.

As if he had no idea about my agony, Yoo Chun Young came close nonchalantly and took a seat across the table.

How was the trip? he asked.

Oh, the trip

That was when I recalled that it was just earlier this afternoon that we returned from the short trip.

No one seemed to have told Yoo Chun Young about our messed-up getaway. I thought Eun Hyung would have, of course, spoke about the happening when he went back home, but to think of it, Yoo Chun Young was outside shooting the TV drama during the whole day. Thus, he would have not met Eun Hyung yet.

Yoo Chun Young then said, I wanted to go there too.

I stared at his face. The shadow of his lashes was gently swaying on his white cheek under the cafes warm, orange light. Considering his personality, Yoo Chun Young wasnt giving lip service to me.

Rolling my eyes, I replied, You also enjoyed traveling with us?

He looked at me as if I was saying something absurd. In my eyes, he seemed to be just acting considerate toward Yeo Ryung and Jooin who liked to hang around.

Yoo Chun Young always looked bored and less motivated. When it was our day out, he almost dragged himself out of bed to see us and just dozed off on the train.

I once wondered about telling him that it was fine to just stay home if he felt exhausted, but when thinking about Yoo Chun Young not going with us, that seemed to linger in my mind as well, so I just ignored his feelings and called him out for a day out. Thats why asking him to join our trip always made me feel a little guilty.

Yoo Chun Young replied, I think I find pleasure in it.

Really? You were always being silent when were planning for a trip.

He responded composedly, Because its fine whatever you guys planned to do. I stayed quiet because I had no objections.

Feeling baffled, I uttered, Still, we didnt really stick to our plans, always letting things happen and going this way and that. We always end up doing nothing so particular.

Thats what we always do.

Well, if he says so, what can I respond to? Above all, what he just said was true. He indeed hit the nail on the head.

While my mind shortly went blank, Yoo Chun Young smiled againthe coin magic-like grin he revealed earlier in the street. It lasted on his face for a while.

I blinked swiftly as if I were watching an illusion.

When did you begin to smile that often? I asked.

That was when Yoo Chun Young removed that soft and bright look from his face, wiping out his cheek.

Do I?

Uh-huh, I replied.

The director told me to do it more.

A-ha, so he was practicing it for his acting. Indeed, Yoo Chun Young needed to become smiley unless he was playing an utterly charismatic role.

Then even if he didnt feel excited at all, Yoo Chun Young would flaunt a smile if the script or the director ordered him to express a brighter character. With that thought in my mind, I rested my chin on my palm.

In fact, Yoo Chun Young wasnt such a cold guy, unlike his appearance. Back in middle school, he became friends with most of the boys in our class as we were reaching the end of our senior year.

To other kids, he seemed to have become a little brother type of person, more than Jooin. Well, maybe because Yoo Chun Young never revealed or gave anyone hard feelings or something negative.

If that Yoo Chun Young began to show more smiles, the actors and staff on the set would probably start noticing that he was warmhearted than he looked. If that was true, I could understand why the guy and girl were almost sticking with him earlier. Yoo Chun Young was definitely someone whom people desired to be around for a long time.

However, aside from that, I felt somehow sad and frustrated, watching Yoo Chun Young smiling on the set or being surrounded by many people.

Thinking to that extent, I took a self-observation time. Was it reasonable to have these feelings as a friend?

Hmm, perhaps we had been monopolizing him for such a long time. How selfish was I to feel unhappy when Yoo Chun Young was getting along well with other people? I shook my head since I felt like a five-year-old kid.

Ah, a kid The metaphor that came to my mind without much thought made my heart sink again. The young Donnie, the kid who struggled to escape from the shadow of Ban Yeo Ryung blew my brains out.

Is something wrong? asked Yoo Chun Young.

His voice brought me to myself. That was when I quickly lifted my head and smiled.

Um, what were we up to?

We have been talking about the trip He paused, then asked me, Did something happen?

I hesitated for a second, then nodded my head yes. My first confession was about Ban Yeo Ryung having recovered her memories. At that moment, the drinks we ordered were ready, so Yoo Chun Young went to the counter and picked them up.

While he put the tray down on the table, I was dithering over how to articulate the situation that occurred afterward.

But we fought again, I uttered.

Yoo Chun Young tilted his head. Fought again? Why?

He would indeed question the weird consequence since our fight was supposed to be resolved once Ban Yeo Ryungs memories returned.

Heaving a sigh, I got something off my chest. Actually I also dont have any memories before thirteen.

Yoo Chun Young lifted one eyebrow at my confession wordlessly. He seemed to have not understood my words.

Well, of course, he cant, I said in my thoughts. Sighing again, I explained the rest of the details.

How can I describe this Ban Yeo Ryung may have felt that I was blaming her for losing her memories. So, I tried to tell her she was getting me wrong by letting her know the truth that I also dont have any memories before fourteen. Although Ive lost a part of my memories, theres no reason for me to hate her. Instead, Im afraid if you dont like methat was what I tried to mention but right then, for some reason, her memories came back out of the blue

I swept my hair back. The secret of the note would be better left unsaid. I would disclose it neither to Yoo Chun Young nor to the other kids.

I continued, almost grumbling, Then it went awful you know Yeo Ryung jumped down my throat, asking me why I didnt tell her and was I trying to keep it a secret forever if she didnt lose her memories. Honestly, I became at a loss for words since everything she said was true.

I observed the look on Yoo Chun Youngs face, being scared of him asking back something like Why cant you say anything to her? However, he just stared at me serenely as if he was encouraging me to continue talking.

I uttered, So, I returned home, but Yeo Ryung came to my house again and said perhaps its her fault that I lost my memories of the past. She then apologized, telling the truth. Before my memories were gone, Ban Yeo Ryung and I had a big fight, so that might have affected me to wipe out such memories from my mind. She kept talking about the things that happened right before my memories disappeared

Yoo Chun Young asked calmly, Okay, she explained them to you, then?

My lost memories came back, I replied, sweeping back my hair again. But no matter how much I thought, it wasnt her fault, but it was my parents who became the cause of my partial memory loss so

Folding my hands, I murmured about myself feeling complicated to see Yeo Ryungs face, even having a fear of confronting my parents, having left the house thoughtlessly, breaking my phone, and walking along the shortest route to my house, then encountering Yoo Chun Young shooting the drama in the area

Quietly listening to my words that gradually turned into a narration, Yoo Chun Young suddenly blurted out, What do you want to do?

Huh?

The problem between you and your parents.

With a scream, I lay with my face down on the table. Hey, hold on, please dont go to the heart of the issue like that, I shouted in my thoughts.

I moaned, If I knew that, I wouldnt be wandering around this way.

My phone was broken. I hesitated to return home and was now chilling with Yoo Chun Young in a cafe even though I was aware that my parents were back from work. These proved that I was trying hard to escape from reality.