Let us fastforward into Hyori's and Chen's life ..

"You'll be in the same school as Zico hyung?" Chen tried to ask casually, but his eyes betrayed a tinge of jealousy. "Didn't he graduate earlier than you? Since he only studied for 3 years but you 4?"

Hyori nodded. "He decided to postpone his education to get a full-time job for a year, which was last year. He told me he needed to be financially stable to pay for collage fees."

Chen looked skeptical. "What about his parents? Aren't they rich?" He tried not to sound accusatory. Hyori shrugged.

"I asked him the same question too and he told me he wanted to be independent."

"That's all hyung told you?"

"Mm."

Chen tried to resist scoffing at her reply. Obviously that wasn't the only reason why Zico postponed his studies last year. Hyori was thinking along the same lines too, for she had momentarily dazed.

"Why did you postpone your studies?"

"To wait for you so that we can enrol into college together, since we are coincidentally aiming to enter the same college."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're wasting one year of education!"

"Nope, I'm merely postponing it."

"But .. what are you going to do?"

"Get a job? College fees ain't that cheap, babe," Zico grinned. Hyori flushed.

Before Zico left, he looked into her eyes. "Make sure we get into the same college, or I'll make you feel guilty for the rest of your life," he smirked.

"Noona. Noona." Chen snapped his fingers in front of her face. Hyori blinked. "Sorry."

"No wonder I didn't hear anything from him. And you didn't tell me anything about it until now?" Chen sounded hurt.

"I was busy, I sat for my national exams last year, didn't I? And you were busy too, making new friends, attending CCA. And everytime we meet, we'll just be talking about you. Your new friends, your teachers, your CCA, your classes, the girls who have a crush on you," Hyori said, a little frustrated.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Just then, Hyori's phone rang. It was Zico. Hyori sighed. "I'd better go." She stood up from the swings and left Chen there without saying goodbye.

"Hey," Hyori said as soon as she picked up the call.

"Good afternoon sunshine, have you filled in the documents in the enrolment package the school gave us?"

"Yes I did."

"Have you sent them to the school?"

"Not yet."

"Good, because you're gonna help me fill in some details that I don't know."

Hyori sighed. "Your parents can fill those that you don't know."

"They're overseas now."

"Oh."

"We could send them together, after you finished helping me."

"Okay."

"So .. I'll meet you at Starbucks in 30?"

"Will do."

Hyori hung up her phone, feeling a little listless. She reached home, picked up her enrolment package that her mom and her pored over so intently for the last few days. "Mom?" Hyori called out.

"Yes dear?" Mrs Park's voice rang through the house.

"I'll be meeting Zico at Starbucks, he asked me for help in his documents. And after that we'll send in the enrolment package together."

"Alright dear! Make sure you have everything with you!"

"Okay. Bye mom."

Hyori trudged out of the house and made her way slowly over to Starbucks. She didn't know why she was feeling so empty these days, so unhappy, so frustrated, so alone.

Suddenly, she kicked a pebble nearby. Can high school really change people's personality? Hyori remembered changing her image, and she made such a shocking revolution that she suddenly gained admirers in her school. Hyori's personality had changed too. There was a saying,  which goes something like:

You behave based on what you wear.

And Hyori found that saying true to a certain extent. When she wore dresses for the first time, she felt feminine. And she carried herself like .. like a lady.

When she was feeling like a chic, she behaved like one.

When she was on her period and encountered moodswings, she tend to wear oversized sweatshirts and black leggings with flats. Her hair would be tied up in a messy bun and she won't give a damn on how she looked like.

The only thing she was aware of would be her cramps, and boy do they hurt big time.

Hyori's thoughts travelled to Chen. He was already 14 years old but he went through a tremedous change, just like Hyori.

He wasn't the shy innocent boy anymore. He was more outgoing and loud.

He wasn't the small scrawny kid. He had developed muscles and his facial features became sharper. And he was of the same height as Hyori now.

His voice wasn't squeaky. His voice was begining to get deeper, but not yet cracked.

Hyori didn't like the change at all. Then again, Chen initially didn't like the change she went through. But Hyori only changed physically. Her personality was still the same .. right?

Hyori kicked another pebble. Was this part of growing up, when people become more matured, and they gradually drift apart?

But Hyori didn't want she and Chen to drift apart. She was miserable without his usual company. Not even her admirers can cheer her up. Not even the cutest guys in her ex middle school can make her feel a sense of affection to except for Chen. Was it because ..

"No," Hyori said aloud. "Chen is younger. I cannot possibly have fallen in love with him. It's weird. It's not right."

With that reassuring thought, she continued with her journey to Starbucks.

*

Hello, as you can see, I added a semi-hiatus to my title. I'll be starting school next week and I won't have time to update my fic as frequently as before. While I may be gone for long periods of time, I hope you guys will still continue to be there for me and support my fic. I won't totally be gone, no worries, and this fic won't be deleted, but I'll get busy, and I hope you understand me. (: