he loud bang of a door being slammed echoed through the big house’s hallways. Though, nobody seemed to care what was making the sound, or where the sound came from, and why was the sound made in the first place.

Good thing was, the person making that sound by slamming his own room’s door just now didn’t need to get any attention anyways.

Jun Hong threw his backpack halfway across the room, where it landed accurately below his coat rack, hitting the floor pretty hard in the process, making the contents of the half-opened backpack scatter across the floor. But Jun Hong wouldn’t have any time to pay attention to that, now, would he? As soon as he came in contact with his bed, the boy almost instantly threw his own body onto it, while sighing in tiredness.

It had been a horrible, horrible week for the poor boy. Without Jung Hee nor Jung Chae by his side, his days ― especially at school ― became stressfully unbearable to him. Sure, with Jung Chae literally already being wiped out from the face of the earth, and Jung Hee still recovering from her injuries (not to mention she was also recovering from some terrible mood swings that she got from the mental trauma she had been bearing down), Jun Hong couldn’t wish any hope for him to get out of it alive.

Still slumped on his comfy bed, Jun Hong took a brief moment to scan around his room. He realized it was empty. It had always been empty.

But why is it that he felt the emptiness starting to get to him?

“Yah! is this even fair? I also went to Taylor Swift’s concert last week, but why are you the only one getting her autograph?”

Jun Hong almost jolted out from his bed at the recognition of that voice. Terrifyingly familiar voice.

Jung Chae? He thought. No, it can’t be… she-…

“Yah, Choi Jun Hong!”

Jun Hong couldn’t find his way to oxygen. Could it really be possible? Could it be… Jung Chae? He thought doubtfully as an image of a ponytailed girl sitting on his desk, waving an original autographed Taylor Swift CD came across his sight.

“Jung.. Chae?” He mumbled under his breath.

It was official. Jun Hong was now a stranger to O₂ as another girl’s figure approached the girl with the CD. She then did a hand sign language that Jun Hong had become quite familiar with.

“It’s awesome,”

Jung… Hee? What the hell is going on here?!

The boy was completely dumbfounded. How could this be? He thought for the nth time. He then tried to rub his eyes, eager to see if the image of his two bestfriends (one being a late bestfriend) who were now there, in front of him, by his desk, were real or just his mere imagination.

Turned out, it was just his imagination.

They were nothing more than a mere part of his memory from a few months ago when he managed to get an original Taylor Swift’s autographed CD, and he was showing it off to the twins. So the voices and the images he had heard and seen just now weren’t real, after all.

At the realization of that, Jun Hong could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Geez, I missed you guys that much, eh?” He thought, somehow pitying himself for being too attached to the twins. But hey, what can he do?

Slowly, Jun Hong took another glance at his desk; there were no Jung Hee nor Jung Chae there now, and it was getting lonelier and lonelier by the minute. And with his mind cleared up a bit now after the impact of Jung Chae’s sudden death slowly creeping its way out from his head after the two weeks or so that he had spent trying so hard to forget the matter, Jun Hong now was perfectly aware that all the loneliness he was feeling came from the same source: his longing for his bestfriends.

A tiny, sad smile was drawn on his face as he recalled the times he was still smiling and laughing alongside his bestfriends. But the smile quickly faded away.

It was as if something hit him, when he noticed there was something on top of his desk that he hadn’t even notice before; still securely wrapped inside a plastic bag, Jun Hong noticed it to be the book he had gotten from the police office a few days ago, where his mind was still very much trashed out, so he just absentmindedly threw it somewhere. But now, Jun Hong felt the urge to take a closer look at it.

Truthfully, Jun Hong was still pretty much uncomfortable with the idea of opening up something that would probably bring out his sadness again, but he couldn’t help it; he just had to take a look at the only thing in his possession that was the sole witness of that dreadful time when his best friend Jung Chae died.

Though, he had to admit, that this would be the one most difficult plastic bag to open out of all the plastic bags he had opened before.

Jun Hong’s grip tightened as he slowly unclipped the plastic bag’s clip top open. He noticed fully that his hands were shaking, but he decided to proceed. Inch by inch ― though it was slowly eating up his life force ― Jun Hong managed to expose the plastic bag’s content to free air. And by the time the bag was fully opened, Jun Hong held his breath as he slowly took the book out.

