my fairytale

Prologue


Girl meets boy, boy meets girl. They fall in love and live happily ever after. The end.

Such a shame that life didn’t operate like that.

The ends of her dress dragged behind her, its silky sheen contrasting the velvety red of the lain carpet. Ruffles adorned the bottom and around the waist region, but not too overdone in a way that it sacrificed the original elegance. A uniquely patterned necklace of white gold hung around her neck, and a veil draped around her shoulders, covering her back. Her arm was linked firmly around her father's as they proceeded down the aisle toward the altar where the groom awaited them.

Aside from the instruments playing in the background, the comforting grip of her father was the only thing assuaging her anxiety and keeping strength available in her legs. She finally released the breath she had been holding when they reached the elevated platform where the groom stood, clad in a black tuxedo and a purple tie with a simple crosshatching pattern.

With a simple sweep of his hand, the priest signaled for the music to stop.

“...who gives this woman in marriage to this man?” the priest recited.

“Her family and friends gathered here today do.”

And just after those words were spoken, her father released his grip, which was quickly replaced by the reassuring smile of the groom. She returned his gesture with a similar, albeit more timid smile, focusing her attention only on the man before her while the priest continued his speech.

“—do you, Lee Donghae, take Krystal Jung to be your wife – to live together...”

She stole a glance at the audience. Admiration, pride, envy – a myriad of emotions barely contained in the eyes of the crowd that followed the couple in intense anticipation. She could feel her heart picking up its pace again.

“I do.”

“And do you, Krystal Jung, take Lee Donghae to be your husband – to live together after God’s ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony?”

A short silence ensued before a soft cough from the groom reminded her that it was her turn.

“I do,” she replied hurridly, earning a slight look of disapproval from the priest.

And while the priest droned on, Donghae mouthed a few words of comfort before subtly reaching for her hand. The small gesture, laced with sincerity, erased the remaining doubts from her heart, and the next thing she felt was a quick squeeze of the hand before he leaned in...
The happily ever after should have been inserted there,
but reality got in the way.
After all, it was only the beginning,
the beginning of her once upon a time.

Life would surely hurtle obstacles in her way,
create unprecedented detours,
but none of that mattered,
She had already embarked on the journey,
in search of her own fairytale ending.


---

Hopefully that wasn't too terrible.


--------------------


Chapter One ~ Enter Prince Charming



Shrouded in a cloud of happiness, unaware of the forthcomings...

She squinted until she spotted the familiar figure, a cap pulled over her hair, eyes masked by the dark tint of shades, and face hidden under the thick nylon of her scarf. Her choice of wardrobe raised eyebrows; a flashy leather jacket and a pair of skinny jeans starkly contrasted the formality of the event.

“Jessica!” she exclaimed, attracting the attention of the girl before rushing to embrace her. “I’m so glad you were able to make it,” she mumbled into her shoulder.

“What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t even go to my younger sister’s wedding?” Jessica laughed, and reached to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ears. “The dress looks great on you,” inciting a modest blush from the younger girl.

“I can’t exactly say the same about you,” Krystal teased.

“The shoot was delayed two hours because of some argument between one of the actresses and the make up stylist,” Jessica wrinkled her nose in distaste at the subject matter. “Something about taste in fashion or whatever. Anyways, I had to rush directly over from there so I didn’t have time to change.”

“You’re the female lead aren’t you? You should be exerting some of that seniority of yours on those uncooperative newbies,” Krystal pointed out.

“Too much effort. Time could be better spent.”

“Such as?”

“A nap.”

Krystal shook her head in exasperation. “How you ever made it in the entertainment world, I’ll never know.”

“Hey, show some respect. It’s your older sister you’re talking to,” Jessica pouted, hands placed on her hip in mock indignation.

Judging solely from appearance, Krystal seemed the elder of the two. After all, she sported the more mature image, and possessed the height advantage – much to the envy of Jessica. Lastly, the tell-tale sign of the wedding dress hugged tightly around her slim figure should have sealed the deal.

Yet it was exactly the opposite. Jessica was attending her younger sister’s wedding, something demoralizing on its own, considering their respective ages. But even as a sister six years older, who had yet to discover her own love, she was anything but jealous of her sister.

“Whatever, I’m just glad you’re here,” Krystal said, while acknowledging the congratulations of a passing guest. “How did you get past the reporters in that get up anyways?”

“What’re you talking about? I got the shades, hat, scarf, the whole shebang.”

“Which only makes you more suspicious,” she added. “That and your signature blonde hair which can be recognized miles away.”

It was daunting how different her image on screen was in contrast to her personality. The first time Krystal witnessed her sister in action on set, eight years back when Jessica was only a rookie, she was overwhelmed with the intense characterization of her role. The real Jessica that she was accustomed to – slightly awkward, borderline socially inept – transformed into a charismatic, emotionally vibrant character on stage. It took some time getting used to, the fluctuating personas, but it made her appreciate the extent of her sister’s talent for acting, and what eventually turned her into an acclaimed actress.

“It brings out the sexiness in me,” Jessica stated flippantly, to which Krystal scoffed. “Anyways, I still can’t believe you’re getting married.”

“Me either. Before you too,” she teased.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself,” Jessica tweaked her nose affectionately. “It’ll only get tougher from here on out.”

There it was. Her brusque comments finally made their appearance. Krystal shook her head and laughed. “You sure live up to your reputation. You really know how to kill the conversation with just a few words. It’s too bad I’m used to your antics by now,” her eyes sparkled with amusement at her sister’s remark.

“I’m serious,” Jessica replied, and glanced furtively in the direction of her sister’s husband. “You never know what might happen later on. Especially with the – never mind,” she stopped upon seeing the hardened look in Krystal’s eyes. “You know what I mean.”

She did, even though she wished to hell and back that she didn’t. The gaping age difference presented a huge dilemma for the marriage and securing consent from both sides took painstaking effort, to say the least. Additionally, her young age didn’t help to quell the insecurities of the parents of her fiancée, and only created further controversy. There were rumors flying in the workplace, between families, that she was looking to “jump” the young heir and steal away the family fortune. Other equally untrue scandals reported that she was jealous of her sister’s success and decided to marry rich as some kind of compensation.

It was hard enough dealing with the personal attacks from people she associated with, but having the media attack her relationship with the only family she had was unacceptable. In fact, Krystal was on the verge of calling it quits when Jessica suddenly approved of the marriage, and subsequently, so did Donghae’s parents. Krystal had once asked her what caused such spontaneity on both parts, and Jessica, being the desensitized person that she was, dismissed it as a simple change of heart.

While Krystal was intimidated into silence by the unpleasant memories brought on by Jessica’s words, she subconsciously chewed at the tip of her bottom lip – a habit Jessica recognized that only surfaced when she was nervous. “But he’s a great guy,” she hurriedly added. “That I’m sure of, so make sure you hold onto him,” she rushed to reassure her.

“I don’t whether to be pleased by your compliment or insulted by your lack of confidence in me,” Krystal responded, bemused by her sister’s advice, and partly relieved at the change of subject. She didn’t want to dwell on last minute doubts especially on her wedding day.

Jessica opened her mouth to retaliate when she noticed the handsomely dressed groom heading their way. Covering her mouth to hold in the squeals and giggles of excitement, she shot Krystal a knowing wink and motioned with her hand for them to talk later. Krystal rolled her eyes at her sister’s childish antics as she turned her back and disappeared into the crowd.

