Chapter 59

Lucy was busy looking the invoice of the weekly order as Zelo and Jongup went about with their cleaning. It was a slow night so it was only fair for the three of them to prepare for closing. They were hoping to finish up in time to leave early since they all did not want to be there all night. Lucy was over her long work day. She could really go home and use a hot bath, maybe urging Annie to tell her about what happened with Yongguk in the hopes of getting her mind off Jesse. She shook the thought away knowing that he was not going to come back. Maybe Daehyun and Youngjae were right, she thought, What's the use of waiting around when he's not going to come back? I'm only wasting my time. She sighed before resuming her work.

Before long, the door opened. “I'm sorry, we're closed!” Lucy called out without looking up from her clipboard.

“Sorry, didn't mean to impose,” a familiar voice rang out in response. “I just saw the OPEN sign and the door was unlocked.”

“Damn it! Which one of you guys forgot lock the door?!” she shouted towards Zelo and Jongup, both of whom scurried away immediately in the hopes of avoiding Lucy's wrath.

“Did you forget to lock the door, hyung?” Zelo asked, turning to Jongup.

Jongup shrugged, scratching his head in confusion. “I thought you were supposed to do it after you took out the trash,” he replied, looking away sheepishly.

Zelo groaned. “Great, now Lucy noona's gonna be pissed off,” he grumbled.

“But isn't she already pissed off?” Jongup inquired.

Soon, both boys turned their heads slowly towards Lucy's direction. The stranger who entered was clearly a last minute customer and as much as they hated having last minute customers, they had no other choice but to serve him until he was ready to leave. If they wanted to keep the business afloat then of course it would be reasonable to stay open for a few more minutes. They hoped he would order something to go as opposed to eating in the cafe. They couldn't see his face but something about him was odd because there was a look of shock on Lucy's face when she faced him. Curiously, they drew closer to see who he was.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“I came to see you again,” he answered curtly.

“Why?” her voice shook. “After you inadvertently broke up with me? Do you just expect me to just let you walk in and out of my life as you please?” It was then, when Zelo and Jongup realized that this was Jesse, the ex-boyfriend Lucy was still trying to move on from. They were told by Daehyun and Youngjae to keep a close eye in case he turned up.

“Luce...” he began. “I needed time to think.”

“Time to think of what?” she sniffled.

He remained still.

She scoffed. “Of course, when you're thrown under the bus, you almost always have nothing to say,” she shook her head. “Unbelievable.”

“Lucy, why do you have to be like this?” he asked, drawing closer to her.

“Stay away from me!” she shouted, prompting everyone in the room to flinch, even Jongup and Zelo, both of whom were cowering behind the wall. “I don't ever want to see you again.”

“Should we do something?” Jongup whispered to Zelo, remembering Daehyun and Youngjae's request.

Zelo, in turn, shrugged. “May as well,” he replied, before stepping out of the shadows followed by Jongup. “Lucy noona, is everything okay?” asked Zelo, as he emerged from the shadows.

Lucy and Jesse turned their heads to face them. Immediately, Lucy wiped her face with her hands, looking away from them. “I'm fine, Zelo,” she managed to say. “You guys continue working. I can handle it.” Zelo and Jongup fixed their hardened stares at Jesse before complying with Lucy's wish. Nevertheless, they would stick close by in case their help was needed.

“I didn't mean to bother you at work, Luce,” Jesse continued as he turned to face her. “I just figured this was the only way I can find you.”

“You should go,” said Lucy firmly, looking away from him.

“Luce...”

“Just go!” she cried out. “I don't ever want to see you again.”

“But--”

“I believe she just asked you to leave,” a deep voice rang out from behind.

The whole room grew silent upon seeing the stranger standing by the door. He looked oddly familiar as if he was a ghost of some sort. Even Lucy was a little stunned. “Who the hell are you?” Jesse demanded.

“Someone who doesn't tolerate guys like you,” he said fixing his dark stare at Jesse. “Especially if you won't leave her alone.”

“Jesse, leave,” Lucy demanded. “Don't make me repeat myself again.”

Without another word, Jesse proceeded to turn around and leave. As soon as he was gone, the whole room grew silent once again with Lucy, Jongup, and Zelo eying the stranger wearily. He soon turned to face them, giving them a warm smile. “He's gone,” he spoke up. Silence. The three of them gaped at the stranger in astonishment. “Is there something on my face?” he moved his hand about towards his face cautiously. “You guys all look like you've seen a ghost or something.

