They were bestfriends, she was growing up with him. Like all other love stories, of course there would always be one party is falling in love or possibly the both of them are.

To Sulli, she realized that she fell for her own bestfriend, Minho. She perfectly felt that it was just a one side love and so she had to keep that in herself, trying her best to hide her feeling and acted normally around him because she didn't want to ruin their long-term friendship they had.

To her, Minho was the only one, the most important and precious but to him she might be just another girl, maybe just in upper level than them but surely where it'll never crossing over that border between friendship and love.

* * * *

In the park

18 years old male emitted out a deep sigh while staring at the nice view of the calm river, his clear sight then went to land on a 17 years old slender girl sitting next to him. His dark expression earlier now changed to a soft tenderness with his lips instantly curved upward into a small charming smile.

Minho smiled at Sulli, seeing how cute the girl was before his eyes. Her brows closed in together with a beautiful pair of confused eyes staring back at him.

"Something has come up, right?"

Minho landed his eyes on the girl's plump lips, when her voice was coming out in a worried tone.

His heavy nod was more than enough to Sulli realized something was really wrong with the older boy. Her heart started to race in a very strange beat.

"What? What's wrong?" Sulli asked.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you when I don't even know how to make this decision." Minho answered, his gaze went back to stare at the river. "I just don't want to sadden you."

Sulli gulped uneasily. Did he catch that she has loved him. But she tried to pull out a small smile to push that thought away. It couldn't be, she knew herself that she kept it secretly in herself so perfect.

Sulli touched his arm. "Minho oppa, you've already brought it up, so please tell me what's bothering you. Sadden me? I won’t, Oppa."

"I'm...I'm leaving, Ssul."

"L-leaving? Where are you going? And why?" Sulli asked in confusion.

"Well...my parent is sending me away to a boarding school in the State. Everything is all prepared and I have to leave in next week." Minho sadly said. He guiltily looked at Sulli and caught that she was already in the verge of crying. He sighed. "That is why I said I don't want to sadden you because I know that you'll be sad for sure. Tell me...tell me how can I leave you like this? If I'm gone who'll be there for you to protect you like I always do?"

Glum silence took over them. Sulli felt her cheek was wet, tears started to fall. It was so true that she'll be definitely lonely if he leaves, there will be no one else be there for her anymore when she needs one but how could she be selfish to holding him back and blocked his bright future?

She couldn't. Who is she anyways, she’s totally nothing but just a naive best friend to him who most of time being the burden. So, did she have any right to beg for his stay?

The answer was very clear.

No, she didn't have that right.

Being bestfriend means always offer encouragement no matter what the circumstances, especially to strongly support knowing nothing more than the tendency to desire what is best for him.

"Oppa, just go. Don't worry about me, look! I'm no longer a little girl who needs someone to take care of anymore. Who know, what if you are gone and finally there are many of flower boys dare to approach me. So that time, many people will there to protect me even if I need them or not."

Her own word totally betrayed herself and it pieced her heart more to bleed when Minho let out a soft chuckle in relief and patted her head.

Sulli tried to smile as much as she could to cover up the amount of sadness of a heartbroken young teenage.

“I’m happy for you Oppa, I really am. I wish everything are the best for you … everything.”

* * * *

Sulli went back home that day carrying the every tiny piece of her broken heart. The whole night, she was crying herself out. Thinking about those years that she won’t be able to see him, it was really hurt like hell. Although it pained her so much, somehow she distracted herself to think that at least she will stand up on her own feet living without him, more specially to give herself a chance to move on from Minho, to forget her love for him.

But night to night she kept thinking about it, will she be able to do that? To ditch her feeling from him and try to forget him just easy like that? It really hurt her to know that this will be remained unknown to Minho forever. More likely Sulli doubted herself that she’ll be able to forget this love.

Overnight of the last day that Minho will be leaving tomorrow, Sulli had come to her decision. She needs to tell Minho before they part ways…

* * * *

At the airport

Minho and Sulli were facing each other, both were so sad at the fact that they had come to the finality of saying a proper good bye now.

And Sulli knew that it was time either and so she tried to grab her chance.

“Oppa! I have something to tell you.”

“Sulli, I have something to tell you.”

Both of them said at the same time. They smiled at each other.

“You go first, oppa.”

“Uhh no, you say it first.”

But then there was an announcement telling all the passengers should already board the plan.

