That night after sending the others home, N helped Leo pack his things. After that he brought Leo to his place to sleep over. Leo said nothing and followed his friend quietly.

That night they also shared a bed for the first time in years.

“Hakyeon?” Leo whispered albeit loudly. Leo was laying down, face facing up front, Hakyeon has the same sleeping position.

N opened his eyes slowly, he knew Leo couldn’t sleep. “Yeah?” He says.

“Do you think I should stay?” N doesn’t really know what to say, so he sighs.

“Do you think she wants me to stay?” Leo asks again while N was still thinking of an answer.

“My answer to the second question is a yes. I don’t know about the first one though. That’s up to you to decide.” This time Leo was the one to sigh.

“Let me ask you a question then,” N starts. “Do you really love her?”

Leo didn’t even hesitate to answer. “With all my heart.”

“Do you think she loves you too?” After a moment of hesitation, Leo answered.

“Yes.”

“Then what are you two doing to each other right now?” Silence. To be honest, Leo doesn’t really know why things turn out to the way they are now. Everything was so smooth sailing until…

“My sister!” Leo suddenly shot up, shocking N so much he fell to ground.

“What the actual hell man?” N says, giving Leo a glare. “What do you mean by, ‘my sister’?” He asks again when Leo didn’t answer.

“I think she brainwashed Soojung to let me go.”

“What? Miyoung noona?” N couldn’t believe his ears.

“And me too. She brainwashed me too.”

“Woah, woah. You stop right there, how can you say Miyoung noona brainwashed you? Miyoung noona is nice, remember? She’s your sister, are you sure you’re sober right now?” Leo threw him a pillow and asks for him to hear him out. He then told N about Krystal’s visit to his house and the talk he had with her.

“Wait a sec, she really said that? I never knew she was like that.” N says after Leo finished.

“But why did she do that? I get that she’s looking out for you and stuff, but what she said to Krystal is just downright mean.” He says again.

“I don’t care why. She’s the reason Krystal and I broke up. Poisoning my head with words, and not to mention Krystal’s head too. What do we know? She probably went to meet Krystal without telling me.” N didn’t say anything after that.

This is not the Miyoung noona he came to know. The Miyoung he knows is the sweet and caring noona who is always looking out for her younger brother. The one who bought him ice cream to encourage him to befriend Leo. He just can’t believe she would scoop that low. Krystal did nothing wrong.

“I can’t leave.” Leo suddenly said, sounding determine than ever. He starts to change his clothes, leaving N speechless. “I can’t leave.” He repeats again. When he grabs his jacket and was about to head for the door, that was N realized what he was doing, “Wait! Let’s go together!” He calls out to Leo as he too grabs a jacket and ran for the door.

But they never found Krystal. She wasn’t in her apartment. They called her friends and knew she wasn’t with them. They searched for her everywhere. The beach, the nearest shops even the clubs just to make sure. But Krystal cannot be found in all the places that they searched.

Leo didn’t want to give up, but N, who you can say are the only one who’s thinking rationally, made them stop 4 am. Leo made sure to check on her apartment again before leaving but she still wasn’t there. N just sighs, he didn’t expect Krystal to disappear as soon as Leo made up his mind.

“Maybe I should just skip the flight, Hakyeon ah.” Leo says when they got home. It’s only hours away from his 10 am flight. But Hakyeon disagreed. “You already bought the plane ticket. And… not to mention, you haven’t told your dad. Maybe you could come back in the holidays and then find her.” Hakyeon knows he wants to meet Krystal, but you don’t just miss out on a flight to Paris.

“Except if you really mean to stay in Korea, then you can skip the flight.” Hakyeon reasons again. Leo sighs and called Krystal for the hundredth time.

“I can’t just leave like that. And I don’t want it to look like I left her. Remember what happened between her friends? How her family left her?”

“How about I find her for you and explain everything?” Hakyeon offered.

But Leo shook his head.

“What are you gonna explain anyway? No, it gotta be me. But how?” Hakyeon sighs. “Well, make up your mind. I’m gonna get some sleep before your flight.”

***

Both Krystal and Leo arrived at the airport at 9 am. But none of them saw each other. Not even Leo’s friends who were accompanying him to his flight. Leo managed to went for one last round of looking at her but he forgot to check her workplace so he missed her once again. He came to the airport with a heavy heart but he tried not to look like he was restless in case his parents noticed.

But parents always notice. His father and mother shared nervous glances. They were both wondering; is this is really the right thing to do? But there was nothing they can do, the flight is less than an hour away. But Miyoung on the other hand was all smiles. She won. Krystal is gone. And Leo is leaving with her. N didn’t notice her suspicious smile. He had been thinking since Leo told him about her. Miyoung was always kind, she’s good with kids and she loves animal. She likes nature and loves fashion. But seeing her smiling in this somber mood made N think that something happened to her for her to act this way. His thinking was interrupted when the whole group halted. He looks up to realize everyone was staring at the same person; Krystal.

