She stared at him with wide eyes as he got onto his knees and took her hand gently. Smoothly, he slipped on a silver band onto her ring finger. He lowered his head and softly kissed the back of her hand. Then he looked up, raising his warm eyes to hers.

“Hayeon-ah, will you marry me?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. She smiled softly as he stood up and slightly towered over her. They stood there without a single word spoken, just the two pairs of eyes staring into each other. Her heart beat faster with the suspense and the tension between them. Then he slowly started leaning towards her. Her heart was beating against her chest so loudly she was certain he could hear it. He came closer….closer…and closer….until his lips were just barely hovering over hers.

Then she broke out laughing. His booming laughter soon echoed. He stepped away from her and fell onto the couch behind him.

“Wow that was mad awkward,” he exclaimed in between his laughter.

“Yeah,” she plopped down next to him. “Why did you ask me to do this in the first place, Jongdae?” she whined. That earned her a flick on the head.

“You’re the one who wanted to help me prepare everything for the proposal. You said, and I quote, ‘There is no way I am going to sit back and watch you flail around and completely mess up your one and only proposal to Hayeon.’” he argued. “This was 100% your choice, Yejin.”

“I wouldn’t have agreed if I knew you were going to make me stand there uncomfortably and watch you propose to me,” Yejin said.

“You would have definitely agreed,” Jongdae said confidently, daring her to ask why. She took the bait.

“Why?” Yejin asked.

“Because you love me,” he said with a smirk.

Yejin immediately regretted asking. “You wish,” she mumbled as she punched his shoulder, “idiot.”

Ever since they were young, Jongdae and Yejin were best friends. Jongdae’s mother was Yejin’s mother’s closest friend and lived near each other, leading to their children meet very often.  When they first met, Yejin was a shy girl had peeked at Jongdae from behind her mom’s skirt. Jongdae, on the other hand, was a ball of energy. The moment he saw the girl hiding behind her mom, he skipped over and dragged Yejin to his brand new toys that his dad bought for him.

From then on, they would go over to each other’s apartment. If anyone asked Yejin what her childhood was like, she would answer that it was spent entirely with Jongdae. She did not remember anything else from her childhood apart from being with him.

Then a few years later in high school, Yejin found another friend in school, Hayeon. Hayeon was a bright, outgoing who naturally brought laughter wherever she went. And just as Jongdae, who was full of happiness, became her closest friend for years, Hayeon did too.

Then Yejin introduced Jongdae to Hayeon, wanting her two closest friends to meet each other. And it was like they just clicked.

The two of them were perfect together. Even strangers would agree. Sometimes in the subway, the three of us would be sitting together and chatting when suddenly a man or woman would turn to Jongdae and Hayeon and say that they look like such a cute couple. Of course they would protest that they did not and bicker, but as they did, they would blush furiously, not completely meeting each others’ eyes.

So it was a surprise for no one when Jongdae decided to man up and asked Hayeon out.

He had called Yejin one day, telling her that he had something to confess. And when they met up later that day, he explained his feelings for Hayeon. Yejin listened to his every word intently. Then with hopeful eyes he asked Yejin if she knew whether or not Hayeon liked him back. Yejin had grinned and punched him in the shoulder. She told him that Hayeon definitely liked him back. Yejin also threatened Jongdae, telling that he should get to it because it has been an extremely long wait.

Three days later, Hayeon and Jongdae were officially together.

High school breezed past. College came and went. And through all those years, Jongdae never left Hayeon nor did Hayeon leave Jongdae.

And for all those years, Yejin didn’t mind being the third wheel of their friendship.

She didn’t mind having her closest friend snatched away from her by another close friend.

She didn’t mind suddenly being abandoned because the two were on a date.

She didn’t mind when Hayeon called her to help her surprise Jongdae with a gift or a party.

She didn’t mind the distance created between her and her friends.

She didn’t mind having to watch her friends express their love for each other in front of her.

She didn’t mind the small touches, the entwined fingers, the small smiles, the comforting hugs, or the sweet but passionate kisses.   

She didn’t mind how her crush since childhood, Jongdae, was going out with Hayeon.

She didn’t mind having her heart completely shattered into pieces.

She didn’t mind crying herself to sleep nearly every night.

No, she didn’t mind.

At least that’s what Yejin was telling herself every time she saw delight painted on the couple’s faces.

As long as her friends were happy, she was. She had to be.

Beside her, Jongdae let out a deep breath.

“Yejin, please be honest with me,” he started. He looked straight at me with his wide brown eyes. “Do you think Hayeon is going to definitely say yes?”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Yejin threw up her arms in exasperation. “You two are clearly in love and have been for the past few years. What reason is there for her to refuse?”

Jongdae shrugged. “So….it’s definite?”

“Yes”

“I really hope you’re right about this, Yejin. Hayeon is so important to me. I don’t think I could live without her,” he said while running his fingers through his fluffy hair.

Yejin smiled softly, slipped the ring off her finger, and took Jongdae’s hand. She looked right at him as she placed the ring on his palm and closed his fingers over it.

“You came this far, don’t give up now. Stop worrying. It’s going to be perfect. Okay?”

Jongdae stared at her for a few seconds before enveloping her in a huge bear hug.

“You’re the best friend I could ever have, Yejin. You know that?” he mumbled. Yejin let out a little chuckle.

“Yeah…I know,” Yejin replied weakly, blinking away a tear that had unknowingly slipped out.