He stood in front of her as if he had never left. She felt a conflicting rush of emotions. She hated him, but she still knew a part of her loved him.

Eunjung walked up to Gyuri.

"I'm going out for a bit, call me if you need anything okay?"

Gyuri nodded and received a warm hug from her roommate.

With the door closed Gyuri looked back over to Hyukjae.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked, wanting to be casual in front of him, as if he no longer affected her.

"I'm fine." He took a seat in the small living room decorated in pictures of friends and family. "I doubt I'd be in here somewhere right?" he asked looking at the wall.

With her drink in hand, Gyuri walked over to the living room. "You'd be right. I erased you." Her words were cold, just as she intended them to be. She wanted to be strong in front of him.

"Gyuri, I'm really sorry." Hyukjae looked at his old lover.

Her head snapped in his direction. "Really Sorry!?" As much as she tried to fight back her emotions they came in a dramatic outpour. Three years of no contact, three years of being alone. Her eyes filled with tears.

Watching her, Hyukjae couldn't stay were he was. He wanted her keep yelling at him, for her to hit him, punish him. He hated seeing her cry. He knew he caused her so much pain and it only made him hate himself.

"Gyuri, please." Hyukjae moved to comfort her.

"Don't!" she yelled, desperately wiping the forming tears from her eyes.

Standing in front of her, Hyukjae bent down, sat on his knees and looked up at her tearing eyes.

"Please forgive me." he pleaded pitifully. 

Seeing him in front of her like that, she cried. She knew he had wronged her... but she had also wronged him. In the three years since he had left she had found the answer to "Why?"

He left because of her. It all was because of her, she caused him unhappiness first. It was a truth she never wanted to face. She wanted to keep all the blame on Hyukjae and he would take it. She knew he would but she couldn't let him.

Getting up from the couch she bent down and her knees hit the floor.

"Gyuri, no it's me. Don't." His eyes grew red seeing her kneel before him. "Gyuri, please don't."

At his pleading words Gyuri bowed her head down to him.

"Please forgive me first."

"Gyuri, stop it." Hyukjae cried out. The tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes fell down his cheeks.

"Please." she pleaded.

"I forgive you, please get up."

Hearing his words Gyuri felt release. She had regretted not making him as happy as he had made her, she regretted not being able to tell he was unhappy. Her regret had controlled her life. She cried again, feeling released of her own guilt. Hyukjae moved to touch her to make her stand above him but she couldn't move. She didn't want to. She had forgiven Hyukjae in her heart already. 

"I forgive you." she said, turning to look at his regretful face.

His own burdens being lifted off of him Hyukjae cried to her. "Thank you, thank you."

They had both caused each other immense pain and they had both freed each other of that pain. They sat in a calming silence.

---

Finally getting up from the floor after a large amount of time passed bewteen them, Gyuri left Hyukjae in the living room to go to the restroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. She had cried so ugly, she looked horrible. She cleaned herself up and walked back into the living room. Hyukjae watched her comeback into the room. He tried to clean himself up.

"The bathroom is just over there." Gyuri said, watching him pitifully wipe his face with his sleeve.

He stood up and walked over to the restroom.

Gyuri still had plenty of questions for him but having just gone through an emotional storm she had to hold herself back. All her questions were less important then what just happened.

Hyukjae walked out of the restroom and back into the living room. Gyuri tried to slowly ask him questions.

"Why did you come back?"

Hyukjae looked up at her from across the couch. "I came back because of you."

Gyuri felt a pain in her heart hearing his response.

"Why now?' she asked further.

"I was called upon to serve two years ago, so I couldn't comeback right away. I also didn't know how to face you... Gyuri, I still... love you."

She felt her heart move. He still loved her. She loved him too but...

With no reply from Gyuri, Hyukjae continued.

"I thought that if you would just forgive me I could move on, but after seeing you that night and again today, I know I still love you... A part of you, the part that forgives me must still love me too right?" He looked at her urgently. She avoided his eyes.

"I know we've hurt each other in the past and that I can never undo what I did but if you could... Please let me make it up to you now."

Gyuri started to shake her head refusing him. Yes, a part of her loved him, and she had never imagined herself with another person other then Hyukjae but....

"I know I'm being ridiculous, you barely forgiven me. I just want you to know that I thought about you everyday. I left for you. I..."

"I thought about you everyday too." she said, finally responding to him.

He clung to her words and smiled in relief.

"Thank God... Gyuri, I can give you more time to think about it, about being with me again, being better then we used to be. If you let me, I can make up those lost years to you."

She didn't know what to say back to him. It was all too much.

Hyukjae looked at her confused gaze. He knew he blindsided her with his feelings. He really did still love her. He only hoped she felt the same. He wanted her to feel the same still but he knew she needed time. He walked over to her and stood before her.

"I'll give you some time...okay?..." He lifted her chin so that their eyes met.

"Okay." Gyuri responded.

Before he released her chin he brought his face in closer and lightly pressed his lips against her cheek.

"I'll leave now." Hyukjae said turning towards the door.

Gyuri sat in her spot on the couch as he closed the door behind him. She put her hand to her kissed cheek. It felt different.

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Poor Gyuri! This was a emotionally exhausting chapter for her..... I'm sorry ;_; It turned out a bit more angsty then I thought it would... still, I hope you enjoyed! I'm thinking ya'll will like the next chapter more... n_n stay tuned~