***

Krystal came to the airport as promised; completed with the family car and her most formal outfit for these kinds of events. She waited with her butler and some other workers for her family to arrive. The press were already there, camera flashes were already covering her eyes, she tried hard not to run away. Instead, she stood there with her straight posture and bowed when her family finally came out of the door. As the camera flashes increased and the reporters’ voice got louder and the questions came flooding in, Krystal head began to ache. Instead of showing it, she clenches her teeth and regains her balance as her mother engulfed her into a hug. Her father smiled and pats her shoulder and her followed suit. Krystal mustered up a small fake smile.

As the security and their own bodyguards tried to keep most of the reporters away, Krystal can still hear questions like, “Are the two of you really getting a divorce? What is the reason?” “You were rumored to be cheating on your wife last week, is it true Daniel-shi?” “What is the reason of you first daughter absent today Mrs. Jung? Is it because of the scandal she was caught in?”

Krystal can only bow her head and try to not look like she was going to pass out. The shouts are really too much, the flashes aren’t helping. It seems like her sleepless nights and irregular eating routines are finally taking a toll on her. “Krystal-shi, did your family really left you alone in Korea when you were still young?” “Is it true that your father didn’t come to your graduation?” “How about the rumor about your mother trying to arrange you in an arrange marriage?” Krystal was shock when the questions were suddenly about her. She was feeling helpless and tired already, now this? How did they find out? Krystal started feeling dizzy, her world started to spin, and one minute she was standing up, holding onto her butler’s arm to balance herself and the next she was on the floor, unconscious.

Butler Lee was quick to stop everyone from trampling on her. Her parents were the first to check on her while her brother tried to control the press. “Please, please, give her some space! Guards!” Daniel’s voice were loud enough to be heard. “Soojung-ah, Soojung-ah!” Her mother cried. She didn’t know this would happen. And now that she has a closer look on her daughter, she noticed how skinny she has become and the make-up that’s trying to cover her now panda like eyes.

“Butler Lee, call the ambulance!” Her father ordered at once. “I already did, sir. We should move her to a more secluded place.” Her father did not hesitate to pick up his daughter and move pass the press.

That was what Leo and everybody else saw. Krystal being carried by her father and the press following them from behind. “Soojung…” Leo say under his breath before running to her, making his family and friends startled. “Yah! Jung Taekwoon where are you going?!” His sister shouts at him. “Hyung!” Ken calls out, running after him. The others soon following suit. N turned to his family, “We’re going to make sure nothing happens to him.” He assured them before running too. Miyoung scoffed in disbelief, she can’t believe that just happened. Just when everything was going so well too.

***

As Leo tried to get through the press and bodyguards, his friends helped him. They manage to make a pathway for him and at the same time get the guards attention so he can slip into the room. He barely manages it, he looked back once but N shouted a very loud, “GO!” And so he closed the door.

The sight of Krystal on the couch makes his heart clenched in guilt. Did he do this to her? She looks so weak, so fragile. “Soojung-ah…” He says softly. “Who are you?” Daniel’s voice came. Leo’s attention turned to him. Krystal’s parents looked up too. He noticed their worried faces, her mum has been crying. “I asked you a question, who are you?” Daniel repeated, and he didn’t sound pleased. “Call security.” He finally says when Leo didn’t answer. What was he going to say? He’s her friend? Her boyfriend? They won’t know. They can’t possibly know him.

“Wait.” Mrs. Jung spoke up and butler Lee halted. “I remember you.” She says suddenly, making everyone including Leo to raise their eyebrow. “Soojung once accidentally sent me a picture of you. You’re a close friend of her?” She asks, glancing back at her still unconscious daughter. Leo managed a nod and he too glance at Krystal. Before anything can happen though, the butler announced the arrival of the ambulance. And before Mr. Jung could carry her again, Leo did so before him. “I’ll emm…help.” Leo said, not meeting his eyes.

The news that night were all about the Jung’s family. How the family’s youngest daughter passed out in the airport and how an unknown man helped them. It sparked more rumors which did not help with the situation at all. Leo missed his flight but his sister did not. He called his parents and told them not to worry. He called his friends to thanked them. And then he called Krystal’s friends to tell them what exactly happened and helped them to get through security so they can visit her.

The doctor told them that Krystal had passed out from exhaustion and lack of sleep. He told them about her lack of eating also and how her blood was getting low. Leo can only sigh and blamed himself for what happened. But part of him was sort of grateful it did, he can now see Krystal. When she wakes up, he’ll tell her everything. From how sorry he was and how stupid his actions were to the fact that he wants her to be his again. And this time, he’s not going to screw up.

A/N: Sorry this took so long. And would you look at that, I did reunite them! ....sort of? Erm, like always thank you new subbies and any new readers out there. Don't worry, I will finish this story. Anyway, I won't be able to update too soon as I will be entering the hostel. Hope you enjoyed it so far!