"3,2,1... Happy New Year!" Their friends were screaming in unison on the countdown, and danced around the campfire.

The year 2012 had finally closed its curtain and the new 2013 was only starting to show. New resolutions were made; fruitful business, happiness, good health.. All those good things normal people would make as they hope to get or achieve every time a new year take its dawn.

But it seemed to mark the baddest year for Tao, and it had just begun.

"Listen.." Hara said, biting on her bottom lip. She picked on the hem of her pink dress, the very one Tao chose for her as a Christmas present.

Sehun poured the beer he was holding on Baekhyun's head and they all laughed, except Baekhyun of course, whom face was visibly red even with the dark surroundings around them.

Tao laughed as Baekhyun chased after Sehun with a freshly opened can of beer but ended up sprinkling it to all the members instead.

"Tao, are you listening?" Hara grew impatient.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Tao said, smiling cheekily.

"Tao, Hara! Come over here! We're playing tag!" Luhan shouted, laughing at his friend's face.

"We are not playing anything! I'm going to get you guys for soaking me with beers!" Baekhyun cried, and the other guys laughed even harder.

"Later guys." Tao smiled as he shook his head and trailed his gaze back at the waiting Hara. She was fuming off because of his lack of concentration.

"I'm sorry again, babe.. What was it you want to say?" Tao reached out for her hands but she hid them behind her back. His smile faltered a bit.

"This is why.." Hara inhaled deeply. "I hope you understand that I'm doing this for me.. for us. I can't stand the way you treating me, Tao."

"What do you mean?" Now his smile was completely erased from his face, and it was replaced by a frown.

"What I mean is, I want to put an end to our relationship."

There was a moment of silence between them. The other guys were still joking around and Tao really want to yell at them to stop. They were messing with his mind right now. He heard it wrong. He definitely had it wrong. They were together for a long time. They were each other's first love. They even shared their first kiss! It must be wrong.

He then realized that the whole place was quiet. No more Kai's loud voice or Xiumin's screams that sound like ahjumma. It was really quiet apart from the fireworks going on from the distance, and the sound of fire cracking.

He realized he had just yelled at his friends for real. Hara even got freaked out, her eyebrows knitted together but she held her ground. Because that's what she was, stubborn.

"Repeat that again."

"I'm sorry Tao, I have to let you go. Please let me go."

Tao sucked a breath. "No." He whispered.

"I'm sorry." Hara's shoulder fell.

She had hurt him, that was for sure. He made it very clear that he will love her forever, and she knew he would. He gave her everything, but it was not things that she want. She simply got over the special feelings, there was not any butterflies nor she get any of the excitements whenever they held hands anymore.

She felt..bored.

"Hara, please say that this is a joke." Tao held her shoulders in a strong grip. Hara winced. She might as well happy to step away, but she covered it.

"No." Her voice cracked.

"Please!" Tao's voice rose. "You can't leave me, Hara, you are my everything!"

She cannot take this anymore. She was on the verge of breaking down, and she refused to show it to any of those guys, specifically Tao.

"But you're not to me, Tao! Can't you see? I can't tolerate any of this anymore, I can't tolerate you." Hara shrugged his hands off and stepped away.

Tao ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "What have I done? I never cheated, I-I.. I gave you everything! I let you do everything you want, I never.."

"That's the problem!" Hara snapped. "Tao, you're too perfect. I'm just.. Not." Her voice wavered.

She walked passed him and the guys were too stunned to even help that they parted to give her way.

Tao turned around and ran after Hara. He caught her wrist and spun her around, eyes looking straight at her teary ones.

Why would she cry if she did not love him? Why would she feel sad leaving him if she really mean what she said? There must be some feelings left inside.

'There's hope.' Tao thought, a flicker of hope burnt in his heart.

"Please, Hara." He whispered.

"I'm sorry. Goodbye, Tao."

The candle dimmed until there was nothing but darkness taking over his cold heart.

***

It all happened last year, the beginning mark to his dark days, his empty heart, and cold feelings. Hara ditched him for another guy in his class, and the reason why he cannot make his way to punch that guy on the nose was because Sungho was the son of the board of education member, one of the important fundraiser for his school.

On April, his parents divorced, or more exactly, his Mom left his Dad and he had hated her a bit since then, because she ruined his family, and because she reminded him of Hara.

May came just as fast. And just after he blew his birthday candles, his Mom told him she was going to remarry. This time to much more wealthy and important person, Mr. Shin, his school principal. He hated him more than he hated his Mom.

He was clearly the one Fate played with the most on that year, whose dreams and hopes were crushed to bits more than anyone can ever imagine.

It was enough to change anyone. It was enough to change him. He was once cheery, but now the rain clouds seemed to follow him anywhere. He glared at everyone like they did something bad. He was the school heartthrob, and he could not care less about the broken-hearted girls he dumped every week.

The students called him the 360° boy.

The fireworks went on forever as Tao opened his third beer. He drank deeply and leaned back on the lounge chair he dragged to the rooftop.

His phone beeped again. He put in his pass code and viewed the message.

It was from Sehun.

He quickly typed his reply and pressed send before finishing his beer.

Fifteen minutes later Sehun arrived at the school's rooftop.

"Tao.." He said, gasping for air.

Tao snapped his head to the voice and chuckled.

"Yo bro, what's with the gasping? You ran your ass here?" Tao chuckled, taking a big chug on his beer.

Sehun walked over to his friend and smacked his head.

"I'm worried about you, brat. And don't you bro me. Why didn't you reply our messages?"

"I'm busy watching those pretty fireworks."

"Fireworks my ass. I know you're sulking."

"I'm not." He took a big gulp. "Care to join?"

Sehun scratched his head. "Look, I can't. Naeun is waiting for me in the car."

Tao laughed and mumbled something incoherent that Sehun decided to ignore. He went around, and just like he predicted, there was stuff all around where Tao sat, empty bottles, scrapes of papers and empty cans of beers.

Sehun sighed. He dug into his pocket and brought out a trash bag, one that he took just for that very purpose. Tao was known for leaving his mess around when he drinks.

"I'm just stopping by to see if you're okay." Sehun added as he started to pick up the nearest empty cans before proceeding to another ones.

Tao replied with a 'hmmph' and nothing more. He kept his eyes straight ahead as a firework shoot up to the sky and bursted into billions of small sparks, leaving colourful streaks in the dark sky.

Sehun fastened his pace, and just as he tossed the last trash into the bag he heaved a sigh. He turned around and saw a single black plastic bag on the ground next to Tao's lounge chair. As soon as he got his hands on the bag he rummaged into it and found another six cans of untouched beer. He took one can out and placed it next to the lounge chair.

"I'm going now, are you sure you don't want to join us?"

Tao waved his hand dismissively as an answer and reached out his hand to his beer bag and touched one single cold can on where his beers was supposed to be.

His eyes snapped to the spot where he placed his plastic full of beers and up to Sehun who was holding the bag, eyebrow quirked up in amusement.

Tao's eyes widened and Sehun walked away.

"I'm taking these with me. And please, no trash." He pointed to the bag filled with Tao's trash, that he left lying not far from Tao.

"Yah, give me back my drinks!" Tao groaned.

"No." Sehun waved and went back to his lovely Naeun.

Tao grunted again as he opened his last beer.

"Damn school prefect."