Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

That was the only sound that reached Sunggyu’s ears as he laid on his back on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. Too many thoughts were running through his head, none of them coherent enough for him to linger on. Instead, he allowed them all to present themselves to him, one-by-one as time continued to tick by.

The creaking of the door opening broke through his reverie and he pushed himself up.

“I’m home,” called out a soft voice.

Kyungmi walked in, dragging her suitcase behind her, looking tired but relaxed. She didn't see him by the couch and she would have walked past him without noticing if he hadn't spoken.

“Welcome home,” Sunggyu greeted, making his wife jump in surprise.

“Sunggyu,” she stated, hand at her heart. “Y-You’re here.”

She sounded nervous and Sunggyu couldn’t blame her.

He smiled. “How was your trip?” he asked.

At the question, Kyungmi turned red and lowered her head to the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

“Sunggyu…” was all she could say.

He looked at her. Really looked at her. His eyes ran over her form – the straight dark hair, high-bridged nose, big round eyes, and thin pink lips. His wife was really beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to be with her.

“We need to talk,” he stated.

Kyungmi visibly swallowed and nodded. Leaving her suitcase by the staircase, she walked over to where he was and settled on the couch next to him. For a few moments, there was only silence. Sunggyu didn’t say a word and neither did she.

It was tense. He never thought that they would have this conversation. But, he was done running away from the reality of their situation.

Their marriage was a lie. And it was time to stop lying to themselves.

Finally, Sunggyu spoke. “You saw me at Pyeongchang.”

Kyungmi flinched. “Why were you there?” she asked, softly.

“You know why.”

At that, his wife took a deep breath. “How did you find out?”

“Does it matter?”

A soft chuckle. “I guess not.” She turned to look at him. “I suppose you want to know the truth now.”

“Who is Choi Chungha?”

She visibly swallowed. “She’s my… girlfriend.”

And, there it was. The words he had been waiting for Kyungmi to say for the past few months.

“Tell me everything,” he said in a level voice that even surprised him. “I need to know.”

Clasping her hands on her lap, Kyungmi sighed, loudly.

“Alright.” She leaned back against the sofa, making herself comfortable. “I met Chungha in Japan about… seven years ago? It was my last year in university and was taking a few electives to finish my credits.”

“You went to university in Japan…”

How could Sunggyu forget?

Kyungmi nodded. “She was in one of my classes. An exchange student for just two semesters. Her Japanese was awful.” At that, she giggled, fondly. “The other students could barely understand her through the accent. I found her… a bit annoying. She was so… perky and enthusiastic about everything. I was annoyed because she didn’t seem to be taking her studies, seriously. But, since I was one of the only three Koreans in that class, she talked to me a lot. Anyway, we were in a group project together. But the other members of our group barely showed up to our meetings. She and I ended up spending a lot of time together and I realized… well, that I was wrong. She did take her studies, seriously. She just chose to have fun every now and even.” Kyungmi giggled again. “She really helped me loosen up that semester. We became friends.”

“And it became something more,” Sunggyu stated.

Kyungmi tilted her head in silent agreement. She was lost in her thoughts now, her gaze on the wall that held an expensive painting they were given as a wedding gift by a business partner of the Parks.

“I’ve always… felt different. I never looked at boys the same way the other girls did. And as a teenager, I thought I was aual or something because I just never felt attracted to anyone. And then, Chungha barreled her way into my life and… suddenly, it was like there’s light in my dark world and everything was suddenly so… clear.”

Her tone was soft and loving, a smile playing on her lips.

“One night, we went to a party. She got a little drunk and almost…” At this, Kyungmi’s hand began to shake and she swallowed. “She almost got taken home by this guy… but I got to her on time. I didn’t know where she lived so I took her home to my apartment. And… she kissed me… and I kissed her back.”

For a moment, they were both silent as Sunggyu took in the information.

It had started long ago. Their relationship started way before Sunggyu properly met Kyungmi.

He remembered what Woohyun had told him. He and Chungha broke up for some time while in university when Chungha went to Japan. Woohyun didn’t date anyone… but Chungha did. But, Sunggyu doubted that she would have told Woohyun about that love affair.

“How long were you two… together?” he managed to ask.

“An entire year. Until it was time for her to return to Korea. We figured… it wasn’t going to work since I had planned on staying in Japan for another year.”

“Then… how did you…”

“We met again two years ago…”

So, their affair had been going on for two years. And Sunggyu had been oblivious to it the whole time.

