1200 hours - letting go is harder than it seems .

"You like her, right?" Jaejoong said to Donghae one fine day. 

"Huh?" the boy was flustered, no one was supposed to know that, not especially him.

"What are you guys talking about?" a chirpy voice interrupted. 

Jessica had just ended her dance practice and walk up to the two of the most important people of her life. Her boyfriend, Jaejoong, and her male bestfriend, Donghae.

"It's men's talk babe, something you don't want to hear." her boyfriend said simply.

The girl pouted lightly as the boy pinched her nose lightly. 

All these, enters the eyes of another boy.

-

"1200 hours. I'll give you 1200 hours." Jaejoong said on another fine day. When he and Donghae with their members were at the basketball court.

"Huh?" the same reply came out from the boy's mouth, except this time, he was really clueless.

"We're leaving for Japan next week, for 50 days. Tell her your feelings and settle everything before I come back." Jaejoong continued.

"Wait, you are telling me what?" Donghae felt absurd, what is that guy thinking?

"I'm not an idiot Hae. And I don't think you are one too. You like her, tell her." Jaejoong was beginning to feel pissed, which boyfriend in the world would encourage another guy to confess to his girl? Furthermore, the guy whom he is urging is acting dumb!

"...are you okay?" Donghae asked after a moment of silence.

The former rolled his eyes as a reply.

"Jessica, she is your girlfriend..." Donghae said after realising that the guy is not joking in any way.

"I know, and it doesn't mean I'm going to let her go." Jaejoong said firmly.

He nodded slowly, acknowledging their love.

"Why?" the boy asked after another moment of silence.

"Because you are my bud too." he smiled before leaving to join the game.

-

"Oppa! Don't be such a jerk and pass me that box!" the girl screamed her dolphin-like scream at the boy after a few rounds of chasing.

"SICA! SHUT UP!" her female bestfriend shouted from the room while Donghae rubbed his ears continously.

"Wow, my dolphin friend forgot to bring his sister to Japan together... seriously sica!" the boy commented as he thought of Junsu.

Jessica smacked him on the shoulder. "It'll be great if they bring me there! Then i'll be with Jae oppa instead of being stuck here with you!" she joked while sticking her tongue out to him.

He scoffed at her. Unknown to the girl, his heart wrenched at hearing those words.

-

It had been two weeks since DBSK left for Japan, this means Donghae only have 36 days, 864 hours to sort out his feelings for his 'friend' and confess to the girl. 

"Hey let's go clubbing tonight!" Hyoyeon suggested, putting a hand around Jessica. 

They were in the practice room along with Yoona, Seohyun, Donghae, Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun. 

"Again?! We have been going to the club every month since i reached adult age!" the youngest frowned.

"Don't be a spoilsport Hyun! Its a VIP club, we won't be interrupted by fans or anything! Besides, your Kyu oppa is going too!" Jessica teased. She had been being a matchmaker these days, trying to pair her girls with the suju oppas.

"Unnie!" Seohyun blushed while Kyuhyun smirked and pull the girl towards him.

"You two... together already?!" Hyoyeon pointed to the two, wide-eyed.

"Ahh haha ! Yes! one couple down, now two to go!" Jessica exclaimed after Kyuhyun nodded. This got Yoona blushing and Hyoyeon whacked her not so lightly. The boys carried a poker face, but to Donghae, it hurts him more than her declaration of love to her boyfriend.

The group reached the club after a while. Eunhyuk, Jessica and Hyoyeon went to the dance floor directly, while Donghae and the younger members find a place to settle down.

Donghae looked at the girl dancing, memories of the both of them came into his head in that moment.

The frown she showed him when he spilled a bucket of water when they first met, making her shoes really wet.

The first smile she gave him after he spent weeks asking for her forgiveness.

The first time she called him oppa as they got closer.

When they teased and play around with each other during a lot of occasions.

And when she told him she finally had her first crush, and that lucky boy was no other than Jaejoong.

He smiled slightly to no particular person, he didn't know when did he started liking her, he didn't want anyone to know what he feels for her, but a part of him says otherwise, and Jaejoong gave him his chance.

"Oppa..." he felt someone tapped on his back. He turned to see Yoona smiling faintly to him.

"Hey, are you having fun?" he smiled back at the girl.

He knows that that girl likes him, he heard Jessica talking about it to Hyoyeon once. Yoona is a really nice and beautiful girl, but he doesn't feel the same feeling towards her as Jessica.

"Oppa, don't you want to tell Unnie about your feelings?" Yoona said.

"You know?!" Donghae was taken aback, she was another person he didn't expect to know about his feelings towards her.

"Oppa, you know that I like you right? Two years ago, you gave me a handkerchief after a day's practice. It was really tough, the training for debut... I wanted to quit at that moment, I was on the verge of breaking down, tell my unnies that I can't do it anymore... But you came to me, told me to hang on, told me to be strong... That handkerchief, gave me the strength to carry on... And from then on, you became the man of my dreams." Yoona said smilingly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yoona..."

