I sat there with the dumbest expression known to mankind. What my best friend just told me was the giant shocker of the day. Of course I wanted to scream out and knock some sense into him and MAYBE tell him that I’m in love with his boyfriend. But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

“Hyung?” he called out, poking my cheeks.

I blinked and stared at him more. “You’re going to do what?”

“I’m going to propose.”

“To Luhan?”

Sehun nodded and smiled brightly. The look on his face told me everything. He wanted to marry Luhan. He really did.

I did the only thing I could do, I smiled.

“Congrats Sehunnie. My little dongsaeng is growing up.” I cooed while he blushed brightly.

“Stop it Minseok hyung.”

I laughed. “What? I can’t be happy for you? I really am. Congrats Sehun. I know how much you love him.”

I know and I hate it. I wanted to be the one who Luhan loves and not friend-zone. It , just so you know. It so much.

I tilted my coffee mug as Sehun excused himself to the restroom. The moment I heard the door closed, I squeezed my eyes shut hoping the dull ache in my chest would leave. Placing my head on the table, I sighed mentally slapping myself for acting this way. Sehun and Luhan had been together forever, since the end of high school. So why do I feel like my world is about to end again?

I heard a crash and sat up quickly staring at the broken coffee mug on the ground and the contents on the floor and in my lap. Yelling out, I jumped pushing my chair to the ground trying to get the burning fabric away from my legs. People around me were asking if I was alright, while workers were picking up the broken mug and asking the same thing. I smiled bitterly and ran to the bathroom, peeling off the pants and setting them to dry in the biggest stall.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Fiv-

“MINSOEK HYUNG! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

I couldn’t help but to laugh. “I’m fine, Sehun-ah.”

“But hyung, they said that it was really hot coffee. Do we need to take you to the hospital?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Sehun sighed loudly and banged on the stall door. “Are you sure hyung? Let me in.”

I smiled at the door and nodded forgetting for a moment that Sehun could not see me. “I’m fine, Sehun-ah. I just need to let my pants dry.”

“I could get you new ones.”

I thought for a moment before answering. “I think that would be a good idea.”

“I’ll be back hyung.”

A moment later I heard the door open and closed. Realizing a breath I did not know I held, I sighed and sat on the toilet seat and stared at the door. For a coffee shoppe like this, the stall was slightly cramped but very clean. The door was an off white and matched the colour scheme of the bathroom. The toilet rolls were nice and neat, placed inside of the cheap looking plastic container.  

I let my thoughts travel to the one place I knew they were going to be. Sehun and Luhan’s engagement.  But before I could continue, my mind seemed to stop.

Is it me or does it seem that I sound slightly stalkerish?

I don’t. What am I thinking?

The bathroom door opened again, forcing me to listen to Sehun’s hurried footsteps.

“Hyung?” he called out.

“Just throw them over. I’ll be out in a second.”

I heard a sigh and saw the new black pants being thrown over the door. Grabbing them in a hurry, I forced them on and unlocked the door in the fastest speed known to me. Even Sehun stood there looking at me with a shocked expression.

“That was the fastest I ever heard you change.”

I blinked. “You listen to me change? Creeper.” I said laughing.

The younger boy scrunched his nose and rolled his eyes. “As if hyung. As if.” He paused for a second and looked at me. “Are you sure that you are alright?” he asked his eyes masked with worry.

I put on my best smile and nodded. “It’s just coffee, Sehunnie. I’ll be fine.”

He sighed but nodded. “Okay.” He replied, pulling me out of the restroom and the café.

“Hyung, will you help me?”

“With?”

“Buying a ring.”

I blinked in shock and let my jaw drop. I let it hang a little too long before I pasted on a smile. “You should pick it yourself, Sehun. He would want something from you and not from me.”

“I know but I’m having a hard time finding just the right ring. Help please?”

I sighed quietly and nodded. “Let’s go ring hunting then.”

Sehun smiled brightly, dragging me to the jewelry shoppe. “Thank you hyung for this.”