“Sunggyu, believe me when I say that we didn’t set out to have an affair,” Kyungmi said, quickly. Her eyes were watery as she looked at him, apologetically. “I happened to go into her flower shop while working on a project. I didn’t know she worked there since we didn’t keep in touch. We… just went out to lunch to catch up. I found out she was married and I told her I was too… And… we thought we could just be friends…”

Kyungmi swallowed. “We started spending time together as friends and the longer it went… the more I realized that… I still love her… After all that time, I was still so madly in love with her that I couldn’t sleep.”

Sunggyu remembered that brief time when Kyungmi would toss and torn for several minutes before falling asleep. Sometimes, she would get up in the middle of the night and leave their bedroom. He didn’t pay attention to those times.

“We had dinner one night and went for a walk at the Han River before going home… and I kissed her.”

Kyungmi suddenly sat up, her gaze on Sunggyu. “I didn’t want to cheat on you, Sunggyu. And I didn’t want to hurt you. You’ve always been a good husband to me and I believed that I loved you. But… being with Chungha… hugging her… kissing her… it felt right… It still does… when I kiss her, she gives me butterflies in ways… in ways that kissing you never gave me.”

Sunggyu thought he would feel hurt or even offended by that statement. But, he felt nothing.

“Have you ever felt that with anyone?” Kyungmi asked.

Visions of plump lips on his invaded Sunggyu’s mind and his heart immediately picked up pace. He could feel the rush of blood heating up his face as he thought about how soft those lips were, how perfectly they fit his, and how much he longed to feel them again.

It confused him.

Kyungmi peered up at him, curiously. “You’re… thinking of someone, aren’t you?”

Sunggyu swallowed but didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Chungha’s husband and I… we know.”

His wife looked surprised. “He does? Oh no. He’s mad at Chungha, isn’t he? I have to call her.”

She moved to get her phone, but Sunggyu’s next words stopped her in her tracks.

“We’ve known for months. We’ve been trying to break you two up. Well, mostly Woohyun.” Involuntarily, his lips quirked into a fond smile. “He doesn’t give up, that Nam Woohyun. It was his idea to follow you two to Pyeongchang. He wanted us to confront you both, but when he saw you two… he couldn’t.” He breathed in, deeply. “I was with him the entire night. We came home yesterday but I haven’t heard from him.”

“Do you… like him?”

Woohyun’s smiling face popped in Sunggyu’s mind. “Of course. He’s a good friend.”

“No, not like that. I mean… do you like him? I’ve never heard you talk about any of your other friends the way you talk about him.”

There was now a lump in his throat as his thoughts went back to that night… that night when everything between the two of them changed. He may have acted like it wasn’t a big deal when, in fact, it was a very huge deal.

He just didn’t know exactly how to face it. 

“I… I don’t know. I mean, I’m happy around him. But… I don’t know. And, frankly, I don’t know how I can trust anyone else with my heart.”

He wasn’t referring to Kyungmi’s affair as he was now well aware that he never really loved her the way a husband should love his wife. And she didn’t know about his college roommate.

Nonetheless, Kyungmi’s tears now freely fell and her shoulders shook in distress, as she looked at him with such devastation. “Sunggyu, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

Sunggyu took her in his arms and rubbed her back, letting her tears soak his shirt. “I know.”

Pulling away, he reached out and took the folder lying on the coffee table. He opened it up and passed it over to Kyungmi.

Eyes wide, Kyungmi scanned it. “You… you signed it.”

His signature in black ink was right there on the line, signifying his agreement to the divorce.

“I think it’s time for the both of us to be happy, don’t you think?”

Bawling with happiness, Kyungmi fell into Sunggyu, arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you! Thank you! Sunggyu, thank you!” She briefly pulled away, sniffling as she smiled. “I love you.”

It was a platonic declaration of love. Her heart belonged to someone else. It was never his. And, frankly, his never was hers either.

Sunggyu returned the smile as he brushed her tears away. “I love you too.”

He kissed her forehead and pulled her back into his arms, offering her comfort.

Weeks ago, he had dreaded the appearance of that paper. But, now, he was thankful for it.

He never thought that it would feel so… free.

Three days passed after he and Sunggyu returned from Pyeongchang and Woohyun finally had the guts to get in touch with the older man again. He was embarrassed about what happened that night. That one night. He couldn’t help but blame himself for it so he distanced himself from Sunggyu.

Furthermore, he couldn’t bear to be under the same roof as Chungha, so the day he returned from Pyeongchang, he packed up some clothes, left a short note on the dining room table, and stayed with Dongwoo.

Right now, he was waiting for Sunggyu at a park bench close to the older man’s office. It was public and neutral ground so nothing was sure to happen. Not that he was thinking that anything was going to happen, that is.

“Woohyun?”

His thoughts were broken at the familiar voice.

