Jin hugged Baek Hee goodnight as he escorted her to her hotel room. It was already 2 in the morning, and by now, the other T-ara girls must have been asleep.

Baek Hee got her keys from her purse and opened the door. She looked about the room to see Qri dozing in the couch with a remote control in her hand. And on the television screen was playing a movie Jin Gook made a year ago. Baek Hee went over to her eonnie to rouse her and tell her to get to bed when she saw a picture beside Qri. Baek Hee picked it up to see Qri and Jin Gook smiling. Turning the picture, she saw Jin Gook's small message to his fan and his signature. Baek Hee cringed her face. Never had Qri told her that the former was a fan of Jin Gook. And now, something worried Baek Hee. She had to admit she still liked Jin Gook, but she felt that Qri had feelings for him too. Worse, she and Qri were already forming a bond together. Baek Hee didn't want that friendship to be destroyed just because of a guy. Looking back at the picture again, it was as if something hit Baek Hee's head. Jin Gook...Taecyeon. The thought of the latter made her blood boil. She couldn't forget the harassment Taecyeon did to her. She wished there was a camera so that the world can see what Taecyeon had done to her. Suddenly, the image of Jin Gook with his worried look sidetracked her too. She remembered telling him to stay away from her. And now, looking at Qri, Baek Hee had no idea how to ask her eonnie.

***

"Eonnie...wake up..." a voice stirred Qri. It was Hyomin.

"Has...Eun Jung arrived yet?" Qri asked as she yawned and stretched. Hyomin nodded and told her that Baek Hee was snoring in her room. The former had gone to the kitchenette to drink water when she saw the TV on. So, she turned off the television set and roused her eonnie.

"What time is it?" Qri asked again.

"It's four in the morning, eonnie. But we don't get to be busy till four this afternoon. I suggest you go back to your bed and have a good rest. We don't want to perform like zombies, do we?" Hyomin reasoned.

"Besides, we are going to have more guests than usual. MBLAQ is going to perform alongside us today too. And I heard a rumour that K will have a special appearance."

Qri's mind began to stir. "K..Song Sam Dong Oppa?"

"Aish, who else would it be? Ppali, get back to bed. I'm going back to bed too."

Qri stood up to stretch when she saw that the picture was the backside. SHe thought. She remembered placing the picture on the front side when she kept watching Jin Gook's face. Qri looked at Hyomin. The latter had probably seen it..but then, she never made mention about it at all. Suddenly, a thought flashed her mind: could Baek Hee had seen the picture?

***

While Hwa Young and Boram were doing their laundry and Hyomin, Jiyeon and Soyeon were pondering what to order for room service, Qri called Baek Hee to her room (the two of them, Hwa Young and Boram shared the same room. Baek Hee was at the kitchenette munching an apple.)

"What is it, eonnie?" BAek Hee asked. But at the back of her mind, she already knew what to expect.

"Well...I would just...I'd like to ask if...if...well..."

"Well, what?"

"Do you, by chance...still like Jin Gook?"

"Neo...do you like him, eonnie?" BAek Hee asked, feigning hurt. Of course, she just knew that Qri had felt something for Jin Gook too.

"Naega...naega...well...ne..."

Baek Hee smiled at her eonnie. "I still do, eonnie. I still really do. But I don't want him to be the reason for both of us not in good terms. It...it's all right, eonnie...I'm fine with you liking him too...and honestly, I just knew it this morning."

Qri looked intently at Baek Hee. "Eun Jung-ah..you did see the picture, didn't you?"

"I did..I happened to pass by and it was my plan to rouse you to get back to bed. I knew you were waiting for me to come home. But...I accidentally saw the picture beside you. I didn't remember you going to him to have your picture taken when K group was still famous."

Qri was flustered. "Ne. That had been of the happiest days of my life...that was my birthday. And when I debuted in T-ara, I never expected to talk to him again last year. We got to talk once, but I bet he forgot about me. Well, I wouldn't expect idols to remember their fans."

Baek Hee looked at her eonnie with her head bowed down.

"But then, I can still see that somehow, even if you drove him away, he still has his eyes on you. I realized that I suddenly felt how you felt for him always looking at Hye Mi."

"Eonnie...you...you're jealous?"

Qri nodded as she wiped a tear from her eyes. "But I can't get myself to be angry with you because you are now my friend here in T-ara. I can't get myself to be angry with my friends no matter how jealous I get. I don't want to hurt you. I'd rather be hurt that hurt my friends."

BAek Hee hugged her eonnie. "Is..is that how you think of me? Mianhe..mianhe, eonnie...I'm so sorry...I didn't you you were already hurt...mianhe...please be angry if you have too. I was angry at Hye Mi for always getting Jin Gook's attention. But I didn't expect this from you. Please..please don't get hurt, eonnie..."

"I don't want our bond to be broken just because of a guy, Eun Jung-ah..and I told him that I was sorry for liking him.."

"You told him that? How did...Gook-ah react?"

"He..he was just...dumbfounded..."

Baek Hee felt tears coming out of her eyes. Much as she wanted to be jealous of Qri like how she was with Hye Mi, she couldn't get herself to be angry. Qri had been awfully too honest with her, and it hurt Baek Hee to know that her co-T-ara member had a crush on her crush too.

Just then, Hwa Young and Boram entered. They were very much surprised. Boram went to them and hugged her friends.

"Mwoeyo? Eun Jung-ah, Qri-ya..tell us...what happened? Uljima..uljima...."

Qri and Baek Hee broke their embrace and wiped their tears. Somehow, Boram always can hit the bull's eye, and Baek Hee wasn't liking it when her eonnie plays psychic.

"Is it about Jin Gook?"

Hwa Young looked at her eonnies. "What about him, eonnie? Is there something I don't know?"

Qri shook her head. "It's nothing, really.."

Boram was hurt. "Aigoo..it's nothing but you two are crying? We are a team, right? Jebal...please tell us what's bothering you two..."

Baek Hee looked at Boram. "You've hit the wound again, eonnie..and I don't like it."

"Mwoh??? Mianhe..."

"How come you always know what the topic is?" BAek Hee asked again, quite irritated.

Boram shook her head. "Ani..I never knew everything. It's just that...I can tell..because of your recent encounters with him. And...and..."

"And, what, eonnie?" Hwa Young asked. Boram just looked at her. She remembered last night that Taecyeon had almost Baek Hee, but that Boram decided to keep the matter secret because she didn't want a scandal from brewing up again.

"It's nothing, Hwa Young-ah.." 

Baek Hee knew what Boram meant since the latter had an idea what happened last night. And Baek Hee was thankful that Boram was prudent enough not to tell about it.

"Aish, eonnie...you are all keeping secrets! I'm so not liking it!" Hwa Young said as she crossed her arms.

"Hwa Young-ah, there are just some things not worth discussing repeatedly, arrasseo? We...hope you'll just leave it as it is.." Qri said.

HWa Young sighed and pouted. "Arrasseo...mianhe, eonnie for being too nosy."

Just then, Jiyeon appeared by the door. "Eonnie, breakfast is ready."