IU POV

(Flashbacks)

Y/n suddenly stopped coming to school for the last whole week. I don't know how I will now spend my time here all alone. I was popular at school, just because I was rich but nobody knew how this richness sucked no one was so close to me as Y/n was here. The last class of the day ended, and I got up from my seat, making my way towards my locker. Opening it, I stuffed all my things inside. My locker was pretty simple, I had some of my and y/n's pictures stuck to the inner side of the door, but then I noticed something, Banana milk? I looked around the whole corridor but there were only a few students that were from the physical education department. Taking the Banana milk carton in my hand, I locked my locker.

As I walked outside the school building, the first thing that came into my sight was Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin sitting by the bench in the open school park. But looking more intensely at them I noticed Taehyung drinking, the same carton of Banana milk I was holding.

They were the most famous trio Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook, and Park Jimin from our brother school, Jawon Boys High School. Even though I and y/n had never interacted with the boys from that school, it was weird to spot them outside of a girl's school. I had just made eye contact with them once while I headed back home after studying at the study cafe. It was a popular spot, but I didn't realize how long I was staring at both of them that they looked in my direction, as Taehyung sipped on his Banana milk. When we made eye contact again, sending chills down my spine.

I sighed thinking this was a prank by some girl from our school. I was about to throw the carton away when suddenly my wrist was held by someone. I looked at that person to be Jeon Jungkook!

"You shouldn't throw it away when it's still full." He said and I retreated my wrist from his grip as I looked at him, while he just flashed me his bunny smile, making my heart skip a beat. But still somewhere surprised that this wasn't a prank.

"What are you doing in the girl's school?" I asked, as I clenched my my hand to the strap of my bag, as I noticed him holding a badminton kit with him when I realized why he was here.

"It's past 4 p.m. and this is the time when our badminton coaching starts, maybe it was well known that the boy's school doesn't have a badminton stadium and we are allowed to come here after 4." He spoke, as I lowered my head in embarrassment. Making me think how I forgot that and asked him such a stupid question.

"Sorry..." I said and tried walking away, but suddenly I bumped into someone's hard chest. Making me stumble back at the hard impact but I balanced it out at the right time or I would have landed on Jungkook's chest. But making me look at the person in front of me shocked more, that I bumped into THE KIM TAEHYUNG!

"You must be Lee Ji-Eun if I am right? The one who beat our board game champion Jung Hoseok? At our recent school Fest." I heard Jungkook ask as I nodded at his words, shyly, when Taehyung spoke.

"Jung Hoseok, for real? In what snake and ladder?" His voice can send chills down anyone's spine.

"Are you okay? Sorry Did I hurt you?" He asked with his deep yet soft tone, making my heart melt. Why is the air so hot suddenly, or is it me who is turning red? "It's fine, I mean I am fine," I said and looked down to see that the carton had slipped from my hand and spilled on the stairs of the building, making me sigh.

"Oh, I am sorry. I will buy you another one." He plead looking at the mess. But all I could know was that my shoes were soaked in banana milk. I was about to walk away telling him that it was okay, but Taehyung planted his hand in his pocket took out his napkin, and held it in front of me. While I was still standing between the 2 boys. It was so awkward. "Take this." He said, as I slowly accepted it, and wiped my shoes bending down on one knee.

I thought it would be over when I handed him the napkin back but he was so stubborn that I needed to come to the 7-Eleven store with him and his other two friends, just because he wanted to buy me another drink even after I refused. They were behaving like kids in the store all the time, when they finally picked whatever they wanted he handed me another carton and it was time to pay.

"Would you like a carry bag?" That voice was familiar,  Mia Unnie!!!

I looked at the person and it was her, Chen Mia. I kept staring at her until too she noticed my stare and looking at me she locked eye contact with me, and flashed me a smile, but that smile didn't at all look so happy. How badly I wanted to ask her what happened and where is y/n. She looks so thin and even more like she cried before coming to her shift.

"Hi, Ji-eun, you here?" Mia Unnie asked looking at me as she handed Taehyung the bag of the things these three bought. I nodded at her, "Just my friend wanted to buy me a drink." It was hella embarrassing how these three looked at me after I called them, my friends.

When I heard Jungkook chuckle at me. "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH" I passed him that kinda look, as he playfully rolled his eyes at me. When I felt someone grab my shoulder, and pull me towards them. "Yes, we are her friends." I heard Taehyung say.

Are they serious? They talking to my best friend's elder sister. But I just bowed to her and exchanged a few words when she told me about her night shifts here after college. Yes, she was older than us. She was our senior once. I bowed to her, thanking her, and tried taking these jokers out of here, before they embarrassed me more.

"What is your friend doing?" I whispered to Taehyung who still had his arm wrapped around my shoulder. When he just looked in the direction I was looking.

Where Jungkook was trying to pull Jimin out of his trance. He just kept staring at Mia Unnie! Creep.

"Hey, Chimmy let's go," Jungkook said when finally Jimin got out of his trance and glared at Jungkook who was giggling after calling him with a childish nickname. When we finally walked out of there I pushed all the three out.

