AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic is not finished. Though the names in this fic are those of Shinhwa, the characters may not necessarily reflect them. In many ways, it's like an original story written with their names... besides that, this fic will be updated frequently, promise. IF YOU ARE VIEWING THIS PAGE, and it turns out to be BRIGHT PINK everywhere, turn off Korean or Chinese or whatever other encryptions because it will effect the codes... sorry! Please leave a Comment if you do read this so I can get some feedback. :)

Chapter 33:

Brian pulled up carefully in front of my house, and my wet and dripping form just continued to stare out the window, unaware of the very fact that we had arrived already. He turned to inspect my condition, but seemingly decided not to disturb me when he noticed that I was still wearing the same blank expression I had been carrying since we left the cemetery. Both drenched in water, I soaked his expensive car with my wet clothes as the small drops of rain still fell gracefully from my hair, emulating the tears falling from my eyes. As if synchronized, the drops of rain and tears seemed to fall in a particular pattern, awakening my senses once again.

�Sorry Brian, I didn�t realize� thanks for everything,� I spoke quietly as I woke up from my daze. I wiped the tears off my face and then proceeded to stick my hair into my shirt so that the water would drop on me rather than on his car. Turning towards the door, I was about to open it when I felt him tug on my arm, urging me to look at him.

�Are you okay Joo-Eun? Maybe this was all my mistake��

Finding all the courage in me, I presented him with a faint smile and said lightly, �No, this was what I was looking for� thank you for helping me find it. I�ll be fine�� I trailed off as I once again turned to push the door open. Stepping out, I realized that Brian had followed my actions and locked his car as he came over to me and pulled his coat over our heads to prevent the rain from further drenching us, not that it made much difference anymore. Running up to the front steps of my house, I searched through my bag for the keys that opened the door in front of me. Before I found the precious silver material however, the door flung open as if on its own, revealing my shocked parents.

�Oh my gosh� what happened to the two of you?! Come on in now before you catch a cold!� I listened to her concerned tone, noting that it was directed towards Brian rather than me. No pain stemmed from their actions however, finding their negligence somewhat justified having known once and for all that they weren�t my birth parents.

�Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Kim, I didn�t take very good care of Joo-Eun� I hope she doesn�t get sick because of this,� Brian�s sweet voice apologized as I watched him bow to the two bodies in front of him. Catching a smile spread across their visages, I admitted that Brian�s charm was undeniable.

I stood there like an idiot, watching them throw compliments and apologies to each other endlessly, like a puppy playing catch- constantly bringing back the ball. Unable to take their words and believe that they were real, I walked away impulsively, with slight anger in the steps that I took towards my room. Once I got there, I slammed the door shut, unwilling to listen to the voices of my false parents� the people who I suddenly hated for lying to me all these years. Walking over to my lone cupboard, I took out a towel and wrapped it around my hair to stop it from dripping water everywhere, not that I had really cared at the time. I felt my eyes mist up again, but I was uninterested in being sad for my soul was angered at the time. Rummaging through my bag, I found my cell phone and dialed a familiar number that would usually warm my heart.

�Hello?� came a deep male voice on the other line.

�Minwoo�?� I asked softly, having a deep urge to just talk to him as I would when I was in Korea.

�Joo-Eun? Hey� this is Hyesung, Minwoo�s not here right now, all the guys and I are just here after the grad party� How are you?! You haven�t been calling me much lately�� a disappointed voice spoke from across the world, yet I wasn�t paying too much attention as my mind drifted off to a world of solitude. Why has our relationship changed so much? Minwoo, you used to be here for me, whenever I needed someone to wipe my tears or to save me from bad spirits. Now my world is slowly falling in, asking me to face the demons that had been hidden under the covers for the longest time, yet you ask me to fight this alone. Maybe� the love I thought you gave me was all just a vision, my own hallucination�

�Joo-Eun? Are you okay?� Hyesung�s voice uttered once again, bringing me back to reality.

�Hi� sorry, I�ll call you tomorrow okay? I just wanted to ask Minwoo something��

�But he�s-,�

�It�s alright. I�m going to go to bed now. Good night,� I replied before hanging up, interrupting Hyesung simply because I didn�t want to hear the excuses he would give me for Minwoo�s absence. Maybe he was purposely ignoring me�? I suppose I deserved it, the day I chose to continue to be friends with Brian was enough to send him far away from me.

Taking a deep breath, I laid down on my bed, questioning what I was doing in the US. I was perfectly happy in Korea, having separated myself from hell, but I willingly chose to come back here, to find a truth I no longer wanted, and to the people whom I no longer knew. Now I was also losing the only friends I�d ever had� why did I do all this? So deep in thought, I didn�t even realize the heavy steps of my parents as they ventured to my door, swinging it open with a type of fury in their eyes that I had become far too familiar with.

�You wrenched girl! Have you not been taught manners?! Walk out on Brian like that, slam the door, imagine what he thinks of you now!� came her shrill voice that I wanted more than anything to mute.

�You will not be of such a disgrace to this family!� my father�s voice exploded into the otherwise silent atmosphere. Chuckling in an ironic happiness, I laughed at how pathetic their words sounded to me now. �STOP LAUGHING! Do you not realize how much shame you bring your mother and I?!� he screamed with all his might as I witnessed his veins amongst his temples emboss.

Sitting on my bed, I continued to laugh underneath my breath, only drawing more irritation towards me. As my lips curved into a smile, I spoke quietly, but intently, �I am not your daughter, how could I possibly embarrass you�? Just go to the media and tell them my life story, rid all connections to me� I care not.� My eyes glowed with a type of confidence, one that forced them to stumble backwards and look at me closely, at who I was. Taking in their fear, I continued only because I wanted my answers, no matter how horrid they were. �So I ask you� if Kim Sung Jin and Kim Jae Eun,� I observed the shock in their eyes for mentioning their names, �are my parents� then who are you?� I glared with spite.

�You� how do you know her name?!� questioned my mother, now depending on the wall behind her to keep her up straight.

Disgusted, I got up and began to walk past them towards the door. Once I got there, I turned around swiftly and pierced their vision with my own eyes. �You will never have a daughter� I will never be your daughter again,� I enunciated each word carefully, but to my surprise, an anguish filled scream soon followed my words.

�YOU LIE! ALL LIES! IT�S NOT TRUE!� She yelled hysterically, catching my attention as I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at the woman that I had unknowingly broken into many pieces, shattered her spirits completely. Confused and caught by surprise, I stood there, clueless as to what to do, just observing my father run towards her and try to soothe her, yet nothing was helping. My father had never showed any physical love towards my mother, yet watching the concern sketched out all over his face, I suddenly became worried and guilty, unsure of what I had done exactly. Hurriedly, as if one minute later my mother would have disintegrated, my father carried her out of my room and rushed to their own. A loud slam of the door followed their presence just a few seconds later.

* * * * *

They had left my room quite a while ago, yet I had been sitting there numbly just staring blankly out the door, wondering what had happened. The wailing from their room had just ceased; the woman�s tears could be heard all the way across the hall. I would never understand why I cared about them, yet I knew that I was somewhat responsible� Thoughts clouded my mind, until I witnessed the door to my parents� room open slightly and a man slipped out gently. Stealthily, he walked towards me, and all I could do was redirect my vision to the ground.

�Joo-Eun�� his voice came, full of sadness. It was the gentlest tone he had ever used on me, and hearing it only made me more uncomfortable and bothered than in comparison to his harsh tones.

�Yes�?� I dumbly replied, unsure if I was supposed to say something or not.

�I think� we need to talk. I have no energy to dispute with you anymore.�

�Okay��

�Your mother� or�� he began, but stopped, unable to find the right words to describe their relationship to me. Scanning the words through his head, he gave up and just assumed I knew whom he was talking about. �She and your birth mother, Jae Eun, are sisters� so I guess that makes you biologically, my niece,� he explained, looking up only to see the shock in my face. He was my uncle? I had little time to contemplate the words he spoke though before his voice filled the silence again, �Your aunt and I were married about three years before your parents tied the knot, and they were the happiest couple anyone had ever seen, making all those around them envious of their love. I remember the days when we would all go out together, to the movies, to dinners, to the parks�� he trailed off, a smile painted across his face as he reminisced. I had never seen him this happy before, and something told me that this was the true him, before something tragic happened. Returning to reality, he looked up at me and continued his story, �To add to the perfect picture, the child that your aunt and I had been trying to have, finally came to us and surprisingly, your parents announced that your mom was pregnant with you too! They were going to be going through pregnancy together, and your father and I were more than excited to see them both beam with happiness. They did everything together, and their sisterly love could easily be noticed,� he stopped again, his smile dropped and a frown was formed across his forehead. �The story was too perfect though� life is too cruel for two fairy tales to happen at once. During the fifth month of their pregnancy, they went to the mall together in search for baby clothes. What started off as a great day, ended in a bloody loss of a life. They were holding bags and bags of baby clothes, and your mother� She� She tripped and rolled down the stairs there, but WHY?! Why did she have to grab my wife with her?! Why could she not fall on her own?! Most of all, why was she so selfish as to ensure the life of her own child, but not mine? They rolled down the stairs together, but as they landed, your mother was on top of my wife, and the extra impact caused her to bleed right at the scene. Where�s the fairness? Your mother was the one that fell, yet she escaped with a bruise or two� but I lost my child, a part of my wife, and� the chance to ever have a child again. After the checkup at the hospital, your mother was declared to be fine, happily smiling in the arms of her perfect husband, yet in contrast, we lost our child, a girl apparently� and worse yet, the doctors informed us that it would be hard for her to bear another child�� he said with both grief and resentment, a feeling so strong that I could no longer look at him.

I didn�t know what to do as I just sat there, my eyes darting from object to object all over the room. I thought I saw a tear escape his eyes, but it was gone within a second, as his tough exterior image was once again rebuilt. �And you� YOU� you are a constant reminder of the daughter we lost. She would have been the same age; emitting smiles of her own if it weren�t for your mother. When you will little, you smiled a lot, but I couldn�t stand it, because all it did was remind both your aunt and I, of the happiness that was once part of our lives. Do you not know the pain you bring to us?� he spoke with hated, looking away from me, as I was sure he had to wipe away his tears.

I once again, sat there dumbfounded. What was I to do? The melancholy atmosphere in the room stung me, knowing that I had once again been a living reminder of lost love. Minwoo� and now my �parents�. I was so tempted to chuckle at the purpose of my life, but I knew it was neither the time nor place to do so. Pathetically, I stood up from sitting on my bed, and walked over to him. Part of me wanted to swing my arms over his shoulders and embrace him, but my intuition had told me he probably did not want to see me at all. Shaking my head slightly, I simply gave him a short kiss on the top of his head as the tears that fell from my eyes landed on his scalp. �I�m sorry, dad.�

With that said, I left through the doors, knowing that I was never wanted there, that it was not their fault my life had been horrible, but rather my own�

My fault, that I was yet again, another symbol of a harsh reality.

Chapter 34:

I trotted down the stairway through my house and made my way swiftly towards the front doors. I didn�t know where I was going, or even where I was going to stay that night, but I was aware of the very fact that I was neither wanted nor even welcomed. Swinging the doors open, I stepped outside and quickly closed the doors as quietly as I could in order to ensure that I would not wake up my mother who had apparently finally fallen asleep after my uncle had soothed her for hours. It felt weird referring to him as my uncle, but yet I knew they would much rather me address them as that because it would possibly hinder the resemblance I had on their would-be daughter.

Turning around again as I prepared to go, I spotted a slight movement in the darkness of the driveway. There was a gate before the entrance to our house, and yet from a distance, I could tell that it had been swung open. Grasping onto my bag tightly, I walked in closer to the movement and was prepared to launch a violent attack on the mysterious person.

�Whose there?� I asked suspiciously, my voice hinting little fear.

Slowly, I watched as the figure moved towards me, but also closer to the light coming from our porch and his face was illuminated little by little. Squinting my eyes to check over my vision multiple times, my heart skipped a beat in surprise.

�Hi Joo-Eun�� came his hesitant voice, the one that I had been craving to hear since I left. No one else but Lee Minwoo had that type of effect on me.

�Min� Minwoo?!� I screamed half in delight, half in disbelief, unsure if it had been the drama of the passed day that that had fooled my vision. He walked up towards me and pulled my body into his for a tight embrace, and all I could do was stand there like a stick, neither comprehending nor believing what was happening. �What� why� why are you here?! Am I dreaming?!� I asked with a quiver in my voice, scared that my sanity had finally left my soul.

�Hehe, Joo-Eun, it�s really me� I�m really here.� That voice. No one else could possess it, nor could I possibly have imagined it, as it filled me with a sense of peace. The many nights I went to bed, picturing what my day would have been like if I were back in Korea, none of them were as realistic as what was unfolding before me. Every urge I had on holding back, I ignored, as I moved my arms towards Minwoo�s body and held onto him with equivalent force that he was applying to my shoulder.

�Why� The graduation dinner was just a couple of hours ago, how could you be here?!�

�I� I didn�t go.�

�You�. You didn�t go?!? How could you not go?!� I yelled out loud in shock as I pulled away from him to look at him closely for the first time since our reunion.

�Well� you didn�t go, so I guess I�m allowed to not go too,� he said with a bit of laughter in his voice as he stuck his tongue out at me. I was hardly taking it as a joke though.

�Minwoo! Graduation is like the biggest part of a teenager�s life! How could you skip it to come to this dump?!� I asked with a slight bit of concern and agitation evident in voice. He smiled and laughed it off however as he approached me once again and ruffled my hair, which in turn moved the long strands down to my chest all over my face. �Aissssssh, Lee Minwoo, what are you doing?!� I laughed as I blew the hair away from my visage.

�See? Laugh more you babo! I don�t like seeing you mad,� he said again as he moved the remaining hair away from my face and tucked them carefully behind my ears. �The graduation isn�t that important to me. I went to the ceremony; I just didn�t go to the dinner and stuff. No biggie,� he said as he shrugged it off carelessly, yet I knew that he wanted to be there. Something brought him here to the US, especially in such a rush too. �I would have come here earlier, but the guys forced me to go to the ceremony at least, so I came on the first flight over after it,� he explained, yet it only earned a blank expression from me.

�Why are you in such a rush to get here?�

�Look at you. I can SEE the puffiness under your eyes. If I didn�t come sooner, what if you died on me?! Joo-Eun, I�m worried about you. I know we haven�t talked much since�� he stopped speaking, remembering how violent our conversations became at the mention of Brian�s name. �And plus I missed you. So now that I�ve come all this distance, you best tell me what�s wrong� I don�t like seeing you like this,� he spoke with a type of sincerity that almost immediately made half my worries evaporate and disappear. Taking his hand, I pulled him over to where the flower garden laid near the gate away from the front entrance. Along the stone bordered water fountain, I took a seat with Minwoo and looked into his eyes that reflected the full moon as he stared into the sky above us. Smiling bitterly at his peace, I retold the tale of my adventures that day, starting at the cemetery, advancing to the confessions that my parents, or I suppose my �uncle� gave me at home. Leaning against his frame was the only support I received to continue; yet it was more than I needed. At the mention of my newfound knowledge as to why my uncle hated me, I found myself tearing up slightly. The light drops splashed onto the ground, making little noise in the serene surrounding, yet matching that of the water fountain behind us. I felt Minwoo�s hand under my chin as he turned my head softly to face him, and his hands moved up underneath my eyes, brushing the tears away. I halted my crying and leaned my head onto his shoulder as he continued to sweep my back ever so lightly, whispering reassuring thoughts beside my ear.

�Joo-Eun, don�t cry. You are in no way, a hinder to their life, nor should you have been a reminder of their lost daughter in the first place. I was wrong to think that you� represented Minhee, and they are wrong in the same way,� he spoke quietly at first, the word �Minhee� still evidently tugging at his heart. �If they had opened their eyes and accepted you for being Kim Joo-Eun, they would have been given the opportunity to watch the greatest daughter in the world grow up before their eyes. But they will see soon enough just what an amazing person you are, okay?�

Blinking away the last of my tears, I nodded my head against his frame and just stayed in his arms for the time being. It wasn�t until a bright streak of light blinded my vision as a car drove up the driveway did I free myself from his arms. Squinting for the second time that night to make out who had arrived, I found myself bewildered to even imagine anyone coming here at that time of the night- 2am.

Out of the familiar blue BMW, a man stepped out and approached the two of us. His movements were heavy as he crushed the sand beneath his footsteps, causing a scratchy sound to follow him everywhere. I weirdly though I heard him emit a smirk, and it took me a while to realize that it was none other than Brian. Still leaning against Minwoo, I was unsure of what to expect. Usually when two brothers meet after a long time of separation, you are happy for them, but simply feeling how tense Minwoo had gotten behind me, I knew that they possessed a hardly ordinary siblings relationship.

�Joo-Eun, I came back to check-,� Brian began as he halted suddenly, staring deeply into the eyes of the person beside me. I was somewhat confused, as I was sure he had spotted Minwoo before he even started walking towards me. �Minwoo�? Is that really you?! I haven�t seen you for so long!� he emphasized as he ran towards us with faster steps now, standing directly before us. I turned my head to look at Minwoo, but I found he did not share the same excitement Brian had demonstrated.

�Brian� you can act in front of Joo-Eun, but I�m here now� give it up,� he spoke with great acrimony, and I found myself spacing away from him, somewhat feeling the hostility between the two.

�What? I haven�t seen you in four years Minwoo� and those are the first words you give me?� Brian spoke sadly, his tone low and husky, seemingly hurt by Minwoo�s words. My sympathy went directly towards Brian as I stared disappointingly at Minwoo.

�Quit it! I don�t want to hear anymore!� Minwoo shouted once more through his gritted teeth as he harshly grabbed my arm and began to lead me away from the setting. As I quickened my steps in order to catch up to Minwoo�s pace, I abruptly felt another tug pulling me backwards and throwing me to the floor. Rubbing my sore knee through my jeans, I turned my head around and noticed that Brian had gripped onto my other arm, and his tug had unsuccessfully freed me from Minwoo, leading to my fall to the floor.

�STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!� I hollered as I jerked my arms loose from both Brian and Minwoo. I twisted my head back and forth, staring at each of them deeply into their eyes as they scrambled to their knees, checking on me. Throwing a series of questions about my condition at me, I replied none of them and only responded with the sense of anger written all over my face.

�Where are you taking her?!� Brian finally asked after realizing I had neither the intension nor patience to answer any of their questions.

�Anywhere but here! I�m not keeping her here with her so called parents or anywhere around you!�

I darted my eyes to Minwoo and communicated through them, pleading for him to stop. Furious, he placed an arm under my legs and the other supporting my back as he lifted me up and walked away hastily from the scene. Secretly angered, I wanted to jump out of his arms and runaway from both, but deciding that that would only cause further complications, I surrendered and simply kept quiet as he took me away from a Brian that was kicking and screaming into the silent night.

* * * * *

Minwoo flung the door to his hotel room open widely, followed by me demanding answers every other second. He was seemingly holding onto his every urge to yell at me, yet I didn�t quit and only continued with further perseverance. He tore me away from one of the few people I trusted in America, and I was literally threatening to know why.

�JOO-EUN!� he screamed at me, the first time since our relationship had improved a long time ago. I began to open my mouth to speak again, but I was cut off by him continuing, �Stop� for just a second. I came all the way over here because I don�t trust you with him or his intensions for getting close to you at all. You�ve known him for less than two weeks; I�ve known him all my life. He�s eight years older than me, but he is not someone I look up to.�

�The guy evidently wants to improve his relationship with you despite whatever happened between you, yet you won�t even hear him out! He�s been here for me everyday since I�ve arrived, I honestly see no reason for me to hate him!� I spoke in a low tone as I shut the door behind me. I witnessed Minwoo pace around the room in an annoyed manner, before he sat down on the edge of the bed.

�Look at it this way. What does he call you by?�

Surprised at his question, I winced my eyes a little, but his body movements simply pushed me to answer, �Joo-Eun?�

�What do people in America normally call you?�

�Julia�� I replied, suddenly a little scared of the point he was approaching.

�How many times have you told him your Korean name?�

�� Once, by accident when I first met him��

�Exactly. He knew you as Joo-Eun before he met you,� Minwoo explained as he tugged me over to sit next to him on the bed. �Can�t you see Joo-Eun? He�s heard about you, studied your relationship to me and everyone else in Korea� he even knows your past assuming from what you told me about him helping you find your parents� Do you really think a guy that knew you for less than two weeks acquired all this about you had it been just a simple friendship?� he asked sincerely as he turned to look at me.

Sitting there confused by his question, I didn�t know what to do except accept the fact that Minwoo had his point. I looked down to the floor, and wondered all the thoughts going through my head, and it only led to a further headache. �Argh� but why would he want to know me? What could I do?!�

�You brought me to America, did you not? He knows you have an impact on me��

�But� why would he want to scheme all this against you anyways?� I asked but quickly noted his expression and I knew he did not want to tell me. Sighing, I stood up and decided to change the subject just for the night. �Wait� Minwoo, what am I going to do here?! I have no clothes, and there�s no where for me to sleep tonight,� I spoke, trying my best to change the atmosphere around us.

�You sleep on the bed, I�ll sleep on that couch,� he smiled at me as he pointed to the miniscule piece of furniture compared to his size.

�What�? Nooo, you sleep on the bed, I�ll sleep there!� I said as I pranced over to the couch and threw myself onto it, accidentally hitting my head on the arm rests. �Owww�� I whined quietly.

�You dork!� he screamed as he ran over to me and rubbed my head lightly. �You can�t even get onto it safely and you want to sleep on it?! Nice try!�

Realizing that this was going to be a fight till the end, I spread my body out in a star shape, my feet tucked underneath the seat cushions, and my hands gripping onto the arm rest above my head tightly. �I�m not letting go!� I screamed in delight as I painted a proud expression across my face.

�Yeah?� Minwoo asked as he replaced his anguished expression with one of a devious look. His hands were raised just before my body and I was suddenly fearful of his actions. They suddenly launched a frantic attack of tickles onto my body, causing me to squirm and move against my will. My body curved into the shape of a shrimp as I laughed and giggled like a hyena. Spotting that he had won, he picked me up and placed me over his shoulders and threw me onto the bed. �I win!� Minwoo spoke confidently, as he walked away, brushing his hands and patting his own shoulders for a job well done.

�Yah! Lee Minwoo!� I began as he turned around and catapulted a dress shirt right into my face.

I removed the shirt from my head and pouted slightly at him. Earning a smile from his stressed appearance, he simply stated, �Change into that just for tonight, it should be big enough for you,� he said with a grin as he walked into the washroom and shut the door behind him. Laughing, I donned the material and found that it reached all the way below my knees.

�MINWOO! What do you think makes me want to wear your stinky clothes?!� I screamed as loud as I could without waking up our neighbours for the night. Hearing a laugh, I just giggled to myself and lied down onto the bed, pulling the covers over me quickly as the cold wind started to bring goosebumps onto my legs. For the first night since I left Korea, I went to bed with a full smile, and a warm feeling in my heart that replaced the usual yearning for Minwoo�s voice.

