Chohee leaned in her chair and huffed. She dreaded looking at the pile of work that needed to be done. She’d normally get off from work on time, but looking at the clock, she let out a long sigh knowing she’d have to stay for another hour or two considering the extra work she had.

On Fridays, Himchan would be home much earlier than her and would be the one preparing dinner. When she informed him she couldn’t make it home on time for dinner, he told her they’ll be having supper instead. That alone gave her the energy to get things over with quickly so she could rush home to see him.

She managed to complete her tasks three hours later and by then almost everyone in the office had left. She headed out of the building eagerly to catch a bus home. As she walked down the steps, she saw a black sports car approaching and stopping by the sidewalk. The car grabbed her attention for a moment, but she only glanced once and started towards the nearest bus stop.

She walked past the car when she heard her name being called out. “Chohee ah!” She froze. She knew whom that voice belonged to. She turned around to verify her thoughts and true enough; the man standing by the car was none other than Byunghun.

It surprised her to see him because she thought he’d left much earlier. With no hesitation, she rolled her eyes and turned back around to walk away. Byunghun got into the car and followed her on the road, driving at a speed that matched her pace. 

“Chohee! Please, can you just give me a chance to talk?” He shouted through the window. “Look, I promise I won’t bother you anymore if you allow me to explain,” he pleaded.

“What’s there to explain, Byunghun?” Chohee answered as she continued walking.

“You see, this has always been your problem. All you do is assume before actually listening to what the other party has to say. You don’t solve problems by guessing and thinking you’re right because you’re not always right, Chohee, god damn it!” The wheels of his car screeched as he stepped hard on the brakes. Chohee was taken aback by his burst of anger but she couldn’t deny what he had just said was true.

Eventually, she took up his offer to drive her home while allowing him to tell her everything he had to say. Crossing her arms as she sat, Chohee remained silent and refused to speak unless she needed to.

Byunghun started with a sigh. “I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have raised my voice earlier.” He took a quick glance and saw the unhappy look on her face.

“Chohee, it was my mum who stopped stopped us from seeing each other. She took everything in her own hands, from terminating my number to sending me to over to London. I didn’t have a say. Everything happened so quickly. I tried to reach you, but I couldn’t find you until I heard you were working under my dad.”

“Whom you didn’t even tell me about,” she butted in.

At this time, they already reached her apartment and he stopped his car just by the entrance. He dunked his head in guilt and apologized. “I’m sorry…” There was a hint of sincerity in his tone and she looked at him, his eyes glistening with tears.

“You know what? Let’s just forget the past okay?” She said in comfort before getting off the car.

“Wait!” Byunghun yelled and jogged over to her at the front gate. “I know you’ve found your happiness while I was gone and I know I promised that I won’t bother you again but…” he paused and rubbed the back of his neck. “Can we at least have one last hug before we say goodbye?” His lips twitched into a bashful smile and she acknowledged by smiling and responding with a hug.

-----

Himchan just returned from the convenience store after getting some food and snacks for supper. He smiled to himself knowing that by the time he reached home, it wouldn’t be long before Chohee comes back.

He crossed the road freely since there weren’t many cars around the neighbourhood at that time of the night. As he reached his residence, he spotted a car of a well-known brand and as he walked closer, his eyes shifted to what seemed to be a couple hugging.

Only when he was a foot away from them did he notice the woman being embraced was his own girlfriend. He gritted his teeth in anger and lost his grip of the things in his hands which soon balled into fists. Glaring with his now bloodshot eyes, he closed in the distance between them and grabbed the man’s shoulder, aggressively pulling him away from his woman and pinning him down on the bonnet of the car.

Without question, he began pumping the face of the man mercilessly out of rage. Chohee’s screams sounded muffled in his ears and all he could hear was the pumping of his blood and his fluctuating heart rate.

Gasping for air, he almost dived in for more blows but someone grabbed hold of him firmly. He was too exhausted to fight back, especially when he realized it was Zelo holding him back. He watched the man painfully climbing back into his car and drove off.

He turned to Chohee, his face a mixture of sadness and anger. His eyes showed how betrayed he felt when he witnessed her in the arms of another man. Nothing – not even Chohee’s tears and cries – would strip him off his temper. He released himself from the clutches of his dongsaeng and went straight to his apartment, not wanting to face her or anyone.

As he got in the lift, the fear of losing her crept into his mind. He didn’t want to lose another loved one. He looked down to his trembling hands which had traces of blood. What had he done? He slowly came back to his senses and broke down when he realized he might have hurt the person he loved. “Chohee, I’m sorry,” he cried out in agony as he struggled to restrain his emotions.