“Why did you bother to listen when all I talked about was him?”  

“I don’t know,” he confessed, “I only knew of you by watching from afar. There were times when you stopped by and I’d see you then. When you started calling me out I found it a good chance to get closer to you.”

“Was that time when we went out to the amusement park a time to get closer to me as well?”

“No,” he shook his head, “I wanted to cheer you up. I don’t like seeing someone I know being sad.”

“So, you’d go all out for a friend?”

“I don’t like just watching and pretending that nothing is wrong. I’m not that type of person. So, yes. I’d go all out for a friend.”

“If you had a girlfriend, would you go all out for her?”

Taecyeon held her stare then replied, “No.” He watched as her expression changed. “Instead of going all out…I’d put my life on the line for her. But why…”

“Ah…just curious. I’ve never really heard you talk before. You could take this as an attempt to get closer,” Yoona smiled.

Taecyeon smiled.  

“I feel kind of jealous, though,” Yoona admitted with a sigh, “after reappearing, it feels like I don’t even know Victoria at all.”

Taecyeon tried, “No, you shouldn’t think that. She just needs…more time than we can give her.”

Yoona looked at him with a soft smile, but he could tell that she wasn’t content with his answer. She was feeling insecure now after having lost Donghae. And next, she was most scared of losing sight of her long lost friend. Maybe she just wanted some affection, someone to give her comfort when her lost friend and her lost lover were together.

“Have you ever heard of the saying that, if two people part they’ll meet again?” Taecyeon asked.

Yoona shook her head.

Taecyeon put an arm around her shoulder in comfort, “She came back. Even if she came back after a long 14 years, it’s better than leaving this world without having seen her at all, don’t you think?”

- - - - -

Victoria waited outside watching each car travel by. Each and every one of them were unfamiliar to her. None of the people inside were recognizable. As the minutes flew by her breath became more visible in front of her. For once she wondered if it would snow that night.

It would be nice to see some snow…

A black Lexus pulled up to the curb a minute later and the door opened.

“Why are you standing outside?” Donghae asked.

Victoria smiled as he walked over. He grabbed her arm motioning her toward the car but she pulled back.

“Lets take a walk and drink something warm,” she suggested.  

Down the trail used for jogging the two found a secluded bench beyond some trees with dying leaves still hanging on for dear life. The noises of the leaves rustled along with the heaving breeze above. The trail, usually marked with the prints of muddy shoes, was now covered with a pile of leaves that had blown in from elsewhere. Victoria stared down at their changing colors and looked up when footsteps neared. Donghae had a bag of cookies with him.  

“I already had lunch when you called. Is dessert ok?”

Victoria nodded gleefully.

“What were you doing out alone?” he wondered handing her the bag of cookies.

“Just looking around.”

While staring down at the cookies on her lap, he glanced at her pale hands and touched them.

“You’re cold.” he said. “Aish…why didn’t you wait inside?”

Victoria watched as he searched his pockets and pulled out two black gloves.

“Give me your hands,” he ordered.

Victoria stared at the black gloves feeling a bit of warmth within her. She guessed it must be the kind of feeling someone felt when they were touched by someone else’s gesture. It had been so long since anyone had bothered to care for her that she’d forgotten how it all felt.

“It’s ok.” she told. “You keep them.”

She stuck her hands into the pocket of her jacket.

“You’re so stubborn,” he complained leaving the gloves on his right and took one more look at her. “Sometimes I wonder if you listen to me. I’ve told you to zip up your jacket properly and to wear a scarf so many times.”  

Victoria stared at him while he pulled the zipper of her jacket up. Through the moment of silence he looked up.  

“What?”

“Is it just because things weren’t going well between you and Im Yoona that you never got married?”

Donghae felt his jaw drop. “Why would you ask that?”

“I was just curious.”

Donghae pressed his lips together then said, “I feel like I’m near you, but I’m still so far away. You make it hard for me to get close to you, do you know that?”

Her eyes never left his face. He sighed again.

“Don’t call her Im Yoona,” Donghae told, “you don’t have to pretend in front of me.”  

If Taecyeon had somehow knew, why was it such a surprise that Donghae had said that? Victoria couldn’t even mutter a single word.

“Yoona worked long hours and she worked hard because she dreamed of finding that friend she’d lost. I was stood up more than a hundred times because of that one motivation. I left because I felt that she didn’t need me,” Donghae explained.

So, they basically broke up because of her. Victoria swallowed painfully recalling Yoona’s face of shock the night of the banquet. For once, Victoria imagined how hard it must have been for Yoona to approach her. Even when Yoona was hurt, she had still come after her desperate to reunite. Victoria felt sorry.

“You still love her, don’t you?” the words flew through.

Donghae looked at her, his gaze never leaving hers. Victoria swallowed once more and looked down at her hands.

“I was being honest with you,” Donghae’s voice entered her ears, “so why can’t you be honest with me?”

