Sehun let his feet sink deep into the wet sand at every footstep he took. He looked out at the dark sea in front of him. The last time he'd come here was almost four years ago, with his first love. They had never been lovers, but they shared something precious. Acquaintances in high school who became best of friends in university, Minhee and Sehun were what people would call soul mates.

Sehun found a clear area on the dry, soft sand and sat cross-legged. He grabbed a small shell by his knee and let the moonlight shine against it. She loved these kinds of things. Minhee, he remembered, would grab so many of them, then throw them into the ocean just before they'd leave the beach. She was rarely happy, but there were moments, especially here, where her smiles and laughter were limitless in a day.

Sehun had grown up alone, without anyone around him. His parents had abandoned him at a young age and he grew up living with different families throughout his life. Once he graduated from high school, he made it a goal to become independent and live his life with a purpose. Meeting Minhee literally changed him for the better.

All his life, he avoided relationships with people, knowing it would just hurt even more every time they walked away. Minhee, he had decided, would be the only person he'd let in. He fell in love with her, so hard that the only thing left to do was to tell her. He'd found the courage to do so after a long, long time, but she had declined, claiming she didn't feel the same way. Though it bore a wound so deep in his heart, he put their friendship first and kept the pain in.

They were 19 years old when Minhee brought him to this beach for the last time. He didn't know at the time that that day was one he would never forget. She stood, staring out at the sea and sunset. He remembered how long she had her eyes fixed on the view. She had been crying. He could barely hear her over the waves, but what she said had been like a knife stabbed deep into his heart. She had a disease, and it was progressive. There was no cure. And that the last time she'd visited the doctor, he had estimated six months.

"I wrote you a letter," Minhee said as she glanced down at the water, lapping at her feet. "I know it's stupid and corny, but I put it in a bottle and buried it over there." She pointed to the big rock at the end of the coastline. "Don't open it until…until I'm not here anymore."

Despite his painful upbringing, when she'd said that to him, it was the only time he'd ever cried in his life. Now Sehun glanced over at the same rock she'd pointed to. Her death had been too traumatic and painful that he couldn't get himself to come back. It still continued to haunt him how easily a young life could be taken away like that. She was barely nineteen when her body stopped fighting. Though four years had passed, he never looked for the bottle, not once. He didn't want to read it, afraid and unable to face it head-on.

Whilst immersed deeply in his memories, the sound of shuffling feet broke through his thoughts. Sehun glanced over and saw Jisoo and Suho walking towards him. Are you kidding me? He swore under his breath. They were the last people he wanted to see at that particular moment. Furious that they stormed into his own personal time like this, Sehun pushed himself up. He couldn't get himself to muster up that usual cheerfulness he usually projected, so instead, he tried for a polite nod.

"Sehun. We didn't see you at dinner," Suho spoke first. "Did you settle in all right?"

"Yes, I did."

Jisoo studied his face, noticing how there was something so incredibly sad in his expression. Finding it unusual, she could only stare. Not once since she met him had she ever seen him this way. Cautiously, she said, "I thought you hated the beach."

He merely shook his head. "I guess it's not so bad." No sarcastic joke, nothing. He buried his hands in his pockets. "See you guys later." He nodded at Suho, then met Jisoo's eyes briefly.

Her heart pounded. She turned, her gaze unwavering from him even as he walked past her. What had happened?

"Jisoo?" Suho asked, trying to get back her attention.

She was frowning for the second time that night when she turned back to Suho. Even as she tried to shake it off, her mind remained on Sehun. What happened? She asked herself once more, with no answer to offer.

Suho took her hand in his. Jolted at the touch, she met the warmth in his eyes. Then, reminded of why the two of them had come to the beach at this time, Jisoo forced Sehun to the back of her mind. I'll find out later. It was the wrong time to be thinking about another man, she reprimanded herself, and placed back all her attention on Suho. There was one reason why she prepared so much for this trip and the reason was standing beside her. Time to let it all out.

