[A/N: Majorly changed the foreword, & got a new poster + BG ^^ Hope you enjoy it all, & I apologize for the long hiatus >_< Have a good read~ I made some major edits throughout the chapters, & there are a couple of character changes: Donghae changed to Myungsoo, & Yuri changed to Sohee.]

~*

Star #1

I dreamt of me and my sister.

Well, more like a flashback, really.

That one day, we both went to the beach and were playing near the shore, when all of a sudden, a huge wave completely engulfed me like a mother wing over a baby egg. Except this wasn't protective - it was threatening. The furious rage of the strong water wiped out all possible breath and instead stung my senses with bucketfuls of salt, conquering its quest to both torture me and blind me.

"Jiyeon!" my sister called out, immediately running over despite how sand was spraying her eyes and everyone else was splashing and shrieking around us. But she didn't give a damn. All she cared about was saving me.

I wish I could go back in time again.

-9/2/11-

~*

"What did you write?" I asked Seung-Ho oppa, after showing him the very first "memory" that we were required to write for the project in art class. Neither of us had any idea what "beautiful portrayal" we were going to make through our various, scattered memories, but it wouldn't hurt to at least begin recording the memories themselves. I was actually a bit hesitant to show him this, for he only knew a glimmer of the previous abuse I endured from Sooyoung unnie. Oh, he knew she was a alright. He just didn't know about all the hidden scabs that were there to prove it.

Reading my very first "star" however, I could tell he saw right through me with my very last line. His small but knowing smile instantly drawn out from his lips was enough of an answer; he smiled like that whenever he knew I was lying and/or was hiding something from him. I seemed to do that all the time, nowadays...

"When was this?" he asked, as he rummaged through his own black Calvin Klein messenger bag for his own time piece.

"When I was ten-years-old," I softly spoke, amidst all the chatter ringing in my ears. 'Cause despite the spacious size of the classroom, along with the even higher ceiling and gleaming, outstretched windows all opened wide, the kids there were unbelievably loud. I wondered just what and how much they were talking about; every second, it seemed, each voice spoken was quickly lifted up into the air and meshed within the storm of tunes above our heads, interchanging into one undecipherable melody. It did good to me, however, despite my aching ears, for it drowned out incoming thoughts of me and Sooyoung, which was something I desperately needed right now.

"Back in L.A.?" he gently asked, placing down a smooth index card down on the black mahogany table. I nodded mutely and, leaning over [and ignoring how, after his eyes briefly flickered towards mine, he smiled and leaned in, too], I quickly scanned over what he wrote, both surprised and distressed by what I was reading:

~*

Memory Uno

I remember the very first time I met my current girlfriend, Yeon.

We were just thirteen back then, and at that time she barely knew me.

In fact, I think she had her eyes on somebody else during that year.

Nevertheless, that day was special, because I saved her from drowning that summer season we were both at swimming camp.

That day, my fellow readers, was the start of my official job as Park Jiyeon's protector. Mr. Yoo, on duty!

~*

Oh geez, I thought, biting my lip as I anxiously transitioned my gaze towards Seung-Ho oppa, who was surprisingly [and dreadfully] only a couple of inches from my face, looking both hopeful and gentle in the way only he can master. His eyes were sparkling and kind, but his smile said so much more. It was pretty undecipherable, but I read it as: "Do you remember that, Jiyeon? Do you remember what we used to have? I still love you, you know."

I know, oppa. I do.

"O-Oh, that memory," I lamely stammered instead, laughing in a way that felt so foreign to me. A detached part of myself, lingering somewhere right at the edge of my senses, cringed as the words awkwardly bounced off the air. "I can't believe you still remember that," I added, brushing back my bangs for the pure sake of something to do. Unable to look at his strong gaze, I hesitantly dropped my gaze towards his hands, which looked both big but tough and dependable, as if those two hands could hold onto you through whatever ordeal swept you off your feet. Despite how they were dark from being folded under the desk, I was reminded of how soft they really were when, all of a sudden, his fingers - in one swift, fluid motion - intertwined with mine, right then and there in the same space, without me ever having moved. Without any order, and completely with instinct, he just did what his heart told him to. Which was to keep going, and to keep holding on. To me.

And to make sure no one noticed, for gratifyingly no one said anything to us so far.

Realizing what just happened - again, just like that scene in his car when he first picked me up just yesterday, not to mention this morning - I pondered what I should do.

Lay it limp again?

Accept and squeeze back?

