“You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.”

ミ★~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~★彡

Jieun’s POV

            “Ireona, Jieun,” A gentle male voice repeated in my ear for who knows how long. Reluctantly I moved my head off the comfortable wooden pillow that was the picnic table and blinked confusedly. A cozy black sweater was placed around my shoulders protecting my bare shoulders from the chilly wind.

            “Oh Kikwang,” I greeted with a soft yawn, “Is this sweater yours?” He stared at me blankly for a few seconds and then shook his head.

            “Strange; I wonder who gave it to me…” I mumbled, trying to remember ever seeing anyone with a sweater like this. I looked around the campus but no one seemed to be claiming it back, to I slid both my arms into the sleeves and gathered my stuff on the picnic table. With one glance at the blank sheet in front of me I could tell that my song wasn’t getting very far. The moment I grabbed the sheet of paper and stuffed it back into my pink folder, another loose leaf was caught by the wind. After letting out a surprised gasp, Kikwang quickly chased after it before the wind blew it too far. Returning back to the table, he had an intrigued smirk on his face.

            “Is this the new song you were writing? These lyrics are cute. Is it about me?” Kikwang conceitedly joked, holding the paper at eye level and out of my reach. I myself wasn’t sure what he was talking about.

            “Kikwang, let me see it!” I demanded, folding my arms frustratedly. He leaned his back casually against the tree trunk and read a few of the lyrics out loud,

            “My cold heart suddenly a little bit seems melted when you come to me. I realize that you’re already in my heart. Maybe you’re the one, maybe perhaps—perhaps you…” My eyes popped open. I had lost the lyrics to that song not long before I moved out of my parent’s house. There was no way that the piece of paper Kikwang held in his hands right now was the song, was it? My face was flushed red with embarrassment.

            “Kikwang, give it here!” I complained, finally snatching the sheet of paper from his hands. It was true—this was my original copy to ‘Maybe’ written and composed by me—Lee Jieun. How did this get here? I folded it in half and shoved it back into my pink folder, sliding it into my messenger bag all with one fluid movement. I was certain those lyrics weren’t with me before. I searched for them several times since I moved into the dorm and never found them. Had someone been here while I was asleep? An eerie atmosphere crept in around me and I shivered.

            “Are you cold?” Kikwang asked, seeing my shoulders shake. I shook my head and smiled confidently,

            “I’m okay. Why did you come?” I needed to change the subject. He raised an eyebrow at me in response.

            “Do I always need a reason to see my girlfriend?” he asked playfully, messing up my bangs that had already been ruffled during my brief nap. Smiling at him, I threw my messenger bag around my shoulders and shook my head. No, he shouldn’t always have to have a reason to see me. I allowed his arm to wrap around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him as we walked side by side off the campus.

            “Where do you want to go?” He asked, eyeing my face intently. I placed a hand over my stomach and grinned,

            “Buy me food!” He laughed in response as we headed down the street to a newly opened but popular noodle house that sold quite authentic Japanese ramen. It was then, as we were walking silently beside each other that the possibility hit me. Did Wooyoung return to Korea? I glanced at the long sleeves of the black sweater around me. Did Wooyoung give me this? Remembering the lyric sheet that made a surprise reappearance in front of me, words were circled, bracketed, and labeled with colorful symbols. This was just how Wooyoung and I split lyrics back in musical theatre. Knowing that if he did come back, his mother would tell my mom first, I decided that after we ate I would give my mom a call.

Suzy’s POV

            “Kamsahamnida, eomeonim!” I thanked, trying to act as polite as I could to Taecyeon’s parents. We were inside a newly opened Japanese noodle house and had just finished eating our individual bowls of ramen. Secretly, I was on a diet so I convinced Taecyeon to eat the remaining half of my bowl, and now that we were all done, it was time for me to leave.

            “Suji, would you like Taecyeon to walk you home?” His mother asked, calling my name the Korean way. I turned away from them to hide my blushing face and insisted,

            “I had enough of Taecyeon’s face for the past few months. I’ll be fine on my own, thank you.” Taecyeon’s parents burst out in laughter still seated at the table. I was the first to get up.

            “Are you sure, Suzy? It’s pretty dark out now.” Taecyeon offered, also getting up from his seat. I was happy that he wanted to walk me home but if I let him do even that much for me, my feelings might become too obvious.

            “Ani; I said it’s okay. I’m not a weak little girl, who do you take me for?” I exclaimed, asking my rhetorical question in English so that his parents wouldn’t have an idea that we were ‘arguing’. With a sigh he surrendered,

            “Geurae; stay safe.” Grateful that he let things go my way again, I gave them all one last forced smile and turned towards the door.

            “Will you treat me today?” A tall male asked a petite girl beside him as they entered the noodle house. The two were smiling at each other like lovebirds lost in their honeymoon phase.

            “You’re the gentleman, therefore you pay!” She reasoned, nudging him in the elbow as a waitress tended to them. I watched him from afar, his widening smile sickening me to the bones. Before I could turn my head away, he noticed me staring. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize me. Dammit, why wouldn’t my legs move? I felt frozen like a statue as he approached me.

