[CONTENTID1]Sticky Toffee in the Starlight[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]A Selection of Chocolate-Boys[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3](Hello my lovelies! gaksitalGaksital here! I'm in a brilliant mood today, so here's an early update♥ Thank you to all my readers, subs, commenters and to those who have upvoted this story. I want to make a confession here. I know I've been moody with the name changes but I swear, it will remain as Suzy now, haha. Honestly,  this story would have been dumped in drafts if it wasn't for your support! Thank you for being part of it. It means a lot to me. I support interactions between readers. Feel free to reply to one another's comments and debate on your couples! Also, I have 2 surprise announcements to make in the future.  Will let you know about them a bit later. Back to the story!)

Suzy had a strange dream that night. It didn't elate her but it didn't frighten her either. She dreamt of being stranded in a forest. The trees all bore cherry blossoms, and a fleeting wind devoured the petals from their buds, causing them dance in pirouettes around her.

As she trekked further down this pathway, someone embraced her from behind. Time froze; the petals hovered around her as if they had nowhere to fall. She spun around to face Sungyeol, who had teary eyes. He appeared so desolate with sorrow.

"What's wrong?" she had asked him, wiping the tears away from his face; it was no use, they were frozen too like trailing crystals of ice.

When he spoke, she teemed with consternation. Sungyeol had someone else's voice; Chanyeol's voice to be exact.

"Don't go," he pleaded in Chanyeol's voice. "Please."

"Huh? What're you talking about? What do you mean?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. This was strange as it was mesmerising.  At this stage, she wasn't aware that she was dreaming.

"Just don't go," the Sungyeol-Chanyeol apparition commanded.

Then, he leaned his face forward, and his lips crashed against hers. That was when Suzy's eyelids flickered open.

-

Suzy wore a white dress that day, one with cherry blossom spinning on the side. The sun was high in the sky, like a luminous diamond trapped in blue cotton.

As she headed towards the kitchen, her parents' bickering forced her to pause in her route. Naturally, this was habitual of them. However, they were arguing over a new topic-- one that related to her.

"Are you crazy, husband? This is paranoia!" Mrs Kang cried frantically.

"It's for the best. I'm scared for her. He will protect her," her father responded, with a cool air of nonchalance.

"Do you think my sweetheart will agree to this? She's too young for this! How can you trust him?"

Her mother's words struck a chord within her. Suzy bit her bottom lip. From the gist of their conversation, she knew they were referring to her. However, who was this 'he'?

"I trust him with all my heart," Mr Kang announced. "He will protect her."

Suzy's heart sank into her stomach. She swallowed a knot of anxiety down . Only one thing popped up in her mind: marriage. Her parents were willingly giving her away. The thought made her blood boil. How could they do this to her? How could they conclude a decision without her permission?

As if on cue, fresh footsteps echoed throughout the hallway. Suzy's head snapped towards the living room as a tall, burly figure strolled out of there. parted to form a perfect O.

The young man's dagger-like eyes surveyed her as if he could dissect her soul with just his dark eyes. The morning light caught off his strong jaw, and his short, messy hair was so dark, that it almost gleamed blue. He crossed his arms across his broad chest, his expression apathetic and inexorable. The man was dressed in a black suit, and she wondered if she had to wed him here and now.

A deep fear sank into her bones. Her knees wobbled, and almost gave way. She saw the ground ready to kiss her, but she never met it. Instead, the man's arms were around her waist, preventing her from toppling over. His intense glare burned through her.

As if on instinct, she slipped out of his strong grasp and scrambled into the kitchen. Her parents paused and glanced at her.

"I'm not doing it!" Suzy protested, shaking her head. She heard about girls being forced to marry someone they didn't love. She didn't expect her parents to fall into that end of the pool.

"Now look!" cried Mrs Kang. "She heard it all! Oh no-- don't cry! Oh dear..."

It was too late. Suzy hunkered to the floor and heaved a few sobs. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks. Her mother's arms circled her trembling shoulders and her soft voice cooed with sweet words of love.

Mr Kang watched the scene with utmost sorrow. He might as well had stabbed himself with a knife, because that's what Suzy's tears were like; they were as painful as the sharp end of a knife.

"Suzy, I'm so sorry my babygirl. Jung Taekwoon is a good bodyguard. He will protect you in college. After what happened in the weekend, I can't have Bok Choy targeting you next."

Suzy's eyes widened. "What? Bodyguard? "

She should be relieved that this Jung Taekwoon wasn't her future husband but a bodyguard was just as worse. Her privacy was no longer hers alone if he followed her around like a guard dog.

"I don't want anything to happen to you, Suzy. The police want evidence that Bok Choy is trespassing, but I have nothing to give." Mr Kang stared at his feet. His head hung with shame.

Suzy pulled out of her mother's grasp. She wanted to believe that this was a nightmare. Her head spun with dizzying thoughts, each one more incredulous than the next.

"Appa! That's not fair! I can't have him walking around. People would make fun of me," she complained. "I don't want him around."

However, her father's face hardened, like the time when he berated her at the restaurant. She saw it in his eyes. His decision was irrevocable. There was no turning back.

Suzy sighed in defeat. "Does he have to sit with Nana in the car this morning?"

"I've told her family already. Taekwoon will be taking you to college and dropping you home from now on," her father explained, and Suzy refrained from groaning.

Nana already knew about this dilemma before her. This would not fare too well. Suzy pursed her lips. She was trapped in a cobweb, her limbs immobile as her opinion.  

-

Taekwoon trailed after her as she left the apartment. Suzy wished Krystal was here. Nana would be a good shield as well. Their bossy nature would send the bodyguard hobbling back to his cave. She needed to be more like them, yet she didn't have the courage (or heart) to be admonishing anyone.

He was suddenly in front of her, and she had to press her heel on the floor to not bump into him.

"What is it?" she sneered.

He pointed at a black, coupe sports car in the parking lounge. Suzy couldn't help but notice how long and thin his fingers were. Musician fingers-- that's what her mother called such a shape. They were too elegant for a man's.

She was in no mood to sit with him. She would burn with shame if she did.

"I'm taking public transport," said Suzy, jostling past him and heading for the gates.

She felt an iron grip latch onto her shoulder. Suddenly, she was lifted into the air by her so-called bodyguard, and over his shoulder like a helpless ragdoll.

She screamed, wailed, thrashed her arms against his back, and kicked her feet but he made no gesture to let her go. He strolled casually towards th