Chapter 69

“Alright,” Yongguk announced. “I expect the four of you to start from the top when I get back. I'm stepping out for a few minutes so take a short break but when I'm back, I expect perfection. You got that?”

“Yes, hyung,” the four guys replied at once.

As soon as the door shut behind him, the four guys remaining in the room all sighed in relief. “Youngjae,” said Daehyun, turning to his best friend in speaking.

“What?” Youngjae uttered, turning to face his best friend.

“Could we please do something about him and Annie? Please?” he begged, glancing at the door knowing Yongguk would return any minute now.

“Like what?” Youngjae asked, raising an eyebrow.

Daehyun shrugged. “Gee, I don't know. Use that brain of yours,” he said poking Youngjae's temple with his index finger.

Youngjae glared at him, swiping his hand away. “Just because I'm the smartest guy in the room does not mean I'm brilliant with these kind of things, Daehyun,” he barked back before flicking Daehyun's forehead.

“Ow!” Daehyun yelped, rubbing his forehead glaring back at his best friend. “What the hell, Youngjae?!”

“Why don't you use that brain of yours instead of thinking of food all the time? Huh?” Youngjae smirked smugly.

Before long, Daehyun came up with an idea. “That's it!” he exclaimed triumphantly.

“What is it, hyung?” Zelo asked curiously, leaning closer.

“We get Annie and Yongguk hyung into a room together and then, all they have to do is talk about their problems,” Daehyun informed them.

“Sounds like a plan but you forgot one other thing,” Youngjae pointed out.

“Which is?” he raised an eyebrow.

“How are you going to get them into the room together?” Youngjae asked bluntly.

Daehyun's mouth hung open, placing his index finger on his chin staring off into space. It was clear to everyone that he was deep in thought. “Good question, Jae,” he mused, pacing around the room as everyone watched on.

Youngjae sighed, shaking his head. “Of course,” he muttered, knowing Daehyun didn't think his plan through properly. “Just admit you don't know, Daehyun. It'll save you the time and energy.”

“No, wait!” Daehyun held up his hand. “I'm still thinking.”

“This is going to take forever,” Youngjae muttered to Jongup and Zelo.

“Hyung,” Zelo spoke up, garnering the attention of the others. “What if you call Annie noona to bring you food and then as soon as she's here, we leave her alone and then Yongguk hyung enters and they just have to start talking to one another?”

Daehyun's eyes widened, considering Zelo's suggestion before nodding slowly in agreement. “And then, we come in to lock them in the room. That way, they can't run away from each other! That's brilliant, Zelo!” He cackled before head-locking the taller fellow playfully.

Youngjae groaned, running his hand over his face. “Oy vey,” he muttered before looking back at Daehyun. “That's a horrible idea! Don't lock them in the room! Gosh, Dae! Could you be anymore childish?”

“Hey! I think it's a great idea! It'll work!” Daehyun came to his own defense.

“If anything, I think it's better to stick to Zelo's idea but do NOT lock them in the room. You know why? Because they'll chop your balls off if they know you were the one behind this!” Youngjae reasoned.

Daehyun winced at the thought. “You're right,” he frowned before taking out his phone to dial Annie. “Here goes nothing... Annie? Hey! I was wondering if you could pick up some food for us... To the studio! Duh!--You shut up! I knew it,” he snickered into the phone, “Don't worry he won't be here. We've already made sure of it. He's gone and I doubt he'd be back anytime soon.” He sighed. “Look, just stop by and just drop off the food. Then you can go. I'll even have Jongup and Zelo be on the lookout for you. No! You can't just drop it off to them! You HAVE to bring it to the recording room and that's final! I never said I was your dad! Ugh! Fine! You better get your here by then! What-the--ever! Alright bye!” He exclaimed impatiently before hanging up.

“That sure sounded like it went swell,” Youngjae snidely remarked.

