A/N: Skipping ahead a bit because it would just be boring filler material if I didn’t.

January

The look on Kaemi's face suggested that her parents had each sprouted an extra head.

"You're what?"

"We're moving to the States to live with Nana for a while," Her appa (who had in fact, not acquired a new head) said calmly. He understood her reaction to the sudden news almost as much as he was anticipating her next question.

"We're, meaning me, too?" Kaemi asked, her stomach already twisted into a giant knot. She feared the answer. There was barely a month and a half left until University started. She couldn't leave now!

"I understand that you're going to be starting university in March?" Her umma asked, seemingly avoiding the question. Kaemi nodded, suspicious.

"And as far as I know, you and Kai are still a couple?" Another nod.

"I don't really want to do this, because you are my daughter, and I have your best interests at heart." Here she paused to gauge Kaemi's reaction. Needless to say the girl had lost all color in her face and already the words of protest were ready to spring from .

"But I also value and respect your opinion. You're almost an adult, and should be starting to make big decisions like this for yourself, with our help of course," Umma finished, watching as the words sunk in.

"...So does that mean I can stay?" Kaemi asked hesitantly.

"If you want to," Appa answered.

"Of course I want to stay," Kaemi said, the color returning to her face. "I mean, everything I know is here." Her parents looked at each other and smiled.

"Then you'll stay here."

"Just like that?"

"There is an added condition," Her umma answered. "Since we’re leaving, we’ve been looking for a new manager to run the store-"

“And we’ve finally found someone to take over while we’re gone,” Appa finished. “His name is Kim Jaesang. He’s moved here from Daegu with his brother so we’re going to rent the place to them. We invited him to dinner, but he can't make it, so his brother is going to come.”

“O-okay,” Kaemi stuttered. She had momentarily forgotten about the store, but now that it had been brought up, she was glad that it wasn’t just going to close. And renting out the apartment? Well, it was better than letting things sit and go unused for an indeterminate amount of time. “Any other big surprises I should know about?”

Her umma smiled. “Well, they wouldn’t then be surprises, would they? Now go on and get ready before you’re late to class.”

As if just noticing the time, Kaemi hopped from her chair at the breakfast table and headed for the door. By the time she made it to school, she had just a few minutes to herself before classes began. As students slid into their seats, she ran through everything she had been told that morning. It certainly was a lot to process, but she was happy that she wouldn’t have to go through the pain and adjustment of moving out of the country. Sure, she loved her grandmother and the United States, but she had a life here too and she wasn’t ready to give that up just yet.

Classes, it seemed, dragged until lunch, when Kaemi shot out of her seat and down to the cafeteria. As soon as she arrived, she was nearly tackled by Eun Chae, who dragged her to the ‘Girls Only’ two-person table they used when they didn’t care to be bothered by the boys.

“Kaemi, it’s awful!” Eun Chae wailed as soon as they’d sat down. “My parents are sending me to China for university.” Kaemi’s hands paused in wrestling her lunch box from her bag.

“No way,” Kaemi whispered, looking at her friend incredulously. “No way! What for?”

“Something about superior academics and learning how to be a lady and whatever,” Eun Chae mumbled, from where her head had come to rest on folded arms. “Last time I checked, I could do all of that stuff in Korea.”

Kaemi honestly didn’t know what to say. First, she finds out that her parents are leaving and now her best friend, too?

“They aren’t giving you a choice are they?” She finally asked, and Eun Chae shook her head.

“No,” she pouted. “They even already asked my cousin if I could stay at his place while I’m there. The only thing is, I don’t want to be there. I want to stay here!” Eun Chae’s growing frustration was now being taken out on the poor apple that Kaemi had slid over to her in the form of being repeatedly stabbed with a fork.

“If it makes you feel any better, Kai told me that they’re having a big sale at his sister’s clothing store,” Kaemi said, knowing that after boys, clothes were one of Eun Chae’s favorite things. “We can get you some cute new clothes before you go. Those Chinese boys won’t know what hit them.” Eun Chae gave her a weak, but grateful smile.

“That sounds fun,” she said with a sigh. “Sorry for springing this on you so suddenly. I must sound like a whiny brat.”

“But you’re my favorite whiny brat.” Kaemi reached over and playfully pinched her cheeks.

The rest of lunch saw a brief visit from Kai and Sehun, who had only popped in for a quick bite to eat before dashing off to dance practice. She didn’t see Kai again until the last period of the day, which by some sort of luck from the Gods of High School, was study hall. They met in front of the library, where Kai almost immediately pulled her inside.

