Confrontation

            I came home early in the afternoon after the new moon and called up Sungmin and Saeun, making sure they were still planning to meet up at Yesung’s café with me that day.  We met after the lunch rush, so that Yesung would have the chance to speak to us, around three o’clock in the afternoon.  I still wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to say to him, but I felt assured having Sungmin with me.  I mean, I maybe would have felt a little more assured having Eunhyuk and Donghae with me because they looked like they could hold their own in a bar fight and I’d never seen Sungmin raise a fist to anyone—and I certainly wasn’t banking on his pregnant wife to be any help, although I legit thought she could hold her own in a fight better than my former college roommate—but at least I was with someone this time instead of being alone.

            “Kyuhyun!” Yesung exclaimed when he saw me walk in the door, lighting up.  “I’ve been worried sick about you since I heard about you falling through the ice!” he said, beginning to make our usual drinks.  “You usually come in every couple days.  Are you feeling okay?”

            “I’ve been getting better over time,” I said, watching his reaction carefully.  He was so convincing.  “You were probably the last person to see me before the incident, you know.  They found my coffee cup at the scene.”

            Yesung shook his head, handing Sungmin and I our coffees.  Then he filled some hot water for Saeun, who had to switch to hot tea since becoming pregnant.  “That’s just crazy!  But what were you even doing on the lake in the first place?”

            I debated what to tell him a moment and then opted for the truth.  It might shock him a little.  “I was listening to Ryeowook play the piano.  I didn’t want to go in and interrupt him right away.  He plays so beautifully, you know.”

            Yesung looked over at me and nodded.  “Yes, he did.”

            Saeun accidentally knocked over one of the coffees and Yesung picked it up, wiped down the counter, and refilled it again.

            I continued.  “Of course, you would have been very familiar with this, since the two of you dated.”

            Yesung sighed heavily and set down both the coffee and the steeping tea for Saeun.  “He never wanted anyone to know, for some reason, but I see someone squealed after all this time.”

            “You don’t bother denying it?” Sungmin questioned.

            “More than one person knew about you two?” I asked. 

            “I have no reason to hide it, other than not knowing why Ryeowook wanted to keep it secret to begin with,” Yesung explained.  “But he broke things off with me a few days before he died.  He said that he didn’t want a long-distance relationship when he went to school and if he was still single after graduation and we were both still interested in one another, we could maybe get back together then.”

            “But you weren’t happy with that,” I pointed out.

            “Of course not!  Do you know many people who are?  But I knew that there would still be hope for us getting back together in a few years,” he said. 

            “So, you say, but I think you were pissed and decided to kill him instead.  If you couldn’t have him, no one could,” I suggested.  “And now that I’m snooping around, you’re nervous and tried to take me out too.”

            “I was nowhere near your property when you were attacked!  Everyone knows that Hyungsik killed him.  That kid was obsessed with him and followed him around like a lovesick puppy!  I was always trying to protect him!”

            “But clearly he didn’t want your protection anymore and that bothered you,” Sungmin pointed out.

            “Pay for your damn drinks and get out of my café!  Quit accusing me of things!  I was in love with Wook!” he hollered, clearly angry.

            “You stay away from me as well!” Kyuhyun warned, slamming down enough money for all their drinks.  Sungmin handed Kyuhyun his drink and they rushed out the door. 

            “I can’t believe he confessed to having dated Wook so easily!” Saeun said, sipping her tea.  “Does he know it’s useless to deny it and is taking a different tactic?” she questioned.

            I shrugged.  “I’m not sure.  I’ll have to update Officer Choi. Did the both of you get it recorded as well?” I asked, turning the record button off of my phone.  Both Sungmin and Saeun nodded.  I was leaving nothing to chance.  I dropped the recording off at the station on my way home. 

            Only a couple hours later, Ryeowook reappeared and I opted to tell him what had been going on since I last saw him instead of pressuring him to tell me what he felt about me or make any decisions on how he wanted to proceed with, what was, obviously an impossible relationship.  I knew that it was.  We would never be together, even if we occupied the same space.  But that didn’t make the feelings any less real. 

            “Kyuhyunnie, Yesung did not kill me.  You’re looking at the wrong person.”

            “Why didn’t you admit that you were dating him