"It's okay. Go on."

I said steadfastly, "I live in a simple family. As I recall, my father was just an ordinary office employee and my mother worked in a small restaurant. After the accident happened, my mother died and my father left me a week later. At that time, I was five years old, so my grandma took me to Sokcho and took care of me."

I smiled weakly. Recalling those memories seemed to open up old wounds. I said, "It's different from you who can live with your parents from the start so you could feel their love. You've also lived a luxurious life from the start, so I guess you lived well with them. Even though your father always demanded you to follow the rules in your family, you should still be grateful because you still have a parent."

"Heh," Daehyun sneered, "I only feel love from my mother." Sighing heavily, he continued, "Put your thoughts away. Just so you know that living in luxury since you were a child doesn't mean your life will be prosperous, you know."

"I told you, my family's upbringing was very hard. From a long time ago, my father wanted me to continue his business, so he demanded me keep studying without caring if I didn't have time to have hang out with ... you. Even though he always gave me anything, it means nothing to me. That's not what I want." He chuckled as if to mock himself. "You know, I was so depressed, I even thought that being homeless is more pleasure than living at my own home. How can I be grateful?"

Stunned for a moment, I concluded, "Huh, that means you're an unlucky rich man."

Daehyun's face suddenly turned flat. There was a moment's pause, then he ruffled my hair. "I think you're right. My luck is very bad."

I chuckled softly, then looked up at his face and said, "But, didn't you say that he had freed you?"

"Yeah, after my mother died. And, that's because I was furious with him at that time. But, because I'm used to living by his rules, I'm still an obedient son for him, except in certain things."

"What kind of thing?"

"Um ... such as for loving someone, maybe."

Daehyun looked at me with a faint smile on his face. Although his tone sounded joking, his eyes revealed seriousness.

Hearing about that, I smiled bitterly. "But, you look like you're having fun now."

Daehyun leaned his head against mine, then replied, "Not really. If you look at me like that, then it's because I'm with you. You're the only one who makes me happy. But, if you mean having fun like a teen, heh, I've had old enough to do something like that. I'm thirty-four now and have no interest in such a thing anymore. Compares to my job, I'm more interested in my current job."

"But, still, you don't look old I think." I praised him, "Even when I compare you to Donghwa, you look younger than him, though. You should be grateful to be a part of your family. That's the best part."

Instantly he fell silent. He lifted his head, looked straight ahead, then muttered softly, "If you compare me to him ...."

He then turned his head towards me, staring at me with his deep dark eyes, showing a sharp green glow in his beaded eyes. He said, "But, you will still choose him, right?"

My breath suddenly shuddered, feeling shocked. My eyes widened open and I couldn't say anything, other than just staring at his bloodless face, without a line of a smile. His face looked completely different from before. Looked cold, as if drowning me into a deep-frozen lake.

Seeing him act like this, made me regret my own words. If only I could take those words back, then I would withdraw them, and swallow them up even though it would be painful!

I wanted to talk, but the more I tried, my lips also tightened together as if they were locked and at a loss for words.

Until a second later, his warm lips touched mine and made me wake up from my reverie.

This was just an instant kiss. I didn't even notice that he had snatched the kiss from me, like hallucinating.

He spoke, "What's the matter? Why do you look tense like that? Don't show me that face I don't like it, you know."

I slightly lowered my gaze. Still in silence without a word, I bit my lower lip to force myself to speak, but I still couldn't.

How could I seem to be calm after he surprises me with such a question?

He persuaded me, "Don't show me a face like that. Come on, smile."

Paused for a while, a thing suddenly flashed through my head. I slowly lifted my eyes, looking at him for a moment before asking, "Daehyun, so far you never asked about what happened to my relationship. Why don't you ask that?"

A smile etched coldly on his straight face. He showed a displeased look, but still spoke calmly, "Why should I ask that? When I found out you left him, I could already guess that the matter was definitely very serious. So, I guess, I don't need to ask for any more details. What's more, you never discussed it, so I don't think you want to bring it up either."

Daehyun was silent for a moment, then continued, "But, if you want to talk about it tonight, I'll be a good listener for you."

I took a deep breath, then replied, "I'll tell you, but promise me to stay calm, okay?"

Daehyun glanced at me, then chuckled softly. "Do I really look like the person who always scolds you if you say talk about that? I don't even remember doing it — every day."

"No, that's not it. It's just that, I'm afraid if when you tell it you will be displeased."

"Heh," he snorted coldly. "That's no longer a big deal for me, though."

I was stunned for a moment. At first, I was hesitant, but after gathering my intentions, I started telling him.

"Our fourth year at university, 2003. I still remember, it was autumn. Donghwa confessed his feelings to me, but I didn't accept it right away because I was afraid of this kind of relationship. However, he was very persistent, even though always following me around. Of course, I even thought of him as a disturber."

The feeling of nostalgia for those days made me both happy and sad. There was something deeper that went even deeper into my feelings, which couldn't be described in words, but was clearly felt in my chest.

"Until some time later, he suddenly disappeared. At that moment, I realized that I like him. His behavior that always followed me wherever I went at that time, made me feel so lost when he no longer did that." I sighed heavily, then said, "You won't believe it if you look at him in the past. You might think that they were two different people in two eras. I just don't think that Donghwa who is with me right now is Donghwa who often chased me in the past."

Daehyun fell silent without any response.

I smiled faintly, then continued, "After he came back like a hero, I feel very grateful to meet with him. And when he confessed his feelings again to me, I threw away the fear inside of me and accepted him."

"Like a hero?" Daehyun asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, he helped me when the hooligans bothered me."

He paused for a moment, then snorted softly. "Don't you want to tell about your problems? Why do you even reminisce about your past?" Closed my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh before replying, "I want to tell you. So, to begin with, I want you to get to know him first."

"What? You want me to know him?" He rolled his eyes, grinning coldly.

He lifted an eyebrow, looking displeased. However, seeing his expression didn't discourage me from telling everything. Besides, I couldn't help but say it. I wouldn't be able to take my words back, and he wouldn't be able to pretend that he didn't hear anything either.

I continued, "The day after our graduation day, his parents divorced, and both of them chose to remarry regardless of Donghwa's feelings at that time. However, that stuff didn't discourage him. He always looked cheerful even though he ended up crying in my arms."

Daehyun smirked. It was as if the words I conveyed, contradicted his current thoughts. He asked, "He said that to you?"

"Yes, what's up?"

He shook his head lightly. "Nothing. I just remembered something. But, just get on with it."

Taking a silent breath, I said again, "After graduating, we looked for a job together. We had worked at the same company, but an incident occurred, which in the end made us both choose to work in different places."

I smiled wearily when reminiscing about it as if the fond memories of those days made me feel how I loved him at that time.

I wanted to go back to that time, but time would never make that dream come true unless I was probably reborn.