Changjo stood still at the mouth of the alley leading to Pearl Lavender. His bothered mind looked for a place to calm him down around that time, but he had no idea why his feet took him there, to one of the place where their memories were mostly saved. He could picture Jiyoon and him walking down the alley, quarrelling as he tried to catch her up. Another picture of them appeared as the previous had faded. It was them walking side by side with their hands twined, once in a while laughing as they teased each other, just a perfect picture of a perfect young couple.

He pressed his lips together before he walked towards the convenience store they used to go. The memories of them sitting there together in the midnight flashed inside his mind as he stared down on the hot coffee he had been aimlessly stirring. Letting out a sigh with his eyes closed, he gently massaged his bridge, trying to ease his knotty mind.

Later he found himself back on staring down at the nearly full cup of coffee. That’s when he felt something shadowed him from the outside of the glass wall in front of him. He looked up to see Jiyoon was standing there with her hands shoved into her hoodie’s pocket. The glassy eyes of her broke—almost scattered—as a teardrop escaped down from her right eye, simply causing him to be the one choking instead.

Changjo hastily got up from his seat and walked out, completely ignoring the clerk who bid him thank you to run around the store to reach her place. She hadn’t budged at all, still facing towards the seat he left empty. The difference was just that her tears had turned into a flow down her face.

Changjo was soaked in guilt seeing her state. He turned her around with a slight force before he barged forward to hug her as tight as he could. The girl shifted in his hug to lean her forehead on his shoulder. She was too drained out by panic to be able to hug him back. It was just already soothing to find him there in the end.

His nature almost caused lots of scolding made their way escaping from his mean mouth, but fortunately he managed to restrain himself knowing Jiyoon must be really worried that she was even willing to walk that far through the midnight just to search for him. “I’m sorry,” whispered him as he her hair.

Jiyoon didn’t respond, but she continued letting out her feelings—more like her frustration on him—through her painful tears. Her hands traced their way onto his back, trying to wrap her arms around him.

Changjo pulled himself away to look at her whose chin was being gently lifted by him. He could see the relief on her face, but those tears which didn’t stop flowing out from her eyes crushed him more. “I’m sorry,” he repeated as he wiped her tears away. “Please stop those tears, just please.”

She helped him wiping her tears using her sleeve. Without ado, she started walking back to the hotel first, leaving him behind a bit late. Again, silence and awkwardness covered over them. She didn’t even glance at him all the way. Meanwhile him, whom had been the one stealing glances, hastily looked away when a teardrop of pain dropped on his face.

Jiyoon took off her hoodie and tucked herself back into the bed right away, not bothering to change her jeans first, leaving Changjo standing frozen in the middle of the room hurt by her silence. He inhaled deeply before following what she did. He glanced at her whose back was the one facing him instead.

Changjo scooted closer to hug her as he leaned onto her nape. “Jiyoon-ah, I’m sorry.”

“If you don’t have another word to say then you should just shut the hell up. I’ve had enough,” she coldly replied.

Changjo was stiffened by her sharp words. It had been a long time since the last time he got those directed at him. “Ya, Jiyoon-ah, I know I was wrong, but please don’t exaggerate it.”

Jiyoon pushed his arm aside as she got up to a sitting position, turning at him. “Exaggerate it? Really? Am I wrong for getting frustrated of my own boyfriend who’s keeping secrets from his own girlfriend? Do you think I didn’t notice it all along? Do you think I simply believed all of your fake smiles? Do you?” she spluttered, glaring at him who was then sitting up as well.

“I’ve been there by your side all the time, but you act like I wasn’t even there! Like I don’t even exist! Now you just said that I’m exaggerating for being mad at you. What do you expect me to do?! Staying calm all the way believing all of your bull?!” she snarled.

“Look, Jiyoon-ah, I’m-“

“You’re what? You’re having problems with your family? I know! I ing know!” she purposely stressed the word. “All I got wasn’t more than that short stupid answer from you! Don’t you even count me as your girlfriend? I’ve been by your side all the time, Changjo! I’ve been there! I am now!”

Her sudden explosion made him choked and left speechless. He deserved it all, but he really didn’t expect her to burst it out all of a sudden.

“Okay, I understand if you keep it all as secrets because you think I have no business with that, or maybe you just think that I’m not even your wife and I don’t deserve to know anything about it, but your silence makes me frustrated! Whatever bothers you, it’s been clearly shown on your face! No matter how hard you try to hide it!” she continued.

