“Yeah. Although I do love it a lot. I am a chicken maniac.” She smiled with that. As she was just about to stick her fork into the chicken, she noticed something shining on Jin Ki's ring finger, a ring. It was the engagement ring she had with the late Go Seungyeon, she was sure. He was still crazily in love with his fiancee, although the person had now gone from this world.

Of course. They had been in a relationship for about two years already. It was not easy to go back to a single status again after having used to expecting to meet someone’s dearest every morning you woke up. She was now in the painful process of it; hence she really understood his situation right now. They had both had been in the next level of a relationship with their soulmates, although he had that moment not that long, but still the pain was indescribable, no matter how strong they were. It explained why he looked a bit tired, although he did not say anything about it or even tried to hide it by not talking about things hurtful in his hearts.

“Jin Ki-ah, what if I’m not free today?”  She did not have the rights to talk about those painful things unless he started to. Moreover, they were planning to have fun today, like what he had said before. She did not need to be a meddlesome person to wreck his already-broken heart.

“Well, I don’t know. You are not, right? So, I think that’s fine.” He ended his easygoing answer with a naïve grin. Such a simple answer. With that, she smiled amusingly. Right. They were going to have fun today.

As they continued eating in silence for minutes, she noticed that some people took a glance at them, or him, for the exact. He enjoyed the chicken too much he did not even notice the women passing by amazed by his appeal. It was undeniable that he was a really good looking man. His tall figure and well-built body made him be even more attractive.      

“There was a man drooling over you." He said as he broke the reverie of her praising him in her minds when he had finished his fried chicken.

“What?” She took one last bite of her chicken.

“There was a man looking at you for about a minute.” She scoffed.

 “Who?”

“One of the waiters. He’s gone now, though.” If he really noticed that when he was eating his chicken joyfully, then the man had gazed at her much too long.

“More tons of women have been walking by just to look at you.” He smirked naughtily.

“I’m irresistible, aren’t I?” Shrugging his shoulder, he bragged in jest. He was irresistible; at least, she could feel that way around him. He was the most unique in-a-good-way person he had ever met. He was perfect, but at the same time, he was also not. This man was one of a kind.

“You are also. The man was the proof.” She smiled with his praise, a bit blushing. She was also a quite attractive lady. Yun Jong had always said that to her. Her long silky hair, her slim and petite figure plus the adorable eye-smile was the proof that she was irresistible as well.    

“Even she often used to test me if I would respond positively when a prettier woman approached me.” The topic was brought up again.

“It was a silly question, wasn't it?” She could not agree more to that. Perhaps, Go Seungyeon had never intended to ask him literally like that. Perhaps, she was just worried that her disease would make Jin Ki move his heart to another healthy woman. However, Seungyeon knew it was, indeed, a silly question that his condition right now depicted that he loved her so much despite the cancer she had had. The ring was the ultimate proof of it. It was still flawlessly attached to his finger.

“She loved you so much.” She could not find another more consoling word, but at least she hoped that those words would assure him more that he had chosen the right lady to fill his heart.

“I know.” He replied gratefully. She knew he would not regret even the most usual moments he had with Go Seungyeon.  

They took one last drink before asking the waiter to give them the bill that Jin Ki refused her paying.

“So, where are we going next?” She was thinking the answer when he, then, suddenly flicked his fingers.

"How about karaoke? I can bring my friends along,too."

"Karaoke? Hm... Ok." As soon as she agreed, he took his cellphone and called someone.

"Ki Bum-ah, are you free today?

Great. Let's go to karaoke today. Hm. My treat. Bring Nicole, too. Ok. Meet me at the usual restaurant. See you." He ended the call and put the cellphone into his jeans' pocket, getting ready to leave the restaurant and soon reached the motorcycle parked not far from the restaurant.

“We should wait for my friends here.” Jin Ki asked Seungyeon if she wanted to sit on his motorcycle which was refused gently by her. Then, he sat on top of it and wore his jacket.

Suddenly, she was reminded again by the helmet she had used on before they arrived here. It was officially signed by Go Seungyeon, with her name sticker on it. The guiltiness judged her once again. It was not that she had any feeling to him, but she could not help the feeling inside, judging her like she was a backstabber or something. However, she did not have any courage to bring that up, still.

After a few minutes with her wondering, another black motorcycle stopped beside the spot they were standing. There were a man steering and a woman back hugging him. Then, the man opened the front lid of his helmet.

“Hyung, let’s go.” After Jin Ki noticed that his friend had already arrived, he started the engine and gave the helmet to Seungyeon. She took a glance at the name sticker before finally ignoring the guiltiness inside her heart and sat behind him. She decided that her feeling was just exaggerating. Yes, it was.

“Hyung, Jonghyun-hyung came along, too. He said that he had nothing to do today.” 

“Ok.” He answered briefly.

When her eyes and the eyes of Jin Ki’s friend met, she could feel the curious gaze of his friends on her before they lastly hit the road.

