*It's been so long~ . I don't think i can finish this in one post, and as always, me being lazy XD /sigh/ So i'm gonna divide this into parts*

And here is...

Part I

“Oi, bastard. You better get up now before I tell boss you’re slacking off again,” Youngjae’s voice taut over the phone. Daehyun hummed lazily, eyes stayed closed as he pulled the navy blue comforter over his chest, shivering a little to the cold.

“Jung Daehyun!”

“I get it I get it, aishhh…” he rolled to his right side, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. “Five minutes,” he said, voice hoarse coated thick with sleep before he ended the call and pulled out the battery. It’s ing Saturday, he need some sleep after all those staying up late at night studying for final exam but now that the exam has ended, he still have to work on weekend.

What is life again?

There was few knocks on his door before his mother’s voice came half-screaming, loud and annoying telling him to wake up again and again. “Daehyunnn, you’ll be late for workkkk! Wake up, sleepyhead!” He finally groaned and gathered himself up after being patient to the ‘sweet’ wake up song for about 2 minutes.

“I’m up, I’m up!” he yelled, and he imagined Mrs. Jung smiled proudly (more like evilly) before she stopped shouting and walked back down the stairs to prepare for breakfast.

In the bathroom, Daehyun sighed as he looked up to his swollen face when he brushed his teeth. Well, that’s what you get for eating two bowls of jajangmyun late at night and stayed up all night for movies.

Life is great. Life’s still great…

“I don’t understand why you want to work when obviously you don’t need to,” Youngjae sighed as he wiped Table 5 with a wet washcloth after the customer left. He gathered all the dirty plate on the table onto a tray. “I mean, your step-father has enough money to support your study and everything”

“Say the eldest son of Jaehwa Group…” Daehyun didn’t look at his friend and continue focusing on cleaning Table 7.

Youngjae rolled his eyes. “I was forced, okay. That old man said I’m not matured enough and he said I need to learn to be independent,” Youngjae pretended to felt hurt in which of course, Daehyun ignored to.

“I just hate to be a burden…” he muttered slowly, but Youngjae heard him.

It has past eleven and their boss, Mr. Cha Hakyeon, told them to flip the ‘OPEN’ sign to ‘CLOSED’. Daehyun was glad the day was about to over.

“Thank you for your hard work today, guys. I know it supposed to be your holiday but I’m glad that all of you still chose to be with me. I love you~” the said man threw hearts and Daehyun cringed in disgust.

Mr. Cha Hakyeon is fine, Daehyun figured after the first five days that he worked under him last spring, enduring confusion and fighting mouth-gaping incident.  He loves to talk, like really loves to talk to the point where some regular customer call him ahjumma –not that he cares, but Mr. Cha Hakyeon seems pleased with the nickname and Daehyun can only forces himself to get used to so much noises in his life.

Taekwoon and Jaehwan came out from the kitchen, ready to leave since they have finished cleaning the kitchen. They were the one who does the cooking for the small restaurant, Mr. Cha’s precious employees. “Ah, boss, hyung, we wanted to say something before you leave,” Youngjae spoke carefully, looking at Daehyun and back to their boss.

“We would like to ask for a favor. Err…”

“We want to take one hours off from work tomorrow,” Daehyun interrupted seeing Youngjae hesitated.

“Oh, tomorrow? Specifically at what time?”

“Tomorrow night. Maybe around 7 to 8?”

Mr. Cha looked at Taekwoon and Jaehwan and they shrugged so Mr. Cha shrugged too. “Okay. I think we’ll manage. But if I may know the reason why?”

Youngjae and Daehyun looked at each other. Daehyun smiled. “Tomorrow is our friend’s death anniversary.”

“Yah Naeun-ah, wake up baby”

Heavy eyelid slowly creased open at the hoarse voice outside her dream. Big hands squeezing her smaller fingers and Naeun let consciousness took over her a little bit more before she groaned in dissatisfaction for the disturbed sleep.

“I think you drooled over my shoulder, Naeun…” and when he glanced over, he yelled. “Yucks, I have saliva on my sweater!”

