Joshua is awakened by the sound of an all too familiar ringtone. Jinhan

He checks his watch, 5:17, too early. He let the phone rings as he closes his eyes again and mellows down to the cold morning.

“You like me right? I know you do,” Jinhan says inching closer to him. Joshua attempts to move away but he can only do so much in such a narrow couch.

“You’re so cute when you’re being shy. I know you like me. I’ve seen your stares. It’s not like I didn’t notice,” she continues teasing him. Joshua doesn’t bother denying. Everything, from his flustered face to his trembling hands, shows how much he does.

He likes Jinhan but she is also his brother’s ex-girlfriend. Joshua knows how his brother loves Jinhan and his plans to propose to her despite their current break-up. Yet, he couldn’t help himself when he agreed to Jinhan’s offer to date in secret.

That was then. Presently, Joshua is different.

Although he doesn’t deny that he had loved Jinhan that time even when he knows he shouldn’t. He won't let himself be dragged anymore.

His phone alarms again to the same ringtone, she has never changed since then. Always dragging me to her pace.

This time Joshua answers.

“Why didn’t you pick up thee first time?” says the female voice from the other line.

“Jinhan. I was wondering why you would be calling at this early an hour,” Joshua replies in a casual tone.

“Pick me up at my house. Right. Now,” Jinhan says, no pleasantries, no concern for anything else but her own.

“I allowed yesterday because I was single then. But now I’m not. So, I cannot meet you alone.” Joshua says as coldly as he can.

“This again? How many time has it been, Josh? Anyway you guys would separate in a week just always,” she says to Joshua’s annoyance.

“If there’s nothing else you want to say, I’m going to hang up.” Jinhan continues with her taunt with her lowered, purring voice, “Who is it this time?”

“We’re in the same club,”

“Hmmm. Is she cute?” Jinhan inquires.

Joshua remembers his most vivid image of Jeonghan. The first time he has met him. It was during his first club practice. The way Jeonghan’s eyes concentrates on the target before him and how he had made it look so elegant, drawing a bow. “More than cute, I would say. Beautiful."

“More beautiful than me?”

“I cannot really compare you two, you know”

"That’s what I like about you, Josh. Come play with me this weekend okay?”

“Rather than ask me, how about getting back with my brother?”

“I hate you when you start being like this. Bye.”

Saying I like you and then I hate you the next second, Joshua heaved a sigh. Jinhan has always been like this. Even after they have broken up, Jinhan would cling to him whenever her relationship with his brother gets awry, never minding Joshua’s feelings.

Now that he has sorted out his feelings for Jinhan, Joshua couldn’t help but be hopeful every time the week starts. What started out as a means to get Jinhan off his case, turned into a sincere pursuit for something mutual this time. He has learned from his relationship with Jinhan how lonely and wrecking it is if one party isn’t really invested to make the relationship to work. One week is short but it is enough; enough for him to determine if he would fall in love with a person, any more would only hurt both parties in the long run.

Maybe, I will in love this time?

Joshua thinks about Jeonghan. How the senior suddenly surprised him about them going out like it’s the most casual thing in the world. Back then when Jeonghan asked him, he was surprised the senior wasn’t in a relationship given how popular he was.

Good morning, said Joshua in a message he had just sent to Jeonghan. The weeks always starts off like this. Early morning greetings. Getting to knows.

Joshua didn’t expect an almost immediate reply.

“Good Morning, is that what you expect me to reply back, you !” says the reply. Joshua couldn’t help chuckling. My my, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

He was typing his apology when his phone rings again. This time, it’s from an unexpectedly expected caller.

“What idiot would wake up at this hour and bother another sleeping person,” says the man in the other line, voice low and a bit scratchy.

“I’m sorry. Tell me how I can make up to you? Such a light sleeper if you’ve woken up from a text,” Joshua teases.

“Do not laugh when you’re apologizing,” Joshua could almost picture Jeonghan pouting, “not usually. But nobody messages me at this hour so I thought it was something important. I really want to punch you right now.”

Joshua chuckles, “Then, do you want me to go there so you can punch me?”

Silence. An unusual response. Did I go overboard with the teasing? Joshua didn’t know silence can be this… disconcerting? Scary?

Finally he hears Jeonghan sigh on the other line, “Go to club practice.”

“What?”

“Club practice. What club do you belong to, Joshua?”

“Ummm..archery? Being a senior you’re not required to attend right?”

“Do not answer a question with a question. Make it up to me by going to club practice today. I’ll be there.” The line went dead before he can reply.

Club practice, huh. How long has it been since he went. But Jeonghan says he’ll be there, so that’s that.

~

Lean frame, calm breathing, shoulders straight, back arched out; I have never seen such an elegant stance in a long time. The man releases his bow, the arrow hitting dead center. “YES!” says the man, huffing his chest and raising his fist in victory.

“Yes that would have been perfect if it weren’t for the inelegant display of triumph in the end,” says the current club President, Joshua doesn’t remember the name.