The whole apartment is always lively and joyful because of the relaxing sound of piano blended with IU’s sweet voice. I never expected that she has a very good voice. She learned many things from my classmates in just two weeks. Taecyeon told me that she was a fast learner and a very good student. IU told me before that she loves spending her days with the students in school because she feels great happiness every day. I am also happy for her because she’s not like a ghost in our house anymore who does nothing but roam around. She changed a lot and that’s a very nice thing to see.

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                It’s Saturday so we have no classes and I heard IU singing on the living room with the piano she borrowed from Suzy, her new friend in school. Bianca was still asleep so I prepared two cups of coffee and went to IU to watch her.

                “…I pray~ to be only yours… I pray~ to be only yours. I know that you’re my only hope…”

                Her fingers played the ending part of the song on the piano and it ended smoothly and fantastic like she’s an expert pianist already. I was amazed by her talent in singing and playing the piano. She looks more beautiful.

                “Oh hi,” IU got surprised by me and stood up.

                I smiled and handed to her the coffee and she thanked me.

                “That was a very good song,” I said when I sat on a couch.

                “Thanks. That was ‘Only Hope’ by Mandy Moore. Suzy told me last Thursday to study its chords and play it with the piano because it’s a good song. I listened to the song and memorized the lyrics. She also told me that this song has a sweet melody which can be paired with my voice. This was my first practice of the song and it seems like I ended it properly,” she took a sip from the hot coffee and looked at me.

                “Even if I wasn’t able to hear the first part of your ‘Only Hope’, you sang it properly and perfectly like you’re greater than Mandy Moore,” my voice was sincere and I saw IU blushed.

                We turned quiet for a very long time which is awkward and I don’t know what to say except that she’s beautiful. Thanks to our coffees because it serve as our excuses for keeping quiet. I finished the coffee and I was about to go to the kitchen when IU took my hand.

                “Nichkhun, I-”

                An unexpected knock on the door was heard and we both looked at it. IU put down my hand and told me to open the door. Her face looks sad when she put down my hand like she wants to say something to me, but someone knocked on the door again and I walked in front of the door and opened it slightly. I saw uncle outside with his smiling eyes and I let him came in. He saw IU first and the piano, and looked at IU again.

                “Is this beautiful lady your girl friend or a roommate?” uncle asked to me and IU smiled to him.

                I thought uncle was mad at me because first, he didn’t greet a ‘good morning’ to me; second, I didn’t tell him that IU is temporarily living in his apartment; and third, his face turned serious. IU lowered her head and waited for my answer.

                “Uncle, she’s IU my friend,” I said and Walked beside IU.

                Uncle didn’t answer and just nodded. He observed the two of us like he’s an inspector, walking slowly around with his fingers on his chin and moustache. IU and I didn’t move and waited for uncle to stand again in front of us.

                Finally, he stopped walking in front of me and looked me in the eyes, “Where’s little Bianca?”

                I bit my lips and answered, “She’s sleeping, uncle.”

                He nodded again and moved his head to IU, “Miss IU, I need to talk to Nichkhun for a moment. Is it okay for you to leave and give us some privacy?” he showed his gentle smile to IU.

                IU stepped back and looked at me, “I should go to bed room and guide Bianca.” She bowed in front of us and left.

                I looked back at uncle and he spoke after IU closed the door, “Shall we sit?”

                I nodded and put down the empty cup I was holding and sat down.

                “You surprised me, uncle. Welcome back to your apartment,” I greeted with a smile.

                He raised his eyebrows and played his moustache again, “Actually, I came here to tell you my plan of leaving Seoul.”

                My eyes went big because I know he’s going to Canada and join business with our relatives there. If that happens, we’ll have no uncle here who will always look after us and give the money from our parents. It will be hard for me to take care of the money and bills because I’m still not familiar with it even if my age is twenty-one.

                I scratched the back of my neck and asked the safest question, “When?”

                He cleared his throat, “The day after tomorrow.”

                “On Monday?” I exclaimed and uncle was surprised by my reaction so I calmed myself. I was so shocked because Monday is near. “It’s so fast and immediate.”

                “Don’t worry child, I have packed my things already and I’m just waiting for Monday to come.”

                I moved closer to him, “How about us, uncle?”

                He laughed and tapped my shoulder, “Of course you’ll be alright. I have your passports ready too. Your mother called me last week and told me to take you and Bianca with me to Canada.”

                “Uncle,” I started to worry for IU because she will be left here. She has no passports and no knowledge about her background. I’m also worried about our school. “How about our studies?”

                “It’s not a big problem, boy,” Uncle smiled and he seemed relaxed like he didn’t notice I have a friend here who has no place to go when we left. “I can talk with your principal today and transfer you to a school in Canada.”

                I shook my head and stood up, “I’m not going to leave IU here, uncle.”

                “Nichkhun!” Uncle stamped his foot on the floor and I got surprised because I never saw him like that before. He was truly mad at me, but I stayed quiet and lowered my head. “This is very urgent, Nichkhun. I was asked to take you two to Canada on Monday, whether you like it or not. Say that to your mother, not to me.” his voice raised and touched his forehead.

                It was hard for me to breathe after uncle said that until my vision got blurred because of tears forming inside my eyes. I turned my back to uncle and went to the bed room.

