The woman’s voice ends with a melodic tune following afterward, and after ten seconds, the train starts moving. I see through the window, at the seemingly moving station, and I fall soullessly to my seat in front of Sehun.

     “What do you mean with this?” my voice is barely heard. “I’ve waited to go home, and now we’re heading south instead?”

     Sehun looks at the disappearing station, and then at me. The shock has instead drained my energy to be angry, and now the irritation is changed with overwhelming sore feeling inside my chest. I want to scream or scold him, but how strategic it is to do that inside this full compartment of people. I think I’m going to cry.

     “Are you crazy?”

     “I just want to go somewhere with you.”

     I cover my face with my hands. “What the hell are we going to do in Busan? It will need four hours to go to Seoul from there. Get me out at the nearest station.”

     “There’s no transit station.”

     My eyes are literally teary right now, and I hastily wipe them with my bare hands. “Oh Sehun, why?”

     “Just because.” Sehun takes out his phone, takes a picture of our tickets which clearly has the big, bold letters of ‘Busan’ on them, and puts the phone back to his pocket. I look at him emptily.

     My phone rings, and I pick up. “Hello, Mom.”

     “Seah, dear, what time will you arrive? I will prepa—“

     “I’m going to arrive at evening the fastest, Mom, I’m sorry. There’s a mistake on the ticketing.”

     “What? Really? Can’t you try the bus or anything else?”

     “Uh, I can’t. It’s full. I’ll just wait.”

     “Too bad. Come faster, dear, Baekhyun has been spending the past few days in the company practicing, I’m alone again here.”

     I my lips, and hang up with a heavy heart. Look, Oh Sehun, my plan is ruined because of you. I stand up, and lift my bag. “Where are you going?” Sehun asks.

     “Don’t come to me.” I screech. I walk away, find an empty seat near the toilet, settle with my music player and close my eyes.

*

     I’ve been awake from my sleep ten minutes before the arrival time to Busan, and my stomach is hurting. I’m putting back a candy bar inside my bag when someone approaches my seat. “Are you still angry?”

     “This will last a lifetime.”

     Sehun sits in front of me, and folds his arms on the table. “Okay, I have a reason.”

     “Better be a good one.”

     “I won Excellent Instructor award in the academy. Received some bonus with that, and I want to go somewhere relaxing and eat good food to celebrate.”

     My lips are shut tight, and I swallow. I should at least respond with something definite. “Congratulations.”

     “Thank you.”

     “I’m still not forgiving you for dragging me here.”

     Sehun smiles. “That jerk Jongin has a girlfriend now, the others are also busy.”

     “That’s not a reason to pull a random person to a trip so spontaneously without her approval.”

     Sehun exhales, and buries his face on his folded arms. “I’m sorry. Not going to happen again.”

     I feel a bit of pity seeing him like this. Great, I fell. “Okay, I forgive you this time.”

     Sehun lifts his head and grins. “Yay.”

     The train stops and Sehun wastes no time to board a taxi. I feel a bit uncomfortable to have him holding my wrist the entire time, but he looks so excited and I have no heart to stop him.

     “We’re going to the sea, to a restaurant I went to with my friends during high school. I don’t think the owner still remembers me, but one thing for sure, her food is the best.” Sehun talks nonstop during the ride. “And it’s sunny, too. Perfect weather. We’re not going to freeze this afternoon, at least.”

     I give a small smile and nod. Busan is looking pretty with clear blue sky, even though the air is still quite cold. After thirty minutes, we arrive to the beachside, and not many people are around. It’s still early for lunch but we’re going to the restaurant the first thing after arriving. The restaurant is spacious and warm, and there are only us two inside because it just opens for the day. We occupy a long table for ourselves, and Sehun orders a ton of food. “Are you sure you could finish them all?”

     “Well, I’m not alone. Eat a lot, I’m paying.” Sehun looks giddy.

     “Do you have family or relatives here?”

     “No. Or to be exact, I have almost no relatives. I only have a distant uncle.”

     “What? Really?”

     “Yeah, my parents never say anything about that. Looking at cousins like you and Baekhyun is unusual for me.”

     “Siblings?”

     “I have an older brother, but he’s married and living abroad.”

     “Oh… My older brother is abroad too.”

     “Really? Where is he?”

     The talk is continued over food, and in the middle of our conversation I realize how much more relaxed and comfortable I’ve become towards him. I always talk in a rushed manner, because of how much I don’t want to talk to him. See, he’s better when he’s not making redundant remarks.

     Unexpectedly the food is all cleared and I admit on eating more than I predicted. It’s indeed good, especially the grilled fish. I saw Sehun smirking when he eyed me taking more rice earlier, and I was embarrassed but I went on anyway.

     “Thank you for the food.” I lean on my chair. Sehun is pleased to see me eating well, and he pats his stomach.

     “Let’s go to the beach in a few minutes.”

     We’re strolling along the beachside slowly, without any word. Unknowingly we end up on the furthest of the line, near a pile of gigantic rocks. The nearest person from us is at least half a mile away, and it’s like we own this part of the beach for us only.

     “Do you want me to take some pictures or something?” Sehun asks.

     I shake my head while letting out a small laugh. “Forget it.”

     Sehun climbs the rock, and when he gets to the top he offers his hand to me. I take his hand, and we’re now looking at the sunny winter sea of Busan, with the sparkling water and chilly breeze. It seems cool and all but the moment I take off this coat, I’ll freeze.

     “Pretty.” I mutter.

     “Scream something.”

     “What?”

     “Everything. Let it out. You’ve been silent for too long.”

     I frown. “Well.” I take a step in front of him, and inhale a round of air. “I CAN DO IT!”

     Sehun chuckles behind me. “Can do what? Moving on from Jongin?”

