A song by Utada Hikaru (also titled 'This One') inspired me to right this short fanfic. Enjoy! ^^
This One
She looked out of the window at the busy streets below. Raindrops beat against the glass, chasing each other down the smooth surface. She drew in a deep breath and then sighed. She placed a hand on the glass, wondering whether he had recognised her when he first saw her in the hotel lobby.
She did not remember seeing him stare at her as if he knew who she was. She smiled. Plastic surgery managed to hide a lot of things. He had not changed much. Still the same man who had a strong determination to fulfill his dreams. She ached to touch his face, to feel his soft skin with her fingertips.
But she knew that she would never get that chance ever since she threw away her old life. Her life as Lee Mi-young...
~Flashback~
"Give that back!" the thin, fragile, five year old girl cried, launching herself at a tall boy. The boy held a old, battered-looking rag doll above his head. He laughed at her before throwing it at one of his friends. The other boy caught it.
"Come get it!" the other boy teased, shaking it in front of her face. Mi-young ran at him. But before she could grab the doll, he had passed it to another one of his friends. The group of six boys started laughing at her, passing the doll to and fro, keeping it out of the poor girl's reach.
Unable to take it anymore, Mi-young ran at the nearest boy, using her head as a battering ram. She knocked into his stomach, making him fall to the ground and cry out from the pain when she stepped on his leg. His friends released the doll, running towards the boy, worried about him.
"BOMI!" Mi-young shouted, diving for the doll. She managed to rescue the doll before it landed in a puddle of mud. She hugged the doll close to her. Then, she realised that she was surrounded by the boys. She looked up at them, afraid.
"Chin-hwa is injured because of you!" one of the boys said. "Now you are going to pay for it, stupid girl!" They started kicking her. Mi-young screamed and curled up into ball, trying to protect herself from the blows.
"Please stop!" Mi-young sobbed, her tears flowing down her cheeks. She knew that it was useless. She wished Hyun-ki was still there. She wanted him to save her. But her brother had gone off to heaven with her father, leaving her alone with her mother on Earth. Mi-young could feel the bruises forming on her body and cried.
"YAH! What the heck are you trying to do?" the boys stopped kicking her and looked in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, they looked frightened. They picked up their fallen friend and ran for their lives.
Mi-young tried to push herself to her feet but she fell down. A pair of clean-looking shoes appeared in her line of vision and she thought that the boys had come back. She closed her eyes, expecting to be kicked again. But she felt the person lift her up, asking her, "Are you alright?"
Mi-young looked up into the face of a boy, who looked slightly older than her. She could see the concern in the boy's eyes. She answered, "I guess..."
"Where do you live?" the boy asked. "I will help you back home. You look as if you can barely stand."
"I am fine..." Mi-young mumbled. She picked up her doll from the mud and begin to walk home, wobbling slightly on her feet. Suddenly, her legs collapsed from beneath her. She expected to hit the ground but felt someone catch her. She opened her eyes and found herself looking up at the boy who had saved her. He had a grin on her face.
"Told you so," the boy said. "Come on. I will help you home. Alright?" Mi-young nodded. She leaned against the boy as they walked towards her house.
"I have never seen you in Gwangju before," Mi-young said. "Are you a tourist?"
"Nope..." the boy murmured. "I just shifted here today."
"Oh... What's your name? My name is Lee Mi-young."
"Jung Yunho."
~End Flashback~
"YAH!" the leader shouted, poking her head into the room. "Let's go or we will be late! We are the first today!"
"Alright, unnie!" Mi-young said, grinning. She readjusted her earrings and made sure that her hair looked alright. Then, she followed the other members out of the room.
She stood at the back of the elevator, lost in her thoughts. Today, she would see him for the second time. She wished that she could tell him who she was. But she was afraid that that would only make him push her away further than before now that she was also a celebrity like him.
She remembered how close they had been. So close that she felt as if he was a part of her. Many people had thought that they looked cute together. Even the girls in high school were jealous of her. Mi-young could not remember any day when they had not met with each other for just one time. They pretty much went everywhere together. Then, there was a day when he had to leave her...
~Flashback~
"Morning!" Mi-young laughed as she jumped out from behind a corner to scare Yunho. Six years have passed since the day he had rescued her. They have been close friends since then.
