“I am getting married.” You informed us, standing at your seat, hands fidgeting around as you anxiously awaited with bated breath for our reactions.
 
After moments of silence, various reactions were thrown at you from those seated around the table.  Some of us got up and tackled you in a hug, happily congratulating you whilst some of us greeted you with a playful whack as we grumbled at our ‘Maknae’ jumping the sequence and being the first to get married.
 
Two of our group members, turned at the news and focused their attention upon me, care and concern evident in their eyes.  The duo got up, walked over to me and enveloped me into a hug. I allowed the warmth to surround me but coldness replaced the warmth when they moved away.
 
I took deep breaths in an attempt to control my trembling.  I blinked furiously to prevent the tears from rolling.  I pasted on a fake smile before getting up and heading towards the washroom, unaware of your gaze which were locked upon me as you watched me walk away, without saying a word to you.
 
Ages passed and I returned.  I looked around the room and saw that everyone was done congratulating you and had now gone back to whacking on their food.  I walked over to you and extended my hand out.  “Congratulations.” I said as you took my hand.  After shaking for a few seconds, I release my hold on your hand, pulling my hand back but am surprised when you pulled me into a hug.  I pushed you off slightly, trying my best to not make it seem as if everything had just changed, and headed back to my seat.
 
I sat there, not touching my food or drink.  I sat there, staring away into space.  I sat there, replaying the scene of you announcing your marriage.  I sat there, and listened to my heart crying out in pain.
 

 
“I am getting married.”  I said and waited anxiously for the reaction from the table.  After a moment of silence, loud noise consisting of cheers and grumbles filled the room.  Some came over and congratulated me.  Some came of over and playfully punched me, grumbling about me taking a leap and jumping ahead of them. 
 
I scanned around the room and my gaze landed on you.  I looked at you, an unfamiliar feeling creeping around my heart as I saw Leeteuk and Ryeowook hugging you.  You broke away from them, a smile pasted onto your face as you headed towards the washroom.
 
Seconds passed. A minute passed. 10 minutes passed and still there wasn’t any sign of you. 
 
20 minutes later, you came back into the room and walked over to me.
 
“Congratulations.” You said, extending your hand towards me.  I shook hands with you and was hit with a wave of loneliness as you attempted to pull your hand away.  I released my hold on your hand only to pull you into a hug.  You softly push me away and after desperately trying to will myself to not let go, I find myself moving away.
 

 
You sent me the invitation for your engagement ceremony.  I took a look at the envelope, ran my fingers over your name before chucking the mail aside, not bothering to open it.
 
You sent me the invitation to your wedding ceremony.  I opened and read the card, ran my finger over your name and cried.  I cried and cried till the tears ran out.  Sobbing, I took a look at the card again and slowly, brought myself to tear the card and throw it away.  I cried myself to sleep that night, cried as my heart crumbled to pieces.
 
I tried to move on, tried erasing you away from my memory, tried deleting my feelings for you but failed at doing so.  My heart reprimanded me for my attempts, “I am not strong.  I am not strong enough to erase away the feelings that have grown within me for the one I have loved for 20 years.  I can’t.  I can’t erase away the feelings I have for Kyu.”  My heart told my brain. 
 
“How do you expect me to check aside the man I love for so long?  How do you expect me to forget about him in an instant and make room for another?” My heart questioned.  I cried as the memories of the past flashed through my mind as my brain took a walk down the memory lane.
 

 
[Flashback]
It was a cliché love story.  From neighbours, we became friends.  From friends, we became best friends and from best friends, I developed a one-sided love towards you.
 
Finally realizing my feelings and having put a name to it, I asked you out during lunch to tell my feeling to you.
 
“Sorry Min.  I won’t be able to make it.  I am planning on confessing to her during lunch.” You tell me with a big smile on your face.
 
HER-I should have realized this sooner.  Ever since you guys became language partners, you had been constantly talking about her.  Why didn’t I realize this sooner?  You were Kyuhyun, someone who never took an interest in others and here you were, talking about her whenever you had the chance to.
 
“I hope it is nothing important?” You question brought me back to the present.
 
“N..  Nope.  It is nothing important.” I said in reply, pasting a fake smile on my face before turning and walking away.
 
She accepted.
 
I had been the one who had turned and walked away from the spot but you were the one who changed and walked out of our relationship.
 
