And there he was, preforming his heart out to a stadium full of screaming fans. You could clearly see the love he had for all his fans by the smile on his face and the determination he had to make them all proud by all the effort he put into every show.

As I watched him on that stage with a smile that could never be wiped away, it made me wonder if he was still the same JiYong I once knew.

We grew up together because we were neighbours but we never really spoke to each other except for "Good Morning" "Good afternoon" and "Good evening".

But there was one day where he approached me out of the blue and uttered three simple yet unforgettable words I'll never forget.

'I like you'

And from that day on, we became inseparable. He had my heart.

I will never forget that day, or the day he held my hand for the first time, or when he gave me a single daisy for Valentine’s Day because he wanted to be different or the day he told me he loved me for the first time.

But he had a dream he so desperately wanted to achieve; to become a world known musician. And knowing JiYong, he put his heart and soul into his dream and before I knew it, he made it come true.

I knew him before the whole world knew him. I cared for him before anyone else did. I knew him before any girl out there started putting his last name with their names. I was there for him before everyone wanted a piece of him. I never questioned who he was and accepted him for him.

But most of all … I loved him before everyone else loved him.

I knew and loved him when he was just …

Kwon JiYong.