Jiyoo's heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened in disbelief. A sudden rush of memories flooded his mind all at once like the tide crashing against a shore. He had seen those eyes before, those familiar, warm eyes that had once sparkled with laughter during their carefree days in high school, and before that was the playful innocence of childhood.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQNZLYdO81
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt. She was the same girl, the one who had shared so many moments with him in the past. His pulse quickened, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to freeze, every detail sharpening with an eerie clarity.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnPZQ8TJEj
The flower, which had been half-bloomed in the background, suddenly unfolded its petals, catching the moonlight and glowing brighter, as if reacting to the connection that had just been reignited.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9APRivAhhx
"Valerie... Your real name is Yon-hae Lockhart," his voice faltered and breathless as the name escaped from his lips in a stutter. The word hung in the air, heavy with the weight of years and unspoken memories.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfSPiB86SV
The full moon, now rising above them, cast a silver light over the scene, bathing everything in its ethereal glow. His hand instinctively reached out, though unsure whether to touch the past or let it remain a distant memory.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2Q7f3ouBd
Valerie stood there, her expression unreadable for a brief moment, before the edges of her lips curled halfway. "You remembered." The words were quiet and cold but laden with a depth only years of lost time could bring.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwtT9heXMn
The air between them pulsed with an old connection, long forgotten but never truly gone.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvu0yGY4gs5
His heart skipped, the recognition rising like a wave, but so too did the skepticism. "Could it really be her?" Jiyoo had never expected to cross paths with her again. She had been just a fleeting presence in his childhood—a girl from a middle-class family who had lived in the same neighborhood, whom he had known as a child but had never truly understood. They had shared a few fleeting moments in their early years, but they had drifted apart when their families moved in different directions. He had assumed she'd become a part of some other life, far from his own.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqamvQCuBH
He couldn't help but stare at her, his thoughts tangled. How had she changed? And more importantly, how had he changed?
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAEWPsdWMt
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bj78haOeG
Her eyes, dark and perceptive, met his for a split second. She didn't flinch, but her gaze held something unreadable. Jiyoo couldn't tear his eyes away, the pull of recognition and confusion battling within him. The others around them were too busy arranging themselves for the photo, their voices blending into a hum of disinterest. Only he and she seemed aware of the strange gap between them—one that had been bridged by years of absence and silence.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgUnjb3BcU
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDJHZnfc2T
Valerie continued to gaze at him and backed away a little few steps. Her chest was heaving with ire.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyd4iyRk9U
Jiyoo trembled emotionally and shook his head as he gestured his arms out in question. "You've been alive this whole time... Why didn't you come to us?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfNequgiB2
She replied indifferently. "I had to make some changes."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3lbv6xOLY
"By what...?" Jiyoo asked further.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80g5dbAjY3
"Starting over."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiKXrYxaL9
"But you could've come to us... Why didn't you?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV2v2UQMP3
Valerie held her gun pointing directly at him with so much resentment by adjusting the trigger with her fingers in just one click.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SAghNjPqf
"Listen! I understand, okay? I understand that you're angry at what I did to you back then, and for that I'm truly sorry..." Jiyoo panicked as he slowly moved closer to her and tried to caress her face while he was on the verge of tears.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyQfnZvibW
Valerie looked away, trying to hold back her indignation.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWifwhpwEVx
"Do you remember anything that happened a year ago?" Jiyoo asked softly.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jBv5x91yl
"I can't remember..."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQfhp0HUbN
"That's fine... But you know, there are others who are worried about you. Since that news occurred, everyone was devastated about your death. It broke them, even right after the funeral, it was like a part of them died, including mine too. And now that you are here, I couldn't even think for a second that you would still be alive and well..." Jiyoo explained, frowning and went on. "Look, I know what happened to you last year and we are deeply sorry for leaving you out in the rain. I wanted to take it all back and I wish I could've done it differently-"
He then received a loud smack across his left cheek from her hand as he slowly turned back to watch her pant heavily with her eyes full of animosity.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYrkpQ2yu8
"You and the rest of your friends were given the chance to make amends with each other and you did that just about right. I did not come here to Seoul to only bring your group back together, but also...I came here for something else. All my life, I thought I had everything and I couldn't be happier until I looked back on that day when something that was so precious to me was taken away..."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhZuBKojQP
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzeaT2P8F3
Jiyoo and his girlfriend, Chia, were laughing at the posts about Yon-hae, who was splashed by a bucket of blue paint over her head near the lockers as a prank made by their group of friends.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8yYcrOAgq
Though Yon-hae was unfazed as she continued to keep her head up and opened her locker, only to find out that there were vulgar and nasty words written on paper in bold red.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9FYXxd8VA
"Disgusting, common-foreigner! Weirdo! Freak! Lame! Loser! Stupid bitch, go kill yourself!"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VWwSbcsYl