“I didn’t know you were so passionate about studying,” Kaemi joked about his eagerness. He stayed silent, and pulled her to ‘their’ table near a back window. Sensing something was wrong, she didn’t say another word until they’d sat down.

“You’re leaving,” he said with finality. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She chuckled at his serious expression, which earned her a frown and a frustrated sigh.

“What? Not even a hello for your jagiya?” She asked, her giggles increasing. She knew she was getting on his nerves by avoiding the question, but it was still fun.

“Yah, Shin Kaemi!” He nearly shouted, trying unsuccessfully to tamp down his frustration.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know until this morning,” she said, still not revealing the fact that she was staying, and he was freaking out for no reason. “And you were only around for a minute at lunch so... How did you know anyway?”

“My Noona texted me after dance practice,” he said as his anger slowly melted into sadness. “I don’t want you to go.”

“Well, you’re in luck because I’m not,” Kaemi reassured, reaching across the table and grabbing his fisted hands. “I chose to stay here.” Like her parents did that morning, Kaemi allowed Kai some time for the information to set it.

“So you’re not leaving?” he asked, the corners of his lips pulling into a smile. “You’re really staying?”

“I think 'not leaving' and 'staying' are the same thing,” Kaemi giggled. “You were upset for nothing.”

“I think having my girlfriend leave me for another country is something to be upset about,” he protested, rising from his seat and coming to her side of the table. “I think I deserve a kiss.”

“For what?” Kaemi quirked an eyebrow upwards.

“Because I just went through some serious emotional hardship,” Kai said, leaning in. “And a kiss is the only thing thats going to make it better.”

“You are unbelieveable,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Unbelievably hot, you mean?”

“Yeah, that too.” And then she gave in to his puppy dog eyes and kissed him.

Before Kaemi could put her key into the lock, the door opened, and she found herself looking into an unfamiliar pair of eyes.

“Uh, hello?” She said, taking a step back in surprise. She was quite sure that this was her apartment, so it was with caution that she regarded the stranger.

“Oh! Kaemi is that you?” Footsteps predicted the appearance of her mother, who realizing how awkward of a situation this must be, decided to introduce the guest.

“Kim Daesang, this is my daughter, Kaemi.” Kaemi bowed a little, her eyes trained on the man standing before her.

“Nice to meet you,” Daesang said, returning the gesture. “I suppose I should move out of the way so that you can come inside.” He took a step back and Kaemi stepped inside the apartment.

“Nice to meet you too,” she replied. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute...” Before he or her mother could reply, she dashed to her room, where she emptied the contents of her bag on the bed, and searched for her phone. She had completely forgotten about the dinner plans her parents had told her about that morning. Blaming on the unproductive study hall she’d had with Kai (which they spent playfully arguing over the merits of the different types of bulgogi), she quickly texted Eun Chae and Dayoung to postpone their shopping trip for the next day.

After changing into more comfortable clothes, she made her way back to the living room, where Daesang and her mother were engaged in a conversation about Daesang's recent move to Seoul.

“Ah, Kaemi,” her mother said, patting the seat on the couch next to her. “Daesang was just telling me about his plans for university in March.”

Daesang scratched the back of his neck, a bit shy. "I was accepted into Seoul University's Creative Writing department.” Kaemi’s ears perked up at this.

“Really? That’s great,” she said, awed. "I got in as well. We'll probably have a couple of classes together."

"It'll be nice to know someone already," Daesang admitted, and Kaemi gave him a reassuring smile, her hesitation from earlier gone.

"What do you like to write?" She asked, eager to hear from a fellow writer. Before he could answer, Appa called from the kitchen that the food was done, and they all tucked into a nice dinner.

Dinner was more enjoyable than Kaemi could have predicted. She found Daesang to be quite funny, and very much the quirky type. He was into writing fantasy, which initiated an intense conversation between the two about the differences between high fantasy and the campy supernatural nonsense stuff taking up space on bookshelves recently.

By the time he left for the night, Kaemi was sure of two things. She couldn't wait to start classes in a few weeks, and she knew that if anything, this year was going to be exciting.

A/N: Kind of a lame chapter, but I really wanted to introduce Daesang as soon as possible. Remember that 'Story Time' arc I had going in Arrogance and Ignorance? Well I am going to do something similar here, and Daesang plays a very important part in making that happen. What did you think of the chapter as a whole, though? The Eun Chae going to China thing is actually something I've been planning since the first couple of chapters of A&I, but I couldn't do it then because then the rest of the story would've gotten messed up. There is a reason I'm taking her out of the picture (revealed in later chapters) and I hope to give her a spin-off at some point. Anyway, please comment, I would love to hear from you :D