Author’s POV

Bogum decided to go out to drink his feelings away. He didn’t know of any other way to cope with his feelings. He was driving when he received a call from Chorong. He can’t understand most of the words she told him and so he agreed to go to a certain cafe that her husband owns.

He arrived at the place and it was nearly closing time that time but Chorong is still there. She was wearing a simple sweater and jeans and her hair is loosen so he is seeing the old Chorong he knew. He hasn’t sat down yet when she already speaks.

“Are you crazy?”

She said while giving him death glares.

“Let me guess, it’s about Yoona isn’t it?”

Chorong became more furious.

“What do you think I called you for? Of course, this is about Yoona, you stupid jerk!”

All his life, nobody has ever call him “stupid” or “jerk”. He raised an eyebrow.

“Judging from your reaction, I’m presuming she already told you about my offer.”

If she has a sword, she would already stab him multiple times she thought.   

“You bastard! Why do you always get it wrong when it comes to about my friend?”

“You seem to have a very high opinion of me, Chorong,” he said sarcastically.

“I’m a stupid, a jerk and a bastard as well. You should have a good reason to throw those adjectives at me”

“REASONS, Bogum. Not just one! Let’s start way back in highschool. You thought Yoona used you for her report huh? About a stupid project in history huh?”

“Isn’t it?”

“*rolled eyes* Being a genius, you’re so stupid! If you must know, I saw her project plan! It was already graded and for your information, she got an A+ already just by her proposal even before she approached you! She don’t need your help!”

“What are you saying?” he said a little confuse.

“She don’t need you. She only use that project to get close to you an not the other way around. And about the accident you said it’s her fault? It must really take a genius to come up with that conclusion” she said sarcastically. But then, she close her eyes to calm herself a little.

“Look, I’m sorry about what happened to you back then. That was a terrible thing to happen to anyone. But how come you thought of Yoona to plan that off? You think she will attempt the only person she ever loved in high school?”

Bogum’s eyes widen. “But…”

“But what? Yes Bogum, you’re her first love and she’s just not admitting it to anyone. She never laid eyes to any guy except you. She was with me that time when the incident happened and she doesn’t even have phone with her that time! How on earth will she be able to text you like the allegation of yours? She was really worried that time but SeoJun prevented her to make a scene. She thought she can keep it to us but we knew she was sneaking to visit you to the hospital.”

Bogum has a lot to take in once more. All of Chorong’s statement made him realized it all. His stoned heart is slowly transforming like the one he had before for Yoona. It all make sense for him now. His mom’s story and Chorong’s story is being correlated and matched. So Yoona went to the hospital not because she’s guilty but because she cared for him.

“That doesn’t end there though. You left her mourning for you. She didn’t even date anyone all throughout after high school! I heard all about it from other close friends. And now that you met her once again, the best that you can do for her is to suspect her having an affair with a married old man to have a money? What are you really? Either you’re totally heartless or you’re such a complete idiot!”

“A complete idiot,” he murmured.

Chorong didn’t hear him in pointed his chest.

“why are you such an idiot? Why are you always breaking Yoona’s heart?”   

She seemed to lose steam after saying that. She was like a kid that she covered her face with her both hands and cry for her friend.

Chorong is right. Being a very intelligent person, he thought a lot of wrong things in life. He had jumped into one wrong conclusion after another like a moron. How could he gotten it all wrong?

“She sold her house to you?”

Bogum said to Mr McJones. The old man already told him about it even though he promised not to tell it to anyone. Bogum pleaded and so he spill the beans.

“Yeah, she sold it because she doesn’t have the money for her little brother’s operation”

“Why? What happened to Dareum?”

“It’s complicated but Yoona doesn’t have any choice but to sell the last thing she owns. I actually had the interest of her house since I want a house somewhere very peaceful and her house is perfect. I was joking when I told her I am interested to it that I didn’t expect that she would really sell it. I understand her situation and offered her a money for her brother but she refuse.”

“So, it is the reason why you’re trying to find a condo for her?”

“So you figured it was for her. I didn’t tell her about it since I was planning to make it a package deal for buying her house.”

“Why did you do it?”

He smiles. “I remember Armhe with Yoona.”

He was talking about her daughter who died many years ago.

“they don’t look alike but some characteristics of Yoona is making me remember about my daughter. Maybe because they were both grew up like a queen. At any rate, I admire her. Her life might have changed, she might not use to live standing on her own but she overcome all of it. I don’t want her to live anywhere after she gave up her precious house and so I offered her the condo.”

Bogum is speechless. He felt really guilty after all the things, horrible things he thought about him.

“By the way, why do you ask me all those things anyway?”

“Because I was wrong. Very, very wrong. Darn it. I don’t even know where to begin now. I don’t have any idea how to correct my mistakes.”

Bogum paused as he turn to face the glass window of Mr. McJones’ office.

“Where are you going?”

Mr. McJones asked.

“I have to do something. In the meantime, I need to ask a favor from you”

“Sure. Anything”

“About the house…”

Yoona woke up to see no one. Chorong already left. Actually, Chorong let her borrow one of her condo units. Good thing her husband is spending his own quality time in a country club in Switzerland.

She went to the bathroom to see her own reflection with her swollen eyes. She pats her face and told herself…

“You can’t be like this Yoona. Life has to go as usual. You can’t just give it all up because of that.”

She told herself but actually, last night, she was thinking the other way around.

Chorong already hang some clothes for her to wear with a letter saying…

“I have to go since my husband and I will have to meet some business clients. I already prepared clothes for you and my driver is just outisde waiting for you so you don’t need to commute alright?”

After that, she told the driver to drive straight to the hospital where Dareum was confined. She can’t explain the moment she entered the building. Her heart was pounding too hard and she had a feeling that something bad happened. She walks slowly hoping that everything is doing just fine. But faith seems to have disagree with her.

“Miss Im!”

She saw Dareum’s doctor running towards her. He looks so terrified and that didn’t help her to calm down.

“Dareum, he’s having a cardiac failure. We need your go signal to do a bypass operation immediately.”

At first, she was like a stone and doesn’t know what to do. But the