Days passed and soon it was the last day of school. We had about 3 days to prepare before we had to set off for our town. Kyuhyun, that game-addict, chose to spend his time ‘preparing’ his laptop for the long travel, and minimal time packing. He didn’t even want to leave the house to go get the extra laptop battery that he wanted. Instead, he asked Sungmin, who volunteered to accompany me on my shopping trips, to get it for him. Thus, Sungmin and I went all around the city, buying travel necessities for our small travel party and gifts to bring back to my town. He also said that he wanted to get meeting-gifts for my family, as it was only polite.

Heechul was still in a bad mood so he didn’t want anything to do with preparing for travel. I tried making his favourite white chocolate tarts to try to cheer him up, but only succeeded in convincing him to pack up the clothes that he would need for our two-month stay in the countryside.

The day for departure finally came. After making sure that all the windows were properly locked, all sockets switched off, and the gas and water supply cut off, the four of us set off, lugging paper bags filled with souvenirs and specialty foodstuff, along with our luggage cases.

We had to take a four hours train ride in order to reach my town, after which we’ll have to take the town bus over to our house. Looking out of the train windows, I watched as the scenery sped past, bringing me closer and closer back to the place where I had called home for the past 8 years. My thoughts were filled with the buildings in town, as well as the faces of the people whom I loved so much. I was finally going back to them after one long year away. Even though it was only going to be a short visit, it was already sufficient for me.

“Hello? Earth to Yonni? It’s your turn!” Kyuhyun’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. I pulled away from the window and looked down at the UNO cards in my hand. I played my turn and glanced around. Sitting around a table with Sungmin and me on one side, Kyuhyun and Heechul on the other, we had a nice and quiet cabin all to ourselves as the train that we were taking had private carriages instead of public seats. Travelling in comfort, Heechul had fallen asleep with his head against the glass windows while the rest of us were trying to kill time by playing UNO.

Soon, familiar landscapes started coming into my view. I got more and more excited as I started recognising some of them. “We’re getting closer!” I thought happily as I pressed my face against the windows, trying to get a closer look at the scenery, “Auntie Yuri, Ryeowook, wait for us! We’re coming back soon!”

Sure enough, the familiar town hall appeared as a dot in the distant. “Heechul!” I shouted in excitement as I scrambled over Sungmin’s knees and squeezed in between Heechul and Kyuhyun. Feeling irritated, Kyuhyun grumbled as he unwillingly shifted to the side to give me some space, “Pig-ni, you’re not exactly very skinny you know? Can’t you just talk to him from your side?”

Ignoring him, I shook Heechul hard, “Heechul! Wake up! We’re reaching, we’re reaching!!!!” Heechul grunted in his slumber and pushed my hands off his arm, refusing to wake up. “HEECHUL!” I shook him again, “Come on!!!”

“AIISH!” Heechul finally opened his eyes, pushing me off him. “Arasso, ARASSO! Can’t I even sleep in peace?” he scolded as he glared at me angrily. However, I was so full of anticipation that his bad mood didn’t even dampen my enthusiasm by one bit.

I continued jumping around the cabin as I jabbered on ecstatically, “Kyuhyun! Kyuhyun look! There’s the town square!! Sungmin! Sungmin! Look! That’s my elementary school!! Too bad the train doesn’t pass by our house! OH!! AND THAT’S MY SECONDARY SCHOOL!! LOOK! LO…” Heechul had gotten up on his feet and covered my mouth with his hand, dragging me back to my seat.

“An Yonni! Sit down! And be quiet!” Heechul chided as he pointed a finger at me warningly, “Aiish, a 15 year old behaving like a 5! Babo!!!”

I stuck out my tongue at Heechul, before turning back to look out of the windows. Silence then fell upon the cabin as each of us immersed into our own thoughts.

*~Heechul’s POV~*

Because of that idiot, Leeteuk, I was in a bad mood for the past few weeks. “That babo…” I thought bitterly as I recalled about the night of the concert, “What’s wrong with him lately? Up till now he still hasn’t called me or given me an official apology! This is so unlike him! Aiish, I didn’t even see him at school!”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. The stupid train ride was getting on my nerves with all the bumping and turns. I threw a glance at Kyuhyun, who was sitting beside me, and saw that he was reading a book.

