Phew! I wiped the droplets of sweat from my forehead and set the cardboard box onto the table. How long has it been since I’ve moved here..? 2 years now, wow. Time sure does pass by quickly. But, not fast enough. My gaze wandered around my small apartment and I smiled proudly. The apartment consisted of one bedroom, one bathroom and a nicely-sized kitchen for at least three people to fit in. Looking back, it took a while for my parents to accept my decision to move… I really miss them. Sitting on the wooden chair, I cut open the tape that sealed the cardboard box tightly. When it opened, I took a peek and smiled sadly, as I thought of the memories. Two years… Two birthdays have passed by. I’m already 20. I can’t believe it. Although, I wished I celebrated my birthdays with loved ones…

My fingers snatched a dusty photo and brushed it with my free hand. Kevin... My finger outlined Kevin’s figure and stared at the young girl, binding her arms with him. I could barely recognize myself. I kept the photo and walked down the small hallway to my bedroom. I should put this photo in a nice frame. It’s probably the best photo we have! Although… I looked back at the young me in the picture and sighed softly. Have I changed a lot? Would Kevin still look at me the same way? Negative! Don’t be so negative! I shook my head repeatedly and let myself fall onto the double bed. The photo now lifted with my hand stared back down at me as I lay on the cold sheets of my bed. 2 years have passed. When will he come home? He doesn’t even know I’m in South Korea. It’s a little surprise.

I traced the long hair of the girl in the photo then placed my hand on my now-much-shorter hair. I wonder if you’ve changed too, Kevin. My hair was once long up to my waist but before I left I decided to cut it quite short up to my jaw. Once dyed a bright caramel, it was now back to my natural dark color, many people complimented it to be beautiful and dark as the starry night sky. I’ve also lost so much weight. I wasn’t that flabby girl anymore but… I’m not saying I’m that skinny either. One thing hasn’t changed though. I jumped out of bed and placed the photo on the red picture frame before walking to the mirror.

“The bruises...” I whispered to the mirrored girl in front of me. It comes much less frequently. But there would be occasional nightmares. At least twice every 6 months. “And other thing..” I smiled confidently. My love for Kevin. My heart raced in anxiety at the thought of not talking to him as much. We’d talk at least once every month, the first year, but it dropped down to at least one call per 3 months.” He must be busy, I always tell myself.

“Or… has he changed, completely?” This thought has always haunted me since the day he stopped calling as much. Ma-maybe the training is just too much!  My finger rubbed the ring on my finger as a reflex. The ring that he gave me before he left. My lips touched the cold silver ring and remembered that night.

[Flashback]

“I’ll miss you so much.” I smiled at Kevin, holding the emotions in the heart that couldn’t hold on much longer. Kevin stared back and looked at the entrance of the airport. He nodded slowly and pulled me once more for a longer embrace, this time, it was tighter, much, much more tighter than usual.

“You have no idea.” Kevin whispered huskily, his voice cracked. Before speaking any more, he cleared his throat and his hand on my back. “Please. Consider moving to South Korea.”

I nodded in his chest and prevented myself from soaking his dark polo with the tears that stung my eyes and begged for an exit. You can’t cry here, ____. You promised Kevin you wouldn’t cry. You promised. Don’t you dare break that promise! “Here.” His voice resonated. I pulled away from the embrace and found a silver ring on his palm.

“Don’t panic! Haha. I’m not proposing, just yet. It’s a promise ring. A promise that we will love each other and keep those feelings until we meet again. That we will forever be together.” Kevin inserted my finger into the ring and raised his right hand. “I have the same exact ring.” He smiled proudly and as the intercom announced the next flight, he landed his lips once more against my own.

“I love you.”

[End Of Flashback]

 He loved me so much he kept insisting to leave for training. Always so determined, wasn’t he? I rested my head against the cold surface of the wall and placed my clenched fist on the center of my chest. Every time a thought of him lingers into my mind, my heart will not cease to race rapidly. I…

“______. _______! _______!” The familiar voice filled my mind as I tried to sort out my thoughts. That voice… It must be a hallucination, I told myself. I walked back to the small kitchen and grabbed the Tylenol that was resting on the counter. I grabbed two pills and swallowed both. It can’t be. Knocking, some more knocking sounded the room. My head shot up to the window pane as the knocking came at a faster rate. Slowly, in fear, I took slow stride steps towards the window that was covered by the plain beige curtains. Gulp.

 Before laying a finger on the beige curtain, a gust of wind blew the curtains upwards, embracing my shoulders. I blinked in shock and brought myself to look through the dark window. W…what.

