Sulli looked at herself in the full-length mirror, wearing a dress she'd just bought the day before. Her hair was curled today, and she'd even went to the extent of putting on eyeliner, although little.

"Sulli-ah, it's now or never." She convinced herself for the last time before heading out. The last few weeks had been great. She thought she was happy, but then Chanyeol came back into her life and now she was more certain of her feelings for him. 

She loves him, she really does. From his dorky personality, to the way his right eye grew wider than his left, and the captivating smile that seemed to make her heart skip a beat. Just thinking about him made her lips curl into a smile.

And after that peck on the cheek a week ago, she was sure it was a chance for her to confess to him that she wanted him more than anything else in the world.

Chanyeol had invited her over to his place for dinner this time, saying that it was his turn to return the favour. Even though she knew it would be disastrous (Chanyeol and cooking appliances don't go well together), she still agreed to it because it was a nice gesture. Besides, there must be a reason why he wanted her over despite Baekhyunnie not being able to make it.

It would be just the two of them. Perfect.

"Oppa!" Sulli cried in excitement as soon as he opened the door and allowed her in. He returned the greeting, flashing a wide smile as he took the bottle of wine from her.

The table was set, dishes all laid out. Sulli took a seat first, glancing at all the mouthwatering food before her; surprisingly, everything looked extremely delicious. And to think she was expecting ramyun and egg for dinner tonight.

But then something caught her eye; there were three empty plates and glasses instead of two.

"Did Baekhyunnie oppa change his mind? Is he coming too?"

"No," Chanyeol emerged from the kitchen after having opened the bottle and poured the wine in all three glasses.

"Someone else is here."

Confused, Sulli looked round to see a tall woman sashaying towards the dinner table. She was gorgeous - curves in all the right places, long silky hair falling nicely past her shoulders and wearing a black strapless mini dress. 

Suddenly Sulli felt as if she didn't belong, so out of place. The blue dress she was wearing was too casual and paled in comparison to the formal dress the lady was wearing.

Chanyeol rushed over to the side to pull open a seat for her, seating her in till she was comfortable.

"Sulli-ya, this is Kim Min-Hyun." Chanyeol motioned to the pretty lady as she flashed an elegant smile and nodded lightly. 

"Nice to meet you, unnie." Sulli bowed despite her confusion, knowing for sure that this lady before her was older than her. Hell, she may even be older than Chanyeol.

"Min-Hyun is my girlfriend." Chanyeol grinned, looking like a high schooler who was head over heels in love with his senior. "We've been dating for a year."

Chanyeol continued to ramble on about his relationship with Min-Hyun ssi as they began to indulge in the food before them but Sulli couldn't hear a single word he was saying. All she could think of was how much she wanted to get out of there. No, needed.

She needed to leave before she lost it. Right now, the only thing keeping her together was the drinking she'd done, and she knew if she stopped now, her tears would start to flow. But she didn't want him to see her cry; not again. He couldn't know of her feelings for him. So she continued to drown herself in the wine, nodding appropriately and smiling every now and then.

Sulli doesn't know how long she'd been enduring the emotional torture for, probably close to forty-five minutes, and just as she was concocting an excuse in her mind, her phone rang.

Excusing herself, she half-sprinted to the bathroom and locked the door behind her, leaning against the door as she tried to steady her irregular breathing. It was then that she realised her phone was still ringing. She took one look at the caller id and answered the call.

"Yeoboseyo, Baekhyunnie oppa!" Sulli cried into the receiver, her tears suddenly coming out heavily as if she'd held them in for too long.

"Ssul? Sulli-ya! What happened? Are you ok?" 

"N-no, I'm n-not. Oppa, please come get me."

"Where are you now?"

"At Chanyeol oppa's place. W-we're having d-dinner with his...g-girlfriend."

"Omo. Sulli-ya, I'll be right there."

"Oppa, wait! I can't go out now. I-I'm in the bathroom and I d-don't want him to know I'm crying."

"Sulli, listen. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Now, go to the sink and wash your face. If he asks you anything, say you're tired. He won't be able to tell the difference."

"O-okay."

"Hang in there."

There was a click and the call disconnected. Sulli decided to take Baekhyun's advice, and did as instructed. Taking a last deep breath, she left the bathroom and took her place again, trying to ignore the fact that she was basically invisible because Chanyeol and Min-Hyun ssi were so caught up in their own conversation. She felt like a kid sitting there.

"Sulli-ya, who was that?"

"Baekhyunnie-oppa." That was all she could manage without breaking down again.

Chanyeol didn't ask anything else after that, seamlessly changing the topic to one about how Sulli and him had been good friends since they were young. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the doorbell rang, and Chanyeol got up to see who it was.

"You used to date Chanyeollie?" 

Sulli's attention was called back to the table by a melodious voice; Kim Min-Hyun ssi's.

Not sure how to reply to that, she hesitated.

"Chanyeol told me a lot about you. The things you used to do when you were dating."

"Oh, that was a long time ago, unnie. Just remember that he's yours now." Unknowingly, her fingers curled inwards, clenched tightly, teeth gritting. She was going to explode soon. Anytime now.