"YAH!" Yunho shouted at her, bending down to pick the books he had dropped when she had scared him. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! What if I die from one?"
"You don't have any heart problems!" Mi-young said, sticking her tongue out at him.
"What makes you so sure?" Yunho demanded.
"If you did you would have died a long time ago!"
"I may just have been lucky back then!"
"You don't have any heart problems, Yunho... Just problems with the way you look!"
"YAH!" Mi-young laughed and ran away from Yunho. She dodged under his out-stretched hands and around him. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, looking back at him over her shoulder every now and then.
Suddenly, she tripped over a stone and went flying. She let out a scream. An arm quickly wrapped itself around her waist and she found herself staring up at Yunho. She looked up at him, feeling her heart beat faster as it often had been doing since the past few days. They stared at each other for a moment. Then, Mi-young shoved him away.
"Yah!" Mi-young said. "Don't ever touch me there! You do know that you are not suppose to touch a girl there, right?"
"Fine, Miss Sensitive!" Yunho muttered. Then, he thought of something and asked, "Why can't I touch you there? Did you get a boyfriend?" Mi-young turned red from embarrassment. "You did get a boyfriend?"
"No, I did not!" Mi-young shouted at him. She turned on her heel and begin to walk away. Yunho ran after her.
"Mi-young! Yah!" Yunho shouted. Mi-young ran as fast as she could away. Somehow, her heart ached when he asked whether she had a boyfriend. She could not figure out why.
She felt Yunho grip her arm and turn her to face him. "Yah! What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing..." Mi-young muttered. Then, she looked up at him. "You looked as if you had something important to say before I scared you..."
"Um..."
"What is it, Yunho?"
"I..."
"You...?"
"I am leaving..."
Mi-young stared at him, shocked. When she finally found her tongue, she asked, "Wh-wh-why? Why are you leaving? I thought you promised that you would never leave!"
"I am sorry, Mi-young... I got accepted into SM Entertainment..."
"You went for the auditions without even telling me?"
"Mi-young... You know your mum would never approve of you going for this."
"So? You know how much I wanted to go for the auditions! You knew!"
"Mi-young..."
"I hate you!" She shoved him and then ran back to her house.
She slammed the door and locked it behind her. She sat on the floor and started to cry. She heard Yunho bang his fists against the door and call her name but she ignored him. The next day, he had left for Seoul without another word to her.
~End Flashback~
"Hello?" Mi-young pulled out of her thoughts. She looked up into her leader's face. "Are you alright? You seemed to have spaced-out all of a sudden..."
"I am sorry..." Mi-young murmured. "I was just thinking..."
"Alright then..." the leader muttered. Then, she went back to what she was saying.
Mi-young looked out of the window of the car. She bit her lip. How many times had she remembered that day? She had felt bad after that. But had never thought of going to Seoul to apologize to him or even to see how he was doing. Until...
~Flashback~
"Morning!" Mi-young greeted. Nearly four years had passed since Yunho left. Every day, Mi-young thought about him. She never thought that she would have fallen for her childhood friend and had tried to forget about him but could not.
"Hey!" Jihye greeted, hugging her. "You look tired!"
"Had some work to finish up," Mi-young smiled. She took the cup of coffee that Jihye was drinking and took a sip from it. "Hope you don't mind." She gestured to the cup of coffee.
"Nope..." Jihye said. "Besides, you already drank from it."
They sat there in silence. Jihye had been her best friend after Yunho had left even though the girl was Yunho's younger sister. There were times when the younger girl seemed to be like an older sister to Mi-young.
"I have been thinking..." Jihye murmured, breaking the silence.
"About...?" Mi-young asked.
"My brother is going to debut soon..." Jihye said softly. She noticed the expression on Mi-young's face. "I know you want to continue ignoring him, Mi-young. But you can't do that forever. Sooner or later, you are going to face him. Why don't you come with me to Seoul? I have two free concert passes."
"I don't want to..."
"Mi-young, how long do you think you can avoid him? Until the day you die? The world is only so small."
"I don't want to go, Jihye. So don't even talk to me about it. I will see you after school." She got up from her seat and left.