She lifted it up and put her textbooks away as she rummaged to get her notebooks and pens. As she turned around, some of the students were recording and taking pictures of her with a flash, so she hid behind one of the stalls. From there, she was sitting on the cover of the toilet seat until the bell rings for the next upcoming class.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqygpd1Jfr
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lErDhOGdU
The background music was playing called "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by Backstreet Boys as everyone joined on the dance floor and be with their partners, including for Yon-hae and Taeyun, who had her hands behind his neck, whereas he placed his hands below her waist.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZqINEPzYW
He gazed at her and asked gently. "Are you okay?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6vHOeGLzC
Yon-hae blinked as if snapping out of a trance and met his eyes. "I'm fine, Taeyun... Just a little tired, I guess." Her lips parted, but there was an underlying vulnerability that made his worry deepen.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkECHRcJaA9
He pulled her closer with his hand resting a little more securely on her back. "You know you can talk to me, right?" He whispered steadily and sincerely, hoping she'd let her guard down.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKf4bCuP7K
She nodded slightly, appreciating the quiet reassurance as they resumed their dance.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Zv4iEozFQ
As for Jiyoo and Chia, they were both secretly glaring at the couple just a few meters away from them with detest and abhorrence.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5nctoVMFV
The sight of them together — Taeyun's hand, resting possessively on Yon-hae's back, their movements so synchronized was enough to ignite a fire of disdain within them.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhP8e3PMeQ
Jiyoo's lips pressed into a thin line with his fingers clenching slightly.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhD97bujiJ
"Look at them. So perfect and smug... as if no one can see through them. Your best friend doesn't even know what he's getting into," Chia whispered in a hiss, dripping with venom.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTJyEyT4Ck
Jiyoo's gaze remained fixed on the couple with his jaw tightened. He didn't respond at first with his eyes scanning every subtle shift between Taeyun and Yon-hae, the way they seemed so comfortable, so at ease.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAQAcel7E8
"I can't stand it," Chia muttered, her voice low and seething with resentment. "He thinks he's so special, like he's some kind of prince... and she? She's just... too naive."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftlRcEgfXz
Jiyoo smirked in the faintest hint of malice. "Let them have their little fantasy. It won't last. They've both too damn fragile. Just wait — everything will fall apart."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4IZRgfVOs
They both stood in silence for a moment as the weight of their shared bitterness hung thick in the air. Their eyes never left the dancing couple as they were silently plotting.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaPqABVcqj
Taeyun's carefree laugh and Yon-hae's soft smile, so natural and unguarded, were more than they could bear.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrkxo4WsHa
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0rCicAOW7
The smoke billowed into the sky, curling and choking the air as the thick black cloud swallowed the horizon. The abandoned house — dilapidated and neglected — was now a raging inferno, the wooden beams crackling and splintering as the fire consumed everything in its path. As Yoonhae went near, the heat was unbearable with the acrid stench of burning wood and remnants.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbzW5LlR3Y
Her eyes scanned the windows frantically, but all she saw was a blur of flames. She pushed through the crowd of onlookers, shoving past them with one single-minded purpose. It wasn't until she reached the edge of the yard that she stumbled to a halt, gasping for breath. Her body trembled as she stared at the wreckage. There, lying motionless on the ground was her beloved cat — her once soft fur now charred and blackened, her small body still. The realization hit her like a freight train, her breath catching in her throat.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBYVOlq2aI
"No..." Yon-hae whispered in disbelief. She collapsed to her knees with her hands reaching out to touch her, but she couldn't bring herself to move closer. The pain was unbearable and a sharp, suffocating ache in her chest that made her vision blur.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbOCbKA71M
A loud scream was made that echoed throughout the yard. Behind her was Taeyun, Jiyoo, and the others arriving at the scene in shock and sorrow.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85wI5US9ez
Her eyes, now empty and hollow, remained fixed on the lifeless form of Gracie.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L1SelyQRE
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKtBs2aEUI
Jiyoo continued to stare at her in deep remorse and gulped, saying. "Yon-hae... I'm sorry about your pet. I didn't know-"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6Q21seFNI
"You damn well know what happened back there at that time. I know it was you and your idiotic friends who were behind it. Now, she's gone..."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPidXfzZGl
"Yon-hae..."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7ha49aCY6
"Don't call me that!" She shouted in vexation.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLbInE1l2x
Jiyoo didn't bother to reply as he watched her timidly.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIltLh9EIe1
"I was treated the same way you treated those students because we were different from the rest of you. Also, back when we were kids, your parents and mine were involved in some social gathering, then something happened, but I guess you've forgotten. Haven't you, Park Jiyoo?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAS2VNNzEEm
"I do... I remembered what I did to you..." he uttered quietly as they both reminisced about their moments previously.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aW7QqQvMi
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvH5R9xuqR
