“Kyuhyun-ah… Kyuhyun-ah… Kyuhyun-ah?” the brown haired girl with fair skin, hazel eyes and rosy cheeks called with a smile on her thin pink lips. 

“Huh?” the man sitting opposite her snapped his head up from staring down at the menu. He too had brown hair and fair skin like hers. His eyes were round like a deer’s and his nose was high and sharp. “Sorry, what was that, Kyesin?”

“I asked what you wanted,” she replied with a chuckle.

“Oh… uh… I guess I’d have some tteokbokki,” he replied.

“Okay, it’s a bit cold outside. Do you want to get some soup too?” she asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Kyuhyun replied, not really thinking about food for he didn’t have any appetite.

“Alright, I’ll order now. Imo?” Kyesin called the auntie. 

“I see you two are back,” the auntie said. It’s true. This is both your favorite restaurant in Jeju.

“Ne~ imo, we’d like one serving of tteokbokki and one bowl of galbitang,” she said.

“Anything else? Would you like some soju?”

Kyesin turned to face the man in front of her. “Kyu?”

“No, thank you,” he answered. 

Kyesin cocked an eyebrow at him. This was new. “Really? Don’t want to have a drink?”

“Nah, maybe next time,” he said with a weak smile.

“Okay, I’ll get back with your orders in a bit,” the auntie said as she walked away.

The two stared at each other in silence. Kyesin knew something was off about Kyuhyun - ever since they went to Jeju. She hated this silence.

“I’m glad we went here, Kyu,” she tried to say in the most cheerful voice. “It’s been a while since we last went out. You've been sick for quite some time.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. 

Jeju is their favorite place in Korea. The place holds special memories for both, and they loved going there when they simply wanted to relax or if they wanted to have fun. So the eerie air lingering between them is bothering Kyesin. She didn’t want to bring it up -- too afraid of the worst. 

‘Maybe, he’s just tired,’ she thinks, completely ignoring the sad look in his eyes. ‘Why would he bring me here if it was otherwise, right?’

“How’s work?” she tried breaking the silence again.

“Fine…” he replied simple. A whole minute passed by before he spoke again. “How’s your work?”

“Same as usual,” she replied, this time trying to prolong the conversation. “The work itself is quite okay but it’s the people I have to deal with who are giving me stress.”

“Oh yeah?” he said.

“Yeah… You know that manager who keeps asking me Excel questions, right? The other day he called asking for a report I have sent thru email a week before. He obviously isn’t checking his emails. What’s the use of me sending out those reports if he won’t use it? And he called way beyond office hours! Can you believe that?”

“Yeah, that’s awful,” Kyuhyun replied simply. On normal days, he would complain and rant with her. He would completely sympathize with her. 

‘Maybe today is not one of those days,’ she thought.

She sighed and decided to remain silent. She turned her head to look at the scenery outside of the restaurant instead. She didn’t like the look in Kyuhyun’s eyes right now. 

The food had arrived yet they still ate in silence. All the while she felt Kyuhyun’s eyes on her, but she felt uneasy to look at him back now.

“All done?” he asked, finally the first one to talk.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

He first stood up, leading the way to the counter and paying immediately. Kyesin wished Kyuhyun would take his hand like he always did when they were out. But he didn’t.

He led her silently to the cliffside, overlooking the sea beautifully lit by the moon. Kyesin felt a tug to her heart. It was the place where Kyuhyun had confessed to her. 

She silently observed his back, admiring how beautiful it had always looked to her. She slowly stepped towards him, her eyes pooling with tears and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Kyesin-ah,” he whispered, trying to turn to face her.

“No!” she sobbed. “Don’t…”

But he was stronger than her. He took off her hands around him and faced her. “Kyesin, look at me.”

Kyesin lifted her eyes reluctantly to his. His eyes mirrored hers - sad, broken, and unwilling. Kyuhyun, with a forced smile, raised his hand to brush her face for the last time.

“I’ll be flying back tonight,” he whispered. “You can stay here at the room I got for us.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I’ll go with you. We can sort this out, Kyuhyun -  whatever it is.”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “No, Kye. We can’t.”

“Why? What did I do? For whatever it is, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I’ll change. I promise,” she cried. “We’ve been together for three years, Kyu! We’ve had our fair share of fights but isn’t this unfair?”

Kyuhyun looked at her with clenched teeth. “I don’t love you anymore,” he whispered. 

Kyesin’s heart dropped as she heard the words. It was silent for a while - a deafening silence.

“You’re lying,” Kyesin said, voice shaking. “If you like someone else, just tell me. You don’t have to lie to me like that.”

Kyuhyun breathed deeply. “I have no other reason besides that. I don’t love you anymore. Even when I see you shedding tears, my heart doesn’t ache anymore.”

Kyesin shook her head. “I can see it in your eyes, Kyuhyun! Don’t lie to me!”

He forced a smile again on his lips. “I really should get going. I shouldn’t miss my flight. Go ahead and rest. It’s getting late.”

“So it ends, just like this? Those three years?” Kyesin whispered for one last attempt.

“I won’t forget all the good times we had together, Kyesin. Thank you for that,” he said before bowing and turning his back at her.

Kyesin, glued in place with tears rolling down her face, said in her shaking voice. “I love you, Kyuhyun. I know you’re lying, and I don’t know why you’re doing this. But I love you, okay? At least remember that.”

Kyuhyun took one more deep breath. “I will,” he whispered before walking away.

Kyesin’s knees buckled and she fell to the ground, bawling in tears. She clenched her chest, writhing in pain as his words kept echoing in his mind. She knew deep in her heart that he was lying. What was he protecting her from? What could possibly hurt her more than this?

Kyuhyun held on the railings outside Gimpo Airport as his knees gave out while he waited for a cab. His tears which he had been holding back finally came pouring. He just wanted one last memory of his favorite person in his favorite place. His chest hurt as his mind kept playing back the broken look on Kyesin’s face. It wasn't easy at all for him. Every cell in his body rejected everything he has said. It took so much control for him not to go back and take back everything. But he needed to do this.

Because he loves her.

The cab finally stopped in front of him and he got on. Sniffing and wiping his tears, he said to the driver "Samsung Seoul Hospital, please."

"Ne~" the driver answered and drove in silence. He didn't dare bother the man who cried in his back seat.

Kyuhyun paid the driver as they arrived. Almost without a soul, he dragged his body to the hospital. He rode the elevator up to the 5th floor, went through some corridors, then knocked on the door that said, "Lee Jaewon, M.D., Oncologist".

"Ah, Mr. Cho Kyuhyun," his secretary received him. "Doctor has been waiting for you. Pls come straight in."

He went through the door and into the doctor's clinic. The secretary shut the door, giving both some privacy.

"I reckon by your eyes that you did what you had to do today, Mr. Cho," he said. "How did she take it?"

"I lied to her…" he whispered. "She doesn't have to know about this."

The doctor nodded and pursed his lips. "If that's what you think is best, Mr. Cho. Shall we talk about the procedure now?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

The doctor put out Kyuhyun's CT and MRI scan. One doesn't need to be a doctor to know that there was a big mass growing in his right brain. 

‐-----

Hi everyone!

I know. I've been away for a very very very long time. Did you miss me?

So I wrote this drabble in one day just because I can't get King of Masked Singer Genie's rendition of I Don't Love You out of my mind. I really love the way he sang it and it was very emotional hence the inspiration of this work.

Am I back? Hmmm.... maybe? I've been trying to write again during my free time but work is just too stressful and taxing. I really do wish I can update one of my stories again as soon as possible.

Anyway, please do Comment below your thoughts on this!

I miss you all :(