“This is it, people. Tonight’s our last show. After months of grueling rehearsals and unfortunate events, we’re finally on the home stretch. In a couple of hours you’ll be done, free. That being said, make this last one count!” Director Kim waved one last time to the cast and crew before taking her leave and heading backstage. Hye Jin blew out a shaky breath, grinning unconsciously as the room buzzed with excited chatter. Her hands shook slightly as adrenaline pumped through her veins in a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

            “Are you ready?” Luhan chuckled, wrapping his arms around Hye Jin’s waist and pecking her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder. He hugged her closer to him, tickling her sides and sending her into a fit of giggles. She caught her breath and turned around, leaning her head against his chest with a relaxing sigh.

            “I’m nervous, as usual, so I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. How about you?”

            Luhan laughed and squeezed her waist. “I think I’m doing all right. As long as I don’t screw up the songs, I should be fine.” He detached himself from her and took her hand, leading her to the stage for the show had already started. They quietly entered the theater and made their way to the wings. “You nervous?” he asked, draping his arm over her shoulder. She leaned her head against his shoulder and nodded her head.

            “Of course I’m nervous.”

            “Even after two weeks of shows?” he laughed, tapping her nose as she pouted at him with a small nod.

            “Don’t laugh, Luhan. The stage is a scary place,” she whined, crossing her arms like a child. He coughed lightly and zipped his lips, though he was grinning with a happy gleam in his eyes. Reaching over, he turned her to face him and gave her a chaste kiss, his lips softly brushing against hers.

            “I’m sorry, I won’t laugh anymore.” He placed another light kiss on her and pulled her into a hug. “Just have fun tonight and don’t worry about screwing up because after this, it’ll be all over. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to go back to your normal life. Only this time though, you’ll have me to be a part of it.” Hye Jin looked at him, smile lighting up her face. She went up on her toes and kissed him softly, wordlessly giving him her thanks before turning around and going on stage one last time.

--

            “Cheers to our last show!”

            “Cheers!”

Glass clinking and rowdy cheers cannoned across the room as the cast and crew downed their celebratory drinks in laughter and tears. With their final show completed, Director Kim took the entire crew to a bar and rented it out, paying for all the rounds of drinks and food to show her gratitude.

            Hye Jin and Luhan sat away from the crowd, opting for non-alcoholic drinks so that they could keep the drunker few at bay. They stuck by each others’ side, hands linked and smiles unwavering, as they observed their crazy peers singing and dancing in their drunken stupor. It would be a lie if they claimed to find no enjoyment in what they witnessed because truthfully, it was a night that many would wake up from and feel ashamed of.

            “Seriously, you guys are the cutest, most fluffiest couple in the whole entire world. No, in the entire universe. I love you guys!” a random guy stuttered at Hye Jin and Luhan, bursting into tears for a split second as he hugged them before walking off to his friends in laughter. Hye Jin glanced at Luhan and giggled at his expression.

            “Luhan, stop it. He meant no harm.” She reached over and turned him to face her, pecking him on the lips to gain his attention. He only scowled some more and looked at the random guy, glaring at his back threateningly. “Aigoo, what am I going to do with a jealous brat like you?” she sighed, chuckling at his shocked expression.

            “I’m not a brat…” he mumbled, looking down at his lap with a pout. Hye Jin cupped his cheek and gave it a pat.

            “Aw, sorry, but I disagree. You’re a big bratty baby.” She laughed when he looked up at her, eyes wide and mouth agape. Throwing him a peace sign, she quickly detached her hand from his and tried to escape only to squeal with laughter as he pulled her down onto his lap. He trapped her in a one armed bear hug, tickling her with his free hand as she squirmed and fidgeted in his embrace.

            “Take it back!” Luhan demanded. Hye Jin choked out a strangled ‘No!’ and continued trying to wriggle out of his hold. “Yes! I’m not a brat nor am I a baby!” He playfully gnawed on her arm and she shrieked in laughter.

