Seunghyun

“She’s already in place” Jin has been helping me with my art gallery.

I walked to the biggest room to check her out. “Nice!” my eyes started to water the moment I laid my eyes on her. Keeping my composure, “Finally, I was able to put her here” I looked at her again and cannot help but be emotional. Jin pats my shoulder, “It’s been two years” he said and all I can do is sigh.

Two years. It’s been long since I last saw her. Oh, you must be confused. The “her/she” that Jin and I were talking about is a painting. The one I started working on a day after realizing that I have feelings for Fili. This artwork has her face in full detail. Showered with colors and purely made with love. I hid it well in my studio. She knows I’m working on something, on the largest canvass she’s ever seen, but she has never seen what was on it, for I cover it in white cloth every time she comes to my studio. It was supposed to be a gift that I sadly wasn’t able to give.

“I’ve sent all the invites already” Yong wook is helping me out in this gallery as well. I nodded, “Good”. He stared at me just to laugh after a while. “What?” I asked. He shake his head, “Nothing. I just cannot believe that you’re doing so well”.

Yeah. I cannot believe it myself as well. These past years had been so rough for me. I almost lost my sanity.

Wondering what happened? Ok, let me tell you.

When I got home from Japan, I looked for her all over the house and in school. And then I saw her friends. I approached them and they gave me the coldest glares I’ve ever received. Jiwoo, who I’m somewhat close with already isn’t even looking at me.

“Do you know where Fili is?” I asked, looking around. Haeun smirked. Minjoon does too. Woojin’s fist is in a ball. Soobin raised an eyebrow. “Jiwoo” I hold her arm and she moved away. “Hey, what’s going on?” at this point I’m starting to get annoyed. “She’s not here” she finally said. I nodded “Where she’s at then?” my blood is already boiling. As much as I want to keep my cool, I can’t, because they’re being crappy at me. “She dropped out five days ago and is now home, and by that I mean in the Philippines”. Thinking that it can be a prank, I laughed, “Yeah right”, and laughed again, “Can you please tell her that I miss her and that I cannot wait to see her, and that her prank is not working at all”. I walked away.

It’s already the wee hours of the night and she’s not home yet. I’ve been calling her since that afternoon but her phone is off. Still thinking that it might be a prank, I ride with it. I don’t know how long I’ve waited for her. And then, Omma and Noona arrived. At first everything seems fine, but when they asked me if I know why Fili left for the Philippines in such a rush, that’s the time when I realized that ‘! Her friends are telling the truth’.

“You haven’t even tried contacting her?” Noona is furious. She thought all this time Fili and I are in contact in one way or another. I shake my head, “No. I forgot my phone here. Jin and Yong Wook doesn’t have networks. I messaged her on her social media but didn’t get any reply. I didn’t put much attention to it because she might also be busy with the finals week coming soon”. Omma is obviously worried. She hurriedly got the phone and dialed Fili’s home number. After a few tries, “Nobody’s answering”.

It must be that their family is really having a crisis – this is what I was telling myself over and over again. Until the next day when I cornered Jiwoo…

“What? When was this?” she made me watch a video of me saying pure crap. Confused, I looked at my friends who are as shocked as I am. “Wait…” Jin tapped his index finger on his chin, thinking. “Remember when Yejun invited us for a drink?” he asked. Yong wook snapped his fingers, “Oh yeah! We’re all wasted that time”

That. It was a stupid mistake for the three of us to go with our classmates when we rarely mingle with them since our first year. At first it was just a few cans of beer then around midnight, hard liquor poured in and we’re all defeated by it. I, who doesn’t drink more than three shots of tequila had so many, mixed with other alcohol was knocked