"Jiyul! What happened? Why didn't you turn up yesterday? You didn't answer my calls either." Jiyul's best friend asked as soon as they met in the hallway.

 

 

 

"Oh sorry Inyoung ah. I was feeling unwell. I slept the whole day." she lied, adding a small smile to reassure her.

 

 

 

"Really? You don't fall ill often... You gotta take care of yourself."

 

 

 

Jiyul nodded, thankful for her friend's concern despite her negleance ever since G.O entered her life. 'Friends are the most reliable after all. What was I thinking, putting boyfriend before her?' Jiyul thought to herself. But even with those words, her heart sank at the thought of having to put G.O behind her. She wasn't sure she could.

 

 

 

"Jiyul, did something happen?" Inyoung asked halfway through class after finally deciding to interrupt Jiyul's daze.

 

 

 

"No, Inyoung. Why?"

 

 

 

"You can't hide it from me, Jiyul. I can read you like a book." she stated.

 

 

 

 

"I'll tell you about it later." Jiyul quickly said to satiate her friend.

 

 

 

 

But as soon as class was over, Jiyul packed up and left, leaving Inyoung behind. She made her way around the crowd, successfully escaping any interrogation. She heaved a sigh of relief as soon as she made it out the gates. But her relief didn't last long. About five feet away stood Seungho, with his arms crossed, leaning against a lamp post. Upon seeing her, he smirked.

 

 

 

"You're really on time." he said, looking down at his watch and back up at Jiyul.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

For the first time in awhile now, G.O wasn't meeting anyone after school. Despite knowing that Jiyul was coming home late, he still returned to their love nest, if it could still be called that. He fumbled through the kitchen cabinets for a snack, like he did every evening when he came home from school. His supply of chips never seemed to run out. He smiled to himself, at the thought of his adorable girlfriend coming home on certain days with grocery bags full of his favourite snacks.

 

 

 

"How could I have missed the sight of that..." he mumbled to himself, wishing he was there more often. Feeling restless, he picked up the house phone and called Jiyul. After serveral rings, she picked up.

 

 

 

"Yobeoseyo?" she answered in a dull, lifeless voice.

 

 

 

"Babe, are you coming home for dinner?" he asked cheerfully.

 

 

 

"No. I won't be home until around 9. Gotta go now. Bye." she quickly said, hanging up. G.O held onto the phone, listening to the rhythmic beeps, filled with gaps of silence. It was a really lonely feeling. And no matter how hard he tried to comfort himself with the possibilities of Jiyul hanging up too fast to ever hear it, he knew his girlfriend was exactly the kind to hold on. And he wondered to himself, just how long does she listen to these beeps each day.

 

 

 

 

He the television, letting it play in the background while he scrolled through the contacts on his phone. Almost immediately as the phone rang, Chundung picked up.

 

 

 

"Hey, Hyung." he greeted.

 

 

 

"Chundung ah...are you free now?" G.O asked.

 

 

 

"Yeah, why?"

 

 

 

"Can you come over?"

 

 

 

There was a pause before he answered.

 

 

 

"Ok. It'll take awhile, though."

 

 

 

"Neh. Gomawo..." G.O said gladly before hanging up.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Jiyul and Seungho were taking a stroll in the park near Jiyul and G.O's apartment building after their dinner. Though there weren't many words exchanged, Seungho didn't find it awkward. Neither did he think it was boring. In fact, he found entertainment in watching Jiyul uneasy around him. She knew there was a reason he brought her to dinner. There had to be. And she was afraid that she was going to hear things regarding G.O that she didn't want to hear.

 

 

 

"Relax..." Seungho casually said as they walked. Jiyul took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing some of the restlessness within her.

 

 

 

"If you fetched me from school, took me to dinner and for a walk all to put in some good words for Byunghee, I really don't want to hear it."

 

 

 

 

Seungho laughed.

 

 

 

 

"What makes you think I came to talk about G.O?"

 

 

 

 

"Well, you're his friend. I'm sure you didn't take me around just because you felt like it." Jiyul reasoned.

 

 

 

 

"Oh? But I did."

 

 

 

Jiyul looked up at Seungho with a face of confusion.

 

 

 

 

"But if you'd prefer I talk about G.O, then I've got something to say." he paused, "You were right. You should break up with him."

