Piper walked alongside Young Do – flanked by his two cronies – as they made their way to the club party the next night. It had never been verbally agreed upon that they were going to go together. They both decided individually that they would attend, but Young Do showed up at her doorstep to pick her up nonetheless. His sidekicks were surprised at the ease with which Young Do and Piper greeted each other. Their awkward partnership had mellowed their bickering, especially since they were too wrapped up worrying about other things to fight over petty matters.

“Where are you?” Young Do yelled to Myung Soo over the phone. “I’m here.” He pulled the phone away, flinching. “Aish, too noisy.” He pressed the phone back to his ear, listening intently. “What? Who did you see? Kim Tan?”

He looked to Piper and his sidekicks, noticing their attention drawn somewhere else. They nodded in the direction of the club, and Young Do looked over to see Tan stumbling out.

“Idiot,” Piper muttered, watching him stumble into the streets. “Did he really get drunk?”

Tan bumped into a passerby, tripping slightly and not acknowledging the interaction as he resumed his exit.

“Hey over there,” the man called after Tan, following him. “If you hit a person, shouldn’t you apologize?” Tan didn’t respond, not even stopping. “Does this punk think that my words aren’t words?”

The man grabbed Tan’s shoulder, and Tan shoved him off roughly.

“Did this bastard go crazy?” The man wondered, following after Tan once more.

He grabbed Tan yet again, who this time responded with a punch to the man’s face. The man fell backwards, and even Tan stumbled from the altercation. Young Do sighed, walking forward to step in.

“Does this punk want to die?” The man’s friend growled, moving to attack Tan.

Tan reared back, ready to hit the other man, when Young Do intervened and sent Tan to the ground. His two sidekicks took down the other man, standing guard against other attacks.

“It’s cold. What are you doing?” Young Do questioned as Tan lifted himself off the ground.

Tan snarled. “Come here,” he growled, lunging forward to attack the strangers once more. He was caught by Young Do, who shoved him back.

“Stop it.” Young Do warned, turning to face the strangers. “You, also, stop.”

“Who are you again?” The first man sneered, still agitated.

“Hey, handle these people.” Young Do instructed his sidekicks, who began advancing on the three men to keep them from interfering.

Tan lunged for the strangers again, once more blocked by Young Do.

“I told you to stop.” Young Do repeated, dragging Tan down the sidewalk.

Piper followed after, sighing heavily as Young Do through Tan off. Tan regained his footing and began stalking back to the club, this time caught by Piper and shoved backwards.

“Kim Tan, control yourself.” She scolded. “You’re acting like a fool.”

“Do you really want to die?” Young Do threatened, coming up behind her to double the defense against Tan.

Tan ignored him, shoving Piper away to move past. Her heels caught on the uneven pavement, causing her to stumble as she attempted to regain her footing.

“Jerk, aren’t you listening?” Young Do growled, grabbing Tan’s arm and swinging him around, landing a blow across Tan’s jaw.

Tan righted himself after the blow and stared at Young Do for a second, regaining himself before striking back. His punch struck Young Do square on the jaw.

“This jerk.” Young Do hissed, landing another hit on Tan’s face.

“Are you guys kidding me?” Piper shouted, pressing her hands to her forehead. She groaned, “Oh, you two are so lucky we’re not on school grounds.”

Tan, breathing heavily, moved to strike Young Do again, but the taller boy blocked it and sent him to the ground, the momentum knocking him off his feet as well. Both were breathing heavily, Tan hissing at the pain from the fresh wounds as he lay against the cold concrete.

“If you miss Cha Eun Sang, why don’t you go watch her for a bit and come back?” Young Do inquired, his voice a mixture of frustration and distress.

“I won’t go now.” Tan told him. “You can have her.”

“Did I….did he…” Piper sputtered, unsure if she had heard correctly. She stomped over, looming over Tan. “Hey, Kim Tan,” she shouted, slapping him smartly across his cheek. “Eun Sang is not just some possession you can hand off once you’re done with her, you know. Young Do can have her? What kind of bull is that?”

“I mean what I said,” Tan replied weakly.

Young Do came beside her, grabbing Tan by the lapel of his jacket and wrenching him off the ground. “What did you just say, jerk?” When Tan didn’t answer, Young Do grabbed the other lapel, forcing Tan to turn towards him. “Do you want to die? Do you even have the right to be destroyed?”

