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It's a little dark and Taehyung doesn't recognize the person yet as he falls to the ground. But with the succeeding punches, he hears his voice, reminisces with his own memories and completely loses the will to fight back.

"I dare you to fight back now!" Jeonghan utters at his face. Taking him by the collar after a couple of punches, now they can fully see each other's faces.

"Jeonghan..." he murmurs.

Jeonghan gives him a punch again that he falls on his feet.

"If I can kill you I would. And the many more like you so I can get rid of this fear. But she won't want that," Jeonghan starts, now bearing a calmer expression.

Taehyung is still lying on the ground. Looking up at the friend he betrayed whom he hasn't seen in almost a decade.

"I'm sorry," that was the only thing Taehyung says. And he knows sorry can't even turn back time and rewrite history.

"I lost eight long years Taehyung. I lost her for eight long years all because of you! And now I can't even tell her I want her back. I can't open up to her like I used to. Cuz you're there. Cuz you've proven to me that she can't only devote herself to me. Dammit!"

Jeonghan is dying inside cuz someone like Taehyung might appear again and take her away. And he's never ready to be hurt again like that. It might be the end of him.

"So you're hurting her to breakeven? What kind of resolve is that?" Taehyung stands on his feet and faces him but he has this brave look on his face.

Jeonghan madly looks back at him but he starts sharing his thoughts, "It's been eight long years and she never gave me the chance to love her like you did. To tell you the truth, I'm actually here only as a fallback, that if ever you don't come back, maybe she can finally chose me instead. I decided that myself."

Jeonghan still grits his teeth but he's tamed now. He knew they weren't dating or involved with each other for years now but he chose to doubt the truth. Every memory of Seunghee has him beside her all these years. That's why he's still keeping back. That's why he's still stuck now, where he can't even move on a single bit.

"So if you still want her, just go and get her. Cuz I'll always be behind her ready to catch her fall," Taehyung adds.

"As if I'd let you do that again. You better keep away from her. Cuz I won't forgive you the second time Taehyung."

They stare at each other for a few seconds and Taehyung sighs in defeat. He hates his guts. How can he hurt her this way and she still wants him more than anyone else? He just doesn't know what he's missing all these years. He knows he can never be above him in Seunghee's heart.

"I'll wait for that. I'll gladly wait for the time I won't live as a reserve anymore and start living my own life. So please do me a favor and get her soon."

Taehyung walks away and goes to his car. Jeonghan doesn't go after him and just stands there where he left him, recapping the things he has done. Taehyung actually wants them to be together again and it's slowly sinking in him. That's the thing he failed to see all these years.

Taehyung drives off the place peeking at Jeonghan on the front mirror. He might've just cleared his mind on every doubt he had all these years. And he's half glad that Seunghee's gonna get what she deserves. It's been a long time and they deserve to be together, always. And with that, he can let go of his regrets too, for betraying his friend and hurting the girl he loves.

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Seunghee meets Jeonghan as scheduled for the pre-debut events. It's a usual scene that Seunghee is always near Jeonghan but during the following events, almost all the staffs can notice the difference. She's not even gazing at him. She's not even going near him. And she avoids every moment she has to meet his way. Most of all, she acts as if she doesn't see him.

Jeonghan sits at a corner staring at her while she's busy checking the girls on the stage, then a staff walks by him and courteously asks.

"Yoon-nim, would you like some coffee?" he asks.

"No, thank you. I'm alright," Jeonghan replies.

"Would you mind if I ask? Is Oh-nim okay with tea?" the person adds.

Jeonghan turns to him with a confused look, "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, you've been closest to Oh-nim since day one so I thought you'd somewhat know. I'm sorry if asked."

Then he only notices that almost all the staffs have in fact recognized them as an item. So he answers the question accordingly, "She'd want some milk on her tea."

"Oh! Really? I'd prepare her something then."

"Yeah."

"Thank you Yoon-nim!"

The guy walks away from him and he gazes at her again. Soon enough, that same guy approaches Seunghee and gives her a milk tea which she gratefully accepts. He only sighs that at least he still knows her and her favorites are still the same. But he can't even come over her or talk to her even if he wants to. His pride is still on the way.

Meanwhile, Seunghee thanks the guy who gave her the tea, "This is my favorite, thank you."

"It was Yoon-nim who told me to add some milk on your tea, Oh-nim," he replies.

That makes her sad for a second and smiles back at the person, "Oh, yeah. Thanks again."

"Fighting Oh-nim!"

She only smiles back at the guy and he leaves. Suddenly she feels heavy and upset but she cannot let it affect her work. She tosses the feeling away and continues to work to get the girls ready.

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It's been three weeks and the last events for the pre-debut of the girls are almost at an end. They'll be performing in music shows next. And Seunghee isn't needed for that. On this rainy afternoon, Seunghee is at her kitchen with Taehyung, who just dropped by a while ago. They've somehow patched things up about what happened a few months ago. And now he's welcome in her home again.

"So the project's gonna end soon?" he asks.

She prepares a cup of latte for him, as his request. "Yeah, at last. It's gonna be the last two days tomorrow."

