The next day, Hyunseung didn't come to school.

I the angel wing charm on my headband, frowning. "Is Hyunseung oppa okay?" I asked Junhyung, worried. "Is he sick?"

Junhyung shrugged, his arm around my shoulders. "I don't know, sometimes it's healthy to ditch every now and then." He winked at me. "Wanna skip today?"

I shook my head, pouting at him. "Oppa~, you shouldn't ditch school! It's bad!"

He pinched my cheeks and then kissed my lips. "My girlfriend is so innocent and cute and well-behaved!" He teased.

"Hey, I think I saw Hyunseung yesterday." Aeyoung said, sitting across from us with Doojoon, who was squeezing the life out of her.

"Wha? You did?" I gasped.

Aeyoung nodded over Doojoon's loving arm. "Yeah. When I came back from Auntie's house -- Doojoon, you're hugging me too hard, I can't talk -- I think I saw him running to the park. He looked really weird -- SERIOUSLY, Doojoon, I can't breathe -- and kind of.....hmmm....." She thought for a moment, pushing Doojoon away and failing (Doojoon just hugged her even tighter). She absent-mindedly scratched at her scar. ".....his face was kind of like the face of someone who knew he had committed a major sin and was going to get punished bad for it." She shrugged. "It was hard to describe. It was like something was eating at him from the inside."

I frowned. I was so worried.

Junhyung frowned too. "Do you like Hyunseung?" He sked me sharply.

I shook my head, blinking my eyes innocently. "I'm just worried. I've never had any friends before, so I cherish the ones I have now. I don't want ANY of my oppas to be hurt or upset."

His smile returned, and he kissed the top of my head. "My girlfriend is so caring."

"AAAAAAARGH GOD DAMMIT DOOJOON LET GO OF ME ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kikwang and Dongwoon started laughing when Doojoon refused to free Aeyoung, who was struggling to get out of his anaconda-like grip. Yoseob just pouted in jealousy.

I noticed, and leaned over to gently touch his hand. "Yoseob oppa, it's okay. You'll find a girl to love soon, too. You just have to be patient."

He pouted at me. "But what if she never comes?"

"She will come." I assured him. "You just have to wait for the right one."

He nodded, lost in thought. Then he smiled. "I hope when I get a girlfriend, she'll be just as cute as you."

I blushed, and smiled back. "You're so sweet, Yoseob oppa."

Junhyung smacked Yoseob's head with a spoon. "No sweet-talking MY girlfriend." He scolded. Yoseob just snickered. "And I hope I NEVER become as over-protective and obsessed as Junhyung."

That earned him another smack on the head.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

I walked in the park after school. I was a bit lonely again, since Aeyoung had to go back to Bongcha since she was sick, and Beast was out again. I wasn't worried, though. From what Junhyung told me, we were planning on making an alliance with the gang Teen Top from T.O.P. High. I was proud of them for that. Although Kikwang insisted it was strictly business, to me it felt like everyone was trying to get along.

I walked over to the playground to see Hyunseung sitting on a swing, staring at his feet.

I walked over and sat down next to him. "Hyunseung oppa?"

Hyunseung's head jerked up. *Oh no, not her. Anyone but her.*

Not wanting to hurt my feelings, he smiled weakly. "Hello, Mihi-ah."

"Are you okay? You didn't come to school today."

He shrugged, trying to look indifferent. "Ditching is healthy every now and then."

I frowned in concentration. "Hmmm....I think Junhyung oppa said the same thing."

Hyunseung felt a pang in his heart. Whenever you say his name, you say it with so much love and affection.....

"I just needed to think about things, that's all." Hyunseung said. It wasn't a lie, either -- he had a lot on his mind.

"Well, you should get going home. It's getting late." I said, trying to sound stern like an umma. Hyunseung smiled. "Yeah...."

"I should get home to cook dinner!" I said, jumping off the swing. "You want to come, oppa?"

Before he could say no, I took his hand and pulled him to my house.

"I've never seen much of your house besides the living room and kitchen before." Hyunseung said once I got the soup boiling. "Can I have a tour?"

I showed him Aeyoung's room, the bathrooms, the basement.........

"And finally.....ta-da!" I sang, as I opened the door to my room.

Hyunseung smiled softly. My room was neat and clean. On my billboard was photographs and pictures of Junhyung oppa and I, and me and my friends, of me and Aeyoung.......memories were piled up on my shelves.

Suddenly, he gasped. Eyes wide, he bent out to touch one of the objects.....

"Ah, that?" I said cheerfully. "That is a flower. Gosh, it must have been years ago, I barely remember it now. Despite all those years, though, the flower never withered. It stayed, preserved like that, for years."

"For.......years?" He asked, his voice faint.

"Yup. It's like magic. Oh, I think the soup must be done....." I turned around.

