I sat alone, trying to come to grips with what happened

- 

"N-no…. Wae..." he breathed, the papers fluttering to the floor as he rushed over 

I pushed him away as he tried to touch me, knowing it'd just make it harder. It was undeniable how much I wanted to hold and kiss him properly, but I couldn't. We never could.

"You're hurt because if me" I barely touched one of his dark bruises, proving my point with a wince of pain, "I know why the Heir's targeted you, and I can't let it go on" 

"We don't have to break up though. We've been dating for months, and we can date for more" he argued

My eyes wandered up his undressed body, looking at all the injuries. Each one was a date, kiss, or anything else couple-esque, therefore one more thing the Heir's could harm him for. 

I shook my head, 

"I'm sure we could, but if the abuse gets worse I don't know if you'll last. Then there's you're music mark, and if you'll even be able to stay at the academy. One fail, and they re-evaluate you entirely. What would your father do if he found out and you were expelled?"

"Let's just not break up. Semester is almost done anyways, and Suzy will be gone" he sighed

"Even if she does leave, this won't stop. I doubt it greatly" I admitted

"Then what are we suppose to do! I'm willing to deal with this, but you won't let me! You're safe, why don't you agr-"

"Because I want you to be safe!" it came out much lo louder than intended, he backed away from my small figure, "If I leave, then both of us can be ok! That's all I care about, you!" 

The tears were making my vision warp, his face being just a blob of skin colour. I was so angry with him, yet at the same time angrier with myself for getting us into this. What was I thinking, that dating Taecyeon could work out well. 

He watched me sob helplessly. I didn't care he was seeing me so weak, it'd be all over soon enough and I'd have leave. 

"I love you. How could your forget that" he whispered, yanking me against his broad chest for a forced hug. 

For a minute longer I cried, his skin gleaming from my eyes. My hair was getting wet too from his own tears. I was the most hysterical and out of control crier though. 

I pulled away slowly, seeing how upset he was also. Impulsively I kissed him, probably bruising his lips with the collision. My lips were quick and urgent on his, knowing this really was how we would finish our relationship. 

"I never forgot that Taec. But you seemed to forget that I care about you just as much, maybe more. That's why I'm saving you" I muttered, pushing back his ever growing ahjumma hair. 

He gripped my hand, the veins popping out of the skin. I bit my lip looking at him, 

"I love you. It's not the right time though. Maybe when we graduate, maybe when we are even 25, just not now when I'm so dumb and young"

He sniffled, then spoke with a hoarse and tired voice

"I'll wait. I'll be able to protect you then, instead of the reverse" 

"B-bye…." I pried his hand off of mine, giving a forced smile, "Find someone else for now though, don't be stuck in the past thinking of me" 

The last thing I remember were his eyes. How they looked so empty and hollow, because I had taken away what had filled them. 

- 

"I wonder what he's doing" I breathed to myself, hopping off my mattress. 

Gina would be coming back like any other night with Onew. I didn't want to talk to her, or really anybody. I just wanted to be alone. 

Carelessly I wandered around the most vacant halls I could, arriving eventually at the forever under construction garden. It was the only place I could think off where I wouldn't be bothered. 

It felt like that break up was still going on even thought it ended hours ago, our words bouncing around in my thoughts like a dollar store toy. If I had broken up with him maybe a day later, or three, would it have helped? Would I feel less hurt? What if I hadn't dumped him at all.

Who would be the one to hold on longer, and be hurt seeing the other letting go?

"God damn. god damn" I swore, falling on to the ground in complete darkness. 

I rolled on to my back and let my eyes adjust. In my sulking, I had moped through the courtyard and behind the maze. I was in some sort of arbour, my leg caught on a bench placed inside it. 

Thankfully my cellphone wasn't dead, so I used it as a light to see more clearly. I stared in awe when I saw all the arbour's decorations. 

Rooms worth of photos, letters, and other paper paraphernalia were pinned to the light wood, making it practically a scrapbook. I focused on the thing in my eye line which was a card,  

To my dear and dorky boyfriend; Taecyeon, 

I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Well, I know you will since I'm making it extra special like always. 

Guess I should put some heartfelt mushy stuff in here since I know you like it. How do I start…. I really like you, and hope we can grow old together. I remember the day we met in Americas for the arranged marriage, and how nervous we both were. You still make me feel like that. You goof.  

Love you, with all my heart. Taec care (kekeke, see what I did there?)

Your equally as dear and dorky girlfriend; Wen. 

Then I skimmed over a letter, and then looked at a photo. Then again. It was all Wen. Every possible thing those two could've exchanged was here. There was stuff here from before they even went to school together. I had to smirk at how 5 year old Taecyeon's drawings weren't any better than now's, maybe even better. 

"He must've started this from the day the gardening project started…" I squinted to read a sheet music Wen had written for him, "Some of this stuff is super old…"

My fingers danced over all the memorabilia, but froze when they reached the right inside of the arbour. All the things here had no yellow tinge to them, or creases from being folded repeatedly. 

I couldn't help it. I began to cry again when I looked closely. 

Photos of Taec and I, notes I had threw at him during class, drawings I had done of us. It was all here. Everything. 

My eyes dumped a few more buckets out as I looked at a sketch. It was a silly cartoon of us together as cats, because we were so obsessed with them. The thing was that I swore I hadn't given him this, but then remembered I had left this with him for cheering up earlier today. 

I snorted and sniffled loudly, 

"He came here. Tonight." 

