Sorry for another late update.
I've been caught up with research, trying to get to know how it feels and how should I write so you guys can get the feel I want to convey with this fic.
Idk if I manage to do it or not. Hopefully with the gradual enlightenment to the plot, you'll understand what happens.
(Although maybe you can guess already right now? Keke...)
Well, without much ado, enjoy

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Three consecutive light knocks came from behind the polished dark oak door before it was being pushed open. Her secretary in formal suit slipped into the room and bowed slightly.

“It’s lunch time, Miss. You need me to order something for you or you want to dine out?”

Sunny raised her head from the last agreement she need to sign. “Thanks, Juhyun, but no. I’m fine.”

The latter was silent, contemplating should she meddle with her boss’s business, but eventually said it,  “Should I make an appointment with your personal doctor? You’ve already been losing your appetite for ever since you’re back in the office again, and it’s three days already. You lost your weight and you have dark circles, Miss. You also look exhausted.”

Sunny raised her head again. She was thankful for her secretary’s concern, but she has no mood for chit chat with anybody at that moment nor she was in the mood for someone meddling into her personal life, altough she knew her secretary meant well. All she could think about was to work, work, work, and forget, forget, forget. The last part proved hard to be done, though.

"Thanks a lot for your concern, Juhyun, but no, I don't need any appointment with my doctor. I'll have my lunch later. Still have too many on my plate waiting to be done," she gestured the table on which bundles of internal documents were waiting for her approval. "So, if you'll excuse me." 

Nodded understandingly, although disapprovingly, Juhyun, her secretary retreated. She closed the door before her.

It was a week and three days after the night. The night she chose not to remember if she had the power to. The ugly purplish blotches faded, left only vague spots on her skin. All the visible physical wounds healed. Only the invisible was still cut open and bleeding. Her heart.

She stacked the last agreement she signed on the pile waiting to be resend. Heaving a deep sigh, the young lady of small stature leaned back on her dark brown leather high back office chair. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to get whatever little rest she barely had lately.

Perhaps, given that now is noon, I can close my eyes for a while without it haunting me like it did at night. She thought.

Oppa , no! Don’t! Please, Oppa, I beg you. . . Don’t. . . Aaaargh. . . Stop it! Please, Oppa, stop it. . . Sunny heard herself screaming inside her own head. That made her jolted awake in her seat. Her hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly until her knuckles turned white. Her breathing ragged, cold sweat broke. Help. . . Her trembling word echoed in her head.

She felt hot fluid came streaming down her cheeks. No sobbing, for she felt like she couldn't sob anymore. Just tears came pouring down. The brown haired woman rested her head on her palm trying to ease the pain in her head which was the result of sleepless nights and the throb in her heart which was the result of painful memory.

Just then, three light knocks on the door was heard, and Juhyun’s face came into view. “Sorry to disturb, Miss, but Ms. Sooyoung is outside, wanting to meet you.”

Keeping her position so her tears wouldn't be seen, she answered, “Send her in.” Sunny took the chance when her secretary slipped out of her office to wipe the tears on her face. Trying as much as she could to appear presentable.

“Yah, Sunny. Where have you been? You didn't reply to any of our text messages and you didn't answer your phone. Fany is as worried as sick, you know.  She kept calling me on Skype, asking me to just barge into your office. Luckily I tried your office again this morning, and your secretary confirmed that you are here,” scolded Sooyoung as she made her way into her office. The tall lady placed her handbag on one guest chair in front of Sunny’s desk and sat on another one.

“Sunny. . . were you crying?” she asked tentatively after seeing her short friend’s face. Sunny had erased the tears but the still wet eyelashes, slightly flushed face and her distressed expression told it all.

“No, I. . . just got something in my eyes,” she lied.

Sooyoung, not buying her words but decided not to push her just yet, titled her head in response. The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

“Why do you come here?” Sunny asked. She tidied up a pile of papers into a stack and set it aside.

“Is that how you greet your best friend who came a long way to see you, the ungrateful best friend who went MIA since last week?”

Sunny just shrugged her shoulder.

“So, your secretary told me you haven’t been eaten properly ever since you came back to office. You do look skinnier,” Sooyoung said, observing her petite friend who turned more petite than before.

“Sigh. . . that girl. . .”

“Hey, you should feel grateful for having a caring secretary.”

“I know. It’s just. . .”

“Tidy up your things," Sooyoung cut. "Let’s go to my cafe and eat there. Yuri and Yoona will be there too. We’re worried, you know. Let’s go.”

“Sigh. . . I don't want to go out,” said Sunny.

