Because of You

- - - -

They were childhood friends and they once used to be close to one another. She had a friend and her friend was his girlfriend. Once upon a time, she helped him to stand back on his feet when he lost the love of his life but one day his girlfriend was back. She asked if he was content, if he could smile easily again and if his heart didn't hurt anymore. He said yes. Although she was hurt but he was happy and that was all the matter. So her job was done. She left.

- - - -

"Oh you're back early."

Sulli chuckled a little. "Aren't you glad to have your daughter back?" Asked Sulli wryly.

Mrs. Choi frowned. "Well, yes. But I wasn't expecting you back for a while honey. I thought his condition was pretty bad and....." She stopped when the phone rang.

Sulli leaned against the wall and watched her mom pick the phone up. "Oh hi Minhae. Yeah, she just arrived." Mrs. Choi trailed off before shooting a quick frown to Sulli. "Really? Oh. Well, you're welcome." She paused and looked at Sulli again. "So he's okay now? Well, I'm glad he's okay. Yes, talk to you next time. Bye." Her mom put the the phone down.

"Well Mom, I'm going to start unpacking." Said Sulli, turning to walk upstairs.

"Krystal is back?" Her mom asked suddenly.

Sulli stopped. "Yeah..." She replied and smiled. "I guess Minho was just too stupid to think he lost his girlfriend. I knew, she wouldn't leave him of course." Sulli rolled her eyes playfully before she added sincerely. "I'm glad she was back alive."

Her mother eyed her but didn't say anything. Sulli just smiled faintly before turning and dragging herself to her room.

Late that night, Sulli lay in bed, hugging the pillow close to her chest as she focused on her breathing, trying to keep it coming. She in a breath and turned to her other side and closed her eyes. She pushed the tears down, hugging the pillow tighter and exhaled her breath out slowly, controlling her tears.

"Damnit!" Thought Sulli to herself. "I still miss him and it hurts. How long is this going to last?"

It's been two week since Sulli was back and her Mom could perfectly sense that her daughter had been awfully distracted but she only had to sigh when Sulli was just too stubborn to say it out of what is going on with her.

"Mom, the doorbell is ringing." Sulli told her mom as she continued to place plates on the table. Her Mom told her a few days ago that she will have friends coming over from afar for dinner and might as well stayed for a few days.

Sulli distinctly heard voices from the front and she smiled to herself a little when she heard her mom laugh. Sighing lightly, she surveyed her work and nodded to herself. Sulli took off the apron and pushed her hair back just as she heard footsteps start to head towards the kitchen.

Sulli was already smiling as she turned around, ready to greet her mother's friends. But that moment, didn't seem to be working.

Sulli fought to breathe as her eyes first landed on Mrs. Choi Minhae and someone familiar right behind her. He still looked the same as she last saw him. It seemed so long ago even though it was just two weeks.

Sulli in a quick breath. "Mrs. Choi!" Greeted Sulli and she quickly bowed her head but then she was pulled into a hug.

"Sulli, I missed you." She said, her voice muffled. "You didn't even say bye properly, little girl."

"I'm very sorry." Said Sulli, her voice low as she tried to avoid the eyes of him. "But...."

"Oh, it's okay. But I do wish we could've....I don't know, like spent more time together. It is because of you that Minho is better." She said, lowering her voice.

"Mom, I'm right here." His voice growled and deep.

"Sorry, honey." Mrs. Choi said flippantly.

She moved out of the way so that Sulli was right before him at least a few feet away. Sulli looked up and smiled at him, her eyes turning a little warm. "Hello Minho." Sulli almost whispered. "How are you?"

Minho didn't reply and instead turned his head to the door. Sulli smiled, he was still the same after all.

"Sulli!" an enthusiastic voice cut through her thoughts. Sulli looked up, surprised and saw Krystal there. Her lungs stopped functioning. "I can't believe it's you!"

"Krystal!" Said Sulli, her voice surprised as they fell into a bear hug. "Oh god, I really miss you. It's great to see you!"

"I know." Said Krystal, all smiling widely as she pulled back.

This was worse than torture, Sulli thought to herself as she thoughtfully chewed on her food, noticing how she couldn't exactly taste anything.

