- - - - -

Victoria lay on her side turning her phone on to light the room until the light died. Uneasy thoughts occupied her mind but she didn’t understand any of it. Finally after a long time when her eyes had tired out she dropped into a deep sleep.

“Yah!” a voice screamed from the kitchen.

Victoria jumped up in bed ready to grab the gun that was always under her pillow. However, when she moved her hand around her hands didn’t touch anything but the bedcovers.

“Are you awake?!” Ok Taecyeon called.

Victoria groaned and dropped back feeling her head touch the pillow. She heaved a sigh and sat up.

“What’s with you? You haven’t woken up so late,” Taecyeon commented as she walked into the kitchen. “Did you have a bad dream last night?”

“Dream? No.” she sat down.

“Then who’s Jung Mo?” Taecyeon questioned.

“Jung Mo?” Victoria’s eyes went wide.

“Well…you were screaming his name so loud last night. I would have been deaf not to hear you,” Taecyeon remarked. “Is he someone significant?”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “No.”

“Just asking,” Taecyeon laughed. “Here, eat. I’m almost late. Remember to answer your phone if I call.”

“If?” Victoria asked. “It’s such a burden.”

“Don’t complain. I’m leaving.” Taecyeon told and headed out.

When he left Victoria moaned, “Aish.” and rubbed her head. “Jung Mo, Jung Mo. Stupid.”

After breakfast Victoria sat around and watched TV. Flipping through the channels mindlessly she landed on a cooking show, one she’d never seen before. Immediately feeling her attention caught onto it Victoria listened attentively to the woman explain all the directions and ingredients.

Before the show ended the doorbell rang. Victoria ignored it but after it got more persistent she got up and opened the door impatiently.

“Is something interesting going on?” Donghae asked.

Victoria glanced at the TV and his eyes followed.

“A cooking channel?” he asked. “Looks delicious.”

“Does it?” Victoria questioned. “Can you cook?”

“Me? No.” Donghae laughed a little.

“I can’t either.” she commented. “Ok Taecyeon does it all the time or sometimes he buys chicken.”

“Ok Taecyeon?” Donghae repeated. “Has he been treating you well?”

Victoria shrugged, “He’s not a bad person.”

“Is that so?” he asked then held up a small bag. “I got a little something for you.”

“What’s that?” Victoria asked.

“It’s a scarf. I didn’t think you’d have one.”

“Scarf?” she repeated. “Ah…I do! Ok Taecyeon bought me one.”

“He did?” Donghae sounded surprised. “Isn’t that quite a gesture?”

“What?” Victoria questioned.

“Never mind.” Donghae told. “Take it. Go grab your coat, I’ll wait here.”

She walked away like a kid and came back with her coat and the scarf Taecyeon had bought her hanging from her neck. He looked her over and decided that she looked a bit disoriented.

“Always zip your coat,” he told zipping it for her, “and fix your scarf like this so it looks nice. You’re not a kid anymore.”

Victoria watched him and commented, “Sometimes, I feel like I just came back from somewhere far away. I feel like I’m lost with time. Like I don’t know where we are now.”

Donghae smiled at her and ruffled her hair. “How’s your hand? Is it better? Did you change your bandage?”

“Not yet.”

“You should do it. Well…when we come back, be sure to change it.”

“Sure.”

- - - - -

“Taec!” the receptionist shouted when he finally arrived. “Guess what we received?”

She held out two white cards with a gold ribbon at the corner and shook them.

“Let me guess, wedding invitations?” he wasn’t kidding. ‘

“Come on,” she said then urged, “pick one.”

Taecyeon looked at the two cards then grabbed the one on the left.

“What’s this?” he asked opening the card.

“Have you read it?” she said excitedly.

“Who gave you this?” Taecyeon wondered. “Is it a joke?”

“Don’t kid around. Secretary Jung came down to hand them to me personally. We’re actually invited to this grand event! Imagine all the good food that will be there!” she squealed.

Taecyeon raised an eyebrow and read the big words ,“The Board’s Annual 50th Banquet. You’re all invited to enjoy and celebrate this event with us.”

“And bring a date too!” the receptionist shouted. “My boyfriend would so love this!!”

“A date?” Taecyeon questioned.

- - - - -

Yoona’s mind had drifted into space with her hot coffee from that morning already cooled down beside her. Typed reports sat in front of her untouched, clean and white. She hadn’t found the energy to read them and hand out the paperwork forms she was supposed to correct for the new year.

