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Seunghee runs out of the shop quickly right after recognizing his face. She almost loses her footing, unsteady on her way out of the shop. But she sees no trace Jeonghan there. There are many passersby but there is no sign of him. She looks all over the place but there is no one who even looks like him. She feels devastated. She's probably being haunted by her past. Cuz she's still waiting for him to return to her side, someday.

At the adjacent store to hers, someone is peeking at her from inside. It's still closed as of today and will be opening in the coming days. Some people are still busy taking care of the interior design and one of those persons has his eyes attached to the wobbly girl just outside the glass wall, with a distant smile plastered on his face.

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"Are you sure?" Sorn exclaims at Seunghee.

Sitting across each other at a restaurant, Sorn and Jun have met with Seunghee, inviting her to the first birthday of their first daughter. They have both been working in the music industry as a songwriter and a choreographer, respectively, and are already married for four years. They have two children, the first, a boy, three years older than the latter, though they don't have the children with them at the moment.

"Did you catch up with him?" Jun asks.

"That's the sad part. He was gone when I came to. But I'm sure it's him," Seunghee answers.

"It's been what? Eight long years unnie," Sorn utters.

"Eight years..." Seunghee murmurs.

Jun then adds, "If that's really him. We're not even sure yet."

"I can't be mistaken though. Until now, I can recognize him even just in a glance," Seunghee says firmly.

The couple in front of her is silenced. They can see how much she wishes to see him again. How much she misses him. And that she still loves him up to this point.

Sorn holds her hand to comfort her, "Unnie, isn't it better not to hope for anything yet? It's been years he hasn't shown up. Don't you think it's a little too late now?"

"And how dare he show up now? After abandoning you just like that?" Jun is still mad at him for leaving her beloved noona and engraving the pain on her all these years.

"It's never too late. No matter what he did, I'm just glad that he's here. Even if he doesn't really want me to see him," Seunghee sadly shares. "I'll make sure it's him."

Sorn and Jun just glimpse at each other. They know Seunghee has been waiting for this moment she sees Jeonghan again. But she shouldn't do drastic things. They're not sure whether or not he still feels the same, or if he's not committed to anyone else. Worse, if he's back for revenge.

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Seunghee decides to stay at her shop all day that day, canceling all her other appointments just to look out for Jeonghan. She watches everyone who passes by her shop. She only looks out the window glass all day even if she has no classes for that day. She's looking pathetic and desperate all by herself, as if looking and waiting for someone who's not even there. But she still chooses to stay. She knows she might not get another chance to see him again if she doesn't see him now. So she stays still. She has to wait for him. She has to look out for him. Cuz this time might never happen again.

But after the all-day waiting and staring out, there is no Jeonghan who meets her eyes, leaving her totally upset.

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The next day, she decides to wait again, but luck isn't with her. It's slowly starting to be a hopeless case. But there is one thing she notices that day, a store next to hers is finally opening up. There have been a couple of individuals going in and out of the place. She peaks one time and it looks like an instrument shop, a neat and spacious one. The displays are already being set up accordingly and it looks complete, from guitars to drums to keyboards and pianos. She even catches a violin being brought in. She ponders who owns the place. He or she might've gotten it big in the business. It's not a cheap store, it's extravagant.

Setting that aside, as the store next to hers is getting busier day by day, she's still waiting for him. For the following days, right after her work at Cube office, she directly opens her shop just for the sake of staying there and looking out the glass wall. She's starting to doubt her vision of that day. She must've really just lost it and thought it was him.

After a week, she reluctantly but finally gives up. Maybe she's not really waiting for anyone. Maybe it was just her eyes deceiving her.

She closes up her shop early that day at about 4PM, she just wants to relax after a week of being stressed. She knows there will come a day when they will get to see each other again. Even if that time is when she's old and gray, she won't mind, as long as they do. She walks to her car and drives away to some bar to unwind.

Just a few seconds after she has gone, a person gets down from the black car that's been parking in front the next store for an hour now. He stares at her receding mobile for a while and then walks in his shop.

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Seunghee visits the Wen residence that weekend. The Wen mansion is as grand as ever and this time there's the little ones running around the enormous corridors for a few years already.

