"The running competition is about to start." Yujin told me and we headed outside the building. We sat down next to the boys and I noticed Himchan was keeping a distance from me. Even when I tried to look at him he looked in a different direction. I wonder if Yongguk told him something about his little prank..

"The participants for the first heat, please take your places." the announcer said and we looked at the girls participating. Sey and Sumi were warming up, waiting for their turn to compete.

The first heat ended fast since it's a short distance and the second heat started shortly after. This time Sumi was participating. The race started and Sumi fell down the moment she started running, hence she was disqualified. I frowned and I could tell she was pissed. The boys, on the other hand, seemed happy about it although they tried to disguise it.

"Good luck, Sey!" I yelled before her heat started. She smiled and took her place behind the starting line.

"I can't believe I messed up." Sumi groaned and sat down next to me.

"Did you get hurt?" I asked worriedly.

"Stop pretending you care." she rolled her eyes.

"Ready, set, go!" the announcer called and Sey's race started. She reached the finish line third, so she didn't make it to the final either.

"You did well!" I exclaimed when she came back to us.

"They gave me the fastest heat.. Those girls are not human." she pouted.

"It just means you are a great runner and that you could have won in a different heat." Yujin said, trying to cheer her up.

"You were great." Himchan finally spoke and Sey smiled.

"Thanks." she sat down next to Sumi.

"Hyeri.." Yongguk whispered in my ear. He was sitting between Jongup and Zelo when I sat down but I guess he changed places in the meantime because now he was sitting next to me. I scanned the area he was previously sitting at. Zelo and Jongup weren't there anymore because they are competing in the men's race and they had to prepare, which gave Yongguk the perfect opportunity to move and get closer to me.

"Remember what we talked about?" I whispered back.

"I don't agree with it."

"I'm not asking you, I already made up my mind. Don't get near me in public. I don't want rumors to start going around."

"Why don't you just break up with me if you want to stay away from me so much?" he pondered bitterly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low. That comment was uncalled for. Why does he have to be so mean and mention breaking up again?

"Troubles in heaven?" Sumi mocked, smirking. Of course she was listening to our conversation.. She must be having fun knowing we are arguing.

"Shut up." I glared at her.

"You.." I turned to Yongguk. "We need to talk."

"Do whatever you want, that's what you always do anyway.. I was never a factor in your decisions."

"If you can't figure out why I'm doing it then I guess we shouldn't be together." I muttered and stood up, pretending to stretch my limbs. I walked around a little and eventually sat next to Daehyun and Youngjae.

"Tough day?" Daehyun asked when I flopped down next to him.

"Yeah.."

"It will be alright." he patted my back.

"I just don't understand him." I mumbled while looking at Yongguk. He was sitting with his knees folded to his chest and his expression was blank. It worries me that I can't tell what's going on in his mind.

"Sometimes you just need to take a step back and let the other person lead the way. You can't be the one controlling all the time, it's bad for your relationship."

"To me it feels like he is always leading the way and I like it. He is probably the only person that I'll willingly submit to." I smiled.

"From the outside it looks like the opposite." Youngjae commented. "It's like you have him wrapped around your finger." 

"Because he is amazing and he puts up with me all the time, even when I'm annoying the hell out of him."

"When you'll fall in love you'll be wrapped around the other person's finger as well.." Daehyun told Youngjae. "Just try going against your girlfriend, you will only lose in the end." he joked.

"Poor Yongguk.." Youngjae said, earning a smack from me.

"Violent." Youngjae mumbled, rubbing his head. "What is Yongguk doing with you anyway? Does he like getting beat up or something?"

"I'm not hitting him!" I exclaimed and both Daehyun and Youngjae gave me incredulous looks. "Most of the time.." I added quietly.

"So what happened between you two now?" Daehyun asked curiously.

"I was only trying to do the right thing and protect us.. Why can't he see that?" I pouted.

"He can't read minds. You have to tell him how you feel and what you think." Daehyun said and his gaze moved to Youngjae. If only the latter would do the same and talk to Eun Hee already..

"Maybe you are right.." I mumbled.

"Of course I'm right. Listen to oppa and talk to him, okay?" he ruffled my hair playfully.

"What oppa?! I'm a month older than you!" I exclaimed and Youngjae started to laugh while Daehyun frowned. "If you want to be like that, call me noona. That's the proper way to go."

"You are only a month older, don't use that excuse on me." he retorted.

"Call me noona." I repeated.

"Daehyun, you're doomed. She is not going to back down if she is set on something." Youngjae teased.

"Youngjae, call me hyung." Daehyun ordered, making the younger male shut up.

~

"Eun Hee." Youngjae called.

"What do you want?" she asked dryly.

"What were you doing with that guy?"

"What guy?" Eun Hee asked innocently.

"From Monsta X." Youngjae said and Eun Hee's heart started beating faster. So he did saw her talking to him.. Maybe he was the one Wonho mentioned after all.. But why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense.

"It has nothing to do with you." Eun Hee declared. "Now if you'll excuse me.." she started walking again.

"It has something to do with me." Youngjae grabbed her hand, making her stop.

"What?"

"I like you." Youngjae finally confessed.

"Is that some kind of a joke?" Eun Hee asked. She thought her heart will jump out of her chest when he said those words, but she didn't let herself fall for it just yet. She is too scared to get hurt if he is just playing with her.

"No. I'm serious." he shifted his body weight from one foot to another. Why isn't she believing him?

"Why did you kiss me that day?"

"It was a bet with Daehyun." Youngjae admitted.

"So this confession thing is a bet as well, right? Nice try, but I'm not falling for it twice."

"This has nothing to do with Deaehyun and it's not a bet. Those are my real feelings."

