The world seemed to stop for a million of years when Joon touched her neck. Hyuna could feel not only the skin on her neck but her arms and legs shivering from the proximity; she felt hot and jumpy – the only thought filling every corner of her mind was Joon and how badly she wanted to kiss him.

Kim Hyuna wanted him.

However all of that seemed to disappear and be replaced by embarrassment when Seung Ho opened the door of the room, screaming like a mad man.

Joon didn’t move for a bit and neither did Hyuna whose embarrassment was starting to show on her cheeks.

                “Ya, Lee Joon! “ Seung Ho screaming again, pulling the unmoving Joon away from her.

Disappointment washed over Hyuna now that Joon was no longer touching her.  She looked down gulping, putting her hair behind her shoulders next.

                “I’m going to wash up…” Hyuna whispered lightly heading out of the room. She scoffed a bit; how come in a house so freaking cliché there’s no bathroom in the room?

                “Of course…” Seung Ho said too in low tone. He was also embarrassed by catching them like that.

As soon as the girl was out of their sight Joon ran out of the room too but in the opposite direction – he went to the bathroom downstairs take care of some business.

Seung Ho took some time to process where his friend might have gone but then it hit him and he started to laugh like a maniac, rolling on the floor.

Still clutching at his tummy the leader of MBLAQ went downstairs trying not to imagine how long it would take for Joon to relieve himself. With the quantity that crazy old woman put inside it will take a while…

«»

Hyuna washed three times from head to toe, not missing a single spot. Her head was spinning with questions but the only thing she could feel was Joon’s hands on her arms.

She still had goosebumps only from thinking about it.

                Hyuna shook her head twice and the shower taking in the heated water – she was counting on it to ease up the goosebump-sensation when a dark thought crossed her mind and she gasped opening her eyes and shutting the water off.

Nana, her mind went off once. Twice, thrice… it kept going on and on. With a single awkward situation that Joon didn’t even desired she started to fantasised about a possible future for them both but she forget a very important piece in the puzzle – Nana.

Until five days before Hyuna was pissed because he had spent the night with Nana but somehow she forgot it. Oh, scratch that – Hyuna had forgiven him, that’s what it was. But seriously – why would she have to forgive him anything? Their marriage was fake and so was his loyalty; they were all façade to the family and the media.

Hyun and Joon were nothing more than that – a façade, placebo.

                Hyuna’s head rests against the wall while she felt something large, bulky blocking . She crouched down and the water letting the warm sensation take care of her body again as she emptied her mind and heart.

Still, a tear slipped out without her consent. At least I can’t see it, she think turning her head up so the water would hit her mostly on her face cleaning any trace of a tear there.  

                She grabbed a towel and wrapped around her warm body. She cleaned the bathroom mirror and found something inexplicably amazing – her image. Hyuna was expecting to find a broken person, someone whose hope had left so long before she would look dead in the eye. However Hyuna saw her image bright as if renewed and she cleaned the mirror a little bit more. She saw how alive she looked, how healthy and powerful – like a goddess, really.

Hyuna grabbed a little towel and dried her hair mesmerized by the person she saw there. Slowly – slower than a snail – a smile grew until it was undeniable its existence.

Quickly like a lion she ran to the room and dressed the night gown Joon’s grandmother had left on top of the bed. One look at the mirror and she decided it was not decent to take downstairs. She took the red laced robe also left by the grandmother and dressed on top of the night gown. Hyuna spun around in front of the mirror and saw that her but was covered fully and even though it seemed slightly provocative it hide everything that needed to be hidden.

With a smile on the lips Hyuna clapped happily and sighed as if gaining courage. Run, Kim Hyuna! If you run you’ll be able to catch and exceed Nana!

«»

                When Joon came back – sooner than Seung Ho predicted – a mug of hot chocolate was waiting for him on top of the table. Seung Ho was drinking his with an amused smile on his lips.

