The clock inside the coffee shop read 5:30 pm. Quietly Jae Hee sipped her coffee.

“Just give me a few more minutes. I promise I’ll close soon” Il Hyun spoke to her offering her a smile before he headed back to attend to his clients. Smiling at him Goo Jae Hee felt her heart flutter in a way she had not thought possible. How long had it been since she loved him? Ten... fifteen years… maybe more... Not everyone was lucky to have true love. Finding someone to love… keeping them, being with them was something completely different. It was a luxury that Goo Jae Hee did not have. Unlike her younger brother who was given what he wanted and did his will Goo Jae Hee was a lot tamer. That wasn’t to say she did not have a temper just as bad as Goo Jun Pyo.

 

In fact, her calm but deadly anger was scarier that Goo Jun Pyo’s volatile personality. When Goo Jae Hee was a child, what she remembers most is Il Hyun. Her childhood friend

 

Goo Jae Hee doesn’t remember much about meeting Il Hyun. They grew up together from just a few days old. Il Hyun was younger by just one month and Jae Hee enjoyed bossing the quiet and timid Il Hyun. This day in particular Goo Jae Hee goes to Il Hyun’s house. She asks her mother for permission that morning, she wants to spend time with Il Hyun. His parents haven’t been around much and Goo Jae Hee is too small to understand what’s going on.

 

Her mother and father don’t talk about “adult” things around her. She doesn’t see Il Hyun at Shinwaa kinder garden for a few months, nor does she get to call him. Goo Jae Hee doesn’t understand anything only that her best friend is gone. She doesn’t get to see him for what feels like an eternity until one day she overhears her parents talking about Il Hyun and his baby brother Yi Jeong who like Goo Jun Pyo is just a few months old. From what Goo Jae Hee understands Il Hyun was now coming back. It was because of tis that she had asked her parents to allow her to visit Il Hyun before he came back to school.

 

She didn’t understand at the time but her mother and father were no longer on good terms with Il Hyun’s parents. In the later years she would learn just how much this would affect her own future and her heart. She had not listened to her mother and on her own had left her house in search for Il Hyun.

 

When she arrived at his home she could hear yelling. She was afraid but, made herself move forward. Jae Hee peeked through the empty large halls of the So mansion. She had never really been invited to come here and couldn’t comprehend why it was always Il Hyun who came to see her. Findind the first flight of stairs, Jae Hee made her way up. It was there that the screams got louder.

“I brought back out kids! Do they mean nothing to you!”
 

Il Hyun’s mother was screaming. The look on her face was something Goo Jae Hee could not understand, what she did know was that this look frightened her. Goo Jae Hee watched Il Hyun;s father stand in front of Il Hyun’s mother. The look in his eyes was cold but he smirked.

“If I don’t care about a worthless person like you. Why should I care about them?”

His words were something that Goo Jae Hee at the time, could not understand, but she knew they were meant to be hurtful. It was then that Mrs. Soo lunged herself at Mr. Soo. Gasping quietly Jae Hee retreated. She could hear the butler and a few maids run thorugh but Goo Jae Hee continued to go forward. She wasn’t sure what room Il Hyun was in but she continued to go through the house, this time urgently. She was afraid for her friend and wondered where he was. Finally she came to a door at the far end of the hall.

 

The previous room had been a nursery. Goo Jae Hee wondered where baby Yi Jeong was but when she tried to opent his door, which she was sure now was Il Hyun’s room she realized it was locked. Worried she knocked but there was no answer. For a moment she thought she heard a baby’s small gurgle but then it was silent once more when she pressed her ear to the door. Knocking once again this time she softly called out for Il Hyun.

“Il Hyun it’s me Goo Jae Hee.”

“Jae Hee.”

 

Hearing Il Hyun’s voice caused Goo Jae Hee to smile. She could hear footsteps come and then slowly the door opened to reveal Il Hyun.