Before I could take another step, I felt a hand on my wrist.

I turned around. Hyunseung was clutching my wrist gently. His grip was so faint and gentle I could have pulled away if I wanted to, but of course I couldn't do that, it was mean and rude.

"Don't......you remember me?" He asked weakly. "Minnie?"

Minnie?

Minnie?

I gasped, as the memories and images suddenly started pouring through my brain. It was like I was watching an old movie through a little girl's eyes, but it wasn't just any little girl, it was me.......it was MY memories........

*****************************************************************************************************************************

FLASHBACK, 11 YEARS AGO.........

"Hey, it's the mousey girl!"

I turned around. Uh-oh. There was Choi Young, the meanest bully in my elementary school. He shoved me. "Go away, mousey girl! Four-eyed girl! Ugly girl!"

I felt tears in my eyes. Why did he have to bully me? I didn't do anything wrong.

"Leave her alone!"

We all looked up to see a small pretty boy with beautiful large, doe-like eyes glaring at Choi Young. The bully sneered. "What, you think you can stop ME, girly-boy?"

To make a short battle even shorter, the pretty boy was actually a very skilled fighter for a 6-year-old and sent Choi Young home crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, worried. He helped me up.

"Yes." I sniffled. "Thank you." I bowed, then winced with pain. One leg got scraped on the ground, and it was bleeding.

"You're hurt!" The boy said with shock. "Wait a minute, I'll go get something to help....." he dashed off, then reappeared carrying a tiny first-aid kit.

I sat down on the park bench, and he gently applied a Hello Kitty band-aid to my wound. I smiled. "Thank you. I like Hello Kitty."

He smiled back. "You're welcome. You're Park Mihi-ah, right? You're in my class."

I nodded. "You.....are Jang Hyunseung." I remembered him. All the little girls had crushes on this beautiful, big-eyed boy. "You're very quiet." I noted.

"So are you." He noted back.

I blushed. It was true. I was almost always seen in the back of the class reading a book.

That........was the start of our friendship.

***************************************************************************************************************************

"Minnie! Minnie!"

I smiled. That could only be one person -- Hyunseung, and his nickname for me.

"Seungie!" I said back, smiling. Hyunseung smiled with delight and hugged me.

We were best friends. He was my only friend in that small little country town.

"Minnie, what do you have for lunch?"

"Me?" I made a face. "A ham sandwich."

He made a face. "I have kimchi rice."

We stared at each other for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. "LET'S SWITCH!"

"How are things with your umma and appa?" I asked him as we sat together after school at the park.

His face grew sour and he kicked the dirt a bit. "They're still fighting. Umma is always saying the same thing -- that appa is having an "affair"."

"What's an "affair"?" I asked him.

He sighed. "I don't know, but it's hurting umma's feelings. She keeps talking about getting a "divorce"."

"What's a "divorce"?"

"I dunno. But whatever it is, I don't like it."

There was silence.

"I wish I had an umma and appa like yours, Minnie." He said quietly.

"Well, umma and appa are always leaving to go on trips together." I said. "So it's very lonely. It's like I don't have parents at all."

"But at least they don't fight." Hyunseung insisted.

I held his hand. "You're my best friend forever and ever, Seungie. I love you, you know that right?"

He finally smiled, and held my hand tightly back. "I love you too, Minnie." He said.

**************************************************************************************************************************

"Minnie!" Hyunseung yelled. "Minnie, open the door!"

"I don't want to!" I yelled back, tears trickling down my face.

"Minnie, I'm sorry, I really am! Please, just open the door!"

I did open the door then, and ran at him, burying my face into his tiny shoulder.

"Why do you have to leave, Seungie?" I sobbed. "You said you'll never leave me!"

"I don't want to go, Minnie!" He said, fighting back tears. "But umma and appa got that "divorce", and umma told me I can't live with appa anymore, so I have to go live with her in Seoul now. I don't want to, but umma's making me."

"Can't you just live here?" I asked, crying hard.

"I want to, Minnie. But I can't."

I sobbed for a while longer, and when I calmed down we walked to the park together.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." Hyunseung said quietly.

"I'll never see you again." I sniffed.

"That's not true. I know we'll meet again." Hyunseung protested, but he sounded doubtful.

"But I love you, Seungie. You're my best friend." I hiccupped.

He suddenly had an idea. He jumped off the bench and picked a pretty pink flower.

Straightening up, he gave me the flower. "This flower is my promise to you." He said, serious and calm. "If the flower doesn't die, then that means that I will meet you again."

I held the small pink flower in my hands. I smiled. "Thank you, Seungie."

He hugged me, then kissed my cheek. "I love you, Minnie."

*******************************************************************************************************************************

"Are you..............Seungie?" I gasped.