"Where's my little Jun? Looks like he's playing hide and seek again," Seunghee says when she notices Jun's son running along the hall with a nanny.

She's sitting at the family room with Sorn. Jun on the other hand, isn't home.

"Jr exhausts her nanny too much," Sorn laughs while serving Seunghee some tea.

"Where's Jun? It's a Sunday and he's not home? What a dad..." Seunghee complains like an old woman.

"There's even a time he didn't come home for a week for some choreography," Sorn adds.

They're sitting together on the couch now, sipping on the tea.

"So how did it go unnie?" Sorn asks.

Seunghee sighs but she's not that upset. "Nothing. The week passed without his shadow. Maybe you were right. I was just played by my vision."

She can see she's devastated so she tries so cheer her up. "But I'm sure you will see him again unnie. You know, all these years, I thought he'd really show up and be with you again. Maybe he's just taking his time. But I know he'll come to see you someday cuz he didn't say goodbye to you."

"You think so? I'm... really starting to lose hope right now. It's been eight years, but he hasn't even sent a single message, a single call, or even a mail." Seunghee sighs hard before continuing. "I'm afraid he found someone he trusted more. Someone he could love more."

Tears begin forming at the corner of her eyes that Sorn has to reach out and hold her hand. "It's okay unnie, you can let it out. I'm listening."

It's been years that Seunghee hasn't talked to anyone about him. And today, it's just overwhelming her. She lets her tears fall as she continues.

"I'm waiting for him but I'm really scared, that if ever I see him again, he's already living a happy life with someone else. Cuz it's been eight long years, and that is a long time for him to cope up with the pain and move on. But I'm more scared that I might never get to see him again. It's slowly starting to kill me. This pain of waiting is just becoming too much. I don't know what to do anymore..."

"Unnie..."

Sorn gives her a hug as she cries her heart out. She knows she can't say anything to make her feel better. She's been fighting with this pain for the past eight years and only she knows how to deal with it.

They're older and stronger now. But Seunghee hasn't moved on a single bit. She's still stuck with the past and she's also living in it. She can't move on no matter what she does. She can't escape the nightmare she brought upon herself. The only person who'll save her is the same person who walked away from her and it's almost impossible for her to find him again. She doesn't know what to do anymore. And she can't get herself to move on without seeing him again. It's hopeless, and no matter what she does is killing her slowly...

Jun arrives later with Seungcheol, Nayeon, Jisoo and Sojung. It's a surprise reunion that they actually prepared for Seunghee since she has been really down these past few days. It lightens her up in no time. Seeing them altogether again is just fantastic. And then later on, Sehun and Areum show up unexpectedly. It's a real get together now. They finally have some time again after a few months. It's become a bit rowdy and loud but the fun is genuine and heartfelt. It's one the best days Seunghee has in a while. Though deep inside, she still keeps the pain. Cuz during this time, there should've been another person with them, another person beside her. She's crying inside, but she hides it well. That no one noticed a single bit.

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It's that time of the day that Seunghee closes up her shop again. It's already past 8PM since she has something to finish for her pupils the next day.

With already so much going on in her mind, she notices that the store next to her is finally opening the next day. She sees a few people inside the shop, still busy with the final changes of the preparation. The musical instrument shop looks promising and it blends well with her prep school. The owner must be fond of music too, she thinks.

For a moment, she diverts her attention to closing her school. She locks the door closed and checks carefully if it's secure. She has no other thought in mind but to go home for now and rest the night away. So she hurries up and pulls down on the roll-up door to lock it.

When she finally does, but still squatting on the ground to put the lock on, some footsteps draw near her and a familiar voice unexpectedly rings in her ears.

"I was trying to get a hold of the store owner next door for some time now. And look who I got here?" a male voice states.

She freezes for a moment. This voice is the one she wants to hear for the past eight years. She turns to him almost not containing her emotions and her eyes are damp and teary. The excitement overwhelms her to see him again, but it dies down inevitably the instant she sees his face.

Jeonghan's expression when looking at her is unreadable. With a poker face, he stares down at her almost coldheartedly. And it shocks her, to the point she can't even speak.

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To be continued...

(16.12.02)