It was a couple days later that you noticed Yongguk had been in the apartment again while you were at work. The rest of his stuff was gone meaning he was officially moved out. You walked around and looked at the empty spaces where his cds and books use to be. His hats and shoes gone.
You wanted to refuse the feeling of longing in your heart, he brought it on himself after all, but this was still an end to a relationship. One that had been great so you missed him all the same. Yet you avoided the places where you could possibly run in to him. Especially the club. Or any club really much to the disgruntled groans from your friends when they wanted to have a fun night out. You just didn't have the heart though.
A couple more months brought winter and the snow fell. A couple of weeks before Christmas, your friends insisted on dragging you out to have some fun. You were sure it was more to help take your mind off the first Christmas you'd be without Yongguk. Though you have been thinking of him less and less, you'd be lying if you said you hadn't thought of him during the holiday season. You didn't let your friends on on that though.  Instead you got ready to go to a club, one that they reassured you he wasn't working at, and headed out.
Once at the club, you put on a smile and genuinely enjoyed yourself. Dancing with your friends to the music for a couple of hours before taking a break and making your way to the sitting area. You met up with some other people your friends knew and they introduced you to everyone.
"So, haven't seen you before." one guy said politely, striking up a conversation.
"She's not much of a clubber." your friend told him before you could say anything. "Not since she broke up with her ex."
"Oh." the one guy replied. "Not wanting to run in to him?"
You let your friend carry on the conversation and grabbed your drink off the table.
"Yeah. He's a DJ."
"Which one?"
"Yongguk."
You fidgeted nervously in your seat a little and started to tune their conversation out, focusing on the music instead.
"Yongguk? He's not a DJ anymore."
Your head turned real fast and you looked at him in surprise. "What?"
He nodded his head. "He was fired a while back. More interested in drinking and partying than working so they fired him."
You distinctly felt your friend's eyes on you as you swallowed, your heart hammering in his chest. Being a DJ meant a lot to him. How could he be so irresponsible and just throw it away? Then you remembered the night your relationship ended.
"He was working as a dishwasher at some restaurant but then they closed down. Not sure where he is now." the guy continued. Then he turned to one of his friends. "Hey you remember Yongguk?"
The other guy nodded his head. "Yeah. Heard he ran in to some bad luck and couldn't find steady work. So he started selling and pawning his stuff for money but ended up getting evicted from his place. Haven't seen him around for a while though."
You set your drink down as you felt your hand shake. Everything was too much to process. Then you felt a hand on your arm and you looked up at your friend.
"You okay?" she asked concernedly.
"Yeah." you told her with a forced smile. Then you tried to push Yongguk out of your head. He made his decision and brought this on himself. The rest of the night went by with you smiling and laughing with your friends. Yet he refused to leave, always lingering in the back of your mind.


Ironically enough it was only a few days later when the person you had been avoiding came across your path. You were doing some Christmas shopping after work and had just stepped out of a store when you spotted Yongguk across the street. You froze where you stood and watched him hurry down the sidewalk while carrying a backpack. Then you shook your head and walked to your car. You put the bags in the back before climbing in to the driver's seat. You slipped the key into the ignition and went to start the car but you froze again. Unable to get his face out of your mind.
You closed your eyes and groaned as you let your head fall back to hit the headrest. Everything told you to start the car and just let him go. Forget you ever saw him. He certainly hurt you bad enough.
You turned your head and stared out the driver's side window at the snow falling to the ground. With some reluctance, you grabbed the keys and opened the door. You locked your car and quickly set off down the sidewalk, your eyes searching for him.
You spotted him just as he turned down an alley and you jogged a little to catch up, being careful not to slip on the ice. When you reached the alley, you peeked around the corner and raised your eyebrows in surprise as you watched him. He ducked through an opening in the chain-link fence and you looked over at the building occupying the lot. It was an old apartment building that had been boarded up. A construction sign on the fence said it was to be torn down soon and a new building was to replace it.
