Chapter 71

As soon as she saw Annie enter the cafe in a slump, Lucy was preparing to give her best friend an earful for taking so long. “Hey! Where the hell have you been?!” she exclaimed. “I've been waiting for you all da—” Lucy froze upon seeing Yongguk following close behind along with the rest of the guys, minus Himchan, and a very attractive female with long blonde and wavy hair making their way inside. Soon, her exasperation turned into a feigned grin. “And I see you've brought company!” She soon shifted her attention to Natasha. “Well, hi there! I don't believe we've met! My name is Lucy, by the way.” She introduced herself extending a hand.

In turn, Natasha shook Lucy's hand. “Nice to meet you, Lucy. I'm Natasha,” she said with a warm grin.

“Natasha!” Lucy repeated, a little too eagerly. “I've heard so much about you!”

Natasha furrowed her brows in confusion. “I don't believe I ever recall speaking with you,” she replied, eying Lucy suspiciously. “Have we met before?”

“Oh, no!” Lucy shook her head, chuckling nervously. “It's just I've heard a lot about you from your brother.”

The room soon shifted their attention to Yongguk. “It wasn't me,” Yongguk replied defensively.

“Oh, of course it wasn't you, Yongguk!” Lucy exclaimed. “It was the other one...”

“I see,” Natasha nodded slowly in understanding. “So you're the one my other brother likes to pick on. I knew you sounded familiar. Weren't you the one with the heavy drinking problem? I clearly don't see it.” She shook her head at how ridiculous the thought sounded.

Lucy's grin soon went away. “That's what he told you?” she asked incredulously. “That jerk...” She sneered, curling her fists angrily but soon stopped herself realizing she had insulted Yongnam in front of his sister. “I mean, that funny guy! Speaking such nonsense about me!” She faked a smile.

“It's okay. I'm sure he didn't mean it that way,” Natasha assured her. “I won't deny that my kid brothers are both idiots at times...” She remarked teasingly, glancing at Yongguk with a mischievous glint in her sharp eyes.

“Hey!” Yongguk whined, pouting at his older sister.

Annie soon found herself snickering at his reaction. He turned to glare back at her prompting Annie to shrug innocently. “I would have to agree with her,” her mind had said. He knew right away what she meant.

Lucy relaxed, sighing in relief. Natasha's comment about Yongnam made her feel a little better now that she wasn't the only one who thought he was an idiot. “For the record, I don't have a drinking problem,” she chuckled nervously. “That night was not a good night for me... And--”

“I know,” Natasha interrupted her, nodding in understanding. “We've all been there so you get a free pass.” She said giving Lucy an assuring wink along with a warm smile.

Lucy grinned in admiration. “Thanks,” she beamed before shifting her attention to the others. “Now, let's get you guys seated, shall we?”

Soon, Lucy soon led the group into a corner proceeding to place the stack of menus down before moving two tables together along with the help of Jongup and Zelo to create one big table. She had insisted on doing it on her own but both young men felt the need to help nonetheless even though they were not working. It was a sweet gesture nonetheless, she thought beaming proudly at them. “Here you go,” she announced as she reached into her apron pocket for a pen and pad. “Now, can I start you off with something to drink?”

Annie soon briefly excused herself to be alone with Lucy without the others knowing. “So, how did it go?” Lucy asked as soon as they were alone by the bar.

Annie sighed. “You knew about it?”

Lucy gave her a weak smile. “Dae and Jae may have told me about it,” she sheepishly replied.

“Well, I'd hate to break it to you but it didn't go so well,” Annie told her.

Her best friend's eyes widened. “Why? What happened?”

“Well, for starters, our idiotic best friends locked me and Bang in the room,” she began, glancing briefly at the table particularly at Jongup and Zelo. “And they even got Jongup and Zelo to act as mere accomplices.”

