“Joon?” Hyuna called.

They were both in the backyard looking at the sea without talking. After Joon’s sudden request Hyuna was speechless and Joon – being the gentleman he was not – retreated not to leave even more embarrassed. However he meant every word – he just knew she wasn’t ready to answer, so he decided to wait.

             Time had flown away between the moment Hyunseung had woken up in the late morning and the present situation. The night was very near but neither seemed to care about it.

After all that while Hyuna had finally spoken up and Joon was eager to hear what she had to tell him.

             “Why did you ask me that…to run away with you.” Joon puffed and gathered his arms around his legs that were brought up to his chest while he looked to the quiet sea.

             “Because I realized that…” He yearned heavily before looking at her. “I realized you are the only person I can be safe with.” Hyuna looked away taking in the information. She wasn’t pleased but she wasn’t displeased either – at least she held some important position and at that moment it was enough.

             “Are you danger?” She didn’t look at him when she asked but she could feel him nod at her side and she nodded too as a sign of agreement. “I’ll be your shield, then.”

             Hyuna didn’t look at Joon and because of it she didn’t notice how tenderly he was looking at her – how coveting of her he was.

             Instead of trying to explain any further Joon leaned on her shoulder, closing his eyes. Hyuna looked to him, surprised at first but ended up smiling a bit.

             “Aigoo!” She pushed his forehead away from her shoulder and he ended up falling on the grass. “Such a big baby, Lee Joon!” He didn’t say anything in return this time and let himself be there on the grass looking at the twilight sky.

«»

             The previous day – while Joon was tending to the sick Nana – his mind was elsewhere. Since Hyuna’s phone call he couldn’t concentrate at all – he suddenly was concerned because she would have (most probably) tried to cover up for him; lying to his father was something quite scary (sometimes dangerous) to do.

             What is she doing now, he asked unblocking his phone. One look at Nana and he could tell she was asleep. Tempted he looked for her number but once found came the indecision – should he or should he not call?

Snorting and sighing he paced around the room with his phone in hand, looking at Hyuna’s phone number continuously.

             Suddenly all types of concerns were filling Joon’s mind. Such as if she had eaten, if she was bored; (the most normal) even if she that guy would try to get inside the house again. He did see someone lurking around the house recently…

The guy who broke into their house, the ones lurking outside… All of it sounded so fishy and smelly. To Joon there was something more – much more – to the story than what Hyuna had told him. For some obscures, mysterious and unknown reasons she couldn’t tell him he was being kept in the dark. If so – if there was something really going on with her – he wouldn’t ask but he wouldn’t keep still either; Joon would protect her even from her own shadow if he had to.

             Right there and then Joon decided he would call and he pressed the green block on his screen when a knock came on the door. He looked at the sleeping Nana but she didn’t even stir.

He walked carefully to the door and saw Raina outside looking kind of apologetic.

             “Joon ssi, there’s someone here to see you…” He nodded already guessing who would’ve bothered to go there that late at night to look for him.

             “Thank you Hye Rin ssi.” He slightly bowed and exited the room, going to the study where Raina had indicated him.

             In the moment he opened Joon felt him – the tough, rough, scary and imperative figure his father was. Always looking nonchalant towards the world and yet with an old and sullen face.

             “Goodnight Lee Chang Sun.”

«»

             Hyunseung was lying in the couch, twirling around and around. He couldn’t stop moving and he just didn’t know why.

The sweet Yoseob entered the living room with a box of cookies in his arms, munching on it delighted. Only after turning on the TV and laughing a long while with a new episode of Fated to Love You did the sweet boy realized how restless his hyung was.

             “Hyung…” the frowning Hyunseung looked at the small boy with a dead look in his eyes, much to his surprise. “Ya! Are you okay?” Hyunseung mumbled something that the vocalist didn’t catch. “What?” He tried again but Yoseob couldn’t catch one single word of it. “Hyung – do I have to slap like Ji Hyun ssi does?”

             “YA!” Hyunseung shot up from the couch almost making Yoseob fall backwards. “Are you crazy? Why would I want you to do something that she does? Do I look crazy to you?” He started to storm out of the room but then paused scaring the hell out of the sweet younger boy. He took the box with him and slammed the door shut.

Dongwoon came from the bathroom with his hair still wet looking amused.

             “I told you – he is bewitched!”

             Meanwhile Hyunseung was wondering the streets with a box full of cookies. He would take one and eat it for a long while so when he arrived at the 4MINUTE’s doorstep the box was practically full.

He knocked and knocked and knocked but no one came to the door. He was about to turn and leave when the door cracked open and a petite Ji Hyun appeared from the inside. Ga Yoon (a very sleepy Ga Yoon) was behind her, looking like she could pass out from how sleepy she was.

             “Can I come in?” Ji Hyun looked at Ga Yoon – who seriously was dying to see her bed again – and then entered to the living room making room for him to come in. As soon as he was in the living room the first thing he noticed was that all the posters on the walls had been switched – they were all cute with their What Are You Doing Today’ outfits.  He smiled a bit – they had grown so much in the past years it was amazing. “Where is Ga Yoon?” He asked when noticed she wasn’t in the room.

             “We had a photo-shoot all night. We just got home.” He nodded and they went back to that awkward silent no one likes.