11 Stop

She's chilling inside, but her whole body is combusting outside. She woke up from the voice that is endlessly calling her name, and she felt someone is shaking her shoulders.

"Yej, wake up! Yej!!!"

She opened her eyes, and she saw her best friend with a worried face tapping her forehead.

"Oh my God! Yej, you're burning! Where's your thermometer?" Hyojin asked and roams around her room, opening every drawer and cabinet of hers.

Yejin tried getting up and rested her back at the headboard of her bed...

"Hyoj... Did... Did you bring my... bag?" Yejin asked. Her voice was cracking.

When Hyojin found the thermometer, she immediately walks towards her best friend and put it on her underarm. After it beeped, she checked the result and it showed 39 °C.

"Ya! Get up! Let's go to the hospital!" Hyojin worriedly shouted.

"Hyoj, don't overreact. I'm okay..."

Hyojin holds her wrist as well as her back helping her best friend to get up, but Yejin slowly pushed her hands and shakes her head...

"I'm okay, Hyoj... I'll just stay here in my room. I think I just need to take a rest." Yejin weakly stated.

Hyojin runs her finger on top of her head as the stubbornness of her best friend is making her stressed.

"Have you ever eaten a meal today? Yej, you're neglecting your health!"

Yejin closed her eyes as she can feel her head is aching along with her best friend's scolds. She pulled up the comforter and slowly laid down again to her bed.

"Yej! Don't be stubborn! Let's go to the hospital now, or else I'm gonna call your mom!" Hyojin added and sits beside her on the bed.

"Don't, Hyoj... Please... I don't want them to worry." Yejin answered and closed her eyes after.

"Grrr!!! If I could only punch Bin earlier!!! Wait here... I'm gonna make you a hot porridge." Hyojin walks outside her room and went to the kitchen to cook.

When Hyojin opened the food storage, it's empty as well as her fridge. She hoarsely sighed then shouted near to her best friend's room...

"Don't go out, okay? I will just buy something in the convenience store! Good lord, you didn't have any food in your kitchen!"

After how many minutes, Hyojin got back to her flat and immediately cook food for her (love) sick best friend. She then brought the bowl of hot porridge and sits beside Yejin.

Hyojin raised the spoon near Yejin's mouth as she's trying to feed her, but Yejin didn't open her mouth. She was about to nag her again, but she obstructed when she saw Yejin's tears started flowing down her face.

Yejin is crying again.

Hyojin puts the bowl on the table beside her bed and hugged her best friend. She's tapping her back trying to sedate her sobs. Yejin rested her chin on Hyojin's right shoulder while sweeping her unending tears...

"Hyoj... It hurts so much... Please help me. I don't know what to do..." Yejin stated while sobbing.

"Yej... I'm hurting as well as seeing you like this... But please help yourself. You're a strong woman! I know it's hard, but for sure the pain will heal in time..."

"It feels like my heart is going to burst everyday..."

Hyojin pulled out from their embrace and helped her best friend wiping her tears.

"You can do this, okay? I'm just here for you. This too shall pass."

Hyojin didn't leave her best friend. She stayed beside her until her fever went down. After eating three spoons of porridge, she helped her to drink medicine every after four hours, changes her clothes, and gave her a sponge bath. She also checked her fever level from time to time. Good thing that it didn't go worst and her body temperature goes to normal after the morning came.

————

After three days...

"I've been brought down to my knees

And I've been pushed way past the point of breaking

But I can take it

I'll be back

Back on my feet

This is far from over

You haven't seen the last of me

You haven't seen the last of me"

A song from Cher that is currently playing inside the coffee shop where Yejin is sitting. Letting her straight hair tucked behind her ears, wearing a white plain dress and flat peach sandals, she crossed her legs and took her cup of iced americano coffee. She then took a zip while seeing the busy streets in Seoul behind the glass window.

It's been three days since her heartbreaking encounter with Bin happened. Since that day, she kept receiving empty messages, and sometimes short missed calls from him. However, she didn't even try to respond as she doesn't want to torture herself anymore.

She kept herself busy during her work hours and invited her best friend to her flat every after work to eat dinner together. It was her escape to keep herself from thinking of him. She wanted to get over her broken heart as soon as she can. She's tired. Really tired from all her heartaches. She sometimes wants to cry out of the blue, but her tears won't let out from her eyes anymore. She doesn't know why. Maybe even her tears are already tired from coming out even her heart is still breaking into pieces.