Krystal then turned her attention to the approaching man who she had exchanged vows with only moments ago, smiling as he stopped beside her. “How’re you holding up?”

“Great, Donghae. Just great,” Krystal answered, grateful that Jessica had left them to their own devices. With all the congratulations she’d received today, she hadn’t even the time to speak with her own husband in private.

“That’s good to know. It wouldn’t be good if my own wife wasn’t having a good time,” he grinned, showcasing his row of perfectly white teeth.

Wife. The way the word rolled off his tongue sounded foreign to her. Too imposed. Too real. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“What about you?” she asked.

“Great. Everyone’s just been congratulating us on our marriage,” he then turned his head to survey the crowd, brows creased into a frown. “Actually, there’s someone whom I haven’t had the chance to – “

A piercing noise disrupted their conversation and drew attention to the scene of a scowling young man whose suit’s edge was now tainted a displeasing color. Shards of glass and ceramic lay in shambles on the floor, much to the shock of the waitress who had now dropped her tray and put her hand to her mouth in horror of the mess she created.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry sir, I didn’t mean to,” the horrified waitress blubbered, while desperately panning for a napkin of sorts. Ignoring her distressed actions, the young man simply stared at the tarnished corner of his jacket, stained by a mixture of dishes and wine, the substance now dripping down onto the tip of his right shoe.

Just as the waitress reached to dab at the stained area on his jacket, he sharply deflected her arms as if she had been diseased. However, the force behind his action caused the poor woman to lose balance and land roughly on her backside. A crowd was gathering now, and there were fingers being pointed and whispers directed in the direction of the young man.

“It was an accident sir, I-I swear. I-I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for the dry cleaning fees,” she stuttered out, bowing furiously to indicate her sincerity. Even the onlookers sympathized with the woman, albeit silently, none daring enough to invoke the anger of the seemingly stoic man. Krystal felt the self righteous part of her forcing her to take a stand as she stepped forward, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. Confused, she shot a questioning look at her husband, who shook his head in return and motioned for her to wait.

Paying no attention to the waitress, the young man threw off his jacket in a singular, fluid motion, and dropped the item carelessly on the floor beside him. He tugged on the hem of his shirt to straighten out the wrinkles and then turned to look at the woman for the first time since the start of the incident.

“Forget about the dry cleaning fees. I don’t need this anymore,” he replied curtly. “And also, I’m a woman.”

A breathy wail escaped from her throat before she fainted, obviously unable to handle the stress that manifested from that singular accident. Spectators surrounded around the waitress, worried and curious alike, while the young lady meandered her way out of the scene, head swiveling from side to side as if searching for someone.

“Was that really necessary?”

Smiling in recognition of the voice, she turned and politely acknowledged him with a slight bow. “Hello brother, nice to see you again on such a joyous occasion.”

“She was already embarrassed as it was, why’d you have to do that?” Donghae demanded.

“Does it matter? Sooner or later she would encounter a similar situation, if not worse,” she shrugged and seized a glass of wine from a passing waiter, sipping the contents of it nonchalantly. “I was just setting her on the right track.”

Exasperated at her apathetic response, he asked, “Why’re you always like this?”

“Like what? Myself? I’m sorry if I’m not the kind of people person that our parents tried to raise us up to be. That’s why you’re the one getting married. Not me,” she shot back with an impassive tone.

“That’s not what I meant – "

“It’s fine. I didn’t take any offence to it,” she waved it off. “But admit it. You’re always pulling that big brother persona and trying to correct every nook and cranny of my behavior,” then she added after some thought. “Except that your efforts are completely wasted. I’ll always be the problem child while you’ll always be mother and father’s favorite. Think of it as the world’s way of shelling out its karma.”

She continued before he treaded further on the subject, “What’s more is, I’ve yet to meet your wife,” she swirled the contents of glass before taking the last sip and placing it on a nearby table. “Is she every bit as the rumors describe her to be?”

“That depends on what you’ve heard,” he grinned, taking Krystal’s hand and pulling her to his side. “She’s beautiful isn’t she?”

Krystal blushed at his flattering remark and squirmed uncomfortably under his hand which was raveled around her waist. With her head still lowered in embarrassment, she managed a quick glance at his sister. However, that split second was enough to catch every detailed feature of her face, from the way the side part covered part of her left eye to the coffee brown pupils that had her enraptured with one look. If she were to compare the two siblings, Donghae exuded a friendly, brotherly feel, while his sister possessed an indescribable beauty, so intense that her breath caught in her throat, quite literally.

She broke into a coughing fit, one hand holding her throat while the other reaching for something to stabilize herself. Donghae reached one arm and patted her back concernedly while the coughing worsened to severe choking. He gestured with his free hand for his sister to help while she remained irresponsive, standing idly.

“What’s wrong with you? Go fetch her a glass of water,” he cried.

“She’ll be fine. Just the usual aftershock to seeing my appearance. Probably assumed I was a man,” she stared disinterestedly at the Krystal, who was now doubled over, hand grasping her chest, choking.

“Would you stop it for just a moment?” his voice escalating to a shout. “Come on and help her.”

Sighing at the emergence of her brother’s overprotective self, she stepped forward, but past Krystal much to his brother’s surprise. Just as he opened his mouth to protest her neglectful actions, she positioned herself behind the Krystal and interlocked her hands around her waist, forcing her to a standing position.

“What the hell are you doing?” Donghae near shrieked, losing all sanity at the absurdity of her actions.

“You said for me to help. What better than the Heimlich maneuver?” she grinned for the first time that day.

Before he could sprout further objections, she tightened her hold and applied pressure to her abdomen, causing the Krystal to cough repeatedly, at a sporadic pace. After continuing with a few more abdominal thrusts, she retracted her hands while Krystal relaxed in her arms, breathing heavily and sporting a look of astonishment on her face.

“See? All better,” she signaled to her brother.

“No. Not even close,” he gritted.

Krystal had barely recovered her breath when her eyes met the very cause of her coughing frenzy. Her hair had become undone in the process and now messily framed the sides of her face. Her expensive dress was creased and ripped in various placed due to the other’s hastiness, while her makeup was ruined by streaks of tears produced during her coughing session. She probably looked like a mess.

But none of that mattered to her, not her disheveled appearance, or the distress call of her husband. All that appeared in her line of vision was the amused expression of figure looming over her.

Before Krystal could reorganize her thoughts and formulate a coherent sentence, the figure above her, whose hands still lingered on her waist, spoke in a mellow, yet soothing voice.

“My name’s Amber,” then added in response to the confused expression on her face. “Just thought you’d like to know the name of your savior.”

Krystal had never invested much in love at first sight, unfamiliar with its concept, having witnessed it only in movies and dramas she’d seen. But the appearance of the person before her – someone she had known for barely ten minutes – wrenched her heart out of its hibernation and sent it beating harder than ever, beckoning, tempting, and making her want to commit sacrilege on her wedding day.

Maybe it was better that her heart stop beating...


---
A/N: I know the latter part of the chapter was a tad unrealistic but it IS possible to choke on your own spit, and it CAN become severe in some case. But choking being brought on by love...well let's just say you learn something new everyday xD.


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Chapter 2 ~ A Complete 360



Unlike love, death is eternal, everlasting…

She hated the man.

She hated the ease with which he commanded the attention of the room and how readily he created laughter from the melancholy atmosphere. She hated how he devalued the death of someone near to her heart, making it seem insignificant, fleeting. But most of all, she hated the strong resemblance in him to her deceased brother.

