“If I turn back time,

Will the memories get erased too?

I know I’m saying things

That I can’t even do

But for me,

I can’t live outside of you.”

-Davichi-This Love-

He was already lying on the couch when Mina entered the room. She closed the door and turned the light on.

Junmyeon hadn’t even taken off his coat, and only had taken off his shoes before lying down with a cushion as his pillow, head resting against one arm of the couch, eyes closed, and right leg bent, with the left leg spread over the other arm of the couch.

The leg which had a limp.

Should I give him the bed? It must be uncomfortable on the couch.

“Junmyeon-”

“Turn the light off I can’t sleep.”

Mina watched him in silence for a moment before reaching for the switch. Thinking it’s only right to not continue talking which would lead them to another argument, she took off her winter jacket and walked into the bathroom. Just then junmyeon’s phone gave a short vibration in his pocket, with a text from Siwon.

From: Hyung

“I’m so sorry dude I should’ve thought about your leg before taking you out on such a chilly day...Make sure you take some painkillers before going to bed. And also,

Mina noticed the limp. She might ask you about the accident, it’s up to you whether you tell her the true story or not.

Good night!”

Junmyeon quickly typed a reply before throwing the phone to a side of the couch and closing his eyes again, to ignore the ache running up his leg.

To: Hyung

“She’s not interested enough to ask about it so don’t worry hyung. Good night.”

* * * * * * * *

~ Autumn – 2010 ~

Truth and dare games during breaks of the PE class never ended without offending at least one person. Nevertheless they always did it, eager to dig out the secrets of fellow students and give a chance for the untold crushes. And when the spinning coke bottle stopped pointing at Junmyeon, it was Jongdae’s suggestion that Junmyeon should kiss his crush. Everyone was eager to know about the one whom ‘The Rich Brat’ had feelings for.

But Junmyeon ignored his turn and spun the bottle again.

“Come on man! Stop being a spoil sport and just do it!”

“We don’t mind even if it’s a guy Junmyeon! We won’t tell anyone you know!”

“What’s so hard huh? Kissing is easier than beating up people isn’t it?”

And it was the end of all the patience that was keeping him inside the gym that evening. Junmyeon stood up, his glare fixed on a certain girl who avoided his eyes and stared at the floor.

“How can I kiss my crush when she’s already the class president’s girlfriend?”

He walked out of the room before the major percentage of students could comprehend his words.

“The president...wait WHAT? HWANG MINA???”

“Did he just say that he likes Mina? Like seriously?”

“Mina did you know this?”

“Well I kinda doubted it... I have seen him arguing with her in corridors.”

“Daebak... the nerve of him...”

“Since when did it happen?”

Lee Jinki, Amber Liu, Park Chanyeol and Hwang Mina were the only people who remained silent, while the rest of them continued to talk about the sudden confession, and while Taeil and Minho tried to console a sulky Joy.

And Chanyeol decided to take his girl out, excusing themselves to get some air outside the suffocating gym room.

“Why is he like that Chanyeol...” mina sighed, as he held her hand and walked out to the outdoor swimming arena. Chanyeol remained silent, as his eyes scanned the area for a certain figure whom he had often seen hanging out in the area, all alone.

And there he was, lying on the last row of the bleachers in the pavilion blankly staring at the ceiling.

“You don’t have to worry about anyone else sweetheart.” He intentionally raised his voice, earning the certain someone’s attention as he held the girl’s hand tighter and stopped on his track before she could notice him as well.

“He’s not the first one to have a crush on you. So why bother?”

For some reason, Mina didn’t like the arrogance in his tone.

But it’s alright... it’s alright since it’s Chanyeol.

“Let’s forget others and focus on ourselves now okay?” he held her by the shoulders, gently pushing her towards the nearest wall.

Making sure, they were having a secret spectator.

“How about our bet? You said it’s gonna be three goals and I said it’s five remember?” he smirked. “And I won the bet. Now give me my reward.”

Junmyeon wanted to take his eyes off them.

He wanted to take his eyes off when Chanyeol kissed her. And when she kissed him back.

But he didn’t know why he had to stare at them to the end.

* * *

“Siwon hyung,”

The youth was standing at the doorway to his father’s office as usual. “Oh...noona’s here too. Mian, if I disturbed.”

He turned to walk away, but the older male’s voice made him halter. “Come in kiddo! As if we were doing anything else than working.” He chuckled. “Why so late today? Practices?”

“Nah... see you guys later hyung.” the boy waved carelessly, before leaving the office room.

Just two steps outside, he fell on the floor, unconscious.

“JUNMYEON!” Jessica shrieked and ran to the boy and so did Siwon. Dropping down to his knees, Siwon turned the boy around, revealing a numerous red patches running down his face, along his neck and all over his hands. “An allergy Jessica. But as far as I know he’s not allergic to any food!”

“He reeks of alcohol.” Jessica muttered, leaning closer to the boy.

“This idiot is drunk?”

“Maybe he’s allergic to alcohol...Siwon let’s take him to a hospital!”

* * * * * * * *

~ Winter – 2019 ~

The next several days passed by without a single word being exchanged between Junmyeon and Mina, with Mina being (or pretending) to be absorbed in some novels she had borrowed from her father-in-law, and with Junmyeon being out of the house most of the time, busy with company work. Mina was having munch alone one day, when she received a text from his personal assistant.

From: Jessica unnie

“Mina, there’s gonna be a magazine photo shoot scheduled for you two this Saturday. Junmyeon hates those things but it cannot be helped because you two are the most popular couple in the business industry right now. I hope you wouldn’t say no to this, because if you’re in, Junmyeon has no say in this. So please, give me a call if you are alright with it.”

Two days later, the couple sat to the breakfast table alone as the chairman left earlier for a breakfast meeting. The house had been painstakingly silent when his dad or his business guests were not in, except for the occasional yelling Junmyeon did to the house maids based on the most unreasonable things he pointed out as mistakes.

He was losing his temper way more easily these days.

It scared the girl, but she was too busy to be worried over his lost temper, as pondering over Amber’s words was the most important task for her at the moment.

Chanyeol sounded the same through the phone when she called him last night. As usual, he asked about how her dad’s business was doing, and how long it will take her to get rid of Junmyeon. Earlier, those two were the questions Mina was eager to answer the most, but now, they didn’t sound the same. Amber had called her once again, saying that even her cousin Yixing was intimidated by how desperate Chanyeol had seemed while discussing business matters that he was never even involved in.

What if all these years with him was just a lie?

What if everything Amber told me all these years is the actual truth?

“Found a new natural dye supplier for the factories yesterday.” Junmyeon spoke up for the first time in a long while, bringing her back to the present. “That was the last problem left... and it basically wraps up all the trouble your factories were having regarding production. All there’s left now is to renew the management. It’ll be done by next week.”

Was that what he was working on, staying in the office for more than fifteen hours a day?

She didn’t know whether she had to thank him for rescuing her dad’s business or not. Junmyeon had received the majority of shares with their marriage, so technically he was receiving the biggest profit of restabilising the business.

“I’m gonna transfer the shares to your name.”

He spoke again, not raising his eyes from his coffee. “That too, will be settled within next week. I don’t plan on keeping them to myself.”

WHY? Why wouldn’t he keep them to himself?

“About... about the photo shoot, are you okay with it?” he raised his eyes to meet hers, prepared to be rejected as always. “You don’t have to, if you don’t like it.”

The timing was the worst again, her phone started glowing up on the table with the name “Chanyeol” appearing clearly on it.

It didn’t take a single second for his jaws to harden and his face darken as it always happened when he was losing his temper, and Junmyeon left the