A/N: I know this chapter is really short, but it's kindof a segway into something else. Thanks for bearing with me and thanks for the love, you guys :)

Also, jayjayzek: Unfortunately, I don't think this chapter will answer any of your questions, but the next chapter(s) will.

Mid-October

Before Ga Eul knew it, the anniversary of her brother's death had snuck up on her again. It fell on a Saturday that year, and she spent a rare full day with Jan Di, who had been busy with her own studies and otherwise occupied with helping Ji Hoo at his grandfather's clinic since the latter had passed away.

They had visited her brother's memorial that morning and then spent the rest of the day eating his favorite foods and visiting all of his favorite places. They would be ending the day with karaoke because it was the last thing the three of them had done together. At present, however, they were swinging on the swing set at the playground near their elementary school.

"Ga Eul!" Jan Di yelled as she flew past her. "Do you remember that time Min Hyuk Oppa made us eat all of those fish cakes?"

"Why would you bring up something like that?" Ga Eul complained. "I still can't eat fish cakes to this day, and I used to love them so much!"

"Min Hyuk Oppa ruined so many things for us," Jan Di recalled, slowing her swing down. Ga Eul slowed down as well until the two of them just barely drifted back and forth over the wood chips beneath their sneakers.

"Jan Di, do you think they'll ever visit him?"

Jan Di glanced over at Ga Eul, who seemed thinner and less talkative than usual, although Jan Di attributed her general pallor and quietness to the nature of the day. She knew Ga Eul was talking about her parents, who had all but stricken her brother from the family registry after he had died. They never spoke about him, never even said his name as though it were cursed. In fact, Ga Eul's mother hardly spoke two words to anyone, even to Jan Di. Meanwhile, Ga Eul's father preoccupied himself with his work as a shift supervisor. Neither one of them said much to Ga Eul, aside from the superficial "how was your day" sort of talk that only made their usual silence more uncomfortable.

The whole situation saddened Jan Di, as she had long looked up to Ga Eul's mother and father as her own second set of parents, and their house had always been full of company and laughter when the two girls first became friends in kindergarten. In truth, Min Hyuk had felt like her older brother too. She still remembered the last time she had seen him—about two months before he had died. His black hair had copper highlights at the tips, and he wore the same beat-up black leather jacket he would be wearing the day his borrowed car went over a bridge, crashing into the Han River.

"Ga Eul."

"Hmm?"

"I think what matters most is that we are here." She smiled at Ga Eul, and Ga Eul gave her a small smile in return. A light breeze blew gently against both of their faces and scattered a few strands of their hair. Behind Jan Di, the oranges and pinks of the autumn sunset melted into one another—a small reminder of the beauty the world still had to offer.

"And that I could still beat your brother at eating fish cakes if he were here." Jan Di turned away and started swinging again, higher and higher. "And you would still throw everything up," she called out. Jumping off the swing while it flew in mid-air, she crashed rather un-gracefully on the wood chips but picked herself up immediately, brushing a few pieces of wood from her jacket.

"Wanna make a bet?" Jan Di asked. "Let's go eat fish cakes. I bet you still can't do it."

Ga Eul slowed her swing to a stop, stood up, and stuffed her hands in her coat pockets.

"Says who?"

"Says two shifts at the porridge shop," Jan Di said, taking off running toward the park entrance.

"Double or nothing!" Ga Eul yelled as she followed Jan Di, straining to catch up with her.

By the time they reached the fish cake vendor, they were both out of breath, and the sky had begun to turn dark. They bought the fish cakes and stood near the cart for a moment before Jan Di announced that they each had to eat three.

Ga Eul gulped as she sifted her three skewers between her hands. One she could eat, maybe, but three? She had barely started to take one bite when a familiar voice spoke up from behind her, startling both her and Jan Di.

"Do I get to judge?"

Turning around, Ga Eul saw Woo Bin standing there, looking rather dressed down in a t-shirt, a brown leather jacket, and jeans.

"Ya, are you stalking us?" Jan Di asked, glaring at him, her voice muffled by the fish cake already stuffed into her mouth. "I told Jun Pyo to quit having people follow me around everywhere."

"He just cares about you is all," Ga Eul said. "He doesn't want anything to happen to you."

"He ran off my research partner!"

"Your what?"

"In Chemistry lab, Hyun-joong and I were doing this project together, and now he won't even return my messages because he got manhandled by one of my 'security guards' for getting 'too close' to me. I'm going to fail the entire project!" Jan Di lamented.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about that," Woo Bin reassured her. "You're going to Shinwa Medical School anyway. You don't even need that class when you have Jun Pyo."

"Woo Bin Sunbae! I want to get into medical school on my own! Because I deserve to be there! What type of doctor fails Chem 1?!" Jan Di made a fist and gathered new resolve. "Aniyo, I am simply going to retake the class and…and…why are you here?" She looked back at him.

Woo Bin grinned.

"I'm supposed to tell both of you to get ready."

"Ready for what?" Ga Eul asked, finally biting into her fish cake.

"To go back to where it all started…New Caledonia!"

Ga Eul choked a little on her fish cake, prompting a hearty slap on her back from Jan Di and a chorus of "Are you okay?" from Woo Bin.

She nodded and took a sip of water offered to her by the street vendor.

Woo Bin continued, "Jun Pyo wants to go this coming weekend. I'm supposed to tell you so that you can pack in advance. I think Jun Pyo wants Jan Di to know he is capable of acting civilized."

Jan Di humphed.

"Just the weekend and Monday," Woo Bin continued. "Seems he can't leave the business for longer than that, but he can't stay away from Jan Di for hardly two months either."

"Ah, but Sunbae," Ga Eul countered, "we have class on Monday. And mid-term exams are coming up. Or maybe just Jan Di can go, but I really—"

"It's just going to be you two, me, Ji Hoo, and Jun Pyo," Woo Bin interrupted. "Ga Eul, are you really going to abandon your best friend to the mercy of those two lovesick idiots? Am I supposed to deal with all that drama single-handedly? Ga Eul, I thought we were friends. You wound me." Woo Bin clasped a hand to his heart.

Ga Eul shifted her weight and hesitated replying. She was glad to know that Yi Jeong wouldn't be coming, but she still didn't exactly look forward to being the third—or, more likely, fourth wheel—in Jan Di's tempestuous love life for another vacation. Despite Woo Bin's friendliness towards her, she knew he probably would bring some of his model friends and therefore wouldn't be quite as alone as he was putting on. Plus, being in New Caledonia would only remind her of the last time she had been there, no matter how hard she tried to forget it-how stupidly naive she was back then.

Soulmates, huh?

This is why I say girls won't make it...

She still hadn't told Jan Di about all that had happened between her and Yi Jeong, knowing Jan Di would probably blow up to Jun Pyo about it and that would only cause more drama among everyone in their circle.

Jan Di, seeing her friend's hesitation, tugged on Ga Eul's arm. She didn't know what was bothering Ga Eul, but she knew a weekend away might help whatever it was.

"Come on, Ga Eul, it's just a weekend trip, really. And I know for a fact you're ahead on all of your schoolwork. You haven't changed a bit since high school."

"Umm…"

"I think we're getting the same chef as the last time you were there," Woo Bin added.

"I don't eat that much," Ga Eul mumbled.

Woo Bin and Jan Di glanced knowingly at one another and then back at her.

"Okay, okay, I'll think about it."

Jan Di broke into a huge smile and looped one of her arms around one of Ga Eul's, tugging Ga Eul close to her.

"We'll be at the airport, Woo Bin Sunbae. You can tell Jun Pyo he can have Ji Hoo for his date because I've already got mine."