Author's note: I'm back with an angsty chapter again. I've been telling you guys the good things will come, they will just bear with some more of this. The story needs it so. Comments are highly appreciated so please do comment. You can also PM me if you want. Sungmin's thoughts are in italics. Enjoy..

April, 2012

His voice is so amazing, so… so deep

Sungmin’s class was on a study tour and the guys were singing in the bus to pass the time. Sungmin had heard Kyuhyun could sing. But this, this was more than anything you could have imagined, his singing was really good and filled with emotions that needed to be portrayed in the song they were singing.

Why hadn’t you noticed it before? God, you had been studying for nearly 8 months with this guy and you only noticed this now? You were really ignorant then Sungmin. Sungmin’s mind flashed back to the days of the Inter Class Arts Festival. She was busy participating in the activities that she couldn’t really see any of the on stage competitions. Sure she had heard Kyuhyun was representing her class in the singing competitions and had won an award or two she couldn’t see his performance. But at that time, she thought with a sigh, you hadn’t even made an effort to see it.

But now, the guy was in front of her singing merrily with his friends and Sungmin found herself enjoying it.

Days passed. Sungmin was slowly drifting back to her early life. Her friendships were slowly getting stitched back together. She was grateful to a lot of people, especially her sunbaes. After coming to college Sungmin started learning volleyball. Her evenings were spent on the volleyball court. Her sunbaes were the ones coaching her and she had grown quite fond of them. Many of them were Kangin’s classmates and for a minute there Sungmin was afraid of how they would react after all that happened. But her worries were for nothing, they never asked her about it and behaved to her just like before. To them Sungmin was their adorable little sister, and she will always be that to them.

A few weeks gone and Sungmin was getting back into the hang of things. Kangin had stopped calling her, Heechul maintained a neutral stand, and slowly but surely she was getting back to her cheery self. But things weren’t as simple as that.

One day Sungmin found Donghae giving her a concerned look. She approached her as soon as she entered the class.

 “Um.. Min, you didn’t happen to look at the college notice board did you?”

“No, is there anything I should see in there?” The board wasn’t just used for putting up notices; it was also a board where one could showcase their talents in writing, drawing etc. Sungmin could see the relief flooding Donghae’s eyes.

“Oh nothing Min, I just asked simply”

“Donghae, spill it, I can see you are lying”

“It’s not that big a deal...”

“Hae…”

“Kangin might have..” Donghae didn’t get time to complete her sentence as Sungmin had already rushed out of the classroom. True enough there it was, a poem, about a guy whose heart got broken by a girl. He had even skillfully crafted letters of her name into the poem. Just when you thought all this was over Sungmin could feel herself trembling, her mind screaming at her but you deserve it though for what you did to the guy

The days passed by and one day Heechul called. Sungmin was surprised, the guy had practically ignored her following the break up and now he was asking her to meet up.  Evening came and Sungmin made her way out of the dorm. Sungmin found Heechul near the Central Auditorium leaning on his bike. Sungmin had always admired that bike. It was jet black and looked quite cool. Taking her eyes away from the bike she looked at Heechul who was now looking at her with eyes full of regret and.. is that sadness I see in his eyes?

“Oh Sungmin, I’m glad you came”

“It’s not like I wouldn’t come if you called Oppa. You look troubled Oppa, what happened?”

“That scumbag, after everything I did for him he abandoned me when I needed him most, I’m glad you broke up with him”

Did I just hear him call Kangin a scumbag?  “Oppa I don’t get it, what happened?”

Heechul then procceded to explain what had happened. Heechul was the secretary of the Social Services Club of the college. It was something Sungmin liked immensely about him and he worked well on the front. Apparently Kangin had ditched him when he had called him for some work on that. And from what Sungmin could gather this was not the first time this happened.

“You have no idea what all I have done for that guy Min, but he is so selfish, only thinking about himself”

Believe me I have an idea about what you have done Sungmin thought, but she didn’t voice it out. Heechul was hurt as it was, she didn’t want to add salt to his wounds.

“I’m so sorry Min, so sorry… I did a terrible thing to you…”

“Its okay Oppa,” its okay? Now you are telling its okay, it’s not. Her mind was screaming at her but she stood firm, “it’s all over now anyway”

“I’m really sorry anyway Sungmin, I hope you will forgive me?”

“I’m over all that now Oppa, Are you for real Sungmin? Wasn’t it last week you saw the poem and got depressed again? I forgive you”

“I’m relieved to hear that Sungmin, I hope we can be like the buddies we were earlier.”

