Flashback

"Hey, i need you to know something." Taehoon grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him, so that we were face to face. He stared straight into my eyes as he spoke.

"D..deh?"

"I don't want us to be friends anymore. I can't stand being friends with you. Do you know how impossible that is? Lee Jieun, do you know?" He tighten his grip on me.

I could almost feel his nails digging into my flesh, but now i was too shock to even bother. That wasn't what hurt. What hurt was his words just now.

Did he say he didn't want to be friends anymore?

Did he not want to be my best friend anymore?

"Did.. did i.. did i do something…wrong?" I looked up at him, tears b in my eyes.

Kim Taehoon, do you know what you're saying?

My hands trembled while i tried to stop myself from tearing. No matter how hard i tried though, they just kept flowing, a drop after the other.

"Hey, look at me." He tugged on my hand as i avoided his gaze.

I couldn't bring myself to look at him at all.

"Jieun, look at me." His voice sounded again, this time firmer than before. 

"I can't do this," I whispered, breaking free from his grasp. As soon as i was free, i started to run.

"Jieun!" I felt him hugging me from behind. His arms wrapped around my waist, his face buried into my hair. "I love you,"

Those words tingled at my ears and melted like butter on hot pancakes. 

What was he saying?

Does he even know what he was doing?

"Oppa, let go." I tried to articulate firmly despite my quavering voice. 

"Silheo." 

And that was when he started to sing. 

Searching the memories where I loved you crazily.. 

Those memories haunt me 

But i cant hide from this love any longer 

I shouldnt do this 

But i miss you to death 

The 3 words that came after made me felt like i was the happiest person in the world then. 

"Be my girlfriend?"

End of flashback

"Jieun?"

"Jieun?"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my daze and quickly wiped the tears that were rolling down my cheek with the back of my hand. 

"What's wrong…?" Junho stopped singing and turned off the music and stared at me. I shook my head and looked out at the window. We were in the neighborhood and were reaching home soon. But I didn't feel like going home, not now, not yet.

As though Junho read my mind, he made a detour to the park nearby and drove us to the carpark. He turned off the engines and took out his seatbelt so that he was seated, cross legged, facing me.

I looked at him blankly, not quite sure what he was doing.

"Aren't we supposed to go home? It's late, Junho. Ju Seob oppa will be mad."

"We're not going anywhere until you feel better, Ji. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, you just have to feel better, araso?" He pulled onto my arm so that i was too, facing him.

"Wait here for awhile," Junho got out of the car before i could even ask why.

Quietly, i sat in the car and told myself that it was a thing of the past. 

Past.

My past - that's what i can't forget the most. I hated how i always remind myself of the past, how i always convince myself that i've moved on but in reality, i just simply buried everything in my heart. And when something triggers it to come out, i get emotional all over again.

Suddenly, i heard a knock on the window. Turning around, i saw Junho standing outside, waving a bar of hershey's chocolate at me. He smiled and pointed for me to go to the backseat while he himself got into the car. I decided i was too lazy to get out of the car so i climbed from the front seat to the back.

"What are you doing?" I raised an eyebrow at him. 

He smiled, before peeling the wrapper off the chocolate bar and breaking it into small cubes. Taking a piece in his hand, he raised it to my mouth and motioned me to open up. 

"Ahhh~" 

I opened my mouth uncertainly and the chocolatey treat immediately melted in my mouth. I was already feeling a little better as the chocolate washed down my throat. Chocolate was my ultimate favorite comfort food, period.

"Chocolate makes you feel better doesn't it?"

I nodded and pointed at the bar of chocolate. Junho smiled and offered me the whole bar. Taking the chocolate bar in my hand, i began to silently munch on it, piece by piece. 

I had to cheer up quickly. 

"Sharing is caring," Junho's voice broke the silence. He looked at me with his mouth wide open. I laughed at his childishness and broke off a piece of chocolate and fed it to him. However, when my fingers reached his lips, he bit the chocolate AND my finger!

