After hearing the shocking news, Yun fell into a trance and didn't respond even when Jongin called out her name cautiously.

Byun Baekhyun? Kim Taeyeon? Her mind failed to process the information, In a relationship? What relationship? Romantic?

"Lee Yun!" Jongin grabbed the girl's shoulders roughly upon seeing the way her clouded eyes moistened. "Snap out of it!"

"He must be so happy," Yun refused to blink, afraid the tears would spill in front of Jongin's worried eyes. "She's always been his dream; his ideal."

Jongin didn't know what to say anymore. The girl he liked clearly still liked his band mate, and he couldn't do anything about the fact that he didn't like her back. He couldn't solve the situation and neither could he pull himself out of it - Jongin felt trapped.

"You still can't forget him." It wasn't a question, more like an accusation.

She didn't answer or retort anything. Instead, Yun reached for her cellphone and pressed number 1 for speed dial.

When Baekhyun picked up, Jongin knew he would never be able to replace the boy who had planted himself firmly in Yun's memories and future. Her speed dial would never change, just like her love for him which bordered on unconditional and obsessed.

"How are you feeling, my old friend?" Baekhyun chirped cheerfully from the other side of Seoul, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere in the hospital room that contained both Jongin and Yun's unspoken feelings.

Yun didn't waste a single breath, asking him immediately: "Are you dating Kim Taeyeon?"

There was an uncomfortable pause, followed by a sigh. "Yeah, you saw the news?"

"When did it start?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. Sometime late last year? We spent Christmas together at the company dinner and then things just naturally developed from there." Baekhyun couldn't help but grin despite all the negative attention that he had been receiving after the news was reported. "To be honest, I wouldn't believe it myself if the reporters didn't catch us. Taeyeon! My goddess since high school! She's been my fantasy for such a long time, I didn't even imagine I'd be able to work with her, let alone date her!"

Listening to Baekhyun's excited chatter, Yun finally broke into tears with a hand slapping across her own mouth. Baekhyun didn't notice her silence and continued on to tell his friend about their first meeting and 100th day anniversary, while Jongin clenched his teeth in anger beside Yun.

Can't you see that he doesn't even care for your feelings? He knows you like him, yet he tells you all about his romance with another girl as if he doesn't have the slightest idea that you've only looked at him for the past decade! Why do you still like him? Why can't you let him go, knowing that he won't ever return your feelings?

But just at the same time when Jongin thought these angry thoughts, he also realised he should be throwing those words back at himself. Yun likes Baekhyun, and no matter how nicely Jongin treated her and gave his heart to her, her heart has already been given to someone else. Jongin was just like Yun - he likes someone who won't like him back, and he was stubbornly refusing to let go.

"Congratulations," Yun finally managed to choke out after Baekhyun gradually slowed down his rambles, "let's talk another time."

After she abruptly hung up the phone, Yun curled into herself and buried her face into her hands. She pushed Jongin's reaching arms away, and muttered into her sleeve, "Please, just leave me alone."

Jongin didn't know why he kept going back to Yun even though all he receives is rejection time and time again. If Yun couldn't let go of Baekhyun, Jongin should let go of her; that was the natural order of things.

Annoyed at himself, Yun, and the boy she was in love with, Jongin walked out of the hospital for the first time in that entire week, and let the scream he had been holding back escape him in the form of a roar at the busy traffic decorating the concrete roads outside.

But as his emotions calmed down bit by bit, he became aware of the buzzing in his pocket, and pulled out his cellphone with a shaking hand to find the caller ID to be the last person he wanted to talk to at that moment:

Byun Baekhyun.

His thumb hesitated over the red button for a moment, before he made up his mind and swiped the green button instead. Immediately the call began timing, and Baekhyun's annoying voice travelled into Jongin's ear.

"Hey, Jongin? Do you know what's up with Yun? She just hung up on me not too long ago and I was wondering whether you were still at the hospital with her? There's nothing wrong with her health, right?"

"If you're so worried," Jongin could taste blood as he bit down on the inside of his cheeks to hold his voice steady, "why don't you come and see her for yourself? Bastard."

"Hey wha--"

Baekhyun got hung up on for the second time that day.

The next morning, Jongin took a shower at the dorms to wash away traces of alcohol from the night before.

He didn't like the triangular relationship he was currently in at all, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to leave Yun voluntarily. He couldn't forget her smile when she lost her first five kilograms. He couldn't forget her voice when she sang for him in the gym. He couldn't forget the way she had kissed him on the cheek only twenty three hours ago, grinning shyly at him afterwards as she blushed.

And so he went back to the hospital. He didn't know what else he could do, other than silently care for the girl while she was heartbroken over another man. Jongin was sensitive by nature, and knew Yun must feel bad for hurting him too. He believed the girl he fell for was inherently good, and that she wouldn't keep him waiting forever.

She will forget him eventually, he cheered himself on internally, she will...some day. Be patient...

But when Jongin entered the room he had gotten so familiar to in the past few days, he found no girl in sight. Only an empty bed and a letter waited for him.

He didn't dare open the envelope when he picked it up, as his strong dancer's legs gave out underneath him and all his hopes were crushed.

While he believed he could wait for her, she didn't want him to waste his time.

Dear Kim Jongin,

Firstly, thank you for everything you have done for me. If not for you, I may have already died by now.

I am a weak person who does not care for the pain of others. I am selfish. I loved whoever I wanted and gave my heart to the wrong person despite knowing he wasn't the one for me. You were the best thing that has ever happened to me. You have helped me in so many ways and so many times, but for once...let me help you.

I can't take advantage of your kindness anymore. I am sick, broken, and unworthy of all your attention. If I must blame my misery on someone else, then I would have to blame every person who has ever made me feel bad about my weight since I was young. But in truth, they were only ever a part of the problem - the bigger problem was myself.

No one can live sheltered away from others' judgement forever. We are all subject to it, and we have all delivered judgement upon someone else in our life time. The fact that I absorbed all the negativity directed at me, and ignored the love that kind people offered me...I do not think I deserve to be loved. Kindness is wasted on me, because I only ever return it with fear and insecurity.

I have decided to travel around the world a little while I am still physically able to. I will try to heal my body, my mind, and my heart while I seek experience and see how others live their lives. Please promise to remain my friend when I return. I will make sure to become more mature, more wise, and a good enough person to call you my friend.

Best wishes and much gratitude,

Yun.

A/N: Last chapter next! What do you think the story will end like? Thanks for reading as always!

By the way I started a new BTS story! So if you like Bangtan as well, please come check out Law of Recognition! It's also centered around the idea of appearances, but the setting is futuristic.