I stared at Eli speechlessly and felt his hand grab onto my own. I stared at his hand and stared back at him, confusingly. Did he just... I my bottom lip again and tasted the unfamiliar taste of Eli. I bit my bottom lip and felt his thumb run over the back of my hand.

“____?” He asked, pulling my chin up to have a full view of my face.

He asked me for a chance… A chance to be loved by him, to be protected by him. Those were the words I’ve always wished to hear from somebody but why am I hesitating? I looked back at the ground and stared at the shopping bags on the floor, avoiding Eli’s alluring gaze. Uncontrollably, my coughing started to erupt; I covered my mouth, pulling my two hands away.

“Aish. We shouldn’t have stayed too long. You’re exhausting yourself.” He placed his cold hand on my forehead and grabbed my bags. He managed to hold my hand slowly and led me back to my hotel room. He let go of my hand and reached for his pocket, looking for my door key. He held the door open and turned to look at me before we went in.

“_____.”

I looked up at him and nodded curiously.

“Oppa. I… About earlier…” I stuttered, I fiddled with my fingers and stared at him deeply. “I just.. I just don’t know what to say, Oppa. I mean. It’s so sudden. That was really sudden.”

He nodded and half-smiled awkwardly. “Let’s go in and talk.” He opened the door wider and let me walk in first. I walked slowly into the air freshened room and inhaled the scent of new bed sheets. Eli walked slowly to the leather couches, setting down the 5 large shopping bags and let himself fall on the couch. He’s probably tired, also. He has been taking care of me all night yesterday and stayed up with me. I smiled to myself. He… He loves me. Those words felt so unfamiliar to me. Love. But do I have the right to say that I loved him back? Why am I so hesitant? I sat on the edge of the bed across from where he was sitting. I felt my heart beat quickly, because I knew what was coming. He sat up straight, his back leaning against the leathery fabric of the couch and he stared at me deeply, his eyes were full of promise. Do I deserve him? Why am I so unsure? I shook my head and placed my two palms on my cheeks. How selfish could I be? Am I looking too far ahead?

“_____...” He approached me slowly, kneeling on the ground. He took both of my hands and held it to his chest. I looked at our hands and back to his eyes, the same eyes I fell for back then.  Speechless, yeah, I pretty much was. Every time he stared at me, every moment he took to look at me, any time he touched me, I melted. But why was that… when he confessed to me, I never felt so unsure. What will happen if I end up dating Eli and… he sees me restart Kevin’s timer? I can’t tell him anything or I’ll lose something that is precious to me. Wouldn’t that mean I’d be losing Eli? I hate this. I closed my eyes shut tightly and breathed in; opening them again once I exhaled. “_____.” He called my name again, pulling a strand of hair behind my ear, slowly. He placed his thumb on the bandage and it softly.

I held his hand and kept his hand against my cheek. I smiled at him sweetly and stayed silent.

“Can I ask you a question?” He asked, still kneeling on the floor, so then we were face to face. “A serious one. Please answer me truthfully.” I nodded and prepared myself for whatever he was going to ask. But I knew whatever it was I was going to end up stuttering. I gulped and held onto his hand tighter, showing a sign of insecurity. “Do… Do you like Kevin?”

“Mw-Mwoh?” I asked, shocked.

“Well… you… seem close to him. I just thought that maybe you… you-know. “

I stared at the ground and sighed. It’s true. For some reason, my heart just beats as fast whenever I’m with Kevin. But he has Hyuna now. He loves Hyuna. Hyuna may be a selfish prude but… I would be lying if I said that I don’t have a soft spot for Kevin but Eli… he’s just always there for me, unlike him.

I placed my hand on his cheek and watched him kiss my palm slowly. I smiled at him and whispered:

“Out of all people. Me.” I smiled again and let out a quivering sigh. “I would be lying if I said that I don’t have a soft spot for Kevin.” He stared at me, and I felt a hint of sadness in his eyes but he remained professional and understanding. He kept staring deeply into my eyes, yearning more of an explanation. “But… every time, he’s with me for some reason something awful always strikes. He can be mean, selfish and insensitive. And it hurts.” My voice cracked so I cleared my throat. “But you.” I smiled again, my thumb on his soft cheek. “You were always there when … I think that I can’t get up.”

