Today, Aera was over the moon with happiness. She woke up with a big smile on her face and gained the energy of a whole army. Beside her, Chen was sleeping peacefully. She admired her handsome boyfriend for a moment before deciding that she was too awake to stay in bed. Even if it were only six in the morning.

    “Hmm.” she hummed as she brushed her teeth. “Grocery shopping needs to be done.” she reminded herself. “The house needs to be clean, and I still have that math assignment to do. Maybe after all of that I can go to the school with Tao and help train. Maybe Chen will want to come.”

    She talked to herself as she got ready for her day. Chen was so deep in sleep that he didn’t hear her talking in the same room as him. She put on jeans and a hoodie, since it was chilly in the mornings. When she got upstairs she grabbed a protein bar and her purse and headed out the door.

    “Meat, vegetables, drinks.” she pushed her full cart down the aisle and check off her mental list. “All I need are snacks… and chocolate.”

    The smells of multiple candies hit her as she turned down her current favorite aisle. At the end of the aisle were the colorful boxes and wrappers with enticing photos of chocolates on them. Without a second thought she grabbed ten bars, all for herself. She may have been in a good mood but if anyone came between her and her chocolate it would be D-Day one all over again.

    “Thought I’d find you here.” a voice made itself known. A hand snatched the last candy bar out of the air before it could fall into her cart.

    Aera turned her head and put on a natural smile. “Hey!”

    Suho, who was far from happy, was looking down at the chocolate in his hand. He peered up without moving his head. “You sound happy to see me. Far from the reaction you had a few days ago.”

    “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m not the best person to be around this time of the month.” she apologized nonchalantly.

    “I didn’t notice.” he sneered sarcastically. Despite his shrew tone he still received a laugh from the beaming girl in front of him.

    “So what are you doing here so early?”

    “I go shopping like any other person does.”

    “Oh…” she nodded.

    His eyebrow raised. “What?”

    “Nothing.” she shook her head. “I just thought you’d have people who do that for you.”

    “What makes you think that?”

    Aera let out a laugh. “Suho, you’re filthy rich, and you have the personality of a spoiled prince.” Her voice was so light and chipper that it was as if she weren’t insulting him.

    Suho let out a scoff and looked away from her for a brief second. “E-excuse me?”

    “What? It’s true.” she pushed her cart forward to continue her shopping.

    He followed behind her, ready to going off. “How?”

    “Well, you’re bossy. Sometimes you can be mean. You also think very highly of yourself.” she sighed and shook her head. “Not a good quality to have.”

    He grabbed the bar of the shopping cart and pulled it back effortlessly. Her feet stumbled until her back met his front. Just his mere touch sent chills through her body, and the feeling seemed heightened this time. She could feel his head lower to her ear, his breath on the side of her face and neck made her tense up even more.

    “Aera.”

    The way he spoke her name nearly made her knees weak. She wished she could tell him to buzz off the way she did before so nothing drastic could happen.

    “Do you like making me unhappy?”

    She looked down while holding her breath, his scent was starting to cloud her mind. “I could ask you the same thing.”

    ‘That was the best thing you could have ever said back, Huang Aera.’ She kicked herself inwardly.

    Suho’s grip on the shopping cart tightened along with all the other muscles in his body. All which were felt by Aera, who was standing right up against him.

    “You could be the happiest girl in the world, if you would just let me in.” For once a hint of begging was in his tone.

    She turned her head so she could meet eyes with him. He had been looking right at her the whole time, the way he always did whenever she was with him.

    “Suho.” Now it was his turn to become weakened by her merely saying his name. “You can’t force yourself in. If you do you’re just hurting people, me especially.”

    “What else am I supposed to do?” he asked exasperatedly. “I can’t just watch you go into the arms of another man.”

    “I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to deal with it, because I like him a lot. And if you dare hurt him or the others I am going to be on their side against you. Loyalty is earned, not expected.”

    “I created you. How can I not have your loyalty?”

    “You left me!” The optimism in her voice was fading. “Did you expect me to wait for you like a lost puppy? Kris and the others helped me when you didn’t. It was your responsibility to take care of me, so this is all your fault in the end.”

    Suho took a deep breath and ignored the boiling in the put of his core. “I didn’t even know you had survived, how was-”

    Both of them noticed his slip on words.

    “Survived?” she repeated. “You thought… I was dead?” she felt her heart twitch in pain. “You meant to kill me that night?”

    “Aera…” he could not find the words to explain his case.

    “If Kris hadn’t taken me in you wouldn’t have been interested in me in the first place. You’re just an arrogant, selfish, and senseless .” She quickly walked off to pay for her groceries and get out of there as soon as possible.