“Who is he?” she pointed to the speaker, currently animatedly narrating a story, flailing his arms and making obscure facial expressions.

“You don’t know?” to which she shook her head, “He’s brother’s best friend. He came to our house a few times.”

Turning away from her sister, she stared again at the speaker, this time scrutinizing his every feature in attempt to rack her memory for a sign of recognition.

Nothing.

But then again, she was never good with faces, forgetting people she met, friends of friends, and relatives who claimed a connection to her parents or sister. In fact, there were only four people registered deeply in her memory, and now only one remained, currently seated beside her.

It would get better. Everything would be ok.

Supposedly. At least that was what people kept telling her. But she didn’t put too much stake in their words. Problem with trust was, too many once upon a times, but not enough happily ever afters.

“...and finally, instead of confessing right there, he took it from off top his head and ran,” he finished, inciting a wave of raucous laughter from the audience.

She wished he would just shut up. Looking to her side, her insides boiled at the sight of the smile on her sister’s lips.

They should be mourning for him, not laughing, she struggled to tell herself.

“But on a more serious note,” he continued, with a somber expression. “Alex was a great man. And he had everything going for him – looks, brains, humor, but most of all, a sense of duty. A sense of duty to his friends, and to his family, whose grief I cannot even begin to imagine.”

And there he paused, his eyes searching through the audience until it landed on hers. Even with her bottled up disdain – which was slowly dissolving at every word – she was unable to look away, transfixed by his piercing gaze.

“To his two sisters, whom he undoubtedly lived his life for, I express my solemn regret for not being able to be a better friend to him and the two of you. I failed as a friend being unable to prevent his unfortunate passing.”

Why is he apologizing? What does he have to apologize for?

“But I can assure you, he’s up there watching, praying, and loving you guys every moment of every day. And I, on his behalf, promise to do the same.”

Her loathing for him was gradually disappearing, replaced by a feeling of comfort. The way his hair framed his face, the charisma in his eyes, and the commanding yet undeniable undertones of gentleness in his voice – everything reminded her of him.

Stop it. He’s dead. The sooner you accept that, the easier it’ll be.

She looked up again, only to catch that contagious good-natured grin of his.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t dream.

And she saw in her what she saw in him – a terrifying sense of comfort…

“You’re not paying attention.”

“Huh?”

A sigh came from the other end. “You can’t start acting spacey right after your marriage, especially since you still have a long road ahead.”

It wasn’t hard to detect the reprimanding tone in her voice. “I know Sulli, I know. I’m just a little...disillusioned at the moment,” she finished lamely.

“Disillusioned by happiness I hope?”

Happiness. The type of happiness that spawned from the love between two people, like those cheesy confessions in those chick flicks that she loved to watch. Needless to say, that was far from her emotions at the moment, which vacillated between insecure and worry, touched up with a dab of exhaustion to create the perfect recipe for disaster.

“Yeah, that must be it,” she lied, attempting to deflect from the current subject. What was she supposed to say? Oh, by the way, even though I’m married, I think I’m attracted to a woman who happens to be my husband’s sister.

Yeah, that’ll fly by real well.

But even now, Krystal still had no idea how it happened. It transpired all too quickly for her to fathom. Everything seemed to be compressed into one fleeting moment, akin to the feeling of watching a short trailer for a movie. The initial greeting, the swooning over her handsome appearance, and the finale where she was saved like a damsel in distress, all seemed so surreal when she reflected back on it.

“Are you sure everything’s ok? Your voice sounds a little funny.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“I wouldn’t be worrying if I didn’t know that you’re obviously lying. You’re not fine. Something’s up.”

Krystal hated that aspect of Sulli. Her ability to analyze every nuance of her being and pinpoint the exact problem –something she, herself, couldn’t keep tabs on at all times – was taxing. That damn sharp intuition of hers caught her every time.

“I’m fine. It’s just that – “she began to explain when a voice from outside interrupted her.

“Hey Krystal, you busy?” a head poked through the crack of the door.

Saved by the bell. Or in this particular case, her husband.

“Oh I’m just about finished,” she gestured to the phone in her hand and then whispered into the speaker, “I’ll call you back later.”

“Hey! We’re not finished here! Don’t you dare hang up on – “

She slid her phone shut and held down the end button until the light disappeared from the screen. She’d just have to make it up to Sulli later.

“What’s up?” she looked at him expectantly.

“Could you do me a favor and pick up Amber for me?” he asked.

“Amber?” she echoed.

“Yeah, my sister. You met her at the wedding, remember?”

How could she forget? The person responsible for all her recent troubles.

“I remember. She doesn’t drive?” she asked, recalling that Amber looked her own age.

“Not really. Well she did, but not anymore,” a flicker of unease rested in his eyes for a brief moment before disappearing. “She’s usually chauffeured to and from work, but her chauffeur had an emergency today, and couldn’t make it. I’d go pick her up myself if I didn’t have a meeting to rush to in half an hour.”

If she didn’t know better, she’d think it was just another excuse. But the fact of the matter was, she knew his penchant for his work extended beyond any love he had for anything and anyone, perhaps even herself. She accepted that when she decided to marry him, maybe even one of the reasons she did so.

“I’ll go grab my keys.”

“Thanks, babe,” he strode over to where she sat and swiftly pecked her on the cheek before exiting, leaving Krystal with a silly grin on her face.

Comfort laced in his smile, love embedded in his kiss, what more could she want...

This can’t be right.

Her eyes flitted between the address imprinted on the slip of paper and the towering building before her. The breath-taking altitude could be described by the way she craned her neck to spot the top of the building. The eye-catching exterior design, ranging from its reflective panels to the uniform patterns along the outside, was visually stimulating, its silver sheen further enhanced by the touch of sunlight. Lastly, there was the signature superimposed S and L stamped just above the entrance.

Song & Liu.

She’d recognize that emblem anywhere. After all, it was only one of the most prestigious law firms in South Korea, its fame extended even internationally.

And Krystal would have killed to work there.

But she settled for working at one of its sister branches, owned by Donghae. Although considered a genius by her classmates – receiving her degree after only five years in an accelerated program – she was scorned by her coworkers upon her entrance, receiving pointed glares and occasional bumps which she knew to be intentional. It took an entire month before her coworkers started speaking to her, although begrudgingly, and she had her suspicions then that Donghae had a hand in remedying the situation.

In the end, it all mattered very little to her. She wasn’t there to socialize; she was aiming higher than that. Someday, she would have her own executive office in the building in front of her, with her own secretary, and command her own unit. Her arm scrunched up slightly, tingling with excitement just from imagining it.

While Krystal had been laundering around the front of her car carelessly daydreaming, someone appeared from the set of revolving doors at the entrance, stopping momentarily when she saw Krystal before continuing with a faint smile of recognition on her lips.

Krystal however, had not recognized her until she was only a few feet away. She was dressed in a similar suit jacket and dress pants much like at the reception, only this time, her hair was tucked neatly behind both ears, revealing the entirety of her face, with a pair of glasses resting on her nose. Krystal forcibly blinked several times before confirming her identity.

“I presume Donghae sent you to pick me up?”

“Y-yeah,” Krystal stuttered out.

“Well then, let’s get going,” she replied briskly.

The words snapped Krystal out of her reverie as she fumbled through her purse for her keys before jamming it into the lock, taking several tries to open as a result of her nervousness.

“Front or back?”

“Back.”

Krystal reached back through the space between her seat and side to unlock the back door before opening it. After hearing the door open and shut behind her, she started the engine with a turn of the key.