            “Are you serious? Bae Suzy?” He chuckled disgustingly, pronouncing my name like a Westerner would, “I bump into you here of all places.”

            “Screw off.” I snarled, attempting to push pass him for the exit but his right hand grabbed onto my arm. Turning around to face him, I shot him the deadliest glare possible.

            “We never saw each other for over ten years and those are the first words you have to say to your first love?” He teased. I eyed his little girl toy beside him, cowering behind him like a stray animal.

            “I have nothing to say to a tool like you. Get your filthy hands off me before I curse you with the inability to reproduce.” I ordered, getting ready to kick him in his family jewels. I could care less that we were in a restaurant.

            “Yah, where did you develop such an attitude towards your Oppa?” He raised his voice at me. Every second I stayed staring at his face I wanted to vomit. Useless trash like him should’ve never been brought into existence. Turning my attention to the frightened girl beside him I asked,

            “You; what’s your name?” She stared back at me in awe, my unchanging dead stare making her shiver in her shoes.

            “Ji-Jieun,” She stuttered in reply, both of her arms wrapped tightly around Kikwang’s.

            “Listen here. You look a tad too smart to be involving yourself with hopeless rubbish like Lee Kikwang, so before you follow him whole heartedly towards a sunset and inevitably get your heart cracked in half, you might want to think your relationship with him through. Love is something this kid can’t comprehend with his miniscule brain, so if you’re expecting commitment then you’re in for a world of disappointment.” I warned, and then diverted my gaze back to Kikwang.

            “Let go.” I ordered again, and immediately he pulled his hand away from my arm.

            “Who do you think you are?” Kikwang called after me just as I passed the first set of doors. I turned back to face him, more than ready to argue.

            “Won’t you ever give up? Get your facts straight. You were never my first love—I was yours.” I retorted, watching Jieun’s eyes grow bigger. Kikwang’s fists were rolled into a tight ball, but it looked as if he was speechless. Taking his silence as a cue for me to leave, I left through the second set of doors and continued on my way home. My perfectly great day spent with Taecyeon and his parents were ruined by a few brief minutes of Kikwang’s rotten presence.

Jieun’s POV

            The moment Suzy left the noodle house I could hear the sound of all the customers sighing in relief. Scanning the restaurant once quickly, I caught sight of s familiar face—Ok Taecyeon. I couldn’t care less about Kikwang’s love history with Suzy, and the fact that he was a player I already knew too well, but what I cared about was why Taecyeon was here in Korea. As far as I knew, Wooyoung had left for Canada with Taecyeon. Could it be true? Was Wooyoung really back in Korea? Even the thought of seeing him again made my heart beat rapidly.

            “Mianhae, Jieun-ah. I’m not in the mood for a date anymore. I’ll go first, okay? Goodnight.” The emotionally shattered Kikwang explained, not bothering to give me a routine kiss on the forehead before he left the restaurant in a slouched position. Before I could leave the restaurant, the sight of Taecyeon getting up from his table caught my interest. With gritted teeth and a clenched fist, he stormed out of the restaurant immediately after Kikwang. My mind jolted as I imagined what would happen next. Was Taecyeon going to pick a fight with Kikwang? Worried, I rushed out after him and stopped behind the large sign outside the noodle house. They stood across from each other with angered eyes; Taecyeon’s expression looked like he could commit a murder if provoked. Knowing that he was in our high school’s rugby, football and wrestling team all three years, it was evident that Kikwang wouldn’t stand a chance against him even with his background of intermediate tae kwon do.

            “Who the hell are you?” Kikwang demanded cockily, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Taecyeon took slow and steady steps towards him, not answering his question.

            “Stay the hell away from Suzy. I don’t give a crap whether she’s your first love; if you cross paths with her again I will make you regret it.” Taecyeon warned through his clenched teeth, tension building between their closing proximity. My feet felt glued to the ground I stood on, my eyes locked on the oncoming feud between the two.

            “I don’t want to.” Kikwang challenged, shoving Taecyeon back. Faster than my mind could predict, Taecyeon returned his shove with a fatal punch in the face, knocking Kikwang to the ground with a black eye as a present.

            “Oh my god!” I screamed, running to Kikwang’s side. Though I had no real feelings of affection for Kikwang, seeing him hurt this way terrified me. No matter how much I called his name, he wouldn’t answer. It was no use—he was out cold.

Taecyeon’s POV

            A short girl with brown hair sprung out from behind me and joined Kikwang’s side, wiping the blood that dripped down the side of his forehead from the impact of the fall. I wanted to laugh at how pathetic the couple looked, but something about the girl caught my attention. The black sweater she had on seemed a few sizes too big to be her own, in fact, I saw the exact same sweater earlier today somewhere. When she finally looked up at me with teary eyes, I gasped,

            “Jieun?” There was no mistaking it. She was Lee Jieun, Wooyoung’s lost damsel in distress. What I didn’t understand was what Jieun was doing with a player like Kikwang.

A/N: Wow this chapter was intense to write o_o Haha I wrote a fight scene :D I bet none of you expected it to be between Taecyeon and Kikwang ^^! I hope this chapter was somewhat surprising. I was excited to write it ever since the idea came. Leave some thoughts in a comment below? 

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