“At least spoke, Changjo! Spoke to me! If you don’t want me to know anything about your problems, fine! But at least tell me how the heck I could help to ease your stress! I might bear your silence for once or two, but if you expect me to bear with it all the time, you’re just killing me slowly, Changjo.”

“I’m sorry, Jiyoon-ah. I’m sorry,” he stated weakly in defeat.

Jiyoon hissed. “That’s all? Haven’t I told you that I had enough of it?” she scoffed.

“Then what do you expect me to do other than being sorry?!” Changjo couldn’t hold himself back anymore, exploding as well. “You know I’m not good with words then what else do you expect me to do?! I know I was wrong! That’s why I’ve been saying sorry to you! I’m sorry! I really am!” he snapped with all his might.

There was a silence for a moment before Changjo talked again. “I’m sorry, Jiyoon-ah. That’s all I can say,” he trailed off.

The silence came around again soon after he ended his words. Changjo was hanging his head low; Jiyoon was looking away from him. His eyes were glassy while hers had already been wet, both from the emotional tears they got from bursting out their anger previously.

“I love you, Jiyoon-ah,” he whispered. “I really do.”

“I have no idea that loving you could be this hard,” she replied.

Changjo sighed, “Thanks for letting me know your frustration.”

“I wish I could be the one saying that to you,” she said as she finally glanced at him. “I really mean that.”

He frustratingly massaged his temple. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I’m sorry to disappoint you.” He decided to keep it secret from her in the end.

“But please speak, Changjo. Tell me how I can help you,” she demanded rather begging.

I don’t think you can even help me in this matter, he sighed. “Do you love me?” asked him, earning assured nods from her. “You’ve already helped me a lot with that.”

“But that’s not only it, Changjo-ya. That’s not it, please,” she really begged him that time.

Changjo embraced her, caressing her wet cheek as he stared deeply into her eyes, sincerely smiling at her. He locked his lips with hers, sharing a deep and passionate kiss. “You’ve done enough, Jiyoon-ah,” he whispered before he continued showing his affections.

Jiyoon wrapped his neck with her arms while his hands rested on her waist, supporting her as they fell into another deep kiss. “I’m trying to give my best, always.”

******

“Hello?” Jiyoon’s eyes were still closed when she picked up the call which disturbed her sleep that early morning.

“Wake up, my princess,” a familiar warm voice replied from the line across.

Jiyoon chuckled a bit, “Oh, good morning, Appa.”

The laugh of her dad she’d been missing could be heard. “Can’t you be more excited than that? Your dad is coming home tomorrow,” told him.

She jerked up, completely awakened by what she just heard. “What?!” her shout automatically awakened the sleeping guy beside her also. He was looking at her bluntly when she glanced at him. Her hand moved to smother his mouth, preventing him from making any noises.

“Why do you seem so shocked?” her dad chuckled instead of sensing something was wrong with her. “The plane is scheduled to land in the evening,” informed him without being asked.

She plumped herself lifelessly on Changjo, fortunately his mouth was still being smothered by her so that his groan didn’t transmit to the line across. “No, uh… the house is a total mess. It means I have a lot of work to do,” she lied.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself,” told him wisely. “Anything you want from here?”

She sighed. If only she could ask him to stay there longer. “I have no idea right now, Appa. Anything good, I leave it to you,” she forced a laugh.

“Really? You don’t want to name anything specific?” he asked in disbelief since she usually asked him for gifts. “Okay then, I’ll try to get you something cool,” he said. “That’s all, my princess. You can go back to sleep. See you soon!”

“Okay, Appa. See you.” She faked the excitement in her voice.

Changjo moved her hand away from his mouth as she turned unguarded. He was panting since he couldn’t breathe freely for a few moments under her smother. “What was it?” he poked the limp torso on him.

“Hell,” she mumbled shortly. That was the only word which described it best to her. “Appa is coming back to Korea tomorrow which means I have to be home before he does.”

Changjo was the one jerked up that moment, half throwing her aside back to her side of the bed. “We’re going back?!” his eyes widened to its maximum.

Jiyoon sprawled lifelessly, staring at the ceiling. “I’m going since I have to, but you can just stay here if you want. You don’t want to go home, right?”

Changjo sighed knowing that staying there was the most realistic option he could take. “Is it really fine for me to stay here?” he hesitantly asked.

“It’s fine, really. Well, I’m not worried whether you’re gonna cheat on me here, karma will get you anyway,” she carelessly replied.

