It was a long wait before the door before her opens. Jae Rim answers the door with his usual stripy pants and sleeveless shirt, showing off his muscular arms, something she has not seen for awhile. He clearly looks surprised at her sudden visit.

“Oh… what are you doing here?” he asked, holding the door. It seems like she is unwelcome here.

“It’s been a long time Jae Rim-ssi”

He stands there like he just receives a surprise. He looks behind her, maybe checking if there is camera behind her.

“Are you going to invite me in?” she said with a smile.

He looks nervous at her suggestion, turning around, looking inside the house.

“emmm… okay…” he hesitates but she knows he will invite her in eventually.

Jae Rim leads their way

“So Eun-ah…”

Her heart beats fast as she hears him calling that name

“Jagi…” he continues calling.

“yes oppa?” the voice comes from inside his room.

“Jagi, we have a guest”

We? Since when she lives with him? She wonders

“I want to talk with you, alone Jae Rim”

“What?”

“I want to talk alone with you. I thought you will be alone at your house”

Jae Rim turns to face her.

At that sentence, So Eun makes her appearance, clearly she is being too comfortable, wearing only baggy shirt that she was sure belongs to him and she doubt So Eun has anything underneath that.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know you are here… I will…” she turns around “I will make some tea and you two can talk” she said, pointing her fingers towards the kitchen. It was an awkward encounter.

She saw Jae Rim looking at So Eun, smiling as if So Eun just said something so impressive.

Jae Rim motions her to go to the sofa in the living room. “I will be back” he says, looking at her but his footsteps follow the same path as So Eun.

She finds her place on the sofa. Given that Jae Rim’s house is not that big, she could see the kitchen from where she is sitting.

Looking from where she is sitting, it looks like So Eun is trying to reach for something in the cabinet. Being someone so petite like her, she is struggling to reach for it even when she stands on her tiptoes. Without realizing, she rolls her eyes.

If that was me, I could reach it

Before she knows it, she turns to look at Jae Rim’s body covering So Eun, reaching for what it seems to be container for tea. And they don’t seem to move away from where they are standing.

She sees Jae Rim lowering his head, his body cornering So Eun to the corner of the cabinet, completely blocking her view of So Eun and So Eun hands are reaching to his back, crumpling his shirt.

She turns away, sighing loudly looking at the lovebirds making out in the kitchen.

What the hell? How dare them making out when I’m around?

Was that a moan?

Indeed a moan just escaped from So Eun’s lips so audible to her in the living room

That is so rude!

She turns her head away from them, looking away at anything other than them.

She then heard So Eun giggles and she turns her head again to look at So Eun pushing Jae Rim away from her and whatever she says after that was incoherent as she is whispering.

Jae Rim turns with a huge grin on his face.

Looks like an idiot she thought. Jae Rim makes his way to the living room where she is sitting now. He takes his seat next to her.

But the space in between them seems like it could fit in three So Eun.

“You are with her now?” she asks seeing he finally settles down and when his head finally turns to looks at her

 “I haven’t seen you in awhile Ji Yeon. When was the last time? Three years ago was it? During Seoul Fashion Week but you hardly look at me back then so I can’t even say hi. How are you doing?”  He said, ignoring her question.

“I’m good. I see your career is exploding.”

“Is that why you are here for? To congratulate me?”

“No. I…” she hesitates. She wants to say the word so bad but it just won’t come out. “So, how long have you two been together?”

“Officially, it has been one year. What makes you come here?”

His answer makes her heart stop. But she needs to tell him the truth.

“I…” she takes a deep breath “ I miss you”

“What?” she heard the same word utters from two different voices but both have the same reaction.

So Eun stood there, now with short pants underneath her shirt, the pants that she is sure belongs to Jae Rim, the stripy pants of different color, carrying a tray with pot and two cups.

It was awkward - again. She looks up to So Eun. So Eun takes her deep breath before walking towards them. She places the tray with care on the table.

She studies So Eun’s face.

How can one be so calm when her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend just said she missed her boyfriend?

“I’m sorry for interrupting. Please continue your talk”

So Eun was about to walk away before Jae Rim grabs her wrist.

“You will stay” Jae Rim says softly but firmly. So Eun writhes her hand but looking at how firm his hand grabbing is, she doesn’t think So Eun can let her own hand’s free.