It made Sulli realized, it wasn’t the right time to tell him about what she feels…

Minho also thought that he shouldn’t tell her about something as well. Not the right time yet, maybe.

And so neither of them said what they want to say.

Minho then opened his arms wide and asked the girl to come to him. Having unshed tears in the eyes, Sulli immediately went into his arms. They hugged each other and she hugged him tight, so tight until she thought she’d die if she ever let him go…

but in the end she had to.

Very slowly, year by year, Sulli leant how to live without having Minho around. In just a blink of eyes, 7 years went by. Sulli came to realize that she cannot love the other man. She has never forgotten Minho. None of a day for so many years would have passed without her thinking about him.

Deep down inside she’s hoping for Minho will be back to say those words that she really wants to hear although only 2 years of separation they had communication and the next another 5 years they lost contact with each other.

She didn’t know why suddenly Minho no longer kept in touch with her but whatever, Sulli chose to wait, wait and wait for Minho to return eventually.

5 years without communication, it was more than enough for Sulli to take but she held on, trying her very best to held on until the last day, the day which she thought that it’s the end of her suffering.

Sulli got a surprise by receiving an email from Minho.

“Hi my baby Ssul, it’s me, your Minho Oppa. I finally will be going back to Korea. I’ll arrive tomorrow by 10:00AM. Hopefully, you can fetch oppa from the airport, can you? :) And…I’d like to introduce you to someone as well.

Bye Sulli, see you tomorrow.”

Sulli read his email word by word again and over again. It was supposed to be very good news which she had been waiting for but she didn’t feel happy, not at all. Her blurry eyes were stuck at the sentence…

‘I’d like to introduce you to someone’

and without realizing it, tears threatened to fall.

She was crushed, her hope was eventually became a smoke into the thin air when she came to realize Minho finally found someone and it’s not her and will never be her.

How could she was so naïve to think that she will stand a chance to be with him? Stupid, really stupid!

* * * *

Following morning Sulli dressed at her best to put her tough image in order to show Minho that throughout the years she’s doing fine, really fine without him.

Sulli arrived at the airport in time. Few minutes later she saw a very familiar man in dashing appearance walking toward her and…beside him there was a beautiful lady cling her hand possessively around his arm.

Both have a bright smile on their faces.

Sulli saw him take off his black shades, looking at her direction. A familiar pain hit her in instance, realizing that he’s indeed Minho, her bestfriend.

A guy from all those years is back, the only man of her dream.

Sulli quickly avoided looking at their direction and putting her gaze down on the ground.

Minho looked all the same as like 7 years ago in very last glimpse she captured but only one thing was different….

And that’s it, he’s already taken….

They stopped in front of Sulli. She took a sharp breath and lifted her face to look at them, more apparently on the man she loved and still loves for all these years.

Minho smiled at her as she tried her best to draw out the same expression in response.

“Hi! Are you Minho’s bestfriend? Sulli right?”

Sulli switched her gaze to the beautiful lady beside Minho. She nodded and to her surprise, the lady suddenly gave Sulli a quick hug.

“Finally! I’ve heard a lot about you from Minho.” The lady said.

Sulli gave a glance at Minho. “Really? Were they good or bad? We had no communication for 5 years, somehow I doubt he’d know quite lots about me anymore.” Sulli felt the awkward atmosphere after she said that, she even noticed Minho brushed off his smile a bit. She lightly laughed. “I’m just joking. I knew he must be narrating a lot about our childhood days to you.”

“Haha yes, you are right. Ah btw I’m Seo Ju-hyun but just call me Seohyun.” Seohyun said with a warm smile. “And I’m Minho’s--”

“Girlfriend.” Sulli finished Seohyun’s sentence and smiling back at her best as she could muster up.

“Well, Sulli actually…” Minho wanted to correct her but seemed like his courage was still too lack to put up. He felt Seohyun linked their arms back together as he silently sighed but gave her a gentle smile later.

Sulli looked away upon seeing that. She felt her heart was squeezed painfully.

“No Sulli, not a girlfriend but I am Minho’s fiancée.” Seohyun said.

Sulli surprisingly looked at Minho. In her chest she felt like she was stabbed with millions sharp knives.

“Y-You are engaged?!” Sulli asked Minho but more likely to herself. She bitterly chuckled a bit. “You didn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just I--”

“Never mind, Oppa.” Sulli cut him. She looked at Seohyun and smiled. “It might be already late but still, congratulation.”

Seohyun excused herself to the restroom. And now there was only Sulli and Minho stood there facing each other.

