Yoo Rin rubbed her forehead and wonders why everything is so bright and loud. Stupid. Stupid. Why did they let me drink?!

“Ya! You ok?”Choi asked sitting on the steps next to Yoo Rin who covered her ears when Choi spoke.

“Please don’t yell. My head hurts.” Yoo Rin begged.

They sat on the resort’s entrance steps. The group were headed back to the city and back to school the next day. Choi gave Yoo Rin a smile of understanding. Eun Hye came out and gave a glass filled with dark red murky liquid. Yoo Rin made a face and smelled the contents of the glass. Yoo Rin grimaced.

“Don’t make that face. Drink it.”Eun Hye scolded pushing the glass towards Yoo Rin.

“What is it exactly?”Yoo Rin asked reluctantly. Eun Hye was one of her best friends but she can be so motherly at times.

“Han Yoo Rin! You-”Eun Hye started Yoo Rin flinched then obediently downed the drink. She stuck her tough out and made a disgusted face. And returned the glass to Eun Hye.

“Ya! That’s the most awful thing I ever drank in my life.”Yoo Rin remarked.

“Tsk! Bong-hyung called last night. He gave me the recipe for that drink. He assured me it’ll make you feel better.”Eun Hye revealed.

Yoo Rin put her hands on her face. “Oh no! Oppa knows I got drunk last night?” Yoo Rin knew she was going to get trashed when she got home.

“The Twins kept calling! Ya! You weren’t answering your phone. It took all my convincing powers to get them not to rush here and get you.”Eun Hye added.

Yoo Rin groaned. The Twins. She was going to get totally trashed at home and at school.

“No use groaning now. What’s done is done.”Eun Hye said

“I didn’t beat up anyone last night, did I?”Yoo Rin asked reluctantly remembering the last time she got drunk at the class camping trip.

Eun Hye shook her head. Yoo Rin gave a sigh of relief. “I didn’t start singing again did I?” Yoo Rin asked Choi who she assumed was a witness to her humiliation. Choi shook his head no. Yoo Rin blinked. “I didn’t humiliate anyone else other than myself did I?”

Eun Hye laughed. “Ya! If you’re so worried, why’d you drink in the first place?”

“I didn’t know it was soju when I drank.”Yoo Rin reasoned hanging her head in embarrassment.

Choi smiled then gave Yoo Rin a nudge. “Ya! You should be nicer to Geun Suk. He kept an eye on you the whole night.”

“Eh?!”

Yoo Rin glanced at Eun Hye for confirmation. Eun Hye nodded. Yoo Rin groaned again. Why? Why did it have to be him that kept an eye on me at one of the most embarrassing times of my life? Yoo Rin wondered That’s reserved for Oppas and best friends. Yoo Rin rested her head on her knees wanting to disappear.

“I heard you kept him up until dawn.”Choi pointed out.

Yoo Rin’s head shot up. She stared at Choi in disbelief. “Shiro! No way!”

Choi nodded. “You did. He’s been very patient with you, You know. Why don’t you put him out of his misery?”

Yoo Rin stared at Choi blankly. “Put him out of his misery? You mean hit him in the head with a hammer?” Yoo Rin asked innocently and hopefully.

Eun Hye made a sound of frustration. Choi just rolled his eyes at Yoo Rin. Yoo Rin rested her head on her knees trying to make the world stop spinning. Somehow the murky drink Eun Hye gave her was working. The world doesn’t sound so loud anymore. Silence was good. It was interrupted when.

“Excuse me, Han Yoo Rin?” a man in a suit came up to them with a bouquet of long stemmed blue roses.

Yoo Rin’s eyes widen. Blue Roses. There were only 3 people who knew she likes blue roses. Her Appa, (Dad) Oppa Bong-hyung and Shin. Yoo Rin stared at the bouquet with mixed feelings. Eun Hye who was closer smiled at the ajjusshi. Choi looked at the flowers brows furrowed.

“Wa! Han Yoo Rin. Blue roses. So unusual. Ajjusshi, who is it from?”Eun Hye asked.

