The Lee Estate, Seoul

Once there was silence in the guest bedroom, Kikwang knocked on the door. "Are you done, Jung Eunji? I'm opening the door!"

"Wait-" she started, but he opened it anyway. She'd barely gotten the zipper zipped halfway on the pure white dress, but seeing her bare skin wasn't new to him anyway. She used to run around with loose pants before middle school started up.

But...this time, seeing her, he didn't feel like he did a long time ago when he instinctively made fun of her . It was different; he was frozen for a minute.

"Yah, what are you doing standing there?! Help me!" she demanded, still trying to get the zipper up.

At her voice, he snapped out of it and took care of the stuck zipper. He noticed a bandage on her finger, but thought nothing much of it.

"You look decent," he stepped back and gave her a smug smile when she glared.

"Decent? That's all? I took 45 minutes to be ranked decent?"

"It's a great improvement from your usual ugly," he cackled.

Her fist came up reflexively but she reminded herself once again she was being too friendly with him and calmly moved out of the guest room to the entry way, where Kikwang's parents waited together.

"You look beautiful, Eunji-ah," his mom smiled warmly. His dad simply nodded and led his wife to the car, the kids trailing after them.

Upon arriving at the high-end restaurant, the family was led up the grand stairs and into a large maroon VIP dining room, complete with several buffet counters and a stone ballroom dance floor.

Eunji would've tripped up the polished  marble stairs if it wasn't for Kikwang holding onto her arm tightly. It must've been routine and mindless chivalry for him, but...in all honestly he was the only guy to ever touch her like that. Eunji turned away so that no one saw her slowly reddening cheeks.

Nope, you can't be like this, Jung Eunji. You know why.

"Mr. Lee, welcome," the already present families greeted them with polite bows and handshakes.

"Ah, a beautiful lady tonight, son," a man nodded to Kikwang as he shook Eunji's hand.

"This is Mr. Jung's daughter, Jung Eunji," Kikwang's mom introduced her. "It's been a while since she's attended the same dinner with us."

"Mr. Jung's?" A few men and women around them murmured.

"That family that always talked with the satoori?"

"Have you taken her in, Mrs. Lee?" one CEO questioned.

"Is your son engaged yet? Would he be interested in my daughter?" another asked.

Mr. Lee shook his head, and the questions died down as he made his way to his table. 

Eunji spotted a few people she hadn't ever seen at a dinner. Among them, one of them came over to talk.

"What are you doing here?" Choi Jonghoon greeted, "Eunji, you're close with the Lee family?"

It was weird talking to him outside of school, she didn't know whether to address him as a teacher or what. "Our parents were friends. What about you?"

"Choi Group," he gestured at his family, a finely suited and dressed up bunch. They were already seated and sipping out of fine wine goblets. Jonghoon eventually excused himself when they called for him.

Kikwang guided her to the Lee table and pulled her chair out for her.

"Aigoo, aren't you a gentleman today," she mocked him as he put meat on her plate. "I'm gonna get fat."

"Please do~" he imitated her. "I've always been a gentleman."

"Yeah," she scoffed, "sure."

"Really!" He insisted, "You don't remember when I always did this?"

"Maybe not."

Kikwang remembered the composition Hayi passed to him yesterday. He'd kept that page with him in his backpack.

"So how is it accompanying Lee Kikwang?" he held a fork to in a mock-interview once she finished eating.

The girl thought for a while, and then shrugged her shoulders loosely like a child, "It was alright."

Except for one thing. Park Jiyeon. From across the room her heavily lined eyes seemed to burn a hole into Eunji's forehead. Park. Ji. Yeon.

"Should I try to make your answer less hesitant?" Kikwang challenged her, and she smirked.

"Try."

"Come on," he tugged on her fingertips, motioning for her to follow him. Quietly they slipped away from his parents and the families who were all out on the dance floor. He led her out the back door and into the restaurant's backyard, connected to the scenic Han River.

He helped her towards the river carefully, making sure her dress didn't catch on anything. 

"You know you're paying for the dry cleaners', right?" she sat down on a rock by the riverbank. He sat behind her to make room for her dress.

"It's not a problem."

They didn't speak, just watched the river like they did before.

"Remember when we used to jog here?" Kikwang asked as he suddenly spotted a lone jogger and his dog.

"I fell a lot," she made a face. "Remember when I made you have a picnic with me?"

"You didn't even make that lunch! Your mom did!"

At the mention of her mom she was happy, but then a frown formed on her face. Happy because of the memory, sad because it would never happen again.

Kikwang sensed the mood, and set his suit jacket over her cold shoulders. "You miss them?"

He felt her nod against his neck as he set his chin on her head. "Yah, our Eunji...we can still have a picnic. Guess you'll just have to make the food yourself this time."

She scoffed and moved away.

By now Kikwang got the hint. He never knew how to comfort her before, and he didn't know how to comfort her now. The best he could do was pat her back a little.

"Eunji...there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

She waited quietly. He cleared his throat.

"Well...why did you stop talking to me?"

Eunji frowned. Where could she start?
 

The Lee's dinner party, a year ago

The music faded in the background as the song changed and Eunji left her partner to go get a drink. Kikwang promised to catch up with her later after he was done greeting new guests with his parents.

At the drinks table, a familiar figure approached her.

"Jiyeon," she smiled. Kikwang's girlfriend. He talked about her a lot, about how all of the boys were into her and had a bet on who could get a date with her the fastest. Of course being Lee Kikwang, he won. She was quite proud of him, especially since she won that bet with Doojoon.

However, the other girl had no pretty smiles for his best friend.

