"Sungjong, please. Go away now," I said, shoving Sungjong off of my back as he tried to hug me. I'd already stormed away from Myungsoo who was out of sight but Sungjong, seeing me upset, had followed me down the street. It was alright at first- until he asked me why I was upset. People had started staring which only made my temper rise more.

"But.... I was just comforting you. I thought you were upset and that's what friends do-"

"But are you really my friend? If not, you don't have to carry on pretending. It was a nice thought and all but I know already so you can stop now."

"What? Know what?!" Sungjong said, getting angry and grabbing onto my shoulders so I'd look at him, but I simply bit my lip and turned away. If I said any more then I might start crying. "Did Myungsoo say something about me? What did he tell you?!"

"Please let go. He may be joking about what he said but..... I still can't talk to you right now. I'm not mad, I just.... can't see you at this moment. Otherwise, I.... might start to hate you...." I mumbled the last part so quietly that I was sure he didn't hear. Without revealing any more, I turned with my head down, and walked away. I could still hear Sungjong's footsteps behind me.

"What did you say about me, hyung?!" Sungjong's voice sounded from afar. I guessed Myungsoo was still there.

"Nothing. Only about your cross-dressing hobby. Guess she thought it was too for her to handle," Myungsoo chuckled. I felt like turning around and punching him straight in the jaw, but I stopped myself since we were in public. Why the hell is he being like this again?! I thought he would have grown up a bit since that time...

"Hyu~ung!!! Why did you tell her tha~at!!!! Now she's going to hate me...." Sungjong whined. I huffed and stomped my feet continuously to drown out their talking but Myungsoo had raised his voice purposefully so I could hear. I gritted my teeth.

"Well maybe you should stop being so girly, then! Don't you know that you've hurt Haneul's pride as a woman multiple times because you're prettier than her?!" Myungsoo laughed again, making sure that I could hear every word. He was going to tip me over the edge!

Suddenly a dark car zoomed up to the sidewalk. It stopped with the engine still running. The door opened. Without thinking twice, I stepped in, glad to be getting away from those two. Sitting back on the leather seat as the car sped away, I sighed in contentment, imagining their shocked faces. Then again they may be really worried about me since it probably looked like a sudden kidnapping.

I shrugged off the thought as my dad drove us away. He peered at me with a knowing smile.

"I guess you don't like the orphanage?" he asked. I shook my head.

"It's Myungsoo. He was annoying me so I decided to go off. I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly," I said quietly. My dad nodded and looked back to the road.

"I shouldn't have brought you there. I know you two are a bit touchy."

"No no... I should have listened to you when you disapproved of him. I was the worst angsty teenage daughter..."

My dad didn't say anything, hearing how hurt my voice was. I was on the verge of tears. He turned the radio on and Girls' Generation's The Boys came on. My dad started humming along and then started singing.

"Girls' Generation make you feel the heat! Jeon segyega neoreul jumokhae!" he sang as I stared at him in shock. I suddenly burst out into laughter and he turned to me with a gleaming smile. "B-bring the boys out!" he sang completely out of tune.

"Ahhh! Dad, stop singing! You're making my stomache hurt!" I laughed, clutching onto my tummy. He chuckled and continued all until the rap where he let out a load of gibberish. "Oh my god, you're killing me!"

"Haha....Haneul! My rap is awesome, don't hate because you're jealous!" he laughed. "Isn't it what the kids these days like?"

"But you're not Girls' Generation though," I said, squeezing my eyes shut as my sides spilt from his funniness. He chuckled and looked away with smugness. I knew he was trying to cheer me up, but as soon as he stopped, that empty space in side me grew again and my smile died down. What if Myungsoo was telling the truth... One thing he doesn't do is lie, for all the years I've known him, he has never lied once and promised me he never will.

Then what if those mean things he said were true?

What if you got your hopes up and found out later that no one actually likes you like you thought?
You know Sungjong was just being nice, right?
I mean who would actually like you? Seriously think about it.

His words replayed again and again like a broken record in my head for the whole journey. All the possibilities I came up with toyed around with my feeling like they were dust, unimportant and disposable.... Things like Sungjong isn't even my friend? Sungyeol pities me? Soyeon is keeping her enemies close? And Woohyun...... was playing around with me all along?

My heart and lungs tightened until I almost couldn't feel anything. I couldn't breathe, couldn't cry, couldn't even see the road in front of us. And when it seemed we had stopped back at home, I felt nothing as I stared at the empty shell of bricks that gave me no comfort. Myungsoo said I was ungrateful for all the love and attention that I get. But why is it that I get so much?

