Year 2012: San Francisco, United States.

“Noona, do you really have to go?” A tall, young man pouted to his older sister who could care less about his facial expressions.

“Yes I do. And don’t think I don’t know that you’re secretly gleeful.” The girl turned to face her brother. “I mean, weren’t you the one who wanted the whole house by yourself? And now you’re pleading me to stay? Really, Chanyeol?”

“Oh I give up.” He sulked. “All I wanted to do was to be nice but no. You always have to say something to add on to my statements. That’s the great Tiffany Hwang for you!”

“Look.” Tiffany neared her younger sibling, her hands patting his shoulders. “I know you’re against of me going to Korea, but it’s not like you’ll be stuck here forever. You’re coming once the year ends, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah. I have to finish school and stuff.”

“And… it’s not like you’ll be stuck here alone.”

“But I have no one to call family with me.”

“You have Luhan.” She said determinedly.

“But Luhan hyung isn’t family.”

“He feels like family. It’s the same thing.” Tiffany sighed. “Come here.”

The girl pulled the young man to her eye level and she kissed him lightly on the cheeks. Chanyeol, in the meanwhile, scrunched his nose in disgust; as if such an act has tainted him.

“Why do you look like you’re constipated?!” The girl shouted, garnering the stares of strangers.

“Number one. No kissing me in public. It’s embarrassing. I’m your brother, not your pet. Number two. You’re the one who looks constipated. Number three.” The man heaved a heavy sigh. “Remember to call at least once a week, okay? I’ll be by your side as soon as I can.”

“Okay.” The girl promised. “Stay with Luhan no matter what, all right? Listen to him nicely. Don’t bully him. After all he’s still older than you.”

Her eyes fleeted around the strangers walking back and forth before smiling brightly to her younger companion.

“O-oh.” Chanyeol muttered. “Luhan hyung said he can’t send you off today because he has work.”

“Yeah right.” Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Between you and me, we know the real reason to why he’s not here.”

The man just laughed it off, as if such a thing didn’t concern him. An announcement was then played all over the airport; its’ message was to let its passengers know that their flight was ready.

“That’s my flight.” The girl acknowledged reluctantly.

“You better go.”

“Be careful, all right?” She hugged her brother tightly; her feet soon stepping further away from whom she calls home.

“You too, noona. You too.”

-

Year 2012: Seoul, Korea.

Ever since landing in Korea, all that she could ever think was that she wanted to go home. Yes, home was in that empty house back in the US; where Chanyeol would be busy playing video games instead of studying.

Home was where those painful memories constantly resurfaced, but no one dared to talk about it; everyone just moved on.

Home was where Chanyeol was; not in some foreign place she had never been to.

But the girl took it in her stride. Yes, after all, she wasn’t here for home now was she? She was here for a past memory, a past acquaintance. A friend.

She was here for Kim Yuri.

The older figure she used to look up to when she was a child; her role model, in fact. And she had been devastated once she came to hear that Yuri was moving away.

They had been such good friends and yet… and yet Yuri moved away. Tiffany didn’t know why Yuri agreed in the first place.

The girl she knew loved the US. She loved how she wasn’t alone in such a big country. She loved how she had friends. And to think she mentioned once she never had regrets leaving Korea for the US.

But she left again. She left for the place she loathes the most. And for that, Tiffany could never understand why Yuri did what she did. But today she was going to surprise her.

Thank god for the handsome hunks in school who succumbed to her eye smiles, Tiffany thought to herself. If it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t have managed to find Yuri’s address in Seoul. Never underestimate the power of charm.

So that was how she found herself in a relatively secluded mansion; yes mansion but more like she was standing right outside the door anyway.

Apparently, whoever was leaving inside must be deaf. The girl tried ringing the door bells, knocking on the door and even shouting out “Hello” in Korean, but no one would come her way. And right about when she was about to give up, a young man finally opened the door; his face that of an annoyed person.

“What do you want?” He was annoyed all right.

“Er, Hi. My name is Tiffany and I-“

“And you came knocking on my door for a self-introduction?”

Tiffany decided there and then she didn’t like this… person. Yes, she ran out of words to describe a man of such horrendous personality. Not that she was perfect to begin with, but this man needed a slap.

“Er, no.” She maintained her bright smile. “I’m actually looking for Yuri. Kim Yuri.”

The girl saw how the man turned disgusted, as if she had just vomited all over him.

“Is this some kind of a sick joke?! God, get home already!”

And bam. He slammed the door right in her face.

Now, Tiffany was as confused as a turtle turning into a koala. Did that make sense? Of course not. She wasn’t in her right mind. Why did this guy thought that she was playing a joke on him? She did not came here all the way from the US to get an annoying assho-

Okay. She was going to try talk to this young man again. Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. And so she knocked again.

“Look.” He uttered straight away once he opened his door. “What do you want?!”

“I’m looking for Kim Yuri.”

“Again with Kim Yuri.”

“Does she live here?” Tiffany probed further.

“Wait, you really don’t know, do you?” The man turned speculative.

“Know what? Did she moved?”

“Who are you again?”

“My name is Tiffany and I am from the US. I came here to find my friend, Kim Yuri.” She heaved a sigh. “Now, if you could kindly tell me, does Kim Yuri live here? If not, I’ll be on my way.”

“Kim Yuri is dead.” The man said as a matter of fact; his eyes hinting that he too was still in pain.

“O-Oh. I’m sorry.” Tiffany immediately regretted probing him. “M-May I ask who you are?”

“I’m Yuri’s younger brother.”

“Yuri never once said she had a younger sibling.” Now this time it was Tiffany’s turn to be suspicious.

“Well, I’m pretty sure she never talks about her family either. Am I right?”

The girl nodded her head solemnly. Can she trust this guy? But… But no one will lie about such a grievous matter such as death now would they?

“If I may ask again.” The man looked at Tiffany from head to toe. “May I know your name?”

“I already told you. It’s Tiffany.”

“No no. Your full name.”

“Tiffany Hwang. Wh-“

“Hwang….” He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

The man immediately made way to the girl, his stance of that welcoming her inside his home.

“Well Miss Hwang. My name is Kim Myungsoo and I am Yuri’s younger brother, believe it or not. But her last words to me were that to only trust a person with the name ‘Hwang.’ And I don’t think she meant anyone else but you.”

“I…”

“Please, I know we’ve just met but I need you to trust me. And by trusting me, believe me when I say that it’s not safe for us to be talking like this. So please, you need to come inside.”

Tiffany wasn’t sure if she trusted the man, yet somehow she knew that if she didn’t, she’d be missing out on something crucial.

She came here for Yuri, and for Yuri she will stay. That was her final resolution.

“Okay.”

The girl walked into the house and the door closed, not allowing any more personal invasion into their conversation.

Out in a bush somewhere, a young man clad in all black was seen talking on his phone; his voice as soft as a whisper.

“Yes boss. You heard me right. Tiffany Hwang has stepped foot into Korea.”