Chapter 35:

Within the serene surrounding, I somehow awoke in the middle of the night, confused as to what had stirred my sleep. I was usually a sound sleeper, rarely would I awake before sunrise, yet somehow, today was different. Sitting up in an upright position, my eyes immediately fell upon the body that was curled up into a ball on the couch in order to fit comfortably on the small piece of furniture. I also quickly noted that he had nothing more than a coat around his shoulders, barely enough to keep himself warm. I grabbed the comforter off my bed as I got off slowly and began to approach him with paces that were large yet quiet, almost like the graceful steps of a ballerina leaping across the stage. Placing the material already warmed by my own body heat over him, I watched as Minwoo snuggled closer to the new found material, bringing the most adorable smile across his angelic face. I was tempted to sit there all night with my head in my hands, but as my body emitted a short yawn and the coldness climbed its way from my toes up, I found the thin material of Minwoo�s dress shirt to be insufficient. Desperately looking for another material of some sort to put around myself yet not wanting to intrude on Minwoo�s privacy by looking through his property, I just climbed back onto my bed and hugged the extra pillow beside me to save some heat. Glancing over at Minwoo, I eventually drifted off to sleep, and the bitter cold feeling from my legs evaporated into the night as my dreams took over.

* * * * *

�RING RING RING!� The phone rang with intensity early that morning, causing me to wake up barely before the sunrise. Peeking over at the clock beside me, I found that it was 6AM; only three hours since I had last woke up� I definitely wasn�t getting much shuteye that night. Wrapping my head in my pillow and sticking my head under the comforter seemed to put a silence to the annoying phone, but it was then that I realized, the heat-emitting piece of fabric was once again donned over me. I blushed a little at the thought that Minwoo too had awoken and placed the blanket over me. Taking a glimpse from underneath my pillow, I noticed that Minwoo had not been disturbed by the phone ringing, and immediately picked it up before it did.

�Hello?� I asked, my voice a little scratchy from the dryness that resulted from the long night.

�Joo-Eun? Is that you? It�s Hyesung!� the voice shouted happily into the phone, and I could only laugh before I placed my hands over my mouth, not wanting to wake up Minwoo.

�Haha, hey Hyesung! Sorry, I gotta keep quiet, Minwoo�s still sleeping,� I said as I shifted my eyes over to him for just a short moment.

�Sorry� what time is it there?�

�It�s 6:00am, Hyesung, you woke me up!� I teased quietly, hiding under the covers once again to keep the volume down.

�Really?! Ah� I�m so sorry. Anyways, you should get back to bed. Tell Minwoo to call me back tomorrow please?� he asked sincerely, almost as if he had something that he needed to discuss with Minwoo of importance.

�What is it about? Want me to tell him?� I asked, curiosity once again biting at my soul.

�Umm� no it�s okay, just tell him to call me back. Go to bed Joo-Eun, don�t want to keep you up. You�re coming back soon right?�

�Hopefully! I�ll tell him to call you back then, bye Hyesung!� I replied as he said a soft goodnight, and with that I hung up.

Rubbing my eyes, I took the comforter and placed it over Minwoo one last time before I stood above him once again, unsure of what to do. Deciding that I was all too awake to fall asleep again, I just took the access card to the hotel room beside Minwoo�s wallet and placed on a simple outfit before walking out. I was determined to find some breakfast, or at least get some fresh air. I took a stroll throughout the nearby neighbourhood, and found that it was still too early for restaurants of any sort to be open, all except the 24 hour McDonald�s� good enough for me! Despite what they claim is in there, it had been a while since I�ve ate it, and I somewhat missed the flavour. Stepping inside, I realized that I had no idea what Minwoo would want to eat, and I contemplated on what I could do, only coming to the conclusion of buying every single meal there was. Carrying 10 bags of McDonald�s must�ve made me look like an idiot, but I eventually made my way back to the hotel, earning a few smirks and weird looks my way, but all I could think about was Minwoo�s expression when he saw all this food right before his eyes. Giggling, I made my way up to the top level, realizing that I had wasted an hour just looking for food.

Finding that I had no hands to swipe the card in, I temporarily dropped all the bags onto the floor just for the time being, and took the card out from my back pocket and opened the door to our room. Minwoo was still sleeping soundly on the bed, and for the first time throughout that entire night, he was still covered in the blanket. Smiling, I slowly moved all the food inside and locked the door behind me. Going into the kitchen that was part of our suite (Minwoo must�ve paid a large sum of money for this hotel room), I took out a few plates and placed the large assortment of food on separate plates. Deviously, I tiptoed over to Minwoo�s side and placed the first meal on his chest as he slept. As the smell of the pancakes made their way up his nose, I found him starting to stir and move, hence I quickly removed the plate of food and observed him as he awoke.

�What�s that smell? Gimme gimme gimme!� he cried out loud as he started to sit up and open his eyes, much like the actions of an innocent four year old.

�Kekek! Minwoo, look look look!� I screamed back at him as I moved the pancakes in front of his face and then gestured to the large array of miscellaneous plates behind me. �Any food you want, Joo-Eun�s got for you!� I giggled happily as I watched his eyeballs extrude and nearly drop out.

�FOOD!� he excitedly screeched as he pushed the comforter aside and nearly jumped off the couch before he sat back down and looked at me with crossed-eyes. �Hey� why is the comforter back on me again?! Joo-Eun, you had so little clothes on and you can�t even keep a blanket on you? Tsk tsk tsk!� he scolded as he shook his finger at me. I simply looked away and started to munch away at the food, inviting him to eat in order to get away from the topic of our constant exchange throughout the night. Realizing that I was ignoring him, he launched himself off the couch and hungrily gulped down all the pancakes and random assortment of sandwiches. �I�m still mad at you!� he apparently spoke between bites, and I could only laugh at his idiocy.

�No eating Joo-Eun�s food if you�re mad!� I joked as I pulled the plate below him away from his grasp and started to bite on it myself.

�Hmph! I know what you�re trying to do� you just want to make me fat!�

�HAHA! Yes, that�s what I�m trying to do� this is what American lifestyle is all about� fast food!� I uttered before I heard Minwoo�s crazy eating rage stop and placed an arm on me, urging me to turn around and look at him.

�Let�s go back to Korea, Joo-Eun� you�re done here, right? I have tickets back late tonight� let�s go back�� he said to me seriously, and though the timeframe seemed awfully short, I knew in my heart that I no longer wanted or had reason to be here. I simply returned his question with a smile and a nod as I went back to my food. Seemingly happy with my response, he too smiled and then went back to his food.

�Can I go back home first though�? Just� to say goodbye?� I asked hesitantly, unsure if that was even something I wanted to do.

�� I have something to do; otherwise I�d go with you� I can drop you off though, and you can call me afterwards?� he suggested quietly and it sounded perfect to me, because essentially, I had wanted to go alone.

* * * * *

I watched as Minwoo�s car reluctantly sped away, leaving me alone to withdraw the keys from my bag once again, enabling me to push the heavy door open. Once inside, I was shocked to find that my parents were sitting right in the living room, and my father was in the process of pouring a cup of tea for her. Funny, I still referred to them as my parents, but I knew that was habit I would never totally rid myself of. Looking over at my mother, I found her to be weak and frazzled, obviously still somewhat shaken due to last night�s events. Guilty, I looked down to the floor before locking the door behind me.

�Joo-Eun, come on over here,� my father�s voice spoke in a much softer tone than he normally used, and I observed her hand tighten around his wrist as I nodded and approached them. Sitting down across from them, I never once lifted my head, unconfident of what I wanted to achieve at this meeting.

�Mom� dad,� I hesitated to use these words, yet I was fully aware that the truth was not going to change the fact that they were my parents for most of my life, �I just came back to get my things� I�m going back to Korea tonight.� I briefly lifted my head to look at them before returning my vision back on to the table. Receiving not much feedback, I got up to leave and began heading for my room.

�Joo-Eun, don�t go. Can you accompany us somewhere?� her voice rang out, masked behind the monotone voice, I found traces of sadness, confusion� and hope.

* * * * *

Arriving at the cemetery for the second time that week, I looked out the windows and found my true parents� resting place before the car stopped gently. I opened the door and got out, before assisting her out as carefully as I could as well. We walked over in silence, and the moment we got there, all three of us sat down on the grass, aware that this was not just a simple visit.

�We� wanted you to come to US not because of some business function, but because as you can see� its been ten years since they�ve passed away� and we�ve never visited them together� all three of us before,� her voice said quietly, for some reason the peace in it haunted me.

�Why� why is that they died when I was eight, yet I can�t remember anything?� I questioned a little confused that I could be unaware of another set of parents for so many years of my life.

�It�s a long story�� my mother began, her voice narrating the story I had lost pages to. As she spoke, my head reassembled the memory that had perished many years ago�

* * * * *
flashback ten years ago�

�She was the one named SAILORMOON!� I happily chorused with my mother in the car as we drove away from the movie theatres in which a new movie had just come out staring none other than my favourite heroine, Sailormoon. We laughed and laughed as my father began to address my mother as Queen Serenity, and I as Princess Serenity. We were like the stories of the perfect family, the two parents in the front obviously deeply in love while I sat in the back, bouncing up and down enjoying my time with my parents. Unexpectedly, we approached a crossroad on our way home in which a car had tipped over, and the driver along with his passenger were still inside. My parents witnessed this and their faces immediately dropped as they brought the car to a halt and unbuckled their seatbelts.

�Joo-Eun, stay in the car okay? No matter what, do not leave. Mommy and daddy are going to go help the people in the car, okay?� they said to me seriously, and I could only comply and piped down immediately as I climbed to the front seat, carefully watching every move my parents made. They walked over carefully, and immediately separated, one helping each of the trapped victims being held hostage by the car�s metal frame. As my father pulled the passenger out, I noted to my astonishment, that it was none other than my aunt, the one that I saw often, but didn�t necessarily like me much. As he placed her somewhat close to our car, I scrambled to the side and checked up on my aunt who seemed to have suffered a few cuts on her forehead. My father immediately ran over to my mother, assisting her in pulling my uncle out of the car. I watched scared, my heart beating faster than it had ever, as they tugged my uncle free from the car and he slowly limped towards me. I was relieved that both of them were safe, but for some reason, I did not see my parents come away from the car. My eyes darted everywhere, but I didn�t see them leave the broken car, and it was then that I spotted the oil leak spilling out of the car. My eyes expanded, and out of fear, I pulled the car door open and stepped out hastily, but not before I watched the crashed car exploding, fire filling the sky before my eyes.

�MOOOOM!! DAAAAADDDDDD!� I screamed as I sprinted towards the car, and my uncle who had just escaped the flames caught onto me. He held onto me lightly as he turned around and faced the fire along with the sad truth it brought. I collapsed into his arms, tears swimming out from my eyes and onto my face, fully aware of the fact that I had lost my parents� forever.

* * * * *

�I� I can remember it now,� was all I could make out as my tears reflected the same pain that they held in the past.

�We called the ambulance after sighting the situation, and you had fainted, so we placed you in the car as we conversed with the people that arrived. Your mother was still alive when they freed her from the wreckage; she had saved her last breath to tell us to raise you like our own child. In her hands, she tightly grasped onto the necklace that she wore around her neck since her youth... your father gave it to her after they had shared their sixth month together. The reason they had not walked away from the car was that as she saved your uncle, she dropped the necklace and it was caught beneath the chair. Unable to let it go, no matter how hard your father tried to tear her away, she was determined to retrieve the most important possession she had in her life� but it took her life away,� my aunt continued to explain, her voice too filled with a type of sadness.

�When we first took you home, you cried days and nights� endlessly, your voice rang out with pain. But one day, you suddenly stopped, and when we walked in to check on you, we found you sitting there quietly in a corner, playing with your favourite Sailormoon doll with your mother�s necklace drooping down from your neck. We could only figure that you cried to the level that your young and innocent brain couldn�t take anymore, and simply blocked it out of your memory forever� and since then, you held no remembrance of your parents. Not wanting to bring up your sadness� we never once mentioned it again,� my uncle finally uncovered the reason as to why I couldn�t remember any part of my past.

Sitting there, the three of us shed our tears for the first time since the incident, and for once, I felt like a family. I had my uncle, my aunt� and most importantly, my parents. It was finally a reunion� like the many times we met together on the weekends during my youth.

