Warning (just in case): Brief mention of selling drugs

Jan Di was hopelessly lost. And it was all her fault. Just like everything is, she thought, the circumstances that lead to this point running in circles around her head.

The phone rang. Who could be calling her? There were barely anyone who knew about this phone number.

"Hello?" Jan Di answered, not recognizing the number. The voice on the other end was unmistakable. "Omma?"

Her heart sank as she realized that her mother was not calling to check on how she was doing. No, as a chairwoman of an amazing company this could not be anything less than a professional meeting. It only took a moment to figure out it was an attack.

"Jan Di. Do I really have to tell you?" Jan Di went silent as her mother's sharp tone began to ramble about all the events that had been happening over the past few days. Jan Di should've realized that her mother would be watching. She even knew about the egging incident.

"That's not all," Her mother continued. "You dare to join the swim team despite knowing how I feel about you continuing that sport? Are you trying to ignore what your father and I want for you?" Jan Di's hand tightened around the phone, and her lip trembled.

"No, Omma," she said quietly.

"Then quit! Focus on your school, because at the rate you're going, you'll end up needing it after you've ruined everything we've planned for you. You've already brought enough shame on me. I'm hanging up."

Jan Di sank onto a bench, unable to relax completely in public as a force of habit. She looked dismally at the ground. A piece of gum had stuck to the bottom of her sneaker.

As if it was her fault that she was in this mess. She dug her gummy toe into the ground, thinking angry things to distract her from the stinging in her eyes. She bit her lip to stop it from trembling, and took a deep breath. After finishing the phone conversation, she had left her apartment without her phone, unwilling to be anywhere near the device that had delivered such bad news.

And it was costing her. Two hours later, she was surrounded by unfamiliar shops and no matter which turn she took through the twisted streets, she couldn't find anything familiar. She sighed again, this time in desolation. Great job, getting yourself stuck here. She couldn't believe her luck.

"Hey," came a voice from behind her. "What are you doing around here?" Oh no. Jan Di didn't want that voice to belong to who she thought it did, but she had to turn around and check.

It was Gu Joon Pyo. Of course, because the universe just had to throw this stupid greasy guy her way. He was ludicrously tall next to her sitting on the bench. She didn't like it.

"It's a public place, isn't it," she snapped, sneering immediately.

"I usually sit there," he said after a moment. He narrowed his eyes.

"Does it have your name on it?" Jan Di snapped, turning back to face the street and crossing her arms. While he was behind her, she quickly blinked away any of the remaining moisture in her eyes.

"It might as well! And you've lived here for, what, a week?" She didn't look back at him and he didn't move. After a moment, he sat down at the other edge of the bench.

"What are you doing?" She snapped. She scooted away, perching on the opposite edge of the bench. Really, for all her bad luck, she had to run into the one bench that 'had his name on it.' What kind of…

"I'm sitting," he said tersely. She didn't respond. Her chest was starting to feel tight at the awkwardness of the situation. Sparing a glance his way, she noticed he had a bruise on his face about where she had kicked him the previous day. Her immediate reaction of satisfaction was replaced with guilt when she realized he really wasn't going to bother her anymore.

They sat like that for a few minutes. She flinched when he stood up and started walking away without a word.

That's strange. She watched him walk away, and he kicked a rock on the sidewalk with unwarranted anger. She frowned. It looked like he was dealing with his own issues. Guess it was just the luck of Wednesdays.

It wasn't until he was almost out of sight that she came to a realization: First, the sun was going down. Second, if she was running into Gu Joon Pyo, she must be further than she could imagine from her apartment, since she knew that he walked home in an opposite direction from her when they were at school (and she didn't even want to think about why she had been watching him walk home. It had just happened.) and finally, she still had no money, no cell phone, and Ga Eul and Jae Kyung didn't know where she was. She was damned if she ended up stranded out on the cold street.

She shook her hands together nervously, struggling to make up her mind. Gu Joon Pyo was already a few blocks away, she would have to run to catch up with him. How could I run after him?! The thought was almost as unappealing as staying out on the streets all night long.

"Ah, swallow your pride you stupid girl," she hissed to herself, somehow feeling like it was her mother telling her those words. Before she could change her mind, she jumped up and her feet hit the pavement running. She swerved through average walkers in order to catch up.

Damn his long legs. He didn't seem to be getting any closer. She sped up, flat out running, barely making it through the intersection before the light turned green. He didn't notice her.