"Ouch! Junho!" I frowned as i rubbed my saliva-infested finger on his shirt. 

"Mianhe~" He laughed and took my finger to his lips once again, this time kissing it lightly. "There, all better. But Ji, your finger's actually rather tasty." He wriggled his eyebrows and smirked.

Urgh, he will be the death of me.

"You and your nonsense, jinjja." I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him.

I looked at the time on my handphone and i realized that it was already 10 PM.

"Don't worry about the time, Ji. Taec hyung isn't even home yet." Junho took my phone away from me and placed it in his pocket.

"My pho-" I was going to protest but he shushed me. 

"Just forget about everything else for a moment, okay? Nothing else outside this car matters for now, okay?" His voice was filled with conviction.

I nodded and scurried myself closed to him. Instinctively, he raised his arm and wrapped it around my shoulders while i laid against his chest. After awhile, i suddenly sat up. Junho looked at me quizzically.

"Why are we behaving so much like a couple huh?" I bit my lower lip as i started furiously looking around to see if anyone saw us.

What if someone really did and even took photos? I really don't want to ruin things for Junho.

Junho softly chuckled and pushed my head back towards him so that it rested on his chest. 

"Don't be silly. Why can't we behave like this? You love me, don't you?" 

"I do, but not in tha-"

"Then it's alright for us to be like that then." He cut me off. "Well, do you feel better now?"

I half-nodded. 

I did feel better, honestly. Even if it was a little bit, i did feel better then before.

"Just remember, i'm always here for you, araso?"

"Thank you, Junho." I smiled, wrapping my arms around his waist and giving him a small hug.

"You've always been there for us, so now it's time for us to be there for you."  He pulled away and ruffled my hair. "Shall we go back?"

"Deh. Taec's gonna think we got kidnapped or something and Ju Seob oppa will freak," I laughed.

--

Heavy footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs in the silent house. Everybody was still sleeping when this stranger made his way in. Heading for the third level, he went straight to Jieun’s room. 2AM’s ballads could be heard playing softly in the background - those were what helped her to sleep the best.

Gently, he turned the knob and push the wooden door open.

Jieun heard her door creak open and turned to her side. She blinked a few times and mumbled a few incoherent words before sitting herself up, where she came face to face with the stranger that was now by her bed.

“AHHHHHHH!”

“AHHHH!”

They both stared at each other in incomprehensible shock.

“Oppa! You scared me!” Jieun threw a pillow that was within her grasp, at Ju Seob. 

“What are you doing here, at 4AM?!” she hugged her blanket around her defensively and eyed the older male.

"I.. Uh.. I came to wake the boys up for practice,” he managed to say. Colour was rushing to his cheek as he greeted her awkwardly, with the pillow in his hand.

“Oh.. You gave me a shock you know!” Jieun frowned before lying down and pulling her blanket over her again. “In that case, i’m going back to sleep.”

“Andwae,” Ju seob held on the end of her blanket and pulled it away from her body. “From today onwards, you have to be with us for all their schedules, geuraeso, pali ileona and help me get the boys.”

Jieun groaned while reluctantly getting out of her bed and Ju seob swore he could here her cussing under her breath.

After quickly washing up, she went to call Junho up first, since his room was the nearest to hers.

“Junho ah, ileona.” she shook his motionless body. Junho nodded groggily and waved her off before going back to his same position again. She shook him once again, then twice, before finally smacking his prominent bum.

“Yah!” Junho’s hand flew to the spot where she hit him and he immediately sat up. 

“Lee Jieun, chugoshipo?” he mumbled, pulling Jieun down towards the bed. Aiming all her sides, he began to tickle her senseless.

“J..j..Junho ah hahahahahahhaa.. S..hahaha.. Stooopppp! Hahahahha!” Jieun tried to squirm out of his grasp but to no avail. Finally pinning her down so that she was lying beside him, Junho whispered in her ear.

“Try that again… And you won’t make it out alive.” He smirked.