Five years. It took Sarang five years to forget the incident, but the sight of the beautifully wrapped letter she found in her apartment snapped her back into the memory lane. There, wrapped in a silk white bow, stood an invitation, written elegantly in black ink with the two names she grew to hate the most.

Park Chanyeol & Yu Areum

She decided not to open it and just threw it somewhere around the apartment. It was just too much for her to process that, after she decided to let go he actually continued with her. Taking a deep breath, she headed towards her landline and played the messages of the day. After the beep, her mother’s voice echoed through the empty room.

“Sarang? Did you get back from work? I hope you ate sweetie, don’t forget to stay healthy and take care of you.” She smiled; the first good thing to happen today was to hear her mother’s voice. Every day she would leave messages to her, asking about her day, and she was completely grateful. But what followed made her furrow her brows and fall on the couch with a huff.

“Sarang-ah…your sister told me she send the wedding invitation to you already. We’ll all attend, and I know you don’t want to, but it’s an opportunity for us to finally meet together as a whole after so many years.” She closed her eyes and listened more to her mother, and Sarang knew the woman only wanted for her daughters to get along together again.

They were inseparable when they were younger, no one stood against them, but the younger sister felt betrayed and decided to end things.

“I don’t want to push you, but please attend the wedding. For eomma. Hm?” She shook her head and knew deep inside her she won’t go for the love of God to that dammed wedding. “Your father would’ve wanted you to be there for your sister.”

And that hit a very sensitive spot for her. She never though her mother would be so wicked to bring her father into this, but the simple mention of his name softened her and changed her mind. It was true, the man even begged for them to talk again, when he was ill. But they ignored it, so Sarang knew this was a good time to test the waters.

It was five years after all, there were no feelings between her and Chanyeol, but she felt betrayed and backstabbed by her own sister, her own blood.

“I love you baby, take care of you and call me when you’re free.” And with that the voice message ended and after that followed several from her friends that received the same invitation and asked her about her feelings towards it, or her boss, that called to ask about a report. 

She got up, walking to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before checking her Instagram to take her mind of off it. The girl smiled seeing her best friend in a picture in her vacation, Hyerim always smiling and enjoying her free time.

And she really deserved it, after all the things the girl went through, the sleepless nights to finish reports and countless days of running around the company, she deserved a break with her family.

Sarang was a little envious of that, the last time she went on a trip with her family it was six years ago, before everything went bad. The only times she spend time with her mother was after her sister moved out and she would drive three hours on a Friday night only to spend the weekend with the woman.

She was pulled out of her daydreaming when her phone started to vibrate in her hands and her eyes snapped to see who the caller was. A small smile reached her lips before answering, and Sarang knew if anyone shared her feelings it was Hyerim.

“The nerve! That son of a ! HOW DARE HE!”

“Hello you too bestie. How’s your vacation?”

“ the vacation! Did that bastard really sent you an invitation?! I just got a call from your mother telling me to convince you to go to the wedding!”

“Did she pulled the dad card?”

“Of course she did! I really hate your mother for that!”

“She’s somewhat right… I feel horrible for it somehow…”

“You got home?”

“Yeah…just saw the invitation, I didn’t open it though…and listened to my messages…”

“God dammit…I’m stuck here for another two days…” Her best friend was the only one that could make her smile in moments like that. Her cursing and threats were always amusing, and while she walked towards the balcony, she was smiling imagining Hyerim fussing around her apartment, throwing her hands in the air and cursing some more. “Anyway, how are you feeling?”

“I’m…okay?”

“No you’re not…Just don’t waste your tears on them anymore.”

“I wasn’t planning to…don’t worry.”

“I’ll have to make sure of that!”

“No, Hyerim, I’m really fine, seriously.”

“I DON’T BELIVE YOU WOMAN!” She hissed, pushing the phone away from her ear hearing her screaming like a mad woman and after that, a fit of laughter followed. That girl really knew how to lighten up the mood.

“I miss you Hyerim-ah…”

“Aww, baby, I miss you too!”

“I’ll wait you at the airport this Saturday okay?”

“Hell yeah, you will. Now go get some sleep, you know even if I’m away I still take care of you…” The girl cooed and chuckled, making Sarang follow.

“Okay, talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too!” And with that she hung up and placed the phone on the coffee table, taking in the dark night sky. So many stars shone so bright up there, and the view of the city mirrored it, with multiple lights coming from different buildings.

She liked to wonder what people were doing so late in the night. Did some of them just got back from work? Were they alone like she was, or where there their significant other, some family member or someone else waiting for them? Were they fighting? Where they making love?

It was chilly outside, and she decided to head back, when she heard some knocks on the door. She checked her phone to see it was really late, past midnight, who in their right mind, apart for Hyerim would knock on her door?

Sarang stopped right in front of the door, waiting for another round of knocks. There they were, and she took cautious steps to look through the visor, only to see a bunch of flowers blocking her guest.

“What the hell?” She muttered, deciding to finally open the door. Her eyes widened and hang agape seeing the man dressed in sweat pants and a hoodie, sunglasses on his nose, and ruffled hair in front of her.

“I received a text from you-know-who, telling me to get the break-up package and deliver it to this address. With a very scary threat of not leaving you alone until she comes back.”

