Kwangmin's point of view

Absentmindedly, I bit into the green apple, my tongue electrified with the bitterness. Ignoring the unpleasant rareness of the fruit, I glanced around the lively cafeteria. Buzzing excitedly, everyone was entranced in mindless chatter and radiated morning energy.

I studied Youngmin's back at the end of the hall, blowing on the cup of coffee. He drank it slowly as his black frames fogged from the heat. Outside was no longer snowing and surprisingly clear. The entire week had been dark and stormy, the change was relieving. 

Even though the sky was brighter, it didn't help relax my mentality. At the corner of my mind, I kept thinking of yesterday. No matter how much I tried to conclude the mystery, I didn't understand. There were so many questions whenever it came to Hayoung, and none I had answers to. All these dead ends were making my head spin, and physically drained. 

Joori joined nosily as she threw down a pile of magazines on the table, breathless. I raised an eyebrow at the glossy covers. "Whats this?" I asked, picking up a winter edition of Stars, a guide to everything celebrity. She smiled as she sat down, recollecting herself. "Those are the all magazines that covered the Centennial festival." " So?" I questioned, not understanding why that was anything special.The school and the centennial had always been featured in numerous magazines. It was hardly anything unique.

"Well, this year is very interesting." She said, a smirk on her face. She took the Stars magazine from my hands, flipping through the pages, searching for something. "What are you-" I froze as my eyes widened in shock. She placed the book in the center of the table, pointing at it.

"Musical Prodigy discovered at the school of Performing Arts Seoul's Annual Centennial Festival!"

The title in black bold letters, was accompanied by photos of Hayoung. Her black dress contrasting  against the white piano.

 "Incredible, isn't it?" Joori exclaimed. "She's everywhere!" She went through more magazines, pointing out the articles and stories written about her. "Na Hayoung, a high school student attending S.P.A Seoul, completely shocks the crowd with her angelic voice and powerful performance. As the highlight of the Centennial, we were all left blow away. So we must ask... just who is this musical geniuse?!" I recognized the familiar writing style of Park MyunSeok, a top reporter that all the celebrities respected. 

"Everyone's going crazy about her, she's the number one search list on the internet and her performance was viewed in the thousands." Joori said in amazement. I couldn't say anything. Even without being scouted, she managed to make the public in such a frenzy. Just who was she?

……………………………….....

Younmin's point of view

I approached Kwangmin and Joori curiously. In the distance, they were rummaging through what looked like some sort of book. I placed the coffee mug on table, recognizing the Stars magazine that my mother would read every weekend once it came in the mail. I gasped at the still image of Hayoung in the center of the page.

Kwangmin glanced at me, our expressions matching. "What's this?" I asked, dumbfounded. Joori sighed, finally displaying her inner jealousy. "Exactly what it says," she said, defeated. "Hayoung's performance at the Centennial had gone off the roof." I stared at image of Hayoung sitting by the piano, her eyes closed and her head raised, singing magically, resembling a black angel.

I studied the cafeteria, noticing the same magazine in several hands of the students. No wonder it was so lively today, everyone must have already see the articles. I bit my lip, now even more curious as of where exactly Hayoung disappeared to. 

"This means she's going to debut, isn't it?" Joori asked, her eyes fixed on the cover. 

Debut?  

Now that the society had recognized Hayoung, it would be in just a few moment's time before she would be revealed to the public. Worry began to spill across my mind. Hayoung, a frail and gentle girl…would she be able to handle that kind of attention? That kind of life? 

……………………………………………..

Hayoung's point of view

I closed the door gently as I stepped onto the curb, the soft snow crunching under my feet. Watching the shining black car disappear into the trees, I breathed deeply, heading for the dorms. Surprisingly, the campus was oddly still, a little too quiet. Brushing away the thought, I convinced myself that it was just my imagination.

I warmed my hands, rubbing them against each other, in attempt for heat. Even though the snow had stopped falling, the air was still crisp and chilling. I looked up at the silvery brown branches, admiring the tiny shrubs of green that were peeking throughout the transparent sheet of ice. 

I gazed at the iron gates at the far end of the pathway, accompanied by white marble statues that glittered in the sun. I remembered when I first saw those gates. It was the dead of winter, freezing and harsh, but now…

I stopped myself, a sudden drop of heavy emotions entering my heart. I closed my eyes, bearing the pain. Biting my lip, I felt a tear drip down my cheek. 

Now that winter was coming to an end, it was time for me to be replaced by the blooming flowers. Would I be able to see the green leaves before I must say goodbye?

I stared at the sky, mesmerized by the large white clouds, swimming in the clear blue ocean. 

Five years from now, would this beautiful sky still look the same? Would it be this clear? This bright?

………………………………

If I was honest with myself, I was scared.

I knew that eventually we would all have to go our own separate ways, in pursuit of our future but it never occurred to me that it would be me alone that would fade into the background. 

I didn't know when I started to count the days I had left, somewhere deep inside, I already accepted that I would soon be erased from everyone's memories, just a moment in their past.

Even though I understood, I was still in pain. I didn't want to be left behind, I didn't want to see the twins walking farther from me, unable to catch up, and deserted. Even though I knew what I wanted, what my heart wanted, there was nothing I could do. Even if she was a stranger to me at first, she was still my mother. I couldn't ignore that.

That was why I had made a promise to myself. Before the hourglass was emptied, just a few more moments, just a few more memories, I wanted to say goodbye properly. I wanted to remain by the twins just a little longer. I knew I was selfish but  I knew I would regret if I didn't. I needed time before I could fool my heart into thinking I was fine, that everything would be all right. 

…………………………………..

I reached the dorm steps as I entered through the automatic doors. Inside was warm and comforting as I unwounded the wool scarf from my neck in the elevator. 

I unlocked the door and walked in the room, reading the note on my mirror.

Be back late, left your phone on the desk. 

I glanced at the small blue cellphone on top of the white grain wood, placing the piece of paper on on dresser. I flipped open the phone, taken aback at the alarming number of missed calls and voicemails. 

Scrolling down the log, all twenty-three calls were either from Youngmin or Kwangmin. I bit my lip, realizing that I had suddenly disappeared after lunch without a word. They must have been worried… I placed the phone in my pocket when I heard a small clanking sound. I searched for the source, when I saw a small ring on the ground. Picking it up, I realized that it fell off my finger. 

I read the engravings once again, a small knife cutting at my chest.

 Youngmin, Kwangmin. They were always protecting me and worrying about me. In the two months I had been here, I could truly say that I experienced all the graces of the world and that I had grown to sincerely love them but….

I felt a lump at the bottom of my throat grow painfully. 

Because I loved them, because I cared for them, I had to disappear from their lives. Who I was, what my past made me, it was too stained to be compared to the pure hearts of the brothers. I didn't belong with them, they deserved someone sinless, someone clean of the despair of the world. Not someone that brought tragedy from birth. 

Just them being alive and healthy is all I wanted, all I needed. I could teach myself to love from afar, somewhere where I couldn't dirty them with my secrets, with who I was...