"Do you even have feelings?" she mocked and Youngjae could feel his heart tightening in his chest. He might be bad at expressing his feelings, but it doesn't mean they don't exist.

"I am serious." he managed to say. His voice was shaking a little but he hoped she didn't notice it.

"Please stop looking for me. I'm serious this time." she shot him a glare before leaving.

"Damn it."

~

"What did Yongguk tell you?" Sey asked Himchan when they were sitting in Peppermint's dressing room. Sey sat on a chair while Himchan laid down on several chairs and positioned his head in her lap. Her fingers played with his hair and he loved it.

"I'm sleeping on the couch tonight and probably in the next couple of days as well.."

"And?"

"And I need to apologize to Hyeri and she can kill me if she wants to." Himchan said, closing his eyes.

"Tell Yongguk I'm the only one that can make you sleep on the couch." she joked. "But you did mess up with Hyeri so you deserve it."

"I know."

"You are cute like that." she commented, moving his bangs from his forehead.

"How?" he opened one eye to look at her.

"When you are worried. You have those creases on your forehead and your mouth twists a bit as well. It's adorable."

"Don't make fun of me." he pouted, which Sey found really cute.

"I'm not." she smiled. "I know you didn't mean to hurt Hyeri so just apologize to her. I think she'll understand and forgive you."

"She is probably still mad at me.." Himchan sighed.

"She will calm down soon." Sey said and kissed Himchan's forehead.

"I hope so.."

~

The 60m preliminaries has ended and there was a long break again because the staff was preparing the area for the next competition, which was the archery finals.

I found Zelo sitting on the ground by himself so I sat down next to him.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Great. How about you?" he smiled.

"Okay.."

"Are you enjoying the competitions until now?"

"I'm not really participating in things, so I'm mainly waiting.."

"Yeah, it happens a lot. Not only in this porgram, but in general. Music shows are like this as well."

"Not for so long.."

"True." he nodded. "But I like this more. It's nice even if you wait longer."

"I agree." I smiled.

"I'm tired." Zelo groaned, stretching his long limbs.

"Want me to give you a massage or something?" I offered, forgetting for a moment that we are surrounded by people. Well, it's not like I have a erted intention towards him.. It's a friendly gesture.

"Do you want to?" he asked, unsure if he should agree or not.

"No, I just like to offer things and then go back on my word." I teased.

"Alright." he smiled and turned around so his back was facing me. I placed my hands on his shoulders and started giving him a light massage. He groaned a few times and I was satisfied because it means I did well and managed to open a few knots.

"Let's switch." Zelo offered after a while.

"You don't have to.." I mumbled.

"I want to do that." Zelo smiled innocently and turned around to face me. 

"Okay.." I decided not to argue with him since he seemed determined.

Zelo placed his hands on my shoulders and started working. Surprisingly, he was quite good at it.

"Yongguk!" Zelo called when he he saw the said male not far from us. "Come here!"

Yongguk looked at the two of us and frowned. After a moment he sighed and approached us, putting a smile on his face.

"You two look like you are having a nice time." Yongguk said and looked at me.

"Hyeri noona is the best!" Zelo exclaimed happily. "Come join us, Hyeri will be happy to give you a massage." the younger male offered, oblivious to the tension between us.

"Sure." Yongguk said and sat down in front of me. "I'm sure this will be less suspicious than you and me talking." he added sarcastically.

"I wasn't the one inviting you here, you are free to leave." I stated dryly.

"No. Do your job diligently." I could tell he was smirking even if I couldn't see his face.

"Idiot." I muttered and started giving him a massage.

"Your idiot?" he asked.

"I don't know. Weren't you the one mentioning a breakup?"

"Because you seemed to want it." he shrugged.

"Of course, put all the blame on me." I murmured. "And I thought you would know me at least a little bit after everything we've been through.."

"I do know you."

"Right." I snorted. "It doesn't look like that."

"So how about you'll tell me what I'm missing?" Yongguk asked.

"Figure it out yourself." I used more force on his back, drawing a groan from him.

"Oppa!" Sumi's squeaky voice was heard.

"Not again.." I sighed, to Yongguk's amusement.

"I want a massage as well!" she called and sat in front of Yongguk. She didn't just say that..

"Alright." Yongguk mumbled and placed his hands on her shoulders. I could feel my blood boil. That idiot.. Why is he cooperating with her?

"For every minute you place your hands on her I'm going to make sure you'll pay double." I whispered in Yongguk's ear.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Forget about every progress we made. We are going back to square one." I answered and he gulped.

"You can't do this to me." he hissed.

"I can and I will." I smirked. I don't care if it's pathetic and if I'm overreacting, he is not putting his hands on her. She is not just anyone..

"Fine. If you want to play like that, let's see who will break first. I'm already used to not doing anything with you, but you will probably miss it."

"I lived without being intimate with someone way longer than you, so I'll be fine."

"Let's play then."

~

"What's up, Junhong?" Sungjae from BtoB sat behind Zelo, placing his hands on Junhong's shoulders and lightly massaging him.

"Great. How are you?" Zelo asked, smiling.

"Good." Sungjae smiled.

The males started talking and soon Changsub joined and sat behind Sungjae, followed by Eunkwang who sat behind Changsub.

"Eunkwang-ssi." Himchan sat behind the same-aged friend.

"Himchan-ssi!" Eunkwang smiled.

"I haven't seen you for a while." Himchan said while placing his hands on Eunkwang's shoulders, lightly massaging them.

"True. When are you having a comeback?" Eunkwang asked.

"I'm not sure. What about you?"

"Probably in a couple of months. We already started recording."