Chapter 36:

Brian sat there casually in his chair, neither listening to the constant rustle of papers his secretary was causing by shuffling through his folders, or the phone that rang beside his ears repetitively. He remained still, dreaming in his own little world. In his hands, he gripped a small, rectangular box, coated with a layer of velvet that tempted Brian to run his fingers along the surface. Silence soon came as the secretary ran out of his room and picked up the call outside, but he still continued to sit there, smiling to himself. �I�m almost there� I�m going to get what I want� finally, after all these years,' Brian thought to himself as vengeance ran through his head.

Suddenly, with a loud intruding sound, a person pushed the large exquisitely engraved doors open and walked up to Brian, who allowed shock to grace his face for a few short seconds before he eliminated it completely. As the man pounded up to his desk, he looked at Brian with anger, strong enough to torture any other person, but he did not intimidate Brian. The secretary ran back into the room wearing a bright red coat and skirt, embarrassment and worry filling her expression.

�Ah! I�m so sorry!� she frantically apologized with a bow towards Brian. �Mr. Lee, you cannot came in here without an appointment!� she pleaded as she tried to drag the man out, but Minwoo simply flung her grasp off his arm as he rooted himself to the ground. Laughing, Brian stood up and simply with a wave of an arm, sent the useless secretary out of the room. Walking out from behind his desk, Brian paced over to the couch situated on the opposite end of the luxurious office and sat down on it, pouring himself a glass of his favourite liquor.

�What do you want?� Brian spoke out in the calmest voice he could conjure, sounding neither interested nor bothered by Minwoo�s abrupt entrance. Crossing his legs in a relaxed manner, his careless attitude was starting to annoy Minwoo.

�I want you to leave Joo-Eun alone, don�t go looking for her again, don�t go near her, don�t do anything. Do you understand?� Minwoo breathed as he enunciated each word, yet for some reason his anger did not give him a stronger poise than that of Brian�s calm reactions. He was losing already.

�Haven�t we had this discussion before? This is so boring and redundant. We�ve discussed this when you called from Korea� now that you�re physically right in front of me� can�t you do better?� Mockingly, Brian smirked to himself as he noted his advantage and didn�t even to bother looking into Minwoo�s eyes as he continued to sip ever so lightly at the luscious red liquid he had been swirling in his glass. �Red wine tastes so good, would you like some?�

Still teasing him with a smile that Minwoo wanted more than anything to wipe off his cocky face, he bolted over to Brian and slapped the glass out of his hands, shattering the delicately crafted piece against the wall. The crimson colour seeped deep into the carpet of the high-class room, and as it spread, it emulated the hate that slowly increased within the room. �I have to repeat myself because you don�t seem to understand my words. Learn to fight your own battles, rather than using sneaky commands and moves to get to me. I won�t let Joo-Eun get hurt, and I won�t let you manipulate her as you wish.�

�You don�t have much of a choice as I see it,� Brian began as he walked over to the red patch that grew with every second that passed. Kneeling down and placing his finger over the damp surface, he pressed lightly and walked over to Minwoo before printing his fingers onto Minwoo�s stainless white shirt. As he moved his finger down Minwoo�s shirt in one swift movement, he left a bright red stain that became strikingly apparent. �I�m not leaving this battle with a bloodstained shirt� I won�t lose.�

�When will you learn?! When father died, you knew how much he mistrusted you� he wasn�t wrong to,� Minwoo started before realizing that he had finally brought the fire up in Brian. His calm outlook was suddenly diminished as his eyes turned a solid glare towards Minwoo.

�Don�t you dare bring up that blind idiot. He never saw anything, because you were too perfect, all he saw was you. Sure, he left me with the business, but what could I do? He left you with all the money, and I can�t do anything with this business without consulting you. If I knew of this will, I would�ve killed him before he had a chance to die from a sudden heart attack,� Brian spat out, not feeling guilty or any remorse at all.

Minwoo took a step back and regarded his cold-blooded brother before his eyes. Their father had died when he was at the young age of 14, without much of a warning either. Brian had been 22 at the time, but no one in their family trusted him. He snuck his way through life with shady deals and scheming actions, but no one could stop him because he was born into the good life, and before long, he was spoiled beyond the point where anyone could save him. Their father of all people did not believe in Brian doing any good. His younger son however, Minwoo, was a smart and educated child, always at the top of his class. The contrasting details between the two of them stood out stronger than white on black, and he deemed Minwoo as his second chance to correct the mistakes he made with Brian ever since he was young. It was traditional for the family business to go to the eldest son, Minwoo was far too young at the time, and hence their father had no choice but to hand it over bitterly to Brian on his deathbed. The man was smart though, he wasn�t about to watch all his blood and sweat hard work be put into the black market by his devious son; he left all his money to Minwoo. Since then, Brian though possessing all the labels and the glory, Minwoo was the true head of the company, and there wasn�t one action Brian could make without Minwoo�s consent. Eight years older, but always ten steps behind his younger brother, Brian�s anger fumed and grew over the years, and he was more than determined to get what he thought rightfully belong to him. Steal it if he must.

�Give me the money Minwoo� I�ve waited long enough. I will take it from you if I have to. You originally had two paths to choose� death, or money� but now with Joo-Eun here, I suppose I could make another alternative for you,� Brian laughed as he picked up a stack of photos he had taken with her over the last week and threw them carelessly onto the ground before Minwoo. Sprawled across the floor were the smiles, the laughter, and the glow around her and they stung Minwoo more than anything else Brian had said in their conference. To imagine her happiness disappear because of him was of more concern than his own well-being.

�Mom died because of us fighting not long after dad died� she died of heartbreak Brian, why can�t you let the money go and just do well with this business?�

�ENOUGH! Stop bringing them up! In case you haven�t notice, I don�t care! They gave you their love, NOT me. I don�t care, they don�t care, it�s SIMPLE. I�m not dealing with �love�; I deal with money. They were pathetic to see someone in you, nothing more than a sucker for emotions. This is how you fall so easily Minwoo. You�re as useless as they were,� Brian began as he felt a rush of wind approach him before catching Minwoo�s fist right before it made contact with his own face. �Funny Minwoo� If you bruised my face, I would just go to Joo-Eun and tell her our sad life story and she will tend me back to full health,� Brian taunted with a tone that was cold and bare. His eyes didn�t reflect anger, nor did it reflect anything at it� they were just lost, like the life and warmth of his soul had already been sucked out dry. �I will make you familiar with the bitter feelings of being under someone else�s control,� Brian spoke out once more through gritted teeth.

Furious, Minwoo ripped his fist from Brian�s clutch and looked at him with disappointment and hate all mixed together. �No more. Leave her alone. Till the day I die, I will not hand the money over to you, nor will I let you harm her in any way,� Minwoo facilely stated, not even bothering to compose a rebuttal to Brian�s arguments. He walked away with thick and heavy steps, and never considered slowing down to listen to what Brian had to say. A quiet voice spoke out though, but it was filled with power and intentions. It was a statement that was like ice daggers, cold and dangerous.

�Till the day you die Minwoo� till the day you die.�

* * * * *

I sat in my seat quietly, glancing over at Minwoo every few seconds. My parents had dropped me off at the airport when he had called me seemingly in a rush, informing me to pack up my stuff fast because our flight was soon. I had a strange feeling inside which told me that I didn�t want to leave anymore, but with the smiles and support of my family, they encouraged me to go with him, claiming that my heart was truly in Korea. Minwoo was distant and didn�t say much when I had exchanged hugs with my parents as they bid me goodbye; I thought it was just because of past-unresolved issues. But when we boarded the plane and sat next to each other and I found him still absorbed in his own thoughts, I knew something was wrong, that something had happened while I had been at my parent�s.

�Minwoo, are you okay?� I asked quietly as my voice pulled his face towards me.

�Yeah��

�Why did we have to leave in such a rush?� I asked, suddenly regretful of not having stayed behind with my parents a little longer. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I felt as if things could have been better after everything was finally revealed.

�I� I miss Korea,� came his short response, but I could sense the lie in it. Deciding that he had his reasons, I kept quiet in my seat just fiddling with my fingers. If this silence continued, it would be a very long ride back to Korea. I heard a sharp intake of air beside me and turning my head, I found that Minwoo was yawning lightly. It produced a cute expression across his face, and I could only smile at how adorable he looked.

�What are you looking at?� he asked as he blushed a slight tint of pink across his cheeks.

�Hehe� nothing, get some sleep Minwoo, you�re obviously tired,� I said to him as I watched his eyes droop before being forced open again. Shaking slightly, he seemingly shook off his doziness for about a second before it attacked him once again. Giving up, he pulled a jacket over himself and quickly fell asleep. I sat there watching him for a while, but unknowing, an hour had passed before I realized I had done nothing more but stare at him. The awareness made me slightly embarrassed as I shifted my gaze away from the sleeping body beside me and instead looked around the plane. Most people had their eyes closed, and it felt weird to be one of the few still awake. The air flight attendants made their way around asking if there were anything we needed, and I asked her for a small blanket, witnessing that Minwoo was slowly shedding his jacket. With a smile, she returned with the pre-packaged item and I thanked her with a whisper.

I moved softly in my seat careful not to wake him up before I unfolded the material and donned it over Minwoo in one quick motion. The touch of the cotton shocked him a little at first, but he soon snuggled closer to it. His sudden shift brought him closer to me, laying his head delicately on my shoulder. My heart skipped a beat as I watched Minwoo curl up as if he were a baby, and I fought a battle inside my head trying to resist resting my head on top of his. As time passed me by though, my eyes too grew heavy, and I unknowingly lost the battle against myself and leaned in against him, resulting in my head just slightly aligned on top of his. Smelling the fresh shampoo, the fruity smell rushed through my body and it lured me into a world of dreams.

More than anything, I wanted time to stop; because the seventeen hours it took to get from America back to Korea simply wasn�t long enough� for even eternity seemed all too short.

* * * * *

At a bar that night, Brian sat patiently awaiting for his friend�s arrival. Hwanhee had called him about half an hour ago requesting that he met him there as soon as possible. Replaying the day�s events in his head, Brian was carefully plotting his next move as he continued patting the velvet box in his hands.

�Brian,� Hwanhee�s short address came not too much later.

�Hey! What�s the rush in looking for me?�

�How could you let her go?� Hwanhee�s accusation fell upon Brian�s confused complexion.

�� Let who go where?�

�Joo-Eun� she left with Minwoo back to Korea about half an hour ago.�

Taken aback by the sudden realization, Brian fell back on his chair. He now understood why Minwoo had the determination to make that entire speech, and why he wasn�t worried, so sure of the fact that he could protect Joo-Eun. Every word he said, Brian now comprehended. His threat on Minwoo had ended with Joo-Eun out of his grasp. Slamming the velvet box onto the table, Brian angrily ran out of the bar. He fully recognized that he needed to do something fast, or at the minimal, change his entire plan around as soon as possible or the arrangements made almost a year ago would not be successful. Hwanhee just sat there watching his friend make his way out of the noisy bar before reaching for the box and pulling it open.

Inside was a necklace, beautifully decorated with carefully cut diamonds encircling a heart shaped outline. Hwanhee laughed as he threw the useless piece of jewelry aside. �You�re going to need a lot more than that to get through to Joo-Eun, Brian. She�s not just any other girl,� Hwanhee thought to himself as he seized the bottle of beer before him and drank away. Ever since they met as children in school, Brian and Hwanhee had been great friends, but in more ways than one, Hwanhee was the one that taught him how the world works through his own eyes that saw nothing more than hate.

Chapter 37:

When the plane landed peacefully in the hectic and heavily populated airport, I felt strangely at home. I spent less than a year�s time here, and yet I felt like this was where my heart had planted itself. While in the US, I felt more like I was on vacation than returning home. Minwoo and I made our way out quietly without much being exchanged between us due to the simple fact that neither one of us was fully awake. We had purposely not informed anyone else of our return since that they tend to attract a lot of attention, a factor that originated from their happy and excited nature. Grasping onto nothing more than a simple jacket in my hands, Minwoo carried all the bags between us, and whenever I tried to reach for them, no matter how sporadic or out of the blue, he pulled the luggage away quickly. Giving him a tired smile, I walked beside him obediently as we made our way out slowly.

