Thirteen.

Suddenly gone.

“I’ve sent you the dress for tonight’s Gala. It’s Valentino, dear. Sapphire blue, with a little bit of lace and delicate flowers around the waist. It’s really gorgeous. You’ll like it. I think it will reach you in a matter of hours?” her mother said from the other end of the line, her voice soft but the excitement was palpable in Seyoon’s ear.

Seyoon was looking out the window of her boutique, watching the light rain soak the sidewalk. The road was clear. Cars were passing by every now and then, but none of them was Kyuhyun’s familiar, black sedan.

Seyoon flinched. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts of him. It wasn’t healthy to have him inside her head all day, was it?

Especially when he seemed to be so adamant in avoiding her.

“Yes, mom. Actually, the dress has arrived a few minutes ago. I really love it. Thanks.”

Her voice sounded empty.

There was a slight pause where she could only hear the pitter pattter of the rain outside. Her eyes absently followed a white car that was speeding by her boutique.

“Seyoon-ah,” her mother’s soothing voice brought a sudden stinging sensation to her eyes. “Are you sure you are okay?”

Im Seyoon rarely cried.

Not when she broke up with her first steady boyfriend. Not when she had to part from her mom because she had to leave US to start her business in Seoul.

Not even last week, when the the front page of fashion magazines started judging her first dress that she had introduced publicly. They even cruelly compared it with the ones of the other famous designers.

“It was ugly.”

“It looked too similar to the one that Vera Wang designed last summer.”

“The color is too blinding for spring.”

“This is what she made? Why doesn’t she just sit there prettily and patiently wait for her family’s inheritance to fall on her lap, like a good heiress would? This is such a waste of money and time.”

People talked. Whispered. Judged. But she didn’t cry hearing all of that.

But now... now she felt like she was crumbling on her spot. She needed her mom’s warm hug and soft calming voice.

What has changed? She asked herself yet again.

No answer came up in her head.

She’d never felt so alone until her mom called, reminding her of how badly she needed someone to be there for her right now.

She hasn’t seen or heard of him for the past few weeks.

Kyuhyun was avoiding her, that much she figured out.

But why? What made him put distance in between them?

Every thing was sweet and nice and dreamy. His kisses, his hugs, the playful banter with him – now they were all suddenly gone.

What changed? She didn’t know.

The last time she saw him smile genuinely at her was that Sunday morning when she turned up at his door to make him breakfast. The rest of the following week, that smile was still reserved for her, only it was forced. It didn’t reach his eyes. It didn’t light up his entire face.

That smile told her to shut up and stop asking, “What’s wrong?”

But she figured it was better than nothing.

Because the week after that, it was completely gone. Suddenly he was rarely home.

Suddenly he was nowhere to be found. Not at the apartment, not at the space in the parking lot where she usually saw him park his car beside hers.

Now his car wasn’t even at its usual place anymore.

He didn’t answer the invitation to the grand opening of her clothing line last week. She knew the paparazzi wouldn’t go easy on her hard work, because she was supposed to be the spoiled freaking heiress of the Im empire. She wanted him to be by her side when they threw cruel comments at her. She wanted him to be there and hold her and whisper soothing words in her ear.

But he wasn’t there.

Only then that she figured she was probably being ridiculous. She was reaching for the moon.

He didn’t even show up at her apartment when paparazzi started bombarding her with questions and criticism about her design right after the event.

Her calls went unanswered. Her messages were never replied.

What had gone wrong? Why was he avoiding her? They were kissing and laughing and suddenly he wasn’t even smiling at her anymore.

His voice became quiet all of a sudden as he ushered her to come into his apartment that Sunday morning. His reaction looked too similar to one that a deer had when it was caught in a headlight, as if he just realized something had gone very wrong at the moment.

So what changed? What had gone wrong?

The two questions that had attacked her on daily basis now abruptly resurfaced again.

Seyoon felt her knees wobble slightly.

Was it her? Was it him? What did-

“Seyoon, honey,” she heard her mother soothed at the sound of her rapid, short breathing.

Seyoon realized she had been depriving herself from breathing when she felt pain deep in her lungs. And chest. She swallowed tightly, gripping the phone in her hand.

She’d never felt this down before. She was all alone here.

“I’ll count to ten.” She whispered into the receiver, trying to even out her breathing as she counted to ten in her mind.

And then twenty.

And thirty.

“Honey?”

She stopped counting when she realized this method she always used to pull herself together was no longer working on her. She was still slightly hyperventilating. But she wasn’t going to let her mom know about that.

“Ten,” her voice was almost inaudible. “I’m done. I’m okay now.”

She was lying through her teeth.

Her mom was worried, “Seyoon-ah,”

“I’ll be okay, mom.” She cut her off quickly, “I’ll try counting to a hundred, but that’s for later, because right now I’m really busy. You see, I can’t be slacking for my own boutique because, well, if the media found out about that, they won’t let me get away from my nickname. The spoiled, talentless heiress. Huh. I’ll be eaten alive, like they haven’t eaten me alive this entire week since the grand opening of this boutique, so,”

She forced out a laugh, the sound so fake in her ears making her cringe. She was desperate to get out of this conversation.

She looked at her watch. “And- Oh wow, look at the time! I’ve got to go get ready for the Gala.” She cleared when her voice wavered. “I’ve... I’ve called the stylist. The hair-do is going to take a lot of time. Too much time. My hair is getting too long. Maybe I should get a haircut? Do you like bob style haircut mom?”

Her mom didn’t answer right away. She knew when her daughter was having her own panic attack, so she wisely decided she wouldn’t probe until Seyoon came to her and talk to her about it on her own will.

Seyoon almost cried out of relief when she heard the wary smile in her mother’s voice. “You’re going to look beautiful in every haircut, honey. But I think you’ll look prettier with long hair.”

She felt her eyes water.

“Because I’m your daughter,”

“Because you’re my daughter,” the middle aged woman agreed softly. There was a slight pause. She hesitated, “And baby, about the paparazzi,”

Seyoon tightened her fingers around her phone.

“Don’t let them get to you, honey. Your dress was the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen in my life. You’re doing your best. I’m so proud of you.”

Seyoon closed her eyes and bit her lip, feeling the first bead of tears trickle down her cheek. She wiped it with the back of her hand.

People looked down on her effort, and the guy she was falling for didn’t even bother or care enough to ride the elevator four floors up, ring her door bell, and check up on her. To make sure that she was fine after everything that happened.

To make sure that she was even still alive.

What meant everything to her, probably meant nothing to him.

She was alone.

No one was there for her but her mother, and she was a thousand miles away from Seoul.

She wasn’t sure she could keep herself from breaking apart any longer.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, dear.”

Seyoon ended the call and placed her hands on the windowsill, bracing herself from falling into a crying fit right there on the floor.

She started counting again. Maybe at one hundred she could get her calm, collected self back again.

One, two, three, four...

She counted as she opened her eyes, and her eyes widened immediately. What she saw registered in her head.

Her counting stopped at six.

And so was her breathing.

She saw the familiar black sedan parked in front of her boutique, with Kyuhyun standing next to it watching her.

Whoop, whoop! You guys don't know how happy I am that you are still willing to read this storyyyy and still remember the plot. I hope this chapter doesn't confuse you though lol. And welcome to my new subbies. Comments are very welcome :D

Other than that, enjoy! Have a great day/night! ^^