Fifty years ago...

Taekwoon ran a hand through his sweaty hair as the exhaustion that came after the exhilaration began to hit him, reminding him that he'd been awake at least forty-right hours by now. The heat building up behind his eyes as he closed it did nothing, however, to stop the cheering crowds all around them.

His teammates arrived to hug him, some crying tears of joy before going over to their respective friend circles to celebrate. 

Taekwoon stood on the grassy field, hanging his head down and sighing deeply. A hard hand then clapped him on his shoulder.

"Cheer up," the tan-skinned person said. "You won, Taekwoon!"

"I know, Hakyeon," Taekwoon told the other, prying his hand off. "Just give me a minute." 

"Hey, did you notice?" Hakyeon asked, not even fazed by the other. "All of us came to cheer for you." 

Taekwoon looked up at that, seeing two others run down the bleachers toward him. "Hongbin and Wonshik too?" he wondered. 

"Yeah, all of us," Hakyeon beamed as Wonshik arrived in time to tackle Taekwoon to the ground.

"Who was the one who said he wouldn't win, huh?" he asked angrily. 

Hongbin quickly pried him off Taekwoon, pulling the latter to his feet. "That was an amazing game," he smiled handsomely. "You really managed to turn things around right at the last moment."

"It's definitely going into the history books, you know?" Wonshik cheered. "Everyone on the team's pumped." 

Taekwoon managed to crack a smile. "I guess," he agreed with his friends. "I really did win, didn't I?" 

His friends all grinned collectively and pulled him into a tight hug. "Yes, yes you did," Hakyeon told him.

Taekwoon peeked over Hakyeon's shoulders at the bleachers, scanning the stands for any sign of a particular person. His heart dropped, however, when he couldn't even catch a single glimpse.

Hakyeon pulled away, immediately reading the situation from his friend's face. "She's not here, is she?" he softly asked.

"What does it matter?" Wonshik growled, throwing his arm around Taekwoon. "The three of us are here for him, aren't we? That should be enough."

Hongbin hummed. "I didn't see her today," he mused. "Perhaps she's sick or something?"

"Yeah, must be," Hakyeon agreed. "Alright, let's celebrate with the three of us for today!"

The cheerfulness of his friends was able to keep his spirits up, but deep down in his heart, Taekwoon knew, or at least, suspected the truth.

This had been the final game of the season before they broke up for summer vacation. It was also the last for the academic year, the one the entire soccer team had been looking forward to, the one he'd been hoping to go out with a bang, as the captain, of course. And Bora was no where to be seen.

Of course, considering a volleyball tournament was also being held in the indoor gym at that exact moment. 

She waited behind the building as he came out, a bright smile on his face and his eyes twinkling. 

"You really came...and waited," he stated.

"You sound surprised, Jaehwan," she grinned. "Of course I came to support you."

"But wasn't your boyfriend's match being held today as well?" he wondered.

She looked down. "About that..." she trailed off. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do what? Us?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm certain of my heart now," she told him. "I just...can't keep hurting him like this."

"You're thinking about breaking up with him?" he asked.

She nodded. "I...I can't stay with him any longer, not when my heart belongs to you." 

Jaehwan sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "Whatever you say, as long as we get to be together." He cupped her small hand in his bigger ones.

"I'm scared," she admitted. "People already weren't very happy about me and Taekwoon together. The only reason we weren't expelled was because the teachers are still unaware of it. What do you think people will say if I break up with him and get together with you? They'll question my dignity!"

"But is it better than staying with someone you're not in love with?" he questioned. "And besides, I doubt anyone who actually knows you will blame you. You can't force someone in and out of love, you know?"

"I know," she agreed as he comfortingly squeezed her hand. "Its just..."

He hummed lightly, a low baritone that soothed her from the inside. "I understand," he told her. "I'll help you. How about we meet over summer break to discuss it? Do you have any plans?"

She shook her head, smiling. "I'll be free."

He grinned, tucking a long black strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'll see you there, then."

It was supposed to be simple.

All she was supposed to do was meet him at the place he'd asked her to go, talk for a while, discuss how best to break up with Taekwoon, perhaps share a couple of kisses here and there...and then leave.

It wasn't supposed to turn to this.

It had started out normally. They had discussed what to do about Taekwoon, talked about their further plans. Jaehwan confided in her about his chronically ill sibling and the pressure he was having being asked to take over the company by his father. She talked about how her parents were slowly thinking about putting the pressure on her for marriage, but once she graduated college. She talked about how she was thinking about telling her parents about them...perhaps they'd be engaged until they graduated college?

He smiled, leaning in to give her a chaste kiss, like he always did. However, today, things were different, as he lingered over her lips for a moment longer than necessary.

He kissed her again, deeply, this time, and she responded back in fervor. She'd never been kissed this way before; Taekwoon wasn't the biggest on affection, and Jaehwan had always kept his distance.