�YAH, KIM JOO-EUN!! LEE MINWOO!� screamed a few lingering voices behind us from a distance. I thought I was hearing things at first, but as the voices intensified and were followed by a thunder of steps, I grabbed onto Minwoo�s arms and hid behind him in fear, causing him to drop everything in surprise.

�Ahhhh� whose there?! Does someone want to murder me?� I cried as I gripped onto the zipper of his jacket, slightly hiding inside his black leather jacket. Silence followed my question before I felt taps on my shoulder. Scared, I snuggled closer to Minwoo�s body and tried to turn him around so that I would be able to shift away from whomever was behind me. To be honest, I knew who they were, but I just wanted to joke around� not to mention the fact that I secretly liked feeling as if Minwoo would protect me from whoever approached me with evil intent.

�Joo-Eun� Joo-Eun doesn�t like Andy anymore! First you come back without telling me, and now you hide from me!� someone finally spoke as I peeked around Minwoo�s body and stuck my tongue out at him.

�Don�t yell out my name like that next time and I�ll talk to you!� I joked as I winked at him. �You guys are so embarrassing!� I jumped out from behind Minwoo and put my hands on my waist. �That�s PRECISELY why we didn�t inform you guys� how did you find out anyways?!�

�Hahaha, Joo-Eun, your parents called and told us to pick you guys up,� Dongwan spoke up as he pushed Andy aside who had been shouting and screaming ever since he had spotted Minwoo and I. Remembering Dongwan�s business arrangement with my parents, I all of a sudden understood why they would know of our arrival. �Seems like things are better between you and your family, hmm?� Dongwan asked with a slight grin on his face, seemingly happy for me.

�Definitely,� I exclaimed as I searched around the sea of faces. �Awww� where�s everyone else? I missed you all so much!� I said to Dongwan as I noticed Minwoo still joking with Andy, picking up from where I had left off. Andy was now standing there pouting like a little child while Minwoo continued to scold him for his embarrassing act. I could see the smile painted on Minwoo�s face though, and it was painfully obvious that he was just joking, yet Andy was taking every word he spoke to heart. No one could ever be cuter than him, yet I knew inside he understood the world better than any other. Andy had the ability to optimistically observe the world and approached it with the innocence of a child, something that none of us were successful at except him.

�Hahaha, everyone else is at Hyesung�s home waiting for you two. We weren�t sure if your parents were just pulling another trick, so we didn�t all come. Hyesung missed you both the most though I do believe. He�s been making a lot of calls to both of you, hasn�t he?� Dongwan stated the fact. I shifted my gaze over to Minwoo, suddenly remembering the call that I had picked up that night during our little game of exchanging the blankets. What had Minwoo and Hyesung discussed so intensively about while he was in the US?

Pulling Andy over with him, Minwoo kept a tight lock on Andy�s head between his biceps. �Those calls were to me, we were just discussing something personal, no big deal,� Minwoo tried to hide, but I noted his eyes moving from object to object as he spoke.

�Minwoo� are you going to let my head go yet?� Andy all of a sudden peeped up drawing all our attention towards him. Laughing, all four of us once again headed out of the airport doors.

* * * * *

A tired Minwoo walked into the grand property along with Joo-Eun by his side. Having received a call from Dongwan at the airport, Junjin and Eric had quickly gone out to retrieve some sort of edible material from the local supermarket. The guys were more than determined to cook up a storm that night. Once noticing the two bodies followed by Dongwan and Andy not too far behind them, Hyesung dashed over to the door and pulled it open even before his servants approached the location. Witnessing a small smile spread across all that were there, he returned it with one of his own before he nearly pounced on Joo-Eun and threw her off balance. Andy kept her weight up and he shook his head in disapproval of Hyesung�s excitement.

�WHOA!� Joo-Eun screamed out loud as she suddenly felt a force applied in front of her and another holding her up behind. Laughing, she spoke again, �Hey Hyesung!�

Pulling away from her with a giggle, he moved his left arm behind his head and scratched it lightly, �Haha... sorry,� he spoke as a red tint moved its way across his pure white skin. �Guess I was a bit too enthusiastic there!� He turned his attention from Joo-Eun onto Minwoo and gave him a light hug. �Hey, welcome back too,� He spoke in a carefree tone, but their eyes exchanged words not intended for hearing. With that, Hyesung invited his four friends inside and guided them towards their usual place in the living room. A sense of happiness was evident across Joo-Eun�s expression as she placed her hands on the material that had left her familiarity about two weeks ago. Minwoo sat down beside her adding to their appearance of being chained by their waists, and Hyesung could only smile at how close the two had gotten over time. What bothered him however, was the fact that Minwoo seemed restless, as if he was relieved to be back in Korea yet knew his troubles were not yet over. Light conversations broke out across the room as Joo-Eun happily retold her events throughout the weeks, yet careful not to use the word �Brian� with Minwoo sitting peacefully next to her. The phone rang suddenly as Hyesung handed it over to Andy to deal with. Groans and whining soon escaped his mouth.

�Do we havvvvee to?!� Andy continued to speak into the receiver only to be greeted by a loud scolding through the phone that everyone could distinctively hear. Pouting, Andy slammed the phone done and stood up, grabbing the closest person beside him, which just so happened to be Dongwan, and pointed to the kitchen. �Off we go to prepare for the food. No whining, no screaming, just do it.� Andy mimicked Junjin�s speech as he immaturely stomped off to the kitchen. Another round of laughter was emitted from the people present. At that exact moment, Joo-Eun�s cell phone also rang and she casually excused herself and disappeared deeper into the house.

�So Minwoo, now that it�s just us, what�s wrong?� Hyesung asked as he looked around and insured that there were no other people.

�Well, what else did you find out about that basketball tournament? It�s under two weeks away�� Minwoo hesitated as he confirmed the date with his best friend. For something that they were aware of for over a year, all the details were just coming to them.

�To start off, the Dragons really are responsible for starting this entire event, and besides us, they invited a whole bunch of other gangs� sure sounds like a lot more than a competition, doesn�t it?� Hyesung sarcastically asked as his mind scanned through all the equivocating answers he had received from a whole assortment of people recently.

Minwoo placed his head between his hands as he took in all the information. �But� we have to go don�t we? They threatened Joo-Eun about it and hasn�t let us forget it since.�

�We don�t really have to go though� I doubt they�re going to do anything about it. Joo-Eun�s always around us anyways,� Hyesung stated as his mind went back to the incident at the basketball court almost ten months ago. �You better be there, or else you�ll be dead by the next day,� were the exact words that left Jae-Sung�s mouth, and Hyesung had engraved that threat in his heart ever since, determined to not let it happen. He flinched a little as he remembered how menacing those words really were.

�I guess so� it�s the summer right? We can all just stay with her,� Minwoo concluded to himself as he let a sigh escape his mouth again, wondering if this decision was indeed the best. �Okay� not going there. None of us will go� it�s final.�

* * * * *

I placed the phone down on my knees and contemplated if what I was doing was right or wrong. Somehow though all the logic seemed reasonable, I had my doubts to the situation, simply because of the credibility of the source. Then again, I had no reason to doubt him; I only did due to the opinions of another. Contradicting myself over and over again, I found myself to be going psychotic. Since I promised him I would help him, I will not fall back on my word now, I can only hope that I had made the right choice.

Skipping back into the room, I found that the others had not yet returned and Minwoo and Hyesung were just about silent. Both looked stressed and tired, so I came to the conclusion that this wasn�t the optimal time to bring up the topic of my earlier phone call.

�You guys look half dead,� I implied as I walked closer to them and seated myself down on the ground before them. �Be happier!�

�I�m perfectly fine! It�s Minwoo that looks asleep,� Hyesung added to my comment as he looked over at his friend, and it was then that he noticed the necklace dropping down from his neck. �Hey� isn�t that necklace yours, Joo-Eun?�

Frantically, I gazed at Minwoo and hoped that Hyesung wasn�t referring to what I thought he was. Finding no other way around it, I bit my bottom lip and replied shyly, �Yes��

�What?! I found this� why didn�t you tell me it was yours, Joo-Eun?! I would have returned it to you!� Minwoo shouted a little as he moved his hands behind his neck immediately and began to undo it. Happy that he was struggling a bit with it, I comprehended that I wanted it there, that I wished he would never be able to take it off.

�Minwoo, keep it on, it looks better on you,� I explained trying to hide my true reasoning. He stopped for a second and looked at me, and seeing the hope in my eyes, he laid his hands down.

�Thank you�� was all that he could conjure up. Though the necklace used to provide me with a source of warmth, Minwoo had replaced that yearning now with his presence, and that was enough for me. Though realization came slowly, I learned at that moment that meeting him replaced a lot of what I had always been searching for and desperately tried to hold onto in the past. His existence mattered to me more than just about anything else, and there was no more denying it. We sat there for a while, simply appreciating that we were back in Korea, back with those we loved, and more over, our friendship that was stronger than it had ever been.

Neither of us noticed that Hyesung had left the scene somewhere in the process.

Chapter 38:

�I�m going with or without you!� my voice rang out across the room as six blank faces observed the dispute between Minwoo and I. It had been hours since we first started, and yet no one had so much as attempted to stop us given the fact that they were scared, knocked out of their senses. Neither of us had fought with each other since things had gotten better, and the sudden rage between us caught everyone off guard.

�Why are you being so stubborn?!? It�s just a basketball competition, we can have one in the backyard if you really wanted to go that badly!� Minwoo retorted as he kept his ground and flung his arm up into the air in sheer frustration.

�I want to go! Plus you�re not the one whose life is at stake if you didn�t go!� In truth, this had nothing to do with Jae-Sung�s hollow threat, but there wasn�t much else I could throw at Minwoo. I myself didn�t care about the competition at all, if anything, I agreed with Minwoo in that it was dangerous and not worth risking� but I promised someone I would do them this favour. Though sounding dumb and fake, I had no intension on losing this argument.

�ARGH!!!� Minwoo let out an angry grunt before he parked himself back on the couch, giving up his position to fight yet half expecting someone else to take his position.

�Guys, you�ve fought enough about this. Joo-Eun, you know Minwoo is right, but I know at the same time that you wouldn�t be so persistent without your reasons, so I don�t know what to say. I honestly, would prefer if we didn�t go� there�s too much at risk�� Hyesung stated quietly, worried that he too would start a fight with me.

Seeing no other way to persuade them all, or at least Minwoo to go with me, I threw in my last card as I got up to leave. �Fine, it�s okay. I don�t want you all to go with me, I�ll go alone.�

* * * * *

I watched as the ocean waves fought each other, the larger ones continually overtook the smaller and weaker ones. The roars they released as they crashed into each other irrationally, it caught my attention and grasped strongly onto it. I sat there for what seemed like endless hours, my mind soaring with thoughts no matter how much I tried to focus on the water. Each time the waves moved in, they soaked my feet, covering them with a thin layer of sand on every occasion. It hadn�t taken long before my pants were saturated with water, my feet buried under many layers of the thin brown granules. The sun was setting with the wind slowly picking up its pace. Before long, I found my hands instinctively stroking my arms repetitively as the surrounding seemed to bite my skin ever so lightly. Soft sighs escaped my lips every once in a while, informing myself of my unwillingness to pursue further into the matter. Periodically, I would toss a few stones that were carried in with the waves into the ocean, attempting to see if a little resistance would break apart the eternal disputes, but I found no response, as if the stone had never existed. It made me wonder how my little actions could possibly help them at all, why I had even bothered to try to make a difference.

A warm coat was draped over my shoulders before my attention shifted from the scene before me to the person that had seated themselves by my side. Catching my surprise, he gave me a faint smile, to which I could only feel guilty for forcing them all into this with me.

