"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet to come. We only have today. Let us begin." -Mother Teresa.

2008.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon; the skies a breathtaking mix of blues and white, as the gentle breeze blew across the field. Two girls sat beneath the canopy of a huge maple tree; one which rested on the small hill facing the campus canteen.

And it was, by far, Yoona's favorite spot within the entire school campus. The soft-spoken girl's love for all things nature aside, the impressive foliage of the majestic-looking tree provided not only protection against the elements of nature, but it also gave her a much needed secluded sanctuary; away from the prying judgmental eyes and whispers, away from the hype and buzz of the student population.

"He's staring at you again." giggled Sooyoung from where she sat on the grass, munching on her cheeseburger.

"No, he's not." mumbled Yoona as she hid behind the thick veil of her hair, feeling the warm flush spreading across her cheeks. Yoona hadn't need to ask who Sooyoung was referring to, there was only one person that could have gotten her this excited.

"He is, he is! Look!" exclaimed Sooyoung, excitement radiating off the bouncing girl. And Yoona made the grave mistake of glancing up from her ham sandwich. He was a fair bit of distance away from them, considering that she was sitting by the top of the small hill, but distance hadn't matter, Yoona could see into his eyes; a pair of brown orbs that she wouldn't have trouble searching for in a crowd. It was almost as if her eyes could just instinctively zoom into his and every time it happened, her heart fluttered; like the wings of a butterfly...

And so she darted her gaze away immediately, as though the intensity in his eyes burned her.

"Eeek! You're blushing!" squealed Sooyoung giddily.

The shade of pink on Yoona’s cheeks darkened further. "I'm not... It's the weather." protested Yoona feebly. The raised brow along with the amused smirk on Sooyoung's face allowed the girl to know that she hadn't manage to convince her friend in the slightest.

Friend.

Yoona had never knew the meaning of the word till Sooyoung came along. With high cheekbones, a pointed nose, a pair of expressive eyes and a bubbly personality, Sooyoung had what it takes to be the 'IT' girl. Outspoken, beautiful and confident girls like Sooyoung don't hang out with people like her. They were worlds apart, the respective ends of the spectrum. The social hierarchy dictates that both parties were to steer clear of the other but yet... There Sooyoung was, by her side, since the first day of class of their freshman year.

Initially, Yoona was convinced that Sooyoung would grow tired of her as time passed, forsaking her as many others did previously. Never in her wildest dream did Yoona ever imagine that she would forge a bond so deep with the girl, a sister she never had. And she was so thankful, so incredibly grateful for the other girl's companionship. A friend, Im Yoona has a friend now.

"Righttt, and I'm Kim JaeJoong's girlfriend." drawled Sooyoung sarcastically, redirecting Yoona's attention to their previously forgotten banter.

Yoona gave a rare cheeky grin, "And you're not?" The former was well aware of the other girl's immerse love for the famous singer of the renowned Korean boyband, DongBangShinKi.

At Yoona's retort, Sooyoung sighed dreamily, no doubt fantasizing over the talented idol. "Oh, what wouldn't I do in order to be Joongie's girlfriend."

Yoona chuckled, utterly bemused by the antics of her friend. Once upon a time, Yoona hadn't understood Sooyoung's obsession with the Korean boyband. After all, what was the attraction of teenage boys prattling around in costumes? That was until Sooyoung made her listen to a song titled 'Bolero.' Yoona hadn't understood a single word from the Japanese R&B ballad but the emotions within had her heart aching and she had been their fan since. Yoona, in particular, was extremely fond of the youngest member; Shim ChangMin.

"Well, we can't all be lucky to experience the ultimate Kdrama love scene; handsome guy, cherry blossom and all that shingadings. Deprived souls like me have to turn to our idol oppas."

The teasing glint in Sooyoung's eyes had Yoona sobering up instantaneously, well aware of what the former was insinuating. "I don't know what you're talking about." mumbled Yoona as she busied herself with picking the food wrappers up, before rushing off with a flimsy excuse about being late for class, ignoring the booming laughter as Sooyoung trailed after her.

"Keep staring at her and she's most definitely going to think of you as some sort of a creep, Jiyong-ah."

Kwon Jiyong straightened up from where he sat at the cafeteria table, clearing his throat as he fought the blush that was rising fast to the surface of his cheeks.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Youngbae chuckled knowingly at Jiyong’s denial. Oh, what fun he was going to have watching his best friend squirm.

"Mmhmm, and I'm totally 187cm tall.."

Jiyong rolled his eyes at his oldest friend, annoyed from being called out on his blatant lie. To think that many presumed Youngbae to be the most angelic person based on his looks, if they only knew of the amount of sarcasm hidden behind that innocent looking, goody two shoe face...

"Seriously, what are you waiting for? You've been crushing on her for more than a month now. Do something!"

Sighing, Jiyong lowered his gaze to the ground, "It isn't that easy, Youngbae." And that silent confession made Youngbae's heart ache.

Kwon Jiyong and Dong Youngbae had made odd friends. It was during the third year of middle school that Youngbae first met Jiyong. Young and judgmental, Youngbae had disliked Jiyong from the start, alluding the latter's aloof behavior as the snobbish behavior of the high and mighty. Being a transfer student from Dublin, California with only limited Korean speaking skills, Youngbae found himself to be a year older than most of his peers in class; the center of unwanted attention. It certainly hadn't helped that Youngbae was of a smaller build than an average boy. Vertically-challenged and scrawny, Youngbae soon found himself to be the favorite of the school bullies.

Outnumbered, there was nothing Youngbae could do but to resign himself to the near daily beatings, accepting in silent despair that he was the school's newfound source of entertainment. He had learnt it the hard way that fighting back would do nothing but result in more severe punishments. And sometimes, if Youngbae was lucky, the school bullies would forget about him for several days.

All was as well as it could be, until one day where the leader of the bullies, Taewoo, had a particularly violent episode. Cornering the then-fifteen year