Sunggyu was in front of him, relieved of his usual suit jacket and his button-down sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

It looked nice.

Flashes of that night appeared in Woohyun’s head and he mentally swatted them away, lest he started blushing.

Too late. He could already feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.

“Am I late?” the older asked, sitting next to him.

“No, not at all,” Woohyun replied. “Glad you can make it, hyung.”

Sunggyu flashed him a smile. “So, what’s up?”

Woohyun turned to him, donning a serious face now. “Well, the plan at Pyeongchang didn’t work but we shouldn’t be deterred. So, I was thinking that this time, I can take Chungha on a trip. Do you, guys, have a branch hotel in Busan? It’s getting warmer and-.”

“Woohyun, wait.”

There was something about Sunggyu’s tone that made Woohyun stop and give the older a questioning look.

Avoiding Woohyun’s gaze, Sunggyu nervously ran a hand through his hair, messing up the normally neat strands.

“Woohyun I…” He swallowed and took a deep breath before meeting Woohyun’s eyes. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Confused, Woohyun furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? Hyung, there’s still hope-.”

“I agreed to the divorce. I signed the papers.”

It was as if a giant boulder fell on top of Woohyun’s head as the words sunk in. 

“You’re giving up?” he echoed his thoughts in disbelief.

Beside him, Sunggyu sighed, closing his eyes. “Yes. I’m giving up. I’m giving up on a marriage that neither Kyungmi and I want to be a part of anymore.”

“H-Hyung…”

Woohyun couldn’t understand. Why would Sunggyu just give up on his wife and marriage just like that? All their efforts in the last couple of months… were they all for naught? Granted, none of them worked, but still!

How could Sunggyu just give up?! If he expected Woohyun to give up with him, he had another thing coming!

Sunggyu finally looked at him, his eyes boring on Woohyun’s, as if staring into his soul. It weirdly made the younger feel like he was being undressed, bit-by-bit, down to the depths of his heart.

“I think… you should give up too…”

“No.”

“Woohyun, you deserve to be happy…”

“I will be when I get Chungha back.”

“Don’t you think it’s time that you let Chungha go to find her own happiness? You’ve been holding on to her so tight and soon, that won’t do either of you any good-.”

“What do you know?! You’re the one who wants to give up on your marriage!”

“I’m giving it up so that Kyungmi can be happy. And, for me too. Woohyun.”

He reached forward and took the still-confused Woohyun’s hands in his, looking deeply into his eyes. No matter how much he wanted to, Woohyun couldn’t look away.

“If you let Chungha go, you can allow yourself to find happiness too.” His thumbs gently caressed the top of Woohyun’s hand. “Maybe… you could… find it… with me…”

With those words, Woohyun felt his heart skip a beat. A sense of longing erupted from deep within him.

And it terrified him.

Yanking his hands from Sunggyu’s, he shot up to his feet.

“Are you crazy, hyung?! I’m not gay!”

Sunggyu looked up at him, eyes open and vulnerable. “I never said you were. But, Woohyun, didn’t you feel anything for me these last few months? Or at least… that night… Because, me… I felt a lot of things and it’s confusing, I know, but if you just let me, we can figure things out…”

He tried to reach out for Woohyun’s hands again but the younger took several steps back, his fear taking over his rationality. He was shaking all over and he couldn’t stop.

Taking another shaky step back, Woohyun mustered a glare.

“Just because I kissed a guy one time does not mean I like men, okay?! I don’t like men!”  

And with those words, he turned around and fled.

Somehow, through his hazy mind and threatening tears, he managed to make it back to Dongwoo’s one-bedroom apartment with no incident. Upon arriving, he immediately burrowed himself under the blankets of his makeshift bed on the floor of the living room.

He laid there for some time, not really sure how much time had passed. But, soon, Dongwoo came home and found him like that. Bless the other man’s heart, he sat next to Woohyun’s form, patting his head and not saying anything, knowing that the other would talk when he was ready. He really appreciated it.

And soon, Woohyun did poke his head out of the blankets.

He must have looked terrible as Dongwoo actually looked concerned. “What happened, Woohyunnie?” he asked.

In a shaky voice, Woohyun told him everything that happened that afternoon. About meeting Sunggyu. About the older telling him that he was divorcing his wife. About him telling Woohyun to let Chungha go. About figuring out their feelings for each other, which Woohyun didn’t understand because he didn’t have feelings for Sunggyu! None that resembled romance, at least. He was sure of it. Sunggyu was like his brother, almost.

