Hoya was silently watching Sunggyu and Julia while they cuddled in front of the television. Sunggyu had his back to the wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. Julia sat in front of him with her back resting against his chest. Sunggyu’s arms looped around Julia’s body loosely and his chin rested on the top of her head while he nodded off. He woke a little when Julia yawned noisily and scooted back a bit. Her small hands grabbed his arms and hugged them to her tighter; like she was pulling a coat closed.

            Hoya hadn’t understood the point of the silly competition before, but he understood now why someone would want that. They looked complete. There was nothing missing in the picture besides maybe a blanket to cover noona’s bare feet. Hoya understood why the others would want to go after Shelly and maybe find their own Julia to complete their puzzle.

            He looked to the other side of the room to see Myungsoo and Sungjong weren’t watching the television anymore either. Myungsoo’s eyes were alight with amusement and pure adoration as he and Sungjong had a hushed conversation about their hands. Sungjong was lining his hand up with Myungsoo’s and making some emphatic commentary; seemingly on the length of his fingers. Myungsoo watched him, nodding to himself with a thoughtful expression before he suddenly pulled his fingers through Sungjong’s; trapping him with a grin. Myungsoo brought Sungjong’s hand to his lips to lay a quick kiss on it. Sungjong turned beet red and Myungsoo only smiled more.

            Everyone else in the band just looked bored. Dongwoo, Sungyeol, and Woohyun lay in a line on their stomachs watching the television. Both Dongwoo and Sungyeol had their feet in the air as they swung their legs around like children. Every time Dongwoo hit Sungyeol with his foot he was given a withering glance, but Dongwoo just laughed it off. Woohyun’s eyes kept straying from the screen to Shelly where she sat against the wall opposite from Hoya.

            Hoya had been trying not to look at her himself after making her uncomfortable the day before. He still felt a little guilty about it and didn’t want to meet her eyes yet. He was worried she’d be mad at him.

            He looked to her now to see that she was watching the couples the same way he had been. Where he had looked dreamy she seemed more… uneasy. At first he wondered if she was disturbed by Myungsoo and Sungjong. She had said she didn’t care that they were gay and he had believed her, but he still found himself feeling over protective of them. He noticed quickly though that she was mostly watching Sunggyu and Julia.

            He watched her face and tried like hell to figure out what was happening in her head. She watched the couples with a similar enthrallment to Hoya, but she was definitely unsettled.

            He didn’t understand her, but what Hoya understood least of all when it came to Shelly was his own odd fascination with her. At first he was purely worried about her because he didn’t know her. But when she revealed how much she cared about Julia it had eased his mind. Of course she would care about Julia; it’s her cousin and she loved her. But it was her protectiveness and fire that drew him in deeper.

            She is protective of her family; just like me, he realized. The same way I’m protective of this family.   

            He was staring at her, lost in thought, when she suddenly looked his way. His eyes darted back to the television screen quickly as he tried to hide the fact that he’d been watching her. Hoya was well aware though that his body had stiffened against his will. He watched the screen for over a minute and tried to look natural before he moved his eyes ever so slightly to look at her.

            She was watching him. Her head was cocked slightly to the side and her eyes glinted with curiosity. The corners of her lips were turned upwards in a little smile. Hoya had no idea what her expression meant, but she didn’t seem mad at him. He felt his chest loosen a little as he tried to ignore her eyes and watch the show.

            Hoya’s view was brought right back on Shelly though as she moved to get up.

            “It is 7 pm on a Friday,” she announced incredulously as she scanned the faces in the room. Everyone was looking at her now. “Is this really what you guys do on a Friday night?”

            Everyone looked at each other blankly before all eight heads nodded slowly.

            “How is it that a group of y young idols are just sitting, wasting away watching television on a Friday night?” Her eyes were wide as she put her hands on her curvy hips and waited for a response.

            “But Shell it’s the first time we’ve had a break in awhile. We are usually running around doing appearances on shows, or practicing, or recording, or… or,” Julia tapered off with a big noisy yawn. After the yawn lasted for more than a few seconds Sunggyu brought a hand over her distorted mouth and she chuckled sleepily as she hit it away.

            “Let’s go out!”

            Julia shook her head back and forth as she clung tighter to Sunggyu. He too shook his head before burying it in the hair that covered Julia’s neck and shoulder.

            “Jeez, you guys really are made for each other. It’s kind of… sickening,” she said with a frown as she watched them.

            “You get used to it,” Dongwoo said with a chuckle.

            “Shelly we are going to have so much fun these next few weeks I promise,” Julia said drowsily. Her hand was in Sunggyu’s hair now and she moved her fingers through it slowly; massaging his scalp. Hoya could already see that Sunggyu was going to start nodding off again.

            Shelly nodded resignedly as she realized she wasn’t going to get her friend to go out with her. “What about the rest of you?”

