C H A P T E R  2 ~ AGE SEVENTEEN [PRESENT DAY]

you woke up to your mom shaking you, "tae-hee! wake up! we've already landed!" yawning you stretched out your arms, "mom, can i sleep just a little...?" you asked. your mom hit your shoulder, "get up now!" you slowly stood up and rubbed the bottom of your eye. if you rubbed all around your eye make-up would be ruined.

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china had really began to look different. there were different businesses, high towers, and so many hotels.

you looked around in the hot airport and fanned yourself with a brochure.

you looked at it, "why do i have this? i lived here!" you exclaimed. 

but you shrugged and smiled. it was back to be in china again, and you were excited to meet any newcomers.

then, your mind trotted off somewhere else.

"tae-hee!" a voice yelled.

panic rose on your face, and you slowly looked around for that voice.

it definitely wasn't your mom. you were hugged from the back, and you turned.

your face ten shades of red, and your heart was racing.

"zhitao?" you asked.

he smiled, "i can't believe you remember me!" he shrieked.

definitely shocked you looked at him.

he was taller than you now-like friggin' six inches!-and his hair was in a new style.

"how did you know i was coming back today?" you asked.

 there was no way you had contacted him in any way in four short years.

he scratched the back of his head, "oh. your mom emailed my mom telling us when you guys were coming back." he replied.

you glared at your mom, "aish, that woman." you mumbled in korean.

tao raised his eyes, "what was that?"

you shook your head and laughed, "nothing. so anything new?" you asked.

tao shrugged, "depends..." this was so awkward.

you didn't know anything to talk about with him now.

then there was this memory that popped in your head, "so, any girlfriends you've had? broken any hearts?" you asked.

his cheeks turned pink and he tried hiding a smile, "oh. there was ying..."

"what about ying?" you asked.

"she told me she likes me. but we didn't go out. i'm not going out with anyone besides you." he replied.

you rolled your eyes at him, "you still-"

"YES!"

he shouted and took your wrist.

 soon enough, you were running with him-you had no choice!

he was holding onto your wrist-and he led you into the old wushu school you both used to be in.

"wait-you just took me off without letting me tell my mom?" you asked.

tao laughed, "funny as usual. your mom knows i would be taking you away."

you looked away confused,

"okay. like my mom likes you-"

"she did say that!"

"WE WERE THIRTEEN!" you shouted.

you both stared at each other then started to burst out laughing, "oh the things we used to-" tao interrupted you by kissing you. shocked and surprised once again your eyes widened.

he lead you to the nearest wall, and then that's when you closed your eyes.

tao parted the kiss and chuckled, "this is your 'welcome home' kiss." you looked at him and pushed him away, "you kiss me so freely when we're not even an 'item'." you said.

tao smiled, "would you like to-"

"no. i can't tao. we're just friends. too close friends, yeah you need to back up." you interrupted.

tao chuckled again, "fine. but don't tell me you regret your decision."

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 "here's your schedule. your in class-"

"ooh, transfer?"

a familiar voice asked.

you turned to see tao.

he was cleanly dressed in a guy's uniform.

you smirked, "shut up tao." he smirked and slung his arm around your shoulders, "nice to see you too." he replied.

you smiled at him and took off his arm from your shoulders, "no pda." you joked and grabbed your papers.

you walked down the hallway with tao and entered the classroom.

the first person to get up from their seat was ying. the girl with the huge ponytails at age thirteen. and guess what? she still had those same ponytails.

she embraced you in a tight hug, "oh my gosh! i can't believe it's tae-hee again!" she squealed.

people stared at you and tao. girls galred at you-mostly how close you were standing to him, and his hand on your back-and guys drooled over your new look. 

you changed from that innocent thirteen year old with frizzy hair, to the tall straight hair seventeen year old.

you looked around the room to see one guy without his eyes on you.

his eyes were concentrated on the words in a book. a fairly big and hard book.

"who's that?" you asked ying.

tao's eyes looked at wu fan across the room. 

he scowled.

 ying giggled, "that's wu fan. he transferred after you left. he's been the second 'it' guy! but be careful, he's not really that nice to people." she explained.

you smiled, "ah. so a student out and transfer in? everyone must've liked him more than me..." 

tao laughed, "no, i liked you-"

"not you tao."

you interrupted.

ying looked at you two, "are you two going out?" she asked seeing how close he was to you.

"ew no. he's only a friend."

"close friends." tao added.

ying nodded, "too close in fact." she said and pushed tao to the other side, and you to another.

she smiled, "now, let's find seats."

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"tao, please stop following me home." you said.

tao chuckled, "why? i'm a lost puppy!" he whined.

a person walked past you, brushing shoulders with you.

tao pulled him back, "hey, you say sorry." he growled.

the guy smirked, "why? i just brushed shoulders. i didn't push her." he replied.

tao looked at you, "tae-hee. look away." you pursed your lips and turned to the front.

"buing buing" you could hear.

did tao just... no way he was way too manly..?

you turned around and saw the guy's face.

wu fan.

your cheeks began to get hot, and you smiled looking away, "i'm sorry." he said bowing.

"no need. you are in no need to apologize. i'm sorry for tao being so rude." you replied.

wu fan smiled.

tao bit his lower lip in shock.

no one has ever seen him smile. 

"no it's okay. i'm used to him being like...that." he replied.

you giggled and stalked his body smiled in return.

wu fan walked you home as you two talked about your lives in korea. truth is, he had studied in korea when he was younger, and traveled back to china to visit his hometown, and then found his grandmother-who he had lost when he was nine-and started to live with her since then.

then he asked you about your wushu life. "i felt like i needed to know how to defend myself..." i explained.

he laughed, "i need to learn. a man should defend a woman he loves. not to sound ist or anything..." he replied.

you stopped at the front of your house, "thanks." you said.

wu fan smiled and waved.

then tao came up, "tae-hee. did you forget about me?" he asked.

his eyes darkened and a snarl was plastered on his face.

"no. i was just being nice to wu fan. no one really talks to him..." you explained, "yeah, because he's dark and intimidating!"

"you're dark and intimidating. wu fan is nice and intelligent."

tao snarled and you snarled back.

he stuffed his fists in his pocket, "fine. see you later." he walked away, and you watched him.

you never seen him any mad than this.

well there was that time when you guys were at the wushu school, but that's totally off topic.

you just wished that you could do something about it...