“I have no right.” Tan agreed, not meeting either pair of eyes that were burning holes into his skin until he finally looked up at his former friend. “I can’t do it any longer, Young Do.”

Young Do said nothing, shaking from the hurricane of emotions inside of him. In frustration, he flung Tan away, sending him sprawling back onto the sidewalk. Young Do stood up slowly, taking a fuming Piper gently by the arm and guiding her away as Tan struggled to get off of the ground.

“How can he just…why would he…” Piper was muttering to herself, unfinished questions crumbling as they left . As they rounded a corner, something snapped in her. “How dare he – ”

She turned, moving back towards where they had left Tan, ready to unleash her anger on the boy her best friend had given up everything for. Young Do stopped her, pulling her back and into a tight hug. Piper was too upset to be shocked, her breathing short as her eyes started to burn, tears welling up. Piper allowed herself to cry in frustration, wrapping her arms around Young Do’s waist. His staggered breathing told her that he too was releasing some pent up emotions. When their catharsis was over, they pulled out of the embrace, wiping away the remnants of their tears.

“Do you…” Young Do began.

“I don’t want to go home just yet,” Piper informed him. “I told my parents I wouldn’t be back until late, and I don’t really want to answer any questions about why I’m home early.”

Young Do nodded, bringing her back to the hotel to get the coffee they had never actually gotten the night her parents were at the hotel. As they entered, they came across Kim Won – Tan’s half-brother. Young Do attempted to cover his bloody lip as he passed by, but Won had already seen it.

“Stop right there, Choi Young Do.” Won instructed, and the pair stopped. They slowly turned and faced Tan’s older brother, “Did you fight with Tan?”

“Tan got beaten by me in a one way fight.” Young Do answered simply. “I hit him because he deserved it. Press charges if you want.”

Won sighed deeply. “Why did you hit my younger brother?”

“Because your younger brother is being indecently self-destructive,” Piper answered. “Though, judging by your expression, you probably already know that.”

“Sorry.” Young Do apologized calmly. “I’m not supposed to hit kids who have older brothers, but I forgot Tan had an older brother. Because Tan never showed it.”

“Tan not only doesn’t have an older brother, but it seems like he doesn’t have friends, either.” Won remarked. “You should put on some medication, too.” He nodded o Young Do’s busted lip. “It might scar.”

Piper sighed as the eldest Kim son walked off. “He’s right, though. About the medication.” She turned to face the direction they had initially intended on going, grabbing hold of Young Do’s forearm to prompt him to follow. “Let’s go; you must have some medication in your room for this kind of stuff, given the numerous fights you used to get into.”

“They weren’t that many,” Young Do denied as he walked beside her to the elevator. “Besides, I was never badly injured in any of them.”

“Are you seriously bragging about that?” Piper scoffed, withholding the eye roll threatening to come out.

Young Do paused briefly after they entered the elevator. “What about the coffee?”

She gave a half-grin. “Does the famous Zeus Hotel not have room service?”

Young Do relinquished a small smile; she had him caught with that one. Once they had made it to Young Do’s room, Piper began rummaging through his medicine cabinet. When he half-ordered, half-whined for her not to go through his things, she merely huffed and told him to sit quietly on the couch.

“Perhaps telling you to deal with Kim Tan in whatever way you saw fit was a mistake,” Piper mused as she gently dabbed the medication on the various scrapes on Young Do’s knuckles.

“Are you saying he didn’t deserve it?” Young Do wondered, looking at her curiously. “I was the one stopping you from going back to finish him off.”

“No, he definitely deserves having some sense beaten into him,” she remarked. “I’m just not sure we’re the ones to do it. Especially since we’re walking reminders of his absent love.”

She noticed Young Do stiffen – he was still as transparent as ever, always tense when reminded that he wasn’t even Eun Sang’s second choice. Sensing that the mood had shifted away from being mildly comfortable, Piper returned her attentions to the cut on his bottom lip.

Big mistake.

In order to apply the medication, she had to lean in. When she leaned in, her lips became that much closer to his. When their lips became closer, both of their thoughts sprang to the kiss they shared because of Piper’s panicked reaction to her ex-boyfriend’s sudden reappearance. Both cleared their throats nervously and backed away, each for their own reasons.

“Here,” Piper held out the medication tube to Young Do. “I’ll, uh – I gotta go. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Young Do gave a small nod, careful to take the tube in a way that would avoid brushing against her fingertips.