            “Fine, okay! I take it back. You’re not a brat!” she gasped out breathlessly, trembling with laughter.

            Luhan nodded once, but went right back into tickling her sides. “And? What else?”

            Hye Jin grabbed onto his wrist and attempted to pull it off. She whined, frustrated, and pouted in defeat. “And you’re not a baby. Now let me go!” she wailed. Luhan laughed and nodded his head, releasing his hold on her. She slumped against his chest, wrapping an arm around his neck and resting her head against his with a sigh. Completely worn out by their playful banter, she closed her eyes and took a deep, relaxing breath.

            “You’re such a meanie, Luhan. You should’ve let me win. I am your girlfriend, aren’t I?” she pouted.

            Luhan playfully shook his head. “Yes, you are, but I couldn’t let you win with such unjust arguments. I am not a brat or baby. End of discussion.” Hye Jin scowled at him and lightly tugged his ear, earning her a chuckle from the male. He poked her sides in reply and she held up her hands in surrender, too tired for another round of tickling.

            “My goodness, I’m getting cavities watching you two. Too sweet, too damn sweet,” a cast mate grumbled, cringing at the couple. Others sitting around her nodded and mumbled in agreement, shivering at Hye Jin and Luhan with teasing grins.

            “Psh, you guys are just jealous singles,” Luhan childishly retorted, sticking his tongue out at his friends. Taking the teasing a little bit further, he pulled Hye Jin close and nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck. His friends groaned, rolling their eyes at his mockery. It was bad enough they were still single; witnessing the extremely cute couple rubbing it in their faces was borderline sickening. It wasn’t like they had asked to be alone. Things just worked out that way, unfortunately.

            “Luhan, play nice,” Hye Jin chided, flicking his forehead lightly. He only laughed in return and hugged her tighter, shaking his head with a sheepish grin. She laughed and shook her head with a smile, hugging him back. The others around them pretended to throw up before breaking out in laughter.

            “Hye Jin-ah, I need to take this call. Be right back. Don’t move, okay?” Luhan cutely threatened her and walked to the back halls, answering his phone on the way. Hye Jin giggled and held up an okay sign before turning back to the group and joining in on their conversation. They laughed and sighed, recalling funny events and memories from the production, enjoying their time with light conversation.  

            “Hey, Kris, why are you sitting there all by yourself? Come over here and join the party,” a girl in Hye Jin’s group called across the room. She waved Kris over and patted the seat next to her invitingly. He drowsily looked up from his glass, squinting over at the person who was beckoning him. He shook his head to clear his vision, but gave up when it only got worse. “Hurry up! We’re going to start a game soon.” Nodding his head drunkenly, he swiped the table for his shot glass and soju before staggering over to the other table.

            “Hey guys, wassup?” he slurred, smiling down at the group before slumping down haphazardly onto the couch. To his luck, he sat next to Hye Jin and rested his head against her shoulder with a drunken laugh. He smelled the aroma of her perfume and cracked one eye open. “Oh, hey there y lady. What brings you here next to me? Finally decided to come crawling back now, huh?” He trapped her in his arms, placing sloppy kisses along her jaw and neck.

            “Kris! What the hell are you doing?! Stop it!” Hye Jin squeaked, frantically squirming around in his grip. She tried to push him away, but he held on tight, pushing her down on the couch and trapping her under him. His hands roamed over her arms and stomach as he forced his lips against hers, losing himself in her hypnotic scent. She pushed and slapped at his arms to get him off, but his grip was stronger than normal given his drunken state. He moved from her lips to her neck, giving her the opportunity to call out for help.

            "Stop! Help me!" Hye Jin cried, her tears freely flowing down her cheeks as her struggles quickly weakened. Breaking from their daze, the others around the table jumped up from their seats and intervened. The guys grabbed onto Kris and held him back while the girls comforted Hye Jin. She visibly trembled in their embrace and her breaths coming out in rapid gasps. Shouts escalated as Kris struggled to break free from the group of guys holding him back, knocking down cups and bottles from the table in the process. Glass shattered against the floor followed by yelps and screams from the girls. They huddled protectively around Hye Jin, many of them tearing up in fear of Kris' actions. Another round of screams echoed through the room as the group ducked out of the way of a flying cup. It smashed against the opposite wall, catching everyone's attention in the room, including Hye Jin's.

