On Monday afternoon, Ri Ah was waiting at the bus stop with Hye Ri to go to the mall. At lunch earlier, Hye Ri mentioned needing to find a baby shower gift for her expecting aunt, the one who had gotten married in October, and was now blessed with a honeymoon baby. [Note: Hye Ri's aunt's wedding was mentioned back in chapters 28 and 45.] Thus Ri Ah agreed to go to the mall with her after the two were done with classes to find something appropriate. Arriving at the mall, the two walked until they found a baby store, Little Tykes.

"What do you think I should get?" Hye Ri asked as the two browsed through the store that sold baby clothes, toys, home necessities such as strollers and baby seats, etc.

"Does your aunt know if it's a boy or a girl?" Ri Ah questioned.

"It's a girl," she answered.

Ri Ah glanced around, trying to figure out what would be best. "Let's see, you should get her something original. Most people will probably give clothes and toys, so you should give something else." Ri Ah walked around, searching through the store's selection of products. "What about this?" she asked, picking up a scrapbook.

Hye Ri walked over to see the book Ri Ah held in her hand. "A baby scrapbook?"

"Yes, your aunt can document her daughter's life from the day she's born to her first birthday," Ri Ah explained, flipping through the pages that had spaces for pictures and mementos for the baby's first smile, first laugh, and other special moments in the child's first year.

Hye Ri started laughing at one of the pages. "First haircut?" There was a plastic pouch to put the hair in as well. "I like it. I think I'll get this."

Exiting the store after Hye Ri purchased the book, the two decided to go outside and walk around a special exhibit that the mall was holding for artwork by local artists in the area.

"So how are things with D.O.-ssi going?" Ri Ah asked as the two passed by paintings of abstract art.

"Good," Hye Ri answered with a bashful smile.

"Just good?" Ri Ah teased.

"Great," Hye Ri corrected with a small laugh. "Although, it's weird, but my brother, Kang San, acts like he's bipolar whenever Kyung Soo Oppa is around. Sometimes he goofs off and jokes along with him…and then other times, he's quiet and aloof, and watches him like he's a criminal or something. I'll never understand that boy," she finished with a sigh.

Ri Ah laughed at Hye Ri's predicament. It seemed that Kang San was being protective of his older sister. Despite their continuous arguments and bickering, he still cared for his sister deeply. "I'm happy for you two. I think D.O.-ssi has liked you for quite some time, so I'm glad he finally got up the courage to ask you out. It was pretty memorable too, a public confession. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you, what did he mean by "Will you be my Minnie Mouse?"?" [Referring to chapter 59.]

"Ah, that was from the Valentine's Day event. One of the challenges was to find the couple Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse hats and then take a picture together wearing them." [Referring to chapter 56.]

"That's so adorable," Ri Ah commented with a smile. "I never thought D.O.-ssi would have such a cute side to him." From the few interactions Ri Ah had with him, D.O. tended to be serious and a bit sarcastic. It was refreshing to see his exterior fall when it came to the person he liked.

"What about you? Is there someone special you have your eye on? I want to see you happy too," Hye Ri teased.

Ri Ah's smile slowly faded and she averted her gaze back to the front as the two continued to pass by more art pieces. "I'm happy right now," she quietly answered.

Hye Ri slightly pouted at her answer. She wanted to play matchmaker and set her friend up with someone too. "Let me guess, you're trying to focus on school?" she dryly asked.

Ri Ah wistfully smiled and gave a small nod. Hye Ri let out a sigh before smiling herself. Typical Ri Ah.

Approaching the end of the exhibit, Ri Ah needed to use the bathroom and the two went back inside the mall to the public restroom. Hye Ri waited in front of the mirror, checking her hair and makeup while Ri Ah was in the stall. When she was done, she came out to the sinks and the faucet before taking her ring off and placing it on the counter to wash her hands.

The ring caught Hye Ri's attention and she picked it up to examine it closer. "Since when have you worn a couple ring?" she questioned Ri Ah.

Ri Ah turned to see Hye Ri holding her ring and her eyes slightly widened. "Uh…it's not really a couple ring," she explained. "It's…a reminder."

"You mean like when people tie a string to their finger?" Hye Ri let out a small chuckle. "This is one expensive string though." She turned the ring around in her fingers and noticed an engraving inside. "‘YDJ  heart LRA. YDJ? LRA?" Hye Ri tilted her head in confusion until realization hit and she jerked her head towards Ri Ah. "LRA, Lee Ri Ah. Then who's YDJ?"

Ri Ah had a troubled expression as she contemplated how to answer. Hye Ri noticed her uncomfortableness and her expression softened with sympathy. "I'm guessing this…reminder…is why you're not interested in dating."

Ri Ah could only nod as she looked down at the ground. Hye Ri sighed, wanting to know more behind the ring and the person who gave it to Ri Ah. However, she had more tact than to ask further given the way Ri Ah was reacting.