It's because people feel sorry for me. What other reason is there when I'm the most boring and uninteresting person in the whole world?! If it wasn't for them showing me their love... they would probably have turned away from me. They would have left me on my own; like Woohyun has finally done.

Myungsoo was right. He doesn't lie. He never lies. He asked me to seriously think who would actually like me.... and now I know that no one actually would.

"....neul? Haaaneul?" my father's voice drifted to me. I turned to him stiffly with an unreadable face; I didn't want him to worry. "Haneul-ah. I still have work to do. You'll be alright here by yourself, won't you?"

Without taking off my mask, I nodded once and stepped out of the car, not looking back and heading staight into the  cold, empty house. The sound of the car driving away was distant and lonely.

I stood in the hallway, motionless and frozen. My mind was not with my body; Myungsoo's words hurt too much to be ignored. Wait a minute... wasn't he bullying me?! That's so mean!

I sighed and slumped down with my back to the door and buried my sobbing face into my knees as I hugged them close to my chest.

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Woohyun's POV

I continued to watch the three of them making a scene on the street; it seemed like even Sungjong had gotten on Haneul's nerves. What exactly is making her so upset?! Whoever did it, I'll punch them so hard they'll be begging me to forgive them.

Out of nowhere, a black car pulled up by the side of the road, and Haneul without even looking got in and drove away. Instinctively, I stood up, causing my chair to fall back and all the people in the cafe to stare at me. But I didn't care at all as I raced out, down the stairs, and to the place where Haneul had been just seconds ago. Was that a kidnapping?! Is she in danger?!

I looked around desperately, my heart pounding like crazy, and spotted the other two standing stock still and staring dumbfounded. "Yah! What just happened?!" I yelled to them. They snapped out and looked at me in horror.

"Hyung?! Ummm... Haneul just...." Sungjong began. But I didn't care what Sungjong had to say; it was him that had caused this. I stormed up to him furiously and grabbed him by the collor, and yanked him up to my face.

"She was taken by a stranger?! What did you say to her to make her go off like that?!" I yelled into his face as he gritted his teeth and grinned at me with his signature icey smirk. "Answer me or I swear I'll-"

"I just told her how stupid she is... Haneul was being a bit dumb and I pointed it out, she was the one who over-reacted," he chuckled, narrowing his eyes as I held him up.

"You bastard!" I shouted, punching him on the jaw with my other hand. It was a bit of a relief for me to watch him stumble back and touch his quickly reddening face. "How could you say something like that?! Don't you know Haneul believes it? She trusts you...it's something I can't understand. How could you.... when she seems so tough but actually hides so many insecurities....?"

Myungsoo was still bent over and touching his face, but he peered up at me still smirking maliciously like a mad man, and chuckled darkly. "You think I don't know about her insecurities?! I know better than anyone else, maybe even Haneul herself. And I certainly know better than you do," he laughed as I clenched my fists, ready to punch him again if I needed to. "That's why I said those things to her! She needs to wake up and stop hiding!"

"I don't have time for this," I muttered under my breathe, turning away from the laughing Myungsoo, and hailed a taxi. I took the first one that pulled up and ordered the driver, "Go straight. As fast as you can! This is an emergency!"

"Yes, yes! Let's go!" the driver cheered as he slammed his foot on the accelerator and shot down the highstreet like a bullet, "This is the second emergency I've had this week. Last one was a young girl about your age, all in a fuss!"

"There! There! I'm going to ask you to do something tricky and dangerous now," I said, ignoring his comment and pointing to the black car I'd seen earlier that we'd caught up to. "Follow that car."

"Yes, sir!" the driver laughed, sneeking up behind it. Gradually I came to be less shifty about the mysterious car as it kept to main roads at a law abiding speed.

Finally, after fifteen minutes, it was nearing my area. I guess Haneul's not....being kidnapped.....afterall. I sighed as I watched the car pull up at our street and Haneul get out after a moment. So I followed her like a creepy stalker for nothing?!

The taxi driver looked around at me and I pouted at him as he gave me a knowing look. He nodded and patted me on the back.

"I know, I know. Sometimes we all over react," he said, shaking his head and patting me continuously.

"What?"

"Afterall, you don't know if the other guy she sees is the one in that car, do you?" he said, ignoring how oblivious I was. "But maybe next time, don't assume she's cheating on you and just ask her. I'm sure she'll understand why you're nervous. If you're that desperate and scared, just talk to her and tell her how you feel."

"Umm... I wasn't," I began, but the man held out his hand for payment quickly. I put some money into it and stepped out of the car.

"Good luck, young man! Funny thing, that girl looks a lot like the one who had an emergency the other day," he said, shaking his head and driving off. I turned to the house that stood next to mine and walked to the front door. Just as I was about to knock, I stopped.

