“It’s been a while op-Sungjae sunbaenim,” the beautiful girl greeted him politely, hand outwards for a handshake. She looked different yet she was radiantly beautiful. She was practically glowing with happiness as she stood in front of him, waiting for him. That was it about her, she was always waiting. Waiting for him, waiting for the impossible to happen. He thought she’d be able to wait long enough for him but he thought wrong. He blamed his pride for never taking that chance with her; instead of chasing his dream. Now, she bloomed to be a graceful woman, leaving him to rot as he was still the same him as years passed by. He looked down to her hand, spotting the gleaming ring that caused his heart to ache, before raising his own hand to meet hers.

“Yeah, you’re right. How long has it been–2, 3 years?” he replied back just as polite, a small smile on his face. he looked up into her eyes–gosh, her twinkling eyes that reminded him of one’s innocence, something he had forgotten–and she looked back at him, a glint of mischief somewhere deep in her brown eyes.

“Ani, it’s been 6 years actually. 6 years has already passed since…” she trailed of silently, something she didn’t use to do–if he could recall correctly. He knew what she wanted to say amongst the awkward silence, something that was only known to them and no one else. He saw the way she looked away from it, guilty at the thought of bringing up something from the past. His grip on her hand tightened a silent encouragement to her–a sign that it was okay.

“Wow, time passes by so fast without us realising.” He gave her a small smile as she beamed at him, agreeing with his words. “Especially when you succeeded in chasing you dreams, sunbae!” she gave him two thumbs up as she cheered him. Something about how refreshing she was always brought a smile on her face.

“It’s oppa, not sunbaenim, Sooyoung-ah,” something about that sentence brought a distant memory to him, something so long ago. Before he even began his trainee days. He can slightly remember her blushing face as he told her that so many years ago, as they sat in the dusty and old library–something they usually did as they tried to hide the notion of their relationship. He couldn’t help but smile at how nostalgic it was.

The forlorn smile on her face was an indication that she was also reminiscing about it. Her hand–with that annoying gleaming ring on her finger–moved to hold onto her other arm as she looked away from him. “I don’t think I deserve to call you that after everything… I don’t even think I deserve to look at you,” she wanted the ground to swallow her up whole–anything, as long as she could avoid their conversation.

“And why is that, Sooyoung-ah?” he was honestly really curious as to why. His hand moved to cup her chin–something he missed doing for the past few years and he didn’t even realised it–so she would face her. She had no choice but to look at him in the eye.

“Because…It’s nothing–really, it’s nothing.” she said closing her eyes, pushing his hand away from her. “I just don’t think I have the right to do so…with you being an idol an all.”

“So, just because I’m an idol, you can’t call me oppa?” his question hit her hard as tears were beginning to stream down her face.

“You know that’s not what I meant opp–Sunbaenim!”

“No, I don’t. So, please, enlighten me.” She groaned as his answer, her hands moved to push her bangs away.

“I’M GETTING MARRIED OKAY?!–I’m getting married… I broke our promise, Sungjae-ah. I broke it–honestly, I really thought I could wait but then your calls started getting lesser until you just stop. Then rumours of you dating other girls–actresses, idols–when we both didn’t know what to label ourselves as anymore, just tore all my confidence. I mean, how could I–a woman who’s barely like a woman–compete with them? Really, I thought of waiting–I mean we were together during your first four years–but it didn’t seem like you care. And we both just stopped trying, so I gave up. We didn’t even end our relationship properly, and I’m sorry for that. But, I’m really–really, really, gosh, really–happy now and I’m getting married.” She confessed as she paced back and forth inside the small room. “I’m finally achieving my dreams–you know, I finally got to be a teacher, who knew that?–and I can’t wait to start a family and I wished you were the one, really, but you’re not. And I didn’t want to lose you in my life–we were friends for only god-knows how long before we started dating–and I really, REALLY, don’t want to lose that. Because you mean a lot to me, you really do.” she looked at him tiredly as she tried stopping her tears. She opened her to bag as she fumble for something. Once she found it, she took out a small baby blue envelope with his name written on it, before giving it to him.

“So, I want you to be there. To my wedding,” he was numb at the revelation. He didn’t know what to as he just stared at the envelope–where a wedding card that belonged to the girl that got away–was starting to burn his skin, the longer he held it. “Please, Sungjae-ah. This is my only selfish request. Please, be there,” she said as she reached for the door, twisting the knob. But before she could leave the room, she was jerked back into his embrace. She could feel her whole body jolted from the shock of his embrace. But instead of moving away,  she stayed still, letting them share one last moment before she would finally and legally be someone else’s. Sooyoung felt him bury his head in her hair as he apologised to her–for all the times he wasted and all the times he brought her pain–tightening his hold on her.

Somehow, she managed to spin herself in his hold and they were now facing each other. She looked at him–finally looked at how much he changed and grew after 10 years on being on screen, the only way she could see him–, his eyes that were slowly b with tears, his runny nose that she always thought was cute, his red cheeks and his lips. She wanted to remember him–this vulnerable image of him that she knew that he at least still hold her as an importance person in his hectic life–seeing as that might be her last chance to see him as Park Sooyoung and not as another man’s wife. Her hand on instinct went to wipe away his tears, whispering to him on how he hadn’t changed all that much from her Sungjae.

She stood on her tippy toes, nose touching his as she brought her lips closer to his. She planted a small chaste peck on his lips that lasted no more than a second before pulling away. She whispered to him something that caused his heart to ache realising how selfless she had been all this while. She pulled away from him as she once again, headed for the door, leaving a huge piece of herself behind. She twisted the doorknob and pushed it forward, to let herself go to the outside world. Before she did so, she stole one last glance at him, a genuine smile on her face.

“I’ll always love you, oppa.” She confessed before disappearing out from his sight, once again but forever.

Sungjae stared at the door, as minutes passed by. He couldn’t stop her once again, he realised, as he let out a deep sigh. He had no right to cost her, her happiness. He wiped away the tears that were now falling freely in a huge amount from his eyes. He laughed aloud, chuckling at how she could always bring him to his tears. He thought of the words she told him and he promised himself that he would do so. Now, what suit should he wear that he wouldn’t steal the show on the day of her wedding? Oh, who was he kidding, he’s Yook Sungjae! He’s bound to steal the show with how good-looking he was and maybe, Sooyoung would regret not choosing him.

Sungjae-ah, promise you’ll always be happy okay? You already achieved your dream to become a singer, now I want you to find your happiness.

“You’re wrong Sooyoung…you were my dream. I was just too stupid to realise that,”