"Hi guys"

The trio gaped at the woman as she came closer. Jungkook had taken her to a salon to get her hair redone despite the woman refusing. And now the woman looked like someone straight outta a magazine.

"Who are you and what did you do to my Chae", Alison questioned. "Are you her evil twin or something?"

"What are you talking about Alison!", Chaerin furrowed her brows. "It's me!"

"Prove it", Alison crossed her arms.

"Don't be dramatic bitch. I know you are a little taken aback by the dress and blow dry and all but its still me!"

"Prove it", she narrowed her eyes.

Chaerin sighed. "Alison once we are done with this trip, you are sitting with me and solving each and every question from the guide. I don't want a repeat of the Corporate finance class where you ended up with a measly 11.5/100–"

"OKAY!", Alison clasped a hand around her mouth. "I know its you. But do you have any idea what you are wearing!? Its a mother fucking Hutch Henderson dress"

"He", Chaerin pointed to Jungkook. "Did this to me. I told him I didn't want it and he FORCED this on me. Tomorrow we are going to the bank to set up an EMI plan so I can pay him back €20,000 FOR A FUCKING DRESS"

"You don't have to pay me back", Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. "I told you. You can keep it. Think of it as a gift for spoiling your dress"

"Dude that was a $30 dress that I got on a 20% discount and further combined with a $5 off coupon. The barter doesn't even make sense. Its like you accidentally break my house of cards and decide to buy me a penthouse in manhattan"

"You can just wear it again", the man defended himself.

"Where am I to wear this again? I don't go to balls and formal dresses and stuff. Can we just return it and get a refund tomorrow?"

"No they had a policy of final sale", Jungkook said.

"BITCH WHAT!", Chaerin shook her head in disappointment as she looked at the ground. Alison pat her on the back. "We'll figure something out. I would have bought it from you but green doesn't look good on me. A lot of auctions will buy them. Actually one of Taehyung's friends runs a couture auction to help charities. Bingo! Hey Tae!"

"Tae!"

"TAEHYUNG!"

The man immediately snapped out of his daze as he looked at his sister.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you staring at Chaerin like this?"

Because it reminds me of every time I have realized that I was fucking in love with her, he thought to himself.

———•••———

17 years ago

"Sweetie, I am so happy to see you. Areum talks about you so much. I always told your mom to bring you to the hospital so I could meet you. But I am happy you came home today", Alison and Taehyung's mother said to a six year old Chaerin who stood by the door holding Areum's hand.

"Do you like hotdogs? Burgers? Milkshakes?", the woman asked and she nodded. "Are you hungry? I have made a lot of food, let's go"

The woman took the duo to the table. "Oh Taehyung-ah, did you finish your homework?", she asked a little boy sitting there writing something in his book with a pencil.

The boy looked up to reply to his mother but stopped as he saw somebody new. His eyes fell on the girl who was holding his sister's hand. He intently noticed her rosy pink cheeks, big eyes, long hair and the unicorn dress she was wearing. And for the first time he felt something different. Something that he could not explain.

"Taehyung?", his mother called out to him again but he was too busy looking at the new girl. She innocently stared back at him with her big eyes, wondering whether he was deaf or just dense and not responding to his mother.

"Tae", the woman slightly rocked his shoulder and he snapped out of it. "Finish your homework. And say hello to Areum's friend. Her name is Chaerin"

Chaerin. She had a pretty name.

He nodded and bowed slightly at her. "Chaerin this is Areum's older brother Taehyung"

"Hello, nice to meet you", she spoke like her mother had taught her.

She had the most beautiful voice he had heard.

"Why don't you both sit? I'll have the snacks sent out"

The girls proceeded to sit on the table. Taehyung tried too hard to concentrate on the things he was writing but constantly he wanted to look up and see her. He heard giggling from beside him and saw his sister whisper something in the girl's ears and laugh.

"Boys have cooties. Don't talk to Taehyung"

He glared at her as he heard this and Areum just stuck her tongue out.

"Oh wait Chaerin I will show you my doll collection", she immediately stepped down. "Sit here I will get it. And don't talk to him when I am gone", she instructed. 

Taehyung knew when the guest was gone he was about to try some of his elder brother WWE moves on Areum. A bit of bullying was coming her way today because of how she was teasing him. She had been getting too brave for her own good. With that he went back to doing his math.

All of a sudden he felt a presence behind him. He gasped as he realized Chaerin was standing there like a ghost peeping in his book.

"This is wrong", she quietly said to him and stared at his face. "I saw you doing it and it is wrong"

Taehyung looked back at the last question he solved. He was taken aback as she slightly pushed him to the side before climbing on the chair and grabbing his pencil. Taking an eraser, she aggressively rubbed everything off before leaning forward to write.

He intently noticed how fast she was writing and he was in disbelief. How did a first grader know how to solve his fourth grade questions.

"65", she spoke. "65 is the answer"

He immediately flipped the pages to the solution key at the back. A measly 65 stared back at him.

"Wow", he spoke looking at her. "How do you know this?"

"I learnt it. My personal tutor taught me. Mommy says I am too smart to keep doing grade 1 problems so she hired him. Right now we are solving grade 5 problems", the girl smiled. "It is so easy, why don't you know it? You are what my mother calls slow like a snail"

He was taken aback at this insult. But he didn't mind if she did it. Hearing insults from her mouth also sounded sweet. With that he smiled as he saw her enthusiastically fill up rest of the questions.

———•••———

6 years ago

"So Taehyung, your mother tells me you just came back from Singapore after finishing your schooling?"

