Happy 6th Anniversary!
It seems like it has been a year passed when I told you guys I'll be finishing up the story in 2018. Yeah, yeah, promises are meant to be broken. I know. But, somehow, I was so occupied with my personal life. It has been hard for me to balance. Anyway, I won't make any more promises and will just continue updating. the final countdown is at 360. There you go. The last 15 chaps are on the way.

And now, see?! It's a double update now since it's the anniversary plus belated happy birthday to King Taengoo!!! Yay!

Enjoy!

1st update:

Yuri POV

It was so sudden. Tragic. So ing unforgivable.

A week after mine, Sooyoung and Yoong's first visit to Taeyeon in prison, something unexpected happened. News broke out about a woman's corpse floating in the river. Her identity couldn't be identified easily due to the damage on her face. It took a few days until the police have correctly done.

Unfortunately, she was one of our friends.

Sunny.

The news had us all hurt... so mad because of what happened to her... and of what she might have experienced right before her life has ended.

The three girls had it all worse. The pain of one of their best friends leaving this World unfairly had them broken. Tiffany's pain was deeper. She was not there during the last moment of her best friend's life. She even started to blame herself for what happened.

Siwon Goo's back. Alive. Much livelier than how I expected him to. Tiffany told me everything. Even his last words to her before he left. Definitely, this is Siwon's doing.

According to Hyoyeon, Sunny just excused herself to go to the restroom. She and Jessica then afterwards received a message from her saying, she got errands and had to leave early. Constant messages were continued to be exchanged among the four girls. Yet, it was only 'til three days after, the exchange stopped.

We realized the messages might have been fabricated all along. That... She was abducted by Siwon. The autopsy even jived with what we believed too.

Sunny's family just wanted a private funeral. However, due to her fame, it didn't stop her fans from rallying in front of the burial ground, mourning the loss of their idol. It took only two days and the burial ceremony was held.

"This is so ing , man." Sooyoung snapped beside me as we both watch Sunny's casket being lowered down to her grave. He was in full of tears. He quickly wiped it off. "This is so ed up." Yet, he still broke down. The pain brought me to tears too. Yet, I had to bear it. I had to remain strong. I can't exactly be like this when Tiffany and the two girls are dealing much worse feeling.

"We should leave." Yoong snapped on my left. "We should learn from the past. We shouldn't stay longer on an open field like this."

"I know." I responded. "Let's just leave a few more moments for the girls."

Yoong was remaining strong too. Yet, he was bearing it much stronger than me. I never saw him shed a single tear. Yet, I know deep in his heart that he's depressed, frustrated and mad as well. 

He sighed deeply, "We're not safe here. There are too many people around. Who knows? Maybe one of them is his apprentice."

"I know. But, we should not get too paranoid, Yoong."

He gritted his teeth, "We will calm down then let this go. Then, all of a sudden, something will happen again. Hyung, it's time for us to move."

"You're still recovering. Stop trying to involve yourself again."

"As if you're not injured too."

"Mine's bearable. Look at you. You're still fully wrapped with a bandage, your forearm's still not okay, too. Stop stressing yourself. I will handle this, Yoong."

"This is really so..." He hissed. "Sunny-noona doesn't deserve this."

"I know..."

"How are we gonna tell Taeyeon about this?" Soo asked.

"I don't know... We're not even sure if the news already reached him now."

"Will he be able to bear this?" Yoong asked. "He and Sunny had a special relationship before..." He looked at me. "Should we even tell him right away?" He sighed deeply, "I was just thinking... after everything he'd been through, this even adds up."

The burial ceremony has ended, Sunkyu approached us. "Appa. Can you talk to Tao-hyung?" He looked back at the older guy, "He's still not responding to anyone of us, not even to umma."

Tao had the worst. He's been too quiet and down ever since he found out about the news. Right during the past few weeks, he went back to the U.S. without his late girlfriend since the latter needed to stay for the preparation of Jessica's wedding.

I sighed, "Let's give him more time to recover, Kyu. Maybe he needs this space."

He gazed at his hyung sadly. "We did the same with umma before. We gave her space. It just made her worse."

I patted his head, "Alright. You better not worry much. Go to your umma."

"Okay." he said and went back to his mother's side.

Sooyoung excused himself to go near his family. I then redirected to Yoong. "You better try and talk to Jessica now. Try to console her, ease up her pain."

He looked at me, surprised, "B-but--"

"This is bad for her health, okay."

"Health?"

"You better try to console her."

He looked away and didn't respond.

"Yoong."

"I don't think she wants me to."

"She wants you to." I tapped his shoulder. "Trust me."

He sighed deeply, "Alright. I guess I... I guess I can try to at least be a good friend to her."

I chuckled faintly, "Yes, you should be. Be her best friend, actually. That'll be a healthier way."

He looked at me in confusion, "What?"

"I said go."

He sighed, "Alright." He then walked away towards Jessica.