"Well, I'm glad that you're happy anyways," she said, holding the ring out to Ri Ah.

Ri Ah looked up and met Hye Ri's comforting smile. She softly smiled back and took the ring, placing it back on her ring finger. The two exited the bathroom and started walking towards the bus stop.

"Just so you know," Hye Ri hesitantly began as they waited for their bus to come, "you shouldn't keep reminder strings on too long. They can cut off circulation to the finger." Ri Ah gulped, the underlying meaning behind Hye Ri's words hitting her hard as she turned the ring around on her finger with her thumb, as if to make sure it wasn't too tight. Hye Ri noticed the uneasy look on Ri Ah's face and quickly tried to amend the situation. "And if you're like me...you sometimes forget what it is that your supposed to remember to do," Hye Ri said with a chuckle at herself. Ri Ah looked over at Hye Ri and couldn't help but laugh along as well. Their conversation returned to the light-hearted topic of Hye Ri's aunt and her husband.

The next day, Ri Ah ate lunch with Baek Hyun as per their usual schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was a sunny day that day and the sun shone through the windows of the cafeteria, creating a bright and lively atmosphere. Unfortunately for Ri Ah though, the spot she chose to sit in was particularly prone to the light waves from a nearby window and she found herself fidgeting around trying to avoid the warm beams of light.

In her attempt to shield herself, her left hand fell in the pathway of one of the rays, making her ring glisten brightly. The odd shine caught Baek Hyun's attention and upon close examination, he realized it was a silver band. He was sure he had never seen it before, at least, he was pretty positive that he would have noticed something like this. He was the observant and intelligent Byun Baek Hyun after all [Lol, I make Baek Hyun out to be so narcissistic in my story, but I really do love him <3].

The gears in his head started turning at who the ring could be from, and the number one suspect made him secretly smile to himself. He remembered Chan Yeol saying that he had gone to the jewelry store on Friday before meeting up with him and the rest of the guys. That liar. He said he had to get something repaired, but in actuality he got couple rings?

"So Ri Ah, did anything particularly good happen since I saw you last Thursday?" Baek Hyun casually asked, trying to fish out any details regarding the ring.

"Well…I had a three day weekend since morning classes were cancelled on Friday for University Day," Ri Ah shrugged. "But other than that, there wasn't anything special about my weekend. What about you?"

"Nothing particularly interesting," Baek Hyun quickly answered before getting back on topic, which was Chan Yeol and Ri Ah. "So nothing worth mentioning at all happened this weekend?"

"Well…"

"Yeah?" Baek Hyun eagerly pressed her on.

"Chan Yeol…"

"Go on…" he excitedly said, leaning in closer to Ri Ah.

"He did get sick," Ri Ah finally finished.

Baek Hyun's smile quickly fell and his eyes that were lit up in anticipation lost their shine. "Is that all?"

Ri Ah nodded. "Oh, Chan Yeol and I…"

"Yeah?" Baek Hyun asked, his expression lifting again.

"We went to the Han River on Saturday and played. And then…" Baek Hyun again leaned in to hear Ri Ah's answer. "We got caught in the rain and went home."

Baek Hyun mentally face-palmed himself. It seemed that Ri Ah wasn't going to give him the information he so desperately wanted to hear. He would have to get it from the other party.

"Why did you suddenly want to eat dinner together?" Chan Yeol suspiciously asked Baek Hyun as the two walked towards a pizza place.

"What do you mean suddenly? It's not like we don't often go out to eat," Baek Hyun answered with an innocent smile.

"Yeah, but D.O. and Su Ho Hyung always join us."

"Hey, we were friends with each other in high school before we were friends with D.O. and Su Ho Hyung. Is it so bad that I want to eat just the two of us like old times?"

"It's because we've been friends since high school that I know you so well. What are you scheming?" Chan Yeol asked accusingly.

"I swear, I'm not scheming anything," Baek Hyun responded with his hands up in the air as defense.

Chan Yeol stared at him with narrow eyes, trying to judge the truth of his words. But his hunger was getting to him and he decided to let it go and just accept the consequences after his stomach was full.

The two sat together at a table and looked through the menu. As Chan Yeol flipped through the pages, Baek Hyun's eyes lifted from his own and noticed that his left ring finger was bare. Thinking he was seeing things, or rather not seeing things, he grabbed Chan Yeol's hand to examine his fingers more closely.

"Yah! What are you doing?" Chan Yeol asked, jerking his hand back towards him.

Baek Hyun furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the missing ring. "It's not you?"

"What's not me?" Chan Yeol asked, unsure of what Baek Hyun was talking about.

"Yah, tell me the truth. What were you doing at the jewelry store on Friday?" Baek Hyun started interrogating.

"I told you, I had to get something repaired," Chan Yeol answered with obvious irritation at Baek Hyun's odd behavior.

Baek Hyun narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Chan Yeol. "I don't believe you."

