Out of all the people in the world, Da Mi was the one that Jiyong counted on the most. When he first entered school, some kids had been picking on him so he got into a huge fight. Though he’d ended up kicking the crap out of them, it made all the other students see him as someone to be feared. It had taken a long time to turn that fear into respect but it hadn’t done anything to help in the friend department. 
So, Da Mi became his best friend. Though she was his older sister, he found he could relate to her well. She wouldn’t judge him when he came home covered in bruises from a fight. She’d simply patch him up. Kwon Da Mi was his whole world.

But then one day she started spending less and less time with him. Jiyong had been curious as to why this had been happening until he showed up. Jiyong was 15 at the time and Da Mi had brought home some man. Her new boyfriend. They were apparently very serious about each other. Their parents were very pleased about this. The man was rich, handsome and polite. But Jiyong hated him.

“Hey, buddy,” he’d ventured when they first met, “Da Mi has told me a lot about you.”

Jiyong simply glared at him. “She told me absolutely nothing about you.”

“I’m sorry, Ji,” she said with an apologetic smile, “It was my little secret.”

“Friends aren’t supposed to keep secrets from each other!”

“Oh, come on. I’m sure you keep tons of secrets from your other—”

She knew she’d made a mistake in saying that. Jiyong’s face contorted into one of anger and hurt as he stormed out of the room. He hated this man. This man who caused his sister, his only friend, to keep secrets.
She apologized and slowly he began trusting her again. He thought everything was back to normal until the day she announced they would be getting married. Jiyong became mute for the entire time up until the wedding, refusing to say a word to anyone.

“Jiyong,” Da Mi had taken him aside before the wedding started, “I have something important to tell you.”

No response. Just a dead stare.

“It’s because you said friends don’t keep secrets,” she seemed to have a hard time with what she was saying, “What you said was true. So, I won’t keep secrets from you. I’m moving to Gwangju with my husband after the ceremony.”

Finally, after months, she had gotten a reaction out of her little brother.

“I’m sorry you had to find out now. But I didn’t want you to become even more upset and never speak again. I’ll call you everyday and I’ll write all the time. You can come visit whenever you like. Wouldn’t that be nice? Jiyong, please say something to me!”

Her eyes were b with tears but he couldn’t make out any of her words. He’d lost her. Now, officially, he was all alone. His period of silence ended shortly after his sister moved out and was replaced by blind fury. Anything and everything would make him angry. He got into fights more often, he could barely focus in school and he felt a dull rage underneath every other emotion he felt. He wasn’t mad because she waited to tell him. He was mad because he was alone.

But for the first time in 3 years, he felt none of that. As he waited for Seul outside of the school gates, pacing to keep himself from getting cold, he was filled with a strangely calm sensation. Almost… happy? Something strange that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. As Seul exited the school grounds he flashed her a smile that she responded to, as usual, with a look of confusion.

“I’ll never understand why you insist on waiting for me,” she said, though there was a smile on her face.

“I can’t abandon you like that.”

“I want to know exactly what that something is.”

She was leaned over his shoulder, watching him as he drew on a blank page of his notebook. It was a pretty detailed sketch of her rooftop house which he had affectionately dubbed, Seul’s Rooftop Castle. She smiled, catching the reference.

“Something…” he mumbled under his breath, “It was like electricity.”

“Electricity?”

He nodded. “That’s the best way to explain it.”

“And since when has there been electricity?”

“I felt it when you first held my hand. This strange sensation that I didn’t understand so I thought I’d stick around you a little while and figure it out. But the longer I spent around you, the worse it got. I felt it when I looked at you, then when I was around you, then when I thought of you.”

She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as the bus comes to a stop. Stepping off, they headed out into the cold night.

Seul looked around before whispering, "Kwon Jiyong. Come closer. I have a secret to tell you.”

“A secret?” he leaned forward, a bit curious.

Leaning forward as well, she pecked him on the lips. The action caught him completely off guard and his eyes widened. He was so used to being one step ahead of her that seeing his shocked face gave her a strange satisfaction.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” she smiled before heading off.

His own shock dissipated into a smile. He’d never fully understand Choi Seul but he liked it this way. She was a riddle he’d like to spend forever trying to solve. As though it were his job, however, the greasy voice Jiyong had nearly forgotten made it’s way to his ears and ruined the moment.

“I thought you said she wasn’t your girl.”

The usual sarcastic comments or rude inputs were missing. Jiyong turned around to find a deadly serious Seungri staring back at him. He wasn’t trying to be sneaky or underhanded. It was a genuine statement.

“Things change,” was all Jiyong replied.

Seungri’s expression grew angry. “Of all the girls, you had to take that one. You really do know how to with people, don’t you?”

Jiyong didn’t understand what he meant by this. “What does it matter to you?”

“Everyone knows that Seungri has had his eye on Choi Seul,” one of his boys shouted, “You broke guy code. Not cool.”

“You know Choi Seul?”

Seungri simply clenched his jaw. Why should he tell him that he’s liked her since they were 12? He’d been diligently fighting off all the guys who’d even thought of going after her. Though he was one of the toughest guys out there, he couldn’t seem to ever find all that courage when he spoke to Seul. And then Kwon Jiyong had to weasel his way in there. Now she saw him as nothing but scum. His chances with her were all but gone.

“Shut up,” his voice was low and full of venom, “Don’t say another word before I really end you.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

In a flash Seungri lunged at him. They fought each other, throwing punches and kicks mercilessly. Jiyong was clearly winning. He was always winning. No matter what he did, Seungri could never beat him and he hated this the most. Fueled by anger, he reached into his pocket and felt for the wooden handle.

Before he could throw another punch, there was a piercing sensation in Jiyong’s side.