“Wh-what’re you doing here?” Jessica asked while looking around, confused. 

“Oh! I just have a meeting with someone.” Meeting. . . Chaerin scoffed at her own words but maintained her composure. “If you may,” she said with a smile, reaching for the ‘close’ button, “I’m in a hurry. So please excuse me.” She added quickly. It wasn’t that she hated the girl, but somehow, she felt uncomfortable under her innocent-glare. Of course, the whole ‘cheating’ thing was one thing, but she couldn’t put a finger on the other.

“Wait!” she waved her hand and blocked the door from closing, slowly stepping in as she straddled the strap of her bag. “I- I . . ” she swallowed.

“Yes?”

“I don’t even know how to begin . . ” she started, hitting the tip of her toes on the floor, aware of Chaerin’s intent glare on her. “I prepared myself so many times.” She mumbled softly, suddenly realizing that they were already in the 2^nd floor, she cleared and started again. “I am sorry for everything I did. .  No! Everything we did to you.” Chaerin cringed at her choice of words, ‘we’ she said ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ making her realize that Hyunjoong had never actually apologized and she may have to settle with Jessica’s apology. “Chaerin-sshi, I love him. I, I always did. If it makes you feel better, I promise I will take good care of him and I hope you give us your blessings.”

Chaerin let out a chuckle, blessings? What’d they need my blessings for? She scratched her neck to distract herself from laughing out loud. “If it makes me feel better.” She repeated, “Jessica-sshi, I couldn’t be more than happy for the two of you. You deserve each other.” She pushed the bridge of her shades. “All’s forgiven and forgotten.”

Chaerin somehow felt a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. For so long had she held a grudge against Jessica, and although she could never pin-point why, she realized that she had been wrong all along and had been too quick to assume that the said girl wasn’t really nice. The thought of the two of them together bought a smile to her face, they indeed deserved each other, after what they’d done, Chaerin wouldn’t have been able to forgive Hyunjoong if he courted someone else. Surprisingly, it gave her a sense of peace.

The love she had for Hyunjoong was nothing compared to the way she felt about Jiyong, not even a fraction. She had somehow been smitten by the idea of the perfect boyfriend, the so-called prince charming and somehow, Hyunjoong seemed to tick all the checkmarks in her lists, only to realize that her list was based on nothing but all patriarchal definition of the ‘ideal boyfriend’. Now that she pondered over it, if he had never cheated, she wouldn’t have been able to realize her love for Jiyong and would have remained blindly committed to their relationship, with no future whatsoever and as much as she wanted to call herself delusional and a hopeless romantic, she could help but see herself getting married to Jiyong.

Thank you for hurting me.

“Indeed what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” She muttered to herself as she strode towards the corridor and stood outside the wooden door with a small glass window. Sighing, she took out her phone and dialed Kris’s number.

“Hey!” the voice on the other side of the receiver, just a few meters away answered with a hint of joy in his voice. She couldn’t let herself think of the reason behind his excitement because she was soon going to crush them anyway. Taking a deep breath she greeted him and informed him about her arrival.

Soon the door flung open, there stood Kris with a smile on his face as he dabbed the back of his palm on his forehead. Closing the door behind him, he followed Chaerin as she took a few steps backward and nodded with her head to the end of the corridor.

“We could go to the roof if you want.” He offered. She agreed.

“Are you cold?” Kris asked as he watched Chaerin take in the not-so-fresh city air and hug herself tight. She shook her head but that didn’t stop Kris from removing his varsity jacket and place it on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze in the process. “You might catch cold.”

“Kris- ”

“It’s so nice to see you.” The boy interrupted, “I didn’t realize I missed you so much until I actually saw you.” He looked away, shy at the words coming from his mouth, he couldn’t help it. He was so hopelessly in love with her already.

Chaerin appreciated how he avoided physical contact and kept his space, not suffocating her with his presence. He always seemed to understand her needs. She took a step closer to him as she looked down at her feet and prepared herself to say what she came to say.

“Kris?”

“Hm”

“I came here to say something to you.” She started, suddenly feeling silly.

“I figured.” He bobbed his head, shoving his hands into his jean pocket.

“Yeah  . . “ she nibbled on her lower lip and blinked a few times before noticing his bare arms. “It’s chilly. Wear it!” she said as she pulled the jacket off and wrapped it around his broad shoulders, for which she had to tip-toe. “What?” she asked as she saw his lips curl into a smile.

“I always imagined this scene, you know. Me and my girlfriend on the roof etcetera etcetera~” he scrunched up his nose when she gave him a look. “Hey! Even I don’t know where that came from.” He chuckled. Noticing the glum expression on her since her arrival, he bent down to her head level and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Is something bothering you?” he asked. “Am I bothering you?” he rephrased.

“No. No.” she almost immediately shook her head in denial. “Kris, you’re not bothering me. It’s just that- uh- that”

“that” he repeated

“That you’re amazing.” She croaked, “God!” she pushed her hip with her right hand, “You’re so amazing and so so special to me. It’s weird because, I don’t usually get attached to anyone so quickly . . . Yet, you! You have made me change my mind about so many things, you helped me when I needed someone, you were there. Always”

“And always will be.” He stated.

