It was snowing, countless snow falling toward earth like dust. At a playground, a little girl who was around four or five was making a snowman while looking as if she was on the verge of crying. She was wearing an old winter coat and a pair of worn-out gloves. She tried her best to make a snowman, but the result didn't look good. The snowman was small and lumpy, its arms which were sticks were small, and the facial features that the girl had created by placing tiny pebbles onto its face looked deformed.

The girl stared at her creation while trying to hold back tears. She'd an expression of a person who'd lived without any joy in his or her life; filled with fear and depression as if the whole world was in darkness. An expression that no child should ever have on their faces.

Just a moment ago, she'd watched in horror as her parents yelled and shouted at each other violently, lashing out at each other for some reason unknown to her. Today wasn't the first, but it was the most vicious one. So, the girl had run out of her apartment to the nearest playground after putting on her old winter coat because, through the window, she'd seen snow falling. The pair of gloves were inside the coat's pocket, so she'd decided to build a snowman to make herself feel better.

But it didn't.

Suddenly, she heard happy laughter coming from the entrance of the playground. She glanced toward that direction and saw that a happy family of three was entering the snow-covered playground, not noticing her standing in the corner in front of her pathetic-looking snowman.

The girl watched as the family started to build snowmen. She saw them laughing happily while building them with joyful smiles on their faces. She saw how happy they were. The parents weren't fighting each other with hatred contorting their faces and the small boy didn't look fearful.

The girl kept on watching them until they built three snowmen. She heard them chatting happily while the mom took a picture of the three snowmen with her phone. Then, they walked out of the playground, leaving the girl alone. She just stood there, staring at the family with a longing glance. Then, she looked at the three snowmen that they'd built. Two snowmen were big while a small snowman stood between them. They looked perfect, unlike hers. She looked back at her creation. It was alone and was imperfect.

While staring at her snowman, she remembered the little boy. He looked so innocent and harmless as if his life wasn't filled with fear like hers. Moreover, his parents seemed to be happy with each other, from the looks of their smiles.

"I wish mama and papa stop fighting . . ." The girl whispered. "I wish . . . they were happy . . . like them."

The girl kept on remembering how the family looked do happy with each other. The more she thought of them, the more something boiled from deep within her, like a volcano ready to explode. The girl didn't understand what it was and she was confused about it. It started to feel as if it would explode at any moment. She fell onto her knees while clutching her chest, struggling to settle it down. But in the end, it didn't and she found herself starting to sob in misery and felt her face muscles starting to contort into an expression that she'd never made before in her life as the feeling of something boiling within her made her body shake violently.

"Wh-Why . . ." She growled through gritted teeth as tears that she'd held back for several minutes finally flowed down her cheeks. "Why can't I be happy . . . like that boy?"

As the pathetic snowman that she'd built fell over because of a sudden gush of cold wind, snow started to cover the little girl's hair, almost making it look as if it was white.


Riven and I was sitting on the side of the alleyway, our backs pressed against its wall. Me, lamb, and wolf were staring at Riven while she was looking down at the ground in shame.

"Since that day, I started lashing out at people at school who talked about family trips or having happy times with their parents." Riven sighed shakily and rubbed her forehead. "As I grew older, I started to become more and more violent toward other people who seemed happier than me . . . and everyone started fearing me." Then, she dropped her hand from her forehead. "Then I met you when we first entered high school . . . do you remember?"

"O-Of course I-I do . . ." I whispered as I started to tremble in fear, remembering what'd happened on that day. She'd dragged me to the back of the school building and started beating me. That was the day when the nightmare called high school began.

"When I first saw you . . . I felt angry. From the looks of your face, I felt certain that, unlike me, you'd grown up while receiving an unlimited amount of love and care from the others . . . especially your parents." She bowed her head even lower. "You . . . you looked so pure and innocent as if you've only felt happiness in your life . . . and I hated seeing it . . . I wanted nothing but to make you feel the pain you've never felt before in your life."

I gulped. "S-So . . . that's why you started bullying m-me . . ."

Riven nodded weakly and squeezed her eyes shut. Her cheeks were still wet from tears while her body shook slightly from the aftermath of crying.

