I didn't mean to intimidate him. However, because of disgust, it just happened accidentally. Feeling guilty, then I said something that probably made him dishearten. "I'm ... sorry. But, please go now. You'll be late to work."

Daehyun closed his eyes, then replied, "Huh, all right. But you have to promise, after the meeting, go home and take a rest."

I nodded weakly, then he immediately left with worry on his face.

After Daehyun left, leaving silence in this room, I started to cry and thought that Donghwa should be here and worried about my condition.

I remembered that in two weeks, he would be home. But, two weeks had passed and he hadn't returned yet. Without giving me any news, he made me wait as he used to do.

In this sadness, I went into the bedroom to get my cell phone and texting him.

'I hope you can come home tonight. I'll make your favorite food.'

After sending the message, I immediately got ready to do the busy work that was waiting in the company, then immediately left without wasting time.

As soon as I arrived, I immediately walked toward the meeting room. Ms. Go Hyunjae waited in front of the door, then immediately gave me a file before entering the room.

Less than 10 minutes before the meeting started, I conveyed an apology from Mr. Kim Daehyun to all the department heads who were attending the meeting this afternoon. With smiles, they didn't mind and the meeting started.

I stood up with the nervousness that I kept hiding and tried to be professional. With my understanding and confidence that I keep pushing, I could stand to the end. It lasted up to two hours. Fortunately, all the ideas I had presented didn't raise many questions, and I was able to solve them without a problem.

While I walked out of the door, Ms. Go spoke, "Chunghee, Mr. Kim asked me to drive you home. This is an order. I could be in trouble later ..." Worriedly, she touched my shoulder gently, "Chunghee, are you sick?"

With courage, I shook my head weakly, saying nothing of a refusal. I could only remain silent, became an obedient meek, and let her drive me home.

Arriving at my apartment, it was already evening. The traffic jam on the road made us had to wait an hour and a half for it to arrive. I asked Ms. Go to stay for a while, but she refused as Mr. Hye needed her this afternoon.

In the middle of a dark and silent room, I sat on the sofa, staring at my cell phone and hoping that a reply to the message from someone I was waiting for would pop up on the screen, showing news of joy.

However, I had been waiting for quite a while, so I decided to call him several times, but there was still no response from him. It was like being stuck with a thousand needles right in my heart.

At that time, Donghwa left with a parting smile. He was so gracious with that smile. But, it was like a trick to keep me waiting without complaining to him. It got me used to it, but circumstances couldn't lie to my feeling that waiting only broke my heart.

I was tired of this all and decided to take a break — take a break from the pain — then wake up at night.

It's 8:00 pm now, I take my dirty clothes and washed them, and accidentally saw Daehyun's handkerchief among the pile of clothes. I smiled when my mind was on someone who always cared and worried about me.

Why should someone else be more concerned than someone I've been through so much with?

Afterward, around 9:00 p.m, I sat in front of the TV while smoking a cigarette without passion. With this concern, I was like a person with an empty soul. Everything felt empty and there was no interest at all. Even though my eyes were focused on the TV screen, my thoughts were far away from my body, carried away by the wind of grief and leaving sorrow, until an incoming message surprised me suddenly.

"I'll be home tonight."

My eyes suddenly widened, and there was joy slowly carving a weak smile on my face.

As if forgetting my sadness, I immediately went to the kitchen and started cooking to greet him tonight.

After finishing everything and serving the food on the dining table, I sat and waiting with the feeling of impatience and joy that were combined, until the time showed the numbers eleven, twelve then I fell asleep without realizing it.

Suddenly my cell phone rang and made me jolt from sleep, "Donghwa?!"

"Donghwa? Who is he? Is he your flatmate?" asked someone on the other line.

It was Daehyun. Disappointed, I lowered my gaze without saying anything.

"Why haven't you slept yet?"

I was stunned for a moment, and answered in a weak voice, "I fell asleep, but you called me ..."

"Ugh," Daehyun spoke guiltily, "S-sorry. I just wanted to make sure you rested ... and apparently, I was the one who interrupted your rest time. Then good night. Sleep well."

After Daehyun hung up the phone, I looked at all the food I had made with high hopes. Now, it looked like rotting trash, I smiled bitterly at this disappointing thing.

I opened some messages that came in and saw the message from Daehyun then immediately opened it.

'I give you three days off, and I hope that's enough for your rest. But, you can ask for an extra day if you want it. You just need to make that delicious dakjuk as a negotiation lol.'

The message made me smile blankly and comforted me a little from this worry.

Still smiling blankly, I looked at the cell phone in my hand, then decided to call Donghwa and it was left with the same disappointment. He rejected all my calls until finally, he turned off his cell phone, then all I heard was the words, 'the number you have dialed cannot be connected', then there was only a long silence, seemingly endless.

I was stupid and always being stupid. Got rid of that prejudice and lied to my feelings, to maintain our relationship. It made me almost to the lower point of exhaustion in my life, so I decided to stop contacting him until he contacted me first.

I hope this way was the right way and would make him realized that someone who was always waiting for him every time, was about to give up on all of this shit.