This chapter will be a continuation of Chapter 9...

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The street was quiet and dimly lit by the few lamp posts standing at the side of the street. By this time, everyone had climb onto their beds, preparing for the long night ahead of them. But that's not the case for youngsters of the new millennium. For them, it is just the beginning, the start. The start of the young night. The start of their social life. The start of everything. The quiet street became witness to the lanky boy strolling down the grey pavement.

He walked with a speed that could make a tortoise laugh. He hung his head low as he heads to his destination, keeping his gaze fixed on the grey cold pavement. He was on his way to meet his girlfriend. The one who completes his everything. Taemin was on his way to meet Sulli. He called her a few minutes ago to ask her to meet him at the park near her house. He didn't care that it was already late and the fact they have school tomorrow and neither did she. For her, she's ready to meet him at any given time and in an any given state she was in. That was how much she's devoted to him.

Right after dinner, he knew that there was something important his or Krystal's parents wanted to tell them. He assumed that it was just something related to their future as the heir and heiress of the family business. He's aware of that. He's always aware of that. That was why he works so hard to keep his grades up and always keep a good reputation at school. He didn't want to let his parents down. But he never thought they would agree to an arranged marriage. And to Krystal at that!

It's not that he hates her. He loves her but no more than a brother loves his sister. It enraged him that his parents didn't even thought of him when they made the decision. He had countlessly told about Sulli to his parents but they always kept a nonchalant face whenever she mentioned her. Never told him to stop or encouraged him to keep the relationship going. If they had told him to stop at the very beginning of his relationship, he would have. But the problem was they didn't and so his love for Sulli kept on growing and growing. He had already picture his future with her. He 's set on her carrying his children. He's set on spending the rest of his life with her but why couldn't his parents understand?

The reaction he gave to the news was immediate. He didn't mean to disrespect his neighbours neither did he wants to bring shame to his family. He just couldn't take the news. If he was in a different reality, a reality where Sulli never existed in life, he would have taken the news in a good way. He would learn to  love Krystal more than a sister. He would try to make it work somehow but that wasn't the reality he was in. Right now, he couldn't think of anything to fix this situation. His mind is in a tangled mess. He has to break the news to Sulli even if he didn't want to.

When he called her earlier, she greeted him cheerfully with a voice that broke his heart at the instant he heard it. Her voice had a hint of sleepiness that he felt guilty for waking her up. He asked her to meet him now but carefully not trying to sound forceful. But she readily agreed and sound kind of eager to see him. He felt more dreary as the time goes by. He hadn't figure out what to do in his given state. The only thing that crossed his mind was eloping with Sulli to some distant land where his parents won't force him anymore. and he would be free from all the pressure of taking on a big responsibility.

He had a sudden vision of them running away and start a new life in a distant village. They would get by with raising cows and goats and he would learn to plant a few crops to make additional money. He was determined to learn. They can raise their children in the environment, free from all the cold technology and busy streets. He had never imagined living like that as his whole life was filled with lavish things. But he wouldn't mind trying for the sake of them both. He was determined to do it if there was no other choice. He know his parents very well and when they both made up their mind, there's no going back on them. So he was confident that this is the only way.

As he step further to the park he was heading to, he felt more and more doleful. If he wants to carry out all of his plans, he would have to do this one step first. Break the news to Sulli. He still didn't know how to tell her. Each step he took, he got more anxious. He had hope she still hadn't arrive so he could practice telling her, but knowing Sulli, she would have been earlier than promised. Plus the fact she's nearer to the park than he was. Sure enough, as he enters the park, he saw her figure waiting in the dark.

Sulli smiled as she saw her boyfriend approach her. He didn't look happy to see her, which made her all the more curious about the reason he wanted to meet her. They will always meet at the park if ever one of them has a sudden whim to see each other. They would stroll down the neighborhood, spend some time at a 24-hour convenience store whenever they pass one. They would enter the store and buy their favourite ice cream and eat it together while continuing their stroll. These were the usual things they would do if they meet each other late at night and so Sulli was prepared to do all this. But she wasn't prepared to see her boyfriend looking so troubled by something that he hardly took notice of her.