"Y-Yes . . ." Riven answered in a trembling voice. "I'm s-so . . . so sorry . . ."

I stayed silent for a moment while glancing at the lamb and wolf who was in front of me.

Lamb was staring at Riven with her head cocked to one side. "From what I've heard, she's a monster created by her parents."

Wolf floated closer to Riven while making some growling noises. "But forgiving her after what she'd done to Jeffric is not right. I should devour her with my fangs."

"But think about how she would've been if her parents were normal my dear wolf," lamb insisted. "She wouldn't have had the reason to bully him."

I felt numb inside as I imagined what she'd have been like if her parents were better people. Maybe she wouldn't have gone off in a bad direction of life. Maybe she wouldn't have had that coldness in her eyes. Maybe she wouldn't have dyed her hair white or get a tattoo of a white line on her left cheek.

I think . . . I should ask her why she is suddenly apologizing to me, I said to both of my imaginary friends through my mind.

Then I looked at Riven who still had her eyes shut. "Umm . . . can I ask you why you've decided to apologize to me?" It was jarring to me that Riven was apologizing to me because the Riven that I once knew would've never done that in her lifetime.

Riven opened her eyes and stared at the opposite wall of the alleyway as if she was remembering a long-ago memory. Her trembling was mostly gone and she seemed much calmer than when she was crying. "Do you remember when you saw me being beaten by other girls from another school in an alleyway?" She asked, her voice still slightly trembling.

"Y-Yes."

Riven stared down at her hands and said, "When you ran away, I first felt hatred toward you because you didn't help me even though I needed help." Then she clasped her hands into fists and they started to shake. "But then I realized something . . . I realized how you felt when I beat you again and again. I realized how much pain you've been in whenever I'd bullied you as they beat me. Then I felt guilty for what I've done to you because I finally realized that I'd been inflicting cruel and heartless actions that no person on Earth should endure . . . to you." Then, she turned her head to my direction, her slightly blood-shot sad and guilt-filled eyes meeting mine. "That guilt became so great that I couldn't bring myself to go to high school. Even though I knew that I'd to beg for your forgiveness, I just couldn't bring myself . . . because I feared that you wouldn't forgive me. But when I finally gathered enough courage after several days of just sitting around in my room, I found out that you . . . you dropped out of high school."

Suddenly, her eyes became teary once more. "J-Jeffric, did you quit because you feared me . . . ?"

I glanced sideways at lamb and wolf while searching for an answer as I felt my heart aching. "K-Kind of . . . You were just a part of the reason . . ."

"Ok . . ." She wiped away the tears in her eyes while sniffling.

While watching her, I hesitated for a moment. Then after deciding that I should tell the truth, I said, "Riven, I need to tell you something . . ." When I said that, she looked at me with a worried expression on her face, looking like she was dreading what I was going to say. I looked down at the ground and let out a depressed sigh. "I-I'd a bad childhood . . . like you did."

There was stunned silence for a moment. When I looked at her, I saw Riven staring back at me with a shocked expression on her face as if she couldn't believe what I'd just said. "W-Wait a second. Then that m-means . . ." She covered her mouth with her hand and new tears started to trickle out from her eyes as realization dawned on her. "Oh no . . . I d-discriminated the wrong person . . ."

She bowed her head and covered her face with both of her hands in shame, her body starting to shake violently. "Y . . . You were just like me . . ." She wept. "Y-You were . . ."

She wept in disgrace for a few minutes. Then, when she stopped, she stayed silent for a moment, not moving a muscle and not emitting a single sound.

"Jeffric, w-will you forgive me . . . ?" she finally asked in a trembling small and hollow voice like a person who'd lost everything; devoided of hope and filled with sorrow.

I didn't know what to say.

"She did too much to be forgiven," the wolf growled.

"But she seems to be really apologetic," the lamb commented. "It's your choice to whether or not to forgive her, Jeffric."

I felt like being pulled to two different directions. Can I forgive her? Is forgiving her the right choice? Then I remembered what she'd done to me at high school and how I'd felt like killing myself because of her and the other bullies. I hugged myself tightly in fear as those memories immerged. But she left me with scars . . . that'll never heal.