The ground turned to mush under my body as I collapsed. I was too emotionally drained to lift my head or think coherently. There needed to be a hole here so I could crawl into it and never come out. I had no idea what I suppose to do. I think I managed to crawl back to bed, ready for my anger stage. 

So this was it; I really did have to become a true Heir now. I belonged no where else now. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Gina's Perspective

"WHAT" I snatched Onew's phone away from him, "Can't be!"

"You're reading exactly what I did. Apparently they broke up" shrugged Onew

It was impossible; Taec and Cindy being over. They adored each other, and would do anything to stick together. Whoever dumped who was irrelevant, Cindy would be needing someone regardless. 

"I'm leaving then. Girl talk is happening whether she does it willingly" I announced, already halfway out the door. 

"What about girlfriend-boyfriend Dance Dance Revolution night…." Onew pointed to the mats with flashing arrows on the ground, "We always do this on Thursdays…" 

I gave him a small smile and a kiss, 

"Well not every Thursday does my roommate goes through a breakup. I'll text you tonight, ok?"

"Ok; love you!" he picked me up in a tight hug, messing up my hair at the same time, "Remember to bring me my shirt back tomorrow" 

Upon seeing Cindy when I arrived back, I wished I had stayed at Onew's. It looked like hell here. 

"Uhm.. whatcha doing…" I slurred, watching her throw darts at the wall. 

"Taec and I broke up" she didn't break eye contact with her target, "I hate everyone" 

Turns out she was throwing darts at pictures of them together. What type of psycho was she. 

"Look at us. Stupid happy people. I hate being happy" a few more darts drilled into the centre of the photographs, "Taec; why you got to be so caring. Why do you have to be so selfless? If you'd just dumped me, I wouldn't feel so ty right now!" 

This Cindy scared the daylights out of me. I waited patiently for her to run out of darts. 

"Want to tell me about it" I asked

"Sure; may as well since the whole academy will know by tomorrow" she hissed, collecting the spent shots even though it was nearing 11:30 pm. 

She bit her tongue and hurled a dart at Taec and her eating,  

"Basically the Heirs just wanted to mess my life up and drive out if not kill Taec. So to protect him, we broke up"

"You're being awfully nonchalant about it. Weren't you suppose to be eternally in love and crap?" I asked half jockingly 

"Doesn't matter how I feel. He's safe. He's not going through pain anymore because of me" she muttered, lowering the shot she had prepared. 

Then I let the night take over, meaning we could go into our separate worlds of homework and home-wrecking. Cindy was going to burrow through the wall with how hard she was with the darts. So much for girl talk. God; why couldn't we do that like Min and I. 

It was after midnight, and I had actually finished my obscene amount of to do's. I closed my laptop just to see her still there, pelting holes into faces. 

"Cindy. Just tell me what you're thinking right now, because I don't you just to bottle it up and then yell it at me tomorrow morning" I sighed 

"You really want to know?" she jumped on to her bed, landing straight on her "I hate the Heirs, I hate being an Heir. Hell; I'd rather be a Cater and just say screw it! Not like I'll pass initiation anyways…"

Suddenly her hand struck out, along with a hard edged tone

"Pretend you didn't here the last part!"

May as well admit it now before she passes out form the blood rushing to her head. 

"Don't worry. I know" 

"Get out. No you don't….." she said shaking a finger

"Onew isn't exactly a rule follower, and never has been… he told me about two weeks ago" I confessed

I watched her expression carefully, making sure she wasn't to hit a real person with the projectiles. She seemed actually pretty calm; thank god. I didn't want to die tonight. 

"Whatever. I'll become undesirable number like when I first came here, and I can live in loneliness. Along with Taecyeon. Hey; we could become the school's biggest social drop outs together" she remarked, half sarcastic half serious. 

"Don't you care at all about being an Heir? You know, leading the school?"

Cindy laid down on her bed, pulling the covers over her head. She just kind of died on me, not replying. Then she flipped over, poking her head out from under,

"No. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Especially you" 

"You haven't even tried though. All we ever do is eat, watch TV, and laugh at those people you call hipsters on your Facebook" I pointed out

"Well if you want to be with your boyfriend, don't count on me getting you in. I like you just the way you are Ballergina" she whispered, already falling to sleep.

"Hypothetical question" I flicked off my own light and hopped underneath my blankets, "What if you did become and official Heir?"

I could see the parts clicking away in her mind as she considered the possibility. They stopped when she had an answer. 

"Accept it. Forget I ever was this lame Canadian transfer reject. Be someone"

She immediately flipped a question on me, right after speaking, changing the topic completely. 

"Wen. Do you think this is what she felt like? Leaving Taec? Becoming an Heir?"

For this answer -unlike Cindy- I didn't have to think at all. It was obvious. I shook my head in disagreement, only being able to imagine her response

"No. She couldn't handle either, but I know you can" 

"Wait and see" she rustled around a few times, throwing off half the covers, "Just going to warn you, I'm only going to be a because I'm acting like a "

I laughed, 

"Did you just quote a movie?..."

"Maybe..." she mumbled 

The hum of electronics and the drip of the leaking tap regulated the minutes that ticked by. I broke the lulling pattern. speaking up

"Why didn't you try? Try to make me into 'Heir material'. It still was i favour of saving Taecyeon"

Next thing I knew, I had a stuffed banana plushie flung at my face. 

"I told you already" Cindy rolled towards the wall, her back to me "I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Especially you"