She was busy scribbling in her notebook when her alarm clock rang at exactly 2PM, interrupting her thoughts. Sighing as she closed the thin book, she grabbed her car keys and her cell phone before leaving to meet Ki Kwang. The apartment was ghostly quiet, due to Ryeowook's absence and her own silent demeanor. She quickly locked the door behind her and walked out of the apartment building to the school. Although the sun was shining brightly, the air was still freezing cold. However, she relished the feeling of the frigid wind on her bare skin. The flowers were beginning to bloom and the trees were beginning to bud. Her heart felt so light. In fact, she hadn't felt this free since the day she had cut ties with Jiyeon and Taemin.

As she walked, she mulled over possible routines for next month's dance competition. The team was to be divided into groups of five and categories would be chosen at the end of March. Although she had met more of the dance team, most were put off by her refusal to reveal her name or her past. She tried her best to be outgoing, but basic questions about her personal life made her uncomfortable.

Ki Kwang seemed not to care and always waved to her whenever they saw each other during passing periods. During dance practice, he always managed to greet her and ask her how her day was before his friends pulled him away to their circle. She was grateful to him for not ostracizing her and making her feel more comfortable at school.

She soon arrived at the school and say by the fountain to wait for Ki Kwang. She dipped her forefinger in the water, and watched the ripples that formed grow larger and larger until they disappeared. She continued dipping her finger and creating ripples, some overlapping each other. She did this aimlessly and began daydreaming, only to be jolted out of her thoughts when she saw Ki Kwang's reflection in the water. She turned around and was greeted by his smiling face.

"Hey! Sorry for being late. I had to stop for gas for my car on the way."

"It's OK. I haven't been waiting long. I just got here." She smiled as she stood up next to him.

"Ready to go?" He beckoned to his black BMW waiting in the school's circular driveway. She nodded and they walked to his car. He opened the passenger seat's door for her, closed it after she stepped in and sat down. Ki Kwang quickly jogged around the front of the car and entered the car. He revved up the engine and began driving out of the driveway onto the street.

It was silent for several minutes until she plucked up the courage to speak first. "What're you planning to get for your mom?"

"Oh, something simple, but still very pretty. Not flowers. They die too quickly. And chocolate is too mainstream. Something extra-special, just like her," Ki Kwang answered, smiling fondly as he spoke.

"I see..." she mused, plunging deep into thought. But she wasn't thinking about potential gifts. She was thinking about what it was like to have a mother who actually cared about you, supported you, and loved you. A mother who would congratulate you when you got first place in a competition, take you traveling to different places around the world, and listen to your problems and offer you solutions. She was jealous of Ryeowook and Ki Kwang. Their mothers loved them for who they were, and never used them as pawns in order to gain money and power. Heck, even Taemin and Jiyeon's mothers loved them with all of their hearts. Before she knew it, her vision blurred and tears streamed down her face.

Ki Kwang turned to see why she was so silent and became alarmed when he saw her distraught state. He saw a small cafe and turned right into the parking lot, quickly parking his car in the first empty space he found. He reached out to wipe the tears from her face with his thumb and murmured, "Don't cry. Everything will be all right. Let's go inside to drink something and talk." He unbuckled both of their seatbelts and opened the driver seat's door. Firmly grasping her wrist, he carefully led her out of the car and walked her into the cafe.

"Welcome to Honey Boba! How many are in your party?" A smiling brunette waitress wearing a pale pink dress and a starched, white apron greeted them.

"Two," Ki Kwang answered while she let her bangs fall over her tear-stained face.

"Please follow me." The waitress led them to a bright red table and handed them each a thin yellow menu. "I'll be serving you today. My name is Seungyeon. Call me over when you're ready to order."

Ki Kwang nodded in thanks and she left to serve other customers. He turned to face her and saw her furiously wiping away tears with a napkin she had grabbed from the canister on the table. He placed his right hand over hers, stopping her rapid actions. He used his left hand to tip her face upwards so she could look at him, but her eyes still looked down, refusing to make eye contact with him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, not wanting to force her or upset her again.

"No," she responded flatly.

Ki Kwang nodded and changed the subject. "Let's order something. I'm parched." He scanned through the list of drinks before pointing to his desired choice. "A Milk Tea with Green Jelly and Boba sounds nice, especially since it's March. What do you want?"

"I'm not thirsty," she mumbled in response.

"Hm?" He cupped his hand around his ear and said loudly, "Did I hear you ask for a Milk Tea with Green Jelly and Boba? If it's what you really want, I'll treat you today. Seungyeon?"

"Bit Ki Kwang, I—"

"Shhh, you'll feel better after having a drink."

Seungyeon walked over with her pen poised over her notepad. "Yes? Are you ready to order?"

"Two large Milk Teas with Green Jelly and Boba, please," Ki Kwang requested promptly, without a glance at her for her approval.

Seungyeon wrote it down and asked, "Anything else?" Ki Kwang shook his head, so she closed her notepad and said, "Your order will be ready in about five minutes." Another customer called for her, so she left them in order to assist the other customer.

"You didn't have to buy me anything," she muttered after Seungyeon left.

"You'll be thanking me before we leave. Trust me," Ki Kwang answered with a grin on his face. "Now I'm going to tell you a story while we wait. It's an important story, so listen carefully and don't interrupt.

"Once upon a time—"

"Is it a fairytale? Because I'm not in the mood for one right now."

"What did I just say?" Ki Kwang glared at her in mock rage, but a smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had never seen this darker side of her and it intrigued him greatly.

"Sorry. You can keep going."

"Anyway, once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived in a big mansion with his two rich parents. He had everything he wanted. His parents were his friends, always taking time to play with him whenever he asked. There was never a dull moment in the big mansion and life was filled with happiness for many years. However, soon after the little boy turned eight, his father was involved in a fatal plane crash on his way back from a business trip in Beijing. The little boy and his mother were devastated, but there was nothing they could do to bring him back.

"The new CEO of the company that the father had founded was a corrupt man and within a year, he had taken control of all of the company's funds and ran off, leaving the company bankrupt. The mother had to sell the big mansion and the pretty furniture in order to pay for all of the company's debts. She and the little boy moved in with her husband's brother's family. The brother-in-law was also the CEO of a successful company, but it was much smaller and less well-known. They were upper middle class: not rich, but not average. The little boy's mother began working as a waitress, so she could buy a small apartment for herself and the little boy.

"Meanwhile, the little boy became best friends with his cousin, who happened to be the same age. The little boy always looked out for his smaller, introverted cousin. They were always together, as if they were twin brothers instead of cousins. As they grew older, the little boy learned to dance from his older cousin. He began hanging out with other dancers, leaving his younger cousin standing awkwardly alone. The distance between them grew more when the little boy and his mother moved to their own apartment.

"The younger cousin became a player, after receiving numerous love letters from girls because of his good looks. All of the girls knew, but they couldn't resist going after him for they all hoped they would be the one to stop his playboy ways. The little boy tried to reason with his younger cousin, but he didn't know how to get through to the new cocky, confident stranger who had replaced his best friend. They officially parted ways when they were accepted to different high schools. During family gatherings, they would be forced to spend time together for their par