My eyes grew wide as the shock made me drop the chalk that I had been holding.

“HeeByul-saem? What does it mean?” the little girl with small, beady eyes asked again when I did not respond. “I saw them on TV and asked my halmeoni what it was but she said it had something to do with maths. So does that mean INFINITE is a number?”

I tried to compose myself before opening my mouth to answer her question, but I couldn't speak. It was if the mention of that idol group had stolen my voice from me. But that was exactly what had happened. That idol group took my voice and made it theirs. They were the reason why I was a workaholic, an introvert and depressed. All because they took the one thing that ever mattered to me. That one person...

“Sonsaengnim?”

“What's wrong with saem??”

“How do I find the answer to this?”

“Her eyes are leaking...”

“I know who they are, they're an idol group!”

“Me too! Who do you like?? I like the leader, Kim Su-”

“Sonsaengnim!!!”

I snapped out of thoughts and stared back at the noisy kids in front of me. Some of them looked worried while others were just talking loudly to their friends. That was when I realized that my cheeks were wet, stained with hurtful tears. Suddenly, the sliding door to opened to reveal the calm face of JinMi-ssi, the owner of the preschool, my boss.

“HeeByul-ssi, shall we end the class early today?”

~~~~~~

Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.

“Ah!” I felt myself bump into something and fell on my , dropping all my stuff on the ground beside me.

“Watch where you're going! Aish...” a big guy said sternly, pulling his girlfriend closer to him as they turned to enter a club. “So is this your first time going here?”

“Ne, oppa~” she said in an annoying tone. “I'm nervous, is it really fun?”

“Don't worry, I'll be right here with you.”

I gasped at the deja vu I felt when the big guy said that. Someone told me this before, at the exact same place and most probably time too. My mind went whirring back to that moment, here, in front of this club.

“Don't worry, I'll be right here with you,” he said with an assuring smile.

“But oppa...I'm not sure about this...” I said uncertainly, taking a step back from the entrance. “It's my first time, so I dunno...”

Oppa chuckled and took hold of my hand. “You're so cute, my Byul,” he smiled with his slits for eyes. “But I won't force you. Nor will I step into a club until you decide you want to come too.”

“But oppa, you know I don't like holding you back!” I said it in a serious tone, guilt taking over my nerves.

“Gwaenchanha, I promise you, I will never enter a club without you.”

Liar. Oppa was a big fat liar! I came back to my senses, trying to push away those hurtful memories of being with him...and seeing him with another girl, on public television...entering a club when he promised me that I would be the one to enter the club with him the next time he'd go there! His promises were nothing but empty words!

Maybe JinMi-ssi was right, I shouldn't let him control my life anymore. It's been more than a year, I should move on rather than stay depressed because of empty promises and a broken heart. Why should I still be hurting when he's living such a happy life, with so many girls chasing after him? He probably had gotten over me a long time ago.

I gathered my stuff and wiped my tears away. I took a deep breath as I recalled his face. His beautiful smiling eyes that I loved the most. His y smirk that made my legs go weak. And his lips where my favorite songs and serenades always sounded so heavenly. His voice had been my voice. But I no longer had it with me. He left me. That person I used to love with all my heart...

SungGyu-oppa...Annyeong...

~~~~~~

“Nekko haja~ niga nal aljanha, eo? Niga nal bwatjanha, eo? Naega neol kkeutkkaji jikyeojulge.”

“Oh, isn't that the new song by INFINITE?” I turned around to see a group of girls watching a video on the computer. It was lunch time and I usually let them use it for playing games, but children nowadays seemed more interested in idol groups than trivial games.

“Ehh, how do you know, sonsaengnim?”

I smiled and shrugged, “Sonsaengnim just bought the album!” Then I regretted having told them that because they started crowding around me and talking all at the same time.

“Waaa, sonsaengnim likes them too?”

“Can look at the album?”

“Did sonsaengnim know that they won number one yesterday?”

“Children, slow down,” I giggled at their enthusiasm when it came to idol groups. They barely paid attention while I was teaching in class. “I'll bring the album tomorrow, and we'll look at it after the test. Eo?”