It hurt him. Bad.

The book’s cover and a few of its pages were now stained with drops of dried blood. It had hurt him to realize that these blood stains weren’t one of those fake blood he had seen being used on dramas or movies ― these were the real deal. And it had stabbed him more in the heart at the realization of the particular girl that must have been through a lot of pain to leave these kinds of stains.

No, Jun Hong didn’t mind his book. He minded the girl.

By now, Jun Hong realized he couldn’t help his tears anymore. He knew that his eyes were starting to blur out as he opened the first page of the book, but he didn’t bother to wipe any tear. He wanted to let it all flow, all the tears that he had been keeping in since the minute he heard of the accident.

And what he saw inside the book just had to make it worse for him.

There, on the first page of the book, was a line of hand-written sentence, definitely wrote by Jung Chae; he just knew it. Still being one of the best handwritings Jun Hong had ever seen, though was a little bit bumpier than how her hand-writing usually looked like (considering the fact that she probably wrote the note on the car) the small note said:

Study hard, my BFF! ^^ thanks for lending me th―

Before a long line of scattered pen ink cut the sentence, signaling that something interrupted the girl’s note-writing session short by surprise. And sadly, Jun Hong knew what that particular thing was.

The accident; of course.

Wait, what?

Oh, no, not again…

Screw it, Jung Chae!

“That’s it. I’m seriously meeting Hee right now,”

***

THUMP!

BAM!

The two almost different-but-similar sounds of objects colliding with the floor attracted Lu Han’s attention.

“What was that?” He asked himself

He was now starting to panic. The sounds came from Jung Hee’s bedroom. Could something be happening to her?

“Oh, my…”

As quick as he was, Lu Han rapidly ran towards his fiancé’s bedroom, worried that something bad might happen to her.

Truthfully, this was what he had been so worried about lately ― particularly, after Jung Chae’s death. Jung Hee had been acting really weird around him since then, and he was worried that something might be going on with her mind or body that could damage the girl in any way. Heck, he was so worried he even went as far as taking a month’s break from his schooling in one of the most prestigious universities in all of South Korea just to be by her side just in case something happens to her while her parents were gone. Though, her mother also seemed to have started to spend more time at home to watch her remaining daughter now compared than before, but he just wanted to be by her side at all times. Is that so wrong?

“Jung Hee-..”

Lu Han didn’t think of anything as he just instantly barged into Jung Hee’s room. Sure, he supposed he wouldn’t be able to do it anyway, considering that his head was starting to burn more and more intensely as the days went by, caused by no other than Jung Hee.

He’d say it anytime, that even now, Jung Hee was slowly growing more critical. Also, he must say, Jung Hee must be getting really creative in creating new ways to worry him each day.

And today, she chose to do it by somehow ending up prostrated on the floor; by no way he’d even want to know about. Hence, judging by the position she fell to ― in a sitting position right beside (or should he say, below) her bed ― and her wheelchair seemingly pushed by a force to drift further from her side, Lu Han could roughly conclude that she had fallen out from the bed as she tried to reach her wheelchair.

Lu Han bit his lower lip as he tried to suppress any tear he could shed anytime upon seeing how Jung Hee was doing.

“Hee-yah…” he whispered as he bent closer to her, helping her to get up and get back to her bed. She didn’t refuse nor reject his touch as he gently helped her up. Her life force seemed to be already drained out at the time, judging from her rock hard expression. “Did you try to go somewhere? Why didn’t you ask for my help?”

In normal circumstances, the words and touches as gentle as the freakishly handsome Lu Han just gave to his beloved fiancé was one that can easily get any girl to fall into his embrace. But of course, Jung Hee was different; that was why he started to love her in the first place, wasn’t it? Her expression never flinch any bit despite all the sweetness that was starting to overload around her that sourced from Lu Han’s non-stop showers of affection that he continuously gave to her. To be honest, Lu Han wasn’t fond of this kind of treatment she was giving him. He should be mad, or at least frustrated by her actions. Though, he found it strange that the colder and worse she would treat him, Lu Han would find himself falling for her more and more each time.

Hm, guess love is never normal.

