Gyu Won's eyes widened with shock as Shin's cool lips slid onto her own. His lips felt so soft and kissing him felt so right. Her eyes closed and she leaned into him. She felt blissful in that one moment and all of her worries were quickly pushed to the back of her mind as she felt so dizzy that someone liked her, liked her enough to kiss her like this. 

But she didn't need anyone, she couldn't be hurt by anyone else. After this thought, her eyes flew open and she shoved Shin away from her. She gasped as her head spun, and she could practically hear Shin's heart fall apart. 

His eyes poured out the hurt that he wouldn't allow to come out of his mouth. And Gyu Won's heart fell apart with his. Maybe he was the only one who could love her, her with the trust issues, the unfeminine demeanor. She couldn't bear to look at the sadness and disappointment b in his eyes. Shaking her head, she whirled away from him and began to run as fast as she could.

Shin's heart sank to the pit of his gut. He had just revealed his feelings for Gyu Won in the most open way possible and she had rejected him. It hurt to watch her run away from him, faster and farther. Should he run after her? The spiteful part of him said no. Why should he care when she obviously didn't care for him? 

But still, his heart cried out at the sight of tears in her eyes, and he began to jog in the direction she was going. By that point she was long gone, but he had a feeling that she was still in the building. Slowly searching through the upper floors, he scoured the rooms for any glimpse of Gyu Won. He finally arrived at the roof, where he could hear quiet sniffling. 

Gyu Won was there, her eyes red with tears, hunched over sitting near the edge of the roof. Shin tried to look nonchalant as he silently sat next to her, but the instant he sat Gyu Won's brown eyes turned to him. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," she said softly, a mournful look in her eyes. Shin shook his head.

"I feel like I hurt you. You shouldn't cry," he said gently. He brushed the hair away from her face before moving away from her and turned to face the bright sunlight. 

Gyu Won felt uncomfortable in the ongoing silence and felt growing guilt as Shin remained silent and stony-faced. She had to say something to explain, not only to him but to herself. She didn't like him, so why did she feel this turmoil? It pained her to watch his heart begin the crack right in front of her. Maybe she was reading too much into this.. But one thing was for certain, she had no desire to start a relationship with Shin, or anyone else for that matter. But her heart had been abandoned once before, and she didn't think it could survive another betrayal.

She took a shaky breath before beginning to stand. "I'm sorry Shin. I just... I'm not up to a relationship."

He turned towards her. He said nothing, and Gyu Won was afraid. His eyes were blank, she could hear him sigh and turn again to face the sky. "I'll wait," he murmured quietly. "Until the clouds clear away from our hearts. When we can see each other with eyes wide open."

Gyu Won hissed out a pent-up breath and knew he would keep his promise, and that he wouldn't try anything like that until he knew that she was completely comfortable to invite someone new into her heart. Or at least,  she hoped she knew. She had experienced too much loss and pain to accept anyone with open arms.

They sat on the roof in companionable silence and neither spoke a word. And they were content to sit and stay silent, to surrender to their own thoughts. And lunch was over and they needed to return to their friends and suddenly the unspeaking companionship vanished. Their bancmates had given them suspicious glances as soon as they had returned to the table together. Joon Hee looked from Gyu Won to Shin and back again and shook his head, a sad look on his face.

It's nothing like that Joon Hee-a. There's nothing going on. Promise," Gyu Won smiled lightly. Joon Hee didn't look completely convinced but he nodded nonetheless, a frown pulling his features down.

Gyu Won sighed. She couldn't look Shin in the eye and glanced away quickly if she accidentally made eye contact with him. Practice and performances were unbearably quiet as even Junha couldn't break through the oppressive silence between them.

Gyu Won didn't order Shin around anymore, but he still bought her coffee every morning and left it up on the rooftop perch they had enjoyed together. He would glance up to see the small cup missing from its lofty height and smile lightly. When he saw her around campus, a smile would begin to creep onto his face, but he would notice her looking pointedly away, and he would do the same.

And thenn, Shin's family moved. Into a lovely traditional home, his mother said. In a gorgeous part of town, his mother said. Even his temperamental little sister fell in love with the house. But what his mother didn't mention was that Gyu Won just happened to live next door. 

As Shin had been carrying the last of his boxes into the house, Gyu Won had walked in smiling to greet her new neighbors. Shin frowned as the smile fell off Gyu Won's face. It was already awkward just seeing each other at school, now it would be almost impossible to avoid each other. With a now strained smile on her face, she bowed and greeted Shin's mother and talked a little with Shin's sister. His sometimes infuriating mother had somehow wrangled Shin into walking Gyu Won to and from school.

No matter how much he protested that he much preferred to ride his bike, she just refused to back down. Gyu Won protested as well, but also in vain. Great, everything was just conspiring to make everything as awkward as possible. Peachy.

They finally reached an agreement that Shin would walk her to the bus stop and then ride his bike the rest of the way to school. Everyday they walked in uneasy silence, and Shin would watch her board the bus before climbing on his bike and riding away. Of course he still liked Gyu Won. He just didn't want to push it. But it was killing him to keep his distance, and awkwardness ensued.

But what he didn't notice was that, while they didn't talk together much anymore, she had gotten much quieter in general. Normally, she chattered away with Joon Hee and Junha, but now she had grown silent and unresponsive. A sad feeling emanated from her, and made everyone pity her. She must be going through a hard time, let's leave her be.

