[ C H A P T E R  E I G H T ]

Eric did not expect that he would be bumping into Byul a few months later for a recording together. It wasn’t too long, but it was awkward enough for both of them to just settled on a small greeting before their conversation was lost again. He had a feeling the younger woman was in fact more than just upset at him, she was livid and she had all the reasons to. 

Loads of questions flashed through his head, and he wanted to ask the younger woman next to him how was she doing. He hopes she was well and happy — she should be, because she deserves all the happiness in the world, but his questions lost and he never got the chance to ask. 

That morning when he decided that he needed to settle things with his ex definitely once and for all, he almost felt a sense of relieve that he hadn’t had for so long. It was only then when he realized that he had been very indecisive in his life, and he hadn’t been fighting for what he wanted at all. When everything was done and settled, Eric decided that he needed a break — entirely from the world he was trapped in to somewhere really quiet, away from the the hectic loads of schedules he was forced into by a company that did not respect his opinions and a toxic relationship that he could finally ended after years. Although it took him to lost one of the most important people in his life to finally settled it all out, he was relieved to finally escaped it as last. 

If it’s anything he has learnt from the time he took for himself, it was that he had been too indecisive and too harsh on himself for everything, he needed to learn to let go. There are things in life that are worth holding onto, and there are things that are not worth holding onto; over the years, he couldn’t differentiate between any of them. But now, he has learnt how to let go what was hurting him and for once in his life, he was definite, he knew exactly what he wanted to hold onto. 

Yongsun. 

So, when the recording ended, he mastered up his courage and asked Byul if she could perhaps stayed behind for a few minutes. They sat in his waiting room, her facial expression stoic and if looks could killed, Eric swore he would be dead by now. 

    “Is she doing well?”

    Byul shrugged. “Yeah, just like how you saw her on the internet.”

No, she’s not. Byul had no idea why did she lie, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to know that Yongsun hasn’t exactly recovered from their breakup yet even after these all these months. But he nodded at her response, almost a relieve kind of nod and that infuriated her even more. 

    “I really don’t understand you both. I thought you love each other, I thought you meant the whole world to each other, but instead of fighting for each other back, you both only wished for each other’s well-beings after the breakup. If you love her, then fight for her. Stop being just contented over the fact that she’s doing well.“ 

    “You want to know if she’s doing well? No, she’s not. You have no idea how she had been the past few months, she was a wreck and it killed me to see my own best friend who has always been the happiest in that state. I resent you so much, because you promised to only love her and never hurt her, but I also know Yongsun unnie was the happiest I’ve ever saw her when she’s with you. So, stop just wishing she would be well when you should be fighting for her back.”

Eric watched as the younger woman in short bright orange hair bursted out at him, but he was expecting it. Byul has always been the closest to Yongsun, in a way she was almost like a sister who knew her like a biological twin would. She was the one who saw Yongsun broke down, probably even much more worst than how he saw her that night they broke up and he didn’t even want to imagine it, because he hates seeing Yongsun in pain, so he could only understand how much more upset and livid Byul would be at him after witnessing someone she considered her family in that state. 

    “I’m trying, Byul. I’m fighting for her, I don’t care if it takes me five more years or ten more years for her to open up and trust me again, but I will always fight for her.” 

She gave him a long piercing look, and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Stuffing a crumbled piece of paper with Yongsun's new phone number jotted down on it into his hand, she stood up to leave. 

    “Then, fight for her before it’s too late.”