You turn and stare at the photo frame exhibited at your bedside table of you and your housemate and best friend- Lee Sungmin. The both of you have been  best friends for 15 years now. You've shared all your secrets, all your stories and recently-feelings. Even though it's a one-sided love. 

Ever since Sungmin blossomed into a handsome young man, your feelings towards him started to change.  He became more than a best friend, more than a crush. He was your everything. He stuck beside you through thick and thin and helped you when you were in the deepest of troubles. You've unintentionally fallen in love with your best friend. You just wish you had the courage to tell him.

      Your train of thoughts were abruptly disturbed by the sound of Sungmin calling out your name. You could hear his voice ringing loud and clear from across the hallway. 

"[yourname], it's Christmas ever! Wake up!" He sang cheerfully. Your heart rate increased rapidly, as he continued to call out your name in that soft, sweet, velvety voice of his. You felt as if you could melt just by listening to the sound of his voice.

Suddenly, Sungmin barged into your room without any warning, which in turn, made you jump in shock.  

   " Ah! I'm sorry to have scared you." he said, in a sorrowful tone. You look at him and see him looking back with those big, brown eyes of his. You let out a sigh, Oh, how you wish you could stare at them forever. 

   " You should learn how to knock, you know, Ming. In the 15 years I've known you, you never once learned how to knock." You replied, slightly exasperated. 

   " I'm sorry," he said as he puffed out his cheeks. "I just... forget." He said, innocently and shrugged. You smile at him. "Anyway, come on. We're supposed to go shopping remember?" You knead your eyebrows together, pretending as if you didn't know why.  Sungmin looked at you knowingly. "Don't act as if you don't know." You stared back at him, widening your eyes. 

"We're going ring shopping remember? For Sunny?" You sighed again.  You didn't want to hear this. Not again, not ever. But this was reality and right now, no matter how hard you tried to pull yourself out of it, something just has to reel you back in. 

      You fell back on your ed at stared at the ceiling, once again trying to conceal the pain and sadness you felt. Sungmin walked over to your bed and sat at the edge. "Oh, come on. I've known you for 15 years now and I can sense when you're sad, okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You shrugged. "I'm fine. Now please, go away. I want to sleep." You turned away to avoid looking at his face. Sungmin went closer to you and cupped your face, unexpectedly. 

      " I know why you're unhappy." He said, smirking.

You gulped. "He did? Oh no. He couldn't have. Could he?"  You thought to yourself. \

       "W-what?" You manage to say, without displaying your fear. 

Sungmin pulled your face closer to his. So close, until you could feel his nose brushing against yours. You felt as if you could hardly breathe.  " You're sad because you don't have a boyfriend and you feel miserable to have to watch me be happy in a relationship, right?" 

      You closed your eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief. Yet, you were somehow saddened by the fact that your best friend could not distinguish what you really felt.  

     " Right?" He laughed and let go of your face. He stood up and continued to laugh. " [yourname], you reject or dump every guy who approaches you. Remember Donghae? He was the only one who you were in a steady relationship with. But that only lasted for...what? 2 weeks? How can you get a boyfriend when you don't actually want one?" 

Because I like you, okay? No, let me rephrase that. I love you. I've loved you ever since we met. I've loved you when you taught me how to ride a bike. I've loved you, for all these years, Ming.  You thought to yourself. You desperately wished you could say that to him, but you just couldn't find it in yourself to do it. and you hated yourself for it. 

       You looked dejectedly at the ground and plastered a fake smile on your face. "You caught me, Ming. Red handed. You caught me..." and my heart...  

Sungmin chuckled in triumph. "Aww, its alright.." He said, in a comforting tone. He put an arm around you. "Oh,hey!" He precipitously said. You looked up at him.  "Why don't you go out with Sunny? She can set you up with some guys! She knows loads of people! I'll call-" You cut him short.   "No." You said, pushing his arm off your shoulders. 

   " What?" He asked, befuddled. 

   " I can do it myself okay?! I don't need anyone's help. Especially hers." You retorted, indignantly. You grabbed your jacket and stormed out of your room, ran out and slammed the front door shut- leaving Sungmin standing in the middle of the hallway, completely baffled.

      You came back home at half past two in the morning. You were drunk, depressed and pained. It was technically Christmas, you thought. You didn't want it to be Christmas. You didn't want it to be December 25th and you certainly did not want the morning to come. Because on December 25th, 2011, the love of your life was going to propose-to another girl.

You staggered into your room, tears streaming down your face. You slammed your room door shut and locked it. You didn't want this day to come. You never did. You feel on your bed, and silently cried yourself to sleep.