“And I will always do that. I’ll always lift you up. And that’s a promise. I know you’re unsure of your feelings right now. But give me this chance to change that.” He got up and went on the bed, sitting behind me. I felt his arms go around my waist from the back as he placed his head on the crook of my shoulder. Relaxed, I leaned my head on his head and smiled peacefully. “Give me that chance.”                  I stared at the mirror across from us. There, was a couple. A couple that felt full of promise and potential love that I was always jealous of. The couple in that mirror, Eli and I. I kept observing them…no, us. My hands s to his large arm that wrapped my waist and held his wrist.

“Look at us.” Eli said softly, pointing at the long mirror. An unfamiliar couple staring back at us. “Can you see us like this now and later on in the future? I can. Can you picture us together? Then, look at the couple in the mirror. Look at what we can be.”

I observed the mirror once again and watched Eli smile radiantly, showcasing his beautiful white teeth. I felt a tug onto my heart, not one that kills you but the one that lifts your spirits. But… the timer… the star. If he catches me kiss Kevin’s neck, I’ll end up losing him. If I tell him the truth, doesn’t that mean I’ll end up causing him to disappear? Like Ren has said, if I told anybody about this, the thing I cherished will disappear.

 What do I do…?

***

[ Kevin’s POV ]

. . . . I slammed the bathroom door and stared at the mirror, staring at my face. An angry expression was highly visible. What the was Eli thinking? Falling in love with that kind of… why her? Out of all people? I slammed the counter and sat on the edge of the bath tub. No wonder he didn’t answer my text, he was here all along.

Knock Knock.

“Oppa!” I heard Hyuna call out. This is the wrong time to be here, I told her mentally. I ignored her plead to open the door. “Are you sleeping!?” I growled under my breath and stomped towards the door. I flung the door open and glared at her.

“What?” I snapped, my hand balled into a fist.

“Oppa! What’s wrong with you?” Hyuna asked, clinging to my chest. Roughly, I pushed her away and shot another cold glare as she tried to approach me once again. “Oppa.. are..are you jealous?”

I scoffed out loud and flung the door against the wall. I walked back in the room and sat on my bed, ruffling my hair. Hyuna’s tapping heels echoed through the room. She sat beside me, her hand on my knee. I stared at her small hand and pushed it away. I bit my bottom lip and took my phone out.  Suddenly, before I could do anything, Hyuna took my phone away and pouted.

“Oppa. Are you avoiding my question? Are you jealous? What’s the matter?”

“Does it freaking matter? Does it look like I’m freaking jealous? .” I growled, my hand grabbed the pillow and tightened my grip hastily.

“Oppa… Do you… Do you find her a burden?” I heard her whisper softly, chilling.

My eyes flickered to her face and examined her expression, emotionless expression. More sinister than before. That intrigued me yet disgusted me greatly.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“She told me that she was a burden to you. She wouldn’t tell me why. Do you have any idea? I asked her if she deserved someone like you but.. she said no. What a stuck-up hoar.” She growled.

Suddenly, with the fling of my hand, my arm extended a loud clap filled the room. Her head was titled to the side, her cheek; a stinging red. I stared at her shockingly and stared at my hand, that slapped her. I got up and covered my mouth. I can’t..I can’t believe I just..

“Did..Oppa…” She looked at me, her eyes welled with tears.

“Hy-Hyuna.”

She ran quickly out the door as her tears flowed down her cheeks. . I ran after her and grabbed her wrist. She knocked my grasp away and kept walking a quick pace. I grabbed her wrist again and twirled her against me. I grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her gently; I stared at her apologetically and stared at the ground, both of our toes touching each other.

“Don’t touch me, you .” She growled.

