Byunghee loosened his tie and ed the top button of his dress shirt. He cracked his neck, relieving the stressed muscles. He then entered his kitchen and took out a bottle of alcohol. He twisted the cap and took a small glass cup from the cupboard and poured himself a glass. He drank it in one swig, the bitter acidity stinging his throat. 

"I'm going to have serious liver problems one day." He thought as he poured himself another glass. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket, he placed the glass down. 

"Hello?" He answered. 

"It's been a while. I hope you're doing well." The familiar deep voice of Seunghyun vibrated through the ear piece of Byunghee's phone. 

"Neh." Byunghee replied shortly, picking up the glass from the kitchen counter, bringing it up to his lips. 

How could he not have? It had been two years since he left Korea. Two years since he promised to forget about the person that he cared to no end. 

"Wow, it's really weird to hear you talk in Korean." A deep, throaty laugh came from the speakers. 

Byunghee let out an amused chuckle, nodding his head subconciously. 

"What brings you to call me, hyung?" Byunghee asked the older male. 

He heard Seunghyun exhale a deep sigh before speaking. 

Ever since he left, he hasn't heard any news about her. He made sure that taking over the Japanese side of Seunghyun's business he wouldn't hear anything linked to her. If he did hear anything, it would be kept to a minimum. He imersed himself into work and work only; he would go to work, and then go back home afterwards. Rarely he ate out, sometimes he would go to bars and drink for a bit then go back home. Because of this routine, many mistook him as an older male when in fact, he's only twenty years old. 

Of course, there were times where he had gotten so drunk that his thoughts would leave and trap him in his memories of her, causing him to wake up in his house, trashed and his face dried with tears. But most of the time, he kept those thoughts repressed in the back of his mind, hoping they'd disappear one day. 

"Byunghee, did you hear me?" Seunghyun asked. 

"C-can you repeat that? Sorry hyung, I didn't hear you." 

"Is it possible if you come back?" 

Byunghee almost dropped the glass from shock. He placed the cup back down and his breathing started to quicken.

"H-hyung, w-why?" Though it had been two years, he can't. He still can't.

He knew he hasn't, though he did trick himself a couple of times he had forgotten. 

Seunghyun sighed. 

"I'm sorry Byunghee." He paused. 

"I wish I told you sooner but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. She made me promise not to tell you but ... you deserve to know." 

"W-what do you mean?" Thousands of scenarios flew into Byunghee's mind, every one of them scaring him more and more. 

"She's gone Byunghee." Seunghyun took a sharp intake of breath. 

"W-what?"

--

It had been a year. 

She touched the long, dark scar from her left ear to the tip of her nose, remembering briefly how she got it. A fake smile tried and failed to spread across her lips. She had forgotten how to.

"Irina?" A female voice from behind called her. 

"Hmm?" She turned around seeing a electric blue-haired female at the door of the bathroom. 

"We have to go. I think someone found out about you." 

Irina frowned; she started to like Beijing. 

Irina sighed, nodding her head. She had gotten used to it; she had gotten used to leaving without a trace. 

The blue-haired female began to leave when Irina called her. 

"Hmm?" She replied. 

"T-thanks for coming with me. W-we haven't known each other that long and you're doing this for me. I-I want to say thanks." 

The female shook her head. 

"No, its fine. Don't worry about it. I'm glad to be here. Besides, Dongwoon would have-" She took a deep breath. "He would have wanted to do this for you so, I guess I'm the next best thing." 

"Aika-" 

"S-sorry, I-I have to pack our things." She smiled painfully at her, leaving to go to the other room. 

Irina shook her head to prevent herself from crying. It was her fault. Everything was her fault. Dongwoon's death, her brother's injury, and worst of all, Daesung's death.