She slightly clenched her hands inside her pockets.

“Stop running away from me, don’t ignore me, go on another date with me, argue with me, call me out more often. Hanging onto you is one of the only options I have to defend myself from getting hurt.”

“Then don’t do anything.”

He became surprised by her response but kept himself composed, “I still do it because I want to be there and I want you to be there. Because I hopelessly hope that you’ll at least feel something for me.”

What was that? What did he just say? In that short moment she couldn’t interpret his words into her mind.

His left shoulder slightly brushed her right shoulder as he leaned toward her. Her eyes half closed as he came closer and when their noses lightly touched Victoria shrunk back. Before she could look up at his face he pulled her into an embrace wrapping both arms around her.

“No matter what happens, always come to me first.” he whispered into her ears.

Leaning upon his shoulder Victoria felt herself become conflicted between the desire of returning to the world she’d left or leaving the people she’d met with the ending she feared so much.

- - - - -

Before Yoona’s car turned into the driveway of her home she spotted the familiar Lexus branded car that Donghae’s family often drove. For a moment she wondered if he had stopped by, but on second thought she realized it was a wrong assumption. Donghae would have no reason to stop by.

Walking down the stone walk toward the front door she peered at the shoes inside. Donghae’s mother had decided to make a visit. Yoona wondered what she had so suddenly stopped by for.

Down the thin hallway draped in gray she heard women’s voices coming from the guest room. Around the corner Yoona stepped into the room ready to take whatever the woman would send at her. Whether it be a complaint about Donghae or about herself.

“Yoona, you’re back!” her mother sounded excited that she’d arrived back.

“Yes, I’m back.” she answered walking into the room. “Good evening, aunt.”

Donghae’s mother was preciously decorated in pearls and her fingers laced with diamond rings of 6 carats or possibly more. Her hair had been neatly permed and held back by a decorative hair pin. Nails were neatly done, lips red, and face thick with make up. Yoona felt that every time she met with the woman she felt more and more intimidated by her appearance. She recalled that the first time they’d met she had tried her up most best to keep a straight conversation with the hard woman.

“We were speaking about your wedding preparations and while looking through a bridal magazine we found a dress that would look fabulous on you! Why don’t you take a look?” her mother held out the thick 200 paged magazine.

Yoona glanced at the bride on the cover and smiled at her mother’s effort, “I’ll look at it later.”

“Oh? Why not now? Surely, you’re not busy?” her mother seemed worried, yet a little disappointed.

“It’s fine, mom.” Yoona assured.

Her mother pressed her thin lips together then reluctantly set the magazine aside, “Donghae’s mom wants to speak to you about the upcoming wedding alone. I guess during the meantime I’ll go prepare dinner. You two have fun.”

Yoona smiled up at her mother showing as much comfort as she could. The truth about her and Donghae was something she’d put off for a long time. Maybe, it was time for her to clear it up with the adults.

When her mother left, Donghae’s mother smiled at her. A smile and a smirk altogether in one. Yoona had foreseen this coming.

“Donghae still seems to be looming around that street girl. I thought you were going to talk to him about two-timing.” the woman started off strong.

“How about you?” Yoona questioned.

“What?”

“Have you verified that this street girl is really a street girl?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Donghae’s mother asked.

“What if this street girl miraculously turns out to be the daughter of a famous Estate owner?” Yoona tried.

“What?” Donghae’s mother knit her eyebrows together.

“Your son is right. Now that I think of it, I don’t regret him cancelling the wedding plans.” Yoona defused bravely. “He was telling the truth all along, aunt, that we already came to an end. I don’t think we are really fit to be marriage partners.”

For some reason Yoona felt that if it had been Taecyeon in her position he would have gone around it courageously. And that one thought made her feel better about coming out of her cowardly shell.

“Who do you think you are talking to me like this? I raised my son and watched him grow up according to my guidelines! How dare you say that he isn’t fit to be your partner! When I declare that you two are to get married, I won’t leave it alone! Not when I’ve come this far into preparing for your wedding! Where is Donghae? Where is he?!” the woman burst. “He’s with that tramp, isn’t he? Why I ought to give them both a beating when I see them!”

Her words didn’t really strike Yoona at first but with Victoria being name called, Yoona felt her blood boil.

“Aunt,” Yoona’s voice rang in the room at a serious tempo, “you shouldn’t decipher someone that way when you don’t know them.”

Donghae’s mother gasped in shock with Yoona’s order, “Tsk…since when have you changed so much? You were never like this before.”

“I won’t let Donghae know that you ever said those words,” Yoona told before standing up.

She stared at the woman with stiff eyes and walked out of the room. When she was enclosed in her empty room she glanced at the picture of her and Donghae on the bedside table. Walking toward it she picked up the frame and took the picture out. Glancing at it carefully examining their heart-full smiles she stuck the picture into a drawer.