I then headed to Tao who was right beside his father and step-mother. His robotic legs are now installed. Yet, still, he's in his wheelchair. He was excited, announcing to everyone that he's about to walk again two weeks ago. Yet, now, he seemed to have lost his will and hope again.

Aunt Elise smiled faintly when she saw me. She then excused herself and Uncle Jaejoong. She pushed the latter's wheelchair heading for my mom.

I took a seat on the monoblock beside Tao. He didn't bother to look. Instead, he just stayed still, staring at nothingness.

"Tao..."

"..."

"Sunny will not be happy seeing you like this. She wouldn't want you to end up the same way as your sister before."

"Tell me, hyung..."

"..."

"Would you feel the same if the same thing happened to you...?"

I sighed deeply, "Probably, I already killed myself if it was your sister."

"I've been thinking about that..."

"Tao... Please not be selfish... Your family's still here for you. They love you so much. Sunny was not the only one who loves you. Even us your friends."

"She became my life. My Sun. She's the one who has been making me happy. She was my will in this life."

"..."

"She accepted me for who I am. She still accepted me despite what happened to me." He looked at me with tears now accumulating in his eyes, "Tell me how should I live my life again, hyung?" He looked away. His tears have then shed. "My mom left this world and I was not there beside her. Now, her. I was not beside her too. Maybe... Maybe, God really wanted to shove into my face that I don't deserve to be happy."

"We all have our own tragedies, Tao. Me. I lost my father because of me. I lost my son without even able to take a single glance at him. But... you know... Same as you. I survived my accident years ago. Still, I found a reason to continue living."

"..."

"This is probably one of God's challenges for you to overcome."

"..."

"I know it's hard. But you must continue fighting. The death of her doesn't mean for the love to stop. Just... just always remember her in your heart." I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Just always remember we're all here for you. You're not alone. Let's help each other out in overcoming this."

He looked at me and smiled faintly, "Thanks, hyung."

One of our security then approached me. "Sir. A letter was delivered for Miss Stephanie. There were no details of who sent it." he said and handed me the letter then excused himself. 

Tao looked at me, concerned. "Why would someone send a letter right in this very place?"

I sighed, "I know... This is probably from 'him'." I stood up. "I'll just give this to your sister."

"Okay."

I went to Stephanie's side and showed her the letter. She looked at me, confused, "What is it?"

"Probably from him."

She took and opened it. She suddenly looked horrified after she read it. I snatched the letter from her and read,

           'Look at your beautiful friend. I told her she lost her life because of you. Just to make a reminder that I am still here.'

There was also a shot of torture of our late friend attached at the bottom of the letter.

I quickly closed it. Sooyoung somewhat noticed us and went near. "Hey, what was it? Why are two looking like you saw a ghost?"

I handed him the letter. He bore the same look on his face. He immediately closed it too. "We better just hide this from the rest."

"Yeah...."

"Anyway, I got news."

Tiffany and I looked at him intently. "What is it?" she asked.

"Remember Sunny told the girls through a message that she will just be leaving much early during that day? No matter how much I interrogated my security group that manned them, they keep on saying Sunny insisted to leave alone and that no one suspicious was there in that place too. Well, they could be wrong but..." He sighed deeply. "I just spoke to Sunny's mom. She said the day before the date of her death based on her autopsy, she still received a video call from her."

"So, what are you exactly saying? She willingly went to Siwon?" I asked.

"It could be that."

Tiffany snapped, "Or maybe she didn't really meet Siwon during that day. Maybe she was safe til that day she talked to her mother. Maybe it was after that."

"It could also be that but..." He took out his phone and showed a paused video to us. "This was a CCTV footage of Sunny and 'allegedly', Siwon Goo, heading inside a hotel here in the city."

I pressed the play button and confirmed he was telling the truth. It was actually, really Sunny.

"How did you get this?" I asked.

"My security personnel felt so guilty of what happened so he decided to scan footages on that mall's premises and found the vehicle Sunny rode that day. He then scanned all the possible CCTV footages all over the city and got this."

Tiffany suddenly looked infuriated, "So what are you really implying, Soo? That she's really associated with Siwon Goo? We're still not sure if that man is Siwon."

"Fany-yah, calm down." I uttered.

"This isn't the time for your stupid investigations. Have respect. Sunny just died." Suddenly, she broke down in tears. "And she died because of me." I pulled her to my arms and she buried her face on my chest. "It is all because of me. Why everyone's suffering because of me? Why?"

Sooyoung understood the situation. and excused himself away. I continued to console her, "It was not you. Hold yourself together, Fany-yah, please."

"How many more people will die because of me, Yuri?" She looked at me. "This is too much. Too much. Who else? Hyomin? We haven't gotten news where she is." 

"He's just trying to get into your head. Calm down."

"If it's me who he wants, why doesn't he just take me instead? Why need to hurt other people too?"

"Tiffany..."

"Why doesn't he just end me right away?!"

"Don't say that." I cupped her face with my hands. "I am trying my best to keep you safe. We all are. Don't be like this. Don't you dare try to risk meeting up with him again."

"It's the only way, Yuri."

"No. I will