Days have passed since the last time Myungsoo heard the beautiful laugh that he, somehow, believes belongs to her. And even though it has been precisely 9 days, not even a day the laugh stops to haunt him, both in reality and dream. It haunts him in between day and night, and it’s because he knows it wasn’t her.

He even can differentiate between believing and knowing.

He never goes to the café again because he’s just afraid that the laugh really belongs to her, and there’s also a slight fear in him just in case it belongs to someone else. He doesn’t really know what to feel. He is confused. One moment he wishes it’s her, and one moment he wishes it’s not. He wants to meet her again for the second time, and then he changes his mind because she hurts him once, and maybe it was 6 years ago, but he still could feel the pain even until now.

It wasn’t long for him to finally accept that she left. It was hard. He didn’t cry, though, which was weird because when he first knew she was his, he thought that he’d cry his heart out because she was just that meaningful to him. But he didn’t, and he thinks that if she’s strong enough to let everything go, then he must be even stronger to let go what she let go—and that’s simply because he thinks that men are supposed to be stronger than women.

It is funny, isn’t it? Men are supposed to be stronger than women, so does that mean women can do anything they want just because they’re the weaker creatures? Myungsoo’s sure he doesn’t hate women, but he realises he has distanced himself from any girls that try to hit on him, even try to be friend with him since then. But one thing he’s not sure is that whether he hates Soojung on what she did or nah?

His friends tried to match make him with some random girls, and he politely declined every time they did that. “Why?” they asked and he could only shrug. “They’re not Soojung.” He answered and they gave him disbelief look. “That’s the point.” Myungsoo shook his head, and they respected his choice. They like Soojung, but Myungsoo’s their friend, their brother and of course family comes first before everything.

He once wished she’d be coming back, and he’ll forgive her even if she doesn’t apologize, but days after days and she was still not coming back, his wish suddenly stopped. It is weird to actually wishing for something every day, and then some day, one day, it just stops. But he’s glad, though. He thinks he finally knows and accepts that maybe some wishes could only remain as wishes and sometimes we just need to stop wishing for things and start living.

But it isn’t easy. It costs him hell to do that, but he believes that it’s going to be worth it.

His eyes then lit up, and before he knows, he already puts on his coat and goes out from the house, directly walking to the café he swears that he’ll never come again 9 days ago just to figure out some things. His hands start to be sweaty because he’s nervous for some reasons that he doesn’t want to know, and he wonders whether his sudden idea to go there is actually a good idea. But he goes inside anyway, walking to the counter while his eyes keep looking for that owner’s-daughter-who-apparently-has-the-same-laugh-that-belongs-to-her. He orders a hot chocolate again, and he waits for someone that he himself not really sure who, or maybe her laugh is more than enough, but none of that happens even until he has his last sip, and he finally gives up.

Myungsoo doesn’t know whether to feel relief or disappointed with the fact that he gains nothing.

+

Soojung walks to the counter from the kitchen, and that’s when she meets with Emma, who’s weirdly having this overly-excited-aura radiating from her. Soojung raises her eyebrows, giving her a look before she then breaks into a grin.

“What’s up with you?” Soojung asks, nudging the blonde girl with her elbow.

Emma smiles widely that Soojung thinks her cheeks might be tearing up. “Remember the guy I told you?”

“You told me about lot of guys.” Soojung rolls her eyes.

“Well, yeah, but this one is probably the handsomest guy I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” Emma sighs dreamily and Soojung smiles, knowing how it feels to have someone that’s too perfect in our eyes.

“Yeah? Tell me about him.”