In the strike of lightning her face lit softly. His chest slowly rises as he grit his teeth and cramp his palm. It's not the sight he wanted to see and time pass by so quickly he found himself on the counter staring at her after a very long time. Over the telephone she sounded still and he knows from right there, she badly needed some help. The bruise comes bold and bright, and there are moments he was tempted to put armour on. An adrenaline rush maybe, but definitely not the drink. Even if the bottle is way empty, he is too far from being intoxicated. And he's seeing the real thing, the thing that turns out to be his greatest fear. 

"..", he exhales sharply, soft enough she couldn't hear.

She was soaked and in turmoil, barely had the idea how she managed to get her way to that old and almost empty bar. But the road to safety is in that place, to the reckoning eyes of the person she once see as her sunshine. She looked down feeling shameful, hugging herself a little more under the furry white Chanel coat. The place is oddly familiar, so are the people and their ideas of brands. It's outside Seoul where people are busy minding their businesses than other people's lives. In a way she felt relieved but still not tranquil because the cursing stare is not the sight she wanted to see. Stress trickles down to the least powerful and that was her, so she wear the bruises both physical and emotional.

"I.. I'm glad to still see you here.. I thought you wouldn't wait for me.. I.. I thought you wouldn't see me..", she barely whispered and choked uncontrollably.

That gentle hands was still swift and fast just like before. Just like the way he held her tight, protecting her from being cramped by aggressive fanatics to shameless paparazzi. Stubborn as she is, she hated that caring stance believing he wasn't proud for what he had and not realizing she was just being valued and protected. How funny but now, she missed the touch of those loving hands. So different from the hands that she choose to hold.

"Not here. The car's much safer.", he demanded while leading their way out.

With shaking breath she followed him through the safety of the car roof against the howling sound of winter snow. Deep inside she's gut stricken and feeling awful for the thought that seeing the man she once loved is considered as cheating. Her husband will kill her, literally, if he found out she lied without blinking an eye or even battling an eyelash.

" that bastard! Never in my dreams I wanted to see you again like this! God help me but I swear I will kill that er!", he swears in great intensity.

She held that tear not to fall down especially in front of those weary eyes. She wanted to make everyone believe she found her happily ever after. She tried hard to show them she was the luckiest, concealing the pain through her always ready radiant smile. But heck, those teardrop held so much and her eyes can't take it's heavy toll. It poured like hale, solid and stone cold. She held unto the pain for so long even her tears were ice cold.

He believed in miracles the moment he met her. She was an angel, true enough to her fate. She saved him from falling and failing. When he was in the midst of breakdown and giving up his dreams she held him tight not leaving his side. She was his saviour through his dark and trying times. All she ever did was to give her brightest smile and how awesome everything turned into light, he could face the world again. 

Her shoulders shrugging and her sobbing is like tearing the innermost veins of his wounded heart. Deep and knit, it could burst his solid core. He swears he wouldn't touch her again from the day she chose not to stay but how can he not, when she needs the comfort she once give him when he was a blot?

"I'm sorry but I'm not taking back what I've said. Just cry.. Pour it all out. I'll wait when you're finally ready to speak.", he said and reach for the . 

Sniffling and in sober state, she held his arms to stop him from getting away. "I think I needed the smell of nicotine to get away with this freaking pain."

"Your pain's way more fatal from the outside. You need medical treatment.", he replied sarcastically.

She can take sarcasm way higher than her ego. She was born to be a thicked faced . Everyday, for the last 20 years of her professional career, sarcasm was thrown on her face and all she needs to do is shrug her shoulders but silently wished the tosser to die on the spot. But hearing it coming from the person who gave her butterflies to run down her spine is somehow derogartory, she bite her lip thinking what a fool she had been.

"I don't mean it..."

"I deserved this."

"You don't deserve to be a doormat!"

Heat pulsed down through his fist, he lit the cancer stick and the air in, filling his lungs with smoke to cover the burning rage. It's been a while now, his anger just slept and not faded. He swallowed that rage when it was a fire-seed and now it's coming out as hot as any dragon has ever flamed.

"I didn't know he was a monster..", she speaks in shame.

He'll never forget his cunning eyes, how that fire burnt him to ash. He took her away from him, in the midst of another breakdown. Those nasty scandals made her faith in him to go down and the grimy hag got his shot. He regrets that one fateful night when he angrily sent her away when all she wanted to do was to stay by his side. He felt hopeless with false impropriety, making his notability to slowly drop and the only thing to do was to enter the special forces. He end ties with her, his biggest mistake, the misstep that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Fate played hard and dirty, someone saved her from the pain he created. She found another rock, more solid and proud, while he watched from afar, broken and contrite. He created his own inferno that turns out more than his heart could ever manage.

"C'mon, you don't know he's smoking weed? Most of us are but he's abusing it. He looks solid buff everytime.", he whispered calmly.

"I was blinded by his actions.