CHO KYUHYUN'S POV

It was around 5pm when the others started waking up. We decided to eat at the villa and grill samgyeopsal instead of dining out.

I helped Sulli in setting up the outdoor table while the others where inside, preparing the ingredients. Heechul was also outside, heating up the grill. 

"Hey Sul." I said.

"Yeah?"

"Is Vic in a relationship?" I asked.

"Huh? Why'd you ask?" Sulli said, raising her eyebrows at me.

"Well, I accidentally heard her this afternoon while she was skype-ing someone. She said "I miss you" and "I love you" to the person she was talking to." I said.

"Did you hear the voice of the person she was talking to?" Heechul intervened.

"No. She was wearing earphones." I answered. "She also said something about her flight next week. It must be a foreign boyfriend, don't you think?" 

"The only flight I know Vic is taking next week is a flight to China. She's going to Shiandong to visit her family. It's probably her mom she's talking to, she usually says I love you and I miss you whenever she's on the phone with her mom." Sulli explained.

"Yeah. Vic's very clingy to her mom. She keeps on saying that she can't wait to give her a hug. I hear her say it all the time." Heechul said.

"Anyway, why are you asking?" Sulli eyed me.

"Just curious." I said.

"Really?" Sulli eyebrows were arched higher this time.

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not it Ssul." 

"What do you think am I thinking?" Sulli pressed on.

"I was just asking coz I heard her!" I exclaimed.

"Heard who?" We all turned around to see Qian, pork belly on one hand.

"No one." I quickly said. Sulli was about to protest but I gave her a quick look.

"Oh is that the pork belly?" I asked.

"Obviously, Cho Kyuhyun." Qian rolled her eyes at me and gave the meat to Heechul to cook.

 

SONG QIAN'S POV

"Kyuhyun's a little weird." I said to Amber while we were washing the lettuce for our samgyeopsal dinner.

"Why?" Amber asked.

"He keeps on following me and asking to help me with every single thing I do. He literally asked if I needed help pouring water." I said.

"Maybe he's starting to like you again." Amber said.

"C'mon Amber. That's impossible." I said.

"Well, we did see him stare at you while we were at the sea, and now he's tailing you around." Amber said.

"He's probably up to something. Maybe another prank?" 

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want a repeat of yesterday." Amber said. Donghae and Kyuhyun suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey! What are you guys talking about?" Donghae asked.

"None of your business." Amber said.

"Yeobo." Donghae trailed, looking like a hurt puppy.

"Qian, do you need help with that?" Kyuhyun said as I was placing the washed vegetables on a plate.

"I'm literally just placing them on a plate." I said to him.

"Yeah but..." Kyuhyun trailed. 

"What?"

"I just want to help." He said.

"Kyuhyun, if you're being nice because of yesterday's happening. I told you, I forgive you for the prank and everything's fine. Quit being nice you're freaking me out." I said.

"Hey! I'm always nice." Kyuhyun protested.

"Since when?" Donghae snickered. "Hey guys, Kyuhyun said he's always nice. What a joke."

"Yah." Kyuhyun exclaimed.

Everyone started laughing.

"If Kyuhyun's nice then it's probably the end of the world." Taemin said.

"Dude, do you have any idea how many pranks we had to go through in our college years because of you?" Nichkhun laughed.

"Being around Kyuhyun when he's scheming a prank is worse than my hardship in my military enlistment." Minho joked. 

"Yah guys. I thought we were friends." Kyuhyun pouted.

"Only when you don't play pranks on everyone of us." Donghae laughed.

"Seriously though, Kyuhyun. You play a lot of pranks." Taemin said.

"Yah that's no--" Kyuhyun was cut off by Heechul.

"Yah! Time to eat!" 

We all went outside to eat. Heechul was still grilling but Sulli was giving him Samgyeopsal wraps so he wasn't really starved.

"Remember that time when Minho had to go buy a phone just a few days after he bought a new one because Kyuhyun scared him?" Taemin said.

"Yeah. I remember. My dad was so mad at me." Minho said, shaking his head.

"Yah. How was I supposed to know that you'd throw your phone on the balcony?" Kyuhyun protested.

"I ACCIDENTALLY threw my phone on the balcony because you suddenly jumped me from behind. It's just reflex because you startled me." Minho said.

"Okay fine. My bad." Kyuhyun laughed.

"How about that time Heechul broke his arm?" Amber said.

"I almost forgot about that! Man, Kyuhyun, you were really hardcore back in college." Heechul said.

"Hey, not my fault he got trapped between the elevator doors. He was too slow." Kyuhyun laughed.

"Yah" Heechul exclaimed jokingly.

"And Heechul, it's not like you're that good too. You were so talkative back then. You'd spill every single thing to almost anyone." Kyuhyun said.

