Jiyeon's POV

What to do? I wondered wearily, cautiously going down the crystalline stairs towards his brand new car. Each clink! of the heels of my shoes echoed out the hard beatings in my chest as I kept descending down, eyes straining for the tiniest details to focus upon each crystalline stair.

Should I be nice, and act as if the whole ordeal never happened?

Should I be sad, and remind him of his cowardly actions that almost killed me again?

Or, should I be mad, and make the first day of school even worse than it already is?

Before I could answer the question, though, I opened the car door and quietly slid onto the soft leather seat, ignoring his knowing stare – and the sparking-cider feeling I get in my stomach every time I’m near a good-looking guy. Or actually, just any guy at all, unfortunately. As usual, though, I cast my eyes down and made myself comfortable, completely used to the routine of ignoring and being ignored.

But, looking around at how slick and complicated his car looked, compared to my sister’s empty yet smelly Camry, I could tell that after he left, his life sure did change a lot.

Somehow, though, I got entangled into its aftermath without even knowing.

“...Jiyeon?” he asked quietly, as he slowly pulled out of Joo-Hyun unnie’s massive parking space.

Choosing to be polite, I bit my lip and slowly turned around, only to see that [thankfully] he was looking out at the windshield, not me. Just being this close to him made me already feel sweaty and a bit guilty, but I tried to calm myself down, and quietly answered,

“Hmm?”

“You okay, Yeon-ah?”

“I guess.”

“How did you move here?”

“I ran away.”

“...Seriously?”

“I know, it’s amazing Sooyoung unnie didn’t kill me by now.”

“Why did you come here?”

“My tutor; I didn’t even know you lived here, Yoo Seung-Ho.” He flinched at me saying his name a bit more harshly than intended, but I wished he didn’t talk to me in such an interview-type of style. Was it really that easy to forget everything that happened? Both before and after the relationship? I hate it when people forget and move on so quickly...Sure, it's good for them, but it doesn’t solve anything.

And the next time something similar happens, it’s the same cycle, same words, same fire, and sometimes even same scars, all over again.

Another tense silence filled the way as I watched the view of mansion after mansion, the occasional cherry blossom tree or red and orange leaves slowly drifting to the floor. The ceiling of the earth was pale blue and see-through yet deep, but it didn’t seem right to have a perfectly good sky when things were so scattered in one of its bystander’s life. Other people would hate it when it rained when they were sad, but I actually liked it, because at least nature was there for me, if not people. Unfortunately, even if the sun gathered its courage and came out of its hiding place, it still avoided me and instead shone its warmth out onto Seung-Ho.

Wishing time would warp back around a few seconds, I hastily reached over to turn on the radio, when suddenly he held onto my hand, lightly and softly, but still firmly, as if he was scared but still determined to make amends. It did feel nice, feeling and experiencing something so lovey-dovey that you didn’t feel for about a year now.

But, he was the one that yanked me out of my “the-world-is-against-me” shell, yet stuffed me back in there without knowing, all less than half a year...

In other words, trust was still out of the question.

At the same time, though, feeling his hand so snug and fitting perfectly around mine, I would’ve been a complete selfish jerk to let go, and I knew I would regret it later. Holding on, though, already meant trusting him completely, which was hard to do ever since last winter.

So I had no choice but to let it lay there, limp, while still trying to avoid some of his sad stares during every single red light.

Once we reached the mini town of a parking lot at school though, [well, more like a special arts academy out of the many schools crowded around in this community], he slightly begged, slightly commanded, “Jiyeon, look at me!”

Oh boy...please don't hit me!...

What are you saying, this is Seung-Ho! Not Sooyoung unnie or anything!

I-I know, but...

“Do you still love me?” he mumbled, never letting go of my wrist. People honked behind us to get a move on in the parking lot, or some girls screamed their greetings out and giggled around as if they just spotted Super Junior, but he ignored it all and kept looking at me desperately, as if my answer would be his next breath.

