Flashback (That afternoon)

Jieun wasn't a bad person; she was just someone that had a lot of leverage being in the right place at the right time. She knew about Krystal and Kai's time together. Sehun and his might- not- really –be-one -sided love, Suzy's conflicting emotions and Sulli's plan to tell Taemin she loved him. She was good at observing but sometimes that wasn't enough. Jaebum and Hyeri though...they were more close to themselves and not that easy to read. It was hard to tell what was going on in Hyeri's head. She was the typical teenager with a crush on Sehun but she never really did much about it. Everyone knew about it but she didn't care. She didn't care much what people thought, her motto was to 'go with the flow'. Jaebum was like the designated father of the group. His eyes on everyone and making sure they were all okay and together. So for Jieun playing with them was a little harder. Harder -but not impossible.

But that's a different chapter of her life; today she had a new entry titled "Don’t play with others toys”

 She saw Jiyoung and Taemin kiss on her way home that was two blocks over from them. She stopped by to get ice cream hoping it would delay her from going home, and stepping on each and every crack she saw on the ground

Step on a crack you break your mother's break right? She stomped harder. She was also mentally patting herself on the back for getting Suzy to go out with them. Hey, you use what you got to get what you want right? Besides she wasn't going to tell anyone....yet. As she was crossing the street she saw legs spread out on the road but she barely noticed until she head the voices to match. She stopped and walked closer, she was only able to see Jiyoung and the back of a boy, his honey brown hair was lighter in the sunlight. She didn't think much until she saw Jiyoung lean over and kiss him. Her jaw dropped

'Wow Jiyoung, didn't think you'd be so direct' she was going to laugh but when she saw the boy get up her laughter caught in and the rest of her melted ice cream hit the ground.

'Oh My God! That’s Taemin! Jiyoung and Taemin! What?!.

"What the hell are they saying?" She got her dirt by knowing what's going on, lips’ touching was definitely big but words were her weapon. She crouched closer, tip toeing so she could duck behind a bush on the lawn that was a little to the left of them.

"You are an amazing girl Jiyoung"

Bet you say that to all the girls you swap spit with TaeMAN.' Jieun scoffed. She left after the forehead kiss, before she could be seen and dialed a number. After the third ring she heard the voice she wanted to hear.

"Krystal ah! What are you doing?....Suzy's? Who's there? Sulli is? ...Yeah I'll be right there" Jieun hung up her phone with a smirk 'Perfect'

Present Day:

"Will Lee Taemin please go to the guidance office? Lee Taemin." The loudspeaker cracked in the end, sending a loud shrill to fill up the busy hallway.

"We have a guidance counselor?" Jongin chuckled and patted Taemin's back

"Guess that's why they want you" proceeding to shove Taemin out of the swarm of students and down the opposite hall. Jongin threw him a wave and entered a classroom leaving Taemin to stand in front of the newly discovered office by himself.

But I don't want to go

Taemin even stomped his foot before entering the office against his will. The office was a simple one. There was a big window that could see outside campus, a desk, bookshelves, framed documents and beanbag chairs?

"Uh hello?" Was he in the right room? No one was there. He stepped back outside and re-read the sign "Yup Guidance office"

"Lee Taemin?" A voice asked. He spun around to catch himself staring at a fresh face. The man in front of him was an inch or so shorter with clear shiny skin. He was wearing a bright smile on his face and even had blonde hair. Overall very handsome.

Blonde? Is blonde the new trend?

Taemin bowed "Yes sir"

The man laughed "Ah please no sir, call me Suho, it's a nickname."

"Suho as in Guardian? You're really going with that?" Suho smiled and lead him inside and took a seat on one of the beanbag chairs.

"Sit" Taemin found himself liking the fluffy chair a lot. Suho’s eyes twinkled

"So Taemin what are you doing here?"

Taemin gave a perplexed look. "Uh...I was told to come?"

Suho smiled again "Is that a question?"

"Maybe"

Suho nodded and Taemin eyes drifted around the room, collecting several foreign book titles, photos that had familiar faces and boxes that were still unpacked

"You're new" Taemin deducted. Suho looked up to see what he meant "Aish, the boxes gave it away! I was trying so hard to seem old"

"Old?"

"Not the best choice of words but whatever"

This guidance counselor seems so relaxed. That should be a good thing, right?

"So is this a routine for new counselors to do? Talk to all their new students?

Suho scratched the back of his neck "Uh..sort of. I guess, but I had a list of students that I have to pay extra close attention on. And you, Lee Taemin top the cake"

Taemin's forehead crinkled. "What do you mean by that?"

Was I a nut job or something? Was this guy a nut job? Is he even legit? 

Suho could sense his nervousness and decided he should explain a bit more

"Choi Jinri"

Taemin's thoughts come to a halt. His brain freezes and his mouth dries

"Sulli?" The name still feels warm when it escapes his tight lips

“How are you coping?"

A lightbulb lights up above Taemin's head and he slouches even further into the bean bag chair

"Let me guess, after Taemin #1 it's Jaebum, hmm maybe even Jiyoung and ahh can't forget Miss Bae can we?" Bitterness was evident in his tone.

"You are referring to Miss Bae Suzy?" Suho lifts himself out of his beanbag chair to go through a stack of folders on top one of the shelves.

