After a few days of spending your time in the little town, you were back in the city for the second semester.

If you're being honest, you had been itching to go back to the city. You were expecting that all that happened that night was just a nightmare and once you arrived at the city, everything would be normal and you'd be happy again. Neither of that happened because the first day of the second semester was today and you had never saw a glimpse of Jaemin. You went to his house but no one was there. Jeno and Jaemin, and even Chenle, were still in South Korea.

Giselle told you everything and all she could do was pat your back as you cried your heart out. You told her about the night he said goodbye and reminiscing the painful memory made it twice as unbearable.

"I was one of the options to be his bride, but in the end, his grandfather chose Lia, the daughter of his father's supposed fiance."

You grabbed your phone sitting on the bedside table and opened your Instagram. You at least wanted to know what kind of girl Jaemin was marrying. You typed her name on the search bar and she was at the top of the result because she was verified with more than two million followers.

You wish you didn't search her because you were slapped by the reality that you and Jaemin were world's apart.

Lia's feed consisted of her flexing her family's wealth. Riding on an expensive yacht, having a vacation on a private island, hanging out with her friends in a villa, owning bags, clothes, and shoes from luxurious brands, attending fashion shows, everything that a heiress did, Lia was doing it.

"She looks so beautiful and kind..." you whispered as you stared at her picture. "Jaemin will fall in love with her if he will open his heart to it."

"(Name) please don't do that to yourself. You're just as kind and beautiful---"

"But not rich enough to be with Jaemin, to be accepted in his family. He told me his family history and it was tragic. His father was brave enough to rebel against the Chairman but not Jaemin. I'm not saying that Jaemin is a coward, but he was their only hope."

Giselle's eyes were glistening with tears at the sight of you who was slowly falling apart.

"I don't think I can accept this," you said. "It was so... unfair. It ended before it even began. We didn't have much time..."

You shook your head as fresh tears cascaded down your cheeks. Giselle hugged you as you cried for who knows how long. No words were enough to describe the agony you were going through.

No luck on the next days as well for you didn't see Jeno nor Jaemin. You weren't expecting to see Jaemin anymore but you at least wanted to see Jeno. There was at least something that only he could know.

"(Name), your eyes are puffy. Are you okay?" Ningning asked worriedly one time when you sat during lunch with the girls. Giselle felt helpless.

Crying was the first thing you would do in the morning and before you go to sleep at night. Spacing out and staring into the void had also been your hobbies. You were miserable to say the least and all that Giselle could do was to let you feel the pain until it's gone.

The other girls didn't know what happened yet and you couldn't bring to tell them without breaking down.

"I just watched a really sad movie," you lied.

It was the second week of the second semester when Jaemin broke the news. He was finally introduced to the media as the next heir who would take over the Na Enterprises in a few years but they didn't announce the engagement yet with Lia Choi. For the past few days, you avoided looking at his pictures or anything that reminded you of him. When the news had spread, he was the talk of the campus, both students and professors, and it was killing you just hearing his name.

"I know he's rich, but I have no idea that he's rich rich."

"No wonder he owns that luxurious car. He can probably buy ten of it and the digits on his bank account wouldn't even move."

"As expected from Na Jaemin, he radiates a rich person's aura."

On the day of Jeno and Chenle's arrival to the school, Jeno brought a grim news.

"Jaemin will drop out of school and continue his studies in South Korea. All the documents and records needed are already being processed," he told the group then his eyes landed on you. "I'm so sorry."

All hope was gone. Nothing could ever change the fate that Jaemin was about to face. And there was nothing you could do to get him back.

The group was shocked when they heard about the news about Jaemin's engagement but what shocked them the most was when they saw you breaking down. That's when they realized how tragic your story was. Just when you're planning how to write the rest of the story, the chapter with him ended.

"Can't we do something about it?" Renjun asked hopelessly. He wanted to help you but he was just as powerless.

Jeno shook his head. "No, I don't think so. This is the Chairman we're talking about."

It was as if the world caved in and all the weight fell on your shoulders. There were no words fitting enough to describe how heavy it was. You had to stay sane while silently falling apart. Crying won't bring him back, much less change the situation.

The only thing left for you to do was to accept everything.

But it was harder than you thought.

You found yourself in a secluded pub somewhere in the corner of the city unaccompanied. You only wanted to drink a few glasses but ended up getting wasted. It was dangerous for a woman like you to be drunk without anyone to help you in an unfamiliar place. You were slumped on the bar counter and the bartender could only give you sympathizing looks as you tell him your heartbreak.

"And then... and then when he... when he confessed to me... I thought we're going to be happy. But then... I found out... he was... he was engaged!"

Even in a drunken state, you couldn't bury the pain. All you could ever think about was Na Jaemin.

The bartender was worried because you had no companion and he didn't know a safe place where a drunk lady could stay. However, an unexpected person arrived merely by pure coincidence.