Chan Yeol blew his hair in annoyance before pulling out his wallet and taking out a receipt. "See?" he said, slamming the receipt on the table. "It says here I bought a silver chain to replace one that was broken."

Baek Hyun stared at the slip of paper. Chan Yeol was indeed telling the truth; he had bought a chain on Friday, not couple rings. But if Chan Yeol didn't give Ri Ah the ring, then who did?

"What is up with you? You're acting like some crazy wife interrogating her husband on his whereabouts," Chan Yeol scoffed.

"Are you calling me the wife?" Baek Hyun dangerously asked.

"Then would I be calling myself the wife?" Chan Yeol retorted.

At this time, a waitress came over to their table. "Are you two ready to order?" she asked them.

Baek Hyun decided to take this chance to get his revenge on Chan Yeol. "I think my husband is ready to order," he answered with a smirk at Chan Yeol.

Chan Yeol's eyes widened and he jerked his head towards Baek Hyun, his mouth slack-jawed at Baek Hyun's choice of words.

"Oh…you two are…" The waitress didn't finish her sentence as her eyes darted back and forth between Baek Hyun and Chan Yeol. "Well, it seems that you two aren't ready to order yet, so I'll just come back in a few minutes," she said before leaving the awkward atmosphere.

Chan Yeol snapped out of his shock and turned his head towards the waitress's retreating back. "Wait! It's not what you think! I like girls!" he tried to argue with no avail as other customers started giving him strange looks. Chan Yeol groaned, scolding himself for making the situation worse. "Yah, what was that for?" he angrily asked Baek Hyun.

"To teach you a lesson," Baek Hyun shrugged. "Careful with your words next time," he said with a cheeky smile.

"I can never come to this pizza place again!" Chan Yeol complained.

"You're not missing out on much," Baek Hyun tried to console him, half-heartedly. "I only chose this place because it was cheap."

Chan Yeol sighed and gave him a hard look. "I knew I should have trusted my instincts about eating with you."

Baek Hyun laughed at his expression. "Well for what it's worth, it was a memorable 5 minutes of matrimony for me."

"It was worth zip. Nada. Zero," Chan Yeol adamantly stated.

"Really? I learned a lot about married life with you though," Baek Hyun seriously answered.

"Like what?" Chan Yeol dryly asked.

"That even for five minutes, I don't know how anyone can stand being married to you."

"Aish, I'm leaving!" Chan Yeol stood up and started heading for the exit of the pizza place.

Baek Hyun chuckled to himself. "Who's acting like the girl now?" He soon stopped laughing as he realized that his hypothesis regarding Ri Ah's ring was wrong. Baek Hyun sighed to himself in defeat before getting up and following after Chan Yeol.

If it wasn't Chan Yeol, then who could have given that ring to her?

Author's Note

I tried taking your suggestion, AlicePark! I don't know if I lived up to your expectations, but here it is, more people are taking note of Ri Ah's ring. Lol, I think I got a little carried away with Baek Hyun's character though. I just can't help but think he's got a devious side to him in real life:

But believe it or not, this one chapter is going to cause a cascade effect in my plans for this story. I originally planned for only Chan Yeol to know anything about Ri Ah's ring, but now that others have noticed it, I'm going to have to change a few things for future chapters…actually, looking at my outline, quite a few things…OTL. It's okay though, this will challenge me to be a better writer :) Remember guys, if you ever have any suggestions / constructive criticisms, let me know. I'm all ears!

BTW, I don't know if you guys have heard of Wong Fu Productions, but they make shorts and vlog on YouTube and they recently made a short called "The Last" and wow! It's so beautiful! If I ever find a guy who says something like this to me, I will die happy x_x Lol, well I don't want to die anytime soon, but you get what I mean ;)

Okay, so I have a serious announcement / commentary / "I don't know what to call it" to make. Let me just start off by saying I'm a pacifist. I don't like disappointing people and I would like it if I could please everyone, one way or another. However, that's a goal that can never be achieved…the shortcomings of living in the real, non-idealistic world [sigh].

Why am I suddenly telling you this? Well, because it is regarding this fan fiction and how it is progressing. I can completely relate to my readers if they ever get disappointed with my story to the point that they stop reading and unsubscribe. I've watched dramas that have disappointed me such that I stop watching mid-way. However, I do like getting some closure, so I actually go search for recaps and skim through them to see how the drama ends. And, if I see that things get better, I sometimes continue watching. Unfortunately, you can't do that with fan fiction, especially when they're not complete.

But I am willing, for those who wish to discontinue reading at any time in this fan fiction but are still curious as to how it ends, to satisfy your curiosity and tell you how the story progresses and how it all ends. I will be sad to see you leave, but I still want to give you a parting gift for sticking with me for this long :) Just message me and I will give you the ultimate spoiler for this story.

Okay, end of announcement / commentary / "I don't know what to call it". Lol ^_^

10/26/12 6:30 PM