He was discharged after a week. The injuries he had were just minor and the sight and smell of the hospital somehow suffocates him. He was just advised to take another week of rest before he resumes on his pending schedules.

He is already dressed, sitting on the bed, facing the open window letting the TV air the news about another concert his former agency will have at their place. He had watched the interview they had on some of his former co-artists and she was one of them.

 

She looks as lovely as she was. Her bright smile never fails to make his heart beat irregularly.

But the thought of seeing her looking so fine and alright like nothing happened makes him sad. It’s like the thing between them never happened. It hurts even more to realize that he looks like the only one affected by their parting.

“The car is ready, shall we head back to the hotel?” his manager spoke from the door.

“Can I stay till its dark?” he asked without even turning around.

“Okay. When would you want me to pick you up?” his manager consented.

“I’ll just call you,” he replied, “and kindly lock the door with you,” he added.

Just as what he said, he heard the click of the door. He had to curse himself again as he breaks down into tears.

 

It was around seven when he messaged his manager to pick him up. They took the emergency stairs to get to the parking lot to avoid the media waiting at the entrance of the hospital.

The ride back the hotel is so peaceful and silent. He looked outside the window and would pass by posters announcing the said concert.

Luhan called him a while ago. It was nice to hear from one of his former co-members. But the news he said somehow alarmed and saddened him as well. Yet, he respects what Luhan had already decided. The call ended with a planned meeting somewhere so they can catch up with each other and give him the chance to ask why Luhan had came up with the said decision.

He suddenly felt scared after the call. News about her co-member of leaving their group because of some issues had been widespread followed by Luhan’s case. It scares him.

It scares him that her group would be disbanded and the likes which he hopes that God forbids.

It scares him because he will lose the only connection he has with her; her appearing on the TV screen.

If what he dreads happen, how can he possibly see her?

Those pictures will not suffice.

The news about her can sometimes be sad or scary or heart breaking but seeing her on the screen is the only way he can monitor her.

He is not like those high-profiled men reeking with money and gold that can pay someone to look after her secretly and report everything.

He chuckles again when the sting of tears pricked his eyes. ‘I am turning into a crybaby with all this stupid unrequited feelings,’ he thought. He blinked back those tears and takes a deep breath to somehow relive the ache just a bit.

“We’re here,” the voice of his manager pulled him back to reality.

With all the tumbling thoughts tangled in his head, he has not noticed the car get inside the basement parking lot nor how it soon stopped.

He removes the seatbelt and grabbed his bag as he follows his manager up to his floor.

~~~~~~

He had been tossing on his bed, left and right, but his much needed sleep won’t visit him. He pulled himself up and decided to take a walk on the lobby of their floor.

The lobby offers a spectacular sight of the city at night. The glass walls allow you to survey the scattered lights down. He puts his hands on his pocket as he stands near the glass pane, watching the small moving lights which he labels as cars.

The rug muffled the steps of another person walking to get near him.

He only noticed it when his peripheral vision caught the sight of a lady in white pajamas and cute bunny slippers. He gave a small sideways glance and resumed on what he is doing.

“You can’t sleep too?”

The familiarity of the voice froze him for a while. It may be months when he last heard her speak but he knows well the sound of her voice.

He turned his head to look at the person beside him and gets tongue-tied when he recognizes who it is.

~~~~~~

“You can’t sleep too?” she asks.

She had been having some trouble sleeping that is why she decided to go out their room and roam about the hotel. She discovered the said lobby when she stops on the same floor.

She actually recognized him as he was standing there with his back on her. She even had an inner battle to get there and watch the sight below although it would lead to getting near him or just walk back to their room and act like she saw no one.

In the end, her feet clad in cute bunny slippers brought her beside him as they both look down the sight below.

When he did not reply on her query and just stared at her, she continued on talking, still admiring the sight below.

“The agency will have another concert here. This is the nearest hotel and offers the best security and services that is why we decided to check in. I never thought I would get to see you here,” she sighed, somehow feeling his intense look on her.

“It’s been a while,” she whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

She bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing and blinked rapidly to stop the tears from flowing.

“How are you?” he asked, still the same voice before she thought she would never hear again.

She had to look up to stop the tears from falling but she failed as it finally fell from her eyes. She chuckles as she wipes it off.

“The routines changed and the new choreography is harder. They even renovated the building, sealing the backdoor that opens to the back of the building,” she babbled, tears still falling from her eyes.

There was silence, somehow allowing her to gather herself and stop those tears.

“It’s getting awkward in here,” she chuckled, sniffing afterwards.

