I let out a sigh as I fix my bow tie in front of the mirror, my hair was nicely combed up, clad in a white tuxedo. I wore my favorite perfume suited for this kind of occasion. A smile crept on my lips as I heard the door to the hotel I am currently staying in open.

“Wow, looking good as ever Hyung.” Jiyong, my good buddy complemented me. He sat on the couch adjacent to the mirror; I diverted my gaze to him and scanned him from head to toe. “Look who’s talking, you’re way better than me.” I opposed to what he said. Jiyong has a really good sense in fashion so whatever he wore suits him. He can pull it off well.

“But your body proportion is the type that would always fit in suits and tuxedos, you looked like a Hollywood star.” I let out a chuckle on his remarks, “Enough of the complements, are you ready?” He stood and wraps an arm along my shoulder.

“Never been this ready for all my life. I think I choose the right path, also the right person. I won’t be able to do it without your help Hyung. If not for you, I wouldn’t meet her.” We were both standing in front of the huge mirror, both with smile plastered on our faces. His looking at me through the mirror, I could see it. I was looking back at my good friend.

“What about you, are you ready Hyung?” He asked as he raises his fist, I looked at his fist let out a sigh of defeat and bump my fist against his.

Then, we both laugh on our silly antics.

“The car’s probably waiting for us, let’s go now?” Jiyong asked as he heads to the door to open it, with one last look at the mirror, I followed his tracks.

We arrived at the place where a special occasion would happen, a magical moment that only two people who loves each other so much, could commit.

I scanned the whole place. The flowers, stargazers specifically, were properly arranged that showed the flower’s beauty more. People wore formal clothes, little girls wearing their gowns while carrying a basket full of the roses’ petals.

I smiled at the sight of a little boy trying his best to remove the coat he is wearing. Of course, who would like to wear a coat on this kind of weather? If not only for this occasion

I am currently standing near the entrance, people starting to arrive; I could see Jiyong standing near the altar. He signalled me to come near him.

“The Bride is here.” I heard some random guest muttered

I tried adjusting my bow tie while I am on my way to the place where Jiyong is standing near the altar. It seemed tight

“She’s here.” Jiyong whispered to me as soon as I got there. He sent me his widest smiles. He can’t hide the joy he is currently feeling, I can feel that.

I stood beside him as the piano starts playing a certain song. The entourage started entering one by one. Then I heard a change in song, indicating that one of the important people of the event has finally arrived. I exchange glances with Jiyong, we shared a common smile.

I diverted my gaze at the huge church entrance.

There she was standing.

Wearing a very beautiful white gown that hugged her body well

She only wore a simple pair of diamond earrings, nothing more, but her simplicity was always the best. Simple but elegant

Gorgeous as always

She started to walk down the aisle. With her mother and father beside her

I smiled at the sight

At the sight of my best friend walking down the aisle

Yes, she’s my best friend. And this is the day she’ll tie the knot

10 Years Ago, Yang Goon High School

“Oh come on you Bingu! You lose so let me draw another one on your wrist.”  Jessica, my best friend, said excitingly as she drew a fake watch on my wrist using a pen. “You got a very very very beautiful watch designed by the one and only Jessica Jung. You should be honoured.” She added while giggling.

Jessica Jung. We’ve been best friends since we were kids. We live next to each other, our families are really close. And being the same age as she is, well almost, I am two years older, we easily clicked together. She just got accelerated and all that’s why we’re classmates. We both live in a family with four members. She got a younger sister, Krystal and I’m also close with her. While my older sister, Hyeyoon Noona, being inclined in fashion scenes, is also close with the Jung sisters. They are even closer to her compared to me, his brother.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors!”

“Rock, Paper, Scissors!”

“Rock, Paper, Scissors!”

“I won!” I yelled out loud. I start to laugh with the pout she is wearing. I already drew a mole near her nose, lines on her forehead, a circle surrounding her eye socket, fake freckles on her left cheek. What else? Time for my sweet revenge, since she drew lots of doodles on my face, she even drew a fake moustache on me, even on my arms. And we’re already in our senior year in High School, graduating students, and yet, we still act like kids.

We were supposed to study for one of our exams and voila, we got bored of studying and started playing ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’.

“Give me your hand,” I asked her, we were both comfortably sitting on her huge bed. “I’ll draw something on it.” I added

“No! You’ll ruin my precious hand!” She declined, but she had no choice since I already held it and starts to draw something on it. “Make it beautiful, Tabi!” She stated.

With final touches, I finished my masterpiece and presented it to her.

“Done!” I said and stood up from her bed, stretching my body.

She carefully examines what I did on her hand, specifically on one of her fingers.

“What’s this? A ring?” She inquisitively asks me.

“No, a small bangle that could only fit on your ring finger” I sarcastically said and rolled my eyes. “Where’s your Polaroid?” I asked while searching for it on her study table.

“You call this a ring?” She said in disbelief and began to chuckle. “No one would even hire you to be their jewellery designer.”