“Seatbelts.”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

“Just a friendly reminder,” Krystal muttered, apparently not softly enough.

“I’m not a child.”

Despite the hostility from the other party, Krystal continued trying to make conversation.

“Long day at work?”

“Like always.”

“Guess you must be tired then.”

“Yes.”

“Run into any problems?”

“I’m sorry, but is this really necessary?”

And all hopes of a conversation ended there.

The deceit that was first impressions…

“Damn it!” she cursed, slamming her hand on the wheel.
As luck would have it, she found herself stuck amidst a severe traffic jam. Stationary cars, horns blaring, surrounded her, leaving no hopes of escape. One look at the signs around her indicated that the nearest exit was at least two and a half miles away. Releasing her frustrated hold on the steering wheel, Krystal slammed back in her seat and glanced at the rearview mirror.

Her right arm leaned against the rest below the window, while her left remained in her lap. The glasses were gone, most likely stowed away in the pockets of her jacket, and stray strands of hair escaped from behind her ear and hung around the sides of her face. Her eyes were closed and her chest heaved steadily up and down, in a mechanical motion.

“Like what you see?”

Amber opened one eye, smirking at Krystal’s expression of being caught red-handed.

Yes.

She bit her lip. “Oh please, get a hold of yourself. I was making sure you didn’t suffocate back there.”

“Likely excuse.”

“It’s not an excuse.”

“Mmm.”

“I’m married,” Krystal defended hotly, head swerving to glare at her opponent. “And I’m attracted to men.”

“Defensive aren’t we?”

Her mouth was already open, ready for a retort when she realized it would be pointless to argue. Giving her last, dirtiest look she could muster, she turned back around and narrowed her eyes at the road, clenching her fingers as a way of containing her anger.

So much for making friendly conversation.

As the minutes passed, her mind started wandering over the paperwork which was likely to have increased tenfold since her absence. She’d probably have to pull some overtime this week to compensate for the time she took off. It was expected. After all, life went on after her wedding. Heaving a sigh, she reasserted her grip on the wheel and returned her focus back to the road.

Just as she was making a turn, a voice interrupted her.

“You know, I haven’t heard much about you.”

Her eyes fixated on the road, as she simply passed it off as another one of her snarky remarks.

“From my brother I mean.”

Subconsciously, Krystal’s grip on the wheel tightened as she took an abnormally large breath before calmly responding. “I see.”

“It’s nothing to be offended over,” Krystal fidgeted slightly at this. Was she that easy to read? “We don’t really talk much, so I didn’t really get to hear much about you.”

This time, Krystal couldn’t control her eyes from darting to the rear-view mirror, only to witness the stoic expression on Amber’s face as she stared out the window, chin propped on hand. To say that she wasn’t entirely curious of their sibling relationship would be a blatant lie, especially after the rather tense exchange of words held at the wedding.

“So why don’t you introduce yourself now? We’ve got time.”

“Why the sudden interest?” Krystal shot back.

“I’ve always been interested in the kind of person my brother would marry.”

She bit back the urge to ask why.

“What do you want to know then?”

“You’d know better than me.”

Krystal scowled. This was getting nowhere.

“Then what do you know about me up until now?” she asked.

“Not much. Other than that you work under my brother and…oh, and your sister. Jessica Jung. I’ve heard loads about her.”

Figures. Hot, sexy celebrity status never fails to escape even the highest level of assholery.

“Really, I didn’t know,” Krystal replied, voice dripping with bitter sarcasm.

“A friend of mine is a fan of hers. Never stops talking about her. Slightly obsessive, borderline stalker.”

Oh, so she wasn’t interested. That’s good.

No it’s not. You shouldn’t be interested in whether she’s interested.

Why the hell not? I’d prefer to think I’m just as attractive as my sister.

You’re married.

It’s not considered cheating if you’re simply interested.

Oh so you admit you’re interested.

No, I said if---

“Krystal.”

“What?” she retorted irritably.

“It’s green light.”

Almost as affirmation, her ears were suddenly blasted with blaring horns and squawking of impatient drivers behind her. Unrelenting, she rolled down her window and screamed a few curses herself before stepping on the gas pedal. Even without looking, Krystal could sense the amused expression on her face.

Scowling for the second time that day – her face already feeling strained from the excessive frown lines throughout their conversion – she returned her attention to the road, neither of them uttering a word for the rest of the ride.

Accustomed to the long periods of silence from which she so desperately wanted to break away...

“You live alone?”

“You disapprove.”

“No, not really. Just curious,” Krystal stated as she leaned her back against the car door. “It’s really nice. The condo I mean.”

She wasn’t lying. The magnitude of eloquence it exuded equaled the magnificence of the earlier building. In terms of altitude, it did not lose to the high-rise building. Although lacking some of the intricacies of the company building, it still possessed that distinct professionalism. Its extravagancy, Krystal imagined, rivaled its discomfort; stripped of its homey feel, it was like living in the office.

She shuddered at the thought.

“Cold?”

“I’m ok, thanks.”

“I didn’t mean anything by that. Just curious.”

You know what they say. Once an asshole, always an asshole.

Shut up.

I’m just stating your thoughts. Quite literally actually.

Since when did I have a subconscience anyways?

“Anyways, thanks for the ride,” Amber tipped her head in a slight bow and headed toward the doorsteps without another moment’s hesitation.

Like they say, curiosity killed the cat…

Pushing the door close behind her, Krystal kicked her heels off, threw her bag on the couch and dropped the keys casually on the coffee table. It was only when no one was home that she could afford such unruly behavior.

A glance at the clock told her it was only half after six, and that Donghae probably wouldn’t get home until three hours later. That left plenty of time to relax. Besides, her naps were way overdue.

With a few taps of the button, she set the alarm on her cell phone before collapsing exhaustedly on the bed, relishing in its feathery haven. She ignored the scratchy collar of her shirt and the constraining material of her jeans, a result of her not changing, and concentrated only on the image of sleep.

Instead she was plagued with dreams of princes and knights in shining armor, of which she had no recollection when she woke up.

In the end, dreams were just dreams…


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Chapter 3 ~ Where the Heart Lies




Her hands groped around blindly until it located the familiar object atop the wooden surface. She slammed her fist repeatedly against the large oval button.

The ringing continued.

Cracking open an eye, the image of the alarm clock beside her slowly warped into place.

4:40.

That explained why the ringing hadn’t stopped. How could it when in fact her alarm was set to six sharp every morning?

It took her but a second for her to realize the source of her grief. Sending a sideway glance toward the blinking light of her cell phone, she turned and pulled the covers over her head.

It stopped.

A contented smile spread over her face as she snuggled deeper into the pillow, drifting back to—

It started again.

With a grunt, her hand stretched until it grabbed the vibrating object. She squinted to make out the caller ID on the screen. Recognition hit her instantly. No wonder.

Groaning, she answered unwillingly, her voice gravelly in her half conscious state. She knew it would do no good to ignore this particular caller.

“What is it?”

“Oh Amber! Is that you?”

She rubbed her forehead, trying to quell her frustration. “You’re the one who called.”

“Sorry, it’s just that I’m so excited for – oh, what was I going to say again?”

She gritted her teeth. “How the hell should I know?”

“Oh don’t be mad. Did I wake you up?” Before Amber could retort she continued. “Anyways, there’s going to be a preview party for the new branch in a few days. And guess who’s invited?”

“Fany...”