Hearing that, Naeun raised her head quickly as she tried to call back her memories that blurred when she was asleep from her surroundings, shamelessly wiping her drool with the back of her hand. “Ahh… Mianhae~” she said, she could not bring herself to care.

Sehun replied with an indifferent glare. Naeun ignored him. “Are we there yet?”

The man sighed, but chose not to be a child so he just shrugged it off. “Yeah… somehow…” Sehun shifted his position a little so that he’s facing her, chuckling when he did. “You are really ugly, you know,” he said before he brought his hands up to fix her hair so that she did not look too much like a homeless people. She was too tired to start another argument.

“You love me anyway,” she said carelessly before the plane shook a little bit as the wheel touched the ground. She squirmed in her place excitedly, “Ahh~ it’s been so long. I can’t wait to see him~” she said, turning around to look outside the window anxiously.

Sehun smiled silently while looking at her being childish. She has been fussing about going back to her hometown since the last two week, being all giddy and girlish (girlish and Naeun should not sit together in one sentence).

Sehun remembered seeing her running towards him during lunch, grinning happily as she launched over him and he really could not bring himself to say no when she excitedly said “Sehun-ah! You’re coming home with me! You must come home with me this winter break! I’ll show you around my hometown and we can play together and you’ll get to meet your hyung and I won’t be bored alone!”

So that was how he came to sit next to the girl on a plane flying anywhere but not his home for the winter break.

“We’ll be out for about an hour, boss,” Youngjae said, putting the tray with dirty dishes on the counter. Mr. Cha raised his head from his phone, and looked around the shop. “Yeah, sure. We don’t have that many customer tonight anyway. Don’t worry I got everything under cover, I still have Jaehwan and Taekwoon helping me, so… off you go~”

Daehyun joined them at the counter, putting on his black parka and greeted the boss. “I don’t think it would take too long,” glancing at his wristwatch, “…people should have been gone by now.”

“Yahh last year we went, there was a lot of people who came…”

“Most of it are his ‘girl friends’ anyway. He’s a playboy, remember...”

“Yah yah yah, are we done here? Let’s go,” Youngjae dragged Daehyun by putting an arm around his shoulder. “We’ll be back, boss!” he waved and out of the shop.

“Kkennnnnn~ make me a latte, please,” Mr. Cha yelled to the kitchen and went back to texting his mother, arguing about Christmas presents.  He shivered a little when the two boys opened the door long enough to let the winter breeze slip past through it.

“Ahh, its cold…”

“Yah… Shouldn’t we at least bring flowers to him?” Youngjae broke the silence as they walked past through the occupied street, hands in the pockets and tried to fight the cold in his feet. “Aisshh why is it so cold, tonight…”

Daehyun was silent. Youngjae snorted away the awkwardness. “Are you thinking about her?”

Daehyun sighed, a puffed of white air formed visibly as he exhale. This walk is tiring…

Youngjae rubbed his friend’s back, an act of sorry and sympathy. “I heard she did come home last year, but she only stayed for a week…”

“I know… Jiyeon told me. Well, technically Himchan told me that he heard from her…”

“You knewww?” Youngjae was shocked. He was trying to hide the information when he learned it because “Did you get to meet her?” he asked, curiosity sparkled in his eyes.

Daehyun was silent again.  The answer was pretty much guessed. And Youngjae chose not to drag the subject.

“Hey Lu~!” she beamed the moment she arrived. Sehun rolled his eyes from behind her, rubbing his hands together to chase away the cold before putting them back in the pocket. “You like him that much huh?”

“That ‘him’ was my boyfriend, excuse me,” Naeun kept on smiling like an idiot without taking her gaze off from the name carved on the gravestone. Naeun put the bouquet of daffodil on the many flowers on the grave. Sehun smiled secretly and stood beside her. “Hyung, because of you I have to come to the cemetery the moment I arrived here aishhh. I haven’t even eat dinner.”

Naeun smacked his head playfully, “Pay some respect to your hyung, will you?”