Once Piper closed the door to Young Do’s room behind her, she allowed herself to lean against the wooden frame. Her fingertips brushed absentmindedly against her lips, her thoughts still entangled in the memory of the kiss. Even though her kiss with Young Do was awkward, panicked – and fraught with every emotion Piper didn’t want connected to a kiss with a guy she liked – she was pretty damn sure Young Do had kissed her back. And, even if he hadn’t, she would continue thinking that way until it was proven otherwise.

A small smile graced her lips as she walked towards the elevator, her thoughts still stuck in the same place.

///

Piper walked into the Secret Garden café, her mood considerably brighter than it had been the last time she was there. When she walked in the front door, the woman that had become her confidante noticed her immediately, especially her pleasant mood.

“That look on your face…” Kyung Ran started, leading Piper to their usual table. “Progress?”

“Progress,” Piper nodded, grinning broadly. “He still likes my best friend, don’t get me wrong. If she really is his first love, I don’t think he’ll ever completely be over her – it’s true, after all, that you never forget your first love. But, he’s become more comfortable around me. We kind of have to rely on each other, now that…”

“Now that?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing at the vague beginning Piper had given.

“The father of my best friend’s boyfriend sent her away. She’s not from a family with an important name or a lot of money, so their relationship is apparently inappropriate.” Piper huffed, leaning back in her seat. “That’s just something I really don’t understand. I understand wanting the best for your child, but treating them like this…like they’re a puppy to train to perfect obedience, taking away what they like in order to break them of any free will…it’s disgusting. How can someone be so cruel, so arrogant to think that sending a person away would solve all their problems?”

“Your friend isn’t the first to suffer that kind of behavior,” Kyung Ran told her gently. “And I doubt she’ll be the last. People in high positions sometimes fall into the bad habit of thinking with their money and their position. They forget to be human because they have a company to run, employees to take care of, allies to make and enemies to defeat. They become wrapped up in their company that they forget that they’re an individual. When that happens, they forget that other people aren’t merely cogs in their machines.”

Kyung Ran leaned in, taking Piper’s hands in hers. “If your friend’s boyfriend is resilient enough, he will overcome his father’s domination. Like I told you, love is about risks. Both your friend and her boyfriend are going to need courage to get through this. It’s possible if their character is strong enough to withstand his father together, and with good friends by their side their struggles will be lessened.”

Piper smiled at her, “Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

Kyung Ran smiled back at her, “I only say what I know. You don’t need to thank me for that.”

///

The day for final exams rolled around, and the twins trudged up to school. Neither twin was particularly fond of tests, and ones as big as a final exam was especially dreadful. As they neared the school, Piper stopped in her tracks, stunned to see a familiar face beaming over at her.

“Park,” she nudged her brother in the side, not noticing he was just as shocked. “Pinch me.”

“You first,” he muttered.

They fumbled with each other’s hands, landing numerous pinches. Eun Sang was truly there, laughing at the ridiculous behavior of her friends. Piper squealed and ran over to her, enveloping her in a big bear hug.

“What are you doing here?” Piper asked gleefully.

“I have to take my final exams, don’t I?” Eun Sang questioned playfully, squeezing her friend tightly.

“Have you seen Tan?” Parker wondered. “Does he know you’re here?”

“Sorry, I saw him first,” Eun Sang confessed sheepishly.

“I don’t care; I’m just glad you’re here,” Piper told her. She pulled out of the hug and looped and arm through Eun Sang’s. “Lee Bo Na is in the broadcasting room. She’ll never admit it, but she really missed you.”

Eun Sang laughed and the two girls took off to meet their other friend, waving gleefully at Parker as they left. As they walked arm in arm down the hallway, they could hear the whispers of their classmates, all of them stunned to see Eun Sang once again walking the halls of Jeguk High.

They stopped as they saw Young Do standing in the middle of the hallway, an unidentifiable expression on his face. After a short pause, Eun Sang pulled Piper along, walking up to him.

“Choi Young Do.” Eun Sang said, looking up at him.

Without a word, he brushed past the two girls and continued down the hallway.

“He knows you didn’t come back for him,” Piper remarked softly. “Don’t take it to heart.”

Eun Sang nodded, feeling guilty for hurting his feelings even though there was nothing else she could’ve done. The girls continued on their way to the broadcasting room, Piper opening the door and displaying Eun Sang’s entrance as the grand prize of a game show.

“Hey, Cha Eun Sang.” Bo Na started, as she and Chan Young stood up in unison.

