Yoona is clasping the edge of the bench, baffled of Minho's astonishing news. Her eyes flicker but fixing her gaze in examination of this grimace from his stare that he thoroughly hides. She wanted to open and beg him to finish but soon realized how deserted she is of words. Watching his quivering lips, she figured out he's about to speak more.

"I'm letting you go because I can't stand seeing you trapped between us for nothing" He continued. "If I could, I'd still fight for you but it's selfish and unreasonable. Even if I did fight for you, it's like I just tried to take away the happiness you deserve. But no matter how much I'd try, the exact moment you started loving Jonghyun proved that I'm not a choice anymore"

A faint light from a running car briefly lit over Yoona's face, narrowing her eyes from the luminous stream of light and suddenly felt tears rolling down her icy cheeks. A much more hollow feeling grew inside her as words begin coming into her head.

"I don't understand why you're doing this. Why do you keep on pushing yourself down? You said you love me and now you're letting me go?" Her voice sounded frantic from all the self-control she put herself into to listen from all his miserable talks about himself.

"I'm not pushing myself down. I'm just stating the truth. And yes, I love you that's why I want to do what I think is right" He found himself lost of anything to say and hissed. "I'm taking you home" He jolted up, twitching his face from discomfort. Yoona questioned him which he hoped she didn't to keep things simple but she did.

"I'm confused, Minho. I've never been this confused my whole life" She cried out motionlessly on the bench panting a bit as if it took her a mile of running to say it out loud. "Since that night when I was dodging Jonghyun, pinning me against the post, those seconds that our faces are almost an inch close, hearing our breathing, our eyes gazing into each other's soul. It was clear to me before that that I was mad at you, that I even told you that things have changed while you're unaware of how my well-being have been. But I felt something. And it's been haunting me after that night and the following days that came. I've never felt that way with you until that time. Then now, you gave up on me, telling me that you are not one of my choices. I don't get it, Minho. It's too complicated for my brain to understand what you mean"

"I didn't give up on you and I'll never be. You're my best friend. Why would I do that?"

"Then help me" She pulled herself up and anxiously reached for his arm, clutching it. "I want to know the answers. What does my feelings for you are trying to say that I just can't accept the things that you said?"

"You already have the answers" He told her.

"But I don't know. Sooyoung and Taeyeon told me that I'm the only one who can figure it out and then you're telling me that I have the answers when I kept on repeating that I don't"

He looked back at her. He took a few steps back, retrieving his seat on the bench. Clenching his hands into balled fists almost digging his fingers against his palms. His instinct didn't fail him. To lay his eyes into her again is letting himself view the vulnerable Yoona that he would only see at this very moment.

The pain squaring in his stomach, ignoring it as much as he could. It's torturing to see her like this, knowing he was somewhat the reason she had to burst into tears (again). But there is this good feeling that Yoona needed him now and that this is the start for him to be a better friend for her.

"Yoona. If only you could see yourself right now, you wouldn't ask me anymore. But since you don't, I'll tell" He gulped and felt his jaw tighten. "You still think that you deserve me that's why you're confused and you felt those things. You loved me for so long, you sacrificed so much for me and since I already told you what I feel, you want yourself to accept the love that you think you've always deserved. I'm not gonna be surprised if you'll end up choosing me but I'm not letting you"

Her eyebrows are arched and stared at him quizzically. Minho can see the tears that dried in her cheeks and some that are still composed in her eyes. "But we both wanted to be together for all those years we waited"

"I do want this, Yoona. I really do but....."

"Are you saying that I don't deserve you?"

"No. I mean, yes" He responded in a beat. "Because you deserve someone better than me. Do you remember how inseperable we are and couldn't live without each other? People would confuse us as a couple but we just deny it. And I could guess that during those times, we're already in love with each other and we both tried to get rid of it. I dated girls and even asked help from you, hoping it will be erased but in the end of the day, I find myself circling back to you as if you're the only world that I could live in. But you.....you managed to have a life without me which until now I couldn't do. You finally gave yourself a chance to be happy with greater things around you that you used to ignore, be the person that you never thought you could be and at the same time, the kind of love you feel for me becomes lesser and lesser that you just.....don't feel the same as I am so how does that still make me a choice for you?"

A sudden silence entrapped them. All of Yoona's varying feelings and emotions are rendering in a unison manner. It kept her quiet for a whole minute and unmoving as a still breath from stirred strands of hair that were propped partially on her face. Her face isn't displaying any certain expression. She doesn't seem mad or deranged but there's no sign she's any happier.

