Chanyeol blinked in confusion as his many attempts to call his omega went unanswered. 
 

“Hyung!  Let’s go!”
 

He turned around and nodded at Jongin, who was putting on his helmet.  Sehun gave him the thumbs-up and mounted his own bike. 
 

When he told his friends he would go riding in Jeju Island for a couple of days—on a whim—they jumped at the opportunity to join him, aboard a chartered plane which carried their motorcycles as well. 
 

“Is Kyungja mad?” Sehun asked, just as Chanyeol pulled on his thick leather gloves.
 

Chanyeol sighed, looking at the horizon.  Sunset was about to commence.  They should get going.  His uncle, Jongdae, didn’t want to join them as it was still early April, and it could still get very cold at night.  “I think so.”
 

“Are you sure you don’t want to have some sort of stag party?” Jongin glanced at his wristwatch.  “I can whip something up in a few hours.”
 

“It’s not important,” Chanyeol replied, revving up Loey’s engine.  “Just with us three here, this is as good a stag party as any.” He gave a little smile and wore his helmet and proceeded, with the two younger alphas following within safe distance.
 

As the harsh yet refreshing sea breeze hit his face, he felt a sense of peace that he had been missing for the past few weeks.  He realized that distancing himself from Kyungsoo by staying quiet and not sharing the struggles he had been facing to keep his father-in-law at bay was starting to take a toll on their marriage.  Sure, they slept on the same bed every night, but he knew Kyungsoo had sensed how aloof he had become towards everyone in the house, especially him. 
 

He was surprised Kyungsoo hadn’t outright confronted him, because the smaller one had not hesitated to do so in the past and for much shallower reasons, too.
 

Kyungsoo was becoming more patient with him or becoming indifferent... which he would never want.
 

The smaller one’s mere reply to his text message about spending the night at Jeju Island was: Araseo.
 

Not “Take care.” 
 

Not “Have fun.”
 

And especially not “Sarang-hae.” 
 

Chanyeol promised to make it up to him tomorrow, once he returned to Seoul.
 

The three friends rode by the side of the cliffs and the length of the unceasing beach road.  And then Chanyeol saw it, his favorite spot, when only a couple of months ago, he took his omega on a date in. 
 

He signaled at his two friends behind him, who immediately took the hint.
 

They parked nearby and walked over a few meters from the beach. 
 

Jongin rubbed his icy hands together, though they were clad with gloves, he still shoved them in his pockets for reinforcement.  “You want to watch the sunset from here?”
 

Chanyeol shrugged, already gathering twigs and dried leaves.  “I’ll make a bonfire.  It’ll be okay.”
 

“I am hungry, though,” Jongin said, looking at Sehun.
 

Sehun burst out laughing.  “When are you not?”  He shook his head and put an arm around Jongin.  “Chanyeol hyung, we’ll just go buy some food and beer, before poor Jonginnie here start eating sand.”  He ruffled the younger one’s hair.  “We’ll be right back.” 
 

Chanyeol nodded, grateful for the solitude as he watched his friends walking back to their bikes.  He had perhaps at least half an hour of alone time.  It should be enough time for him to rejuvenate. 
 

He started to strike two stones together.  He remembered how many times he’d had to do so and failing miserably the last time he was there with Kyungsoo.  He shook his head and struck the stones harder.  This time, a tiny flare leapt into the kindling, and the next thing he knew, he had a fire going. 
 

He sat down, knees hunched up, legs slightly spread, staring at the rolling waves advancing to the shore.  The sun, that massive ball of orange blaze, was descending, finally, to rest.
 

He would love to have a thermos of coffee right now, just like two months ago when he was there with his omega.  He had been very much prepared then, because he wanted to take care of the smaller one, to make certain that his omega was comfortable, that Kyungsoo didn’t feel cold…
 

That particular date of stargazing, holding each other and then eventually making out on the blanket would remain to be one of the most perfect memories he would ever have.
 

In fact, every memory he ever had with Kyungsoo was perfect.
 

Even when his omega was so angry, like that time he ran away from him in the Egyptian bazaar in Turkey, and Chanyeol confessed for the first time that he loved him...
 

Chanyeol exhaled heavily and reached for his phone once again. 
 

Still no call from Kyungsoo. 
 

He pressed 1 on his speed dial and waited.
 

It just kept ringing.
 

Why wouldn’t it?
 

Kyungsoo was probably preoccupied with the festivities of his