5th

"Hello?" Haneul spoke as she waited for the woman in the other to speak to her. 

--

Haneul rolled her eyes after reading the invitation card on top of her desk, eyeing the guy from across the room, she called him. "Jaehwan!"

The guy flinched, looking up from his laptop to glare at her. At the two's interaction, the colleagues inside the hematology department laughed. 

"What's so special about the intern Jung Taekwoon being President Jung's grandson?" She huffed and Jaehwan threw a pillow at her which she quickly dodged. "Why ask me? I was just tasked to give those out!" He answered defensively. 

She sighed before reading the invitation again, looking up the ceiling. "You're lucky Ms Kwon isn't here," she heard him mutter but she didn't care. 

You are invited to a welcome party dedicated to President Jung's grandson Jung Taekwoon who is currently an intern at the Neurology Department. 

Party? 

It has been weeks since she broke up with him but the pain is still there. At times she couldn't eat because she was busy wondering about his whereabouts. Most times, she was imagining if he has eaten lunch already, one thing he always skips because of his hectic schedule. All the time, she was wondering if he's missing her the same way she does. 

--

She was alone for her coffee break that time, eating onigiri paired with a yoghurt milk when she spotted his back figure–that achingly familiar back figure. He looked as if he was busy looking for something as he was looking up the second floor. 

Her legs felt frozen and she couldn't move all of a sudden, even if she wants to. Soon, he turned around and their eyes met. His eyes widened immediately as he walked towards her, looking very relieved to see her. 

"Haneu–" but she didn't let him finish. Before even having the chance to envelope his hand on her wrist, she slapped that arm away, her eyes wide. 

"Why are you here?" She asked in an undertone. At this, Hakyeon looked down, as if lost before looking back up at her again. "I..."

He sighed before taking ahold of her shoulders. "Let's start again, Haneul-ah." 

Her eyes faltered hearing him say this. "I-I promise I'll change whatever is the reason for you to get tired of me. Was it because of my constant nagging? I swear I'll lessen that one if you're burdened by it..."

Everything he's saying faded out in the background as only one thought swam in her head.

It's not your fault...

You don't need to change anything...

"... Was I too strict on you? I'll lessen that too from now on–"

"Unhand me."

"Haneul..."

"I said unhand me!" Haneul snarled as she glared at him angrily. "Don't you get it?!" She huffed. "I don't want you anymore," she said in a softer voice. "Being with you is requiring so much from me. I hate it!" She added. "Can't you just let it go?" She whispered. "Please?"

His grip on her shoulders loosened and he motioned to cup her face but she leaned away. "Just one chance, okay?" He pleaded. "Just give me one chance and I'll do better, hm? I'll be better–"

"I don't want you to be better." She gritted her teeth.

He's seriously driving her crazy. Why does he have to appear here looking so broken and helpless. 

"I want you gone..."

Finally, his hands dropped to his side and Haneul wished that he would reach for her again, because if he did, she was sure she would let him.  

"Clear now?" She heaved a deep sigh before she continued. "If I see you lurking in here again. I'll call the police, I'm not even joking. If you don't want me filing a TRO on you, know your place. You're intelligent enough to know what I mean, Cha Hakyeon. We're not related anymore." She said one last time before she walked passed him, tears falling down one by one even if she tried her best not to show her weak side. 

She knows it's a dangerous move but she was silently hoping that he would see through her act and gather her in his arms but he never did. 

Instead, he walked out of the hospital as if he was a family member whose patient was declared dead.

--

A month passed since the break up and she was finally missing him like crazy. She couldn't help but wonder how he looked after a month. Did he looked older? Did his hair grow? Did his complexion changed finally?

She couldn't help but imagine the way he laughed. She couldn't help but yearn to hear his voice, whenever he sings her to sleep. She couldn't help bit miss his scent and wonder how it would've felt if he was sleeping beside her at night. 

So when she lose to her feeling once more one night, Yong Haneul ventured the chilly night as she only had one destination in mind, their apartment. 

She wanted to knock on the door and hug him tightly if not only for the fact that there was something that caught her attention at the left side of the house. Instead of climbing up the porch and knocking on the door, she was drawn towards the boxes. 

Her hands shook when she saw was was inside the box. Turns out he burnt those things but the fire failed to turn the box to ashes fully. Inside the box were all the things she gave him during their monthsary and anniversary. But right now, most of them were ashes. 

There was the photo album which she gave him during their  anniversary, half of it burnt. There was also the explosion box made of wood she gave him after he passed the board exam, mostly ashes. Tears fell again unknowingly. She felt pathetic. She should have expected this coming but feeling it personally made her feel dead. Dripping on her knees Haneul cried as she rummaged inside the box, trying her best to save some of the undamaged stuffs. He'll definitely burn it again tomorrow until no traces will be left.

She hate how it was like he has forgotten and tossed everything so easily when in contrast she was having a hard time convincing herself that everything about them is done. 

--

"Yong Haneul-ssi..."

Haneul pushed on her swivel chair a little to look at Ms Kwon who had her nose buried at a piles of Test Results. 

"Yes?"

Finally, the Chief Medtech looked at her smiling wide. "Dr So asked for you."

Haneul frowned, "me?" she pointed at hers self. The older responded with a nod and she could only pull her chair back on her desk. "O...Kay?" She mumbled. "What for?"

--

Haneul crossed her arms as the intern had his legs up on his table. He looked at her, "just wait a little more." He smiled. 

She huffed at his behaviour. "Yah, intern," she uncrossed her arms. "You shouldn't be doing things like that, especially if the person you called for is busy."

Taekwoon raised one brow as if he was contemplating on what she said. He nodded after. "You're right." He lowered his feet on the ground then pushed his chair to smile at her. "I'm sorry."

She felt her nerves twitching at this ridiculous guy, if not only for the fact that he was the President's grandson she would have probably kicked his face. 

"So, let's kill time while we wait for Dr So, shall we?" He smiled sweetly.

"He's not really looking for me, is he?" She deadpanned.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

The nerve of this guy!

"I have. So what?!" She raised her chin at him, challenging him. 

"What's his work?" She scoffed. Is this some kind of an interrogation or something?

Anyways, she refuse to back down. "He's a professor at a university!"

His chuckle made Haneul gawk at him. What's funny?

"What is he? A pimp?"

What?! She's fuming mad by now. No one dares call Hakyeon a pimp! Also he's a young professor! Goodness.

"He's only twenty-seven!" She snarled at him, her fists clenching. 

His face darkened upon hearing her answer. "Really?"

"Really. May I go now?"

"Nope."

"Who are you to order me around?!" 

"I'm Taekwoon." He smiled at her. 

She felt all the blood drain from her face. She's getting mad at a fast pace. 

"Mr. Jung Taekwoon. If you may, I want to take my leave because I'm very busy with this time of the day. As you can see, I can just come back when Dr So arrives. When he really is asking for me," she gritted her teeth at the last sentence before turning around ready to leave him if only why he said stopped her from her tracks. "That noisy kid in your department told me you broke up with your boyfriend." 

She froze. Who?

Ah. Jaehwan. 

She looked behind her to see him looking at her with an unfaltering gaze. "What..."

"Be my date," he offered. She frowned at him. "What–"

"Be my date at the welcome party..."