“Ouch! Yahh!” he was just about to pay back some of the pain (she’s an abuser) when she clasped her hand together and closed her eyes. All hint of laughter and jokes disappeared. She was smiling a sad smile, he stared for a while before Sehun lowered his head and closed his eyes too.

‘It’s been so long since we last met each other …hyung. I miss you. She misses you more. But I’m taking good care of her so don’t worry. Rest well.’

The winter wind blew past them, causing them to shiver and fidget. The cemetery was dark, the sun has just set, only few lights accompanied them. It started to get more eerie when Sehun looked around. And it’s getting cold.

“Noona. I’m hungry”

Naeun smiled and opened her eyes. “Eww… who’s your noona?!”

“Daehyun-ah, let’s take the taxi back to the restaurant,” Youngjae rubbed his gloved fingers furiously. “I’m freezing here.”

“But the restaurant is only 15 minutes away,” he looked disapprovingly at his friend. They came by walking and has stood by the grave for few more minutes than they expected, reminiscing old times. The night has been calm, but the cold is killing they didn’t realize they were shivering till they came out from the cemetery.

“Let’s just take the taxi!” Youngjae begged, feet moving nonstop to generate heat.

“But…” Daehyun wanted to protest but he saw a taxi coming their way oh-so-lucky he quickly waved the taxi to stop. Youngjae smirked in satisfaction as he trailed behind his friend to the heater provided inside the vehicle. “I told you we’re freezing.”

When they walked back into the restaurant, Daehyun really froze at the entrance door, causing Youngjae to bump into his back. The smile that he wore few seconds back was gone, replaced with an expression of mixed emotion that cancel off each other Daehyun was left with an emotionless frown. His body stiffen as his fingers curled, forming a fist.

Youngjae was just about to snap and asked what’s wrong when he followed Daehyun’s eyes to the woman sitting and smiling happily at one of the table inside the restaurant. He gulped in shock at the sight before him because it seemed too real to be a dream but it’s been two years since he last saw her and he was no longer sure if he remember how she looked like if it’s not for Daehyun’s desktop picture.

“Naeun?”

He was too obvious and it was hard to ignore when a man stares at you as if he wants to tore you apart and she almost choke herself when their eyes met for an electrifying second

It was very hard actually to ignore, the stare that could bore a tunnel and the intensified glare thrown by that particular waiter with a dyed brown hair down her way. Naeun took another sip of the warm green tea, careful not to choke this time because she really did choke few minutes ago. She decided not to embarrass herself anymore and to do that, she needed to focus her attention to the man in front of her, who at the time was focusing on finishing his ordered samgyetang.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything?” Sehun asked after another hungry spoon of the soup. Naeun shook her head. She was hungry, and she was just about to order some rice and chicken when he heard the waiter who was taking the order suddenly greeted someone at the door.

“Oh, Daehyun-ah! You’ve come back. Get to work now,” and Naeun eyes widened at the mention of the name. Her legs go weak and she was sure her heart rate goes wild and unhealthy. She doubt her ears but when she slowly turned her gaze towards the man and their eyes met, her heart thumped madly due to the shock and the thrill and the horror and the awkwardness and the embarrassment and the madness and she wanted nothing but to get out of the place and fly back to Seoul.

“I’m sorry, miss. May I take your order again?”

Huh? Oh . Words, Naeun. Words… Gahhhh! No, vocabulary don’t fly to Seoul and leave me alone here! Then she felt a gentle hand wrapping around hers, warming her hand as he looked into her eyes, questioning with genuine concern.

He smiled, and Naeun smiled back though her panic look failed to wash away. “Just give me a green tea.”

“Does your mother know we’re coming?” Sehun tried to initiate a conversation. He noticed how she has stiffen and lessen her talk starting from when she saw that waiter. Seeing from the way she reacted and how the man reacted when they saw each other, it seemed like their relationship was not good but Naeun didn’t suggest another place and he was hungry so he chose to ignore.

He’s not someone who would pry into someone else’s business. Not when he is hungry.

If she wants to tell, she will tell.

“I told her we’re coming and that we will be late. But we should get there soon, hurry up and finish the soup,” she said casually, but he noticed the lack of cheerfulness in her tone.