After a few minutes of pondering, I let out a sigh of sadness. "Riven . . . I'm so sorry but—" I gulped and said, "—I-I can't forgive you." Before she could react, I continued, "But . . . I'll not hate you f-for what you've done to me before."

I glanced sideways at Riven, trying to see her reaction. She still had her head down with her hands still covering her face so I couldn't see her expression. When I was about to ask if she was ok, I heard her reply in a small voice, "Thank you, J-Jeffric . . . I-I'm just happy that you don't have any hateful emotions toward me . . . even though I deserve it."

After a moment of pause, she looked up at me with awe in her eyes. "Jeffric . . . do you know that you don't look like a person who'd gone through hell . . . ?" She slowly reached out her hand and touched my cheek which made me flinch, remembering the pain that the very hand had delivered on my body. As if to reassure me, she started to gently stroke my cheek. "Moreover, I think I'd never seen you frowning before."

I fiddled with my own fingers, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Th-There was no reason for me to frown . . ."

She examined my face as if she was trying to find something while I just sat there uncomfortably, remembering how the hand that was touching my cheek used to hit me. Finally, she dropped her hand from my cheek and let out a hollow laugh. "Do you know that people cut, grind, and polish gems to make them look beautiful?" She asked me. Then she bowed her head while a sad smile spread across her face. "I guess your beauty was created through your hardships . . . unlike me."

While just sitting there, an awkward silence descended onto us. Lamb and wolf just stared at both of us to see how it goes.

"Hey . . . how are you living these days?" Riven finally asked cautiously as if trying to start up a conversation.

"Uhhh . . ." I didn't know how to answer for a moment. Then, after constructing words in my mind, I answered, "I-I'm living happily with someone . . . she let me live in her apartment."

"Wait, not with your parents?" Riven asked in a surprised voice.

"I ran from home a few months ago . . ."

"So . . . how's she?"

"Oh, she's really nice!" I said enthusiastically. "S-She is kind, beautiful, and always makes me feel happy!"

For a few minutes, I told her everything about Ahri except the fact that she was Ahri, the famous Kpop artist. She listened while asking a few questions like how delicious her meals were and etc.

"—and she even bought me new clothes . . . including boxer shorts after the day we met!" I finally finished and found myself out of breath. While saying all those things, I felt warm and fuzzy inside for some reason as if one of Ahri's tails was wrapped around me. But that feeling was dashed when Riven asked me a question.

"So . . . when are you going to ask her out?"

Lamb cocked her head to the side while the wolf just froze in mid-air.

I froze while my eyes opened wide in shock when I heard her say that. Then I felt my face getting warm. "Wh-Wh-What?!"

Riven just looked at me with a slightly confused expression on her face, her eyes still looking hollow with shame. "You sounded like you have a crush on her."

"You did sound like that," lamb agreed, making wolf laugh slightly.

"Well . . . I . . . uh . . ." I stuttered while my face got warmer as I clutched my chest with both of my hands. Yes, I did have a crush on her which had been building up as time passed. And yes, I really wanted to confess my feelings to her. But I felt dread spreading in my body when I remembered something important. "I . . . I do. But . . . I can't have a romantic relationship with her. I can never have . . . a romantic relationship."

"Why?"

I sighed while staring at the wall on the other side of us. "Because . . . something bad might happen to her if we become couples . . . just like what'd happened to my first and last girlfriend . . ." I paused for a moment. "You know, whenever I'd a crush on a girl, something held me back from confessing . . . I think it's because of that . . . incident."

Riven looked at me with a confused expression on her face. "Didn't others back in high school tease you for not having even one girlfriend in your life?"

"I tried to tell them about my first girlfriend . . . but they just told me that romance that happened in elementary doesn't count . . . and half of me started to think that way too, so whenever someone asked me if I'd a girlfriend in my life, I just answered . . . no."

"What happened to her?"

I looked sadly up at the sky. "She . . . she was killed by getting hit by a car . . . just after we became a couple."

"Oh . . . I'm so sorry, Jeffric."

