(Heeseung was your boyfriend. For the longest time, he cursed at you and neglected you—until the day you finally broke up with him. That was when regret consumed him, and now he’s the one begging for you to come back.)

[PRESENT]

It was your birthday today. Even though he had hurt you so many times, a part of you still wanted him there. So you gathered your courage and sent him a text message:

"Hi love, can you come to my house tonight? ... I want to celebrate my birthday with you."

Minutes passed. Finally, after ten long minutes, his reply came:

"I’m busy. Your friends are there to celebrate, right? Your family too. Anyway, happy birthday."

Your chest tightened as you typed back quickly: "But I want to celebrate it with you."

Another message popped up almost immediately: "Why are you so stubborn? I said I’m busy. Can’t you understand that? ... You’re just wasting my time."