Lucy gasped, placing a hand over . “Annie, I'm so sorry—I didn't know--”

Annie held up a hand to interrupt her. “Don't worry about it, Luce,” she assured her. “It's not exactly your fault. I'm just angry at the fact that Dae and Jae would go that far and I'm also disappointed in Jongup and Zelo for giving in so easily.”

“Annie, you know they're just trying to help,” Lucy reasoned with her, glancing particularly at Yongguk. “It seemed like you were about to go crazy if you went another day without speaking to Yongguk and from what I've heard, according to Dae and Jae themselves, Yongguk just so happens to feel the same way...”

“Oh really?” Annie remarked nonchalantly. “I didn't notice.”

Lucy sighed. “Annie, what really happened? Did you talk?”

After a moment of consideration, Annie finally spoke up. “Yes, we did.”

“And...?” Lucy stared back at her expectantly.

“He apologized,” Annie told her, fiddling with the sugar packets on the counter.

“That's great, isn't it?” Lucy grinned. The grin soon morphed into a frown. “Oh no, Annie... What did you do?”

She shrugged, staring off into space. “I'm giving him a taste of his own medicine, that's all,” Annie replied casually.

“That's a little childish, don't you think?” Lucy inquired.

“That didn't seem to stop you when you and Jesse always fought,” Annie countered back.

“That's beside the point, Annie!” Lucy exclaimed defiantly. “Don't try to change the subject! Jesse and I are ancient history!”

Annie sighed heavily. “Luce, just so you know, I've apologized to him numerous times,” she reminded her best friend once again. “I'm sure you remember, right?” Lucy grew silent, expectantly waiting for Annie to continue. “I looked and felt pathetic. How is he gonna expect me to forgive him so easily when I went out of my way just to try to speak to him, only to get in return? Yes, I still have feelings for him. And yes, I still want to be with him but he needs to work for it if he still wants to be with me. You, of all people, ought to know that by now since you do have more relationship experience than I do.”

Lucy took a moment to digest this bit of information coming from her best friend. Girl made a point, she thought nodding slowly in understanding. “Wow, who are you and what have you done to my best friend?” she asked, gaping at Annie in astonishment.

“Don't worry, Luce,” Annie assured her. “I'm still the same. It's just that my mentality's changed a bit ever since I met him, you know... I don't want to make the same mistake like before.”

“I remember,” Lucy nodded. “Well just know that I'll always have your back. No matter what Dae and Jae say, they're both idiots who don't understand anything.”

“Understand what exactly?” Yongguk's stern voice rang out from behind, he was eying the girls suspiciously.

Both girls froze, afraid to turn around but decided to turn their heads anyways. “Nothing,” Annie and Lucy replied in unison.

“I don't believe you guys,” he said, making no attempt to hide his suspicion.

They chose to ignore his statement. Annie raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you need something?” she asked firmly.

“We're out of napkins,” he pointed out.

In turn, Lucy handed him a nearby napkin dispenser. “Here,” she said curtly. “Anything else?”

He furrowed his brows in confusion. “Nope, I think I'm good,” he reluctantly said. “Thanks.” Without another word, he then made his way back to the table glancing back at them briefly.

“Gosh, I thought he'd never leave,” Lucy complained, shaking her head as she watched him settle back down. “I mean, hello? We were trying to have a bit of girl time!” She soon softened upon seeing Annie's wary demeanor.

“,” Annie huffed, rubbing her temples. “Do you think he heard us?”

Lucy shrugged. “Not sure,” she said. “Maybe he did.”

“Damn it,” Annie whined. “I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Gosh, I'm starting to act like Daehyun!”

“Dude, chill out,” Lucy said, reassuringly, “If he heard what you said, then so what? You can't take it back now. He would have clearly heard everything. The least you can do, if he confronts you with it, is to own up to it. In the meantime, just play it cool.”

Annie sighed in exasperation then nodded. “You're right,” she muttered, admitting defeat.

“Anyways, how long are you gonna keep this up?” Lucy asked, shifting the subject.

