Chapter 24: Life Without You

5 years later

Sulli needs to hurry up, she only has two minutes to rush into the board meeting. Being the Vice President of Internal Affairs of Choi Empire, it is her responsibility to attend such meetings, she’s sure that her cousins respectively the CEO, Jonghyun and Vice President for External Affairs, Taemin would nag her for being late once the meeting’s done.

When she finally reached the meeting room, she bowed and greeted “Good Afternoon everyone, I’m sorry if I’m late” she said and made her way to her seat. Taemin whispered something to her “You’re late again” he teased and Sulli didn’t mind his comment and continued opening up some files on her desk.

The meeting started and as usual, the atmosphere was so professional, everyone was into their respective jobs. After an hour or so, the meeting ended and Sulli, Taemin and Jonghyun decided to have their late lunch together and so to talk about some last minute changes for the upcoming wedding.

Sulli’s phone suddenly rang, she doesn’t need to check on who it is because she perfectly knows who it was “Oppa, don’t worry we’re on our way there! Is Taeyeon-unnie and Krystal already there?” she asked with her eyes resting on the two men in front of her.

The guy on the other line answered “Yeah, we’re all here, hurry up, okay?” and then Sulli replied “Araso... I’ll be hanging up now” she said but eventually he caught her sentence “I love you” hearing this made Sulli’s cheek red and she shyly replied him with “I love you too oppa, now I’ll be hanging up now, bye” then she ended the call.

Taemin and Jonghyun then found the time to tease their cousin “He really looks so in love with you, missing you every minute, every second huh?” Sulli could just let a smirk form from her face.

They stopped by at a seafood restaurant and made their way inside “You made us wait forever” Krystal complained with a tone of exaggeration “Aigoo is my Soojungie mad?” Taemin went with her mood swings and as usual, Krystal acted cute and Taemin kissed her on her forehead.

Sulli faked a cough to ruin their lovey-dovey moment and Krystal nagged her “Why don’t you guys just get engaged? And let’s see if you won’t do this things!” she said and her statement made Sulli on a complicated thinking.

Krystal and Taemin are newly-engaged just a month ago, meanwhile Jonghyun and Taeyeon would be married next week.

They shared a scrumptious meal and between them were wonderful conversations, talking about JongTae’s wedding and etc.

“Ahhh wedding preparations are so tiring” Taeyeon commented

“But fulfilling” Jonghyun added and pinched her nose.

“Yonghwa, you should propose to her too” Taemin suggested and again it made Sulli embarrassed.

Yonghwa looked at Sulli, and saw her blushing “We’ll wait for the right time, and besides we should wait for you guys to finish.” He smirked and Sulli sighed in relief, at least she was saved from this for a while.

“Yongwha’s right, we don’t want to interfere with your preparations...when the right time comes” Sulli added and the other four agreed. Sulli has a point after all.

South Bend, Indiana, United States

Key, his half Korean, half American best friend or colleague, went to Minho’s room and only to found him sleeping soundly. He woke him up and handed him an invitation “CHOI MINHO, wake up!!! I have something for you” he continued waking him up but being the lazy Choi Minho, his eyes were only half-open, his body was still lying on his bed, exactly he has no interest to do so and it made Key irritated  “I’ll open this, if this is something confidential, I don’t care” he threatened but it didn’t work so he ripped the envelope and was surprised to see a wedding invitation inside.

“Choi Jonghyun and Kim Taeyeon’s wedding on February 5, 2019, at Conrad, Seoul.” He read and upon hearing this, Minho stood up from his bed, he abruptly grabbed the invitation from Key’s grasp “Who’s Jonghyun and Taeyeon?” Key asked innocently.

Minho then felt a sudden flashback of memories “He’s my friend and Taeyeon-noona is my friend as well. They were my sunbaes back in Seoul” he explained, as if Key wasn’t contented with his answer “Is Taeyeon the girl you left back there?” he asked when he saw him spacing out, Minho then answered “No...Jonghyun-hyung is the cousin of that girl....Sulli” he whispered

Key heard him “Sulli? Who’s Sulli? That girl in this photo?” he asked pointing the picture frame beside Minho’s bed, in that frame, a Polaroid of him and Sulli is placed, Minho just nodded, all of a sudden he felt a pang on his heart, it was so unbearable, he felt like it happened just yesterday but truth is it happened years ago and it was all because of him.

Seoul, South Korea

Taeyeon and Jonghyun stopped by the dress shop after eating with Taemin, Krystal, Sulli and Yonghwa.

While fitting some gowns, Taeyeon faced him “Do you think Minho can attend the wedding?” she asked, Jonghyun just shrugged his shoulders in reply.

“What if he really goes here? What would happen to him and Sulli? Do you think it would be a disaster if that happens?” she asked

“I hope it won’t happen, if it happens, our wedding might be ruined, Sulli might suffer from emotional breakdowns again. I just hope they’ll clear everything between them once they see each other” he said

Yonghwa went somewhere in Gangnam, a shop that sells luxury accessories, a staff greeted him “Good Morning Mr. Jung! What can I do for you?” the sales lady asked and he continued viewing the accessories in the mirror display “Can I have this?” he said pointing the diamond ring in front.

The lady then arrived with the specific size he asked, he then asked them to wrap it in a tiffany blue box tied with a beautiful ribbon. He went out of the shop with high spirits for he’s planning to propose to Sulli this upcoming valentine’s day.

Back in the United States, Minho told Key almost everything, especially the past he left behind.

“You left just because of that?!” Key asked finding his reason ridiculo