Once More, Love (MiChaeng 2Yeon)

05. Still, Too

Chaeyoung downs another shot of soju straight to his throat. "What the hell is wrong with me, huh?"

"Hey, slow it down!" Dahyun glares at the painter who is still wearing the same long sleeve he was in earlier from his first day in school teaching. "That's your third bottle within the hour!"

Jeongyeon chuckles. "Let him be, Dahyun. Our friend is brokenhearted!"

"And how about you, Hyung?" The pale guy looks at the chef unamused. The three of them are occupying a small rounded table of a pop up bar beside the busy streets of the city. "Why are you also drinking your hearts out with him? Don't tell me you're also heartbroken. You don't even have a girlfriend!"

"So?" Jeongyeon squints at Dahyun. "That's the goodness of being single, Dahyunie. You can drink your hearts out for no reason and no one will nag at you! Look at you." He points to the other guy. "You. You can't drink because you are supposed to pick up your wife later. Jinjja! You're missing out on the fun!"

Kim Dahyun has been married for more than a year now. He is one of the renowned managers for prominent K-Pop idols at one of the leading entertainment companies in Korea.

Dahyun just rolls his eyes in response and turns back again to Chaeyoung. "And what the hell happened with you, Son Chaeyoung? We just talked yesterday and you said that you have no plans to meet with Mina again. How in the world did everything turn upside down like this in just twenty four hours?!"

"Dahyunie." The painter pauses to down again another shot of soju. "Mina. My Mina. My sweet, sweet Mina. The love of my life and my soul and my everything. She— she has a kid."

The two other guys quickly yelled at the same time. "WHAT?!"

"Yeah." Chaeyoung laughs while tears are brimming in his eyes. "She has a kid! Oh, my god. I'm such a hypocrite! Yesterday, I was just saying that we're over. That Mina and I are over. That I will be happy as long as she is happy even if that means her finding a new man to love and be with!"

The painter pursues his monologue in yells. "I was saying that it was just it! That I just wanted to be sure that she is happy and well so that I can keep going with my life! But, no! ANDWAE. ANDWAEYO! I was just lying to myself! I'M A LIAR! When I saw her—"

Chaeyoung's voice cracks as tears start to fall down on his cheeks now. "When— When I saw her—" He wasn't able to finish his sentence though because he started to sob uncontrollably.

Dahyun promptly pulled his chair closer to his drunk and dramatic friend. He softly taps the painter's back to try and calm him. "It's okay, Chaeyoung. Let it all out. We're here for you."

"Wae? What's wrong with me?" Chaeyoung starts whining like a kid. "Why can't I forget her? WAE? WAE?! Why can't I just forget her?!"

Jeongyeon and Dahyun give each other knowing glances. They just kept silent for a moment to let their brokenhearted friend finish his mini speech.

"Mina." Chaeyoung changes his expression into something soft. "She— she's still so beautiful. Her voice is still so soft like the cold breeze I love so much early in the morning. She is still the same lovable, sweet, perfect woman that I knew. The second I heard her voice, my heart skipped a beat. The moment I saw her face again, everything in my surroundings stopped. The minute she uttered my name, I felt so happy that I could die!"

"So..." Dahyun breaks her silence and cautiously asks. "You really are still madly in love with her?"

"Oh, yes. I am." The painter pours himself another shot of soju. "I surely am. I'm still head over heels for my ex-wife."

The manager continues. "And now that you've met again by accident and your initial plan of not reconnecting with her changed... what are you going to do now?"