“Yes, but you too! Haha, isn’t it great?”

“Fany…do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Um…” There’s the sound of rustling in the background. “4:46? Anyways, and there’s also—“

“TIFFANY HWANG. IT’S PAST FOUR IN THE MORNING. ARE YOU CRAZY?”

“Oh…sorry, I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

It was always like this. She’d lose her temper; she’d apologize. And then she’d forget what she was so angry about in the first place. The vicious cycle was partly what defined their friendship, or oddity, if per se.

“Look. I didn’t mean to raise my voice like that. It’s just that you’ve got to stop—“

Amber froze when she heard a male voice protruding the conversation. The distinct masculinity shook her from her slumber, and immediately she realized suggestive undertones and the upbeat music in the background.

“Tiffany. Where are you?” she asked, slowly annunciating every syllable.

“Me? Yuri told me about this great place that just opened and asked if I wanted to tag along—“

“Let me guess? Sky Lounge?” She knew the answer without waiting.

“How’d you know?”

If Tiffany read the news at all, she’d know about the various gang sightings, and the assault reports associated with that particular name. Amber bit back the urge to give her a verbal beating.

“Stay there. Don’t move.” She quickly hopped out of bed, casting away the burdensome covers. “I’ll be right there.”

“Wha—“

She tucked the phone in one of the pockets on the fleece jacket she threw on and in her haste, nearly tripped over the garments strewn across the floor. Grabbing and slipping into the nearest pair of jeans, she ran her fingers through her hair a few times and donned a pair of shades. After last minute inspections – keys, wallet, phone – she rushed through the door and furiously jabbed the down button next to the elevators, pacing impatiently back and forth.

Her only thought as she strode between the opening doors was how she was going to kill Yuri when she got there.

Innocence is as endearing as it is deadly...

It was near impossible to spot a single face amidst the mass of bodies gyrating heatedly to the music. A single step merited bumping into someone, or being impaled by a set of heels. Even as she covered her face with her sleeve, the repulsive stench of sweat and alcohol somehow managed to seep through.

“Tiffany. Tiffany,” Amber shouted above the hum of the music.

No one paid any attention, except for the occasional lewd glances which she ignored while weaving through the crowd.

“Fany. Where are you?” The pitch of her voice followed her rising desperation.

Even with the protective lenses of her sunglasses, her vision flickered from the flashing lights. Just as the dizzying ambience started settling in, she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

“Tiff—“ She stopped when she realized the hand most definitely did not belong to Tiffany.

“Hey babe. Ain’t I seen you somewhere befo’?” The man before her grinned cheekily.

“No, now move it a**hole.” She brushed his hand off her shoulder.

The man latched onto her arm and twisted it so that she was facing him, his breath which reeked of cigarette smoke slamming against her senses. Instinctively, she turned her head to the side.

“Now I don’t wanna hafta get rough with you. We’s be better playin’ it ma way. Don’t wanna hafta hurt that pretty lil face o’ yours, ya get what I’m sayin’?”

He was too close, the lights too bright, the music too loud; she had yet to point out all the flaws, the biggest of which was her presence in the first place.

Yes, why was she here again? Oh right. Tiffany. Goddamn Tiffany Hwang. Making lives miserable through simple affiliation.

Staring disdainfully at the hand on her arm while bracing herself against the stench of his breath, Amber weighed her options, of which there weren’t many. Although she could easily hold out against him if things escalated to a fight, it was hardly worth the commotion which would surely follow. The last thing she needed was for the media to add street hoodlum to her list of vices, right after stoic b*tch.

Not that she really cared about her image, but the board periodically threatened to replace her on account of the complaints against her. Amber scoffed at their notions; as if they could find a replacement as brilliant as her.

“Let’s get goin’. Night ain’t over yet.” The man followed up by trying to land a sloppy kiss on her lips.

Before he could close the distance, a sharp uppercut swung his head back, his body following the momentum. In a daze, he touched the side of his jaw and stared at the red dripping from his fingers.

“You b*tch,” he spat. Springing up from his position on the floor, he lunged at her with a poorly coordinated punch.

She dodged the hit easily by moving to the side and before he realized his error, returned with a hard jab to his stomach, forcing him to his knees. He doubled over, clutching his stomach and howling in pain.

“Had enough?” A crowd was gathering, and Amber just wanted to get the hell out of there. She didn’t want to risk getting recognized.

“You lil—“

“What’s going on here?” The crowd separated for the figure who stepped through, making her way toward the two.

At her presence, the man scrambled to his feet and attempted greet with a bow despite his injuries. “Ms. Kwon Yuri.”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

He gulped, eyes darting from her serious expression to the scowl on Amber’s face. Finally, he stammered out an explanation.

“Ms. Kwon, I was jus’ mindin’ my own business when this lady o’er here started gettin’ all up in my face. Next thing I know, I’m up on my butt on flo’ and she’s hittin’ me up in the face.”

“You lying piece of sh*t.” Amber lunged toward the man, fist already flying through the air.

The man instinctively cowered beneath his hands at her movement, surprised when the blow did not land. A lithe hand had caught Amber’s fist in midair.

“Wait your turn Yuri,” Amber gritted her teeth. “After him, you’re next.”

Yuri smiled sweetly, undeterred by her blatant threat. “That’s all good and fine, but maybe you should reconsider your actions. Just take a look around you,” she leaned in and whispered. “It won’t do you any good if the press finds out that you got involved in a violent scuffle.”

Damn her and her rationality. She always had to have the last word.

Amber retracted her fist and glared in the direction of the man, who had now risen to his feet.

“You lucked out this time. It won’t happen again,” Amber snapped.

“Bite me,” he sneered in response.

The words had barely left his mouth before a swift blow to his head rendered him unconscious. Amber rolled her eyes at the look of satisfaction on the perpetrator’s face.

“So you’re allowed to hit him and I’m not?” Amber scoffed.

“It’s what you get for climbing the corporate ladder. Unlike you, my hands aren’t tied in the least,” Yuri responded coolly, shaking off the slight abrasion on her knuckles. “And it helps to be who I am.”

Her closing sentence reminded Amber of her original purpose: Tiffany.

“Where is she?” And when Yuri arched her eyebrow she clarified, “Tiffany. You b*stard. Where’d you take her?”

“I knew who you were talking about,” Yuri motioned for the crowd to disperse with a wave of her hand. “I was just wondering why you’re here this time of night inquiring about her whereabouts.”

“You know exactly why you b–"

“Before you resort to your rather childish name calling, you should stop acting like I’ve stolen her from you—"

“You let her come here—"

“—and done something bad,” Yuri finished. “I just invited her for a fun night out. No malicious intent whatsoever.”

She didn’t know whether it was the lack of sleep, or the party atmosphere that was causing her blood pressure to rise, but she fought to restrain herself from lashing out at Yuri. The nonchalance surrounding her words made Amber’s insides churn.

“You know what kind of place this is!” Amber all but roared, turning heads her way. “It’s a place for people to get high, trashed, and so f*cked up that they end up taking it all out on some innocent girl. Someone like Tiffany.”

Yuri remained silent.

“You saw what happened on the news – never mind, you’d know better than anyone what goes on here,” Amber snarled.

Eyes ablaze, seething with anger, Yuri hotly retorted. “Don’t even try to bring him into this when—“

“What’s going on here?”

Two pair of eyes followed the direction of the voice. Dark curls, heavy mascara, thick heels, hands clutching a pink bag.

