Just like any another days, SeoRoro Cake Shop, that she named her own cake store –sounds childish, isn’t it? That’s Seohyun– was opened to spoil lots of costumer’s tongue of the sweet and yummy cakes that it’s delivered. It was still 9 in the morning when Seohyun decided to clean some dirty plates in the sink which haven’t cleaned yesterday due she was not feeling well last night.

            Clink.

            The bell in the main door was echoing through the shop signing another costumer was in. Or maybe not the costumer.

            “Hey babe!” Kai exclaimed happily as soon as he stepped his step in the store, made the citizen in this small store glared at this punk’s cheerfulness which somehow made people irritated, scared and impressed like one of a patient from lunatic asylum was successfully run off.

            Seohyun threw a cute tantrum, stomping her feet in irritated with the arrival of her boyfriend, “Just make your way out from my shop if you still couldn’t enter in with peace.” She began to scold over her boyfriend with hands around waist. Typical of ahjumma, Kai thought.

            “Geez, take it easy, honey.” He nudged her hand lightly as a wink showed up from his innocent face,

            The atmosphere back to normal after a couple of minutes, continues into the sounds of girls gossiping, a laugh of family, and just sounds of people chewing their cakes. Seohyun then dried her wet hands with the pink towel as she paid her attention back to the soon-to-be-cake in the oven.

            “Baby, can you get that pie from the oven? I’m going to buy some cherries outside.” She commended as she made her way out from the shop.

            He got the pie out from its oven and don’t know what to do anymore. He then played with an apple in the basket near his hand, threw it into the air and caught it back before finally bite that apple. He let a hard guffaw realizing how cool he is with that eat style. His laughed haven’t faded yet when suddenly his eyes caught an odd view.

            He stared at it.

            His heart beats crazily like it wants to run away from his chest.

            Slowly his temples flew a sweat, his eyes were glued by the thing that stand on the table which actually be leaned on a flower vase. 

            “It can’t be happen..” He mumbled under his consciousness, “He has gone. He can be returned!” He yelped over it and he took some steps back to keep his distance from that thing. Like it named, it just a thing after all but ‘this thing’ has a dark memories for Kai. The memories seem like come attack him.  He could feel his head spinning around. It’s been a long time.

*

           Kai was still held his mind to stop arguing when suddenly Seohyun came to the kitchen. He immediately shifted his gaze to somewhere but she had caught him and she stepped up to him with suspicious eyes on.

           “Wae?” She bluntly asked,

           “A-ani.. It just..” He stopped, let a hard sigh to get ready asking the question, “Where did you get it?” His voice was so serious and cold like something want to be hidden.

           She moved her eyes to the sketch on the table which only few meters away from them. She smiled, “Why? Why so shy to see it? I like it anyway.”

           She back to normal, realize that there’s nothing wrong with him as she walked towards the sketch that she leaned on a flower vase and grabbed it cautiously, “You said you would rather do photograph but why suddenly sent me this? How sweet,” She admired in every scratch of pencil which so lifelike,

            He gulped his saliva with wide-eyed as he tried to smile at her. He took a few steps forward to scrutinize the sketch along with her. He was not wrong. He was like stop breathing. The same initial still exist.

           “Did someone give you this?” He tried so hard to sounds normal,

           “Yeah, you entrust my little sister to give me this, don’t you? Honey, are you okay? Are you sick? You act strange today,” She cupped his cheeks. Yes he definitely not okay. His face was pale, his brain seemed like wanting to burst by this tiring kind of game which no one played, only his mind which know the rules of this guilty dream.

            He directly turned around his body and took his biggest step out from the shop, leaving the flustered Seohyun alone in the kitchen.

*

            His eyes shoot towards a little girl in ponytail, laughing on her jumped up and down on a small trampoline.

            He exclaimed her name as she automatically stop jumping, looking for the sound source that calling for her name. She kept twirling her body to make sure her eyes browsed every spot in this yard of kindergarten but couldn't find one until she stop her eyes on a familiar figure she used to spoil at.

