I erased someone like you, but why do I miss you so much?
Although I try to erase you and hold back my tears again,
But that person who comes back again.
You only leave scars deep in my heart.
I try to hold back again, I try to erase you,
That person who will come back again.
- INFINITE, "Someone Like Me"
 

Flipping over the sign hung on the door to "Closed", you let out a relaxed sigh and stretched out your arms. The whole "working extra hours" punishment had really gotten you busy the past few days, not to mention that in two days it would already be the day of Christmas Eve. Luckily, you were given a couple of days off from work for the holidays. 

You wiped down the countertop, checked the register, and cleaned the coffee-makers, all the while thinking of gifts to buy the next day.

You calculated how much money you needed for gifts, as well as for transportation since you planned on going back to Busan to spend Christmas with your parents. You put on your sweater, grabbing the keys as you exited the small coffee shop and locked the doors.

Tiredly walking home from your busy day, you continued planning for the upcoming holidays. As you stopped at a crosswalk waiting for the cars passing by to stop once the light turns red, you couldn't help but notice the towering building nearby; the building which contained INFINITE and their dorm.

Why did you have to come back into my life?

You let out a huff, turning your attention to the now green light of the crosswalk sign as you crossed the street, hugging your sweater closer to your chest for warmth.

~ ♥ ~

One the day of Christmas Eve, you woke up early, grabbing your luggage and heading out the door. You made your way to the nearest bus stop, putting your luggage down and breathing in the cold air. You scanned the board that showed the information for each of the buses' routes and looked towards the sign that showed the upcoming bus, fortunately the one you were boarding. 

The day before, you had gone shopping and bought two nice, warm sweaters as gifts for your parents and wrapped them up nicely in their own separate boxes. You had also packed a few extra clothes, seeing as you could only stay for one night, and also fit in a couple other belongings.

Once the bus arrived, you took your luggage case and boarded, greeting the driver as you made your way to a random empty seat in the back. You settled your case by your feet and heaved out a sigh. Seoul to Busan was a little over 3 hours away.

Might as well get comfortable... you thought to yourself and wiggled in your seat. You laid your head back against the headrest and eventually drifted to sleep.

"I don't think this is going to work out anymore."

...

"I'm sorry... but... we need to break up."

...

"Please understand."

.....

"I'm sorry for doing this."

.....

"Goodbye."

An abrupt jolt of the bus had woken you up, and you found your heart beating fast and your cheeks wet with... tears? You quickly wiped them away and looked out the window and observed your surroundings, finding the bus stopping at a location you weren't well familiarized with. As a few passengers entered and a few exited the bus, you looked around worriedly. Turning to a middle-aged man sitting at the seat across, you decided to ask for help.

"Um, excuse me?"

The man turned his head to your attention.

"Uh, do you happen to know how far we are from Busan?"

The man furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He paused for a while, as if letting the words sink in. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked and you then noticed his Busan accent.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" you replied to him in your natural Busan accent you managed to keep all these years although you had gotten a Seoul accent from living in the city. "I hadn't realized you were from Busan as well."

The man smiled. "Ah! No, I'm sorry about that, I haven't been in Seoul for a while so it's hard for me to understand the city accent. Mm, were you going to ask something?"

"Oh, it's perfectly fine," you grinned. "And yes I was, actually. I was just wondering how much farther we are from Busan?"

"Ah, yes," he nodded. "I'm actually heading back home as well. Hmm, it shouldn't be much longer. Probably about three more stops away."

"I see, thank you very much," you smiled and adjusted back in your seat, looking out the window at passing houses and buildings. Your thoughts had drifted back to your dream and you wanted to shake it off, but couldn't find yourself to do it, and the memory had come back again.

"Hoya!" you ran up to him and threw your arms around his neck, embracing him in a tight, cheerful hug. "I heard you got accepted!"

"Oh... uh, yeah..." he half-smiled and stood awkwardly as you loosened your arms a tiny bit.

"Hm? Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I am!" he exclaimed quickly.

"Then why do you look so sad?" You asked and playfully kissed his chin. "By the way, why didn't you tell me about it?" you pouted. "I only heard of the news from your parents."