“You’ve become so important to me Kris that I couldn’t imagine not having you around. I know I’m being selfish but yes! Call me selfish if you want, but I’d always love to have you around.” She rambled, digging her foot on the concrete floor.

“What’s the point of this Chaerin? Why are you telling me this?” he asked, concerned. “I told you, I’ll always be here, for you.” He cupped the face, her cheeks with his thumb.

“That’s what the problem is, Kris!” she pulled free from his hold, stepping few footsteps back. “It’s not fair to you! You need to find someone who will treat you like you truly deserve. I can’t keep holding you as much as I want to.” She squeaked, “I cannot let this happen to you.”

Kris stood frozen in his position unable to comprehend everything that came from . He couldn’t understand why she was saying all this all of a sudden. He stood silently, staring at the back of her figure when it suddenly dawned to him.

“T-There is someone, isn’t it?”

Chaerin stared at the cracks on the floor, trying her best to keep the tears from falling. She stood numb, not bothering to turn around and see him. In all honesty, she didn’t want to, because from the tone of his voice, she knew if she did turn around, she wouldn’t be able to tell him what she came here for. Her heart ached for this very man, who had become so important in her life and whom she almost fell in love with.

“Chaerin please . . ” he croaked, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. “Look at me.”

Slowly but hesitantly, Chaerin turned around and Kris was quick to close the distance.

“D-Do you love me?” he knew he sounded stupid, but it didn’t matter for now. He wanted to know. He deserved to know.

“ . . .Y-Yes.”

He carefully studied her face as she said it and he knew right there and then, she did love him, but not as much as he wanted her to.

“-But,” he said, smiling as his vision blurred, “-You love him more.”

“Kris, I-I . . ” she sobbed, she couldn’t keep up with her strong front anymore. She felt horrible for doing this to a man who had given everything he had and asked for nothing in return. Her heart felt like it broke into pieces watching his teary eyes that he tried so hard from tearing up. What hurt her most was how he still tried to put on a smile, so she wouldn’t feel bad for him.

“Hey, hey~” he chuckled and took her into his embrace as she sobbed softly onto his chest. “Sshh, it’s alright okay?” he kissed the top of her head, tears rolling down as he close his eyes shut. “It’s alright.” He cooed, gently rubbing her back as he soothes her hair.

“Kr-Kris I’m s-so sorry, I- I hurt you, I never w-wanted to” she mumbled.

“I love you Chaerin.” He said suddenly and pulled away from the embrace, yet, still holding her shoulders. “I Love you, God knows how much I do.” He forced a smile. “But I won’t hold you back from anything. Although I’m jealous, sad, and-and, y-you have no idea how many feelings I’m going through right now. I love you enough to let you go.” He caressed her cheeks one last time before closing the distance once again. “Can I ask you for a favor for the first and the last time?”

“Anything”

“Kiss me”

The kiss was bitter-sweet. Kris knew this was going to be their last time so he gave it his all. He had no bad intention; he hadn’t meant to make her kiss him because he wanted her to change her mind. All he wanted was to have her for himself, feel her love(which he assumed he was only imagining) for one last time before she would become someone else’s, someone whom he’d already guessed was none other than Jiyong. He pulled away from the kiss, only to leave tiny kisses on her face as he whispered with a light tone, but with seriousness behind every word he said.

“In the next life, you’ll be mine and mine only.”

When they walked back down the stairs in silence, a part of him felt empty like he’d felt before. It didn’t take long until he realized and he foolishly smiled at himself stealing glances at the tiny figure walking beside him.

She had his heart and from the moment he first saw her. He knew he wouldn’t get it back, because it belonged only to her . . .
And it always will be.

Author’s note:

Hello everyone~ how’d you like this chapter? Keke. I felt so bad for Kris while writing it.
So, this would be the ending chapter for ChaeKris (maybe, idk).
And now we can solely focus on the KING & the QUEEN! Buahahaa
 I'm so excited for AON, Our Queen is writing and composing 3 out of the 10 songs. ISN'T THAT AWESOME! GAH!

Btw guys, I’m giving an audition for YG so wish me luck! :D

If you want to check out my other stories, Here are the links.
(If not interested, PLEASE ignore the shameless advertisement. LOL)

Destiny of Love (Sehun and OC)
If Only (Kai and OC)
Special Girl (Kai, Sehun and OC)
Then came you (Sehun and OC)
A Beautiful tragedy (Kris, Dongwoon and OC)

Yes! I have an obsession with the EXO boys. What can I do? They’re so HOT!!!!!!!!!
(And, as i said before, I don't like creating evil-ish characters so I mincluded the part where Jessica comes in. So please don't hate her. Although I don't like SNSD, and most of all Jessica. LOL I love Taeyeon tho. :D )

Take care!

With love~
E