"Yeah, I remember when I told Heechul that Amber was having a pregnancy scare, Donghae suddenly showed up at our apartment and was pleading to Amber to marry her." I said.

"Yeah. Turns out I was just really stressed with school." Amber laughed.

"I was so scared." Donghae laughed as we all did.

"Also that rumour that Minho was sleeping with one of our professors!" Nichkhun exclaimed.

"Yah!" Minho protested. "let's forget about that." 

"Turns out it wasn't just groundless rumour!" Taemin laughed.

"I had to pass okay? And she was hitting one me and it doesn't hurt that she was pretty." Minho shrugged.

"Oh my god, Minho. That's so gross." Sulli said as she threw her tissue at Minho.

"Heechul is still that talkative." I said.

"Not as much as before." Heechul exclaimed.

"You're just as bad!" Sulli said.

"How?" Amber said.

"Well, we held this dinner party for the firm. If we introduced one lawyer to him, he'd be like "Oh so you're Jin Hee? The one with the seriously annoying voice?"" I said.

"Oh my god, Vic and I were so embarrassed." Sulli said as she covered her face in dismay.

"These girls are backstabbing lawyers." Heehul said as she pointed me and Sulli.

"Yah jinja!" Sulli and I both exclaimed, throwing pieces of lettuce at him.

The rest of our dinner was chaotic, funny and full of reminiscing. After eating we played rock paper scissors to determine who should do the dishes afterward. I lost and so did Kyuhyun.

"I can do them myself." I said.

"No, I'll help." He insisted. He stacked all the plates as I collected the chopsticks, spoons and the paper cups.

I the faucet and started washing the plates as Kyuhyun threw all the garbage.

"I can't believe I'm seeing Cho Kyuhyun do chores." I laughed.

"Yeah, Who would have thought? Me holding a rag?" He chimed in as he got a dish rag. 

"You look awfully domestic." I said. 

He smirked and started wiping the dishes I've washed. 

"So, I heard from Sulli that you took a gap year before entering law school?" He said.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Why?" I tensed a bit at his question.

"I went back to China. I wanted to spend time away from Korea for a while." I said.

"Was it because of me?" Kyuhyun said.

"Kyuhyun, I really don't want to talk about it." I said as I finished washing the dishes.

"Qian, I really am sorry for what happened between us. I kept beating myself over it. I was really stupid." He said.

"Don't you think you're 6 years too late with that apology?" I smirked, trying to control tears that were verging to fall.

"Yeah, I know. I was about to apologize at our graduation but, you were obviously avoiding me. After we took the group photo you quickly disappeared. I tried contacting you for weeks after that but I couldn't reach you. Sulli doesn't know where you were then, nobody did. It was just like you disappeared from everyone. Then a year after that, Sulli said you're in law school with her. I thought I'd probably see you again, but you never showed up when the group gets together." I stared at Kyuhyun as he explained. I was holding back tears and I was feeling confused. 

"Kyuhyun, what are you trying to get at?" I exhaled, feeling exhausted because of the surging emotions.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm really sorry, Qian. I was young, and stupid and was very scared." He said, looking down. 

"Scared of what? Me?" I exclaimed, my voice raising.

"Yes! You!" Kyuhyun exclaimed, matching the rise in my voice. "I was so scared because I realized that we were entering the real world. We're no longer going to be caged inside the university, we're no longer students, we're no longer carefree teenagers that didn't have a care in the world. We were adults and we were about to face the harsh reality of life and I was so scared and confused of what that might do to the two of us. Our relationship was very serious. While we were studying it was okay because I felt like I can achieve your expectations of me. I wasn't a loser in school and I excelled in class just as much as you did. But I realized that none of that mattered once we graduated. You had this big big plans for yourself. Law school, then building your own law firm. You were sure of what you wanted. I felt like I was lacking because I had no idea what I was going to do after college. I didn't want to be your baggage. The lacking boyfriend of the ambitious and driven Song Qian."

Kyuhyun was breathless. I stared at him dumb founded. 

"You said, you didn't love me anymore. That was why you broke up with me." I said.

"It was a lie. I was just embarrassed to admit that I was scared and that I had ego issues back then." He said.

"You could've just told me. I would never consider you as baggage. I loved you so I can accept you for whoever you are."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just really stupid back then." Kyuhyun said, he had his head down as he shook them in dismay.

I slowly walked towards Kyuhyun. He was alittle surprised when he lifted his head up, but his expression immediately mellowed. I engulfed Kyuhyun into a hug before I could even stop myself. I felt him wrap his arms around me tightly as he inhaled my scent.

"It's okay, Kyuhyun. It's okay now."

And for the first time in 6 years, it really is okay now.