            Her eyes showed a cute eye-smile as a happy smile alternately comes. She immediately ran towards him with a giggle on. She hugged his waist, the uppermost part that she could reach to be hugged due her height.

            “Oppa,” She called him happily in her hug but he remained silent and not thinking to hug her back, she broke the hug and blinked her eyes two times at once feeling a bit confused by his cold reaction. He usually rushed over for her and snatched her in mid air, twirling her around on the air and ended up carry her on his arm like his own little sister but now he's acting like a cold stranger.

            He brought her walking to the edge of the yard as she tilted her head up to peek a see on his face. She began to pout in confused in her own way as she scratched her temple with her index finger such a little girl that act mature like she got in a Korean Drama she watched yesterday along with her eonni.

            They stopped walking when they reach a front side of a bench made by wood. He helped her to take a seat on it while he still stood before her. Look direct onto her eyes which made her fear somehow.

            “Is he the one that gave you that sketch? Why did you accept it? Don't you know how weird it could be? Why did you make me scared to hell, Seo Joo Kyung? Why?!” His voice kept rising higher in every question he threw and became a loud of shout at the end. She looked at him in scare and so did he. Inside his little heart, he is scared. He is the fearful one.

            He turned around his body and walked a few steps away from where she sitting as he kneading his head that feels like broken into pieces. “I know I was wrong but that's all for her sakes. You shouldn't make me feel guilty like this because I do love her so why haunting me like I'm a murderer? You know it's hard for me to fall in love and this one I take it serious, why did you get me a headache, buddy?” He scolded which actually more like a bark to no one in the world,

            He breathed repeatedly after holding it in his lungs for throwing all of his anger in purpose to release all these pain of feelings.

            He turned back to her who silently watching him acts strange.

            “Tell me, Joo Kyung, tell me I did good in this. Tell me that he was grateful of me. Tell me I'm a good guy. Tell me that I can be the best for your sister and you. Tell me I'm not a traitor. Tell me that this is just a dream. Please tell me, Seo Joo Kyung!” He shook her shoulder like she could understand everything that he said.

            Another sweat flowing from his temple, he's scared. Everybody can see it. Not only an adult, even a five years old kid like Joo Kyung can see it all too well.

            She stared at his strangeness innocently yet her eyes showed a worry gaze which make him guilty and broken even more. He isn't like her oppa that she used to know. She knew him too well and she could understand that he isn't like his usual, he is different. His aura changed, unlike the funny and caring Kai. Something caused him like this, something that might be so dark for him, some kinds of memories that he wants to lock in the corner of his mind, something which wrong.

            “Oppa, gwaenchana?” She asked after a long time being a silent because of the top of her afraidness by Kai's treatment. Her soft voice and innocent question of five years old kid was like a hard slap for him. His heart stop pounding, he was like being awaken after a long coma, yet awaken in the other world. His gaze was empty. His mind was dropped by everything. He turned into a human without soul. Both his patella were limp. His knee collapsed against the cold hard ground. He was taken aback.

            He tried so hard to inhale some air but it stopped in his lungs every times he convinces his mind that this all is just a dream. But no, it wasn't at all.

           “Just tell me please my dear, Is it him?” He asked again but this time more like a beg for a crosswise answer of hers,

           She looked at his brown eyeball as she threw a gaze that make him disappointed a little, an honest and pure gaze. She slowly nodded her head in the middle of his finger her head tenderly.

           He sighed.

           “My savior gave me that,” She spoke up to complete her little nod,

           It's clear.

           His face turned back into a pale and his heart was like wanting to get out from his chest, “It can't be. He will not return.” His head was overwhelmed as he let it fall, hanging on his neck bone.

           He slowly grabbed Joo Kyung's little arm that she hide in her pockets' pink dress as he made her palms cupped his cheeks. He hopes to wake up now and end up this tiring dream of impossibility.