            She glanced up at Kris for a split second, only to flinch at his malevolent laughter and hungry stare. Shutting her eyes, she brought her palms to her ears, blocking out the chaos surrounding her. But, it wasn't working. She could still hear everything. Left and right, everyone was calling out her name, tugging at her arms and clothes. She felt suffocated and just wanted everything to stop. Her tears began to pool again and she bit her lip to fight them back. She didn't want to cry. She just wanted it to be quiet. She wanted Luhan.

            "Hey, what's going on here?" Luhan strode into the room, pushing past the growing crowd to see what all the commotion was about. He reached the inner circle and immediately assessed the situation. Eyes flickering from Kris being restrained to Hye Jin surrounded by a group of girls, Luhan caught drift of what went down in his absence. His expression darkened as he stalked over to Kris and threw a couple of swift punches. They landed heavily on Kris' jaw and midsection and he doubled over with a grunt. "What the hell did you do to my girlfriend?" Luhan growled, grabbing the front of Kris' shirt and hauling him up. He held up a fist, ready to punch Kris in the face but was restrained by some of the guys.

            "Calm down, man. Don't do anything you'll regret," his friend spoke in hushed tones, nervously scanning the curious faces of his cast mates. He coughed and tugged down on Luhan's raised arm and managed to pull him back, detaching the boy's hand from Kris' shirt. "He's drunk, Han. He's not in his right mind."

            Luhan shoved his friend away with a scoff. "Drunk or not, the bastard knows well what he did to her. I know he does." There was no way Kris didn't know what he had done. Luhan knew he was aware of his actions. If it had happened to another girl, then his intoxication may have been the cause. But, it was Hye Jin. With her, it was a different case. They had a history, one that Kris was trying to rekindle despite the fact that she was officially off the market. She was Luhan's now. Obviously, there was a motive behind his harassment that sent bad vibes to Luhan. "Stay away from my girl, Kris. She doesn't want you anymore. How many times does she have to say it to your face for you to get it through your thick skull? Stop trying to win her back. It's pitiful." He sent Kris a disgusted glare before turning around to the group of girls gathered around Hye Jin. They parted to let him through and his heart broke at the sight of her.

            Crouched down with her palms pressed to her ears and eyes shut tight, Hye Jin was trembling as he approached her. He reached for her shoulder, but hesitated when she flinched at the slightest touch of his fingertips. He choked back a sob as he kneeled down in front of her. Lightly, he pulled her hands away and she winced. "Hey, Jin, it's me." Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice and she pushed herself into his arms, breaking down in quiet cries.

            "Luhan..." she sniffled, burrowing her face into his shirt with a whimper. He her hair and hummed, placing soft kisses on her temple. "Luhan, Kris, he...he tried to..." she mumbled, her voice cracking as a new wave of tears washed over her.

            "It's okay, Jin. It's okay. I'm here now. He can't do anything to you now." He picked her up and led her out of the room. They passed by Kris, who was still in the restraints of his friends. He smirked at them and winked at Hye Jin. Luhan hugged her close, shielding her away from his gaze. He stopped and glowered darkly at Kris, uttering threatening words of warning, "You better stay away from Hye Jin or else you won't be so lucky next time, you bastard. They held me back this time, I guarantee they won't do it again next time. I won't let them stop me." He glared at Kris one last time before steering Hye Jin out of the restaurant.

