When he got that phone call ten minutes ago, he was already halfway out the door, knowing what he has to do and where he has to go. Because there is really no one else who would need him at a time like this – at 2 in the morning.

Even when he has totally lost count of the number of times he had to go and pick her up when she got drunk, he has never once complained and he has never had thoughts about giving up on her.

Chorong, his best friend, Chorong isn’t a spoilt and ‘bad’ woman like how others claimed her to be – she’s just lost and broken and she needs someone to fit the pieces back together. She just needs someone who will never leave. She just needs someone to always be there. She just needs someone, period.

Joonmyun pulls up in front of a dimly lilted bar a few minutes later and sees that Bomi, the club owner and also Chorong’s good friend, is already waiting for him with her arms wrapped tightly around a drunken Chorong.

He unbuckles his seatbelt and hops off the car in a hurry.

“Is she okay?” is his usual first question as he takes her from Bomi and slings her right arm across his shoulder, while he tightened his left grip around her waist. He gently pushes her fallen strands away from her tired face and pats her cheek lightly.

Bomi shrugs. “She’s fine. Just same old, same old Chorong.”

He nods. “Okay, thanks for calling me. And thanks for looking out for her.” He turns around, ready to leave but stops when he hears Bomi calling out his name.

“Joonmyun, wait.”

He turns back around to face her, with Chorong’s exhausted self weighing down on him. Yet, he shows no signs of struggle. Perhaps, he’s just gotten so used to it.

“We need to do something about her,” Bomi gestures towards their friend with her hand. “We can’t let her continue like this – “

“She’s been through a really rough time, Bomi,” Joonmyun reminds her quietly. “After her wedding fell apart, her family threw her out and not to mention, she also lost her job a week ago. She has a lot on her mind these days.”

“I know that,” Bomi tries again. “But she needs to – “

“I’ve got this,” he interrupts her with a small smile. “I’ve got her, Bomi. I’ll take care of her.”

He knows that she has many more things to say, but from the look he’s giving her and the tone he’s using, Bomi knows better than to argue. Hence, she simply shrugs and nods her head.

“Okay...alright Joonmyun. Drive home safely.”

“I will. Thanks, again.”

Bomi waits until the two of them have gotten into the car. She waits as Joonmyun carefully tucks Chorong in her seat and fastens the seatbelt for her. She waits as he gives her a small wave from the driver’s seat, to which she responds with a goodbye wave of her own. She waits until he pulls away from the bar, until the car’s headlights totally disappears from her view.

She lets out a loud, resigned sigh.

~

Joonmyun pushes open the door to her apartment with his free arm and slowly leads Chorong in. His hand reaches up for the light circuit he knows too well, and a second later, the small yet comfy living room which was gloomy and dark earlier, instantly brightens up – causing Chorong to squint her eyes due to the sudden change.

“Home sweet home,” he says easily, gently closing the door behind them and brings her over to the black leathered couch, where she immediately lies down on when he releases her.

For a moment, he just stands there, looking down at her wistfully. Even though he had told Bomi that he’s got this, Joonmyun feels anything but settled and relieved. He doesn’t know what he should do with Chorong and he would never admit it – but it is scaring him to see her throwing away her life like this. He’s tried so hard to talk sense into her, but that only pushes her further away from him and Joonmyun is afraid that if he were to say anything more, Chorong would really slip away from his grasp for good.

Slowly, he sets himself down next to her and props her legs up on his lap.

“W-what time is it?” she slurs sleepily, shifting in her position.

He smiles. “It’s late, Chorong. You should get some sleep.”

Carefully, just like those other times, he unbuckles the straps of her heels and takes them off her feet. He gingerly places the shoes on the floor next to the couch, just as Chorong rises up slowly while holding onto her head.

“How late is it?” she mumbles and peers at him through her half-closed eyes. “Can’t we go get some more drinks?”

Joonmyun chuckles lightly. “No more drinks for you tonight. Or would you like some water?” He starts to stand up and head for the kitchen, but she pulls him back down.

“No,” she clutches onto his arm. “Sit, and stay here with me.”

“Okay,” he agrees, smiling. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Ugh...” she grunts and lays her head comfortably on his shoulder, with her hand still on his arm. “My head feels as though it’s exploding inside. It’s like being pricked with tons of needles.”

“That is why you shouldn’t get yourself drunk anymore,” he tells her kindly and gently her hair.

“Everything’s so messed up now...” she murmurs quietly, yet he can still hear her loud and clear – the sadness in her voice, the deafening sound of her hurt and pain she’s been keeping inside all these while.

“Come here,” he spread out his arm, to which Chorong readily accepts and buries her face into his chest, while he keeps one arm wrapped around her petite, fragile figure protectively.

“I always try to stay out of trouble, but trouble seem to have a way of finding me...I’m tired, Joonmyun. I’m so tired...”

He’s used to having these heart-to-heart talks with her. He’s used to being her listening ear, and this time is no different. And just like those other times, his shoulder would always be hers to cry on. No matter how many shirts she’s ruined with her mascara and snorts, or how soaked and drenched she makes him – he will never, ever mind it.

In fact, he loves it. He loves the fact she can always come to him and bring anything to; the good and the bad – he loves it all. He loves, how after all these time, she still looks up to him as her knight in shining armour, the one she seeks comfort and protection from.

“It’ll get better,” is the same thing he tells her, over and over again. “It will all get better.” He has to believe it, in order to make her believe it. Because she believes in him, and he’s not going to do anything that might disappoint her and break her further apart than she already is.

“I love you,” he says, dropping a soft kiss on the top of her head. “And I will always be here for you.”

“I love you too,” she murmurs and yet again, it isn’t the kind of response he’d love to hear. Yes, she said she loved him – but she doesn’t share the same kind of love he has for her. Their two I love you’s are different, and he doesn’t know when he will ever hear that I love you from her.

“Is it winter now?” she asks him, just when he thought she had already drifted off to sleep.

“Yes.”

“Can we go play in the snow tomorrow?”

He gives her a smile, even though he knows she is not looking. “Of course.”

“I want to destroy all of your snowmen.”

He chuckles. “Sure you do.”

“Because they are ugly,” she giggles cutely, and he can’t help but to laugh along too. Her melodious laughter and endearing smiles are always so infectious – that he doesn’t know what he’d ever do if that were all to disappear from his life.

“Hmm, it’s too bad they are not as pretty as you.”

“Can we bake cupcakes too?”

“Sure.”

“What if I burn down the kitchen?”

“I’ll let you use mine.”

“You won’t be mad if I burn it down?”

“Just as long as you’re not burnt.”

“Will you eat my burnt cupcakes?”

“I will.”

“Why?”

“Because you made them,” he replies simply, looking down at her. “Go to sleep, Chorong. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“You will still be here tomorrow when I wake up, won’t you? You won’t run off in the middle of the night, right?”

Sweet, little insecure Chorong, always worrying about him leaving when he has never once left her.

“I won’t,” he muses. “I will still be here when you wake up. I’m not going anywhere. I promised you, remember?”

“Okay. Goodnight, Joonmyunnie. I love you.”

Again, that I love you.

Yet, he still smiles and kisses her again for the second time.

“Goodnight, Rong. I love you too.”

He doesn’t know how long it’ll take, and he’s waited so long, but he’ll still wait.

Because time is never enough when it comes to Park Chorong.

i can never get enough of surong ~