"Hey!" she shouted. He didn't turn. She was almost upon him, and she skidded to a halt, stretching a hand out to stop him. At the last moment, he turned to look at her, and her hand went right past him, causing her to become unbalanced and-

"Ahh," Jan Di hissed in pain as she fell flat out on the concrete.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jan Di groaned, glaring as she heard Joon Pyo scoff. She felt her hands stinging from where they had collided with the concrete.

"I need to ask you something," she said, moving back off the ground.

"So annoying," he said. She glared at him, picking pieces of dirt out of the scratches. "What?"

Slowly, she got back to her feet, rolling her eyes when he didn't offer her any help. "Can I borrow your phone?" she muttered sullenly. He blinked.

"My phone?" He repeated. "Why? Lost yours?"

"Something like that," she said, gingerly blowing on her palms.

"No," he said, and turned around and continued walking.

"Hey! Stop," Jan Di called, shuffling after him, indignant. "How dare you leave me like this!"

"Like what?" He sneered. "It's not like it's my fault."

"I need your phone!" She shouted, about to stamp her foot like a little child. He stared down at her, unaffected.

"Why?" He asked again, crossing his arms. Jan Di went silent. She could feel her ears growing red even before she said the words.

"I'm lost," she muttered. He leaned down towards her, his face just a foot away from hers.

"Didn't catch that, could you say that again?" he asked. She glared again, before spitting out "I'm lost!"

"Ah." He stood back up and shrugged. "Well I don't have my phone on me." For a moment, Jan Di stared in bewilderment. How could he not have his phone on him! The slim chance that she ran into anyone she knew, and it had to be ruined by the even more slim chance that neither of them had a cell phone. If only I hadn't been so stupid.

"Oh," she said, unsure how to continue. She shot him another glare.

"Yah, don't look at me like that. It's not my fault you're lost," he snapped. "We're near my friend's house. I can take you there so you can call someone to pick you up, alright?"

"Really?" she said, unintentionally letting slip how relieved she was. The boy that had showed her nothing but vengeful bullying would now have to be depended on the get her back to her house. She didn't like it at all. Crossing her arms, ignoring the way they still stung, she brought her chin up primly. "Lead the way."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't think we're friends or something now, alright?" He shook his head and started walking away. Jan Di almost tripped over herself trying to keep up with his long legs.

They walked- well, he walked and she nearly jogged- in silence, rounding a corner away from the main street and entering a street filled with tightly packed apartment buildings. Joon Pyo came to a stop, and Jan Di almost ran into his back.

"This is his building," he said. Jan Di realized that this was probably one of the F4. She wondered who.

Joon Pyo grabbed her bloodier hand and held it out in front of her.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he reached into his pocket for something. He didn't bother to look at her as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped it around her hand.

"Ji Hoo would give me a hard time if he thought I wasn't taking care of someone correctly. Don't take this as a good deed," he warned, tucking the handkerchief into a knot. She nodded dumbly, watching the white cloth begin to turn red.

"I'll get you another one..." He turned to begin walking up the stairs, and she followed. On the first landing, she continued, "But what kind of a guy carries around handkerchief? What kind of gentleman are you pretending to be?" She rolled her eyes when she didn't get a response. She huffed, before her mind grew curious again. Which one of his friends was Ji Hoo?

Joon Pyo stopped at a door, raising his hand to knock. She waited expectantly, but he lowered his hand after a moment.

"Yah, what are you waiting for?" She grumbled. He sighed, raising his hand again. She was pacing, trying to keep her legs warm. Before he could knock, the door flew open.

"Goodbye- ah? Gu Joon Pyo?" A girl stood in the doorway. Joon Pyo lowered his hand quickly, his face showing his evident surprise.

"Min Seo Hyun? Why are you here?" He asked, stunned. Jan Di almost gasped- Min Seo Hyun? The Min Seo Hyun? There was no way! Another look at the girl's face confirmed it- her father's family friend, Min Seo Hyun, the supermodel. They had met before- that was why her face had been so familiar. Ah! What was she going to do?

Seo Hyun didn't notice her at all. She was grinning ear to ear as she looked at Joon Pyo, complimenting him on mundane things like how tall he was getting.

"Who's this?" Seo Hyun turned to Jan Di, who quickly looked down.

"Hello," Jan Di mumbled, for once grateful that Joon Pyo was talking over her.

"She's no one, she just needed to use the phone."

"Ah, I see." Jan Di breathed a sigh of relief when Seo Hyun's gaze diverted from her. "Well, I've got to go. Ji Hoo is inside." And with a graceful word of goodbye, she strolled away. Jan Di's eyes followed her. Her flawless makeup and outfit and incomparable beauty seemed out of place in this mundane neighborhood. Jan Di sighed.

