At L.Joe’s words, you felt yourself freeze, looking up slowly to L.Joe, confusion evident on your features.

“I... Is it true?” You hesitantly asked. “I mean... You’re not lying to me are you?”

Byunghun didn’t say anything. He just nodded a little, looking slightly embarrassed.

You stood up gingerly, looking down at the sand-covered floor in front of you. Taking your time to stand up, L.Joe was becoming more and more nervous as to how you were going to react now that you knew the truth. Once you were stood up straight you tangled your hands in your hair, unable to take the news. It couldn’t be true! This was all just a dream!

“This can’t be happening!” You said breathlessly, your eyes still fixated on the sand, a pleading look in your eyes. “Why the is this happening?!” Your voice raised a little. “This can’t happen! I can’t be in this kind of situation! This can’t be happening to me! No!” By the end of this you were screaming, and almost tearing out the purple locks of your hair which you held tightly in your fists.

You suddenly stopped and turned to look at L.Joe, the look in your eyes a mixture of hurt and anger.

“Why the hell did you tell Jae-Hwa?!” You yelled at him, throwing your arms out to the side. “It was obvious she was going to go and tell Niel! She wants him all to herself anyway! You knew she was going to tell him! Yet you still told her! You didn’t even think one about what I would feel if he knew!” You were practically screaming in L.Joe’s face by now.

L.Joe’s eyes widened and he sat back a little, in shock at how you were reacting. L.Joe had never seen you like this before, he has always known you as the quiet shy Mélodie, and seeing you acting this way was scaring him.

Byunghun opened his mouth to begin to explain to you why he did it, although he didn’t have time to form the words before you collapsed onto the ground, one of your hands buried in the sand to support your weight, your head bent down with your hair covering your face, hiding your embarrassment and anger.

“Are you ok?”

How could he ask such a stupid question? He had just ruined any chance you had with Niel and now he was asking if you were ok? Was he crazy?

You shook your head vigorously, still partially refusing to believe that L.Joe was telling the truth. He had been a friend to you from the beginning and now he had just confessed to you that he had betrayed you.

“It can’t be true.” Your voice was barely audible. Just a weak whisper. “You wouldn’t do something like that.”

L.Joe sighed a little, standing up from his seat on the swing and going to help you get up, but you refused to move and simply pushed his hand off of you.

Two kids walked past you, and L.Joe tried pulling you a little harder to try to get you to move. He found it humiliating that you were sat on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum, refusing to move. You were embarrassing, but he knew that after upsetting you by telling Jae-Hwa, he couldn’t leave you.

“Mélodie, can you please move?” He tried to make his voice gentle in an attempt to get you off of the floor.

“No.” You said sternly.

“Please.” He begged, looking up and meeting eyes with the kids who had entered the park and were still looking at the show you were putting on by refusing to get off of the floor.

“No.”

“Mélodie, I’m begging you, just get up.”

“No.”

L.Joe let out an exasperated sigh, before sitting down beside you on the sand.

“Mélodie look.” L.Joe began. “You know that I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t have a reason.”

You scoffed and rolled your eyes at him. A reason? He had a reason?

“No reason is enough for you to betray me Byunghun.”

The way you said his name was cold and icy, L.Joe knew that what he had done had hurt you, but now you weren’t even giving him a chance to explain himself! He didn’t reply to you, just simply sat there playing with the sand for a small while.

You heard L.Joe let out a small sigh and he turned to face you.

“What’s wrong?” You asked half-heartedly, looking up at him through your hair, but still not meeting his gaze.

“I love her.” He said simply.

You eyebrows creased and you looked back down at the sand, waiting for him to continue.

“I told Jae-Hwa because I’m in love with her.” He said in a timid, quiet voice.

Jae-Hwa? L.Joe? He loves her? What?!

You stopped playing with the sand and looked up at L.Joe who was now staring at the ground as he confessed it, your eyes wide and your mouth slightly open.

He didn’t react to you, just continued to stare at the ground. You picked up some sand and began to throw it away from where you were sitting, towards the other side of L.Joe.

“Why does everyone love Jae-Hwa?” You grumbled, taking another handful of sand and throwing it. “Is she really that pretty? Is she really that perfect? What’s wrong with me? I try I really do! Why can’t anyone love me like they love her? Why is she so special?”

L.Joe didn’t really understand what you were saying, but he understood what you meant.

“Look, me and Jae-Hwa.” He began. “We planned something... To do with you and Niel.”

You looked up at him, even more confused now, what was he trying to say? They planned something?

“So... You were planning to get us... Niel and me... to- together?” You asked shyly, unsure if you had got the right idea or not.

L.Joe let out a small chuckle.

“Yes.” He said softly. “Me and Jae-Hwa were talking once, and we came up with a plan so that you would spend more time together, and well... begin to appreciate each other a little more.” He paused and you nodded, understanding what he was saying. “But, you really didn’t get on at first, and... that made it hard to get you two in the same room at the same time... alone.”

The realisation hit you like a slap across the face.

“So it was you that locked us together in the kitchen that night?!” You yelled, staring at L.Joe wide eyed.

“Actually...” He began hesitantly. “That was Jae-Hwa.” You felt your eyes narrow slightly at the mention of her name, but you soon relaxed when you realised that if it weren’t for her, you might never even had chance to speak to Niel. “I asked her about what she had done that night, she told me what had happened, and from there we planned everything.”

