My body was as still as a statue, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I blinked twice to fight it. My nose twitched.

“Don’t—” Yoona said. “Rika, don’t—”

The bomb exploded.

“AH-CHOO!”

Yoona instantly fell back after my sneeze, and nail polish went about everywhere on my hand. The bottle of dazzling red polish tripped over beside me, painting the floor crimson.

I shrunk. “Sorry…”

Yoona, who had been toying me around like a Barbie, sat up.

“That’s okay,” she said. “But would you like something hot? It seems like you got a cold.”

“No, no, it’s probably just the breeze,” I told her, and Sunny who was walking over stopped to close the window for me. I smiled at her. “Thanks.”

“I’ll make you two some hot chocolate,” she volunteered, and left without my approval.

I rubbed my itchy nose. Yoona suddenly laughed. I looked up. “W-What?” I asked, and she then pointed at the red nail polish that had given me a moustache.

Grabbing a cotton and dipping it in some polish remover, I quickly wiped my hands and face. Then I coughed.

Yoona gave me a look.

“Don’t hide it, Rika,” she said. “I know you’ve got a cold after running in the rain.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” I didn’t really feel the fever coming.

I smelled something good, and Sunny came forward with three mugs, one for Yoona, one for me, and one for herself. She set it on the coffee table in front of me and sat on the carpet.

I took my mug, and as I began to sip I started to think up of all the possible plans for me to arrange Jessica and Kris together. Hooking them up wasn’t going to be easy, and I bet Jessica would immediately turn down the offer as soon as Kris’ name pops up.

I put my mug down and thought about it for a moment, resting my head on the coffee table.

The next day we all left Busan and returned to Seoul where I came back to my old safe haven of my little room. It was just as I’d left it.

My phone rang from the inside pocket of my jacket, and I put my luggage aside and slipped my hand in t grab it. I looked at the caller ID carefully before answering.

No name. I didn’t answer and tossed the phone on the bed.

It rang again for the second time before I could even unpack.

The same unknown number.

Curiosity got to me, and so I answered after hesitating five seconds.

“About time you pick up,” said a voice on the other end. I didn’t even get to speak first.

“Kris?”

“Oh, so you do recognize my voice,” he said.

I scowled. “Why you little ignorant—”

“Nice way for you to greet your Love Angel,” he replied.

“Love Angel—” I gagged. “Look, how the heck did you even get my phone number?”

“Pipe down and meet me at SM building,” he instructed.

“What— I—”

The other end fell silent.

I tapped my phone. “Hello? H-Hello?” Pulling it away from my ear I realized the disconnected line, and I fumed. “Why that— t-that— ARGH!”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I stomped my feet all the way to SM building without any questions and headed straight inside the quiet lobby. It was empty, excluding the workers and the grumpy janitor.

No one was there—not Kris, at least.

Figured that he’d be upstairs, I jumped to the elevator where the doors opened to reveal Sehun.

“Erika,” he beamed as soon as he saw me.

I smiled. At least seeing Sehun made me feel a little better with that bright grin of his.

“Hey,” I said.

“Krystal’s in the dance studio, if you’re wondering.”

“I’m…actually looking for Kris,” I told him, my gaze on the floor.

His head rose. “K…ris hyung?”

I nodded. “Um, yeah. I’m supposed to meet him here.”

“Oh.”

I noticed that his face suddenly fell. Something about his expression bothered me.

“What?” I asked.

He then looked back up at me, turning his expression around.

“Nothing,” he said. “Kris told me what happened in Busan.”

I frowned. “Oh, did he now?”

“He said that you had to leave early, and then you guys got trapped in the rain, and—”

“Right, right, right.” I quickly cut him off. “Yeah, I know,” I said, trying not to remember the exact moments.

“Are you alright?” he asked me.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I might’ve caught a cold, but I’m fine,” I assured him while trying to suppress a groan that was coming on.

“And Kris didn’t…do anything funny?”

When he hesitated I lifted a brow, trying to understand. And when I get the meaning my mouth dropped open. He meant us two. Together. Alone.

“IT’S NOTHING LIKE THAT!”

My sudden yell caught the attention of the workers all around and I hurried to shut my mouth. I shrank back, now regaining my silent atmosphere. I cursed to myself.

Sehun bit his lip. He made his way past me. “So what’re you seeing him for?”

“Who knows,” I said. “He just called me and told me to meet him here. Wherever he is.”

“You guys…call each other?”

I burst again. “Wait, not like that!” I’d love to tell him how that stalker even managed to get my phone number.

“Oh, um, right. Sorry.”

My red face flushed redder. What the heck was a kid like him talking to me about…that.

“Sheesh, Sehun, it’s just Kris,” I said, but I refused to look at him in the eye. “W-Why’re you going all—”

“Sorry,” he apologized. He then shrugged. “It’s just… Kris is— Well, he’s a bit—”

“Flirty,” I finished. He looked at me as if wondering how I knew. “Yeah, I think I’d figured that out. He’s got a thing for Jessica.”

He blinked and his expression somehow softened. “Oh. Well then.” Before he left, he added, “I didn’t mean—”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “I get it.”

He smiled back. “You’re not going to fall into his trap?”

“Trap?”

He shrugged, walking back to me. “You should get what I’m saying.”

And then I nodded openly. “Oh. Gotcha. Don’t worry, I ain’t his type, so I’d be considered ‘lucky’ if I ever become his victim,” I joked.

Throughout the conversation I struggled to keep the ‘other’ topic hidden. Well. No one needed to know about my deal with that giant.

When Sehun finally walked out of the building, I was left alone to sit in the lobby. From time to time I checked the clock on the wall and blew my bangs back. I was sitting on the two-seater couch. I slouched. I slumped. I laid down.

“Where on earth is that giant…?” I muttered, glancing at the ticking clock for the hundredth time. I grimaced. “This guy better come before I fall asleep right here.”

Just like my words, my eyes closed after another minute of waiting—then something began to sound in my ears. I reopened my eyes, and not even two inches away I was staring into a pair of dark eyes.

Quick reflex zoomed through me and I robotically sat up with a start, bumping my head along the way.

“Ow!” I could feel my head throb.

I rubbed my forehead and opened one eye to see Kris, rubbing his forehead as well with a pained look that made his nose crinkle.

“FOR THE LOVE OF— WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU TRYING TO DO?!” I screamed into his ear. My temper rose, and so did the pain on my forehead. I could feel a bruise coming on.

“Man! That was one hit!” he complained.

I groaned and stood from the sofa. “Honestly,” I fumed. “Where have you been? I’d been waiting for hours.”

“Ehh, I had something else to do.”

“Well, could you have at least told me?”

He shrugged.

I seriously wanted to give him a slap and a punch, but I resisted the growing desire.

“Would you just tell me the brilliant reason why you called me here already?” I demanded.

“Oh! Right. I got the first idea up and running,” he said.

“For me and Kyuhyun?”

He nodded. “Okay, so first things first, you need to change up your look.”

“Uh, what?”

“You know.” He made hand gestures. “Try and look…decent.”

I glanced at my attire. “Ain’t this decent enough for you?”

He frowned and looked so