"Chaeyeon…" The breathless voice made Chaeyeon flinch. Still, she turned her head, finding herself looking at the eyes of the person she loved the most, HAD loved the most.

"Sakura…" Chaeyeon could feel Chaewon's hand patting hers.

"Chaeyeon! I-" Sakura stopped talking at the sight of Chaewon's potent glare. Although it infuriated her (who did Chaewon believe she was? She knew she couldn't trust the woman), she knew Chaewon was important to Chaeyeon and, as much as she would like to defend her honor, that wouldn't help matters. "Chaeyeon, can we talk?"

Chaeyeon felt Chaewon's grip on her hand tighten, but she turned to look at the latter, mouthing an, "I'll be okay," and smiling, hoping that her smile looked as confident as she wanted it to look.

Chaewon took her hand back, set in a grim line. She knew that, ultimately, Chaeyeon needed to speak with Sakura, to close that chapter in her life so she could move on. It didn't mean she wasn't wary of Sakura.

Chaeyeon walked in front of Sakura, directing her outside the venue, not wanting to confront the woman in a place where anyone could easily hear them.

It was until she turned around to face Sakura that the latter spoke again. "Chaeyeon. Why…? I mean… I thought you loved me… Why would you leave me like that? No note, no message. You just up and left."

Chaeyeon took a deep breath. This is it. This was the opportunity to say everything she needed to say.

"You aren't going to-"

"I saw you," Chaeyeon interrupted Sakura. "With Tomoya."

"What?" It took a moment for the revolution to make Sakura realize what Chaeyeon meant. Her eyes widened. "C-chaeyeon, that's not what you think it was."

"It wasn't?" She arched an eyebrow, to then calm herself internally. This conversation was not to start a fight with Sakura, nor to lash out at her. Still, her sarcastic question gave Sakura leeway to continue.

"No, he kissed me." Sakura looked more self-assured as she spoke, her eyes shining with some sort of hope. "You didn't even stay to see me push him away?"

"You did?" Chaeyeon was surprised at Sakura. Regardless, she didn't really believe the woman. And even if she did, that wasn't important anymore.

Sakura looked almost insulted. "Of course I did. I love you." Those words made Chaeyeon shake her head.

"No, Sakura, you don't. You LOVED me. What happened with Tomoya made me understand that." Chaeyeon implored wordlessly for Sakura to listen when she seemed to be about to interject something. That made the latter silent. "What I saw that evening made me realize that…" Deep breath. "Things had already been over for a long time. We just didn't acknowledge it. I didn't want to acknowledge it."

"What do you mean?" Sakura's voice sounded scared. It made Chaeyeon's heart ache.

"Since the beginning, I knew you needed to be there to become the manager of the main branch, and I knew you were feeling so much pressure from your parents and everyone that was expecting great things from you. I knew that, so I didn't tell you how scared I was of losing you. I accepted the lack of response, the late evenings waiting to warm up your food when you arrived at the apartment, the complete isolation I experimented while I was there. I accepted everything because I didn't want to lose the person I loved the most.

And I didn't tell you when I felt saddened or angry because you had forgotten my birthday, or our anniversary, or a dinner with my parents, because I understood you needed to work hard. And I never told you about the times when I felt alone, a lesser. Like when I was kicked out of the academy. Did you know nobody likes having to slow their training to teach someone who can't even understand them? There were several times our neighbors insulted me. Do you remember the night you arrived home and saw me drenched? Sae-san dumped a pot of water on me because she believed I had come here with you to easily immigrate.

I didn't tell you any of this because I understood you were under so much pressure that I didn't want to add to it. Or at least I thought I did. Unknowingly, there was resentment that had started to brew in my chest. I just didn't want to acknowledge it. How could I resent the person I loved? But I did.

I was wrong. I should have told you all of these things. I should have tried to share my problems, just as you shared yours with me… but a part of me feared, feared that you didn't care anymore, that I was not someone you cared about anymore, that I was just a safe anchor for the daily grinding at the office. So I tried to be what you needed me to be.

And then… I wasn't needed anymore. Each day that passed our conversations became more sparse. Each day that passed your answers to my questions became more curt and annoyed. Each day that passed it seemed better to just let you rest, because that's what you needed. And then… you just stopped coming at night.

It was like my worse fears were coming true. I still tried to stay tethered to your world by going to the office to bring you lunch, or by doing some cute details to brighten your day, but it was obvious that you didn't need me anymore. When I saw you with Tomoya, I knew. I knew that you didn't need me, but I also knew that the bitterness that had unknowingly built inside me could not be hidden. How could I stay here when I had nothing but bitterness? How could I stay when I knew that I wasn't a part of your life? So I left."

Surprisingly, Sakura had stayed deadly silent during the speech, agape at the words that came out of Chaeyeon. It took a moment after Chaeyeon had finished talking for her to react.

