Gradually, I began to regret my decision of handcuffing Chunji to his current schedule, because ever since, he's been giving me side glares. And they were frequent too. But I tried not to let them get to me. After all, he was going to have to face it one way or another.

My eyes studied the red string more often now, and I have yet to see it slowly tearing. It was still as thin as I first seen it, and still as strong as it was before I met Chunji. 

I was starting to panic.

If it was real... Does that mean that I'll really be with Chunji? And that he'll be with me?

No matter how much I tried to imagine it, I couldn't see us having those feelings for one another, let alone doing anything of that sort.

The string was an obvious lie.

"Yah, L.Joe. Clean up table two." The red-head called out from the further side of the shop, wiping the windows with extra care.

I lifted my head from the counter and gave him an unamused expression, "Why don't you? Since you're over there already."

"I'm doing something, you lazy."

"I am too."

"No you're not."

"I'm breathing."

He sighed, "Hurry up and clean the table already, God damn."

I smirked and rushed over to the table to clean it before we would close up the shop. It's always been like this and I knew Chunji wasn't pleased one bit by it. He didn't like closing already, and closing with me made things worse.

After a little while, I heard faint sniffing from behind me, causing me to turn around quickly and find Chunji wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He was crying.

"Y-yah, Chunji-yah, what's wrong?!" I asked in a worried tone, hurrying over to him and putting my hand on his back soothingly.

He shook his head and turned away from me, but I quickly pulled him back.

"Tell me."

Another shake.

And with that, I pulled him into a hug, feeling his head lower into my shoulder and the cloth of my shirt becoming drenched in his tears. I only whispered comforting words, rubbing his back slowly and listening to his soft weeping. He must've been badly hurt.

To keep people from outside of the shop from looking in through the windows, I gently led the red-head into the back room in hopes that he'd tell me whatever was bugging him. It was bugging me now too.

He followed willingly and held tightly onto my hand.

It was the first time I've seen him like this, the first time I've felt him like this.

I could feel the warmth of his skin between my fingers, and for once, when I looked down at our linked hands, the red-string was no longer there. Just a radiance of warmth in its place and another feeling I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Without thinking about it any further, we made it to the back room safely and I let the red-head take a vacant spot against the wall. He gently wiped at his tears while I watched with an abnormal urge to help him. But I'm sure the last thing he wanted was for me to interfere with his weaker side.

After a few minutes passed of silence other than the frequent sniffing coming from Chunji, I decided to finally speak up. I wasn't going to let this slip past me, not when Chunji's hurting.

"What's bothering you?" I questioned in a soft voice, staying beside him.

He bit his lip as his eyes flickered to the floor. There was pain in his eyes, evident enough that even a stranger could tell he's been through a lot. 

"My girlfriend." His voice cracked, but he cleared his throat before I could say anything, "I think she's falling for someone else."

Out of instinct, my eyes widened at the news, yet I wasn't necessarily shocked. Not really. After all, her red string was tied to someone else...

But then that meant the thread was real.

"I wanted to try to keep our relationship alive." He choked out, "I thought that, maybe, if I had more time for her, she wouldn't think of leaving me."

Like that, there was a click in my head.

The reason why Chunji wanted to change his schedule; it was too keep his relationship alive.

The last option he had...

It was gone.

And I was to take the blame.

I wanted to apologize, but that was no use right now. It wouldn't fix the mistake I made.

Nothing could. 

I felt a pool of regret in the pit of my stomach and I swear if I died at that moment, I wouldn't have given a damn.

But I knew I had to fix this mess I made. No one else can.

And like that, another click.

If Chunji had someone else, he wouldn't think of her anymore. He wouldn't be hurting anymore.

Except, who would he fall for?

My eyes trailed down to the thin string that kept us tied to one another, and at that moment I knew.

Whether I wanted to or not; I no longer had an option.

I had to do this.

For his happiness,

I'm going to fall in love with him.