"(Name)?" Sungchan called you, still unsure if it was indeed you. He tapped your shoulder and turned to face him.

"Sungchan! My friend!" you exclaimed, threw yourself in his arms and hugged him.

"You're drunk. Where are your friends?" he asked.

"Home," you answered. You leaned your entire weight on him and his knees slightly shook.

"Do you know her?" the bartender asked.

Sungchan nodded. "Yeah, a friend from university. I might be late for my shift, I need to get her home."

The bartender nodded. "Don't worry about that, I'll cover for you. Just get her home safely. She's been telling me her story all night. Seems pretty tragic."

Sungchan looked down on your face and noticed the wet trail of tears still on your cheeks. He gently wiped it and you opened your eyes. Still feeling dizzy, you couldn't focus your eyes on his face so you shut your eyes again.

"What happened to you?" Sungchan asked worriedly.

"I'm... devastated. But I'm okay," you said and smiled. Even at your state, Sungchan couldn't help but notice how cute you looked.

Sungchan patiently steadied you on your feet while hailing a cab but it's been fifteen minutes but no cab was stopping. He temporarily sat you on a cold stone bench just outside the pub and pulled out his phone to book a taxi. While he's doing his thing, you brought out your phone, scrolled through the messages, and clicked the name of the one person you wanted to talk to.

"Na Jaemin!" you called his name. Sungchan turned around and saw you sending a voice message. "Please... come back to me! I'm begging you! I'll pay you double just come back to me. I'm so... so lonely. I miss you so much and I love you so please don't get married. I... I'm..." You weren't able to finish the sentence as you started sobbing uncontrollably. Sungchan was instantly beside you and you gripped his shirt tightly.

"It's okay now---"

"Please come back to me," you pleaded and looked into Sungchan's eyes who had no idea what to do with you. "I'm begging you." Your head dropped on his shoulder and soon enough, his shirt was soaked with your tears. He gave you a hesitant pat on the back.

"You'll forget about him soon," Sungchan said.

"How?"

"Just choose me."

Meanwhile in South Korea, Jaemin was staring outside the window while drinking his tenth cup of espresso. He bought his own espresso machine and a couple bags of expensive coffee beans so he could make his own coffee without leaving his room. He didn't want to deal with any of his family members.

Jaemin could feel his body slowly succumbing to the effects of caffeine. He frequently experienced palpitations but he only dismissed it and drank more. His drink was getting darker and deadlier by every cup but the thing that's killing him was the only thing that's keeping him alive.

His phone buzzed but he paid it no attention until he heard the personalized notification sound that would only be heard once he get a message from you.

Aside from coffee, your messages were the only ones that helped him get by.

You would still send him random messages about the things that you do even though you knew he wouldn't reply and you weren't sure if he was reading it. But he had seen it all and read them over and over until he's satisfied. He would imagine your face and hear your voice and that was enough for him.

He was surprised to see a voice message. You would usually just send him text messages and it's been awhile since he heard your voice. He pressed the play button and closed his eyes to listen to your voice but he was instantly heartbroken when he heard you crying and begging.

He didn't want to finish it but he couldn't bring himself to stop listening.

Until he heard Sungchan's voice.

"Just choose me."

"Please no," he whispered in the air, hoping you would hear it from miles away. He was selfish for wishing that you would stay with him even though he perfectly knew he was marrying someone else. Still, he allowed the tiny flicker of hope to burn.

Only to be blown away.

Exactly one month after Jaemin went back to South Korea, you were feeling a little bit better.

The most difficult days were over, though sometimes you felt down, there was a particular someone who would go to extreme lengths just to cheer you up.

"Sungchan!" you called the tall guy waiting for you at the corridor. He was talking to his friends while waiting for your dismissal. It had become a habit of him to wait for you and walk home together. At first, you were uncomfortable and you felt burdened to make a conversation so he wouldn't get bored of your presence. But Sungchan was the flexible type who made you at ease. He didn't mind if you wanted to be quiet or loud.

Sungchan turned around and instantly smiled when he saw you.

"Good luck, bro!" one of Sungchan's friends named Shotaro tapped him on his shoulders. They were grinning widely as they greeted Sungchan goodbye. It wasn't a secret that his friends tease him because of you. But Sungchan would always deny their taunting remarks.

"Let's go!" you said and walked ahead first when Sungchan grabbed your wrist to stop you. You turned around and you saw him shifting on nervously. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"I... I just wanted to ask you something..."

"What is it?"

Sungchan scratched his nape and looked at everywhere but you, a habit of that he does when he's shy. "I saw this place, this cafe on the... on the internet. It was a good place, yeah, with good food. Of course. So yeah, um... uh..." Sungchan was so nervous that he couldn't make a proper sentence. You held his hand and gave it a light tug which made his heart race.

"Just say it," you said as you tried not to laugh.