Or reject and pull away?

Instead, my heart, obviously smarter than my befuddled mind, squeezed my fingers for me as my mind decided to reminisce upon all that happened yesterday, and how much happier that made me, if only for a few hours...

~*

"WAHH~ I'm so thirsty!" IU unnie whined, pouting her aegyo-filled pout. By doing so, she instantly ruptured a chuckle out of Yoseob before he said, glancing over to Jamba Juice, which just happened to be right on our left, "Fine, fine, let's go. Come on, guys!"

So we went.

Honestly, I was a bit joyful; Jamba Juice was actually my favorite outdoor beverage, you see. And I could tell that Seung-Ho oppa remembered that, for he had that same knowing smile across his face before he gently my long hair, startling me as he calmly asked, "Which flavor, Yeon-ah? I'll pay."

My eyes widened as, my chest swelling with the familiar, uncomfortable regard for another debt to pay, I responded hastily, "No, it's fine oppa; I have money with me..." Not much, but it was enough to pay for one medium Mango...

Nevertheless, he wouldn't listen, eventually drawing out of me what I wanted to order without me even realizing it until he paid the cashier.

"Oppa..." I trailed off, weakly accepting the cool, refreshing, and delicious drink from him once it came. And despite myself, I immediately slurped on the slippery straw as the other unnies and oppas received their orders, feeling satisfaction tingling on every inch of my tongue and all the way down to my toes as the frozen, sweet liquid made its way down my throat. No matter what, people said my thoughts were always evident on my face, for my face expressions were hard to hide. That must've been the case this time too, for after one look at my face, oppa chuckled before drinking his own strawberry drink and said, while filing out of the small, bustling shop to sit down on some benches nearby, "You must like it, huh?"

"Uh, y-yeah," I replied, slightly giggling. Okay, so I blew my cover. But considering that he was kind enough to sacrifice a bit of his own life for me, despite how I've treated him all day, my heart truly warmed up.

Grabbing my hand then - the cold, moist one, for that was holding the dewy cup before I had to evidently switch - he gently the back of my hand with his thumb, mumbling so that only I could hear, "That's a relief, Yeon-ah."

"...How? It's just Jamba Juice..."

What he said next rocked my world to its very core -

"Anything to make you happy."

Really? I thought, but before I could respond, someone called out his name and burst our private, intimate little bubble.

~*

"Yeon-ah?" that very same person now asked, piercing yet another bubble in which I was floating off of. Up until then, I hadn't realized that indeed, I've drifted off again. I tended to do that all the time, actually, but sometimes in the worst moments. Acknowleding the fact that I was staring at our hands intertwined together for the longest time while I drifted off, not to mention that he inched a bit closer in the meantime, I gulped and I was about to go back to resume on our project...

...but before I knew what was happening, Seung-Ho's closing eyes zoomed up to mine, accompanied by a soft, intimate touch upon our lips, both our heads ducked low so that no one can see.

And, as always, my heart jumped at his touch.

No matter how many times he would kiss me, no matter how I felt for him whenever he did, and no matter where we were and who might've been watching, just one brush of his lips and I would completely lose myself. Closing my eyes and deepening the kiss, I pondered about just how I felt with that sort of contact. My heart crunched with the familiar feeling of pain that he wrought upon me after that unfortunate winter, yet my stomach swelled and swarmed with joy, and my mind went hazy with ecstasy.

Just who are you to me now?

"U-Uh, we should...get back to the project, oppa," I hastily mumbled, pulling back and making sure my long hair hid my heated face as I focused back upon my small scrap of memories like never before. Absentmindedly, two fingers briefly brushed by still-tingling lips before I rummaged through my bag for a pencil, notepad, and eraser to take notes for more ideas.

As if really, nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

I wondered just how much I hurt him by doing so.

"Sure thing, Jiyeon," he quietly replied back, waiting until I finally flipped to an empty page and was all set. For once, I was thankful for a noisy classroom, for it did a good job of blocking out the fresh new batch of embarrassment and guilt clouding up my heart. My face still flushing, I kept my eyes glued to either our two pieces of memories or my messy, nervous scribbles throughout the whole period as he and I vaguely communicated, eventually coming up with barely anything except a project meet next Friday.

And, right as I was about to pray for the class period to end, it did.

But only because it was a shortened, banking day.

