Bracing herself for the first Monday after confessing to her ex-boyfriend that she still had feelings for him while blackout drunk was not something that Minhee ever thought that she would have to do, but there she was. Unfortunately, planning an outfit for the occasion had been put off to the morning of due to a lack of foresight on her part. The weekend had been spent in bed with her laptop, watching old Scent of Woman reruns and eating chocolate kisses straight from the bag.

              “Please. Catch me when I fall for you, okay?”

              Minhee wanted to throw herself off an overpass; she was so embarrassed she could feel her entire face turning a deep shade of crimson just thinking about it. Chanyeol, the last person she wanted to tell, had just stood there silently while she had spilled her deepest, most private emotions.

              His hands had been so gentle with her as he had held her hair and helped her lean over the toilet. Just remembering the hot sensation of his skin on hers sent shivers down her spine, and she felt even more embarrassed than before. Looking up at her face in the full-length mirror, Minhee forced herself to focus on her task.

              She needed to look confident, totally and completely secure. She had already done her makeup so; her makeup was surprisingly light, but her eyes were lined dark so they immediately drew the focus. Her hair was tousled, and her dark roots were just beginning to show from the harsh platinum blonde that it had been dyed.

              “Edgy?” She held up a black skater-style dress. She switched hands to hold up a more laid back sweetheart-neckline blouse and jeans combo. “Or cute?”

              “You look great in what you’re wearing now,” Minhee jumped at the voice that came from the open doorway.

              “Minho?” Minhee threw her outfits on the bed and crossed her arms. “How did you get in here?”

              Leaning against the doorframe, Minho grinned. “I got your entry code from Bora. I thought I’d walk you to class today.”

              “Well I’m not dressed yet.”

              “Just wear what you have on,” Minho shrugged. “You look great in whatever.”

              “Minho,” Minhee stomped her foot. “Today is an important occasion. I need to look flawless. I can’t wear athletic clothes.”

              “What’s the occasion today?”

              Minhee paused; she couldn’t bring herself to tell Minho the truth. “It’s a Monday,” she lied.

              “Oh, come on,” Minho threw his arms up in good-natured exasperation. “It’s not that big of a deal. You are going to be late for class.”

              Sighing, Minhee dejectedly looked down at her sweatpants. “At least let me change out of sweatpants.”

              “I’ll be by the door,” Minho left the room.

              Grabbing a pair of shorts, Minhee pouted to herself; it was going to be a crapalicious today, anyways, might as well just embrace it. Minho was sitting on a chair in the living area when she walked out and smiled when he saw her.

              “Hey gorgeous,” he kissed her on the cheek. “I never got to say good morning.”

              Blushing Minhee batted him away. “What was that for?”

              “I missed you, is all,” her boyfriend told her sincerely. “I really really missed you.”

              Cocking her head up at him in confusion, Minhee narrowed her eyes. “Let’s get to school, Romeo.”

              Pressing his hand dramatically over his heart, Minho faked being shot. “Ah, but My Lady wounds me so!”

              “Why did I date such a loser?” She grumbled.

              From a few paces back, Minho called to her. “So, I know I told you that you look great in everything,” he began.

              “What do you want now?”

              “Well, your shirt’s on backwards.”

              Her backpack landed on the chair next to her with a thud, and Minhee blew out a breath of sweet relief. She had made through to class without any hiccups, and she had not seen even a hint of Chanyeol all day.

              Or Seulgi, for that matter, who was noticeably absent from class. Minhee vaguely wondered why, but she really did not care that much to waste much time worrying about it, either. The library would be where Minhee hid for the rest of the day until she could be sure that Chanyeol would be gone.

              Opening her book, she began to pour over the meticulous notes she had painstakingly transcribed into her notebook. Minhee was not about to let any boy issues interfere with the grades she spent hours slaving to achieve. In addition, studying was a great way to relieve the stress- a breakout was the last thing she needed right then.

              Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her backpack, and several people around her gave her dirty looks. Minhee guilty shot an apologetic grimace and took her phone in her hand, tiptoeing to the stairwell to answer the call.