"Can we go to that cafe? Today? This afternoon? If you're not busy?"

You did a quick scan in your head, remembering your schedule for today, if you had unfinished tasks or something you must do that needed immediate attention.

"All right!" you answered once you're finally done. Sungchan gave you a triumphant smile before leading the way to the cafe he was talking about.

The cafe was located at the rooftop of a high building facing several skyscrapers. The cafe was an open space so the customers could enjoy the rooftop moment with the view of the sunset and city lights. You couldn't help but gasp in awe as you witnessed the sky bleed orange and red. It was the prettiest sunset you've seen in the city. Soon enough, the sky was swallowed by darkness and the city was illuminated with bright colorful lights.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sungchan said.

"Beyond beautiful," you muttered and let out a contented sigh. You took a lot of pictures of the view and Sungchan was only looking at you.

Both of you ordered a mug of chocolate shake with vanilla ice cream and sprinkles on top, bacon and cheese burger, a slice of banana cake and onion rings.

"Why did you bring me here?" you asked.

"Nothing, I just wanted to share thew view with you."

"Liar," you said. "I know you. You don't do something just because you wanted to. Do you have something to say?"

"Well... I... uh..." There he was, stuttering and fumbling with words again.

"Let me speak first," you said, saving him from embarrassing himself even further. You looked at him in the eyes as you speak. "Thank you so much, Sungchan. For everything. You're always there when I needed somebody to lean on. You've seen how miserable I was and you always make me laugh. You made this journey bearable for me."

There was a moment of silence before Sungchan spoke. "I did all of those because I wanted to. Don't thank me," he said. Then he asked you something that caught you off guard. "Do you still love him?"

"I... I never stopped."

"He's lucky," Sungchan said.

"I don't think so," you contradicted, knowing full well what Jaemin had to endure. "He's far from lucky."

"But the fact that he has someone like you wrapped around his finger made him lucky. I'm... jealous."

"Sungchan---"

"I'm sorry," he said all of a sudden. "I'm really sorry."

"What are you saying sorry for?" you asked.

Sungchan took a deep breath before taking your hand. His hand was big and warm but it didn't offer the same comfort the way Jaemin did. "I tried to fight it so bad because I wanted to stay with you but it only keeps getting stronger the closer we get. But, I did all of these without any ulterior motives, I just wanted to make you happy, really I do. I'm a hopeless case. I like you. I like you so much that it makes it hard for me to speak or even think."

You were speechless for a moment, taking your time to process everything Sungchan had said. Slowly, you pulled your hand away.

"I'm sorry, Sungchan. You know how I feel."

"I know," he replied. He smiled at you but his eyes were crestfallen. "I know exactly where this will lead. Don't feel guilty. This is all me."

It was getting hard to breathe as everything sunk in. Sungchan had been a precious friend to you and helped you get by for the past few weeks. You cherished him just as you cherish your other friends but his feelings wasn't something you could reciprocate.

"I'm really sorry."

"I told you, don't apologize. I chose this path while being aware of the possible outcome. And it's easier for me to breathe now knowing that I'm not hiding anything from you."

Sungchan gave you a smile and all you could do was return it.

After his confession, he still decided to walk you home. You were finally in front of the building when you faced him.

"Take care on your home, okay? Text me if you got home safely."

Sungchan nodded. "I will, Mom. Get inside now."

You were hesitant to move, afraid that he would disappear once you turned your back. "We're still friends, right?" you asked, voicing out the fear that's been clawing your heart.

"Of course. Nothing will change."

You got inside of the building when somebody called your name. You turned around and saw an unexpected person waiting for you. That person had been waiting for your arrival, carrying an important message he had to relay on you.

It was Na Jae Sook.

"It's been a while," he started. "You've grown so big."

You couldn't find the voice to speak. He looked different from the last time you had seen him. He was wearing a crisp suit and yet he looked hollowed and empty. Jae Sook walked towards you gave you a pat on the shoulder.

"Hello... Uncle..." was all you could say.

"How have you been?" he asked

Miserable. "Good."

"That's nice to hear."

You were listing all the possible reasons that would cause him to fly from South Korea just to meet you. You had no time for guessing games anymore.

"I'm pretty sure you're not here to ask me how am I,  right?"

Jae Sook chuckled. "You're sharp, huh?"

"Do you want to go to my dorm to have tea?" you offered.

He shook his head. "No, no, talking here in the lobby is fine. I am also in a hurry. I'm afraid we don't have much time."

Time had always been your enemy. It was always not enough or too late.

"It's about Jaemin," Jae Sook said.

The mere mention of his name and the worried look on Jae Sook's face were enough to send you on edge. You tried to avoid all the things associated with him only for his father to arrive at your doorstep.

"What happened to him?"

"You need to see it for yourself."

"Wait, I will go there?"

"Yes," he answered. "Because I need your help."