“Come in. But be quiet.”
Nodding, Goo Jae Hee walked in closing the door behind her but it was Il Hyun who locked the bedroom door. Goo Jae Hee quietly watched Il Hyun go behind his bed and that’s when Goo Jae Hee heard the crying baby once more.

 

Walking over to Il Hyun, Jae Hee found him holding baby Yi Jeong in his lap, while struggling to feed him.

“What’s the baby doing here?” Jae Hee questioned. From down the hall Goo Jae Hee could hear fast footsteps and Il Hyun then looked up at Jae Hee, the look in his eyes would be something that she would always remember.

“No matter what. Don’t make a sound.” Il Hyung spoke to her.

 

Startled Goo Jae Hee placed a hand to to stop herself from gasping when the door was repeatedly banged. She was afraid that the door would be knocked down.

“Il Hyun!” Mrs. Soo began to scream hysterically while banging on the door.

“You have to go get him! He’s gone out there with HER! You have to go and get him back! He can’t leave us!”

 

The rattling of the door was what scared her most but as she went to sit with Il Hyun who was hiding behind his bed. Il Hyun was tightly clinging on to Yi Jeong. Rocking him back and forth as best he cold to prevent him from crying.

“They should have let us stay with them. Why couldn’t she just let us stay with Aunt and Uncle?” Il Hyun was chanting while tears fell from his eyes.

 

Back then Jae Hee didn’t understand anything that happened. Only that she was afraid for her friend. She had not realized it then but that look in Il Hyun’s eyes was that of someone who was forced to grow up to fast. When she’d managed to get home she’d been scolded, Il Hyun made her promise not to say a word to anyone and it’s only now, as she thinks back to it all that she knows she should have spoken up.

 

Years later she would find out that her own parents knew this horrible truth of Il Hyun and Yi Jeong’s parents but they too remained quiet. While they knew about Mrs. Soo’s problems no one believed she’d harmed her children. Whether it was mental or physical abuse it was still abuse.

They’d gone through so much together through the years as friends. Of course, to her it only seemed natural when she began to fall in love with Il Hyun. He was kind, gentle, caring, he was someone whom Jae Hee could only describe as her own Prince Charming.

 

When Jae Hee learned that she would get married she’d cried her eyes out. Why ccould it not be Il Hyun? Why did she get arranged to marry someone whom she could not love. Someone whom she could not possibly feel anything towards. Goo Jun Pyo was lucky, he was marrying the person he loved. Deep down Goo Jae Hee had always hoped that she and Il Hyun would be arranged as well. Even when she was angry at both her mother and father. Jae Hee knew the reason for that was because of Il Hyun’s parents. She knew her parents never had anything against Il Hyun or Yi Jeong but it was because his parents.

 

When she had left Il Hyun had clearly been angry at her. She could tell by the way Il Hyun looked at her when they were together that he loved her too. When she was sent to study abroad and met Ryan whom she would marry. Jae Hee knew Il Hyun well enough and she understood that he didn’t want to tell her about his feelings afraid to burden her with it. She too had been afraid knowing they could not be together. In the end they had both given up on one another without trying.

 

When she’d come back to Korea soon after she was divorced Jae Hee had hoped. She’d kept herself hoping that maybe now she ad Il Hyun could finally try. Once again faith was cruel to her.

“Eun Jae.”

The woman in front of her was smiling at her while she sat beside Il Hyun. The look in his eyes was something which Jae Hee recognized as he looked at Eun Jae. Goo Jae Hee would keep herself together. She reminded herself once again.

 

She tried not to show her sadness when she realized that the look Il Hyun was giving Eun Jae was similar to the one he use to give to her. She could see it in his eyes. He was in love.

“So when is the wedding?” Goo Jae Hee asked smiling. It seemed like Il Hyun was no longer good at reading her expression because he smiled back at her while having his arm around Eun Jae.

 

The woman in front of her had an aura of deceit. She didn’t want to think too much about it. Part of her feeling like maybe she was projecting her own wishes on to this woman.

