Kikwang’s POV

“I’ve decided,” Yuri said.

Mir and I exchanged glances and we sat up straighter in our seat. Who did she choose?

“I won’t lie to you boys. This was really hard for me.”

I just wish that she would tell us who she picked already. The suspense is killing me. I need to know. Please, tell me she picked me. Tell me that it’s me that she wants. I can be good for her.

“Just spit it out already,” Mir choked out and I nodded in agreement.

Yuri looked at him and smiled and I felt my heart sinking with disappointment. “I want to be with you, Mir,” she said and he blinked, surprised. I let her hand go and she reached out to hold his hands. “I love you, Mir. I always will. I want to be with you.”

Those words . . . they were piercing through my heart. I thought maybe I stood a chance with her, when she said she was in love with me too.

I was a fool.

Of course she was going to pick Mir over me. After all, they had been through so many things together. It’s only fair and understandable that she would pick him. I looked down, unable to see this.

She probably told her dad this, that’s why she was able to choose him freely. I guess this meant I’m not going to marry her, that I’m not going to be engaged to her anymore.

I wanted to run away but that would make me a coward and I had a feeling that there was something Yuri wanted to say to me.

Then I felt her finger on my chin and she lifted my head up to meet her eyes. I saw my own pain reflecting in her eyes and I realized, with a jolt, that my pain must be hurting her too.

Don’t feel bad, I wanted to tell her. But I couldn’t find the words in fear that if I open my mouth, I would cry. Which was why her next words took me completely by surprised.

“But it’s Kikwang I choose.”

I started, and looked at Mir who didn’t look surprised. He must have figured that she would choose me. But . . . why? I looked questioningly at her.

She walked over to me and sat down next to me. “I chose you, Kikwang Oppa,” she said softly. “I knew I made the right choice when I picked you.”

“Yuri . . .” I said softly. I was trying to understand. Why is she choosing me? I was pretty sure that she was going to choose Mir.

She looked into my eyes. “Do you want me to choose Mir instead?” she asked quietly.

I groaned inwardly. Why do girls always do this? I looked at her. She chose me.

She chose me.

I began thinking about it. Of course she’ll choose me. She doesn’t really love me. She only chose me because I was the easier option, because if she had chosen Mir, she would have had to get out of this engagement mess and I know that her dad can be quite stubborn and that he was very firm for her to marry me.

So by choosing me, she wouldn’t have to go through the whole process of arguments and troubles.

I looked down.

She lifted my chin up, hurt in her eyes. “Do you honestly believe I’m that sort of person?” she asked, the obvious pain in her voice. “Did you honestly believe that the reason why I chose you is because you are the easier option?”

Damn, how did she know I was thinking about this?

“Oppa, don’t lie.”

I sighed. “Yes, I did think that.”

She looked at me sadly. “So tell me, what do I have to do to convince you that I chose you because of different reasons than the ones you think?”

“Tell me what the reasons are.”

Mir stood up. “I’ll leave you guys alone,” he said and Yuri smiled sadly at him. He hugged her and kissed her one last time on the lips. “Stay happy.” He looked at me. “If you ever break her heart, I’ll break your face and make sure you can never reproduce, ever,” he threatened. He turned to Yuri. “I’ll always be waiting in the wings, until the wedding day . . . unless you guys get a divorce.”

She smiled meekly.

I looked at her. “Yuri ah, are you sure you’re making the right decision?”

She nodded, taking my hand. “I’m sure,” she said softly. “Do you need me to reason it out?”

I looked into her eyes and saw the sincerity in them. So I shook my head, leaning in to meet my lips with hers. I pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around me, placing herself on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her waist and crushed her to me.

“Kikwang Oppa,” she said softly in between kisses. “I love you.”

This will sound corny, but my heart really fluttered when she said those words to me. She loves me. Yuri loves me. She chose me over Mir.

“I love you too,” I murmured.

We broke apart and she smiled at me. She buried her face under my chin and I her smooth hair gently. I could tell she was smiling. “Shall we go and tell the others?” I asked her.

She looked up and cupped my face, smiling. I smiled back at her. God, she was so amazing, so beautiful. I’m lucky that soon I will be able to wake up next to her.

“Okay,” she said.

We stood up and we walked over to my car. She got in the passenger’s seat and I got in the driver’s seat. Then I drove off to BEAST’s dorm. We didn’t say anything, but neither of us needed to. We were both happy.

When we entered the dorm, everyone looked up and they all smiled when they saw Yuri.

“Yuri-yah!” Dongwoon exclaimed, coming over to give her a friendly hug. “How are you?”

“Yuri!!”

Guess who that was? If your guess was Yoseob, you were right.

Yuri laughed as Yoseob picked her up from the floor and spun her around. “Seobie Oppa, you’re starting to give me a headache!”