His eyes kept on falling on her figure. It's difficult to ignore seeing her this way. He wanted to pamper her and would dare to say even the most common group of comforting words -everything's gonna be okay. There's apparent truth in those though. She's gonna be okay, just not now.

"Listen to me, Yoona. I can't say everything that can convince you to feel better right now. And even if I speak to you over and over, the answer you need would still never come from me. It will still be coming from you because you're the only one who can unravel your feelings. Look through them one by one. You just need to...."

"I know" She gave up. "I just need to figure it out....again" A corner of her lips curled up, teasing a smile as she blurted a small joke in an inapproriate timing but Minho found it hilarious and completely trashing that slightly frantic demeanor she had a while ago.

It somehow made Minho feel relieved for himself and for her. Yoona is always the deceptively stronger person and she proved it once again that she is, now that he is mindfully aware of what she had to go through and had done for the past years because of him and may consider other things as well. At those times she stood firm, she was always the one who helped him more than anyone else and at this moment of her weakness, she's trying to pull herself in one piece but Minho still took this turn as the helping hand to at least start filling up the the hollow parts of his role to her.

Letting her go isn't his way to make himself look any better. He loves Yoona and she's a friend, his best friend. They had each other when they lost their family. It's justifiable to do things that are beyond which you think is right and better. The happiness she's been soughting for is what she deserves and he knew there's only one person that can give it entirely.

"I...I need to go somewhere, Minho"



It's already past eight in the evening but Sooyoung and Taeyeon remained at the coffee shop, waiting for something or someone which they don't exactly know why. They busied their selves by fixing the chairs and tables and whatever they first take in sight to buy time. Both of them had their respective phones within their hands, anticipating a call or message that would be coming from either Minho or Yoona.

From the glass door, someone suddenly barged inside as if in rush. Black hair with shades of brown, moderately tall in stance and fair-skinned man who is catching breath like it's limited. It's Jonghyun and he looked like he have an important matter to be discussed, not with them but to Yoona, probably.

He gulped before speaking, looking at them through his brown eyes. "Where's Yoona?"

At the same momentum Sooyoung and Taeyeon's eyes met but soon returned to Jonghyun, flaunting curious gazes.

"I can't call her and I'm worried that....."

""She's with....Minho" Sooyoung said, gritting her teeth as she blurted. Reluctance was evident in her manner of talking.

Jonghyun stiffed in his position and Taeyeon saw him clutch his one hand, squeezing his fingers and trembling. "Of course" He said. "they're together. That makes sense, after what happened last night" He hissed.

"Jonghyun....." Taeyeon tried to reach out.

"It's just useless that I'm here looking for her when I already knew before coming that she'd be with him. Or am I really that kind of a fool for her? Am I?"
His voice came out louder than he thought it would be, somehow expecting that they would care enough to symphatize with him but then how when it felt like there's nothing to be remedied of.

He swore to himself that he won't give up on Yoona but those words didn't even last a day. He already told her, reminded her of what she went through because of Minho but those seemed to have no significance to her anyhow.

"It's still Minho after all" He frustratingly remarked. "It's always gonna be him" He his breath and turned his back, movng his legs out of the cafe.

"No" Sooyoung uttered, ceasing Jonghyun in his spot by the door. "Maybe it's not him this time"

He remained motionless from but parted his lips to respond. "What do you mean?"

"Yoona" She began. "She never had doubts when it comes to Minho. She would make decisions even without thinking about it as long it's what she perceived to be right and as long as Minho is involved. But.....but she is now. She's having doubts, she's trying to figure things out and she's confused. So why is that?"

Sooyoung tossed a question back to him, puzzling his thoughts but remained composed and let her words come into his head.

"You're better than this, Jonghyun. You've been better, just so you know" Her words fainted in thin air but brushed delicately to Jonghyun as he finally departed. In an unusual moment, Taeyeon tugged a foolish smile which caught Sooyoung's attention. It's out of the blue but it's something worth to be happy of.

She scowled and narrowed her eyes. "What are you staring at?"