              “Hello?” She spoke into the receiver when Minhee was sure she was alone.

              “Big news,” Bora speaking at a rapid-fire pace. “Guess who broke up over the weekend.”

              Minhee was silent for a moment and then it hit her. “No way.”

              “Way.”

              “No FREAKING way,” she screamed. She was sure that the entire library could hear her yelling, and she lowered her voice. “Are you ting me?”

              “Luhan told me about it. Apparently, it was not pretty, either.”

              “Well, Seulgi was not in class today,” Minhee was pacing back and forth, running her hand through her hair. “Do you know why it happened.”

              “Luhan didn’t know, either,” Bora was thoughtful. “But it was right after the whole drinking incident this weekend, so.”

              “Do you think it was because of what I said,” Minhee whispered. “It couldn’t have been over me.”

              “Could be. But Minhee, I don’t-” Bora was cut off by a door opening to the stairwell on the floor above.

              “Bora, I’ve got to go, okay?” Minhee hung up the phone abruptly.

              Her head was spinning. Chanyeol dumped Seulgi? Why? And what was with the timing? Shaking her head, Minhee exited the stairwell to her study spot, a small table in the back, rather shielded by a few book shelves on nutrition and dieting.

              To her horror, there someone else sitting at her table: Park Chanyeol.

              “What are you doing here?” Minhee tensed. “Get lost.”

              Chanyeol did not seem surprised to see her. Rather, he seemed more resigned in demeanor than anything. He stayed quiet, but his eyes met hers with a firm intensity that left her at a loss for words. Minhee did not like this; she shifted her feet and grabbed her bag.

              “If you won’t leave, then I will,” she turned to stalk off between the shelves, but his voice stopped her.

              “I broke up with Seulgi.”

              Something inside of her shuddered, and Minhee bit her lip to hold her composure.

              No.

             He broke up with her; he had no right to do this. For weeks, she had cried herself to sleep, wondering what exactly went wrong to prompt him to break up with her. During the last stretch of their relationship leading up to their breakup, he had seemed distant, distracted. Minhee had gone crazy trying to keep up with him, but in the end, she was left breathless and cracked straight down the middle from where she fell. Chanyeol had not been there to catch her.

            Minhee turned to Chanyeol, her eyes filling with angry tears. “And what does that have to do with me? Why are you telling me this?”

             Her ex-boyfriend looked surprised; he opened and closed his mouth like he was searching for the right words to say. Nothing seemed to come out, and Minhee was not particularly surprised; Chanyeol had never fought for her; he had never done anything but take all of her that she had, and in return he left her with pain and sleepless nights spent tossing and turning and wondering what was wrong with her to make him want to throw her away like a used tissue.

             All this time spent wondering, all time wasted being angry, all the time she had been hurting, and it had never been her that was not good enough, Minhee realized. The truth hit her so hard in the gut that it took her breath away. She wanted to double over from the blow. The tears she had fought so hard to hold back redoubled their efforts, and this time Minhee did not have the strength to fight them.

            Minhee, the unsinkable girl, began to cry in the middle of the library. She could feel the curious eyes already boring into her back.

            “You and I are done,” she choked. “You ended things.”

            “Minhee, I-” Chanyeol tried to speak, but Minhee had enough.

            “Don’t bother,” she cut him off. “I’m done with you. What I said that night,” Chanyeol’s eyes snapped up to hers. “I lied. I didn't mean any of it.”

            “I know you,” he whispered, trying to keep their conversation private, but it was becoming more and more clear that this conversation was anything but. “Don’t lie. I know that what you said that night was the truth. I left Seulgi.”

             “Goodbye, Chanyeol.”

             Turning her back for the final time and ignoring his calls for her to wait, Minhee walked away from the boy she once loved. She walked away from the tears, the heartache, the wishing that somehow, he would realize what he had lost and come crawling back. She was done.

             The tears fell.

To be quite honest I've had the next chapter written since the beginning of the story, so I am SOOO glad I get to publish it next, but I'm not going to do it right away. :)