"Let me walk you home, it's past 6."

Jungkook said as he approached me, "Hmm... I will take the bus." I said kindly trying to deny his offer even though I would have loved it but we weren't that close when suddenly Jimin interrupted saying it was starting to get dark and it was not a good idea to wait for a bus cause at this station bus arrived late.

And he did spill the truth. I just smiled at Jimin and Jungkook who just passed me a smile as I accepted Jungkook's offer.

"Thank you, Jungkook."

But all, I feeling from Taehyung's gaze that he wasn't happy, but he just ignored my gaze that time.

—-

"Hey Ji-eun where is y/n? She has not come to school for a whole month. It's time for y'all final exams." I heard our Math teacher ask me, but I didn't know where was y/n.

The class ended with the teacher finally giving us some tips for our finals as now we were about to soon graduate high school. I was at the cafeteria in front of school eating my lunch, quietly and alone. I didn't notice when the seat in front of me was pulled.

"Missing your best friend?" Taehyung asked as he passed me a carton of banana milk. "Yes, I do," I said and sighed.

"Don't be sad, even though I have never met her even once. I think I will also start missing her now." He said making me pout at his response.

"What was her name again?" I glared at him, "Y/n.." I said when he nodded acting to memorise her name.

It's been a whole month since we have gotten close. We usually walk home together, have lunch together, or even go to see the badminton coaching of his friends together.

We talked about something and suddenly we noticed Jungkook and Jimin entering the cafeteria, when Taehyung looked at them and waved.

"Hey guys join us." He suggested when my gaze met with them, Jimin immediately joined us without hesitation making me chuckle but my attention was grabbed by Jungkook's response.

"No, I am good. You guys have fun."

He said in a cold tone, he walked out of the cafeteria, and I stared at his back when he walked out. He didn't even look at me. Maybe this change in his behavior wasn't noticed by the other two of his friends as I did. He was trying his best to avoid me. After a week we started talking. But everything changed, the next week.

"Does he not like me or Did I do anything wrong to upset him?" I asked looking at the two in front of me, who were confused as I was.

"No, he's just stressed. Ignore him." Taehyung said and started eating his lunch. Making me still not satisfied with his answer.

—-

"YOU FINALLY! Showed up, I am so happy!" I hugged y/n who stood in the hallway. But she wasn't in her regular uniform and she looked like, a depressed person. I didn't wanted her to be pressured by asking questions all now.

"Yes, I am here to get the teacher's signature to attend the final exams, externally." She said, making me frown at her answer. "Externally? Why?" I asked her as we walked towards the Principal's office. "My sister's getting married.." she said and I just smiled.

"That's great, congratulations to Mia Unnie!" I shook hands with y/n, and she passed me a sad smile and completed. "And we are shifting from here IU. My parents passed away, a month ago. In the fire that broke out in our hometown."

I didn't know how should I comfort her. So this was the reason she wasn't at school for the whole month and now when she came she looked like a dead body. She isn't that lovely and jolly girl I used to see. She's now sounding so different.

"I am..sorry.." I lowered my head and hugged her now when I understood why Mia Unnie looked sad that day at the store. We reached the principal's office.

After spending the whole day with y/n. It was the time I needed to bid her goodbye. "You know I don't like this goodbye part." I sobbed, while she just hugged me. " I know but, you know my new address and my phone number be in contact." She just, I am going to miss her so much. "After exams, I will introduce you to some of my new friends!" I said and she agreed.

I looked at her as y/n boarded the bus and waved at me. That was a day when I cried after so long. The second time in my life after my mother's death.

—-

"You been making me go crazy say it!" Y/n shouted at me through the other side of the phone. When I chuckled, "Taehyung confessed to me." I spit.

"He did what!! Oh, then you guys dating!" She squeaked in excitement. I laughed and told her the story of how it all happened. When she asked me something off the topic.

"What about that hot best friend of him?" Y/n asked making me feel a little pang in my heart. She was talking about Jungkook. After the Finals I didn't see him at all, Taehyung said he was busy with his tournaments, overseas.

"You talked about him all the time. Like you liked him." She said, and I was not just lost in my trance. Did I always sound like that whenever I talked about Jungkook? No, I like Taehyung.

"Enough, Enough. How's Mia Unnie doing? And how's your brother-in-law?" I asked changing the topic and she told me everything. And that was the last ever conversation we had.

—-

Y/n POV

(Present)

"I am sorry, I should have told you everything. Before I included you in this mess created by my father." IU said after she woke up. After being unconscious for more than an hour.

"What you talking about IU?" I asked her. When she just sat on my couch hugging her knees. She couldn't help but keep tearing up. I hugged her trying to comfort her. She came here to my house a few hours ago looking like a whole mess. As if she had cried for a long time. Before I asked her anything she fainted making me worry.

And knew after she woke up we were in my apartment. In my living room. She tried to tell me something that was making me more anxious and curious at the same time.

When she finally took a deep breath spoke. And I kept my all focus on her.

"My father was the reason why I broke up with Taehyung."