You are so annoying, Lee Donghae.

Just tell me.

No.

Tell me.

So annoying.

Tell me.

Well . . .

What is your favorite part of me?

It’s obvious.

Yah Lee Hyukjae. No dirty thoughts.

Who’s having dirty thoughts? Silly.

So?

I don’t have a favorite part of you.

Really?

All of you. You know that I love every bit of you.

He stared at Eunhyuk’s picture on the table beside him. It was a random photo that Donghae took one Christmas night. They were building a house out of pancakes, while sitting comfortably on the floor of their villa. Suddenly, Donghae asked him to smile for him, and he gladly obliged. For him, Eunhyuk had the gummiest smile ever. He looked the happiest when he smiles like that.

It was his most favorite smile.

It was the smile that he had to learn to forget now.

Donghae took the picture frame, and put it along Eunhyuk’s stuff inside a huge brown box. There were clothes, pictures, and other things that belonged to him. Donghae closed it and was about to walk away, but he stopped again holding the box on his both hands. He didn’t know what it was, but he took Eunhyuk’s picture in the frame again and put it inside the drawer of the coffee table, on the bottom part of other files. He closed it in a hurry, feeling his heart was about to burst.

He didn’t want to reason why, but he could not let that one go. One step at a time. He thought.

“How many weeks has it been?” Minzy asked Dara.

“Three.” Dara replied as the two observed the resort’s owner, sitting quietly on one of the white hammocks in front of the beach.

“Do you think he’s okay?”

“I don’t know.” Dara recalled how Donghae looked so distant in their meeting last week. He was there, sitting and discussing resort stuff with them, but she knew he wasn’t really there. She never heard the chef or the manager talked about it either.

Break up.

Out of nowhere, she remembered how she and Zico ended things so badly. There were stupid curses, pushing and screaming involved. Some would say that breaking up is like the worst thing that could happen to you, although Dara didn’t believe that. Sure, it hurts like hell, but she knew it happens for a reason. It makes you a stronger person.

“I really feel bad for Mr. Lee.” Minzy said, and drank from her bottled water.

“Hm?” Dara looked at her, then back to the Donghae from afar. She remembered how he was punched by his own father during Mino and Irene’s wedding. She wanted to say something back to his father, but she just sat there with him, tending his wound. He looked so forsaken. More than the physical pain, Dara knew his father’s words were more painful. On the next day, he broke up with his boyfriend. Can’t the world give him a break?

“He’s a good person with a very kind heart.”

Dara nodded in agreement and sighed. It’s not like she was fired from her job or something, but seeing Donghae like this somehow affects her. Sure, they weren’t close. They’re not even friends, but . . . “Somehow I don’t want him getting hurt.”

“Huh?” Minzy looked back at her friend. She didn’t hear what Dara said for she looked back at the staff who was assisting new guests to the hotel. “What did you say?”

“Huh?” Dara looked at her in confusion too. “I-I forgot.” She chuckled awkwardly. Why don’t I want him to get hurt? She asked herself too. Well, he’s your boss. Duh. He’s paying you. You are in debt to him. Dara told herself and nodded in secret.

“Do you think Mr. Lee and his boyfriend will fix things up again? It’s a waste, really. They’ve been together for like a decade.” Minzy commented.

If two people truly belong to each other, someday they will find themselves walking that path to be together again.

If not . . .

Perhaps they are meant to meet other people and take a different route.

Maybe it’s how the world works its magic. In times that you did not ask, a person will come into your life and change you forever.

As the sun has set, Dara watched Donghae stood, bringing his book and beer back to his place. “I just wish to see him smile again.” She replied quietly.

She just finished sweeping the dried leaves near the hammocks. She was also done with the grand pavilion, mopping and cleaning the windows. Dara wiped the sweat on her forehead with her right arm. She dragged her black garbage bag near the coconut tree. Her eyes went to the man sitting on the third white hammock from the right side of the beach. There were only five guests using the hammocks that afternoon. Nine were vacated. Weeks of cleaning that part, she learned that it was her boss’ favorite part. It’s like even the guests knew about that, because every 4:30 p.m. it was vacated, and Donghae would quietly sit there with a book and a drink.