"What's gotten into you?" Joon Pyo commented, sounding a little nervous. "She's just a friend. Don't think too much about it."

There's no way he doesn't know she's a model, she thought sullenly as he walked through the door. The last time Jan Di had seen Seo Hyun, the older girl had told her she wouldn't have any time for her anymore and Jan Di had dumped her drink on her. It was definitely better that they didn't come face to face just yet.

The house was cozy. It was clean, neat, filled with family memorabilia. The kitchen was separated from the main living room through a paper screen door. Sitting on the floor holding a guitar with a music book in front of him was-

Ah. That guy. It seems like today is my unlucky day for encounters. The blond boy from the music store- the boy who also happened to be in her music class, and whom she happened to owe an umbrella to- pulled out the guitar pick from his teeth and nodded hello.

"Need something?" He asked. His eyes went between Joon Pyo and Jan Di, and Jan Di knew he was calculating the possible reasons she was here.

"Yo, Ji Hoo. This nuisance needs to use your phone. I'm sure she'll pay you for it."

"Well, actually I don't have any money on me right now," Jan Di stuttered. She shot a glare at Joon Pyo. Was this what commoners were like? Always asking for money? Her nose wrinkled.

Ji Hoo nodded, and pointed over to the table. She smiled and thanked him, before going to look for the phone.

"Ga Eul?" Jan Di sighed in relief when her friend picked up on the first ring. "I need your help..." As she talked, Joon Pyo sat down next to Ji Hoo and took out his homework. Jan Di finished her phone call and hung up the phone, settling down on the floor opposite the two seniors. She didn't realize she was staring at Joon Pyo until he looked up and met her eyes.

"What?" he snapped. Her eyes narrowed in a glare. He's always so rude.

"I didn't realize someone as stupid as you still did their homework," she spat. She crossed her arms. "And why do you have so many textbooks?" she asked, noticing that there were at least twice as many workbooks as was necessary.

He rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business, you stupid weed."

"Tch," Jan Di grumbled, before she took a seat. She sat cross-legged, feeling suddenly awkward as no one talked. Joon Pyo completely ignored her, his pencil flying unnaturally quickly through math problems. Maybe he wasn't as dumb as she thought. Ji Hoo, on the other hand, continued playing guitar as he had before. Jan Di thought he was actually pretty good, knowing what she did about music. She grinned when he started to play one of her favorite songs.

"What are you smiling at," Joon Pyo asked suddenly. Her smile flopped off her face.

"I happen to like that song," she said, before turning back to Ji Hoo. "But I think you got one of the chords wrong. Can I try?" she asked, holding her hand out for the instrument. Ji Hoo looked at her for a moment.

"No."

Oh. Jan Di's smile froze up, and she felt awkward all over again. She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms uncomfortably.

"You'd get blood on it," he said, staring pointedly at her scraped up palm. He set aside his guitar and stood up. She watched him as he walked to the kitchen and returned with a box of bandaids. He pulled out a few, and she smiled and held out her hand.

"Could you put them on for me?" She asked. He nodded, opening one large one and gently wrapping it across her palm. She winced every time the cuts were touched, but she distracted herself with the observation that they were close enough that she could smell his cologne. And it smelled pretty nice.

"Hey, stop bothering my friend," Joon Pyo snapped, pushing her back and snatching the bandaids out of Ji Hoo's hands.

"What are you doing," Jan Di shouted, affronted. Ji Hoo just shook his head at Joon Pyo and went back to his guitar. Joon Pyo roughly grabbed her hand and smacked a smaller bandaid over the cut on her finger. "Hey! That hurts," she said.

"Your fault you fell. You're lucky that you get a bandaid at all, so stop complaining." As soon as he finished putting the last bandaid, she wrenched her hand out of his grip and stood up.

"It's your fault anyways, you bastard," she said.

"If you're going to be ungrateful, then why don't you go wait in the street for your car," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Fine!" she stomped to the door, stuffed her feet into her shoes, and was about to swing the door open when someone knocked on it. She glanced at Ji Hoo and Joon Pyo, who hadn't reacted, before just shouting Screw it. She swung the door open like an angry toddler, but stopped when she saw who it was.

"You're not Ji Hoo," said the boy. It was the other two F4 guys, one holding a large bag of snacks. Just her luck, running into all four of her least favorite people. She stalked past them, beyond the point of caring any longer. She didn't care how cold it was outside, she would rather freeze to death waiting for the car then spend one moment with that horrible bunch.

"Yo, yo, yo," Woo Bin called out as he came into the room, swinging the bag of snacks a little too enthusiastically. Joon Pyo and Ji Hoo looked up.

