A few weeks after settling and adjusting to New York busy, hectic lifestyle, Nichkhun graciously receives a call from his mom. How he dearly misses his mom and the home cook meals, the way she would ruffle his hair when he accomplished something, as if he was still a little boy, because, lets face it, men will always be boys in front of their moms. Leaving his New York apartment, the one he’s sharing with a family relative, and on his way to his school, he’s happily chatting away, discussing about his new experiences, the people he met, and his classes.

“Nichkhun,” his mother softly whispers during one of their daily conversations, “I need you to meet someone.”

At a traditional Italian restaurant, Nichkhun’s wearing a suit and smelling the sweet bouquet of flowers that his mother instructed him to buy.

She’s new to New York, his mother said.

A Korean, she continued.

“Ummm … are you … Nichkhun?” Glancing up, he suddenly drops the bouquet at the sight of a beautiful - no, gorgeou lady wearing a gold and lilac dress. “Hello. I am Bae Suzy,” she says in English with a slight accent. “I’ll be speaking in English ... Rather than Hangul because … uhhh … How do you say … Trying to … Improve?” The way she speaks is adorable, Nichkhun thinks as he chuckles.

“Sit, please,” he gestures to the chair across from him.

“Thank you,” she hugs him, surprising the man at the sudden contact. It shouldn't surprise him. All of his American friends, males and females, hug him whenever he sees them. But, somehow, it feels different with Suzy.

Every day, Nichkhun accompanies Suzy on her daily tasks. Be it the store, school, or movies, he was there with her. Before he knew it, his friends were questioning his and Suzy’s relationship, constantly proclaiming that they’re secretly dating, even though Nichkhun has already given his heart to someone else.  Of course, he would laugh it off. He would tell them, you’re absurd, crazy, there’s nothing between us. Every single time.

That was until he and Suzy decided to visit Korea together for the first time.

“Nichkhun come back!” his mother begs, chasing after him, down the steps of their mansion. Turning around, the young man glares at the lady who once ruffled his hair like a little boy and would cook for him, but this lady running after him is not the same lady he calls his mother. The lady catches up to him when he stops. “Nichkhun, my son,” she reaches out to touch his cheek but he slaps her hand. “How cruel,” she says, tearing up.

“What you did to me and Suzy is even more cruel,” he says, gritting his teeth.

Grudgingly, slowly, Nichkhun wakes up from his dream, or more like a nightmare in his opinion. He can still remember the day he and Suzy discovered they were betrothed to one another despite it being years since then. Forgetting. Yeah, that seems like the best choice. And he doesn’t mean to forget about the engagement. More importantly, he cannot break off the engagement.

He absolutely cannot break it off.

“Yahoo, Nichkhun,” Yonghwa pops into Nichkhun's line of vision and waves a hand.

“Gahhh,” he screams, rolling off the sofa. “When did you get here? Better yet, why are you here?” he says while rubbing his hurt bum. In contrary to Nichkhun’s ruffled, wide eyed appearance, Yonghwa looks sophisticated and mature in his simple white shirt underneath a light grey blazer paired with grey slacks and white loafers.

Yonghwa smiles, demonstrating why the girls go crazy for Mr. Jung Yonghwa, while opening the curtains to let in the morning sunlight. Ah, Nichkhun muses at the way the sunlight captures Yonghwa’s facial feature, highlighting his manliness as well as his handsomeness.

“I got permission from the company,” Yonghwa proudly answers when Nichkhun questions why he isn’t at FNC, even though the truth being, he snuck out. “I'm here to visit Jessica on her last day in the hospital. She’s being discharged tomorrow, right?”

Nichkhun nods. “Then we should go together along with Krystal.”

“And Minhyuk,” Yonghwa adds on.

“Minhyuk? Lately you’ve been hanging around that lad more so than your other members,” Nichkhun comments. Like a good host, Nichkhun goes into the kitchen to fetch a glass of orange juice and plate of fruits. He’ll treat Yonghwa and Minhyuk to a meal later.

Popping a strawberry into his mouth, and after waiting to swallowing it, Yonghwa proudly says, “Minhyuk is my cute dongsaeng. The other two are my rotten dongsaengs which is why I left them at FNC.”

“How unbiased of you,” Nichkhun jokes.

Playful poking his good friend in the ribs, Yonghwa cannot help but laugh at the sarcasm laced compliment. Of course, Yonghwa was kidding when he called Jungshin and Jonghyun “rotten dongsaengs,” but he admits that Minhyuk is his dear cute dongsaeng that he oh-so wants to protect from any danger.

“You’re blushing.” Yonghwa shrieks, for once, letting go of his manly image and causing Nichkhun to clench in his stomach as he laughs too hard for his good.

“And what about you, Mr. ‘Suzy, Suzy, Suzy,’” Yonghwa repeats the words that Nichkhun unconsciously uttered in his sleep. Nichkhun should be hurt at Yonghwa’s teasing, since his engagement is a sore topic for him, but he shrugs it off because it isn’t as if Nichkhun hates Suzy nor does he dislike being engaged to her. Oh, no. He definitely does not mind being married to her. “Have you ever thought of breaking off the engagement?” Yonghwa asks.

Nichkhun does not respond, fearing that if he does, he’ll let out a string of truths that he himself has never heard come from his mouth. Truths that would shatter and flip his world upside down, and brutally crush Tiffany, because lets be honest, that girl can no longer accept any more changes without her heart bursting.

Yesterday with Tiffany, it was as if they were back in high school, when he and her were playing with the little kids and making sand castles at the beach. Reminded him of the elderly couple who mistook them for a loving couple. As Donghae would say, however, they are no longer in high school. Things changed. They changed. Nichkhun has changed. Whether he noticed it or not.

“I still love Tiffany.”

“I know.”

“You know? That’s great. Because, I’m not really sure of everything anymore.”

Packing the last of the gifts, in the hospital, Krystal contemplates the odd events that have occurred during the day. Back at school, she remembers witnessing Myungsoo sacrifice his body, the body that which he often describes as one of the reasons he’s famous, to save Victoria from falling down the stairs. Remembers seeing the girls run off when Victoria begin screaming profanities at the cowardice of the bullies. Previously rooted in her spot, Krystal took action and instructed a nearby boy to help her bring Myungsoo to to the school infirmary, as she has notice him holding his arm in dear pain. (Myungsoo has a broken arm.)

“So this is where you normally spend your time.” Krystal turns around to find Victoria at the door. Raising an eyebrow, she asks Victoria why she’s here. “Myungsoo sent me. He wanted me to convey his thanks to you,” she says, pouring herself a glass of ice tea. (A pitcher is available on the bed side table.) Tak