True to his words their friendship got back to where they left off in its full force. Sungmin was glad she had got her favorite oppa back by her side. But something was amiss, though she couldn’t put her finger on it.

It was a Sunday when Heechul called her.

“Get ready in a few minutes, we are going somewhere”

“Where?”

“I’ll tell you when I see you” With that he hung up. Sungmin was in a dilemma. It was the first time she was going out with a boy alone and that too in a motorcycle. Sungmin was sure her mother wouldn’t approve. But then she couldn’t refuse Heechul, she was afraid it would make him angry with her. Moreover he was like a brother to her, and she his little sister, so it won’t be bad right?

Sungmin made up her mind to go. Heechul was waiting in front of the dorm with his bike. He told her to get on.

“Um, where are we going Oppa?”

“You’ll see”

The place they went to was a small hill. It was local tourist spot but it wasn’t crowded and Sungmin felt herself relax in the tranquility of the place.

“You know, I used to bring Sohee here, we used to have a great time”

“Oppa did anything happen between you and Sohee unnie, you seem depressed”

“We broke up”

“Oh I’m sorry to hear that”

“Its okay Min, I’ll get over it,” He didn’t sound convincing though. They spend about half an hour there. They were back on the road down the hill when Heechul stopped the bike suddenly. Sungmin leaned her face to the front to ask Heechul why he had stopped when he suddenly kissed her on the cheek.

Sungmin was startled to say the least. She just sat there dumbfounded. It’s okay Sungmin calm down, he sees you like a sister doesn’t he? Brothers kiss sisters on the cheek don’t they? She heard Heechul speak , “I don’t regret what I did just now.” What’s that supposed to mean? But she couldn’t voice her thoughts as Heechul had already put back his helmet and started the ride back.

Days passed but Sungmin couldn’t find the courage to ask him about it. Heechul was behaving normally with her and she didn’t want to make it awkward by asking. She finally decided to leave it as a gesture of brotherly affection.

But her friends didn’t think so. Soon after she had regained her friendship with Heechul she started hearing more whispers around her. But this time she had no idea what she had done wrong until one night at the dorm.

“Sungmin” Her classmate, Hyuri was calling her. Hyuri was a day-scholar like Ryeowook but she stayed in the dorms some days. “We need to talk you, we all have gathered in the other room, come there okay?”

“We” meant all the girls in her class except a few like Seohyun and Ryeowook who were in their homes. This was not a good sign. Everytime they had called such meetings things always ended badly for Sungmin. They should be called ‘interrogation’ sections instead of meetings. And today was no different.

True enough the girls were all there when she centered. She was made to sit in the centre. Their gazes were critical and Sungmin felt like a lamb amidst a pack of wolves. It was Hyuri who started always the eager one when others business are involved

“Sungmin we have been hearing things about you”

“Things?”

“About you and Heechul Sunbae,..” oh god

“The rumours are quite something you know, they say you are now after the best friend after dumping the other guy” Others were nodding their heads, agreeing to Hyuri’s words. Sungmin could feel the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“that’s not true ok, we have nothing going on between us okay? He is like a brother to me,” by now the tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. Weren’t these people her friends? Didn’t they know her? Why were they looking at her as though she had committed adultery?

“Sungmin we know you are not like that okay,” it was Luna who spoke this time, there was a understanding tone in her voice, “but these rumors, you need to do something to stop them”

“By the way,” Hyuri slurred, Was she enjoying this? “I heard you guys message each other ‘love you’ ‘kisses’ etc.”

To say Sungmin was shocked would be an understatement. Because what Hyuri just said was true. True, she had said love you to Heechul, but that was platonic love. Don’t people say love you to their brothers and sisters. But how the hell did Hyuri find about it?

The meeting continued for a while and after giving Sungmin a final warning they dispersed. Sungmin was in great inner turmoil. It was like she had to give up one, Heechul or her classmates. She wasn’t sure what to do but something happened that helped her make a decision.

It was night time when Heechul called.

“Hey Min….” He sound… drunk

“Hey”

“I want to say something to you… lets date”

“What? Oppa what are you talking about?”

“I said lets date. You know me well, I know you well, so whats the problem? Heechul sounded annoyed.

“What the hell? You know that’s impossible?”

By now Heechul got angry and he was screaming into the phone. “Why is it impossible? Why can’t you just date me eh?”

Sungmin found fresh tears flowing down her cheeks as she choked out, “Oppa you are like a brother to me, I can never see you like that, please try to understand”

After some more pleading Heechul had shouted some profanities at her and cut the phone. Sungmin stood there clutching the phone to her chest as her tears never seemed to stop.

God, why was my life so difficult? Please make all this go away