Sulli stared blankly on the ground. And to her surprise, Minho out of nowhere hugged her tight, very tight enough for her to feel how much he missed her.

“I’ve missed you so much, Ssul.” Minho said and she knew he meant it.

Sulli felt so soothing. She closed her eyes, drowning herself into his warm embrace. She brought her hands up was about to hug him back and released all agony she saved up through years because of him but something stopped her in instance.

It’s her pain. Her heart forbids her to respond her longing desire for this man.

Minho felt Sulli was stiff in his arms, he slowly let the girl go. There was no word came out from his mouth and so did her. All he did was staring at the emotionless Sulli.

‘Sulli has changed.’ At least that was what running in his mind at that moment. And somehow something gripped his heart.

* * * *

Sulli stepped on the brake abruptly as her hands on the steering wheel were starting to shake.

“N-Next month!” Sulli uttered. Her eyes on the rare view mirror to see the couple was sitting at the back seat.

“Y-Yes Sulli. Minho and I are going to get married next month, 3weeks from now.” Seohyun said but still panicked at the sudden of Sulli stopped the car on the side road. “Sulli, can you concentrate carefully on driving? Look, even if we have seatbelt on but still…”

Sulli stared at Minho in the mirror and as when he also dropped his gaze on her too, she immediately looked away.

“I-I’m sorry. Can you please give me a moment? I suddenly remember that I have something to buy.” Sulli said and quickly alighted from the car and ran toward a mini mart on the side road even before the couple was able to reply her.

Sulli bumped with many people on the way when she was running so fast to find the restroom, somewhere alone to escape for this very moment as soon as possible.

When she was inside, the amount of painful emotion burst out from her chest. Hard sob escaped from , following by the waterfall of tears at the moment she locked the door.

Mere words couldn’t express the pain she felt inside. It felt as a whole world had come crushing down on her when Seohyun announced their sudden upcoming marriage. She bore it, she tried to hold on this ever since from the airport but now she was no longer tough as she disguised in front of him anymore.

This is too much to endure.

Sulli felt as if she had been soul . She could barely breathe, all she could feel at this right moment is extreme pain pierce through her heart and doesn’t know how much longer this pain will be prolonged and when will it end eventually.

This time it’s the most extreme pain that damaged her really big time.

After that day, Sulli has been shut herself down from Minho. For countless times he was trying to contact her in every possible way but she always avoiding him as much as she could, until one day Sulli came back home as usual from work and found Minho was waiting for her.

A pang of pain re-emerged inside her chest. She could perfectly see the anger in the male’s eyes as he walked toward her.

Minho dragged Sulli to his car but she was too tired to rebel as she followed him to wherever he’d like to take her. Minho drove to the old park where they were usually hanging out in their childhood day.

“Why do you keep avoiding me Sulli?” Minho asked in angry tone as soon as he took a seat on the bench. He stared at Sulli who was staying quiet next to him. Her emotionless face really saddened him as he felt a familiar soreness tear him inside. “Ssul….”

“So?” Sulli uttered, her voice was just louder than a whisper a bit. She looked at Minho. “Aren’t you going to be prepared as a perfect groom in your big day tomorrow? You shouldn’t be here.”

Minho emitted a sharp breath and looked away from her. He took a moment of their silence to manage his mind to stay tranquillize.

“So…I’ll suppose that you won’t attend my weeding tomorrow right?” Minho asked. Something was not right, really not right at all occurred within him. “Why?”

Upon hearing Minho’s word, pain crashed her all over again but she felt so numb now, very numb. Why did she just have heart to admit it at this moment?

Truth hurt, that all of these years she was just lying to herself. It was very clear since the beginning that Minho never once had the same feeling with her.

He’ll never respond the same love she has for him…never…

It’s very hurt but better to be hurt by the truth rather than to be comforted with a ‘lie’.

7 years wasn’t enough for her to completely forget about him, so let’s just go with another 7 years. And if she doesn’t succeed let’s struggle for another 7 years. Just keeps doing that, takes 7 more years after 7 more years. But….how many 7 years are there she still have left?

Sulli knew there is so much time that can erase but surely the pain will never fully go away but she’ll try her best to make it happen and left it with just a small scar. Even it’ll take her years and years or…even forever she’ll make this fresh wound to heal eventually.

“We have been bestfriends for years Oppa and still we always are. So don’t worry, I’ll be trying to be there to give you my sincere blessing.” Sulli said and forced to show a very hardest smile to Minho.