“Soon. You’ll be there won’t you?” Il Hyun questioned with a bright smile.

Even if this would rip her apart Goo Jae Hee gave her best smile and nodded.

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

Her feeling in the end had been right and she’d given that woman a piece of her mind later on. She’d been there for Il Hyun as his friend, like he had needed. It was what they had been for their entire lives. She dare not wish for something else again. She realized long ago that maybe friendship was all they were meant to have.

“Sorry for making you wait.” Il Hyun spoke to Goo Jae Hee going to sit in front of her at the table where she had chosen to sit.

 

She had not realized that all the customers had left, nor had she realized that Il Hyun had already placed the closed sign outside of his Coffee Shop.

“It’s alright. What did you want to say?” She questioned with a kind smile which Il Hyun returned.

“Actually, I wanted to give this to you.” Il Hyun spoke taking out a burnt book.

“Father asked the servants that they throw away anything that was left from the fire.” Il Hyun spoke. Goo Jae Hee could tell by the way Il Hyun seemed to stiffen at the mention of his father that he was still not okay with everything that had happened through the years. Even so he continued.

“One of the maids called. There wasn’t much that was salvaged. Yi Jeong already had the things which he valued moved into storage. It was mostly pottery and a few personal items.”
“And you?” Jae Hee questioned.

“I took most everything with me when I left the first time. I’m just glad that Yi Jeong wasn’t there the day of the fire.”

Il Hyun’s eyes expressed guilt once more. Ever since he truly realized that he’d unconsciously left Yi Jeong alone he still was yet to forgive himself.

“Il Hyun.” Jae Hee spoke, placing her hand in his smiling kindly when Il Hyun intertwined their fingers together.

“You need to stop blaming yourself for those things.”
“I still feel guilty. There was so much I should have done but I didn’t fight for it. I should have always fought harder. In then end I just stopped caring. I lost myself when… I ended up losing everything and letting go of the people I loved the most.”
“It’s fine. He’s fine. He has Ga Eul now.”

 

At the mention of Ga Eul, Il Hyun smiles and nods.

“It’s because of her that Yi Jeong is alright. Aunt and Uncle helped a lot too. We’re going to visit him in the Summer.” Il Hyun spoke.

“But that’s not why I called you here. I just wanted to show you this.” Il Hyun spoke once again motioning to the burnt photoalbum.

“Only the edges were burnt. Fortunately, this was at a place where the flames hadn’t completely consumed it.”
 

Opening the book Jae Hee smiled. There were a few baby pictures of both Yi Jeong and Il Hyun.

“Most of these were taken by Aunt and Uncle some by your parents and well you know…” Il Hyun trailed off. Sadly Jae Hee did understand. Il Hyun’s parents were never caring in any way. It seemed like this was something else they failed at, capturing moments.

“Do you remember this picture?” Il Hyun spoke to Jae Hee who smiled.

“Of course. I took it.” She spoke with a smile.

 

She remembers wearing her old Shinwaa Uniform, as did Il Hyun. They were in the school library. It was where they spent most of their time. They both enjoyed reading classics and most of the time they would sit beside each other without having to say a word, but they could still enjoy one another’s company.

“That day I was given a camera for my birthday. Thank you for it and I still have it.” Jae Hee spoke with a smile which Il Hyun returned.

 

“Back then I should have fought harder don’t you think?” He questioned.

“I knew you were leaving but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.”
Feeling her heart flutter Jae Hee smiled at Il Hyun.

“We should have both fought but we were both naïve children who played adults and wanted to be cool too.”
Smiling Il Hyun found himself smiling.

“You have become quite cool.” He said causing her to laugh along with him.

“You have become quite mature too.” She said to him.

“In the end we’re both still the same.” He said to her.

 

Reaching for her hand Il Hyun smiled.

“Are we going to fight together this time?” He questioned
“Yes.” Goo Jae Hee spoke back with a smile.