Joo in got out of the bed and grabbed her camera. She adjusted the focal point of the lens and took one last shot of her sleeping husband. Then she proceeds on preparing her things for her departure. She continues her homework on her laptop as she waits for the clock to strike 4.

As she was engrossed on her work, she didn’t notice the clock had already reached four. With a heavy heart, she stood and got dressed. She slowly pulled out her suitcase from her wardrobe and silently made her way out her room without even turning around to look at her husband.

‘Don’t look back or you might not be able to take the urge not to leave,’ she thought as she finally closed her bedroom’s door.

 

“Joo In-na, where are you going?”

She froze when she heard Chen who is standing by the kitchen doorway. Biting her lip, she just bowed and started to pull her suitcase. But Chen stopped her, “Joo In-na, I am asking you. Where are you going?” his voice rose up a notch startling her.

“Please lower down your voice. I don’t want him to wake up,” she whispered.

“Then where are you going?” he asked again.

“Can we just talk about this outside?” she asked instead.

“No, you will answer me here. Where are you going?” he challenged her again.

Their whispering caused Chen’s roommates to wake up as they all peeked at the door.

“What are you guys arguing about?” Kyungsoo asked rubbing his sleepy eyes.

“Joo In-na, what is that suitcase? Why are you dressed? Are you leaving?” Suho asked when he finally saw Joo In’s outfit.

The others were alarmed also when their eyes had adjusted. They started asking Joo In waking up the others in the guest room.

“What are you guys fussing about this early?” Kris rubbed his eyes as he went over the small crowd.

Chanyeol, Tao, Kai and Sehun followed as well. When they finally saw Joo In, they also started another round of questions.

“Please! If you want to know where I am going then let us all talk about it outside,” she looked at all of them.

“Aniyo! We will not go outside not until hyung comes with us,” Chen moved past her, but she immediately blocked her bedroom’s door. Tears are already falling from her eyes.

“I beg you! Please don’t wake him up. I will tell you everything just don’t wake him up,” she cried, begging.

Chen stopped short when she saw her crying, “But he has to know it,” he whispered.

“I know, but let me do it on my own. Please, let us all talk about this outside,” she looked at all of them, begging.

The others were silent. It was Suho who moved first as the others soon followed. When everyone was outside, she casted one look at the interior of the unit before locking the door from the inside.

 

“Why did you lock the door?” Sehun asked trying to turn the handle.

“So that no one can wake him up,” she replied, “You have to wait for him to wake up before you can even get inside the unit,” she added.

“Damn it! What is wrong with you?” Kai punched the adjacent wall.

“I will be leaving today for my scholarship, and I may not return back.” She stated coldly looking at them.

Their jaw dropped at her sudden confession.

“What? You’re leaving?” –Sehun

“Scholarship?” –Suho

“You will never come back?” –Kai

She nodded at all of them.

“I am not leaving without any reason at all. You guys had enough of the issues and problems regarding me. I don’t want to be a burden anymore,” she stated.

“You are not a burden and issues are normal things for us. You’re leaving for a scholarship and plans on never returning? You are being selfish,” Kai remarked smirking at her.

“I am not being selfish-“

“Yes you are! Don’t even try to deny that. You promised him that you will never leave him but look at what you are doing? He didn’t give up his career when he married you but you are giving him up in exchange for that scholarship isn’t that being selfish?” Kai butted in.

“I said I have enough reasons to leave. Do you think I would just leave without those?” she counters back.

“Then what are those?” he looked at her.

“It’s something private,” she looked away.

“You’re lying. You’re a liar,” Kai hissed.

Everyone was silent as the two glared at each other. Out of the sudden, Joo In smiled.

“It’s okay if you hate me for now. But once you learn of the real reason why I left, please just take care of my husband. I can take all the harsh words from you guys, its okay if you would all hit me and such, but I beg you to please take care of him. Help him forget me if it’s necessary,” then she bowed her head for the last time.

 

The ringing of her phone cut her short. “Hello?”

“I’m already down here. I’ll wait for you. We must hurry up,” Drew called.

She ended the call without even answering. When she looked at them, Sehun is already crying.

She bit her lip but soon rushed to give him a hug. “Mianhe Sehunnie! Mianhe,” she sobbed.

The others followed as they shared a group hug. When she parted, she gave each a hug. When she reached Kai, he was hesitant but she initiated the hug. She felt him sob, “Mianhe Kai oppa,” she whispered.

She parted afterwards and asked Xiumin to accompany her downstairs.

 

When they are already at the elevator, she spoke, “Oppa, please help him see the reasons I have for leaving.”

