After the movie, Soyeon and I decided to take a stroll along the harbour. The lingering light was obliterated by the rapidly falling night. The once salmon and purple sky transformed into a vast expanse of jet-black that engulfed the town. A canopy of luminous starts materialized amongst the ocean of blackness. Some were dull, merely flickering into existence every now and then, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering starts to illuminate the dark, moonless night. The lake glistened, mirroring the dazzling assemblage of glittering stars and the luminescence from the restaurants and designer boutiques that lined the marina. The faint wind brushed against the water's surface as the ripples ruffled the stillness of the surface and shattered the reflection of the harbour.

"Beautiful, hmm?" I spoke after we sat down on a nearby bench. Soyeon nodded, "It's been awhile since I've seen the sunset, and sunrise." she implied before falling silent again. Her silence was somehow comforting and spoke for itself. It was peaceful in a way where you could feel at home. "Can I ask you what happened though? To us?" I asked softly, breaking the silence. She looked at me and asked, her head tilted slightly "What do you mean?" 

"Minho said we got into a fight. Or a quarrel. He didn't mention much though." I explained. "Ah..." She breathed out, "It's nothing actually, you made a really huge mess in the kitchen and I kind of got mad because you were always making a mess." she laughed softly.

"Oh, I see. That's really bad then. I'll apologise to you." I said sheepishly, eliciting a chuckle from her. I proceeded to ask her," Do you know how I got into the accident?"

Soyeon's face stiffened immediately, "I-" she hesitated, "It was a reckless driver, he was drunk driving."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Really? That's irresponsible. So he's the one who made me end up like this." I shook my head, feeling annoyed all of a sudden. 

"Sorry, can I go home now? I'm feeling a little tired." Soyeon requested, her facial expressions unreadable.

"Sure, let's get you home."

On the way home, Soyeon was quiet. I kept glancing at her from time to time. "Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, placing a hand on her knee. She gave me a faint smile and shook her head. We spent the rest of the car ride in silence. The drive back to Soyeon's took no time at all. I walked her up to the doorstep. "Have a good rest." I told her, "Yeah." came her reply. We stared back at each other for what seemed like hours until I finally dropped my gaze, "There's one more thing." my voice faltering slightly. I looked back up at her. A gentle flush of pink had arisen in her cheeks that made her look vulnerable. She held her breath as I leaned in and tentatively pressed my lips onto hers. My head had gone hazy, my body became stagnant at the sensation of her lips against mine. So is this what a kiss feels like? So sweet and silken, it's enough to melt even the hardest hearted man. Just as I was going to lose myself in this moment, she retreated, a look of discomfiture on her face. "Um, good night, Jiho." She mumbled, fumbling with her keys before entering quickly. I placed my palm on my forehead and took a quick look at the door. Ah, did I make a mistake? I trudged back towards my car. As I was about to drive off, I heard the buzz of my phone.

Meet me at the lounge. Received 21:29

Irene wants to meet? I sighed. I had a feeling it wasn't going to go well. 
 

As the musicians improvised on stage in the smokey haze, the music danced out of their instruments in the swinging rhythm. I lolled my head to one side, waiting for Jiho. I felt a tap on my shoulder. "What's up?" Jiho asked, taking the seat opposite me. I took a sip from my glass of cocktail before placing it down. "You went out with Soyeon?"

"A date." He stated plainly. 

"I told you she needs time away from you." I told him, feeling slighty displeased. He shot me a look of reproach. "She seemed fine with it." He rebutted. 

I rubbed my temple and explained to him slowly. "Do you think she'd tell you everything that's going through her head? I know her, Jiho. I know her better than you. How would you feel if your girlfriend was the one who lost her memory and she comes to you asking for a date, like nothing has ever happened before? She wouldn't even know how you're feeling in that moment which you realise she doesn't remember you."

Jiho kept his eyes fixed on me, "I think you're wrong." he said. "You're her best friend, aren't you supposed to be supportive of her right now? I'm trying to make things right here. I don't know how she really feels but I know she must be feeling miserable inside. Irene, what's wrong with you? Why are you being like this?" He asked further.

"I mean I told you precisely what not to do and you went ahead with it deliberately." I argued, feeling irritated. "So what are your feelings for her now?" I asked. That caught him off guard. "I don't know." He sighed. "I'm attracted to her. This might sound kinda inappropriate but I still have feelings for you, at least a little. I still keep thinking that we're together, You and I."

I looked at him in surprised. I did not see that coming. "How long are you going to keep this up then?" I questioned, trying to keep a straight face.

Jiho "I'm just going to have to spend more time with her. We're still in a relationship technically, aren't we? As for you... I don't know, honestly. Time will decide everything."

I hummed lowly and replied, "Just don't lead her on if you're not feeling anything for her, Jiho." I gave him a last piece of advice. 
 

My mind was still a surging perplexity. I felt lost and confused, but happy and certain all at once. I was like a ball of tangled yarn. The parts that were untangled are available, the rest was a mess, useless until it's untied. That mess felt endless and unyielding. Jiho kissed me. It wasn't anything unusual for your boyfriend to kiss you but something doesn't feel right. I wasn't sure what I was feeling, neither was I sure about what to feel. And for a moment, I was afraid. My legs gave way and I collapsed onto the floor. I breathed in and out but air wouldn't enter my lungs. Starved for air, my heart raced at tremendous speeds and my lungs shallowly rose and fell in time. I sat there for what felt like an eternity. Satisfaction of security was nothing but a distant memory, and an invisible forve crushed me from every possible direction. Each second submerged in fear made a permanent mark on my heart, and a vivid imagination made me wonder if it was just my mind playing tricks or reality. I couldn't think straight at all. With my hands shaking, I whipped my phone out and called Minho.

"Yes Soyeon?" Came his voice from the other end.

"I... I think I'm going to break up with Jiho." 
 

the writer's words