When IU stepped into the classroom, the whole class burst into laughter. IU covered her ears, trying to block out the terrible sounds, but to no avail. The laughter kept echoing inside her head, and nothing she did would make them go away. Just then, Hara stood up abruptly, taking confident strikes to where IU was standing. She stared at the helpless figure in front of her, shaking her head at the pathetic sight. Suddenly, she pushed IU into a deep, dark hole. The hole seemed like it had no end, because IU fell and fell, never landing. She squeezed her eyes shut and flailed her arms wildly in the end, all the time shouting for Taeyang to rescue her. However, he was nowhere in sight. A thought rang in her head, telling her that Taeyang was up there with the rest, mocking at her and enjoying the whole prank. He wasn't going to come for her.

'Taeyang... Taeyang,' IU mumbled in between sobs before she woke up.

It was just a dream. A terrible one.

It all seemed so real that is was hard to believe that it was merely a nightmare. Maybe it wasn't only a nightmare. Perhaps if IU stayed in Korea, all those that happened in her dream would happen for real. The whole class would mock her, Hara would bully her, and the most painful part was that Taeyang would not care at all.

IU sighed heavily, rubbing the remaining tears on her face away. It was useless thinking of all those because she wouldn't give any chances for the dream to become real. Anyway, she was going to Canada that very day. Life was going to start anew and the only way to start life afresh was to erase all the bad memories, especially those that she shared with Taeyang.

It was then that she noticed that her mother had already packed her luggage. She picked up a note tied onto the handle, which read: 'Ji Eun darling, if this is what you really want, then I'll support you. But remember, Omma doesn't want you to live your life with regrets. If going to Canada is only to avoid a problem, then you shouldn't go at all. Running away isn't the solution, facing it is. I hope you think about it and make the right decision. Love, Omma.'

IU put down the note gently when she finished reading. Now, she was confused more then ever. Her mother always knew what was best for her, and she probably knew that going to Canada wasn't the ideal solution. But then, what was?

'Omma, I'm ready to go,' IU said cheerfully when it was about time for them to leave for the afternoon flight they were supposed to catch.

IU's mother played with her fingers, not daring to look at her daughter. IU knew there and then that her mother was trying to tell her something, or she was keeping something from her.

'Omma, what is it? Aren't you ready?' IU asked, beginning to feel a little impatient.

'Are you really sure you want to go?' IU's mother asked for the last time. It seemed that her note was not successful in changing  her daughter's mind.

'Yes Omma, I've already made up my mind,' IU answered firmly.

'But... I can't leave at the moment,' IU's mother said with a nervous laugh, 'I have a terrible stomachache.'

IU stood dazed as her mother scurried to the bathroom.

'Omma! This isn't the time for jokes! I know you are just pretending, so come out of the toilet now! The flight is in less than an hour!' IU shouted as she banged on the bathroom door fervently.

'I really do have a stomachache,' IU's mother lied smoothly, 'Why not you go to the airport first, then I'll catch up with you later.'

'Are you sure?' A still baffled IU asked, 'Then I'll go first okay? Make sure you meet me at the airport before 2pm!'

IU's mother answered with a soft grunt, and IU left the house.

'Taeyang! IU left for the airport already!' IU's mother said hurriedly on the phone.

'That fast? Okay, I got it, I'll be on my way to the airport now.' Taeyang answered quickly. He and IU's mother both had a plan, and that was to stop IU from leaving.

'I'm counting on you then young man,' IU's mother said with a chuckle, 'I trust that you'll bring my daughter back.'

'Yes I will,' Taeyang answered steadfastly and they both hung up.

When IU reached the airport, she was still bewildered by her mother's actions. She panicked when she realised that it was only thirty minutes left to the flight. She tried to spot her mother in the large crowds of people gathered in the airport, and that was when she saw Taeyang.

He was standing there, right before her, staring at her as if he was silently demanding to know why she was leaving.

'What is he doing here?' IU thought both confused and frustrated. She turned around, breaking the gaze between Taeyang and her. But she only managed to take a few steps before she was stopped by that familiar grip.

'Why are you leaving?' Taeyang asked IU as he turned her around swiftly, making her face him.

'You don't need to know,' IU answered solemnly.

IU's hostility hurt Taeyang, it made him feel that he and IU were just strangers, nothing more.

'If you are leaving, then give me this chance to explain,' Taeyang said as he held on to IU.

'Fine, I shall not reject your offer to explain now since this would be the last time where we will see each other,' IU said expressionless, 'But if you thinking that your explanation would convince me to stay, then forget about it.'

Taeyang's lip quivered, he did not understand why he was affected so much by IU's words all of a sudden. He initially thought that he would be able to change IU's mind about leaving, but he wasn't that sure anymore.

'Me and Ji Yong did have a bet involving you,' Taeyang said guiltily, 'We planned that I was to approach you, make you like me, date you for a little while, break up and finally concentrate on my studies. Then, I would lie to everyone that I really liked you, and that our break up broke my heart. This way, I would gain sympathy as the lover boy and would not need to entertain anymore girls to keep my popularity. I could then be able to concentrate on studying for my finals and at the same time be popular even though I would not be dating anymore.'

'I know all of that already,' IU answered grimly with a hint of sarcasm, 'Have you forgotten that I heard the voice recording?'

'Yes, you do know all of that, but there are many more things which you don't know,' Taeyang took a deep breathe before continuing, 'I didn't plan to really fall for you, but feelings could not be controlled. Even when I approached you for the first time, I found out that you were different and you appealed to me. After spending time with you for a few days, I realised that I genuinely liked you, and it was no longer an act.'

'Do you really think that I'll believe this?' IU asked with a snort, 'If you were me, you wouldn't believe it as well.'

'Do you think that all the things I did for you was because I wanted to win that stupid bet?' Taeyang asked, beginning to feel angry that IU still could not get his point, 'So I helped you pick up the lunch you dropped, came to look for you when I didn't feel safe when I left you alone with Hara, shared with you my secret hiding place and carried you on my back home when you were drunk, all of those were just an act? Do you really think that none of it was real, and it was all a pretence?'

IU lowered her head and shut her eyes, hiding her tears beneath her eyelids. She did not know why she wanted to forgive Taeyang and to believe in all the words he said when he had hurt her and betrayed her trust. She no longer knew what she was supposed to do.

''Stop explaining, I don't want to know anymore,' IU stammered before letting her tears trickle, 'You asked me whether I thought that it was all a pretence, when the truth was that I entirely believed that your actions were genuine until the moment where I learnt about the bet. Am I suppose to console myself that everything was a misunderstanding, and you really do like me? How am I supposed to know what is real when I'm so confused?'

'I'll let you know what is real,' Taeyang said softly as his own tears began falling, he cupped IU's face in his hands, lightly brushing away her tears, 'This is.'

He then leant forward to kiss her. As their lips met, it felt that both their wounded hearts were in flames. It wasn't like the first kiss they shared, this kiss meant something deeper with all the apologies and forgiveness sealed along with it, not needing anymore words.

The whole world had disappeared because at that moment, only the two of them existed.

Author's Note:

Hey guyssss! ^^ Hope you liked this early update!! This chapter is a lil' bittersweet huh? So IU cried and Taeyang cried, then they both kissed. :* Hahaha, I know it's a bit cheesy but I still hope ya'll like it! The earliest I'll update again would only be next Thursday because I'm having my prelims, so you guys don't need to keep refreshing this page till next Thurs all right? ;) Thanks for all the support, bye bye!! x