Chapter 75

“Why do you say that?” Yongguk asked as soon as she told him.

Annie sighed heavily. “It's just a hunch,” she said wearily.

“Do you wanna elaborate on that?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Well, for starters, she's been overworking herself planning this upcoming charity event for starving children,” she stated, glancing at Yongguk from her peripheral view. “Not sure if you heard of it.”

“I have,” he said.

“The only reason I mentioned it is because she seems to be stressing out all the time and it's my job to help out but she insists she has everything under control,” Annie continued before finally turning to face him. “I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that stress is bad for the baby. I'm not kidding. She shouldn't be stressing this much. It's common sense,” She paused once again before resuming. “And then, sometimes when I walk in on her spending quality time with Daniel, she has this distant look in her eyes, like she's in mourning or something. But then, what do I know? Maybe it's the stress, right? The other thing that's bothering me is that she's making no effort to try to monitor her diet just for the baby's sake. I even question whether she's really pregnant...”

“I see,” he nodded slowly, his eyes were unreadable. “I think it all makes sense but then you can't be too sure of it.”

“I know,” Annie said, sighing. “That's why it's just a hunch. I have no proof.”

“I don't get why she's having you keep this from Himchan though,” Yongguk shook his head at the thought. “Last time I checked, they were clearly over. I just don't get what's going on inside that thick little head of hers.”

“That makes two of us,” Annie added. “Just promise me you won't tell Himchan.”

Just then, someone opened the door entering the room as a soft voice rang out. “I heard my name. Were you guys talking about me?” Himchan asked teasingly, as he emerged from outside the door. He leaned against the wall with a warm smile plastered onto his face. One could guess that he was clearly happy to see Annie after what felt like forever. Who could blame him? Annie was a special friend and the days have been quiet without her.

Taken by surprise, Annie immediately made her way over to him. “Hey!” she giggled, hugging him tightly.

He chuckled lightly. “I was wondering where you've gone off to,” he mused, pulling away from her.

“Don't worry, I'm still around,” she assured him. “You know how it is.”

“That's not surprising,” he remarked, glancing over at Yongguk. “It's nice of you to finally bring her along, Bang.”

“I didn't want her to get ambushed, what choice did I have?” Yongguk shrugged.

Annie turned to glare at him. “What, so I'm an obligation now?” she barked back.

“I never said that,” he countered back. His mouth hanging open as he glanced at his best friend to help him.

“Yeah, but it sounded that way,” she retorted back.

“I was just teasing you!” he exclaimed.

Himchan chuckled, breaking the tension a bit. “Alright, I see the bickering has not changed since you've been gone,” he mused, giving Annie a wink.

“Nothing's changed! And I haven't even been gone that long!” she exclaimed defiantly.

“Right,” Himchan nodded slowly, astonished. “Anyways, what did I miss? Anything new?” From the tone of his voice, Annie knew what he meant. His happy facade turned into a more grave one at that.

Reluctantly, Annie wearily glanced at Yongguk, who in turn gave her a look of concern as if to tell her, “He has to know, Annie.” With a deep breath, Annie turned to face Himchan. “I think we should sit down, Himchan.”

“Uh-oh, it must be serious,” he chuckled, clearly trying to make light of the situation at the moment.

Annie chuckled wryly before clearing . “I'm not sure where to start,” she began, glancing from him to Yongguk.

“Just start from the top and don't leave anything out,” Himchan told her, placing a hand over hers to keep her from fidgeting.

Yongguk cleared his throat to garner his attention before settling beside Annie, placing a possessive arm around her waist. She shot him a look. “He needs to know where his boundaries lie,” he shrugged.

She rolled her eyes before shifting her attention back to Himchan. “Okay,” she said with another deep breath, eying him wearily. “I'm sure you've heard about that stint in the hospital.”

He nodded, listening expectantly for her to continue.

