"Jungkook," she called. "Yes?" he answered. They were in her parent's office and Piyoon was working on her school assignment while Jungkook was looking through the big book about Sapphires. "There is someplace I want to go with you tomorrow. Can we go? It's a special place I go to gather my thoughts. It's an isolated place."

He turned around and smiled. "Of course." He thought it would be a perfect place to say goodbye to her. His mood got sour and he turned back to his book before she noticed. 

So, the next day before her evening classes, the two of them headed to the lonely tree on the hill. It's her favorite place to think, do her homework and nap. "Pretty, isn't it?" she asked and he nodded. He was amazed at how convenient it was for the lone tree. It didn't have any competition for nutrients and it survived well. They reached the tree and sat down at its base. "This was the last place I thought my Sapphire would be hiding. If my Sapphire were here, I could have found it before you.

He stayed silent, not understanding where the conversation was going. "You know, I'm actually glad I didn't find my Sapphire yet. If I did, I wouldn't have met you." She smiled at him while he stared back with his lips slightly parted. "I'm proposing to something to you. If I don't find my Sapphire by the end of the year, I'll register you."

His eyes widened and he straightened up. "Piyoon, you can't do that!"

She looked at him weird. "Why not? Are you touched?"

"No! I mean, yeah, I am touched that you even thought about it but we're not fated to be together. My fate was originally like this: I'm an abandoned Sapphire. Your family will be furious if you registered me."

"My parents already think you're my Sapphire."

"What about Jimin and Riley? They'll be furious."

"I'll speak to them."

"Piyoon," he stretched out her name. "You have to find your Sapphire. I am not the one for you. I appreciate the thought but I'm not worth it. We have this attraction, sure but that may mean nothing. Your Sapphire will suit you better than me." 

"...you sound like you don't want to be my Sapphire."

"You're a very kind human. The problem is, I don't deserve it. Another Sapphire does."

"I'm not saying I won't search for it. I'm saying if I don't find it by the end of the year, you'll be my Sapphire." His brows creased up, still unsure. She wasn't hearing a word he was saying. Sure, he's grateful for the thought but he knew it was impossible for him and her to be together. She had a feeling he would be against it at first but she thought long and hard about it. There was an uneasy feeling, knowing that her Sapphire would be taken away if she registered another Sapphire but a heavier uneasy feeling rose in her stomach knowing Jungkook would be left alone. 

"If you have nothing to say, can I lay on your lap and take a nap? It's a nice day." His eyes flickers between hers first, then nodded and she immediately did so. "Wake me up in an hour." She drifted off to sleep and in exactly an hour, her phone rang which rudely woke her up. She opened her eyes but regretted doing so when the sun momentarily blinded her. She turned to her side to turn off the alarm on her phone. She got adjusted to her surroundings and finally opened her eyes. She looked around and noticed Jungkook was gone. She sat up and frantically spun around. "Jungkook?" she called. "Jungkook!"

She stood up and looked around for any sign of him. She was getting nervous. What if someone took him while she was asleep? Not taking any time to think of anymore 'what if's, she ran down the hill and looked around the bushes. "Jungkook? Don't scare me. Come out."

There was no response and she was getting even more anxious. She continued to search when she felt this slight tug. She looked up and smiled, knowing that was him. She followed the feeling but her smile slowly disappeared as she got closer to it. It felt stronger than it usually did so she slowed down her steps. A small cave came into view.

Then, it clicked.

She was once in that cave before. She was curious one day and explored the area, discovering a small cave. "That place is not unfamiliar to you as it's where you have been before," she repeated her clue. The tugging in her chest felt stronger and stronger, like it was approaching her. 

Her eye grew wide and wet. In panic, Piyoon escaped the area and ran home. She wasn't ready to see her Sapphire. It hadn't even been a week since she met Jungkook. She had promised him until the end of the year and couldn't just meet her Sapphire after that proposal! As fast as her legs could take her, she arrived home and entered the house. From the kitchen, Riley rushed to the front door. "Piyoon! You scared me. Aren't you supposed to be in class by now?"