“Woman of the hour,” Yuri muttered.

She looked confusedly at the two, eyes darting between them and the unconscious body on the floor.
“Yuri, what’s going on – and Amber, why’re you here?”

“Well apparently your prince charming here rode her stallion all the way here to rescue you from the grasps of evil witch Yuri and then got in a fight with one of the evil minions—“

Without wasting another moment, Amber grabbed Tiffany’s arm – despite her protests – and dragged her toward the exit, all the while throwing threats at Yuri as she was leaving. People stopped their conversations to stare at the sudden commotion before returning to their half touched drinks.

Yuri shook her head and slid a cigarette to her mouth, sighing in dismay when her hands failed to locate a lighter.

“She still hasn’t gotten over it.”

Never dismiss past ghosts, but learn from them...

“ARE YOU INSANE?”

Tiffany winced at the still-rising volume of her voice. It was hard enough just to stand her ground against the hollering.

“HAVEN’T YOU LISTENED TO A SINGLE WORD I SAID?!”

Amidst the mix of anger and frustration she detected a slight strain of disappointment. It was noticeable in every one of her lectures, and though they went through this routine multiple times, Tiffany could find no other words than “I’m sorry”.

It was easier today at least because she didn’t have to look into Amber’s eyes and see the brimming disappointment; the sunglasses were a convenient barrier.

“I’m sorry,” she bowed her head. “I’m sorry I worried you Amber.”

It was the same apology every time, and every time Amber found her anger dissipating at the woven-in simplicity of the words.

“Just promise me you won’t go with Yuri again.”

“But she’s my friend...”

If she had a penny for every time she heard that.

“Then at least call me and tell me where you’re going,” she said exasperatedly.

“Ok. I will. I promise.”

She held out her pinky as Amber shot her a tired glance before complying and hooking her own finger over Tiffany’s.

“Let’s go home. I’m beat,” she announced, eyes forming crescents as she smiled.

And she would forever be the stars to her moon, guided by her shining light...

“Yes...yes it’s still on for the scheduled time. Yes, I’ve already called to confirm...sorry, could you hold please,” Krystal held the phone to her chest and called over one of the interns who came hurriedly.

She scrawled something down and tore the sheet from her notebook, handing it to the girl and instructed in a low tone. “Call this number and confirm whether the contract is still scheduled for the same date.”

She picked up the phone again. “Sorry about that...no, nothing’s wrong,” she silently gestured for the girl to go make the call. “Have I ever let you down Mr. Won? Don’t worry, everything’s been planned out and scheduled ahead of time. There should be no problem in finalizing the contract for next month.”

The girl was back, saying something about how the call didn’t go through. Krystal snatched the paper from her hand and motioned for her to leave. Interns, herself included, all had to go through the same process, except she didn’t remember ever being that incompetent.

“Of course, we’ll relay it to you after the meeting and for any changes and such...yes, yes. You’re welcome. Pleasure to have been an assistance. Goodbye.” She heaved a sigh just as she hung up.

Glancing at her watch, she noted that it was barely after three, and there was at least a few hours to be had before she could think of relaxing.

She’d walked in this morning, heralded by applause and congratulations. It was of course short lived, and not after long, she was back sifting through papers, making calls to clients, and mailing out documents. It was hard not to love her job.

Staring down, the numbers reminded her of the task at hand. If they weren’t responding to calls, she’d have to email them instead. Krystal had barely settled down in the chair behind her desk when a voice interrupted her.

“Ms. Jung, you have a caller on line 2.”

“Who is it?”

“Someone by the name of...Choi Sulli.”

Facepalm. “Put them through.”

She’d no sooner picked up the phone when that familiar voice greeted her.

“God it’s hard to get through to you. What’s with the service there? Isn’t it supposed to be some top notch firm? Maybe you should have a talk with the customer service sector.”

“Sulli, we’d agreed to stop calling me during work,” Krystal ignored her complaints.

“You said to stop. I didn’t agree to anything, thus no agreement. How could you not know this? Don’t you specialize in this field of work? Contracting or whatever.”

There was no point reasoning with her. “Why’d you call?”

“A fundraiser’s being held this Saturday—"

“You called me out for this? Couldn’t you have waited—"

“—in memory of your brother. Alex.”

Krystal felt her heart skip a beat.

Old wounds may never heal but always leave enough space for new ones to form...


A/N: Really, I love all the comments/readers I get so I'm sorry that I can't do individual responses right now. But yes, as you all probably can tell, there's still a heck of a lot to be revealed and whatnot. You'll find out as long as you keep reading :D


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master mat
1. Rene Deskartes (prancis 1596-1650 M)Dalam karyanya La geometrie,Descartes memperlihatkan bahwa sepasang garis lirus yang berpotongan dapat digunakan untuk memperlihatkan posii titik pada sebuah bidang.untuk menghormatinya,konsep tersebut dinamakan sistem koordinat cartesius.dengan sistem ini,muncullah cabang matematika baru,yaitu geometri analitik.
2. Leonhard Eulerd (swiss 1707-1783 M)Euler adalah salah satu ahli matematika terkemuka sepanjang masa.Geometri dan kalkualus mencatat banyak sekali pemikirannya,tapi yang paling utam Euler telah menyelidiki suatu bidang baru yang dinamakan topologi
3.John Napier ( skotlandia 1550-1617 M)Ide tentang logaritma ditemukan oLeH bangsawan dari Merchiston ini.Dengan bantuan logaritma,perhitunagan yang melibatkan bilangan-bilangan besar dapat dipermudah.
4.Carl F.Gauss ( Jerman 1777-1855 M )Gauss adaLah salah seorang dari tiga ahli matematika besar sepanjang masa selain Archimedes dan newton.Pada umur sepuluh tahun,dia membuat gurunya terkagum-kagum dengan memberikan rumus untuk menghitung deret 1+2+3+...+100