“She asked me to lie in case people asked,” Annie continued, looking away from him. “Basically, she wanted me to tell people it was just a minor case of the stomach flu and that she's fine. But we all know that's complete bull.” She particularly referred to the three of them sitting in the room together. “Anyways, that night when she called me so abruptly, I was asked to watch over Daniel while she went to a dinner with her husband. Before she could get ready, I heard her cry out in pain, clutching her stomach. Immediately, I ran over to help her but she brushed me off until she cried out again. This time, there was bleeding and Danny was really scared.”

Himchan perked up right away.

“She's fine,” Annie assured him, trailing off a bit. “At least that's what she told me but I beg to differ.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” he asked calmly. The iciness in his tone was starting to intimidate her.

“I was told not to tell you,” she kept her gaze away from him. “Why? I have no idea. But as a friend, I still think you have a right to know.”

“Is—is the baby okay?” he asked weakly.

She finally managed to face him. “That's what she told me,” she replied. “But to be honest, I don't know.”

He scoffed, standing up immediately. In turn, Annie flinched. “I can't believe this,” he muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration.

“I'm really sorry, Himchan,” Annie looked away apologetically.

Suddenly, he began to quickly make his way out the door. “Where do you think you're going?” Yongguk asked, furrowing his brow in a concerned manner.

Himchan looked over his shoulder. “I'm going to talk to her,” he answered curtly.

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Annie asked cautiously.

“I need a direct answer, Annie,” Himchan replied firmly. “I suggest you stay out of this.”

“Himchan—“ Annie spoke up but he cut her off.

“Stay out of this, Annie,” he demanded coldly. Once again, the tone of his voice startled her. Without another word, he was out the door. The loud slam prompted her to flinch once again.

Before long, Annie made her way out the door. “Himchan, wait!” she called out to him but it was too late. He was already gone.

“Let him be, Annie,” a deep voice rang out from behind as Yongguk emerged from behind. “This clearly between him and Miranda. You already did your part.”

She sighed heavily. “But I don't want him to do something he'll regret,” she countered back.

Yongguk scoffed. “He has plenty of regrets. This is definitely one of them,” he remarked. “Let him handle this. Just trust him.”

He made a valid point, she thought. Yongguk was, after all, Himchan's best friend and he knew his own best friend better than Annie, of course. She nodded, without any other choice.

Himchan soon stormed into Miranda's office, rebuffing her secretary's attempt to keep him out. “We need to talk,” he demanded as soon as he faced her.

Miranda looked over at the young secretary standing behind Himchan. “I'm so sorry, Madam,” the young girl bowed apologetically. “I told him you were busy and wouldn't take any visitors but he wouldn't listen.”

Miranda sighed heavily, rubbing her temple with a manicured hand. “It's okay,” she said waving off the young girl. “I can take it from here. Go back to what you were doing.” She soon shot the girl a knowing look.

“Yes, ma'am,” she nodded, before glancing back at Himchan with a dreamy look in her eyes. From what Miranda could tell, her secretary was clearly ogling at him. No one could exactly blame her. Himchan was a very attractive guy and he oozed appeal. All thoughts aside, he didn't seem to take notice, nor did he seem to care since he was clearly agitated at the moment.

Once they were alone, Himchan immediately took it upon himself to make his way over to the front of the desk taking a seat. “I think you know why I'm here,” he said with a cold smirk.

She smirked smugly back at him. “Oh really? Humor me,” she said flatly. “Help me refresh my memory a bit, would you?”

“What happened to the baby?” he demanded, jumping straight to the point. “I know you didn't go to the hospital for a simple case of the stomach flu. I'm not as dumb as you think I am.”

“Oh really?” she raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. “I thought you were since you chose to get involved with me.”

“I thought we were past that,” he smirked menacingly, leaning forward a little.“So you can cut the crap now.” His intense stare darkened.

“Not quite,” she mused with an expectant smirk, shifting her gaze towards the door.

Before long, the young secretary entered followed by a pair of scrawny men, who were supposedly security guards. “Sir,” one managed to speak up. “I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the premises.”

