“I also like a girl.”

“…” Even though her facial expression was extremely far from the word ‘kidding,’ the blonde just couldn’t believe it. But it all seem to make more sense when coming to the thought of that hickey. A girl? What girl… “Baek Mari?”

The younger was surprised that the other got it in the first try, she quickly bowed. “I apologize. I was supposed to and should’ve told you on that day, but Seungcheol ssi was there and Mari also showed up, so I didn’t have the gut to do so.”

“I understand. Now we’re even.” Jeonghan sighed. “So, since when have you guys been together?”

“We used to be together.”

“You mean before you and I were engaged?” His brow lifted.

The girl nodded. “And one day, my mother found out. She broke us up and tied me with you instead. But how could I…” A droplet rolled down her cheek but she wiped it swiftly, not wanting to show her weak side. “So, after I was sure about Seungcheol ssi and you. We secretly started over again.”

After a while, the blonde finally gathered his courage to comment. “If I had treated you better, you would’ve…changed to whom your mother wanted you to be. This is all my fault.”

Shaking her head softly, she gave him a reassuring smile. “If you say so, half of it must be my fault that I got caught. And you never know, treating me well would probably have changed nothing.”

“Even so, I’m truly sorry…” He rubbed his nape. “So, what are you going to do next?”

“Of course, we have to break this engagement off.”

“That’s my real question; how are you going to convince them? Your parents didn’t approve you being with her then, so why would they approve it now?”

“At that time, I believed all my mother’s words that I would become straight again, that I would forget her one day, that they did this for my happiness, and that they knew what was best for me; however, now that I know they are not true, and now that you also disagree with this marriage, it would succeed somehow.” Her eyes showed great aspiration that the older was convinced. “By the way, can you tell me more about Seungcheol? I’m kind of curious at how or why you began to like him because, you know, we probably are relevant.” She cutely facepalmed like a kid getting to listen to a bedtime story.

“Alright,” Jeonghan shifted his leg. “We coincidently met in a train, thanks to your uncle. While I was getting panic, Seungcheol came out of nowhere and saved your uncle. We took him to the hospital together. After that, I got interest in his skill and who he was, and with Jun’s help, I knew his name. When we met again, we became friends.” Then he took another sip.

Her eyes were even more sparkling in excitement. “Wow, are you sure you’re not lying? It sounds so dramatic as if it is from a drama plot.”

The blonde blushed at the compliment. “How is your uncle now? Is he doing better?”

“Well, just know that I appreciate your attempt of saving him. And yes, he’s been receiving weekly dialysis and had to be careful with his food and drink. Moreover, he quitted drinking so that he wouldn’t have to get a kidney transplant. Other than that, he will be fine.”

“Kidney transplant…” Jeonghan unconsciously his back where the organ had been replaced quite some time ago, but the owner of it would forever be in his heart.

“I should go now.” She looked at her watch and prepared to leave.

“Um, Daeun ssi, one last thing.” The older called out.

“Nae?” Daeun looked back.

“It will be good if we rush with things because…I may not be around anymore.”

“What? You’re moving? Why haven’t my parents said anything?”

“It’s a sudden decision from my parents, I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be.” The girl needed some moments to settle her spinning head because too much stuff was going on right now. After succeeding so, she recalled something, “wait, and what about Seungcheol ssi? He knows and approved this?” Her face showed great concern as it became entangled.

“He…” Jeonghan tried to find any word that could fit their current situation but failed, “…I don’t know.”

-

Jeonghan was leaving the café when he got a message from Minghao. ‘Cheol hyung is back.’ Reading that, he immediately headed for their dorm although it was the opposite way from his place. It took a while before someone answered the doorbell.

“Minghao-ah.” He greeted and looked over the younger’s shoulder.

“Uh,” Myungho scratched his head with a tangled frown, “Cheol hyung was really here when I texted you. Then, I went to bed and woke up again just now, and he is gone.”

“He came back and was out again? At this hour?” It was almost midnight now so where would he be going? The blonde was rather unconvinced but he couldn’t say Minghao was lying either.

“I’ll call him,” offered Minghao. The call rang a few times and suddenly there was another phone ringing in the kitchen. Jeonghan went to get it and realized it was Seungcheol’s.