After school, she waited for the younger girl at the school gates. She saw the determined look on Jihye's face ad knew that the younger girl was going to continue pestering her. As soon as the younger girl was beside her, Mi-young said, "No."
"What 'no'?" Jihye asked innocently.
"I am not going," Mi-young said firmly. "Don't even try asking me again!"
"Oh! Come on, Mi-young!"
"I don't wanna go!"
"Please?"
"No!"
"Pleeeeease?"
Mi-young turned to look at her friend and she saw the tears that welled up in Jihye's eyes and her trembling lower lip. Mi-young sighed, feeling her resolve disappear. She muttered, "I am going to regret this..."
"Oppa lives in this hotel!" Jihye said, pointing at a tall elegant-looking building. She and Mi-young had just arrived in Seoul with their luggage bags after two days of convincing Mi-young's mother to let her go.
"Good then," Mi-young muttered. "Now can we go?"
"No!" Jihye laughed. "Come on! Yunho oppa booked us a room. So we are going to stay here for a couple of nights." She dragged Mi-young into the hotel. "Wait here!" Jihye walked over to the counter, leaving Mi-young standing in the lounge area, completely bewildered.
It was the first time that the girl was in such an elegant-looking place. Mi-young was slightly startled when she saw the faces of foreign people about her. Then, she caught sight of a huge aquarium at the other end of the lobby area. Awed by it, she left the luggage bags where they were and walked over to the aquarium. She pressed her hands against the smooth glass, watching the fishes.
She walked around the aquarium, her eyes glued to the swimming fishes. Then, she bumped into someone, drawing her eyes away from the sight. She kept her eyes on the floor as she bowed repeatedly, apologizing to the person. Then, she noticed the shoes that the person wore. They looked like any normal pair of white shoes, except for the blue star on the right shoe that winked at her.
She looked up and was stunned when she saw who it was. He still looked the same, maybe slightly thinner and fit but there was still the same determined on his face. But there was a cold look in his eyes.
"Yunho..." Mi-young breathed.
"What are you doing here?" Yunho demanded. His voice was as cold as the winter wind that howled across the ice plains of Antarctica.
"I am here with..." Mi-young looked about to look for Jihye but the girl had vanished. "... Your sister... We are here to see your performance."
"Go home, Mi-young. You are not wanted here."
"What is that suppose to mean? I came to see your performance!"
"Go home." He turned to go.
"Yunho!" Mi-young grabbed his arm. "What is wrong with you? Why are you chasing me away?" Yunho pried her fingers off his arm. Then, he turned to look at her.
"You are here to take the opportunity, aren't you? You heard that I am becoming popular, didn't you? Isn't that why you are here?"
"What are you talking about, Yunho? I am your friend!"
"Don't lie to me! Everyone is the same! All looking for ways to gain from me!" Mi-young slapped him across the face. Suddenly, it seemed as if everyone had ceased to talk and was watching them.
"Do you think what you've just said applies to me as well? You know that I have always been different from other people! Have you forgotten what you promised me that day?" Mi-young saw him frown, as if trying to recall what he had said. "You promised me that you will never hurt me... That you would always protect me... You are hurting me now, Yunho!"
"I don't remember saying that to you!"
"How could you say you don't remember? I know you still do!"
"Will you stop lying? Why does everyone enjoy lying to me?"
"You don't trust me anymore? The girl whom you have been friends with practically half your childhood?"
"I am not friends with liars! get out of Seoul and stay away from my family! They do not need people like you to be around them!"
Mi-young stared at Yunho, unable to believe that the boy she had known for so long had changed so much. He does not remember... He does not remember... her brain chanted. She was taken back to the time when her brother and father had passed away in a car accident.
"You promised that you would protect me!" four year old Mi-young wailed as she tried to shake her brother awake. Her small hands were covered with his blood. A drunk lorry driver had lost control of his vehicle on that rainy day and collided with a few other cars.
Her father and brother, who sat in the front seat were killed instantly. Mi-young had escaped with a few cuts after her brother had quickly shoved her off his lap and into the back seat when he saw the lorry heading straight for the car. Her mother was not with them when that had happened.
"Don't leave me..." was the last thing she said before the rescuers dragged her from the wreckage of the car.