"Oh, then we might promote together!" Himchan exclaimed happily. "Our comeback is postponed because of some internal problems."

"Your CEO is being an again?"

"Something like that.." Himchan sighed.

Himchan felt hands placed on his shoulders and he could tell it was Sey. Well, it's not like she was going to let others have the opportunity to get closer to him.. Especially not the other gender.

"Missed me?" Sey asked in a seductive voice.

"Of course." Himchan smiled.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, suddenly changing the direction of their conversation.

"Yes."

"That's good."

~

"Yongguk, you are really good at this." Sumi said sweetly and I rolled my eyes. Ever since she sat in front of him she kept talking and complimenting Yongguk and I really tried to keep my calm and not explode. I tightened my grip on Yongguk, pressing harder than I should on his shoulders.

"Jealous?" Yongguk asked, noticing my action.

"No. She just annoys me." I answered.

"If you say so.." he mumbled, smirking.

"You are so going to pay for it."

"You know, I really like the controlling side of you. It's y." he commented and I blushed.

"Shut up." I muttered and he finally obeyed, at least for a few moments.

Not so far from them, a few other people were watching the group, wanting to join.

"Move!" Jongup hissed when Yujin sat in front of Sumi. Youngjae was taken aback but let Jongup go and sit in front of Yujin. Well, it makes sense he'll want to be close to her..

Now Youngjae watched Eun Hee looking at the circle, pondering if she should join or not. He smirked and decided to wait until she'll make up her mind. She looked at him, made a disgusted face and sat in front of Jongup. Youngjae took this chance and sat in front of her, knowing she won't have a choice but to be next to him now.

"Get lost." Eun Hee ordered the moment Youngjae sat in front of her. What did she do to deserve this torture?

"I'm not going to." Youngjae smiled and moved closer to her, if that was even possible.

"I hate you."

"I'll change that."

~

"Those guys.." Jinu mumbed as he watched Peppermint, B.A.P and a few BtoB members sitting on the ground and doing a massage circle. The latest addition was Daehyun, who sat in front of Youngjae. Somehow they actually closed the circle so he was giving a massage to Sey.

"What the hell are they doing?" B.A.P's manager asked, offering Jinu a water bottle.

"Digging our grave because the CEO will flip when he'll find out." Jinu muttered and took a sip from his water.

"I miss my twenties.." B.A.P's manager said while watching the group.

"I don't. Too much hormones." Jinu said.

"They really are head over heels for the girls, aren't they?"

"It's mutual. I think Zelo is the only one that doesn't have feelings for the other gender.. Yet."

"There is no way the CEO will have a girl group and a boy group in the company at the same time after that.. It's a catalyst for dating and a source of troubles."

"But it would have been boring if we only had one of the groups in the company.." Jinu said.

"That's true." B.A.P's manager agreed.

"Let's switch!" Eunkwang called and everyone obeyed and turned around to the other direction.

"How is BtoB's manager fine with this?" Jinu pondered.

"I'm not. But what can I do?" the said manager joined them and B.A.P's manager shook his hand since he was already familiar with him.

"Wouldn't you two be in more trouble, though? You know the rules about hanging out with the other gender.." BtoB's manager said, looking at the two managers.

"We know." they said in unison, sighing heavily.

~

"You are going to lose in our little game." Yongguk whispered in my ear as he placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Don't make it too obvious if you don't want us to be discovered. Our fans are probably watching us with hawk eyes at the moment."

"Then keep quiet." he smirked and started massaging me dilligently. His hands are amazing. It was really hard to control myself and try not to moan. Yongguk noticed it since he kept doing what he knew would drive me crazy and he kept teasing me about it. Damn it. I should have more when I was the one in charge.. But I'll get back at him later. I know what he like..

~

Eun Hee sat behind Youngjae, unsure of what to do. She want to do it, but she wasn't sure if her heart could handle it. She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them lightly.

"You can do better than that." Youngjae said. "Don't tell me this is all you got.."

"No." she said, slightly annoyed.

"Then do it properly, don't slack off. I did my part diligently, so you should do the same."

"Fine." she sighed and started massaging Youngjae properly.

~

Hyuk knocked on the door to Clara's office, waiting for an answer.

"Come in." Clara's voice was heard a moment after.

"Hey." Hyuk greeted and took a seat in front of her.

"Did you want to talk?" she asked.

"Yes. It's about the evaluations."

"What about it?"

"I want to do an original song."

"We already decided that you are doing a song as a group."

"I know, but I want to perform this as well. Can't I perform it in addition to the group song?"

"What's the rush?" Clara asked, examining Hyuk's face in an attemp to find clues.

"There is no rush."

"Then why do you want to perform this song so bad?"

"I just think it's a good song." he answered innocently but she wasn't buying that. Her instincts told her there was a different reason he wanted to perform this song.

"Let me hear it first." Clara asked.

"It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Let me hear the song or you won't perform it. Everything needs to have my permission." she said sternly.

"Okay." Hyuk sighed, realizing he doesn't have a choice.

~

"Hyeri.." Eun Hee approached me when we were waiting for the 60m finals to start.

"What?"

"How did you know Yongguk liked you?" she asked shyly and a smile appeared on my face. I think I know where she is going with this..

"I didn't until he told me that himself."

"Did you believe him the first time he said that?"

"No. I thought he was just playing with me because he kept rejecting me before that."

"So how did you know it was real?"

"His actions." I smiled.

"Unnie.." Eun Hee called.

"What?"

"Youngjae told me he liked me." she admitted, blush covering her cheeks.

"So what is the problem? You like him as well.."

"But he kissed me because he made a bet with Daehyun." she said, taking me by surprise.