Then a waiter came and put down a plate of ddokbokki on the table. Naeun looked up to the waiter in confusion. But the waiter only smiled back reassuringly, “It’s on the house,” he said and Sehun would say no free food.

“Oh. Yeah, cool,” she hesitated. “Thanks, Youngjae.”

When Youngjae left the table, Sehun raised a brow and smirked teasingly. “Wuu… a friend?” Naeun shrugged the subject away. But she could still felt that pair of brown eyes staring at her and it gave her hard time to swallow the chewy rice cake. Her appetite has gone, blown by the wind and the growl from her stomach has been muffled by the pounding in her chest.

Sehun found her amusing, she looked anxious and uneasy and, does she realize that her face has gone pink? OMG, this is super rare! He decided to treasure the moment by staying a little bit longer. He was certain that the tinge of red visible on her cheeks was due to the presence of that particular waiter whom has been staring at him and Naeun since the man entered the restaurant, eyes sharp with an intention to kill whenever his eyes meet Sehun’s.

Sehun found this funny.

“Okay, I’m done. Let’s go,” Sehun grinned after he finished his green tea. He took his backpack from the floor and slung it to his back. Naeun looked relieved and he chuckled softly. They headed to the door, “Thank you for the food,” Sehun bowed to the waiters, he assumed both were her friend although only one came and greeted her while the other one chose to stare from afar. Her acquaintances, nonetheless. “Hope we’ll meet again.”

Youngjae smiled and waved at him goodbye, “How long will you be staying?” The question was for Naeun, Sehun figured, but she has her back on them and she stayed silent, so Sehun answered instead. “For few weeks, I guess. It’s winter break.” He’s not sure himself, Naeun was the one who insisted he come with her. She was the one who booked the flight tickets, he was just trying to fulfil her request.

Youngjae nodded, satisfied as a smile formed across his face and he stole a glance at his friend. Daehyun’s face lightened up a little, he failed to hide it. “Sure… We’ll meet again…” Youngjae said. Then Sehun bowed for the last time before he opened the door and held it to let Naeun walk out first and then he too, went out to join her.

The moment he stepped out and the door was closed behind him, a punch landed on his stomach. “OWWW! YAH!”

“Hope we’ll meet again??? Do you even know them??” Naeun looked ridiculous, not angry but her eyes went wide and her face was red. She grabbed Sehun’c collar and glared at him, which caused a laughter erupted from the boy. Not wanting the people inside the restaurant (whoever they are) to hear them, she dragged Sehun a little away from the door. “OH SEHUN!” she said, screaming half-whisper firmly.

“Why are you acting like this? Honestly, one of them is your crush isn’t it? Ohoo you’re cheating on Luhan hyung~” Sehun held his stomach to stop the laughing. But he got a hard slap on his arm instead. “What are you talking about?!!! Yahhh stop laughing!”

“Ohoo it must be true thennn~” Sehun was enjoying the fuming Naeun.

Naeun wanted to bury Sehun alive. But then the door few meters away from them opened again, and Naeun immediately shut up and cancel the intention. She wanted to bury herself alive. Daehyun was at the door and when he saw that she was still there, he heaved a relieved sigh (but Naeun started to panic). He closed the door behind him and walked towards the couple awkwardly, smiling yet nervous and Sehun found this really amusing. The waiter who was just staring has decided to talk now, huh? Sehun started to think that he came to the right place for this winter break.

Daehyun stood few steps away and rub the back of his neck, hoping to look less awkward. “Err… Hey, Naeun…” smiling his best smile he could manage in the situation.

Naeun gathered all her courage to look back at her old friend and smiled, she quietly searched for Sehun’s hand for extra strength, and she held it tightly. Daehyun noticed her act and he felt his heart burns with a weird feeling. “Hey, Dae…” she said.

Daehyun closed his eyes to calm himself down, he took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes back, Naeun’s chest burst…

“My number is still the same, you know…”

To be continue...

Okay. Done.

Sorry for the wait.

This was hard /sobs/.

Leave me your comments, please.