Times flies, and it’s already been two months since that last incident. Kyuhyun and Hyerin have grown closer as time went on without any sort of feelings voiced out yet, much to SJ other members’ annoyance. Kyuhyun made sure Hyerin took a good care of herself and followed the doctor’s instructions properly while trying to encourage her to open up to people more, and to speak her mind if there’s anything troubling her. Other than that they just joked and teased and cared for each other as normal.

It was hard for anyone to try to categorize or name their relationship. They were too close to be simple friends, yet they can’t be called lovers, either, since none of them have confessed his or her feelings. This relationship was, therefore, stuck in the middle between friendship and love, and the SJ members didn’t like it.

“How much longer do you plan to keep it this way, Kyuhyun-ah?” Unable to suppress his frustration, Heechul impatiently asked Kyuhyun after they were done with dinner one day.

“Keep what in what way, hyung?” Kyuhyun asked nonchalantly as he kept his eyes on TV trying to avoid the intent stares shooting at him from all directions.

“Don’t play dumb with me, magnae. I know you’re well aware of what I’m talking about.”

“Umm, what is it really? OUCH!!!”

“Just try to deny it one more time, and it’ll be your annoying face next. And just so you know, I can do this all night.” Heechul tapped the folded magazine on his shoulder as he looked at the magnae who was rubbing his head in pain. Sungmin who had been watching at the side shook his head at the two when he decided to sit down and talk business.

“Hyerin might be snatched away sooner or later while you have your little fun playing friends, Kyuhyun-ah. Can’t you see how that Jang Keunsuk makes a move on her already? He may be from a different agency, but he sure makes it seem like he has the upper hand than you.”

“She doesn’t like him. I can tell.” Kyuhyun almost flared up immediately at the mention of the guy’s name, but he tried to keep calm. He really didn’t like the idea of any other guys getting too close to Hyerin with or without her consent, accept for his hyungs only.

“So what? It’s not like he’s backing down that easily.” Ryeowook reasoned out. “Aren’t you planning to confess at least before he or somebody else does?”

“Well, I…”

“You what? Don’t tell me you’re happy with just being friends? You must be too stupid to think we’d believe such nonsense if that’s what you’re gonna say.” Eunhyuk cut in when the magnae didn’t seem to plan to finish his sentence.

“It’s not like I want us to be friends forever. It’s frustrating trying to keep calm when everybody else is trying to get her, but…”

“But?” The members chorused hoping that their youngest had a good reason for it in the least.

“But I can’t think of the best way to tell her so that she won’t flat out reject me.” Hearing the answer, some members rolled his eyes, some scrunched their faces in disbelief and some slumped back into the couch while letting out a sigh. All were thinking the same thing that there was no way she would reject him no matter how lame his confession was. Shaking their heads, the members got up and made their way back to their respective bedrooms leaving the magnae to look dumbfounded with their reactions.

“You’d better figure it out before it’s too late then.” Said Donghae tapping Kyuhyun’s shoulder as he left for his room on the 12th floor.

……………………………..

In the practice room, Hyerin finally took a break after hours of practicing her song non-stop. She sat down against the mirrored wall and closed her eyes while listening to her iPod, not realizing she was smiling in the process. Time and again she found herself addicted to Kyuhyun’s voice more and more, and whenever she had a hard time or simply felt exhausted, she would listen to his song, and suddenly she felt like her energy was all charged up.

“Ahem” Hyerin slowly opened her eyes at the voice to find a smiling Eunjung sitting across her.

“You seem really happy lately. Have something good happened? Between…you and Kyuhyun-shi, maybe?” Eunjung teased knowing that there was definitely something going on between the two. Other people may have seen their relationship as a normal friendship, but Eunjung was not blind. She almost spend 24/7 with Hyerin on most days so there was no way she couldn’t see the strange chemistry between the two although they didn’t seem to be dating just yet.