"Jungkook," she said clearly out of breath. "Have you seen him?"

His brows furrowed as he walked closer to her. "Why are you asking? Did something happen? Isn't he supposed to be with you?" Her questions were answered by questions, something she didn't need so she ran back out and towards the alley. By now, she was clearly out of breath, her face was flushed red and her heart beat was loud and clear. She hurriedly whipped out her phone but dropped it due to her sweaty hands. Her screen cracked but she didn't care at the moment. She the Flashlight app and shone it in that one specific alley. Great disappointment washed upon her when he wasn't there. Her heart ached so much that she had to sit down and catch her breath.

Tears escaped her eyes as the thought of him being taken away ran through her head. She should have listened to Jimin. Someone had followed her and took him when she was asleep. "Jungkook," she cried. "Please, come out. Please!" 

As people walked by the alley, they heard her cries but no one did anything to check it out. They peeked into the alley but still continued on their way. It wasn't until a group of boys passed by. "Hey, do you hear that?" one asked. "A girl is crying." 

"Let's check it out," another said. One of his friends stopped him. "Let's just go back. What if she's a victim? We'll have to give statements."

He tugged his arm away. "So what? She's hurt and obviously no one will help her." 

The boys followed him in the alley and approached the sounds of crying. They found a girl around their age on the floor crying with her phone light still on. The one who offered to check it out kneeled in front of her and asked, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She didn't answer and continued to cry. The one who tried to stop his friend shook his head and sighed. That was until he got a closer look at her. His eyes widened and he rushed to her side immediately. "Piyoon! It's me, Shownu. Are you hurt anywhere?"

The boy who was already beside her, named Wonho asked, "You know her?" 

He nodded. "She's in one of my classes." His attention went back to Piyoon. "Can you tell me why you're crying in here? Did someone hurt you?" Still, she didn't answer.

"It's getting dark," their friend, I.M spoke. "We can't see if she's hurt in this light."

Wonho placed a hand on her knee. "Hey, we're going to bring you back to my place, alright? If you want to go to a hospital, tell us." She didn't answer as expected. He turned around, back facing her. "Shownu, help her on my back. And someone get her tissue." He nodded and lifted her up so she could get on her back. While he was doing so, the last of the boys, named Minhyuk, pulled out some tissue and handed it to Shownu.

When she was on his back, he pressed the tissue on her nose and she grabbed it from him. He smiled gently, knowing that she understood the situation and wouldn't report them if they were doing anything against her will. 

The boys left the alley and headed back to his place. Shownu was planted on his feet and looked into the alley she was sitting beside. "Shownu!" He snapped out of it and ran to his friends. Not long after, they arrived at Wonho's place. He unlocked his door and a little girl appeared in view. She smiled, about to say hi when her eyes caught Shownu's. "Shall I leave?" she asked. 

Wonoho shook his head. "Take care of her first," he nodded to Piyoon who was sleeping from exhaustion on his back. He carried her to his Sapphire's room and gently laid her down. "Call us when she wakes up." He left the room and closed the door.  The others were already making themselves comfortable in his apartment. The reason he lived alone was because he wasn't from around there. He only rented a place so he could go to school. He sat down on a stool at his island and asked Shownu, "You know her?"

He nodded. "Like I said, she's in one of my classes. We aren't particularly close but I know her." His thoughts went back to the argument they had back at school. He was going to officially apologize to her the next time he saw her but then this situation came up. He was pretty worried.

The four fooled around and played video games while they waited for the unknown girl to wake up. They all stopped what they were doing when the little Sapphire named Haeun stepped out. "She didn't want to talk about it," she said. "But she told me she wasn't hurt." They all looked at Wonho but he nudged Shownu. "She's your friend." He looked at his friends who were staring at him and got up. She wasn't her friend at all. He might as well be on the same level as his friend, if not less. 

