BOM'S POV

I dragged my feet into my room when I entered the dorm. Throwing my hoodie off, I jumped into bed and stared at my ceiling blankly. "I can do this..." I whispered to myself. If I slowly drift away from him, I would eventually be able to stop my feelings from getting the best of me. I'll be fine. Interfering with Chaerin and Ji Yong's relationship is wrong. I won't let myself do that. 

*Knock knock*

"Bom-ah?" Dara peeked through the door. "Omo, Bom-ah!" she exclaimed as she rushed into my room and sat on the bed. "Why are you crying? What's wrong? What happened?"

I didn't even realize the tears were falling from my face. Maybe I won't be fine. "Where's Minji?" I asked, trying to changed the topic.

"She's sleeping already. Bom-ah... Gwaenchana?" she whispered. Her voice was full of concern.

I swallowed and stayed silent for a few seconds before answering. "Ani... I'm not okay..." I admitted. 

"It's Ji Yong, isn't it?"

The sound of his name was like a stab in the chest. I nodded and buried my head into my hands. "I-I'm going to give up, Dara," I told her. "Holding on would be wrong..." 

"Wae? Bom, I told you not to lose hope! He'll one day move on from Chaerin and-"

"Chaerin likes him too," I whimpered almost inaudibly, interrupting her in the middle of her speech.  

Somehow, Dara managed to hear me and gasped. "You're lying..."

"I wish," I sighed.

"So... What're you going to do?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm going to stay away from him..."

"But Bom-"

"I have to Dara. I don't want to ruin this for them," I managed to choke out. "It's finally a chance for Ji Yong to be happy."

"And your fine with that?" she asked, looking at me straight in the eyes.

Averting my eyes from her's, I nodded. "I am fine with it," I lied. "I have to be..." 

Dara sighed and hugged me. "I gotta admit Park Bom, you're one strong girl."

"Unnies! I'm ho- Bommie unnie! What's wrong?" Chaerin exclaimed. "Are you okay?" she asked, rubbing my back.  

How can I be mad at someone who cares so much about me? I nodded, then faked a smile. "I'm fine, Chae... Hey, I want to be alone. Can you guys leave?" I asked. Dara walked toward the door and Chaerin stood there hesitantly, then left the room. 

Putting all my thoughts to the side, I layed down on my bed.

I will avoid him. I will be unaffected by his presence. I will be happy for them. He will be nothing more than a dongsaeng to me. 

****

One week later. 

For the passed few days, I've been trying to avoid Ji Yong as best as I can. Whenever he was in the practice room, I made sure I wasn't.

I tiptoed to the practice room and took a peek inside. "Where's Bommie noona?" Ji Yong asked Dara. 

Dara stammered a bit and said, "Oh, she's um, busy. With uh, recording and all."

"Hm, it's been a while since I've seen her," he sighed. 

Once everyone was gone, I entered the practice room and collapsed onto the benches. Who knew avoiding him would be this hard?

I turned my face and saw a box next to me. "Hmm..." I muttered, opening the box. Two lovely white gold rings were glistening in the light. I took one out and realized Ji Yong and Chaerin was carved on the inside of the ring. 

I guess Ji Yong's going to confess soon... I inserted the ring into my finger slowly. "Chaerin's going to love this..." A small smile formed on my lips as I put the ring back into the box. 

Unknowingly, tears were falling down my eyes. The thought of him putting the ring into Chaerin's fingers shattered my heart. My small cries soon became sobs. It hurt so much...

...But it didn't matter. I don't care if I'm hurt. My happiness meant nothing to me. If he's happy, I'll be okay. 

SEUNGHYUN'S POV

I walked into the practice room silently and froze.

Slowly, I went toward noona and wrapped my arms around her. "Seunghyun?" Bom noona whimpered as she buried her face into my chest and sobbed for a while. 

Seeing her in pain killed me. If only I could be the one she wanted. If only I was the one she was in love with...

"Mianhae, Seunghyun-ah... All I ever do in front of you is cry..."

"Shh... Just let it out," I whispered, gently her hair. 

"Seunghyun-ah, I'm foolish right? Loving someone who loves someone else," she scoffed. "How am I suppose forget him?"

"Slowly, noona..." I said, wiping her tears. "Drift away from him slowly... Don't rush it. It'll just hurt more. You'll be able to do it, noona."

I shouldn't be the one telling her this when I failed to take my own advice. I tried erasing my feelings for Bom noona last year after I found out she loved Ji Yong.

I tried avoiding her.

I went to the club almost every night, partied, and took girls to a nearby hotel. But every time I did, I just played with them for a few minutes and never had with them. Whenever they were about to touch me or take my clothes off, Bom noona appeared in my mind. I'd push them away and leave them there, bare. 

I drowned myself in vodka and I was hospitalized numerous times due to alcohol poisoning. But in the end, even when I was intoxicated or lying down on the hospital bed, she was the one in my mind.

That's when I finally gave up. I decided I'll be there to comfort her and protect her when she was suffering. Then, eventually, somewhere along the way, I'll tell her my feelings.

"You're a great dongsaeng, Seunghyun," she whispered. "Thank you."

"It's nothing, noona." Dongsaeng... That word haunts me. It reminds me of how I'll never mean nothing more to her.

Once her cries died down a bit, I changed the topic. "Have you eaten?"