"I'm sorry," she said, getting on her knees. The action shocked Chaeyeon, who did the same to avoid a misunderstanding. "I'm so sorry. Please, let me make it up to you. I'll come home early. I'll never bring work home. We'll have the weekends for ourselves."

Chaeyeon shook her head. "No, you don't understand."

"What can't I understand? I love you and you love me, and I know we can work through this!"

"Did you not hear everything I said? Our relationship is over, and has been over for a long time. Why would you want to go back to that?" Chaeyeon said, disbelievingly. Out of all reactions she expected out of Sakura, she expected this one the least. Maybe that's a testament to how little Chaeyeon actually knew her.

"Why wouldn't I? Or… do you not love me anymore?" The question sounded between angry and hurt. The tone offended Chaeyeon, but, knowing there was no point in fighting (and she didn't want to… at some point, she wanted to salvage any friendship she could ever have with Sakura), tried to mend her words.

"I'll always love you most, but I can't do this anymore, not to you, and not to me. Please, Sakura,” Chaeyeon pleaded when she saw her ex-lover's expression fall."Be honest. Would you really want to go back to being strangers in the same apartment? Or feeling like the things you're doing is just to make up for the bad? Wouldn't it better to love wholeheartedly and without the baggage that we carry?"

Before Sakura could answer, Chaewon's voice resounded, "why are you two on the floor?" There was mirth that Chaeyeon knew to be fake, to hide the actual worry she was probably feeling.

Sakura turned to look at Chaewon, anger shining in her eyes. "You're jumping in joy, right? Now that Chae and I aren't together."

"Why would I be happy to see my best friend so sad?" Chaewon asked, the mirth leaving her tone. She walked towards Chaeyeon, trying to help her get up. This agitated Sakura further.

"Don't lie! You were the one that was always putting ideas in Chaeyeon's head, telling her that we weren't a good match."

"And look how it ended up."

"Chaewon..."

"I know. I know. I just wanted to tell Sakura-san this." Her eyes were now hard. "Why do you want Yeon to go back?"

"Because I love her!" Sakura defended hotly.

"Do you?" Chaewon arched an eyebrow. "Because I'm pretty sure that in all the time you've spent here outside, she has already explained everything that led her to leave, and I'm also sure that, not even once, have you actually thought about what she actually wants or needs."

The answer made Sakura stutter for a moment. "Wouldn't she want to be with me?"

"She rejected you."

"But that was because I treated her badly! And I promised to not do it again!"

"What a way to simplify her feelings, bravo."

Sakura's eyes squinted. "What do you know?"

"Chaewon, stop," Chaeyeon commanded, tugging Chaewon's arm. The argument between them had solidified Chaeyeon's resolve. "Sakura. I love you. I really do, but I realized that before I could even think about being in a relationship with someone else, I needed to love myself. And, right now, I'm trying to reach that point. Please, understand that."

Sakura didn't give an answer for a few moments.

"Okay. I understand." Chaeyeon sighed in relief. "But, can we still be friends?" Chaewon frowned at the question.

"Yes! Of course!" Chaeyeon nodded, absolutely relieved that Sakura was seemingly taking this better than expected. It was only Chaewon that could see the strangeness of Sakura's sudden agreeability, and she didn't like it. "Of course we can."

"Then... okay." Sakura nodded. "I guess..." She looked at Chaewon, sending her a glare of her own. "I guess I'll see you later. You live at your parents house?"

Chaeyeon looked surprised. "Uh, no. I'm housing with Yena."

"Then I'll see you later." Sakura waved at Chaeyeon, walking away just as quickly as she had come.

"You really believe her?" Chaewon asked as she guided Chaeyeon towards their table. "That she just wants to be friends with you?"

"No," Chaeyeon admitted. "But I didn't want a fight to break out either between her and me or you and her."

"You shouldn't have given her any hope," Chaewon chided. "Now she's going to believe that if she waits long enough, you'll go back to her."

"Sakura is not a bad person," Chaeyeon defended. "She just needs time to understand what I've just told her. After all, I just unloaded a bunch of things she didn't know."

Chaewon sighs, silently disagreeing with Chaeyeon. From the little bits of conversation she heard, she knew the other woman had absolutely ignored everything Chaeyeon had said, and had zeroed in the least important things. It was obvious Sakura didn't want to let go, and that bothered Chaewon to no end.

She just hoped Chaeyeon was smart and realized that Sakura was not the person she had once idealized.

Sakura continued walking towards her hotel, her thoughts occupied with how to win Chaeyeon back. She had already called her parents, and had announced that she'd take a break, leaving Mina in charge. She didn't specify how long she'd be gone, but she didn't think it would take much. After all, Chaeyeon still loved her, right? Sakura just needed to eliminate Chaeyeon's fears, and have her realize that things will be different from now on.

Right before she entered the hotel, she decided to call Yena. She'd grill the girl for not telling that Chaeyeon was already in Korea, as well as ask her to give her the address of their apartment.

"Just you wait, Lee Chaeyeon."