“Will you be there?” she asked again.

He bowed down his head, “I don’t know, why you ask?”

She starts to stutter, “Uh, you know, like if you would still want to see your former co- members perform on stage, things like that,” she chuckles again, feeling too awkward already, “never mind,” she finished, stopping herself from talking nonsense furthermore.

“Is he treating you right?”

The shake in his voice is evident that made her look at him. He didn’t say any name but she knows who he is implying.

Tears soon clouded her eyes as she sniffs.

“You know it would have been very nice to build a snowman this Christmas at the back of the agency’s building,” she replied instead, her voice shaking as she hopes he would get what she really means.

‘It would be very nice if we could build it together,’ she thought.

She looked at him, wiping her tears with the back of her hands, like that of a child.

“Why are we crying?” she asks.

This time, it’s him who chuckles, “Maybe because there will never be a snowman this Christmas at the back of the agency’s building,” he replied.

The implication of that statement is a stab on her. It finally hits her again that the two of them getting back together will never be a reality.

This time, she did not stop the sob that soon came from her. With a shaky voice, she looked at him, “You know, I just miss you,” she sobbed biting her lips afterwards trying to stop the rush of tears.

He runs his hands on his face like he is battling on what he should say and stayed still for a while. He suddenly turns to her, pulling her in a bone crushing hug which she returns with the same fervor.

Her sob soon echoed on the silent lobby.

If he could just freeze the time forever like this just to have her in his arms, he would never let her go again. He parts and let his lips touch her forehead as he cups her face to wipe off those tears.

The things he wants to ask her disappeared from his mind upon holding her this close.

Her brown eyes looked up at him, tears soon welling on it, “Did you missed me?” she asked.

“The thought of you away makes me regret that I left you,” he replied, looking back at her.

She reached for his face, longing verily evident on her face. She closes the distance between their lips as he mirrors her actions.

~~~~~~

The feeling of waking up beside him brought up a lovely smile on her face. She could stay like this even forever. She moves to lean on his chest, loving the sound his steady breathing makes.

Last night had been magical; like some unknown force made the two of them meet up on the same floor.

The kiss they started that night soon turned to something more sensual, more romantic.

Every kiss had been returned with the same intensity.

Every touch had been returned with the same warmth.

Every feeling had been returned with the same fervor.

With all that had happened she did not regret ending up next to him the next day with nothing but the bed sheets to cover her.

“You should go back to your room. The others may wake up and look for you,” his morning voice made her smile as she felt him pull her closer.

“They will not be up not until seven; five more minutes,” she replied, closing her eyes.

“I would love to let you stay here but you have a pending show today. Come on now,” he parts to look at her face.

“Your face looks bloated,” he chuckles.

“Then you will hate me now because my morning face looks like this?” she pouted.

“Of course not, you look even more squishy and loveable like this,” he squished her face and kissed her once more.

“Come on now, I’ll send you back to your room,” he pulled himself up.

“You can send me on the lobby instead. Someone might see you and you know what might happen, I hope you don’t get it the other way,” she pulled herself up with the covers.

“I know,” he smiled, his face glowing with pure love and understanding.

~~~~~~

Their hands intertwined were like two pairs carved from one piece of clay. It fits so perfectly; the way his large hands houses her slender hands.

They stopped by the lobby, standing face to face.

He held her hands and guided it up to his face to kiss it, “I will miss you,” he whispers.

“I will miss you too,” she replies.

“Last night had been wonderful and I don’t regret anything about it,” she added as he smiles back tenderly at her before pulling her on a hug.

He can’t seem to get enough of her but he knows he has to let go. The time and the circumstance tell him to let go.

What happened last night is already a memory both will only have to remember. A memory they promised to keep, just like what they had before.

He knows that what they are doing is pretty dangerous once people learn about it.

She knows that what they are doing bears an immense consequence once people learn about it.

But this is just something that happens so rarely and letting it slip will be a lifetime of regret.

Both of them parted sooner as his hands trails from her waist to hold her hands again.

With a smile plastered on both of their faces, they turned around so he can send her on the elevator but they stood rooted on their place when they did.

The person they expect the very least stood there, just a few feet away from them.

It was so surprising because they did not saw him there a while ago.

She felt his hold on her hand grow even tighter.

The said person looked back at them with shock, his eyes growing even wider when he saw their hands intertwined.

A look of recognition crossed the SNSD’s manager’s face for while; probably because of some conclusion he had arrived.

But that was brief which was soon followed by ‘I-want-an-explanation-from-you-two-especially-you-Sooyoung’ look.