"They are happy because they have the courage to admit what they deemed impossible."

N: Present

I: Past/Flashback

Seoul. It was like how she remembered, like the day she set off to France half-heartedly four years ago. It was a bit colder than she remembered even though it was summer. Or maybe her skin was just used to the summer of Paris, she couldn’t tell.

She scanned the airport for someone who was supposed to come fetch her but there was no sign of the familiar face she dearly missed. She smoothed her now brown hair as she mentally seethed and complained at how her best friend could make her wait. She sat down at the waiting area where an elderly was dozing off probably waiting for his flight. She checked her watch. Nine-thirty in the evening, Korean time. Could he be already sleeping? It was rather unlikely so. She decided to wait a little more because she knew that he would never stand her up.

A man walked sat beside her and started to talk to her but she was in no mood for a new acquaintance and she told him so. The guy was not fazed and she was starting to get frustrated. She got hold of her suitcase and her two huge carry-alls.

“Oh! You’re going already?” the man said. “What about a little drink before you set off? It would help you get warmer once you’re outside.”

“Sorry. My boyfriend will probably get mad if he sees me with another man. He’s a jealous type,” she lied so she could get away. The man stood up and grabbed her arm. She was alarmed and was ready to call for a security if needed to.

“Don’t be such a hard-to-get. I know your kind of ―”

“Get your hands off my woman!” It was a growl. And it came off as really dangerous. She and the man turned to look at the newcomer claiming her as his woman.

“Yunho!” she exclaimed. Her heart almost fell out of her ribcage. It has been years since she last saw him and they were not really good friends when she left.

“Kid, I am not someone you should take on but if you insist, I won’t go easy on you,” the man threatened. Yunho laughed drily.

“I think you got the situation all wrong. I don’t buff up just for show,” Yunho said and started to slightly flex his arms, hinting the muscles beneath his clothes. The man’s shoulders dropped. “Honey, let’s go.” Yunho took her suitcase, her carry-alls and her by the hand.

Yuri didn’t understand but she just let him lead her to his car. It was the same car they rode to get away from the party raid four years ago.

“Won’t you even say ‘thank you’ to your savior?” he asked as he started his car. She turned to him. The guy was ridiculous, his good looks wasn’t even affected by his age. She never thought his side profile is as beautiful as she always thought his back was.

“Where’s Changmin?” she asked instead. He looked at her, he was frowning. “Keep your eyes on the road. My parents won’t be happy to see me dead after three months they last saw me in Paris.” Yunho chuckled and followed what she said.

“He was busy doing something so he asked me to get you instead.” “He didn’t forget that he was supposed to come get me, did he? Or he overslept so he called you instead, didn’t he?”

“Neither. He was actually excited to see you again. He just had to run some errands.”

“So you were forced to do this for him,” she sighed.“Nothing changed much. It was always like this.” She saw the corner of his lips twitch to a little smile. He was actually agreeing to what she said.

“Your hair. You changed it,” he said. “I liked your black hair.” She consciously fixed it, then mentally smacked her head for doing so. “But you look more mature now. I couldn’t choose which one I like better. I guess you look pretty in any hair.”

She thanked her lucky stars that he was not looking at her or he might see the small smile on her face. Yuri was still in a daze.

There were a lot of things in her mind and she didn’t know where to start. She couldn’t understand why all of the sudden she became vulnerable. She couldn’t even bring herself to look up. Just the sight at the back of his shoes made her sick.

“Why are you still here?” she asked. She didn’t care if her voice broke into a million pieces when she spoke. She didn’t want him around.

“I can’t leave you.” It was what he said. She couldn’t tell what he was trying to say. His tone was all new to her. It wasn’t mocking nor angry, those were the only way he spoke to her. “You’re…”

“I’m miserable. Go on, say it. I know you are dying to laugh now,” she was bitter. There was no use masking it. He has seen her tearful face already. There was no greater shame than that.

