It was familiar.

The touch, the soft hands, concerning voice that asked him if he was allright.

When Kyuhyun tried to remember, the girl sat beside him, still planting a soft grasp on his shoulder. Showing a sign of worriness. She repeated her words before , "are you allright, Sir?" She said again, "you were sleeping here, I guess you're not feeling well. You just went back back from work, didn't you? It must be a tiring job." Her black locks moved by the soft wind. Her light brown eyes glanced at him with concern.

Kyuhyun combed his front hair backwards with his fingers, He then took a sight of the woman carefully. Her black hair, calming eyes, and smelled her fragrance. Mint.

"Are you... Minsu? Kyuhyun finally talked out of his amazement. The girl looked ant him and blinked twice, then stared at him with confused eyes. Looks like she didn't have any idea what he was talking about.

She just smiled in reply, "my name is Kang Chaeka. Uhm, excuse me, but... did you hit your head or something? You sounded dizzy."

Kyuhyun slapped himself mentally. He felt very stupid. Why in the world did he ask about a dead person to a completely stranger? She just felt familiar. Doesn't mean Minsu come back to life.

A rush of memories came. The real owner of those missing pieces. Her smile, touches, soothing words, and cracked giggle. Those times when he forgot everything. He forgot not to trust people. He forgot all this world's rot. He forgot himself. Just because a single Lee Minsu. The only one Lee Minsu.

Their encounter was not really impressive. Even considered as 'awesome' in a negative way. The snarky girl threw one of her shoe off directly onto Kyuhyun's head. Not that she was doing it on purpose. She planned to hit her friend who was standing in front of Kyuhyun. But unfortunately, the friend pulled aside.

The short-haired girl mouthed a loud 'yah!' before ran after her male jerky friend, who was stucking his tongue out. Which insulted Kyuhyun more, she absent-mindedly took her shoe back on the floor without saying a single word of apology. The victim of her mishabit was right in front of her!

At that time he grabbed her wrist, a death grip on her elbow area, prevented her from running away to chase her friend again. She tilted her head and looked lazily at Kyuhyun's face, with an extremely annoying expression. Kyuhyun indeed wanted to punch her straight on the eye, if only she were a boy.

"Do you even know the word 'sorry'?" He asked sarcastically.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, "do you even have have a problem with me, Sir?" She emphasized on the word 'Sir'. Kyuhyun gritted his teeth to hold back his flooding anger.

"You just freakin' hit my head with your freakin' shoe. THAT is your problem." He still keeping his calm tone. "Well then, Mr... Cho Kyuhyun," she read Kyuhyun's name on his nametag on the right chest of his coat, then continued, "sorry." She announced half-heartedly, rolled her eyes in annoyance.

She was about to run away before Kyuhyun called her back in a nearly yelling voice.

"I want to hear your freakin' apology once again. I'm not satisfied yet. You are to be here at 2am." He said with a low, intimidating voice. She stopped running, and after Kyuhyun has done speaking, she ran away immediately. Kyuhyun tought she wouldn't be there. It was his sudden crazy idea, who even want to come to his office that late? Besides, she is a girl.

But he was wrong. She came.

She called him at 2am, with his number on his ID card that was dropped earlier (without his notice). He shocked and rushed to the place. With messy hair and a simple t-shirt and (fortunately he was quick enough to grab) black long pants, he started his Audi car and drove.

He finally arrived in front of his office.

And there she was. But with uninvited guys surrounding her, with knives and (visible to Kyuhyun) toy gun. She looked pretty freaked out, the big guys have cornered her in an alley beside his extremely huge office building. She clutched her hand on a nearest stone she could reach, and threw it right on one of the guys' face. The big guy just groaned and gave her a mad face. She screamed aloud, strangely scarred Kyuhyun's heart.

When the men almost hit her face, Kyuhyun aimed his car's front lamp on them. The girl startled, then her eyes showed a glint of relieve. The men sweared almost in unison. One of them grabbed her wrist and choked her with his big arm. She yelped loudly, struggling. Her eyes went wide when a (toy) gun placed right beside her head, sticking by her temple. She gulped in fear, staring at Kyuhyun with teary eyes.

"What the hell do you want, young man?!" The man yelled, trying to intimidate Kyuhyun. The tall youth just sent him a flat glare, with hands on his back. Then he brought his hands forward, holding a huge AK-47 gun. The men gasped audibly with eyes opened wide.

Kyuhyun cocked the gun--the men flinched in fear--and said with a calm tone, "for you," he pointed to the biggest man who was choking her, "to release her, and for all of you, freakin' useless loser, to leave us right here," he directed the gun upwards, shot a bullet that released a loud bang, "and right now."

