Hyomin stared out at the passerby walking past the café. She had agreed to meet Yoochun on the phone. He suggested to meet at the café nearby their old University where it would be much more easier for them.

The tingling sounds of the doorbell caught her attention. She looked up and saw Yoochun grinned right at her while he made his way over.

“Hey.” The grin was still plastered on his face as he settled down in the seat in front of her. Ordering a cup of coffee, he had his attention back to her with his charming smile on his face.

“It’s been a while since we last came out for a coffee.”

She nodded lightly with a small smile.

The last time she had a cup of coffee with Yoochun was years back, in this café when they were still studying. She was waiting for Jaejoong and he offered to keep her company until his classes ended.

Yoochun has always been the social butterfly. Any one who was around him would feel all comfortable and enjoying every moment. There were tons of girls in their class have fallen for him because of his character. But he would reject them politely to the point, they would not feel embarrass after that.

Thinking back of the past made her wonder if he had settled down with someone special.

“You know, I can tell that you’re having problems in your marriage.”

Yoochun’s words caught her by surprise. Never would she have thought that someone like Yoochun would be the one who has noticed. She has never spoken about Jaejoong if they did not ask. Even so, she would make up an excuse or two about his absence and they would drop the topic.

After all, she would not want to have Jaejoong’s image be ruined and her efforts of keeping it up will be wasted.

Yoochun smiled, looking down at the glass of coffee.

“Don’t worry. It’s your marriage anyway so I won’t comment much.”

Hyomin gave him a small smile and nodded lightly, “Thanks.”

She began to wonder if she had let out signs that she was having a miserable marriage life. Or else, how would he have noticed it?

“You masked it well. I was being too observant I guess.”

Her eyes to Yoochun, was like a mirror image to her heart. The sparkle that she used to have it in her eyes was gone over the years. At each gathering, he has come to realize that it was disappearing. And the tears she had in her eyes told him that much about her life even though she made up an excuse for everyone to believe her weird habit.

Every little detail about her that he had observed had been kept right in his heart.

“Well, I guess you’ve always been having dinner alone?”

Hyomin nodded lightly with a slight embarrass. Since he have found out about her miserable marriage, she must have looked like a fool to be holding it even till now.

“Great!” Yoochun clapped his hands in joy.

She looked up at him, confused. He smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the café.

“Come on, let’s have dinner together.”

Her heart pounded as though it had just came to life. Other than Jaejoong, she had never held onto other guy’s hands. Needless to say, it has been years since she last held his.

That moment, she felt warmed and touched for having Yoochun to be the one who willing to be her companion – the friend that she had always been wanting to have, even if it was just for that moment.

-

Jaejoong stepped into an empty apartment, loosing up his tie. Swiftly, he removed it and threw it on the sofa as he headed straight for the kitchen to have a drink.

Looking around, he realized that the apartment felt even emptier and colder without Hyomin around ever since she had been home later than usual. Even though they did not speak to each other, yet their presences did help a bit.

He rummaged the kitchen cupboards and fridge for leftover groceries that he was able to use to prepare his dinner. Folding up his sleeves, he stared at the running tap filling up the tub of water to wash the vegetables. Thoughts of Hyomin came replaying in his mind like a movie.

‘Eww. Vegetables.’

She would always scrunch her face at the sight of vegetables. And since he was a man with little words, he would say nothing and just dumped the vegetables back into the refrigerator. He knew that she was probably craving for his cooking and he would prepare a share for her.

Now, Hyomin would be the one preparing dinner whether Jaejoong would have it or not. There were times when he had already taken his dinner outside with his clients and he would left the large portion of leftovers untouched. But usually, he would take a little despite how full he was.

The sounds of the door opening caught his attention. Instead of greeting his wife at the door like any other husbands would, he stood there washing the bowls that had been washed over and over again.

He heard light footsteps across the hall and into their bedroom. Immediately, he turned off the tap and placed the cleanly washed bowls on the rack. And almost immediately, he headed straight towards the hall and into the balcony.

Taking a stick of cigarette out from the pack, he lit it up. He took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air, staring at the beautiful view of Seoul.

Sounds of showers went off. He looked into the apartment and saw Hyomin walking out, drying her wet hair with a towel. She was out getting a glass of water. When their eyes met, Jaejoong broke it by turning around and staring right back at the scenery.

With just a glance, he realized that the look in her eyes has softened. Or was he imagining things?