“I’m interested in her, that’s different. It feels different this time around. I don’t feel like I need to wait for her to understand me nor for us to be thinking the same things. Instead it feels like she needs someone to understand her and I feel like going all out for her.”

What kind of a girl was that? What kind of a girl would stir Donghae’s mind that way? What kind of a girl was she that Donghae would want to do anything for her? Was he just fooling himself because he was upset?

Yoona gulped.

“You said you’d be cool with it,” Yoona told herself. “Hypocrite.”

She sighed and glanced at the time. It was time to head out, go on her patrol route, and head for lunch.

- - - - -

“What are you doing?” Donghae asked looking over the table curious at what Victoria had been fussing with under the table.

“Texting.” she replied without looking up.

“Texting?” Donghae leaned over. “Who?”

“Ok Taecyeon.”

“Really?” he asked. “Here, let me help you.”

Vicctoria looked up, “You know how to do it?”

“Of course. What did you want to tell him?” Donghae wondered.

“Just that I’m out,” Victoria answered, “he made it a big deal that I wasn’t in the other night.”

“Oh?” Donghae uttered the noise feeling more curious about Taecyeon. “How late were you out?”

“Late.” Victoria watched him go at the screen with his thumbs deeply concentrated.

“Late?” he asked looking up.

Victoria nodded, “Mmm…I just took a walk and didn’t head back until close to midnight.”

“It’s dangerous to be out late at night.”

“It’s not like I can’t take care of myself.”

“That’s not the point.” Donghae told. “Something could have happened and no one would have been able to find you.”

“I don’t understand.” Victoria reasoned. “I’ve been alone for a long time and I’ve always taken care of myself. If things didn’t happen then why would it happen now?”

“You…alone?” Donghae raised an eyebrow curious and worried. “How…”

Victoria turned away realizing what she’d just said. Biting her tongue she reached for her phone.

“Are you done?” she said staring down at her phone.

“Yea.” he replied. “Victoria.”

She didn’t look up. He called her name again.

“Don’t ask me.” she told. “I won’t say anything.”

Donghae pressed his lips together. He felt sorry to hear that Victoria had been living by herself. He couldn’t imagine how lonely she must have felt. Was she still the same? By herself? Feeling alone? Abandoned?

He watched as she grabbed her spoon and began eating away at the rice in front of her. If he hadn’t noticed before he realized now that during every meal she always ate so quickly. It was as if she were afraid her meal would be taken away. What had happened to her that made her like this? He began to feel worried.

“Are you doing anything next week?” he questioned.

She looked up still chewing on her food.

“No plans?” he asked. “Then…let me reserve you next weekend.”

“Excuse me?”

Donghae smiled, “There’s a banquet next week. Go with me.”

- - - - -

Taecyeon reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone when it vibrated multiple times. Seeing that it was a text a curious smile grew on his face and faded into a frown when he read what it said.

“Yah! I’m eating lunch with Donghae oppa at an expensive restaurant right now! Are you jealous? Keke!! ^^”

“What?” Taecyeon asked aloud. “Woah!” he snorted as if he’d been cheaply insulted. “I never knew she was like this. Psh…I can’t believe this.” he gasped and tucked his phone back into his pocket.

“What’s wrong?” the receptionist questioned from behind.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“12 in the afternoon.” she replied.

“Aish!!!” he grumbled. “Why is it going so slow today?!!”

“Why?” the receptionist wondered. “What did you read?”

“Nothing,” Taecyeon tucked his hands into his pocket.

The doors opened and Yoona walked through the doors. Taecyeon was feeling kind of surprised that she was making trips to the company more often than usual. Yoona had paid him back for the coffee he’d offered her and she’d also thanked him by treating him to a meal yesterday for going to Gapyeong with her. Was there something he’d missed?

Then he recalled that her fiancé still worked there.

“She’s not my fiancée.”  Donghae had stated.

It felt sort of like a cloudy dream in the white mist with Yoona walking toward him, no real intention of owing him a debt. The mist faded when a smile grew over her face when she stopped before him.

“Want to join me for lunch?” Yoona asked.

Was there really no intention for seeing him again? The first time she’d talked to him was because she’d been stressing badly over her lost friend and the cancellation of the wedding. The second time she’d talked to him was because of the trip to Gapyeong. He couldn’t find a suitable reason for the third visit…except that was if it had to do with her determination to find her missing friend…or maybe it was something worse, Donghae.

***Aww...man. I can't believe tomorrow's Monday :( The semester begins :( I don't want to go back!!