0s1.

   “Can you please put that thing away?”

“What? This?” Shakes, fumbles. “No,” she giggled as she set the camera on record mode. “Come on, you’re on.”

He shook his head and covered the lenses with his hand, trying to shy away from the camera. “Please, you know how awkward I get with this thing.”

“Please?” she pleaded, prying his hand away and continued to record his already reddened face. “For me?”

He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t make a move to get away either so she took it as a good sign. Grinning, she zoomed in a little more and cleared . “I’m going to ask you something – but you need to answer me honestly, okay?”

He nodded.

“What will you do, if I disappear one day?”

He blinked.

She stomp her foot lightly. “Ppali.”

He simply continued to stare into the camera.

She sighed inwardly, and repeated her question in a slightly louder voice. “If I disappear – “

“I heard you the first time.”

“Then?”

“That won’t happen.”

“I did say ‘if’ – “

“It will never happen, I will make sure of it.”

“But – “

“I will never let you out of my sight – but if I ever have to, and if you were to disappear from my world one day, I will spend the rest of my life searching for you.” He finished without blinking, without a smile, without a trace of humour on his handsome, young face.

She was rendered speechless behind the camera. “You...”

“Because I will never be able to die, until I’ve found you.”

; ;

October 7^th, 2012

Yoon Bomi was feeling exceptionally excited, beyond elated – and it wasn’t even her wedding day. No, it was her brother’s but she’s still happy all the same because she couldn’t wait to welcome his bride officially into the family.

She has already love Nicole, just like her own flesh and blood and she couldn’t wait to share gossips and make-up tips, dishing out late-night stories with her new sister – just like how she’s always envisioned things to be if she ever had a sister of her own.

She couldn’t wait to share her stuff with the older girl, and the first thing she wants to present Nicole with on her wedding day is a silver charm bracelet, handed down to her by her own mother. The bracelet is very special to her, just like how she holds Nicole dear to her heart – and she really couldn’t think of any other perfect timing to hand it over.

Making her way out of the bustling room full of guests and press who had set their equipments all over the house, Bomi’s smile never left her face as she hurried up the stairs, towards the room where the bride was getting ready in. She had to heave up her own set of lilac hem so that she wouldn’t trip over her bridesmaid dress.

First door to the right.

Because is so used to barging in like some kind of barbarian whenever she came over to Nicole’s house, Bomi didn’t even bother knocking on the door, and instead excitedly threw it open.

; ;

Kang Jiyoung was trying her best to answer the never-ending questions bombarded at her, while still maintaining the bright smile on her face – but these nosy reporters ask about the most unnecessary and out-of-context questions. They’re even trying to invade her best friend’s privacy and she was about to have none of that.

“Listen here – “ she began, but almost immediately, someone yanked her arm hard and forcefully pulled her away from the throngs of reporters.

“Ouch!” she winced and glared venomously at the youngest child of the Yoons’ as she let herself being dragged away without a hoot of explanation. “Seriously Yoon Bomi, your petite frame is such a facade when in fact you have the strength of a – “

“Unnie is missing!” Bomi hissed urgently.

Jiyoung’s two eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “What are you talking about? Which unnie?”

The shorter of the two let out a loud sigh of frustration as she dug her nails deeper into Jiyoung’s arm, causing the latter’s milky white skin to redden instantly.

“Bomi!”

“Nicole unnie!” came her frantic reply. “The unnie who is supposed to get married today – the bride is missing.”

; ;

“How are you feeling?”

“Like my heart is about to explode and my stomach is about to turn inside out,” he finally said after a moment of silence. “But other than that, I’m fine.”

Yoseob laughed in spite of his best friend being a nervous wreck and patted his back reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Doo Joon-ah. That’s what they all say. But I’m pretty sure, once you see Nicole coming in with her beautiful white dress, you’ll forget about it all.”

Doo Joon exhaled loudly and started to straighten out his already aligned tie. “You have to always be by my side, okay? And the ring – you have it with you right?”

“Oh,” his best man feigned ignorance. “Was I supposed to be holding it?” At the groom’s sharp glare, Yoseob cracked up and landed a punch on his upper arm. “Relax, man. Seriously.”

“Well yeah,” Doo Joon said dryly. “Try being in my position and see if you’re able to relax.”

“Ah, that would be quite a long wait.”

“Oh, I forgot. A Casanova like you wouldn’t know,” Doo Joon snickered. At Yoseob’s knowing smile, he continued, “Are you ever going to settle down, anyway? You should. Find a nice girl and get serious, for once.”

“Why are we talking about me suddenly? Isn’t today your special day?”

“I’m serious, dude.”

“I am too.”

“You have one, then?”

“What?”

“A serious girlfriend.”

Yoseob replied coyly, “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”

Doo Joon was about to say something else, but he was cut off by the blaring sound of his friend’s Note II. Yoseob indicated with his finger that he’s taking the call and stepped out of the room for a bit.

“Yeah?” he answered without a formal greeting when he saw the name on the screen.

“Yoseob...” came her soft voice from the other end. Subconsciously, he found himself smiling. Weird, how they had just been talking about her a few minutes earlier.

“What’s up? We’re leaving soon, so tell Nicole not to worry,” he said jokingly.

“No...You see...” her voice trailed off, as though she was unsure on how to proceed. He could hear her breathing heavily, like she had just come from a long run.

“Jiyoung-ah...are you okay?” suddenly he felt worried about her. Had something happen? Was she hurt? He turned and started heading down the stairs, already fishing out his car keys from his pocket. “Stay there and don’t move. I’ll come and get you – “

“No,” she said, a little too loud. “No, the problem’s not with me. It...it’s about Nicole.”

Yoseob sighed in relief inside, but the moment was short-lived when the distinctive edge could still be heard in the girl’s voice. He stopped in his tracks.

“What about Nicole?”

“She...she’s not – “ Jiyoung’s voice was breaking, but Yoseob wasn’t sure if it was because of the static or if she was actually crying. Now, she’s starting to really worry him.

“She’s not in her room. Nicole is gone.”

“What do you mean gone?”

He  could hear her taking a long, deep breath.

“Missing. Nicole is missing.”