You felt your heart sinking as you set off down the alley and then went through the fence opening as well. When you stood up, you saw him a little ways down the and walking in to one of the apartments before the door closed. You your lips nervously as you approached the door, wondering what you were going to say to him.
You knocked but he didn't open it. You leaned your ear against it but didn't hear any noises as you knocked again. Taking a deep breath, you called out, "Yongguk!"
No answer still.
"Yongguk I know you're in there. I followed you. Open the door. Please."
After a few seconds, you heard locks turning and the door slowly creaked open. Then you came face to face with him.
He stared at you in a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "What... What are you doing?" he whispered.
"That's what I should be asking you." you said. "What happened?"
His jaw shook a little as before he blinked rapidly and shook his head. Then he quickly looked away from you. "I.. I.. N-nothing." he stuttered. "I'm fine. Just leave."
You raised an eyebrow at him and folded your arms. "No."
You watched as he swallowed and nervously fidgeted with the doorknob.
"It's snowing." you said. "Are you going to a least let me in?"
He jumped slightly before stepping aside and letting you walk past him. You looked around the empty room save for a backpack leaning against one wall. Dim light from the surrounding buildings filtered in through the window as the only light. Letting out a small sigh, you turned to face him once more. He refused to meet your gaze though, instead staring down at the old carpet.
"What happened to you Yongguk?" you asked.
He noticeably winced before he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "It's getting late. You should head home."
"And is this your home?"
He didn't answer save for a shrug of his shoulders.
Your head rolled back as you took a deep breath and then let it out. "You're coming with me."
"It's fine." he told you.
"Yongguk, it's freezing."
Again, he merely shrugged without looking at you. So you sat down and folded your arms.
"What.."
"I can be just as stubborn as you." you said as you cut him off.
He let out a small, exasperated sigh. Then he walked over and picked up the backpack. You stood up and headed out the front door, making sure he was following you.

The two of you walked silently back to your car and on the drive home, your eyes kept wandering over to him. He stared down at the bag in his lap the whole drive and his leg bounced nervously. You also noticed the hunch in his shoulders and the way his fingers toyed with the bag's zipper.
When you got home, he wordlessly shuffled in through the front door and you walked past him to the bedroom. You pulled out an extra blanket and grabbed the extra pillow off the bed. His old pillow. Then you walked back to the living room and came to an abrupt halt. He was still standing by the door, clutching his backpack to him and looking down at the floor. Your heart tugged painfully seeing him like this and you bit your lip to hold back a sigh.
"Here." you said as you set the pillow and blanket on the couch.
He replied with a little nod of his head before shuffling over and sitting down.
"I'm going to make myself something to eat. You want anything?"
"No." he quickly answered. Too quickly.
"Yongguk." you chided and watched as his shoulders drooped more.
"I'll be fine." he quietly said.
"I'm making you some ramen." you informed him and then went to the kitchen.
You quickly set about making some ramen and then scooped it in to two bowls, putting extra in his. When you carried them in to the living room, you set them down on the coffee table and sat on the couch as well. Then you noticed how he quickly scooted away from you. You didn't say anything though as you began eating. It was a few moments before he finally took his own fork and started eating as well. Despite giving him more, he was finished before you which only proved your suspicion that he hadn't eaten recently.
"More?" you asked.
He shook his head.
"Yongguk."
"No, really." he said. "Thanks."
You nodded and picked the bowls up. You carried them into the kitchen and set them in the sink. When you walked out to the living room, he was still sitting exactly where you left him.
"Lay down and get some sleep." you told him. "I'll see you in the morning."
He his lips nervously before hesitantly laying down on the couch. Only then did you shut off the light and go into your bedroom. As you laid in bed though, you couldn't fall asleep. All you could think about was him and how much things had changed. It was an hour later that you quietly got up and tip-toed out to the living room. He was still laying on the couch, lightly snoring as he slept. You felt relieved that he didn't try to sneak out and then you went back to bed.