Ji-won rang the doorbell and stood outside Seung-ri’s apartment waiting for him to answer the door.  After a couple more minutes, she rang the doorbell again and finally heard rustling.  The door opened and she immediately hugged him. 

“I need someone to keep me company.”

“Yeah, yeah.  Let me get my shirt.”    

Ji-won let him go and was startled by who it was she had embraced when he replied to her request.  She looked up and it wasn’t Seung-ri, instead Tae-yang peered at her with concerned eyes.  He was without a shirt as well.  

“Sorry.  Is Seung-ri there?”  She released him from her hold and her cheeks became a bit flushed.     

“Wait.  Didn’t you see him?” 

“No.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah.  I was at the reception all night.  I just came home and changed.  Is he home?” 

“So you haven’t seen him?” 

“No.  Could you just tell him to call me?  I’ve been trying to call him but he hasn’t picked up his phone.” 

“I can keep you company until Seung-ri gets back.  I’m not sure where he is.” 

“Thanks.  Can I come inside?” 

“Actually, let’s go over to your place.  Seung-ri doesn’t have any food.” 

“Oh, okay.  You don’t want me to cook do you?” she still managed to teased even though her heart was breaking. 

“No.”

Because Tae-yang was a friend of Seung-ri’s, they had also become friends.  Ji-won still didn’t feel quite comfortable enough like she was with Seung-ri.  She was beginning to wonder whether she had made a mistake in allowing Tae-yang to keep her company when it was Seung-ri she really needed the comforting from.  She had called Jinnie earlier but there was no answer so Seung-ri had been the next best person.  She was beginning to think she needed friends other than Seung-ri, her sister, Yoo-na, and Seung-ri’s friends. 

“Noona, sit down.  I’ll make you something to eat.  Did you eat anything?” 

“What are you going to make?” 

“Ramyun!”   

“Can you put an egg in there too?” 

“I’m guessing that’s a no you didn’t eat.”

She smiled at him but he noticed the smile did not reach her eyes like they usually did.  His concern prompted him to ask her about the reception.  

“First, my date didn’t show up.”

Tae-yang almost dropped the egg on the floor but caught it just in time. 

“Sorry, Noona.”  He turned around to apologize to her but she hadn’t paid enough attention to know what he was sorry about.  He was curious, and just a little bit furious as to why Seung-ri did not show up. 

If he was going to stand her up, he should have let me go instead.

“What happened?” 

“Someone I didn’t expect to see showed up.” 

“Who? That one guy from your phone?” Tae-yang asked jokingly and chuckled.  When he received no reply, he realized his guess had been correct. 

Really?  I just had to bring it up?  He felt like kicking himself in the . 

“When I told you love goes on, it really does” she said wistfully. 

Tae-yang silently brought over the still boiling ramyun to the table and gave her the lid.  She smiled just a little because normally everyone fought for the lid, and tonight he gave it up to her without a fight.  

“What’s it that he replies back to her?  It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?”  He had finished watching Il Mare just an hour ago.  After their conversation from the other afternoon, he had been curious as to what exactly happened in the movie.  He and his company had not paid attention to it the last time.     

“That’s not true.” 

Tae-yang pulled out a shot glass from the cupboard and grabbed a bottle of soju from the refrigerator.  He sat back down and poured a shot for himself, drank it, and poured one for her. 

It was unlike her but Ji-won drank it without hesitation.  It burned and mirrored the pain she felt so deep into her bones.  They ate silently and he continued to pour for her shot after shot until became numb to the pain.  

She needed to cry and he let her do that.  Tears silently ran down her face but Tae-yang did not say a word nor did he try to comfort her in any other way except to let her drown her pain in alcohol; she had gone through at least two bottles already.  

“I don’t need something that will help just for tonight.  I want something that will stop...”  She put her head down on the table and fell asleep. 

Tae-yang had purposely let her drink to her heart’s content because the alcohol would make her tired and let her sleep.  She could be plagued with dreams but he knew that tonight’s worst had passed.  She was able to get some sleep rather than stay up the whole night contemplating about whatever his name.  

“Where the hell are you?”  Tae-yang whispered into the phone. 

“I’m on the way.  I’m with Yoo-na.” 

“Why are you with Yoo-na?  Did you go to the reception?” 

“Long story.”  Click. 

Tae-yang was a little exasperated with his dong-saeng but he continued to finish eating the ramyun.  Since Ji-won was sleeping, he stole the lid from her and enjoyed the last bits of noodle and broth.  

“Oppa.”  She brushed her fingers in a crescent shape along his face, “Why did you come back?  I was almost over you.” 

Tae-yang startled awake.  He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep.  The last thing he remembered was the ramyun and laying his head on the table to wait for Seung-ri to arrive.  He was staring into Ji-won’s lovelorn eyes but they looked glossed over; he could see her but she only saw someone else.  

He wrapped his fingers over her wrist and pulled her into his chest.  He held her while she softly sobbed.  Her tears seeped through his shirt and, unbeknownst to him, her tears also seeped into the depths of wounds he’d forgotten still existed. 

Eventually the sobs died down and she was asleep again.  He picked her up and set her down on the sofa to rest.  Grabbing the throw from her computer chair, Tae-yang tucked it around her so she wouldn’t be chilly.  For a brief moment, he gazed at her sleeping soundly and a thought suddenly crossed his mind, “I want to be the one who stops your pain forever.”  

Tae-yang awoke to the sounds of Ji-won stirring in her sleep and rays of sunlight hitting him in the face; Tae-yang had the bad luck of having fallen asleep exactly where the two panels of curtain met, or didn’t meet in his case.  He had fallen asleep waiting for Seung-ri to come and it appeared Seung-ri must not have come if he was still in Ji-won’s apartment.  A knock came at the door and Tae-yang reluctantly stood up to open it. 

“Hyung, some girl just walked out of my room.  She said to give this to you.”  Seung-ri handed over a folded piece of paper with a name and number on it and guilt washed over Tae-yang.  He recalled what ran though his mind last night and walked out the door.  What was he thinking last night? 

Seung-ri was left confused, and he wasn’t sure what was going on with Tae-yang.  He began to wonder if something had happened between the two of them.  When he walked in, Seung-ri saw Ji-won asleep on the sofa and empty soju bottles on the kitchen table.

“Ya!  What did you do to her?” Seung-ri yelled walking back into his apartment.  

“Nothing.  We just drank a bit.  Are you afraid she kissed me?”  Tae-yang was in Seung-ri’s apartment stuffing clothes into his backpack.  He had meant to tease Seung-ri but it had come out much harsher. 

“Ya!” 

“Forget it.  I need to get out of here and you need to go check up on her.  Later.”  Once again, Tae-yang ran out the door and left Seung-ri with more questions than answers.  

Down the hall and down the stairs, his mind was running a mile a minute.  Becoming aware of how he was beginning to feel about Ji-won was going to put a strain on their relationship, and not just with her but with Seung-ri.  Seung-ri might really kill him if he ever found out and Seung-ri was one of his closest friends.  He couldn’t really say that about many people.  Girls, well, there were plenty to go around.  He didn’t think he could handle losing a friend over some girl, but then it wasn’t just some girl.  How much do I really know about her anyway?  It was likely he was just feeling bad for her because Seung-ri left her out in the cold at the ceremony and that stupid guy was back.  He jumped on his bike and tried to convince himself it was nothing. 

Meanwhile, Ji-won woke up alone, oblivious to all that had happened and still in pain from the knowledge that she might run into Seung-hyun again.