"It's ok . . ." I said while trying my hardest to sound casual but failed. "It happened a long time ago."

"O-Oh, by the way," I hastily added, trying to change the subject, "starting today, I'm g-going to do a part-time job at a convenience store to pay my rent to the person who is letting me live in her apartment!"

"Convenience store? Where?" As if she felt that I wanted to change the subject, she went with the flow.

When I told her the location, her eyes grew wide with surprise. "Wait, I have a part-time job there too! I work from 6 PM to 12 AM there."

"Wait, really? Then we'll meet whenever my work is done," I said with slight enthusiasm. "So, how long did you work there?"

"About a few months."

"Can I ask you why you started taking a part-time job?"

When I asked that, I saw her face darkening as if she was remembering a bad memory. Then she just smiled slightly and answered, "Some . . . money issues."


After that conversation, we went back to the art academy and I found out that it was much easier to draw now. Wolf and lamb disappeared so there was no one to talk to. When it was 12 PM, I said goodbye to the owner, got out of the building, ate a small pack of trail mix that I'd taken from a box full of them in a storage cabinet in Ahri's apartment—which I'd received permission from Ahri to eat—and quickly went to the convenience store where I'd received my parttime job. Believe it or not, the owner of the store was the chicken delivery man who'd delivered the chicken to Ahri's apartment when I met the rest of the K/DA members for the first time in my life. The guy still had bushy-looking high ponytail hair, unshaved mouth, and a pair of sleepy-looking eyes while still having a sheathed katana-like sword on his waist. I wasn't sure if it was a katana because swords of ancient Asia looked similar. When I'd asked him why he worked as a chicken delivery man when he owned a convenience store, he just shrugged while answering simply, "Life."

Today, when I'd come into this store, he'd taught me how to check the price and such. Because it was my first day, he'd decided to watch me do my work to watch out for any mistakes. Now, I was standing behind the counter while smiling with pride. Thank everything that the owner doesn't mind his coworkers getting a few minutes late.

The reason why I'd gotten myself a part-time job was to repay Ahri for her kindness. I was an adult and adults have to have responsibility. It'd be irresponsible for me to live under Ahri's roof without providing her with anything.

Yes, I can do it! I thought enthusiastically. I won't be a burden to her.

That was when two girls entered the store.

"Hello!" I greeted them while a welcoming smile spread across my face.


Ahri was standing behind a tree trunk right outside the convenience store. She was wearing a long trench coat to cover up her nine tails, a pair of dark sunglasses to cover up her pair of golden eyes, and a dark knit cap to cover up her pair of fox ears. She was staring directly at the glass window which showed the side of Jeffric who was standing behind the counter with a smile on his face, a warm feeling embracing her heart as if someone had wrapped it with a fluffy blanket. Some people looked at her strangely as they passed by, but most people didn't give attention to her.

She'd waited for him outside the building where the art academy was while hiding inside the alleyway next to the building and had followed him to find out the reason why he was coming back at 6 PM and to see what he meant by 'adult business'.

She found out that his 'adult business' was a part-time job at a convenience store.

But . . . why is he working in a convenience store . . . ? she asked herself inside her mind while looking at him in confusion. Then, she pulled out her smartphone and called Evelynn.

After three rings, Evelynn picked up. "Yes, my dear Foxy?" She'd her usual seductive and chilly voice with some friendliness behind it.

"Hey Eve," Ahri whispered into her smartphone as if she was a spy reporting to her boss, "I-I found out what his 'adult business' actually is."

"Really?" Evelynn sounded quite curious on the other side of the phone. "Is he going to karaoke rooms?"

"No."

"Is he visiting a night club?"

"He isn't that kind of a person, you know."

"Is he getting paid by some lady to have a lovely date with her?"

"What?! No!" The thought of her adorable Jeffric getting paid to date with a strange woman was horrifying to Ahri, almost making her feel nauseated. "It's just a part-time job at a convenience store."

"Oh. That's not exciting," Evelynn said and Ahri thought that she heard disappointment inside her slightly-seductively drawling and cold voice.

