[ You and Me - Lifehouse]

“Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose,” his voice rang up through the brightly lit hallway, reached up to her ears and stopped her in her tracks.

It's after their college graduation party when they talk about it.

It's her place the party was held. Hours of dancing, drinking and longing goodbyes of how everyone would miss each other, how they still didn't want to grow up yet – only to return home after wards. To reality. It's time to grow up, they think. No more hanging out in the cafeteria, no more bunking classes and playing pranks on one another (We could still do that, is what Hyukjae says) and they share a good laugh about it.

Kyuhyun's the only one who stays behind, helping her clean up the mess here and there, throwing away empty cups and half eaten canapés.

In awhile, they are sitting on her terrace. They are wrapped in a blanket under the moonlight, gazing at the stars. They sip on their coffee or Sooffee as he had gotten used to calling – a combination of her name and coffee. The only coffee he actually ever drinks. They reminisce about their seven years of friendship, of being together as best of friends, of never going to let have to go what they have for each other. Then talk, about finding love.

“What song would you sing when you meet 'the one'?”

It's Sooyoung who actually asks that question in one of their infamous 'twenty question' game. Kyuhyun mulls over the question, tapping his head and biting his lips and acting as if he's thinking hard. A minute passes and he glances her way with a smile gracing his lips.

“Lifehouses' You and Me,” he says.

“Sounds like you,” she laughs and he joins in.

She looked behind to see him broken, struggling. Yet, he kept on singing his lungs out as if his life depended on it and yes, it did. To him, she was his life.

It's Hyoyeon and Hyukjae's reception as both of them ties the knot after years of being together. The old friends from college all sit together smiling and recollecting the good times while enjoying the buffet. That is when Yuri directs a question at the duo.

“When are you two getting married?”

She spits out the wine that she should have swallowed and he chocks on the piece of steaks in his mouth. They both look up bewildered at their friends who had their eyes widened and surprise looming their faces. She calms herself down, brushing her lips with the napkin still as surprised.

“Who is getting married?” she grits through her teeth faking a smile.

“Kyuhyun and you,” Yuri replies and Sooyoung rolls her eyes annoyed.

“Why would we get married?”

She huffs and he joins along expressing how ridiculous it was. They are best friends but they were far from each others ideals. Sooyoung likes her man virile and manly and considers Kyuhyun 'just not my type' and Kyuhyun scoffs Sooyoung as simply ‘too wild for him’. They both laugh it off yet the others know better. Kyuhyun and Sooyoung are perfect for each other.

Everyone but the two themselves knows it.

He looked up to see her crystal clear eyes boring in to his, struggling to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. He continued along the lines, “One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right… I'm tripping on words.”

Months pass and their friendship is no different. No matter how busy, they found time for their movie nights, for trying her new recipes and for more Sooffee and just merely cuddling to star gaze. Somehow they always found time for each other.

Until he meets her.

Joohyun is nice, Kyuhyun says. Gentle and sweet, prim and proper, pure and innocent – she is everything he has ever wanted. It's something special, he thinks. He asks her out and she shyly agrees. He's happy, he thinks. Going on a few dates here and there, movie and popcorn, walks along the beach at night and dropping her off home in the end.

One of those nights she invites him over for coffee. He agrees gladly and she lets him in. But the first sip of the cup and he thinks that something is different. Something is just not right. He realizes that it's the first 'coffee' he had in seven years and it's just tastes different from Sooffee. He leaves a bit conflicted.

And he finds himself sneaking through Sooyoung’s window that night, like the old times, asking for Sooffee.

She managed to stretch her lips in to a smile, her smile widening each and every second. She took a step closer, towards him. Towards the one her heart truly belonged to.

During the heat of the summer, they all get together.

The college buddies, friends and his Joohyun are gathered at Hyukjae’s summer house in the beach of the beautiful Jeju Island. Everyone find themselves enjoying thoroughly; going swimming, fishing, surfing or just simply taking walks along the beach.