“Ya! Don’t be so skeptic on me! Coming to the moment I fell for you was already hard enough, how could I easily fall for another girl?! Impossible!” he threw himself beside her to squeeze her into a hug. The girl squealed when he bit her shoulder playfully.

“Watch your mouth! Nothing’s impossible!” she argued. “Let me go!” she tried to break away from his hug. “Ya! I said let me go!”

“I’m not letting you go,” he replied with a joking tone when in fact he said it sincerely from the deepest part of his heart. “I’m not letting you go,” he repeated with a weaker voice as his hug around her was loosened a bit.

Jiyoon turned her body to face him. “Ya, it’s not like we’re not gonna meet again.” She his cheek. To the guy, it’s more likely to happen since he didn’t know what could happen to him anytime soon.

“Uhm… by the way…” she carefully started off again.

“어?” he looked at her, smiling warmly, trying his best to show her the side of him she loved during their remaining time left knowing that they would really separate in less than 24 hours.

She bit her lip, hesitating. “Last night Minhyuk called you.”

But Changjo didn’t seem surprised at all. “Oh, he did?” he reached out to get his phone. He frowned knowing that there wasn’t any missed call notification. Shrugging his troubled thoughts off, he checked the call log instead. “Wait a minute. You picked it up?”

Jiyoon slowly nodded while she continued biting her lower lip. “But don’t misunderstand it! I didn’t even speak!” she defended right after noticing his panicking look. “If you don’t believe it, just check how long the call lasted for. It wasn’t even more than 15 seconds I bet.”

“What did he say?” he asked as he really did what she told him to.

“Nothing, he just called your name, thinking that it was you whom picking up,” she said. “I’m sorry, really. I have no idea why I picked it up at the first place.”

Changjo’s lips curved to form a smile, sincere one although it was slightly faint. “No need to be sorry. We’ve been having too many ‘sorry’ since yesterday.”

She left a peck on his cheek. “Thank you, Changjo-ya.”

******

Their state had been getting better slowly but surely after their not-so-good talk in the night before. Knowing that it was their last day together, he tried to behave as usual as he could—keeping the problems he’d been having for later.

Changjo treasured the day so much that he wanted to give all the best in their last moments. They spent the day having their own quick tour to places they had gone to in the last few weeks of them being together. There weren’t any places that got missed since they really went to all of them, from the takoyaki stall until the park where the fireworks festival was held back then which was filled with their bittersweet memories.

He then took her to an expensive bistro that night. A farewell gift, he said. Since to him, it could be a real farewell. He just wanted to leave her with their best and sweetest memories he could make.

“You really like to waste your money, don’t you?” Jiyoon scoffed when the waitress just left them with the menu. “I’ve told you it’s unnecessary.”

Changjo smiled widely. “I rarely do this though since you kept saying those precise words over and over every time. Can’t I just give you a special gift for our last night here together?” he argued. “Moreover, just take this as my apology as well.”

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” asked Jiyoon when they were having their desserts later. Changjo had been staring and smiling at her all along like a fool. He put his sorrow aside for a while, not wanting to waste his last chance to admire her directly in person.

“Everything I do seems wrong to your eyes.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m your boyfriend and it seems wrong even just to stare at you for a long time,” he muttered.

Jiyoon laughed, “I just like to tease your temper.” She scooped her lemon cheese cake for him. “At least I know how to fix it.” She grinned as she put the full spoon in front of his mouth.

Changjo munched the cake before he replied her. “You just don’t know what’s coming to you if you keep teasing me. I always can tease you back with my own way. You know what I mean.” He winningly smirked. She pinched his hand which was on the table. “Ouch!”

Jiyoon shook her head as she stared at him in disbelief. “I still don’t understand how I could fall for you, Changjo.”

“It’s my charm. You’re unconsciously attracted to me,” he giggled. “I’m lovable after all. Look at the hyungs, no matter how often I piss them off, they always love me. And that theory should work on you too.”

She hissed. “Snob!” she shot an annoyed glare at him, but it didn’t take long for it to soften. “Well, I got to acknowledge it though. My eyes have always been attracted to you from the start. Even though it’s negative at first, but still, you attracted me.” She shyly smiled as she rubbed her nape.

Instead of teasing her back like what she had expected, Changjo took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. “I’m the one for you,” he said it rather hesitantly than confidently as usual. But I still have to wish that you’re the one for me.