Thales
Yunani, 624-546 SM Thales adalah seorang ahli filsafat. Pada zamannya seorang ahli filsafat mempelajari matematika, astronomi, fisika dan ilmu pengetahuan alam. Thales lahir di Yunani kemudian pergi ke Mesir untuk belajar. Ia mengukur tinggi piramida dengan menggunakan pengertian kesebangunan dan meramalkan waktu peredaran matahari. Tak heran jika ia disebut sebagai Bapak Awal Ilmu Matematika dan Astronomi. Dalam sebuah cerita, di suatu malam ia berjalan sambil menatap bintang di langit. Tiba-tiba ia terperosok masuk selokan. Seorang wanita budak yang sudah tua melihat kejadian itu berkata kepadanya, "Tuanku, bila anda tidak dapat melihat jalan bagaimana anda dapat menceritakan sesuatu tentang bintang-bintang?"
Phytagoras
Yunani, 582-493 SM Meskipun Phytagoras adalah seorang ahli filsafat namun ia juga mempelajari musik dan ilmu-ilmu lain. Ia lahir di Yunani dan kemudian ke Mesir dan Babylonia untuk belajar. Phytagoras terkenal dengan dalilnya yang menerangkan bahwa dalam suatu segitiga siku-siku, kuadrat sisi miring sama dengan jumlah kuadrat sisi-sisi lainnya. Segitiga siku-siku yang sisi-sisinya berbanding 3 : 4 : 5 merupakan dasar dari dalil matematika untuk perhitungan sudut-sudut dalam segitiga a2 + b2 = c2 dan pertama kali digunakan oleh para perentang tali di Mesir untuk tanah dengan tali-tali bersimpul. Menurut hikayat, ia menemukan dalil itu ketika ia sedang mengamati susunan lantai bersegitiga di rumah salah seorang temannya. Di lain cerita, ketika ia sedang melewati bengkel pandai besi ia mendapat ide dari berbagai jenis suara yang dihasilkan oleh pukulan martil. Bahwa semakin pendek pegangan martil semakin tinggi frekuensi nada yang dihasilkan. Dengan menggunakan ide ini ia menciptakan jenis-jenis kecapi dan seruling.
Euclides
Yunani, Kira-kira 300 SM Euclides menulis 13 jilid buku tentang geometri. Dalam buku-bukunya ia menyatakan aksioma (pernyataan-pernyataan sederhana) dan membangun semua dalil tentang geometri berdasarkan aksioma-aksioma tersebut. Contoh dari aksioma Euclides adalah, "Ada satu dan hanya satu garis lurus garis lurus, di mana garis lurus tersebut melewati dua titik". Buku-buku karangannya menjadi hasil karya yang sangat penting dan menjadi acuan dalam pembelajaran Ilmu Geometri. Bagi Euclides, matematika itu penting sebagai bahan studi dan bukan sekedar alat untuk mencari nafkah. Ketika ia memberi kuliah geometri pada raja, baginda bertanya, "Tak adakah cara yang lebih mudah bagi saya untuk mengerti dalam mempelajari geometri?". Euclides menjawab, "Bagi raja tak ada jalan yang mudah untuk mengerti geometri. Setiap orang harus berpikir ke depan tentang dirinya apabila ia sedang belajar".
Archimedes
Yunani, 287-212 SM Archimedes mempelajar matematika, fisika dan membuat banyak penemuan. Ia menemukan prinsip tuas yang dapat menggerakkan benda berat hanya dengan sedikit usaha. Ia memperagakan prinsip ini dengan menggerakkan kapal dengan memakai tuas. Eucildes pun berkata, "Bila saya diberi sebuah tuas yang cukup panjang dan titik penumpu, saya dapat menggerakkan bumi". Euclides menggunakan pengetahuan tentang kepadatan untuk menemukan bahwa mahkota yang dibuat untuk raja tak dibuat dengan emas murni. Ia juga mempelajari lingkaran dan menemukan rumus untuk keliling lingkaran (2πr) dan luas lingkaran (πr2). Dalam hikayat ketika Archimedes sudah tua, Yunani dikalahkan oleh Romawi. Sewaktu serdadu musuh masuk ke dalam rumahnya dan di kamar ia sedang mempelajari sebuah lingkaran yang digambarnya di lantai, ia berteriak, "Jangan injak lingkaran saya!" Tapi serdadu itu tak memperdulikan teriakan Archimedes malah menikammya sampai mati.
Ali bin Abi Thalib
Arab Saudi, 658-695 Masehi Sejak kecil Ali bin Abi Thalib menyukai berbagai ilmu dan ikut dengan Nabi Muhammad SAW. Kelak Ali dinikahkan dengan putri Rasul, Fatimah R.A. dan hidup dalam kesederhanaan yang teramat sangat. Meskipun hidup dalam kesederhanaan Ali tidak surut dalam mencari ilmu pengetahuan, tak heran bila Rasul pernah bersabda, "Apabila aku kota ilmu maka Ali adalah gerbangnya". Ketika awal lambang bilangan dalam matematika menggunakan huruf-huruf seperti yang pernah diajarkan oleh bangsa Romawi tergolong rumit, Ali mempopulerkan lambang bilangan dalam huruf Arab dengan angka 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 dan 0. Ali juga yang menyederhanakan penulisan lambang bilangan Romawi di mana sepuluh dengan "X", seratus dengan "C", seribu dengan "M" dan seterusnya dipermudah dengan menambahkan angka nol di belakang angka puluhan, ribuan dan satuan dengan bilangan 10, 100, 1000 dan seterusnya, di mana angka "0" dalam bilangan Arab diwakili dengan titik.
Leonardi Da Vinci
Italia, 1452-1519 Sejak kecil Leonardi Da Vinci telah memperlihatkan kemampuan khusus dalam bidang matematika, musik, seni lukis dan bidang-bidang lain. Secara khusus ia mencintai lukisan dan mengikuti pelajaran tentang seni. Sebagai pelukis dan pemahat ia banyak menghasilkan karya agung, salah satunya yang terkenal adalah lukisan Monalisa. Sebagai sebagai arsitek terkemuka ia juga banyak meninggalkan karya-karya besar dan monumental. Leonardo Da Vinci juga mempelajari geometri dan menggunakan metode membuat bagian-bagian pokok suatu lukisan jatuh di atas segitiga khayal. Metode ini disebut komposisi piramida. Untuk melukis gambar ruang pada kanvas datar ia menggunakan metode semua garis sejajar yang horizontal kelihatan menuju titik tertentu. Metode ini dikenal dengan nama perspektif. Contoh lukisannya yang menggunakan metode ini adalah lukisan Perjamuan Malam Terakhir. Copernicus
Polandia, 1473-1543 Copernicus mempelajari astronomi, matematika, fisika, ilmu hukum dan kedokteran. Pada zamannya secara umum orang percaya bahwa matahari, bulan dan bintang bergerak mengelilingi bumi karena saat itu bumi dianggap sebgai pusat tata surya. Akan tetapi Copernicus yakin bahwa pusat alam semesta bukanlah bumi, melainkan matahari di mana seluruh benda-benda langit berputar mengelilingi matahari. Pikiran Copernicus ini menentang filsafat tradisional dan agama. Teorinya yang terkenal dikemukakan dalam bukunya yang berjudul "Perputatan Benda-Benda Langit". Di mana pada waktu itu ia takut menerbitkan bukunya karena adanya ancaman hukuman mati dari pihak gereja terhadap doktrin keilmuan yang menentang dogma-dogma yang dikeluarkan pihak gereja. Hanya karena desakan rekan-rekannya Copernicus setuju untuk menerbitkan buku itu sepenuhnya. Tetapi sayang, buku itu baru dicetak setelah pengarangnya meninggal dunia.
Galileo Galilei
