Kyuhyun had already sent his things with Siwon. There was only a small shoulder bag with his laptop and some files accompanying him on the long flight.

That wasn’t what occupied his mind though. It was that look. The look Ryeowook had on his face when he left yesterday. His eyes were dead, so dead Kyuhyun wasn’t sure anymore if he had done the right thing.

They were letting a broken relationship stay broken. The only thing he could think of to do was break it cleanly – watch Ryeowook realize that Kyuhyun and him weren’t meant to be together anymore.

It had been a couple of months since Paris and by the looks of it, Ryeowook was getting better. The last thing he had expected was for the man to suddenly confess his…almost love…to Kyuhyun. That’s what it had sounded like, at least. Just a few simple words would’ve turned it into a love confession.

But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Kyuhyun thought Ryeowook was stable. His skin was healthy and glowing, his voice was beautiful and sweet, and his eyes even had a faint little shine to them. He seemed better – much better than before.

Kyuhyun wondered what changed him, but had quickly given up that train of thought. After all, it was obvious that he hadn’t been a part of that change. Then again, when he thought back on it, he hadn’t really tried hard to help Ryeowook.

He just distracted him. He made him talk about Hyungsik lightly, not seriously. That wasn’t helping, apparently.

But that look.

It wasn’t cold. No.

Kyuhyun didn’t know what it was.

So there he was, sitting in the waiting area of his office, watching Ryeowook enter. Kyuhyun refused to think that he had done anything but good for the other male.

They were nothing to each other now.

That meant Ryeowook could move on properly, taking the path that had apparently given him life again.

But Kyuhyun hesitated.

The man that came in, his perfect, crisp and clean secretary was pale, exhausted, and disheveled. His shoulder bag slid down and his steps were slow and strangely unsteady. When their eyes met, Kyuhyun wondered if that look from yesterday was still there, but it was…worse.

Ryeowook turned away quickly, taking his seat at his desk. “Good morning, Mr. Cho,” he croaked, clearing his throat and mechanically organizing the lack of a mess on the surface of the table.

“What’s my schedule this morning?” Kyuhyun prompted – the words foreign in his mouth. Ryeowook was usually here before him, already rattling off the day’s activities when Kyuhyun walked in.

His heavily shadowed eyes rose up before falling back down. “Uhm…I think you have nothing.” Ryeowook absently unpacked his bag; taking things out and putting them back in over and over again as if he had no idea what he was doing. “I cancelled everything…because you’re leaving today. You, uhm, you can leave whenever you want,” Ryeowook muttered, getting frustrated as he pulled out the same damn handbook for the fifth time.

Kyuhyun placed his hand on Ryeowook’s shaking one, concern on his face. “Hey—”

Ryeowook tore away violently, moving away from his boss, eyes wide and focused on the keyboard of his computer. There was real fear and self-loathing shaking his entire body.

Words weren’t necessary to deliver the message.

Don’t touch me.

Kyuhyun let his hand drop. “Hey…Ryeowook,” he began softly, carefully, “will you look at me when I talk to you?”

He flinched like Kyuhyun had just slapped him.

“Ryeo—”

“—I heard you,” he rushed out, still not turning his eyes up, lips trembling. “What is it?”

Kyuhyun closed his hand into a fist. “…Go home for today.”

“Huh?”

“It’s an order. Go home and get some rest,” Kyuhyun walked towards his office, trying to stop memorizing the image of Ryeowook backing away from him like Kyuhyun wanted to murder him.  

He slammed the door, leaning against it as he waited for the sound of Ryeowook packing his things up and leaving the office.

“I swear I didn’t do that to him,” Kyuhyun mumbled, “There’s no way.” He closed his eyes, trying to dismiss the pain. It shouldn’t matter anymore. Soon enough they would be miles apart and moving on in different directions with different people.

As promised, Changmin walked into the office the moment he finished the CD. Looking around, he saw Kyuhyun’s door shut and the empty secretary desk. Ryeowook was probably running an errand like always.

Chuckling, he set the CD down and took out a sticky note.

It read: Don’t forget to take this with you

Nodding, he smiled and walked out of the office, noticing Kyuhyun coming down the hall with a briefcase and papers in his hand. “Hey, what’s up?” Changmin greeted lightly.

“Busy,” Kyuhyun grunted, seemingly pissed about that fact, “heading out today.”

“Oh? That’s cool. Good luck with the deal,” Changmin waved goodbye.

“Thanks,” he flashed a tired smile, “see you in a few months.” Kyuhyun disappeared into his office.

Just as he was walking past Ryeowook’s empty secretarial desk, he spotted the CD. There was an urgent message on the front and Kyuhyun looked at it thoughtfully. The writing was rushed and sloppy, but he figured Ryeowook’s frazzled behavior must’ve affected his handwriting.

Shrugging, Kyuhyun picked it up, sure it was something important if Ryeowook would come all the way back to the company just to drop it off. Why hadn’t he placed it on Kyuhyun’s actual desk though? Frowning, he shook his head, once again blaming Ryeowook’s haphazard attitude that day.

Don’t forget to take this with you

Kyuhyun stared at the CD as he sat on the plane, laptop out and headphones on. What could it have been?

With a sigh, he popped the disc out of its case, sliding it into the laptop insert.