Shin Hye was silent as Uncle Kang Joh delved into the angst of being chased by dogs, speaking in that rhetoric way of his. His speech, later on, went into friendships turning sour.

"A little bird told me that Yong Hwa took you out of the group," he said in passing.

Shin Hye did not reply. She just sat there, bowing her head, wiping her eyes.

"Omona, so the rumors are not rumors at all!" Kang Joh exclaimed, hoping to discredit his nephew. "Oh, why oh why? Why do bestfriends not get into lovers? Julianne never got Michael, as Michael married Kimmy!"

Seung Gi boohooed as he remembered the characters from "My Best Friend's Wedding." 

"Well, well, well, I will assist you in any way that I can so that you will forget my nephew," Kang Joh promised.

Shin Hye knew that Kang Joh hated Yong Hwa, but she would not have any of his promises. She also would not want to have anything to do with Yong Hwa as well. However, Kang Joh knew what he should do since Shin Hye would not even cooperate with him.

****

The second Thursday of November was the College Scholastic Ability Test. Uncle Kang Joh had the second grade and first grade students ride on his super bus to be transported to school to cheer for their seonbaes. He also provided his limo for Jong Hyun and the others, with Seohyun included, and he had Seung Gi transport them to school. Shin Hye went alone with just her motorcycle as help.

Yong Hwa was about to get out of his room to rush to the limo when Kang Joh stopped him.

"Wae?" Yong Hwa asked acidly. "I will be late!"

"Noona said she will give her blessings before you go," Kang Joh told his nephew. You can use my laptop in the study for video call."

"But I have Face Time!" Yong Hwa insisted.

"Now, now, Yong Hw-ya, get in the room, and use my laptop," Kang Joh said as he pulled his nephew.

It confused the young man, so he did as told. He did not know that Kang Joh looked the house and escaped through the secret route where Shin Hye often entered. It dawned on Yong that his uncle's laptop was not even there, so he rushed out, only to find out that Kang Joh had held him prisoner in the mansion. He screamed for help, tried the windows, all to no avail. He seethed in anger that his uncle tricked him, and it would be impossible for him to get to CSAT. CSAT was a now-or-never thing for the Korean students, and he hoped for some miracle.

****

Shin Hye looked boredly at her former gang, who was talking happily with Seohyun.

"Yong Hwa eodi?" Seohyun asked Min Hyuk.

"Uncle talked with him," the chinky-eyed guy replied.

Shin Hye heard it and did not move an inch. Kang Joh arrived to cheer on them, and told them that Yong Hwa decided to ditch the CSAT because he'd be going to America anyway. The three guys could not believe it, knowing how Yong Hwa had wanted to get into Chung Ang-dae. Shin Hye's instincts told her that something was wrong, and she remembered the day when Kang Joh talked to her in his study. She checked her watch to see that it was fifteen minutes before the time, and she had to hurry up.

****

Yong Hwa was banging on the front door when Shin Hye got down the stairs. He turned around to see his best friend coming to him in haste.

"Shin Hye-ya, did you get locked in too?" he asked in confusion.

Shin Hye pulled him and dragged him away.

"Uri eodi ga?" Yong asked.

"To the venue," Shin Hye told him stiffly. "Uncle Kang Joh locked you because he did not want you to get to college."

Yong fumed again. When they reached the secret entrance, Yong Hwa gaped at the new surrounding he had never seen, but Shin Hye pulled him hard to hurry up. As they got out of the secret exit, Yong realized it was near the barn.

"How did you get to know here?" he asked her.

Shin Hye got in her bike without saying a word, and he got behind her in her motorcycle. Yong Hwa saw it was ten minutes before the time, and with her bike, Shin Hye and he can get to school within five minutes. It occured to him that he had not seen his bestfriend for months, and he realized Shin Hye had gone thinner and paler. Was she cooking inside her room? Did she enter the secret entrance for months? Since when did she use the entrance?

"I don't deserve this," he whispered to her.

"Deserve what?" she asked back.

"You will be late for CSAT because of me," he said.

"At least you are not alone," she said.

"It will get in the way of your dreams," he said, remembering her laid-out plans.

"So, you still remember them?" she asked him as if to accuse him of forgetting about her.

"G...geurae! We... we are best friends," he said.

Shin Hye wanted to cry, but there is no time to be emotional. It was CSAT or never. The two of them arrived at the venue five minutes before the start, and Kang Joh was furious that his nephew was able to reach the school. He did not realize that his next-door neighbor, who also had a son taking the exam, was bringing along his rottweiler.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Kang Joh screamed, and he ran.

The dog ran after him, making the owner run after them in haste.

****

Shin Hye went back to the house after the exam, not letting her momentum slow her down. Despite the end of the dreaded exam, she still had to study for the winter exams. 

Her phone was in vibrating mode when someone called her, and she saw it was Yong Hwa. For the first time in months since banishing her from the group, Yong Hwa suddenly remembered her.

"You are in the room, geuchi?" he asked.

"Ani."

"Liar," he told her.

Shin Hye opened the door and cut the call. Yong Hwa went inside her room, shut it, and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry for not looking for you," he said in remorse. "I'm such a bad bestfriend."

"'Bad' is too light a description," she shot back. "You are cruel."

As she turned around to get back to her chair, Yong Hwa hugged her from behind and buried his face to her shoulder. Shin Hye shed some tears as his hug around her tightened.

"Mianhae. Seohyun is just a friend, and you know that. You are my bestfriend, and no one can replace you inside of me. You mean to me more than anything else."

"If I meant much to you, you are too wonderful to even leave me and forget about me," she said spitefully.

She confessed to him how she lived like a hermit just so she can stay away from him, and he realized he had left her for so long.

"Mianhae...."

It was already too much to stay angry, and Shin Hye realized she had fallen in love with her bestfriend, so she held his hand and accepted his apology. However, she let the "moment pass by," unable to confess her feelings for him.

****

Yong Hwa's eomma was furious that her half-brother managed to almost oust her son from the CSAT, so she took her son away from the mansion after graduation. Shin Hye did not apologize to Seohyun because there was nothing to apologize about, but they remained half-friends, nonetheless. It was a sad affair for the friends, who will be living separate ways.

Jong Hyun and Min Hyuk will live near Hanyang University in the main campus, while Jung Shin will be attending in the ERICA campus of Hanyang in Ansan City. Yong Hwa will be attending Chung Ang, while Shin Hye flew to Hong Kong for university.

****

However, one day, Yong Hwa was driving his motorcycle to the university when an SUV hit him. His vehicle lost control and hit a metal post located near the area. The SUV driver stopped his vehicle to help, and he brought Yong Hwa to the hospital. 

Upon knowing it, Eomma and Appa, who were naturally upset, rushed to the hospital. 

****

Yong Hwa stopped schooling for the time being, but he recovered nonetheless.

~~~~