Himchan glowered at Miranda, “Really,” he scoffed, gesturing at the two guys. “Is this necessary, Miranda? I came to demand some answers and this is what you do? Talk about beating around the bush...”

Miranda chose to ignore him, shifting her attention to the two guards. “Gentlemen, would you mind escorting Mr. Kim here out of the building? He's interrupting my work,” she announced, glancing back at Himchan.

“You heard the lady,” the other cohort said to Himchan.

“Unbelievable,” Himchan muttered under his breath. When one of the young men placed a hand on Himchan's shoulder to lead him away, he violently brushed him off. “Don't touch me,” he said coldly, refusing to break eye contact with Miranda. “This isn't over.”

Soon, he stormed off, brushing past the young secretary with the massive crush. The young woman in turn felt her heart flutter, placing her hand over her chest. “He's so hot when he's angry,” she mused on dreamily, seemingly disregarding Miranda's presence.

“You can get back to work now,” Miranda woke her from her reverie.

The girl flinched before nodding obediently.

Miranda soon leaned back against her chair, taking a sharp intake of breath. He was one step closer to finding out. Now wasn't a good time, she decided, especially with planning the event. She needed everything to be perfect. Glancing at the frame on her death, she found herself gazing at the family portrait with her husband, herself and Daniel. He was still a little baby at that. She blinked back tears threatening to fall. When it rains, it pours, she thought, remembering the news of the miscarriage. But that was not even the worst part.

Later on, as he was heading home that night after dropping Annie back home, Yongguk ran into the last person he wanted to see that night. “Hello Yongguk,” Miranda greeted him formally.

“Hello, Miranda,” he greeted her dismissively as he got into the elevator.

The doors finally closed, allowing Miranda to break the awkward, yet tense silence that engulfed them. “So,” she spoke up, glancing at his reflection on the elevator door. “I'm sure you heard about that charity event I have coming up, right?”

“I have,” he muttered under his breath.

“Well, just so you're aware, I am looking for some musical acts for the event and I'd really like for you to be apart of it,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Really,” he scoffed. “I don't think my kind of music is fitting for your kind of event.”

“I'm always open to different things,” she told him.

“I'll think about it,” he said flatly.

“Okay, but don't make me wait too long,” she said firmly.

“I won't,” he replied nonchalantly, wishing the doors would open so she could leave.

After an abrupt silence, she spoke up once again. “You're not too fond of me, are you?” she asked, turning to face him.

Yongguk scoffed, turning to face her. “You want my honest opinion?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I guess it won't hurt,” she said, attempting a smile.

“No,” he spoke so matter-of-factly, shaking his head. He was expressionless. “Not really.”

This came as no surprise to Miranda, who smirked knowingly. She just needed confirmation from Yongguk himself. She was sure Himchan may have gotten his brashness from his own best friend's influence. Before long, the elevator doors opened allowing her to exit first. “Well, it was nice chatting with you Yongguk,” she said, looking over her shoulder.

He only grunted with a curt nod in return.

“Seriously?” Annie inquired as she met up with Yongguk the next day. He had told her about the odd request coming from Miranda the night before in the elevator. He had chosen to leave out the part when he flat out told her he disliked her. Hate was too strong of a word but his dislike towards her was on the fence of hatred.

He chuckled lightly, nodding. “Yeah, believe it or not.”

“That's great to hear!” Annie exclaimed excitedly.

“I still think it's strange,” he muttered.

“How come?” Annie asked curiously.

“Well, she's not fond of my kind of music. Not sure why she'd want for me to perform at her event,” he pointed out.

“I'm pretty sure she's open-minded to something different,” she reasoned. “It's for charity for crying out loud. Maybe she's tired of the classical stuff and decided to opt for a new kind, in this case, she's asking you of all people. Mr. Big Shot Music Producer himself.” She enthusiastically stated.

Yongguk chuckled in amusement. Leave it to Annie to bring up his mood a bit. “You're probably right,” he said. “I told her I'd think about it.”

