CHAPTER 1

"Most people say hellos are easier than goodbyes and I'd be damned not to agree with them. That's why you shouldn't say goodbye. Instead always say see you around to make the person feel better." I told the boy on the teeter-tot across from me knowingly. Prompting a look of awe from him as if I said something wise.

"How do you know that?" The curious child wondered with the slightest of his head. I kicked my legs back and forth in mid-air with all of the energy a five year old could muster trying to lower the teeter-tot to the ground so I could get off.  And still, the teeter-tot didn't budge. Leaving me suspended in the air in a complete helplessness. I leaned back, resigned. "I heard it from my parents." I replied proudly with a large grin. 

His smile faltered as I mentioned my parents - which made me frown. Did I offend him? 

The kid clambered off the see-saw and in the next moment, my bounced off of the ply of wood when it hit the ground with a loud thud. I yelped in pain. A profused apology tumbled off of the kid's lips as he hurried over to help me with a guilt-ridden expression. Tugging me up to stand. "You okay?" He asked. I nodded to save him the trouble. I then stuck my hand out for a proper introduction. "I'm Yoon Mi." I grinned. "Jhope." The boy returned clasping his hand in mine. His chubby cheeks puffed out when he smiled.

"Yoon Mi!" A male in his late thirties hollered from across the park. That was my cue to leave. "I'll see you around?" I wondered taking my hand out of his. "Yeah." He promised. 

And that was how me and Hoseok had become instant best friends. We would spend every day doing everything together up until middle school when my family had to move away because of business matters. Three years had passed, and we still hadn't lost touch once. That was how strong our friendship was. We told each other things other friends didn't dare to.

He had been there for me, and I had been there for him. Even after his family had found him again and brought him down; discouraged him from his new found passion when he finally brought it up with them. "You should be studying instead of doing stupid things like dancing. Don't disgrace our family." They'd said. Their harsh words and cruel punishments often driving the sobbing boy into my arms each night. And I would soothe his troubled soul with my own words of encouragement; I'd tell him his family should go to hell, to ignore them and to follow his dreams.

It had flattered me to know that I was the first person he went to whenever he wanted to show me a new dance move - or to talk to me about that cute new boy he ran into at school. Despite the mount of other friends Jhope possessed; Him being a social butterfly was in his nature so I wasn't all that surprised.  His uality was another secret that I had shared with him and I was careful to keep it that way. At first, he had hesitated to let me know. Said he wasn't all that proud of it. But I had known already.

It was that time around the end of middle school when he neared the age of thirteen that he had become unsure of himself and had started to really question his uality. Wondered whether something was wrong with him. Whether he was different. I had told him no of course. He was my best friend and I accepted him just the way he was. Unfortunately the same could have not be said for his parents when a rumor about Hoseok kissing another boy in the school park reached them from some visiting friends at a family dinner one night. 

His dad had turned a deep shade of red out of shame and embarrassment and had beaten the boy to a bloody pulp when he had returned that night. That was the last time Hoseok ever saw or spoke to his parents again. He left his home and came to live in mine for the time being with the approval from my parents; they knew about the incident and had accepted him. He apologized to me on so many accounts after that for being a burden. Instead of accepting his apologies I would scold him and yell at him to stop apologizing. He got a job and moved out into his own apartment the following summer; which was further from my house. So I wasn't able to see him often. 

We were both well into our second year of high school when he had signed into this new dance club started by one of his friends, and I saw less of him after that. I didn't mind though. As long as he was happy, then I was happy. Especially when he would still remember to visit me, even if it was every once in a blue moon. I once jokingly stated to him when he brought over take out how I'd kill him if he forgot about me; but I did however manage to slip a tad bit of truth into my words.

He laughed it off then, as if I'd said the most ridiculous thing in the entire world, and told me he could never forget his best friend. Though it didn't last long before he stopped showing again; Even at school. So being the worried mother that I was, I hunted his apartment number down and paid him a visit myself. The sight before me when that apartment door opened however proved my suspicions. His busted lip and bruised cheek prompted me to ask him at the time, which led to him brushing my concerns off with a brief explanation about him being a stupid klutz and inviting me in for lunch since I was already there and all.

I ended up treating his cuts in the midst of my scolding, then fixed him lunch with whatever I found in his fridge. I sat him down for lunch and he caught me up with his life. How he and Bangtan(the group he was in) had gotten a few gigs from some famous companies, and how school was pressing him to do better in his academics. I had sadly agreed with him on the second part and made sure to include some of my recent complaints about school as well as some of my activities. We didn't really indulge into a deep heartfelt conversation because in that moment some guy had decided to invite himself in - I didn't miss the fact that he was rather handsome - and into our discussion as he stole a french fry off of Hoseok's plate.

The other guy had swatted his arm in mock anger and the two engaged in a small rustle for the last piece. I watched in a polite silence until they'd forgotten that I was there. I cleared my throat and they'd broken apart, both flushed red with embarrassment. "Oh, um. Taehyung meet Minnie, my best friend. Minnie meet Taehyung, my boyfriend." I extended my arm for a warm handshake with a pleasant smile, and he quickly returned it.

"Nice to meet you." I said. "Likewise." He'd smiled, his dimples showing. He had been cute. Hoseok had been lucky to have him. "Is he behaving himsel lately?" I had asked michieviously leaning across the table with crossed arms. Earning a protest from Hoseok and a laugh from Taehyung. It wasn't so awkward after that. Taehyung, who apparently was in the same club as Hoseok, had seemed like a really nice guy. He had some funny stories of Hoseok that even I hadn't known about which prodded a laugh out of me and a slight whine from our prime subject. 

From then on the three of us did things together. Which had bugged me back then since Hoseok and I never hung out anymore, but I had not tried to voice my thoughts. As long as he had been happy, then I was perfectly contempt with it; so long as I still had my best friend. Since Hoseok and Taehyung had been more of an on and off couple, I had often ended up in the middle of their couple fights. Until finally I'd had enough and yelled at them to fix their before they found a new best friend. I was rather intimidating when I wanted to be. 

They had ended things before the end of the semester but remained on good terms. Frankly I was rather relieved of that since that meant that I wouldn't have had  to spend any more sleepless nights and headache filled days tending to a moping Hoseok; not that I was apt to admit that to him or anyone. Ever. 

Then it was back to him and I. Just like the old days. Except they hadn't gone back to that, not how I had imagined them to be. Not when he invited himself into my room through the window in the middle of the night one time and had drunkely kissed me murmuring something about how it hadn't been so different from kissing a guy. After that innocent and foolish mistake, I knew that things would have never been the same again. 

Though he didn't remember it the next day, and I had been glad. Because I knew that it would have been easier to forget that it had ever happened; I had stubbornly refused to admit that my heart did not speed up whenever he had spared me a glance. 

And just when I finall