"I didn't tell you this to make you accept me." Yoona interrupted him, "I said it... my feelings. And now, you have to do it too..." she continued, her eyes leaving the boy to look at Jessica.

"I will. This time, you gave me the courage to confess to her." he smiled to her.

-

"Hey, you two couples! What drinks do we have here!" Jessica walked over to the table, obviously drunk from the dance.

He held her softly and sat her beside him before she stumble and injure herself.

"Yah, you are drunk already?!" he .

She pouted and smack him on his shoulder. "Even when you got drunk, I'm still half awake!" She said and took a shot.

"Whatever." He waved a hand, disagreeing to what she said as he drunk from his cup.

-

"You seriously!" Jessica fumbled with the drunk boy. She just put his hand around her shoulder to hold him up but throw him down on another sofa a few seconds later.

Just like what she just said, he got drunk even before she was half drunk.

"Yah! Do somthing about your bestfriend!" She yelled to Eunhyuk who was busy stopping Hyoyeon from slapping him which she thought was her teddy bear.

"I..am busy now! Isn't he your bestfriend too?! And I am taking care of YOUR bestfriend!" he held her hands firmly with one hand and the other on her waist preventing her from falling. "You stop moving kay?" he whispered to her gently.

Jessica looked at violent Hyoyeon and then at the two of them in a hug posture. "Its okay, I don't want to switch! You send her home and I'll bring this idiot back to my house!" she giggled as she replied.

"Bye." He simply said and walked out with Hyoyeon in his hands.

"Unnie, I'm going home with Seokyu! You take care of Oppa!" Yoona said to Jessica as she followed the youngest couple out of the club.

"Yah, Yoona! Yah!" the girl shouted to her friends, and looked at the boy again. "You... Haiz, why are we bestfriends?"

She brought him back to her house, her parents are overseas and Krystal was going to sleepover in Sulli's house tonight, so tonight it will be only the two of them.

"Sica ya, you don't know do you?" Donghae mumbled softly.

"What?! I can't hear you..." She moved her head closer to his. He opened his eyes suddenly and they turned out to be staring into each other eyes.

"Your eyes are beautiful..." He smiled at her.

Jessica pushed herself up from him as she felt herself blushing. He pulled her down again, and her head landed on his chest. He hugged her head as she hear his heart beat faster and harder.

"I have to tell you, but I don't know how to..." He said softly again. Upon hearing his gentle voice, Jessica flushed redder. His eyes was also so beautiful and his hard chest muscles... why didn't she realise this before?

"What the hell are you thinking sica?!" She scolded herself softly. There she felt his hands loosen its grip, his heartbeat also returned to its normal rate. He was asleep already?

Slowly, she came out of his embrace. She knelt down to the boy and look at his face, from his not too thick eyebrows, to his long eyelashes, then the sharp nose and the kissable lips... "KISSABLE?!" she shook her head out of all thoughts, she is looking at her bestfriend now, besides, she have a boyfriend!

Donghae's eyes open all of a sudden again, he smiled at the girl who was shock as if her secret was exposed. In a second, he pulled her down again, and her lips met his...

He kissed her hard, his feelings towards her cannot be kept in anymore. She left open in shock, he took the chance to put his tongue into . Then, she kissed him back as she closed her eyes...

After a long tongue battle, she pushed herself off him. Staring at him in disbelief, she turned to walk back to her room. Once she shut the room's door, her tears flowed non-stop...

-

Another three weeks passed, and Donghae was left with 15 days, 360 hours.

He left Jessica's house after she went into her room that day. He remembered the disappointed look on her face, it tells him that she could never trust him again. They did not contact each other for these three weeks, friends had been arranging usual meetings but the both of them rejected them simultaneously. If this continues on, their friendship might really reached its end.

He let out a frustrated growl, why do things have to turn out this way? He didn't want to lose this friendship, but the only way to prevent this was to pretend that he did that because he was too drunk to think and it was just a moment of... passion(?). But he didn't want to say that, it would be lying to himself... besides, what more help can it do?

Meanwhile, Jessica was rolling around her bed still bothered by the kiss that night. She couldn't say she didn't enjoy it at all, but it was all wrong... They are best friends, she had a boyfriend, and he was the one who encouraged them to be together. Then all of a sudden, her bestfriend was kissing her with all passion and love. Does he have a feeling for her all along? She doesn't know really...

-

The next day came in a flash. 14 days, 336 hours left.

"Gahh, I'm not in a mood for coffee!" Jessica said to Hyoyeon as she dragged her into the coffee house.

"Hey!" Jessica turned to see Eunhyuk waving to the both of them, and beside him is Donghae...

Jessica turned back to look at Hyoyeon, she simply smiled and say, "You're not going to avoid him forever, go talk."

