“Hello, you’ve reached Lee Minhyuk―”

“―and Park to the Cho to the Rong!”

“I’m currently unavailable―”

“―because he’s in the toilet since he ate too much for dinner!”

“Yah, you ate more than I did, you know?”

“That’s because you won’t buy chicken feet for me,”

“But we had chicken feet for lunch! And yesterday, and the days before. I’ll be turning into one soon,”

“Good. Then I can eat you,”

“Yah!”

Giggles.

“Anyway, I can’t answer the phone right now―”

“―feed me chickeeen feeeeeeeet!”

“―so leave me a message―”

“―chickeeeeeen feeeeeeeeeeeeet!”

“―and I’ll get back to you later,”

More giggles.

Beep.

“Hello, it’s me, Chorong. Again. I know I’ve called for several times now. I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess. Well, you see, Minhyuk, you were wrong. I did notice you back then, even before you first met me. Sometimes I’d follow Bomi to see the matches, and that was when I first saw you in your blue jersey running across the field. I started liking you even before you started to like me. I wish you’d know how nervous I felt when you stayed to keep me company after practice that day. I wish you’d know how I spent every day watching you from a distance and hoping that you would notice me. I wish you’d know how happy I was when I saw you at Bomi’s during dinner that evening. You asked whether I still remember our first real date. Of course I do. The reason why I didn’t want all the fancy stuff was because it didn’t matter to me. Just being with you was enough. You know what, Minhyuk? I don’t eat chicken feet anymore now. I can’t eat it anymore, because it reminds me of our good times and bad times. It reminds me of our first kiss. It reminds me of everything. You said you hated me, but I hate you even more. I was sick, but at least I was still breathing. But you wanted me to be healthy and continue living. Tell me, Minhyuk. How do I live when you’re not here? How do I live, when I’m the reason you’re dead?”