Without even a count of one minute, the men vanished into the darkness of the dawn, running for their lives.

Kyuhyun watched the men who were running recklessly (one of them even fell down into a construction hole). He then turned his head back to check the girl's appearance. She squatted in front of the alley. Silent sobs could be heard. Kyuhyun advanced towards her and patted her on the shoulder. She quickly turned around and faced him with wet and swollen eyes.

"I'm afraid," she said, not louder than a whisper. Somehow Kyuhyun's heart winced in pain. But he continued to listen. " Thank you... and I'm really sorry for that time. I didn't mean it."

"It's fine. They're just a bunch of s." He muttered. The girl chuckled, "what's your name?" she asked. Kyuhyun stopped frowning.

"Kyuhyun, I'm Cho Kyuhyun." He aswered.

"I'm Lee Minsu." She introduced back.

"I didn't ask yours." He said bitterly. The girl just chuckled again, "you're such a sarcasm!" And started a cracked giggle. Kyuhyun was trying not to laugh, keeping his image on.

"I considered that as a praise." He insisted. She was still giggling, finally stopped and showed a huge grin towards him, "you will be a nice friend." She said, patted Kyuhyun repeatedly on his shoulders while wiping away her tears. He frowned even more.

They started to get closer by the time. Minsu immediately gave Kyuhyun her number right when she was saved at that time. They (by Minsu's force) watched movies together, walking around department store (Kyuhyun nearly got late to attend an important meeting), and even jokingly played see-saw in children's playground. She always shows her smile, and drasticly changed her expressions. Kyuhyun found it amusing, and slightly made him happy. He started to love those expression.

The feelings grew stronger, he couldn't keep his mask steady anymore in front of her. He showed his brightest smile, laughing with her, reading Popsicle Jokes and laughing like crazy. He forgot his distrust in people. Minsu indeed was changing him.

Then that time came.

It was Saturday night. He was about to meet her at the usual cafe, brought a bucket of red roses in his nervous hand grasp. He was about to confess and pour his feelings through words and flowers.

He saw her walking through the avenue across him after looked at the traffic light. She yelled his name with no shy feelings, grinning widely. He startled and quickly hid the flowers behind his back, and smiled nervously. Minsu walked with her sneakers on the zebra cross.

A black car came with a magnificent speed. Hit her lithe body. Kyuhyun saw the rusty red liquid soaked Minsu's soft hair. Leaking on the solid asphalt. He couldn't think anymore, rushed to the scene, and saw the car left with the same speed. He cursed loudly. As if the swears could save her. He knelt before her bleeding temple.

She still smiling. Oh God. Kyuhyun felt his heart throb. It hurts.

Minsu touched the flowers in his hand with trembling fingers. She opened her eyes slightly. Kyuhyun kept repeating words for her to stay still. She shushed him and whispered. Her voice soft and shaking.

"Thanks." She said, "for all these times... Kyuhyun-sshi. It means so much... to me..." She shed a single tear. And closed her eyes back. Kyuhyun groaned in sorrow. The sounds of ambulance siren was audible to him, as he stares her body was carried away.

Whole of her family started to insult him. They were blaming him. If only she didn't approve his invitation, if only she didn't know him, if only he doesn't even exist. The world was turning upside down in Kyuhyun's point of view. He couldn't visit her grave. He even couldn't bring flowers there. Is it his fault? No, but he started to blame himself.

If only she had never meet him, she would've been alive.

He slammed back into reality as Chaeka slapped his cheek.

He stared at her with furrowed brows, and she quickly pulled her hand back and used it to cover in guilt. Kyuhyun just his pained cheek and hissed. Chaeka bowed repeatedly and mumbled a lot of apologies.

Kyuhyun said it was okay and said thanks too, for her that disenchant him back to present world. From that hurting past.

"Chaeka? What are you doing?" A voice made Kyuhyun turned his head to its source.

He found a confused face staring at him. The frowning round eyes looked at him. The figure turned to face Chaeka, "who is this, Chaeka?" The newly-arrived youth asked the long-haired girl.

"I just met him. He looked so helpless, so... I helped him?" She said, slightly confused too. Her eyes glanced back at the frowning Kyuhyun, still scanning him.

Chaeka felt familiar. But this person looked familiar. Really, truly familiar. Like the male version of Minsu. The same seemingly soft black hair, the same lips, the same teeth that Kyuhyun always have as Minsu's lack to laugh at. Even the same eyes.

Chaeka pulled the young man on his elbow and said a whisper that was audible to Kyuhyun, "you go introduce yourself!" And the teenager startled, chuckled groggily then looked back at Kyuhyun. Who was still frowned while staring.

"Ah! Sorry. My name is Lee Sungmin. Nice to meet you."

He is Minsu's older brother.