Haeun ran into another room as he approached the room and entered. She was sitting up on the bed and with fresh tissues in her hand. She looked up when she heard him for a brief second before looking away. He closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed. "You...you aren't hurt anywhere?" he asked and she shook her head. "Then, can you tell me why you were crying?" Again, she shook her head. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't good at cheering up others and making them feel better. He was the last person his friends would go to if they had any personal things to talk about. 

She grabbed her phone from the headboard and he watched her. Her phone displayed many missed calls from home. Obviously, when she ran out of the house so suddenly Riley would get worried. It was a good thing her parents weren't home or she would get an earful for staying out so late. "I should get home," she spoke. 

"Yeah." He watched her get up but as soon as she tried to, her legs gave out and dropped back on to the bed. "Hey, are you sure you're alright?" he asked in worry. "You're not hurt anywhere?"

She let out a breath and shook her head. "My legs ache, is all." Again, she tried to get up, this time with him having both arms out in case she decides to fall. She stretched her sore legs before exiting the room. The boys' eyes landed on her and she stared back, a bit embarrassed that she was helped by a group of strangers. 

"Are you alright?" Wonho asked, approaching her. She nodded and thanked him. "For carrying me all the way here. And sorry if I disturbed any of you. I'll take my leave."

Before she could even take a step, he had put his jacket on. "Where do you live? I'll take you there."

"It's quite alright! I can go home by myself," she politely declined. 

"With the situation you're in? I don't think it's a good idea. Plus, it's dark out. Haeun! We're going out." The little girl from before walked out the other room as soon as she was called, swiftly dodging Shownu before putting on her small pink shoes. Piyoon looked at him for help. She wanted him to make fun of her for being weak and tell his friend she didn't need to be babysitted. Or even offering to walk her instead. She's very thankful that Wonho helped her into his apartment but she wanted to go with someone she knew even if that meant going with the most annoying person she knew but all he said was, "I'll see you in class."

Haneun was staring at the ground to make sure she didn't step on the cracks while she held Wonho's hand. Piyoon watched her with a smile while she was trying to match their pace. They weren't walking very fast but because her legs were so sore, she had a hard time keeping up. She had a small limp also, which she thinks is because she sprained her ankle. "She's cute," she commented. 

Wonho agreed. "She was waiting for me at a subway station. She's the best thing that ever happened to me." He watched Haneul fondly. "I'm an only child and I always wanted a younger sister. She's exactly what I wanted." He looked back to Piyoon but he noticed she had fallen a few steps behind so he stopped and waited for her.

Embarrassed, she quickened her pace but then he held out his elbow. "You can hold on if you want." She shook her head, declining his offer.

"You should take it," Haneun spoke. "He'll keep offering if you don't." He extended his arm, encouraging her to take it. She declined again but he was persistent so defeated, she held his elbow for support. 

"My name is Piyoon," she said, realizing she never properly introduced herself. 

"Wonho," he said. "And she's Haeun."

"Is that your birth name?" she asked and he nodded. "It's weird, isn't it?"

"Not at all!" she exclaimed. "I like your name. My name is the weird one."

"It's not," he confessed. "Your name is pretty normal. I've met others who have weirder names. One of my friends is legally named I.M. There's another in my class named Dino." At that, Piyoon giggled. "Dino?"

He chuckled, "Yeah. A lot of people make fun of his name but he's a bright person. Oh, and Shownu. That's his legal name."

She stared at him with wide eyes. "That's his legal name? I thought it was a nickname or something."

He shook his head. "That's his actual name. Many people think like you since it's an odd name. Will you make fun of him now?" She shook her head. He never made fun of her name so she didn't really have a reason to say anything. Now that she heard a couple names that is as weird or even weirder than hers, she didn't feel so bad about her name anymore. 