“Remember Bang, it's for charity,” she said in a sing-song like voice. “Last time I checked, you love giving back to the less fortunate. Heck, you're dating me, Mr. Humanitarian. But that's a completely different story,” She chuckled, joking about her social status to him. “Actually, I was attracted to your big heart. I think that's the main reason why I find you oh-so-irresistable.” She said, giving him a come-hither look before blushing. “Okay, forget I did that.”

“Oh, man,” he whined. “I was actually for a moment.”

“Bang,” Annie stared flatly at him. “We're in your recording room. This place is anything but romantic.”

“Yes, but we can make the most of it,” he said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively before leaning in closer to her.

Annie found herself trapped on the leather couch before blocking his face with her hand. “Not so fast,” she warned him. “For all you know, someone could walk in on us any minute.”

“Who cares?” he said huskily as he moved her hand away, kissing the back of her palm before inching closer to her once again.

Before he could move in for the kill, someone cleared their throat. Annie and Yongguk turned their heads to find Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup, and Zelo looking over at them in astonishment. “Were we interrupting something?” Youngjae asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Yongguk and Annie soon sat up, straightening up their clothes. For a moment, they looked like a pair of students about to be scolded by the headmaster. “Yes—not at all,” they replied at once, casting a look at one another. Yongguk was clearly annoyed at the interruption whereas Annie was a little relieved since she knew someone was bound to walk in on them eventually.

Wanting to shift the attention away from her, Annie turned to Yongguk expectantly. “You should talk to them about it,” she suggested. “This could be the break you guys need.”

Daehyun cleared his throat. “Did we miss something?” he asked curiously.

“Right,” Yongguk nodded, shifting his attention to the rest of the guys. “How would you guys like to perform at an event for starving children?”

“You mean like a benefit concert?” Youngjae inquired.

Yongguk nodded, glancing back at Annie. “Miranda asked me and I told her I'd think about it,” he said.

“That doesn't sound like a bad idea,” Youngjae said, taking it into consideration. “You guys agree?” He turned to Jongup and Zelo.

“Agreed,” Jongup and Zelo replied at once.

“This is great!” Annie exclaimed excitedly. “I would love to help out as much as I can. I mean I could even be your roadie or something. Lucy and I won't mind.”

“How would you know if you haven't told her yet?” Youngjae asked sneeringly.

“She'll agree,” Annie replied confidently.

“Okay, if you say so,” Youngjae replied in a sing-song tone, shrugging nonchalantly. “Good luck.”

Annie rolled her eyes before furrowing her brow, feeling concerned all of a sudden.

“What's wrong?” Youngjae asked, mirroring her concern.

“The group doesn't feel complete yet,” she remarked, glancing at the guys. “Someone's missing.”

After a moment, they murmured, “Himchan.”

Annie sighed heavily but was caught a bit off guard when she felt Yongguk take her hand in his. They both gave each other a knowing look. They hadn't heard from him since he'd stormed out the day before and they were starting to grow worried.

As if on cue, the door flew opened and everyone soon shifted their attention to the visitor. Himchan appeared to be a deer in headlights once he made eye contact with everyone else. “What's going on in here?” he asked suddenly.

Annie stood up to make her way over to him. “Hey,” she greeted him breathlessly.

“Hey,” he greeted back nonchalantly, brushing past her. “Did I miss something?”

He was blowing her off, she realized. Annie had no idea why it hurt but it did. Now she knew exactly what he was going through when she would give him the occasional brush off in the midst of finding out about the affair. Yongguk seemed to have taken notice but decided to leave it for now since he had to discuss some important matters with the group as a whole. “I should get going,” Annie announced, grabbing her bag from the leather couch. “I'll see you guys later.”

“Bye, Annie,” they all said at once, bidding her farewell.

“He's mad at you?” Lucy asked incredulously as she settled onto the floor against the sofa.

Annie, resting her feet on the coffee table, removed her feet before leaning forward. She nodded wearily. “I think so,” she said.

