Yunho was sitting at his desk, reviewing some reports one last time when he heard a knocking sound from the door of his office. He took his feet off his desk and walked to the door.

“Donghae?” He said as he opened it, his eyes widening as he recognized his visitor.

“Hey hyung!” The man smiled and waved two beer cans. “I heard about your assignment to White Hall. Congrats!”

Yunho smiled back. “Come on in.”

Donghae stepped inside as he put his arm down. Yunho closed the door behind him. The younger man placed the bottles on the desk and sank into the chair on the visitor side of the desk with a sigh. “Man has this week been tough.”

“You can say that again.” Yunho sat down as well. He gestured to the bottles. “You couldn’t wait to let loose for the party tomorrow?” He asked with a smile. He was used to his friend’s impatience.

To his surprise, Donghae shook his head. “They’re here to entice courage into us,” he replied as he opened the cans.

“They’re only beer, Donghae. If you really wanted to let loose, you should have gotten whiskey or vodka.”

“Tsk tsk.  Hyung, I thought you knew every single line of the company’s policy.” Donghae slid one of the open cans across the desk.

“I know you’re not allowed to bring hard liquor. I still don’t understand why you chose this time to drink.” Yunho brought his can over. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Donghae pulled his can back after the cans clinked and took a large swallow. When he was breathing normally again, he leaned forward. “I knew you were on break, and the need to tell you has been eating at me all week.”

“Tell me what?”

“About my ex-girlfriend.”

Yunho fell silent at the Donghae’s mention of the touchy subject. He knew that Donghae would take any excuse to stop talking about difficult experience, including comments or interruptions.

Donghae took another sip and set the can on the desk. He sighed again as the metal clinked against the wood. “The first time I saw her was when I was walking in downtown of Bucheon. It was spring, and florists were opening again. I was walking to the farmer’s market, when I turned and I saw her. She was carrying a plant pot outside. When she turned her face to the sunlight, I was immediately entranced by the way her face glowed. She looked like a porcelain doll, but with softer angles, as if her face was made of silk trying to imitate the perfection of ceramics.”

“I watched her for a few more minutes. She brought some more plant pots out, straightening the labels, and gathered bouquets together to place them on the stall. The sun had risen far in the sky, but any urgency I had for that day disappeared. I was just so content watching her, even though there were really simple tasks and she wasn’t trying to attract attention by her movements.”

“Finally, she looked up. She stood up, a look of astonishment flitting across her eyes. She then asked in me in a soft voice if I was waiting, that she was sorry that it took her so long to set up.”

“She stopped talking when I took a bouquet of white orchids. Her eyes softened, so I knew she liked them. I took out my wallet and paid for them. On the label, I wrote down my phone number, and handed it to her. I know, it sounds like a cowardly move, but I was so struck by her that I just couldn’t stand her rejecting me face to face. Heck, I didn’t even know is she already had a boyfriend. I handed the bouquet to her, then walked away.”

“I confess, I did sneak a peek behind me after walking a few paces away. She was just standing there, in front of the store, holding that bouquet. She had been wearing a white tank and floral shorts, as if she was trying to blend in with the other plants and their white pots. But the small smile on her face made her stand out, as if she was the sun. It made my heart swell with hope.”

Yunho took another sip of his beer as his friend sat there, smiling at his memories. “Sounds incredible,” he whispered, feeling a pang of jealousy. Although he had always been interested in women, he had never been as captivated as his friend had been by his first love.

Donghae’s face crumbled. “She looked so perfect, but the truth was she was actually glue holding all the fragments of her world together. I…I couldn’t stand it after a few months, watching her struggle and suffer. I just felt so helpless, unmanly as she handled everything with this steel resolve that could compete with yours.” He shook his head. “I’m such a coward…I told her that I was leaving for Seoul for business, and that I didn’t think a long distance relationship would work, even if it was only a couple of miles away. I left her sobbing, collapsed into a heap on the ground. Just because I wasn’t strong as she was, I decided to place another burden, another bad memory on her.” He took in a deep breath. “She probably hasn’t forgiven me after all these years. I don’t blame her.”

Yunho cleared his throat. “You were young, and she was your first love. You didn’t know any better. Any one of us would have run away with such pressure and responsibility,” he said in a soft, reassuring voice.

“Still, could it still be true? That I am still a coward?” Donghae let out a heavy breath. “Hyung, I hope you never get compromised as I have.”

Yunho raised his can silently, and Donghae brought his can to meet it. They both drank down the rest of their drink in the afternoon that had turned so somber.

We are all but perfect, only members of humanity, no matter how immortal we think we are.