He walked towards her with a face full of misery. It's time, he thought, to tell her. And so he walked faster towards Sulli and sat down right next to her. She smiled brightly as she saw him, hoping that somehow her smile can lift his spirit. She assumed that it was something related to him looking over the company. This thing had always stressed him and one of the topic he always talk to her about and right now, she's ready to relieve him of that. She started talking with all her bubbly excitement about all the things they would do later. But he was hardly listening to her. She stopped talking wen he grabbed her shoulders and stare at her intently.

"Op-oppa, what's wrong?"

"Sulli..." He let out a heavy sigh. "There's something I need to tell you."

She kept quiet as he tell her everything that was troubling him. When he finally stop, she feels as if the world has come down upon her. She has never thought of their separation to be this way. Realizing his girlfriend was quiet the whole time, he started convincing her.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Sull! I can try call it off with my parents."

When there was no reaction, he took her chin and made her face him. He saw her eyes were b with tears. He decided to try again.

"I would not marry Krystal. You know my love is for you and no one else. No other girl can replace you. I can try convince them out of this arranged marriage."

"But your parents would never agree to that. You know that yourself. They would never budge once they made a decision." She bit her lips trying to hold herself from crying. She had to show him she was strong.

"If that happen then I'll run away. We can run far away from here and start a new life together."

He hold her hands firmly as he spoke, hoping that some of his feelings would be known to her somehow. Her lips quivered as she took in his words. He wanted to elope with her. This would mean they would face a lot of hardships together. He would face a lot of hardships too. She doubted that a boy like him, who has been pampered with wealth and riches his whole life, would know how to handle a life full of hardships. Life outside his safe shell was not what he would expect. She didn't want him to face all of this so she decided she would let him go. She would have to be the one to sacrifice. With a trembling heart, she told him this.

"No, oppa. You can't. You have to marry her. You'll be happier with her than you are with me."

"Why are you saying this? You know there's no  one else that can make me happy than you!" He half-shouted.

He thought Sulli would agree to his plan right away and so her reply shocked him. He bit his lip, trying to hold back the strong feelings from letting them out. At last, a single tear fell from his eyes. Sulli saw this.

"If you're so happy with me, then why are you crying right now? Why don't you smile or laugh or..."

Taemin took her in his arms before she can say anything else. He hugged her so tight and all she could do was sobbing quietly.

"Don't ever say that. Right now, even when I'm crying. I'm happy because I get to see you. There's no one else than you. I love you Choi Sulli. I love you. You know that, right?" 

He moved back so they're now facing each other. He wiped the tears on her face and gave her a peck on the cheek. That action made his girlfriend smile but it didn't make her doubts go away.

"But what about your family? How would they react to this? What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry. I'll work it out somehow."

"Whatever you do, promise me you won't run away."

He laughed lightly at her words and caressed her cheeks.  "Don't worry, I won't."

He took her in a passionate kiss and they didn't stop embracing each other until much later into the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the two lovebirds leave the park, smiling in tears as they bid farewell to each other, they didn't realize there was a girl watching them all along. She was smart enough to stay hidden while listening to their conversation without any of them noticing. The fact both of them were too immersed in their problem and each other helped her to stay hidden. Even as the couple return to their respective homes, they still didn't notice her. She was hiding behind a lamp post not far from the bench they were sitting on.

When she was sure they were gone, she took her turn sitting on the bench. She had been standing for a long time and her legs feel like they would detach itself from her. She looked up to the sky, thinking about the information she got from those two.  They weren't strangers to her, of course not. She even knew one of them since she was just a little girl. Krystal let out a heavy sigh. She knew Taemin would never agree to marry her but she had hoped, at one point of their conversation earlier, he would just follow what Sulli said. She knew that it was selfish of her to think that but she couldn't help it. She loves him too much.