“What do you mean?” Annie asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

“How long are you going to give Bang the cold shoulder?” Lucy inquired.

Annie sighed. “I don't know,” she shrugged. “Maybe until he forgives Himchan. I shouldn't be the only one he cares about. Himchan's his best friend and he needs Bang just as much as he needs me so Bang should just forget about that ego of his and forgive his best friend. It'll be easy on all of us.”

“That makes perfect sense,” Lucy curtly replied, nodding slowly in understanding.

“He kissed me,” Annie admitted finally. She had to tell someone. It may as well be her best friend since she was already here. Ever since it happened, she couldn't get it out of her head.

Lucy gasped, placing a hand over . “What?!” her eyes widened. “How--”

“He just grabbed me and kissed me!” Annie finished. “As hot as it was, I mean it sure was because he's never this straightforward with me,” She chuckled. “I wasn't willing to give in so easily so in turn, I decided to knee him in the groin.”

Lucy cringed. “Ouch,” she muttered before grinning proudly back at her. “I mean, good for you!”

Annie shrugged indifferently. “Those guys Jesse introduced me to sure taught me well,” she remarked with a mischievous smirk. When Lucy and Jesse dated, Jesse would often introduce Annie to a few of his fellow colleagues and often times, they'd hit it off but in the end it never worked out in Annie's favor. On the bright side, the guys in speaking did happen to teach Annie a few moves and yet she felt proud of herself for being able to utilize her new-found knowledge.

Her best friend groaned. “Oh God! Must you remind me,” she whined but soon perked up. “But then, who knew those skills would come in handy... Again, kudos to you, Annie!”

She chuckled. “Thanks, Luce,” she finally said. “I'm gonna need a favor.”

“What is it?” Lucy asked, leaning in closely.

Glancing back at the table, a mischievous smirk found its way onto Annie's lips. “I'm gonna need you to put four boys in their places a little later,” she said, referring to Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup, and Zelo.

Lucy grinned mischievously in return, nodding in agreement. “Put four guys in their places,” she mentally noted. “Got it. I will gladly do so,” she said giving Annie an assuring wink.

“Put Dae and Jae out of their miseries and scare the pants off Jongup and Zelo,” Annie instructed her.

“Piece of cake,” Lucy remarked.

“Don't let Daehyun hear you say that,” Annie muttered with a snicker.

Lucy shot her a look. “Do you want my help or what?”

“Of course I do!” Annie exclaimed.

“Anyways, I should get back before they start worrying about me,” Annie said, standing up before looking over her shoulder. “But don't forget what I ask of you.”

“I promise I won't,” Lucy said, giving her a mock-salute.

Without another word, Annie proceeded to make her way back to the table to join the others.

“There you are!” Natasha acknowledged her as soon as Annie took a seat beside Youngjae. “I was wondering where you went.”

“Sorry about that, I was catching up with Lucy a bit,” Annie told her.

“What about I wonder?” Youngjae muttered flatly.

Annie shot him a look. “Oh just typical girl stuff,” she shrugged. “Nothing that might interest you guys in particular.”

“I see,” Natasha nodded before chuckling. “I was actually starting to assume you didn't like me or something.”

Annie's eyes widened. “What? No! Of course not! I mean I do like you! A LOT!” she chuckled nervously. “A LOT!”

“Alright, I think you've made your point,” Yongguk said softly into her ears. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine along the way. Annie swallowed hard, trying her best to remain stoic.

“We get it,” Daehyun huffed with a mischievous smirk waking Annie from her slight reverie. The grin was soon wiped off when Annie shot him a look as well.

“Anyways, did anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Annie asked, hoping to shift the attention away from her. She hated being the center of attention, even when it was only brief.

