"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you."
— Gautama Buddha

With her formal letter of resignation in hand, Su Min lightly knocked on Woojin’s office door and waited patiently for his familiar voice to let her in. And with each step she took toward his desk, she mentally went over everything she wanted to, and needed to tell him—but from the moment she walked into the room, they were already encapsulated in an air of silence difficult to break.

Woojin nudged his head and mentioned for her to sit, which she did so quietly. Seeing the envelope in her hand, he lowered his gaze and let out a heavy, disappointed sigh. "So you’re really turning down the offer?" he began, referring to the promotion SM offered her a month or two ago.

Su Min gave him an apologetic smile and bowed slightly, "I’m sorry."

As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t stay. Her heart ached from the thought of leaving, but she knew staying would be so much more painful…for herself, for Chanyeol, and especially for Kai.

"Stay," Woojin started again. "Even just until the next few activities are completed—or better yet, until Chanyeol’s contract ends," he suggested, almost begging. Aside from being stressed about losing such a capable partner, he was also worried about handling the increasing workload with very little assistance. 

"Look, if it’s about Jongin," he continued, trying his best to determine where the problem laid…so that he could convince her to stay.

Su Min remained silent and once again replied with a half-smile.

Bingo. Woojin thought. He had hit the target and now, he was determined to dig deeper.

EXO's manager leaned back against his chair and interlocked his fingers, gently resting them on his lap. "I really thought you two were starting to get along," he stated with audible disappointment, unprepared for what was to come, "but I guess, I thought wrong."

"I'm sorry," Su Min apologized for the second time.

"Oh. No, I didn’t mean—" he struggled to explain. Woojin thought she was taking all the blame—and she was—but for all the wrong reasons he believed. "I—uh—I," he continued.

"Do you remember the picture you told me about?" Su Min interjected, letting her eyes settle on the space below her, "That girl…that girl is me."

She lowered her head further to hide her shame, and just as she did, the wave of guilt tainted with pain came crashing down, destroying all her defenses. With everything that she had done, and the strife she had caused between two people he saw as his children, the very least she could do was tell Woojin the truth.

"Jongin…he was my first love," she confessed quietly, taking the young manager by surprise. "We dated for four years back in school, but wanting different things, we eventually broke up."

Su Min brought her hands to her laps and fidgeted with her fingers, trying to ease away the heartache swirling in her chest. "It may seem pathetic, but at that age, I was already madly in love. And at one point, I’m certain he felt the same…Despite having to let him go, I still wanted to cheer him on. To support him whenever he needed it. I—I really wanted things to end on a good note," she continued, taking a deep breath before forcing herself to recollect the single memory she tried so hard to forget. "But on the day we broke up, he yelled at me and I yelled back. Without realizing it, our emotions got the best of us. We said some hurtful words and cursed each other to the pits of hell before going our separate ways. I moved to New York shortly after, while Jongin left his band to become an idol…and now here we are."

She paused for a moment and glanced at the speechless Woojin staring at her slightly openmouthed. Whatever monologue he had prepared before her confession was now irrelevant.

Knowing he needed some time to process everything she just told him, Su Min gulped down the oncoming tears and went on, "I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you or any of the guys. I just—I didn't think it'd be appropriate to disclose such personal matters, especially since the length of my stay was uncertain at the time. I really thought I could handle it…seeing him again after all these years, working side by side as if we were strangers without a shared past…but in the end I—"  

"Does Chanyeol know?" Woojin interrupted with his serious eyes looking straight at her.

Su Min broke from his gaze and nodded slowly. "Aside for his name, Chanyeol had always known everything about my first love. It was only recently he found out that that person is Jongin," she explained quietly like a criminal finally confessing to her crimes, "and that’s why things are the way they are now."

EXO's manager pressed his lips together and remained mute. It was obvious he was trying his best to restrain the anger and feeling of deceit gradually building up inside him. Though he had every right to lash out at her for bringing this mess, he simply sat there in deep thought.

Gathering up the courage, Su Min took a silent breath and met his eyes once more. Her confession was over, but something more important needed to be done.

"I know I have no right to ask for favors, but please…please do everything you can to stop Chanyeol from leaving EXO," she pleaded almost desperately.

Woojin shifted in his seat and released a heavy breath. "Chanyeol…" he started, "do you love him?"

"Yes, I do," she replied as confidently as she could. There was no doubt in her mind that she loves her best friend—this person who had always been by her side regardless of distance. Who had been her knight in shining armor since the beginning. This person who would do anything and everything to protect her, even if it meant giving up those that are important to him. "I love Chanyeol," she clarified, making Woojin nod in response.

"So please convince him to stay…" she continued, unprepared for what her next set of words would bring, "He’s been through so much to get to where he is now…I don’t want him to throw everything he has worked so hard for—"

And just like that, the tears she had been holding back finally fell, streaking both cheeks one after the other.

How could she only realize it now…how selfish she had been six years ago? How could she have asked him to choose between her and his dreams? How could she have been such a coward? How could she have been so scared o