...

In a state of euphoria, Jisoo walked back to her suite, feeling as though she was floating in clouds. It couldn't have ended more beautifully. Suho had accepted her feelings and subsequently gave her a kiss on the cheek. He'd admitted that he felt the same way but was unsure of her feelings. As much as she had wanted this fairy tale dream to come true, she hadn't expected in a million years that it really would happen to her, but now it did. It was a glorious, glorious feeling.

When she arrived at her hotel suite, Sehun's face popped back to her mind. In mere seconds, the exhilaration dissipated out of her. He'd looked so distraught at the beach, she remembered. He'd never looked that way before. And remembering it now, her heart ached a little. Jisoo sighed and rested her forehead against her hand. Why was she so caught up in it anyway? Remember, this is the Sehun who bothers and insults you endlessly on a day-to-day basis. But that was it exactly. He had become an entirely different person out there and it was just plain unusual.

Tentatively, she pivoted and faced the door across from hers. After several moments of hesitation, she brought her fist up and knocked. Waiting for a reply, she stared blankly at the door. What was she expecting out of this?

When it opened, Jisoo blinked in surprise. The sadness was gone. There was no trace of it whatsoever. Her eyes narrowed automatically, scrutinizing him.

Sehun's brow rose as he leaned against the doorway. "What's up?"

"Uh…I guess…you're all right then. But...well...I mean..."

"What are you talking about?"

Still bewildered, her shoulders fell. "Nothing. I guess. Never mind. It's okay. Good night."

As she walked back to her room, he interrupted. "Were you successful?"

Jisoo met his gaze again. "I was. He…said he felt the same way." Her voice carried a lilt to it that told him exactly how happy she was. "I guess we'll be spending the rest of the weekend together."

Emotionally tired, Sehun gave a nod of understanding and smiled slightly. "It's good you got what you wanted." Thrown off at the sincerity, Jisoo's brows burrowed. Ignoring her scrutiny, he straightened and held onto the door knob. "Good night."

What the heck was this? No sarcastic comment. No lecture about Suho being imperfect and boring and a liar. Where were the snide remarks, the famous Sehun smirk? Oh, what the devil was wrong with him? Aggravated that she had no answers to any of these questions running around in her head, Jisoo put her hand against the door to stop it from closing shut.

"Wait."

At the resistance, Sehun pulled it back. "What?"

"What's wrong?" She demanded. "You…you're being nice! This is so unlike you." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the hallway. "What happened to you out there? Something must have happened for you to be acting so weird right now," she argued when he began to shake his head in denial. "Tell me."

Annoyance shot through him at the fact that she saw through him completely. "What are you going on about now? I'm just being civil, like Boss asked."

Dissatisfied with his answer, she continued to stare back at him stubbornly. "You rarely listen to Suho, if ever. Did something happen at the beach? You looked like-"

"Nothing happened," he interrupted curtly. "Everyone's got a right to go wherever they want and do whatever they want." Why the hell did she care so much? "It's none of your business anyway. I'm going back to bed."

She grabbed his arm again, letting out a sigh. "Look...I just...I'm worried, okay?"

Baffled by that, he gave a short laugh. "You, worried about me? That'll be the day." He wasn't in the mood to think about the sincerity in her eyes or his own reaction to it. The day was already bad enough as is. When she let go of his arm, he grabbed the doorknob. "Get some rest."

.......

All in all, the three-day weekend was amazing. Things couldn't have gone better than they did. After spending the entire Saturday together, Jisoo had gotten to know Suho enough to confirm what she'd already known – he was a real prince through and through. He'd talked about how he established himself as executive head chief of a thriving company after giving all his efforts at school and odd jobs that followed. Everything he spoke or did convinced her even more how flawless Suho was. During their times at the beach, he'd been a perfect gentleman, showering her with sweetness and courtesy.

Now on the plane heading back to Seoul, the sun was beginning to set on what had been a fun-filled Sunday. She had spe