Listen to Bad Girl by BEAST : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA_rXpyF67s

With Jae Hyo back in the house, Kairi trying to act nonchalant towards the irresistable Yoseob, Hoya trying to bite back his anger, Woohyun throwing sarcastic jokes about the impending marriage and Ji Hyun trying to get us to cooperate for the preparations…

It was a madhouse.

As soon as the next morning’s sunlight broke, a ruckus erupted from the ground floor. Slipping on a large shirt over the loose slip, I rushed downstairs and walked in on a tug-of-war between Hoya and Yoseob.

“I’ll do it,” Hoya grinned, the fakeness of it giving his irritation a comic shade. “Don’t worry, I’ll—” He tugged on the basket full of clothes, only to have Yoseob pull it back. The man grinned and I scolded myself for wanting to pinch his cheeks.

“It’s okay,” Yoseob smiled, a sinister spark in his eyes. “I’m staying over here without any rent, let me just help around.” Another tug and Hoya lost his grin for a moment.

“You’re the guest!” Hoya was now gritting his teeth, letting out a weird laugh. “Don’t burden yourself! Plus, I’m Kairi’s BOYFRIEND. I should be the one helping her with the laundry.”

“Ay…” Yoseob clicked his tongue. “Didn’t Ji Hyun noona say to help around? It’s Saya’s big day. Plus, I know all about the details into wedding preparations. I had my own.”

Hoya grimaced at the last line, giving the basket one last tug. Yoseob didn’t falter and he pulled it even harder, making him win the domestic battle. “I’ll return the basket to Kairi’s room,” he smiled and walked away. Upon seeing my face, he brightened up. “Noona!” he chirped. He waved at me and swung open the door to the kitchen. I returned my gaze to Hoya who was glaring at me. Realizing my unconsciously raised hand, I dropped it and gave a sheepish smile.

“He’s that charming?” Hoya snorted. “Charm doesn’t get you anywhere, you know that?”

I shook my head and ruffled his hair. “Aigoo… Your oppa side is coming out again.”

“Of course it is!” he hissed and let out a puff, making his flick fly off for a while. “Yesterday evening, when I was deciding the snacks and coffee menu from MY café because I’M the former BARISTA and present CAFÉ OWNER, Thomas The Train enters the room and puffs up his cheeks, saying, ‘Oh! How about….”

With the sleepiness still intact, I half-listened to Hoya’s imitation of Yoseob’s voice and randomly nodded my head. After a while, I sighed and said, “Anyway, I’ll go back up. It’s still seven.” That bubble broke once Hoya cackled.

“What world are you in?? It’s ten in the morning!!”

“Jae Hyo!”

My fiance lifted his head from the study table and smiled. “You’re up?”

I whined gibberish and messed up my hair, the foot-stomping accompanying the tantrum. “I TOLD you to wake me up today! Aissh! Ji Hyun is going to kill me….”

Jae Hyo’s smile didn’t vanish and I gave up, slowly letting myself collapse on his lap. He cradled me and lightly pulled my cheek. “After Hoya and Yoseob’s formal arguments last night, I thought you’d want your beauty sleep. Hungry?”

I pouted and nodded my head. Jae Hyo let me off and winked. “Wait here, I’ll get some pancakes.” I nodded enthusiastically and stretched my arms, walking off to the adjoined balcony. Delhi had never been a good place to breathe in any morning air, all you could get was the smoke and pollution. But the sky was clear and the weather was strangely refreshing. Taking full advantage of the rare luxury, I let out an approving sound after a deep breath in, only to find myself face-to-face with my ex-boyfriend.

“Oh.” I dropped my arms and smiled. “Good morning.”

Woohyun narrowed his eyes at me and nonchalantly looked away. “Same to you,” he muttered. I in my cheeks to hide the blushing and looked out towards the garden. The tents were being set up and like Hoya had promised, the coffee machines and equipments from his café had already arrived. Truck loads of cardboard boxes were lying where the table and chairs would be placed and Ji Hyun was ordering around the volunteers in sign language.

“You…igo….no…andwe!”

I chuckled only to realize that so had Woohyun. He cleared his throat and pursed his lips. “I’ll be going back in.”

“Wait!”

Oh well. Why not?

“Why did you come?” I blinked at Woohyun’s expression of disbelief. A sarcastic laugh escaped his lips, something I was uncomfortably getting used to.

“Your fiance invited me,” he stated and was about to go back when I stopped him again.

“Still,” I said. “You could have…missed it. It’s not like we have that kind of relationship anymore.”

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‘That kind of relationship’? THAT kind. Yeah, so those three years of going crazy about her, protecting her and giving her whatever I could was just a KIND of relationship.

I swallowed the passionate words inside my head and faced her. “Do you want me to leave?”

Saya widened her eyes and shook her head, hurting my chest. She meant well, I knew that. But for some reason, ever since I had stepped inside the house, I found my defence mechanisms working in ways opposite to what I had come to get. Instead of saying something smart and paving the path for my plan, I was burning the bridges with every word I said.

“It’s just that… It’s been so long and suddenly seeing you now…” She smiled to herself and placed her eyes on mine. “It feels nice to know you’re here.”

Relief washed through me. Saya had not changed a bit. I was happy, all that fame, having a fiance like that and a house like this…

“Something funny?”

Saya smiled at me and I felt my lips curled up. So the happy thoughts had pulled up my face too. I my lips and controlled my expression. “Yup, quite a lot actually. I just…wonder. Why so long?”

Saya bit her lower lip and traced a tiny crack on the marble railing. “Don’t know…I tried contacting you but Hoya told me you were busy with Red Cross. And… also how it was best for me not to say anything to you. A week passed, a month passed, a year passed…I slowly had to give up on waiting for a phone call.”

“And because Hoya said not to talk to me, you listened.” I shook my head and walked away before Saya could offer an explanation.

“It’s not that,” I heard her say, but nothing could work. So Hoya was her excuse? I laughed to myself and locked the door. From my peripheral glance I saw Saya look beyond the door with a helpless expression, making me want to sit down and listen to her the way I used to. The way I would make time for her. The way I would wait for her to finish her food before I could start a conversation. The way she used to read her Rilke poems while I lay my head on her lap and stared at her.

No matter how much I thought about it, it drove me crazy. What was it that made her turn her back on me?