But, putting all your heart into people, sooner or later, always leads to disappointment...no matter what you do to try to make it better.

So I said, looking away, “Can't say.”

More like I won't say...but –

“Y-Yeah...Okay, then,” he quietly mumbled, before finally driving into a huge parking space, which unfortunately was pretty near a bunch of smokers. I’ve been second-hand smoking nearly my whole life from my parents, but somehow fate never got the hint that I detested it more than fate itself.

What was even worse, though, was that all of those gangster guys were eyeing me, then Seung-Ho, and then at our hands, all in the span of three seconds. Before I could think, I hesitantly pulled away and pretended to get my things ready, kneeling down to the foot of the car...while avoiding how sorry I felt when all he could manage was a weak 'hi' to whatever friends came by.

But hey, I reminded myself, even if fate threw us together again, the least I could do is not make anything bad happen...

Avoiding eye contact with every single person surrounding this parking section [‘cause apparently, having a car ride from Yoo Seung-Ho must be pretty big] I kept my head down and walked behind Seung-Ho the whole way, trying to avoid the sight of his hand dangling close to mine.

A few seconds venturing into school, though...

“Oppa, who's that?” a stick-skinny, red-haired girl asked, blowing her gum while leaning casually against a baby blossom tree. She looked just like an ulzzang, something that always made me feel even worse than I already did every time I passed by these flawless F.O.B.’s.

I thought he would say “no one” like Kikwang oppa always did, or just shrug and leave me alone to go talk to them, like my sister always did. Or, worst case scenario, I thought he would say something that would make them laugh at me, making me slip further and further into my familiar shell of solitude.

Instead, though, he slightly smiled and said, as simply as if she just asked what color her hair is,

“My girlfriend.”

And suddenly, that shell seemed to be nice and snug again.

Oppa...

Do you really think you even deserve to call me that anymore?

Plus, don't you remember what happened in the car just a minute ago!?

Hearing those two words, though, the red-haired girl unexpectedly smiled from cheek-to-cheek, the happiness actually reaching her eyes. Before I could say anything, she quickly jumped over to me and, pulling out a fluffy silk black headband, gently put it over my head and said, "So you're the special girl for him, hmm? How sweet~"

Speechless at how a high-rated F.O.B. was actually talking to me, Park Jiyeon, I just smiled and slightly bowed in thanks, watching quietly as she turned to Seung-Ho oppa and joked, "Yah, oppa, you better treat her well, 'kay!?"

He laughed and replied to the pretty redhead, "I will, HyunA noona, don't worry."

And off we went, some people still acting just like HyunA, cooing over me and being all happy over a fantasy that was wrecked way too long ago...

Gawd, oppa...how could you possibly think of making amends this way?

You're just like everybody else...even worse than Sooyoung unnie...

Feeling like sh*t all over again, I sighed and, wondering if he'll ever chase me sincerely, I left him once we reached into the huge lobby of the academy, even if I had no idea at all where I was going. Trying my best to avoid another heartbreak not to look back, I looked around the huge golden lobby with it's many doors and floors, wondering where to register myself in and go to my classes...and where to even get my schedule.

Standing there, though, without popular Seung-Ho by my side, I couldn't bring myself to ask these people. These flawless, rich, comfortably social people that probably never faced a hardship in their life at all...Everyone kept going to Seung-Ho like he was some human magnet, leaving me to myself as they kept to themselves, as always.

How can you people be so happy? Or is it just me?

Without knowing it myself, I was so deep in thought that, as I was walking around aimlessly - and avoiding Seung-Ho calling my name out - I bumped into two some people. Hard.

So hard that I even fell onto the glossy marble floor, making myself vulnerable not only to pure embarrassment but to everyone possibly seeing a weak side of 'Seung-Ho's old new girlfriend'. Great, my strong front fell apart already...

Surprisingly, though, fate finally pitied me and - rather abruptly - brought me to two people that would later become some of the most important people in my life, besides all those who have came and left, taking a part of me away with them without ever leaving a proper trace.