It was a hot summer’s day and Sehun was clad to the nines. Adrenaline pumped through his legs as he ran as fast as he could past a bunch of confused loiters who were shocked to see them scurry on the soft emerald carpet. Crashing a wedding was always an odd sight. Sehun was more conscious of the beads of sweat trailing down his face. Sweltering. His face was sweating underneath his mask.

The bride was apprehensive. She wanted to get away as soon as possible. She had gotten cold feet well before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. Her groom was a self made man, not very rich but with lots of potential, or so her father said.

She didn't buy that. She felt this marriage was sending her into the arms of her father's worker and an offence to her ego. She wanted to marry into a rich family, not an ordinary one.

Something made Sehun stop, someone. It had been a year since he'd seen Minkyung last. Of and on, she would cross his memory and make him nostalgic. Now she stood before him in person wearing a white frill dress, little makeup and vermilion lips. Her hair was curled and bounced over her shoulders. He pulled off his mask and with his sleeve, wiped the beads of sweat racing down his face.

Her startled eyes fell on him. She looked at him as if he were doing something wrong. Sehun’s chest tightened. Did she know what he was up to? His throat went dry and when he swallowed it took great strength. His tongue went sandpaper dry.

“What are you doing here?” He spoke huskily.

“My brother’s getting married today.”

“Oh…” He wasn’t sure what to say to that. They were in a wedding hall where several weddings took place all at once. This was the last place he’d expected to run into her.

At least it’s not her wedding, his thoughts resounded. Sehun surprised himself with that idea. Why should he be against Minkyung getting married? Because when I met her she didn’t want that. A funny image appeared in his head, in which he was rescuing Minkyung from an unwanted wedding. “Congratulations,” he uttered shortly afterwards.

Minkyung didn’t hear him. She was looking at the bride he was holding hands with curiously. He dropped the hand he was holding. He prayed that he wasn’t sneaking away with her brother’s to-be wife. That would place him in a really awkward position which he didn’t want.

Who cares if its her brother’s future wife? I'm doing my job. The bride doesn't want the marriage anyway. In a way, I'm doing everyone a favour.

He didn’t want Minkyung to hate him.

“Is there a problem?” The bride piped up, glaring at both Sehun and Minkyung.

“You look kind of familiar,” Minkyung trailed off observing the bride quizzically.

“I don’t know you,” she answered icily. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we are leaving.” She took Sehun’s hand and tugged so hard his arm almost came out of its socket. Now it was the bride that dragged him away rather than the other way around. Minkyung watched them go, still a little puzzled about what was going on.

Once they were out of Minkyung’s scrutiny Sehun could relax again. He had a feeling that Minkyung had read his thoughts with those sharp eyes of hers and he was ashamed of what he was doing. His job was unscrupulous, it always had been, but he felt rather guilty today as if he’d been revealed in front of a tribunal for his crimes and his mask was no use to him anymore.

The demanding bride, who’s name he’d forgotten after running into Minkyung, didn’t bother with him once she’d gotten to her car. She shoved a thick envelope his way, gave him a push as if to say that’s it, hopped into her car and drove off in a puff of smoke. Sehun stood there for a while, dumbstruck. He wondered why she wasted money on him if she were going to leave him stranded there. She could have left the venue on her own.

He pocketed the envelope with a sigh. Now what?

But he already knew what he was going to do now that he had finished his job. He wanted to see Minkyung again. Why? Why did he bother with her at all? She was just another girl he knew. Why did he care how she was doing?

Sehun recalled their last meeting. His mother had humiliated her and to top it off, he hurt her too. He’d always feel guilty for that. Minkyung hadn’t deserved it, especially when the two weren’t dating to begin with. His mother had just thrown one of her fits.

He went looking for her anyway. Sehun was curious. Had she changed much in the past year? He also had to explain to her that the bride he was seeing off had no relation to him. How he’d do that, Sehun had no idea. All he knew was that he didn’t want to cause a misunderstanding between them.