            Kris shook out of his friends' arms and chased after the couple. He burst through the front doors and scoured the parking lot for the pair. He spotted them further down the lot, a couple a paces away from Luhan's car. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted after them, "I'm not giving up on her. I don't care what you say, Luhan, I will get her back." He watched as Luhan turned around and frowned at him, shaking his head in disbelief before rolling his eyes and helping Hye Jin into the car. Kris' eyes followed the car as they pulled out of the parking lot and merged into the traffic on the streets.

            He meant what he said, he wasn't going to give up. Even though she told him to stop following her, he knew it was just a front. She just didn't want to reject Luhan and go back to him. It would be embarrassing for the poor boy. She still loves me, I know she does. If only that Luhan would stop clinging on to her and getting in our way. Once he leaves, she can come back to me where she rightfully belongs. Letting out an annoyed breath, he his heel and re-entered the restaurant with delusional thoughts on his mind.

--

[I need to see you. Meet me at the cafe next to the school. -Hye Jin]

            Kris beamed at his phone for the hundredth time as he re-read the message. Though the message was short, he couldn't help but feel hopeful about it. She wants to see me. She messaged me. She's probably going to accept my feelings. Why else would she call me out? Pocketing his phone with a grin, he fixed his collar and checked his hair in the mirror one last time before he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. The drive was quick and nerve wracking, a whole jumble of emotions running through his mind. His heart raced in anticipation and he couldn't wipe the goofy smile off his face. He was excited because she was finally going to take him back. She said so herself, she needed to see him. He jumped out of his car, locked it twice, and jogged over to the cafe. Looking in, he could see her already sitting at one of the tables, her back facing the entrance. Taking in a deep breath, he pulled open the door and headed over to her table.

            Hye Jin nervously waited for Kris' arrival, unconsciously fidgeting with her phone in her lap. She needed to see him, she needed to talk to him. If she didn't, her life would never be normal. She like normal. She liked living a quiet life. That was why she had to talk to Kris and finally get it straight that she didn't want to be with him. The fantasy that he had, his hope of bringing back their past had to stop or else her life, and the lives of those most dear to her, would never be at ease.

             She flinched as he brushed past her, sliding into the chair across the table. " Hey, babe. Long time no see? Did you order anything yet?" he asked, flashing her a grin. Hye Jin cringed at his pet name, but kept a straight face. She shook her head in response to his question and he chuckled before waving a waiter over. Kris didn't even ask Hye Jin for her order before listing off a few drinks. "I'll have the Iced Double Shot Espresso and she'll have," he paused to smile at her with a wink, "an Iced Mocha with extra whipped cream and chocolate drizzle." The waiter left with a nod and Hye Jin frowned.

            "Why did you order for me?" she asked coldly. He raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged.

            "Because you always get the same thing," he answered confidently. "I know you well, Hye Jin. You always drink iced mochas." He smiled victoriously at her, though slowly, it faded with her frown and a brisk nod of rejection.

            "If you knew me well, Kris, you would know that I stopped drinking those a long time ago. Four years, to be exact." She turned away and looked out the store window. The snow fell lightly outside, coating everything in a thin, sheen layer of white. She yearned to be outside, to breathe in the cold air of reality and freeze the drama she was currently tied down to. "Anyway, let's get to the point of this meeting," she spoke bluntly, turning to look him in the eye. Her demeanor was colder than before and he noticed the immediate change. Fear and doubt crept into his mind, but his hope pushed the thoughts away.

            She's not going to leave me again. She won't. She needs me. He held up a hand, motioning her to wait for a moment while the waiter placed their drinks on the table. "Thanks. Let's drink them before they get cold." He grabbed his drink and mentally scolded himself for his hasty remark. Cold moisture dripped down the side of his cup as he placed it back down on the table after taking a sip.

            "Uh, right..." Hye Jin mumbled, taking her ice cold drink and sipping from it. Her face reflexively scrunched up in distaste, the sweet drink bringing bitter memories to her thoughts.