I stared at her, shocked. My eyes widened as she slapped me, this time, she was the one who caused the stinging pain across my face. I covered my cheek with my hand and stared back at her, her smile; an evil grin. She was satisfied, something about her just changed and just…

“I freaking swear. All you think about is yourself. “ She complained, her hands on her hips. “ You think you’re so high up there, you think you can push me around?” She pushed my shoulder with a poke of her long slender finger. “You deserve _______. Both of you are worthless pieces of junk. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that I’ll stop from seeing you. Trust me, I’ll cause you both hell. I wonder how your fans will think about their idol hitting an innocent girl? Or an idol sleeping with an underage girl? Hm? “

I stared at her and growled;

“You think they’ll believe you?”

“I’m sure they will. It’s called pictures, oppa.” She smiled, a sinister chill filled the room. “All you have to do is do what I say whenever I need you. And you know what? I could easily put ALL your fans against _____, with the snap of my fingers. So you better do what I tell you. Stay away from _____. And they are many more to come, lovely.”

I sighed heavily and crossed my arms. . I shouldn’t have sla-- … Anger just got over me. She called _____ a hoar. . I ruffled my hair and stared at the witch in front of me. As I lowered my hand to my side, I noticed the tiles through my hand. I stared at my other hand and stared at it, a fading color. . I checked my watch: 23minutes 03secs remaining.

“I gotta go.” I growled, I stomped away.

“You better remember what I said, Woo Sunghyun. I could easily cause you hell if you mess with me one more time, my dear.”

I ignored what she said and just had one objective in my mind. Make sure I don’t freaking disappear.

[ Author’s POV ]

As Kevin made his way to ______’s hotel room, his breathing started to quiver greatly. Not only was his reputation as an idol disintegrate, _______ was going to pay a big price. He has to stay away from her, atleast not for Hyuna to witness. “______ was right. She was right.” The few words he kept repeating in his mind as he made his way to her room. Before entering the area, he paused for a moment and stared at the door, thinking of the words that he should say. All he knew was that he was angry and confused. He stared at the door, the door creaked open, and it wasn’t locked. He walked in slowly, slipping through the door and creped down the small hallway. “What am I suppose to say?” He asked himself quietly. “I can’t just… What I saw earlier.” He clothes his eyes and reminisced the moment where Eli kissed _____’s lips. He coughed out loud in disgust and kept walking.

As he reached the corner of the hallway, with the corner of his eye, he saw Eli hugging _____ joyfully,twirling her in a circle as he held her securely. Both of them shared a smile that he couldn’t explain.

“I…Are you serious?”  Eli asked, almost excited.

_____ nodded hastily and smiled radiantly.  “I… Yes.”

[ Eli’s POV ]

I can’t believe it. I grabbed her hand and twirled her once more. I was so happy, it warmed my heart. I stared at her beautiful face and cupped her cheeks. This girl.. I love her so much.

[ Your POV ]

“Congratulations.” His voice echoed in the room.

Both of our eyes flickered to the corner of the hallway, only to be greeted by Kevin who was leaning against the wall, clapping sarcastically. He approached us with such emotionless eyes, I couldn’t read what his expression was. But what bothered me the most was that.. he was fading, not as much for Eli to notice but still. I stared at my watch: 13 minutes, 40secs remaining.

“You two must be happy.”

I stared at his cheek. It was red. Someone slapped him. My eyes widened and felt a tug on my heart. I stared at him weakly and smiled apologetically. This was what I feared.

“We are. “ Eli said, filled with pride. I felt a tension in the room as both of them stared each other down. Before Kevin would snap, I approached him slowly and said:

“What are you doing here, Sunghyun-sshi?” I stared at him as he flicked his tongue against his lips. He smirked and stared back at Eli.

“I actually want to borrow your girlfriend for a while. Barely, a minute.” He crossed his arms and stared at him coldly.

