A/N: There are so many damn people to keep track of ;u; and so many tenuous connections I have to make

English, Korean

An hour later, loaded with clothes for each member of the Shin family, I find a secluded, empty café. It looks unwelcoming, but that's just how I like it. After getting myself an iced Americano, I find a place to sit. I make myself comfortable in the booth, somewhat glad that I gave into my survival instincts and mainly bought clothes allowing freedom of movement.

"Let's get a drink," someone says, entering.

Heedless, I text Rabbit, telling him I'm done shopping. 

"Jackson-ah," someone else calls.

I freeze. My heart stops for just a moment.

"Qilin? Who is it?" Rabbit demands urgently.

"Eo, what?" The first voice replies.

I let out a shaky breath, checking to make sure my eyes are still dark brown. Turning, I observe the newcomers. Then I punch myself in the head mentally, right after I snap my open jaw closed.

Qilin, watch it, I chastise myself. You can't afford slipping up like that.

"It's nothing, oppa," I whisper quietly, and shut off my end of the communications system with shaking fingers.

The new arrivals are two guys who appear to be the same age. After thinking a little bit, I'm guessing one of them is from a rookie group, what with his dyed hair and style. He must be a rookie, since I don't recall seeing him at all.

The other guy is another story.

I first met Jackson Wang when I attended AIS. I was eleven and my name was Sarah Yang.

Jackson has always been a strange character. He was two years into his fencing career when I joined his class at American International School. Sometimes, during breaks, or even during lessons, he would randomly start practicing his footwork.

I enrolled after the first quarter had already started, and took an aptitude test that placed me in the seventh grade. I had trouble introducing myself. My story was always muddled in my head. Back then, I was still untrained, and it was difficult for me to fully play the part of Sarah Yang, a local girl living with her brothers and father. As instructed, instead of confusing myself, I would keep quiet and not speak much. My favorite part of the school day was when we sat and had lessons. It was boring, since it was all material that Seokie oppa had been learning, but lessons were the only time when the other children didn't stare at me. I was always small for my age, and people would ask when I was born, why I was so short, and if I had a chronic illness.

Unlike everyone else, Jackson didn't question me. He took me under his wing. If Tiger and the others were my brothers out of school, Jackson was my brother in school. We became inseparable. I would help him with his homework, and in turn, he taught me gymnastics. I can't count the number of times Dragon scolded me for returning home with scrapes and bruises all over my body, during the first weeks when I was still getting the hang of it.

After I was pulled out of school, I couldn't contact Jackson anymore. He never answered my calls, and never once called me back. Thwarted by my brothers at every attempt I made to meet him, I started trying to find other ways. I couldn't leave the house without a brother by my side, but I made do with the opportunities I had to construct new methods.

Jackson is the reason why I took a new identity as Jackson. He is also the reason why I am so diversely skilled.

Those days, we had no money. Buying a TV or computer was out of the question, unless Rabbit needed it for tech.

Seeing a broken television set one day while out with Horse, I begged him to help me bring it home. I opened the back with some old tools I found lying around and stared at it for hours, examining every component. The next day, when I was dropped off at the Central Library, I rushed to the shelves and looked for engineering manuals, then memorized the text I found in them. It took me a few days, and much help from Rabbit, but I managed to fix the TV, only to discover that Jackson wasn't really as famous as he said he was.

My next project was a computer I stumbled across outside of an old office. The keyboard had most of its keys missing and the screen was slightly cracked, but I made do, as I had while fixing the TV, with assorted bits and pieces I scavenged.

From there, I went on to fix countless more machines, which my brothers promptly threw out and replaced when we started earning adequate money. Seeing Jackson was a goal that gradually faded away as I found more and more things to practice on, and Jackson himself gradually faded away until I saw him one day on the new plasma TV that Horse had bought for me. He hadn't changed, and he really had followed his dream. I let him go.

I never thought that I would see him again. Will he recognize me? I have no idea, since, back then in school, I had zero control over my facial features and my eyes would change color without my consent. I don't remember what I looked like, so hopefully, after almost eight years, he doesn't either.