My heart seized up as I heard the worst sound in the world. It's something I dreaded to hear and promised I would always stop forever, I would make sure I'd never hear it again, and yet here I was. It tore me apart as I listened to the quiet sobbing of Haneul from the other side of the door. It was muffled and very quiet, but I could have pinpointed it loud and clear in the middle of an air raid.

My Haneul was crying. "Haneuuuul-aaaaaaah......" I whispered, my ear on the door and my palms on either side of my face. I heard a few sniffs, and then the crying stopped. I silently punched the air glad that she heard me. For a long time, I stood leaning on the door, listening to her fast breathing. "Haneul-aaaaaaaah."

There wasn't a reply but I knew she was listening. "Do you want to talk to me? Won't you let me in?" I whispered through the door. There was still no reply. "I'm here for you if you need me." After an immeasurable length of time, the door clacked open. Cautiously I walked in, closing the door behind me and slumping to the floor beside her. Haneul was quietly sobbing to herself with her face buried in her knees beside me. "Neul-ii.... what's wrong?" I hummed. She sniffed a bit before propping her chin on her knees and revealing her raw red eyes and puffy cheeks. Hot pink lines traced from her eyes all the way down her face. Her hair was a mess and she looked really worn out.

"Woohyun," she croaked. "What are you doing here?" Suspiciously, her eyes turned to me and narrowed. It wasn't a pretty sight and I wanted to ignore her gaze that scared me.

"I live next door don't I-"

"Aish! Please go. I don't need you here-" she growled angrily, throwing her head down again. My arm trembled as I raised it and clutched onto her arm on her other side, pulling her towards me. Surprisingly, she moved without resistance and gently layed her head on my shoulder. Her crying was silent now, not for attention, but just because she couldn't stop. Without thinking, I gently pressed my lips onto her hair and stayed there until she was ready to talk.

"Haneul-ah. Look," I said. She pulled her head up and stared at my hands in shock as I drew a heart in the air with my fingers. Then I shaped a heart with both my hands, let it explode like a firework, and finished the show with it flying towards her like a song bird. "A present for you!" I laughed. She smiled and giggled as I put up some jazz hands. Finally she was cheery again.

"Woohyun?" she slowly whispered, her giggling stopped.

"Hmm?"

She hesitated slighty before saying, "Why are you here?"

"For you," I hummed, praying that was the right answer this time. Her lips curve into a smile.

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Does that mean you're not joking? And you'll stay with me?" she slowly lifted her head and stared at me with her warm chocolate eyes. It's been a while since I'd seen them so warm. I nodded and smiled aswell. "You'll really stay with me?"

"For as long as you'll have me, I'll be here with you," I replied, not really thinking about what I was promising her. Her smile grew larger until I really couldn't remember what she had asked me. All I could think about was that she had thankfully stopped being sad and was smiling around me again. Haneul threw her arms around my shoulders and clutched onto me like a baby panda as I instinctively wrapped mine around her. "Feeling better?" I asked, rubbing circles on her back. She nodded with a "Mmmhmm."

"Alright then," I said, deliately pulling her off of me and making to stand up. "Don't cry again, yes?"

"What?! Wait- where are you going?!" she pleaded desperately, grabbing hold of my wrist in a frenzy just as I was about to stand. She looked at me with wide panicked eyes. "You said you'd stay with me."

"What, now?"

"You said you'd be here. And you promised you'd stay with me when I needed you."

"Do you need me now?" I asked in surprise. She nodded with a trembling pout.

"I always need you. All the time."

"Then do I have to stay with you all the time?" I raised my eyebrows, not believing what she was asking for. Not beliving I had promised to give it to her. She nodded violently. "Do I have to stay here with you now?" She nodded again, her fringe swishing around. "Do I have to stay here in your house forever?"

"If you can," she laughed. I didn't really buy her laugh, unsure whether she was joking or just trying to hide her insecurities again. "Just don't go. It's all I'm asking for."

"That's very vague-"

"Pleeeeease?" she sang, putting her hands together and tilting her head at me. I cracked in an instant.

"Alright. I'll stay here with you," I said, settling down again and taking her back into my arms. She curled up and closed her eyes as I her hair. "On the floor in the middle of your hallway. Couldn't you have chosen to have a break down on the sofa or something..." I sighed.

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A/N: Waaaaa! After I wrote this chapter, I found this gif that I thought was the perfect image of Myungsoo in this chapter. It's that damn smirk again ><
kinda scary

Why've I made him the evil guy?!?!?! :O It's alright guys, I already have a lovely ending that will be happy for almost everyone. Please be patient as I'm in the middle of stressful exam time. XD