Yejin stopped with her thoughts when the person she's waiting for tapped her left shoulder and bowed down to hug her.

It's Lee Junghyun, one of her closest friends since high school. Yejin hugged her friend back and showed a big smile to her before she took a seat across her.

"Yej! I'm glad you spared time to meet me. How are you?" Junghyun said while smiling at her.

"Of course, Junghyun-ah! I've missed you! We haven't been able to catch up for the past few months... Well, I'm good. Nothing new... How about you?" Yejin stated while trying to convince herself that the word 'okay' she said earlier is true.

"Good to hear about that, Yej... Actually, I was quite busy, as you know my 41st birthday is fast approaching... Oh! Speaking of..." Junghyun took something in her bag and gave it to Yejin.

"...Here! I'm expecting you and Hyojin to come, alright?" Junghyun added.

Yejin gladly took the invitation card from her friend, and she assured her that they will go to her birthday party on Sunday night. Both of them enjoyed chatting and tried catching up with their busy lives. However, Yejin didn't even try opening to her about her latest heartbreak to avoid ruining their happy reunion after a long time.

————

Scanning her closet, Yejin is quite having a hard time finding a dress to wear on. Since Hyojin was already waiting for how many minutes already, she stood up and helped her best friend to pick a dress to wear at their friend's birthday party in the next two hours.

"This one! I prefer this one... Elegant and sexy..." Hyojin suggested and took the beige off-shoulder dress then she gave it to Yejin.

"Ya! Isn't this too revealing?" Yejin raised it showing her the slit of the dress on the right side.

"Nah! It's okay... It's perfect! Maybe you can catch a nice man from one of Junghyun's handsome cousins." Hyojin chuckled.

"Hyoj, I don't have time for that! I'm even barely holding on to ease my aching heart and you want me to find a new man?" She hissed while rolling her eyes.

Hyojin holds her shoulders to face her... "Ya! I have read on the internet that one of the best cures for heartbreak is to fall in love with someone else."

Yejin laughed... "My God, Hyoj... Don't start with me... You even didn't have a heartbreak experience since you're stuck with your perfect fiancé!"

"Well... Hmmm, but... we don't know! Maybe it'll work..." Hyojin stated while helping to close the zipper of Yejin's dress at the back.

Finally, after an hour, Yejin finished dolling herself up. They then went outside her flat and rode Hyojin's white Hyundai Sonata car going to Junghyun's birthday party.

When they arrived at the parking area, they both fixed their selves a little before going out of the car. They then went inside to the party room where a lot of gentlemen and ladies in semi-formal wear standing and chatting while holding their glasses of champagne.

The party's setup is indeed quite shimmery and full of elegance. It describes the personality and taste of their friend. There's also someone playing the piano that added classiness to the party's ambiance.

Both of them took glasses of wine and looks to every corner of the room trying to find their friend, Lee Junghyun. After standing and looking around for a few minutes, finally, they saw the birthday celebrant.

Junghyun welcomed her friends and hugged them. She then let them sit at the table where their other classmates and schoolmates from high school are seated. They greeted each other and started chatting while enjoying their food and drinks.

Yejin felt a little conscious since her ultimate senior crush way back in high school, Jung Woosung is seated along in their circle. It was awkward when he started asking her where she's currently working, how was she after college, and so on.

When Yejin got the chance to excuse herself, she stood up and went to the ladies' restroom. Hyojin asked her if she wants to go with her, but she insisted on going alone.

Inside the restroom, she opened her envelope clutch bag and took her not so reddish MAC lipstick. She took her time retouching her light makeup until a pretty and tall woman asks her something...

"Hi, sorry to interrupt you, but have you seen a white pouch here?" Asked the woman while pointing her hand to a specific area beside the water basin. Her voice is very soft like an echo from Fairyland that can make a crying baby sleep in an instant.

"Ohh... I'm sorry, but I didn't." Yejin answered in a concerned tone.

The woman who's quite disappointed with her answer bowed her head after thanking her and exited to the ladies' restroom.

After she's satisfied with retouching herself, she then put back her lipstick and face powder into her bag. When she was about to open the door to go out, she saw a white pouch behind the door. She then immediately picked it and ran outside trying to catch up with the woman who asked her earlier about it.

She looks around the room trying to find her. Since the lights inside were kinda dark and there are many people standing, she's having a tough time finding the woman. Then she remembered her height as well as the color of her dress, so she continued looking around the room.