"Yes, I finally graduated", the boy replied. "I am heading to Yale after a month to double major in art history and economics there"

"Impressive", the man replied.

The door opened and Areum walked in with a girl. They were both chatting as they failed to notice his presence. The moment they saw him, Alison let out a yelp of joy.

"Oh TAE!", she yelled and ran towards him. The man chuckled as his sister jumped and he held her in a hug. "I missed you, you loser! When did you come? You never told us"

"I wanted to keep it a surprise. I came in the morning. Dad's secretary Uncle Ahn made the arrangements"

"Wow! You remember Chae right?"

Taehyung turned to the new girl as Areum tagged her along. And just like the first time he had seen her, his mind went into shut down mode. In the last five years, ever since he moved to Singapore, he hadn't seen the girl. Every time Alison and his parents came to visit him in Singapore so he didn't get a lot of opportunities to come to Seoul. And whenever he came during summer, Chaerin was always in the states, spending the vacation with her extended family who lived there. It had been about six years since he had seen her and yet she still had the same effect on him.

"Yeah—yeah I do. Hi Chaerin, long time"

"Its been long Taehyung. Good to see you. Congratulations on Yale, that's wonderful"

"Thank you. Did you plan what school you are going to?", the man asked. "You should come to Yale, its great for someone bright like you"

"Yale's more for liberal studies and my focus is Finance, Math and Business. So my choices are between Stanford, Penn and Columbia. So unfortunately no Yale"

"Oh", the man replied, slightly dejected. "Anyways, if you are around, I am throwing a party this week before I leave. For my friends. Jimin's coming. And you should too"

"WHAT!", Alison yelled at him. "You said to me I wasn't allowed. How does she get an invite?"

"But Chaerin turned 17 already right? You are 16. And she is responsible, not to mention well behaved. So she gets a pass. You better not turn up there", he pointed a finger at her.

Alison glared at him for a solid second before she grabbed his finger and bit it with all her might. Taehyung screamed as he tried to push his sister away.

"AREUM!", he yelled as his sister looked at her in an evil way. "Make me stay away from the party", she challengingly spoke.

Taehyung clenched his jaw as he took a step forward. "Do you think if I tell the bouncer outside to not let you in, your 5'2 self is going to make it past a couple of 6 foot tall buffed up men?"

"No way you would do that", Areum scoffed.

"Oh little sister, don't try me. If you so as to even think of crashing my party, I'll make sure mom and dad know about each and every one of your drunk antics. Some of which I also have on my phone. And you know how strict mom is when it comes to not ruining their image. Not to mention you are illegally drinking at 16!"

Areum gasped as she looked at her brother in disbelief. She turned to Chaerin, pleading with her eyes to do something. Taehyung's parties were lit and the girl had to make it to them. His friends were famous Kpop idols and people from the industry. They always made the party amazing and Areum was a sucker for good parties.

"I'll promise to take care of Areum, she will not ruin your party", Chaerin spoke as she held her best friend's hands. "Please Taehyung, let her come"

"I don't know Chaerin, the last time she drank so much and threw a fit about a girl wearing the same dress as her. This party means a lot to me, I don't want her ruining it"

"She'll not do anything", Chaerin pleaded. "Please Taehyung!"

"I—I don't think so", the man shrugged.

"Fine, I am sorry I'll skip too then", she spoke and he immediately got attentive. "Guess we will stay in and do something else, okay Areum? If my best friend is not invited, I am not going either", with that she looked down dejected.

Taehyung panicked. Because of his stupid sister, he didn't want the girl to not turn up either.

"Fine", he spoke, not wanting the girl to miss. "Uh, you can come Areum. But be on your best behavior. And no trying to ask rappers for their numbers. Especially those above 18", he gritted his teeth.

"Yayyy!", both girls squealed. "Thank you Taehyung", Chaerin smiled and threw herself on him for a hug. The boy was startled for a moment as he hugged back.

A smile settled on his face as he found his cheeks heating up. This was indeed one of the best days of his life.

———•••———

"I was just—the dress—are those real gemstones?", he immediately saved himself with a distraction.

"Yes", Chaerin cried. "Entire party I am going to be so worried about one of these falling out"

"Chill", Jungkook said to her. "Just enjoy yourself. You look beautiful in this dress. And its all right even if it falls out or something. For something this trivial, you aren't going to ruin your moment, are you?"

"Trivial...", she gaped in disbelief. "Trivial... he called the gemstones trivial"

"Listen babe", Alison put a hand around her shoulder. "I want you to take a deep breath and concentrate on the party okay? You are wearing the best dress. You look like a fucking model straight out of the runway. Today you have to shine. I already see some girls side eying you. So you better let them know who owns this party. And while you are at it, keep the eye on the men here okay? Its always in parties where you find the most eligible bachelors okay!"

"What!", Chaerin shot back. She wanted to say something more but Jungkook suddenly spoke up.

"Actually in parties like these you find the most snobby men who you want to stay away from", he raised an eyebrow. "Trust me none of these new men here are good enough"

"I agree", Taehyung spoke through gritted teeth at Jungkook. "Best to stay away from men you really don't know anything about. They seem sweet and helpful but next thing you know, they are on their way to ruin your life. If anyone like that hits on you Chae or makes you uncomfortable, let me know"

Jungkook was taken aback at this sudden personal attack. But a second later it struck him. A smirk formed on his face as he challengingly looked at Taehyung. "Hyung is right, definitely let him know"