Daehyun's irritable facade soon morphed into mischievous gleam plastered onto his round eyes. “Oh, it'll go swell when she gets here,” he chuckled cynically.

Youngjae sneered, glancing at Zelo and Jongup, who remained silent throughout all of this. He was starting to feel guilty for dragging the oblivious younger boys into their plans knowing that this was not going to go well and he was dreading it to no end. If anything, he'd rather go down with Daehyun instead of taking the younger boys down with them. Before long, he took out his phone and sighed as he texted Lucy. Turns out, the plan is in motion. I'm gonna need a favor, Luce.

Meanwhile, Yongguk paced around the rooftop of the building with his phone pressed against his ear. “What do you want?” he demanded as soon as he answered upon seeing his older twin brother's name across the caller ID.

“Is that the way you should greet your brother?” Yongnam's voice rang out from the other end. “Whatever happened to 'Hi hyung! How are you doing? I miss you.' And then I say, 'Oh really, little brother? You miss me? Not as much as I miss you.'” He playfully cooed, chuckling lightly.

Yongguk sighed. “And your point?” he asked nonchalantly, running his hand down his tired face.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all,” Yongnam said as soon as his laughter died down. “I miss you, little brother. Now it would be nice to tell me you miss me too.”

“I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit,” Yongguk replied sneeringly.

Yongnam chuckled. “Someone's angry,” he muttered.

“You think?” Yongguk countered.

“What's wrong? Did something happen?” Yongnam asked, the concern was evident in his tone. His playful demeanor soon subsided. When Yongguk didn't answer, he took a lucky guess. “It's Annie, isn't it?”

Yongguk did not reply prompting Yongnam to chuckle once again. “I knew it,” he mused before shifting back to a more serious tone. “Okay so are you going to tell me what happened or what?”

Yongguk sighed. “Not sure where to start...”

“That's easy,” said Yongnam. “How about from the top?”

Before long, Yongguk eventually relented as he told Yongnam about the night at the banquet when he interrupted their tender moment together. He overheard his best friend's confession about his feelings to the girl he loved along with the white lie they had told about that one morning of their unexpected visit. And now, he was avoiding them at all costs and from what Yongnam noticed, it was driving his brother crazy. Who else was Yongguk supposed to confide in? He couldn't turn to Daehyun and Youngjae knowing they were Annie's best friends. For all you know, he had said, those two would probably be go straight to her.

“They're her best friends, little brother,” Yongnam reminded him. “What else are they supposed to do? But then I wouldn't underestimate Dae and Jae, if I were you. I mean yes, they are her best friends and they work for you so I don't think they'd go spill the beans to her. They know better than to meddle in other people's affairs.”

“You're not around them as much as I am, Yongnam,” Yongguk countered back.

Yongnam remained silent for a long moment before speaking again. “Point taken,” he said. “But then, I should also say the same about Himchan. Is your friendship worth losing over a girl? I mean I wouldn't blame him for liking Annie because she is a charming girl... In a good way, that is. There's nothing manipulative or horrible about her. If anything, she has all those qualifiers you're looking for, little brother. But then, you should consider the position Annie is in at the moment. She kept this from you because she didn't want to hurt you knowing that Himchan is your best friend. I can already tell that she would choose you over him in a heartbeat. I mean, come on. She confessed her feelings to the wrong brother for crying out loud!” He chuckled once again. “But then knowing Himchan, I know he wouldn't do that to you... Not when he has his own baggage to deal with.”

It was now Yongguk's turn to go silent, considering his brother's words carefully. He was right, he thought. No one wanted to bring up the affair with Miranda or the pregnancy but he knew what Yongnam was hinting at and he made a valid point nonetheless. “You know I hate when you're right,” he muttered finally.

Yongnam chuckled lightly. “Well, I'd hate to break it to you, little brother, but I'm always right,” he mused. “I'm like a bank of knowledge.”

“Shut up,” Yongguk barked back before softening a bit. “So what do I do now?”