The memory felt like a shadow lingering in Yon-hae's mind, always there, never fully fading. It was a summer evening from years ago, when their families had gathered at a lavish social event—a celebration of sorts, a mingling of wealth and ambition. Yon-hae had been a child then, barely understanding the intricacies of the adult world around her. The air had been thick with polite conversation, the clink of glasses, and the low hum of business discussions. Her parents had been speaking with Jiyoo's—something about the future, the potential paths their children could take in the world of music. The prospects seemed endless, and her parents had believed, in that moment, that their collaboration would benefit them all.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSdWPKr7we
But as the night wore on, things had shifted. Yon-hae remembered her father's voice growing tight as he discussed investments and partnerships. The excitement in the air had begun to change, subtly, but with an unmistakable weight. And then it happened—Jiyoo's parents, in a calculated move, had turned the conversation toward wealth, seizing an opportunity to manipulate, to demand more than what was fair.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0zBoRybWL
"We've been discussing it," Jiyoo's father had said smoothly, his words laced with a quiet arrogance, "and we believe it's time for a change in how things are divided. Perhaps your family should take a step back and let us take control of certain assets—especially the business dealings involving the future of the children's careers."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ml9tHx3rA
Yon-hae's father had blinked in surprise, a tension creeping into his shoulders. Her mother, who was a diplomat, had tried to mask her concern, but there was an underlying shift, a moment when the smile on Jiyoo's mother's face no longer looked friendly. The insinuation was clear: they wanted more, and they were willing to push boundaries to take it.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazaKQXefKX
"Your family has always been in charge, but we've built more trust between us, haven't we? You should consider this as a long-term investment," Jiyoo's mother had added, her tone too smooth, too rehearsed. "It's time we all recognize where true power lies."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnaq3oMacc
It had been a business deal in the making, a quiet betrayal, and Yon-hae's parents, feeling cornered and betrayed, had refused. That was when the ties had been severed. The facade of friendship had fallen apart, and the whispers of greed and manipulation had made themselves known. Yon-hae remembered the angry confrontation that followed—her father shouting at Jiyoo's parents, accusing them of trying to steal everything they had worked for.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBuuEJWbgI
And then, Jiyoo had turned on her.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBdQxfSM43
Yon-hae could still hear his words, sharp and venomous, spoken with a bitterness that she had never understood back then.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2G5DAcjRch
"It's your fault!" Jiyoo had spat with his eyes burning with the kind of hatred only a child could hold against someone he once called a friend. "If your parents hadn't been so stubborn and selfish, this wouldn't have happened. You ruined everything. My family worked hard for what they have, and now look at what you've done—everything's falling apart because of you!"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2L1G43fL4j
Yon-hae had been stunned, confused, and devastated. How had it become her fault? Her parents had tried to protect everything they'd built, but in Jiyoo's eyes, it was all twisted. Jiyoo's parents, the ones who had orchestrated the whole scheme, had blamed her family—her parents—for the consequences of their own greed.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9z0QhG4U3w
It was a bitter, twisted irony.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jGCoo1ebm
...
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QIcsgAC81
"I swear I had no idea that it was them..." Jiyoo looked at her sadly.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XhGLetjNR
"Do you really think I don't know the truth?" Valerie muttered under her breath in ridicule as the memory rose like bile in her throat, holding her tears back from falling from her very brown eyes. "It was your parents, Jiyoo. Not mine. You should have known better than to blame me."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyV1Cjmnogk
"We were both just kids that time-"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc1BjisYkq
"So what?!" Valerie argued strongly.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEEnZHFELw
Jiyoo remained quiet as he listened to her attentively. He had never thought about her getting so angry at him, but it was more like he was the worst thing that she encountered.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7CjhyX5ZN
"It doesn't matter because you knew exactly how you felt towards me. You once called me a disgusting, grisly, common foreigner and many things. I didn't fit in with everyone else there. I was an outsider, a misfit like the others because I was weird and socially awkward to you and your friends and I accepted that about myself. I can only remember as much as I can about how I dreamed of wanting to pursue music as my career. And... and I can't... I can't even remember what happened a year ago, until I just woke up from a hospital bed. I was running away from those people who were trying to hurt me. All I know is that the last time I was crossing the street, I didn't notice that a car just suddenly flashed right before my eyes..." Valerie explained weakly and turned her back on him for five seconds. She gasped out of breath as she whipped her head to look at him with tears streaming down her face. "I was fighting for myself, even when you guys left me... I needed a friend, I needed you, Jiyoo... You couldn't trust me, nor believed me because you believed what they told you instead... So what gives you the right to justify your words and actions?"
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9ElyQpTk8
Jiyoo started to tear up in shame and guilt without reasoning himself.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7JKgFCMGw
Valerie shook her head dismissively, running her fingers through her brown red hair. Then, she went over to her bag and pulled out a shiny object. She walked towards him before giving him the "Platinum" in his hand and said wistfully. "You can have that. It's no longer useful to me, you can tell your friends that you won and succeeded in this mission... You are nothing to me..."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV8jXknwrV
Jiyoo was speechless until he spoke out pleadingly and dejectedly. "Valerie..."
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrhlpCOrPY
However, she ignored him as she left without even looking back.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC86VQhonEx
He looked at the object, gripping onto it in question.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2zHFoRkxY
"What have I done...?"
ns 15.158.61.19da2