***

      You woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover. The pain was absolutely brutal, but it still could not overcome the pain you felt in your chest. The pain of losing the one you love, forever. 

As much as you didn't want to get out of your room, you had to. You needed some coffee and aspirin-badly. You hesitantly got out of bed and out your room. You dragged yourself to the kitchen, trying not to trip. But little did you know, Sungmin was coincidentally in the kitchen too.

   "Hey." He said with a sad smile.

   "Hey." You replied, barely audible.

   " Listen," he said as he stood up from his chair. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I didn't mean. I didn't know what I was saying and I know you can-" Once again, you cut him short. 

  " Forget it. It's history. you replied. 

  " Really?" he asked, surprised. "Yeah." You said as you took a sip of coffee. 

  " Are you really sure?" he asked once again, worriedly. 

  " Yeah, I'm sure. I... don't want to ruin our... friendship." you hesitantly faked a smile.

      Sungmin then walked over to you and hugged you tightly.  " I'm... glad."  You felt like crying right that second. "I'm going to... propose to Sunny today... Wish me luck?" He said, in a light tone as he pulled away. Then everything hit you.

The love of your life, and most probably, your soul mate was about to propose to another girl. The wrong girl. You were about to lose him forever. Your best friend, your true love. 

      You looked up at Sungmin and you thought, this is it. It's now or never.  You gathered up all the courage you got and finally said it.    " Don't."

  " What?" He looked at you, puzzled.

  " Please, don't propose to her. You can't marry Sunny. Please..." You croaked out, struggling to fight back the tears. 

  " [yourname]....."

      " I love you, Lee Sungmin. I always have. I've loved you since the first day we met, as kids. I've loved you through all the hardships. I love you despite all your flaws. I loved you even while I was dating Donghae. I loved you even when you got together with Sunny. I love you so much it hurts, Ming. It hurts so bad to see you in love with another girl, and all I can do it stand at the sidelines and watch it happen right in front of my eyes because I was too much a coward to admit that I'm in love with you. And now, its probably too late for me to change your mind. If this is how our friendship ends, so be it.  even though it pains me, I can't stand to be a bystander anymore. My heart has been through too much and I'm physically and mentally tired of watching you be happy with her while I silently suffer.  I just can't take it anymore, Ming... I'm sorry."  You confessed. 

   You were sobbing heavily by then. You felt like a load of bricks were lifted off your shoulders.  Sungmin cupped you chin and lifted it up. He took his free hand and wiped away the flowing tears. 

 " I love you too."

You couldn't believe your ears. "Am I imagining this? This is impossible!"  You thought to yourself.  My mind must be playing tricks on me.

You stared at him, bewildered. "I've always loved you. Ever since the first time I laid eyes on you and I never once stopped loving you."  "But...why? You love Sunny...” you asked, confused.  

      " I love you, [yourname]. It's always been you. I've tried to ask you out and gave you hints and all, but every time I get the same response from you. Rejection.  So, eventually I gave up trying. I thought you didn't feel the same way. I felt as if I could die when you started dating Donghae.  All I could think of was, it's over.  You'll never feel the same way about me as I do you." 

" I.. rejected you? Then... what about Sunny?"

"That's why I broke up with her yesterday.  

"What?!" 

"When you stormed out that door yesterday, I was broken. I thought I was going to lose you forever and I just couldn't handle that. I never want to lose you, ever. Then it hit me, why you rejected everyone that tried to approach you. Why you dumped Donghae. Why you always hated Sunny and most of all, why you cried at night."  

You blinked.  "You...you knew?"  

"I did. I always thought maybe it was due to something else, but I was just too blind to see it. All the card were laid on the table right in front of my eyes, but I was too oblivious to realize it. And I'm truly sorry for hurting you, [yourname]. I really am. And for the record, I'll never love Sunny like how I love you."

      You were overcome by emotion. tears automatically poured out, streaming down your flushed cheeks, ruining your already ruined mascara. Suddenly, he took out a box from his pocket.

"Ming, I..."

      Sungmin got down on one knee and opened the blue Tiffany's box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. 

                                                                                            "[yourname], will you marry me?"

***

      You couldn't contain your emotions anymore and wept like a newborn baby. "Yes!" You cried out. Sungmin  slid the ring onto our finger and lifted you up, pulling you into a deep mesmerizing kiss.   "I love you." He whispered.  You looked at him as he wiped off stray tears from your face with a free hand. 

"I love you too." You whispered back and pulled him back into another long kiss. It was the best Christmas of your life.