Waking Lucy from her brief reverie, she finally cleared . “Aren't you supposed to be with Annie right now?” she finally asked.

He froze, glancing from her to the two younger boys. “I think you have the wrong person,” he said.

Lucy, Jongup, and Zelo stood still, mouths agape. “So—so you're the twin?” Lucy uttered.

He chuckled. “I see you've already heard about me,” he said smoothly.

“So, the rumors are true,” Lucy crossed her arms walking over to him. “There's two of you.”

“You heard right,” he spoke matter-of-factly before extending his hand to her. “I'm Yongnam, by the way.”

“Lucy,” she replied curtly, shaking his hand briefly. “So... how do I tell you guys apart?”

Yongnam chuckled. “That's easy,” he told her before winking. “I'm the better-looking one.”

She stared flatly at him. “Charming,” she said dryly before changing the subject. “Anyways, may I ask what you're doing here at this time of night?” She looked around the near empty cafe before turning back to face him. “It's getting late and we're about to close.”

“Sorry,” he apologized, looking away sheepishly. “My phone died and couldn't find the nearest pay phone let alone I'm walking around Seoul like a lost puppy at the moment. So I figured I'd find the first lighted building I could find and then—what do you know—I found myself here.” He told her before glancing at the younger boys. “Hello, I'm Bang Yongnam. Nice to meet you,” he introduced himself.

“Hi,” Jongup and Zelo returned with their own greeting.

“I'm Zelo,” the tall boy introduced himself before gesturing over to his best friend. “And this is Jongup.” The latter nodded in return, as both boys eyed the twin curiously.

“Nice meeting you guys,” he grinned. Lucy couldn't help but observe him closely. Everything about him from his deep voice to his nose and eyes was screaming Yongguk but the one distinct feature which was different was the fact that he had dimples when he smiled. It was mesmerizing nevertheless.

Instinctively, she took out her phone then handed it to him. “Here,” she said. “Call who you need to call so I can close up shop. I don't have all night.”

“Geez, so demanding,” he muttered.

Lucy shot him a look, prompting him to soften right away. “Look pal, it's been a long and ty day so the last thing you want is to get under my skin and believe me, you do NOT want to get on my bad side,” she warned him.

He raised his hands in defeat. “I'll be out of your way in no time,” he assured her.

Before long, Zelo and Jongup finished up then made their way over to Lucy. “Noona, we're finished,” Zelo announced.

Lucy perked up and looked around. “Okay,” she nodded. “You guys could clock out and go.”

“Will you be okay with Yongnam hyung?” Jongup asked, glancing at Yongnam who was pacing around by the door pressing Lucy's phone against his ear.

“I'll be fine, Jongup,” she assured him. She gave both boys a warm smile to assure them she'd be fine being left alone with Yongnam for a while longer. Clearly he hadn't gotten in touch with his ride which would delay her plans for a relaxing night. “Besides, if he tries something, I can beat his if I wanted to,” she gave him a reassuring wink, which allowed the boys to relax a bit. They chuckled at her brashness and nodded in return.

“If you say so, noona,” Jongup finally said. “We'll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright see you then,” she waved goodbye to them. “Have a good night.”

“Thanks, you too,” Zelo grinned before turning to leave followed by Jongup.

Together, they made their way out the door but not without bidding their own goodbyes to Yongnam who waved briefly before making another call. Once they were out the door, Lucy waited a moment before making her way over to him. “Almost done?” she asked, sounding a little eager.

He sighed. “No one's answering,” he shook his head before handing the phone back to her.

“Calling your brother?” Lucy raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head once again. “Nope, he's still with Annie,” he said. “I didn't want to bother them.”

Lucy chuckled. “How very considerate of you,” she remarked, shaking her head.

“I'm just calling up some buddies to see if they're willing to hang out tonight but they're either not answering or never got back to me,” he sighed before turning back to face her. “And now I'm standing here looking like an idiot using a stranger's phone trying to figure out how I'm spending my night.” He sighed once again. “Decisions, decisions.”

Lucy looked up at him. “Look, pal, if you're trying to look for some sort of pity, I don't have time for that right now,” she warned him. “I've dealt with enough for tonight.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he raised his hands to calm her down. “That's not what I'm looking for.” He told her. Before long, he proceeded to make his way out the door. “Anyways, thanks for letting me use your phone, Lucy. Your act of kindness will not go unnoticed.” He mused, waving goodbye to her.