“_______!” The grown blond smiled as he waved with his free hand. He crouched on the black railing of the terrace, using only one hand to support his balance as the other hand scratched the back of his head. “Yo!” He grinned once more. Re..Ren. Is… is that you? I mentally asked him. He pouted and brushed his now-quite-long blond fringe away from his eyes. “I see, you still remember that I can read minds? I’m so glad that you haven’t forgotten about me, huh, you little squirt? You look… different. Can I come in? My is getting numb.” I laughed and shook my head.

“Come in.” I unlocked the window in hurry and offered him a seat. I haven’t seen him just as long as I haven’t seen Kevin. It’s been a while, Ren. I smiled and stared at the blond sip onto the Raisin Tree Tea. “Yah” He pouted. He pointed towards me with his cup and growled: “Have you lost your voice, or something?”

I shook my head and wiped the tears from my eyes. “I’m just so happy to see you.” I told him, clapping my hands together. “I have so many questions! How… how have you been, Renny?” He slammed the cup on the table and growled:

“YAH! St-stop, don’t call me that! You make me sound like a baby. You do know that we are the same age right? S-so!”

I patted his shoulder and smiled teasingly: “Yah. I’m just teasing you. You’re still the same.” Ren pouted angrily and flipped his fringe away from his eyes. He mumbled:

“You’re still the same as well, always teasing and picking on me.” I rolled my eyes and just laughed as I pour some more tea into his cup. I gazed at Ren’s forever-young skin. How could he look so young… Although… “I look manlier, don’t I?” He asked, winking. I rolled my eyes and pointed at him with my right index finger.

“Says the ‘man’ with long blond hair, that has already extended a bit over your shoulders. Soooo… manly.” I stuck his shoulder and crossed my arms. Ren rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair that was tied into a ponytail. He sighed and replied:

“I was planning to cut it short but I have no money.” He pouted. I smiled and offered to cut it for him. He smiled and nodded.

“How did you even know I was here?” I halted before entering the bathroom and turned around, gazing back at Ren in question. Ren stared back and gave out, once again, his most brightest smile. “You know… I’ve never forgotten about you, after all, you are my closest friend. Besides… the Starlite elders requested me to keep an eye on you. So I have.”

… Out of nowhere, you struck Ren with your fist, only to have him, dodge it and twist your arm, having your back against his chest. Without knowing, the tears fell. How… how you could you? Ren’s grip loosened as one tear landed on his arm.

Author’s POV

_____’s expression darkened as Ren held her to his chest, her back against him. How…how could he? Her words stung Ren’s ears and he didn’t understand what she meant. Ren’s hold slowly loosen as the cold wet tear fell onto his arm.

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Ren stuttered, his flustered expression shown no change on _____’s face: she was still hurt, lost and confused. Ren didn’t know how to react as he stayed there silent as a mute. Finally, breaking the barrier of silence, the blond asked: ____? Are you… what do you mean…? Her head shot up and she pushed him violently away from herself as Ren tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Why!?” She yelled, she yelled and her teeth gritted. “Why… Ren, why?” Minki stared at the trembling doll and watched her slide against the wall, sitting on the cold surface of the tiles. The tears kept coming. Minki looked around in many directions, searching for some sort of information on how to help such a broken woman.

“____-ah, I don’t understand. What… what have I do—“

The broken child ran towards Minki as she grasped his garments tightly. She cried within the cavity of his chest and with her free fist, pounded his shoulder over and over, repeating the same words over and over again: “Why? Why? Why did you…”

“Why did I wha--?”

“Why did you have to leave me? Have you watched over me and seen me how much I’ve missed all of you? Did you watch me look upon the stars, waiting for an answer? I… I wasn’t expecting Kevin to come back during his training but.. I at least expected for you… to come back. To tell me, everything is going to be okay. But you never…you never came. You left me. All…all alone.” Her nails dug into his white top as she dug her head within her long lost best friend’s chest.

Minki stayed silent and smiled sadly. His milk-white hand her short hair. You’ve been alone for too long, ____. He thought. I was too selfish and took too much pride, I didn’t even bother to come down to see you. I’m sorry. “…I’m sorry, ____-ah. I..”

“Just shut up.” She growled, choking in tears. “Just… shut up. Just stay here, like you used to.”

Minki nodded and held onto his close friend, his love that he could never acquire. “Okay,___. Sh…” He cooed. “Everything will be okay.”

I won’t leave you alone. How could I call myself a close friend when I could not even distinguish the bit of suffering within your heart? Mianhe. Everything will be okay. He’s coming. He’s coming back.

He’s coming back.

Author's note:

And it continues! If it seems so late, I have promised a chapter for New Years yet here we are 3 days later! I apologize. I just wanted to let yo uguys knwo that I will be starting school again on the 8th of January. Therefore, I might not be able to post as much (as if anything is new), so I apologize once more. I will try my best to though! Please be patient. And thank you for supporting me once again, my stars! Take care and stay awesome!