The boys' condition got worse after the fourth Beautiful Show in Japan. They were at their limits, mentally and physically exhausted and there was nothing I could do to help them. The day before the fifth Beautiful Show, we all sat at the restaurant in the hotel. While eating breakfast, I noticed Yoseob rubbing his throat.

“Everything okay, Yoseob-ssi?”, I asked him.

“Yeah, I'm fine.”, he whispered.

I arched an eye brow at him. “And why are you whispering?”

He remained silent.

“Come on, I can't help you if you don't tell me. I'm your personal assistant after all.”, I said and smiled.

He still didn't say anything. I let out a frustrated sigh and decided to let this matter fall. Before returning to our rooms, Doojoon pulled me aside.

“Hey, there's something you need to know about Yoseob.”, he said.

“What is it?”

“He's very sensitive when it comes to his throat. And right now he has some problems with it.”

“So that's why he was whispering. I see. But are you okay? I know that you guys are very exhausted.”

He smiled ruefully. “We are used to it....somehow. We just need to sleep, nothing more. No need to worry.”

“Okay, I understand.”

After that the boys went back to their rooms to rest. I decided to find something to help them. When I finally thought of something, I quickly called the manager. He was okay with my idea, so I went out to organize the necessary things. Two hours later I returned to the hotel. I knocked on Doojoon's door and he let me in.

“What's the matter?”, he asked.

“Doojoon-ssi, could you please call a quick meeting? I have something for you guys.”

“You mean that I should call the other boys into my room?”

“What are you planning?”, Hyunseung asked curiously.

I smiled. “It's a surprise.”

Doojoon quickly called the other members into his room. When they were all gathered, I took a deep breath and got ready to tell them my idea.

“So, I know that you are all tired and exhausted and I also know that I'm keeping you guys from your nap but I want to offer you something.”, I said.

“And what do you want to 'offer' us?”, Hyunseung asked.

“Well, I found a way where you guys can rest properly to gain energy for tomorrow. It was kinda difficult organize everything in such a short time, but we are lucky.”, I said.

“Stop beating around the bush and come to the point.”, Junhyung said .

He wasn't in a good mood.

“So, my present for you guys is an appointment at a spa.”

“A spa?”, Dongwoon asked.

They all looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Yes, a spa. Your appointment is in half an hour. We should hurry.”, I said.

“Wait, wait. Why should we go to a spa?”, Junhyung asked.

Jeez, why couldn't this guy stop being a jerk?

“Uhm, maybe because it's my gift for you and because it's a good way to rest properly?”

Junhyung just wanted to retort something but Doojoon stopped him.

“Thank you, Vinni. We will get ready.”, he said and smiled.

I smiled back at him. “Okay, great! I'll wait at the lobby.”

I quickly went downstairs and arranged the van for the trip. Several minutes later the boys came down and we drove to the spa. Because I was the only girl, I let the boys alone and went to the market to buy some certain ingredients. I prepared something special in my room at the hotel and an hour later, I went back to the spa to pick up the boys. Just when I wanted to enter the building, I was surrounded by girls all of the sudden. They were standing next to me, hands on their hips and they were all glaring at me.

What the heck was going on?

“What's the problem?”, I asked.

One of them stepped forward. Seems like she was the leader.

“YOU are the problem.”, she snapped.

Oh, Koreans?

“So? And what did I do?”

“Don't act all innocent. Stop stalking our boys!”

“Ah, so that's what we're talking about. I'm not a stalker, I'm a staff member.”

“Yeah, as if Cube would hire such a young girl. We never saw you before, so stop lying.”

“I'm not lying.”

“Just stop stalking around the boys or else...”

“Or what?”

She gave me an evil grin. “You'll see.”

This girl gave the other girls a nod and they suddenly attacked me. Pulling my hair, tearing my clothes, scratching my face....it was horrible. I didn't know how much time passed until they finally stopped. The leader girl stepped forward again and pushed me, so that I fell on my .

She looked down on me. “That was just a foretaste of what will come if you don't listen to us.”

I just glared at her.

“Well then, let's go, girls.”, she said and left. All the other girls followed her.

I quickly re-arranged my hair and took off my torn jacket. I put my hands on the floor and pushed myself on my feet. It was a big mistake. Everything hurt, I could barely move. Great. Just great.

I leaned against the van and waited for the boys to come out. Several minutes later they really came out, looking really happy and relaxed. I quickly put on a smile and tried to ignore the pain. When Doojoon saw me, he smiled and waved at me but when he took a better look at me, his smile vanished.

“What happened, Vinni?”, he asked, a concerned expression on his face.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you look at a mirror? Your face is full with bruises.”

“Oh, you mean THAT. That's just some small bruises. I stumbled over my own feet and fell down. Nothing to worry about.”

Kikwang approached me. “Are you sure? That looks pretty bad.”

“It's okay, really. Come on, let's go. We should go back to the hotel.”

They all went onto the van and we returned to the hotel. When they all went into their rooms, I quickly went into my room and grabbed the things I prepared before. When I knocked on Yoseob's door, he opened it with a surprise expression on his face.

“Hey, Vinni. What's the matter?”, he whispered.

“May I come in?”, I asked.

He hesitated but then he stepped aside to let me in. Dongwoon, who was lying on his bed, sat up when he saw me.

“Vinni? What are you doing here?”, he asked.

“I have something for you guys.”

Yoseob sat down on his bed. “What do you mean?”

