Eunyoung looked around as she reached the main street. She tried to look for N, because it wasn’t too long after he dashed out of the restaurant. She put her hand on her forehead to block the sunlight. She was taking her cell phone when she saw a familiar back at the bus stop ahead. She narrowed her eyes and she was sure that it was N. She thought he would wait for the bus, but it turned out he caught a cab. Eunyoung instantly ran to chase after him while shouting his name, but at that moment a giant truck passed by with its super-loud honk.

“Oppa! HAKYEON OPPA!” her scream was useless as she saw N got into the taxi.

Merely a second after his taxi left, another one came from behind. She immediately caught it and got in. “Follow that taxi over there!” she almost shouted to the driver.

The driver wanted to catch up but the street was so crowded, so they couldn’t move freely. Eunyoung had her eyes locked on N’s taxi, making sure she didn’t lose him. Even if she couldn’t stop him halfway, at least she could still talk to him when they arrived. N’s taxi took a left turn ahead, which made Eunyoung frowning. Isn’t this near to SPICA’s dorm? She thought to herself. When the taxi in front of hers took another turn to the left, she knew her thought was right. So… It was Jiwon sunbae who called…

N’s taxi stopped right in front of SPICA’s dorm. Eunyoung told the driver to stop, about three houses from their dorm. “Ajusshi, just stop here. Thank you,” she said while giving him the money.

She hid behind a tree and watched N coming in to the dorm. SPICA’s dorm had a quite large garden, and apparently they were on some kind of picnic. They were cooking and grilling some BBQs on the garden. A table with 6 chairs were already set, too. Eunyoung moved to a closer tree to see them clearer. She didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but eventually she heard.

“Hakyeon-ah, you came!” Jiwon shouted. N bowed to greet her and the other SPICA members. “Here, eat some.” Jiwon feed him a macaroon right away. N was startled but he welcomed it happily.

“It’s good that we went for jogging together this morning. I have troubled you today, so I thought I should invite you over,” Jiwon said to Hakyeon. Eunyoung squinted.

“If you didn’t help me, it would take me like, a whole day to move those interiors to my room. Next time we renovate, I’ll make sure I call the movers first,” she laughed along with the members and N.

Eunyoung was dumb-founded on her spot. She just understood why he came late. He went for jogging with Jiwon, dropped her off, then he found out that she had some furniture to move to her room, and he helped her. Eunyoung patted her own chest as she found herself suddenly breathless. She felt her tears were about to drop, so she looked up and blinked her eyes few times. She gasped for air but her chest felt like burning. Suddenly…

“Eunyoung-ah!” N was shocked. Eunyoung looked at him with her eyes goggled, just as shocked. She didn’t hear the gate was opened, and he wouldn’t imagine she was there. They just looked at each other for a good 5 second, due to the shock.

“Wha-what are you doing here?” N talked first. Eunyoung gulped, trying to breathe properly.

“I-I tried to go after you, because I wanted some explanation… But you were already in the taxi so I followed you here…” she stammered. “I thought I was going to ask you once you got off the taxi, but I didn’t think it would turn out like this…” her voice broke. Tears started to fill her eyes again.

“Eunyoung-ah, I…” N wanted to explain, but he didn’t what to say, or where to start to begin with.

Eunyoung force a smile as she said, “So that’s why you didn’t reply my text right away this morning? And that’s why you were late?” she asked with a bitter smile. Her lips turned pale as she was holding her tears.

“You could at least be honest to me… You could’ve at least told me…" she muttered. One tear dropped. N never felt as guilty. He didn’t want to hurt her in the first place, so he had been putting up with her. But it turned out he just gave her false interpretation and ended up hurting her even more.

“Eunyoung-ah…” his voice were shaky.

“Let’s just settle this, okay?” Eunyoung wiped her tears. “I will ask you frankly this time. If you like me, then come with me. But if you don’t, and you choose Jiwon unnie, then stay here.”

At that moment, Jiwon came out, intending to throw the garbage. “O! Eunyoung-ah! What are you doing here?”

N and Eunyoung were shocked as they didn’t see her coming. And they absolutely didn’t expect she would come out. N was lost of words, and Eunyoung was blanked for a moment.