"So, how have you been Sulli?" Asked Mrs. Choi warmly.

Sulli was about to open to reply a fine but her mom beat her. "Actually...." she spoke slowly, looking at her daughter. "I don't know. Maybe it's just me but she seems different ever since she came back."

"I do?" Sulli raised an eyebrow.

"Yes honey, you do. And you know you are." She sighed. "Why don't you share what's on your mind?"

"Nothing's on my mind, Mom. You are just over thinking." Said Sulli before flashing a reassuring grin. It looked so real. She was a damn good actor. "Umm, can you excuse me for a moment? I think I need to receive a phone call." Said Sulli and abruptly stood up and headed to the back porch.

Sulli stood outside and closed her eyes, feeling the wind against her skin. What a good excuse she came up to escape. Sulli smiled bitterly at the night sky. "You can see how torn I am, can't you?" Whispered Sulli to the breeze as her eyes opened and took in the glinting stars. "It hurts. I can't make it go away. How long is this stupidity going to last?" she whispered fiercely, wiping her eyes forcedly as she felt tears start to leak out.

Sulli in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She locked away her emotions again. She smiled wryly. Guess he passed the heartache on, she mused sadistically before sighing as she turned around about to face another hell thirty minutes of dinner. But she was rather surprised when she saw Minho was leaning casually against the wall of the house, he was standing there just looking at her.

"You scared me!" Said Sulli, putting her hand over her heart.

They stood in silence for a moment before Sulli shifted. It felt wrong to be standing near him. She couldn't be alone with him when he had a girlfriend. It felt like a sin. She wasn't supposed to have feelings for him.

"Well..." Uttered Sulli, moving forward. "I'll see you at the dinner table."

Sulli walked past him, the reins on her emotions tight and unbreakable. She was trained herself to store them away and feel like a stranger to certain people and especially him.

"Don't." Said Minho, his voice deep.

Sulli stopped slowly and looked at Minho weirdly. "Don't what?"

"Just stay." he said, his voice abrupt.

That wasn't not a good idea. "Umm Minho, actually I'm kind of...."

"Please?"

Now that caught her. Sulli looked at Minho for a moment before nodded and resumed her position but a few more feet away from him. She shifted, her eyes back on the night sky and she smiled a little. Even it was complete silence but she didn't mind.

"So is there anything you want to talk about?" Asked Sulli, turning to look at him.

Minho just turned to look at her and stared her fixedly.

Sulli let out a smile. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't read minds?" Asked Sulli lightly. "C'mon, you're a big boy. Spit it out."

"I hate it when you do that." Said Minho lowly, his eyes burning her down to her core. But she ignored the feeling. Instead, she lifted an eyebrow and continued to listen. "You always treat me as if I'm a child. You treat me....like any other person." Minho paused as he sighed. "And you treat me as if you're not scared."

Sulli's smile softened but she tried to calm her breath, clenching her hands at her side to keep herself from reaching out into that familiar hug she always shared to him when she felt like it. "Why would I be scared of you?" Whispered Sulli.

Minho shrugged. "Weren't you since we grew apart? You knew and I knew that we didn't feel any sort of uncomfortable thing way back to the day of our childhood memories."

"No." Chuckled Sulli. "Nothing really different between us and again, I never scare of you. But there, I saw right through your façade. You're not as tough as you think." Teased Sulli lightly.

"That's what you think huh?" Said Minho, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Smug egotistic boy." Murmured Sulli, turning her head as she tried to control her breathing once again. This was why she left. She always felt like she was dying when she was with him, but at the same time, she was so happy for him that he got Krystal back. But that's what hurts the most.

Even if she's happy, the pain still didn't go away. How long was this going to last? Sulli wondered in dismay.

"I have to go." Said Sulli suddenly and turned around, heading back inside. She didn't bother waiting for a response.

Sulli stopped in front of the doorway and took a deep breath, a smile in place.

"I'm back." Sulli announced in a cheery tone as she took a seat. "After ended the phone call, I stayed there for a little while to breathe the fresh air. And it was really pretty outside." Sulli commented with a smile as she resumed her eating.

"Stars?" Asked Krystal with a small smile on her face.

"Yeah." Replied Sull