“Umm….yes. I owe him 10,000 won for lunch today. Gotta pay him back soon.” Eunjung rolled her eyes knowing Hyerin was trying to dodge the topic, but she didn’t want to push it, so she decided to talk about work instead.

“You got invited to a fashion show tomorrow night. Here’s the invitation.”

“Fashion show? Whose is it?”

“Kim Suri. The new fashion designer. It was her own idea to invite you. Do you know this person?...Hyerin-ah?” The moment Eunjung said the name Hyerin turned pale and lost in her own world. It’s been so long since she last heard that name. Suri, a friend she never have enough luck to keep along with everybody else, suddenly decided to come back into her life. What did she want exactly? Hyerin asked herself over and over whether she had the gut to face that person who was treated less than she deserved as a friend.

“Hyerin-ah, are you ok? If it’s a bad idea then you don’t have to go.”

“No. I’ll go.” The least I can do is properly apologize to her.

……………………………

The next day Hyerin dressed up and got ready to go to the fashion show. She was determined to apologize to Suri no matter what, whether or not she would forgive her. The show was great and it without a doubt was a success. Hyerin smiled as she felt genuinely happy for Suri when she heard the loud applause from the audience praising the designer. She waited for the opportunity to talk to Suri but it didn’t come until the show was officially over and people started to leave one by one that the designer herself singled Hyerin out from the crowd to a quiet hallway.

“Suri?” Hyerin called out to the designer in front of her when the other came to a stop, but still turned her back at her.

“How was it?” When she finally turned around, Hyerin almost jumped at the look on her face. Her lips may be smiling, but her eyes weren’t at all.

“The show? Umm, it was great.”

“Really? Never expected it, didn’t you, to see your ex-best friend’s personal show like that?” And by now Suri didn’t smile anymore, and her eyes showed hatred and resentment ever so clearly.

“Suri, I –”

“Hmm, what? Or you’ve never expected to see me again at all? But I’ve always wanted to see you. And show you what this talentless nobody has become.”

“Suri, I’m so sorry. I –” Hyerin managed to get the word of apology out of , but what next? She knew Suri wouldn’t listen to anything she had to say at this point.

“No, you’re not sorry. I’ve been wondering if you’ve ever changed at all since then, but judging by all that talk that’s been going on about you, I guess you never did change. So don’t you come and give me your sorry lies, cuz I’m not buying it.”

“No, listen. I’m not like that anymore.” Desperate, Hyerin tried to explain herself, but it was all so helpless.

“Oh, really? You’re sure you’re not just putting on a good old sheep skin to hide that detestable wolf that you are? You’re never gonna change, Park Hyerin. You always have it in you, that evil side of yourself which will hurt anyone around you, and at the end of the day, you’ll lose all of them. You’ll be all alone just like you were a few years ago. I wonder how long that sheep skin of yours is gonna last. Sooner enough people will open their eyes and see the real you.”

No, no. It won’t be like that. Everything’s gonna get better. It’s all gonna change. In her mind, Hyerin tried to protest that what Suri said was not going to happen, and that she had people to care for and who cared for her now. She wanted to tell Suri all that, but before she could open to utter any reasons, Suri’s next words that came along with a wicked smile rendered her speechless.

“I won’t be surprised then cuz even your eonni, the very person who claimed to be your bestest friend in the universe couldn’t stand you. Just imagine how much she hated you for her to walk away like that. I mean let’s face it, what true friend would go so far as to completely disappear just because of a stupid fight? Well, haven’t you realized by now that you don’t worth having a true friend?”

Suri’s words took their toll on Hyerin’s mind, and she kept hearing them even on the way back home. She couldn’t deny having thought of the possibility that her eonni might actually hate her before, but she always managed to brush the idea of from time to time so it wouldn’t hurt too much. But to have someone else spelling it out to her like that, she couldn’t help thinking that maybe it was true after all. Eonni never came back. One year, two years, and three years, Hyerin waited but she never did come back even for a visit. Why would someone with a forgiving nature like