“You know, I kind of agree with him,” Dongwoo said and Woohyun actually felt offended at that. He must have seen the look on his face as he quickly added, “Not about your feelings! I know nothing about that. I never even met the guy! I mean about… Chungha.” He patted Woohyun on the shoulder. “He’s right, you know. This affair should have been your eye-opener from the beginning but you’re a stubborn fool, Nam Woohyun. You need to talk to Chungha. Stop hiding at my place and confront her. Wasn’t that what you wanted to do while in Pyeongchang? Well, now’s your chance.”

Deep, deep, deep, deep in his heart, Woohyun knew that Dongwoo was right. That Sunggyu was right. But…

“I’m scared,” he said, softly.

“I know you are. It’s scary to think of a different life without someone who’s been there with you your entire life. But… Woohyun, you’re clearly miserable in this marriage too. You just refuse to acknowledge it because you don’t want things to change. Am I right?”

Dongwoo really hit the bull’s eye. He was such a happy-go-lucky type of character but there were times when his words of wisdom could really surprise Woohyun.

And he was so oddly persuasive.

In the end, Woohyun found himself packing up, thanking Dongwoo for his hospitality and advice, and drove back home. From the parking garage and walking up to his apartment, he was filled with dread that made his stomach all queasy.

Finally, he reached the front door and he stood there for some time, just staring at the block of wood like it would tell him the answers to his questions.

He really didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to face Chungha. He didn’t want to hear what she wanted to say, because he was sure, that after this night, everything would change.

Gathering whatever strength he had left in him, Woohyun opened the door and stepped in.

Chungha was on the couch and she shot to her feet at the sight of him.

“Woohyun! Oh, thank god, you’re okay!” She rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I was so worried! You wouldn’t answer your phone.” She pulled back when he didn’t hug her back, her head tilted to the side. “Where were you?”

Woohyun could only stare at her, his wife. His beautiful best friend. Was he going to lose her after tonight?

“C-Chungha.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat and closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he met her curious eyes. It was now or never.

“I know," he stated.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”

“I know… about your affair… and Park Kyungmi.”

Her eyes widened as she took several steps back. “H-How…”

“I saw you. Months ago. You went on a date with her. You went on several dates. And this past weekend, you were with her at Pyeongchang.”

He didn’t know how he managed to say it all in one breath but he did.

In front of him, Chungha had paled. “W-Woohyun…”

He dropped his things on the floor. “We tried to break you up. Sunggyu-hyung and I, we tried really hard. But... nothing worked." He looked at her, helplessly. He felt weak. "What’s wrong with me, Chungha? Why? Why did you cheat on me? And with a woman, no less? Was I not enough for you? Did I do something wrong?”

He felt miserable. There were so many doubtful thoughts swimming in his head, telling him that he wasn’t good enough, that he was strange, that he wasn’t worthy of love.

“It’s not you, Woohyun… it’s me…”

A cliché line but it prompted the first tear to fall. “Didn’t you love me?” he asked.

“I do love you, Woohyun. You’re my best friend and I love you and I never wanted to hurt you.”

Chungha, herself, was crying now and it broke Woohyun’s heart to see her like that.

“But, I realized… that I mistook my love for you as something romantic…”

“Then why did you agree to date me? Why did you marry me?”

Woohyun needed to know. He was so confused. He was upset. He was terrified.

Chungha swallowed. “Remember a couple of days before you asked me out? You came over my house and you were freaking out because Jongwan-sunbae had kissed you. You were ranting about how wrong it was but you were also blushing.” Her lips quirked into a small smile. “I got a little jealous because… I figured… that if you decided you wanted to date sunbae, I would be left alone. And I didn’t like that. But, then, you asked me out so I said, ‘yes’. The next thing I knew, we were dating. And I was happy, Woohyun. I really was. You made me so happy.”

He felt another tear slide down his cheeks. “Then, why did you marry me?”

At the question, Chungha sighed. “Remember when we broke up when I went to Japan? I met Kyungmi there. She was my classmate. I thought she was so pretty and so smart but she was also too… serious. I don’t know why but I was… drawn to her. I knew that I annoyed her a lot, but it made me want to get even closer to her. Then, we did a project together and I got to know her a bit. She could be fun when she loosened up. We became friends and… she saved me… from this guy at a party…”

Woohyun’s brow furrowed. “You never told me about that.”

“I didn’t want you to worry. And, besides, that was kind of when everything changed. I… I was drunk but… I remember it well… I kissed her… and I liked it. More than liked it. I didn’t want to stop.”

A thought niggled at the back of Woohyun’s head. “So… when you told me you didn’t date any guys…”

Chungha nodded her head in confirmation.