Feeling remorseful, Lucy soon followed him out the door. “Wait!” she called out to him. He stopped abruptly, before looking over his shoulder, furrowing his brows in confusion. As soon as Lucy locked the door to the cafe, she made her way over to him. “I'm sorry about the way I acted a while ago,” she looked down at the ground below them sheepishly. “It's just been a long and crappy day.”

“I can tell,” he remarked with a bemused grin.

“Anyways, I don't usually ask this but do you need a ride or something?” she asked worriedly.

“Oh no,” he shook his head immediately, “I can't let you do that. I wouldn't want to be a burden or anything.”

“You're not,” she pointed out, before sighing. “Look, it's the least I can do. You're clearly stranded without any other options. I'd hate to break it to you but your buddies are probably not going to respond back to you right away,” He shot her a look. She shrugged in return, “I know I don't know them but from what I've noticed, you're kind of out of options at this point.” She finally said before proceeding to walk off. When she realized he was still standing there, she turned around once again. “Are you coming or what?”

Before long, he soon followed her to the car. “Thanks, Luce,” he said as soon as he buckled up.

Lucy shot him a look. “I don't think we're on friendly terms for you to call me that,” she barked back.

He raised his brows. “Oh,” he uttered, “Sorry.”

“Here are some rules you should abide by,” she turned to face him. “Do not speak comfortably with me. Do not inquire about my personal life. We will only have a civil conversation like normal adults. I ask the questions and I expect you to answer them. From what I can tell, you seem like the type to pry into other people's affairs,” she sneered. “Anyways, do you have any questions for me?”

He gaped at her momentarily before shaking his head, “No.” He had to admit he found her to be one amusing character. Clearly, she was the girl on the other end of the line when he called Daehyun and Youngjae to give them the status update between his brother and Annie.

“Good,” she said before starting up the car.

After a brief moment of silence, Yongnam spoke up, glancing at her, “I was only trying to help.”

Lucy's jaw tightened. “Do I look like someone who needs help?” she glanced back at him askew.

He sighed, “Of course not. You just looked like you were about to break any second in the presence of that guy...”

Her eyes sparkled and they glistened as the moisture inside them began to well up. She tried her best to blink back her tears. “Well, I'm fine now,” she managed to say, attempting to keep her voice steady.

“Luce--”

She shook her head. “You've already violated two rules,” she cut him off as she continued to drive ahead.

From what he was observing, Lucy was clearly not over the guy and he couldn't help but grow curious. But then, like she had insisted, he should know better than to pry into her personal life. Besides, it wasn't like he'd see her again. “You can stop here,” he told her as soon as they reached a lighted area. “I can take it from here.”

She turned to face him. “What? Are you sure?” she asked apprehensively.

He nodded. “I'll be fine, Lucy,” he said, using her full name. “I'm a grown man. I can handle what's out there.”

Sighing, she pulled the car over. “What were your plans?” she couldn't help but ask.

“I could use a drink,” he told her. “And I intend for that to happen in the next”--he looked down at his watch--”few minutes or so.”

A drink sure sounded a bit tempting, she thought. Given the crappy night she'd been dealt with, she could use one too. Before long, she looked back at Yongnam. “Mind if I join you?” she asked, attempting a hopeful grin of her own.

In turn, Yongnam gave her an astonished grin, “I thought you'd never ask.”

Yongguk grinned cheekily as he was driving Annie home that night. Instinctively, he reached over and grabbed her hand. She was clearly taken by surprise as she glanced back at him, furrowing her brows. Finally, she relaxed allowing him to caress her hand as he drove along. “Tonight, has been a great night,” he beamed, staring at the road ahead.

Annie chuckled. “That, I agree with,” she nodded, caressing his hand in return. “Thanks.”

He glanced back at her tenderly and grinned warmly once again. “Anytime,” he finally said. “I should also be thanking you.”

“For what?” she eyed him curiously.

“For being honest with me for once,” he told her. “You're the first girl who's ever been so open and honest about her feelings for me. It's almost refreshing to hear.”

She blushed, turning to look away from him. “Please don't remind me,” she pleaded. “It's been a very humiliating experience as it is!”

He chuckled. “Come on, there's nothing wrong with being embarrassed!” he assured her. “I just happen to think it's very cute of you to finally fess up. Being direct is a very good thing.”

“Your brother pushed me to tell you,” she muttered.

“I know, he told me,” he turned to her.

“Did he now?” Annie perked up. “What did he say?”

“He straight up blurted everything out,” he answered.

“Like what exactly?” she continued.

“Well, when you left us alone briefly, he just told me everything,” he replied bemusedly.