Minkyung was not where he’d left her in the lobby of the venue. Sehun facepalmed. Why did he think she would still be there waiting? He felt a fool. How would he find her now? Was he going to go ask reception about where her brother’s wedding was? That was a long and complicated process, exceedingly troublesome and a waste of time.

However that’s exactly what he did.

Approaching reception, he asked for a list of weddings taking place saying he had something important to tell one of the guests. The receptionists ogled at him. Clearly they had never seen an imbecile like him there. The receptionists revealed there was no way they could give him that kind of personal information. Sehun was adamant though. He was a little more than crazy.

People gathered in a circle discussing how one of the brides had run away. Sehun flinched after hearing that. Did the news spread already? He gulped. It wasn’t exactly safe for him to be near. What if someone saw him? Minkyung had seen him, what if she’d told someone? Sehun shook his head to dislodge that unpleasant idea. He didn’t want to think that Minkyung would point her finger at him. Then again, he was the one to blame.

He ruffled his hair, filled to the brim with itchy agitation and burning curiosity. He wanted to stomp his feet like a child and have his demand fulfilled.

On the other side of the lobby the circle crowd grew in people and pitch. Sehun's ears caught most of the conversation. He listened intently.

"The bride is not in her room!"

"Her phone is off!"

"Her friends came to the hotel with her but she disappeared when they went into the wedding hall."

"What if she's been kidnapped?"

"She was wearing enough jewellery for that."

"Do you think there will be a ransom call?"

This was not the scenario Sehun had sculpted in his head. What he had carved and the ugly rumour that was twisting into shape were polar opposites. It was only a matter of time until someone threw a finger in his direction and shouted, that's him! That's the bride stealer.

And perhaps there was a lunatic out there like Bluebeard who seduced women and kept their heads as prizes somewhere. The likelihood was possible, the world was filled with freaks.

Someone would get pinned as the culprit and Sehun didn't want to be around when that happened.

He swiveled on his heels, lowered his head and swiftly headed for the automatic door. Was someone watching him? Did the receptionists find his request off? Had someone spotted him with the bride?

Suddenly a hand came over his shoulder. Sehun rooted in place.

It's not what you think! The words caught in his throat, desperate to come out, pushing through his soundless vocal cords before falling into the darkness in him.

He was wheeled around. His eyes caught Minkyung. Her lips were pressed tightly in distaste. She shot him a despicable glance and dragged him aside.

Where was she leading him? The back of the hotel? Was that where the cops were waiting for him? Lead seeded in his stomach. He hated this. Just as easily as she lead him, he could throw her hand off and run away. His cowardly legs didn't like the idea of running. They shook like autumn leaves in the wind.

Without warning, Minkyung stopped, whirled to face Sehun and planted a painless slap to his cheek.

Sehun held his cheek bewildered.

"What did you do?" She hissed at him.

"It's not what you think," he croaked miserably.

"Not what I think? I saw you take her. What's going on? Why are you still here? You have to get out of here before someone catches you."

He wasn't clear about what he'd just heard. Was Minkyung really dirtying her hands for his sake? He was so puzzled, Sehun was unable to speak. His bafflement graffitied all over his face in bright chalk illustrating, moron, if found please wind the sense key in clockwise motion.

"Look, I don't know what happened but there's an angry mob looking for you. You have to go before anyone recognises you."

Surprisingly, he didn't care. Burden lifted from his shoulders and drifted up into the air, looking for its next victim. The smog clogging up his brain went away. So what if someone found him? What proof was there that he had taken the bride? None. He was fine, safe, now that he was with her.

"Before that, I need to talk to you."

"Sehun, please, we can talk later."

"When is that? After another year?"

The past came to whip her across the back, Minkyung jumped. Swamped with mixed feelings she made sure to send him on his way, promising to listen to what he had to say. Her number, her apartment, much had changed since she'd seen him last, all but her feelings.

"I'll see you in the cafe where we first met, now go!" She had no idea what she was doing ruffling those sleeping feelings.

