"A photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you."

—Brigitte Bardot

Sure enough, those words flowed out of his mouth in the same manner they did years ago. The only difference was that this time, it was in the form of a question to validate his long desired victory.

"So you came back a completely different person with another by your side," Kai started, lowering his eyes for a brief second before looking back at her. "Why? Is it because you regret leaving me?" he asked conceitedly, confident in the answer he was about to receive. He tilted his head and waited for her response, slightly lifting his chin as if to highlight the oncoming smirk he was hardly trying to hide.

Taken aback, a breath escaped Su Min. This arrogant—

Mimicking his actions, she, too, shifted her head in the opposite direction and crossed her arms. "Regret leaving you?" she repeated followed by an airy laugh. "Does it look like I do?" she answered with a mocking smile that obliterated the smug grin off his face, eliminating any chance it had to contort itself into one of satisfaction.

Suddenly lost for words, Kai remained silence.

Oh? What's this? Su Min found herself asking. After their argument earlier, it was a little shocking to see him still be so surprised by her newfound boldness.

"How about you?" she asked right after, still staring into those piercing yet dejected eyes of his, "Do you regret letting me walk away?"

"Should I?" Kai replied steadily, gaining back his composure.

The two of them maintained their stances, careful not to break from each other's cold glare. Both were suspicious of the lies hidden behind their trained eyes and in some way, hopeful to see a glimpse of truth lurking within their unmoving gazes.

Feeling quite daring, Su Min took a small step closer to Kai, further decreasing the already short distance between their bodies. "No, you shouldn't," she began, her lips curving into a rather sad smile. "Just as you said, I'm not the same person I used to be. Simply to say, I'm not the same Park Su Min you used to know," she clarified, restricting him to his current position.

Kai took a noiseless yet noticeable gulp. This closeness between them was doing things to him he didn’t expect. He felt his heartrate increase dramatically, his body gradually tense up, and his eyes…his eyes automatically wandered down from Su Min’s own lenses to her moist lips and back.

Feeling her own set of drums beating against her chest, Su Min lowered her head and took a quiet breath. Park Su Min, snap out of it. Snap out of it right now. She commanded herself and stepped aside, leaving the room in silence.  

|| …………… ||

Clutching on to her things, Su Min rushed to the nearest bathroom in need of a moment to breathe. Their second confrontation somehow healed her throbbing head, but it also opened an old, much more painful wound in her heart.

Thankfully—as if a higher being was showing her an ounce of mercy—the entire women's restroom was empty, giving her space to think and clear her mind.

She positioned herself in front of the mirror and rested her hands on the cold marble sink, closing her eyes as she shut off the outside world for a moment. She gulped down the discomfort in , taking with it the oncoming tears.

As she stood there surrounded by darkness, glimpses of their past flashed in front of her, hurling her down a bittersweet memory lane. From the promise made on top of that hill to their last argument that ended in heartbreak and resentment, recollections compiled from the four years they shared together played chronologically in her head without missing a single detail. How is it even possible? She wondered. How can I still remember them so vividly?

Su Min slowly opened her eyes and let them adjust to the bathroom's lights. She stared at her reflection, unblinking. Park Su Min, what are you doing? She asked herself as her fingers curl into a loose fist. Are you really that stupid? Just what is this you're feeling? No. You can't. You can’t go through it again…you won't go through it again…

|| …………… ||

Once she finally casted her thoughts aside and switched back into work mode, Su Min headed upstairs to Woojin's office to discuss the details of EXO’s interview.

She breathed in deeply as she reached for the knob and knocked on the door, mentally preparing herself within that brief moment of waiting for permission to come in. There was a possibility of being reprimanded for what happened during this morning’s meeting, but she hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as what she was expecting. After all, she was only trying to defend herself, so it should be okay, right?

With a muted exhale, she opened the door and found EXO’s manager at his desk with much of him buried behind the stacks of files and possible contracts.

Looking up for briefly, Woojin caught a glimpse of her and quietly signaled her to take a seat. Immediately after doing so, he casually returned to reading the proposal in his hand.

Su Min made her way over to his desk and did