"And then we saw Onew hyung!  He tried to dance to Paradise with Taemin hyung and Hoya hyung, but he slipped!"  The six boys burst out with laughter as Sungjong filled Woohyun in on the events that occurred during his absence.  Dongwoo was complaining of the cheek pain he was getting, but continued to laugh; Sungyeol had fallen off his seat in fits of laughter; Sunggyu was lying on his back and laughing so hard it was silent; and Sungjong was crying from his constant giggles.  Hoya stood, holding his stomache and trying to contain his laughter.

 

"Did you say that Chaerin," giggled Hoya, "Was in her room?"

 

Woohyun only nodded. He wasn't feeling as hyper or as humorous as the others.  In fact, he felt quite the opposite.  He didn't want to show it, but he felt deeply about Chaerin's reactions to todays events.  He felt...  ashamed.  Not only of today.  But she didn't understand...  And the more he thought of that, the more angry, hurt and confused he became...  "Aish... It would be easier if I didn't have to see her every two seconds," Woohyun thought, sulking.

 

"Ahrasseo, I'm going to check if she's okay - just to make sure no-one was killed while we were away," Hoya giggled sarcastically.  The other's just nodded and continued to reminise and hysterically laugh.  Woohyun couldn't concentrate on what they were saying.  He didn't want to, either.  He just wanted to get out of that house.

 

"Dude, where are you going?"  Dongwoo flashed his famous gummy smile as Woohyun stood and walked to the door.

 

"I'm going to get a drink," he remarked, coldly.  He wasn't, however.  He tip-toed up the stairs, as silent as his feet would let him, towards the fourth floor of the house.  He heard noises coming from the library and saw that the door was slightly ajar.

 

Woohyun crept towards the door.

 

"I don't know what I do wrong, oppa...  I don't know why he hates me so much," Chaerin whispered.  Woohyun let his palms touch the wall as he pressed his ear against the wooden door, trying to hear as much as he could.

 

"Stupid girl..." he sighed to himself, frowning at the thought of why she had to tell Hoya this.  "Why would she need to tell anyone this?  Hasn't she got some stupid diary or something to write all her personal things in?  Aish..."

 

"He doesn't mean it, I promise, he's really a nice guy...  I don't know what it is about you that makes him act like this - I've never seen him like this before."

 

"Yeah, that's what Sungjong oppa said.  I thought there was more to him...  I...  I thought he was...  just...  I thought he was just pretending and that I could get to know him and everything would be alright...  But I guess I was wrong."

 

"Don't say that."  Woohyun looked through the crack in the door, he could see a mirror which reflected the two bodies cuddled on a brown, leather couch.  Her trembling figure, her head laying on his shoulder and his hand slowly caressing her hair.  Woohyun's stomach churned. "I think he likes you."

 

"Mwo?  Are you kidding, oppa?  Woohyun-ssi hates my guts!  He wouldn't spit on me if I was on fire!"

 

"I think you're wrong - there's definitely something making him act like this, but I think we can figure it out and change it.  Don't worry, dear yeo-dongsaeng-ah - Hoya oppa and Sungjong oppa will help."

 

"Sungjong oppa?  He...  He knows?"  Chaerin hiccuped through her sobs.

 

"Ne, he sees the way you stare at Woohyun - the way you look at him all dreamily~  Who couldn't guess that you like him?"

 

"Mwo!?  I...  I don't like him!"  Chaerin jumped from the couch and clasped her hands over , "He...  He's Woohyun-ssi!"

 

Giggling, Hoya stood also and put his arm over ChaeRin's shoulders "Ahrasseo, ahrasseo...  let's go downstairs, ne?  Everyone'll be wondering where we are."

 

Woohyun backed away from the door and slipped into the first door he could see - a bathroom.  He listened until he heard them pass and giggle, racing eachother downstairs.  Sighing, he pressed his back against the door and slid himself down until he was sitting on the cold, marble floor.

 

"Is that what they think?  All of them?  Why haven't any of them confronted me?  It doesn't matter, anyway, she doesn't like me.  But still...  Why me?"

 

-

 

"Umma!!"  Chaerin wept, thrashing her arms and clawing at the figure holding onto her small body. "Umma!!"  she screamed as loud as she could.  She didn't know where she was - it was dark and cold.  The ground underneath her felt wooden and damp.

 

The arms around her held onto her more tightly as a soft voice tickled her ear: "Shh, it's okay - they're away now.  I won't let them hurt you."

 

"Where...  Where am I?  Umma will be waiting."  A light flickered on behind her and illuminated the room, causing Chaerin to cover her eyes with her arm and squint away for a second before letting her eyes adjust to the newly founded light.

 

"You're in my tree house - look!"  The boy exclaimed proudly, "I built it myself when umma left.  Appa doesn't know, no-one does, only me...  and now you...  Please don't tell!"  The boy frustratedly grabbed Chaerin's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, "Appa will take it away, please don't tell him!  I love it here!  I'll let you come up, too - I don't mind sharing!"

