“JungAh, are you free now?” Daehyun asked as he spotted me along the corridors. 

“Yeah. Why?” I asked as I walked towards him and noticed that he was breathless from running all around the school looking for me probably. 

“My dad wants to meet us at the coffee shop down the street. It’s important. He sounded rather panicky.” 

“Okay. By the way, what’s happening? It’s just weird.” I frowned as both of us manoeuvred our way through the scattered crowd. 

“Beats me. I am kinda apprehensive about this though.” Daehyun shook his head.

“We never ever had meetings like this before.” I agreed. 

“Oh well, we will find out after that.” 

———————

“Hey!” Mr Jung waved his hands, gesticulating to us to go to his table. 

“Hi Mr Jung.” I greeted as I pulled out a chair. 

“Sit down, sit down” Mr Jung hurriedly said as he rubbed his temples, his wrinkles creasing. 

“What’s so important?” Daehyun asked in bewilderment. 

“I am sorry.” Mr Jung sighed as he bit his lip. 

“Why?” I asked. 

“I need to bring Daehyun back to Korea with me.” 

“What?” I asked as my eyes widened in shock. 

“Dad, no. What the hell are you even saying?” Daehyun yelled as he gritted his teeth, anger imminent in his tone. 

“It’s just… I accumulated debts here and I really can’t afford to pay them anymore. We need to run away.” Mr Jung explained in desperation.

“And you are still the selfish bastard I know.” Daehyun spat out. “How could you run away without paying your debts?”

“You don’t under-“

“I was wrong to have forgiven you. I thought that all will be well after the ordeals I went through but now you are sending me to Korea just because of your debts and everything. What about JungAh?” Daehyun cried out. 

My heart was palpitating and having to think that Daehyun had to leave me, my heart cringed and tears were uncontrollably welled up in my eyes but I bit my lip to suppress my tears. 

“You can bring her along. She can come with us.” Mr Jung rationalised. 

“She’s banned from Korea. Her mother banned her!” 

“Daehyun, just calm down all right.” My voice cracked a little as I tugged softly at his arm. 

“How can I calm down when this is happening? I can’t leave you and you know that.” 

“And you do realise that you aern’t letting your dad give himself a chance to explain himself.” I retorted. 

“Daehyun, do you know why I have debts? Its from looking for you. I could barely make ends meet when I came here and I was just like an old fool wandering around the streets of London, not understanding a single word they said. It was hard for me too, not just for you. Please, just come to Korea with me. The debt collectors will find you.” 

“Who asked you to even look for me?” Daehyun scoffed before he stomped out of the coffee shop.

“I will follow him.” I muttered. 

“JungAh, I am sorry. Please help me.” Mr Jung held onto my arm pleadingly as i stood up.
“I have to think.” I could only helplessly reply. 

I knew that I was selfish. I didn’t want Daehyun to go but i knew that I had to persuade Daehyun to go, no matter what. It was hard and I couldn’t guarantee that I even had the courage to persuade Daehyun to go off to Korea. It was just like initiating a forceful break up because I knew once went to Korea, he was never coming back and in the end, the distance would make us drift apart. He would meet a better girl, someone he would love deeply. And I knew, that was life, we had to let go. But the question was… How? 

It was terrifying as i imagined myself staring at Daehyun’s back, walking towards the departure hall of the airport, how that was the last time i was going to see him. How everything would be the last. And how the memories could have been delusions. It was all out of my grasp but when everything spun out of control. I had to make it right. 

I was jolted back into reality once I found that my cheeks were moist from the tear that I had unconsciously let out and I quickly wiped it away. There was a painful and constricted feeling in my throat as I gulped down my saliva to et rid of the stinging feeling in my heart. It hurt, it really hurt a lot. 

“Daehyun?” I called out, as I walked to the bench he was sitting on.

“Yeah?” Daehyun meekly said, and he sounded so vulnerable. 

I wanted to hug him, I wanted to cry out in his arms, and tell him I didn’t want him to go. But I had to be strong. 

“Are you okay?” 

“No.”

“You know-“

“I know you are going to make me go, all right. There’s no point talking to me because I am staying here with you and I don’t bloody care about the debtors.” 

“Then what about your father?” 

“He can go by himself. If he had never came into my life, this wouldn’t have happened.” 

“Don’t say that. He’s your dad after all. He only wants the best for you.” I comforted. 

“And you think this is the best for me? He could be wrong too. Could you for once stop being so overly nice and think about our happiness, or rather yours?” Daehyun grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look into his eyes. 

“I-“

“Can you? Or can you just think about me?” 

“I don’t know.” I sighed, feeling the tears well up in my eyes again.

“See, you don't want me to go.” Daehyun let go of me and gave a smirk.

“I don’t, I can’t okay? i don’t want to be nice at all. It hurts so much that I could die. You know, as I think about you leaving me just like that, I just crumble. The memories and everything could just be a yesterday and it will be as if nothing happen but I want something to happen. I want us to happen. I am not nice. I am a selfish . I can’t let you go at all. But what hurts me the most is seeing how your dad’s efforts have been wasted just like that, how just because of a girl like me, you are dropping everything down. You can find a new girl over in Korea, marry her and have kids so please stop making things difficult. Please.” I choked as tears streamed down my cheeks. 

“Hey… Hush, all right.” Daehyun whispered and pulled me into a hug as he gently rocked me, letting me give out a few sobs. 

“I am sorry.” 

“Shush.” Daehyun my back.