I looked at Eli and asked him for permission with my eyes. He stared back at me, uncertain. I knew that he felt afraid to leave me with Kevin alone, especially with the uncertainty of my own feelings. I squeezed his arm and assured him with a nod of my head. He sighed and embraced me for a quick hug, before letting go.

“Okay. A minute.” Eli stared at Kevin. “I trust you, Kevin.”

Kevin smiled weakly and grabbed my wrist, dragging me out the door. I looked back at Eli as he dragged me and smiled. He grabbed my arm and dragged me out to the hotel’s lounge. He pulled me in front of him and let go, his arms crossing on his chest. His hand fiddled with the button of his shirt and pulled the collar down.  I sighed heavily and grabbed his wrist; “Not here.” I told him, I brought him to the dark hallway, far away from my room where Eli was waiting. I pecked his neck quickly and turned my head away from his gaze.

“Like I said, congratulations. “ Kevin said, emotionless.

I stared at him and growled: “Whatever.”

He rolled his eyes and smiled. I pointed my finger at his cheek and asked him:

“What happened with your cheek? Did Hyuna slap you?” I asked, worried.

He shrugged and rubbed his cheek. He landed his hands into his pockets and turned around to walk away. I felt my anger boil as he took a step away from me. I took a deep breath and yelled at him. “YAH. What’s up with you? What’s the matter? ” He halted and turned his head, looking at me from the corner of his eye.

“Hm?”  Ignorant.

I walked up to him angrily and turned him around. My eyes felt like they were stinging. I hated these kinds of confrontations. I always had the tendency of tearing up whenever I was angry.  He turned his whole body and stared at me deeply;

“Be with Eli.” He smiled weakly.

My eyes widened and stared at him speechlessly.

“He’s a good man.”

“K-Kevin.” I stuttered. “Stop avoiding the damn question. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“As if you don’t know what I saw…” He retreated my gaze and looked away.

“What? Kevin. I don’t understand what you’re talking ab—“

“Eli’s a good man. He has a good heart. He knows what’s right from wrong. He’s perfect for you.” He looked back at me, he took my hand and his thumb over the back of my hand that was trembling faintly.  “Don’t lose this opportunity of being in love. I’ve known Eli for well, you know how long, you’re a fan of UKISS, aren’t you?” He chuckled and before I could speak, he continued. “Piece of advice, ______.”

He paused and sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

“Stay away from men like me. We’re just worthless pieces of junk. And I’ll back up on your offer.” He let go of my hand, causing it to fall lifelessly to my side. “We’ll just interfere with our lives when I need to rest my timer.”

“K-Kevin.” He wouldn’t let me but say his name. He kept interrupting me. Frustrated, I glared at him.

“I thought I could be him. But hell, was I wrong.” He stared at me, this time, pain filled his dark brown eyes.

[ Kevin’s POV ]

_____ stared at me confused and I knew she probably didn’t understand what I meant. I scoffed and rubbed the back of my neck once more. She’s so air-headed, it’s cute. I smiled at her weakly and stared back at the ground. I can’t risk her safety. And .. as selfish as it sounds.. I can’t risk my image. I’m in so much pressure right of this moment, especially with Hyuna on my back.

“I wish you and Eli a happy relationship.”

[Your POV]

I nodded and thanked him for the blessing, for that was all I could say. I was so confused and filled with mixed feelings I felt my head was going to crack open.

“I better…get back to Eli, Kevin.” I whispered faintly.

“Yeah. Remember to pack up tonight, we’re heading back to Toronto tomorrow morning at 6am.”

I nodded and walked away quickly. I didn’t want to look back, I just kept walking down the dark hallways. Quickly and silently. As I saw the door of my room, I ran quickly inside and met up with Eli. I smiled at him and wrapped my arms around him, I felt afraid. He my hair and whispered:

“What happened, _____?” He pulled from the embrace and stared at me.

I smiled at him and shook my head. I pulled him closer to me, digging my head into his firm chest.

“Nothing… Absolutely nothing.”

I closed my eyes.

Nothing… I told myself. Nothing.