore. “I can’t do this anymore, Chanwoo. Every time he calls me, asking how have you been, have you remember anything about him, it hurts me to lie to him over and over again. He is genuinely sorry and wants you back.” Chanwoo stays in silence, listening to what Yunhyeong said.

“Give him a chance.”

Chanwoo huffs angrily before he storms out from the room to his own, leaving the argument hanging without solution. Slamming and locking the door, he throws himself on the bed. if only he could just scream he would have done it long ago. Yunhyeong just can’t get it and Chanwoo hates that. As he tries to calm his anger down, he instinctively brings his right arm up to his face level. He eyed his palm, remembering the contact it makes with June’s cheeks an hour ago. A flash of June’s hurt face comes into his head, somehow of a reason, he feels sorry for him.

He puts his arm to cover his eyes and sighs heavily in defeat. He hates it when his brother is right; he does still care.

Chanwoo had received no responses from June; no calls, no texts, not even anything in his social medias. June was avoiding him and he hated that. He hated to be asked by his parents if his fiancé leave any messages to him or not, ended up getting scolded by them. He hated the pity look his relatives gave to him whenever they came to his house or when he went to theirs. He hated what his friends said over his Instagram and all about his cancelled wedding.

Chanwoo decided he hated his life, this shouldn’t have happened.

He held in in for 2 weeks until he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to confront June. But that morning, a guest came to his house. Turned out it was June’s parents. He was called by his father to come down, and they had a talk.

“We are truly sorry for what our son had done to yours.” Said June’s father, as he and his wife bowing their heads down as an apology to him and his parents.

“Chanwoo is a very good kid. He shouldn’t have suffered for what June had done.” Mrs. Koo turned to say, her eyes flashed regret and shame. Just like how Chanwoo’s mother’s eyes were. “We have decided to cancel the wedding and call off their engagement.” At that, Chanwoo was stunned. He had been looking down all the time when the adults in the room had been talking—more like arguing in his mother’s case because she had been yelling for 3 minutes straight until his father had to stop her and June’s mother repeatedly saying sorry to her. But now, his head was up and eyes bulging out of his socket in shock.

What?

“Does it have to come to this way?” He heard his father said, slowly, yet firm and ….. worrying. His father was worried about him. But then the tranquility was broken by his own mother. “After 2 weeks?! You make us wait for 2 weeks to tell us this?! Do you have any idea how my son has to suffer waitingyou’re your side to say anything?!”

“Honey, please!” Chanwoo had both his eyes squinted an inch hearing the slight raise of his father’s voice to his mother, reprimanding her from acting following her emotions again. She huffed angrily before crossing her arms. Chanwoo took a deep breath although he felt the lump was moving up to his windpipe. He felt suffocated.

“Me and my family truly apologize for all this inconvenience, Mr. and Mrs. Jung. We are terribly sorry for this misfortune we have given to your family.” Said Mr. Koo. “Which is why we believe it will be the wisest decision to do this. My son clearly isn’t ready yet to lead a household. He will just hurt Chanwoo further.”

“This is the best for Chanwoo. We have been discussing this too with June and h—“

“What did June say?” Chanwoo interrupted Mrs. Koo without him realizing it. He could see from the corner of his eyes the look his mother was giving him. But he paid no heed to it. He hopefully looked over to the woman sitting before him, wanting to hear how June had been.

But the look Mrs. Koo gave him made Chanwoo’s heart aching. She was hesitating as her eyes searched for his husband. When Mr. Koo nodded his head to his wife direction, she looked back to Chanwoo. “June agreed with this.”

The next thing that happened went as if he wasn’t there. Chanwoo didn’t even know if his brain could decipher anything the 4 adults said right afterwards. From the moment June’s mother said that until the time the Koos left, Chanwoo didn’t move nor showing any reaction. He didn’t even return the farewells before they went back home. Only when his brother came shaking his body did he look up. He was met with a teary-eyed Yunhyeong before he gave Chanwoo a bone-crushing hug.

Chanwoo didn’t even realized when did he cry, nor taking note that he had been crying the moment the Koos left the couch. As he returned Yunhyeong’s hug, he gripped onto his brother’s clothes really hard until his knuckles turned white, in contrast to his bloody red eyes and flushed cheeks. He cried as if he had never cried his entire life.

Chanwoo decided he hated June, and all these won’t happened if it wasn’t because of June himself.

June agrees to meet up with Chanwoo that weekend; a week after the rooftop incident. He steps inside the cozy humble café, the place where he and Chanwoo used to hang out when they are still in college. Even the spot where Chanwoo has been waiting for him screams melancholy for June.

He remembers it. Is what June thoughts not knowing Chanwoo never forgets in the first place. He does choose their favorite spot intentionally. He takes a seat before the latter, smiling slightly seeing the face he has been missing for the week. Still in June’s eyes, Chanwoo is gorgeous.

Even with the stoic and lack of adoration expression, June still thoughts Chanwoo is beautiful. “Glad you came.” Started the latter whilst twirling his straw over the smoothie. June’s drink is already on the table. Mocha and caramel smoothie. He has always loved it, the details get June blushing.

“You remember my favorite?”

Chanwoo smirks before wiping it off completely with a hateful stare. “Just a hunch.” He said. “Since the taste is as awful as your attitude.” He thoughts June might be hurt by his comment but it only makes the smile grows bigger. Chanwoo is puzzled.

“You used to say that a lot to me.” June’s words get Chanwoo unsettled. Shoot, I blurt it out without thinking! He thinks watching a red-eyed June facing him. That is what he used to say to mock on June and his ridiculous drink years before. “I miss them; our moments.” It takes less than a second for Chanwoo t