"Look, to get to the point, I want you to stay away from Kikwang, okay? He's my boyfriend."

"But we're friends...?"

"Maybe when he was single, yeah, but not anymore. Don't you think you're getting in the way of our relationship? Hanging around him so much?"

Thinking about it, Jiyeon was right. Maybe Eunji was asking Kikwang to hang out with her too much.

"Okay?" the girl raised a brow. "Just don't hang out with him, if you want him to be happy. I really can't stand you with him. Cheers."

The girl raised her glass and left Eunji alone with her thoughts.
 

Near the Han River, present time

"Why?" he repeated. That girl spaced out so much.

"You...had a girlfriend."

"What?" he snorted, and then started laughing. "That's all? I had a girlfriend so we couldn't be friends? That never stopped you before."

"That's not all," her brows knitted together. There was more than that.

"You should've told me," he said. But it's okay, because I read that songwriting assignment of yours and keep with with me all the time. But if you knew that, you'd probably bite my head off.

She stopped looking at him with a sigh. She seemed to be debating something in her mind.

He grinned, sliding off the rock to help her up. "Well, Jung Eunji? Are we friends again?"

There was moment of hesitation. The year it took to build up that wall between them would all go to waste if she agreed now. But...

That was the last time. She remembered the song she wrote for the composing final. That was really the end. I said I'd never think about it again. So maybe we can be just friends.

Eunji quietly held out her pinky finger, and he locked it with his and stamped the promise. She almost felt sorry looking at his bright expression. Almost.
 

The Oceanaires' restaurant, Seoul

Jiyeon wasn't stupid. She saw the way her boyfriend looked at her. She had a woman's instinct after all, and it told her that the two definately had something going on.

"I mean, why would he like her when he has you?" Hara had said with a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "Trust me, Jiyeon, you're the one they all want."

"Am I, though?" She had asked again as she watched Eunji punch Kikwang in the arm once again. The boy responded with a bright grin as if he was glad she gave him attention.

Hara looked as her friend sighed irritatedly. She felt a little bad for Jung Eunji; whoever Jiyeon was out to get, would really get it.

She was back to square one with them.

Jiyeon scoffed as she spotted Kikwang and Eunji reentering the party after they left a while ago, "Look who's back."

"Why do you keep watching them?" Hara sighed, gesturing towards the dance floor, "Look at all the other guys here. We might even be engaged to one of them someday. You should start getting around."

"Kikwang's mine."

"He was."

"I told her to stay away," she snapped across Hara in annoyance. "I'm gonna get both of them, just wait. Are you in, Hara?"

"Don't you think it's enough?" Hara's brows knitted together as she glanced towards the other side of the room, where the Lee family was being served refreshments. Jiyeon's ex downed a shot of apple juice, pretending it was some kind of wine. The girl next to him rolled his eyes, but Hara could tell she was suppressing a smile. "After what happened..."

"If you're talking about that-"

"Excuse me."

Before Jiyeon could finish her sentence, Jonghoon appeared in front of the two of them and joined them at the round dining table that was now empty save for Jiyeon's parents, who eyed the boy quietly. Everyone else was on the dance floor.

"Mind if I join?" he raised a brow. Hara shook her head quietly, but Jiyeon scowled and sat back in her seat.

"Yes I do, but you're just gonna sit here anyway."

He shrugged, "You're right about that."
 

The Lee Estate, Seoul

"Where do you live now, Eunji?" Kikwang's mom questioned as she prepared some late-night tea after the party.

"Oh, uh...a little bit far...from...here."

"Do you want to stay here tonight? Or we can take you home," the woman offered. 

"I can go home myself," Eunji waved a hand quickly. "You don't have to go."

"Are you sure? Have you heard of some of the outer city's drunks wandering over to this part of town? Kikwang can take you home."

She frowned, glancing at Kikwang quickly. "I'll stay here then."

"I'll take her to the guest room," Kikwang took her by the wrist and brought her upstairs as his mom nodded. In the plain white room, he handed her the backpack and bag with her dress inside. "Keep it, it's yours."

"Ah...sure, thanks," she nodded, patting the bed, "I'll be going to sleep now."

"Why don't you want me to take you home? I can do that if you're uncomfortable."

"I'll be fine," she assured him, smoothing the bed with her hands. "I'm too lazy to go back."

He nodded, leaving the room with a cool shrug.

He missed Jung Eunji. Jung Eunji, his childhood friend and first love. Jung Eunji, who now treated him like a mere stranger with memories.

How could she show him what kind of house she lived in now? If the Lee family knew she lived in that dingy apartment in exactly the part of town with the drunks, they'd take her in for sure. Maybe even force her in. And how could she bother her parents' friends like that? Her parents' friends, who always sided with their ideas. The Lees and Jungs had come a long way together.

And then there was Kikwang. She was pretty sure he didn't know why she was so distant around him but she didn't want to get any closer. "Friends" was the arms-length she'll keep him at.
 

It's still snowing outside so update-bombing this week c: honestly I've forgotten what green trees look like...

what is grass? what is green? what is life? wow that sounded like a poem right there but yeah I hope maybe we'll get a day of school off so I can listen to B.A.P songs and write?

There was a lot of um,  this chapter. Any Melodys here? Eunkwang says hi.


Ahahahah anyway, if you guys have seen the chapter titles and banners and figure out who's point of view it's in in some chapters...cough hints! And hey hey, Jonghoon stopped by to say hi don't forget me. 

There's a DaeJi shipper among the students too. Maybe I can send some divine help to them huh?

Oh yes and thank you so much for commenting you guys!! ;_;