                I saw Bianca awake and beside her was IU. They’re both quiet and when they saw me IU was the first to stand up. The tears from my eyes fell down and I bowed even if it’s too late because they already saw me crying.

                “Nichkhun,” IU put her hand on my shoulder.

                “Oppa,” Bianca’s voice was serious and I felt her hands on my arm. I continued to sob because I don’t know how to say to IU about the Canada and I know she would be shocked too if she heard that, so I looked at Bianca first and told her to go outside and talk with uncle. Thankfully, she didn’t ask any question and went out quickly to see the reason why I cried.

                IU and I sat on my bed and I tried to stop my tears. She kept on tapping my back gently to comfort me.

                “Nichkhun,” she spoke but I didn’t look at her because my mouth has nothing to say. “What made you cry? I’m so worried.”

                I covered my face like a child and IU embraced me. I just cried and cried and cried. IU’s hug comforted me but I never let her hands let go of me so I rested my head on her shoulder. We were quiet for a long time again until she stopped tapping my back and asked me.

                “Are you alright now?”

                I sat properly and looked at her sleeve which is wet because of my tears. I was embarrassed so I apologized to her and wiped my tears on my whole face, “I’m alright now IU, thanks to you.”

                She smiled and touched my cold face. I looked straight at her beautiful eyes and started to smile too, “Can you tell me what the problem is?” she asked.

                My tears were going to fall again but I looked up to stop it and breathed deeply, “IU, we’re going to Canada.”

                There was no answer from her serious face. I don’t want to say the word ‘leave’ because I don’t want to leave her. Of course, she needs passport before leaving Korea and it takes more than two days to arrange a passport. I need her birth certificate but I never felt the presence of her family, so how? Do I need to ask Wooyoung about this? I’m sure he’s super mad at me.

                Later, IU put her hand above mine and showed her smile again, “That’s great Nichkhun. I don’t know Canada but it seemed like it’s not that far from this apartment, right? I can still visit you there.”

                “IU,” I breathed deeply and was about to cry again because she doesn’t know that Canada is very far from this country. If she figured out that Canada is far away from this apartment, I know she would cry a lot too.

                “You’re going to leave me?” her question was soft but there’s pain in her voice. That’s the hardest question I’ve ever heard.

                “No IU. I won’t do that,” I hugged her and cried. I heard her sobbed too which gave a big hole in my heart.

                Meanwhile, we heard the door opened and saw Bianca with a sad face. She ran to us and we hugged each other. Bianca started to cry loudly.

                “I want Angel to come with us, oppa! Tell that to uncle, please!!” Bianca begged and kept on crying madly and IU nodded when she found out that we will go to Canada without her like she already understood what I wanted to say a while ago. Instead of crying, IU wiped off her tears and smiled like she heard nothing. Bianca was surprised and stopped from crying too.

                “It’s okay if I didn’t go with your trip. I know you’re going to come back here for me.” IU looked at me. “You need to teach me how to bake so that when you two came back, I can bake cookies for you.”

                Bianca and I looked at each other and I know that she’s also thinking about our migration to Canada so it seems like we’re not going to come back here anymore. I shook my head slowly to Bianca so that she won’t say anything to IU.

                “By the way, when will you leave?” IU asked in the middle of silence.

                “On Monday. The day after tomorrow,” Bianca answered quickly and didn’t look at me because she knew that I’m going to give her wide eyes for revealing the exact day. I looked at IU again and thought her smile was going to fade, but then she nodded calmly.

                “So we only have one whole day to enjoy which is tomorrow, right?” IU asked and faced Bianca. “What do you want to do for tomorrow, Bianca?” We were both shocked when IU asked that because she can still smile despite of this situation that brought misery to me and Bianca.

                “Well, let’s bake cookies tomorrow,” Bianca answered and the two of them looked at me. I blinked repeatedly and agreed to Bianca’s suggestion but I didn’t smile. They were both happy to see me agreed and IU thanked me.

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                Uncle decided to stay in a vacant room beside our room until Monday to guide us. It was already night, I locked the door and closed the lights in the living room and kitchen and went to the bed room. I saw Bianca sleeping peacefully on her bed and even IU, so I closed the lights and lie down on my mat. I cannot sleep because I’m still thinking about IU and Canada. Both of them are very important to me but I need to choose only one and let go of the other one. It’s so hard for me to sleep like I’m having insomnia or something. I envy Bianca because she can sleep in the middle of these choices. I slapped my face and sighed.

                “Nichkhun?”

                I got up immediately and looked at both IU and Bianca. I thought I was hallucinating or there’s a ghost calling for my name inside our bedroom, but when I looked back at IU, her head was lifted and she’s looking at me.

                “IU,” I whispered and waved my hand to make sure if she’s really awake and not sleep talking.

                She also waved her hand and got up, “You can’t sleep?” she asked.

                “No, I’m alright. Go to sleep, IU,” I said but she got up and sat beside me.

                “I can’t sleep because my mind is so noisy,” she said and she leaned her head on my shoulder. I was surprised but I didn’t move because she may fall. I put my hand above her head and comb her long hair using my fingers.

                I’m still sad because time flies so fast that I cannot do anything but to flow with it. I closed my eyes but didn’t sleep.

END OF CHAPTER 22