"Hmm...no Bae Suzy in my pile. Why her?" He settled back down with Taemin's file, flipping through pages of documents to find the one he wants.

"Why? She caused all this?!" Taemin's voice unintentionally shrills but Suho is calm, not at all reacting to his sudden outburst

"Did she now?"

Is he joking?? "Of course she did, she killed Sulli!" He voice dips down at her name, something Suho catches. He reaches back for another file

"According to Jinri's report, she died by head trauma caused by a car accident and no indication that Miss Bae was the one behind the wheel, am I right?"

Taemin presses his lips in a thin line "Yes" he mumbles

"Yes I'm right, okay. So why did you say that she killed Miss Choi?"

"Because she...We--she was supposed to" he stammers, too many thoughts and feelings mixing up in his mind.

Suho patiently waits for the boy to calm down, he just nods his head and ushers the boy to continue. Taemin his cracked lips "what I meant to say was that Suzy, she promised us something that she couldn’t keep and now Sulli…she’s gone"

Why was he even talking about this so freely?( He could faintly hear Suho talking to him but he was already deep in his inner thoughts to listen.) He guesses since he hasn't talked to anyone about the incident. Not even his mother who was deathly scared for her son. He wouldn't even attend the therapist sessions she signed him up for. His retort being that 'I'm not talking to some man who’s paid to listen to my problems when he doesn't even care, when he couldn't possibly understand anything!"

"Taemin?" Suho waves a hand in his face. Taemin is brought back

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked what promise" Suho was trying to dig in a bit. He was told that these kids needed help even if they didn't show up. The death of a friend is never easy.

Taemin held back an answer. Should he tell him about the club? But that's underage drinking! No he has to leave that out.

"Um well Suzy said she'd take care of Sulli one night and she didn't, she just let Sulli wander off on her own. And Sulli really needed her!! How could she have been so careless when…..She didn't even try to save Sulli! No, all she did was watch as her friend, my girlfriend! Die" He huffed at the end but corrected himself "ex girlfriend"

"Ex girlfriend?" Suho tried to probe in deeper but it was too early and he lost Taemin. Taemin shot up out of the fluffy chair.

"You know what Mr. Guardian or whatever, I think I should head back to class but thanks for the talk man" he patted Suho on his back and rushed out.

"But you have free period” Suho leaned his head back. I gotta get better at this

 .................. ........................................

(Later that day)

She leaned against the door pane, just watching him flip through pages. He hasn’t noticed her, and she’s been in that position for about five minutes. He rubbed his nose, sensing a presence but too absorbed in his work to pay attention. Annoyed by being ignored she finally pushes off the door and throws herself in one of the fluffy chairs. He looks up and places his files down when he sees her. She’s wearing an irritated expression and he smiles at it. She rolls her eyes and motions him to sit down with her on the other bean bag. He complies and ruffles her fair much to her demise.

“You came back early” She notes.

He can’t help but smile even more in her presence. He feels his cheeks harden from all the muscles use. It's been a while

"What they say about me?" He wiggles a finger

"That's confidential" She's persistent though "How do you even know if you came up?"

Yeah that was a bad question since the answer was obvious. He already talked to Jaebum and she came up then too.

“You know this could all have been much simpler if you had told them what happened"

I was in shock that night! Okay, I couldn't form sentences. I just couldn't say anything and the next thing I knew they left me! So telling them know won't make a difference. Not for me. It won't bring her back. 

She corners out a file with her name on it and snatches it before he has a chance to react.

"You can't read that!"

"I'm entitled to since it pertains to me" He sighs knowing he won't win. He sees how her eyes meticulously read each word, sinking them in and having her eyes cloud with different emotions every minute.

"Okay that's enough" the file leaves her hand and he stores in back into one of the cabinets.

"Emotionally unstable, depressed, lack of interest" she laughs but he knows it's to cover up her quiver. He heard it.

"That was last semester and right when it happened, summer did you well. You are getting back. You're finding yourself again."

He's trying to help. He's been there for her but summer ended and he needed to get back to work. It pained him to leave her once she was getting back on track, but work called and school was starting again. She's special to him and he loves her a lot.

"When did you get back and why are you the new guidance counselor?" She was changing the topic as usual. She had no desire for discomfort and her mascara wasn't exactly waterproof.

He gave her a sheepish grin "It was supposed to be a surprise. I told your mom it was just going to be short visit, wasn't completely sure if I got the job but....here I am"

"Here you are" She hasn't used those seventeen muscles in a while so it's a nice surprise. Her eyes even make a crescent moon. An alarm goes off and she takes out her phone to silence it.

"My next class is in ten" He nods

"In this semester's report you're failing a class" she purses her lips "you know which class"

It's her turn to nod. "You don't show up. Haven't since the beginning of school"

Her thumb scratches at the two neighboring fingers. "I don't feel like going"

"You're going to lose you're scholarship not to mention that piano is your major"

"Not anymore" she quips "I'm changing it to just voice. It was my minor so no problem"

He gapes at her indifference "You can't be serious" Her phone goes off again to signal five minutes before class. Suzy jumps out of the chair

"See you at home Oppa"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I know these flashbacks can get confusing but we are almost at 'that night'! So please bear with me for awhile. ( I didn't even know my chapter 12 was going to be Suho's chapter haha fate)