Annie froze before slumping back against the seat of his car. “Oh gosh!” she groaned in mortification. “He told you everything?! I can't believe he did that!” She exclaimed, clearly remembering the confession she had made to the wrong brother.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he tried to calm her down. “Relax... There's nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She relaxed, “He told you that I confessed to him in the recording room...”

“He just told me you liked me and--” he trailed off before stopping himself. “Wait, what did you say?”

Annie's eyes widened. Uh-oh... she covered with her hands and shook her head immediately.

“Annie,” his tone was firm. “What did you say?”

“Nothing,” her voice was muffled behind her hands.

“Tell me,” he demanded.

Before long, he parked near her building. “Oh we're here!” she announced. “Listen, I had a nice time. See you when I see you!” she exclaimed immediately unbuckling her seat belt. Instinctively, she leaned over to give him a quick peck on the lips. “Good night,” she grinned before proceeding to open the door.

“Wait,” he grabbed her arm firmly. In no time, he pulled her close before placing his lips against hers, deepening the kiss. As soon as he broke away from her, he lightly brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. The sensation itself was giving Annie goosebumps. It was a strange feeling but she was enjoying every second of it. “This conversation isn't over.” She nodded innocently. “You owe me an explanation.” She nodded once again. “I'll hold you to it.”

“Whatever you say, Bang,” she grinned. “I should get going now. Drive safely.” Stepping out of the car, she waved to him. He waved back briefly before driving off. Glancing at his rear view mirror, he watched her retreating figure make her way into the building.

As Annie happily made her way to the building, her reverie was soon interrupted the the sound of groaning coming from the side of the building. Squinting towards that direction, she noted something familiar and odd. The figure leaned against the wall to the building as if he was expecting her. She could feel her heart thumping rapidly as she neared the building, ready to put up a fight in case the stranger made a move. “Annie...” he uttered.

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Annie drew close enough to see that the stranger was Himchan, clearly intoxicated. Gasping, she immediately ran over to help him as he was stumbling to stand up. “Hey,” she reached out a hand to touch his handsome face. “Are you okay?”

He opened his eyes and grinned. “You're here,” he told her. “I was waiting for you...”

Annie turned her head in disgust. The stench of alcohol was really strong and she wondered how much he had to drink but clearly that was not important at the moment. She could already tell he was in no shape to drive home. And since it was late at night, she was not one to leave him stranded out in the cold like this. After much consideration, she decided it was best for him to spend the night. Lucy would understand, she hoped. “Alright buddy,” she grunted as she placed his arm over her shoulder. “Let's get you upstairs.”

He removed his arm immediately. “I'll be fine,” he slurred.

“No, you're not,” she hissed. “Let me help you.”

“No, I'm not letting you help me,” he continued, remaining firmly still. “I won't go up until you forgive me.”

Annie sighed. She had forgotten a bit about the angry part but now that he was reminding her, it was really starting to annoy her. “Come on, Himchan,” she insisted. “I'm not letting you go home like this.”

“Annie,” he pleaded. “All I want is your forgiveness. Please. You mean a lot to me...”

She swallowed hard, biting her tongue. “Come on, Himchan,” she said calmly, wanting to ignore his pleas.

“No, not until you forgive me,” he shook his head slowly.

“Fine,” she muttered through gritted teeth. Clearly, she was in no mood to argue with him. “You're forgiven.”

He chuckled. “Yay,” he grinned triumphantly.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she placed his arm over her shoulder to help him into the building. At the same time, she was clearly astonished by him as they made their way inside. Even when he was drunk, she noticed that he was very stubborn and hardheaded as frustrating as it was, she felt horrible for being so harsh on him. It was almost kind of heartbreaking to see him so vulnerable. “Almost there,” she uttered as they made their way to her door.

“It's over,” he said sleepily.

“What?” she asked, clearly not understanding what he was trying to say.

“It's over,” he repeated. “Miranda—It's over.” He giggled.

Sighing, she shook her head as she dug into her purse for her house keys while trying to help him stand up. “Alright buddy,” she said placing the key into her doorknob. “We'll talk about this in the morning. Now, let's get you inside.”

A/N: Hey guys! Here's another update! This was one of the longest chapters I've ever written and I hope you guys like it! I worked really hard on it and I have to admit I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. So I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading! ^^ don't mind the minor errors, I'll come back and fix it later. I just wanted to post this before I head back to work this weekend. It's gonna be a LONG weekend -_- Anyways, enjoy! ^^