I input the code to his apartment and placed the coffee I bought on the way at the kitchen counter. I checked out his fridge and searched for any possible ingredients that could make a decent breakfast and only saw a dozen of eggs and orange juice. As much as I expected from my best friend Zhong Chenle. 

 

He hasn't changed much. Ever since we graduated college, all he buys for food are a bunch of eggs, ramyeon and orange juice. If not for me cooking, all he will do is dial his phone and order Chinese take out from his favorite restaurant. I shook my head and decided to make an omelette for breakfast.

 

After cooking I went to his room to wake him up. I saw him snuggled up in his sheets. But there was obviously something different. A girl was lying beside him. I decided to let them sleep in since I knew they had done something that made them exhausted the other night. 

 

I picked up Daegal who was silently following me around from the moment I walked in. "You're such a sweet girl. Keeping quiet because daddy is sleeping." She wagged her tail but unlike other dogs, she didn't bark. She did not want to disturb her sleeping dad. 

 

Putting her back on the floor, I placed dog food on her bowl and replaced her water. I held a deep sigh and went back to the kitchen. I covered the breakfast and placed a post-it note and posted it somewhere I'm sure Chenle would see. After that I went home.

 

I always tend to forget nowadays that he already has a girlfriend and that I should stop worrying about him since both of us were all grown up and even have our own jobs. But old habits die hard. I still do the things that I used to do for him for the past nine years. I still do love him like I always did. And I knew that he knew what I felt for him. He just didn't want to point it out. Afraid of hurting me, maybe. But I just continued what I did despite knowing. I didn't expect him to reciprocate what I felt. I'm just his best friend anyway. It's enough for me that he let me love him. And that I'm part of his life even if I'm not the one whom he claims his other half.

 

After graduating college, I rented out my own apartment near the accounting firm where I began working. Coincidentally, it is only a fifteen minute walk from where Chenle's apartment was. 

 

After getting in my apartment door and locking it close, the unshed tears finally flowed out of my eyes as I began to spill all the hurt from my one sided love. I knew I was the reason why they always fight. His girlfriend was jealous of me. I accidentally heard them fight the other day and it reminded me of what Chenle said about me.

 

"She's just a childhood friend okay? I don't love her the way I love you. She's just like a sister while you're someone I'm willing to call mine for the rest of my life. So don't be jealous of her."

 

I knew... I knew he didn't feel the same. I knew. But I also know that no matter how much I try to say that I accept it, it still hurts. No matter how much I try to convince myself to be happy for him, I can't. Because no matter what I do, as long as I still love him, it would still hurt. But I think I should let him go, now that he's sure he found the girl he'll spend the rest of his life with. Maybe I should find my own happiness now. It's the best decision. I think. I hope.

 

—

 

"Good morning!" I heard her say. I could hear the sound of the curtain being opened as I continued my sleep. I could feel someone slipping inside my comforter and tickling me awake. And as I wake, I could see the most beautiful girl I've ever seen smiling at me. My best friend, Yerin.

 

She pulled me up and dragged me to the bathroom. She would tell me that I needed to shave and that I still looked handsome despite the bird's nest of a hair I had. 

 

I knew I looked like a zombie when I wake up, but she never fails to compliment me despite that. The moment I finish taking a bath, I could see that my clothes were already prepared neatly on top of my bed and that my bed was also already made up. As I go down, breakfast was already served on the dining table and she was there waiting for me to eat. She had always been like that since I was fifteen. I've grown accustomed of her taking care of me that my day wouldn't be complete without her doing it.

 

She's the best friend a man could ever ask for. But I do feel sorry that I can't repay her love. I knew she loved me, but I don't love her the same. I knew why she doesn't mind taking care of me. It's because of the feelings she felt for me. The feelings I could never reciprocate. Or so, that's what I thought.

 

Six months after being in relationship with Jooyeon, we began fighting because of how Yerin was taking care of me. She grew jealous of how close we were and even accused me of cheating with her. I do like Jooyeon that's why I asked her to be my girlfriend. And because I really did liked her, I tried to comfort her with words I never thought my best friend would accidentally hear. I didn't know she was there. Not at all. But those words were all it took for my girlfriend and I to make up and for my best friend and me to break up. I never knew she heard what I said not until I read her Post-it note.

 

"I cooked breakfast for the two of you. I'm sorry I've been a nuisance to your relationship. I didn't know she got jealous because of me. I'd make sure not to do anything that would make her jealou