"Come on Ssul, let's go."

Sulli didn't have to be told twice; she snatched her bag from the couch and hurried towards the door, pushing her way past a dazed looking Chanyeol. Baekhyun reached for her left wrist at once and pulled her outside.

"Wait, where are you going? Ssul? Baekhyunnie ah?" Chanyeol's eyes were doing that thing again where they looked like a lost puppy's, the look that used to make Sulli give in. But not tonight. She was too bent, almost broken.

"She doesn't feel too well, I'm sending her back home."

The pair started to leave, but then Sulli is feels herself being pulled back by the arm.

"Sulli-ya?" His voice was low and almost pleading, trying to make sense of everything.

"I'll talk to you later, oppa."

Later didn't come soon. Baekhyun spent the whole night trying to comfort a devastated Sulli after she explained to him everything that had happened. Chanyeol tried calling her countless of times, leaving message after message but since he knew that Baekhyun was with her, he wasn't too bothered. Besides, he had to tend to his girlfriend.

"That pabo. Park Chanyeol is a pabo." Sulli sobbed, but then changed her mind. "No, I'm the pabo. I'm so dumb oppa. I should have known he's moved on."

Baekhyun was never good at comforting people, what more girls who just had their hearts broken, so he just rubbed circles into her back in an attempt to calm her down.

"What do I do now? I don't know what I should do. Please tell me, oppa. I can't face him anymore. Not anytime soon."

"Ssul, you don't have to solve everything tonight. Get some sleep and you can settle this tomorrow."

Sulli slept like a baby after having cried like one that night, but on the other hand, Chanyeol lay wide awake on his bed, feeling restless and ever confused.

It took him awhile to realise why, but when he finally did, he couldn't stop thinking about it. About her, Choi Sulli. 

He remembered this feeling, the same one three years ago when Sulli had broken up with him. The disappointment and hurt in her voice had pricked him. 

And that night when he saw her leave with his best friend, the heavy feeling came back. He hated seeing her sad. It made him sad too.

For the next two weeks, Sulli did everything she could to avoid Chanyeol. When she was home and he visited, she pretended she was out. All his calls went to voicemail, all his voicemail sent was deleted.

Chanyeol couldn't take it any longer. He had to see her and fix it. Before it was too late and she was gone forever from his life.

After three weeks of avoidance, Chanyeol patiently waited outside her door till she came back from work.

"Omo!" Sulli screamed as soon as someone reached for her waist when she was unlocking her door. Her reflexes were quick as she elbowed the attacker in the gut.

"Ya! Choi Sulli! It's me, Chanyeol oppa!" Chanyeol yelped in pain.

"O-oppa, miane!" Sulli dragged the freakishly tall man into her apartment and helped him onto the couch as he soothed his ache.

After a few minutes, when Chanyeol was no longer in pain, silence ensued and Sulli decided it was time to kick him out of her apartment.

"Oppa, you need to leave."

"Sulli."

She doesn't want to face him.

"Sulli, jebal..." 

She refuses to listen, keeping her eyes fixed on her hands that were twisted together.

"...Jinri."

This time, she feels his soft, trembling hand on her cheek, turning it upwards to face her to him. She can't help but look into his eyes. 

"I loved you, Park Chanyeol. I really did. So much it hurt when you showed no signs of loving me back." She hesitated.

"My ing ego..." he muttered angrily to himself, casting his gaze towards the hard concrete ground beneath him. He was referring to the past, three years ago when they were together.

"All I ever wanted was that. All that you're giving Kim Min-Hyun ssi. Your attention. Your love. Nothing more. But it seems like you were never serious about us. It's over anyway. It's been three years. You've moved on, and so should I, oppa." 

"I don't want you to move on, Jinri." Sulli didn't know how, but somehow the distance between them on the couch had decreased, and he was only inches away from her.

"Stop being so selfish..." Sulli began to rant, her anger rising.

"...I realised that..."

At the same time, Chanyeol began to talk as well, and then they were both trying to get their words out, not listening to the other.

"...just because..."

"...I wanted to say..."

"...JINRI!" Chanyeol shook her by her shoulders, and since she was shocked, all she could do was stare into his eyes.

"This is what I meant! We need to stop being so stubborn to each other!" 

"I don't need you to tell me what to do." Sulli folded her arms in annoyance.

"Min-Hyun broke up with me. She said... that she knew we weren't meant to be together."

Sulli didn't know what to say, she was at a loss for words so she just sat there quietly and unfolded her arms, holding his gaze.

"She said that my heart was with someone else."

Sulli's heart rate began to increase, her breathing hitching as Chanyeol's hand travelled to hers that were placed rigidly in her lap. His soft touch was all too familiar, and she bit down hard on her lower lip.

Sulli relaxed and fell into his arms as he leaned back against the couch. For the rest of the night, neither one said anything till Sulli fell asleep in his embrace. But Chanyeol was too happy to fall asleep so he just watched her instead, listening to her steady breathing. Listening to her heart beat.

The heart that beats for him.

His heart that beats for her.

"I've always loved you, Choi Jinri."