I gave Yoseob a cup. “This is a special tea. It will help you with your throat.”

He took the cup. “A special tea?”

“Yes. Your throats are very precious and with the help of this tea, you'll be able to sing properly and it will prevent your throats from hurting.”, I said and gave Dongwoon the other cup.

He eyed it suspiciously. “What kind of tea is it?”

“Try it.”, I said and smiled.

Dongwoon was hesitating but Yoseob drank it immediately.

“Hyung? Is it okay?”, he asked.

I laughed. “Of course! You don't think that I would poison you guys, do you?”

“It's okay, Dongwoon. No poison. Just try it, it's really delicious.”, Yoseob said and chuckled.

Dongwoon was still hesitating.

“Okay, I'll tell you what kind of tea it is. Just some random herbs with honey.”

“It's that simple?”

“Yes.”

He finally drank it. “Wow, it's really delicious.”

“See? I told you.”, I said and grinned.

“Thank you, Vinni. For the tea....and for the spa.”, Yoseob said.

“No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job.”, I said and left the room.

After giving the other members their tea, I returned to my room. I closed the door and collapsed on the floor. My whole body was aching, I could barely move anymore. I crawled to my bag and pulled out the first-aid kit. When I finally looked at myself in the mirror, I didn't even recognize myself. My whole face was covered with bruises and scratches. It was surprising that they believed my story about me stumbling over my feet. I quickly put band aids on the scratches and cooled my bruises with ice.

I just hoped that it wouldn't look worse tomorrow.

Well, I was wrong. I Looked even worse the next morning. The bruises turned from red to blue, it was disgusting to look at. I put on makeup to cover my injuries.

Ah, that was going to be a hard day.

When all the Beautiful Shows from March were over, we all returned to Korea. Everyone was mentally and physically exhausted. When we all returned to the apartment, I decided to go to the supermarket to buy groceries. I was just on my way back home when I was surrounded by girls again. It were the same ones from Japan.

Leader Girl stepped forward again. “Seems like you didn't understand us the last time.”

'I'm just doing my job, so leave me alone.”, I snapped.

Some of my bruises were healed but it still hurt. I didn't want to go through this again.

“Then quit your job. You're getting to close to our boys and we don't like it.”

“Yeah but some of us still need to earn money, you know. Not everyone gets his money from mommy and daddy like you.”

She glared at me. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

She gave me an evil grin. “Still stubborn, huh? I think you need another lesson from us.”

“Don't you dare or I'll scream.”

Suddenly some girls grabbed me and hold me, so that I couldn't move. Another one gagged me with a scarf, so that I couldn't scream.

“What do you want to do now, huh?” She punched me in my stomach. “You still want to be stubborn?” A slap to my face. “Will you listen to us now?” A kick to my shin. Everything was hurting but I couldn't move because the girls were holding me.

“Are you going to quit the job?”, she asked.

I glared at her.

“Okay, then we will change your mind.”, she said and nodded at the girls. Once again they were beating me up.

It took me a while to return to the apartment. All the groceries were destroyed by the girls, so I had to return empty-handed. Every step was a torture.

Before I opened the door, I took a deep breath and ignored the pain. I didn't want the boys to know about this. I entered the apartment and closed the door behind me. Before I could hide into my room, Junhyung appeared before me.

Oh snap.

“Where were you?”, he asked.

“I was buying groceries. Food doesn't fall from the sky, you know.”

“And where is the food?”

“I forgot to bring money with me. Any more questions?”

“Yes. Did something else happen?”

I looked away. “No, why are you asking?”

He grabbed my chin and pushed up my face to look at him. I winced when he touched one of my bruises. He immediately let go.

“And where did all these bruises come from?”

“I fell.”

“Again?”

“Yeah, again. So what?”

“Why won't you tell us?”

“Because there's nothing I could tell you about. I fell down, nothing more.”

“If you say so.”, he said and went into his room.

Why couldn't I get rid of the feeling that he was really angry?

The next days I once again used makeup to hide the bruises but once in a while I would wince when I accidentally bumped one of the boys. They always gave me suspicious looks but didn't say anything. I became really paranoid after the incidents with the girls. Whenever we went out, I always looked around. And I would always spot some of them, lurking in the corners and glaring at me.

But I ignored them, so that the boys wouldn't notice them.

Days passed again and the manager told me to pick up things for him. Even though I was scared, I couldn't reject the order. This time I made a detour to avoid the crazy girls. Fortunately I didn't meet them but it took longer than expected and I had to hurry. I quickly grabbed the bags for the manager and rushed back to the apartment. Only two streets from the apartment, the girls caught me.

“Look who we just found.”, leader girl said.

“Leave me alone, I'm in hurry.”

“Guess what, I don't care. But, you know, I'm a bit upset.”

I smirked. “Well, guess what, I don't care.”

She slapped me. I put a hand on my cheek and glared at her.

“Still trying to be bold, huh?”

She grabbed the bags and threw them on the floor. Then she stepped on them.

“You will never learn it, won't you? I'll make you regret it.”, she said and nodded. Before the girls could hold me again, I quickly stepped forward lunged at leader girl. She was taken by surprise, that was why she didn't have time to defend herself. But before I could do anything else, the other girls pulled me from her and hold me while leader girl was beating me up.

“You stupid girl, you'll regret the day you were born.”, she said and motioned the other girls to let go of me. I was too surprised to notice the punch coming from her. Her fist hit my face and my head slammed against the wall.

After that everything went black.