"Do you want me to kill him or Daehyun?" I offered, feeling my anger rise. Those idiots.. What the hell were they playing? It's beyond rude to play with a girl's feelings like that. It's just.. Mean.

"No." Eun Hee answered.

"So what is it?"

"It's just that.. Sometimes it feels like he cares but sometimes it feels like he is just playing with me." she lowered her gaze, fixating it on a random spot on the ground.

"I know this situation.." I sighed. I felt like this with Yongguk as well before we started dating. "But if you really want to know the truth, I think I have a plan.."

~

After the 60m finals were over I went to change clothes for the rhythmic gymnastics competition. There were seven competitiors, including me. We pulled numbers out of a hat to determine our turn and I got number six, meaning I was performing before the last competitor.

I examined my appearance in the mirror one more time. My hair was tied neatly, my makeup was done nicely and the outfit was pretty. It was black with a little bit of red on it and my ribbon was black, red and white, fitting perfectly to my outfit. The only thing that bothered me was that my wrist started to hurt and I was afraid my wound would open and I'll start bleeding. Why was I so stupid to do that to myself, and before an important competition?

"Hyeri." Jinu called from the door.

"Yes?"

"Go out to the hallway, they want to film the contestants before the competition and interview some of them."

"Alright." I smiled. I looked in the mirror one more time before getting out of the room.

Lee Soo Geun, one of the hosts, was standing in the hallway with a cameraman and interviewed Mina from Twice. I waited until they finished the interview and then he turned to me.

"And now we are talking to Hyeri from Peppermint." Lee Soo Geun said.

"Hello." I smiled and waved my hand.

"It's your first time participating in ISAC, right?" he asked.

"Yes, and I'm very excited."

"You are performing with the ribbon, right?"

"Yes." I said and showed the ribbon to the camera. "I think it's the prettiest apparatus so I'm happy that I have the chance to perform with it."

"It's also hard. It's probably the hardest one after the ball."

"I know, but I'm not afraid of hard work and I tried my best to do well."

"So what music did you choose to your performance?"

"I can't tell you that." I smiled innocently. "You'll have to watch the show to know that.."

"I will definitely watch it." Lee Soo Geun smiled. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!" I bowed and he moved to the next contestant.

"You did well." Jinu told me when the short interview was over.

"Thanks."

"All the participants, come here." a producer called and we gathered around him. "You know your order, right?"

"Yes." we answered together.

"You'll wait here." he pointed at a spot near the door, "Until it's your turn to perform. You'll wait near the surface until they call your name and you can start when there is a beep. The music will start afterwards. After the performance you are going to talk to Eric Nam, who will wait for you in the waiting area with your manager. You will wait there until you'll get your results. If you are ranked first you'll sit on the throne and if not, you'll sit on the chairs on the side along with the other contestants. Am I clear?"

"Yes."

"Then good luck to all of you." the producer smiled and walked away.

"I'm nervous." Mina said.

"I'm nervous as well." Cheng Xiao admitted.

"It will be alright." Cao Lu tried to cheer them up.

I stood quietly in my place, worried about my wound opening. What if I bleed in the middle of the performance? It will stain my outfit and I won't be able to hide it.. I don't want to raise suspicion about it.

"Calm down." I tried to relax. "It will be alright, just do it like you practiced."

"We are going to start. The first contestant, please come here." A staff member called. We cheered and the competition started.

As time went by I was getting more nervous. It's not helping that I know how the contestants before me did because now I know how much I need to get in order to do well and it makes me feel nervous and anxious. I can't mess up.

"Number six, please take your place." the staff called.

"Yes, sir." I said and took a deep breath and straightened my back.

"Go." he said and I entered the stadium, holding the folded ribbon in my hands.

"Kim Hyeri." the announcer called and I went onto the surface, getting into my starting pose. I could hear the crowd cheer but I tried to ignore it and focus on my performance. It's only 90 seconds, I can do it.

There was a beep and the first notes of the song started. At first it went well. I managed to grab the ribbon and do the routine properly until at some point I threw the ribbon in the air, like planned, and I noticed that I won't be able to catch it. This is really bad. Matt said it's the worse thing that can happen after getting the ribbon tied and having to open it in the middle of the performance. I need to think quickly and figure out what to do.. Maybe if I'll hit it with my leg I could catch it when it goes up again. Sounds like a good plan..

I managed to hit the ribbon with my foot while pretending it was part of the choreography but the ribbon flew too far, making it harder for me to catch it. I quickly did a cartwheel so I can move quickly to the other side of the mattress and catch the ribbon even if it wasn't planned. Maybe it can even give me a bonus score.. In any case, it won't hurt and it can't be worse than dropping the ribbon.

~

"Wow.. Hyeri is really awesome." Jongup commented, his mouth hanging open.

"Yongguk.." Youngjae called.

"What?" Yongguk asked without averting his gaze from Hyeri.

"There are a lot of guys ogling Hyeri at the moment." Youngjae stated.

"They can watch, but she is mine."

"I don't think you are going to like this.." Youngjae said and pointed at Wonho, who was practically drooling over Hyeri. Youngjae won't admit it, but he was keeping an eye on Wonho since he saw him taking to Eun Hee earlier, and the guy was practically ogling every female he saw, including Hyeri. He was way too immersed in her performance, and not in a good way. It was obvious what Wonho was thinking about, and Youngjae was sure Yongguk won't like it.

"That ert." Yongguk muttered and Youngjae chuckled.

"And you made fun of my reaction when he was ogling Eun Hee.." the younger male teased.

"That's different." Yongguk declared and turned to look at Hyeri who was now doing some moves showing her flexibility.

"That's rated for you, guys." Himchan said and quickly covered Zelo and Jongup's eyes with his hands.

"Hyung!" they complained.

"How didn't you sleep with her yet?" Himchan asked Yongguk, who shot him a glare.

"What? She must be fun in bed." Himchan said and Yongguk smacked his head. "Don't tell me you didn't think about it.." he added while rubbing his hurting head.

"No. Stop being a ert before I tell Sey you are ogling Hyeri."

"Fine, you party pooper." Himchan pouted. "Her body is amazing."

"Shut it before I shut you up."

~

In the middle of the dance I felt my wound open and I paled. It can't be happening.. Not now. I managed to do the most of the dance okay, I can't mess up now.

I did my routine like planeed and I started to feel the blood flow. No.. I looked at my wrist and I saw a drop of blood on my outfit. This is really bad. I bandaged it before the performance but I guess it didn't help much..

I got distracted so I messed up the routine. I did the wrong moves and I dropped the ribbon, which only added to the pressure. I tried to stay focused but my mind was elsewhere. I could feel tears in my eyes, clouding my sight. Damn it.

"Go Hyeri!" I heard the boys and my group members cheer and I smiled. I can do this.. Just a little more. I only need to finish it properly.

I jumped and my ribbon dropped again. I tried to catch it but it was too far for my reach. I closed the distance so I could do my next move but I was out of sync with the music so I had to improvise something. In the meantime the red stain on my outfit got bigger. It wasn't that noticeable because that part of my outfit was red but people who looked closely at it could see it.

"Come on, just a few more seconds." I told myself. I did the final move and the music stopped. There was loud cheers but it didn't make me feel better because I still felt like crap. I should have done well because I did well in practice. I know the other participants made mistakes as well, but it didn't cheer me up either. I can't believe I messed up.

I wiped the tears from my face and walked to the waiting area to recieve my result. Eric Nam was waiting there for me, smiling warmly.

"Come here, sit next to your manager." he said and I saw Jinu sitting on the bench, holding a poster of my group, our lightstick and my mascot doll. He is so cute. He was smiling warmly at me, silently telling me that it's okay, and it made me feel a little better. At least he is not mad st me.. But he is almost never mad.

I hugged Jinu and sat down next to him.

"You seem troubled." Eric Nam commented.

"I'm just mad at myself because I messed up." I said. "I'm sorry, refresheners. I wanted to make you proud but I messed up. It went well during practice but I don't know what happened.." I wiped the new tears from my face and Jinu patted my back. "I'll do better next time. I'm sorry for disappointing you." I finished my short speech and bowed.

"You did well!" someone screamed from the crowd and it made me smile. I looked at my team members and they started to clap and cheer and it made me happy. The boys joined and cheered as well and I smiled. They are so sweet.

"Let's see your result." Eric Nam said and we looked at the screen. I had a high difficulty - 6. The execution was not that good so I only got 6 points on it, and I was lucky because there was no deductions so my total score was 12 out of 20 points possible. It wasn't that bad but I could have gotten more if I didn't mess up the choreography.

"This means you are in the second place at the moment, after Cao Lu that is sitting on the throne." he said. "Which means both you and Cao Lu will have a medal either way, even if the last contestant will get the highest score." he said, smiling. A small smile appeared on my face. At least it's not that bad, although I'm still not satisfied with my performance, but I have no one to blame but myself.

I took my place next to the other contestants and they tried to cheer me up and congratulated me for doing well. I thanked them shyly and waited for the last performance. It was Cheng Xiao's turn and she did really well. I think she is the only one that didn't make mistakes, and she definitely deserved the first place.

~

Yongguk kept looking at Hyeri the whole time. After her performance she kept smiling but he could tell she is just pretending and that she is troubled. After the competition ended she hurried inside the building and he rushed after her.

"Hyeri, wait!" he called and grabbed her hand.

"I need to change clothes." she said dryly.

"Let's talk."

"About what?"

"About how you feel."

"I don't like this 'talk about my feelings' bull. I'm not in a therapy session."

"Forget it." Yongguk sighed. "I don't know why I'm even trying."

Hyeri didn't react so he just turned around and was about to leave. He started walking but soft sobs stopped him from leaving. It was definitely coming from Hyeri since no one else was there at the moment. He slowly turned around. Hyeri was standing there, tears covering her face. She was sobbing and her body was shaking.

"Don't leave me." she cried. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm like this.. But please don't go.." she cried harder and it broke his heart.

"I'm not leaving." Yongguk said and approached her, wrapping his arms around her petite figure. "I'm not going to leave."

"Everything is messed up.." she mumbled between sobs.

"What's wrong?" he asked, caressing her hair softly.

"This whole day is wrong." she buried her face in his chest.

"It's not wrong. You still have me, and you did well today."

"Stop lying."

"I really mean it."

"I messed up. How is it doing well?" she asked, lifting her head to look at him.

"You still got in third place. And I'm proud of you. The result doesn't matter, you worked hard." he caressed her cheek, tracing the trail of the dry tears.

"I messed up. I could have done better." Hyeri still wasn't convinced.

"I'm still proud of you. It won't change." he smiled reassuringly.

"I'm going to get scolded for messing up and I disappointed people. It was my chance to get us famous, and I blew it up. It's all my fault.." tears streamed down her face once again.

"You will be famous because you are hard working and it shows even if it didn't go like you planned today." he wiped the tears from her face. "If you judge by the males' comments, you are going to be popular at least with them.." he added in an attemp to lighten the mood. Hyeri chuckled and it made him happy. It means it worked.

"Someone asked me out today.."

"Who?" he asked, his face becoming serious.

"It doesn't matter."

"So what happened?" he asked, trying to hide his anxiety. He knows Hyeri is his and the chance of her going to someone else is low, but a small part of him was still insecure and anxious.

"I told him I'm not interested." Hyeri answered and Yongguk was relieved.

"Good girl." he gave her his gummy smile and a small smile appeared on her face.

"But if you are going to leave I might reconsider.."

"I'll stay if you stop trying to push me away all the time." he said, tightening his grip on her waist.

"I'm sorry." she lowered her gaze.

"If you're sorry, stop doing that." he poked her forehead.

"I'll try."

"Good." he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Yongguk.."

"Hmm?"

"Don't get near Sumi if your life is important to you. I don't like her." she said and Yongguk chuckled.

"I will be more than happy to stay away from her."

"It didn't look like that earlier." she pouted.

"It's not like I could push her away.. There were too many people watching and I didn't want to start a scene.. You know her temper."

"Don't do it again."

"Babe.."

"What?"

"I love you." he said and before she could react he attached his lips to her. She was surprised at first but soon cooperated and kissed him back, deepening their kiss. He missed that even if it hasn't been that long since their last kiss.

"I know you don't want me to say that, but I'm still going to tell you I love you every single day. I will wait until you could say that yourself." Yongguk said when they parted to get some air.

"I.. Can't." she lowered her gaze in embarrassment.

"I know. I will wait." he smiled warmly.

"Aren't you scared?"

"Of what?"

"That I won't.. Return it." she wasn't able to look at him when she finished her sentence.

"No." he said and she looked at him curiously. "Because I know you will, even if it takes you a little longer."

"Someone is confident.." she teased.

"Because you are easy to read. I can tell how you are feeling just by looking at your face."

"So what does my face say now?"

"That you are happy that I'm here but something still bothers you." he answered after scanning her face for a few moments.

"My wrist." she admitted and showed him the bloody sleeve of her outfit.

"Does his hurt?"

"No. It's just.. Bleeding." she said and hid her hand behind her back.

"Is that why you messed up?" he asked and she nodded.

"Let's take care of it." he grabbed her hand from behind her back, lacing their fingers together. He led them to her dressing room and took a first aid kit from one of the tables.

"Sit down." he ordered and she obeyed quietly. He took a seat in front of her and slowly lifted her sleeve to reveal the wound. Luckily, it wasn't that bad. He treated the wound and she stayed quiet the whole time, not uttering a word.

"All done." Yongguk smiled.

"Thank you."

"What's wrong?" he asked, scanning her features. Something was still bothering her.

"It's nothing." she shook her head.

"Hyeri.." he groaned. It feels like they had been in this situation way too many times until now.

"It's Zico." she admitted and Yongguk felt uneasy. He saw them talking this morning, but he had no idea what they were talking about. The only thing he knew was that Hyeri looked uncomfortable talking to him.

"What did he tell you?"

"He wants me to do an OST with him. I told him I'm not interested but he said he will contact the agency. It's a big drama so there is no way the CEO will refuse.."

"That bastard.." Yongguk muttered.

"Yongguk, promise me something." Hyeri asked.

"What?"

"That you won't meet him or talk to him."

"I can't promise you that."

"Yongguk.." she growled. "I will take care of it myself. I told you about it because I didn't want to hide it from you, not because I wanted you to do something about it."

"Fine." he sighed, giving up. There is no use arguing with her about it because she seemed determined.

"Great." she smiled.

"As long as you're happy.." he mumbled.

"I'm always happy because I have you." she wrapped her hands around his waist while closing the distance between them. "You really have no idea how much you mean to me."

"Tell me." he asked.

"I can show you this better.." she said suggestively and his heart started beating faster. Her face were getting closer to his and her lips brushed his, sending shivers down his spine.

"Didn't you say we are back to square one?" he blurted out and cursed himself the moment those words left his mouth. How can he be this stupid and remind her this? She might back down now and he won't get anything from her. He is not a ert, at least not with her, but he does have needs and he need some affection.

"We can go back to square one later.. I want to be with you now." she said and attached their lips together. Yongguk was relieved and happy. 

"Someone might.. Come in.." he mumbled between kisses.

"I locked the door." she smirked and pushed her tongue into his mouth.

"I have a very smart girlfriend." he complimented and kissed her more passionately.

"At least you know that." she said and he chuckled.

"I love you."

"Shut it."

"Yes, captain.."

"BANG YONGGUK!"

~

"Yujin." Jongup approached the younger female, who was doing stretchings at the moment.

"Hey oppa." she greeted shyly and he found it cute.

"Let's warm up together." he offered and started stretching his body as well.

"Are you running?"

"Yes."

"That's great." she smiled and changed her position in order to do a different exercise. Jongup did the same.

"Yujin.."

"What?"

"Are you free tonight?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then.. Do you want to have dinner together?"

"I would love that." she smiled and Jongup found himself smiling as well.

"Then we will talk after getting back to the company." he smiled sheepishly.

"Alright." Yujin smiled.

~

The 4x100 race started and it was the women's race first. Eun Hee, Sey, Yujin and Sumi were competing and I cheered for them loudly. They did really well and finished third. They were close to GFriend most of the time but they won in the end.

After the race they joined me, Himchan and Zelo, who wasn't participating, and we cheered for the boys. They won the bronze medal, even after slipping and falling down a couple of times in the middle of the race. The ground was slippery and it was dangerous, so I'm glad no one was hurt.

"Good job!" I high-fived the boys when they came back.

"How did I do?" Yongguk asked me, a smile on his face.

"I'm proud of you." I smiled.

Yongguk was silent for a few moments. He just stared at me and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You." I frowned. I didn't do anything amusing.

"Mind explaining?"

"Didn't you have this stupid rule of not talking to me in public?"

"I still have that. Go stand over there." I said and pointed at the empty spot near Jongup, who was standing a bit far from us.

"It's a public space. You can't tell me where to stand. I can be here," he pointed at the spot he was standing at, "Or here," he moved a little closer to me, "Or here." now he was really standing close to me. There was almost no distance between us.

"That's not funny." I managed to say.

"I really want to kiss you." he stated, making me blush furiously.

"That's.. Really.. Not.. Funny.." I stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence with him being this close to me. He is such a tease.

"It's very funny." he smiled and took a couple of steps back.

"What was that for?" I asked, pouting.

"Payback for earlier." Yongguk smirked.

"Huh?"

"You left me hanging earlier in your dressing room." he said innocently and got closer to me again. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt?" he whispered in my ear.

"What.. Hurt?" I stuttered again, feeling my face flush from embarrassment.

"The consequences of you being really y and stopping in the middle of making out with me." he answered in a dangerously low voice. My face became redder, if that was even possible.

"All the idols, please gather in the center of the court for the medals ceremony and the closing ceremony." there was an announcement in the loudspeakers and I was relieved because I don't have to answer Yongguk now.

"Saved by the bell." he teased. "Let's go." he started walking to where our group was supposed to stand and I followed him.

"By the way, you deserved it. I stopped because you used that nickname." I said.

"I love that nickname."

"I don't. It's a turn-off."

"You didn't hate it the first time I used it.."

"Because I was distracted by other things at that time. I did tell you I hate it afterwards.."

"Meanie." he pouted. "I'm still saving your number as 'Captain' in my phone, though. It's the least you can do after banning me from using that nickname with you in person."

"Fine."

"Hyeri!" Yujin approached us, wrapping her arm around mine.

"Hey." I smiled. "Good job earlier, I think I didn't tell you this."

"Thanks." she smiled shyly.

"I'm going to talk to Zelo." Yongguk said and left me with Yujin.

"Did I interrupt your conversation?" she asked, feeling guilty. "I didn't mean to."

"No. You did well." I smiled warmly. "I can always talk to him afterwards.."

"That's good."

~

After the medals ceremony they chose the all-around group, which was the group that got the most medals during the day, and there was some kind of closing ceremony. After that we were all free to go, not before we greeted our fans and told them to go back safely. This day was way too long for my taste.

"Hyeri." Jinu called me before I entered the van.

"What?"

"The CEO wants to talk to you when we'll get back to the company."

"It's because I messed up, right?" I asked.

"I don't know." he admitted apologetically.

"Okay. Thanks."

~

"Ready to go?" Jongup asked Yujin.

"Yes." she smiled sheepishly.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Cheeseburger!"

"Aren't you on a diet?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, but I can't take it anymore. I need to eat one big meal so I can finish my diet afterwards."

"That doesn't make sense." Jongup commented.

"It does to me." she said confidently. "Let's go."

~

"Did you want to talk to me?" I asked while standing in the entrance to the CEO's room.

"Yes, come in." the CEO said and gestured me to sit down.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"How did it go today?"

"Okay. The girls did well."

"And how did you do?"

"Okay. I got a bronze medal." I said, hoping it will satisfy him since I didn't get back empty handed.

"I heard you messed up your choreography." he stated.

"This thing.. Happened." I said quietly.

"Why are you so useless?" he slammed his hands on the desk and I flinched. He is not going to hit me, right?

"You only had one thing to do. How can you mess this up?" he continued scolding me.

"I'm sorry."

"Your sorry is useless. Your apologies won't bring me money and won't make you famous."

"I'm sorry."

"Get lost. I'm going to reconsider your next activities."

"Yes, sir."

~

"Babe.." Yongguk called when he saw Hyeri walking down the hallway absentmindedly. She looked at him, a blank expression on her face.

"Were you looking for me? It looks like you were going to the studio.." he asked.

"What? Ah.. Yes.." she mumbled, still distracted by whatever bothered her.

"What's wrong? Is it Zico again?" he asked worriedly.

"Let's go to your studio.. I want to recharge." she asked and he followed her. In the studio she hugged him, burying her face in his shirt and inhaling his scent.

"What's wrong?" he caressed her hair.

"The CEO scolded me for messing up." Hyeri admitted.

"I'm sorry."

"Why isn't he scolding Sumi? She slipped when she was supposed to run and she was disqualified from her race. At least I finished my performance and it's not like I finished without anything.."

"I don't know." Yongguk couldn't do anything beside hugging her tighter.

"It's not fair." she mumbled and he could feel his shirt getting wet from Hyeri's tears.

"I know and I'm sorry. I don't know why he is like that but I do know that you are stronger than that and I know that you will be okay." he caressed her cheek.

"I won't. He is being too much." she pouted.

"Believe in yourself a little more, okay?"

"He said he will reconsider my next activities. What if he'll decide I won't do anything anymore?"

"He won't. He needs you. And he can't cancel things that are already scheduled because he will lose money if he does that."

"I hate him."

"I know. We don't like him either, but we are stuck with him until our contracts expire so we just have to endure it."

"I can't."

~

"So tasty!" Yujin exclaimed happily while taking a bite from her burger.

"It's good that you are enjoying your food." Jongup smiled.

"You should try it!" she said and pushed some fries into his mouth. 

"I have my own fries, you know.." he said after eating what she gave him.

"It's not the same!" she claimed and Jongup chuckled. It's nice seeing this side of her, when she is genuinely happy and excited.

"Okay. You can have my fries as well." he said and pushed his fries towards her.

"I can't eat your food." she pouted.

"It's fine. I have my burger."

"You can't regret afterwards!"

"I won't."

"Then it's mine." she brought the fries closer to her, keeping it safe between her hands. Jongup chuckled. She is really cute.

"Are you happy?" Jongup asked as he watched her eat.

"Yes." she grinned. "What about you?"

"I am happy."

"Good."

They ate peacefully while talking about random things until Yujin's phone beeped, signaling she got a message. She read the text and frowned.

"What is it?" Jongup asked curiosuly.

"I need to go back to the company.. Jinu wants to talk to my group."

"Why?" Jongup asked curiosuly. "I thought you finished your schedules for the day.."

"We did. I don't know what he wants to talk about."

"Then we should go."

"But my food.." Yujin pouted.

"Let's take it with us. And I'll take you out for food in another day, when you won't be busy." he offered.

"You will?" she beamed. She must really love food..

"Yes."

"You are the best, oppa!" she hugged him and he was taken aback. He hugged her, feeling his heart beating faster.

"Let's go." she said and released him. He only followed her quietly, a wide smile decorating his face.

~

"I need to go." I told Yongguk after reading the message from Jinu.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Jinu want to talk to us."

"Where are you meeting?"

"In his office."

"I'll walk you there." he offered, smiling, and we left his studio.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked while we walked down the hallway, our fingers laced together.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Everything for you." he smiled.

"We are here." I said when we reached Jinu's office.

"Call me when you're done, okay? I'll probably still be here, so I can walk you home."

"Alright."

"Bye, babe." he pecked my lips and left.

I entered Jinu's office and almost all the girls were there. Yujin was the last to join and she came a few minutes after me.

"Why are we here?" Sey asked.

"Remember when Sey and Hyeri filmed 'Hello Counselor'?" Jinu asked.

"How is that related to us?" Sumi asked impatiently.

"Well, one of the stories was about a girl that wanted to be an idol so Hyeri offered her to spend a day with you in order to see how it really is." Jinu explained.

"So Soo Ah is coming?" I asked happily.

"Wow, you actually remember her name." Sumi said.

"I remember her name as well. It wasn't that hard." Sey said.

"Soo Ah is coming. I'm going to pick her up soon and she is going to sleep at your dorm and spend tomorrow with you." Jinu said.

"Seriosuly?" Sumi asked, annoyed. "Hyeri, why do you have to cause trouble all the time? We don't need strangers following us around all the time."

"It can actually help you so Hyeri did well." Jinu said and I smirked. Serves Sumi right. "Since she is going to spend time with you, be nice to her and answer her questions since she might ask a lot of questions about being an idol. The most important thing is that you won't reveal anything that should be kept a secret, like Hyeri and Yongguk's relationship. Am I clear?"

"Yes, oppa." we said together.

"Good. Go clean your dorm and hide things that shouldn't be there." he said while looking at me.

"Okay." we said and stood up.

On the way to the dorm I texted Yongguk, letting him know that we should be careful.

~

There was a knock on the door and we all tensed. Jinu is here with the girl so it means we need to behave from now on.

Sey opened the door and greeted the guests happily.

"Meet Soo Ah." Jinu introduced the young girl. She cut her hair since we saw her and it was dyed black. She wasn't much taller than me and she was dressed casually, with jeans and a tshirt. She wasn't wearing any makeup but she was still pretty.

"Nice to meet you." Soo Ah said and placed her bag on the floor.

"Welcome." I smiled. "I'm Hyeri, if you don't remember.."

"I do." she smiled shyly. "You are still pretty.."

"Thanks."

"I'm Sey."

"I remember you as well." Soo Ah said.

The other girls introduced themselves afterwards.

"Well, since we are all here, I need to talk to you about your schedules tomorrow." Jinu said. "Let's sit down."

"You are startling the girl. What if she wants to eat or drink something before that?" Sey scolded Jinu.

"Why are you scolding me?" he asked and she flinched.

"S.. Sorry.." she stuttered.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink? Or place your things?" Jinu asked Soo Ah.

"It's okay." Soo Ah answered.

"Well, let's talk about your schedules." Jinu said.

~

"We have an empty bed above Sumi, so you can sleep there." Sey told Soo Ah and pointed at the empty bed that now had sheets and bedclothes on it.

"Alright." Soo Ah said shyly.

"And you can change in the bathroom, that is over there." Yujin said and pointed at the bathroom's door.

"Thank you."

"You should go to sleep, we are getting up early tomorrow." I said warmly.

"By the way, Hyeri talks in her sleep, so don't be scared if you'll hear her in the middle of the night." Sumi said, not missing a chance to say something bad about me.

"Okay.."

"Good night." I greeted.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked curiosuly.

"In a bit. I have some things to do before going to bed."

"Girls.." Soo Ah called before we left the room.

"What?" we asked together.

"KBS asked me to film my experience because they want to include part of it in the show and I think they want to upload the rest to Youtube or something.." she said shyly.

"Then do it. Just please cut the embarrassing parts from the video.." I asked.

"No problem." Soo Ah chuckled. "I'll start filming tomorrow."

"Sounds great. Good night and sweet dreams."

Author's Note:

Sorry for not updating sooner, but I had a few things to deal with in real life so I couldn't really write.. But I did make this chapter longer to make it up to you for the wait.

And my school year ended so now I'm on vacation, which means I have more time to write. I should be able to update more often from now on.

ISAC is finally done. I think there are going to be a few more chapters that are progressing more slowly and after that things should move faster, so please bear with me. There will be a few surprises in the near future :)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Thanks for reading, commenting, subscribing, etc.! It means a lot to me and keeps motivating me.

M.