Minho smiled softly at Krystal as they entered a random dress shop in the mall. Beautiful gowns and clothings were neatly arranged all over the shop, dazzling the eyes of their customers. Krystal walked over to a white dress, running her fingers through the soft fabric. 

"You want that?" Minho asked, checking the price tag. His eyes widened, and he quickly turned around and pushed Krystal away from the expensive clothing. Krystal was fine with this. The dress didn't appeal to her eyes, and everything in the shop looked too expensive for her.

"Minho, it's okay. We can leave," Krystal whispered. "I'll borrow my sister's dress or something."

"No way," Minho said firmly. "Seeing what type of sister you have, I bet you she only has black dresses that barely covers her thighs."

"But-"

Minho covered Krystal's mouth as he approached an employee. He handed the woman the amount of cash Kai had given him and gave her a polite smile. "If you may, can you please find a dress for this lady? If I have any leftovers for the cash, can you doll her up or something?"

The employee excitedly nodded her head and pushed Krystal into another room where she would be dressed. Krystal turned her head around worriedly, giving Minho an unpleasant stare. Minho smiled, motioned her to follow, and sat down on a nearby couch to rest his legs. She sighed in defeat and followed the empolyee, who quickly flicked her hand towards the changing room.

Impress me, Minho thought to himself. He rested his eyes, but later unconsciously fell into a deep nap.

"Suzy, I can explain-"

"Yes, you have already explained. You and Krystal were friends, but because of your mother, you came towards me."

"Exactly! I don't understand why you're getting so mad-"

"You were using me! You were using me as an escape from getting in trouble! Why couldn't you just hang around with Krystal at school? Your mother wouldn't have known."

"Didn't I tell you that she practically rules this town? She'll find out!"

"How? Does she go to your school? No!"

"She's close friends with all the teachers and a few of the students here. They're willing to tell."

"There's something called 'friendship.' The teachers wouldn't tell! They'll support socialism as long as you don't talk in class! As for the students, I doubt they would want to get near your mother."

"Except for one," L murmured, looking away from his girlfriend. "Except for one…"

Suzy scoffed and stopped her tracks. They arrived in front of a café, where L had brought Krystal when she ditched school. Suzy tapped her foot impatiently, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms in a taunting way. Her soft eyes suddenly hardened as they bore into L's dark orbs. 

"And who would tell?" Suzy asked him, flipping her wavy hair. L looked up, then looked away with hesitation plastered on his face. Suzy leaned towards him, and glared. "Oh? So now you don't trust your girlfriend after spoiling your pathetic past?"

L looked up with hurt. "No! I never said that!"

"Well, you're showing it."

"B-But…" L sighed, and tucked his hands in his pocket. "Look, Suzy. I'm sorry. I know I should've told you before-"

"Heck yeah," Suzy agreed.

"-but I told you all about it now. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry," L apologized sincerely. Suzy frowned, and squinted her eyes. Was he just playing with her? What was he really sorry for? Was he sorry for holding back the truth or was he apologizing just to be with her? She spent seconds examining and studying his gestures, but she couldn't see a sign of greed for popularity. However, she wasn't able to see a spark of loyalty in his eyes, either.

"Still. What about me messing up with Krystal? You were her friend, but you decided to back down? How unloyal of you, Kim Myungsoo," Suzy hissed, using his full name in order for him to feel guilty. L stared down at his shoes in shame, unable to meet the eyes of his lover. Suddenly, a familiar ringtone interrupted their tense conversation. Suzy groaned as L scrambled in his pocket to grab his phone. He gave one glance at the number, then gave an apologetic look towards Suzy. He answered the phone quickly, incase the caller would hang up any time soon.

"Who is this-"

"Hey! Myungsoo, my buddy! How have you been?" a young voice exclaimed. L stiffened as he pressed his phone close against his ear. He slightly gritted his teeth, looking away from Suzy's confused gaze.

"I've been awefully fine," L replied. "Well, that was until you came along and ruined my life, Kai."

"Chill, Myungsoo. Oh wait, I forgot. You wanted me to call me L. My bad," Kai replied, laughing at the other end.