“O-oh…” She nodded, still awestruck by the sight of the man in front of her. She took a few steps back, letting him in her apartment, before closing the door silently.

“God dammit, why me…I was having such a great dream!” He jumped on her couch and placed the flowers and the huge box he was holding on the coffee table before throwing his glasses somewhere behind him, only for Sarang to jump and catch them.

His forearm covered his eyes, and he looked so spent, she felt bad his cousin would pull such strings only to make her feel better.

“I’m sorry; you didn’t have to do that…” He moved his arm and opened one eye cocking his brow at her statement, before chuckling and closing his eyes again.

“I would’ve been more bothered if it was someone else. But if it’s you I guess I’ll let it pass.”

“I feel flattered.” Sarang was back to her sarcastic self and the man could only laugh at her change in behavior. “What does the break-up package contain, mister postman?”

“Oh, it’s actually named Hyerim’s special break-up package for the bests of best friends. Here.” He threw his phone at her without opening his eyes. She catches it and enters the password without trouble before opening the text from her best friend.

“Move that ugly of yours at Sarang’s, that stupid idiotic mothering bastard send her an invitation at his wedding, WITH HER SISTER. Make sure you get HSBUPFBBF!” [Reindeer Satan]  [01:23 a.m. – Received]

“What the hell is that?” [01:25 a.m. – Sent]

“Answer the god damn texts faster, you dumb ! NOW MOVE!” [Reindeer Satan]  [01:25 a.m. – Received]

“What the is HSBUPFBBF!?” [01:26 a.m. – Sent]

“Hyerim’s special break-up package for the bests of best friends” [Reindeer Satan]  [01:26 a.m. – Received]

“Dude, I just got to bed, I’m tired, I have a life on daytime too, off!” [01:27 a.m. – Sent]

“If you don’t get that on work, I will make sure auntie finds out you hooked up with a stripper and she will not be pleased. I think the Lord doesn’t accepts such sinful girls in your family.” [Reindeer Satan]  [01:28 a.m. – Received]

“Hyerim, don’t you dare! She will freaking come here and destroy my apartment, again!” [01:28 a.m. – Sent]

“Then I guess you have to hurry.” [Reindeer Satan]  [01:29 a.m. – Received]

“Auch…” She muttered seeing the way she blackmailed him. If Hyerim wanted something, she gets it no matter what.

“Yeah, she called me on my way here telling me what that damn package should contain. I ing hate that woman…”

“Good thing you’re blood related and you’re not obliged to see her every day.”

“Don’t even get started. If my mom ever finds out about Hyuna she would flip.”

“I bet she would, I mean her precious big baby should fear the Lord and attend church every Sunday.”

“Sarang…” He said in a warning voice, not really in the mood for her sassy remarks. If there were friends greater than those three, she didn’t know, but of one thing they were sure of, their bound could never be broken.

“I know I just wanted to lighten up the mood…” She said with a pout, plopping down on the couch near him. He felt bad for cutting her off like that, and he knew she did nothing wrong, but he just woke up and he was usually grumpy.

He sighed before getting closer to her, and wrapping his arms around her frame like a koala bear before snuggling in the crook of her neck. “I’m sorry, I had a rough day, but you had it worse and I was being an .”

“It’s okay Jongin-ah, you know I love you.” She cooed, doing the same thing he did. She felt better after snuggling up to him like that, and without paying much attention to the package she found herself falling asleep just like that.

Jongin knew if anyone in this world deserved his protection, those were Hyerim and Sarang, the two girls that stayed by his side through all the s he went through. His story was somewhat similar to hers, his father died a few years ago, and his mother was depressive for a while now. But apparently, he didn’t had it as bad as her.

He was an only child, and he didn’t get to witness his ex, getting together with his brother or something like that, but Jongin more than anyone knew how devastated she was after, and how much time she needed to get back on track.

He was there, while Hyerim was studying in the US, and he witnessed it all. The sleepless nights, the crying sessions, the detentions she received for missing classes. He was there, he was the guy that punched Chanyeol in the hallway, he was the guy that cornered her sister and told her some not so nice words, he was the guy that almost moved in with her just to stop her from crying.

And she was the one that would always hold his heart dearly in her hands. She didn’t know, but he liked to keep it that way, in the years that followed after their break up he saw her alone most of the time, no dates, no flings, no nothing.

He knew she was not prepared to have her heart broken again, and most of all he knew she wouldn’t accept his feelings in order to protect their friendship. And he respected that, he knew their friendship was more important than a little crush, and he might find someone else someday that would make his heart beat just as fast.

But until then, he wanted to melt in her touch, and get the best of his title of best friend. He loved her, and he always will love her, but someday in the future, his love for her would diminish to just protection towards his special person.

He chuckled when he saw Sarang cocooned in his embrace, her lips slightly parted while she was fast asleep. Long lashes, raven locks contouring her pale complexion in the most beautiful contrast. Red lips, he remembered her lips were always pouty and red without her using any lipstick or balm they were just that cute.

Before letting himself go to dream land, he took his phone in the most silent way, without making any harsh movements to wake her up and texted Hyerim.

“Mission accomplished. She’s fast asleep.” [3:11 a.m. –Sent]

“Thanks Jongin-ah, take care of her…” [Reindeer Satan] [3:12 a.m. – Received]