            Kris coughed uneasily and looked away, avoiding her inquisitive eyes. He shifted in his seat and drank his coffee at an agonizingly slow pace. Even though he wouldn't admit to it, for it would mean he was accepting his defeat in the undeclared battle of relationships, he was stalling for time. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her before he was officially cut off. It was obvious why she had called him out now. He couldn't be stubborn about it anymore. She was going to cut him out for good.

            If this is our last time together, I want to make the most out of it. Even if it means we sit around in silence. At least I'm with her. He picked up his drink and took another slow sip, letting the bitterness seep into his heart. Why can't I be a man and just accept that she's going to leave me? he wondered, placing his empty cup on the table. He cleared his throat once before finally looking up at Hye Jin.

            She sat quietly, staring outside, her near full cup still sitting on the table. A soft smile played on her lips as she watched the snow lightly falling outside. Her peaceful expression reflected her thoughts, clear of any stress or pressures from all the drama she was experiencing in her life. She was lightly tapping the armrest to an unknown beat, giggling at whatever was going on in her head.

            "What are you thinking about?" he asked with a smile. Hye Jin flinched at his voice, turning her head slowly in his direction. She shook her head with cold eyes, refusing to answer his question. Sighing exasperatedly, she rolled up her sleeve to check her watch, a grimace gracing her lips as she brought her arm down.

            "Kris, we have to talk about us and this whole issue. I know you don't like that I've moved on, but I'm with Luhan now. I love him. Why are you holding me back from my happiness?" She wanted to clear this all away now so she could get back to living her life normally, one without him in it.

            "You haven't finished your drink yet," he stuttered. He was buying for time and he noted how desperate his voice sounded, like he wanted to hold onto the moment for as long as he could. He didn't want to let her go just yet. He didn't want to lose her to Luhan just yet, not when she was sitting here with him.

            "So?"

            "You should finish it before we talk..." his voice trailed off as she glared at him.

            "I can do whatever I want, Kris, and I don't want to finish it. If I remember correctly, you don't own me anymore."

            "But..."

            Hye Jin held up a hand and cut him off with a growl. "I'm tired of playing games, Kris. We need have to talk sooner or later, and I would rather it be sooner. Whether you like it or not, we're going to have to figure things out. No, you have to figure things out, I've already done my part."

            "I don't want to." Kris stated childishly. He turned away from her with crossed arms, refusing to meet her gaze. He knew he was being stubborn despite having partially accepted his fate earlier. Yet, at that moment, he wanted to be selfish and keep her to himself.

            "That's too bad, Kris, because we have to get things straight between us. Now let's talk." She sat up in her chair and stared him down, waiting for him to reply. When he didn't, she continued on anyway, impatient and frustrated with the way he was acting. "Fine. If you won't talk, then I will. I want you to listen, Kris, and I want you to listen well. What we had is over. It’s in the past, the ‘what was’ in life. I don’t know if you fully understand the conditions you put me through when you left in senior year. I was crushed, broken. I hadn’t realized how much I relied on you. When you left, only then did I truly discover how weak I was. You broke me, Kris. You left me without an explanation about why you left. Maybe I wouldn’t be so skeptical in life, always second guessing my decisions, always wondering what went wrong, what I did wrong to lose you so suddenly. It made me questions myself, always asking ‘what if’ or ‘am I making the right choice’? But, now, now is the present. Luhan is my present. He is one of the few who helped me, encouraged me to do things I never thought I could do. He supported me despite my insecurities and indecisiveness. With his help, I found out who I really am and what I am capable of doing. I loved you, Kris, I truly did. But, that’s it. I loved you. Past tense. I love Luhan, I love him more than words can express.”

            Kris closed his eyes with a shaky breath. His head dropped and felt the guilt weigh down his shoulders. Did I really hurt her that bad? Why was I such a jerk? Why didn't I just explain everything to her? He slowly opened his eyes and looked up to meet her sorrowful eyes. She was crying, her tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. Her pent up emotions she had hidden and locked away suddenly rushed through her. A mixture of anger, bittersweet love, and sadness took her over and she couldn't help but let the tears flow freely.