“Seriously? He can still read in this condition? I’m already getting train-sick!” I wondered in my heart. However, before I could say anything, I saw Yonni get up from her seat. Whipping my head around in her direction, I glared at her through squinted eyes, daring her to start babbling again.

“Arasso, arasso! I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just want to get something from my luggage,” She said, stepping over Sungmin’s legs. Satisfied, I looked back out of the windows. The train was speeding along a small river now, the same river that flows alongside my house further on downstream, the same one that Yonni, Ryeowook and I often played in when we were young. My spirits lifted a little as I had a sudden flashback of the carefree days that we spent catching fishes in the cool waters during our free time.

“How fast time flies… It seemed like yesterday that Yonni and Ryeowook were still irritating little brats… Now, they are all grown up…” I thought as a small smile crept onto my face. I looked back at Yonni and watched as she pulled an old teddy bear out from one of the bags. As she turned back to return to her seat, I pretended to stretch and yawn so she would not find out that I had been looking at her.

Turning back to face the windows, I peeked at Yonni by side-glancing at her through the corners of my eyes. She had a happy smile on her face as she the head of the teddy bear lovingly. I couldn’t help but smile at her expression, “I can’t believe that she actually brought that old thing with her all the way from the city. After all these years, she still likes that bear? She’s already an adult! Babo…”

Although I always ask her to behave like an adult, I knew that deep in my heart, she would always be my little sister. She would always be that 6-years old, silly little tomato-faced scarecrow that suddenly appeared in my life and turned it upside down. I had never told her, but she was the one that taught me that sibling’s love does not runs in the blood, but in the bond that is shared between them.

However, my bad mood caught up with me again as the train suddenly past through a tunnel, causing me to see the Band-Aid on my right cheek, reminding me of the incident at the pub. “Damn it, Leeteuk, you better have a good explanation ready when I get back to the city or I’m going to KILL you.” I silently cursed as I closed my eyes again, trying to get some more shuteyes before we reached the train station.

*~Kyuhyun’s POV~*

Standing at the warm platform was a torture, especially since we’re in for a 4 hours bumpy train ride. I sure hoped that the train was nicely air-conditioned. “I hate summer,” I thought grudgingly, “I should be back at home, enjoying the air-con and playing my game…” I doubled checked my backpack again to make sure that I had brought my laptop along.

“Kyuhyun-ah! Stop checking your bag every 10 seconds! Your laptop’s not gonna grow legs and run away!” Yonni scolded as she poked her head out from Sungmin’s side. She was sitting on the bench with Sungmin beside her, holding an opened notebook and a pen. Girls are such ers for details. Ever since we left our apartment for the train station, this was the 5^th time she was recounting our luggage and various bags.

“You want to be the kettle or the pot?” I shot back sarcastically as I zipped up my backpack, “Our luggage ain’t gonna run away either,” I pity Sungmin, who had been with her all morning as she had been babbling non-stop. I could tell that Yonni was really excited about going back home after a long year away. However, I could not understand her excitement. It’s just a trip back home, not a big deal right?

Personally, I do not have any special attachments to any places. As opposed to what Yonni and Heechul thought, I was not brought up in America. I grew up here, and my father sent me over to America to study when I was about 10 years old. I had been a smart kid at school since young, and my dad had high hopes pinned on me. He is a property tycoon, and hence wishes for me to take over his business when I got older. I, however, had no interest whatsoever in his work. My interest is in music, just like Sungmin. Maybe that’s why we are close to each other.

If I must choose a place, it will be this household, this one with Heechul, Yonni and Sungmin. Back in America, I was enrolled into a prestigious school where everybody either came from a rich or powerful family. I did not enjoy my time there at all, as the students were always flaunting off their wealth by either driving expensive cars or using branded stuff. I was glad when my dad went according to my wishes and fetched me back here to continue my studies, well ahead of others around my age.

