Naeun beamed when Myungsoo took the courtesy of ordering their favorites in the café where they used to hang-out the most. As they ate and drink, Myungsoo asked her how she was and she updated him on how she was doing so far. She asked about his upcoming exhibit and when he told her that everything was already set up, she promised to come and celebrate his success.

She stirred her drink as she observed Myungsoo – he was with her, sharing small conversations yet his gaze seemed so distant, as if his thoughts were trapped elsewhere. She finally caught his whole attention by stating, “As much as I want to prolong this moment, you texted me four words, Myungsoo: ‘We need to talk.’”

She knew what was about to happen and she was tempted to ditch him in order to prevent the whole scenario. She was already contented at having him by his side even if they were standing in blurred lines. However, she knew as well, that they could not stretch the past any further especially when it already got their present entangled and it had hurt people in the process.

“Nothing good comes out after those words,” Naeun forced out a chuckle but nevertheless assured him, “But after everything I’ve been through, I’m certain that I am strong enough to handle anything you’re about to say.”

His gaze finally met hers. They stared at each other for a while before Myungsoo let out a heavy sigh. He pursed his lips as he took out a black shoebox from his bag and slid it across the table and towards her. She gave him a questioning glance before she opened the box and when she saw its contents, her lips curved into a reminiscent smile.

“When… when you left, I’ve put every memory of us inside that box,” Myungsoo explained, “I was so angry that I wanted to just erase the fact that you existed at one point in my life.”

Naeun said nothing but listened.

“But when I couldn’t bring myself to burn them, throw them or send them back to you, and when I still found pieces of you scattered throughout my apartment, I knew that despite all the anger, there was still hope within me that one day, you can come back in my life again,” Myungsoo told her, “And when I met you again, I finally have the pieces I needed to complete the puzzling questions of why you have left me so suddenly.”

There was a small smile on his lips as he continued, “Everything seemed to converge into a perfect point for us to start all over again.”

“To start all over again,” Naeun intercepted, “Yet you’re giving me this box.”

“Because I’m in love with them, Naeun,” Myungsoo answered, “I’m in love with the past that we once shared. But I can’t continue living nor loving in the past. I have to move forward.”

“And the way forward is not by my side,” Naeun concluded.

Myungsoo apologetically gazed at her, “I confused loving you from loving the memories I have of you.”

“Have I changed that much for you to differentiate between the two?” Naeun asked.

“I changed,” Myungsoo clarified, “I can’t love you the same way I did in the past – not when my heart already belongs to someone else.”

Silence ensued between the both of them as Myungsoo observed her while Naeun’s gaze was glued at their pictures inside the box.

“I’m sorry,” Myungsoo blurted out.

“Don’t be,” Naeun told him, “It was not your responsibility to love me, Myungsoo. I’m already thankful enough that you stayed with me through everything that happened these past months.”

“But have you forgiven me?” she then asked, “For choosing to hurt you.”

“I can’t blame you for choosing to save your family. I understand that there are different kinds of love, some more weighty than others,” Myungsoo replied, “But that doesn’t mean that one of them is not real.”

There was another silence that followed between the two as Naeun closed the box and took it. She grazed her fingers over the lid. She had always wanted to start over again but like Myungsoo, there were unfinished sentences that she needed to compose. Now, she realized that the right words that they have always been looking for were not meant to continue the story they have left hanging. They were the words they needed in order to write the closing lines so that they could finally open a new chapter of their lives with ease.

“Thank you,” Naeun genuinely beamed at him, “For everything.”

“I’m thankful for you as well,” Myungsoo beamed back.

She sighed before asking, “Can you do me a favor?”

Myungsoo tried to lighten the atmosphere by retorting, “Is this the classical ‘Can we still be friends?’”

Naeun chortled a little but then she answered, “I think I’m ready to trade this favor over that.”

“What is it?” Myungsoo asked seriously.

“I’ve dragged Jongin into this mess and I know that I’m one of the reasons why you have painted him in a bad light,” Naeun answered, “But now that you’ve decided to move forward from the past, I want you to know him better.”

