"Did thinking about puppies and rainbows help?" Hyukjae asked Cherie as they settled down side by side on the bottom bleacher seats under the shade. Leeteuk left early to get ready for a shoot and Donghae and Hyorin were sitting in the middle of the basketball court strategizing for the yacht dinner the next day.

The air was dry and breezy, and the sounds of bicycle bells and squealing children permeated the park as the afternoon sun cast its glorious rays over the city.

"No, texting you did," Cherie answered, laying her head on his bare shoulder.

"I'm flattered," Hyukjae said and rested his head on hers. "Did you nail it?"

"It would be a lie if I said yes. The interviewer was so intimidating you should have seen the look on her face when I first walked in. She scared me so much, I think I died a little."

Hyukjae chuckled. "You better not die before me. If you live to be a hundred years old, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

Cherie lifted her head at Hyukjae. "Are you sure I'm your first girlfriend? By my logical reasoning, everything about you just screams Veteran of Romance."

"Only you, sweetheart." Hyukjae gave her his signature wink.

"Psshh whatever. I'm pretty sure all your stuttering was just a plan to lure me into your lovetrap," Cherie pouted. "So, how many women do you ensnare a day and trap in your closet?"

"I swear on my abs, you are my first," Hyukjae whispered huskily in her ears as he shuffled closer to her. Flirtatiously running his thumb along her lips, he stopped at the corner and  her bottom lip.

Cherie's gasped. Where did he learn to be such a tease?

Hyukjae suddenly pulled back, putting his hand on the back of his neck. "I was kinda wondering if, you know, maybe if you wanted to, I... I mean you don't have to necessarily because i- iit- t's completely up to you but, uh..." Hyukjae cleared his throat nervously.

Giggling, Cherie took his hands and linked her fingers with his. "I find your abrupt personality changes to be absolutely refreshing. I wouldn't love you if you were any other way. Just say it."

Hyukjae gulped. "Would you like to stay at my place?"

"Tonight?" Cherie asked, surprised. She tried to remember what set of lingerie she was wearing,

Red, lacy, and very y.

"Yeah, and the next and the next until we go back to Korea?" Hyukjae quickly added. "I was thinking since your friend left, it would be better if you and Hyorin moved in with us so as to save on utility bills and gas money and such."

Cherie stared at Hyukjae, internally chastising herself. Here he was being all eco-friendly while she was being the little ert thinking about anything but saving the earth.

But that doesn't mean she can't imagine their future nights together, watching corny soap operas, sneaking delicious kisses here and there when the others aren't watching, maybe even something more than kisses.

~*~*~*~

Waiting in Hyukjae's car with the engine running, Donghae checked his watch for the umpteenth time. 6:13PM. He and Hyorin were supposed to be meeting Kibum by the dock at 6.

'What's taking her so long?'

Opening the car door, he was about the check what was going on before Hyorin finally walked out of the house.

Donghae couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Sporting a white, embroidered Marchesa blazer with bow detailing that revealed a generous amount of cleavage, Hyorin's legs were elongated with a simple pair of black, satin shorts and platform gladiator heels. Holding a sequin clutch in her right hand, she fixed her slicked-back ponytail with her left before opening the passenger door.

Sliding into the car-seat, Hyorin looked at Donghae and smirked.

"I figured if you wanted me to make an impression on Kibum, why not go all out and make him slobber?"

Donghae looked Hyorin up and down appreciatively and whistled. "My wifey sure is y. Don't blame me if I can't control myself tonight."

"Don't count on even coming close to me. I have pepper spray and I'm already trained to use it."

"Trained huh?"

"You know, paparazzi can be pretty annoying. I practice on them sometimes," Hyorin smiled and buckled up her seatbelt. "So are we going or not? We're already borderline beyond fashionably late."

"And whose fault is that?" Donghae muttered as he backed out of the driveway.

"Mine," Hyorin chirped happily, taking delight in being in control of Donghae for the current moment. He needed her to make the plan work, and she had every intention of rubbing it in his face while she still had the chance.

Once the dock finally came into view, they pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car.

"From this point forward, I'm calling the shots on everything. You just follow along and try not to kill me," Donghae whispered.

Grinning widely, Hyorin waved her free hand at Kibum waiting on the pier as they got closer.

"Don't worry. This is strictly professional," she whispered back.

"Wow Mrs. Lee, if you weren't married to Donghae, you'd totally be mine right now," Kibum laughed good naturedly as they stopped in front of him.

"I'm pretty sure your fiancee wouldn't be too thrilled at that idea," Hyorin smiled.

"Ah yes, she is quite the jealous type sometimes," Kibum mused. "Shall we go? She's in the boat waiting for us."

"Please, lead the way," Donghae said as they followed Kibum onto a luxurious yacht and down into the main quarters.

Hearing footsteps, Kibum's fiancee quickly readjusted her Ann Taylor dress and turned around the greet them, only to freeze at the sight of Donghae.