"I hate you!" the fifteen year old Mi-young shouted at Yunho before running out of the hotel.
She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Finally, she stopped running, her tears running down her face as she cried her heart out. Suddenly, she heard the sound of cars honking. She turned towards the sound and saw a car heading towards her, not slowing down. She was frozen to the spot, taken back to the time when her father and brother had passed away.
She felt the pain as the car hit her, the scratches on her body when she hit the and slide across the gravel of the road. She looked up and saw faces looking down at her. They were talking but she could not make out what they were saying. Pass those heads, she saw the night sky filled with stars. Then, she closed her eyes and fell into blackness.
Mi-young woke up. She could hear the sounds of beeping machines and voices talking softly. She felt as if she was wrapped up in bandages like a mummy, leaving only her face not bandaged. There were parts of her body that felt pain even when she did not more. The pain seemed to have been burned into her body. She moaned when she felt something like a blunt knife being driven into her leg when she moved it slightly.
"You are awake!" Mi-young turned slightly to her right and saw a man, who looked as if he was in his mid-forties approach her bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Alright... I guess..." Mi-young answered softly. "Who are you? And where am I?"
"My name is not important," the man said. "You are in Seoul Hospital. You have been in here for two weeks."
"Two weeks? I need to go home! Umma would be worried about me!"
"No! You can't go home!"
"... Why?"
"I have something to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Could I adopt you?"
"WHAT? Why?"
"My only daughter passed away four months ago. She... looked like you... Had the same height and built as you... And... I could offer you a better life."
"And why would you want to do that, uncle?"
The man handed her a mirror. Mi-young stared at it, wondering why he was offering her a mirror. The man forced it into her hand and said, "Look at it."
Mi-young looked at the mirror and nearly dropped it in shock. There were stitches all over her face. A long one across her forehead and two down either side of her cheeks. She could see a long scar stretching across her nose, still pink. She looked up at the man. "What... What happened...?"
"You were badly injured when the car hit you. The driver drove away after he had hit you. My wife and I took you to the hospital that night. My wife... She thought you looked a lot like our deceased daughter. If it were not for the wounds that you obtained, you could have been her."
"So... What are you trying to say...?"
"I could pay for the fees to have your face fixed. If you would become my daughter."
"I..."
"I will give you some time to think about it." The man got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Mi-young looked again at her reflection in the mirror. She touched the smooth glass, unable to believe that this was what had happened to her face. Then, she placed the mirror on the side of her bed and looked at the windows. She could see the bright sunlight streaming in. If she did accept, she could start her life all over again. She would not have to be a burden to her single mother. She could forget about those mean people at her school and... Yunho.
Her heart ached when she thought of him. She had not thought that he was capable of saying such mean things. The nice, protective boy that had rescued her was gone. In his place was someone she did not know. Someone she did not want to know. A tear slid down Mi-young's face. She loved him too much until she hurt herself.
"I guess... It is best if we go on our separate paths now..." Mi-young murmured as she drifted off to sleep. The next day when the man came, she gave him her answer.
~End Flashback~
"Yah! Tiffany!" Jessica said, shaking her slightly. "Will you stop drifting off?"
"Sorry, unnie..." Mi-young said. "I was thinking about my family a little."
"Well, you can stop thinking about them now, Tiff," Taeyeon grinned. "Your father just called to say that he and your mother are at the airport. You can have your little reunion dinner after this. Alright?"
"Alright, unnie," Tiffany/Mi-young grinned. She took the microphone that Sunny held out to her and went on-stage. She had finally achieved one of her dreams of being a singer.
She smiled and sang into the microphone when the curtain went up. The beat of 'Gee' pumping loudly into her head. As she danced, she saw Yunho watching her. She thought she might have been wrong and ignored him, not showing any emotion on her face. But inside, her heart was crying. All of those years, she had never stopped loving him.
Once their performance was over, SNSD went into the dressing room. The television was on. Mi-young sat down in front of it, watching as TVXQ went up to dance. She touched the necklace she wore. It was a present from him. Something he gave to her when he made that promise. How could I ever love another? she thought as she watched him dance. God knows I'd give anything for just one more night together.
