Squealing, she trots up and winds her arm tightly around the older guy, grinning widely and flashing her big eyes at him. He gives her a crooked smile, gently untangling his arm from hers, before he strolls into a shop along the road they were walking on. She clasps her hands and stands demurely at the corner, waiting patiently for him to return. A few minutes later, he trots out of the shop with a tub of ice cream, and he motions to the girl that he wants to race her somewhere. She pouts and shakes her head in protest. Shrugging, he turns back to her and they stroll off down the road. She takes the opportunity to wrap her arm around his again, and she holds on tight, so that he can't let go even if he wants to.

"What the..." Young Min mutters, and I see him staring at a message on his phone. "Yoona-noona wants to meet me again? Geummie, is this another one of your pranks?"

I shake my head impatiently.

"Ignore her," my twin says from my other side, and I whirl around, surprised.

Her gaze is trained on the backs of the two retreating figures. The flame rekindles within me, and I feel an urge to do something. Like, go somewhere. Away from here.

"What's going on?" my brother asks, noticing that both of our attention is fixed elsewhere.

Yoo Min replies, "It's Jin Ae. She's kidnapped -"

"I'm going to head over to Skye's house and ask her to ours," I break in, and without waiting for an answer, I turn and head in the opposite direction.

Skye's house looks homely. You can tell that her family only just moved in, since there are still empty boxes waiting outside near the trash bin, and the porch is a little too bare. But yet her house just gives off warm vibes, and the colourful curtains at the windows on the upper level make the house look happy. The little ornaments that line the window ledges are visible through the glass, and they are all intricate and exotic as well. There are a few little potted plants, that they have strung up and hung onto little hooks on the ceiling of the porch, and I can see that they have planted flowers in the yard. It looks homely, as I've said, and it seems like just the kind of place Skye would live in. I can't imagine her living anywhere else.

Drawing in a deep breath, I walk up to the door and ring the bell. On the way, I notice movement in the room with patterned curtains, and I guess that Skye is home. Just then, the door opens, and I'm greeted by a lady with her hair pulled back into a messy bun. Her clothes are simple but slightly stained, and I can tell that she's just been cooking. A lovely aroma wafts out into the porch where I stand, and I'm tempted to ask her what it is that she's cooking. Her hands are worn, and I remember Skye telling me that her mother doesn't work. Obviously she tends the house on her own. But her eyes are big and kind, a darker shade of brown than Skye's, but turns up the same way. Impatiently, she brushes a rogue strand of hair away from her face, and looks up at me expectantly. I'm surprised by how young she looks - I don't think she's as old as Eomma, and I'd place her in her late-thirties.

"Annyeonghaseyo!" I greet, bowing. "Is Skye home?"

Caught slightly off-guard, she stumbles over her greeting to me while bowing as well. I don't think she's very used to Korea as of right now. But she's making an effort, I can tell, and she obviously understands what I say, although I'm addressing her in Korean. In a way, she reminds me of my own Eomma, sort of, but I can't pinpoint why.

"Are you her friend, Geum Min? Or are you Yoo Min? She's told me so much about you! Why don't you come in?" she replies, and she opens the door wider to let me enter. 

Inside, she directs me to the living room as I tell her whom I am, and we exchange more pleasantries along the way. Once I'm settled down, she tells me that she'll go call her daughter down. I grin at her and nod, and she leaves the room, so I take the time to admire the setting. The inside of the house is more homely than the outside. Everything is clean, although I can see telltale signs of mess that meant that her mother was probably cleaning when I came in. I can tell she was very close to finishing, though. The layout of the room is interesting, and the room is spacious. There's a lot of place to sit. The television is on a long table, and many ornaments and decorative figures are placed around it. I see two little houses that catch my attention - they seem to be made of ceramic, and they are incredibly cute and well-done. The paintings and completed-jigsaws on the wall depict scenery and abstract images that are interesting, and I spend time admiring a particular painting of white trees around a riverside church.

Just then I hear a gasp, and I turn around to see Skye shoved into the room. She freezes at the sight of me, her eyes comically wide, but containing a trace of fear. I feel uncomfortable, and something sinks within me. A slight gnawing dread starts eating its way up my spine, and the moment extends into space. I have no idea what to say. Then my friend seems to recover her wits and she turns, flashing a glare at the closed door. Now her lips are twitching, and I wonder if she wants to cry. Her fists clench, however, and I realise she's angry for some reason.

But why?

Why is she scared? Why is she angry? Or did I imagine everything I saw? In that case why was she missing for so long?  

"Skye?" I ask tentatively, and her eyes flick back to me, the same expression of fear filling her brown orbs from within.

"What are you doing here?" her voice, when she finally speaks, is brusque and sharp.

Confused, I feel my eyebrows draw together. "I'm looking for you. I missed you all the -"

She shakes her head aggressively, cutting my words off. "I was busy."

"With what?"

"Stuff."

"'Stuff'? What kind of stuff?" I am getting frustrated now, I realise, but I can see straight through her excuse.

She poofs out her cheeks, blowing out air, as her eyes travel to the ceiling. "Look, I -"

"Tell me the truth."

"I'm sorry?" she asks, looking at me questioningly.

"Tell me the true reason why you didn't come by. I can tell you're lying."

A skeptical eyebrow raises. "Really? You know when I'm lying?"

"Of course. You're my best friend. Or... you used to be. It's your choice," I say slowly, feeling my gut twist as another expression enters her eyes - it's gone too fast for me to be sure of exactly what she was thinking, though.

She sighs. "Look, I just don't think we get along very well."

Her words hit me like a blow in the stomach. How can she say that? After all the fun we've had, after everything...?

"I don't think we ever have, actually. We're just too different. I'm sure you have your own set of friends, anyway, so I won't really mean much. Besides, we never really knew each other long, right?"

I couldn't understand what she was saying. Did I imagine everything? Did I imagine all the fun we had together? Was I the only one who thought that five weeks was more like five years? 

"I'm sorry if this hurts, but I think it'll hurt less if I tell you this earlier, rather than lead us both into a friendship that might turn even more sour later," she continues. "So, I think you should go."

How can she look so calm, breaking our friendship apart like this? She's my best friend... or she used to be...

Why?

I stare beseechingly at her. "Did I imagine all the fun we had together?" I ask, putting one of my thoughts into words.

She shrugs, her gaze apologetic. 

"I guess I asked for the truth, right?" I continue, my gaze dropping to the floor. 

She takes in a breath, about to say something, but I cut her off, "Don't bother. I asked for the truth, so the truth is what I got. See you around, then, Skye."

With that, I turn and lead myself out of the house. 

I don't have much to say now. I don't feel like talking. 

I thought she said she could see through my lies?

Well, apparently not.

A/n: Well, there you go. This is a special for my reaching over 50 subbers!!! :D:D:D But sorry it's short. I just felt that it needed to end off there... haha so yeah, I purposely made it short, I guess. The next one will probably be the usual length. Tell me what you think, kay? And thank you SO MUCH to each and every one of my subbers and commenters! I HOPE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!! <3