Gyu Won was lonely. Her relationship with Shin was awkward and removed. She couldn't confide in Joon Hee or Junha, as sweet as they were. She no longer had her traditional music friends, even Bo Eun was kept away by the other envious members of Windflower. All the other girls in school either envied and hated her, or admired her and kept the distance appropriate of fangirls, for the most part. 

This isolation, this solitude, began to wear on her more and more as the days dragged. But, she just couldn't bring herself to open up, to trust. She felt like she was drowning. And no one was around to throw in a rope.

And an important day was coming up. One that she had always had to face alone before, but usually her father would at least swing by briefly to comfort her. This year he was nowhere to be found, and chances were he wasn't coming back.

As the day grew closer, Shin began to notice how quiet Gyu Won had become. He was used to having a loud, happy, slightly bossy Gyu Won. Not a quiet, sad, unresponsive Gyu Won. She wasn't talking during rehearsal, and she had even distanced herself from Joon Hee.

And then one day, she skipped school. This was so unlike Gyu Won that he had to find out what was happening. He went to her ex-best friend, Cha Bo Eun. When he asked, there had been a sad look unfamiliar on her perpetually cheerful face. "Her mother's death anniversary is today. And she's spending it alone. Her grandfather is back in the hospital, and my mother heard that Gyu Won's dad ran off to get married and isn't coming back. She needs someone to be with." She sent him a stern glare before running off to join the rest of Windflower.

Shin got the message. He would go visit her that night.

+~~~+

Gyu Won had spent themorning at her mother's grave. She had prepared all of the foods her mother had liked and lit candles. She was quiet as she remembered that fateful day that had wrenched her mother from her and drove her father away. Somewhere in a more rational part of her brain she knew that it wasn't her fault her mother had died. How could it possibly be a little girl's fault that an idiotic driver swerves onto the sidewalk?

And yet, why else would her father leave her, if it wasn't her fault. Her mother had pushed her away from harm and been hit herself. She gave up her life admirably. But it was obvious to Gyu Won that given the choice, her father would prefer her mother over her.

But knowing this, she still loved him. He was her daddy, and she was still a little girl at heart. But her dad usually came to visit on this day every year. Only on this day every year. But this year there was no sign of him. Until, he gave Gyu Won a call.

She eagerly scrabbled at her cell and hastily answered. "Dad? Where are you? Did you get stuck in traffic?"

She heard him anxiously cough before he began to speak. "Sweetheart, I've met a new woman. I love her. But I need to leave my old life behind. You're a big girl now. I'm sure you can take care of yourself." Here Gyu Won could hear a feminine voice whining in the background. "Alright honey. I'll call you sometime, okay? Bye." Somehow, Gyu Won doubted he would ever call.

Of course, he would rather forget and fall into another woman's arms. He would forget, and he would be happy. But he would never be her father again.

Gyu Won suddenly felt woozy and lurched to her feet. Bowing in respect to her mother's grave, she walked slowly away. She didn't remember getting on a bus, but there she was, watching the countryside blur by as the clouds cried fat, heavy tears over the dry earth. 

She was an orphan now, she bitterly decided. What was the use of a father who chose forgetting his pain over loving his flesh and blood? They no longer needed each other. So it was right that they go their separate ways. At least, that was what she told her sobbing heart.

As her heart cried with the clouds, her feet carried her of the bus and under a store awning. She turned and looked in the store window. This was where she had gone with her father to get her first guitar. She could still remember, her eyes sparkling with delight, her small hand clutching her father's as she stared at the beautfiul blue and pink guitar. 

Her father was still trying then. He was trying to reconnect and move on, and they were happy. But then he gave up. And she was left alone.

She sat on the curb letting the raindrops run down her cheeks, hiding and mingling with her tears.

"Gyu Won-a!" She could hear a voice shouting at her. Couldn't they just leave her alone? Didn't they see that she was busy being miserable?

"Gyu Won-a!" Again that voice. Maybe it was familiar.

"Lee Gyu Won!" 

And then a pair of green sneakers stood in a puddle in front of her. The person was breathing hard, their hands on their knees. Why did they run? It wasn't like she was moving. 

"Gyu Won..." She looked up, ready to lash out this time, but stopped. 

"Lee Shin...?"

+~~~+

Predictable~~~ As all K-dramas should be.

Apparently, Gyu Won has abandonment issues. And other issues. 

So this should be slightly less cliche... And I promise that in the next chapter there will be something that you will not expect!!!

...

You ... might... hate me ... at first. If that's any clue.

This was 5 pages. Woah, that was really long for me. But I wrote it in bits in pieces, which made it so long.

OK. Just a short update:

This one won't be updated for... about another month and a half. 

Face will be updated next in about... 2 weeks? I don't know. Right now, I'm writing it during math class. Which is bad. Bad asian. 

And Welcome to the G4 is now officially on Hiatus. Except I'm not going to label it as on hiatus in the title, because that's too much work. And then I'd have to change it later. But yeah, I won't work on it until I finish one of these two fics. 

And yes.

I AM DETERMINED TO FINISH ANY FIC I START.

I swear it to you now, so hold me to it later, okay?

So, remember to comment and subscribe!!!

<3

Gamsahabnida for reading!

Annyoung unnis, oppas, dongsaengs, wa chingudeul! <3