But it seemed that tonight, he was dropping all his inhibitions.

He cupped her face tenderly, deepening his kisses even more. One of his hands left her cheek to run down the side of her neck and pass her shoulders.

"Jaehwan," she breathed, grabbing hold of his hand, preventing it from travelling further down. "What are you doing?" 

"Shh," he shushed her, pulling his hand away and her cheek. "Don't ruin the moment."

"But, but, what do you plan to do?"

"Don't deny you weren't enjoying it."

He went back to kissing her, his hands resting on her waist and slowly sneaking down toward her hip.

Her eyes widened as she quickly realized what he planned to do. "Jaehwan, stop," she said, firmly. "We can't. We're not allowed."

"No one has to know what happens," he attempted to coax her.

She shook her head. "Not until we're married, remember?" she said. "If you want me so bad, then convince my father to let us marry."

She pushed him with her hands on his chest away from her. But when she looked up at him, fear slowly gripped at her heart.

Jaehwan stood in front of her, his normally twinkling eyes dark as he felt his swollen lips with the back of his hand. His eyes were clouded with lust, and for once, it seemed like her firm words wouldn't be enough to stop him.

For once, she badly wished Taekwoon was here.

Where was he when she needed him?

He stepped forward, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her, effectively caging her between him. She tried to move back but was greeted with only the feeling of the counter edge digging into her back. She then attempted to look anywhere but at him, but considering how his eyes seemed like deep abysses of primal lust, it was proving difficult. 

She didn't want this, even if he did.

Even if they were meant to be, she didn't want this.

The fear gripped at her heart and her stomach began to settle into a cold chill as he leaned so that all she could see was him and his raw desire for her. 

"I've held back every single time we've gotten close," he told her, his voice low and husky. While she generally liked it when he did that, in this particular situation, it just fed more into her fear and panic. "Not this time. Not this time, when everything is so in our favor. Why not just give in? Let's enjoy the night." 

She shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm not ready."

"The way you reacted to me just a few minutes before tells me otherwise."

She placed her hands on his chest, keeping him a few precious centimeters away. "Jaehwan, please, listen to reason," she pleaded. "Don't give into temptation. If we can wait-"

"Waiting is overrated," he cut her off. "Waiting is something written by a bunch of old geezers who couldn't experience love without their parents getting involved." 

"And giving in will be our undoing," she reasoned. "There's a time and a place to be rebellious."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You think this is rebellion?" he asked. "You think that everything we've been through until now has been because I'm feeling rebellious?"

He growled deeply. "You have absolutely no idea what you do to me, do you? And you expect me to continue to wait for you while you get your little feelings in line?" 

Her eyes fell on the counter as she turned her head to avoid him. Something glinted in the dim lighting.

The extra butterknife he'd brought out when they made the sandwiches they ate earlier. He found he hadn't needed it, however, and it just lay forgotten on the counter as they finished their snack and washed up. 

And now, in this moment, Bora was ever thankful that the knife had been left forgotten, if only it would help get Jaehwan off her. 

She closed her eyes and turned in his tight grip in one fell swoop. As he tried to adjust to the surprising movements, she grabbed the knife, in her hand and turned around...

...Just as Jaehwan slipped on the tile slightly and fell forward. 

She didn't dare open her eyes as Jaehwan's horrified scream rang out in her ears. Hot liquid enveloped her hands, that still shakily held the butterknife. 

She heard a thud as the pressure was lifted off her, and she wrenched open her eyes. 

Jaehwan lay on the floor in front of her, holding his stomach tightly and his eyes wide and full of hurt. The hand that cupped the wound on his abdomen was red as his shirt dampened even more with blood. 

He seemed strangely quieter. 

She looked down at her own hands, to see them still holding the knife, the steel surface dripping with blood. Her hands were also covered in the unholy liquid. 

She dropped the knife and it fell to the floor, her mind going blank as she watched the life drain from Jaehwan's eyes.

"Oh god, oh god," she breathed as she attempted to run over to his side, but found that her legs wouldn't move. Her body didn't respond to her commands. It was like she had been paralyzed, and it wasn't helping the feeling like her stomach wanted to eject itself from her body. 

Jaehwan's head fell back, hitting the ground, his eyes open and glassy.

Her hand flew to as she attempted to keep her lunch down. 

I-I should get out of here, she thought. R-report this to the p-police.

Dread seeped into every inch of her skin. 

She killed Jaehwan.

She killed Jaehwan.

What should she do? What should she even do in this situation?

In her heart, she began to cry. She cried for her parents, her friends, her teachers. She cried for Taekwoon.

Taekwoon, please come and save me, she cried.

Just then, she was startled with the sound of the door opening, cutting through her train of thought like a knife. 

Her heart stopped when through the door strolled none other than Taekwoon himself.