He stares at how delicately she's preparing the drink for him. She still captivates him every time, and it always feels like the first time. And he loves her now. He still wants to be with her. She's still the last person he wants to be with when he grows old. But he needs to let go of her now. He has come to accept that she can't be happy with him, even if he dies trying. And it's a futile act.

"He beat the hell out of me the other week. I couldn't even fight back," he utters with a chuckle. "Well, I didn't want to fight back. I deserved a punch or two."

"Who are you talking about?" she asks, while still busy brewing the coffee.

He stares at her to watch her reaction before saying, "Jeonghan."

She freezes at the sound of his name. She said she's gonna forget about him. But he can clearly see how affected she is of him right now. She vowed to get him back, so why did she decide to forget him all of a sudden? It's just illogical. It doesn't make any sense.

"You just wanted proof from him right? But he never told you anything," he's still observing her small obvious movements and it hurts.

"What are you saying? I don't need him anymore. Maybe I just really have to move on from him," she says but her eyes says otherwise.

"You're happy right? That he still loves you."

"Beating you out doesn't mean he still feels anything for me."

"But he said he so. He said he wants you back."

That's the time she completely stops. She's overwhelmed by what Taehyung is telling her. Just when she already made up her mind and starting to focus on nothing but the future.

"Don't you play with my feelings Taehyung."

"I really wish I am but I'm not. He really told me he'd get you back. I bet he's just taking his time again. But hey, didn't you say you'll forget about him?"

Right then, Seunghee starts shedding tears that Taehyung feels a little guilty. But he has to tell her.

"This is not a good joke Taehyung," she says with a trembling voice.

"I wish I'm joking too. I wish everything that happened was just a bad dream. But he's really there. And he won't let me have you."

Despite his serious look, she chooses not to believe him. "You can go home for now."

He glances at her and shakes his head. "I think this will be the last time I can freely get inside this house of yours." He takes some steps back and turns to her before going out of the door. The crying picture of her is the very last scene he sees before totally letting her go and it will kill him infinitely. Then he whispers to himself, "Goodbye Seunghee..."

He has left and she's still weeping. She's torn between being happy and miserable. If she believes and it's not real, she's the only one who'll suffer for it again. But she really wishes she can trust in him somehow. Cuz she really wants to be with Jeonghan, and nothing has changed.

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It's the end of the busking events and Jeonghan has decided to finally talk to Seunghee again. This time, he's taking her back. His waiting and uncertainty has gone long enough. And he doesn't need to prolong their suffering. He waits for her after the after party, by the company lounge where she will pass by before reaching the parking area to get her car. Almost everyone has gone and she has to talk to the CEO for a bit so she's the last one to go out. She sees him standing by the pillar and she wants to avoid him, but she has no other route to take. So she goes on approaching him despite feeling burdensome. She doesn't look at him but she hears his voice all of a sudden, when he's already at a distance.

"Seunghee," he says.

Despite her firmness to ignore him, just one word from him shatters all that. She looks up only to meet his eyes, this time with emotions so full she's surprised.

"Seunghee, I need to talk to you."

But she has all her pride back now. She doesn't want to be swayed easily without having to have enough to hold on to. "I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry," she replies.

She decides to pass him but he holds her arm gently to stop her.

"Please, I have to-"

"What are you gonna say?" she turns to him bearing an upset face. Her feelings are overflowing right now and she can't help but burst it all out. He lets go as he listens to her. "Are you gonna make me hope for nothing again? I suffered and waited for eight long years for you. I know I made a mistake but isn't it too much? I made the efforts to win you back but I think everything I do can't even reach you. Why don't you just let me go so I can move on? Tell me right now that you don't feel anything for me anymore. That you don't care about me anymore. Just let me go, if you have no intention of keeping me."

She can't help but cry in front of him again. For how many times does she have to do this? She's not asking for pity. She's not even begging for mercy. All she wants is to end the pain that's hugging her all these years. She walks away hearing no reply from him. Maybe he just wants to punish her all over again and he's doing it right cuz she's almost dead by now.

But everything has been hard for him till now. Seeing her like this, suffering because of him crushes his heart day after day completely. He's almost shattered but he keeps it so well she doesn't see any of it. And seeing Taehyung a few weeks ago, pummeled his core all over again. He can't really let her go after finally deciding to be with her again after all this time. With an unwavering resolve, he finally lets go of his true intentions and runs after her.

"Seunghee!!" he grabs her and pulls her close to him, trapping her in his embrace. "Don't go. Don't leave me again."

Feeling his embrace, she freezes dumbfounded and listens to his heavy breathing. But she needs to hear him say the words she longs to hear. Cuz today, she can finally decide to move on.

"I just didn't wanna gamble on hurting again," Jeonghan tells her. "There was never a day I didn't include you in the decisions I made. I was actually preparing a future with you. I didn't plan or even think of spending my life with any other girl. Cuz from the beginning, it was only you and just you Seunghee. So don't tell me to let you go cuz there's no way I can do that. I love you. I never stopped loving you."

These words make her drop her guard. These words are what she's been wanting to hear from him. And not anything else. Moving on is really not an option for her, she was only fooling herself. Cuz she only wants to be with him. That's the only way she can live. And right now, with his arms finally all over her again, she's happiest person in the world. And so is he.

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To be continued...

(16.12.30)