�Why Joo-Eun? You know that we�d do anything for you, as would Minwoo especially. Why do you want this so much?� Hyesung asked as his words tugged at my conscience silently.

�� How did you find me?� was all that I could bring myself to vocalize, somewhat hesitant with the entire situation as a whole.

�The ocean is a beautiful place to think, is it not? I come here often, whenever there are things that I can�t let go of. I tell myself that there are plenty more opportunities out there beyond the horizon that I can�t see. Lately more than ever, I�ve visited this beach�� he stopped before taking a deep intake of the fresh air and forcing a smile across his face, �since this is the first time in years since I am unable to fully let go of something�� his voice spoke gently as it blended in with the peaceful tunes of the water now that the night had settled and the waves had hushed.

�I can�t say that what I am doing is right, all I know is that I want things to be better. I�m scared that my decision was wrong, that I will bring pain and danger to everyone, but at the same time, I do believe that this will be good for� for him.�

Him. Everything that I did somehow related to him. I often pondered as to why I had fallen so deeply in love with him without knowing. From the very start, I knew he disliked me; I remember the cold stares, the icy words. Truth was though; he gave me hope when I needed it most. When I questioned why those around me never loved me, he gave me reason to believe that perhaps they did� only they had their own reason to hide it. Much like how I assumed that he had hated me from the first day in science class, I later uncovered the truth that it was because I reminded him of a painful past. He never once hated me, only needed to escape his own thoughts. I understood from the first time that I found out about Minhee, that maybe I saw the world too depressingly, that maybe I needed to learn to oversee the sadness and build a new layer of self-confidence. Like the scar on my body that scorched my soul constantly over the years, once I learned to let go of the fear, it no longer bothered me, giving it an opportunity to heal from the inside out. No one else but Minwoo had given me the confidence to grow into who I really was. He saved me from myself� and to that I owed everything to.

Pulling my feet free from below the many layers of sad, I washed them off in the water that crawled up slowly now, and slipped back into my sandals. Standing above Hyesung, I watched as he wordlessly observed the ocean in front of him in a trance much like I had earlier.

�Let�s hope that the time we spend here pleading to the sea will bring happiness to those we love. As always, you know I�ll be the first to support you, Joo-Eun.� Hyesung whispered as he released a long sigh. I wasn�t sure what to say or what to do, but I stood there just regarding him. His features were tired, stressed and drained out. I couldn�t even force a smile as I stood there, his care for me oddly worried me, because though I was aware of his emotions, I couldn�t bring my eyes nor my mind to see him as more than a brother�

* * * * *

The thundering of the basketballs onto the rough pavement was intrusive to my ears. More than 50 people had turned up to this event, and all were warming up at the base of the cliff, a hidden court specially constructed for this competition I had assumed. Along with all five of the guys as Junjin had to stay behind with Yumi in order to stop her from tagging along, we observed the situation from above, and I would have been lying if I said I wasn�t scared. Down there, I could see random fights breaking loose already as opposing gangs swarmed each other. Scanning the situation, I spotted the Dragons standing guard at locations throughout the court, especially SungWook and Jae-Sung who watched on with intent, seemingly awaiting the arrival of someone special. With the words they shared through whispers, I wondered what they were so concerned about. My eyes however, started searching for the one person that brought me here. Disappointed that I could not find him amongst the people, I hoped and prayed that I had only missed him. I couldn�t afford to make this mistake, I sacrificed too much when I chose to believe his words� the simple sentence, �please don�t let me down� repeated multiple times in my head, over and over again.

Feeling a grasp on my hand tighten, Minwoo nodded lightly at me before guiding me down towards the court. I shook with fear inside. The first step the six of us took onto the court, all eyes were turned towards us, as some even congregated and approached us.

�Yo� what are you rich boys doing here? And what�s with the girl?� a man with tattoos painted all along his arms angrily shouted out as many agreed and added to the noise.

�What? You can play ball and we can�t?� Eric shouted out in response, not allowing his group to seem weaker just by appearance.

Pushing through the crowd, Jae-Sung with SungWook by his side added to the size of the opposing group as they looked on with an all too cocky smile.

�Well, welcome. Didn�t think you�d make it. Joo-Eun, it�s been a while since I�ve seen you� how�s America?� Jae-Sung started with a smirk, intimidating me with his words as I realized he knew fully what my actions were since the beginning. Witnessing that the Dragons backed up our presence there, many of the gangs turned their attention elsewhere and continued to shoot hoops instead, leaving us with only the Dragons. I could only look away when I felt Jae-Sung�s eyes burning holes through my skull.

�Stop with the talking, we�re not interested in the trash that comes out of your mouth. Here for the game, not for your words,� Minwoo spoke not looking at Jae-Sung, but rather at SungWook, who moved his eyes elsewhere when he noticed the attention he received from him.

Jae-Sung seemed rather annoyed at our confidence, noting that we neither cared nor paid much attention to the fact that the people there were not of good nature. Biting back his anger, he simply stated, �In that case, let the games begin.�

Chapter 39:

Ducking behind a man at least double my height, I accepted the flying ball passed to me by Andy. Dribbling it near the opposing basket, I stopped as many started following my track thus losing the power to shoot effectively. With a hard bounce on the floor, the ball made its way to the opposite side of the court where Minwoo took it greedily into his hands and shot it right through the basket just before the countdown to the period hit zero.

�And that�s another point for� them! As well as another match!� shouted the announcer into his microphone. Unlike all the gangs there, we had no name or alias to go by, and the announcer had been struggling with what to refer to us as since the very beginning. The opposing team threw their towels onto the ground and glared daggers at us before making their way off the court. Leaning over to catch my breath, we all crowded around to congratulate each other. That was it; the next game would be the finals. We had originally intended to just lose quickly and leave, but the competitiveness in our blood as well as our results reflected our desire to be the best.

Taking a peek around once again, I utilized the little amount of time before the next match. Strangely, I didn�t find him anywhere, and I started to fear that I had fallen into a trap. Taking into account that everything was so far running smoothly, I hoped that I was just being too cautious and skeptical about the entire event.

�Joo-Eun, the next people we play are the Dragons, be very careful okay?� Dongwan whispered to me as he handed me a bottle of water, constantly scanning the area and keeping an eye on what was happening.

�Okay, but why do I have to be extra careful this time? The Dragons scare me far less than those before.�

�That�s precisely why,� Eric began as he too walked over and stood beside me. �You�ve seen them so much, you�ve let your guard down� don�t let familiarity blind you, they�re no better than the rest of them, okay?� he stated as he placed a fresh band-aid over a cut that the other teams had given him during the previous match. Noticing the blood on his arm, I understood what he meant and gave him a firm nod.

Everyone patted me on the back a little and reassured me that it would be okay. Minwoo however, stood by himself a little bit away from our group, seemingly a little hesitant about the next match.

Right when I was about to say something to him, he interrupted with, �This is also a very personal match� if anything, we should fear them more than any of the other gangs,� he spoke before walking even further away from the group. I had no idea what he meant by �personal�, but I watched Hyesung and Andy shake their heads just a little. Though confused, my attention was switched to the Dragons and their backup who quickly filled the court.

Advancing before us, we observed quietly as they carefully picked each person to play. I watched as SungWook was picked out of the sea of people, along with a few that I had seen around school. Though the other teams consisted of five members, we however had six. I had originally not planned to play at all since it was a condition that Minwoo had made with me before coming. But all the gangs there chose to make a joke out of it and requested that I participate; now they regretted making such a decision. Though I offered to stop playing, in order to keep up to their tough image, they wouldn�t let me leave the court, some even went as far as to threaten my life. Not that I minded, I liked showing them that girls were not necessarily weaker.

�Ready?� The announcer asked, and as he was promptly replied with approval from both teams, people cleared the courts and left it to us. Eric had been responsible for most of the jump balls today, considering Junjin, the tallest of us all, was missing, and he possessed a more a far more intimidating nature over Hyesung. SungWook was facing off for the Dragons, and it wasn�t till then did I notice that he was actually quite tall himself. The many times he had lost to Minwoo must have been embarrassing in his own mind.

Everything ended at that last thought as the ball was thrown up and I was once again absorbed into the game itself. Eric reached up and hooked the ball between his fingers, flinging the ball back towards me. I ran up rapidly and ceased the ball into my grasp before dribbling it across the court and meeting the resistance of one of the Dragons� players far taller than myself, hence forcing me to attempt a pass towards Hyesung who was not too far ahead of me. Intercepted however, SungWook stole the ball as it made its way towards Hyesung. Trying to take best advantage of his possession of the ball, SungWook didn�t plan his track well before he rapidly made his way towards his goal. Lacking the tactics, he ran right into Eric and Minwoo together, which obviously gave him grave difficulties. Minwoo stole the ball from him with a smirk and once again switched the play around. I watched as he approached me, and with one swift push, he passed the ball into my arms. Seeing as I was positioned right below the net, I didn�t meet much conflict from the opposing team and easily shot the ball into the basket with a �swoosh�.

�AND YET ANOTHER BASKET FOR THEM!!!� The announcer excitedly exclaimed into his microphone before he realized that many dirty glares were thrown his way. Of all the people there and all the negative relations between them, our group must have been the most unpopular. We were the regular law-abiding citizens that the police force and the government loved. Plastered on magazines and newspaper front pages were constantly one of our families. News articles frequently consisted of our family business conditions and contracts. Unlike these people, society had done nothing beneficial to them in their eyes, nothing for them to thank. We were precisely the people they hated. Seeing the anger and the embarrassment in the Dragons� eyes, I knew they were now more determined than ever to beat us.

The play once again started as one of the Dragons� threw the ball back into play, right into the hands of SungWook. As he moved across the court, he remembered this time to keep his eyes peeled for either Minwoo or Eric. I once again followed one of the opposing team members, who pushed me aside a little as I got closer. Determined to follow him however, I quickened my pace. Witnessing the fact that we had arrived at the other end of the court, I analyzed the situation in my head quickly and realized that SungWook�s next move would be to pass to the man I was guarding. Acting on my intuition, I jumped ahead of him as soon as I saw the ball leave SungWook�s hand and as I expected to grab the ball with ease, I felt a hard shove to my left side while I was still in the air. The man I was guarding had pushed me to the ground, scraping my knees deeply. He laughed as he shot the ball he had acquired with no difficulty into the basket, considering everyone had rushed to my side.

�Joo-Eun! Are you okay?!?� Hyesung asked as he investigated the blood that was now all along by right leg. I winced in pain as Minwoo quickly dabbed a white tissue over the fresh cuts. It was not smart at all to wear a pair of shorts to this match, but yet it would have been uncomfortable to play in pants under the blazing sun.

�WATCH IT,� Eric yelled at the Dragons� as they just stood around with little interest in the situation that had arisen.

�Man, she�s not the first to get injured in this tournament, if she wants to play, she best know how to take a few hits,� the man that pushed me aside said as he laughed at how weak he presumed me to be. A few other jokes and snickers were exchanged between the Dragons, bringing the crowd observing to laugh along with them.

�Is she okay?� SungWook all of a sudden said, earning a few gasps from people all around, especially his own teammates. When no one answered him, he firmly asked again, �I said� is she okay?!�

Caught off guard, the words were stuck in my throat for a while, as I stared blankly at him. Silence around the entire court engulfed all of us. Fumed, SungWook took a step towards me to see for himself, but a hand held onto his wrist at the last moment tightly.

�Make another step, and you will be gone forever,� Jae-Sung whispered through his gritted teeth, furious as to the fact that one of his most loyal followers was displaying a weakness to their enemies. SungWook could do nothing more but to look away. Spotting the tension, I decided to attempt to stand up on my now bandaged leg thanks to Minwoo�s care. It was the only way I could think of showing SungWook that I was fine. Andy held me up, but judging from the weight I placed on him, he knew how much I was depending on him to hold me up. Giving a faint smile, Andy moved me to the edge of the court and helped me sit down. He patted my head lightly before he moved back into the match. Jae-Sung also moved off the court once again, never bothering to even say a word to any of us besides give SungWook that one warning.