 

 

-

 

 

 

It was already 9.30 and Jiyul wasn't back. 9.30 wasn't exactly late. But to G.O, who was currently exceptionally paranoid, it was way passed the acceptable timing. He was ready to give his girlfriend a call when the front door clicked opened. Dropping his phone, G.O practically ran over to welcome, or question, his lovely girlfriend. But the moment his eyes landed in the figure that stood behind her, his shoulders slumped and a wave of anger started building up inside him.

 

 

 

 

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his face stern.

 

 

 

"Seungho oppa walked me back, what's wrong with you?" Jiyul snapped immediately, her mood ruined instantly at the sight of G.O's bad manners.

 

 

 

"So you came back this late because you were with another guy?!" he flared up.

 

 

 

 

"I just thought she needed a breather, so-"

 

 

 

 

"I can take care of my own girlfriend, hyung." G.O cut in, giving Seungho a glare.

 

 

 

 

The front door was wide open and the entire floor could have heard their quarrel. Tired of all the drama, Jiyul simply headed in, storming pass G.O.

 

 

 

 

"What thoughts are you harnessing towards my girlfriend, Yang Seungho?" G.O questioned, ignoring the fact that his voice echoed through the corridors.

 

 

 

 

Rolling his eyes, Seungho stepped in and closed the door behind him.

 

 

 

 

"I knew there was something from the start. Why would you rush all the way here that day, for Jiyul? Just over a call? You were the one who always said relationships and girlfriends were troublesome. You were the one who always hinted that Jiyul was a burden!" G.O taunted his hyung, pushing his shoulder as he spoke louder and louder.

 

 

 

 

"I said Jiyul was a burden to you, G.O, not to anyone else and especially not to me!" Seungho finally erupted. That left both Jiyul and G.O stunned. Seungho's gaze didn't falter as he stared at the speechless G.O in the eyes.

 

 

 

 

"Is that a confession?" G.O spoke almost in a whisper, completely baffled by this audacity. 

 

 

 

 

There was a moment of silence. Jiyul who stood in the kitchen, held onto her cup tightly, her heart racing.

 

 

 

"If you think it is, it is."

 

 

 

With that, he left.

 

 

 

G.O stood still, flinching as the front door slammed shut in his face. Jiyul came out of hiding. She stood a distance behind G.O, watching as he stood with his back facing her, not saying one word. The sight of his quivering back gave her the urge to run forward and give him a back hug, telling him that everything was ok, and that she felt nothing towards his friend. But instead, she headed straight to bed, leaving him standing there, with his pride shattered.

 

 

 

 

After what felt like an hour of listening to the ticking of the clock as she lay in bed, Jiyul felt a weight sink in on the other side. Feeling G.O's gaze on her, she looked back. He sat crossed legged on his side of the bed with a little bottle in his hand. He reached out to her arm, gently holding her. She sat up obediently as his actions instructed.

 

 

 

 

"Does it still hurt?" he muttered, his hand grazing the lightly bruised areas of her arm. Her heart melted at the look in his eyes. His heart was aching, as he remembered how recklessly he handled her. He swore to himself never to let his anger take control again. Carefully, he poured the liquid content onto his palm and proceeded to massage her arm. She winced slightly, startled by the force.

 

 

 

 

"Sorry." he spurted, immediately looking guilty.

 

 

 

 

"Is this ok?" he asked, treating her bruises more gently.

 

 

 

 

"I hate the smell of medicated oil." Jiyul complained despite being moved by his thoughtfulness.

 

 

 

 

"But it's effective. It helps with blood circulation. You'll recover faster with this..."

 

 

 

His eyes focused on her arm as he spoke, as if what he was doing needed a hundred percent of his attention and care. Jiyul let him massage her arm a little longer before she complained of being sleepy. G.O nodded, letting her rest. He watched as she automatically turned away, shifting to the extreme end of the bed, away from him.

 

 

 

"Jiyul..." he uttered, "I love you."

 

 

 

 

G.O's words were heavy, his voice shaking as he spoke of the three words he hadn't said and meant for the longest time. Jiyul's heart skipped a beat at that. She bit her lip, trying her hardest to hold the tears.

 

 

 

 

"I know you don't believe me now, but I'm going to prove it to you, Jiyul. I will."

 

 

 

 

For a moment there, she had forgotten why she wasn't in his arms. For a moment there, she believed him. And for a moment there, she wanted to forget everything that led them to this state. But these moments came and went so often in their relationship that she just wasn't sure it was real anymore.