*

What more was there left to say? Minkyung prayed that her wounds wouldn't open the way they had. Lacerated feelings were hard to close. An entire year had gone by and she had failed to forget him.

Since when had Sehun cemented himself deep in the chambers of her heart? Why did she care for him? He had done something wrong. He'd hurt her.

In fact, at this very moment he might even have a new replacement fake girlfriend who he took on dates. Knowing this, why were her thoughts suffocating her by thinking of him?

What does he want to say?

A flicker of hope ignited when she recalled that he wanted to see her. There was something there, something that had made him look at her so intensely that she'd agreed to meet him.

"You're a fool," she murmured this to her erratic heart which launched against her ribs like a mini rocket.

*

Minkyung tapped her foot restlessly. She had been so anxious to see him she'd arrived much earlier than intended. After drowning a large coffee she felt waiting in the cafe was a bad idea. The staff watched her from the corners of their eyes. She knew she was a hindrance overstaying her welcome. She was uneasy under the scrutiny and decided to wait outside.

Why was she early again?

Oh, yes, she was waiting for Sehun. He had something to say. What? Her head was drumming with ideas but she just didn't get it. Obviously it was important, not that he'd stressed that but to her somehow it felt important, important just because.

Was there anything left to say after the way the two had split up?

We weren't dating.

So why now of all times did he seek to contact her? Did he think he could just meet up with her every time he had something to say?

Minkyung felt pique rise. She was lowering herself for a guy she knew very little about. Any woman with a hint of self respect would never have decided a meeting spot. What she had gone through had been repulsive. That day she should have been angry, furious even.

"What's the point of bringing that up? It's all over now."

She ran a hand over her hair, frowned when she remembered how long she'd spent on it and dumb when she recalled how meticulously she'd selected an outfit.

"It couldn't be helped! He saw me all dressed up. I couldn't come casual. He'd notice." Minkyung groaned. She didn't want to look plain. She wanted him to think she was pretty.

Oh look, this is the same girl I rejected, she's gorgeous what was I thinking. I must've been mad. She needed him to think something like that. Minkyung groaned again. The effect of coffee must've been wearing. All of a sudden she felt exhausted.

Why was she putting herself through this? She should have given him the cold shoulder, turned her head away and let him taste the wrath of a damaged female. Yet, here she was, dressed in some of Tami's nicest clothes (there was going to be war later) desperately waiting for a guy who didn't really care about her.

"One brave step in the direction of feminism," she muttered. Shortly after, grumbled, "These shoes are killing my feet."

She had an urge to kick the stilettos off, toss them in the trash and walk home because Sehun was a whole 5 minutes late. She also wanted to cry.

Sehun didn't come after another five minutes elapsed but the rain did. Minkyung sought cover inside the cafe. She wondered what the staff thought of her, first appearing for coffee, waiting for a half hour, standing outside the door and coming back in.

She purchased another coffee. Whatever evil looks were being hurled quieted down once she'd spent money.

Minkyung tottered to the furthest table, kicked her shoes off, rubbed her raw heels and folded her arms over her chest crossly.

What was he thinking taking this long? She could forgive everything but tardiness.

Minkyung sipped her coffee. The rain was pouring harder, pelting the ground with a weighty rhythm, expressing her feelings perfectly.

She took another sip of coffee. The warmth trickling down came to hug her like a warm blanket. The door opened. She craned her head. Not Sehun, but a young man escaping from the rain. She sighed.

"It's my fault for wanting to be early." Another sigh. "I'm way too easy."

Minkyung managed to finish her second coffee. She felt the caffeine buzz around her system.

Each time the door opened she looked to see if it was him. Several people came and left. Minkyung got another coffee.

Sehun was a no show.

She was beginning to feel duped. An invisible taunt came to mock her from somewhere. Minkyung bottled her fists. Who did he think he was showing her up like this?

If he did decide to walk through that door she wouldn't dare left her attention drift to him. She plucked her phone, which had been sitting inside her pocket all along. As luck would have it,