     I turn around, and pull a part of Sehun’s jacket. He laughs, and holds my wrists to suspend me. I ended up laughing a bit too, and release him. “Your turn.”

     Sehun nods, and steps forward. He clears his throat, and places his hands around his mouth. “SONG SEAH, WAIT AND SEE!”

     I frown even deeper than before. “What the hell?” I mouth it to myself. I’m not able to say anything, and stay still behind him. Sehun turns around, and grins to me. His hair is swept by the wind, with the sea framing his figure.

     For a second, that’s the first time I’m thinking that he’s not as irritating as he usually is.

*

     Sehun immediately buys tickets for the very next departure for Seoul once we reach the station, and the express train will go the distance in less than three hours, thankfully.

     He also takes me home once we arrive to Seoul, and my mother looks surprised to see me bringing a guest. She doesn’t really ask many questions to Sehun, and she offers him to spend the night here.

     “Really? Thank you very much, I’m sorry to become a burden.”

     I stop playing with the glass in front of me. Mom gets up from her seat to take some bed sheets and blankets for the guest room, and I squint my eyes. “Wait. You said you’d stay at a friend’s.”

     “You’re my friend.” Sehun instantly answers, and gives me a pleased smile. I’m too tired to react, and decide to just nod in defeat and head to my room.

     After resting a bit, nearing the night Mom comes to my room. “Seah, the father of Uncle Youngjin from your father’s office passed away. I’ll pay a visit for awhile, okay? Order something good for you and Sehun.”

     I bury my face on my pillow. “Uhhh. Okay.”

     Mom has dressed up anyway and I can’t do anything to stop her. I hear Mom leaving after talking with Sehun in the living room, and then his footsteps are heard on the way to my room. I sigh.

     “Hey, Seah.”

     “Yeah.”

     “Let’s go out to eat.”

     I roll around on my bed. “I’m tireeed.”

     “I’ll pay.”

     “It’s not the matter of who’s paying.” I rub my face. “Let’s just order something.”

     “Okay, but let’s have some soju.”

     I open my eyes wide, and my breathing automatically speeds up. The memories are coming. “No drinking.”

     “I won’t get drunk. I won’t do anything if I am, anyway.”

     “No. Not even a sip.” I feel dizzy. “After what you did, how can you even think of drinking…” I say that silently to myself.

     “Well, well. I need to tell you something, so I thought it’d be nice to talk over some drinks.”

     I turn my head to the door. “What is it?”

     “Let’s eat and drink first.”

     I exhale, and in thirty minutes I’m sitting in front of him with Chinese food between us and two bottles of soju, delivered anyway because the owner gave them as bonus. “No soju.” I say as I set aside the bottles. Sehun lets out a small laugh while eating, his eyes on the bottles.

     “Why is it? Why am I not allowed to drink?”

     “Quiet. Continue eating.”

     “Let me pour you some, then.”

     I sigh, and take a glass. “What do you want to say?”

     Sehun pours me some soju, and I dunk it in one shot. “Tonight seems like a bad timing, when I think of it again. Later.”

     I knock the table lightly with my glass. “Oh, come on.”

     Sehun pours again. “So quiet in here. So you’re used with this environment? Don’t you want to try noisier surroundings, like living with your friends or something?”

     “Troublesome. I like it this way, peaceful.”

     Sehun nods. My insides starts to get warm, and my eyelids also feel heavy now.

     “It’s weird to go back to Seoul.”

     “Oh, yeah?” Sehun looks at the half-cleared soju bottle, and back at me.

     “Yeah, it’s empty. It’s quieter than ever. Mom is away. Boring.” I feel weird to say that but it just kind of flew away from my mouth. “But I want to stay longer. But I can’t. Internship. Academic obligations. I’m weary.”

     “You’ll finish in no time.”

     The warmth in my body somehow brings a relaxed, calm flow on my mood. It’s strange, I usually can’t drink more than three shots, and even when I do, I won’t feel like this. I smile, and put my head on the table. “I don’t know what I’d do after I graduate… I’ll work, but is that it? Working every day, without an end?”

     Sehun is opening the next bottle. “You should find a hobby.”

     “I always envy you, Jongin, and Baekhyun. Making a living from your hobbies. Making money from it. Having fun. What am I doing?”

     “Let it out.”

     After Sehun said that, my eyes close, but I don’t actually feel sleepy. And one thing I remember, my mouth doesn’t stop talking.

*

     I can feel my head hurting even before I open my eyes, and my room is lit by the sunshine already. Oh no, what time is it? I spend at least fifteen minutes lying still on the bed, collecting memories and trying to make my body feel better.

     The problem is, I can’t recall anything. I was having dinner with Sehun… I drank all the soju… I was talking a lot… But I didn’t talk about anything weird, right? I think I fell asleep halfway. But how did I end up here? Did Sehun carry me here?

     I wash up and try to appear decent before I walk out from the room. Mom is cooking in the kitchen, and across the living room, Sehun is facing the window, and his figure reminds me of Jongin on that exact position two years ago. Only this time the weather is displaying a very sunny Sunday, and the brightness hurts my eyes.

     “Drinking a bit last night, hm?” Mom turns around with a ladle on her hand. “Good thing I have the ingredients for hangover soup.”

     Sehun turns around, and his face doesn’t change when he sees me. I also only send him a glance, and sit in front of the dining table. There’s a minute of silence when I’m just sitting silently, Sehun is just looking around, and Mom is still cooking. Mom turns off the stove after the washing machine is heard beeping, and she leaves to the laundry room.

     I can hear Sehun walking towards me, and he takes a seat beside me. There’s a small fear about what could possibly have happened last night, but I was sure I didn’t say anything.

     “So that’s it.” Sehun flatly says.

     “What?”

     “I know why you didn’t let me drink last night.”