Four days have passed since the death of Soojung's father. She was sitting in her room, blankly staring at the photos on her lap. Her father was gone, without her telling him that she loved him one last time. The police and doctors never found the reason for his death. It was as if he just died in his sleep. Soojung hadn't left the house since the day her father passed away and was excused from school. Hyunsuk and his wife constantly came over every day to check up on her and ask for her opinions on the funeral arrangement. The funeral would be held in 2 more days. Of course she still cried. Everything in her house reminded her of her father, yet she still stayed home. Eating became more like a chore for her. Although she was already small to start with, her body became frailer. Even her favorite foods were now unappetizing.   

        The despondent girl delicately touched the picture of her and her father smiling into the camera from when they went to Disney World last year. Tears fell from her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before they could fog up her glasses. She thought back to the day Hyunsuk asked her to come into his office after she had been worriedly waiting for her father to show up. But then she realized, her father would never come back.

        Hyunsuk called Soojung into his office after discussing the situation with the 'family'. Everyone in the room was giving her a look of pity or sorrow.

        "Where's appa?" Soojung whispered, voice wavering. She noticed the dreary look in his eyes and held her breath. 

         "Sweetheart, your appa...He is resting in Heaven now," he broke the news to her in the gentlest way possible, bracing himself for when she would start breaking down. Her heart, body, and mind were frozen.

          *My appa.*

         After getting over the shock, she fell to her knees and cried her heart out. Hyunsuk turned his head away, knowing that he'd end up doing the same as her if he continued watching. Sandara, Chaerin, Bom, & Minzy all flocked to her side, trying to help her up, but Soojung curled up into a ball and weeped even louder, making everyone's heart crack. One by one, tears fell from every person's eyes. Hyunsuk's wife came over and enveloped Soojung in a hug, both sobbing on the floor. 

          A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. Soojung stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. If Hyunsuk's wife, called 'Yang-umma' by Soojung, knew that she had been crying again, she'd surely be upset. Knowing that there was no way she could get rid of her swollen eyes and flushed cheeks, she went downstairs to open the door. Surprisingly, it wasn't who she expected to be there.

          "Soojung-ah, how have you been?" her real mother, who she hadn't seen in person for almost seven years, was smiling brightly at her doorstep. *How could she be so happy at a time like this?* Soojung thought dismally and reluctantly stepped aside for her mother to come in. 

           While Soojung's mother rambled on and on about how successful her husband's business was going and how she had been living well, Soojung ignored her and stared past her mother's head, and at the large portrait of her and her father hanging on the wall. She was very disappointed in her mother. How could she speak so proudly of her new family? All those years, Soojung grew up without her mom by her side. Her father was reminded every day that his wife left him for another man when he saw married couples living happily with their families, but he still never thought or spoke badly of his ex-wife.  Her mother didn't even seem the least bit sad about his death and still hadn't give her condolences. Instead, she was boasting about her new life, casually in the house she walked out of years ago.

         "Soojung, are you listening to me?" her mother, now addressed as Mrs.Park by others, snapped her fingers. Soojung looked at her mother with dull eyes and weakly nodded her head.

         "Soojung, your father is gone. There is no reason for you to be so depressed! He will not come back to life, so I think you're just harming yourself by acting like the walking dead." 

          Her eyes flashed with anger at her mother's harsh words.

         "What exactly are you here for?" she questioned sharply.

         "I'm here about your father's will. Hyunsuk informed me that this house will be handed over to you, along with your father's other posssessions. I don't think you are old enough to handle this house alone, so I wanted you to come to live with me. It's what's best for you," Mrs.Park said.

         Soojung sighed and stood up from the couch. While pointing towards the door, she muttered, "I had a feeling you weren't here to visit your real daughter without having a hidden motive, and I don't think you care about the fact that my father just died. Now, if there's nothing more you have to say, please leave. Only appa and I belong here. This is our home, and no one will take it away from me."

         With a huff, Mrs.Park headed towards the door. Before leaving, she turned to Soojung and said, "Your father wouldn't want to see you like this."

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           Not wanting to worry her father, Soojung slowly pulled herself out of her depressed state. She always reminded herself, "Appa would want me to smile." She started going to school again and tried to visit her mother every once in awhile. Her step-father and step-sister treated her well, but she still felt awkward around them. During the holiday season, she spent time with Hyunsuk, who insists that she call him 'Yang-appa', and his large 'family', but she couldn't help but wish her father could be there with her. She didn't have any friends from school to keep her busy or fill the void in her heart. Soojung coped with living alone, occasionally visiting the company when she was bored. It was a Monday on the 11th, nearing Valentine's Day. She was doing her homework in her room, thinking about how hectic the week would be. It seemed like she was the only one without a person to spend Valentine's Day with. 