“That’s because I am planning to become a famous doctor, not a designer, Sica.” I said as a matter of fact. I am planning to take up medicine in college.

She helped me on looking for her Polaroid. “So you’re serious about taking up medicine, huh?” She asked and I nodded in response, “And I assume, since you hang out a lot with Noona, you’ll go with fashion designing.” I stated

She diverted her gaze at me and smirked, “You know me too well. Damn it.” She said and smacks my shoulder, “Oh, here’s the Polaroid.” Jessica found the Polaroid under her clothes.

We both went to her bed and sat there to take a photo of ourselves with this silly pen marks on our faces. I put on a smile and showed the watch Jessica made, while she showed the ring I made by cupping her hands to her cheeks. I held the camera on a good position, “1, 2, 3…”

The picture came out well. We were both smiling sweetly, like we have no problems at all.

“I’ll keep this picture.” I said and snatch the picture from her hand

“No, Tabi, give me that!” She said and tries to get it back by reaching it but I am keeping it away from her, “The last time we took a picture, you kept it. It’s now my turn.” She reasoned out, “Tabi! Give it to me!” Still trying her hardest to get the picture back

“Come to think of it, Sica, I only got 5 Polaroid pictures of us while you got pictures, isn’t that unfair?” I asked. It’s true, she had it all, and I only got lucky the last time and took the picture. This picture is specifically special for me, but I know she would never know why.

“I own the camera at the first place! Whenever we take pictures with your SLR, you just print out some pictures for me. So I want to keep this, okay? It’s like my own copy of our memories. And be happy I gave you 5 of the Polaroid pictures we took.” Okay I give up. She finally reached my hand and took the picture. She stuck her tongue out and giggled in success.

“Memories, huh?” I mock her and lay comfortably on her bed, I took out my phone and played with it. She lies beside me, wait forget that, she made my tummy her pillow. “Yeah, memories, problem?” She replied, I just chuckled

Silence surrounded the room until she broke the ice, “Yes, memories, we’ll never know what will happen in the future. What if you got so famous on the field you’re in and forgot about me? At least I got a proof when that time comes. That the famous Dr. Choi is my best friend and will always be until he gets tired of me, he had no choice.” She said and pinches my side. I get it, she’s starting to be dramatic again and stuffs since we will go on separate ways soon.

I pulled her for a hug.

“Come here, you stubborn kid.” I said as I hug my best friend, we’re still on her bed. Jessica hugged me back then suddenly everything feels good.

“Tabi, this looks scandalous. We’re hugging each other, on my bed, only the two of us.” She stated, “And we’re best friends, you’re putting too much malice on it, Sica.” I continued, and then I heard her giggle.

Until the sound of a phone ringing ruined our moment.

“Oh, my phone’s ringing.” Jessica said and broke free from the hug. She took her phone which is located on the bedside table and answered it

“Jiyong Oppa!”

It’s Jiyong, Jessica’s dating Jiyong.

I stared at the ceiling blankly, trying my best not to hear what they were talking about.

Jessica stood up near the window and by the look on her face. She seems really happy talking to him. It’s not that I am jealous, Jiyong’s a really good friend of mine, and they actually met each other through me. I know right then, when they started dating, that Jessica’s in good hands.

And I again, like what I usually do; I pretended that I was busy with my phone. I’m always good at this, I’m always good in PRETENDING. In fact, I can be a good actor.

“Okay, see you later.” I heard Jessica said before dropping the call and sat beside me on her bed. She took my phone and attempts to peek on what I was doing. “Yah, don’t do that!” I said and took my phone back even before she had the chance to peek on it.

“Talking to Yoona again?” She asked me. She likes paring me up with her friends and then endless tease won’t stop coming from her. She said I should start dating someone. There were times when I tried. I would always reply with, “I’m still waiting for someone.” She says I am unbelievable because I’ve been saying those words for like 10 years that how can I be that patient waiting for someone for that long. Then I would say that, “I can wait forever.” She would say that forever doesn’t exist, and then my reply would be, “I’ll make it exist for that someone.”

I just smirked on her question. While the truth is, I was just playing a certain game on my phone.

“Yah, what’s the real thing between you two, huh?” She asked again but none of those were answered since there’s no specific response to that. Yoona’s a really good friend of mine, nothing more. Jessica’s mind was just too delusional.

She’s in a group of friends consisting of 9 girls, sometimes, my group and Jessica’s group would hang out together and I was really close to all of them even their genius maknae Seohyun. Her friend Yuri and Hyoyeon were my gym buddies, Sooyoung would always be the one I can count on in terms of food, I had a huge crush on Tiffany before, we did tried to make things work out but still, my heart still belongs to someone else, Sunny’s my energy pill that always cheers me up, Taeyeon and I share a deep secret that only us should know, then there’s Yoona among the nine of them, besides Jessica and Taeyeon, I’m also close with her. We share the same passion in acting and even had the chance to be a pair in school plays. Since we always hang out after practices, people started assuming that we’re dating. But definitely, they are wrong.