“That's up to you, little brother,” advised Yongnam. “You could choose to ignore her like you're doing right now or you can grow some balls and call her up. The choice is yours but don't make her wait too long. Heck, I'm growing impatient about this as we speak so hurry it up and make up your mind, little brother.”

Yongguk sighed heavily. “I'm still thinking about it,” he said.

“Well, don't wait too long now,” Yongnam advised. “Because for all you know, she's gonna grow tired and move on. Who knows? She might even consider going to Himchan but then, that's kind of ed up knowing he'd be the second option. But then, I know she's not like that at all so you know... Okay I'll shut up now because I can hear you breathing hard at the other end. But let me know what option you choose, little brother. I should get going now. My band is calling for me. Bye-bye!” He said then hung up before Yongguk had a chance to respond.

Staring at the phone screen before him, he considered his brother's advice carefully. It wasn't a bad idea but at the same time, he was unsure about how he'd approach her. This morning in front of the elevator would have been the perfect opportunity to have that talk with her but then, their moment was interrupted by Miranda, staring back at them in bewilderment. It was now clear to her where Annie's heart belonged and it wasn't with Himchan. Sighing, he contemplated calling her and after a long moment of consideration, he eventually decided to wait a little longer before heading back into the building. He needed a bit of fresh air anyways so it was a relief he gained a better understanding of the situation at hand. Now, he could return to work with a newer mentality.

“Freakin' Divahyun,” Annie muttered through gritted teeth as she entered the building, coining a new nickname for her whiny best friend in speaking. “You owe me big time! Ugh!” she grunted loudly in frustration garnering the attention of the staff in the building. “Sorry,” she chuckled nervously, clearing . “I was just practicing some lines from a script I was reading.” With that, the staff went about their usual workplace duties allowing Annie to finally make it to the elevator with a few bags in hand.

Struggling to carry the bags Lucy had set her up with when she had gone to pick up lunch from the Temple Cafe that day, Annie adjusted the bags in her hands well enough in the hopes of making it to the elevator which seemed pretty far from where she was standing. She hoped she could manage to make it in time. Luckily, she was dismissed of her nanny duties that day. That moment with Yongguk did not seem to please Miranda as she gave Annie the cold shoulder. Instead, Miranda had opted to schedule an appointment at a spa to relieve her stress and she had told Annie that she'd send someone to pick Daniel up from school as opposed to having Annie pick him up herself. So much for trying to do some work, she thought until her phone went off. Daehyun was calling her about bringing lunch.

Soon, she found herself following a very attractive female in the same direction as they made their way to the same elevator together. The attractive female stared back at her before stopping then walked over to Annie. “Here, let me help you,” she offered, grabbing a bag from Annie.

“Oh no!” Annie shook her head immediately. “I'm fine! Don't worry about me!” she chuckled nervously. Really pretty and a little intimidating, Annie thought as she found herself drawn to the attractive woman standing before her. Judging from her appearance, she never took Annie as someone who showed concern, especially to someone so average like Annie. She had long blond and wavy hair topped with a trucker hat. Annie also took note of the tattoos on her arms. Very different.

“It's not a problem at all,” she insisted and without another word, she grabbed a bag from Annie. And then, she made her way to the elevator.

“Thanks,” Annie sheepishly replied as she followed close behind.

“Which floor?” she asked, staring expectantly at Annie.

Clearing , Annie told her as she pressed the button to that floor level. “You could have pressed the button to your floor first, you know,” Annie reasoned.

She smirked, staring back at Annie. “I was actually heading in the same direction as you,” she said.

Annie gaped at her. “Really?” she couldn't help but ask, suddenly becoming curious about the mysterious and attractive woman next to her. “Are you a singer too?” She had to ask, given her appearance. She fit the image of someone with a different sound, Annie thought. Someone as unique as Yongguk.

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Actually, no, I'm not,” she answered. “I'm here to visit someone.”

