Kwangmin and Eungyo waited with Jangmi at the bus stop down the street from the restaurant. Her crying subsided but the previous conflict left her in a speechless state and her mind unrest. Kwangmin watched her carefully, unsure of what to say to make things better. It was like this when they were younger too, whenever Youngmin did something to hurt her she would end up at Kwangmin’s side sulking and Kwangmin would have no idea what to do but just simply be there. She looked up and turned to face him, her sorrowful eyes caused a sort of aching in his chest as he gulped.

            “There’s no way Youngmin and I can still be together right?” She asked skeptically, praying that Kwangmin would give her an answer she wanted to hear—that they still had a chance.

            “You can’t possibly still want to be with that douche—“Eungyo gasped but was interrupted by Kwangmin’s quiet voice.

            “I don’t know, Jangmi. When it comes to things like this… I really don’t know.” He sighed, finding nothing more appropriate than the truth. She nodded and then turned to Eungyo with a weak smile.

            “I know you don’t have a good impression of Youngmin, but I know there’s more to him than what you’ve seen, so don’t call him that, okay?” Jangmi explained, her eyes starting to water again. Eungyo had never seen such a weak and naïve girl in her life. It was girls like this that she hated the most, the ones that surrounded their mind in fake delusions that men can make them happy and even after being heartbroken they still cling on like lost sheep. Eungyo distasted it, but there was something different about Jangmi that made Eungyo want to stick around. Yes, she was a complete imbecile for falling for a jerk face like Youngmin, but she wasn’t obliviously stupid. And that’s what set her apart from Hyewon.

            “I don’t understand,” Eungyo retorted, “After what just happened; how could you defend him?” It was a sad sight to see, a girl defending the very guy that had just hurt her.

            “It’s hard to believe right now, but Youngmin really is a good guy. I’ve seen that part of him with my own eyes, and that’s why I don’t want to give up.” Jangmi explained further, now looking up at the darkened sky. Youngmin and his two pals were probably at the club by now doing whatever they had originally planned. God knows where Minwoo went.

            “Youngmin,” Kwangmin began, his expression hidden in the shadows, “Isn’t going to change back. The life he’s living right now is all he knows and nothing anyone says or does is going to change that about him.” Ever since Jangmi left them when they were only nine, he never was the same. He never had someone to cheer him on every time he made a mistake, he lost the one person who made him feel like he was an all star even when he really amounted to nothing. She was the one that built his pride up to where it had been and the moment she left without a word, it all came crashing down. They entered their rebellious preteen years and Youngmin and Kwangmin’s mom had given them both the benefit of the doubt, allowing them freedom to go wherever they wanted at the early age of twelve. Youngmin had been a loner for a short period of his life but what set him apart from Kwangmin was that he chose that path—he had never been out casted by society. All in all, the fact that Jangmi left without an explanation and without saying goodbye angered him because as much as Jangmi meant to Kwangmin back then, she meant just the same to Youngmin. She was the only friend the two of them had, and suddenly she was gone. Having his heart broken as a kid really changed how he grew up thinking all girls were unreliable and would only leave in the end. That explained why no matter how perfect his girlfriend seemed he would break it off before she would have the chance to leave him, just like Jangmi did. Now that she was back, Kwangmin could only imagine that he wanted revenge for how she left him. He just didn’t know how to explain it so that she would understand. Love blinds people—Kwangmin knew that well.

            “Then what am I supposed to do?” Jangmi sniffed, feeling her cell phone vibrate in her hand. She slid her phone open to see that Youngmin had sent her a text message of apology. It wasn’t a long explanation, just a short and sweet ‘Sorry for what happened today’. It was hard to comprehend the level of sincerity in words sent through a text message, but to Jangmi it was enough for her to believe what she planned was possible. Eungyo had been nosily peeking over her shoulder to read the message, initiating a face palm from behind her back. How naïve could this girl be? The bus came and the three got on, enduring a ride filled with awkward silence until Eungyo’s stop came.

            “I’ll be going first. See you on Monday, okay?” Eungyo waved, hopping off her seat and out the back doors of the bus. This left an empty seat beside Jangmi who stared mindlessly out the window. Kwangmin wasn’t courageous enough to fill in that empty space. When they got to their designated bus stop, Jangmi noticed a boy with blonde hair leaning against the pole with the bus stop numbers. When the bus got closer, Jangmi was certain it was Youngmin. Still unsure of what to say to him, she excitedly ran off the bus forgetting that Kwangmin was with her.

            “Oh, you came,” Youngmin yawned with a tired smile, standing straight and fixing the ruffle on the sleeve of his sweater. Kwangmin stepped off moments later and exchanged a cautious stare with Youngmin before continuing to their house, not wanting to stay and eavesdrop. As far as he was concerned their relationship had nothing to do with him.

            “So, did you guys have fun at that club?” Jangmi asked awkwardly, not sparing Kwangmin a glance as he walked away. Youngmin rubbed the back of his neck and admitted,

            “We never went. The mood was bad already…”

            “Sorry…” Jangmi apologized; it was the only thing she could think of to say. The guys had a fun night planned out but her indecisiveness ruined it.