            Sunggyu’s head snapped up. “No. No outdoor crazy fun in the city. The fans will see you and they will see her and…and… no.” His eyes meant business. They did not mess around with that look. Julia nodded her sleepy head seriously as he spoke and pointed a threatening finger at them all. It wasn’t threatening though. It was just cute.

            Shelly’s face contorted between displeasure at Sunggyu’s words and amusement at Julia’s poor attempt to seem intimidating. Shelly’s expression was one they had all worn multiple times now that the two of them led together.

            “I’ve got cabin fever though, Jules,” Shelly whined as she squirmed in place. Hoya could see that she liked to be busy and active. Shelly was not the type of girl to be idle for long. Hoya wasn’t one to stay idle either. Actually, if Shelly hadn’t been in the main room that night Hoya probably would have been practicing in his bedroom.

            Shelly was smart to play on Julia’s sympathies. Julia tilted her head back and looked up at Sunggyu with sad puppy dog eyes. As soon as Sunggyu saw what she was doing though, he clenched his own narrow eyes shut so he couldn’t see her anymore.

            She leaned up to whisper in his ear as they all watched in silence. Sunggyu was shaking his head no emphatically at first, but they watched as his head slowed to a stop and he let out a sigh.

            “Okay, here is the deal,” he said staring at Shelly. She wasn’t a part of their band, but he gave her the same leader look. So long as she was living with them Sunggyu wasn’t going to spare her.

            At first Shelly seemed uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, but then she became oddly childlike as she met his eyes openly. She listened carefully and didn’t look away.

            “You and one of the guys can leave for one hour to go to the supermarket,” he said before being interrupted.

            “Oooo the market. Fun,” Sungyeol said sarcastically.

            “Correction,” Sunggyu continued. “You and one guy, that isn’t Sungyeol, may go to the supermarket and get food for dinner. You are both going to wear disguises and not stand too close together.”

            “Okay,” she said seriously. “I understand.”

            Hoya was oddly fascinated by the respect that she was showing for Sunggyu. Hoya looked to Julia and saw that she was watching her cousin with an odd look, too. Shelly seemed respectful and oddly appreciative of Sunggyu’s attention.

            It’s because he cares, Hoya realized suddenly. She is surprised he cares about her. Even though he is mostly concerned about the fans seeing them he is addressing her and only her. He is putting his trust in her.

            “Who should go with me?” She asked as she kept her attention on only Sunggyu. Sunggyu had been only looking at her as well.

            But Sunggyu broke his connection with her to survey the others in the room quickly. His eyes lingered on Hoya a second longer than the others.

            “I’d feel best if you went with Hoya.”

            Hoya checked to see if she had a reaction, but she just nodded.

            “Wait, but I want to cook her a meal,” Woohyun said as he stood up. “I’m the best cook. Let me go.”

            “Aw that’s nice he wants to cook for our guest,” Julia said up to Sunggyu with a smile.

            Sunggyu gave Woohyun a serious look before nodding his acceptance.

            “Shelly,” Sunggyu called as she moved away to go get ready. She stopped and gave him her full attention. “Make sure you wear something to cover your hair. It definitely helps make you stand out.”

            She nodded and unconsciously grabbed her hair as she walked to her room almost in a daze. Hoya didn’t understand her surprised reaction to Sunggyu’s leading. Maybe she hadn’t expected he would tell her what to do too?

            Hoya would have expected her to roll her eyes at an authority figure like him. They all did. He wasn’t actually much older than she was, either. In America age rank wasn’t taken very seriously. To Shelly they would just be a group of her peers, but she took Sunggyu as seriously as you would take your father.

            Hoya shook his head as an image of his own father’s disapproving face floated up in his mind. He suddenly wanted to call his mother again to check in. He felt anxiety creep up in him and tried to stop thinking about his own parents.

            Hoya was disappointed that he didn’t get to go on the shopping trip. He didn’t care about shopping, but he couldn’t seem to relax while Woohyun and Shelly were gone. He breathed a sigh of relief when they both came back under the hour given to them.

            Shelly seemed to enjoy her little reprieve from their apartment. She was smiling as she called to Sunggyu, “We’re back and with time to spare.”

            Sunggyu nodded approvingly and Shelly smiled even more.

            “And Jules I bought dessert,” she said with a wicked glint in her eye. Julia was up and moving towards the groceries in a flash. Sunggyu shook his head at Shelly in mock disapproval and she gave him a sheepish look.

            Sunggyu had to force Julia to eat the dinner instead of just making a giant ice cream sundae. The food Woohyun made was delicious, but Shelly seemed to have the same sweet tooth as Julia. They both couldn’t wait to eat ice cream, but under Sunggyu’s admonishing gaze they both ate a proper meal first.