"Finally," Ji Hoo said, and raised his hand. Woo Bin threw the bag, but it ended up hitting Ji Hoo in the face.

"Whoops! Sorry," he said, flopping down on the ground and not sounding sorry at all.

"What was that girl doing here?" Yi Jung asked, taking off his shoes before dropping his backpack beside Joon Pyo's little circle of homework.

"Making a nuisance of herself," Joon Pyo said, shaking his head in annoyance. Yi Jung grinned, knowing full well that Joon Pyo was sensitive about anything that came to that girl. His grin faltered as he sat down next to Joon Pyo.

"What happened to your face?" He asked, reaching forward and pulling the bag of snacks away from Ji Hoo, who had already taken his chips.

"What?" Joon Pyo asked. Yi Jung gestured to his own cheekbone, and Joon Pyo looked down. "Oh. It was my mom, again. We got in a fight."

"What happened?" Woo Bin asked, rolling off of his back to look at his friend. Joon Pyo shrugged.

"She found out I was selling her Xanax."

"Oh. How did she find out?"

"I don't know," Joon Pyo said, shrugging. "I'll just have to figure some other way to get money now."

"Mm."

"She practically conned it out of the doctor anyways," Joon Pyo said dismally, staring at the ceiling. His entire day had fallen to shit. He truly hated his mother sometimes, especially her desperation to be in control and self-medicate. The bruise on his cheek from her backhand still stung. The guys were quiet, and Ji Hoo began to practice again. Woo Bin and Yi Jung shared a glance before Woo Bin shrugged and rolled back onto his position that made him look like a floor rug, and pulled out his phone. Joon Pyo tried to think of something else, anything else, to take his mind off of the topic. He started working on the piles of homework again. His mind wandered to that irritating girl, Geum Jan Di. The last thing he had expected was to find her crying on a bench. Honestly, the whole experience was strange. What kind of a coincidence was it that she just happened to be on his way and on the bench outside the ramyun restaurant that he usually sat at?

Yi Jung made them dinner. He was good at everything, or so they teased him. After they ate, they lounged around and talked about school and soccer and Ronaldo losing the Ballon d'Or to Messi.

"It's so obvious," Joon Pyo announced at a lull in the conversation. He had been strangely quiet for the past couple of minutes, and his friends exchanged looks when he finally outed what he had been thinking of.

"What?" Woo Bin asked.

"I was thinking it was strange that she didn't respond to my usual charismatic persuasion," he said knowingly. Yi Jung raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"You're talking about Geum Jan Di?"

"Of course I am," Joon Pyo scoffed. "It all makes sense."

"I'm still confused," Woo bin said. Joon Pyo smiled, eyes still looking lost in thought.

"The 'Wonder Girl' is acting so mad at me because she likes me. Obviously," Joon Pyo said, clapping his hands together in success.

"In what world, exactly?" Ji Hoo said from his spot on the floor.

"Don't you see," Joon Pyo explained, rolling up to a sitting position. "A strong no means a yes. That explains why she was so angry at the rumors. She even told me she hadn't had her first kiss yet," he said.

"And that means she likes you because...?" Woo Bin prodded, squinting in incomprehension.

"She told me because she wants me to be her first," Joon Pyo explained in satisfaction.

"Right." Yi Jung and Woo Bin exchanged a look that said quite clearly he's delusional and started laughing. Joon Pyo had grown too enamored by his fantasy to notice or care.

"I'm impressed," Yi Jung said, clapping the smitten boy on the shoulder. "You've really outdone yourself."

"I can proudly call you a genius now," Woo Bin said. "Man, its nice being friends with someone so smart."

"Thanks," Joon Pyo said. Woo Bin rolled his eyes.

"Now all that's left to do is for you to tell her you know and see how it goes," Woo Bin said. Joon Pyo blinked and sat up straighter.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He asked genuinely. Woo Bin kept his straight face, but Yi Jung had to use his hands to smother his laughter at Joon Pyo's complete absurdity.

"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?" Woo Bin said.

"I'm against it," Ji Hoo chimed in.

"Maybe I will," Joon Pyo mused. "Just to see the look on her face."

"I'm sure it'll be worth it," Yi Jung said. "Tell me how it goes, would ya?"

Hello my dearest readers!
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I love you!
This chapter was a little shorter than usual. Yesterday was the one year anniversary for this story, and I really wanted to post something to celebrate. I apologize profusely for posting so rarely. I'll do my best to get the next part up soon!

Good news is I got tix for the EXO concert B) that also got me in the mood to write. Almost died getting them, but here I am.

Enjoy your winters!

~Laila