"Just tidy up, now," demanded Sooyoung.

"Sigh. . . I hate people ordering me to do things," the shorter one grumbled, but she tidied up her things nonetheless.

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the cafe. Yuri, who was already there some moments ago stood up on her seat and walked to Sunny’s direction. She hugged her short pal. “Yah, where have you been? You made us worry, you know.”

She hugged her back, gingerly. Indeed she missed her friends, and their hugs like this somehow gave her comfort to her sore heart, but there were mixed feeling tugging on her heart. She felt guilty because she couldn't confide to these people whom she considered a family. She felt dirty, afraid to contaminate the people she loved.

“I know. I'm sorry," she mumbled before letting Yuri go.

“I’m going to the kitchen to order our lunch and check on my crew. You guys sit first,” said Sooyoung. Smiling, she made her stride to the kitchen.

"How are you doing?" Yuri started the conversation.

Sunny just smiled, "I'm fine."

"Sunny-ah," Yuri glanced at Sunny. She tried to see into her eyes, but the latter kept averting her gaze. Yuri raised one of her eyebrows, finding her friend's behavior was rather unusual. She sighed.

"Yah, don't go MIA again. You really make us worry about you," Yuri knocked her short friend's head, trying to act normal. "Taeng and Fany have been nagging me about you for the whole week. You know how annoying that is, right?"

"I told her about it. Gosh, I'll show you my Kakao and Skype. They went crazy, you know," Sooyoung added suddenly, sliding on an empty chair across Sunny. She has returned from the kitchen after making sure her crew did well.

"So, care to share where have you been and what did you do?" Sooyoung asked as a waiter came to them, standing in between Yuri and her, distributing the juices that Sooyoung ordered for them.

"Oh my God, you two are like a broken radio, keep asking the same question. Nowhere, nothing."

She waited until the waiter finished her task and returned to her post. "Just being at home."

"Which home are you talking about? Parents', your apartment or Sungmin oppa's? Since we couldn't reach you on all those places." Sooyoung chimed in.

"In fact, Sungmin oppa called me several times asking your whereabouts. What's happening, Sunny-ah?" asked Yuri again.

Sunny on the other hand, froze on her seat. She tried to avoid that name. She tried to avoid having such discussion with her family after she confessed about their current status. And she felt like to avoid the same discussion with her friends right now.

She was in a trance. Unconsciously gripped the glass of juice tightly, turning her nails white on its tips, until Yuri tapped her upper arm.

"Sunny-ah, what's wrong with you?"

"Um... I-I... I mean, I wasn't in Seoul. I went to... Jeju," she lied.

The truth was, she confined herself in her apartment. She heard all the buzzers from her sisters and friends. She even hid once when Sungmin entered her apartment using his spare key to look for her. She denied every phone calls that came into her phone cell and her apartment number, and only answered short replies whenever her family texted. She hid from world and finally came out for the sake of her family who were worried sick about her weird behavior.

She could see Yuri exchanging glances with Sooyoung and the taller one raised one of her eyebrows. They didn't seem to buy what she has said. However her friends didn't press further about that.

"By the way, I heard from your mother that you broke up with Sungmin oppa. Care to share?" asked Yuri carefully.

Sunny hung her head low. "I-I did break up with him, to reason that I cannot tell you just now," she threaded her words slowly.

Sooyoung sighed loudly, "Yah, it's okay if you don't want to tell us now. But at least tell your mother the reason. She's been worried sick, you know, calling us several times just to ask if we know anything about your break up. She wanted to know why, because she regarded Sungmin as her son already, although she said she would support your decision no matter what. And she mentioned you seemed so depressed the last time you visited your parents' house. This isn't like you, Sunny. I know you've been with Sungmin oppa for a very long time. But getting so depressed and secretive over breaking up is so not you. You make us all worry, you know, when we couldn't even reach you in any way. We thought something bad happened to you, if only your mom didn't say that you still replied to her text messages occasionally."

"S'young-ah," Yuri reprimanded her. She threw Sooyoung don't-push-it-just-yet look. Sooyung held back her tongue, although involuntarily since she still had some issues she wanted to let out.

"Sorry to ask you this, but did you really clear up everything between you two and get a proper closure? You and Sungmin oppa, I mean," Yuri asked again. "He called me like every day last week asking about you. I even met him once. Bumped into him in convenient store. He was a mess, Sunny. You know, unshaven, disheveled, eye bags, every thing. I heard from Kyuhyun oppa that he was evicted from his apartment two days ago. The bank started to claim his assets. For now, he's staying at her mom's house, Kyuhyun oppa said."