"Just shut up and tell me what you want! I'm in the middle of a small drama-"

"With Suzy? Figures. You were always the shy and protective type, anyways." Kai snorted as L turned beet red.

"Didn't I tell you to-"

"Anyways, I'm inviting you to a restaurant tonight. We have lots to go over," Kai interrupted him. 

"I don't like going to restau-"

"I'll be picking you up with Minho. I'll send you a text. Oh, and bring Suzy along with you. I got something for her."

L frowned. "What? What did you get for her? A necklace? A ring?"

"Her phone," Kai replied. "I kind of borrowed it when I passed by her bag. I needed your number, anyways."

L widened his eyes. "You stole Suzy's phone?"

He glanced at Suzy, who checked her bag. She gasped, her eyes wide and round like two brown buttons. L made a fist as he shoved it in his pocket. He took a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled through his mouth, trying to keep calm.

"I didn't neccessarily stole it," Kai replied. "I told you, I borrowed it."

"You, I, we… Hang up. Send me the text," L replied hotly. Kai laughed with glee and hung up just like L told him to. In a few seconds, L received a message from Kai with Suzy's phone number. He glanced at Suzy, and put away his phone where he had pulled it out. "It's a fancy restaurant. You're going, right?"

Suzy scowled. "He has my phone?"

"Apparantly so."

"Then I'll have to go." She paused, and raised her nose high in the air. "But L, this conversation isn't over."

"Minho…Minho? Are you awake? Please wake up. My goodness, you're snoring so loudly, it's embarrassing!" a woman voice whispered. Her minty breath hint near Minho's lips, as the familiar voice caused him to lift his eyelids open. For the few few seconds, the sight was hazy; he was unsure of the blurry woman standing in front of him. The next thing he knew, Krystal's face was only inches away from his. Blushing, Minho gasped and pushed Krystal away from him in order for him to have some personal space. Krystal slightly frowned, worried if Minho was okay. "Did I wake you up? Sorry."

"N-No. Are you done…" Minho glanced at the lady and slightly dropped his jaws. She was wearing a lovely blue dress that shimmered under the light, the silky fabric draping over her legs. The shoulderstraps weren't too thin, nor too thick. Her heels were about two-inches high, low enough for her to balance freely like a professional. Her hair was loose and slightly wavy starting from the middle to the ends of her almond-colored hair. Her skin looked much more supple than before, and her lips glowed from the clear lip gloss that was swiped on her lips.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" The employee, who had helped Krystal become somewhat like a model, smiled fondly at her artwork and turned to Minho for his approval.

"Do I have any cash left?" Minho asked. The employee nodded and handed him a few cash that she did not use up. Minho thanked the employee and watched her walk away as he approached Krystal. "You look… fine"

Krystal blushed. "T-Thanks. Are you sure I look pretty? I'm not really comfortable in this dress."

"Why not? Is it because you hardly wear any dresses? Is that why you burned them?" Minho asked. Krystal paused, then nodded her head. Minho only smiled in return as he extended his hand for Krystal to grab. "It's okay. You look beautiful tonight."

"Do… Do you think I'm going to stand out a lot? If I am, I really want to leave…" Krystal muttered. Unconsciously, Minho slipped out a few romantic and cliché words from his lips. He smiled gently at Krystal, and walked her out of the mall.

"That's fine. To me, you already stand out in my eyes," Minho responded calmly. It took him a few moments for him to realize what he said. Krystal blushed in embarrassment, but she appreciated his comment.

It didn't take long for Krystal to catch Minho turning crimson red.

"You scumbag! How dare you ignore my calls? I called you ten times and you wouldn't answer your cell phone!"

"Scumbag? Ha, I can say the same for you. Don't you think you're pathetic enough to sit around here? Hundreds of men are already working on Sundays, making profit to earn money for their family!"

"Are you calling me a scumbag, woman? I'm the one who works more than fifteen hours each day and I work harder than anyone in this family! I am the father; the master of this house!"

"I can live perfectly without you on my own. I don't even understand why I'm with you filfthy, selfish hog!"

