“It can’t be if it’s not you

I can’t be without you

It’s alright if I’m hurt for a day,

Or even a year like this...

It’s fine even if my heart hurts,

Yes,

Because I’m in love with you”

Yesung – It Has To Be You

The uncomfortable pain in his neck made him wake up, and it took him a short while to realize that it was the way he was sitting on the couch which had given him the said pain.

One of the living room couches downstairs.

Once Junmyeon realized that he had fallen asleep sitting there, he was up from the couch in no time and running to his room upstairs to check on her.

He had left the room last night.

When Mina decided not to answer his question, and to let tears fall down on the comforter between them in silence, Junmyeon had done nothing but placed his palm on her forehead again to check her fever.

Which made the girl actually break into sobs.

“Stop crying and get some sleep now... I didn’t...well... didn’t mean to make you cry...” he got off the bed and raked a hasty hand through his already messed up hair. “Sleep...now...the maids are downstairs if you need... Call anytime.”

He strode out of the room, straight downstairs, not wanting to make himself a nuisance to the already sick girl.

Junmyeon opened the door careful not to make the slightest sound, and stepped in, expecting Mina to be still asleep.

But the bed was empty, well made already and there were only two maids to be seen inside, one carrying freshly laundered clothes to their closet, and the other one vacuuming the floor.

“Where’s Mina?”

The two maids turned around at his voice and bowed down at once. “Miss Hwang had already left when we came this morning sir.” One of them answered.

“Hadn’t... hadn’t she mentioned where she was going?”

“No sir, not to anyone of the staff.”

He strode straight into the walk-in-closet, fearing he would see empty shelves and hangers where her clothes are usually hung on.

And the sight of the whole closet still being filled with both their clothes, her handbags still placed neatly on their shelves, the designer high heels still in their places, rows of accessories still neatly arranged in the glass cupboard, made him sigh in relief.

Everything that belonged to Mina was still there.

And he went back to his room, took his phone and dialled Mina’s number, thrice in a row, just to hear the phone ring continuously until he was directed to voicemail all three times. Then he was dialling Mina’s mother’s number, not knowing what he would be asking her. “...Good morning, omonim.”

“Omo Junmyeon! Good morning darling! What made you call me so early?”

“Um...omonim...”

“Is Mina still asleep?”

And that was it. He knew Mina hadn’t left for her parent’s place.

“Just...thought of dropping by later, so wanted to know whether you were home omonim.” He lied.

“I’m home all day. You can come at any time Junmyeon.”

“I will...take care, omonim.”

Right after hanging up the call with his mother-in-law, a call from Siwon made his phone vibrate in his hand. “Hyung,”

“What are you doing Junmyeon? The Hong Kong suppliers are here already. And so is your father-in-law! Now don’t tell me you just woke up and get in here this instant!”

“Hong Kong...uh.” Junmyeon squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. “I’ll be there soon.”

* * *

The factories of Mina’s family business were quickly getting stabilized, and Mina’s dad couldn’t be any happier when he was introduced to new foreign suppliers to compensate for the ones they lost with bankruptcy. The meetings lengthened hour by hour, and the more time it took, the more Junmyeon looked restless in his father-in-law’s eyes.

The young businessman was staring at the message he had just got from Jessica, saying that Mina was still out of reach, and that she had called Amber, to find that Mina wasn’t with her as well.

“You don’t look well Junmyeon.”

The elderly voice made him look up at Mina’s dad at once. “You look very pale right now. Is everything okay?”

“Yes...abeonim.” he nodded absent mindedly. “Just a bit tired.”

“ Then we shouldn’t be dragging this meeting longer.” The older CEO leaned closer to his son-in-law and muttered. “I will settle this from here onwards. You should go home and rest. You don’t look focused at all son.”

Junmyeon shook his head, and opened the folder Siwon had placed in front of his on the table. “I’m alright abeonim... Let’s just get this done. You need me here.”