The game once again began accompanied by the announcer�s animated expressions. From a third person�s perspective, I noticed how much dirtier the plays really were, how much pushing and shoving were often exchanged. Perhaps due to my light frame, the last hit had caused damage to me, but that hit was no more than what everyone else on the court were experiencing at that moment. I watched as the plays shifted from the left to the right, up and down multiple times. It really was exciting to be watching, cringing at each shot made against us, cheering for every basket we made. Doubtlessly, my eyes were focused on Minwoo as I followed his every movement. In his white t-shirt and baby blue shorts, he looked like a little kid on the court. A small smile painted its way across my visage.

But something was wrong. Something was catching my attention. I was unable to pinpoint the exact problem at first, my eyes kept scanning the area, and each time something small and minuscule slipped past my eyes.

I got up, and slowly approached the court once again; my eyes zoomed in on Minwoo as if they had such a capability to do so. I shook my head from side to side, rubbed my eyes with my hands multiple times, unsure if what I saw was correct. �No�� I whispered quietly to myself, my heartbeat reaching its peak, higher than when I was running up and down the court. Dongwan and Eric immediately stopped their play as they watched me run up with a large disadvantage credited to my injured leg.

�Minnwwoooo!!� I screamed as I tried my hardest to run faster, my eyes focusing on nothing else besides the little red dot that was now becoming extremely evident over Minwoo�s white shirt. In fear, I watched it shift rapidly, trying to readjust to his heart�s location. In confusion, he stopped his movement in pursue for the basketball and stood still, giving whoever the sniper was a perfect time to aim. With no other option, I lunged towards him, just as silence filled the court as they watched the drama unfold. Many gangs got up and left as they realized that this was more than a basketball tournament, with a plan hidden deep within it. Unwilling to assist anyone besides their own allies, they left. Many around drew their weapons, mostly guns, and just stood on guard.

But none of this mattered to me. I lay soundly on top of Minwoo, unwilling to move because I feared that if I looked, he would not be breathing. I kept my eyes shut, fear and pain burning through my body.

Chapter 40:

The entire world came to a halt for me. No longer did the birds chirp, nor were there cheers coming from the energetic group. Somehow, silence crept its way into the crowd and the surrounding, sneaking its way in unsuspectingly. Many stood far back observing the situation, but the once innumerable crowd had disbanded within those short few moments.

As still as ever, I remained laying on top of Minwoo�s warm body, taking short breaths as often as my body permitted. �Please be okay, please be okay,� I thought constantly in my head. Within the limited time, I had come to terms with myself and realized that I cannot live without this man. My conscience was also stabbing at me, forcing me to remember the very fact that I was a culprit of this crime as well, that I was the one that led them all here. I heard a thunder of footsteps run over, but still I had no desire to move.

�Joo-Eun!� Eric yelled as he ran over, draping my back with some sort of material, his action adding to my confusion. He pressed it with strength against my back and a sudden surge of pain whipped through my body. I turned away from his grip on me in order to minimize the pain, rolling off Minwoo�s body in the effort. �Don�t move! You�re bleeding all across your back!�

�What?� came my still confused expression before my mind rushed back to my focal point. �Minwoo! Are you okay?!�

��� I was greeted by his silence and when I finally took to courage to look at him, I found him to be unharmed and it calmed me a little. He however, sported a shocked visage, eyes wondering and his mouth widely opened. �� I� I�m fine� what happened?� Oh my� Joo-Eun, you�re bleeding!�

�I don�t think we�re safe here, let�s get out of here. Someone just shot at you Minwoo, and Joo-Eun pushed you out of the way just in time, but the bullet scratched across her back in the process. She�s not deeply injured, but we�ve all got to get out of here� RIGHT NOW,� Hyesung theorized as he extended his hand towards Minwoo and helped him up. The impact of my body pushing against his as we fell had rendered him a little unstable, but he soon snapped out of his daze and became instantly aware.

Having been picked up by Eric, I was well elevated off the ground already with his jacket still covering my shoulders. Minwoo however suddenly walked in front of me and asked Eric to hand me over. �Let me take her. I have a car here, I�ll take her to the hospital, all the rest of you can go home first, help me divert some of the attention here okay?� Minwoo hastily asked as he hooked his arms below Eric�s and I was transferred into Minwoo�s hands instead. Everyone nodded and ran out of the arena for fear of the sniper�s next move. Safely tucked inside Minwoo�s arms, he ran out as well. �Joo-Eun, are you okay?� he would ask every so often, to which I replied with only a slight nod each time.

�Minwoo� this is all my fault, I�m so sorry,� I whispered as he approached his car, opened the door and slid me inside carefully.

�Sshsh. It�s okay, it doesn�t matter,� was his only response as he buckled both him and I up and drove off immediately. Not knowing what else to say, I just kept quiet and hoped that the worst had passed.

As Minwoo�s car flew around corners and twists in the path on his way back to the city, I could do nothing more but watch the expression on his face, one that had been painted only out of concern. My injury was not large; though emitting blood, the pain was hardly evident. Something was shielding away the discomfort, but I was unsure of what it was. Leaning over onto the window, I laid my eyes to rest in an attempt to sleep a little until we got to the hospital at least. Quietly, I started drifting off to the sound of Minwoo�s engine, but the car jerked back all of a sudden and it stopped right in the middle of the road. I turned to Minwoo, fearing that something had gone wrong. He only stared at the road before him, where a red sports convertible was now waiting by the side. He had stopped because he recognized it, and, as did I. It was the same car that saved me as I fainted before, the same car that parked itself outside through my nights at the hospital though he never came up to visit me again since Minwoo arrived.

�Joo-Eun, hold on okay? I don�t know what he wants, but I promise you I�ll get you to the hospital,� Minwoo whispered as he laid his hands back on the steering wheel and started the car. Slowly at first, but I could tell that he was accelerating at a fast rate. As we swiftly past SungWook�s car, I watched as he dropped the cigarette that was once in his hands onto the ground before he started his car as well and followed closely behind us. Taking a look up in the mirror, Minwoo cursed to himself before he drove even faster and shot down the road like an arrow. Gripping onto the door�s handle, I watched in fear, unsure where this was leading. SungWook showed no attempt or desire to let us beat him, and before long, his car paralleled ours. He rolled down his windows, an action that Minwoo too simulated.

�I can�t let you go, Minwoo. Let�s not waste time,� came SungWook�s direct response, one that I could sense a strange mix of revenge and remorse in. Minwoo however, could care less about the statement and quickly pushed his windows back up as he sped further down the path.

The two cars battled each other, zigzagging along the path towards the city life, where this would have been virtually impossible. Though peaceful at first, the race soon turned into a ravaging fight of pushes and shoves from both cars, possibly damaging the exterior beyond imaginable. SungWook�s actions were dangerous as he pinned us near the edge of the path against the rocks borders of the road. Minwoo held back his anger and never once returned the hostility unless he absolutely needed to in order to prevent our car from tipping. I had never been so aware before in my entire life, watching the many times all three of us nearly met death face-to-face. Sparks flew beside my window as I watched the car scrape against the metal sides of the fence. Pushing the gas to the maximum, Minwoo squeezed himself out between the fence and SungWook�s car, speeding ahead of his opponent. As we approached another turn however, our game ended. Heading straight and at an incredible speed trying to make a sharp turn, Minwoo could not control the car anymore as SungWook hit us from behind, driving us right into the wall of the stones.

The airbags popped out. As if by miracle, our car did not explode, credited to Minwoo�s desperate attempt to decrease the car�s speed as he spotted SungWook behind us. We sat there however, heads resting in the airbags, but I felt a pain much sharper than that of my back along the side of my head as realization hit me slowly. With my head caught between the airbags and the glass, the impact of the crash had shot my head against the glass, blood now rolled down my head slowly. As the airbags quickly deflated, I moved slightly and spotted Minwoo too resting his head against the glass.

�Are� are you okay?� I spit out with all the energy I had remaining. A few scratches were evident on his soft features, possibly from hitting the wheel before the release of the airbags. Much to my relief however, beyond the few scratches, he seemed to be in decent shape.

�Joo-Eun, there�s blood all over the window!! Don�t move!� he screamed to me as he quickly forced the bent door to open and ran over to my side. Gently and slowly, he opened my door, which I had depended greatly on to keep my balance. I fell into his arms gradually, where he carefully rested my head on his shoulders as he leaned over and unbuckled the seatbelt. For fear of the car having the possibility of exploding, he carried me a distance away from the car and sat down on the ground, holding the cut on my head tightly. I could see tears emerging from his eyes, and forced myself to produce a light smile.

�I�m okay, Minwoo, don�t worry� I�ll be okay,� I spoke reassuringly, still managing the faint smile that I had to use all my energy to generate. From a distance, I spot SungWook hesitantly walking up towards both of us. Minwoo doubtlessly noticed him as well.

�GO AWAY!! DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!?� he yelled at SungWook as the tears building up started sliding down his angelic face. �Why? Why must you hurt everyone around me that I�ve ever cared about? First Minhee, now Joo-Eun� answer me, WHY?�

�I never hurt Minhee,� SungWook replied with such assertiveness that both stunned and surprised me. �You were the one that hurt her. All I wanted was to watch over her and love her, but you stood in the way� you�re the one that killed her, not me,� SungWook spoke with nothing but his pain, and the strength of his words were so accusative that I found myself wondering if what he said was true. Confusion clouded my mind as I realized that the two of them hated each other not because of a school�s conflicting cliques, but rather due to a history of personal disputes. I looked up at Minwoo, hoping that he would disagree with all of what SungWook had thrown at him, but finding him avoiding my eyes worried me slightly. �I would never hurt Joo-Eun either, but she�s so close to you, I can�t help it� you forced me to do all this, Lee Minwoo.�

�Why� why did you join the Dragons?� Minwoo asked almost to the air more than SungWook as he said it quietly to himself.

�� Brian was the only person there to help me deal with it all, Minwoo. You have no idea how much I wanted you dead then, and how much I want you dead now,� SungWook spoke still with the same amount of mixed emotions that made it more obvious than ever that he was doubting his own actions. Almost as if he was pushed by peers rather than by his own desire, he took a gun out of his coat and readied it to take a life. Pointing it towards Minwoo, I found myself suddenly scared once again.

�No� stop SungWook, this isn�t right�� I said quietly as I pushed the words out from my throat that wanted only to rest. �You can�t do this� I� I don�t know your history, nor what happened�� I stopped to take a short breath and to let the tears stemmed from fear out from my eyes, �but I know you�re not a bad person� Stop, don�t do this�� I spoke as I used just about all my strength to sit up and extend my arms out, blocking all shots to Minwoo. �You can shoot me first if you must.�

� Not long after that statement, I blanked out. The world spun around at an immeasurable speed and I fainted against Minwoo�s body once again.

* * * * *

�� Brian was the only person there to help me deal with it all, Minwoo.�

SungWook�s words repeated themselves over and over again. I knew somehow that I was still unconscious wherever I was, but my mind would not let me forget the fact that I fell into a trap so deep that I killed everyone that tried to save me afterwards. I wanted to wake up right at that moment; I wanted to know if Minwoo was okay, if SungWook had shot him� if I had actually died. Uncertainty clouded my mind. All I knew was that a type of anger grew in my body.

Brian, you are the leader of the Dragons. You lied to me. Your sweet phone call on my day back from Korea was not a plead, but rather a filthy, dirty, plan to use me to lead everyone there, particularly Minwoo.

�Joo-Eun� I want to make things better again with Minwoo� I want to be a good brother figure again; I want to be there for him because I know he has a lot of healing to do� can you do me a favour? He will never meet with me if I requested it� can you please take him to the basketball tournament? I�ll be there; I�m flying in purposely to apologize to him there in front of everyone� please? I really need this favour from you��

Why was I so stupid? Why had I not listened to any of the words people told me before? Minwoo, whenever I wake up, I hope you�re beside me, I hope you�re alive. I will never forgive myself for what I�ve put you through. I cannot live without you.