“You and your delusional mind again, huh?” I stood up, heading to the door, “I got to go, I promised Mom that I’ll help her out in cleaning the house after we finished ‘reviewing’.” I twisted the doorknob, ready to go back to our house when she asked me if I’m going out with them later, I said I’ll try. While the truth is I’m not in the mood of going out, it would be better to be at home than to see Jiyong and Jessica made their PDAs with my own eyes. They are too mushy and I hated it.

Obviously I had no choice, Jessica still tagged me along. I know she hates noisy places but ever since she started dating Jiyong she had change. A lot

“Tabi-ah, cheer up!” Sunny said with her aegyo that made me chuckle, although her aegyo is cute, I find it funny. “You always had your way on cheering me up.” I said, “Of course, it’s Lee Sunkyu we’re talking about.” She answered and started to chat again with Hyoyeon.

They would always order drinks, even alcoholic drinks, but I would never ever dare to get myself drunk. I say too many things when I am drunk.

Across the table, with my peripheral vision, I can see Jessica and Jiyong whispering and cuddling. It feels different seeing your best friend do that.

I saw Taeyeon ducking her head, seems like she’s trying her best not to see the scene I saw a while ago. She stood up and went out of the VIP room we are in, I immediately followed her, saw her outside in the mini garden and sitting in one of the benches there.

“It feels much better in here,” I said as I sat beside her. She was also astounded with my presence. “Isn’t it?” I continued

“Seunghyun Oppa, you scared me!” She said and smacks my shoulder in return, I chuckled on her remarks then I ruffled her hair which annoyed her more, “Aigoo, Taengoo the midget”

“I told you, do not call me midget! You’re so mean.” She retorted, and after that, silence surrounds us

“I saw you a while ago.” I broke the ice and diverted my gaze to the stars, “Then I followed you in here, maybe you need a companion.” I continued

“I guess I should be more discreet with my emotions then,” She chuckled half-heartedly, “You observe my actions too much.” She said and like what I did, she looked at the stars.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She asked me, then I diverted my gaze to her and answered, “Beautiful indeed…”

She seems to notice that I was looking at her when I said that and hit my arm. “Stop mocking me.” My dear friend Taengoo-ah, you’re beautiful, really, but you’re lacking with self-esteem.

“Go back; you should be having fun inside instead of staying here with me.” Taeyeon said while playfully pushing me away.

“I’d rather stay here, I don’t like what I am seeing, and I know you know that. We both know that.” I stated a fact that made her all gloomy, pain and sadness was plastered on her face.

“You know what? I envy you, how can you manage to do that?” Taeyeon asked, “Do what?” I replied, “Enduring the pain, wearing a fake mask of happiness, pretending like you’re not being hurt at all. How could you conceal all that?”

I smiled weakly and I believed she saw it.

“It’s because I value the person so much, I value my relationship with her. I don’t want to ruin everything with one simple mistake I could commit.” I can’t believe I am opening up things to Taeyeon again, maybe because I felt comfortable with her and somehow, when I have someone to talk to about this damn feeling, it eases the pain and the burden I am carrying.

“Now I envy her more.” Taeyeon replied back, “You’re an awesome guy, Seunghyun. You should teach me how to love you.” She playfully added. This dork

“Learning how to love Choi Seunghyun is kinda hard, you have to deal with his childishness, stubbornness and even his jealousy.” I playfully answered back

Noticing the way she rubbed her arms, I removed my coat and without even asking her, I wrap it along her shoulders.

“Is this your first step of making me fall for you?” She asked that made both of us chuckle.

“Stop acting like that, I might believe you.” I said that earned me another smack on the shoulder. “You know I can’t do that, you can’t do that. We can’t do that.” She added

“As you say, Dragon Girl.”

“Repeat that or I’ll skin you alive.”

“What? I just remembered you scribbled that on the back of your notebook.”

“That’s a bad word, don’t you dare say that again, or else, I won’t ever talk to you.”

“We’re both sore losers and martyrs.”

“Your case is different. You’re hopeless.”

“You’re rubbing too much salt on my open wound.”

“Am I?” She asked and I replied with a nod. “I may act like I don’t care sometimes, but I am not numb.” I stated

Silence surrounds us after what I said.

“You’re too fragile inside, Seunghyun. I want to protect you.” She said, and her words comforted me. “Taengoo-nim will be your angel.” She said cutely that made me laugh. She’s not really good in doing an aegyo. She should learn from Sunny.

“I want to protect you, too. You’re so precious, don’t you know that? It’s his lost.” And I felt like eating back my own words after mentioning something.

“Do you think it’s his lost? Then why can’t he see the worth you are seeing on me?” She bitterly asked

“I had my eyes checked,” I said, hoping I could make her laugh. It didn’t work

I looked at he