Yuri’s POV

Later in the evening around six-thirty, I set out to the cinema in my jeans and hoodie. It’ll take me at least fifteen minutes to walk to the cinema so that means by the time I reached there, I’ll only have fifteen minutes to wait for him.

I have to admit, I was feeling giddy and excited for our date. I haven’t been alone with him for a very long time. I hope our spark is still there. I really missed being with him.

Once I reached there, I went through the movies that were going to be shown tonight and picked several, giving Mir a few options to watch just in case the movie I wanted to watch didn’t sound appealing to him. Even though he will agree, I didn’t want him to watch a movie for my sake if he’s not going to enjoy it. I wanted the two of us to enjoy it together.

After I selected a few, I checked the time. It was ten past seven.

I didn’t expect Mir to be on time so I didn’t worry. He will come when he comes, even if it’s a few minutes late. The first movie doesn’t start until eight anyway, so I have a good fifty minutes to wait.

Seven-thirty and he’s still not here.

Wow, Rain-sshi must really be working them hard for their debut. Mir would be tired after training. Maybe we can skip the movies and just hang out at the park. I made a mental note to tell him that later.

Eight came and went.

Mir still wasn’t here. I checked my phone. I had no missed calls. I wasn’t surprised. I remember G.O and Joon once complaining about how they weren’t allowed to have many breaks and that they were able to use their phones and would have to sneak a call or text if they wanted to.

Luckily I’d brought a book to read while waiting. So I sat down on a nearby bench and read as I waited for him to arrive. By the time I looked up, nearly finished with my book, it was nine-thirty. I saw no sign of Mir among the people coming in to watch movies. I shook my head.

The last movie was at ten-thirty.

Ten-twenty rolled by but I still didn’t see Mir. I was getting edgy.

Where was he?

By the time ten-forty was here, with the last movie already showing, the cinema was getting empty for all the people were either leaving or already in the cinema, watching the last show.

He’s late.

The girl selling tickets at the counter smiled at me in a sympathetic way as she closed the counter. “He’s not coming,” she stated the obvious. “They never do. They make a girl fall for them but don’t bother to catch them. They always play with a girl’s heart. It’s just so typical of them. We’re better off without them.”

I smiled politely at her. I knew that wasn’t the case. He didn’t stand up on me because he was a jerk. He was just busy. I didn’t bother correcting her anyway. She seemed dead set that all men were jerks. So I just stood up and walked away from the cinema.

He’s not coming. But I don’t blame him. It’s his work — that’s why he couldn’t make it. It’s okay. I shouldn’t have put my hopes up too high anyways.

I sighed, looking around. Where should I go? Maybe the park. I turned and headed toward the direction of the park.

So much for our date.

Mir’s POV

It’s already ten-thirty and Bi-sunbae still refused to let us go until all of us were done with our training. Joon was the only one left. I was getting worried as time just carelessly ticked away as if it didn’t bother waiting for me.

Well, time never wait for anyone.

Would Yuri be mad at me?

I wanted to call her but my phone battery died and we weren’t allowed to use our phones during practice so normally we had to sneak in. But this time, Bi-sunbae went too far.

He collected our phones and placed them inside his office. So bloody unfair! I wasn’t even allowed to escape from the practice room to use the payphone down the hall.

I was anxious.

Whenever Bi-sunbae was not in the room, I would steal a glance at the clock and winced every time an hour had passed. The others knew why I was being very fidgeting and tried sympathizing with me but it won’t work. It’s useless.

What would save me from this anxiety is to be with Yuri. But that’s not going to happen, will it? Damnit, why is this happening?!

Yuri ah, I’m really sorry. I tried my best.

Finally at eleven, we were free. Without bothering to change out of my clothes, without bothering to take my phone (the battery is dead anyway, so even if I did, it would be pointless), I ran out of the building and made a beeline toward the cinema, praying that there were still shows left and that she was still there.

Once I reached the cinema, it was empty.

My heart dropped.

Yuri wasn’t there. Did she go home already? Am I too late? I checked the time. The last show was on ten-thirty.

We missed it.

The only one there was the girl who sold tickets. She had been watching me with itching curiosity the moment I stepped in but didn’t say anything until I was about to leave.

“She went that way.”

I turned back. “Sorry?”

She smiled sympathetically at me. “You’re looking for your girlfriend, aren’t you?” she said. “She went that way.” She pointed toward the direction of the park.

I nodded gratefully at her. “Thanks.” I ran toward the park. It was a ten minute walk but it’ll take me five to get there if I run.

I pray she’s still there.