*[Flashback]*

L.Joe walked over to Jae-Hwa, eyeing Niel suspiciously. It was odd the way he looked at Mélodie. Just the other day he had clearly wanted nothing to do with her. He had ignored her, and not even bothered to try to talk to her, and now he was smiling at her across the breakfast table. Something had definitely happened.

“What happened between them?” L.Joe asked, confusion evident on his face. “How come they’re friends?” He asked, not giving Jae-Hwa time to answer the question.

“Who? Niel and Mélodie.” She smiled and L.Joe nodded. “Ah, I don’t know.” She shrugged.

“I saw you in front of the kitchen last night.” He teased with a smirk. “What did you do?”

“Ok, ok.” Jae-Hwa put her hands up in surrender. “You caught me. I was trying to get Niel and Mélodie together.”

“Like... Together... Together?” L.Joe raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, they’d be perfect together! Don’t you think?”

“Niel seems like he hates Melodie! There’s no way anyone could get them together.”

“See that’s how my magic works.” Jae-Hwa smirked. L.Joe followed her finger to see where she was pointing, and looked towards where Niel and Mélodie were chatting as though they were best friends. “I needed some way of getting them alone together, and Niel was in the kitchen eating, and I heard Mélodie go downstairs, so I waited a while, then I followed her.” She couldn’t help but smile. “When I figured they were both in the kitchen together, I couldn’t help but take the opportunity to... well help them to spend a little more time together.” She explained.

“Jae-Hwa!” L.Joe gasped, a small smile making its way onto his face.

“Hey it worked though! They talked at least, and now they don’t seem to hate each other.” Jae-Hwa smiled triumphantly.

*[End of flashback]*

“So then you planned everything after that?” You asked.

“Yeah.” L.Joe smiled. “Put that wasn’t just it, there was other things we did too.”

“Like what?”

“Well, when you came to the practice room alone to see Niel, and you asked me how I knew that... It was because Jae-Hwa knew. She texted me telling me to be ready for the next stage of the plan, so I told Niel that he should go get a Vitamin Water after practicing, and that they were good for when someone was tired or had been exercising. So he went and bought you one too.”

“Oh.” You were at a loss for words at what L.Joe had just told you.

“And also, I leant Niel my camera so that you could take pictures together. That’s what the text was about, I know you saw it, Jae-Hwa noticed that the notification had gone, and you were the only one that had seen it. It wasn’t anything to worry about regarding Niel, it was a good thing.” He shrugged.

“That’s it though isn’t it?” You asked, certain that was all they had planned.

“No.” L.Joe shook his head gently. “There was the bit where Jae-Hwa took your ipod.” He paused. “It wasn’t really a plan at first, but after seeing what you had written, Jae-Hwa thought it was a good opportunity to see if she had made Niel like you. Even if it was just a little bit.”

You eyes widened a little as you looked at him.

“How did she do that?”

“Well, she did it so that he could realise that while he was being mad at you for what you put, he would realise that actually, he missed you. Apparently Niel asked Jae-Hwa why you had written that, and Jae-Hwa told him you were just mean. I’m sure she didn’t actually mean that, it was just to see how he would react. It went well, he defended you.” He smiled.

“He did?” You asked, shocked that the boy who had been so quiet the previous day in the car had actually stuck up for you.

“He did.” L.Joe confirmed, “That’s when Jae-Hwa knew that he definitely liked you. So not long after that she told him that he was the ‘Daniel’ boy that you had been searching for. She was certain that Niel liked you more that he liked her now.”

You nodded silently as you listened to L.Joe’s explanation.

“Just, don’t hate on Jae-Hwa, she’s just trying to help out and get you and Niel closer.”  Byunghun turned towards you and only now did he notice that you were crying a little. “Oh, No. It’s not like that; I didn’t mean to make you cry...” He hastened to add when he noticed a tear rolling down your cheek.

“No, I’m not upset. I’m just so touched to find out this has been happening, I’ve been so cruel to Jae-Hwa while all along she has just been trying to help me. I should go apologise to her.” You stood up and dusted off your pants that were now covered in sand. “We should probably get back to our dorms now, before anyone notices that we are gone.” You chuckled lightly.

“Ah, we should, I have a feeling C.A.P isn’t going to catch me, he’ll be too busy sleeping.” L.Joe laughed, also standing up.

“When is he not sleeping?”

“Good point.” L.Joe smiled and turned to leave. You smiled back at him, and were about to leave, when you suddenly turned and turned towards L.Joe, putting your arms lightly around his waist.

“Thank you.” You said, your voice quiet, before pulling away and looking down, your face beginning to grow red. “Sorry, I- I’ve never hugged a boy before.” You admitted shyly.

“Ah, it’s ok.” L.Joe gave you a reassuring smile as he began to look a little shy at what you had just admitted. Then you felt L.Joe’s arms wrap around your back and hold you close to him, holding on longer than you had done. “Wait, did you hear that?” L.Joe asked as he pulled away, his eyebrows creased.

“Hear what?”

“That click.”

You frowned and looked around the park before spotting the kids that were playing in the park who were laughing and looking at you.

“Ah, I’m sure it was nothing.” L.Joe reassured you.

“Oh good.” You smiled, going to walk off. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah see you later.” L.Joe gave you a small wave before turning and walking in the opposite direction to you.

As you walked away, you began to feel happier, you hadn’t been this happy in a long time, and it was all down to Jae-Hwa, the very person who you thought was responsible for making your life a misery. Even the kids in the park made you happy, the way they laughed and joked, and pointed at their phones and at you...