Sulli's POV

"What happened to you?" Key asked as he and Jonghyun sat on either of my side.

I shook my head.

"Just tell us. We know you're hiding something." Jonghyun demanded.

I pouted as I looked at them both. I'm still thinking twice on whether I should tell them about Kris' confession. Jonghyun and Key have been there for me especially during my hard times and I know I can count on them and I know I can trust them, but I think sharing with them the weight I am carrying this time is too much.

"Hey, Li. Speak up, dude." Key nudged me with his elbow.

I took a deep breath. I guess I don't have any choice after all. They're always willing to listen.

"Kris confessed." I said.

"HE WHAT?!?!" both Jonghyun and Key stood up shocked.

I immediately pulled them both back to their seats. "Goodness, your voices."

"You didn't say that." Jonghyun pointed me an accusing finger.

"She just did." Key frowned at nothing in particular.

"I never knew he would actually like me." I shook my head.

"This is all my fault." Key bit his lip as I stared at him questioningly.

"Yeah. Good thing you know." Jonghyun nodded. "If you didn't let Sulli pretend that she's with Kris now, this never would've happened."

"Even if you didn't, I already liked her."

We turned our heads to the door and found Kris standing there. He was looking at me.

"You have to stop liking her." Key said as he walked towards Kris.

"What are you doing?" Jonghyun asked.

"Kris, you have to." Key gripped Kris' collar. "Please."

=====

"About yesterday..." Kris voice trailed off.

We were left alone at the open cottage. The others went sight seeing. Minho, since that day Kris confessed to me, didn't talk to me anymore nor went near me.

"Let's just not talk about it, dude." I tried to act cool as I fake punched his arm, though I can feel the awkward atmosphere growing between us already.

He gave me a closed-mouth smile. He played with his fingers and kept quiet.

"Let's go build a sand castle?" he suggested as he stood up and held on my hand.

I looked at him at the contact of our skin. He bit his lip as he let go of my hand. I suddenly had the urge to ask him regarding the issue.

"What happened, Kris?" I asked him as I looked up at him.

"Huh?" he asked me wide eyed.

"I thought you were just pretending too?" I said sadly as I looked down.

It really hurts me knowing that just because of the fact that he likes me, it became the ticket to the breakage of our friendship. But I'm not saying our friendship is already broken. Just by thinking of the awkwardness that's growing between us, that's already enough to crack it a bit but not entirely broken. The awkwardness is the one that's pushing our closeness away.

"I can't stop myself from loving you." Kris said as he held on my hand again then placed it on his chest. "Feel my heartbeat? That's what happens when I'm with you."

True enough, his heartbeat was beating rapidly. His hands were also shaking.

"I like you, Choi Jinri. I really do." he held my hand tighter as he looked at me with so much emotion in his eyes.

"Please don't destroy our friendship, Kris. You're important to me. I don't want to lose you." I said as my sight started to become blurry because of the tears clouding my eyes that were threatening to fall.

"So, I'll never have a chance? I'm only on the friend zone?" he asked, as tears started falling from my eyes.

I only kept quiet as I looked down again.

"Or is it because of Minho?"

I looked up at him and found him frowning angrily.

I cotinued to keep quiet.

"I don't want to see you hurt. Just please give me a chance." Kris begged.

"Kris, I--"

"We're back!" I heard Key's voice as footsteps started to become audible to my ears. I immediately dried my tears and pushed Kris' hand away.

"Did you cry, Li?" Chen asked as he went near me.

"Yeah, your eyes are puffy." Luhan went near me too.

"And red." Baekhyun added.

"No, no." I shook my head. "Kris kept me laughing while you guys were away, that's why."

Kris' friends stared at each other.

"As far as I know, I'm the best joker here." Chen knitted his eyebrows. "I never knew Kris is a joker too."

"That's what you call hidden talent, hyung." Sehun inserted with a chuckle.

"Yeah." I nodded with a fake smile.

"Let's go cook these fishes together." Key suggested,

"I'm in!" D.O gracefully followed where Key was heading with the others.

"Come here, joker!" Chen pulled Kris with him.

Everyone started doing their own business. I looked around and saw Minho glaring at me. He held Krystal's hand as if trying to let me see it.

Oh, what is happening to me???

=====

"You've been very quiet these past few days, Li." Amber said. "Is something wrong?"

We already returned from the beach resort we went to during D.O's birthday. I just found out that it was actually his birthday party. I don't know why I became quiet. I just feel like it. Or maybe it's because of the recent happenings. My storage isn't that big enough to store them all up.

"Nothing." I shook my head.

Amber started coming to our house last week. We have been very close already that I already gave her the permission to come to our house whenever she wants to.

She sat beside me on the couch then faced me. "I know when you are lying."

I looked at her.

"You are lying, Li. You really are." she concluded.

How am I supposed to say this to Amber? I'm not sure if she'll understand me.

"You can tell me anyting, Li." she smiled at me.

"How does it feel when you have two friends that are both boys?" I started. "Then you like the other one but he already has someone, yet gets cheesy to you sometimes. Then here comes the other one...he suddenly confesses to you. But you turned him down because you only see him as a friend."

Amber narrowed her eyes on me then looked the other side, thinking.

"Hmm...I haven't got to feel that, but..." she bit her inner lip. "I would be a bit confused, of course. But if the guy who is the girl's crush, feels the same way for her, then it won't be a problem anymore."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She will be more sure of her feelings because she knows that the guy she likes, likes her back." Amber explained.

"But what if the guy only gets cheesy for fun and nothing more?" I asked again.

Amber shrugged. "That's likely the case. And if that happens, that's really painful."

I bit my lip as I pulled out a sour face. "Painful?"

"Yeah." Amber nodded. "You know..you become heartbroken because of it?"

I nodded as I internalized everything Amber said.

"Why are you asking me these, anyway? Is this why you're so quiet?" Amber asked all of a sudden. I almost stuttered.

"No, no. i have a friend and she asked me those questions I asked you. And since I don't know anything about it, I asked you instead in behalf of her." I lied.

"What's your friend's name? I want to be friends with her too." Amber asked.

Darn.

"I..uh...her name's uhm..." I thought hard until I came across the popular girl back in my school in Incheon. "Her name's Yeon Ju."

I mentally slapped myself after that.

"Oh, that's nice. I want to meet her." Amber beamed.

"Unfortunately, she's in Incheon." I pretended to pout.

"No worries. We can always go there." Amber beamed again.

I nervously smiled then looked the other way.

Lying can help you when you're really in need of it, but surely you'll have to give something bigger in return. And some...cannot afford it even if you have the money.

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end of chapter 15!

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Sneek peak for the next chapter!

Indulge! :))

"I'm leaving."

"Just promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"I'm sorry."

"It will clear my mind. And maybe...heal my heart at the same time."

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See you in the next chapter! :)