Heechul was the first friend that I made when I got back here. He had never asked me about my family, nor did I ask about his. We were simply comfortable with each other, even with the between us. Heechul is such a free soul. He simply makes decisions based on his whims and wishes. Although he had the meanest temper and weirdest personality, he was very loyal and caring towards his friends and family. So when he asked me to move in with him so we could scrimp on rentals, I agreed even though money was not a concern at all for me.

What surprised me was that his sister, Yonni, was almost like him. When Heechul first told me that his sister was coming to the city, and that he wished for her to stay with us, I was reluctant as I felt having a girl at home is too troublesome. The image that I had in mind was a soft-spoken, easily frightened, fussy, girlish kind of girl. She turned out to be much better than I had imagined. Although not loud and uncouth, her personality was tough enough to pack a punch at people who annoyed her. She was also a girl of principles, I almost had to tie her up and threaten her before she agreed to let me pay for the utilities.

Friends at school once asked me if I was interested in her as they had seen me hanging out with her on a regular basis. Okay, she is rather pretty, and sometimes she can be rather adorable, but let’s just say we’re on a love-hate relationship. We love each other as very good friends, and get on each other nerves. A lot. More than often, I feel more like a family with them rather than with my own father. Maybe it was because he was always not around when I was younger, spending all his time on his business.

My mum passed away when I was really young, I was brought up by our housekeeper. Because of his lack of presence, I feel more like strangers with my dad. He kept our conversations to a minimum, only speaking with me regarding school, or when he wants me to do something. In fact, I think that even Yonni, who had only knew me for a year, understood me more than my own father.

Anyway, the train arrived just before I melted in the burning summer heat. Luckily the train was comfortably air-conditioned. We managed to get a private cabin all to ourselves, and being too lazy to stack our stuff onto the rack above us, we simply piled them up in a corner of the cabin. Heechul, who was still in a bad mood, went to sleep almost immediately after jumping into the window seat. Not wanting to sit beside Yonni and get bugged to death by her enthusiasm, I settled down beside Heechul, leaving Sungmin, who sat down beside Yonni hesitantly. “Was he finally getting tired of Yonni’s racket?” I snickered to myself as I pulled out a deck of UNO cards.

After a few rounds, Yonni suddenly got excited as she spied something in the distance. Without any warning, she scrambled over a shocked Sungmin and squeezed in between Heechul and I.I scolded her as I moved unwillingly, giving her space to sit. I reached over and retrieved a book from my backpack as she tried to wake the sleeping beast.

Amused, I watched as she eventually managed to wake him up, but not without getting scolded by a very annoyed Heechul. She then started jumping up and down like a kid in a toy store, resulting in more scolding and eventually a time-out issued by her brother. I started reading my book as she finally returned to her seat, and silence befell upon the cabin.

Peace did not last for long though. My reading was disturbed by her again about 10 minutes later, when she suddenly said, “Arasso, arasso! I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just want to get something from my luggage,” and stepped over Sungmin once again, walking towards the luggage. I looked out of the windows and saw that the train was passing by a river that was flowing through a mountainous area with tall metal structures which I realised were actually part of the power cables supplying electricity to this place.

“This place looks like one of the battle terrains in Starcraft…” I concluded in my head. I sighed and resumed reading while regret swept through my heart, “Cho Kyuhyun. How did you even let Yonni con you to coming to this place instead of staying in civilisation?”

*~Sungmin’s POV~*

Before getting onto the train, I could not decide where to sit. I wanted to sit closer to Yonni, but at the same time, I was afraid to. I mean, wasn’t it wrong of me to want to get closer to her when she already had a boyfriend? “Aigoo… Why can’t I have met her before she met her boyfriend?” I thought as I watched her silently. She had her neck extended out in full, keeping an eye out eagerly for the railway train that we were supposed to take.

I grew up wary of how others judge me as that’s how my stepfather raised me. He was a successful businessman, and was very strict about my behaviour both at home and outside. I never had a choice in anything, and was quiet and withdrawn in school. My clothes were always crease-free and smart, even though my school allowed us to wear casual attires. He had always disapproved of my preferences, even if they were perfectly normal- for instance my favourite food being danhobak, or my wish to be able to learn to play all the musical instruments in the world.

