Today’s the day. I’m going to do it.

Yang Yoseob stood in front of the mirror, making sure he looked presentable. He was meeting her today, his best friend. They both had something to tell each other.

Oh his best friend… She was his first and only love. She was his everything. Cliché? He didn’t care. He had a promise to fulfill.

It had been 17 long years since that promise was made, but he never forgot that moment. It was if it was just a few minutes ago. The two never dated, because he never asked her out, for he thought that since she would already be his wife, they wouldn’t need to date. He loved her. She loved him.

He walked slowly towards the park where the promise was made. He needed time to gather his thoughts and figure out how he would do this. It was one of those things that you have many ways to do it, yet none at all. He decided to do it traditionally, for she was the kind of girl who liked to keep things simple and nice. He arrived at the park and saw the beautiful girl waiting for him. He the ring in his pocket and took a deep breath in.

“Chacha!” he called out her very old nickname. He could feel his heart pounding, needing to escape his chest. He started to become hot and sweaty.

“Seobie!” she turned around smiling at him. They hugged as normal friends would do.

“You first!” she grinned.

He smiled to himself.

She always did hate the ladies first saying.

He took a huge deep breath in.

Yang Yoseob this is it.

“Aecha, it’s been a very long time since I have met you,” his words were strong. “We’ve laughed together, cried together, we’ve been through almost everything together.” She looked confused at his speech. “As you know I love you.” She smiled. “I love you more than a friend.” Her smile faded a little. “Today, that promise we made when we were younger, well it’s going to become true very soon.” He knelt to the ground; her smile was now gone, her face was unreadable. “Kim Aecha, saranghamnida, will you marry me?” the ring was in his right hand, it took all he had to not faint or stumble on his words, nevertheless, he had a big smile on his for he knew her answer. Or so he thought he did.

“Yoseob… I’m… I’m sorry, but my answer is no.” she looked at him with pity in her eyes. “Please get up.”

He stood up numbly; the ring had been dropped to the floor.

What does she mean ‘no’?

“Aecha, if you’re pulling a joke it’s not funny.” He looked her straight in her gorgeous eyes.

“Yoseob…” she hesitated saying the second part. “I’m already getting married... to someone else.”

He froze to the spot.

She’s getting married?

“He’s here right now actually… you two were going to meet-”

She was interrupted when a man came into the scene. He had perfect white teeth, was muscular, and was very handsome.

“Is everything alright, A-cha?” the man’s attention was on Aecha.

Silence had filled the air. Everything was not alright. In fact everything was the complete and polar opposite of ‘alright’.

“Lee Gikwang?”

Indeed, it was the man who attended the same high school as Yoseob and Aecha, he had a few classes with Yoseob. The two never really interacted, so he didn’t know much about the man. All he knew was that Gikwang was very popular.

“Yang Yoseob?” Gikwang had a confused face. “Oh! You’re the person A-cha wanted me to meet!”

Wait… she said that I was going to meet- No. It can’t be…

“Yoseob, Gikwang is my fiancé.” Aecha gave him a small smile. “That’s the news I wanted to tell you.”

Yoseob had never felt some many things at once in his whole life. From pain to confusion to hate, the list goes on and on. It was overwhelming.

I have get things straight, here and now.

“Gikwang, do you mind if I talk to Ch- Aecha alone?” Yoseob kept his eyes away from the man. As an answer, Gikwang walked away.

Yoseob lifted his eyes to Aecha.

“Why?” it was the only word he could muster up with all his feelings and thoughts. Even if the question was vague, she seemed to understand exactly, what he was asking about.

“Yoseob, I love him.” It felt as if someone had put their hand straight through his chest, and squeezed his heart.

“…But... don’t you love me?” he managed to choke out. There was a huge lump in his throat; he was doing his best to keep his tears from flowing out like a river.

“Oh Yoseob, of course I do!” he spirits brightened up, maybe there was hope. “But as a friend. A really, really good friend.”

Just a friend?

What happened next, he didn’t and still doesn’t know why he acted in such a rash way.

“Aecha!” he screeched, it was as if a dam had broken, tears of anger were spilling out fast. “Do you not remember the promise we made? You said you’d marry me! That you would always love me!”

People around started to stop and stare, Gikwang overheard the commotion and came back, but he didn’t dare interrupt what was going on.

“Yoseob…” her eyes filled with tears, yet seeing the one he loved in such sadness didn’t break him from his rage, for the tears were blurring his vision.

“Aecha! You Pinky Promised!” he screamed, his face turning maroon. “Do you not understand how severe Pinky Promises are?”

There was a short silence.

“Yang Yoseob!” she yelled, hot tears were now spilling from her eyes. “We were only 5! Are you still 5?” her voice raised with each word. “Pinky promises are just child play, they aren’t meant to be taken seriously! You’re such an idiotic child!” when that last sentence left , she wanted to take it back so much. He was always bullied for acting childish.

He stood there, eyes wide.

Ch-Child?

“Yoseob, I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it! I-I-” her tears stopped, her voice lowered, her hands were clamped over mouth.

His tears of anger, turned into tears of sadness. His best friend, his first love, his everything, saw him as nothing more but a mere child.

But her words were far less stupid than his.

“I-I hate you!” his rage returned, but his tears were still of sadness. “I can’t believe I ever loved you!” he let it all out. “I loved you since the day I met you! And then… you told me you loved me back! You promised to always love me, you promised to marry me! You’re such a liar! You lied and broke two promises! Two! I don’t love you! I hate you Kim Aecha and I don’t want to be your friend!” now it was Yoseob’s turn to regret what he said.

“…Ok, this shall be the last conversation we have as friends.” she quietly took a deep breath; you could clearly see the hurt in her eyes. “Good-bye Yang Yoseob… ssi.” With that she turned and walked away. When she was finally gone, everything sunk in. And the fact that she used formalities, something they had never done with each other, made it all worse.

What have I done?

“What have I done?” he fell to the ground looking in the direction she just left in. Just when he thought the tears would stop coming, new ones come in. “What have I done!” he repeated those words over and over again. “Kim Aecha…” people were still staring at him, but he didn’t care. “I lied. Aecha I’m the liar! I lied! I don’t hate you! I don’t! I love you! Please comeback! Comeback! Comeback…” he cried there on the floor, no one comforted him, all the people left him there. They couldn’t do anything for him.

He had made a mistake. One huge mistake.

He saw the ring below him and picked it up, the ring he worked so hard on buying… such a waste.

Standing up, he wiped his face, and put the ring in his pocket.

Strangely he didn’t feel a thing. No pain, no anger, no sadness, no love, not a thing. He was… empty.

Why was he empty you ask?

Because, his heart had been taken with the girl who just left him forever.