“Just because I am not here, you are playing around in the broadcasting room.” Eun Sang teased. “Were you guys about to kiss, but I just carelessly came in?”

“Hey, what are you – “ Chan Young began.

“Hey, are you crazy?” Bo Na interrupted, stalking around the table to stand in front of Eun Sang. “Because of you, the broadcasting club is a mess. What are you going to do about it?” She pouted. “Come here.”

Bo Na wrapped Eun Sang in a hug, Piper tossing Eun Sang an ‘I told you so’ look.

“What happened? Where were you all this time?” Chan Young asked as his girlfriend stayed attached to Eun Sang. “You even changed your phone number.”

“You guys must have really missed me.” Eun Sang decided.

“You’re really funny.” Bo Na muttered, finally pulling out of the hug. “If you don’t come, then we need to get a new PD. Do you think kids are interested in the club? So, don’t ever leave like that again, got it?”

“I’m sorry for not contacting you.” Eun Sang told them. “I should have contacted Ajusshi.” She looked to Chan Young, referring to his father. “I was really busy.”

“Are you alright now?” Chan Young wondered. “Did you come because everything is settled?”

“It’s not alright and there’s a lot to be settled, but…I just came because I miss you guys very much.”

“Regardless of what happens, tell me in advance if you are leaving or coming.” He lectured, pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket. “Give me your new number.”

Bo Na threw her hands in front of her boyfriend, blocking Eun Sang from taking his phone. “No, I will get it first!” She pulled her phone out and handed it to Eun Sang. “I will save it and tell Chan Young.”

“Fine.” Eun Sang nodded, scribbling the number onto the phone’s digital note pad.

Chan Young looked over Bo Na’s shoulder as she saved the number, but she pulled away from his view. “You need to do well, otherwise I won’t tell you.”

“Okay.” He agreed, as the girls laughed at the couple.

///

“So, I’m definitely going to score higher than you once grades for the final come out,” Parker declared as he and Piper sat in a park close by the school, relaxing after their exams were over.

“No way,” Piper denied. “I scored high than you last time, and I’m going to score higher than you again.”

“Does that mean you’re the brains and I’m the beauty?” Parker teased.

“Let’s not go too far, brother dear,” Piper rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows I’m the beauty and the brains; you’re just my twin brother.”

“Is that so?” He laughed. “It’s nice to see you in a good mood again. You’ve been in a funk ever since Eun Sang left. Hopefully now that she’s back things can return to normal.”

“I don’t think anything had been normal here,” she mused. “But, I hope so too.”

Parker paused, looking at a familiar figure drawing closer. “Speaking of abnormal.”

Piper looked over to see Young Do striding over to them, a blank look on his face.

“I’ll be right back,” she informed her brother, standing up and meeting Young Do in the middle.

As she stepped up to him, Young Do took on his characteristic wide smile. “I’m a free man now.” Piper quirked an eyebrow, not understanding his meaning. “I broke it off cleanly with Eun Sang. I dumped her.”

“I…okay…” Piper stated hesitantly, not knowing in what direction the conversation was headed.

“Now that I’m free, I can give you an answer.” He informed her. She braced herself as he cleared his throat, nervousness quickly sweeping over him. “Female friends – friends in general – I don’t do that sort of thing. But…” he cleared his throat again. “I’ll accept your feelings. You liking me…I’ll allow it.”

Piper threw a hand over to stifle a giggle. It wasn’t the answer she was expecting, and it broke through the tension easily. “Your acceptance…I’ll accept it.” She remarked. “I know this wasn’t easy for you, but I’m glad to see that I’m right. Sincerity does look good on you.”

He gave a small smile, lowering his head in attempts to hide it.

“And who knows,” she went on. “I might even turn you into the perfect boyfriend.”

“Aish,” he groaned looking up at her. “You’re not going to try to make us another Lee Bo Na and Yoon Chan Young, are you? If you are, I take back my acceptance.”

“No. No, no, no,” she shook both her heads and her hands, waving off the absurdity of his statement as she chuckled. “Nothing like that. I promise.” She scrunched her features, taking on a mocking imitation of Bo Na’s voice. “‘Oh, Young Do-ie. You’re my air; I can’t breathe properly without you.’ Blegh.”

“I’m glad to know I’ve accepted the feelings of someone so romantic,” Young Do quipped.

Piper shrugged, beaming brightly. “I guess you’re just lucky.”