“I’m sorry.” She stared up at him. The back of his head, lowered as if he was repenting, was directed at her. The sincerity of his words was suffocating her. She was in great pain and she has never felt it before. Was he sorry because he was the cause of her tears? Or was he sorry that he kissed her? Whichever it was, it was hurting her more. She didn’t hold back any longer. She bawled. She didn’t worry if the raiding cops would find them there. She was in pain and she needed to cry.

“You really need to go,” she said when her loud crying were reduced to sobs. She didn’t want to go into a fit of crying again.

“You’re going with me then. I won’t leave you here. If you get caught, I’ll be caught with you.”

“Are you stupid? Where’s the brain you’ve been bragging about?”

“I’m using it. We’ll get away together,” he persisted. “Changmin’s waiting.”

She smiled. Changmin, he must be very worried for them. He was the reason why she and Yunho had to be around each other ever since. She stood up and walked up to him, she tugged on his sleeve.

“Let’s go.”

Together, they walked out of that room. It was thoughtless and impulsive but Yuri’s hand was grasping Yunho’s sleeve and it felt like it made sense to walk into that cops laden place. There were already a few handcuffed ones and some of them were obviously high on drugs. It was a matter of seconds when they walked that someone apprehended them but because both of their parents were the city’s most influential people, they were set free after just a few minutes. The head of the raid just shrugged it off saying that they were both underage anyway.

Their attendance to the party was kept a secret but not until their parents were called and the things were settled. As they rode away from that place in silence with Changmin, decisions were made among their parents. Something has to be done. When Yuri got home, she found her luggage at the foot of their stairs. She will fly to France and continue her study there.

She had no time to say goodbye to Changmin. Or Yunho. She had no time to realize that at that time, she had already fallen in love with someone she loathed for the longest time.

“Welcome home!”

The room was filled with people and there were flowers and balloons everywhere. People were hugging and kissing her and she couldn’t tell who’s who. Her eyes were wandering for one particular person who was behind this all. And she found him. His hair was as brown as hers, and a few strands were covering his forehead. He was smiling broadly and waved at her.

She politely smiled to all those who were eager to talk to her, excused herself, and ran off to her best friend. She hugged her like the big brother she always thought he was. “Long time no see,” he said when she finally let go.

“I missed you!” she said tearfully. They could only talk through the phone as it was one of the conditions her father agreed to Yunho’s father when they settled everything: Yuri can contact the two but she will not see them until she goes back to Korea.

“It was hard losing a stalker,” he said and hugged her again. He wasn’t very expressive but they both knew he has a way of showing his feelings.

“It was hard not to have my slave across the globe,” she said. “I’m touched. You did all this? I never thought my being away would make you get off your games.” They both laughed.

“Well,” he smiled knowingly, “I’m not the only one.”

The wind slightly made her shiver as she stepped onto the rooftop. There was nothing fancy to look at since the building they were in don’t tower its neighbors. The stars were out but the moon was not on its most magnificent view. She wondered why he would go out there alone.

The guy she was referring to was currently leaning on the railing of the said rooftop looking down at the view of one of the busy streets of Gangnam. She took in his form. He was so peaceful. Everything about him seemed to be calm and panoramic. It was a shame to disturb him. She could really last there, staring at him. She shuffled her feet, trying to decide to go talk to him or go back to her homecoming party.

“Are you going to just stand there?” he called out. Even his voice was calm, carried to her by the summer evening wind.

He turned to her, his brows, raised as if challenging her to come closer. She slowly walked up to him, her knees slightly wobbling. She didn’t know why she even brought herself to after him.

“You’re still the same, huh? Still a er at a party like this,” she said and plopped at a neglected chair beside him. She needed to distance herself a little bit.

“Not really. I was just waiting for something.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Silence ensued. She didn’t know if he heard it but she was hoping that the almost stagnant wind carried it to him. She was praying; praying that he actually heard that.

“What for?” He did.

