Severely, I guess I loved you too severely I don’t even breath and I look around for you I don’t know when I’ll be able to stop Severely, I guess I loved you too severely I think letting you go is more severe than dying

"Unnie where are you going?" I asked Hyejeong Unnie, my closest friend and co-worker. She showed me her smile, which always looked like a slight smirk in my opinion and gently pat my head.

"What? Miss me already?" she teased and I pouted then pushed away her long arm.

"Psh, you wish Shin Hyejeong."

"Yeah I know... you'll only miss Choa" Hyejeong says but mumbles the last part, probably assuming that I wouldn't be able to hear her. 

'Why do you sound so sad?'

"So Unnie what's the mission this time?"

"Stopping a drug deal in Rome."

I frowned hearing her mission and she looked at me all confused.

"What's wrong Seolhyunnie?" she sweetly asks me.

"Hyejeong Unnie, why do you always take the most dangerous missions?"

'Because I don't want you to get them. If I can't be the one to love you, at least allow me to protect you.'

"Because I'm the best agent here" she smirked and I scoffed.

"You're always so arrogant Unnie." I giggled.

"Well I didn't lie right?"

She's right. She really is the best operative we have. She's everything I'm not and wish to be. Strong, smart, cool, beautiful, hot and - wait what am I saying?! Damn it Seolhyun, wake up! The one you like is Choa Unnie! Besides, Hyejeong Unnie would never like you. You're a weak, pathetic little girl.

"When are you coming back?" I weakly asked and she smiled.

"Maybe next week. Don't miss me too much Seolhyunnie."

"I won't." I pouted.

"Okay okay. I have to catch my flight. Bye"

"Bye Unnie"

She turned around and started walking but I ran and hugged her from behind, stopping her at her tracks.

"Get home safe Unnie" I whispered and kissed her cheek.

"I will." She nods and returns a kiss on my left cheek before disappearing from my sight.

"What's wrong with me?" I mutter, trying to ignore the fast beating of my heart.

~~

The next day I woke up and was disappointed because Hyejeong wasn't here, but I tried to carry my routines as usual. Once I finished cleaning up, I walked to the cafeteria to see my friends.

"Morning Seolhyun!" Jimin Unnie greeted me and the rest joined in.

"Good Morning" I replied.

"You look like you had a rough night" Choa Unnie commented and fixed my hair. Strangely enough, I didn't blush. I didn't know if it was because I'm too tired or something else. If she had done this previously, I would've been red as a tomato.

"She probably misses Hyejeongie" Mina Unnie said.

"You know how much she adores Hyejeongie" Yuna Unnie added.

This time I did blush.

'What's wrong with me today?!'

"Ooh did they get it right?" Youkyung Unnie asks me.

"N-No!"

"Don't lie Unnie, we know out of all of us, you're the one who adores Hyejeong Unnie the most" Chanmi tells me.

"Seolhyun-ah, can we talk in private?" Yuna Unnie asks me.

"S-Sure Unnie" I got off my seat and followed Yuna Unnie as she led me out of the cafeteria and into the room she shared with Mina Unnie. She closed the door behind her and locked it. I watched as she walked towards the bed and motioned me to sit next to her.

"So what's up Unnie?"

"I should be asking you that. What's on your mind kid?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why does it seem like you've suddenly lost an interest in Choa Unnie?"

"I-I don't know what you're saying."

"Please Seolhyun, I'm not blind. I can see that you've crushed on Choa Unnie for a while now. But today... you seem very different."

I sighed but nodded. Now that the cat's out of the bag, what's the point in hiding it?

"Yes, I did harbor a secret crush on Choa Unnie for a while now. But... I don't know... it just feels like I don't like her anymore." I confessed.

"Is it because of Hyejeongie?"

"I don't know"

"Between you and me, I think you and Hyejeongie look great together." She smiled and got off the bed. Unnie walked to the door and was just about to open it but she turned back to look at me.

"Also between you and me, I think Hyejeongie might also feel something for you."

With that she left me alone in her room, thinking of everything she had just told me.

"I like Hyejeong Unnie?"

It's true that I have admired her since the first day I arrived. She was different from the others, much stronger and more aloof. Her mysterious nature made me feel more drawn to her. Whenever she held a gun, it was the most strangely attractive thing ever. The way she looks so confident and proud. The way she held guns and her ability to use them effortlessly was amazing. Of course her strength wasn't the only thing she was known for. Hyejeong is widely popular for her breathtaking looks. I know plenty of guys and even some girls who have asked her out but she always turned them down. I always assumed that it was because she thought she was better than them but one day I overheard her saying "I already have someone else in mind". The first time I heard that, it left me with a bitter feeling. Was it because she liked someone but didn't even think to tell her closest friend, even though I told her who I liked? Or was it because I was jealous?