“We dated. And I was happy. We both were. It was like… a dream… a dream that I never wanted to wake up from because it was so much better than reality. But… we had to wake up at some point. My time there ended and I had to come back here but she was staying in Japan for another year. We decided to break things off before things got too serious and we wouldn't be able to let go. And, when I came back, you asked me out again and… I said ‘yes’ because I figured… it was the right thing to do. When you proposed, I didn’t hesitate. Everyone already expected me to accept, anyway. But, then Kyungmi came back into my life by some weird twist of fate and… I realized…”

Woohyun already knew before she even said the words. He could see it in her eyes. Hear it in the breaths she took.

“I’m still in love with her. And I never stopped.”

And those words sealed their fate. Woohyun knew right there and then that there was no going back. All of their feelings were out in the open. Chungha bared herself to him in a way that she hadn’t in years, all in the name of her love for Kyungmi.

It hurt. It really hurt but not in the way he expected it to feel.

It hurt because he knew, all along, that Dongwoo had been right. Sunggyu had been right. And he hated the fact that they were right.

“Woohyun, do you really love me? Are you in love with me? Or do you love me because I’m your best friend and everyone said that we should just get together? Because, sometimes, it felt like you were only with me because everybody expected you to be. Your parents, my parents, even our friends. They all expected a Woohyun and Chungha wedding because we had a pretend one at the playground when we were ten."

Woohyun couldn’t answer her. 

Chungha finally moved forward towards him. She took his hands in hers, squeezing them, lightly as she looked into his eyes to meet his gaze. There was affection in her eyes along with a deep sorrow and regret.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry that I did. That was my mistake. But, I didn’t want to lose you. I felt like… you would hate me if I try to divorce you so I didn’t. Kyungmi and I even had a fight about it.” She let out a humorless laugh. “She found it easier to ask her husband for a divorce… but I couldn’t. I kept putting it off. And she got mad. We made up but… I know that I hurt her. And, now, I’m hurting you. And I’m so sorry.”

No matter how much pain she gave him. No matter how many tears he cried, he couldn’t bear to see his best friend cry. So, Woohyun pulled her into his arms, letting her cry on him as she continued to mumble apologies.

Woohyun loved her. He loved her so much. But, she was right. She was always right.

He didn’t love her the way a husband was supposed to love his wife. Maybe he did, for a short while. But, eventually, the butterfly feelings left their relationship. The warmth was replaced by a lukewarm atmosphere.

Yet, Woohyun made himself believe that their marriage was the same as it was at the start. But, it just wasn’t. And, no matter how hard he tried to fix their marriage, Chungha’s heart wasn’t in it anymore. She had given it to someone else. Perhaps, he never truly had it. He just foolishly thought he did.

He gently pulled away from his wife, lovingly wiping her tears away. Even with her face all red and blotchy, she was still so cute.

Placing his hands on either side of her cheeks, Woohyun asked her, “Do you want a divorce?”

Fresh tears spilled from Chungha’s widened eyes but she nonetheless, she nodded.

Woohyun smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Okay.”

He was ready to set her and himself free.

A/N: Whoa, that was an emotionally heavy chapter, wasn't it?! And there are the answers to most of everyone's questions about Kyungmi and Chungha. I purposely decided to not reveal them until later, when they could have that important talk with Sunggyu and Woohyun.

These two women are very special to me because as a (somewhat closeted) biual woman, myself, I can relate to the confusion and the struggle. Should I be with the person I like who happens to be the same gender? Or should I conform to what society expects and marry a man, even if they won't make me happy? So, there are underlying elements as well aside from them falling in love and just wanting to be together. It's also a kind of acceptance of who they are. Like Sunggyu, Kyungmi has come to terms with her uality and what she feels. Meanwhile, both Woohyun and Chungha still struggle with letting go of what is expected of them and accepting who they are.

In the end, all four of them were able to choose what makes them happy (which I hope, if I'm faced with the same situation of falling in love with a woman, I would also be brave enough to choose that happiness).

And, with that, it's the end of each of their marriages. It seems like Sunggyu has come to terms with his own feelings but what about Woohyun? (Ugh, he's really been frustrating me, he keeps running away from his feelings!)

What's going to happen now? Any theories? I'd love to hear them!

Also, I was checking my chapter outlines and it turns out, this story is almost over! **sad face** So, my estimate is about 3 chapters, though it might change depending on how much I write. And the last chapter is an Epilogue which will be.... **drum roll**... written in one of the wives' point of views! Isn't that exciting? (Or maybe it's just me? Lol) I figured that this is much their story as well as Woogyu's, so why not have them in the spotlight for a bit? I haven't decided whose POV it will be yet but I'm playing around with some ideas. Should I do a poll? Let me know in the comments!

'Til the next one!