"I fell in love with her when we were together, then fell deeper in love with her in the years we were apart."
— Nicholas Sparks

Kai's eyes softened as her words flowed into his ears, and slowly penetrated his heart like wicked daggers seeking to cause pain.

Instantly, the room turned silent, filling the air with a mixture of awkwardness and melancholy.

Su Min let out a short laugh and lowered her head to hide the sadness surely visible on her face.

Hurting Kai wasn't her intention.

Before she could realize it, her inner thoughts escaped from the security of her mind, and it was too late to take it back. And though she was certain her response needed further explanation, now wasn't the time for it.

Replacing the heartache with a warmer smile, Su Min looked back up and met his eyes as if everything was fine. "Go," she told him in a friendly manner and with forced enthusiasm, "They're waiting for you. Your fans are waiting for the one and only Kai of EXO."

But instead of moving, Kai remained silent and diverted his gaze, unable to act on the difficult situation. As he opened his mouth to utter a word, a staff called his name from around the corner and told him to come quickly.

Taking that as her route of escape, Su Min gently spun him around and gave his back a gentle push out the door. "Go" she repeated, finishing the rest of her thoughts to herself. Go live out your dream.

|| …………… ||

Their fans roared in cheers as EXO finished their last group performance of the night.

After striking a final pose, the nine members exited the stage, still radiating with that heart-tugging charisma. Once completely out of sight, they immediately reached for a bottle of water and gulped its entire content within seconds, letting their chests continually rise and fall to regulate their breaths.

Watching them stand there with beads of sweat trickling down the sides of their face and neck, Su Min couldn't help but be awestruck. This was far from the first concert she assisted in organizing, but seeing them perform really pulled on her heartstrings. The dedication within them was beyond admirable.

Noticing her gawking, Suho, Baekhyun, Sehun, D.O., Lay, Chen, and Xiumin greeted her with exhausted yet energetic hello's. After a quick chat and Baekhyun's usual playful flirting, the seven headed back to their dressing room and got ready for their individual performances.

Kai followed closely behind them and quietly walked past her, sneaking in a quick and unnoticeable glance.

As thankful as Su Min was that their earlier conversation didn’t have any effect on his performance, she could tell from the look in his eyes that he was still ridden with guilt. Unmoving, she stared at his silhouette diminishing in the distance until someone else caught her attention.

Chanyeol stopped beside her, his eyes also pinned to where hers were glued, but unlike his best friend, he was unsure of what they were looking at. Once the last of s were finally out of sight, he turned to Su Min.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she looked up at him and smiled, "Yes?"

"Can you do me a favor?" Chanyeol asked, automatically flashing one of his captivating dimpled smiles.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Kai returned to where they were to retrieve his earpiece and gloves. Catching the sound of their familiar voices, he slowed down his pace and listened in on the quick conversation.

"Uh, sure. What is it?" Su Min replied as she pulled out a small towel from her blazer pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Go up to the sound room when it's my turn and stand where I can see you, okay?" Chanyeol told her in a hurry. But before she had the chance to respond, he stole the white cloth and vanished from her side. "Thank you!" he shouted over his shoulder as he waved the towel happily above his head.

Park Chanyeol, just what do you have in mind? Su Min wondered.

|| …………… ||

The first on stage for their individual performances was, of course, EXO's leader, who decided to start the segment with a song from his new album. He was followed by Sehun with his fierce raps, then by Baekhyun with his new OST single. After them came Chen's impressive high notes, and Lay's y blindfold dance that drove the fans off their seats. Xiumin followed with an upbeat number, and D.O. continued with a bewitching ballad that wooed the crowd.

The eighth performer was Kai, whose mere presence brought a deafening cry of excitement from his devout fans. He positioned himself center stage and flashed a seductive smirk, making the crowd ecstatic. With a tilt of the head in tune with the pulsing beats, he delivered a breathtaking, heart-stopping, powerful dance performance that left the audience lusting for more.

EXO's lead dancer exited the stage after his five minutes were up, and instead of returning to their dressing room like the rest of s, he stood to the side and waited for the last performance of the night.

Like Su Min, he was equally curious about what her best friend had in store.

With his precious guitar strapped to his back, Chanyeol entered the brightly lit platform and was greeted