    “Where’s Aera?” Luhan had dragged everyone to the Huang house early. The cheery and bubbly Aera was her favorite.

    “I don’t know. I woke up and she wasn’t there.” Chen was texting her to ask for her whereabouts.

    “She is probably out shopping. She is like a disney princess on these days. Cooking, cleaning, singing.” Tao poured himself a cup of coffee. “It’s kind of sickening.”

    “Oh, she sounds delightful!” Luhan beamed. Kris, who stood behind him, rolled his eyes.

    “I’m hooome!” a voice sang.

    “Hey.” Kai and Baekhyun waved from the couch, where Chanyeol was sleeping.

    “Aera!” Luhan looked like a mother gazing upon his radiant daughter.

    “Lu ge.” she skipped in with so many groceries in her hand. “Are you guys here for breakfast?”

    “We brought donuts.” Kris informed. Chen and Tao were munching on glazed goodness in their pajamas.

    “Yay!” she put down the bags and snatched a chocolate covered donut. Chen walked up to her and out an arm around her waist comfortably. A peck on her cheek made them both beam warmly.

    “Eew!” Tao threw a crumpled napkin at Chen’s head. He was too mesmerized by Aera to care. After a moment of leaning against her and inhaling her scent he tensed.

    “You smell like Suho.” he whispered. Tao couldn’t hear, but the others in the house could. They all looked in her direction.

    She let out a sigh, not wanting her happiness to die. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

    The air was intense until Luhan broke it. “Let’s put all these away, shall we?” he referred to the groceries on the counter.

    “Please change clothes.” Chen begged her in a hushed tone. “His scent is all over you.

    She remembered how close she was to Suho before and instantly felt guilty, then sadness made the pit in her stomach heavier. “Ok.”

    They watched her slump up the stairs intently. Her positive light was fading.

    Luhan threw a bag of chips at Chen with his jaw clenched. “You made her upset!” he hissed.

    “She was with Suho! I should be upset!” the both were whispering so Tao wouldn’t catch on. Luckily, he moved to the living room to play video games with Baekhyun and Kai.

    “Chen.” Kris stepped in. “You know that she has no control when it comes to him.”

    “She seems more bothered than usual. He must have said something to her.”

    Chen scratched the back of his neck remorsefully. “I hate him.”

    “Chen.” Kris knew that hate was the last thing any of them needed. If they let Suho get to them then he would have won a battle they didn’t want to fight.

    “So, what do you guys want to do today?” Aera asked on her way down the stairs. Chen instantly went to her so he could put an arm around her lovingly. His touch made her immediately feel better.

    “It’s getting kinda cold outside, so how about we go shopping? The holidays are coming up.” Luhan reminded.

    “That is true.” Aera poked her chin thoughtfully. “Tao!”

    “Yeah?” he replied from the living room.

    “Want to go shopping?”

    He appeared at the entryway at the blink of an eye. “Of course. I’ll go get ready.” They laughed as he rushed up the stairs.

    “Shopping!?” Chanyeol groaned.

    “I’ll go get ready.” Chen went upstairs to change clothes.

    “I’ll call Soomi.” Aera pulled out her phone and dialed her best friend’s number. It rang a few times until there was an answer.

    “Hello?”

    “Hey! We’re going shopping today. Want to come?”

    “Uh... I’d love to, but I have plans already.” Soomi sounded apologetic.

    “Aaw, that . Well, have fun. What are you doing?”

    “Nothing much, just some cleaning. It’s been a while.”

    Aera thought it was strange that Soomi was ditching shopping for cleaning, but she trusted her enough not to pry.

    “Oh, well, have fun. See you tomorrow.”

    “See ya!”

    Tao came skipping down the stairs in a chic outfit that outshone all of them. “I’m ready!”

    “Wow. I see you’re trying to get them girls to stop and stare.” Aera teased. She approached him and fixed his hair like a mother to her child.

    “What about you? You have a boyfriend, are you trying to cause trouble?” he played with her hair in return.

    “Aigoo.” Baekhyun howled. “These two divas competing for best dressed.”

    “Can’t help that we look fabulous.” Tao put his arm around his sister’s neck and posed dramatically.

    “It’s genetic.” she added shamelessly.

    “So is arrogance.” Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

    “Ready.” Chen came down in comfortable yet fashionable clothes. He had more clothes in Aera’s room than he thought.

    “My boyfriend is so handsome!” Aera squealed and ran to hug him.

    “Let’s go.” Kris opene