"...can I ask you why you were crying back there?" Wonho asked. At the mention of it, her heart constricted and it felt like needles poking her chest. "If someone hurt you physically then-"

"It's not that," she interrupted. "...I met a homeless boy. When I first met him, he was in that alley. I brought the boy home. I cleaned him, I fed him, I dressed him but still..." Then, she laughed. "And it's so weird. I've only met him in less than a week and he managed to make me feel like this. I'm just scared that he's going to get hurt." He didn't pry any further and they walked in silence until they arrived to her place. 

At her front porch, Jimin was waiting for her. Riley was with him an hour ago but got tired of waiting and headed to bed early. He looked at the sky. It was closing in on 10 but she wasn't home yet and he was getting antsy. He heard footsteps and his attention went there. He saw her limping beside an unknown guy so he quickly ran towards them. 

The three looked up when they heard her named being called. Jimin stopped in front of them and Piyoon began to cry, not being able to hold in her tears. He took her away from Wonho and held her. He looked at the two for an explanation. "She was crying in an alley. We didn't know why she was crying and we couldn't leave her there so I brought her to my apartment. She said she wasn't physically hurt."

He nodded and thanked them, still rubbing her back in comfort. "Piyoon, we're leaving," Wonho announced. Haneun approached her and patted her lower back. "Don't worry about it too much, okay? Bye, Piyoon." He took her hand and they headed down the road.

The Sapphire let her cry a while more before whispering in her ear, "Let's go in, hm?" She nodded against his shoulder and let go so he could kneel down. When she got on his back, he carried her into the house, reminding her that Riley was asleep. He carried her into the kitchen and put her down in front of the sink so she could lean over it while he washed her face. 

When Piyoon was young, he would always wash her face over the sink whenever she cried. It felt nostalgic yet weird because he hadn't washed her face in a while. As she got older, she cried less and less which he was happy for but it made him miss the times where he would take care of her while her parents were away. 

Jimin ripped off a paper towel and gave it to her to dry her face while he led her to the living room. They sat down on the couch and let the TV fill the silence. He had his arm around her shoulder and his hand patted her arm. He had to look at her several times to make sure she wasn't shedding any silent tears. 

"I found my Sapphire," she said out of nowhere while he was staring at her.

"H-huh?" he stuttered. She turned her neck to face him. "I know where it's hiding."

"That's great!" She faced the TV again. "This morning I went to the tree with Jungkook," she said quickly before Jimin could say anything else. "I only slept for an hour and when I woke up, he was gone. I thought he was taken away from me while I was asleep. I thought about what you said when Jungkook and I went shopping and I thought you were speaking the truth. He's hurt somewhere out there because of me but now that I'm here, I remembered something." There was a pause and he waited for her to continue. "I heard your conversation with Jungkook. I realized he didn't get taken away, he left on his own."

"Piyoon," he started, not even feeling guilty that she found out by accident. "It's for the best. If your parents found out about him later think about how they would feel."

She looked to the other side, afraid tears would fall again if she looked at him. "I actually thought you finally cared. I was happy that you were the one waiting for me. I was also happy that you wiped my tears for me because that's what you used to do when I was young. I was so happy to believe that you cared for me, that telling you about what happened this morning will make me feel better but...in the end you never side with me." 

"Your mom-"

"I know who she is!" she raised her voice and it cracked. "I know, so you don't have to remind me but I just wish you were like Riley. Riley cares about Dad like you care about Mom but he respects my decisions. He tells me to make good choices for myself but you just tell me what's good for Mom and-" She couldn't continue. She bit her lip so she wouldn't cry. "Goodnight." She ran upstairs and shut the door. She fell on her bed and shut her eyes tight, biting her bottom lip until it bled. She hated crying out of frustration.