“No problem.”

---

The store smelled like fresh oranges and green tea. A sweet but sickening scent. Cases filled with jewels and gems lined the walls with overly happy people standing behind them. The walls were an off white colour lined with a slight maroon giving off a high priced vibe.

I stood in front of one case and looked. Smiling softly, I found something that reminded me of him, a silver bambi looking over his shoulder and a small bird on his back.

“He would love it.” I mumbled quietly.

“Who? Luhan?” Sehun questioned. “He wouldn’t remember. He doesn’t like that his surname is deer.”

“I know.” I said moving away from the piece and looking at the rings.

“Would the person you met in China like it?” he asked quietly.

I stopped walking and froze. Quickly I regained my composer and shook my head. “I-I wouldn’t know.” I said quietly. “Now come on, we have something to look for.”

“Hyung.”

“Yes?”

“You never told me what happened in China.”

I bit the inside of my cheek and sighed. “Nothing happened, forget it.”

Sehun sighed and dragged me to the ring section. Looking over the entire section, we found nothing that screamed Luhan’s name.

“Maybe it’s a sign for me not to propose.” He muttered.

“It’s not.”

I wandered away from the sulking younger boy and kept looking around. In the corner of the room stood another case but with no one behind it. I looked inside the case and blinked. There in a coppery light was the perfect ring for Luhan. The ring was half in gold and the other half in silver, the ends embedded with small diamonds. Right smack in the middle was a larger diamond. It was perfect.

“I love it!” Sehun yelled in my ear. “It’s perfect hyung!”

I jumped at the sound of Sehun’s voice as I turned around; his back was half way to a sales person. As they talked about ring sizes and other things, my feet carried me back to the case with the deer necklace. I stared at it for a moment, feeling the urge to cry.

“Would you like to see it?” a voice called out.

I jumped bit, looking up. A lady in red smiled at me and motioned to the deer necklace. Thinking about it for a bit, I nodded.

“Yes please.”

I watched as she pulled out the necklace and showed it to me. “This necklace is all sterling silver.” She said.

“I can tell. I’ll take it.”

She nodded and left with the necklace, leaving me at the counter to stare at the empty space where the necklace was. The next few moments felt like a blur. I remember vaguely paying for the necklace and Sehun’s babbling as we walked out of the store.  

I held onto the necklace as if it was the last thing I was to hold.

“MINSEOK HYUNG!!!” a voice called out before I was tackled into someone’s chest. “WHY NO ANSWER YOUR PHONE!?” it screamed in my ear.

It took me a moment to realize that it was Baekhyun. I spilt the necklace into my pocket and wiggled out of the younger’s grip.

“What are you doing here Baek?” I questioned him.

The latter just shrugged and threw an arm over my shoulder. “Because I have a hyung who would not answer his phone. I was worried you know.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of what?”

“You never know. Someone could have kidnapped you.” Chanyeol’s voice popped up. 

I looked up to see a mop of curly brown hair and an awkward smile. “Your height never ceases to amaze me, Chanyeol.”

He laughed and touched my pocket. “I saw it. We both did.” He said suddenly.

I felt my eyes widen as I turned away to find Luhan and Sehun talking. “They’re cute you know.”

“He’s not yours, Minseok hyung.”

I sighed. “I know he’s not mine.”

“So then why the necklace? I thought you let him go.”

I pulled out the deer necklace and looked at it. “Because I can’t let go. It’s hard Baek. Very hard.”

I looked back at the couple as Sehun dropped on a knee as Luhan covered his mouth. At the sight I felt my eyes water as someone covered my eyes and pulled me in their chest.

“I’m sorry Minseok hyung. I really am.” Chanyeol’s voice rang in my ear.

“YES SEHUN!” I heard Luhan scream. “I WOULD LOVE TO MARRY YOU!”

miki says: I'm so sorry for not updating this sooner. I got busy with school and such. Ah life, it's a pain right now. ^^;; Until next time~