Finally, after a minute, she can see her in a group of five people standing while busy talking to her companions. She then excitedly walks faster to her to give the pouch she found.

When she's getting closer, her feet are slowly stopping from walking as she can see a familiar shadow of a man that she didn't expect to see at this moment.

Yes, it's Bin. Standing beside the woman she talked to earlier.

She wanted to run, but the woman already saw her holding her pouch and instantly walks towards her while smiling.

While the woman is talking to her, Yejin's eyes were already stuck directly to Bin as well as his. Shock is evident to their faces. Their world paused, and her heart is beginning to pump fast... Until she can slowly hear the woman's words when she holds her purse from her hand.

When she got back to her senses, she immediately let go of the pouch and handed it to her...

"Oh! I'm sorry. I saw it behind the restroom's door when I was about to go out." Yejin said while trying to calm her uneasy heart.

"Thank you so much! By the way, my name is Kang Sora... Yours?" Sora said while offering her right hand for a handshake.

She was hesitant at first, but to avoid her thoughts from the man she just saw, she took Sora's hand and answered her... "Yejin... Son Yejin."

Sora showed a big smile at her as she's very thankful for Yejin's gesture. Yejin really wanted to run outside the room but Sora started saying something again...

"Wait, Yejinssi..." Sora turned her back and raised her hand calling someone.

Yejin's heart won't stop beating so fast. It even went worse when Bin started walking directly to them. She wants to disappear. She knows what's about to happen. She can already feel it.

When Bin got beside Sora, he bowed down his head and tried not to look at her eyes directly.

"Love, this is Yejin. She found my purse in the restroom. By the way Yejinssi, this is Hyun Bin. My husband." Sora said while smiling and looking alternatively at Bin and Yejin.

She wanted to scream. She didn't know what to react. Her shoulders are getting weak and her knees are starting to wobble. What the fuck! 'LOVE?' Yejin cursed at the back of her mind.

He didn't answer and he's still bowing his head. He's not even moving.

Since Yejin can no longer stand beside them, she turns her back and readily ran outside the room. However, she stopped when a tall man was standing in front of her and puts his left arm around her shoulders.

"Baby... Where are you going? Sorry I was late." Said the man who is sweetly smiling at her and turns her to face Sora and Bin.

Bin's attention was captured the moment he heard the man calling Yejin the word 'baby'.

Bin's face darkened as if he's ready to punch the man beside her. She saw it. She clearly saw it. Bin clenched his jaw and in an instant, he began talking...

"Who are you?" Bin asked in a furious tone while Sora's face was confused looking at her husband.

"Go Soo. My name is Go Soo. Yejin's boyfriend." He offered his hand for a handshake.

Yes, Go Soo. Yejin's ex-boyfriend way back in high school. Her first love.

Bin didn't mind Go Soo's answer. Instead, he took a glass of wine when a waiter passed by beside him. After he gulped all the plenty of wine from the glass, he continued asking him...

"Since when?" His face became red and his eyebrows curved.

Sora holds his husband's arms and caressed it... "Love?"

Yejin's eyes motioned to Sora's hand. Fuck! She can no longer take it the moment her eyes landed on the wedding rings on their fingers.

She didn't wait for Go Soo to answer Bin anymore. And in a snap, she ran towards the exit door while throbbing her left chest using her right hand.

Go Soo ran after her as well as Bin. Sora was left dumbfounded inside the room. She didn't know what's currently happening.

When Yejin got out of the building, she went directly towards Hyojin's car while still trying to catch her breaths. Then immediately, she texted Hyojin to let her know that she wanted to go home now.

Go Soo arrived at the parking area first and ran towards Yejin.

"Yej!" Go Soo shouted.

"What the hell are you doing, Soo-ssi?" She asked curiously, her eyebrows are curving while her hands are running on top of her head.

Go Soo wasn't able to answer her anymore as he felt a hand punch on his face.

Go Soo lost his stand. When he tried getting up, he clenches his jaw and wipes the blood under his lips using his left thumb. After realizing he's bleeding, he instantly punched him back.

The two men are now endlessly fighting each other in the parking area.

Yejin started crying and shouting without end... "Stop!!! Stop it!!!"

Still, the two men didn't stop... Until they both heard a bang on the floor.

When it got their attention, the two men immediately look to where the sound comes from...

It was Yejin.

She collapsed.

Weakly lying on the floor.

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