The moist-looking pavements, covered with snow every now and then, brought memories of your childhood back to life. Your nine-year-old self heading over to the warm, cozy bakery at the end of the street; your fourteen-year-old self running home from school to catch your favorite drama's newest episode; your sixteen-year-old self heading over to school, studying hard to come out with the highest scores on the upcoming exams. You smiled at the memories, savoring them as if you were living them once again. As the car you were in passed by a tall, bald tree near a curve, though, your expressions and thoughts darkened. You could see your eighteen-year-old self confronting your first boyfriend about his betrayal with another classmate of yours. 

"What are you thinking about?" Chanyeol's voice rung out, cutting through your thoughts. 

You shifted your gaze from the cold window to a wide-eyed boy whose small, child-like face did not match the deep voice that had called out for you.

"Nothing, really," you lied, looking down at your fidgeting hands. "I was just remembering some funny child stories."

"Funny, huh? I could've sworn you were frowning," Chanyeol murmured, his eternal smile faltering with disappointment. 

As you gazed at his friendly face, now filled with frustration, you wished you could share your worries and ask him, "Do you think that the fact that I can't forget about my first boyfriend —who cheated on me, by the way —is stupid?" But you remained silent. As much as you wished you could tell your best friend everything, you could not speak about your feelings openly. Besides, you were supposed to forget Kai, not make him the center of attention during your holiday break. 

"Is that your family's library?" Chanyeol suddenly spoke up, pointing at a small shop by the end of the road. He blushed at the sight of a large picture on the window of his grinning self, holding his latest book, with the phrase Autograph Session, 12/17! stamped underneath. 

You smiled at his pink cheeks before replying. "Yup! 'Story Shop'. I used to work there for almost my entire life until I moved to college."

"You worked at a library?" Chanyeol asked, his bugged-out eyes even wider with shock. He gave you a repproachful smile. "You know, we've been friends for... what, five years? And I know so little of you. I'll make it my mission to find out all there is to know about you with your family for the following ten days I'll be here."

"No, you'll make it your mission to find inspiration for your next masterpiece of a book and to sign front covers of your previous masterpiece," you corrected him. "Like you told me you'd do after convincing me to let you tag along."

"Fine," Chanyeol murmured, playfully glaring at you. "Still, I can't help but feel excited about meeting your family. They must be really proud to have such a successful daughter like you... twenty-four and already a well-known publicist."

"No... they're probably proud that I'm representing a successful author like you," you told him, feeling some sort of pang in your heart. Yes, your family was extremely proud of your early success. But am I happy about it? you asked the question that had wandered in your mind ever since you began representing Chanyeol, which opened the doors to prestige in your career. 

"Don't be so hard on yourself, all my success is also due to you," Chanyeol admitted, his lips curling up into a warm smile. His large hand landed on your head in the form of a gentle pat, but it left more damage than expected. What Chanyeol intended as a light expression of appreciation ended up destroying the hairstyle you'd invested your entire morning in. As soon as the tall boy took a look at your messy hair, strands sticking out everywhere, he exploded in a big, hearty laugh.

You tried to laugh along, but all you could think about was how bad you probably looked. What if Kai is- you suddenly stopped yourself, taking in a deep breath as you picked your hair up in a ponytail. You will not think of him because you'd never thought of him before... the 'thing' was back in high school and you didn't even like him that much, you lied to yourself, trying to brainwash yourself into believing it. A publicist never makes mistakes... even before she becomes one. So there is no way in hell that Kai ever affected your life, you told yourself, feeling the car stop in front of your house.

"This is your house?" Chanyeol wondered out loud, his eyes sparkling at the well-kept garden, the welcoming, open fence, and the barking, old dog by the door. "It looks like something you only see in movies."

"Oh, it's not that charming... once inside, you'll see what I'm talking about," you told him, gathering your bags before thanking Chanyeol's chauffeur. As soon as both of you got out from the car, curious neighbors and excited teenage girls seemed to appear out of nowhere to surround the both of you. 

"Amazing... it really is him," you heard the old ladies gossip as the younger girls ambushed Chanyeol with compliments. The twenty-five-year-old looked quite lost and shocked as he numbly began to sign autographs. You had to make your way through a hoard of giddy, giggling girls before finally reaching Chanyeol. 

"Alright, ladies, if you attend Chanyeol's autograph session with his latest book, you not only get an autograph but a picture!" you announced, pushing the girls off the young author. Even after two successful books, he still wasn't used to his fame, which is why he required your assistance more than anything else in the world. While he freaked out at the sudden consequences of fame, you kept cool and collected. 

"But right now, Chanyeol is quite tired and cold... we'll have to see you bright ladies until the session tomorrow, alright?" you finished off, handing the fans a friendly smile.

"Isn't she the girl who got dumped by the model's son?" you heard one of the old ladies whisper.

"That was six years ago!" you wanted to exclaim, but pretended not to hear. No wonder I can't forget... I grew along these people, you told yourself, waving goodbye at Chanyeol's fans. 

"Well, she's made something of herself," another lady whispered. "Remember when she wanted to be a teacher? Glad she changed routes... who'd want to be a teacher?"

"Chanyeol, let's go," you said, grabbing the boy's forearm and pulling him towards your home. You hoped more than anything else that he hadn't heard a single thing said by the old ladies, but you could feel his eyes inspecting the back of your head, which signaled that he most probably had caught a few words.

Before he could ask, though, you pushed your house's doors open to be welcomed by a huge holler of, "SURPRISE!" Colorful confetti exploded around you, an action that was received with laughter by Chanyeol. You, however, were quite taken aback and horrified, because through the falling confetti and hoards of grinning family members, you could spot the face of a smirking Kai.