“Excuse me.”

By 5:30 p.m., the whole resort was covered with warm orange rays of the sun. Kids are running back and forth on the sand. Couples were walking hand in hand, checking the restaurant and the gift shop. Some were just sitting on the sand, waiting for the sun to set too. It was a beautiful afternoon with the sky colored with pink and violet.

Dara immediately went to a guest who handed her the trash of her kid who was sitting a few hammocks apart from where Donghae is. The kid was so adamant in pulling his mother to buy ice cream. Dara fanned herself with her pink towel.

“Dara.”

She immediately whirled to her front. Did he just call my name? “B-boss?” Donghae looked back at her. Dara walked to his left side. He was simply wearing a blue shirt, black shorts and sandals. He seemed simple, but he looked so fine nonetheless. “Is there anything you need?”

“Nothing.” He told her. “I just want to ask you a question.”

Dara nodded and waited.

“Are you the only one cleaning this part of the resort?”

Dara opened to speak. “Uhmmm.”

“Don’t you guys have a rotation?”

To be honest, Dara asked for that place from her co-workers. They see it as an advantage because the part covers a wide space of both the hammock station and the pavilion on the side. Why did she want it? “Uhm. W-we have, sir. It’s just that . . .” She paused, not knowing if she should tell it. “I asked for this part to clean.”

“Wae?”

Yeah. Why Dara? She hadn’t thought about it. “I . . . I uhm . . .” Think! “I-I like to see . . .” Her right hand slowly raised to point. “The sunset!” She pointed quickly at the sunset in front of them. “I like to see the sunset.” She smiled widely. “It comforts me that I don’t feel like I’m working at all.”

Donghae stared at her. He noticed how she was breathing quicker than usual and she was sweating a lot too. “Oh.” Donghae just nodded. “Okay.” He turned back to the sun that seemed to be consumed by the ocean. After a minute, he looked to his side again and saw Dara still standing there. “That’s all.”

Dara nodded, but did not move an inch. She just stood there, watching him. Donghae felt her, and looked back again. “Yes?” He asked.

“Do you need anything, boss?”

Donghae shook his head. “No.”

“Snacks or drink?” Dara tried again. “I saw Chef Heechul grilling a fresh-”

“I just want to be alone.”

Dara closed at that. “Yes, boss.” She bowed and walked to the back. She picked up the broom behind him, and started to walk away. Seven steps away from her boss, Dara paused to look back at Donghae. Her eyes laid on his eyes which was now in a very distant place. He has a very sad pair of eyes. Her last thought before leaving that station.

“Aigoo. My stomach really hurts already.” Heechul began crouching on the sand dramatically. The chef, Leeteuk and Donghae were having a drinking session on the beach. There was a bonfire in front of them. Cold cans of beer and chips were on the ground too. They’d been drinking since 9 in the evening. It was past 1 o’clock in the morning already.

“Why would your stomach hurt?” Leeteuk asked his boyfriend dubiously. “You only had three cans of beer.” He had seven, while Donghae was on his tenth beer already.

 “I don’t know.” Heechul pouted, and started to make little circles on his boyfriend’s knee. Donghae saw this, shook his head and drank his beer.

“You can go.” Leeteuk flatly said. “I’ll just finish this with Donghae.” Leeteuk drank again and munched some chips.

“Aish! This idiot.” Heechul blurted out and slapped his knee.

“Ow! What? Why?”

Heechul sat back again, drinking his beer.

“You guys can go.” Donghae told them with a smile. “I’ll go after a few minutes too.”

“Really?” Leeteuk asked him.

“Yeah.”

“Are you gonna be okay?” Heechul asked.

“Yeah.” He replied again.

“See you tomorrow.” Leeteuk stood, and offered a hand to Heechul.

Heechul gathered his blanket and stood as well, the two just held hands. “See you later, you mean.” Heechul corrected him. Leeteuk made a high five with Donghae, while Heechul messed the younger man’s hair. “I’ll call someone to clean this up.”

“Deh.”

Donghae looked at his two friends, going back to the hotel. He turned back to the ocean, letting the sound of waves spoke comfort to him. It has b