“But I want to talk with you, alone, like I’ve said before. So Eun-ssi, is it okay if you excuse us?” She tries to sounds as polite as possible. It might be rude but she has no other choice. She really wants to iron things out with Jae Rim.

Jae Rim inhales and exhales deeply. So Eun looks away maybe wishing she could disappear out of thin air and here she is making things harder for both of them.

“What makes you think you can change my mind Ji Yeon? Be it So Eun is here or not, you know my answer. So how would it be any different that So Eun is here or not when you say you miss me?” One breath, sharp words and everything pierce right into her heart.

Who is she trying to fool? Herself?

“You think you could bring our old flames back when you say those words, you were wrong Ji Yeon. Things have been different since the day you left. I am not the same person anymore” She could sense he is trying to be calm as he utters those words.

Her eyes start to water. The image of Jae Rim in front of her has blurs. She turns away to wipe the tears.

He indeed has changed. If he was alone, maybe those simple words would makes him happy and she would be in his embrace.

I am so shameless! 

 “I am so sorry for barging in without warning and even more sorry because I thought you will be alone” and she intends to mean more than physically alone.

“I’m sorry but I would like to excuse myself” So Eun says very politely. So Eun does have different façade to her and it seems hard for Ji Yeon to recognize which one is the real her. But she knows So Eun must be a nice person.

 Because Jae Rim won’t fall for es

So Eun slightly touches Jae Rim shoulder and he takes her hand off his shoulder, brings her palm to his lips and lightly kisses her palm before she makes her move.

 “Look…” he says, now turning his attention towards her when So Eun finally closes the door of his room  “I don’t know what you meant by your earlier statement but Ji Yeon, you are better than this, I know that. Trying to wreck things between me and So Eun is not something you would do. This is not you”

She sighs. He is right, sadly.

 “I miss you. I thought maybe by coming here and talk things with you, we can get things back like it used to”

“Things will never go back like it used to. You left me, remember? But I don’t hold any grudge. I let you go. I stopped seeing anyone after you”

“Is it because you cannot get over me?”

He chuckles at her statement. That is rude she thinks.

“I’m sorry but you know that is not true”

Knowing his gentleman nature, that was his way of denying. She knows that better than anyone.

“So… you really love her?”

He nods, looking at her affirmatively.

She looks down to her feet. It feels like she is being defeated.

“So whatever that was showcased on the show, 2 years ago, it was all real?”

He nods again.

Since he said it has been a year he got together with So Eun, they must start their relationship a year after the show ended. That damn show that boosted his career and over and again he had been thanking So Eun for that.

“I’m sorry” he says it like he means it.

“Is it okay if you call So Eun?”

“Why?”

“Please…” she ask, almost pleading. She might spill a tear or two just now but controlling her emotion was hard but she has been holding it in very well up to now. Seeing him so happy without her hurts her now. She never knew that.

But he is happy, happier without her, she hates to acknowledge that but that is the truth.

Jae Rim get up from his seat, although confused by her request, he still complies her request. He gets into his room and makes his appearance again in the living room, holding So Eun’s hand.

So Eun emerges from Jae Rim’s back and she stands up and makes her way to So Eun.

“So Eun-ssi…”

So Eun looks up to her, as she is taller

“I’m so sorry for what happened just now. I promised you it won’t happen again in the future”

So Eun smiles, very innocent and sweet smile. She can’t help but to smile at her too cause her smile is so addictive

No wonder he falls for her.

“I pray for the happiness of you two. You deserve each other”

“Thank you unnie. You will find someone better too, better than this prankster” she said, smiling slyly at Jae Rim.

“Why me? I’m not!” Jae Rim pretending to be angry.

“All of us here know you are oppa” So Eun said, pushing her elbow towards Jae Rim's chest.

“He wasn’t like this at all So Eun-ssi. He was a boring guy back then”

That is the biggest compliment she could offer them, how So Eun being with Jae Rim makes him a happier and cheerful person. She is sincere when she said that.

Song Jae Rim was a boring guy when he was with her come to think of it.

She chuckles at that thought.

After excusing herself, she left Jae Rim’s apartment.

Physically, everything is the same in the apartment except she did not find the same person there.

What was she thinking when she came here, she herself did not know.

But now she is certain, Song Jae Rim is not for her anymore.

Maybe not in this lifetime.

That’s okay.

Anyoeng… Song Jae Rim