Someone whacked Yoseob on the head and he pouted, putting Yuri down. He turned around, rubbing his head, to see Junhyung walking off in another direction with a can of coke in his hands. He narrowed his eyes. “Hyung, did you just hit me on my head?”

“No.”

Hyunseung came out of his room. “I heard someone say Yuri is here.” He looked at her and instantly smiled. I frowned at that. “Yuri!” He came over to her and hugged her, a little too tightly.

“Yah,” I said.

Doo Joon came out as well. “Oh, you’re here,” he said.

Yuri shook her head. “It’s nice to see you too, Doo Joon Oppa,” she said sarcastically and Doo Joon ruffled her hair. “Yah!” She tried to do the same, but unfortunately, when she jumped, reaching her hand, she was only able to touch his cheek.

Doo Joon laughed. “Shorty!”

She jumped and punched him in the face and the rest of us cracked up laughing while he screamed in pain. Yuri looked pleased with herself.

“You’re mean,” Doo Joon complained, holding his nose. “I dislike you.”

She hugged her god-brother. “I love you too,” she said in a cute, little voice and Doo Joon shook his head, but he was smiling.

“What brings you here?” Junhyung asked her. He passed a new can of coke over to her, popping it open for her first.

We all stared at him in disbelief.

“What?” he asked defensively when he realized that all of us were staring at him. “Do I have something on my nose?” He rubbed his nose and frowned. “No, I don’t feel anything.” He turned to Yuri. “Do you?”

“Did you really just offer Yuri a can of coke?” Dongwoon asked. “You hate it whenever someone drinks your coke, even if they asked, and you certainly never offer anyone a can to drink before.”

Junhyung shrugged and flashed a smile at her. “Yuri is an exception.”

I took the can of coke from her before she could even drink and took a big sip. “Thanks, hyung, I was actually feeling rather thirsty,” I said with a grin.

Yuri smacked my forehead. “Yah, that was for me!”

Doo Joon cracked a smile. “Haha, er.”

“Seriously, why are you guys here?” Yoseob asked as we all sat around in the living room.

Yuri, next to me, smiled. “We’ve got something to say.”

“You chose Kikwang,” Hyunseung stated before she could go any further.

We glanced at each other and turned back to them, nodding our heads. Yuri smiled even brighter and leaned her head on my shoulder. I put my arms around her shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing her head.

Doo Joon blinked in surprised. “I thought you would choose Mir,” he said.

“I knew she was going to choose hyung,” Dongwoon said confidently and Junhyung nodded in agreement.

“Well, I thought she was going to choose L.Joe!” Yoseob blurted out.

We all gave him a murderous glare while Yuri frowned.

“Bwoh? L.Joe? What are you talking about, Seobie Oppa?” she asked him.

Doo Joon coughed. “I have no idea what goes through this idiot’s mind, do you?”

“Oh, no, I don’t,” the rest of us hastily agreed.

“What are you guys talking about?” Yoseob said. “L.Joe was supposed to —”

“Hyung, I need your help,” Dongwoon spoke up, standing on his fist. “I need you to help me with our new song. I can’t seem to get the moves right and you’re a good dancer. Can you help me?”

“Nice,” Hyunseung mouthed to the maknae.

“Um.” Yoseob looked somewhat between confused and flattered. “Sure.” He stood up.

“Let’s go to the practice room.” He turned to Yuri and he smiled. “I’ll see you some other time. Now that I know you are officially with hyung, I expect to see more of you coming over.”

She laughed. “Sure, sure.” She looked at Yoseob who was getting his coat. “Bye, Seobie Oppa!”

He beamed at her. “Bye!”

They were out of the house before we know it and we all sighed with relief.

Yuri turned to me. “What does Yoseob mean when he starting talking about L.Joe?”

I scratched the back of my neck, not sure of how to say this to her. I can’t tell her that her best friend is in love with her! No way.

“He still thinks that L.Joe has a crush on you,” Doo Joon spoke up and she turned to him. “You know him, he never seems to catch up on the latest gossip.”

That was half-true, but will she fall for it? I could tell that everyone was holding their breath.

Yuri laughed. “You’re right,” she said and we all relaxed. She turned to me and laced her fingers in my hand. I held on back. I leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Hey, none of that,” Doo Joon scolded.

I smiled and Yuri giggled, snuggling up to me. She turned to him and poked her tongue out at him. “Mehrong!”

“Bwoh?” His eyes went wide and he shook his head. “Aish, this girl ah.”

She giggled again.

Hyunseung’s POV

I watched Kikwang and Yuri together as they joked and chatted happily with Doo Joon and Junhyung. They look so happy together, sitting so close to one another that she was practically on his lap.

And my heart is aching, wishing I could be in Kikwang’s place.