“For everything,” she closed her eyes. Her heart was hammering she could hear it in her head. “For staying with me four years ago, never leaving me even if I was being unreasonable then. For saving me earlier. For this party. Thank you.”

“This is all Yunho’s idea. He owns this place and he set everything up. Even the flowers and the balloons were his choice. I was merely in charge of inviting everyone here.”

“Changmin told you, huh?” he said it so fondly. “He was always…”

“The guy in between us,” they said together.

They looked at each other. It was the first time it happened, saying the exact words at the same time. And they instantly looked away. She was glad, so glad that they were thinking of the same thing. She smiled so sweetly and looked up at the sky. The moon didn’t look so ugly anymore.

“Let me show you something,” he said almost excitedly and beckoned at her to stand beside him. She happily obliged and leaned close to him. “Look at that part of the building,” he pointed at the building where there was a dark part at what looked like the fifth floor. She squinted at that place, trying to see what he was pointing at. He checked his watch and began counting down.

“…four, three, two, one.”

That dark part suddenly became bright. It looked like a star landed there and its light burst all over that part. It was marvelous. Even lights of Eiffel Tower would not compare to that little burst.

“That room is filled with glass, the office of the chairman’s wife. And at the center of that room is a ballerina figurine holding a ball. That ball lights up whenever it turns eleven.”

“Amazing.” It truly was. It was amazing how a little ball could make that bursting light effect.

“It is. And that view is only visible in this angle,” he said, sounding so proud at that little trivia. He explained how the light is reflected through the building’s glass and how the height of the building he owned made the trick. The truth was, she didn’t understand a single thing that he was saying. It’s not that she has forgotten her native tongue but because he looked really amazing while explaining and pointing the angles. It was not the time to hesitate.

“… and that little panel over there is ―” she did not let him finish what he was about to say and kissed him. It was a simple peck on the lips at first. She was testing the waters. She looked up at him. He was staring at her, his eyes big and his lips slightly open. She didn’t know what exactly to feel. She started to step back only to be held back by firm grips on both her arms, steadying her to her spot.” She looked up him once again.

“I…” she wanted to explain but no words were enough. No words were enough to tell him that she had loved him all this time.

When he kissed her, she felt like that little ball on the ballerina’s hand. She felt like a light is going to burst out of her heart right at that moment. Her hands ran through his shirt and held on to it, crumpling some parts of it. If four years ago they savored their first kiss with each other, it was driven by their slight intoxication but right now, they were driven by their longing for each other and the suppressed love they just realized when they first shared it. When they finally came up for air, they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I love you,” he said. It was enough; enough for all the hate they made each other feel the whole time when they actually loved each other. She chuckled, trying to suppress the tears that were threatening to burst. She cupped his face, gently tracing the contours that she was admiring earlier.

“I… I love you, too.” His smile broadened and kissed her again.

In other’s eyes, it would be the unromantic place for a couple to be together. The view was nothing special, only the firewalls of the neighbors, the sky was dark and the ugly shaped moon was not helping at all. There was no sound of violins or even just a simple love song from a stereo. But for them, it was perfect. They haven’t seen what they have seen and they haven’t felt what they have felt.

“Oi.” It was Changmin. He was leaning at the door of the rooftop. “So you decided to celebrate without me, eh? Tch. What ungrateful friends.”

They both laughed. Yuri ran to him and hugged him. The three of them were fated to be together ever since that wedding when they were kids.

A/N: THANK YOU!  Thank you for bearing.  I am happy to be able to write this.  Why?  Because I feel like I went back to when I started writing.  At the back of my notebooks and, sometimes, paper scratches, there would be scribbles.  Those were my first stories who only a best friend would take time to read.  She always encouraged me and we used to rent books together and share it for the whole week.  I stopped writing like this when I realized that it was selfish... because we were the only ones who would understand how it works.  Because the plot and other situations were already planned in my mind, I tend to forget to write some parts.

In case you won't understand something about the story, feel free to ask me :)