A/N: Gained a subscriber :) Shout-out to Sakuraukimura!!~ This is probably my longest update yet, so I hope it satisfies your guys' anticipation after that last cliffhanger ;D (Plus, this is one of my favorite chapters of the story). We're starting to wrap it up now~ Enjoi xD

Yoseob POV:

            “I’ll be right back! Can you handle the rest, Doojoon-hyung?” I shout to him on my left side. A bit of guilt eats at me, seeing him overwhelmed in a pool of screaming girls.

            He gives a sigh that I can't hear. “Araseo! But you better hur-!” His face gets blocked from view by waving banners and posters, and his voice cuts off. Got it!

            “Yoseob oppa!! Please sign!!” Someone screams nearby, but I only wave and quickly head backstage where no one can chase me down. Mianhae, I know I’m supposed to give fan service when I can...but this is really urgent.

            As soon as I had spotted Taeyang pulling Suhyun away, I knew something was wrong. And knowing our history together, I don’t completely trust him even if they are friends. Not sure why I'm so skeptical all of a sudden...I sneak outside behind the stage and pull a beanie low over my eyes, while carefully checking to see if anyone manages to recognize me. Luckily, there aren’t too many stray fans. They’re all in the front.

            I pull my coat collar closer around my neck and lightly jog in the general direction Suhyun went. Surprisingly, it’s much quieter here. Too quiet. Where is she? Calm down, she’s fine…Snow is gently falling into my eyes, so I stop and blink, scanning my surroundings for her familiar small figure in the darkness. My eyes finally freeze and widen when I spot two figures a little ways away to my right. In the entrance to an alley. Bingo! I smile and sigh in relief because they’re just talking. I guess I couldn’t have expected anything else, right? Yoseob, you’re too protective. Why are you so worried about her anyway?

            I’m not a fan of eavesdropping, so I wait. As soon as I see Suhyun’s figure shift a little as if they’re done, my feet move automatically, shoes crunching through the snow. Slowly and cautiously, I approach the two of them and am about to call out to her, when…

            Bam. Their dark shadows merge, and everything feels…different. I squint again, and my stomach drops. Are they…? I hear her cry out, and my eyes turn huge when I feel myself accidentally stumble backwards into the snow after seeing what had just happened.

            “Aish,” I mutter, brushing off the snow and getting up.

            “Yoseob?” I hear a quiet but worried voice. Her voice.

            My head whips up to meet her gaze. Her scared face. I can’t imagine what my face looks like right now. Red as Santa Claus' hat.

            “S-suhyun-ah…” I say quietly.

            I can barely make out Taeyang standing behind her. Almost in complete darkness. His eyes burn into mine.  I can sense the hidden rage in him from the way he looks like he’ll explode any minute now.

            “Y-you.” His voice comes out quiet but barely contained and dripping with fury. “It’s because of you, isn’t it?”

            “Taeyang, stop…” Suhyun turns to him. I can tell she’s trying to be brave, but even she’s wary of what he might do. Either way I’m standing my ground. For her.

            “How about I add a bruise to your other eye?” he growls and marches towards me fast.

            I speak up quickly, my voice calm and steady. “Yah, do you have that much pride?”

            He halts a few feet away. “MWEO?!” He’s full-out yelling now, and I restrain myself from looking surprised.

            Instead, I keep my words slow and deliberate, my face serious. I don't normally do this kind of thing. “Accept the fact that she makes her own decisions. That she doesn’t need you to watch over her all the time. That she can fend for herself.”

            He takes the few remaining strides between us, shaking with fury, and brings his fist up. But I ready myself. Because I stand by my words. Suhyun-ah...

            “Taeyang!!” She’s right behind him, holding him back with all her strength just before he swings at me, but it’s not enough. He delivers a single but agonizing blow to my face. I feel myself crash into the snow beneath my feet. How did I fall down so fast? I can hardly concentrate or hear him walking towards me again because half of my face is throbbing and swelling. I can’t see much either. Everything’s a little blurry right now.

            “Yoseob!!” She’s screaming, on the verge of breaking down entirely. I can hear that clearly. She runs over to push Taeyang away from me, both of them now eye-level, while I'm staring dazedly at the bottom of her boots.

            “S-suhyun…don’t…" I whisper through clenched teeth. I try to get up but immediately start seeing stars and force myself back onto the hard snow.

            She ignores me and only looks down into my eyes. That’s understanding enough. As she turns back to face Taeyang, her voice turns grim, and I know she's glaring now. I’ve never heard her so upset. Yet there’s a slight quivering behind her words, and I can tell she's scared too. “Listen to me! Yoseob’s right. The truth is that I don’t need you to be by my side every moment.” There’s a flash of hurt in Taeyang’s eyes, and it throws me off a bit.

            Her voice softens very subtly. “Taeyang-ah...you’re my best friend. But I hate it when you’re like this. Jealous, angry, and cruel.”

            She kneels down beside me and grasps my hand tightly for strength. As she turns back to look up at him, I squeeze hers gently in reassurance.

            “Mian, but I don’t see us any more than what we are now. I can take care of myself. And as my friend, can you just be there for me when I need you to? That’s all I ask for. Just be my friend. Be the person who will cheer me on, who will let me cry, who will support me even when everything’s a mess. Can you do that? Please...”

            His face is expressionless, and his fists unclench at his sides. He's still tense though.

            She continues, “You know that I need you in my life, don't you? Because you know me best. So I’m saying this now to protect you too. Please don’t hurt yourself by going this far.”

            Taeyang gives a frustrated sigh and crosses his arms. “Why do you see me as just a friend? After all these years, I’m nothing more. Someone who stands in the back, only for when you want them. When you feel like having them around.”

            Tears are forming along the edges of her eyes. “You’re so much more than that! You’re my childhood memories. The smiles on my face, the comforting arms around me on bad days. You’re a part of me, and I don’t want to lose you because of this. For me…please be that person again.”

            A sad smirk forms on Taeyang’s face after a while, and he gives an empty sigh. After what seems like a few more minutes in silence, he replies, “Araseo…I’ll try. Because it's you.”

            “Gomaweo, Taeyang.” She immediately smiles and stands up, wrapping her arms around him. I can't help but notice Taeyang's arms too, holding her tight as if he'll never be able to again. When they release each other, he nods at us both and walks away. His hands are stuffed in his pockets, and his slouched figure becomes farther and farther away, eventually blending into the darkness. Just like that, and he's gone.

            Suhyun turns back to me, sitting down in the snow again with a wobbly smile. “How are you doing?" she asks as she helps me prop myself up against the wall so that we're face-to-face now.

            I smile back even though it hurts. “Gwenchanah.” As long as she's okay, I am too. “That was really brave. What you did there.”

            She laughs, and a tear finally rolls down her cheek. “You were brave too. Thanks, Yoseob. For everything.”

            I slowly reach up in response and brush the tear away, cupping her face in my hands. “You’re truly special, Suhyun-ah. Even if you don’t think so, just know that you are. To me.”

            She smiles as more tears fall, holding her hand against mine. “And you, Yang Yoseob, are the most beautiful person I have ever met.” We stare at each other for a moment, and all of the words we wanted to say are said through our eyes. She slowly leans in, our eyes close at the same time, and our lips meet. The snow drifts down all around us, and darkness envelops our surroundings. But I can only feel her lips, warm and soft against mine. And, right now, this is all I need.

A/N: Awwwww >.< Hehehe, please subscribe for this chapter :) <3