It was probably 10 days after when finally, I felt that Eric was feeling better when I opened the topic to him.

“What will you do once you’re feeling better? Can’t you just go back with me, with us?” I wanted to find out what his plans were for the future. The doctor said he would need to undergo therapy for his knee but he should not have any problems walking. Though running and some other extraneous activities may become a bit challenging for him.

He sighed. “I knew you’ve been meaning to ask that. You were never a fan of me going here in Japan.” He said with raised eyebrows.

He was right with that. I lost my brother and my best friend when he went away. I even sulked for a couple of days after finding out he was leaving.

“Well, I still don’t like the idea of you being away but if it is what you want, then we’ll support you. We are family.”

“I’ve been gone for too long. I think it’s time I get back home.”

I couldn’t help the squeal that instantly came out from me and hugged him tightly.

“Can’t breathe, need to breathe. Don’t kill me, please.”

“Whoops! So you’re going back with us.”

“Yep! That I am! Plus, I can’t miss it when you become famous. Got to tell the world that, you brat, are the best.”

There was a lighter atmosphere from us from that time on. We stayed in the hospital for few more days and I didn’t notice that I had been gone for about a month then. During all those time, I kept contacting Yoona or the company but it was either unreachable or nobody can attend to me at the moment.

We were finally going back home. I felt at ease that we were now going to be all together. My mom and dad, Yoona and Eric. The only one missing will be Amber, but that kid has always been easy to reach.

When we were finally home and has finished setting things up for Eric, we all settled in the living room to chat and watch some random shows.

“Dad, mom, have you seen Yoona. It has been impossible to get hold of her. I would have thought she’d come with you to pick us up.”

I instantly saw the worry written in their faces before they averted their look. I instantly got scared, thinking that something may have happened to her.

“What, what, what happened?”

No answer. It was like the spirits were conspiring because right at that moment, a music show came up and I got the shock of my life. The music that was playing was my own composition and lyrics. It was the single I was supposed to debut with. But at that moment, at the screen, was my friend Yoona, playing the piano and singing my song. My heart broke in to pieces. I was crushed. Realization immediately came to me and all I could do was cry.

The song was rather special to me in a way that I wrote it while dreaming of a love, a love with a bittersweet taste.

Always and forever,

You said you would love me

I believed that in those exact words

Because you said you loved me so much

I believed words that other people couldn’t even imagine

Even up to yesterday, you spoke to me with that warm expression in your eyes

Cr and original song: Tears That Didn't Fall by Lim Jeong Hee

They say the worst betrayal are the ones that come from the people you trust the most. I couldn’t easily accept what was staring right at me. There must be a reason. And I will find it.

It was rather late in the night when I finally decided that I will go back at the company the following day and personally talk to Yoona. She must have something to say about it. She must have been pressured to do it since I was not available or something. With that in mind, I went to sleep.

It was just a week after when I realized how hard it was to actually talk to someone who is already famous. I was also almost at the point that I was convinced she stole my song from me. But my faith in her should not waver. Still I believe that there was a reason.

Eric, my ever supportive friend, can be confusing at times. He would be sad with me, angry at the people who are hiding from me or remorseful since he even blames himself for what has happened to me. Saying that if he never got into an accident, this whole mess would not have happened.

Two weeks have steadily passed until Eric finally bugged me into going out for lunch. Instead of driving to a restaurant, I was surprised to find that we were entering the parking for a hotel. I initially thought we were eating at one of it’s restaurant until I finally got shown into a hall room full of media personnel and right at the front was my friend, Yoona, together with some other personalities.

This was a press conference of which she was a part of.

“I got us a pass to talk to her backstage. Let’s wait for her there.”

A few minutes later, we heard the commotion of people heading towards us, and then she was there. Standing right in front of me, smiling so sweetly and demurely to all the press people was Yoona. And we were getting shoved. I was probably not thinking with my mind when I just blurted-shouted the words, “How can you do this to me?”

Silence was what followed next and people started to turn to me.

Yoona was being escorted back to her dressing room when I again said, and it was as if someone was controlling me from the outside, “Why did you steal my song?”

From that point on, everything was all chaos and blurry. Reporters trying to take photos and videos of me. Half of them running after Yoona. And Eric pulling me towards the exit.

I finally got hold of my sanity once we were inside of Eric’s car and was already driving towards home.

I was shocked when no news came out the following day regarding the outburst I had. I didn’t know if I should be happy or perplexed by it. The next few days was calm and quiet. It was like that, until we got a visit from a lawyer.

I couldn’t quite remember all the details about this meeting and the next ones that came after it. All I knew was that I was asked to either renounce my rights to all the song I wrote while I was a trainee or I can get sued for libel. At first I fought until with my pride and rights. They were songs I wrote when I first discovered my love for music. Those were mine. How could they steal it from me? That was my stand and view until one day, I realized, the fighting and everything else have drained me. I could also see the strain and fatigue from both my parents and even Eric.

I made a decision. When the thing that you love most have also made you suffer the most, was it still worth the fight? I guess not. My parents arranged everything for, stating that there was no need for me to worry and that I should just do what I want. And I did. From that day on, I left and never looked back.