            “Don’t be. How about we go to the amusement park tomorrow?” Youngmin offered, holding up two tickets. They were legit and Jangmi’s eyes lit up as she nodded happily.

~~~

            “Kim Jangmi… You’re such an idiot sometimes.” Eungyo mumbled to herself as she strolled down a secluded path leading towards the Han River. Her house wasn’t far, and her favourite pass time was taking long walks at night, star gazing or skipping pebbles. It was the fresh air that really helped her mind straighten things out. Seeing the cement path ending, she knew that the Han River was just over a small hill and she kept her steady pace, picking up a flat, round pebble she saw at her feet.

            “Perfect,” She smiled, imagining the skips that this perfect rock could do. When she reached the peak of the tall hill, she could see a boy with a red cap squatting at the side of the river, his hand brushing back and forth in the water. This area of the Han River wasn’t too well known to the public, and usually the only people she would ever catch here would be those maintenance guys checking on technical issues with the dams. Most people preferred the opposite side of the River that the media would tend to show off in magazines and photos as the romantic spots with the bright lights and fireworks. Eungyo felt a cold chill down her spine but she continued walking towards him in almost a tiptoe, her shoes making no sound on the soft grass. When she was no further than three feet away, the boy shifted his head to the side giving her a clear view of his profile. There was no doubt it was Minwoo. She tactfully crept up from behind and tossed the rock skillfully into the water, watching it skim the surface and skip over eight times before sinking in. Minwoo’s eyes were planted at the same spot on the river and startled, he almost tumbled in.

            “Eungyo?” He gasped, now flat on his on the grass. From up close she could see his subtle shivers from the cool night winds. He wore only a white v neck because he had lent Eungyo his jacket earlier. She quickly slipped it off and passed it back to Minwoo who gratefully accepted it.

            “Did you stalk me or something?” Minwoo asked suspiciously, fitting his arms into the sleeves of his sweater. She rolled her eyes and thumped him on the forehead.

            “Do you see me as desperate? This is my thinking spot.” She answered, taking a seat beside him as she stretched out her legs and sighed. The sky was especially clear tonight and the moon was a perfect crescent shape. It was one of those perfect nights that she always wished to spend with a guy, laying flat on their backs star gazing.

            “It’s really peaceful out here.” Minwoo agreed, taking a deep whiff of the fresh air. He closed his eyes and smiled.

            “Do you mind if I ask why you ran off earlier?” Eungyo began nervously, knowing that she might be touching a sensitive topic.

            “I didn’t run off,” He disagreed to protect whatever was left of his pride, “I was just so sick of everything.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Donghyun, Youngmin and maybe even Hyunseong—the things they do are just so outrageous. Sometimes I really wonder why I did half the stupid things I did with them.” Minwoo cringed, probably remembering something painful.

            “In freshman year, Youngmin and I were best friends. Even Kwangmin was comfortable around us but when Donghyun came along, everything started falling apart. He was an obvious bad influence on everyone, but Youngmin insisted that we stick with him. Hyunseong came afterwards and even now he’s not seen as much more than a follower, but everything has its limits.” Minwoo continued explaining; his hands clenching into fists. Eungyo had to agree that she noticed the tension between those two in particular.

            “Before all that, Youngmin told me briefly about a girl named Kim Jangmi,” He began his story that appealed especially to Eungyo’s ears.

            “He told me about how disappointed he was with her for leaving without saying anything. It was the least she could’ve done but she left without a word. He swore that the day she came back he would make her feel the hurt that he’s been through.” Minwoo ended with a sigh, realizing how dumb Youngmin’s logic was. They were nine years old and even he knew mistakes like that deserved a second chance.

            “So you think this is why Youngmin is with Jangmi right now? To terrorize her?” Eungyo asked for confirmation, plucking out a handful of grass beside her.

            “At first he just didn’t want to bother when he saw her again, but something happened that changed his mind. Donghyun over the years really turned him into a shallow guy. He doesn’t even have a sense of what’s right or wrong anymore.” He shook his head disapprovingly. He hated that this was what his best friend became. He even hated himself somewhat for not stepping in earlier, but now he was just known as the underdog that no one cared much for an opinion from.

            “I don’t know Jangmi very well, but I know that she doesn’t deserve the pain that Youngmin has planned for her very soon. When he leaves her broken to pieces; who’s going to help put her back together again?” He sighed, looking Eungyo dead in the eyes.

            “Kwangmin will,” Eungyo suggested, though she promised not to tell a soul about how he felt towards her.

            “Jo Kwangmin? Youngmin’s timid brother?” Minwoo asked in disbelief. She nodded, explaining Kwangmin’s side of the story that she had only heard once but never forgot. Even though Minwoo was friends with the shady crowd, she knew that he could trust him. If she could trust anyone right now, it was him. 

A/N: Whee another update (: Woot woot Minwoo and Eungyo!!! Anyone??? :D hahaha.