"But Eve . . . I'm worried about him," Ahri said in a half worried and half confused voice after a pause. "I still don't know why he started working in a convenience store. I-I mean I always provide him with food, shelter, and other things so he should be enjoying his life, not working at a part-time job."

Ahri started nibbling on the nail of her thumb while making a worried and thoughtful expression on her face. She looked distressed like a person who is trying to solve something but couldn't. "Does he wants to buy something . . . ?" she whispered to herself in a concerned voice, her eyes flickering from Jeffric to her thumb and back again. "Then he could've just asked me . . . Or maybe he has a dept to someone? If so, then I could pay for it . . . M-Maybe he's gathering money to buy for expensive medicine . . . ? But he looks healthy to me—"

"Who knows," Evelynn interrupted from the other side of the phone, snapping Ahri out of her worried thoughts. Then she laughed humorously as if she'd thought of a funny joke. "To be honest, I was expecting his 'adult business' to be something more . . . 'naughty', if you know what I mean."

"Eve," Ahri answered after sighing with exasperation, "Jeffric isn't a person who'd do 'naughty' things and you know it."

"You're right, Ahri. You should do it to him."

Ahri didn't understand for a moment and said nothing while her mind processed what Evelynn had just said. Then, when her mind finally understood what she meant, her face instantly flushed red. "W-W-Wait, what?!"

"You heard me." Ahri definitely heard amusement in Evelynn's voice.

"B-But we're not even a couple!" Ahri spluttered while blushing more and more.

"Then ask him out on a date. You are clearly in love with him."

"N-No I'm not!" Ahri pressed a palm onto her cheek, feeling her cheek burning. "Please stop teasing me, Evelynn!"

She heard Evelynn sighing exasperatedly as if she was fed up with something. "Ahri, dear, I've seen how you're acting around and looking at him. I even noticed you calling Jeffric 'darling'. Moreover, it can be proved by your protective nature over him. Face it, Ahri. You're in love with him."

Ahri opened her mouth, trying to say something that would be a good retort, but nothing came out.

"Anyways, I've to go now. Akali and Kai'Sa are fighting over the remote." Then, Evelynn hung up.

Ahri just stood there, still having her smartphone pressed onto the side of her head while doing nothing. Her face was still warm while heart fluttered wildly. After a moment of just standing there, she quickly put her smartphone into her trench coat's pocket and then stared at the window. She saw Jeffric who was in the middle of yawning.

Ahri felt her face flushing even more than before if it was possible and clutched her chest with both of her hands, feeling her heart beating faster.

Am I in love with . . . Jeffric? She wondered while she kept on observing Jeffric through the window of the convenience store.


I came back to Ahri's apartment, feeling proud, tired, and stiff from working in the convenience store.

"Ahri, I'm home!" I announced in a happy yet tiered voice while closing the door behind me.

"Welcome back, Jeffric," Ahri answered from the sofa. For some reason, she sounded deep in thought and muffled.

I quickly went to the bathroom, washed my hands, and went to my room. After putting my things, including my jacket, in my room, I went to the living room where Ahri was lying on the sofa in a straight position, her face pressed onto its surface while her nine foxtails swayed here and there over her like a bunch of snakes. I almost laughed because the whole scene was comical.

"Ahri, what're you doing?" I asked while stifling a laugh. "You look funny!"

"I'm just . . . thinking about something, darling."

I laughed and touched one of the soft-looking foxtails with my finger. Instantly, it lightly hit me on the side.

"One more touch and I'll set the rest of my tails on you, Jeffric," Ahri said in a playful voice while moving all her nine tails in a threatening manner. From her voice, I knew that she wanted me to do it more, so I continued touching them and soon I found myself being bombarded by her tails.

"I-I surrender! I surrender!" I cried out in exaggerated fear and raised both of my hands into the air while still being lightly hit by her nine tails.

When Ahri stopped, she rolled on the sofa, properly sat on it, and gave me a smile that spoke of humor.

"You know, Eve once told me that my tails are my best weapons," she said while caressing one of them with both of her hands.

"W-Well . . . she's not wrong there." I clasped my hands while looking at her shyly.