            Hoya watched as the girls ate their weight in ice cream. Julia looked like she was going to be sick. Sunggyu rolled his eyes and ushered her off to his room to rest. Hoya and Woohyun were still in the kitchen with Shelly as she stared at the table in her own little world. They watched curiously as she quirked around and took on a look of concentration.

            He was about to ask what she was doing when she pulled a cherry stem out of and held it up to them proudly. She had somehow managed to tie a knot in it with her tongue. Woohyun’s eyes widened as she placed the cherry stem in his hand and gave him a cheeky wink.

            Once again she spared Hoya a flirty gesture and went to busy herself doing dishes. It wasn’t the first time in her two days there that she had done dishes. She became very serious as she worked away. She was suddenly in her own little world where all that mattered was that the kitchen be clean.

            She’s trying to earn her keep, he thought to himself. She probably feels indebted to us for letting her stay here for free.

            His realizations were put on pause as Woohyun pulled Hoya out into the main room to talk to him.

            “She likes me right?” Woohyun asked with a worried expression.

            “I don’t know. She seems to like everyone,” he answered. Except maybe me.

            Woohyun held up the cherry stem like he was showing Exhibit A to the court for their judgment. Apparently Hoya was the jury.

            “I think this is a good sign, right? I really want her to like me,” Woohyun said desperately. “What do I do to make her like me more?”

            Hoya suddenly felt uncomfortable and he wasn’t sure why. This weird apprehension was building up in his chest. But he decided to help his friend.

            “I don’t know. Go help her do the dishes. Girls like stuff like that.”

            “Really? But I just made her a meal. Don’t girls like that too? I wanted her to tell me how amazing a chef I was and ask if I would cook for her all the time,” he said with a disappointed frown. Shelly had just told him the food was good. She didn’t have an attitude about it or anything, but she also wasn’t coddling him either.

            Although she did flirty things she hadn’t shown any real interest in any of them.

            “I think you may be barking up the wrong tree Woohyun. I don’t think she is that kind of girl. She isn’t going to be cutesy or fawn over you.”

            Hoya saw the truth in what he said immediately. She was a different type of girl. She wasn’t Woohyun’s type at all. Woohyun had always said that his type was their fans and a lot of people thought he was full of it, but Woohyun really did like sweet, innocent, cute girls. Girls more like their fans. Or noona. Not Shelly.  

            “There is no other tree for me to bark up, Hoya,” he said as he danced in place impatiently. Hoya felt bad for him. Ever since the incident with his little noona crush, Woohyun had watched them sadly. As if he wished he was Sunggyu. He even seemed jealous of Myungsoo and Sungjong at times.

            “Woohyun… That isn’t a good reason to attempt to get someone to date you; just because it’s convenient. Besides she doesn’t even live in this country. What kind of relationship could you really have with her even if she was interested?”

            “Yeah but maybe I could at least get her to hug me or something,” he said sadly as he realized Hoya was right.

            “If what you need is a hug Woohyun…” Hoya held his arms open to him with a shy smile. He batted his eyelashes at him comically.

            Woohyun looked at him with a little grin as he considered, but then he let his shoulders fall sadly.

            “It’s just not the same. I’ll try the dishes thing.”

            Hoya moved to the kitchen doorway and watched as Woohyun approached Shelly. She was already half way done with the dishes as she worked without noticing either of them.

            Woohyun rested his hand on her shoulder and before Hoya could process what was happening Woohyun fell to the floor with a crash. Shelly stood over him with wide scared eyes. Her heel of her hand was frozen in the air; right where it had connected with Woohyun’s nose. Hoya knew from his years of Taekwondo that she had been trained in some form of self defense. Or she had trained herself.

            Both Shelly and Hoya cleared their heads of shock and dropped in front of Woohyun. He had his head held back as he tried to stop his nose from bleeding.

            “Oh my god Woohyun I’m so sorry,” she nearly cried. “You scared me.”

            “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you. I didn’t realize we were living with Bruce lee,” Woohyun chuckled as he tried to make light of the matter.

            “Seriously, I’m so sorry. My old karate skills must’ve taken over.”

            “He’ll be okay, Shelly,” Hoya said as she finally met his eyes. She still looked scared. Whether for herself or for Woohyun, Hoya wasn’t sure. “It’s okay,” he said seriously as he stared openly into her now watery green eyes.

            She stared into his for a moment before she finally seemed to relax.

            “Umm when you guys are done staring at each other do you think you could help me up?” Woohyun asked as his eyes moved back and forth between the two of them.

            “I’ll take care of him,” Hoya said as he led Woohyun to the bathroom; leaving behind an anxious Shelly in the kitchen.

            “You were right Hoya,” Woohyun whispered resignedly when they were out of ear shot. “Definitely the wrong tree for me.”