She finds herself staring at the couple, Joohyun and his hands intertwined together as they stroll the beach, slowly dipping their feet in the water, splashing water at each other, gazing at each other lovingly and she sees his smile, which did not belong to her. Somehow, it actually stings.

“Kyuhyun has changed,” she manages to mumble her eyes never leaving the pair.

Yuri, sitting next to her shakes her head and replies with a ‘no’. She looks away from them to give a questioning gaze towards Yuri.

“The only difference is you were the one Kyuhyun saw. You were the one in Joohyun’s place before.”

She sinks her feet deeper in the sand, thinking about those words.

“It’s you and me and all other people… And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off you,” he sang as if every other soul in the church had vanished, for he could only see her.

It's the first they meet in several months.

She's slumped on her bed, angry and hurt. She curses a million times in her head at him. There are five more minutes for the day to end, her birthday to end and he hasn't called. He hasn't sent a gift and he hasn't simply wished her.

And she hears a knock on her window and she knows too well it's him. She hesitates still angry yet opens the window. He lets himself in and she huffs and turns around indicating she wasn't going to forgive him any time soon. He wishes and offers to spend the next day with her. She folds her hands over her chest and says she has a date with someone who didn't actually forget her birthday.

He is surprised to hear about this and she gushes him with the details. She tells him she has met her perfect match. She's fast to grasp a man. Tough and strong, Choi Siwon is the name, she chirps happily giggling. She says they are getting engaged soon. He manages to smile for her. He replies that they need to meet soon and get introduced to Prince Charming. She laughs and agrees.

But some part of him thinks it's so wrong and she pretends, acts as if everything is alright.

She knew what he meant. Whatever he wanted to say through his eyes, she understood.

He receives an invitation, a formal invitation.

Reading along the first few lines, his chest tightens, his breathe hitches and he reminds himself he isn’t supposed to feel this way.

The day of the engagement, he finds himself ignoring Sooyoung at every chance he gets. Yet, he finds himself stealing glances at her. Her arms wrapped around the so called fiancé, Choi Siwon. Sooyoung smiles, for the guests, for her parents. She tries to think it's alright. Everything happens for a reasons, Siwon is the one for her. She tried to feel contended and he tries to ignore her.

Yet, they can no longer try when everyone is pulled in to the crowd to dance and he sees the kiss shared between them in the dimly lit ballroom and her heart doesn't flatter with the kiss.

 “You’ve got my head spinning… I don’t know where to go from here  –”

“You are in love with Sooyoung.”

Joohyun’s statement surprises him. He tries to keep a nonchalant look on his face, failing miserably in his attempt. Her statement, hits him right in the cords and he tries to disagree with his heart. He tries to keep calm. He tries to ignore the beating in his heart. He tries to ignore the fact it’s the truth. He is still trying when he hears Joohyun’s laughter ringing through his ears, convincing him she was just joking, playing with him.

But he shakes his head, deciding he had to stop lying to himself. He has had enough keeping himself in the dark.

“You’re right,” he mutters, slowly, quietly, “I am sorry.”

 “I guess I knew it all along.”

She forces a smile in to her face. Leaning closer she presses her lips against his cheeks, giving a peck. Then she whispers her good-byes and good lucks and her final glance –

“She does too.”

He finished the final line. His confession.

He sits in the back, a corner completely ignored.

His tuxedo is not perfect. A few of button are undone; his shirt is not neatly tucked. It looked as he had come here to torture himself. He sees the apologetic glances he receives from his friends, everyone who knows what’s in his heart.

When he hears the wedding bells ringing he turns his head around, seeing the lady in white. He hears the remarks from the guests, about how gorgeous she is, how she is the prettiest bride in the world, how the groom was so lucky to have her. He sees that too, how perfect everything but her smile is.

Her broken and twisted smile.

And suddenly, he shoots up from his seat, singing and she stops in her tracks to listen.

“I love you too,” she replied to his confession as she wrapped her hands around her neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

.