She was always the more secretive type and her sweet gestures are not as obvious. Like the way she'd wake up earlier than me just to let me sleep more but she loved sleeping more than me. Also whenever she watches over me during missions to make sure I'm safe, even willing to risk her life to protect me. Or something just as simple as letting me know she's always there for me.

As I was thinking about all these things, I felt my face and lap get wet only to realize that I was crying.

"I love Hyejeong Unnie..."

~~

I went back to the room I shared with Hyejeong and sighed as I crawled into the bed, exhausted from my training. I snuggled against Hyejeong's pillow and hugged her favorite plushie, she told me to do that whenever I missed her. Even though I'm used to Hyejeong leaving for missions, I still miss her a lot. As I hug her plushie, I start to feel even lonelier.

'Why did it take me so long to realize I liked Hyejeong Unnie?'

'I wonder what she's doing right now.'

I've been getting an uneasy feeling lately and I'm not usually a superstitious person, but I feel like something is wrong and it has to do with Hyejeong Unnie. All I can do is hope I'm just thinking too much.

Suddenly I heard a knock on my door and I groaned before getting off the bed to answer the door. When I opened the door, I saw Yuna and Mina Unnie looking at me with looks of sadness. This immediately gave me a bad feeling but I tried to shrug it off and gave my members a smile.

"What's up, Unnies?"

"Seolhyun-ah, this is an emergency, please follow us to see the boss" Mina Unnie told me with a serious expression and this just made me even more worried. She's never like this unless something is wrong.

"Is something wrong Unnie?" I ask her but they ignored me and began walking. I followed them closely behind in silence until we reached the boss's office. Yuna Unnie knocked and we heard a voice telling us to come in. The three of us walked inside the office and I noticed the rest of the members were already here. 

"What's going on here?" I asked but no one seemed to want to answer my question.

"Seolhyun-ah, have you made any contact with Hyejeong?"

I slowly shook my head and he sighed.

"I thought so. This is bad..."

"Where is Hyejeong Unnie?!" I shouted. 

"She went missing in the middle of her mission. We haven't been able to make any contact with her." Mina Unnie told me.

"They say she might have been captured or, god forbid, killed in action." Youkyung Unnie added.

"Don't say that! Hyejeong Unnie is the best operative we have here! She wouldn't lose! She can't lose!" I refuse to believe this would happen to Hyejeong Unnie. It can't happen, it just can't. 

​"Being the best doesn't guarantee anything. There are no guarantees in our line of work Kim Seolhyun. You should know that by now." Jimin Unnie tried her best to talk some sense into me but I didn't listen.

Yuna Unnie rubbed my back but I shook her off.

"Why are we just standing here?! If Hyejeong Unnie went missing then she needs us! We should be going to find her!" I screamed.

"Sweetie, you know we can't do that." Choa Unnie said.

"Don't you guys care about Hyejeong Unnie?! She needs us!" I knew it wasn't allowed to be showing weakness like this but I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

"Get ahold of yourself Kim Seolhyun!" Our leader yelled and smacked me across the face. I fell on the ground and angrily looked up to fight back but I stopped when I saw Jimin Unnie's eyes, she looked like she was going to cry too.

"Of course we care about Hyejeong! But like you said, she is our best operative! If she lost, what could we do?! Do you think she wants us to follow her and get ourselves in danger?!"

I didn't want to hear any more so I ran back to my room and slammed the door shut. I gave up on wiping away my tears and just let them flow. I cried into Hyejeong's plushie; I have never cried this hard before in my life.

"It's not true. None of this is true, it's all a bad dream. Hyejeong Unnie will return and we will be happy together."

My door opened and I didn't even bother to see who was here. The person closed the door and walked towards me.

"Seolhyun-ah"

It was Yuna Unnie.

"Please Unnie, I don't want to be rude to you. I know I'm not stable right now."

She sat beside me and softly touched my head.

"I know you're sad, we're all sad."

I remained silent but Yuna Unnie continued speaking.

"You want to know why Hyejeong always chose all the hard missions? She said it's because she doesn't want you to put yourself in danger."

"Really?"

"Yes. You are the most important person in Hyejeong's life."

"Unnie, I want to go and help Hyejeong Unnie"

"I know you do but-"

"Please! I can't leave her like this!"

"Let me finish Seol-ah. I know you do but you can't go alone so- we'll be going along"

"We?"

I looked up and noticed everyone was around my bed now.

"You were right Seolhyun-ah. If we truly loved Hyejeong, we'd go and save her. I'm sorry for slapping you back there" Jimin Unnie mumbled and I hugged her to assure her that it was okay.