After helping Jung Hee get back up to her bed, Lu Han took a moment to stare at her face. He could see the colors of life starting to return to lighten up her skin once more; though, her eyes were an exception to it. Her eyes were still as empty as he had remembered it since Jung Chae’s death. He missed it, to be honest. He missed the sparkles in her eyes — the one he fell hardly for — and he missed the unconditional love he’d seen directed to him and only him every time he would catch her glances. Lu Han’s head started spinning an imaginary wheel of destiny as he desperately tried to storm up a way to bring those lights back to Jung Hee’s eyes, only to find his head hurting more and more each time…

“Uhm, excuse me, Young Miss and Master,”

Both Jung Hee and Lu Han turned their heads toward the source of the voice they just heard, only to find one of Jung Hee’s maids peeking her head from the half-opened door. The young maid seemed to be quite nervous in meeting gazes with the pretty faced couple, judging by the way she gulped once after squatting her glance awkwardly.

“S-sorry to bother you, but… there’s someone looking for Young Miss Jung Hee,”

***

Jun Hong took a 360 degrees spin to examine the room he was standing in more closely. The room was colored in a luxurious cream color with touches of golden here and there, expensive looking furniture that Jun Hong found similar with the ones he had in his house a bit here and there could be seen in almost every corner of the room, not to mention the crystal chandelier hanging just above his head. The boy knew for sure that he was standing in the house of a person filthy with wealth; moreover, he knew for sure that he was standing inside the house where his best friend lived.

“This house hasn’t change a bit,” he thought. True, it seemed like the Jungs were much to busy to do any redecorating to their own house that they eventually ended up leaving it all the same for almost 8 years.

The sound of a person’s footsteps inching closer woke Jun Hong up from his thoughts. He turned his back round to the opposite direction he was facing currently; to the direction of the hallway he’d remembered to be the way one supposed to take to reach Jung Hee’s room. He had expected Jung Hee’s face to appear, but his expectations were proved in vain.

Meh, guess this mansion is big enough to make the echoes of people’s footsteps hearable even from a few meters away.

Though, not too long after, the face Jun Hong has been expecting to see finally appeared.

Still being unable to move anywhere without her wheelchair, Jung Hee came to Jun Hong’s sight in one, her face still being as gloomy as ever. Hence, that wasn’t the case that made Jun Hong’s heart clench. It was the person behind Jung Hee’s wheelchair, the one who was pushing it, that made Jun Hong bit his lower lip almost unnoticeably.

Of course, as how it always was, that person turned out to be Lu Han.

“Choi Jun Hong, how nice seeing you again,”

Involuntarily, Jun Hong’s features forced a smile. The situation wasn’t all that pleasant for him to do a sincere one anyway.

Urf, why does this guy have to ALWAYS stick to Jung Hee like a sore thumb?

“Y-yeah… you too, hyung,” Jun Hong said, scratching the back of his head that actually didn’t itch at all.

“So, you’ve come to meet our Jung Hee?”

OUR Jung Hee?

Jun Hong knitted his eyebrows for a second after hearing that sentence Lu Han just said. He wasn’t exactly the guy with the highest IQ, but he was bright enough to notice the hidden meaning implied in Lu Han’s words.

He was telling Jun Hong to keep the hell out from his property.

Jun Hong winced. He wasn’t blaming Lu Han for acting a little protective toward Jung Hee. He would’ve done the same if his fiancé was in a condition similar to Jung Hee’s and there was some guy trying to meet her everywhere, even if it was only her childhood friend. Psh, yeah, only he didn’t have a fiancé to start with, did he?

“Yes, hyung. I hope I’m not bothering you,” Jun Hong could hear the almost faked tone his lips just let out. He knew acting wasn’t his forte, but he hoped he sounded natural enough. Luckily, Lu Han didn’t seem to be bothered at all. From what Jun Hong could read from the words infused in his expression, Lu Han seemed to have decided that he was too small of a threat to the great Lu Han.

It wasn’t any long after did Lu Han started to grow a smile on his lips. “No, not at all. You have some business to attend with Hee, I suppose?”

To be honest, right now Jun Hong was actually holding a heavily sarcastic scoff inside. I’m not that stupid to not notice that you’re investigating me right now, Lu Han hyungnim, he thought. But again, he couldn’t blame Lu Han for acting so. Tch, who was he to even dare to do so anyway?