            "I really did love you, Bean. Four years I devoted to you, shouldn't that have been enough for you to trust me with the truth?" she whispered. His breath hitched at the familiar pet name and he felt the guilt crush him even more.

            "I'm so sorry," he croaked, his emotional walls finally crashing down as he cried silently. He covered his face with his palms and pressed them to his eyes, trying to hold back his tears. "I'm so sorry, Jin. I should've just told you I got accepted into another university, but I couldn't. I was scared. I was scared that if I did tell you, you would break up with me for not telling you earlier."

            Hye Jin scoffed, "I probably wouldn't have broken up with you, though. Did it ever occur to you that I would wait for you to come back? Did those four years of our relationship not reassure you or something? I'm sure it did though."

            "It did," he admitted, "But I didn't want you to have the burden of a high school sweetheart going overseas on your shoulders. I wasn't sure I would come back. If I had left you here alone, holding onto the thin line of hope for my return, that would be selfish of me. I didn't want you to suffer and was hoping you would move on."

            "Yeah, well, I didn't," Hye Jin snapped at him. She crossed her arms and glared at him. She was mad that he would question her loyalty if he had told her from the start. Yet, at the same time, she was touched that he would think about burdening her with a hopeful love. At least he had considered her situation if there was a chance he wouldn't return to Korea.

            "I'm sorry," he mumbled, apologizing with his head hung low. Hye Jin sighed at his state and mentally slapped herself for sassing him. He had his reasons and fears like any other human being. He was afraid of rejection and of being a burden to her, so she should give him some credit.

            "It's fine. At least we got both sides of the story out." She paused and breathed in, calming her anger. "Anyway, are we good now? No more meddling in my life?" she asked, tilting her head at him patiently. There was a long pause before Kris opened his mouth and made the situation even more awkward than it already was.

            "Hye Jin, can we start over?" Kris looked at her with a hopeful glint in his eyes. "There aren't any misunderstandings between us now, right? We can just pick up from where we left off. Please?" He reached over and grabbed her hand, but she pulled out of it.

            "Kris, we can't. I've made my choice, and I choose Luhan." She stood up and hastily grabbed her bag. She walked away from the table, but stopped just next to him. "You know, since you left me until now, this is my first time making my own decision without having to ask for an opinion. I’ve finally moved on, and I hope you do too. We had our fun, but it ended the day you left me. In linguistic terms, we are letters of a word that have gone through elision and assimilation. You deleted my letter, took it out of the word completely. Now, I’m doing the same to you. I’ve deleted your letter from my word to avoid a consonant cluster and then assimilated with a new one. We won’t be able to bring back what we had, so I advise you to move on, assimilate with someone else, and create your own, new, consonant cluster. Good-bye, Kris. Take care of yourself and move on because I won't be coming back to you. Ever.”

            With those last words, Hye Jin walked out of the store and out of Kris' life. That was the last she ever saw of him that year and for the rest of her life. She spent the winter break with Luhan, lazing indoors with cups of hot cocoa and drama re-runs. Marty welcomed him to the family with great enthusiasm, bounding around every time Luhan came around. Seasons passed and spring term finally rolled around. Kris was nowhere to be found. Rumor had it that he transferred back to his old university to sweat out the his last term before convocation, though that didn't matter much to Hye Jin. She had all that she needed.

When one person cuts you out, move on and assimilate with your new surroundings. Only then will you find love again.

---

And that's the end. This chapter took ages....also, it's very awkward. SIgh, I had so much hope for this story, but then lost all motivation half way through when reality thought it would be funny to bite me in the . Anyway, I hope whoever read this enjoyed it. It's more of an intellectual/thought provoking story than a romance one imo, but that's how I imagined it. Doesn't mean this actually came out that way hahahahaha

Welps, I guess this is the end. It was fun while it lasted. I'll probably post a couple new stories soon, probably in the next few weeks after I recover from my upcoming midterms...

So, I guess it's now 'See you in the next story!'

-greenninjapanda GNP-