"It's alright Unnie"

​"We love you Seolhyun-ah"

~~

The 7 of us arrived at where Hyejeong Unnie's tracking device had last recorded her. We wasted no time and began searching for Hyejeong Unnie. I was with Yuna Unnie and Mina Unnie. Choa Unnie was with the others.

I felt more and more uneasy when I saw all the blood on the ground.

'What could have happened here?'

I followed this strangely long trail of blood until it stopped. I looked up and quickly felt tears building up again.

"Hyejeong Unnie!!" I screamed and ran to check her unconscious body.

'Please still be alive! You can't leave me like!'

I checked her pulse and although it was weak, it was still there.

"Yuna Unnie! Mina Unnie! I've found her! Please help! Call an ambulance! Anyone just get someone!" I screamed for my teammates while hugging Hyejeong closely. She was gripping tightly to her phone and I held her even closer, her head resting on the crook of my neck.

"Hang on Unnie! You can't leave us! You can't leave us! There are still so many things we need to do together!" I told her as if she was actually awake. A few of my tears dripped onto her beautiful face.

Yuna Unnie and Mina Unnie quickly appeared with some medical equipment.

"I had the others call the nearest hospital that's associated to our organization. They'll arrive as soon as possible!" Yuna Unnie informed me. I looked up and saw Mina Unnie crying. She is Hyejeong Unnie's closest friend, it's only normal for her to be like this after seeing her best friend in this state.

"Jeongie-ah, you jerk. Don't leave us" Mina scolded Hyejeong and Yuna hugged the shorter girl to comfort her. Everything that happened after became a blur because I was too focused on Hyejeong. Before I knew it, we were already in the hospital and Hyejeong Unnie was undergoing surgery.

'Please hold on'

One of the doctors came out and we all mobbed him for answers.

"How is she?!"

"She's alive, barely, but alive. We're trying our best but you should prepare for the worst." He tells us and then goes back to the operating room. We all looked down at the ground, trying to take in the news we just got. 

"I need some fresh air" I told them and went to the garden.

In my hand was Hyejeong Unnie's broken cell phone. I had left it charging until now and turned it on. The first thing I noticed was she had a picture of me. For some reason, I knew there had to be a reason why she was holding onto it so tightly. After looking through all her apps, I saw a video in her gallery. It was her most recent one.

I took a deep breath and began playing the video.

Unnie's face appeared at the screen and I already felt like I was going to cry.

"This is AOA's Shin Hyejeong-"

As I watch more of the video, I already had tears fall from my face.

"...Finally, Seolhyun-ah, you're the most special person to me. Words alone cannot describe you. Since the first day we met, I knew I felt something with you. You have the nicest personality ever. You're honestly perfect and I'm so lucky to have had the chance to work with you. You're the best thing that has ever happened in my ty life. After all this, I think you can already guess what I'm going to tell you. You're a smart girl after all."

I felt my heart beating faster because I could guess what she was going to say.

"It's been 3 years and I know I'm a little too late because there's nothing more for me. I'm sorry for being a coward. I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark for so long. But I hope you know that I have always loved you. I always have and I always will. Please be happy with Choa Unnie or whoever you're with in the future. You deserve more than a coward who gives love advice that she doesn't follow herself." I gave one final smile at the camera. Thank you so much. Thank you and good bye"

"I, Shin Hyejeong, love Kim Seolhyun. Forever and always"

The video stops and I cried while holding onto the cell phone really tightly.

I returned to the hallway where everyone was waiting and I noticed the operation was still going on.

After a few more hours, the lights finally turned off and the doctors walked out.

Once again the 7 of us mobbed them.

"She's alive, not completely stable, but alive. If she keeps this up, she could be fine. However, she's lost so much blood, we don't know if she'll ever wake up. It could be this week, the next week, the next months or years or maybe never."

This wasn't the news I wanted to hear, but at least she is alive.

"T-Thank you for your hard work" we all bowed. One by one we entered the room and saw Hyejeong's unconscious body hooked to many wires.

"We think you should stay here Seolhyun Unnie, Hyejeong Unnie would want that" Chanmi tells me and they all left me with our member. I took a seat next to her and gently held her hand.

"I love you too Unnie. I love you so much."

"So please, wake up. For me. For us"

"I'm waiting for you"

"Kim Seolhyun loves Shin Hyejeong too"

I looked at my beautiful friend and love then gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

TBC

The next chapter will probably be the last. So will Hyejeong survive or not? Sorry for breaking your hearts, but hey, at least Hye is still alive! ;D I'm sorry for any typos (too tired to check). Thank you all for reading! Will they be happy?