The man laid the bouquet on Yoo Rin’s lap and with flourish gave her a large envelope. He gave Yoo Rin a bow then left. Yoo Rin stared after him and then at the flowers. Blue Roses. These are very hard to come by. Shin. She hugged the bouquet in her arms.

“Ya! Yoo Rin, what’s that?! Blue Roses!”Popi said coming out of the hotel excitedly followed by the other members of the team including Geun Suk. They crowded around Yoo Rin impressed.

“Wa! Blue Roses! Who is it from?” Coach Dong asked

Yoo Rin reluctantly opened the envelope. The card was blank but inside was the last picture of Han Yoo Rin and Park Shin Hoon. It was taken at the airport. Two 11 year olds holding hands with their back to the camera. Yoo Rin turned the picture around at the back was written in English REMEMBER ME.

“Remember me. What does that mean?” Popi asked loudly. Eun Hye elbowed Popi.

“Ya! Keep quiet. It’s from Shin, right?”Eun Hye asked Yoo Rin who seem thoughtful. Eun Hye waved at hand over Yoo Rin’s face. Yoo Rin blinked. “Are you ok Yoo Rin?”

Yoo Rin stared at the picture replaying the scene in her mind. Shin and Yoo Rin held hands with the promise of not letting go. But in the end both of them, Shin and Yoo Rin were in tears. Their parents pulling them apart. Shin boarding the plane kicking and screaming. Yoo Rin being held back by her Appa crying her eyes out.

Shin.

“I’m still a bit hung over. But I’ll be fine.”Yoo Rin replied absently. Yoo Rin held the roses in her arms. “We better get going. My Oppa would be waiting to chew me out for yesterday.” Yoo Rin turned to face everyone. She gave the roses to Choi to hold for her then “Mianhenyo…jwe-song-hahm nida. I’m very sorry. I’m sure I made everyone uncomfortable yesterday. “ She bowed. The team felt uncomfortable with this unusual display. Hyun coughed. Yoo Rin looked up at them and picked up her back pack to head for the bus.

Choi and Geun Suk eyes met. Choi gestured to the flowers in his arms. Geun Suk winked.

“Chamkkaman!”Popi said urgently. “Princess is still missing.”

The team stared at her blankly. The cat was still missing. It’s been missing since yesterday.

“We have to find Princess.”Popi repeated in the verge of panic. “Han Yoo Rin. Please. Please.”Popi begged

Yoo Rin stopped mid way from boarding the bus. “Fine.” Yoo Rin turned to the others. “Let’s look for the team mascot.”

They stared at Yoo Rin reluctantly as she dropped her bag and headed back to the resort.

“Ya! Why are you standing around? Let’s look for the cat.”Geun Suk said following Yoo Rin. They all spread out.

Choi followed Geun Suk. “Ya! When did you have time to get Blue roses?”Choi asked Geun Suk.

“Harabeoji, Grandfather had them sent over.”Geun Suk revealed.

Choi whistled impressed. “Why blue roses?”

Geun Suk ignored the question. Blue Roses were Yoo Rin’s favorite flowers. Extremely rare. Blue roses were created in 2004 using genetic engineering. The blue roses Harabeoji got for Yoo Rin were not the tinted white roses but the actual blue roses. Seeing her reaction Geun Suk had mixed feelings. The roses reminded her of Shin. Granted he was Shin but he wasn’t that Shin, her best friend not anymore. He was now Jang Geun Suk. He changed so he could come back…come back to Yoo Rin.

---------

It felt that they were searching for the cat for hours. A lot of the baseball players sat sprawled down on the path exhausted.

“Princess…princess…here kitty kitty!”Eun Hye yelled.

“Ya! It’s a male cat. Why name it Princess?”Hyun asked grumpily.

Popi was a mess. Her mascara was running down her face as she desperately called for her cat. Geun Suk has called it quits and was sitting with Hyun and the other when they heard Choi yell. They found the cat. It was stuck on top of the branch of the younger trees meowing it’s heart out. Popi rushed to the bottom of the tree trying to coax it down. The cat’s ears where drooping down. It looked miserable.

“Ya! It’s too far up it can’t get down by itself.”Choi said. Popi started brawling.