She walked out of the dressing room and stood beyond the open curtains of the stage, watching TVXQ perform. Today I miss you more than ever. Tiffany Hwang Mi-young thought. How could you say you don't remember? A tear slid down her face as she turned to go. This one's for the happiness I'll be wishing you forever. She left the place with the other SNSD girls.
Yunho looked out of the window, a glass of red wine in his hand. He took a sip from it as he looked out of the window, one hand in his pocket. Then, he heard a knock on the door and turned around. A man with gray thinning hair entered the room. He and Yunho bowed slightly before Yunho gestured towards one of the empty seats. But the old man shook his head.
"I have very little time," the old man said. Yunho shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs, taking another sip from the glass. "I want to thank you. For everything."
"Your welcome," Yunho said.
"Do you want to meet her? She would be happy."
"No, Mr Hwang. You go enjoy yourself."
The old man nodded and turned to leave. As he opened the door, Yunho murmured, "Thank you for taking her in. Mi-young seems to be having a better life with you. I can't thank you enough."
"Your welcome, Mr Jung," Mr Hwang said, bowing before he left the room.
Yunho looked at the red liquid in the glass, his mind going back to what had happened that day. He had not meant to be rude to her. But after having so many people from his old school come to meet him to ask for favors before she and Jihye came, he was starting to feel stressed. And when she showed up, he could not believe that she would have wanted what everyone else did as well...
~Flashback~
"Yah!" Jihye shouted, running towards Yunho after Mi-young had fled. "What were you trying to do?"
"Don't be friends with her," Yunho said in this alien voice.
"Yah! Oppa! Why are you asking me to do that?"
"She would be asking for favors next. Everyone does that."
"Oppa! Do you know she did not want to come and see you? Do you know how hard I tried to get her to come?"
Yunho stared at her, stunned. Then, he looked back at the direction where Mi-young had fled. Then, back at his sister. Jihye sighed and then said, "She loves you, oppa. Do you know that? She loved you more than a friend! Just like you have always loved her."
Yunho stared at her, the news sinking in. Then, he rushed out after Mi-young. He saw her running and followed her. He saw her run across the road and tried to call her back. He heard cars honking and saw her stop and look towards the sound.
He did as well and his eyes widened when he saw the car that flew across the road at her. He shouted her name in horror and saw her fly when the car hit her before landing on the road a few feet away. He ran towards her, pushing through the crowd that formed about her.
He knelt beside her body, seeing her eyes fall shut. He lifted her head onto his lap and cried out for help before he started calling her name repeatedly. He could see that the pants he wore was being soaked with warm crimson liquid, her blood on him. Unable to just continue standing there, Yunho quickly lifted her off the ground and tried to stop one of the passing cars.
"I will drive you to the hospital!" a man offered. Yunho quickly got into the car, cradling Mi-young in his arms.
"Please... Don't die... Please..." Yunho murmured as he held her close to him. He could feel her heart beating and wished that it would never stop.
Yunho sat in one of the plastic chairs, his head buried in his hands as he waited for the operation to be over. Already two hours had passed, but there was still no news. He had not called anyone except Mr Lee Soo Man to let him know where he was and had also told the manager to keep it a secret.
"Yunho...?" Yunho looked up and saw Mr Lee approaching him. The man sat down beside him. They were both silent.
"Could you help me?" Yunho murmured, staring at the wall across from him.
"What is the matter?"
"Could you promise that you would help me?"
"... Of course, Yunho... Now tell me what is the matter?"
"Could you find someone who would take Mi-young in if she does survive?"
"Why are you asking that, Yunho? Doesn't she have a family?"
"Her mother can't give her much... And I think that... That she should find better people to be with. She has suffered enough."
"What are you talking about, young man?"
"I saw the cuts on her face... Her face... It will be damaged for life!" He sobbed into his hands. Mr Lee patted his back. "I have to make this up for her. Please help me."
"I will try..."
"Thank you." Yunho got up from his seat. "And please don't tell anyone about this."
"I won't, Yunho."
~End Flashback~
You look as beautiful as ever, Mi-young... Yunho thought as he looked down at the picture he used as his screensaver. This one's for the happiness I will be wishing you forever. He drank the rest of the wine left in one gulp. Then, he got up and went to search for the other DBSK boys.