"When love ends, the most beautiful thing that happened becomes the most painful memory."

― Anonymous

Once the food arrived and everyone started eating, Su Min somehow found the courage to tell her closest friends about her upcoming departure. And as expected, she was thrown into a stream of endless questions and unyielding protests.

"Why? Why are you suddenly leaving us?" Ji Young asked, her anger easily detectable from the tone of her high-pitched voice. She made a sulky face and turned to the side, crossing her arms, "No! I refuse! I don’t care what you want! We won't let you go!"

"That's right!" Eun Ji shouted after her, pounding her fist on the table. "We definitely won't! You'll have to pry my cold dead hands of off you before I let you leave!"

Hearing their objections, Su Min could only respond with a half-smile. Even if they begged her to stay, she couldn't. Leaving was something she needed to do. It was the only way she knew how to put herself back together. "Ji Young, Eun Ji, I'm sorry. I’m really sorry. I—" she began, but was immediately interrupted by a more painful question that silenced everyone.

"Are you that stupid?" Soo Jin, the eldest of the four, spat out. "It's because of him, isn't it?" she asked bluntly, unsuccessfully trying to contain her frustration.

"Soo Jin…" Su Min’s voice trailed off in alarm. Of course, unlike the two, Soo Jin always saw right through her. No amount of acting or layers of masks could stop her friend from seeing the truth.

Soo Jin turned her head and settled her livid eyes directly onto Su Min’s. "Kim Jongin—he's the reason you're leaving, isn't he?" she clarified without breaking her sharp gaze.

"No, of course not," Su Min answered calmly before lowering her eyes in guilt.

"Then?" Ji Young pushed on, not satisfied with the weak response.

Feeling stressed and under the spotlight, Su Min breathed in noiselessly to shake off the oncoming waterworks. "It's just something I want to do," she replied, keeping her tone steady.

To further convince them, she talked about wanting to explore the so-called concrete jungle and how she couldn't waste the opportunities the Big Apple had to offer. Yes, it wasn't exactly true…but it was a lie she wanted them, as well as herself, to believe…if only it was that easy.

"No! We still won't let you!" her two friends continued their protest like whining children unable to get what they want.

"Stop it," Soo Jin commanded with a firm voice, finally shushing them.

Su Min took a glance at her and smiled, thinking how much she’d miss the three of them. She didn't realize it'd be this hard to say goodbye. Eun Ji, Ji Young, and Soo Jin had been with her since kindergarten and each had become a sister figure in her eyes. "Thanks," she whispered, grateful for the eldest’ minor support.

Soo Jin ignored her words of gratitude and quickly added another question to her previous one. "What about school?" she asked, sounding like a concerned mother.

Su Min picked up her glass and took a sip to quench her drying mouth—all this strict interrogation was racking every nerve in her body.

"I'll be transferring to NYU," she responded faintly.

This time, Ji Young slammed her right palm on the table, making the silverware clatter against the ceramic plate. "What? New York University?" she repeated, her eyes protruding as far out as they could, "When did you…?"

"I applied a while back when my dad told us about his job transfer and I received my acceptance letter just recently," Su Min explained, lowering her gaze to her lap, "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep it a secret. It's just that I didn't even think I'll get in or go for that matter. I'm really sorry."

Before she could continue explaining herself, Soo Jin cut her off once more. "We get it. So stop apologizing already. Let's just eat," she ordered, brushing off the topic and replacing her stern face with an understanding smile.

Regardless of their involuntary approval, the room's atmosphere had turned completely solemn. The four of them, who used to contribute a large chunk of the noise, were now silently eating their sadness away.

Lost in their own thoughts, it took them a while to realize that the band had arrived for their preshow practice.

The four guys entered the club charismatically, humming away like song birds, while Jongin trailed behind them silent as a mouse. Breaking from the cluster, he quietly made his way over to the stage to set up alone. He knew for certain he wasn't welcomed where s were heading.

The guys were quick to spot and approach the girls with bright smiles on their freshly shaven faces. Grabbing some chairs from neighboring tables, they comfortably sat themselves down and shamelessly helped their stomachs to the plates of food left. As usual, the four musicians sparked up a light conversation while chugging down mounds of bulgogi and trying their best to avoid talking about the recent break up.

From time to time, Jongin sneaked a peek towards the crowded table, wishing to join in, but knowing he couldn’t. Instead, he kept his distance the same and his glances discreet.

|| …………… ||

After noticing Su Min had been quiet all this time, Sung Woo, the youngest member of the band and one of her known admirers, quickly swallowed the mountain of meat in his mouth and shifted his attention to her. "Hi noona!" he greeted happily, topping it off with his usual radiant and innocent smile.

Easily frustrated and in need of venting out her anger, Eun Ji turned to him with a bone-chilling glare. "Aish!" she hissed, setting her chopsticks down. "Ya! Moon Sung Woo! Wipe that smile off your face before I rip your mouth and feed it to the first dog I see!" she yelled in annoyance followed by a click of the tongue, "What a senseless kid."

Scared and confused, the poor guy scratched his head, trying to figure out what he did wrong. He looked at Su Min with pleadin