It was good, really good to know that she already ran out of tears to spill anymore. Her eyes also seemed too tired to cry either.

“Congratulation on your wedding Oppa. My best wishes for you. Please…live happily together ever after.”

Later on tomorrow, Minho came to realize that Sulli doesn’t show up on his day and yesterday, it was the last day they met and he received the last wishing word from his dearest bestfriend.

Minho brought his hands together with head held up to look admirably at his bride who was walking down the aisle toward him in beautiful-est white wedding dress.

He smiled… a smile that only he himself knew of what was the true meaning behind it….

Seohyun….is breathtakingly beautiful. She’s one of a goddess whom he has never seen in his whole entire existence.

At the very moment his soon to be wife almost reached him at the end of the aisle, Minho released his holding hands and lifted it up to touch his necklace.

2 months later

Jeju Paradise Island

Sulli was strolling down on the white sand to breathe the fresh air on the beach. Every morning she’d always love to spend it here and allows the beautiful sound of the wave crushing the shore bringing away all her heavy agony inside her chest.

Although there are huge amount of it still there, loading in her broken heart but she is trying her best to carry on the hardest mission she has in life to forget about him eventually.

2 months! It’s just been 2 months hardly went by….How dare she is supposed to make it happens this fast?

Sulli kept telling herself, don’t be so rush, let’s just slowly do it little by little because she still has plenty of 2 months are await ahead to help her in this very difficult task.

After getting enough of her lone time healing her wound, Sulli turned around and decided to leave but she needed to put a halt on her step when she saw someone was standing behind her with both hands hiding in his pants's pocket smiling very charmingly at her.

It’s him.

The fresh pain was starting to tear her again at the sight of an only man in this world who has this strong ability to make her heart beats like crazy and at the same time torturing her causing with a great pain ever.

Sulli smiled bitterly and shook her head. “I have hallucination again.”

But this time Sulli felt weird when the apparent perception of Choi Minho’s sight wasn’t gone away.

Nervousness began to build up as she gulped hard, seeing him walking slowly forward to approach her. Sulli instinctively stepped backward but her eyes didn’t ever dare to switch away from his very vivid image.

“No, it…it can’t be him.” Sulli whispered to herself and looked away immediately. She brought her trembling hands to brush her face and hair. “Please come back to your right sense, Sulli. I know this is so hard for you and it’s even getting serious but you can’t become lunatic…you can’t be like this…”

“I’ve missed you, Ssul….so much.”

And that’s it, Sulli was so confusedly stunned in daze when later on she realized that her fragile body was already inside Minho’s tight embrace.

What’s all of this about? Why Minho seemed so real? His scent, his touch, his hands caressing her back, his hot breath brushing her neck and especially his warm arms tightened around her….all are very real.

When Sulli was back to her right sanity, she quickly pushed Minho away to pull herself out.

“You…” Sulli tried to utter in any word but she felt like no air is reaching her lung. She almost couldn’t even breathe properly because of the tighten knot inside her heart. “This is not hallucination right? Are…are you really Minho?”

Minho sighed with a smile. He took a step forward to face Sulli more closely. “After 7 long years we were apart you could still recognize me but now it was just only 2 months, why can’t you remember me?”

Minho grabbed Sulli’s both hands and placed them on his face to touch when he could read that Sulli was still totally confused that was it really him standing before her.

Sulli stood still while her hands slightly caressing Minho’s cheeks until she perceived clearly that it was indeed a real Choi Minho before her but then her eyes took a notice on something else….

Minho’s fingers…

There was no ring on it…

His long perfectness, slender fingers were free with the wedding band…

Sulli immediately brought her hands away from Minho’s face and released them from his grasp.

“How did you know I am here?”

“I have my own way to know wherever you are, Sulli.” Minho said. “Everywhere and I’ll surely know it in the end.”

Sulli closed her eyes. Minho’s deep voice sending a painful wave ran through her system to tickle her wound to open.

“Don’t you think that it’s all because I know about you so much, Ssul? Only….But only one thing I stupidly wasted it for years to make a realization.”

Sulli heaved a harsh sigh. She needs to escape from Minho as soon as possible. This is getting her to nowhere but a twinge of pain is striking her again now.