Sunny was not answering. She just kept quiet. Her face was rather expressionless and that made her three friends shivered somehow. They knew that Sunny was not herself, but they could do nothing for her aid.

As in cue, the same waiter came back, carrying their lunch. It was different pasta for each of them. "These are our new recipes. Try it out and give me your commentaries, okay," said Sooyoung.

The waiter went in round to place the plate right in front of his customers. After he put down Sunny's plate, his hand accidentally brushed Sunny's hand which were on the edge of the table. As if being electrocuted, Sunny jolted on her seat, sending her chair creaked backward noisily. The glass of water near her hand knocked off the table, sending a loud shattering sound to the whole cafe, water spilled every where, even to her lap. She held her hand where it touched the waiter's hand, her eyes wide and her expression horrified.

"Sunny-ah," Yuri stood up in instant to help when she noticed that there was no movement from Sunny whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, Miss. So sorry," the waiter bowed apologetically. He stole glances several times to Sooyoung's direction, afraid if he might lose his job that day.

However, his boss was just staring confusedly at her best friend, trying to analyse what was happening and why. She finally spoke, briefly looking at her employee, "It's okay, Heejun. Please clear up the mess. Be careful of the shards, okay."

The young guy breathed out relief sigh. He nodded his head and quickly went to the storage room to get the cleaning utilities.

"Sunny-ah, are you feeling unwell?" Yuri asked while wiping Sunny's lap. She noticed her trembling body. "Do you want us to take you to the doctor?"

"No. No need. I'm fine," Sunny answered quickly without locking eyes with any of her friends. She took the napkin from Yuri's hand, "Thanks, Yuri-ah. Let's just eat, shall we? Sorry for the glass and the mess, Syoung-ah."

"It's okay. Don't worry," said Sooyoung. She cast a look to Yuri. "Let's eat, guys,"

Sunny was quiet for the rest of their lunch, and the two friends didn't want to push her, nor they knew how to push the words out of anyway, so they decided to just leave it there. At least for today. It was good already that they were able to find her back.

***

Sungmin stared at the ceiling of his room as he was laying on his bed. It was the house that his mother bought as an investment in Korea. Not so big, but not so small either.

His mother was not in Korea. In fact, she hadn't returned to her homeland for nearly 5 years. Regarding to his business that went astray, his mother funded it a little, along with the bank loan.

It has occurred in his mind to fly back to America and ask his mother for help. However, he could not defeat his pride. He could not imagine himself reporting his failure to his mom, someone who was as perfectionist and as demanded as him mom. Besides, he would rather solve his problem himself rather than returning to his mother. For him, it showed how weak he was, and how he loathed being weak.

"Sunny-ah. . . Where are you?" he muttered into the empty room.

He repositioned his sitting on the bed, grabbed another can of beer and opened it. It cracked open with soft hissing sound. Sungmin sent the can half empty in one gulp before he got up. The world around him spun, making him wobbled. He put the half empty can on the low cabinet beside him.

How many did I drink? He asked himself as he made his way to the bathroom. The tipsy guy stumbled on one of empty beer cans which were scattered on the floor, sending it clatter a meter away. He paid no attention to it.

Tracing the bathroom door and wall, he entered the narrow room. The bathroom only contained a toilet, sink and a little more of a meter square showering area. Just an ordinary bathroom. Even smaller than the one in his apartment before.

He turned his body to face the mirror and snorted into it. "Pfft, Lee Sungmin, how pathetic you are."

He stared into his own reflection in the mirror before buckling his knees, sliding down into squatting position. He let his softly hit the floor with a thud, folded his legs and hugged it like a baby in a womb. A sitting position which he developed since childhood and in which he felt somehow safe, especially in time of distress.

"Sunny-ah, where are you? I miss you. I need you. . ." he finally let his tears fell down. "I want to apologize to you. I'm sorry, Bunny. . . I really am. Come back to me please. . . Let me fix everything."

He was crying, and in his mind, he knew crying was another sign of weakness. However he could not stop himself. Losing Sunny was the last thing that he could imagine. He was used to her being next to him to support him, to encourage him, simply just to make him happy. She was like his last strand of sanity, a piece that held him together all these time. And yet, he hurt her, a lot.

Ironically, no matter how he was telling him head to not let her go, he fully understood that it was perhaps inevitable for what he did was unforgivable thus there was no reason for her to stay by his side. Not that he wished to be forgiven anyway, for he swore that he would carry the guilt forever, even into his tomb.

"I'm sorry. . ." was all he could mutter right now.

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Again, I want to thank my readers for reading.
Commentaries are always welcome :)