         Without her father at the company, everyone at Infinite Promises was always busy. CEO Yang Hyunsuk didn't want to appoint a new director, believing that no one could ever replace Director Lee. Since February was the 'month of romance', clients have been rushing in like tidal waves. Hyunsuk was constantly at the company. After a long day of reading and revising important documents, he was finally able to pack up and go home. Stuck in traffic, he stopped his car behind many others at a red light on a busy street. Turning his head to look out the window, Hyunsuk noticed a very familiar couple arguing in the other car beside him. That couple had hired Infinite Promises to plan their wedding 5 months ago. Seeing how the two were yelling so angrily, he guessed that the marriage wasn't going so well. He remembered their appointment like it was just yesterday. 

          A young man and woman sat in separate chairs in front of Director Lee's desk. They were staring at eachother with loving eyes and occasionally would touch the other's hands. Director Lee finished the last details on the payment contract and handed a pen to the young man to sign it. At that moment, CEO Hyunsuk walked in with his assistant, Sandara. Director Lee noticed how the young man kept eyeballing Sandara's body and frowned inwardly. The man's wife didn't seem to notice. Director Lee cleared his throat, making the young man tear his eyes away from the pretty assistant and go back to signing the papers. Once they finished, the couple got up to leave.

         "What a nice couple!" Hyunsuk grinned, staring as the two exited the office. Director Lee rolled his eyes.

          "Trust me, they won't last long. I give them a year."

           Hyunsuk shook his head and sighed.

           Sometimes Director Lee would grumble about servicing a couple that he claimed 'was not meant for eachother'. And when the company checks up on one of those certain couples after a year, they would be told that the couple broke up. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or Director Lee really could predict those kind of things.

            The sound of a car horn and angry shouting from behind his car brought Hyunsuk back to the present. The light had turned green again and he was holding up traffic, the couple in the car next to him long gone. He put his foot on the gas pedal and started driving. Different thoughts rushed into his mind. It seemed like Director Lee's predictions and forecasts about anything and everything had always been correct, as if he could predict the future. It was actually kind of creepy in a way. He thought back to 3 weeks before his friend's death.

            Hyunsuk casually opened the door to Director Lee's office, wanting to ask him to go for a cup of coffee during the break. Instead of resting, the director was busily writing something down on paper. He looked up to see who just came through the door and smiled. 

           "What are you writing?" the boss asked curiously. He peered at the paper and raised an eyebrow.

            "A will?" Hyunsuk mumbled, wondering why he would be writing one all of a sudden.

            "It's better to be prepared. You never know when God decides to just pluck you off the Earth," Director Lee said and shrugged his shoulders.

           "Yah. Don't jinx it. Oddly, everything you say comes true!" Hyunsuk complained worriedly. 

            "Would you believe me if I told you that I can see fate?" the director asked, using a joking tone, although his eyes portrayed seriousness. Hyunsuk failed to notice that and shook his head.

            "If you can see fate, I can fly."

             Hyunsuk arrived home and parked his car in a dazed state. Maybe, just maybe, his friend really could see fate.

             *Lee Seonwoong, don't tell me that you weren't kidding.* Hyunsuk thought, but shook his head once he realized how ridiculous it sounded. It was impossibe for a human to see the future or fate. That was all fictional... Or was it?

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             It was Thursday, February 14th. Soojung was sitting at her desk in homeroom, watching all her female classmates smile happily at the chocolates and sweets in their hands, ready to give the treats to a special someone. All around the school, there was a buzz of excitement. But, Soojung was the only one frowning, lonely and ready for the day to be over. She liked Valentine's Day and all the mushiness, but what's the point of it when she had no one to give anything to? She already knew that she wouldn't receive anything when White Day comes around. She sighed and rested her head on her arms.

            Hours later, it was finally time for school to let out. With a fast pace, Soojung walked out of the school, glancing at all the loving couples she passed with envy. Not looking ahead of her, she bumped into someone, her glasses sliding down her nose as she bounced back a few steps. The tall, handsome brunette blinked down at her, his arms full of sweets. 

