"I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything."

— F Scott Fitzgerald

A week had passed, and for each day, Chanyeol did his utmost best to keep Kai away from Su Min.

She had told him everything and assured him she was fine—that she could handle it herself—but he insisted on remaining by her side when he could, whisking her away every time Kai tried to get close.  

It was difficult to pretend everything was normal in front of everyone. To act as if nothing happened. For the three of them, it was both painful and tiring. Frustrating and draining.

Whenever Su Min accidentally met Kai’s eyes, she was instantly reminded of that night. That thoughtless night that should’ve never happened. That night she let her stupid heart control her actions.

Even worse, every time she looked into Chanyeol’s gaze, she was faced with this endless feeling of guilt—guilt for having kept the truth from him all this time. For not sparing him the heartache from finding out the way he did. For letting him believe she had moved on…and that the first love she took forever to forget, no longer held a place in her heart.

|| EXO's Dressing Room ||

Just as she thought things couldn’t get any worse, the world played a cruel trick. It served their problems on a golden platter for all the world to see, but only for the three of them to understand and feel its pain.

In a half hour, EXO was to go on air and discuss today’s topic: first loves. While the nine men waited to get called in, the conversation about this delicate topic began in their dressing room.

Of course, with too much on his mind, and using his coldness to his advantage, Kai decided not to participate. On the other hand, to keep up with the image that nothing was wrong, Chanyeol and Su Min had no choice but to join in.

"My first love?" Chanyeol repeated casually, "My first love was the noona who managed our soccer team in junior high."

"Really? It’s not Su Min?" Baekhyun commented, brushing off his friend’s statement, "That’s a little too hard to believe."

"Yeah, the way you dote on her makes it seem like she’s your first and only," Chen added before emptying a bottled water in his mouth.

Putting on an act, Chanyeol looked at Su Min and grinned. "See? You should appreciate me more," he teased, nudging her elbow.

"You must feel lucky Su Min," Suho stated with a genuine smile.  

Su Min glanced at him in question, not entirely sure what he else he was referring to. It’s true that she was extremely fortunate to have Chanyeol in her life, but she knew his comment meant something more.

"A man’s first love usually outweighs all others," D.O. explained, answering her curiosity, "but that doesn’t seem like the case for our Happy Virus."

"Can the same thing be said about women?" Lay inquired.

"I don’t know, can it?" Sehun replied, looking at the only woman to elaborate.

At this moment, Su Min could feel Kai’s eyes on her…those hopeful eyes that sought her response more than anyone else in the room. He was curious. He needed to know.

But for the sake of the three of them, she couldn’t give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"Can a woman’s first love outlast all others?" she repeated, lowering her head so she wouldn’t have to see the hurt in his eyes, "No…it can’t."

Though this response was typically true, it was ironically the opposite for her.

"Wha~that’s sad," Lay commented with a rather gloomy expression.

Su Min raised her head and forced a bright smiled. "But our last love can," she continued with false optimism, "If we were once happy with the wrong person…it could only mean we'll be so much happier with the right one.