#####

For two and a half hours already that Seungyeon, Jin Ki and his friends had been having fun in the karaoke. Seungyeon apparently, had not seen the real Jin Ki yet when they were in the arcade center. He had been totally ‘crazy’ when he was with his friends. They sometimes sang in the top of their lungs, sometimes they sang playfully, or even imitating singers’ popular when they were on stage. She was told to sing, too, but she was too unconfident fighting against these hyper trios, hence she rejected to. Nicole, Ki Bum’s girlfriend, decided to just talk with Seungyeon. She was a very sweet girl and even though she had only knew her not more than two hours, they had been comfortable with each other already.

“Unni, Ki Bum wanted me to ask you this. May I?” They were now in the bathroom to just avoid the noise inside their karaoke room for a while.

“Of course.” Seungyeon answered while tidying up her hair in front of the mirror.

“Are you Jin Ki-oppa’s girlfriend?” She was extremely surprised with her question that she gaped.

“No?” Nicole asked again with more hesitant tone this time.

“Why did you ask me that?” She laughed, then, thinking how ridiculous that question could be.

“Because… Just because.” She trailed off, laughing embarrassingly before finally went back to their karaoke room. Seungyeon never thought that his friends could think that way about her. Never. And she did not flirt or something like that with Jin Ki, didn’t she?

When she was going back to the karaoke room, they had been out already and the lovey-dovey bid goodbye to her as they were leaving. The time had been over already? It walked really fast.

 Just when she was approaching the group, another friend of Jin Ki came to her.

“Noona! noona, right?” Jong Hyun asked her hesitantly.

“I think so since you call Jin Ki with hyung.” She answered with friendly tone.

“May I… have your phone number?” He scratched his nape slowly, looking a bit bashful.

“Ok.” His expression became brighter and gave his cellphone with a happy grin. She smiled a little while punching her phone number on the keypad of his cellphone, then giving it back when she was done, then he thanked her cheerfully.

“Are you going home with Jin Ki-hyung?” He asked while he put his cellphone into his jeans' pocket.

“I think so.”

“Oh. Ok, then. Bye, noona.” She could notice the disappointed tone of him. He waved goodbye when Jin Ki suddenly stood behind her, making her surprised.

“Well, well… I know what’s going on.” He smirked playfully. She knew what he was talking about, but she was indifferent about it, since she actually never had any thoughts to look for someone to replace Yun Jong in her heart. Yet. For some times only God knew for how long.

“Let’s go home.” She did not give any little chance for him to continue the topic.

“Wait. One more place. Please?” Putting his hands together, he showed his innocent puppy eyes to her. She could not help but chuckling at his cute childishness.

“Ok.”

#####

The beach was soft. The sunset was beautiful. The breeze was softly blowing, accompanying the silence wrapping around Seungyeon and Jin Ki while they were sitting on the soft sand, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

"Today is my husband's birthday." Seungyeon took initiative to start a topic. She did not have any idea why she should start a topic about her late husband. Perhaps, because today was actually the day for her to reminiscence everthing she had done with Yun Jong the previous annual years or because something about Jin Ki reminded her about her husband.

"Just be free today. Accompany me all day long."

"Oh. Really? Happy birthday to him, then." He replied, added with a small smile on his mouth.

"I was supposed to spend the day alone, you know." Not intending to hurt him, she .

"Do you still love him?" His next question was totally unexpected. He stared at the beautiful scenery in front of him while she looked at his expressionless face, trying to predict why he asked that personal question which she could not figure out why. She thought he would rebut her tease, yet he inquired something completely unrelated at all.

"Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. Please. Just answer it." His face remained expressionless, indirectly stated to her that he was absolutely serious.

"Yes." She finally answered with sheer tone.

"I miss her. So damn much. But, it's even more hurtful to think that I will never ever meet her again. You feel awkward, don't you? With me telling these cheesy things to you." He still did not look at her, he could not. Although his eyes did not shed any tears, but she was totally aware that no matter how strong he was, he still needed someone to understand his feeling. And she was coincidentally there for him when he was feeling so damn lonely and coincidentally perhaps why he could spill the burden in his heart to her, a nothing but just acquintance, so easily was because she had been going the same process right now. But, really. There was no way she would feel him being so sissy or such because actually the loneliness from being left by your soulmates was a universal feeling any human being could experience.

"It's okay. I understand. Totally. I knew you are and will and have to be strong as what you had said to me." Her words finally succeeded to make him let go of his gaze from the scenery in front him to her eyes which looking at him tenderly, showing so much understanding and sympathy toward him. He felt like cheering up, hence he smiled whole-heartedly.

"Only time will tell when the pain will slowly be healed. But, surely I know we can move on. Right?"

He sighed with relieve before giving her the answer she had expected.

"Right. Thank you, Seungyeon-ah."

Finally, they both were drown once again to the natural beauty in front of them before the sun was no where to be sighted anymore.

Love should go on.

TO BE CONTINUED

(Author’s note: I know this is a long chapter, but please don’t forget to comment and subscribe for new readers.^^. I really need your support, guys. Feel free to criticize or such, since I’m still an amateur in writing and I want to improve so badly.Thx.Gbu)