For about forty minutes Ms. Lee took their measurements. Most of the talking transpiring between Munho and her mother. The engagement date would be picked soon. The ceremony would be big, their entire families was invited to celebrate the two join hands. Namjoo tried not to gag.

The moment Ms. Lee bid her long overdue farewell, Namjoo them. “Is this your plan?!”

“Namjoo…” her mother’s eyes dared go soft. Apologetically? With concern? It was too late for that.

Namjoo was pissed off!

“I’ll talk to her.” Munho interjected.

Namjoo shot him a darkening glare. Wheeling around she stomped off not about to wait for him to give his many excuses. She was over it. She was over him. She was over this little girl’s dream of marrying her crush.

Namjoo had little intention of settling down.

“Namjoo!” Munho called after her, fast on her tail. She sped up adamant about avoiding him. Not today. She had very little patience to spare for him.

But he caught up and grabbed her hand. Namjoo yanked her hand back to no avail. Munho’s grip was firm and strong. Surpassing her he pulled her along. Namjoo struggled to no luck.

“Let go! I said let go!” Namjoo spat.

They went down the stairs at an increasing speed. Down the long driveway past the now dank and lifeless grass slowly budding to life. The snow was gone. Surrounding her was emptiness and green. No one to help.

Succumbing, Namjoo grumbled, “Where are you taking me?”

“Just walk with me.”

Finally slowing his grip loosened but not enough for her to pull away and run off. He waited so they were walking side by side. Namjoo fought not to seethe or hurt him beyond civil means.

“Chanu loved spring. It meant the outdoor sports would be able to commence again.” Munho reminisced, voice sad and depressing. “We used to run around the track field to warm up once his classes ended. He was very proud of you, Namjoo. He thought you were the prettiest ballerina.”

Freeing her hand Namjoo grasped it shakily. She didn’t want to dredge up memories that pained her. “Shut up. I don’t want to have this talk with you.”

Warning him with a perturbed glare Namjoo turned her back on him as she speedily walked away.

“He came to me the day before.” Munho called out.

Halting, Namjoo in breaths of cool spring air feeling the chill stab her lungs like ice picks.

“He wanted me to take care of you. He was always worried about you.” Munho sounded like he really meant it. Like he was sad, like her. “I’m sorry, Namjoo. I didn’t know.”

It was still so vivid. That day flashing through her head. Despair heavily showered upon her, weighing her shoulders like boulders. Glancing at the ground she wondered, was it here where her brother last sat bleeding? Had they passed that area? Or was Munho standing on that bloodied spot?

Her heart pumped faster with grief. Remembering all of a sudden, the roaring of the engine echoing in her ears as she sat in the subway. Surrounded by the lot of passengers unaware of her. Each one too engrossed with themselves to never mind the lady who never got off. She was going to go see her brother. Or so she thought. But she didn’t have the courage, because that day at the hospital she had done nothing to help him. She was years too late. Using too much time to draw up the courage to finally do something, but Chanu was six feet under.

Mind a maze of distraught fragments of fault, Namjoo could barely consciously process where she was again when Munho spun her around.

“I love you,” he said cupping her face, “and I’m going to protect you.”

She was there and she really wasn’t there when Munho kissed her.

◘⸞⸟⸞⸟⸞◘

Jongin was in a hurry to go home. He was behind cases. There was extra research to do on a speeding accident. Two steps down and he recognized a blond standing at the bottom, hands tucked in her jacket pockets. He hadn’t expected to see Namjoo so soon. Today she was meeting a lawyer he recalled.

“Jongin.” A voice made him stop, look to his left and there she was. A strikingly familiar beauty he hadn’t seen in years. One he’d put behind if not for his mom digging up his injuries. She the cause of it.

Song Aeri.

Those almond eyes were still bright. Tired lines sunk into the area below, but she was still the pretty woman he’d fallen in love with. He noticed the papers in her hand. As if caught red handed, she clutched them closer hiding them.

“Divorce papers,” she smiled awkwardly, embarrassed that he might view her unworthy of an event in her life. “Hangyeol and I broke up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Jongin offered. There was truly nothing else to add.

“Then…I should go hand this in.” Nodding she smiled a tiny one and turned to go. Jongin did, too, but stopped after several steps to glance behind him. A last peek of his first love, Aeri, disappearing through the courthouse doors.

Longing memories flittered through his mind. Good days gone when his young heart still dreamt of high skies. It was the touch of a finger gently swiping the hair out of his eye that woke him.

“You look sad.” Namjoo said.

He shook his head flailing his fringe over his eye again. “What are you doing here?”

Her eyes did a search until she admitted, “I didn’t know where to go.”

Continuing down the stairs he asked, “Did you see the lawyer?”

“I missed the appointment.”

Jongin paused. Glanced at her. She had prioritized it determinedly…and missed it.

“I have to get engaged.” He realized a bit belatedly she hadn’t moved.

Something unordinary must have happened. Jongin could only assume because Namjoo wasn’t dishing out details, and when she didn’t it was always something that was going on.

Guessing he could spare an hour or two for her, he asked, “Have you eaten?”

“Do you want to know what I did the other day?”

That he was still curious about. Namjoo led the way to the underground station. Said no more as she bought two tickets and boarded the train. Uncertain what she was planning, Jongin had no choice but to go with.

Finding an isolated spot in the corner Namjoo sat sighing a heave like the entire universe was crushing her. Jongin luckily managed to squeeze in beside her, then the doors hissed close.

At this time of day numerous people were making the trip home from work. The lot of passengers were businessmen and women. Others, students and few were people making trips on schedule.

Namjoo tilted her head leaning the base of her skull against the window. The bus rumbled causing her head to bump into the glass. The sound was discomforting he thought she might hurt herself.

“I did nothing.” Came her dreary, soulless voice. “I rode the train and thought about that day, everything that led up to his death. I couldn’t help him. I said nothing in his defense. I didn’t know until late. I didn’t figure it out until it was so late.” t