At a young age, she loved playing with Jimin. He was always around playing with her while Riley watched from the side. Whenever she got hurt, he always took care of her. At one point of her life, she developed a small crush on him because he was always around when she needed him. As she grew older, puberty hit her and she was at the point where his nagging and light insults were annoying her. That was when they started bickering, which caused bigger arguments. She honestly didn't mind the arguing because she got used to it. Without the arguments, her life would be a bore but there are times where she wished he just shut up for the day. When he does shut up, he turns out to be really caring. Because he's a Sapphire going through constant puberty, there are days where he can be the sweetest and days where he can be the biggest jerk. 

That day, he was being caring. He waited out for her, he didn't yell and dried up her tears. Piyoon really appreciated it but she wished he could be understanding. She knew, it was a big stretch of a wish because from the earliest she can remember, he is always so protective of her mom. For once in her life, she just wishes for him to respect her decisions without mentioning her mom.

The next morning, Piyoon woke up to bloodshot eyes and dark circles. She cried thinking about Jimin and Jungkook and because of that she didn't get much sleep. She used eye drops for the redness and heavy makeup under her eyes. She headed downstairs, surprised to even see her mom up. She was at the dining table with Jimin rubbing her back. "Mom?" Taerin and the two Sapphires looked up at the sound of her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Food poisoning," she replied.

"Your mom's been vomiting since this morning," Riley explained, placing a hot cup of tea in front of her. He also placed the freshly cooked breakfast in front of Piyoon when she sat down.

"Will you be alright? Do you need me to get anything?"

Her mom shook her head. "Jimin got me something from the pharmacy when it opened." Piyoon nodded and started with her breakfast. The others started small talk while she focused on getting her breakfast done. Once she scooped up the last bit of food she cut in on the conversation. "I have something to say, Mom."

"What is it?"

Riley, who was sitting beside her grabbed her arm, signaling her not to speak but she did anyway while staring at Jimin. "Jungkook is not my Sapphire. He's abandoned." When she looked to her mom, she was slow to comprehend it.

"W-what? What do you mean he's not your Sapphire?"

"He was abandoned by his human. We both felt an attraction to each other and I was curious so, I brought him in. I'm sorry I lied to you. The others convinced me that it wasn't right but I didn't listen. I'm sorry."

Her mom was speechless. She never expected that from her daughter, who she raised to love her Sapphire. There was a mixture of anger, confusion and disappointment and Jimin felt it all. "How could you do this to me? To your father? How could you lie to us like that? I taught you so much better, Piyoon."

"You taught me to love my Sapphire and treat it with respect. We both felt an attraction to each other and Jungkook felt my emotions faintly. I was beginning to like him."

"Piyoon! You could have gotten hurt! He could have hurt our family! You don't bring in someone else's Sapphire and lo-" A horrid thought came across her head. "You weren't...you weren't planning to register him, were you?" She didn't speak and she got her answer. "Get out."

Piyoon didn't hesitate to get up, grab her bag and leave the house. The breath she had been holding escaped and her legs felt weak. She crouched down and held her head. She felt like crying but by now she had no tears left. "Piyoon?" She looked up to see Shownu in front of her house. She stood up. He scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, Wonho told me where you lived. I wanted to check up on you..." Remembering how he just left her last night, she didn't acknowledge him and headed towards school. He caught up to her and matched her pace. "Everything is alright, right?"

"Yeah," she simply answered, not wanting to talk to him anymore. 

They walked in silence for few minutes before Shownu said, "I'm sorry about that whole thing that happened back in class last week. I was going to apologize the next time we had class together but now that I'm here..."

She suddenly stopped and he did too. "Is that all you can say?" Obviously, he was confused. "You left me yesterday with a stranger to bring me home. I expected you to volunteer instead but all you said was, 'I'll see you in class.' What kind of dense idiot are you?!"

"I didn't think you would want to walk with me after what happened."

"I would have rather walked home in complete silence with someone I know instead of someone whom I only met for five minutes. You idiot!" She began walking again. 

"I'm sorry. I'll walk you home next time."

"No way! I like Wonho."

"I said, I'll walk you home."

"No!"

"I'll walk you home!"

After her classes, Shownu walked her home.

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