“Han Yoo Rin. Please. Please help Princess down.”Popi begged.

“Shiro! No way! It’s too high, the branches to skinny. She can’t.” Eun Hye said gripping Yoo Rin’s arm.

“Yoo Rin nah!”Popi begged

Silence. Yoo Rin pulled away from Eun Hye. She looked to Popi then to the cat up the tree.

“Yoo Rin, you can’t, let’s just get the fire truck here to get the cat down.”Coach Dong offered.

It was almost dark. The cat looked exhausted. Popi looked like she’s going to collapse any moment. Yoo Rin stared at the tree. The branches were too thin she wondered if it would be able to hold her weight.

“Ya! Han Yoo Rin. I’ll climb up. I’ll get the cat down.” Choi offered standing in front of Yoo Rin. Geun Suk stared at his cousin curiously. Yoo Rin shook his head then pointed at the branches.

“I don’t think the branch’ll be able to support your weight. “Yoo Rin said then she gave Choi a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m a climber remember.” Yoo Rin then took off her shoes, pulled up the edge of her jean and started climbing. Geun Suk frowned as he watched Yoo Rin climb. Popi pulled on the edge of her top anxiously.

“Han Yoo Rin. You better get down safely. Your Oppa’s going to kill you if you get hurt.” Eun Hye warned

“I’m already in trouble. Oppa can’t kill me twice.” Yoo Rin replied. Yoo Rin felt a certain kind of freedom when she climbed. The wind blew her braid away from her face. Geun Suk watch Yoo Rin as she steadily moved from branch to branch. As kids Yoo Rin would be the more adventurous one. She would climb, swim and tumble all over the playground without a care she would end up hurt. Shin or rather Geun Suk was the more cautious. Yoo Rin never laughed at him nor call him names. Yoo Rin always showed him there was nothing to be afraid of.

Geun Suk heart almost stopped when Yoo Rin’s hand slipped as she reached the branch across from where the cat was. Why does she keep doing this to him? Geun Suk moved so he’d have full view of Yoo Rin.

“Ya! Han Yoo Rin! Are you stupid? Don’t get yourself killed!”Geun Suk yelled hoarsely.

“Stop yelling at me!” Yoo Rin yelled back. “You’re scaring the cat.”

Yoo Rin climbed to the thicker branch above where the cat was. With her back against the trunk she slipped to sit on the branch.

“What the hell is she doing?” Hyun asked no one in particular.

“Is she trying to scare the cat to death?” Choi wondered.

Yoo Rin then called to the cat. “Ya! Kitty! Kitty!” The cat glanced down and to the side. “Up here. Princess.” Yoo Rin called. The cat looked up and hissed. “Tsk! Don’t hiss at me. Don’t you want to get down?” Yoo Rin asked the cat.

“Is she talking to the cat?” Eun Hye wondered out loud.

“She can talk to cats?” Hyun asked puzzled. Choi slapped him on the back of the head.

“Idiot. Of course not.” Choi said unsure.

Geun Suk watched in disbelief as Yoo Rin hung by her legs, her arms reaching for the cat. He didn’t yell. He didn’t want to startle Yoo Rin or the cat. Geun Suk felt his heart in his throat.

Yoo Rin called to the cat. “Ya! Princess…Tsk Princess. You poor guy. Calling you Princess.” Yoo Rin chuckled. The cat stared at her it’s ears back, it’s back arched. “Ok, ok. So you like being called a girlie name. No offense. Come on.”Yoo Rin said calling to the cat. I hissed at her. “Stupid cat.”Yoo Rin said then quickly grabbed the cat by the scuff of it’s neck. Yoo Rin quickly sat up. With the cat in one hand immobile because of Yoo Rin’s grip.

Popi let out a sigh of relief.

Geun Suk watched as Yoo Rin maneuvered the cat in her grip from one hand to the other as she took off her jacket. She wrapped the cat in it. From what Geun Suk could see the cat looked annoyed, it’s head the only part showing. Yoo Rin tucked the cat under her arm as she bounced from one branch to the other on her way down. About 4 feet down Yoo Rin’s arm slipped. Yoo Rin with the cat still under her arm tumbled down.