When Myungsoo merely stared back at her, Naeun added, “Try getting to know him, Myungsoo and you’d realize that there’s one more person in this world who unconditionally loves you.” 

Jongin had always wanted a sibling. Because of the high status of his family, he understood at an early age that associating with people had business implications. There were lots of parents who wanted their kids to play with him because of the prestige associated with his surname. Even though he was young, his mother had taught him that in their world – in the world of the elite – everything was glitter and gold but not every feeling shown was genuine.

His hunger for a sibling grew bigger. He wanted a friend by blood whom he could be comfortable with without any worry that he was being used. Every day he wished for one but soon, that hope started disappearing because his father was always out on a business trip while his mother was rarely home, socializing with her ranks.

Thus, when his father came home with a boy older than him by a year, Jongin felt the happiest. It was clear that his mother hated the newest addition to their family but Jongin could not care where the boy had come from. The most important thing for him was that finally, he had a sibling – an older brother to be exact.

“Myungsoo hyung,” Jongin called him, and the words felt like cotton candy in his mouth. The older boy spared him a glance and stuttering, Jongin asked, “I-I can call you that, right? Myungsoo hyung.”

“Do whatever you want,” the boy quickly averted his gaze.

But Myungsoo’s role in the family was too complicated for Jongin. Jongin’s mother would always make Myungsoo remember that the latter was not welcome in the family and Myungsoo, in turn, had fully convinced himself he was a mere outsider who chanced upon the opportunity to live with them. Jongin’s mother would point out every day that Myungsoo was an eye sore in their big mansion so it was no surprise that Myungsoo tried to live in a camouflage, avoiding her as much as possible.

Myungsoo wouldn’t join them for meals because he was tired of hearing Jongin’s mom say that she was losing appetite because of him. Thus, he would sneak out in the middle of the night to the kitchen to eat dinner and whenever he does so, Jongin would be there waiting for him. He would say nothing to the younger male but the mere fact that he was eating with him would bring a smile to the younger boy’s lips.

Myungsoo frequently locked himself up in his room but that didn’t prevent Jongin from knocking at his door every day, asking if he could stay.

“Do whatever you want,” Myungsoo would always tell him.

The older male would say no words to Jongin but the boy would tell him of all of his adventures even if Myungsoo would show no indication that he was listening. Jongin would always praise the pictures Myungsoo displayed on his walls and would always remind him that he couldn’t be more proud of the talent his older brother had.

Jongin would stay until it was time for dinner and sometimes when he falls asleep on the floor, he would wake up with his brother’s blanket over him. Myungsoo would always say nothing but these little gestures would make Jongin smile, knowing that his brother cared for him, somehow.

But Jongin couldn’t make Myungsoo stay in a wealthy life he did not want, in a group he could hardly call his own family, and in a house he could not call home. He couldn’t make Myungsoo stay especially when he had his found his best friends who loved him more than his own father could ever had.

When Myungsoo insisted that he was old enough to live alone, Jongin could do nothing and naturally, they grew apart. J

ongin wanted to visit him many times but he knew that Myungsoo wanted to keep distance between himself and his family in every way he could. Thus, Jongin kept himself contented with watching Myungsoo from afar. He felt like he was his brother’s stalker – making private detectives watch Myungsoo in order to get updated with his life. But he was also his brother’s secret guardian angel, using his connections to protect him and help him succeed.

Despite being apart, he knew everything that was going on with Myungsoo’s life and that was how he found about Naeun. His first meeting with the girl was when Myungsoo formally introduced her as his girlfriend to the family but Jongin had already known Naeun from all the background checks he had conducted.

He would be lying if he would say that he was not captivated by her beauty but he knew that Naeun was his brother’s love. However, everything had become more complicated when he presented a solution to Naeun’s family problem. He wanted to tell his brother of the whole plan but he respected Naeun’s decision of keeping everything a secret.

In the end, his plan to save his brother’s love had become his brother’s doom. They have hurt him so badly to the point that Myungsoo came to loathe him. But Jongin knew that he could still make things alright once he had made Naeun’s life better. Then, by the time that he would let Naeun go, he was hoping that his brother would forgive him.

Jongin was ready to let Naeun go even if he had fal