Chapter 41:

The roars of the cars speeding down the pathway remained clear in my head. It was a sound I could not bring myself to forget. The scenes fled by more rapidly as my mind fast-forwarded through an endless amount of footage before arriving at a gun pointed towards Minwoo. I witnessed my speech, I watched the little effect it had, and the hand propped on the gun prepared to fire.

�MINWOO!�

I screamed out loud as I flew up from the bed I had apparently been sleeping on. Shifting my eyes around, I found myself to be in a bland white room illuminated with fluorescent lights, completed with nothing more than a painting of a serene milieu and a TV placed on a stand a short distance away. A pair of worried eyes followed my sudden movements before hustling up to me and sat down carelessly on my bed.

�Are you okay?! I�m so glad you�re up!�

Sweat beads rolled down my face as I realized that I was not where I last remembered, rather bandaged and sitting in a hospital surrounding that I was becoming all too familiar with. Turning around to face Yumi, I calmed down a little. �How�s� Minwoo?� I asked, terror still evident in my voice.

�He�s okay� he�s in a room a few doors down from here� nothing more than a few scratches on his head� The doctors want to keep him here another night just to make sure that he didn�t suffer from head injuries when the car crashed,� Yumi summarized as she pulled me into her loving arms, disregarding the fact that I was completely covered in sweat. Tears welled in my eyes as they slid down slowly from happiness, a ton of pressure lifted off my shoulders as I was assured that he was okay. A smile spread across my dry lips slowly as they cracked slightly to produce a little blood.

�I�m so happy,� was all I could conjure up to say as the same stupid smile played on my lips even after Yumi had pulled away. Getting up off the bed quickly, she paced over to a counter close by, poured a glass of water and handed it over to me when she noticed the blood droplets dotted across my lips. I briefly thanked her as I let the water rush down my throat, where liquid seemed to have not touched in ages.

�How can you risk your life so many times for a single person, Joo-Eun?� she questioned almost as if she found it unbelievable. �How is it that you are completely aware of the danger, and yet still protect him with all that you have to give?�

I glanced at her for a second before pushing my eyes away, knowing that the answer to her questions could easily be derived from the emotions displayed in them. �You�d do it for Junjin too,� was all that I could think of to say as I took another sip of the much-needed water. She placed her fingers on my head where a ribbon of white fabric was now encircling, then traced the outline of the bandage that was wrapped across my back from the cuts of the bullet.

�I love Junjin though� I grew up with him, and we�ve been through everything together. Unless if you mean to tell me that you lo-,� she hesitated with the sentence when she noticed that I was still producing the same idiotic smile to myself. Rubbing my hands over my stomach, I found the scar that I had long neglected ever since I met Minwoo. It no longer hurt me, nor did it burden me with past memories.

�I can�t say that I grew up with him, but I know we went through everything together. I came here with a scarred body, and found Minwoo carrying a scarred soul. Healing together has brought me closer to him, almost as if we�ve become one. I don�t dare let the words leave my mouth, or even the thought to linger in my mind� that perhaps he might love me too, but I know I can�t be without him because he is all I have left to rely on� I know I�m almost done healing� just a little more time, and I�ll be perfect again.� I chuckled to myself a little before I looked up into Yumi�s eyes confidently for the first time throughout the entire conversation, �Lame, isn�t it?�

Yumi could only shake her head a little as she produced a slight smile, an answer that showed her understanding of my emotions better than anything she could have said. We had a type of friendship that though we rarely shared information directly, we knew enough about each other to be aware of details without them being spoken.

A person suddenly came to mind when I contemplated on going across the hall to visit Minwoo: SungWook. The heated dispute between the two of them made it evident that they shared a history together thicker than a book. Aspects of it made me wonder about their relationship, and what all this had to do with Minhee. She seemed to be the root of all things; jealousy would rip through me at times, only to then remind me of her saddening fate. At that point, I would scold myself for being selfish.

�Yumi�� I began hesitantly, still questioning myself if it was a good decision to pursue further into the topic. �� What is� SungWook and Minwoo�s relationship? Or rather� what made them the way they are now?�

Greeted by silence, I was about to simply change the subject when I heard Yumi release a slight sigh. �Shuffle over,� she said quietly before kicking off her shoes and joining me on the hospital bed. With both our backs resting on the backboard and our legs stretched out facing the TV, we never looked at each other, only communicated through connection. �� Minwoo, Minhee, and SungWook used to be best friends. The three of them did everything together, and were the envy of the school. He was friends with Junjin and everyone else back then too, but not anywhere near as close as they are now. As you know, Minhee is a year younger than both Minwoo and SungWook, and due to that, both protected her in every aspect and would never let anyone do any harm to her. Their friendship was admirable� because they contributed to each other�s happiness in many ways. If only you saw what Minwoo and SungWook were like back then�� Yumi trailed off a little, leading me to realize that the reminiscing part of the story was ending. I kept my eyes on the painting that hung over the white walls, adding a splash of colour in the otherwise monotonous room. Fixed in the beautiful rolling mountains and blue streams of water, I pictured Minwoo, Minhee and SungWook flying kites together, both helping her to get the thin piece of fabric to soar through the sky successfully. Doubtlessly, a tinge of jealousy soared through me yet again, but a small smile started appearing as I noted their contentment, their enjoyment to simply be with each other.

�But it is all too easy to ruin a friendship. Over the laughter, a feeling of love developed in SungWook for Minhee. I think he really loved her, but even if he loved her more than life itself, Minwoo would never approve of him. He always saw in SungWook, a possibility, or an ability to anyways, be a bad person. I guess to word it; he saw his sly nature, how cunning he could be when he wished to deceive others. I think from there, things changed for all three of them. Minhee was caught between their fights, and though she initially appreciated Minwoo�s help, she soon started to find emotions for SungWook as well, and that led to�� Yumi hesitated as she realized the next words to be said should not come from her mouth. She turned over to me for the first time since she began explaining, to which I found in her eyes, a saddening story to follow; yet she would not be the storyteller. The fact that Minhee�s death still had such an influence on both SungWook and Minwoo, I comprehended that her death must have had something to do with them both.

SungWook�s speech rang clear in my head now, and his accusations upon Minwoo seemed suddenly possible. �Where�s SungWook�?� I questioned Yumi, partially because I wanted to thank him for having mercy on Minwoo, partially because there were things I knew I wanted to know.

�He�s around� I see him peeking into this room every now and then, but never having the courage to come in� Joo-Eun, he�s a nice person, and I know you know that better than any of us. He won�t do harm to you, but still be careful okay? He has a lot of anger in him, and I don�t know how long it will take before it finally dilutes�� she spoke lightly as she turned to face me. Nodding at her comment, she accepted it and got up to leave. �I�m going to go get you some food okay? I don�t think you�ve had anything to eat for a while. Everyone�s checking on Minwoo, but I think you should stay here for a while, both of you need rest,� she finished with a smile as she gave me a quick hug. With the door closing behind her, I was left alone once again, but this time with thoughts clouding my head. Surveying the room as my eyes scanned over it ever so slowly, the once white walls were now clustered with images and footage, playing out each scene in my mind. The trapped feeling of simply having too much going on suffocated me mentally, if not physically. Sliding on the slippers that Yumi must have brought for me from her house, I pulled a small jacket over my body before walking out of the room as well.

I paced around slowly before I found myself standing before Minwoo�s door where a loud laugh from multiple people escaped. Though my small hands gripped the handle to the door tightly, it slowly loosened as I turned away and started walking towards the end of the hallway. For some reason, I felt like I needed some time away from everything. Maybe all I wanted was some fresh air.

Once outside, I witnessed many little kids running around in thin white fabric suits, and a saddening thought crept into my mind. What had these innocent bodies done to deserve to be patients in a hospital? At such a young age, yet being comfortable enough with the environment to run around laughing and playing undoubtedly worried me. Hospital surroundings had a way of scaring most kids that came in only for small cuts, but those that were more than happy there with a set of friends� they reminded me of patients that had already become numb to the environment. I watched as they continued their game, laughing and giggling as their small frames permitted, and was absorbed in how they had the ability to be so pure and innocent. A small ball made its way across the green lawn before stopping as it hit my legs. A swarm of little kids surrounded me suddenly, all looking up at me with their large eyes when I took the ball into my hands.

�Hi nuna, can I have the ball back please?� a little boy smiled, showing off the gaps between his teeth almost as if he were proud of his achievement.

�Hmmm� if you let me play that is!�

�Yay! Nuna�s gonna will play with us!� he and many of the little kids bounced as I laughed out loud.

�Don�t play with them Joo-Eun, you�re not healed enough�� came a voice from behind me. It was low and husky, as if the man that spoke did not have enough sleep. I knew precisely who it was, and had no option but to give up my game with the kids. Handing them the ball, they took it and ran off back into their circle of friends.

�SungWook�� I began without turning around. Somehow I knew he would reach out for me, but I just walked away. I didn�t exactly know what to say to him. Was I to thank him for not shooting Minwoo? Hate him for even considering it? Interrogate him as to what their relationship was? Or simply, act as if nothing had happened. I took a seat on a small vacant bench and continued watching the little kids before he too, joined me on the bench. �Aren�t they so adorable?� I asked, but received no response.

In silence, we sat there stilly as time ticked by us slowly, second by second. The laugher of the kids rang out and filled the void between us, but it simply wasn�t enough to cover the awkwardness. The few times I looked over at SungWook, the first thing I�d noticed were his hands that gripped onto the edge of the bench tightly, revealing all the veins in his hands. It seemed that he continued to apply a certain amount of pressure onto the wood each time, making me fear that he would actually have the ability to break the piece of fragile furniture.

�I�m sorry, Joo-Eun�� he suddenly spoke as he twisted his head to face me. The hand that situated on the wood was slowly released, and a short period later, he no longer gripped onto it, rather merely laid his hands in that position peacefully. When I found the bravery to look up at him, I was surprised to find that he was smiling lightly, something that I had never seen from SungWook, and it reminded me of the description that Yumi had given me regarding the old him. I couldn�t help but return his friendly smile, because I found in it, that he was trying his honest best to leave his encumbrance behind, and though he may not be entirely successful, he indeed was genuinely trying hard. �I� I won�t go after Minwoo anymore. When I pointed my gun at him, I knew then that if I didn�t fire, I never would� a whole year has passed and not much has been through my head besides the thought of having him dead� I�m tired too�� he paused before looking right at me, and I could see right through his tired eyes and the pain that he hid in them. �I think I was blinded by my hatred for him� but placed in the situation where I had been wishing for about a year now, I couldn�t do it� all I saw was Minhee begging me not to. I became precisely, everything that Minwoo feared I would become, didn�t I?� SungWook chuckled to himself a little as he just sat there in disbelief and allowed his vulnerability to show.

�Thank you, SungWook� for everything,� I spoke gently as he got up off the bench and outstretched his arms, seemingly reaching for the sky, before placing them down again.

�Lee Minhee, I loved you, thank you for giving me the chance to. Though things never worked out for us, you don�t have to worry about Minwoo anymore� I see with my own eyes again,� he breathed and let out a huge sigh of relief before smiling brightly.

But something bothered me about that sentence completely. I sat dazed and just starred ahead at nothing in particular. I felt as if I had lost control of my mouth as it asked a question on its own. �SungWook� what� does Lee Minwoo and Lee Minhee have to do with each other?� I asked as my eyes shifted at an incredible pace trying to blink away the tears, fully aware that the answer would sting.

�You� didn�t know?� he asked with a fearful tone as he turned towards me. �She�s his sister.�

My



heart�



sank.

�Good night Joo-Eun, I love you just like I loved Minhee.�

* * * * *

To be continued... Please leave a Comment if you do read this so I can get some feedback. :)