Earlier, when Taemin had left abruptly after dinner, his parents apologized to her parents. They said that they'll try to talk to him about this. But she knew that there was no use trying to convince him. He is like his parents. Nothing can change his mind when he 's set on something. So she changed into something more comfortable and tried searching for him at one place she thought he would be. The park near Sulli's house. Taemin always talk to her about this park so it became the first thing she thought he would go to. She had been there a few times before so the road wasn't entirely foreign to her.

She let out another sigh. What am I going to do? she thought. There was no doubt that Taemin and Sulli are inseparable. And she doesn't want to marry someone who doesn't want to marry her. No matter how much she loves him. Their marriage won't be happy if Taemin himself was strongly against it from the beginning. He would always remember Sulli and would never allow himself to touch her. And Sulli had gone through so much that it wasn't fair for her to deserve this.

She decided that the marriage cannot continue further, no matter how much she wants to. She wants to marry someone who would love her from the very beginning and would treat her as his lover, not as his sister. She figured she deserves at least this. This would be a good reason for her to coax herself out of the her desire for Taemin. She could talk to her parents and they would understand but it will cost them too much trouble. Not to mention the bond between the two families will never be the same again. She could not do that to her parents. She had to think of some other way to cancel the marriage.

She gave this a long and hard thought but the only thing that crossed her mind was to run away. Run away from the family who loves her. Away from the who adores her. Away from the family who loves her. Away from the future that was set for her. Away from the person she loves most. But she had to. She would do all this just for the sake of Taemin's happiness. It would be a long and hard road for her but she was ready. There was no time to go back and bring her stuff along with her. People in the house would wake up and this would ruin her chances of escaping.

So, she would go with nothing but the clothes on her back and the money in her pocket-which is not much but she'll find a job along the way. She stood up and started walking. She may have come here several times before but the neighbourhood is still foreign to her. And so she walk along the unknown street, alone and without any extra clothes to cove her from the cold night. She didn't know where to go but she kept on walking until she figures out what to do. But then, bad luck strikes upon her.

She walked until she arrives in an unknown town, currently waiting at a bus stop to relax for a while. She has been walking for several hours and was tired. dawn passed and she felt sleepy. She has been walking through the whole night and she thought she would get some shut eye before continuing his journey. Her body was sore and full of scratches from having to run away from some scary wild dogs and she ran into some wild thorn bushes along the way. She closed her eyes only to open them again a few seconds later due to a rough shake from a tough, burly woman. The woman had a metal bat in her hand and she wasn't afraid to use it against her. Krystal trembles in fear at the sight of her.

"Give me all your money," her words was short but it was enough for Krystal to confirm that she was being mugged.

"I d-d-don't have any," she stammered in fear.

"Give it to me or I will have to use this against you." The woman replied and indicated towards the metal bat in her hands. Just then, thunder errupted and a slight drizzle came down from the sky. Oh great, Krystal thought, it's raining.

"Fine," the woman said after receiving no reply from her. "You made me do this."

The woman pulled Krystal out of her rest. She charged towards her and hit her mercilessly with her bat, ignoring her pleas for her to stop. She hit her again and again until Krystal felt she couldn't stand it anymore. She fainted right then, in front on the woman who was still hitting her. She didn't care if the girl in front of her fainted. In fact, it was just what she wanted. It made her work easier. She canned through her body to find anything valuable. But the only thing she could find was a 20 dollar note and a piece of candy.

The woman put the money into her pocket and unwrap the candy before putting it in . She kept hitting Krystal's body with her bat again, sometimes kicking her, until her head was streaming with blood.

"Stop!"

The woman panicked when she saw an old woman carrying bags full if groceries, rushing towards her. She wasn't afraid of the old woman's size. No, she could have beaten the old woman easily. The thing she was afraid of is witnesses to her crime. She ran with her bat and out of the old woman's sight. The old woman sighed as she was too old to catch up with the burly woman. She approached Krystal's body and gasped at the sight of her. She knew she couldn't help her her as the rain falls harder. The old woman didn't do anything else but run to her home as fast as she could to get help.

I have to go home, she thought, her life depends on me.

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Sorry there's no Minho in this chapter.

I had to continue Krystal's story.

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