Italia, 1564-1642 Galileo mempelajari matematika, fisika dan astronomi. Dulu orang percaya bahwa kecepatan benda jatuh tergantung pada bobot benda yang dijatuhkan tersebut. Dalam teori tersebut disebutkan bahwa jatuhnya benda yang lebih berat akan lebih cepat daripada benda yang lebih ringan. Galileo membantah teori tersebut dengan dasar keyakinan bahwa kecepatan jatuhnya sebuah benda tidak tergantung pada bobotnya. Ia membuktikannya dengan menjatuhkan dua buah logam yang satu lebih berat dari yang lain dari atas Menara Pisa yang miring. Biarpun pada saat ini setiap orang menyetujui teorinya adalah benar, namun pada zamannya teori dengan pembuktiannya itu diterima orang dengan keheranan yang besar. Sewaktu-waktu ketika ia sedang mengamati tempat lilin yang berayun-ayun di gereja, ia mencatat bahwa berapapun jauhnya benda itu berayun ke samping, waktu yang diperlukan untuk setiap 1 gerakan bolak-balik (1 getaran) adalah sama. Di kemudian hari ia menemukan bahwa hukum ini adalah suatu hal yang umum yang akhirnya hukum ini disebut dengan hukum isokhronisme suatu bandul. Di akhir hidupnya Galileo Galilei dijatuhi hukuman mati oleh gereja karena mendukung ide Copernicus yakni bumi berputar mengelilingi matahari.
Rene Descartes
Perancis, 1596-1650 Descartes mempelajari Matematika, Fisika, Politik dan Filsafat. Ia adalah orang yang pertama kali menggunakan sistem dua atau tiga bilangan seperti (A, B) atau (A, B, C) sebagai koordinat untuk menggambarkan titik-titik pada suatu bidang atau dalam ruang. Dengan cara ini pernyataan-pernyataan mengenai gambar-gambar dalam geometri tentang titik yang dijabarkan oleh Euclides dapat diterjemahkan menjadi pernyataan-pernyataan yang menyangkut bilangan. Menurut hikayat, Descartes mendapat ide itu ketika sedang terbaring sakit di tempat tidur. Ia mengamati laba-laba yang berjalan di langit-langit dan kemudian turun dengan benangnya. Hal ini memberikan ide kepadanya untuk menyatakan titik-titik dalam ruangan dengan (A, B, C). Ia juga orang pertama kali yang menggunakan huruf-huruf abjad seperti a, b, c, ... , x, y, z untuk mewakili bilangan-bilangan. Ia pula orang pertama kali yang mengemukakan ide tentang bilangan negatif.
Blaise Pascal
Perancis, 1623-1662 Blaise Pascal adalah seorang ahli matematika, fisika, teologi sekaligus pujangga. Pascal menjadi sangat tertarik pada matematika khususnya geometri ketika berumur 6 atau 7 tahun. Ketika itu ayahnya menyingkirkan buku-buku matematikanya karena ia percaya bahwa anak kecil seharusnya tidak mempelajari buku yang sedemikian sukar. Namun Pascal tetap saja mempelajarinya secara sembunyi-sembunyi. Saat berusia 12 tahun tanpa memperoleh bantuan orang lain ia menemukan bahwa jumlah semua sudut-sudut pada suatu segitiga selalu 180º. Ia memperlihatkan hal tersebut kepada ayahnya dan menerangkannya dengan jelas. Ayahnya demikian tertegun sampai akhirnya mengizinkan anaknya terus belajar matematika dengan bebas. Di saat berusia 19 tahun Pascal sudah menemukan suatu mesin hitung yang menggunakan roda-roda gigi. Dalam bidang fisika ia menemukan prinsip tentang tekanan dalam zat cair yang kemudian prinsip ini diabadikan sesuai dengan namanya. Ia juga meninggalkan suatu ungkapa yang terkenal, "Manusia adalah lalang yang lemah, akan tetapi ia adalah lalang yang berpikir".
Seki Takakazu
jepang, 1642-1708 Pada zaman hidupnya, Jepang menggunakan sistem lambang bilangan Cina yang berbelit-belit daripada sistem angka Arab untuk melambangkan bilangan. Mereka juga menggunakan alat-alat yang terbuat dari kayu (yang disebut Sangi) yang mula-mula dikembangkan di Tiongkok kuno untuk metode pengukuran luas bangunan. Di masa itu Seki menemukan metode mengukur luas suatu bangunan yang dibatasi oleh kurva-kurva atau volume benda-benda ruang yang tak teratur dengan metode yang sekarang dikenal dengan nama "integral". Matematika bangsa Jepang ini sebut Wasan. Sampai saat matematika Barat diperkenalkan di Jepang menjelang akhir abad ke-19, Wasan-lah yang lebih dahulu populer di Jepang. Seki Takakazu adalah salah seorang dari pengajar Wasan yang terkenal.
Isaac Newton
Perancis, 1642-1727 Isaac Newton adalah salah seorang di antara ahli matematika besar dan juga mempelajari fisika. Ia menemukan hukum gravitasi dan menyimpulkan teori bahwa gravitasi adalah gaya tarik suatu benda terhadap benda lainnya. Semakin jauh jarak antara dua benda semakin lemahlah gaya gravitasi di antara kedua benda tersebut. Gerak bulan mengelilingi bumi dapat diterangkan dengan hukum gravitasi ini. Newton juga menemukan hukum gerak yang merupakan dasar dinamika. Ia tertarik dengan astronomi dan menemukan suatu jenis teleskop pemantul yang akhirnya diabadikan dengan namanya.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Jerman, 1646-1716 Ayah Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz adalah seorang guru besar di sebuah universitas tetapi meninggal ketika Leibniz menginjak usia 6 tahun. Sejak saat itu Leibniz muda belajar sendiri dan dibantu dengan bimbingan ibunya. Belajar sendiri membuat Leibniz bebas dari cara berpikir tradisional. Ia dan Newton merumuskan pengertian dasar tentang "kalkulus differensial". Masing-masing menyatakan bahwa dirinyalah yang mula-mula memikirkan hal tersebut. Untuk memutuskan siapa sebenarnya yang pertama merumuskannya mereka saling mengajukan soal-soal kalkulus. Hal ini dikenal sebagai perang matematika antara Leibniz dengan Newton. Akhirnya mereka menyadari bahwa mereka masing-masing menggunakan pikiran mereka sendiri-sendiri, dan perumusan dasar tentang "kalkulus differensial" tersebut adalah kebetulan sama. Leibniz juga menemukan suatu jenis mesin hitung.
Ino Tadataka
Jepang, 1745-1818 Ino Tadataka adalah anak seorang petani dari golongan kelas sosial yang rendah. Ia tidak mendapat pendidikan formal tetapi belajar sendiri. Ketika berusia 18 tahun ia diangkat menjadi seorang anak oleh seorang saudagar dan harus berhenti belajar demi untuk bekerja. Ketika berusia 45 tahun saudagar tersebut membiarkan Ino mengurus urusan rumah tangganya sehingga Ino mempunyai waktu untuk menyelesaikan pelajarannya di bawah bimbingan seorang pembimbing. Pada waktu itu ia mempelajari astronomi, matematika, sejarah dan pengukuran tanah. Ketika berusia 55 tahun ia mendapat izin dari pemerintahan Jepang untuk mengukur bagian Utara Jepang. Ia tak henti-hentinya mengumpulkan informasi untuk membuat peta-peta seluruh negara sampai saat meninggalnya. Sampai akhir abad ke-19 peta-peta yang dibuat oleh Ino digunakan sebagai dasar peta-peta administrasi pemerintah Jepang.
Johan Gauss
Jerman, 1777-1885 Menurut hikayat, Johann Gauss adalah seorang jenius dalam aritmetika. Ketika ia berusia 9 tahun seorang guru menyuruh murid-murid di kelasnya untuk menjumlahkan deretan bilangan 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 40. Gauss hanya memerlukan waktu beberapa saat saja tanpa menuliskan sesuatu apapun untuk memperoleh jawabannya yaitu 820. Ia mendapat jawaban dalam otaknya dengan menyadari bahwa jumlah itu dapat dipikirkan penyelesaiannya sebagai berikut: (1 = 40) + (2 + 39) + ... + (20 + 21) = 41 + 41 + ... + 41 = 41 X 20 = 820. Ayah Gaus hanyalah seorang tukan batu dan tak sanggup memberikan pendidikan universitas kepadanya. Tetapi raja tertegun akan kemampuan Gauss muda dan raja bersedia membiayai pendidikannya. Kelak Gauss menjadi salah satu ahli matematika terkemuka di dunia. Ia juga banyak meninggalkan hasil karyanya dalam bidang astronomi, pengukuran tanah dan elektromagnetisme.

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