“What about your pregnancy?” he asked.

“He will know it eventually. I will send the divorce papers once I finished them. Help him file it in here so we can officially break the marriage,” she said.

“Then what will happen at your parents?” he asked again.

“I’ll just deal with them. I’ll talk to his parents first before mine.”

“Are you really sure about this?”

“Yeah. There’s no turning back now,” she whispered.

The door finally opens. She gave Xiumin one last hug.

“Don’t worry, I will try to keep in touch with you but please don’t tell them if I ever contact you,” she said before pulling her suitcase with her. Drew honked at his car. She loaded the bag at the compartment and gave one last glance at Xiumin who is standing by the doorway.

 

Sooner, the car left until it is already out of sight. Xiumin dragged his feet upstairs. He saw the others either leaning or sitting, all down.

“What are we gonna do now? How can we explain all of this to hyung?” Chanyeol asked no one in particular.

“We just have to tell him all of the things Joo In told us,” Suho replied.

“I’ll take care of it,” Xiumin volunteered.

 

Meanwhile, Luhan stirred and reached for Joo In but his arms came in contact with an empty space. He flipped his eyes open. “Joo In-na?” he called as he pulled himself up. He knocked at the door but when he listened at the door, there were no water rushing or anything. He opened the door and the bathroom is totally vacant. Fear crawled over him. He went outside and checked the other room but no one was around. He went to the kitchen but it’s empty as well. He put on his slippers and rushed outside. He was surprised to see them all looking so down.

“Why are you all in here?” he asked, “Where’s Joo In?” he asked again.

Everyone avoided his eyes which frightened him. “Don’t be like that, where’s Joo In?” he asked again.

No one answered him.

“Is that what you do when someone asks you? I said where is Joo In?” he asked again, now mad at their behavior.

“She left,” Kai coldly stated although you could see him blinking back tears.

Luhan pulled him by the collar, “What did you said?” he hissed.

Kai glared at him, “I said she left and probably would never come back.”

All of the sudden, Luhan punched him, sending him on the floor, “Don’t you ever accuse her of that thing. She will never leave. Would you just stop this prank and tell me where is she?” he looked at all of them.

“He is right, Joo In had just left,” Xiumin tapped his shoulder.

Something in Xiumin’s voice made him stop.

“Aniyo, you’re just kidding me,” he laughed but tears already rolled down his eyes.

He retreated while shaking his head. He stumbled and fell and that’s when he finally broke down.

No one dared to get near him, they just watched him crying. All of them got nothing to do but to accept the fact that they all got nothing to do to bring her back. Others were moved into tears and soon crowded over the grieving guy.

“She promised me she will never leave me, but why now?” he asked trying to suppress the ache he feels. Everything wheeled back into his brain.

“Are you just going to cry in there?”

They all turned to see their manager standing in front of them.

“You can still catch up if you would move. If you just made it earlier, you are probably at the airport now. So are you going to move and run after her or just cry your heart in there?” he asked.

It all made sense that he stood up, reached for the keys their manager is holding. Sehun followed after him as they ran to get into the parking lot.

 

“I’ll drive,” Luhan said getting into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He turned the wheel and drove out the basement parking lot.

He stepped on the gas as they made it into the highway. The streets were practically empty since it is still early in the morning. It was easy to get into the airport in no time. When they got in there, he asked Sehun to park the car for him.

“Park the car, I need to catch her,” then he went out with just her pajamas and shirt. He didn’t even wear any shoes. The cold wind blew over him since there still a little snow downpour. He ran inside and tried to look at the scheduled flight. After checking it, he ran on the queue. All the while he kept on looking for that familiar figure but he can’t see it. After an hour of endless search, he asked the information desk.

“What’s the very recent flight which just took off?” he asked.

“Sir, it had just left a few minutes ago. It was heading to China.” The lady behind the desk replied.

“Can you please check the name of the passengers?” he asked again.

“We are sorry sir but that is something confidential already,” the lady smiled.

“Please! I beg you! I need to see if my wife is in there,” he begged wiping away tears.

Good thing that the lady didn’t recognized her or it might bring issues since he is asking for his wife.

The lady was moved and tried to gather the list of the passengers. After a while he handed him three sheets, “Kindly make it faster, our head might fire me if he learns about it.”

Luhan thanked the lady and scanned the papers for her name.

When he saw her name listed on the last page, he felt his knees weaken as his world slowly crumbled.

“Have you seen her?” Sehun asked getting near him. Luhan mumbled a thank you on the lady as he returns the papers. He just walked and left Sehun who kept on asking him.

