Lay’s POV

The tone of her voice made my heart stay still for a second there. I placed my glasses on top of the book I was reading. “What’s wrong, Moon Ri? Can I help you with something? Did you call Chanyeol?” Now I was being plain stupid! My heart was trembling when I saw her name displayed on my phone’s screen and now I’m sending her to Chanyeol. But to her, Chanyeol was her brother… …

“No, Lay. You’re the one I need and want next to me right now,” her answer left me speechless. “What, don’t you wish to return to my side anymore?”

“Wh--?!”

“Don’t you wish to come back to me, Lay, huh? I mean, I would understand if that would be the case. In the end, I was the reason why you had to leave everything behind and return to your father’s country.”

What was she…saying there? Where did she took all those from? Don’t tell me she…actually remembers?!

“I…even so, come and see me, brother. This little kitten has been missing you all these years…”

☂☂☂

How did I get to her apartment? How did I managed to get there so fast without causing any accident? Well, it wasn’t important. Everything that mattered to me was the fact that I was in front of her door, measuring my heartbeat, and trying to figure out what I was supposed to say to her when she’ll open the door for me.

“Lay.” Her grey eyes were starring at me as she opened the door before me knocking against the wood. Was I allowed? To hold her in my arms? To embrace her and sniff the perfume of her hair? Was it even real? That midget crying in my arms on the doorstep of her house. “I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry, Lay! I swear I didn’t know! I didn’t do it on purpose!” She was crying in my arms. I nodded as I embraced her tighter, pushing her slowly inside so that I could close the door behind me. “I’m sorry, brother that I kept you away for such a long time… If only I knew who exactly was I missing in my life…”

“It’s alright. What was done was done. I’m glad you remember me now,” I smiled as I kissed her forehead. “Your brother is back, Moon Ri. An I won’t leave you alone ever again! I swear I won’t!”

It was just like one of those tragically romantic movies we used to watch before, where everything and everyone has a happy ending. She remembered and I got back my family, the same family I hated for so many years for letting me leave Korea. But mother did her best to act normal for Moon Ri. And her father was always her father, so there was no real reason for me to blame them. The villain was away from our life, so I could hold tight that little treasure in my arms. My sister, my little sister… …

“Where to?” I asked curiously as soon as I spotted Chanyeol inside the café house, with one huge suitcase next to his table.

He made a strange face. “I think it’s time for me to leave. It’s over, you know? And I’m kind of tired of playing a role over and over again, holding back my true self. So, I’m leaving, Lay.”

“Running away, you might as well say.”

“Running away or leaving everything behind, call it as you may wish,” he shrugged. “This is it! This time it’s me the one who’s forced out of the picture. And you know what? I’m kind of glad that its ending. I was getting tired of this game.”

“Is there something wrong with Moon Ri?” I asked cautiously, not understanding what he was saying.

“Look, Lay, just take care of her when time comes, alright? I don’t think I could ever let go for real if I wouldn’t know that you’d be able to properly take care of her. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Paris awaits for me,” Chanyeol stood from his pace with a tired smile playing on his face. “Good luck, Lay! Maybe one day we’ll be able to meet again under different circumstances. Till then, all the best!” His hand was stretched in front of me. I took it reluctantly, not really understanding why was he doing all of those. “Tell Moon Ri that I’m sorry, alright? For pushing her off the swing and for killing her heart that day. I’m sorry for all the years I took away from you.”

“Chanyeol…”

“Wait for her, alright? ‘Coz she’ll remember anytime now…”

I should have seen it then. I should have figure out then that he was giving me back what originally belonged to me…

☂☂☂

“Say ‘Ah!’!” I played with the fork in front of as she continued to shake her head and keep her lips sealed. “This ain’t good as well?! Aisht, you kiddo!” I looked through the others bowls full of vegetable, sauces and fried meat. “What is missing?”

She pointed towards the bowl that had lettuce cut, mixed with cherry tomatoes and olive oil.

“This.”

She nodded.

“Open up,” I placed the new wrap in front of the mouth. This time she received it with a smile and a clap of hands. “Still a kid, huh?” I ruffled her hair, making her frown. A perfect evening you might say. Ever since she remembered me, we were taking every single meal together, we were playing cards every evening while drinking red wine and I think we saw almost 100 movies in one single week! Yes, we were trying to regain the time we missed while we were apart. And even so, I couldn’t help but notice that Moon Ri was growing paler by each day that passed, and that she was systematically refusing to leave her apartment. I started to believe that she had some sort of a problem with her eyes since she was often rubbing them as if she got something in them and it was bothering her sight. “Liste