When I saw her face, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Even without her makeup, she still looked beautiful with her mischievous golden eyes, cute nose, perfect cheeks, and her adorable lips. Her clothes: a pair of soft and comfy-looking sky blue pajama pants and a white shirt; the whisker-like lines on her cheeks; and the heart-shaped earring on her left fox ear enhanced her beauty even more. The way she caressed her foxtail sent a shiver down my spine and when she'd smiled, it seemed as if the whole world glowed even brighter with her joy.

While blushing, I bowed my head.

You're so beautiful, Ahri . . .

"Jeffric . . . you look tired."

"Wh-What?" I quickly looked up and found myself transfixed to her golden eyes of warmth. Then, processing what she'd said, I quickly answered, "I-I'm not that tired. You don't have to worry about it, Ahri."

She stared at me with a worried expression on her face, making her look so adorable. "At least let me give you a massage to relieve you of some stress," she said while patting the space on the sofa next to her.

"A-A massage . . . ?" I'd never received a massage before, let alone from a celebrity. "O-Ok then . . ."

I carefully sat on the space next to her with my back facing her. My back and shoulders felt stiff from mostly standing behind the counter for 6 hours, but I was sure that my body would get used to it.

I can't wait to see Ahri's face when I pay my rent, I thought happily while trying not to get nervous about Ahri giving me a back massage.


When Ahri saw Jeffric, she instantly saw that he was feeling tired by working in the convenience store. She gently placed both of her hands on Jeffric's shoulders while the familiar warmth embraced her heart once more. Somehow, Jeffric's back looked adorable and fragile. Maybe it'd something to do with his narrow shoulders? Or perhaps it'd something to do with his height which was shorter than hers?

She squeezed both of his shoulders as hard as she could and released them. Then she did it over and over, making Jeffric yelp while arching his back slightly.

"How does it feel?" She asked.

"G-Good—Ouch!" he answered and yelped once again when she gave another squeeze.

After that, while still having her hands on his shoulders, she squeezed both of her thumbs on the muscle between his scapulas, making Jeffric moan with pleasure. When she heard that, she flinched slightly and felt her face warming up. Gulping nervously, she turned both of her thumbs in small circles, moving the muscle with them while Jeffric moaned even louder.

Even his moans are adorable . . . she thought as she started to breathe slightly more heavily than before.

A few minutes later, she let go, and Jeffric slumped forward while pressing both of his hands on the sofa.

"Th-Thank you, Ahri," Jeffric said while looking back at her with a grateful smile on his face. "Your massage felt so good!"

She smiled back at him while still blushing and breathing heavily. "You're welcome. Just ask me whenever you need one."

He nodded vigorously as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will." Then he looked at her in concern. "Ahri . . . are you alright? You're breathing heavily . . . and your face is kinda red."

"O-Oh it's nothing!" she said while waving her hands nervously in front of her. "I-I just heated up while massaging you! Y-Yeah, n-nothing too serious!"

When he went to his room while humming happily, Ahri looked down at her hands. Then, she rubbed both of them on her cheeks and closed her eyes, almost feeling his warmth on her them.

She couldn't deny it anymore.

I'm in love with him . . . she thought as a tender smile spread across her lips while her golden eyes wavered because of the overwhelming feeling of warm love that she felt in her heart like a newly-lit fireplace. I'm in love with Jeffric . . .


(A/N)

*The author drags himself out from a swamp*

Sorry for being late! The writer's block almost killed me, making me rewrite like four times to get this right. If you feel that there's something wrong with the flow with this chapter, this might be the reason for it :(

By the way, I noticed that the more I wrote, this chapter grew longer and longer so I'd to cut out the second half and relocate it to the Special Episode 13. But the Special Episode 13 will be uploaded faster than expected, and it contains something that I think many of you guys have been waiting for a long time ;) (no, it's not lemon . . . but you might say it's kind of close to that)

You might be wondering why I'd put Riven in the Special Episodes, so I'll tell you for now that I'd put her to be an 'opposite' of two characters including Jeffric. I think you might be already guessing who the second character is . . .

Anyways, thank you for reading my fanfic! Favoriting and commenting will be really helpful! :)