“Look Oppa, I’m sorry that I suddenly left without telling you….very sorry to leave on the day of your marriage. I know I said that I was going to attend….I really tried my best to go there…I really did…but in the end….just in the end I could only brave enough to arrive there but couldn’t bring myself to go in. I…I…” Sulli needed to pause herself when her chest is more even tightened. She could feel her eyes are burning.

“Do…Do enjoy your sweet honeymoon with your beloved wife, Oppa. Let’s talk another day. I have to go now.”

“Honeymoon?? Who said that I’m here for honeymoon?”

Sulli needed to halt her step again.

“I’m coming all the way here just to looking for you.” Minho said. He chuckled. “Btw do I have a wife too? Last time I check my relationship status, I’m still perfectly single and a bachelor.”

Sulli was confused as she looked at Minho with her brows closed in together. She then lightly laughed at Minho in unbelievable before shaking her head and turned around from him about to walk away.

“7 years ago, at the airport….did you have something you want to tell me? Remember when I also did have something to tell you either back then.” Minho said behind Sulli. “Let’s make it clear in today, Choi Sulli.”

“So let me going for it first…” Minho continued. He walked closer to Sulli and stood behind her back.

“Just as day by day where we were nearly going to separate, I started to notice myself. I strangely felt something wrong within me to know that we were going to apart very far away from each other for many years. I came to think of it…. What the hell was wrong to make me feel like this? But even until the next morning, I still couldn’t figure it out what the heck was this bothered feeling kept bugging me and yet that time I badly wanted to hold you close and tell you just no matter what, you have to wait for me. You have to until I come back to you after I realize what was going on with me.”

“Then…Just after 2 years I eventually came to realize of that. I was so stupid! It took me 2 years that long to realize that what I wanted so much from the both of us is more than just a friendship.”

Minho paused and desperately sighed.

“But fate was playing with me back then, as the time I was so excitingly ready to come back and made a confession, something unfortunate came up. A serious family matter had to hold me back. As much as I didn’t want to, in the end I still had to force myself to do that, tried to collect all every broken pieces of me and…and the very worst task in life ever was when the first step I needed to take is….forgetting you. And at the thought of 5 years was finally enough for me getting over you, I was totally wrong. To no avail, I’m not.... Never, I swear.”

Sulli immediately spun around to face Minho, her beautiful pair of eyes were now is b with unshed tears caught his smile but instead they lingered on his face, her eyes rolled down at his hand is now holing his necklace with the two rings hanging over the chain.

Sulli widened her eyes in surprise to see the initials engraved with their names on the rings.

“Let’s just say that I was overly excited because this was made ever since 5 years ago when I didn’t even know will I get accepted or rejected yet I prepared this.” Minho said and at the same time, he took off the necklace. Slipped the rings out from the chain, he looked at Sulli with a sweet smile. “It’s more than the right time for the owner having it now.”

Without asking permission, Minho took Sulli’s hand and slid a ring into her finger. He was amazed at himself to see how it fit perfectly around her chubby finger and he suited himself happily by wearing his own ring either.

“I know you have fear….Fear for losing what we already had, an everlasting friendship because you are thinking of the said ‘One of the saddest thing that can happens is when one falls in love while the other want nothing more than friendship’. It might be true to the others else but…to you and me…I know we are completely different…right?”

Sulli stayed silent while looking at the beautiful ring on her finger, tears of joy one by one rolling down on her pale face.

She felt warmth of Minho’s hand wiped those tears away.

Sulli looked up staring at the man in her dream who just responded the same feeling with her.

For what seems like eternity, Minho and Sulli are staring into each other eyes….

Before they said at the same time….

“I Love You.”

They smiled to each other….

And….

Kissed….the very first kiss out of many they’re going to share with each other for the rest of their lives.

“To tell people not to be afraid to express their feeling because you never know they may be gone tomorrow.”

“Take a leap of faith and tell them you love them because they may be hiding the same feeling for you.”

“Only 3 little words can change a life.”

“Just those 3 simple words would mean the world to them.”

The end.

Was it lame? Anyways I do hope you enjoyed it.

At first, I was torn on what I should portray the characters? Should I write something merely related to reality? But I couldn’t, it’d crush me more if I need to think about that and write lol. So in the end, this story had to be finished it in this way. It is much better for my shipper heart :)

Thank you very much dearest readers, thanks for your support and always waiting for me. Lastly I’m sorry for any mistakes I’ve made there….

The next update will be ‘Will love conquer hate?’

Hopefully soon but I’ll try my best to update as soon as possible.

Stay healthy and take care lovelies…