My first taste of freedom was when he and my mother decided to migrate to Americatogether with my younger half-brother. He left me behind, saying that I would not be able to get used to the new environment, having spent most of my life here. But I knew the true reason, he had long wanted me out of his family, and this was the perfect chance to do so.

I didn’t mind of course, I was tired of having to follow his orders and trying to be the person he wanted me to be, instead of being who I wanted to be. This is my life, and I would live it the exact way I want it to be. My mum’s brother, who was Kyuhyun’s father, took over my guardianship about 3 months after they left, and moved me over to the city where Kyuhyun was. He was also a successful businessman, and did not mind providing for me at all. He had always disapproved of the marriage between my mother and my stepfather as he felt that my stepfather was depriving me of a happy childhood. Thinking back now, I was thankful for my stepfather’s selfishness. If not for him, I would not have the chance to join Kyuhyun’s nuclear household in the city, nor experience what it was like actually have someone who was sincerely concerned about how I felt for once.

The first day that I met Yonni was still clearly imprinted in my mind. I was wandering around the streets, trying to find Kyuhyun’s apartment when Yonni suddenly banged into me. My first impression of her wasn’t that clear as it was only a chance meeting. What I did not expect was that I would not only meet her again at my new house, but also end up staying with her.

Her personality was what attracted my attention. Over my past 16 years of life, I’ve never met another girl like her. She was like a child, male, female and adult all trapped in one body. At times, she would be gentle and sensitive like a girl, yet she was strong enough to strike back when Kyuhyun bullies her. At other times she would be like a child, innocent and cute, but mature enough to take care of everyone.

Yonni makes me feel safe. I don't know why, but I really felt that I could trust her even though we practically just met. I felt that there was affinity between us. I mean, we practically hugged each other twice within hours when the world is so huge. If it's not for destiny, why would I be able to meet her twice? Anyway, I felt that was the main reason I had an absurd sense of liking for her after meeting her the second time.

Frankly speaking, I was rather hurt when she too judged me based on my liking for pink. However, I was more worried about her treating me as a 'sister' rather than a member of the opposite . My liking for Yonni escalated the same night that I exposed my weak side to her. While I went back home to pick up my instruments that I had left in my old house, she had changed my room into a barbie dollhouse in an attempt to cheer me up. The same day, I also had the most delicious danhobak cuisine that I had ever eaten - one that Yonni had prepared with me in mind. Even though I knew that she was probably feeling bad about the previous night, that it was probably too soon to hope that Yonni actually shared the same feelings I had towards her, I could not fight the ecstasy in my heart.

That night, I also fell in love for the first time in my 16 years of breathing and feeling. I fell in love with a girl that I had met less than 48 hours ago. A girl who was not afraid of being herself, a girl who was a little painfully clumsy but alluringly cute.

Sounds absurd and impossible right? I too, never thought that I would be the victim of love at first sight.

Or second, considering my first sight of her was actually the top of her head before she crashed into my chin.

I tried denying this emotion that I was feeling initially. But the harder I tried to push it away, the harder it would bounce back. How else can I explain why I allowed my emotions to be free around her?

How else can I explain why I can remember every small details that I picked up about her? For instance her love of peaches and her habit of putting canned peaches into her morning milk?

How else can I explain why her antics, her expressions and the words that she said kept replaying in my head constantly?

How else can I explain the sudden heartache and disappointment that I felt when I overheard her conversation with her boyfriend, that guy named Ryeowook?

The first week that I spent in their house was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. My ride started off smoothly with the happiness of being able to finally lead my life the way I want it to be, then gone slightly faster due to the excitement of meeting someone whom I could trust. The ride then started going uphill when the fluttery feelings of liking someone crept into my heart, which then reached the peak height of pure ecstasy when I involuntarily fell in love. As rapid as my ride climb that height in matter of hours, it then dropped down to the deepest depths of disappointment when I realised that the love of my heart had already been taken by somebody.