Apparently, all Tuesdays were, which just meant that it was pure luck I got to squirm out of that uncomfortable situation. Nevertheless, I still couldn't believe I let that happen! I wasn't even sure of my own feelings yet, so how could I love him back, yet alone kiss him!?

Stupid, stupid Park Jiyeon...

"See you soon?" was all he asked as he and I silently walked out of the classroom, the rest of our boisterous classmates completely oblivious to our recent new scandal.

"Y-Yeah..." I said, at a loss for words. This time, though, he didn't kiss me. Nor did he even give me a hug, which was a double punch for me; he always gave out warm, engulfing hugs and never rejected them either, no matter how he felt.

Why oppa, why...? Why are you still chasing me?

J-Just let things be, ne? Sometimes it's just easier that way, can't you see?

It's just hurting the both of us...

Especially because all he did as a good-bye was lift a hand in a salute kind of way, a funny half-smile formed on his face before he turned around, his footsteps heavy yet quiet as his form became smaller and smaller.

Oppa...

Oppa! I wanted to cry out, immediately wanting to turn back every new scar I created in his heart, but before I could, someone gruffly hugged me from the back, the other chirping in a very sing-song voice, "Pretty girl!"

"O-Oh, Soyeon unnie! And Hyomin unnie..." I said, turning around only to be verified that indeed, it was them. I wondered how they found me in such a short time after the bell rang, when Soyeon said, her doe eyes sparkling even more than the golden chandeliers above, "Jiyeon~ I thought it was you; how are you doing?"

"I'm good," I answered with a shaky laugh. In a way, I was thankful that they were there to distract me, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was more preferable than solving Seung-Ho oppa's fresh new batch of pain... "And you guys?"

During this whole time, from the moment the two came up to me, people gave us looks, in which I guessed was because they were the Diadem girls and I was Seung-Ho's girlfriend. But neither of them seemed to care as Soyeon replied cheerfully, "Good!" and Hyomin replied with a shrug and casual smile.

But then, Hyomin gave me an up-and-down look and said, with a grin, "Damn, someone looks pretty!"

"That's right~" Soyeon agreed, looking genuinely jealous as somehow, the three of us began walking down the gleaming golden hall towards our second period. We actually didn't have a second period class together, but they seemed to follow me where I had to go anyway. It was either theirs' were near or they just flat out didn't care, but I didn't dare oppose them when I only knew them for a day. Plus, they were willing to do this just to talk to me. And so out of thanks, I stayed silent and went with the flow.

"Oh, um...someone just bought me this yesterday," I shyly replied, looking down at my designer, black and white chic dress from Dolce & Gabana that IU unnie bought me yesterday. Well, one of the many things she bought me, to be specific. Yesterday afterschool was one clothing mania for IU and HyunA unnies, and even Ga-In, Sunye, and Jia unnies, albeit by a lesser degree. Only Tiffany [well, Stephanie, as I overheard from Sunye...I wondered why she chose a different name] Hwang wasn't that interested; she was more occupied with throwing me either suspicious glances or flat out glares every time she wasn't hogging talking to Jang Wooyoung. Kwon, Joon [Chang-Sun, as he informed me later], and Yoseob oppas were apparently used to their girlfriends' shopping high's, for they casually laughed and cruised around wherever their whim took them, while Seung-Ho oppa merely looked pleased at the sight of me being dragged around by the supreme female shoppers of the world right at that moment. From this store to that store, they would somehow pick up pricey and sometimes heavy sets of clothing that I never imagined I would be able to wear, yet alone set my eyes on. Sure, it was nice, but the awkward barrier hasn't completely been torn down just yet.

At least, for me. I still wasn't used to people opening up to me [or closing themselves up to me, like Tiffany and, allegedly, Wooyoung, did] that quickly before. I always thought popular people were the hardest to talk to, but now I was starting to wonder if maybe it's just been me that's been setting up a barrier all along...

Funny how, right when I was about to blossom with optimism and wipe away more fear with this thought, Jeon Boram and Ryu Hwayoung suddenly charged up to Hyomin and Soyeon unnies, totally acting as if I wasn't there at all.

Just like the old times.

I could tell the unnies were startled, for although pleasure clouded up their faces, their eyes constantly flickered towards me as much as it could without looking suspicious. Too dismayed to stick around, however, I lifted a weak hand in farewell and made an effort to smile, albeit the fact that it felt more like a grimace. Their hasty goodbyes, which blended so well within the noisy throng of the golden chamber halls, seemed to mean nothing as I wandered around campus, eventually finding my second period class.