She shook her head. "Have you?"

"Ani... Let me buy you some lunch then, noona," I told her.

Bom noona shook her head and smiled weakly, "No thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Noona, I never said I was giving you a choice. Come on, you're becoming too skinny and weak. You have to be stronger! Arasseo?" I said. "Now let's go."

Lazily, she got up and nodded.

CHAERIN'S POV - A few days later. 

Ji Yong oppa has been acting really weird lately. He seems all jittery and weird. But why? I don't get it... What'd I do? Did I scare him? Or maybe I'm just overthinking things like I always am. Aish, whatever.

"Unnie, gwaenchanayo?" Minji asked as she handed me her water bottle. "You look confused." I stayed silent for a while, wondering if I should tell this to Minji. "Unnie!" she shouted, waving her hand in my face. "Back to Earth, please." 

After a long pause, I decided I'd tell her. I mean, after all, she is pretty mature for a teenager and probably knows more about love than I ever will. "Minji, pleeeaaase keep this a secret," I pleaded.

"Aigoo, don't worry and tell me, unnie!" she slapped my arm playfully.

"I... I..." I stuttered and shut my eyes tightly. "I like Ji Yong oppa," I whispered.

"YOU WHAT?" Minji screamed.

"Yah! Shush!"

Minji bit her lower lip. "Sorry unnie, I just... I didn't expect you to," she said. "When did this happen?" Minji asked me quitely.

"Maybe a year or so ago? I'm not sure..."

"Hmm, I thought Bommie unnie was the one who liked Ji Yong oppa," Minji mumbled.

"Bommie unnie liking Ji Yong oppa?" I chuckled. "You're hilarious, Minji."

I guess I was wrong about her knowing more about love than me. Bommie unnie has no interest in Ji Yong oppa. If she did, she wouldn't have been giving me advice!

"Minji, you're so silly," I giggled. 

JI YONG'S POV 

I sprinted down the hallway and entered the practice room. I can't believe I lost the ring! How can I be so stupid? I've been looking everywhere, but it's not there! Ugh. What if one of my members saw it? Or Jaewook hyung? Or one of the dancers? Or, even worse, what if Chaerin saw it? Oh my god. 

Fortunately, the ring was still there and in the box. I was planning on confessing to Chaerin soon, but I just don't know how! I bought the ring and all that, but I'm so worried. What if I start stuttering like crazy? What if I make myself look like a complete idiot? Goodness, I need to practice.

The door creaked open and I saw Bom noona coming in. I haven't seen her in such a long time!

"Noona!" I shouted.

When noona saw me, she flinched. "Hey... Oh wait, I forgot, I have to go to the recording studio... Bye!" noona stammered as she made her way back to the door again.

Before she could leave, I grabbed her wrist. "Wait, noona. I need your help," I said.

"I have to g-"

"Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase," I whined and pouted.

"Ji Yong-"

"Noona!" I squealed. "Please? Please? Please? Bom-yang, pleeeeaaaaase," I begged her. 

She sighed and surrendered, slouching on the bench. "What'd you need?"

"I need you to help me confess to Chaerin," I muttered, feeling my face get hot.

"Oh," was all she said back. Her eyes... Looked sad? Weird. "Okay." 

I sat next to her and got ready to practice. "Alright then, Bom-yang. Give me your hand," I said, taking a deep breath.

She obliged, placing her hand near mine and I held it. "I've liked you for a really long time now and I want to be there for you when you need me... Will you be my girlfriend?" I asked, inserting the ring into her finger. "Aish, was that good or is it too cheesy? Unnatural? Weird?" I bounced up and down nervously.

"It's fine, Ji Yong. Chaerin'll be really happy," Bom noona said blandly. "I have to go now."

When I looked up at her, a tear escaped her eyes.

I placed a hand on her shoulder firmly. "Noona, seriously..." I whispered. "What's wrong? You're not the Bom-yang I used to know."

"I'm fine," she muttered. "Just exhausted."  

"No you're not. Noona, what happened? I was the dongsaeng you used to tell everything to... Why are you avoiding me?" Bom noona gave me no response. "You're one of the few people I'm comfortable with and can open up to. I want to be someone you can talk to as well, noona."

She turned to me and smiled. But it wasn't a real Park Bom smile though. Her smiles are bright and friendly and her eyes turn into a crescent shape. But this... It was a sad, painful smile. "Please let me go," she pleaded. 

Tears continued to drip down her face as I wiped them. Right now, I'd rather listen to what's been troubling Bom noona so much, rather than practice my confession for Chaerin. After all, she is my closest noona. I brought her into a hug while she cried.

"Noona, please tell me... Just let it out. Keeping it inside won't help," I whispered, her hair.

After she stopped crying, she lifted her face from my shoulders and looked at me in sad eyes. "I... I..."

I wonder what has bothered her this much...

"I like you, Ji Yong," she whispered as she started to burst into tears again.

My eyes widened and I began to stutter. "N-N-Noona..."  

So... I was the one making her suffer all this time... It was me that was hurting her all along... 

Author's Note: My unnie, SHERRLYN21 has uploaded her first fic on AFF! *throws confetti* Chookahaeyo, unnie! Woohoo! It's about love and mistakes! Please go check it out and support her! Leave her lots of love and comments, ne? Thank you everyone (: