Chapter Four, 2011

Yoon Doojoon (22) | Lee Gikwang (21) | Lee Howon (20) | Kim Myungsoo (19) | [OC] Yoon Jya Min (16)

Lee Howon stared at the ground mutely, subdued while Dongwoo and Sungyeol stood a distance away, figuring out their next plan of action.

“You’re his favorite, hyung,” Sungyeol nudged him as Dongwoo shook his head.

“No, but this is different.  She can’t remember him.”

Howon sighed; the mutterings were getting to his brain as emotions continued to swell around inside him.

“I know you’re there, you can come over,” he called loudly, and he heard the shuffling of feet before he felt them taking a seat on either side of him.

“Are you okay?”  Sungyeol patted his arm, as he felt his vision begin to blur.

Dongwoo sighed to himself and rubbed the younger on the back quietly, feeling him stiffen before he broke out into quiet sobs.

2010

“Oppa!”

He smiled as he heard the voice and turned around, seeing her stand there.

“I couldn’t find you in the practice room, so I came to hunt for you.”  Jya Min stated, her face bright.

“Sight for sore eyes,” he commented, as he waited for her to walk towards him.

“How’s training, oppa?  Your debut date is getting nearer,” she asked, concerned.

He patted her head.  “Everything’s fine, too bad I can’t show you our dance before we debut,” he answered, noting the paper bag she was carrying.  “What are you carrying?”

She nodded, passing him a paper bag.  “I made food for you,” she explained shyly, unsure of what his reaction would be.

He chuckled, and grinned at her.  “I’m glad you learnt how to make food for me,” he teased.

She swatted at him with her free hand.  “You think too highly of yourself, oppa.”

He laughed.  “Do you need help carrying that?”

“Nope.”

“It’s fine, my arms aren’t tired from practice you know?”

Jya Min rolled her eyes, before spotting a figure in the distance seated at the tables.

“MYUNG SOO OPPA!”

Hoya chuckled at her antics, walking behind her to find the said male.

Myungsoo waved at them as she ran up to him.

“Oppa!  Are you hungry?  I made your favorite food for you!”

Howon frowned at that, did she make food for the both of them?

“Aww dongsaeng, thank you,” Myungsoo smiled sweetly at her before noting what Howon had in his hands as well.  “Hyung, she made food for you as well?”

“Yeah.”

The answer came curt and short, and the two younger ones stared at him, unsure.  He turned abruptly to her.  “I just realized I needed to go back to practice, I’ll see you around.  Thanks for the food,” he muttered, before walking off in the direction they had come from.

The next time he got to meet her again, it was a month later, and he was with Myungsoo when she found them backstage after their final music recording for that week.  He frowned as she came up to them happily; carrying their lunch in her hands.

“Oppa!  I’ve made your favorite food again,” she chortled happily, passing them their bento each.  Myungsoo had patted her on the head, before making himself scarce, seeing the look on Howon’s face.

He took the bento from her, muttered to his manage, indicated for her to follow along and walked away quickly, hearing her footsteps as she struggled to keep up.

 “Oppa?  What’s wrong?”

Her hand linked around his arm, and he removed it coldly, a heart-wrenching pain shooting through himself as he saw the hurt expression on her face, but she wiped it away quickly and fell into step besides him as they headed to a traffic junction.

“Op