“Like a boyfriend?” Annie joked, chuckling at her own joke but immediately stopped herself when she didn't laugh with her. Annie found herself blushing in embarrassment.

“Not quite,” she pointed out, glancing back at Annie. “But he is a very special guy.”

“That's so sweet,” Annie beamed, thinking about Yongguk. Even though they weren't together, he'll always be that special guy for her. Or so she thinks.

“What about you?” the attractive female asked looking over at her curiously. “Are you a singer too?”

“Oh God, no!” Annie immediately exclaimed. “I'm so tone deaf, I can't hit a note if my life depended on it. My best friends are actually the ones who practice here. And as you can see,” she looked down at the bags of food in her hands. “All of this is for them.”

“You're such a good friend for bringing them lunch, not everyone does that nowadays,” she remarked sincerely.

Annie sighed dreamily. “I try my best,” she mused. “I know one of them turns into a total diva if he doesn't eat.” She muttered.

She chuckled. “Diva, eh?” she repeated. “That has a nice ring to it.”

Annie relaxed a bit, feeling accomplished for actually making her laugh. The elevator soon made a stop at their designated floor. “Thanks a lot for your help,” Annie beamed. “I don't think I got your name...”

“Oh right, where are my manners?” she turned around to extend her hand. “I'm Natasha, by the way. What was your name again?”

“Annie,” she introduced herself, shaking Natasha's hand. “It's a pleasure meeting you, Natasha. I hope to see you around again.”

“Ditto. See you around, Annie,” she gave Annie a slight wink before walking off. Annie couldn't help but watch Natasha's retreating figure disappear down the hall.

For some odd reason, that name sounded familiar but Annie couldn't figure out where she'd heard it. Part of it was the fact that she was too caught up dealing with her own issues as opposed to becoming her usual observant self but hearing Natasha's name stuck to her as she made her way over to the recording room. Why did the name sound familiar? She wondered. She swore she heard the name elsewhere but decided to brush it off for now. She only had one purpose here and it was to drop off the food and then go, hoping she wouldn't run into him.

She knocked lightly hoping someone would answer but peering into the window, she found it empty. Sighing in relief, she turned the knob then made her way inside. Set the food on the table and go, she told herself, fighting the urge to look around. Before long, she finally made her way over to the table to set the bags down.

As she soon turned to leave, she froze once the knob began to turn. Someone was coming. , she gulped looking around frantically for a place to hide before stopping herself. Why was she hiding? Last time she checked, Daehyun had told her Yongguk had stepped out for a while and wouldn't return until later so she shouldn't be scared.

Before long, the door soon flew opened allowing Annie to come face to face with the last person she wanted to see. “Annie?” his familiar deep voice rang out as he stared back at her in confusion.

Chuckling nervously, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before looking back up at him. “Hello,” she squeaked.

“What are you doing here?” asked Yongguk, crossing his arms over his chest. She had forgotten how hot he sounded when he was serious but of course, she had to shake those thoughts away immediately.

Before she could answer, it all slowly started to make sense. The food delivery. The recording room. It was all starting to make sense. They set her up. They had set the both of them up so all of this was intentional! “Those idiots,” she uttered to herself, clenching her fists angrily.

A/N: Hi guys! Here's another short update for you guys! I'll try to update soon! Haha Divahyun was a term coined by another fellow reader/subbie Sushimidumpling so I have to thank her for telling me so I tried to fit this into the story as much as I can lol. This was kind of like a filler chapter in away so sorry if you guys got bored of it. On the bright side, Bang's older sister makes an appearance. There will be more appearances with Natasha but right now, let's stay focused on fixing Annie and Bang's relationship huh? I took a break from watching "Hart of Dixie" to write this! You guys should all watch that show! I love Rachel Bilson! She's so pretty and quirky! I love her! And there is a bunch of eye candy on the show which is also a plus lol. Anyways, happy reading and enjoy! ^^