"Of course it was not ok!" Heejin slammed her hand against the table. 

"Sssh!" Yoonjung desperately tried to calm Heejin down. It was already the second time she attracted people's attention within just five minutes. 

"The worse part is, I don't know what I am more frustrated about. That he even dared to ask your permission or the fact that you actually gave him one!"

"How was I supposed to say no? she is not in a good condition right now."

"And how is that his responsibility? they are no longer together. Does she not have a family?"

Yoonjung shook her head, "they are overseas."

"What about friends? new boyfriend? neighbour?" Hyeejin spoke so fast as if she was rapping. "It totally doesn't make sense for her to ask her ex-boyfriend, whom is in a relationship, to take care of her. It doesn't make sense even more for Kang to even consider doing it for her."

Yoonjung couldn't say anything in response. She agreed with everything Heejin said. 

"So..." Heejin asked after finally calming down, "It's been what? three days? Have you seen Kang at all since then?" 

Yoonjung shook her head and quickly added "He does tell me his whereabout at all times, though."

"Yeay, you are so lucky!" Heejin responded sarcastically. "Seriously Yoonjung, I love you, but you really have got to love yourself more. Seojoon asked if you wanted him to stay but you decided to let him go because you wanted him to be with her. If you don't fight for Kang now, you might end up losing him to this girl as well."

Yoonjung showed a sad smile, "If I have to fight for someone to stay with me, then it is already a losing battle, don't you think?"

Heejin had no response to that.

"This is my way of loving myself. I don't want to keep someone who needs me to give him a reason to stay." 

Heejin leaned backwards against the chair, "I just don't get it... as your best friend, even I will do my best not to let anyone hurt you. why can't these man do a simple thing like that?" 

"Maybe that's why we have been best friends for so long?" Yoonjung winked. 

"and we will be. Forever." Heejin opened her arms wide and they hugged over the table. 

"Oh, but promise me one thing." 

"What?"

"Don't say anything to Kang. Ok?" 

"Fine." Heejin grunted. She indeed was planning to talk to Kang, but now that she promised she won't, she couldn't. 

 

----------------- 

 

"oh!" Yoonjung flew in the air for about a split second before she landed hard on the ground. 

"Yoonjung!" Seojoon ran towards her from afar. "Are you okay?" he kneeled down in front of her.

Yoonjung changed her position to sitting down, "I'm okay." 

"What happened?" 

"I must have tripped over something." she turned around but there was nothing on the flat ground. She shrugged and started patting dusts off her palms. 

"You're bleeding." Seojoon said after seeing her scraped knee. He took band-aid, towel and a bottle of water out from his bag. He carefully clean the wound before covering it with band-aid. 

"Thanks." she said.

"Do you think you'll be able to walk?" he asked while helping her to stand up. 

"Of course." she released his hold and started to pick up the things that she dropped earlier, but Seojoon quickly took over and picked them up for her. 

"Where are you going?" Seojoon put all her stuff inside her bag.

"Work." 

"Let me walk you there." 

"No need, I am okay." she shook her head while reaching out her hands to take her bag from Seojoon.

"Come on." Seojoon started walking, taking her bag as hostage. 

Yoonjung had no choice but to follow him.   

"Yo." Seojoon greeted Heejin, who was already in the shop. 

Heejin looked at him flatly, unamused.

"Still hating me?" Seojoon winked and laughed.

"What are you doing here with him?" Heejin asked Yoonjung. 

"We bumped into each other." She answered and then disappeared inside the staff room to change her clothes.

"She fell down, so I helped her." Seojoon told Heejin. He put a can of energy drink on the counter and pushed it towards Heejin.

"What happened? Is she ok?" for one moment Heejin talked to Seojoon without hatred in her voice. 

"I think so." Seojoon passed Heejin cash to pay for the drink, "By the way, I haven't seen her boyfriend around, are they still together?" 

"What is it to you?" Heejin gave him a side eye look in suspicion. 

"It is everything to me." Seojoon replied. "But seriously, are they still together?"

Heejin sighed, "they are, but he hasn't been around much." 

"Why?"

"It's a long story." she shrugged. Heejin completed the transaction and passed the drink to Seojoon. At that time, she saw Kang entering the shop. "Speak of the devil."

Seojoon turned around and saw Kang approaching towards their direction. 

"Hi." Kang greeted Heejin and bluntly ignoring Seojoon, "Where is Yoonjung?"

"At the back." 

Kang walked passed them and helped himself towards the staff room. 

"I don't like that guy." Seojoon muttered.

"Of course. Why would you?" 

"Honestly though, am I not better than him?" Seojoon rested his hands against the counter. 

Heejin sighed again, "If you had ask me last month, the answer would have been obvious, but right now... I don't even know." 

"Is it that bad?" 

She didn't reply. 

Seojoon's usual nonchalant face was replaced with a scary look. But he didn't say anything. Even until when he decided to leave, he left without a word.

"Hi." Kang knocked on the door and peeked inside.

"Kang!" Yoonjung was startled. She was in the middle of fixing her wound. 

"what happened?" Kang rushed and bent down in front of her.

She quickly wrapped it up, "I fell down, nothing serious."

"How did it happen?"

"I must have tripped on something." she looked away from Kang, pretending to be busy with the first aid box. 

Kang reached out and stopped her hands from moving, "will you look at me?" 

Yoonjung slowly turned her head towards him.

"I am sorry... for everything." he held her hands in his while rubbing it with his thumb. 

That was all it took to break the wall that she has built for herself. She spent the last month trying to be ok even when she was not, but after she heard Kang's words, she couldn't force herself to be ok anymore.

Tears started running down her face, but she couldn't say a word. She barely has any energy left and she used it to stop herself from crying out loud like a baby. It has been so hard for her, not being able to see his face as often, not being able to hear his voice every night like she used to. On top of that, the thoughts of him being with Arin, taking care of Arin.

She lowered her head and buried her face on her hands. She didn't want him to see her like that. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Kang said repeatedly, desperate to stop her tears but to no avail. He raised himself up and hugged her tight. He could feel her hard grip on his shirts.

 

---------------

 

"What are you going to do?" Heejin asked while watching Kang sitting outside the shop on the outdoor table.

"About what?" Yoonjung said with similar position and pose as Heejin. They both were leaning against the cashier counter, staring out the window on the side.

"Are you going to tell him to stop seeing her now?" 

She shook her head.

"Still no??" Heejin gasped, "You already made it so obvious to him that you are not ok with him seeing her, how can you possibly still let him meet her?" 

"I don't want to stop him from doing what he wants to do." 

Heejin brushed her hair back in frustration, "You are so stubborn. Men are like that, they will just do what they want to do until you tell them what not to do." 

Yoonjung stood up and said loudly, "That's the point. If he doesn't stop doing it, it means he still wants to do it. What is the point in me telling him to stop seeing her if in his heart he still thinks about her?" 

Heejin looked up at her in shock. She rubbed Yoonjung's shoulder, "You don't know that for sure. Maybe Kang is just too nice? after all, they knew each other and were together for a very long time. I think he just couldn't say no because he is not a bad person. That's why I think you have to make your feelings clear to him."

"I don't know anymore..." Yoonjung said softly, ""it's funny how someone can be in so much control of you without them knowing. The simplest thing they do or say can either make you sad or happy."

"At least you have someone to cry or laugh about..." Heejin countered. 

Yoonjung put her arm around Heejin shouldered and pulled her close, "maybe we should just be each other's person."

"No thank you. I want Myungsoo" 

Yoonjung laughed, "Just give it up already." 

 

-------------------------------