“Hyung~” Yawned the Chinese boy. “If it isn’t anything urgent, you can come again in the morning,” he wasn’t paying much attention while he ended the call that when he went after the older into the kitchen, he was alone. Minghao could feel his temper throb as he groaned internally. These hyungs, jinjja… Why are they so impatient and do whatever they want to?! Staying still at one place won’t bring you guys any harm, you know! …Wait, where is the-

-

Despite being a bit confused, the driver followed his master’s order of driving him back to his apartment in the speed of light. Thankfully, no unexpected incident occurred except for his master himself who seemed to be quieter yet more agitated than usual – not that he was complaining – the chaebol even got out of the car without any word but ‘thank you’ and ‘don’t follow me.’

The blonde swiftly walked pass the lobby that he didn’t know really well, then his clumsiness and bad luck seemed to know their roles, for an archaic decorating statue slashed precisely at his knee and he slipped down onto the ground however, no receptionists gave him any attention because they seemed to be all asleep. He got up at once and if not for his leg he had just hurt, he would’ve run all way up the stairs, which would waste time than taking the elevator, to assure Seungcheol wasn’t in one of the floors. The long-haired got out at the last floor to find no one there.

“Choi Seungcheol, just show yourself up…” The chaebol said despairingly after taking a quick skim of his penthouse and found it empty. Fishing his phone out to call Minghao again whether the older was back yet, the long-haired felt sudden pain at his knee so he looked down, only to see the pant around his right knee drenched in crimson shade and the lower part gradually did, too. “Aish…”

“Eo, hyung, did you find him?” The other line answering brought his attention back to the call.

“Ani, I think…” Jeonghan hobbled himself slowly to the polished black sofa, “I think I will see him again in the morn- Aish…ah…” and cried in pain when trying to take his right leg up on the coffee table to take a better look at the wound.

“Hyung, is everything okay?” The younger got anxious and completely forgot what he had wanted to ask.

“I’m fine.” The blonde gritted his teeth.

“There’s nothing to worry, hyung. Cheol hyung will come back, I can assure you that. And I’ll text you when he does.”

“Thanks a lot. Then, see you tomorrow.”

After he hung up, the long-haired cautiously folded up his pant and began an actual examination on his knee. The wound looked deep and worse than he had expected because he had felt nothing up till now; awful feeling creeping down his spine, an unpleasant smell stinking the air, his tongue numb and tasteless, his lips bleak and bleached, and his head so heavy.

In the quiet lighted penthouse, after its owner had succeeded in dressing his wound after much difficulty in fetching stuffs, he got too exhausted and instantly knocked out.

-

It might sound unconvincing to say that one had never been to an airport before in his life, but not for an orphan like him. Even so, the excitement of the first time on a plane couldn’t overcome the growing perturbation in him. Because of it, because of that certain feeling, the black-haired was out looking for a certain person last night. He didn’t know what their current relationship exactly was though – nor that he cared. He just wanted to make sure with his own eyes that the other was okay before he left. Just that. But, obviously, fate liked to betray him. The other thing was his phone that disappeared. He wasn’t entirely convinced by Minghao’s words that Jeonghan took it. And even if he did – by whichever reason, Seungcheol didn’t mind. He just wanted it back but since there was no hope now, so whatever…

Spotting Kwon Soonyoung sunbaenim, the medic was about to walk towards the senior however halted midway for he heard a shout – several shouts to be exact.

“Seungcheol-ah! Choi Seung-” Just then, their eyes met each other.

To be honest, the voice’s owner didn’t surprise Seungcheol, what did surprise him was the obvious fact, from being a medic, he could instantly see that the blonde was limping. Although Jeonghan’d tried his best not to show any trace of it, to walk in the fastest way possible, it was incompatible.

“Han, what happened? You’re hurt?” He inquired as soon as they were feet apart.

The younger tried to brush it away. “Just answer me, why didn’t you say anything about this?”

“Who did it?” The older was relentless. “Tell me, who dared-”

“I hurt myself, okay?!”

There was one moment of awkward silence.

“Now, can you answer my question?”

It took the medic some more seconds before finally recalling he had been asked as well. “