2014. December.

"You said I don't have anything to do next month!" Minhyuk said, can't believe that his manager just said he has to go to Laos for a reality show filming. 

"That's exactly why you were chosen." his manager said, handing him the script for the reality show. Brave Family, it said. "I'm sorry, I told the director you have a personal schedule, but he insisted."

"Hyung, I already bought my plane ticket." Minhyuk whined. 

"We can change the date, Minhyuk-ah."

"It's not about that, hyung." Minhyuk opened the script. And saw her name immediately.

"Seolhyun? I'm going with Seolhyun?"

"Yes. It's comforting to go with a friend, right."

"Do I really have to do this?" Minhyuk waved the script in front of his face. "I really don't want to go."

"You know you're risking your career if you're not going."

"No I don't." Minhyuk got up from his seat. "I'm telling the director I'm not going to Laos." 

He was ready to leave when his manager caught his hand. "Minhyuk. Don't."

"I have to go to LA as soon as possible." Minhyuk said plainly. Besides, that's what his thinking for the last 2 weeks: LA and Soojung.

"Go after this reality shoot. It'll only take you five days. A week, tops."

Minhyuk shook his manager's hand away. "Then I'm going January 9th."

"You just got back on January 9th. Don't be ridiculous."

"It's okay. I'll take the night flight to LA."

"Minhyuk-ah.." his manager was ready to bargain again but Minhyuk held up his hands. "Hyung, I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have to go to LA as soon as possible. Take it or leave it. I'm going to LA on January 9th or I'm not doing this show at all."

He wondered if it's going to be awkward to be in a reality show with Seolhyun, after their little accident earlier this year. He settled their problems alright, and Seolhyun seemed okay with the simple reason: it was all just a harmless kiss while he was drunk. 

He texted Soojung later that day, just to make sure she knew he was going to be in the same show with Seolhyun for a few days. 

She was okay. Or rather, trying to be okay, when she received his text. 

Soojung was in the middle of a lunch with her old friend at their old favorite restaurant when the news came: Hey, I'm going to be in a same reality show with Seolhyun. Do you think it will be awkward? Typical Kang Minhyuk. Always simple, never beating around the bush before reaching to his point.

No, she began typing while trying to catch her breath, no if there's really nothing between you guys. 

"Soojung, stop texting, look the boys are coming." her old friend, Liz, interrupted. Soojung looked up and saw a few of his old friends coming towards their table at the restaurant. "Remember Nathan? He has to have a huge crush on you during elementary school!" Liz whispered, and Soojung felt his cheeks blushed. 

Nathan Lee grew up to be a very handsome Korean-American boy. Soojung remembered he was this cute kid who doesn't speak English because his parents just came to LA when Nathan was nine. Soojung and Liz used to teach him English with children's book, and on the weekends they used to go to Liz's house to watch Mickey Playhouse on TV. 

"Krystal!" Nathan greeted, offering his hand for a high five. "Wow you've became so pretty!"

Soojung high fived him shyly. "Thank you. You've grown so much, Nate."

"Aren't I?" Nate grinned. "College exhausted me, though."

"Nate played some football at school." their other friend, James, said. 

"Always the badass, I see." Liz sighed. 

"I'm the quarterback." Nate said proudly, opening the menu book to choose his lunch. 

"Aaaand a womanizer." Liz . 

"Shut up. I'm not that kind of guy, you know." Nate blushed, and Soojung found it cute for him to be embarassed with such lame teasing. 

"I think it's cool to play sports in college." Soojung said, trying to get in the conversation eventhough she has no idea how it feel like to go to college in the US. "I bet you must be busy with your studies."

"It's nothing." Nate shrugged. 

"What's your major?" Soojung asked. 

"Aerospace engineering." James answered for Nathan. "Nerd alert."

Everyone laughed and Nate punched James' arm. 

"That's really cool."

"He wants to work for NASA." Liz said, pointing her fork to Nate. "Remember when we all played in his tree house, and he has this spacecraft toy, and one day James broke it and Nate was so furious.."

"I thought we will never be friends again after that day." James laughed. "But I was forgiven after I bought him a pack of Milkyway chocolates."

"Even your favorite chocolate was Milkyway!" Soojung laughed. 

"You remember?" Nate asked, his eyes sparkled and looked kind of... hopeful?

"Of course, I do." Soojung smiled. "You used to have them in your tree house. I used to gave you a pack for Valentines because that's the only kind you'd accepted."

Nate stirred his iced tea and smiled. "I'm glad you remembered, Soojung-ah."

"Why wouldn't I?" Soojung was taken aback with such confession. 

"I thought you'd forgot us after you have your fame back home." Liz smiled shyly. 

"Yeah, you're all over the news." James added. 

"You even met Anna Kendrick." Liz said. "You're like.. this cool superstars and we're just.. us."

"Nate is going to be an awesome astronaut but he's just Nate." James grinned, everyone loved teasing Nate because he got shy easily. 

"Shut up, James."

"Aaaw, I will never forget my childhood with you guys." Soojung said, reaching out for Liz' hand. After everything that happened this year, Soojung thought LA was her safe haven; where everyone was her friends and they will never ever leave her, not even when they're apart. "It's the best days of my life, growing up with the three of you." 

"I miss you." James said. "We all do."

"And I miss you guys too." Soojung smiled. 

Minhyuk hoped time would go faster.

He was counting the days until New Year, then to his departure to Laos on January 2nd. He was hoping the plane would take him to LA instead, and then he would meet her. The girl who was on his mind 24/7 ever since that fateful night in Hangang River Park. The night he vowed himself to never see her cry again, to always be there as a shoulder for her to lean on, a hand to wiped her tears, and arms to hug. That night changed his life, Minhyuk realized, because that night he realized he cared about Jung Soojung more than a friend should.