Broken. Chaerin feels like the dream she built all this time is useless. Even after doing through everything and after all the sacrifice, it still is not enough. She looks at the woman standing in front of her and she just got the realization, that all the things she thought she wanted weren’t actually the only things she wanted or needed.

Chaerin thinks about the first time she saw Dara, that innocent and silly girl who knew nothing. She underestimated her and she didn’t think she could do it moreover to become someone she is right now. Chaerin didn’t think Dara had value. She didn’t think she was pretty or smart enough. But she was wrong, and she can’t believe herself for not finding that out sooner. And she also regretted for not realizing her true feelings for Dara. Everything is too late. It’s always too late.

“Is it Seunghyun?”

The only name popped up in her mind is that she hated so much. She knew though, that Seunghyun wouldn’t hurt Dara because he was obviously in love with her and she knew when she left, other people would snatch Dara away from her and yet she still decided to leave.

Dara started crying in silence as she lowered her head. She folded her arms and rubbed her bare shoulders. She can’t bear the coldness and the pain.

“Is it?” Chaerin asked once again, yet there is no answer from the devastated woman in front of her.

The bell rings before Chaerin could ask Dara one more time. They both turned their heads to the direction where the sound came from. And then they both starred at each other tensely, like they already know what’s going on.

Chaerin took a deep breath, try to stop herself from crying again. “Is it him?” she asked.

Dara rubbed her eyes with her thumbs and looked away. “Yes he’s here. I asked him to come.” Dara murmured with her reddened cheeks. Her fingers are shaking as she tried to remove her fake eyelashes because the tears had ruined her makeup. She shuts tightly and tried holding back her tears.

Chaerin slowly stepped away from the balcony and walked outside. The bell rings for the second time and it sounded like an echo in Chaerin’s ears, a loud and stressful noise. She didn’t take a peek. She just turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. She pulled the door wider and wider with her head lowered, afraid to see who’s standing outside her door.

Her eyes lied on those clean black loafers. And then she looked up to see the gentleman, with his neat suit and tie and his fresh and combed hair. His face is as smooth as a baby and his lips are red. He looks nervous. His eyeballs won’t stop moving to the right and left. He seemed to be having hard time sweating before he finally rang the bell.

Chaerin could not be more surprised, and angry.

“You-“ that was the only word that could come out from .

“It’s been a while, Chaerin.” Jiyong muttered softly and nervously.

Dara walked closer to them. She stopped a step away behind Chaerin, she stares at Jiyong worriedly as he starred back at her with the same expression too.

Chaerin feels weakened. She didn’t think this would happen. She clutched her hands tightly. The only thing she wants to do now is to jump off the balcony or kill this man before her eyes who happens to be her best friend.

“Chaerin ah—are you okay?” Dara asked carefully.

Chaerin stepped backward. She looked at Dara with her teary and sad eyes. And then she took a step away, “Get out!” she said as she gave Dara space to walk out the door.

“Chae—“ Jiyong tried to say something. Chaerin looked at him furiously, “I can’t believe you still have the face to see me!” she hissed coldly before slamming the door right in front of Jiyong’s face.

Chaerin slumped down to the floor. She doesn’t have the strength to walk anymore, her knees are weakened and her chest hurts so much. She could really explode right now. Her teardrops already wet her cheeks. She didn’t even know she already started crying.

Jiyong. Kwon Jiyong, her best friend. She can’t even remember when was the first time she met him or when they became friends. He is like a family to her, a brother, a lover. He takes important part in Chaerin’s life. She trusted him. She trusted him more than anybody in this world. She listened to him the most. He is an older brother she never had. Now Chaerin doesn’t have any idea how she feels. Everything is spinning in her head and everything is crushing her.

Chaerin can only cry. She can only sit on the floor, hugging her knees as she ducked her head, crying. Crying alone, in her empty apartment with slow sad jazz music playing in distant. She’s not only crying because her best friend betrayed her or the girl she loves is going to marry someone else. She’s crying for a lot of reasons. She’s crying for her own mistake, crying for her stupidity, crying for the drama she created in the past, the drama that should not exist. She realized how stupid and ignorant she was. That’s why she’s crying. That’s why she’s grumbling in this very gloomy night.

***

Dara looked out the window. Her fingertip is her lips as she’s trying to hold back her tears. Jiyong is sitting next to her, with his eyes also looking at the different direction, looking out the window beside him.

It takes approximately eighteen minutes to get to their hotel suites. Tonight was expectable. They knew what was going to happen. They knew it was not going to be easy. They always knew, yet they had to do it. They had to tell Chaerin everything. It is too late to tell now but it’s better than not telling at all.

“I should’ve stayed and insisted to talk to her. I should’ve apologized properly.” Jiyong mumbled as he clenched his fist.

Dara gulped. She just shook her head lightly, “Your apologize would mean nothing to her. It doesn’t matter. She would never forgive us.” She murmured flatly.

Jiyong closed his eyes for a second and then he turned his head at Dara, sighing at the sight in front of his eyes, sad and spiritless Dara.

He wants to touch her, to caress her and tell her not to worry but he can’t. He probably feels the same thing. He couldn’t even look Chaerin in the eyes properly, he feels awful.

“It’s all my fault.” He finally came up with the conclusion.

Dara frowned. She turned her head at him and hissed, “It is not your fault. It’s no one’s fault.”

“I shouldn’t have asked you to-“