A nod came out as a response from Jun Hong as his hands carefully reached for the thin box he was holding this whole time. He could see the curious stares both Jung Hee and Lu Han were giving him as they wondered what the thing was. Not wanting to hold the thing’s identity any longer, Jun Hong swiftly shoved the thing right in front of Jung Hee’s eyes.

And as expected of her reaction, her eyes widened in shock. Jun Hong knew she was lost in words. So before she had a chance to say anything, he quickly explained his intentions.

“This is the Taylor Swift CD Chae nagged me about a few months ago,” he said as his tone saddened, his volume gradually decreasing. “I had wanted to give this to her for her birthday, but I guess the fateline’s playing differently that what I had originally expected,”

At that moment, nobody’s walls were left standing. It was just too sad. It was just too unfortunate that this was what had turned up instead of the scene of Jung Chae’s happiness after receiving Jun Hong’s well-prepared birthday gift that he had imagined thousands of times already. It was just too painful to even imagine that a gift prepared with such sincere thoughts would go to such a waste.

“I-… at first I only bought the CD to annoy her, and then surprise her by giving it as a birthday gift…” a throaty, trembling confession escaped Jun Hong’s lips as his eyes went a little bit redder than usual. “Who would know that this is how it will turn out?”

Slowly but surely, Jung Hee’s neck started to lose the strength to hold up her head any longer. She bit her lower lip as her head went lower and lower, in all her attempt to hide the tears which were starting to build up and was blinding out her eyes. Nobody reacted as Jun Hong slowly kneeled down in front of Jung Hee’s wheelchair, trying to match her eye level.

“Hee-yah…” he croaked out. Jun Hong knew he needed to get his tasks down fast or else he’d burst out in tears before he could get to any. “The reason I brought this CD here, is so I can at least feel like my intentions won’t go to a waste… I mean, since you’re her only sister… I-I was hoping that you could tell Chae… how grateful I am to her… a-and that I’m really sorry…”

Neither Jung Hee nor Jun Hong could take it anymore. Jung Hee bit her lower lip harder until it turned a lot redder than before, just so that she could at least hide the silent sobs she was trying to hold back, though she couldn’t prevent her tears from falling. While Jun Hong could only lower his head as a single drop of tear fell out from the corner of his eye, in which he quickly erased in hope that nobody would notice it. Even Lu Han couldn’t bear to watch the scene; he diverted his gaze as far as he could, trying not to let his reddening eye get worse.

At that moment, Jung Hee — who has been silent the whole time — finally brought up her hands, signing a single word.

“Why?”

Both Jun Hong and Lu Han saw the sign, and also did the both of them knew perfectly what the simple gesture meant. But of course, none of them were able to give Jung Hee the answer she sought.

And so with no found answers, Jung Hee continued to shed her tears. She didn’t seem to care about the fact that her tears might have already dried down from all the cries she had done recently. Why should she?  After all, nothing else had seemed to matter to her after Jung Chae’s death two weeks ago.

Knowing that Jung Hee might not intend to stop her sobbing in any near future, out of reflex, Jun Hong dared himself to bring one of his hands up to her face, gently wiping away every drop of tear that was staining her flawless face. He had seen enough of those. To be completely honest, he was really mad right now; he was mad because something had actually made his strong best friend cried, and he could do nothing to neither prevent it nor protect her from it. He felt right on edge helpless at the thought that he couldn’t even stop her tears from falling.

Though, either way it wasn’t right. It wasn’t right that he was now wiping away somebody’s woman’s tears away in front of the ‘somebody’ who owned her for real. Jun Hong noticed that, and he noticed the venomous glare Lu Han was giving him. But he had to say that he had no regrets on doing whatever it is he was doing; may it be the thing about wiping her tears, or that other thing about how he felt while doing it; for when their skin touched, it was as if an electric shock suddenly woke a thousand butterflies in his body up, almost staining his mind with that kind of blissful feeling when his heart skipped a beat or two.

And at that moment, with his hand still in contact with her face, for the first time in a period that seemed like forever, Jun Hong finally had the guts to look directly into Jung Hee’s eyes. He had to say, it had shocked him badly at that precise moment when their gazes met, when he noticed another feeling beside sadness, guilt, and loneliness finally emerging from her eyes after so long:

the deep gratitude in her brown orbs that he might never believe was directed to him.