"Namjoon," Jackson whispers, after the two sit down with their drinks.

"Eo," RapMon replies.

"That girl over there… I dare you to go talk to her."

"What? No," RapMon refuses. "She'll think I'm creepy."

"I speak English, you know."

They turn to look at me, startled. Jackson's the first to recover. "Hi. I'm Jackson Wang from GOT7."

I bite back the urge to say I know.

"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm BTS's leader, Rap Monster." RapMon bows.

"Annyeonghaseyo. I'm Shin Minhee." I bow and ask, impulsively, "Do you want to come sit here? It's a bit far to talk."

They come over hesitantly to sit across from you in the booth, after checking to see if anybody is around. A silence ensues, uncomfortable for them but amusing for me, as I examine Jackson's face surreptitiously. "Do you usually dare people to approach girls in empty cafés, Jackson? It could be a bit creepy."

"Well, if they're pretty," Jackson says. It's the first time I've seen him so awkward. I've always known him as the outgoing middle school student, and more recently, as the always-bluffing GOT7 member. I guess even Jackson has learned to act, as I have.

"Thanks. You guys said you're from BTS and GOT7? What's that?"

"Oh, we're rappers, from idol groups," Jackson says, slightly befuddled. "My group is called GOT7, and Rap Mon's is called Bangtan Sonyeondan. You've never heard of us?"

I shake my head. "Sorry, I moved here from the US with my brothers just this morning. I don't know anything." I smile sheepishly.

"That's alright. My group went to the US to learn about American hip-hop there, a few months ago," RapMon tells me.

"Oh, that's cool. So tell me, how's the nightlife in Seoul? Any good clubs for the underground scene? You know, dance and rap battles?" I ask.

"Sure there are," RapMon says immediately. "I used to be in the underground scene. I usually go to Cakeshop, a club in Itaewon. The best underground bboys, dancers and rappers perform and battle there."

"Sounds awesome. I might check it out when I make some friends," I laugh self-deprecatingly. "If I make any. I don't really get out much. My brothers are super protective."

"How old are you, Minhee-ssi?" Jackson asks suddenly, searchingly.

"I'm 20. Wae-yo?"

"You remind me of someone I used to know in middle school in Hong Kong. I'm from there. Her brothers were also really protective of her," Jackson says, making me stop breathing. "She was my best friend until she moved away. She wasn't Korean, though, and she's about the same age as me and Namjoon, 21."

"Ah, really? Cool… Do you have any photos of her?" I ask hesitantly.

He nods, to my surprise, and pulls out his phone, scrolling through his photos. "Here."

It's photo of a Polaroid. In it, the two of us are standing arm in arm in front of a banner. I'm in my school uniform, and he's in a dress shirt and slacks. I look very Chinese, which relieves me.

"What's this?" I hear myself ask, though I know exactly what it is.

"It was a school dance. Sarah- her name was Sarah Yang- was my date. I think this is the only picture I have of her." He frowns. "She was at my school for only a year, in seventh grade."

"Why is she in a school uniform?" RapMon asks suddenly. "You're not."

I wait expectantly for Jackson's answer.

"It could be that she didn't have anything else to wear," Jackson said thoughtfully. "I never asked about her family situation, but it didn't seem that good. It didn't matter to me, though."

He's more spot-on than he knows. That first year I was with Zodiac, Dragon didn't tell me that most of our money went towards my school fees. After they pulled me out, he'd used the money that was previously set aside to invest in a couple of different ventures. If he hadn't, we probably would have struggled for a few more years.

"Did you lose contact?" I ask, slightly bitter.

Jackson sighs, staring at the photo. "I tried to call her after she transferred, but the calls never went through, except for one time. That time, something really weird happened. Somebody picked up and told me not to call again, or there would be consequences. I think it was one of her brothers, but for some reason, every time I called the number after that, the operator said that the number didn't exist."

I thought it was something like that. No wonder I never got a call, I think, gazing somberly at him. And even after they threatened you, you kept calling?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He frowns.

I jolt, but he's not asking me.

"Just because you look really sad." RapMon pats Jackson on his back. "Why did you keep calling even after getting threatened? Was she your first love?"