“Yeah, but how could you be so sure?” Lucy looked back up at her.

“He brushed me off today, Luce,” Annie pointed out. “He wasn't his usual warm self when I greeted him. I mean he was curt and polite, not to mention there was this cold aura around him. My guess is something must have gone wrong when he went to see Miranda about the baby...”

“Oh right, it would have been nice to see her suffer a little more,” Lucy snidely remarked. “Maybe that could be a slap in the face for being such a crazy .”

“Luce,” Annie's voice tone rose significantly. “That's not very nice to say.”

Lucy scoffed. “My bad,” she raised her hands. “But it still doesn't make sense to me why he'd be mad, I mean you told him, right?”

“Yeah, after she clearly told me not to tell him,” Annie remarked.

“That woman doesn't make sense to me,” Lucy muttered.

“Tell me about it,” Annie agreed.

“I bet you she's either lying or is hiding something else entirely,” Lucy finally said.

Annie furrowed her brows in confusion. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, you did mention bleeding that night you rushed her to the hospital, right?” Lucy asked. “And then when she came out, she acted as if nothing happened even though she was in the exam room for a while. And when you asked if everything was okay, she immediately said 'Yes. Everything's fine.' Of course, you turn to the handsome doc and he is a little uncooperative. The fact that he's uncooperative is making you suspicious, right?”

Annie nodded slowly. “Yeah, why? What are you trying to imply?”

“Okay, I'm gonna tell it like it is, Annie. She's had a miscarriage,” Lucy confirmed.

“I had a feeling you'd come to that conclusion,” Annie added. “Because I think so too. I just don't know why she's not telling Himchan. I wonder if her husband knows...”

Lucy shrugged. “I doubt it. Onto Himchan. Maybe she just wants to keep him close or something,” she reasoned. “That's where I think the is crazy. She's married, for crying out loud. And to a husband who is also screwing around with other little girls. Like husband, like wife.” Lucy grumbled, shaking her head. “And she probably can't accept the fact that it's over between her and Himchan. The baby is keeping him around, obviously.”

Lucy made an excellent point, Annie thought. Leave it to her best friend to be the observant one. “We're gonna need proof,” Annie said.

“How?” Lucy asked, sitting up straight.

“Well, you know about that charity event she's throwing, right?” Annie mentioned. Lucy nodded. “The boys were asked to perform at the event and I may have agreed to both of us being their roadies for the day.”

“You did WHAT?!” Lucy's eyes widened.

Annie shrugged innocently. “It's for charity, Lucy,” she mused.

Lucy pointed a finger at her, “Oh no. Don't use that sympathy card on me!”

“Come on, Luce,” Annie pleaded. “It's just for one night. You won't have to do much. I promise. I kind of just want you there to keep me company.” She attempted a weak smile.

“I hate you,” Lucy grumbled, slumping back against the sofa once again.

Annie hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Luce! I love you!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Lucy shook her off. “If Daehyun or Youngjae abuse their privileges with me, I won't hesitate to beat the out of them.”

“That makes two of us,” Annie nodded in agreement.

“I can't wait,” Lucy mused with a satisfied smirk.

A/N: Hello again! Here's another update for you!!! I'm trying my best to wrap things up lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I worked really hard on it. Annie has her suspicions and Himchan does too. I can understand why he's upset with her. She should have told him but then she was guilt-tripped into not telling him. Of course, Miranda asking Yongguk to perform at the charity event seems a little sinister, don't you guys think? Annie and Lucy are teaming up together. I barely have a bunch of Annie and Lucy moments lol. They would make a good team giving DaeJae a run for their money. We'll find out what happens in the next chapter. Sorry again if this is boring you. I'm trying not to drag this on too much. I'm trying to cram as much as I can into one chapter lol. Forgive me. Happy reading! ^^ I'll fix the minor errors later.

P.S. I kind of liked that part where Yongguk bluntly told Miranda he didn't like her lol. That totally made my day lol. XD