"Sometimes, we have to let go of what's killing us, even if it's killing us to let go."

— Anonymous

As those words entered his ears, the smile on Chanyeol's face widened. He sprang to his feet and happily took Su Min in his arms, commencing a deep and passionate kiss—their second ever since meeting each other.

The room exploded in celebration as his seven members and their teary manager cheered their lungs out. Lay and Baekhyun excitedly clung to one another while Sehun, D.O., Suho, Xiumin, Chen, and Woojin sent ecstatic grins to the newly engaged couple. Interestingly enough, the sole person who was left without words, was the same individual one would expect to object first.

After some time, the two eventually parted, and her best friend—now fiancé—once again held her closely.

As Su Min took in the warmth of his embrace, her eyes caught Kai's wounded gaze staring back at her—those pained pair of lenses that wiped away her smile and all traces of happiness.

Thankfully, Sehun stepped forward and blocked her sight. He must have noticed her split second reaction to meeting Kai’s eyes. "Congratulations!" he interjected just as she and Chanyeol separated.

The rest, of course, followed in the maknae's footsteps. Like a swarm, EXO encircled Chanyeol and Su Min. One by one, they relayed their own congratulatory messages, slowly pushing Kai farther and farther away from her.

This is how it should be.

|| …………… ||

Once everyone had disappeared to give them some time alone, Chanyeol placed a hand to his heart and released a heavy sigh of relief. "Wha~ that was so nerve-wrecking," he confessed as he patted his chest lightly.

"Hey Chanyeol…" Su Min interrupted, lowering her eyes to the beautiful ring around her finger. "Is it really okay?" she asked softly, "I mean this thing between Kai and I…what happened between us—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Chanyeol silenced her with his lips.

It was a kiss she gladly accepted, but it was also a method that became his way of telling her to drop the subject…because he didn’t want to talk about it. Because he preferred to ignore it. Because he wanted to forget it.

After some seconds, Chanyeol backed away and lowered his head to prevent her from seeing the hurt in his eyes.

"Chanyeol…" she called again as she took a step forward. She knew he wanted her to stop, but she just couldn’t. It was something they needed to talk about.

Her fiancé took a moment to himself before lifting his head to face her once again. "Su Min, even if I wanted to, I have no right to be upset. It won’t change the fact that you and Jongin have a history," he began with a calm voice. "Before giving you that ring, we were still bounded by our unspoken agreement that we can do anything we wanted, with whomever we felt like doing it with…That night, you just did what you wanted in that moment," he concluded with a weak smile, "so who am I to say anything?"

"But—" Su Min protested. Though they lived by their rule, his reasoning was flawed. He had every right to be upset. To be mad. To yell at her…he had every right to say everything that was going on in his mind.

But he was choosing not to.

Again, Chanyeol shushed her with peck. "No buts," he instructed with a gentle gaze.

"But shouldn’t we at least—"

Another kiss. "No."

"But—"

"I. Said. No. Buts," he repeated in between light pecks then flashed her a dimpled smile. "You realize I can do all day, don’t you?" he teased.

Su Min could tell he was trying his best to cheer her up. To make her forget the last few days. To get her to look forward to a better future. To her future with him. To their future together.

Get it together you st