The question shocks me more than it appears to shock Jackson. But before he can answer, my gaze is drawn to the sidewalk outside.

"Speaking of overprotective brothers..." I smile weakly, activating my earpiece again. "Here's one of mine now."

Rabbit has arrived in front of the café, eyes wide. He must be tracking me in his contact. He blinks twice, deactivating the contact and confirming my guess, then storms into the café all loosened up and ready to bust me out of any situation I've gotten myself into. Eyes zeroing in on me, he seems to expand with anger.

"Shin Minhee!" Rabbit-Hyuk yells, not forgetting to stay in character even in his displeasure. "Next time you ignore my phone calls, I'm grounding you for a week!"

His gaze lands on Jackson. Minutely, his eyes widen, and he inhales sharply. Ah, so you do remember him, I think. From all the photos you wiped off my phone, probably.

"Who are these people, Minhee-yah?" Rabbit-Hyuk asks.

RapMon and Jackson almost fall out of the booth in their haste to bow and introduce themselves.

"Annyeonghaseyo. I'm Kim Namjoon."

"Eo, annyeonghaseyo," Rabbit-Hyuk mutters, bowing in return.

"Annyeonghaseyo. I'm Jackson. Wang Jackson."

"Annyeonghaseyo… I'm Shin Minhyuk, Minhee's oppa."

"Oppa. We were just having a nice chat," I say, pulling Rabbit-Hyuk into the booth with me. "These two oppa-deul are actually celebrities here. RapMon is the leader of BTS, and Jackson is in GOT7. Jackson oppa was telling me how I look like a friend of his from middle school, in Hong Kong. You know what's really weird? They lost contact after she transferred because none of his calls made it through, and then the number was deactivated." Looking into Rabbit's guilty eyes, I unconsciously clench his hand, nails digging into his skin. He sits very still and swallows, enduring the punishment.

"That is weird," he says tightly. "Minhee-yah, let's go. We have to go pick up the household supplies I just bought." Grabbing my shopping bags, he drags me out of the booth.

"But we're not done talking, oppa," I protest innocently. "It's rude to leave just like this."

"It's fine, Minhee-ssi," RapMon reassures me hurriedly. "We have to go practice soon, anyway. It was nice to meet you." I guess he doesn't want to risk Rabbit-Hyuk's wrath, even though his bulk is deceptively slight- as mine is.

"Do you think I can get your number?" I ask casually. "I still need someone to show me the ropes around here."

They look disappointed. "Maybe not the best idea," RapMon refuses unwillingly..

Just like that, I disappear for the second time from Jackson's life. This time, however, I'm determined to find him again, by whatever means necessary, and regardless of what consequence will throw at me.

Jackson's POV:

After Minhee leaves with her brother, I answer RapMon's question. "Yup. She was my first love. But I never got to confess. The day before she left, I was going to, but I got in trouble with the teacher and had to stay late after school. So I kept calling, even though I was scared, because I had to tell her."

"Geez, man, that's rough. Don't worry, I won't let it slip to your hordes of crazed fans," he jokes, trying to lighten the mood. "Have you gotten over her?"

"Ah…" I blink. This is embarrassing. "Maybe in a few years."

"You're still not over her?" RapMon exclaims. "Your fans would be disappointed that they've been defeated by a middle school memory. Besides, you only knew her for a year."

I shrug. "Even though I could never hang out with her outside of school, because she always said her brothers would get angry, a year of being with her during school was enough. She's the kind of person you can become best friends with in a day. You'd know what I mean if you met her."

"What would you do if you met her?" he asks curiously.

"I don't know. Maybe I'd tell her. Maybe not. It's past time for me to move on."

RapMon makes sympathetic noises, then waves at the rest of his group mates, who are making their way down the street towards the café.

Qilin's POV:

Down the street a ways from the café, someone passes us. We hear a call from behind.

"Hoseok hyung! Over here!"

My step falters and I look back even as I'm pulled along. I feel like I've been er-punched in the gut. Hoseok? All I glimpse is someone's back before we turn the corner.

There must be a lot of people named Hoseok. It can't be him, right?