Just as I spotted the huge oak doors and glamorous classroom amidst the bobbing heads of the overly dressed students of this campus, however...

"Jiyeon," a familiar voice softly mentioned, just a few feet behind me.

And I could swear, I just heard my heart stop.

...What?

Why?

...Why him, too?

Putting on my best Poker Face that I could possibly muster [which, I bet I inevitably failed at anyway], I slowly turned around, only to come face-to-face with one of my best heartbreaker's best friends -

Kim Myungsoo.

He looks the same, I thought, noticing how his short, jet black hair was always a bit messy around the bangs area, how he was tall and lanky, extremely skinny, and always dressed a bit more casual than his ulzzang-style friends. Even today he just wore some deep, navy blue flannel and neat, black skinny jeans, accompanied by the thick, plushy black and white high-tops F.O.B. guys loved to wear and a messenger bag similar to oppa's.

But it was his eyes I noticed most - deep, see-through, and piercing right through me, as if by one glance he could already dig up and discover my deepest secrets...

Just like they always were, whenever he looked at me.

"What?" I murmured, rotating fully from my quarter turn. Even during that short scan, though, most of the class have already shuffled on by us two, thus leaving me and him almost completely alone. How I wished to turn back just then; it certainly would've made my life a little bit easier, not to mention just that one day in general.

"Ah, hi," he said weakly, smiling lightly.

"Hi," I replied, nonchalantly. Okay, so I was being cold to another guy again, when in fact I mope over people being cold to me. In that way, I was a purebreed hypocrite, it seemed. But that was the thing - my heart opened and closed up in front of certain people so well, I hardly gave anyone a second chance even if I might've wanted to try. And then, whenever one of the people closest to my heart actually betrayed me or hurt me in any way, it hurt way more than it should've.

Oh, silly me.

Luckily [or not], Myungsoo was a special case. It wasn't that he actually ever hurt me; I was just wary of what might be behind those thoughtful eyes.

Especially when, he said not shortly after my vague reply,

"So...did you forget yet?"

Forget?

...How could I?

"You mean with how Kikwang treated me? No, not exactly..." I answered, as calmly as I could. "But...is there more to it, or no?"

'Cause there's no way you suddenly transferred from CV to here, ironically only a day after I did, just to ask me that question. No, there must be more behind those eyes...

Can't you just tell me? I'm sick of waiting...

Sure I'll get hurt again, but at least it'll come and go quickly. I don't want this to keep lasting, Kim Myungsoo.

Much to my dismay, however, all he did next was smile, sigh, and assure me, "No, there's nothing left," and turn around the opposite direction, his size getting smaller, smaller, and eventually just a speck as time ticked, tocked, and continued passing by all around me, except in my brand new bubble of memories, sadness, and some tearful reminiscions.

Oh gawd, there's only so much I can take in one day.

Looks like I haven't run away from much, after all.

Next thing I know, I thought, as I reluctantly entered through another set of huge doorways, endured the same buzz of whispers before the teacher droned on and on, experiencing the same loneliness I've always encountered during self-pity days, Sooyoung unnie's gonna appear out of no where and potentially kill me alive.

Little did I know just how right I was about the future, just a few months from now...

~*

It was a cloudy, chilly day at the beach, the harsh breezes of the crashing waves doing no justice to my badly chosen wardrobe. Usually when I went somewhere, I matched well with the weather, for I was someone who always referred back to the weather forecasts. That one time, however, since it was Seung-Ho who invited me, I completely lost it and forgot to check. As a result, I suffered the wrath of the heavy, grey clouds and violent waves with only a pair of baby blue shorts and a light white t-shirt with one shoulder cut-off, my hair let loose flying around me everywhere, not to mention poking my eyes.

Once we actually arrived there, though, his friend [and kind of mine] Lee Hyun-Woo was there too, completely prepared with a sweater and camera propped on a stand. He greeted us happily once we arrived, trudging through the semi-wet sand, and offered me his sweater, although I rejected. Much to my surprise [and slight delight], however, Seung-Ho also dressed rather coldly, wearing only a piece of black flannel and some shorts. So we stayed cold together, while Hyun-Woo was plentily warm enough.