"A hog? Well, if you can live perfectly without me, why don't you?"

"I would, but we're tied down by marriage and children."

"Why? Just leave! It's as simple as that! A woman can just disappear off to absolutely nowhere, and the husband won't even think twice about having a lazy wife hanging around. It's less mouth to feed!"

"Should I tell your mother? Tell my father? Should I tell that about all the mistakes you've caused? You smoke almost a whole pack a day, come home after drinking several bitter beers, and waste all our precious money that we could've used for our future!"

Young Krystal began to sob. Jessica ran over to comfort her sister and crouched down as she looked up at her parents with teary eyes. Jessica took a deep breath, trying to keep herself as calm as she could. Krystal hardly shivered. She only hated the loud noises. 

"Hey, Krystal! Your birthday is coming up soon! What should we do?" Jessica asked in a rather loud voice. She tried to surpass her parent's arguments, but failed to do so during the first few tries.

"Mm, Krystal! Don't you think having some family time would be the best present ever?" Jessica questioned her younger sibling. Krystal remained quiet, her ears covered by her small hands. Jessica bit her bottom lip, shaking even more.

Notice us, she begged. Please, just notice us!

"Krystal-"

"I've had enough! Call everyone! I'll reminder you that if you dare call my mother or your father, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You can hardly survive on your own!" their father screamed. He hotly grabbed his wallet, keys, and his pack of cigarette and walked out of the room. 

"Sure! I'll tell everyone! They'll understand what kind of pathetic man you really are!" their mother yelled. She walked out of the room, furiously grabbing a can of beer on her way to the master room. By now, Jessica had been shaking a lot more than she had in the beginning. 

"It's okay, Krystal," Jessica whispered. "Everything is fine… It's all okay…"

Jessica slowly awoke from her nap, lifting her eyelids open. She found pieces of glasses scattered all over the kitchen, and a small drop of blood staining the corner of the kitchen counter. She sighed, and realized that the mess was probably from her parents arguing about a stupid topic. As she went to pick up a broom and clean up the mess, she couldn't help but remember her dream, which had shown her a memory she had always forgotten.

Who was I really comforting, though? Krystal or myself? she wondered.

"Jessica…" a small voice whispered. Jessica, realizing the voice, widened her eyes and turned her body. There stood Kai, who only smiled wickedly at the young woman. He held a knife behind his back, the sharp, steel tip sticking out of his skinny figure. Jessica raised a finger, turning pale at the sight of the innocent man.

"W-What are you doing? H-How did you even come inside…" Jessica stuttered. Kai raised the knife, which had a familiar red stain dripping on the blade.

"I made kimchi fried rice. Will you join me?" Kai asked, putting down the knife on the table. Jessica glanced at the table, where two large bowls of red rice with chopped spam and vegetable stood still. 

"What are you planning now?" Jessica asked, narrowing her eyes as she took her seat. 

"Nothing! Oh, and by the way, your back door was open. I got into your house from there. Don't worry, nothing is broken," Kai promised. He paused, then smiled warmly at the fierce woman. "Jessica, I'm taking your sister, L, and some of their friends out to dinner tonight. We're going somewhere fancy and expensive. Everything is on me. Would you like to come?"

To this, Jessica scoffed and howled with laughter. Her expression turned bitter and odd. Her fingers curled into a fist, her nails digging into the palm of her hands. She continued to glare at Kai with her hard, brown eyes. She dropped her spoon into the bowl, and clenched her jaw.

"Kim Jongin, what are you up to?" Jessica hissed.

"It's Kai," he corrected, "and I'm not up to anything."

"Don't lie to me, Kai. Why would I trust someone who almost tried to make my younger sister commit suicide?" Jessica muttered. Kai covered his face with his bangs, then looked up. With an unfamiliar, wicked grin, he stared at Jessica like a creepy stalker. His face had become as dark as the night, and he no longer gave the lovely aurora he had just seconds ago. Through his smile, Jessica swore that she saw the heart of a demon in his eyes.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" 

For a long time, he sat still, staring and smiling at Jessica, as she stared at him in horror and fear.