"Unnie, thank you for taking care of us. We really appreciated it." Sun Mi hugged Ji Hyo.

They just finished their shoot, and the guests are now bidding goodbye to her.

"Unnie, you know I always come back here because of you too." Sunny said and gave Ji Hyo a hug on the side and leaned her head on her shoulder.

"Aigoo! You two! It's not only me who's taking care of you." She ruffled the hair of the two girls. Sunny lifted her head and pouted at Ji Hyo.

"We know, So Min unnie too. She took care of us."

"So Min unnie would always talk to me when we were at the restaurant and on the bus." Sun Mi recalled.

"That's good to hear. Anyways, don't you have any other schedules, girls?"

"Actually, isseoyo."

"Me too. I have to go now, unnie. Annyeonghigyeseyeo!" The two girls left right after their managers got their things.

Ji Hyo then realized that she had to find Se Chan. She has to thank him for something, but she couldn't find him. Just when she got out of the door, she met Se Chan.

"Noona!"

"Se Chan–a!? I was looking for you! Where have you been?"

"I was in the dressing room, dressing up." Se Chan sighed. "Why were you looking for me? My manager informed me that you were looking for me?"

"I told you already. I was looking for you to thank you."

"Thank me!? For what?" Se Chan is unsure of why she's thanking him. He couldn't recall any event that could allow her to thank him.

"For the ice pack and sunscreen." Ji Hyo scoffed.

"Ice pack? Sunscreen? Mwo!?"

"You sent them to me a while ago. After the opening, your stylist went inside and personally gave it to me."

"Oh!? But I didn't order my stylist to buy you something, unless…"

"Unless?"

"Unless somebody else ordered her to do so—"

"Se Chan–a, gaja!?"

"So Min–a!"
"So Min–a!" Both of them called her in unison.

"Oh? Waeyo? Why are you calling me? I didn't do something wrong, didn't I? You're making me nervous." So Min said as she approached them, while placing her hand on her left chest. So Min was passing by Ji Hyo, when the latter held her arm.

"Se Chan–a, can you leave us alone? To talk... for a while." Ji Hyo asked Se Chan while holding onto So Min firmly.

"Aniyo, Se Chan–a I need to go home." So Min tried to wriggle her wrist for Ji Hyo to let her go, but her grip was too tight. She isn't letting her go this time.

"So Min–a… I know you're still avoiding me, but please let me talk to you for a while." Ji Hyo was looking up to So Min, since the younger girl is a few centimeters taller than her. So Min got distracted by her stare and got lost in her eyes for how many seconds until she found out that Se Chan had already escaped.

"Yah! Yang Se Chan, where are you!?" She yelled.

"Jebal." Ji Hyo pulled her softly, catching her gaze again.

 

"So Min–a, I'm sorry if I dragged you here, now. I really am. But, I just want to clear things out with you." Ji Hyo sincerely said. They are now in a restaurant, and reserved the most private table.

"Unnie, everything is clear to me now." She couldn't look at her as much as she wanted to.

Her coming with Ji Hyo proved how vulnerable she is when it comes to her, and she hates herself for that. She has to strengthen her shield.

"Again, I'm sorry. But I just brought you here because I just want to ask if you were the one who sent me that kit a while ago?" Ji Hyo wasn't looking anywhere but So Min, and it made her feel uncomfortable in her seat.

"What makes you think that way?"

"I mean who else could it possibly be?"

"It was Se Chan's stylist who gave that, right unnie? If Se Chan denied, then it could be Kwang Soo oppa or Jong Kook oppa who asked his stylist? They're close." She tried so hard to avoid eye contact, but Ji Hyo just smirked. She's one step closer to finding out the truth.

"Or you? Did you ask Se Chan's stylist?"

"Me? No! I didn't send you the ice pack and the sunscreen." She unconsciously revealed herself, and got caught in her own words.

"Jinjja? You didn't?"

"Yes, I swear!"

"Wow! You even swore. Let me ask you again, what were the contents of the kit? Because I don't remember mentioning you about the ice pack and sunscreen." Ji Hyo was smirking at So Min, which made her laugh nervously.

"Ha! I heard you talking with Se Chan a while ago."

"But Se Chan's stylist already told him the truth, which he sent me just now." She opened the forwarded text message from Se Chan's manager, which Se Chan himself sent her.

"Ji Hyo–ssi, mianhaeyo. It wasn't Se Chan oppa who sent you the ice pack and sunscreen. It was—"

"Arasseo!" So Min gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. "Ne. I was the one who sent it to you."

So Min couldn't open her eyes as she was too shy and embarrassed of her confession on what she did a while ago for her. She lowered her head to avoid looking at Ji Hyo. She was biting her lips too out of anxiety and embarrassment.

"Why can't you look at me? You sent it to me, so I'm thankful." Ji Hyo tried to reach out to her hand that was rolled into a fist on the table. When Ji Hyo couldn't reach her hand, she stood up and carried her seat beside her, and there she held her hand.

So Min flinched at the sudden contact, but she didn't pull away.

"I know you're avoiding me to move on, but I just want to thank you for doing that even though you don't have to. You should be mad at me for not accepting your feelings, but you're too good to do that." Ji Hyo caressed her hand.

So Min got lost by her touch, which she misses so much. While filming a while ago, as much as she wanted to not let her go, she had to. She knew that if she didn't let her go, she would be torturing herself even more. She needs to hold back, and that's what she has to do now.

So Min placed her empty hand on top of Ji Hyo's hand that's holding onto her. She smiled at Ji Hyo, which the latter did the same, but So Min softly grabbed her hand and put it beside her hand.

"You know I couldn't do that to you. I may be avoiding you, yes, but I could never stand seeing you in pain. Unnie, you took care of me, even when I was sick, so I'm returning the favor." She smiled sadly. Ji Hyo scoffed.

"So you mean that you would only talk to me, and be nice to me if I'm doing kind things for you?" Ji Hyo smiled bitterly.

"Aniyo, I'm sorry if you understood it that way. On the other hand, I believe that kindness must always be given, regardless who the recipient is. It's just that, in this case, I thought that I also deserve some kindness for myself. Geokchonghajimaseyo, unnie. I do believe that it's not just you being kind towards me. I felt your sincere care and concern for me, unnie. And I, as well, care for you too, a lot more." She sighed and stood up. The situation was reversed, Ji Hyo couldn't look at So Min after what she said.

"My brother is already here, unnie. Thank you for treating me to lunch." She bowed to pay her respect and left.

"It wasn't also kindness. I care for you too… a lot, Jeon So Min."

 

"So Min–a are you ready? Your body shape is good now! Are you eating well?" Jong Kook complimented So Min who was doing her stretching.

"I have to or else you'll constantly nag at me."

The members will be showcasing all their performances today in this dance studio, as a form of practice. The artists whom they will be collaborating with will also be here today to practice some choreography and blockings.

"I heard you wrote your song for your collaboration?" Jong Kook asked her.

"Ne. Who told you oppa?" She was surprised that he knew about it because she doesn't talk a lot about it.

"Se Chan–i. You know that guy has always been proud of you, oh?" So Min smirked.

"Are you trying to set us up?"

"Am I being too obvious?"

"Ai oppa! Se Chan–i and I are best friends. We cannot be together."

"Why not? Se Chan is a great guy—" Se Chan heard them as soon as he entered the room.

"Hyung, are you selling me again?" He cutted him off