What happened to dreams? 
Will what I’ve dreamt of ever become reality?




“What happened to him?” he said disgustingly as he looked at his friend slouched in the bar at four pm. It was a little too early to be drunk.

“Fancy seeing you here so early Lee Taemin. Come and have a drink with me,” Kim Jonghyun said slurring. He hiccupped as he poured a drink for Taemin. Lee Taemin was annoyed as he had plans for the afternoon but he had to get called to this. What was the matter with him this time around? Jonghyun always had some sort of problem with that girlfriend of his. 

At the corner of his eye, Taemin saw Ae Lyn alighting from the black car that, he noticed, brought her to school. She was wearing her blue uniform, her hair loose and long on her back. He could see her through the window of the bar they were in. 

The genius Jonghyun forced the manager to open early for him. Really early. Well, they weren’t street gods without privileges. What was the point of fighting and establishing their names if they couldn’t enjoy what they sowed? Besides Kim Jonghyun needed all the liquor he could get. He wanted to get so drunk that he couldn’t even remember his own name. Heartaches tend to have that effect. 

Taemin sat down, his ripped pants allowing his skin to touch the cool leather of the bar stool. He held the glass that Jonghyun shoved to him as he stared at the beauty standing idly outside. 

Today was the day he was going to attempt to speak to her. After so long, he has decided that he will let her know. Inside, sitting on the passenger seat of his midnight blue Maserati Quattroporte parked in the street outside, was a bouquet of tulips and a box of chocolates. He would definitely get a ticket for parking where he wasn’t supposed to but Taemin didn’t care about those things. He had money to burn. 

He had never done this, flowers and chocolates, as he wasn’t one for romantics but he didn’t think she would, or her parents, appreciate it if he kidnapped her and forced her to become his girlfriend as was his norm. 

The front door of Ae Lyn’s car opened and an extremely tall boy with black hair came out in the same dark blue uniform. He had a long graceful neck; big doe like eyes and a smile graced his lips. He was holding her bag. Taemin should know. After trailing her home for the past month, he should know that that black shiny bag with the silver buckles on the sides and the Victorian carving on the front was hers.

“Girls like her could never be ours," Jonghyun said interrupting his thoughts as he too turned his gaze to the scene outside. 

"They only belong to guys like that guy she’s with, or like your older brother Jinki or my brother Donghae. No matter how much sacrifices you make, you’ll never be good enough. Love,” Jonghyun scoffed as he said the word. 

“Love does not make the world go round but prestige, social standing, and appearances do. What are we anyways? We may still be chaebols* but we’re just second or third sons. This world we are in, the streets, the fighting, the glory, we are not worthy to even touch the skin of their precious pearls,” Jonghyun ended drunkenly yet the hurt and the cynicism in his voice could not be masked.

Jonghyun had been hurt. His girlfriend of nine months, Park Ha Neul had been finally forced to leave him because of who he was. Her parents wouldn’t allow Jonghyun’s reputation to taint their perfect daughter, a daughter they can marry of to someone like Lee Jinki. He was the dream son-in-law, someone who was heir to the company, who was refined, and who was always politically correct. He was someone who would graduate from Koryeo, Yonsei, or Seoul National University with a degree in law or at the very least, Foreign Relations. 

Park Ha Neul went to Daewon High School, one of the most prestigious high schools in Seoul, and she was Jung Ae Lyn’s classmate. Jung Ae Lyn and Park Ha Neul were socially similar. They both played a musical instrument, studied a foreign language, and always got good grades.

A thought plagued Lee Taemin's mind. Would he be like Kim Jonghyun a few months from now if something happened to him and Jung Ae Lyn? Would he be a pathetic loser, crying his heart out? 

Would he be able to take the pain? Were a few moments of bliss enough for an eternity of hell and heartbreak?

Girls like her and boys like him would never be.



That night, Kim Kibum, their rival in the streets decided he was bored and thrashed the bar the two were in. 

“Such a pathetic loser. Who knew a girl could turn someone like you into a bumbling idiot,” Key laughed cruelly. It was fun to see the great Kim Jonghyun weak. Tonight would be an easy win. 

He surveyed the scene in front of him; the seats were thrown everywhere and broken bottles littered the floor while the two, Jonghyun and Taemin were sitting in the corner ignoring the fighting.

Taemin stood up, wiping the liquid from his lips. “We’re not in the mood Key. Get lost. I’m out of here Jonghyun. I’ll see you around,” and walked out from the bar.

He got in his car, his steps wobbly, slightly inebriated. He didn’t care about what would happen inside after he left. Kibum and Jonghyun weren’t exactly enemies. In fact there were rumors about intimate relations and things going sour but it was scandalous and had to be silenced. 

Taemin sat in the driver seat and removed the huge necklace made of silver links on his neck. He removed the bands on his hands hurriedly, almost hurting himself in the process as he also removed the ring on his finger. He wanted to drive fast but restrained himself. He felt annoyance. He felt like rebelling.

And at a red light, he stopped. He stared at the flowers and the chocolates sitting in the front.

He picked them up, touching them lovingly and with all his strength, hurled them out his window.

An anguished sob tore out from his chest.

Girls like her and boys like him could never be.











The hand touched her skin. She whimpered willing him to stop but he was deaf, deaf to the silent screams.

Fingers glided on trembling skin.

“Shh.. You won’t like it if they awaken.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped the torture would end soon. 












*Chaebol
Term used for sons of owners of rich companies waiting to inherit.