“I’m just passing by, unnie. I saw Hakyeon oppa, so I came and greeted him,” she lied.

“Then why don’t you join us? We made a lot of delicious food!” Jiwon invited her, as she was oblivious as to what was happening.

Eunyoung shook her head and politely rejected, “No unnie, I have some errands to do. But thank you for inviting me over.”

She then looked at N and said, “So oppa, are you coming with me?” she asked, hinting him to choose whether to come or stay.

N got her point, and he hesitated. “Oh, you’re going with her, Hakyeon-ah?” Jiwon asked. N couldn’t answer. He looked at Jiwon, and then at Eunyoung.

His voice broke when he said, “No Eunyoung-ah, I’m not going with you.”

Eunyoung felt her heart was ripped apart. She nodded once and said, “Okay.”

She bowed to Jiwon before leaving the place in quick steps. She didn’t want them to see her breaking down. At the crossroad, she turned right and start running. That was when she hit someone again hard, which caused that person also lost his balance and they both fell. She heard him groaned when his body hit the road. Eunyoung opened her eyes and realized that she fell on top of him, which hurt him even more.

Eunyoung got up first and helped him to stand while apologizing many times. “I’m very sorry… Uh, I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay, miss,” he answered. Eunyoung recognized his voice, so she looked up.

“O! It’s you!” she almost shouted as soon as she found that same face with blonde hair which is hard to miss. He looked at her and came to as surprised, “O! The girl on the restaurant…”

Eunyoung was embarrassed, but still worried. “Are you hurt?” she asked with a low voice.

“Is this your hobby? Hitting people?” he chuckled. Eunyoung felt guilty as she looked down and apologized again.  When she looked down, she realized that she was still holding his arm. She immediately let go of it and apologized—again. He laughed.

“You don’t have to keep apologizing, I’m really fine. No injuries anywhere,” he said as he once again checked his own body. “What about you?” he asked.

“No, thanks to you, I’m fine…” she answered. Suddenly, even without her knowing, a tear fell. He was flabbergasted.

“Miss… Why are you crying? Are you hurt?” he found himself panic and worried at the same time. Eunyoung was confused, but quickly wiped her tears when she felt it flowing down on her cheek.

“Ah, it’s nothing… I should be going then. Once again, I’m sorry, and thank you…” she bowed as she abruptly left. Without looking around, she went to cross the street. She didn’t notice a car was coming fast.

“STOP!” a loud exclaim smacked her head. She turned her head and found a car heading towards her, fast. Right when she was about to move her feet to avoid, a hand already strongly pulled her arm and embraced her.

Everything was so fast. People on the street were looking at them, as they were shocked also. That blonde person pulled her away from him and glared at her.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU COULD’VE DIED!” he yelled. He felt that the girl she was holding is shaking. She looked at him with an expression full of panic, shock, and guilt.

“I’m… I’m sorry…” Those words were the only words she could think of. Tears started to fall on her face, again, without her wanting them to.

He was stunned, even though he was still in panic mode. He was thinking to leave her there, but seeing her tears, he just couldn’t walk away. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he needed to stay with her for a while. He sighed and took her hand.

“My car’s over there. Let’s go,” he said. Eunyoung who was still in shock, didn’t say anything and just let him take her.

He picked out his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. “Hyung, I don’t think I can join you to the lounge. You guys just go,” he said. Someone on the other end said something, and he nodded before hanging up the phone.

He opened the door for her, and then he got in to the car. He started the engine first.

“Miss?” he called her. Eunyoung wiped her tears and looked at him. She seemed like she had gotten her mind straight.

“Is your body okay?” he asked, knowing obviously her heart was not. Eunyoung nodded.

“Now, do you want me to take you?” he asked again, half-relieved knowing at least her body was fine.

Eunyoung paused for a while. She then said, “Anywhere, away from here.”

He looked at her to make sure if that what she wanted. She put on the best smile she could—which was not very good—and gave her hand.

“I’m Joo Eunyoung. I’m sorry for keep troubling you,” her voice was hoarse.

He smiled warmly, partly amazed that she could still manage to introduce herself. He took her hand, “Kim Seyong. You can pay me back later,” he tried to light up the mood. Apparently he succeeded, because she chuckled.

He then stepped on accelerator pedal and drove away.