XI. Kyuhyun walks inside the company  cafeteria for lunch and sees eight girls sharing a meal.

A certain someone is missing.

He observes how he has been seeing lesser of her each day. A total of fourteen "encounters" used to be the average before.

He shrugs his shoulder and decides it is better that way.



XII. He sees her walking towards his direction. He quickly looks for a nearby exit but stops doing so when he saw her stop on her tracks and walk the other way.

It happens again the day after and the succeeding weeks after that.

It wasn't until Kyuhyun sees her eating alone way past lunchtime on the cafeteria while her group mates are busy practising has he concluded that their "less" encounters aren't mere coincidences at all.



XIII. It is eleven o' clock and he cannot sleep.

Not with Sungmin giggling and laughing like a schoolgirl as he talks on the phone with someone.

It has been four hours since he first stepped on the room to see the elder boy with the phone glued to his ear.

"Okay, goodnight Sooyoungie. Be early tomorrow, okay?"

He turns his back against Sungmin and curses under his breath.



XIV. He sees Siwon talking to Sooyoung. Siwon calls him and talks to him. Sooyoung doesn't say anything. She's not smiling nor even looking at him.

She is ignoring him. And somehow, it hurts.



XV. Sooyoung really wants to back out the last minute when she learned that Kyuhyun will be their "surprise caller" for Chunji's 100th Day celebration. But she's a professional and she knows how to set a difference between her job and her personal life.



XVI. "But he is my love; hence, I be the one to say his name."

Kyuhyun feels like someone punched him on the stomach upon hearing the line.

Sooyoung continues bickering with Sungmin about him and he wonders how the girl manages to blab endlessly and quip jokes about him as if nothing awkward is happening between them.



XVII. Sooyoung has never been thankful for her ability to make any awkward scene comfortable until tonight. She knows her cover has been blown so she turns the situation around and makes a joke out of it. So far her little act has been carried out perfectly that she's sure no one will get the hidden meaning behind all of it.

She laughs at the right cue and jokes at the right time; and Sungmin, having a fair grasp of what was happening, can't help but admire her determination.



XVIII. "But he is such a weird person. I was so happy when I saw him in the car but he ignored me."

Kyuhyun feels as if all the guilt in the world crashed on his chest. She sounds too casual about it but it is what made him guiltier.

"Kyuhyun-ah..."

Sungmin tries to clear the air but he decides that this would be the only chance for him to apologize for his actions.

"I'm really sorry about that."

He hopes the million fibers of the telephone wire will be able to bring the message of his sincere apology. He closes his eyes and listens.



XIX. Sungmin calls him again.

"Kyuhyun-ah..."
"Neh?"
"Saranghae."

His world stops for a moment for  as he ponders behind the reason for the sudden question.

"Ah, nado saranghae hyung."

Sungmin's laughter rings in his ear just as  he hears  Sooyoung casually complimenting his voice.
And before he could stop himself, he hears his voice calling out her name.

"Soo... Sooyoung-ssi... Sooyoung-ssi!"
"Neh?"

His voice falters a bit but he managed to say it.

"Nado saranghaeyo."



XX.  Sooyoung feels her defenses crumble. The butterflies in her stomach are dancing wildly and the only thing she wants to do right then is to sit down on a corner and roll around in happiness.

But she's on air so she has to think fast.

"Ah nado saranghaeyo. I love you, you love me, we love each other."

Kyuhyun laughs at the random English outburst and replied without thinking...

"I'm fine thank you, and you?"

The three of them laugh. He feels happy feeling that everything seems to be going fine.

Sooyoung seems to be a cool girl after all.