          "Oh! I am so sorry. I didn't see where I was going." He bowed, dropping some Valentine's gifts as he did so. Soojung was frozen in place, not knowing what to say to the person in front of her.

         You would be speechless too if the school's kingka was apologizing profusively and bowing to you.

        She fixed her glasses and stiffly nodded. With a squeak, she scurried away with her head down, leaving the boy staring after her with a confused look. The whole walk home, she was mentally scolding herself for being so clumsy, not paying attention to the rapid beating of her heart. An image of his face kept popping into her mind. 

        *Aigoo. Forget it! I'm going to visit Yang-appa.* Soojung entered her house to change clothes before heading to the company to eat all the candy placed on the said person's desk.

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         In another part of Seoul, Myungsoo was strutting to Lucky 7 Cafe, still wearing his school uniform and grinning from ear to ear, holding a bouquet of roses. Although today was a day for females to profess their love, he couldn't wait to finally confess to the girl he liked. All day at school, he had to politely reject dozens of love confessions.

         Since the first day that he met Park Hanbyul at this very same cafe, he couldn't help but fall for her more each day. Visiting the cafe as soon as school ended had become his everyday routine. He stopped having his chaeuffeur pick him up from school. Sometimes when Hanbyul wasn't busy, she'd sit down to have a chat with him. The way she constantly smiled and spoke freely made him comfortable and contented around her. She even came up with a nickname for him, 'Myungie', and he addressed her by her name, not 'noona'. Not that she minded anyway.

        Yes, Hanbyul was older than him, but he didn't care if she was and already in college. He wasn't affected by his friends' words about liking an older woman. His heart told him that she was the one, and that was all that mattered to him. After months of making up his mind and gathering courage, he decided it was time to finally tell her how he felt.

          Taking a deep breath and planting his best smile on, Myungsoo opened the door to the cafe with his free hand and stepped in. His smile slightly faltered when he saw that another worker was at the register instead of Hanbyul. 

          "Excuse me, where is Hanbyul?" he asked.

           The worker recognized that he was the usual customer that always gave Hanbyul goo-goo eyes. Her eyes widened when she saw the flowers in his hand.

          "Sir, Hanbyul-unnie quit this morning. She went to America to finish her studies," she answered, a very apologetic frown on her face. 

           "I-I don't understand. Why would she leave so suddenly?" Myungsoo choked out, his heart clenching. The room was suddenly suffocating. It felt like part of the roof collapsed on him.

           "I'm sorry, sir."

            Myungsoo lifelessly trudged towards the exit. Once he arrived home, he ignored all the maids and butlers and went straight to his room. After lying down despondently on his bed for an hour, he got up and went to the kitchen. He came back in with a vase filled with water and placed it on his desk. Taking off the clear plastic from the bouquet, he placed the flowers in the vase. 

            "Hanbyul, I will wait for you. I promise I will," he whispered and delicately the petals on the roses with his eyes b with tears.

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              "Ow." Soojung winced as a girl shoved past her, yet again, to join the crowd of people surrounding the school kingkas. Out of habit, she pushed her glasses up with her pinky before scowling.

             "What am I? Air?" she muttered. "Why is it that everyone acts like they can't see me?"

             She had been pushed out of the way countless times every morning since she started attending school again. Everyone just had to get their glimpse of Teen Top, or they'd never survive the rest of the day. With a sigh, she went to her homeroom class. She sat at the very back of the class and quietly observed the backs of her classmates' heads. She wondered if sitting behind everyone was the reason for no one noticing her. At that moment, her phone beeped loudly in the pocket of her jacket. Soojung gasped and fumbled for her phone, not wanting the noise to disturb anyone. 

              Not that anyone bothered to glance in her direction.

               She looked at the text message she just received and groaned. It was from her mother.

              'Soojung-ah, come visit today. Okay?'

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             "Oppa, I know that a lot of girls confessed to you yesterday, but can you please consider me?" A short, plump girl stared up at Myungsoo with pleading eyes. He gave her a small smile before letting her down as gently as possible.

              "I'm sorry, but I already like someone else."

              The girl nodded and in a deep breath before walking away. He watched her leave with a guilty heart.

              *I'm sorry. I hope you find the one that's right for you.*

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           Author's Note: This was the last chapter about both main character's pasts; therefore, it's very long. The story won't be so depressing once I switch to the present. I have finally revealed the name of Soojung's father. It would be best if you don't look his name up, or you won't be surprised when you get to the story's twist. ;) Anywho, comment & subscribe!