Before anyone could respond, the door to the cafe opened once again. The table soon shifted their attention over to the stranger entering, only he wasn't a stranger. Annie felt the color drain from her face upon seeing him. Yongguk clenched his jaw, attempting to hide his anger. The other four were seemingly stunned and lastly, Natasha was also taken by surprise but soon stood up to greet him. “Himchan!” she beamed, walking over to hug him tightly.

Clearly, no one was expecting Himchan's arrival. Unless he only came by on a whim since he had nowhere else to go since he'd resign as Daniel's music teacher. Annie rarely got to see him. But then his resignation was best for everyone else at the moment. He too seemed to be taken aback by Natasha as he returned the hug. “Noona,” he chuckled. “What a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here!” He glanced over at everyone else. “Hey guys.”

“Hi,” they all murmured with the exception of Yongguk, who still had it out for his best friend, glaring at him.

Annie took notice and shook her head, sighing. He soon turned to face her. “What?”

“You. Me. Outside. NOW,” she demanded, pulling him by the arm.

Yongguk groaned. “Do I have to?” he whined with a slight pout.

She shot him a look, he was not going to get out of this so easily knowing his tactic of trying to use his charms. She's sat through his cutesy behavior once and she was not willing to deal with it again. Especially not around his sister. “Yes,” she said, through gritted teeth.

Sighing, he relented as they both stood up, garnering the attention of the others. “Please, excuse us,” he announced.

“We'll be right back,” Annie added before leading him out the door with Yongguk dutifully following close behind like an innocent school boy.

As soon as they were outside, he smirked. “Are we really going to have that talk?” he asked, giving her a hopeful smile.

She shook her head. “Now's not a really good time,” she pointed out, glancing back inside. “I just have a request to ask of you.”

“Go on,” he eyed her expectantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

She sighed. “Look, Yongguk,” she began. “I know you're angry at Himchan but could you at least put those feelings aside and pretend to be civil with him? Just for Natasha unnie's sake.”

“Why should I?” he asked defiantly.

“This isn't about you or him. As a matter of fact, this isn't about any of us!” she barked back. “Your sister is only visiting for the day and the least you could do is make it peaceful for her. It's not that hard! Just put up a huge front for now and you can stay angry at Himchan after she leaves for all I care!”

“What's in it for me?” he asked, smirking smugly inching closer to her willing to replay that scene in the locked recording room once again.

She backed away from him, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Don't you dare!” she warned him, sizing him willing to put up her own fight. “Come any closer and I will not hesitate to repeat what I did earlier to you again!” She huffed, reminding him of the outcome of that scene from earlier. Even though she was bluffing, she had to manage to keep her voice steady.

He froze, raising his hands in defeat. “Fine,” he sighed. “As you wish.”

She shot him a bewildered look. That was easy, she thought. “Good,” she said, straightening up her clothing.

Before turning towards the door, he looked over his shoulder. “Care to tell me how you learned to do that?” he inquired curiously.

“Do what?” she asked, furrowing her brows in confusion until she remembered what he was referring to. “Oh, that,” she nodded finally. “It's a secret.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What did I say about keeping secrets?”

“I fear that if I tell you, you are gonna turn into the Hulk once again,” she countered back. “Look, could we just go inside? I'm sure everyone's wondering about us, right now.”

He sighed, “Fine but this conversation isn't over.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she waved him off. “And one other thing.”

He looked over his shoulder expectantly.

“Just because you kissed me earlier does not mean you're forgiven,” she finally said before making her way inside without another word.

He scoffed as he watched her retreating figure make her way back towards their table. For some odd reason, Yongguk could have sworn he saw a hint of a smile plastered onto Annie's face but it could have been his imagination. He too found himself grinning. She totally liked it, he thought as he followed her inside to join the others.

A/N: Hello again! Here's another update for you guys! Sorry for the inconvenience! I had to make a bunch of changes but here you go! I hope you enjoy it! I took a break from working on my paper to work on this lol. Anyways happy reading! ^^

P.S. Don't mind the minor errors, I will come back to fix them later! I'll try to update soon again!