* * * * * * * *

~Autumn – 2010~

“By the way...where’s Junmyeon?” Taeil came to an abrupt stop and widened his eyes. “Why isn’t he here?”

Joy stopped for a moment as she walked past by the boy, just to give him a scoff. “How attentive. He’s been absent for longer than a week...eleven days to be exact and now you notice?”

Taeil wasn’t the only one paying attention to the girl by then, and even Mina, who had been silently wondering why Junmyeon hadn’t come to school for a several days stopped on her track and turned to Joy.

“The Hockey finals are around the corner. Two basketball practice matches were there and he didn’t come. Every single day I said ‘absent’ when his name was called for attendance and now only you guys notice? Because we’re on a trip and you’ll be needing one more guy on your team for beach volleyball?” Joy was sounding enraged like never before, and it made Taeil answer in a slightly taken aback tone. “It’s just...well it’s not like it’s the first time he skipped school! That rich brat can stay home all he want and still the teachers will pass him in every freaking subject! Now tell us if you know why your crush is absent.”

Joy bit her bottom lip and remained silent for a moment before replying with a sigh. “Wish I knew.”

“His phone is off. Even the coaches aren’t informed about why he’s absent.” Jinki got into the conversation as well.

Feeling puzzled, Mina looked up at Chanyeol. Paying just half attention, he was scrolling down on his phone, and absent mindedly took her hand in his.

“Maybe he’s sick or something?” Amber suggested, just to gain a shake of head by Jinki. “If so the coaches would know.”

“Then maybe he’s gonna study abroad?” Minho suggested this time, to get a shrug from Jinki. “ Well that can be it.”

“Yeah he better do that. It’s not like he’ll make it to college here anyways.” Hakyeon scoffed, and Joy glared at him. “Stop glaring Joy! You don’t know Kim Junmyeon’s history! He’s living a life which landed on him by chance, so all he knows is throwing around the money he got almost for free.”

“What was that story about Junmyeon? Do you guys know his history?”

Joy came running to join Amber, because she was left alone as Mina and Chanyeol were having some alone time quite further from them on the beach. “Ah that...” Amber began, and stopped to look at the wide eyed girl who was listening eagerly. “Hasn’t he told you? I thought you guys were friends.”

“Friends? As if.” Joy sighed. “It’s just me who’s talking and following him around. He never even bothers noticing me you know.” And she was pouting. “That Mina. If only she knows how lucky she is...to be liked by someone like Kim Junmyeon.”

Amber smiled in reply. “Well... Junmyeon’s dad is the major shareholder of the school. You know that might right?” and Joy replied with a nod.

“But as far as we have heard, they weren’t rich like that before. They say Junmyeon’s mom married a poor man, his dad I mean, and left her rich family for him. And they says she died at a pretty young age, well that makes sense because Junmyeon had grown up without his mom.”

“Poor Junmyeonie.” Joy sighed. And Amber continued. “Junmyeon and his dad have practically lived on streets when he was a kid. Then his maternal grand dad has died, leaving the entire fortune to Junmyeon’s dad because Junmyeon’s mom was his only child, and he had no other heir. That’s how they had gotten rid of their beggar-like lives, and now are living like a king and his crown prince.”

“Woah...seriously? It really sounds like one of those chebol dramas.”

“Drama or whatever, Junmyeon surely must be leaving the country to study abroad now. You better find a number and contact him. at least to say goodbye.”

* * *

Cuddled under a tree on the sandy beach, Mina and Chanyeol were almost dozing off while watching their classmates play like kindergarteners in the waves. And he phone started ringing in her hoodie pocket with an unknown caller ID on it.

Chanyeol loosened his hold around her, so that she could take the call. “Yeoboseyo?”

The other end of the call was silent, and it made the girl speak again. “Yeoboseyo? Who’s this?”

“Hwang Mina...it’s me.”

It wasn’t difficult at all for Mina to recognize his voice at all, but not wanting to show it, the girl quest