 

"Wh...  Where are we?"  Chaerin felt cold.  She tucked her knees up underneath her chin and rubbed her arms.  "I won't tell, it's okay.  But I really have to go home.  Did you take me here?"

 

"Ne, I saw the boys hitting you.  I didn't want to leave you there, so I took you here.  I gave you a plaster!" The boy smiled and pointed to Chaerin's knee.  The graze was much bigger than the plaster and still bleeding, but warmth and gratitude filled Chaerin that moment.  A tear fell from her eye as she looked at her knee, covered in bruises and cuts and grazes...  and that small, simple plaster.

 

"Go...  Goma...  Gomapseumnida..."  she smiled and threw her arms around the boy.

 

"Mwo?  Don't cry!  I'm sorry!"  The boy let his arms clasp around her small, fragile frame also.  "Should I take you home?  It's dark outside."

 

"Ne jehbahl," moving away, Chaerin followed the boy to the door and let him help her down the steps and onto the soft, green grass.  She smiled as the boy took her hand and started running towards the park.

 

Chaerin slowly opened her eyes and smiled.  Stretching her arms above her head, she arose from bed and skipped towards the bathroom to clean up.  After washing she slipped on her black and pink Hello Kitty dress, her Pink Cookie hair band and pink and black socks to match.

 

"Chaerin-ah, breakfast's ready!" She heard Sungjong calling from downstairs.

 

"Ahrasseo!" She called back, skipping down the stairs and taking her seat at the kitchen table, "What're we having, Dongwoo oppa?"

 

"Cereal today, dongsaeng-ah, we're going to the park, if you want to come?"

 

"Ne!" Chaerin chirped as Dongwoo placed the bowl in front of her.

 

-

 

"Chaerin!  Come on the swing with me!"  Sungjong cheered and ran towards the swing.

 

"Wait, oppa!"  Chaerin giggled and ran towards Sungjong.  The both of them had became incredibally close lately.  He was like a best friend to her, and she loved it!  He was always so bouncy and hyper and fun to be around.

 

The both of them sat on a swing and giggled as they tried to see how high they could swing.

 

"I'm going to beat you, Kim Chaerin!"

 

"Nu-uh!  I'm going to beat you first!"  Laughing histerically, they flailed their legs backwards and forwards - trying to make the swings swing as high as they could.

 

"Yah!  Sungjong-ah!  Come help hyung!"  Sunggyu shouted from the round-about.

 

"Ne, hyung!  Mianhae, Chaerin-ah~  I'll be back soon."

 

"Aniyo, it's okay - go help oppa spin," Chaerin smiled and beckoned for the boy to leave.  Bowing, he giggled and ran towards the round-about, screaming and then spinning it as hard as he could - causing Sunggyu to scream too and making Dongwoo and Myungsoo explode in hysterics.

 

Chaerin giggled and looked down at the spongey ground beneathe her feet.  Her feet couldn't touch the ground - she wasn't very tall.  The swing wasn't going high anymore, either.  Chaerin had slowed it down and now she was just sitting, swinging small, slow swings and thinking about her dream last night.  She smiled.

 

"What's made you so happy?"

 

Chaerin opened her eyes and turned to look at the boy sitting on the swing next to her, going at the same pace as she was but staring straight ahead of him.  "M...  Mwo?  Oh, um...  no...  nothing...  I'm just thinking about something."

 

Chaerin looked away, staring at the ground again and biting her bottom lip, wondering if she should go join Hoya oppa on the climbing frame.  "Um...  Chaerin?"  Woohyun whispered, looking at the ground.

 

"Ne?"

 

"I...  I, um..."

 

"Hey, baby girl~!" Hoya giggled, throwing his arms around Chaerin from behind, causing her to giggle.

 

"Oppa!  What are you doing?  Woohyun-ssi's trying to talk to me~"

 

"Nevermind."  Woohyun muttered, stomping to the van.  The icy tone in his voice left Chaerin motionless, she could have sworne that whatever he was going to say was going to make everything alright...

 

"What's wrong with him?"  Chaerin whispered, turning towards Hoya who was starting to push the swing for Chaerin.

 

"Don't worry about it - he didn't sleep much last night.  I'm sure it's just sleep deprivation," Hoya smiled and took Chaerin's hand, "Let's go now - the others are starting to leave."  Smiling, ChaeRin nodded and they ran towards the van.  However, deep down, Chaerin couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong with Woohyun.  She wanted to talk to him, but his mood changes so quickly and she didn't want to get mixed up in one of his tempers again.  She wanted to apologise for screaming and crying in front of him, but maybe he had forgotten about it already?  It's not like he cared, anyway.

 

Chaerin sighed and watched out the window.

 

--

 

(A/N: Annyeong!  It's been so long - like a month, right?  D:  x

 

Mianhamnida~  ><  It's my exam period, so I'm trying to get back into a rutine of studying and working on this - I promise that the weekly updates will start again.

 

Thank you so much for the support so far!  It's really appreciated~  ^o^  Please don't be afraid to comment and tell me what you think - it's helpful, right?

 

Saranghae,

-Kang Hyekyo~<3 xx)