I saw her sitting on a swing, her back faced toward me. I could hear the squeaky swing each time the swing paced back and forth, with Yuri kicking the dirt every time her feet touched the ground.

I ran to her.

She must have heard my pants or the sounds of my footsteps because she turned around almost at once. I can tell she’d been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, even in the dark.

It was unfortunate I ran out of breath.

She ran toward me and threw her arms around my neck, pulling me close, despite me sweaty and smelly. She didn’t care. She hugged me tight. “It’s okay,” she said. “Don’t feel bad.”

Yet feeling bad was exactly what I was feeling. I had stood up on my girlfriend. I made her wait until the last show and still didn’t show up. I didn’t call her, didn’t text her to let her know I couldn’t make it.

I’m a terrible boyfriend.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t forgive you.”

I reeled back, hurt. Did she just say what I thought she just said to me? She doesn’t forgive me? I hung my head. No surprises. I’d hate me if I were her too. I really screwed up this time.

“Babo, look at me,” she said softly. Why isn’t she yelling at me yet? “Look at me,” she said more firmly.

I looked up.

She cupped my face and kissed me deeply. “I don’t forgive you because there’s no reason for you to even apologize. It’s not like you did it on purpose. Mir, you had a valid reason for not showing up. It’s okay, really. I don’t hate you.”

“But you’re upset.”

She nodded. “Of course I’m upset, but that doesn’t mean that I hate you. I just said, you had a valid reason. I don’t blame you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said again shamefully.

“You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

“I wanted to call —”

“I know,” she interrupted me. I swear, this girl is a mind reader. “I know. And I know Rain-sshi didn’t let you guys use your phone. I heard G.O and Joon talking about it the other day. So it’s really understandable.” Oh, that’s how she knows.

I nodded, searching her expression for any sign of madness.

I saw none.

She kissed me again. “I understand,” she repeated. She hugged me. “Let’s go home; you’re exhausted.”

“But we didn’t get to go on a date!” I protested.

She shook her head. “I guess we’ll have to go out another time, then,” she replied. “You’re tired. Let’s go. You need to rest, okay? I don’t want you to get so easily tired out. You need proper rest.”

I cupped her face and looked into her eyes. “I want to go out with you like I had promised you I would,” I said.

She shook — or at least tried to through my hands — her head. “Mir, really, it’s okay. It’s fine. Let’s go back home. It’s late.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

We walked back home in silence. I felt really guilty. It was hard for the two of us to be together alone with my busy schedules and what not. I felt really bad for her. I know that this was affecting her as much as it was affecting me.

When we got home, she went inside her room and I went inside mine. After I’d bathed and was about to go to sleep, I had a brilliant idea. I walked out of the room to find no one outside.

Yuri’s lights under the door was still on which meant she was still awake.

Perfect.

I crept to her room and knocked on her door lightly, soft enough not to disturb the others but loud enough for her to hear. From the other side of the door, I could hear scruffling as Yuri came to open the door for me. I smiled when the door pulled back.

Yuri seemed surprised to see me there. She gave me a frown. “Yah, you’re supposed to go to sleep,” she chastised. “It’s late and you still have to go back there tomorrow. What are you doing here?”

She would have go on and on if I didn’t pick her up and kissed her, wrapping my arms around her waist and she locked her legs around mine. I closed the door softly behind me and carried her to bed.

I laid her down and got on top of her, never once breaking away from the kiss. She locked her fingers in my hair, pulling me close as I kissed her neck, leaving a hickey there.

“Mir,” she murmured.

I pulled back to see her looking up to me. I saw her gulping. I leaned down and kissed .

“Oh!” she gasped.

But then she pulled away as soon as my hands were creeping up her stomach, under her shirt. “No, Mir.”

I pulled back, knowing this was as far as I was going to get tonight. I laid down next to her and she snuggled up to me. “You need to sleep,” she whispered.

I turned the night lamp standing on her bed table off and turned to her. “Now we can sleep.”

“You’re not sleeping here.”

“One night,” I pleaded. “I promise I won’t do a thing. Please.” I let my finger trail along her shoulder down to her wrist.

She shuddered against me and sighed. I wrapped my arms around her. “Fine,” she muttered, “but only for tonight. Okay?”

“Yes, babe.”

Even though it was in the dark and I couldn’t see her face, I had a feeling she was grimacing. I laughed and kissed her forehead. “Good night. I love you.”

“Night, Mir. I love you too.”

“I promise it won’t happen again.”

Yuri’s POV

I have a feeling that it will happen again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awwww T.T now I feel emo, writing this chapter. Sighs.

And the start of their relationship problems begins for the second time.