Being stuck to each other like Siamese twins ever since we were 3 and 5 years old, we hardly spoke a word to each other from that day forth.
 
You spent your days with her whilst I spent my time wallowing in misery and sorry.
 
You had her to make you smile and thankfully for me, I had our group of friends who would make me smile with their crazy antics.
 
Ryeowook and Leeteuk noticed the change in me and were even able to pin point the reason for the change in me.
 
“You should tell him.” They said.
“He already has another by his side.” I retorted and the duo looked at each other before walking towards me and covering me with a warmth-filled hug.
 
“Won’t you fight?  Won’t you try for a chance?”
“If he still remained by my side whilst being with her, I would have thought that I had a chance but he totally forgot about me-it clearly shows the importance I have in his life. He loves her so much that he turned his back on our 18 years of friendship." were the words I spoke to bring an end to the conversation.
 
[End Flashback]

 
We crowd around you as you walked over to the Departure gate.  We each hugged and bid you goodbye.  You walked over to me.
 
“Don’t go.” My hearts screams.
“Take care.” Are the words that come out of my mouth.  You nod.  I reach out and pull you in for a hug.  I feel the familiarity of the hug, the warmth surrounding me while an unexplainable feeling crept all around me.
 
It had been ages since we were this close.  Ages since you were just an arms length away from me.  I know that the distance crept in between us all because of me, when I moved away from you as I moved towards her.  A part of me wished you had extended your reach to give me a tight slap before pulling me back towards you.  That didn’t happen.  Being the kind hearted soul that you are, you just watched with a smile as I walked away from you.
 
You break the hug and I stand there, feeling like a puppy being left behind by its master.  Like a fish being out of the water and like a child being lost in the amusement park, with his mother nowhere to be found.
 
All I feel like doing is walking up to you and walking back home, dragging you behind with me but instead, I find myself waving you goodbye as you walked over to the security personnel, with your pink backpack, before going into the immigration hall.  I just kept watching you, till you disappeared from sight.
 

 
I tried moving on but your calls stopped me from doing so.  Instead of feeling sad and depressed, my heart would rejoice whenever I saw your name on my phone.
 
“How are you Min?”
“Fine.  You?”
“I am good.”
“Ok then, take care.”
 
“Hey Min, when are you returning?”
“I don’t know.”
 
“Min.  Would you be attending my wedding?”
“I-I don’t think I can make it.”
That one question froze all the happiness surrounding my heart.  After that, I stopped answering your calls because my heart would tremble in fear at having to hear you talk about your married life. I knew you left voice messages behind, which I chose to ignore.
 
“Min.  I.  I was-wasn’t able to go ahe…  She said that I-She said that I don’t love her.  She said that yo”
 “Min, I … you”
 “Why wont you answer the phone anymore?”
 “Min, I mi-mis”
 “I wa-Min, I wan”
 “Where are you Min?”
 “Min.  Min.  Min.”
 “Min.  She was right.  I don’t love her.  She was right.  I loved her not as a lover but as a friend.  It took me this long to be aware of my feeling.  This long for me to realize the reason my heart has been sad and depressed since you left.  She is getting married and has invited me.  I need a partner to go with me.  Wou-Would you be my partner?”
 “Min, I need you.  I need you by my side.”
 
I felt the tears rolling down as I heard your messages.  Having gathered courage, I had willed myself to sit and listen to your messages.  I listened to all of the voice messages left behind.  I listened to them as my heart jumped with joy whilst shedding tears of happiness.
 

 
I watch her walk down the aisle, her hands tucked into the arms of her father, a beautiful smile visible on her face while happiness was radiating out from her.
 
“She looks so beautiful Kyu.” I said, turning to my side.
 
“She does.  I have never seen her looking so pretty before.” You replied, eyes gazing into mine.  I smile at you as you entwined your hands with mine.  “But for me, you are and would always be the most gorgeous, Min.” You added, lifting our entwined hands up and planting a kiss on my finger, your eyes fixed upon the ring on my fourth finger.
 
“You are here to witness a wedding ceremony, not steal the spot light from the main couple.”  We broke our gaze and looked behind at Heechul, who had an amused look on his face.  I blushed and turned back to the front while you glowered at him.
 
I look at her.  Our eyes met and we smiled at each other, a smile which said all that needed to be said, without the need for words.
 
“Thank you.”