For a couple of hours, I was lost. Lost in a new world – a brief escape, I should say – of nothing but my favorite type of weather, bucketfuls of laughter, and the constant cider-feeling that fluttered in my stomach every time Seung-Ho oppa looked at me. I still had no clue as to why he set aside some of his time for me in such a way, but I didn't know how to ask. Even when we were all snacking on steamy, spicy rice cakes [made professionally by Seung-Ho himself] and crunchy, warm churros sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar, and, for Hyun-Woo, some pepper, that question kept burning and burning inside my head. It only really started to char my thoughts when, while Hyun-Woo was busily chasing our escapee umbrella, which was having quite a time tumbling across the sand with the wind, Seung-Ho oppa suddenly reached out and hugged me – and I mean, really, really hugged me, as if all of a sudden I was someone bawling my eyes out in front of him – and stayed like that until his friend came back [which was actually quite a while]. Considering how this was only a few days after the time in which Sooyoung unnie beat me and kicked the backpack that Sohee gave me, it felt very nice having him hug me like that. Besides the fact that he was just my crush, his warmth not only cast the icy winds aside, but also melted off all the gristly, hardened scars over my heart. It felt like a warm, fuzzy blanket. It felt like pain never existed. And most of all, it felt as if it could last forever. I for one wanted it to, but sadly it didn't.

Nevertheless, throughout the entire few minutes, I shyly hugged him back, thriving in his sudden gesture and hiding my sheepish grin into his shoulder. It was funny how I fit snugly into his embrace, oh so perfectly...

Once Hyun-Woo was back though, he let go and, much to my surprise, brought up a game of scavenger hunting. With a metal detector.

“Huh?" was all I asked as, shushing the voice inside me that cried out for more of that hug, I stood up and, gritting my teeth against the cold, began searching. I didn't even notice the camera propped on the stand only a few yards away, continuously recording us two. Nor did I notice Hyun-Woo maneuvering the shot of the camera.

After a minute or two of useless searching, however, Seung-Ho oppa cried out that he actually found something. Slightly disbelieving, yet insanely curious, I hurriedly scurried on over [ignoring the huge sprays of sand attaching itself to my semi-wet hair, due to our short time swimming in the ocean a few minutes prior to the hug] and frantically dug through the hole he was by, the inner kid in me taking over. In fact, I didn’t even notice that Hyun-Woo wasn't participating but rather brought the camera closer to us two, nor did I notice that Seung-Ho suddenly stopped digging and instead just crouched near me, looking at me with his same one-and-only expression of both hope and gentleness. Soon enough, my hands came across something hard – long, beady, and eventually, ending at what seemed to be like the form of a key.

We found someone's key? I wondered, a bit befuddled. But when I pulled it out, it looked a bit too clean and new to have been buried in the sand from long ago...Glimmering with polished silver, the strand of the necklace intertwined beautifully with each other before ending at a sparkling ruby key, bordered by more of that flawless silver and fitting perfectly into my palm. Looking up-close, both the silver and the ruby looked too pretty to be fake, and I couldn’t help but stare at it for a few more seconds before, finally getting the hint, turned towards oppa.

Wait...I trailed off, rising into a standing position, when he chuckled and, getting on one knee, held warmly onto my hand, looked straight into my eyes, and asked the five words I only daydreamed he would ever say to me – me, the whiny, teary, lonely, slightly chubby fourteen-year old who only survived on day-dreams and was all too used to enduring through self-made one-sided loves –

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

And before I could respond, Hyun-Woo yelped and shouted towards me across our little island of towels, food, and umbrella –

"Say yes, Jiyeon, say yes!!!" But I couldn't seem to respond, because my vocal cords weren't working. I could only stare at him and his warm eyes, his shy smile, just him, full of disbelieving shock. I was actually still in that dream-like state as he eventually stood up, took the necklace from my hands, and gently locked it in place around my own neck, his fingers lightly brushing by my skin, instantly making it tingly. Then, as Hyun-Woo was continuously cheering for me – or was he? I can't exactly remember; all I remember is Seung-Ho – Seung-Ho gazing down expectantly at me, Seung-Ho revealing to me his own ruby lock necklace, and Seung-Ho laughing and hugging me tight once I somehow managed to murmur an indistinct yes, my own heart beating wildly as soon enough, I began laughing, laughing, laughing...

Little did I know, however, someone was watching me that entire time I plunged into my brand new epitome of joy...

And that someone...just might end things for me sometime soon, once and for all...

~*

[A/N: I apologize if this chapter is a little all-over-the-place TT_TT On a side note, here's the Hyun-Woo mentioned here; for those of you who watched 'God of Study,' you would recognize him instantly with this photo :)]