“Hyung! Have you seen her? Where is she?” he asked again.

“Let’s just go home,” he replied instead as he reaches for the keys.

 

When they had finally had their seatbelt on, Luhan stopped as he tries to ignite the car to life. He broke down the second time around. This time, it’s really true that she had left her. They stayed there for almost an hour before Sehun decided to drive instead. Luhan was just silent as he leans by the window.

When they arrived at the unit, the boys are gathered at their living room. Instead of going straight to his room, he locked himself on her room instead. They wanted to comfort him but the more that it will hurt him. They just stayed silent as they hear him sob from the inside.

 

He cried, leaning by the door. Now he finally realized how hard it is to lose someone close to your heart. He wiped his tears when he saw a video cam seated atop her side table. He stood up and reached for it. There’s a small note stuck on it too. It goes this way:

 

I actually sneaked this into your bag but I guess it will take days before you see this so I left it in here. Mianhe oppa.

 

He turned it on. There was a saved video within, he played it. It was Joo In filming herself. From the way it looks, she must be with her cousin because he can hear his voice. “Okay, and we are set,” Drew said.

Joo In smiled, “Oppa, by the time you see this I might be already on my way for my scholarship. I am selfish right? I left you for my dreams, but you never left me for your own dream. You might be tired of hearing me saying this, but mianhe. That’s all that I can say. I had been unfair to you. I should haven’t left but the situation calls for it. I can’t bear seeing you in pain or going through something hard,” she paused. He heard a music being played. “Yah! Drew, shut that music! It will just make me cry,” Joo In protested. (Background Music, I’ll remember you) “Aniyo! it will actually bring life to the message!” Drew replied. Joo In pouted and sniffed before continuing.

“Mianhe for my cousin’s interference. He just loves seeing me crying. But kidding aside, as what I had said, the situation calls for it. I am afraid that in the upcoming days, more pictures might get leaked. I don’t want that to happen. You had the saesang to worry about, the schedule, the practices, the countless shows, and even that issue. I don’t want to add more to those things. I love you, that’s for real and seeing you going through something hard, I don’t think I can take that. Am I going in circles already? Mianhe. I am leaving for a reason. Maybe a year or two or more we will meet again, and if it’s really destiny then I am willing to spend the rest of my life with you and it is for real. Oppa, take care of yourself. Don’t forget to look after your health, arasseo? And take care of my baby Sehunnie. I hope the time we meet again, Sehunnie must not get thinner or I will sue you for abusing my baby. About babies, that’s the second reason why I am leaving. Maybe time will soon allow you to meet them but no one knows what might happen. Oppa, this is for real already. For the last time, naneun dangshineul saranghamnida Luhan.”

The video froze. ‘That’s all for now,’ he thought pondering over her message.

 

He stayed there for the whole day. It was dusk when he decided to grab something to eat. He was surprised to see Xiumin sitting at their living room.

“Why are you still here?” he asked.

“We need to talk,” Xiumin casually replied.

“We got nothing to talk about,” he walked to the kitchen but his appetite suddenly abandoned him so he went back to her room only to find Xiumin holding something from the books.

“What are you doing?” Luhan asked, “Look I am tired. I don’t want another pointless talk,” he added.

“Do you know that two lines mean you are pregnant?” Xiumin asked looking at him.

“What do you mean?” Luhan asked moving near him.

“See for yourself,” he handed Luhan the pregnancy test kit.

“That’s actually the root of all her reasons. She is pregnant. With all the issues erupting everywhere involving the group, she find it hard to tell you about this. Fear kept her from doing so. She actually heard the President scolding at you and Manager Hyung, that’s another reason also. There’s her picture with Kai at the practice room. I even saw a parcel at her desk when I went over to get your phone. Remember that time? The parcel contains all your wedding pictures on both wedding and a note threatening her that is she doesn’t leave you all of those will be leaked even a video of your vows. I guess it’s from a guy,” Xiumin narrated.

“Why did you just told me these things today?” he glared at Xiumin.

“I can’t refuse her request not to tell you. Besides I can see her point that if I tell you, you will do everything to stop her. It will put both of you in danger, that’s something that she can’t take,” Xiumin defended.

“But are those things enough?” he asked.

“By the way, she will just send the divorce papers here when she finally settled down wherever she is going. She asked me to help you file it in here so you can officially break the marriage,” Xiumin added.

“I want to help you but I guess this is the help I can only offer, mianhe Luhan,” he added and left him.

He sat on the bed trying to patch up the things to see her reasons but the ache from her departure made it hard to think. ‘Why would she leave me hanging like this?’ he though burying his face on his hands.