Joon pushed the mug away, a very sullen expression in his face.

                “Are you okay, Lee Joon?” Seung Ho tried to look as sincere as he could but before Joon could answer his leader was already laughing loud and hard.

                “Make fun of it, of course! It wasn’t you who went through that hell!” Joon folded his arms and looked away even more pissed.

A few seconds later Seung Ho calmed down and took another sip of his hot chocolate.

                “Buddy, sorry! But your grandmother is just so…” And he started again. Joon rolled his eyes and looked up whining softly. “Now seriously dude – how did you manage to hang on all that time?”

                “Even I’m surprised! The entire time I was thinking in a way to –!”

                “What were you thinking?” Hyuna entered the kitchen with a big smile on her face. She looked refreshed, Joon thought and stopped himself. You can’t, Lee Joon! Stop thinking about her or you’ll lose.

He shrank a bit covering discreetly. Of course Seung Ho understood what he wanted to do and spat the hot chocolate he had in his mouth.

                “Omo, Seung Ho ssi! Are you okay?” Hyuna patted him on the back for a bit. “You have to drink it slowly.” Seung Ho nodded still coughing a bit while Hyuna rubbed his back.

When he looked to his side Joon was stabbing him with daggers through his eyes. The leader gulped and pushed Hyuna in a polite manner away.

                “I’m perfect, Hyuna ssi! I’m fine.” Hyuna nodded and went to the sit on the other side of the table right across from Joon.

                Silence filled the room as they started at each other without saying anything. The three could sense the embarrassment all too well and it was extremely awkward.

                “So…” Joon starts and looks in Hyuna’s eyes for the first time.  She had a slight smile on her lips which made him paralyze for a second. He focused on a point above her head and talked very quickly. He could sense Seung Ho snorting with laughter on the side. “Do you want hot chocolate? You can have that…” he pointed to the one on top of the table – the same he rejected – and she took it bowing a little.

All the confidence she had been gathered seemed not lost but stuck – embarrassment was preventing her from being bold and sassy.

                “So dearies, what happened was this – grandmother put some in Joon’s hot chocolate. So every action this pretty boy took and everything he said was due to a need he did not control. So…”

                Silence again. It felt worse this time. Joon and Hyuna seemed to be looking for invisible things on the walls and ceiling while Seung Ho laughed inaudibly.

                “My children, I’m leaving since my mission is accomplished.” He kind of jumped out of the kitchen like a cartoon character and left them alone.

Hyuna sipped a bit more on her drink looking right at Joon, now that they were alone. Joon sensed it and looked up slowly. Once his eyes encountered hers a red wave of heat hit his cheeks and he touched it, finding the sensation weird.

                “Could it be the medicine still…?” He whispered more to him than anyone else but Hyuna caught it.

                “What’s up with the medicine?” she asked innocently as if she didn’t understand what he meant. Joon hemmed and sit straight looking to the sink behind her.

                “Nothing…” She nodded smiling – Hyuna loved the way he was all shy.

She got up and circled the table to get the mug Seung Ho had drink from. When he caught sight of her beside him his heart skipped three beat in a row and Joon felt like there’s no air around him – her legs were bare.

Don’t think about it, he chanted to himself over and over again.

Hyuna places the mugs in the sink taking the chance to smile widely – she could see he was affected and she absolutely loved it.

                “Let’s go upstairs?”

«»

                Hyuna almost ran to the bedroom when they headed out of the kitchen. Joon almost thanked her – he needed some time to think whether to sleep in the bed or on the floor and the decision wasn’t coming easy.

Suddenly he was already by the door of his old room, Hyuna already lying down and covered up to the head. Joon looked at the free space and nodded – that will do.

He entered and closed the door softly. As he walked to the bed he saw no trace of the robe she was wearing just now and sighed – relief or grief? – sitting on the bed.

They weren’t facing each other. They were back with back, both sighing now and then, neither falling asleep.

Joon moved