As the days past, I found myself falling more and more for Yonni. I felt pathetic. I knew that she was already attached, so what were my chances? Even when I already knew that Yonni had a boyfriend back in her town, there was still one small part of me that refuses to give up. Maybe it was because I actually hoped that the distance between them would actually create a opportunity for me somehow.

“Arasso, arasso! I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just want to get something from my luggage,” Yonni’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as she stepped over my knees again. Her long black hair brushed past my face very gently as she went past, leaving behind a faint scent of the peach shampoo that she uses. Just this mere action made my heart raced. I ended up sitting beside her without much choice as Heechul and Kyuhyun took the other seats.

I tried to keep my watchful eyes as discreet as I could as I followed Yonni’s path towards the luggage that were piled at a corner. She pulled out an old looking bear from one of the bags and trodded back to her seat, stepping over me once again. I glanced at her secretly, pretending to be reading the magazine that I was holding in my hands. She was patting the head of the old teddy lovingly and smiling to herself, as if reminiscing a beautiful memory.

Reaching out to set the magazine down on the table, I turned towards her and commented in a casual tone, “You must adore this bear a lot to bring it with you all the way from the city,”

She gave me a bright smile and nodded before saying, “I do, this bear has been with me for a long time,”

“Is it a gift from someone?”

She tossed a look at the sleeping Heechul before answering with that bright smile still on her face, “Yup, Ryeo… A person that I love a lot gave this to me,” I felt a twinge of pain in my heart as I knew she was referring to Ryeowook. Hearing the owner of your heart refer to another person as one that she loves a lot is even more painful than knowing she is already taken.

I forced a smile at her before grabbing the magazine that I had left on the table and acted as if I was reading it. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Yonni hugged the bear tightly before looking out of the windows again.

“She seemed really happy… I bet this Ryeowook must be really special to her...” I sighed as I flipped the pages absentmindedly, not even reading the articles. I was having mixed emotions. I was happy that Yonni is blissful with her boyfriend, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but wished that they might have drifted apart in the past one year.

“Lee Sungmin! You should be happy for her! How could you be so evil to wish for them to drift apart? But… but I am sure I can make her happy! Maybe I should make use of this chance to… NO! No, you cannot do this… ARH! LEE SUNGMIN! MICHYEOSSEO?? How can you even think of trying to sabotage them?” The internal debate that I was having between my heart and my mind was tearing me apart. Before I could stop it, I gave out a frustrated yell, scaring the hell out of my other three companions.

I covered my mouth as soon as the yell escaped from my mouth, looking apologetically at each of them. They all had the same shocked look on their faces as they stared at me as though I had gone crazy. Even Heechul, who was originally sleeping, was gaping at me. “I…” my mind whirled overtime for an excuse for my outburst, “I… The train was shaking too much. I couldn’t read this interesting article properly…”

Yonni burst out laughing. “Oh Sungmin… You’re so funny!” She leaned over and took the magazine that I was reading from me, “You can always read it later, its not good to be reading in such bumpy environment…”

I gave a bitter laugh and rubbed my eyes, “I guess you’re right… My eyes do…”

My sentence was interrupted by Yonni, who suddenly jumped up onto the seat in excitement. “We’re reaching!” She was pressing her entire body against the glass window, “WE’RE REACHING!!! I CAN SEE THE TRAIN STATION ALREADY!!!” She clapped her hands in happiness as she twirled around on the seat. Heechul was yelling for her behave herself properly and to get down from the seat while I was more worried that she would fall off the seat as the train was still moving.

“Who cares about behaving properly!!!” She was laughing heartily as she dismissed Heechul’s scoldings, “We’re reaching!!! We are reaching!!! I can’t wait to see Ryeowook! I’m going to give him a HUGE hug when I see him! I miss him so much!!!!”

Yonni’s words were drilling holes into my already bruised heart. I actually planned to use the school holidays to let my feelings cool down by going somewhere far and not see Yonni for the whole period of 2 months. However, when she invited me to join her and Heechul in their trip back home, I agreed to it before I could stop myself. Now thinking back, I really regretted it. How am I going to survive the vacation seeing her with that Ryeowook?

Sigh…

Maybe I’ll get over it somehow…