As soon as the sun broke on the firmament, the dark sky slowly turned bright blue, and the cold of the night was immediately replaced by the warmth of the morning sun which brought fresh air from the east.

Outside, the weather seemed to be sunny with the sun was shining as if it smiled to greet people who were going to do their activities today.

The snow didn't fall and the temperature was a little warmer than the previous days this winter, which made anyone feel delighted.

In the backyard, I smoke while staring at the droughty gardenia tree in front of me. Smoked cigarette occasionally on my finger, I imagined my childhood that seemed colorless before I knew Chunghee.

He was the only color in my life, bringing me back from dark days of solitude. Even though Chunghee had never invited me to visit this place before, I was sure that this place used to have some gardenias growing here. Not surprisingly, the aroma of gardenia was still lingering and could still be felt by the senses.

I smiled. Recalling the past, where we used to often meet at the riverbank to tell the many things we had been through the previous day, I felt a strong nostalgic feeling suddenly appear in my heart. I still remembered how Chunghee's expression, who always blushed when talking to me, revealing that he was a shy person in the past.

However, as soon as I compared him to how he was now, I felt that a fit of anger suddenly filled my heart — getting me angry — at the person who made Chunghee have to lose himself — because of the many disappointments he had faced.

Since the first time, he was a friendly person and always cheerful. He wasn't a quiet person, it's just that he became shy when he met new people. However, once we got to know him, we would know how that smile looked beautiful on his face.

It was as if I was walking in a time dimension where our togetherness was summed up briefly in my head, made me believe that he was the nicest friend I ever had and was the only friend I fell in love with.

However, the joyful togetherness didn't last long as the bad conditions of my family forced us to leave this city. It made me regret it, but I couldn't blame anyone but just keep quiet and curse in my heart.

How could I not? Living in that damn family truly made me feel like under house arrest for a dozen years where many rules couldn't be broken. It also made me unable to know many people and not knowing how to greet a friend so that all my friends at that time turned away from me as they thought of me as selfish. I even remembered what one of them said, saying that I was an outspoken and sarcastic person.

Now, when I looked back on my memories, made me want to laugh. They just didn't know that I was someone who was just trying to get along with them but didn't know how to do that.

Having no friends or people who didn't want to be friends with me was what made me feel the most that living in a family was a curse.

Drifting into this thought, I glanced at my watch, which was already showing eight o'clock in the morning before rubbing the tip of the cigarette on the frame, then went into the house to see Chunghee in the bedroom.

I started to feel anxious because Chunghee had not come down from the room yet. So, I hurriedly climbed the stairs, then immediately entered the room.

Once inside, I was startled to see Chunghee sitting on the floor wiping the blood on his face.

With panic, I immediately approached him. When I was near him, I immediately knelt and asked anxiously, "What happened?! Why didn't you call me down there?!"

"How could I shout? I even have a hard time talking," he replied indifferently.

I didn't reply and just gritted my teeth.

As soon as he finished cleaning the blood on his face, he immediately stood up with difficulty, so I took initiative to help him, asking anxiously, "What happened?"

"I got a nosebleed."

"Are you okay?"

He nodded his head weakly in answer.

Seeing the response didn't make me feel relieved. However, Chunghee wasn't someone who wanted to be honest with his own condition, so I asked anxiously once again to make sure, "Chunghee, are you really okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Now, I'm fine. It's just that I have trouble walking. I can't walk too long when we get to the hospital."

"Then we can leave once your condition gets better."

Hearing my words, he suddenly smiled, but the smile was like a mockery of my words. "After my condition gets better ... really? These days, I never felt my condition got better."

I was splashed, speechless.

Until he returned to speak in a weak tone, "It's okay. I can still push myself, so let's go now. Your driver must have been waiting downstairs a long time ago. If you wait for me to get better, it will never happen."

Hearing Chunghee's words that sounded indifferent, I immediately felt irritated. I couldn't snap at him directly, so I tried to be firm with him. Unfortunately, it ended in a mockery of my words.

"Chunghee, stop saying things like that. What's wrong with you, huh? Are you feeling frustrated that you have made Lee leave your life?"

Instantly Chunghee glanced at me. Although he didn't say "Don't talk too much," the glance itself had a deeper meaning than just words. It made me pause for an instant.

As soon as he walked out of the room, I followed him from behind. I was about to help him walk but immediately discouraged me after seeing that his mood wasn't good.

Downstairs, he had not said a word and I was sure that something was wrong with him. However, since I thought that he was just still feeling uneasy after his decision yesterday, I also didn't want to comment on anything, thinking that he just needed to calm his heart in a silent way.

When I was about to open the door, a familiar person was right in front of the door with a document in his hand. Chunghee and I gasped suddenly as well as him.

A figure dressed neatly in a suit, smiling. It was Yoon Hoonsik, Lee's confidant. He bowed respectfully, then glanced at Chunghee behind me with a smile, then said in a friendly and polite manner, "Mr. Park, Mr. Lee has arranged the documents for your support. Please sign them." He handed a brown folder towards Chunghee.

I looked back, seeing how Chunghee would respond. However, as soon as he saw the folder, he immediately turned his face to the side as if it was an indirect form of rejection that he had given.

I turned my face towards Yoon Hoonsik in front of me before grabbing the folder. Before opening it, I asked, "What are these documents for?"

"Um ..." Hoonsik replied reluctantly, "It's a document that Mr. Park has to sign, sir. It's about ... um, it's like alimony. Mr. Lee asked me to come here and give it to Mr. Park."

To make sure, I immediately opened the folder and took out the documents that were in it. Reading it for a while, I unconsciously smiled, felt there was something humorous in the contents of this document.

Here was written a large amount of allowance and property. This wasn't much different from a divorce certificate where it said the alimony after their divorce.

I felt like laughing out loud as soon as I read it, but unfortunately, I couldn't. Either it was because I was annoyed or it was ridiculous because I was jealous.

After reading it for a while, I turned my head back to Chunghee behind me who was still reluctant to look at the document. I asked him, "Chunghee, what about this document? Do you want to sign it? This is the allowance, Lee gave you."

There was a long pause before he responded in a low voice, "No. No need. I don't want anything from him."

I smiled after hearing the words. I couldn't fool myself that the response made me feel better. As winners in the game, they would always be proud of the path they were on. Whether it was by cheating or even with the purity of the hard-working.

I looked at Yoon Hoonsik, and said, "Did you hear that? It's not necessary."

As I finished my words, I tore up the documents right in front of Hoonsik's eyes on purpose before putting them back in the folder. I sneered, "Tell Lee, Chunghee doesn't need that. Tell him that the words are from me, his rival."

It is undeniable that Hoonsik was very surprised. Not because of my words but because I tore up the documents right in front of him.

However, after all, it was all over. If Lee was angry, I wouldn't care or would never care.