"So you decided to jump ship?" She folder her arms together, shifting her smile into a smirk and stared at her sarcastically. "What happened? I thought you are helping Minho"

"When he told us about his feelings for her, it was obvious he's already too late because of the bright changes that happened to Yoona for almost a year course with Jonghyun. She's different now. Good different and we liked it for her. When we she goes along with it pretty well which she used to sulk on before. She's stubborn but Jonghyun made her listen. And yes, I tried to help Minho but that is to regain their friendship. It's the only thing left for him that has Yoona in it. And there's no ship or team that we're in. We're friends of Yoona and basically and technically, we only wanted what's better for her since the beginning even if we have different opinions about it"

"So you think Jonghyun's better?"

There's anticipation in her that Sooyoung won't give her a dodgy answer like what she did two days ago and ten seconds ago. It can't be avoided to side on people and be biased about it and Taeyeon has been doing that for several times, consenting Yoona in some of her unwise and asserted to be correct decisions while Sooyoung stayed in the pessimist and neutral field.

"I didn't say that"

"Hmm" She grumbled as she turned away, feeling let down by her expectations that this might be the first time Sooyoung's gonna have a clear position on things about Yoona. But it doesn't seem to be happening any time soon.

"I heard you, Taeyeon" There's mockery evident in her small laughter, keeping a malevolent smile flashed in her face.



"Do I really have to leave you here? I can just wait for you. I mean, this is far from your home and it's already late at night and dangerous and..."

"I'll be fine, Minho" Yoona handed her helmet to Minho, pulling up a smile that faded in a second.

The sky is bleak and gloomy. The clouds, dark and gray, patched up together. He couldn't help but glance into her eyes that looked very similar to the view above them. He flinched, almost opening his mouth to insist. She probably wants to be alone. He thought.

"Alright. I'll go ahead then" He said, pumping up the gas of his bike and sighed before speeding.

Yoona watched his retreating figure until he's out of her sight with her thoughts being dragged away by a single core. She embraced herself as she walked down the hill and sat on a bench facing the Han River that always appeared naturally beautiful and calm. The cold and strong wind brushing from her neck shivered down to the skin of her body but it's tolerable.

With her head suddenly down, she lifted a smile in reminisce of someone. His shadow that creeped in the ground and his voice with such familiarity in her ears. It was Jonghyun who found her.

Months have passed but it's still fresh in her mind when they first talked about her and lying to him about wanting a peaceful and quiet environment when she only wanted to run away for a short period but he knew about it even before he asked.  It was also the first time when a guy told her she's beautiful and truthfully, it was fluttering. He then told her to get rid of her glasses and quit from tying her hair which she did later on.

Remembering those, she finds herself to have trusted Jonghyun since that day and even trusted him more. Telling him stories she never told anyone about, giving him the authority to be sweet, meeting his mom, asking him to be there for her. He wasn't just simply helping her but he wanted to let her and everyone know that someone like him who used to be so superior of himself knows how to care....to love. And she felt them.

Their connection as if Jonghyun knew everything about her and knew the right words to say. How it was so easy for him to make her happy like she never had. There was no need for her to say anything but he understands her. And so she trusted him because of these.

Trusting him, she willingly gave him the chance to save her, that her life can revolve to new things, that she can acquire what she tuly deserves, that she can find new love and that this new love is never gonna cause her pain - she finally found it.

A loud, cracking thunder shook the skies, crambling Yoona to her feet. The light rain poured down. She narrowed her eyes, searching for anything that can shed her from getting soaked but there's none except for a tree. She ran but unconscious of anything or anyone that may get in her way, bumping into someone under a yellow umbrella with strong stance that almost stumbled her.

She lifted her head. Her heart is thumping wildly from a joyous feeling, meeting his eyes as brown as amber and can look at herself through it with half-drenched hair.

It's Jonghyun.

As the disticnt sound of rain crashing down the umbrella, he is smiling so proud and protected her from getting wet by sharing the umbrella with her. That smile turned into a smirk and more proud. It's obviously a mocking smile. He was gone for only a few days but she missed this. She missed him.

"I knew I'll find you here"

She smiled.

a/n: I hope this chapter is enough to answer your questions and if you still have one, you can freely ask me by leaving a comment. The end game is already obvious but there are still many possibilities that may happen. I tried to write this the best way that I could and I think this is the best chapter I wrote ever but that's just me lol. I had to read everything from chapter 7 to 14 in order to come up with this. I totally forgot the scene at Han River and other stuff that happened to Jonghyun and Yoona and it really helped for me to write the last part. I hope you'll like this.
Also, I want to thank my friend, Jennifer, for helping me with this. She's awesome and she's gonna have her first fanfic anytime soon. Please support her.