The children groaned and started to complain. But I held a hand up and they went quiet immediately.

“Remember the test? If you study hard for it, sonsaengnim will try to bring them here and they will sing for you too!”

The children cheered and hugged me tight as though a miracle just happened. I smiled but couldn't help feel a bit guilty for telling them a white lie like that. Maybe I should think of something else that they would like as much as INFINITE.

“What's your favorite song, saem?” one little girl with curly hair asked when the excitement died down.

“My favorite song?” I thought long and hard about it. I bought the album last week and had been listening to it non-stop. Their music was so addictive and beautiful. Especially... “Because.”

“Hm? Which song is that, sonsaengnim?” another girl asked, obviously hasn't heard of it before.

“It's the one that goes...please don't stay in my heart, once you're gone...” I began to sing nervously. I haven't sung in such a long time that my voice trembled at the end. But I still went on, “I actually still want you...don't linger around my ears anymore...because, I wanna listen, I wanna listen your sound...”

The classroom was filled with silence. The children must've been bewildered by my sudden performance. A single tear slid down my cheek as I realized how the lyrics sounded so much like how I used to feel. The song was so perfect. So perfect that I wished it was true. I thought I would get over him if I just accepted reality, but the more I accepted it, the more I couldn't get myself to forget. I sobbed and almost broke down when I heard the song play from outside the classroom, in the hallways.

“As I drift farther and farther, I gradually get closer and closer to you...”

I snapped back to my senses when I realized that I was letting my feelings take over me again. I reverted back to my teacher mode and wiped away my tears and went over to the sliding door. I opened it and stepped outside. “Don't play music in the hallways please,” I said it in my serious teaching voice.

But the song still went on, “As I hurt and hurt...like this...” So I briskly walked down the hallway towards the source. But when I neared the end of the hallway, I noticed that there was no music to the song, just the voice...as if it was sang live...

“I gradually want only you, only you more...” he finished the verse as he came into view.

“Oppa...” I unconsciously blurted out. It felt weird to say it out loud because it had been such a long time since I called anyone that. And surprisingly I remained calm even though he was right there in front of me. I never thought I'd see him in person again. “SungGyu-oppa...”

He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and smiled hesitantly. “Uri Byul (my star)...”

“What are you...?” I gasped, reality finally setting in as I realized that oppa was really there, smiling at me with that same loveable smiling eyes of his.

“...doing here?” he finished the question for me. He shifted to the other foot again, putting his hands into the back pocket of his jeans. “Come back again.”

“But why?” I gasped, my emotions pushed, trying to get the better of me. “Why now?”

“So I can proudly say,” he chuckled to himself before continuing, “She's back.”

“Why are you doing this to me now?” my voice started to break, though I tried to choke down the sobs that were rising from my lungs. “Why...after everything that happened...”

“Because nothing's over...” he said it more seriously now. “I've never gotten over you. For the past year, I've only been working really hard so that I could get you back....so that I could make you mine again.”

I only stared at him in disbelief. How could he say that so confidently, as if I was going to forgive him that easily?

“I'm being confident because you know how I really feel, Byullie,” he grinned shyly as he obviously tried to hold back his tears. “If you didn't, then why did you know the lyrics to my song? Because you feel the same way I do. I chose to sing that song for a reason. And the reason is you, HeeByul. Only you. So please be mine and come back again.”

I opened my mouth to answer him but actions spoke louder than words, so I closed my mouth and approached him slowly. Never making eye contact, my eyes focused on the steps that I was taking as I neared him. And when I was right in front of him, I took his hands and laced my fingers with his. Then, I tilted my head up and gazed into his eyes. I only saw a reflection of myself in his eyes, as if it had always been that way. And maybe stay that way, as I stood on tiptoes to put the missing puzzle piece back to where it belonged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Annyeonghaseyo~ did you guys like it? I tried. haha

If you liked what you read, subscribe and apply at 친구하자 (Let's be friends)

And aren't you guys excited for INFINITE's comeback? I am because the boys look so gorgeous! hihi~

Anyway, kamsahamnida for reading! And a special thanks to seolheebyul who requested this one-shot!^^