"Jinae..." he said softly and shifted his eyes away from yours. "About that..." He removed your arms from around his neck and held your hands gently in his. "I... I don't think this is going to work out anymore."

"What do you mean?" you asked, furrowing your eyebrows in confusion.

"I'm sorry... but..." he bit his bottom lip and let out a small breath, his eyes finally meeting yours. "We need to break up."

You stared at him in disbelief. Did those words really come from his mouth? Before you could say anything (not that you were going to considering how tongue-tied you were), he spoke again. "Jinae, I love you, I really do and I know you must hate me right now for doing this but our relationship just can't work out anymore."

"B-But... I... Hoya... why?" you managed to ask, not being able to produce a full sentence at the moment.

"Woollim's all the way in Seoul... so I'm going to have to move there. I'll have to be a trainee for a while. Years even." He sighed and his eyes drifted again. "Please understand."

Understand?! you practically scream in your head because how in the world does Hoya think you could understand it? Does Hoya really have to break up? Can't you two just do one of those distance relationships that other couples do because goddammit you were in love with him and didn't want to last a day without him.

"So this is it?" you finally said. You looked down and hid the tears now falling down your face. In reality, you did understand him. It was his dream. You were happy for him for getting accepted but is it really ending like this? 

Hoya held your face into his palms and tilted your head up so your eyes could meet again. He wiped your tears with his thumbs. "I'm leaving for Seoul tomorrow morning." He removed his hands and reached for his ring finger, puling off the silver band around it and held it in his palm. "I'm sorry. Thank you for everything."

You carefully reached for the ring in his hand: your promise ring for each other. Your promise for forever.

"I'm sorry for doing this." he says and it makes your throat choke on your tears as you bite your lip roughly. "I'm sorry for being this kind of boyfriend to you. I'm sorry... for breaking our promise." He rubs the back of his neck and shuffles his feet a little. "And I know it may seem selfish of me to say this, but you have to promise me this."

You bit your lip. Promise you something in return for breaking all of our promises?

"Just promise me you'll find someone better," he said and his words had tears streaming down your face again. "Promise me you'll find someone who'll stay with you forever and someone who keeps their promises." He paused for a while and wiped your tears again.

"Do... do you hate me?" he suddenly asked. You couldn't answer. Do you hate him? For breaking up with you to be an idol; you should right? But you felt a sense of selfishness in you for thinking that way. 'It's his dream', you kept telling yourself.

And hate was too strong of a word, and no matter what he did you could never hate him.

You shook your head in response. "No, I don't... hate you. I know it's your dream and everything but... us..." you couldn't find the right words to say anymore.

"I-I know, I'm sorry, really. But when I become a trainee I just won't have time for a relationship anymore," he finalized, placing a hand on your cheek and kissing your forehead.

"I've got to go. Goodbye."

You felt his touch slipping away and the warmth of his skin fading. You looked down to the cold ring in your fingers. The light shone against the engraving: Howon + Jinae

Turning it the other side, you read the second engraving and tears wouldn't seem to stop flowing as you looked back up, seeing Hoya's back as he walked farther and farther away.

Forever

A/N: Yeah it's waaaay after Christmas but whatever. >.< This story is finally getting somewhere along the plot I was going for, and there's still so much to happen in the story.
So I know I don't update for a month but when I do I give you a crappy, uneventful chapter OTL I'M SORRY. And I'm pretty sure I failed on trying to make the flashback sad heuheuheu.  I had exams and just kept procrastinating on this and I'm a terrible author. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ But I'll try to work on my fics more since exams are finally over.
Which reminds me, I've created a new fic! (i apologize for the advertising asldkhgk;sdfgsls) It's a WoohyunxHoyaxDongwoo fic. Check it out -> With All My Heart
And also, (this a/n is becoming long omfg) I learned about accents from Reply 1997, lol. If you haven't really heard of or don't understand the whole Busan/Seoul accent thing, it's like how  Southerners in America or Australians have a different way of talking, so it's basically like them trying to talk to someone from the city (wow I at explaining). 
One last thing, and this is late but YOU GUISE INFINITE-ING-H OMG ASLDKJGSDHFGKJS. ALL THE FEELS.