She knows that Hyoyeon is right, there, she took a deep breath and walked towards the table.

"Call me later." Eunhyuk said to Donghae and walked out.

"Hey." Jessica said first.

Donghae kept his eyes on Eunhyuk. "Yah, look at them." he then said.

Jessica followed her gaze towards the couple outside. Eunhyuk was telling Hyoyeon something which got her elbowing him on his ribs. Then he pretended to be in pain and hugged her tightly when she was checking if he was alright.

"That two..." she looked back at Donghae.

"Pst." He just made a sound, and the two of them ended up laughing.

-

"So, we haven't talk for a while..." he started after the rounds of laughing.

"Awhile? I thought it was a long while, three weeks? You didn't contact me for three weeks!" she rebuked while pouting.

"Right back at you! Anyway, that night... I hope you don't misunderstand..." he went back to his serious mood.

"...what exactly was wrong with you that night?" she said after a moment of silence.

He wanted to say nothing was wrong, and what he did came from his heart. But no, he cannot do that.

"I was drunk! How was I supposed to know what was I doing at that moment?!" He tried to push the blame on his drunk self. Shameless, yeah, he knows that.

"But you... you... Yah, I was scared out of my wits thinking that you had something for me!" Jessica pushed him playfully as she let off the stone that had been pressing her heart since that night.

"Sorry babe, you are too violent to be close to my ideal type." he teased, yeah, she wasn't close at all, but his heart still goes out to her...

"Yah! You!" She whacked him again as he pulled his hands up to his head as self defence.

"So, still friends?" he asked sincerely.

"Nah." she said and he looked at her confused. "Best friends forever." she smiled at him.

Yup, Bestfriends Forever...

-

"Don't you ever like anyone?" Jessica asked Donghae.

Yet another week had passed, and poor Donghae only have 7 days, 168 hours to do his confession. They resumed their friendship a week ago and had been going out since that day. He still have a lot to do to regain her trust towards him.

"Of course i did! I even have feelings for someone now." Donghae replied. This might be the best time for him to confess his feelings to her, but he had other things on mind...

"Really?! Do I know her?" Jessica was excited. It was the first time hearing her bestfriend have feelings for a girl other than all the useless ideal woman.

"Maybe..." He said, creating a whole lot of suspense. Do you know yourself well? Probably not...

"Aww, come on! How does she look like? Tell me more about her!" she asked again.

"She is a really beautiful girl, strong on the outside, but really weak on the inside. Someone who I want to protect all my life..." he said slowly. I want to protect you, but you are already so well protected...

"Aww, you're in love fishy!" Jessica said. "hey, her features sound familar! Beautiful, strong but weak... Yoona! Its Yoona isn't it?!" she rambled on and on.

He just smiled, its you, you know...

-

"Oppa hurry ! We have to get to the airport before Jae oppa reach!" Jessica said as she hurried her bestfriend through the phone.

The last day was finally here, countdown? Yeah, 3 hours left. And Donghae? He haven't confess.

"I'm done! We're all waiting for Kyuhyun! That idiot don't wanna leave the computer!" Doing the Donghae style, he pushed the blame to another person.

They all reached the airport in a while. Fans were all around, but that doesn't stop the group from fetching their brother group, DBSK.

"Oppa! You're back!" Jessica exclaimed as she ran into the hands of her boyfriend.

Jaejoong gave her a one minute hug while the other members chatted and gave hugs here and there to welcome the group back.

He let go of the girl and walked up to Donghae, that boy have something he want to know right now.

"So... did you confess?" he tried to ask in a not so straightforward way, but it came out like that...

"No. I didn't have to." he said simply and smiled at the guy.

"Welcome back bud !" Donghae gave Jaejoong a big hug and the latter returned the hug with the same strength.

"Sica unnie ! Your boyfriend hugs your male BESTFRIEND tighter than he hug you!" Yoona joked. She overheard the boys conversation a while ago. Maybe confessing is not the best choice afterall...

"Yah fishy ! Let go of MY boyfriend !" Jessica ran towards the still hugging two.

"Just continue being jealous ! Jaejoong is mine !" Donghae stuck out a tongue at her at pulled Jaejoong together with him not letting go of the hug.

~

"You have to make a choice Hae." his bestfriend said to him while he was still thinking of how to repair their relationship.

He just ignored Eunhyuk. "By confessing to her, you might lose your friendship. Jae gave you a chance to confess to her so that you can let her go from your heart fully. But if you can let her go just like that while keeping your feelings in, i don't see why you have to confess to her and lose this friend... Make your choice Hae." Eunhyuk continued saying and left that guy alone again.

"Hyuk?" Donghae knocked on the guy's door a few hours later. "Can you help me arrange a meeting with Sica?"

~

Among friendship and his feelings, he chose friendship.

Maybe, he could really let go of her now...

~ End ~