Seeing her distinctly permed brown hair, her piercing gray eyes that were just as cold and emotionless as they were in the past, and feeling that unforgettable, nauseating perfume scent burning his nose and lungs, Donghae started to panic.

'This is not happening. This can't be happening. No way.'

"This is Crystal Ryu, my soon to be wife," Kibum smiled, guiding Donghae and Hyorin to the living area. Standing very uncomfortably beside one of the couches, Crystal gripped onto the edge. Looking back and forth between Donghae and Hyorin, she realized that they were the married couple Kibum wanted to introduce her to.

"It's so good to finally see you two! Kib has been going on and on about how close you were to him, Donghae," Crystal said as she faked a bright smile. Holding out her hand for him to shake, she saw his eyes flash with such a searing hatred that it stung her deep within.

"It's great to meet you too!" Donghae replied back with equal, if not more, enthusiasm. "This is my wife, Hyorin."

"I love your dress," Hyorin smiled as she air kissed Crystal on the cheeks.

"Likewise, that white blazer does wonders," Crystal said, feeling Donghae's gaze on her. "You two are such an adorable couple."

Throughout the lavish seafood meal prepared by personally hired chefs, Donghae started to honestly question why he was so in love with Crystal in college. After observing his ex-girlfriend and her behavior around everyone, Donghae was sickened with the knowledge that she was still the fake, conniving she had always been in their own relationship.

Showing off like no other, Crystal started off by bragging about her prestigious position in some technological company and how Kibum was a highly respected psychiatrist, earning over €200K a year. According to her, they were even featured in Time magazine's Top 50 Power Couples of 2011. What especially annoyed Donghae about her was that, after all these years, she still put wealth and fame over anything else, just like how she had approached him, used him, and betrayed him to get closer to his then-best friend, who was the university's best soccer player and had just signed a contract to play for Korea's official national men's soccer team.

He thought he was in love.

He even contemplated on proposing to her.

Now, Donghae could bet that she didn't truly love Kibum. She never loved him, nor his ex-best friend. She wasn't capable of love.

Not in this life.

Not ever.

"Kibbie, feed me some of that smoked salmon please buttermuffin," Crystal pouted as she opened wide. Kibum complied and Crystal awarded him with a gross french kiss before she even finished chewing on the fish.

Hyorin flinched. Donghae saw the fleeting look of disgust flash on her face, which disappeared just as quickly.

He smirked.

"So Hyorin, tell us a little bit about yourself," Crystal said as she pulled out from the kiss. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a singer."

Crystal laughed. "How lovely. Do you dance and sing on stage like those cute teenage idols?"

"I would love to do that, but I'm afraid the harshness of reality reminds me every day that I no longer have the youthful energy to do that kind of thing. I actually like writing and producing my own songs," Hyorin smiled. She could feel the animosity and bitter sarcasm dripping from Crystal's voice, but decided that, instead of fighting back, she was going to ignore it.

"That's really cool! What kind of music do you do?" Kibum piped up, obviously interested. Crystal scrunched her eyebrows, disappointed that the conversation was not going where she wanted it to.

"Mostly ballads. I write my lyrics based on my observations about life, it's challenges, regrets, frustrations, things I've gone through..." Hyorin looked at Donghae and lovingly caressed his face. "And of course, about my beautiful love with the perfect husband."

The look in her eyes was so soft, so pure.

For a brief second, Donghae forgot that they were pretending.

Seeing Hyorin so refined in her answer towards Crystal's childish taunts was very sophisticated, yet he had been a jerk in trying to woo Hyorin into sleeping with him this past week. Crystal was the one who had turned him into a freak, forcing him to turn into a playboy by numbing his pain through , but now that she was actually here in front of him, all the brooding and resentment that had been built up in Donghae's system over the years in revulsion towards Crystal's backstabbing actions suddenly disappeared. It finally dawned on him that focusing all of his energy into hating such an insignificant person for turning him into who he was today was a waste of his time. Now that he had met Hyorin, he realized that she was different than all the other girls he had met after Crystal. She was a flirt herself, but she still kept to her morals and values. He was the one trying to further their relationship on the physical level, but Hyorin wasn't having any of that.

He knew that it was time to turn over a new leaf, and he couldn't think of a better woman to have by his side than Hyorin.

He only wanted her now.

He needed her.

"Awww, that's really admirable. Hae's so lucky to have you as his wife," Kibum sighed. Crystal kicked him under the table and he groaned loudly in pain.

"What?!"

Crystal looked away, irritated.

As they finished off for the night, Donghae and Hyorin were about to leave when Crystal approached them.

"Can I have moment with him? It'll only take two seconds," Crystal smiled at Hyorin. She nodded and went to say goodbye to Kibum.

"I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry. You guys seem genuinely happy together."

"Thanks. I hope that you'll find the real you someday," Donghae replied. He was glad that she was willing to apologize, but just a simple phrase wasn't enough to heal his age-old wounds.

Not by a long shot.

"But I hope we never see each other again."

~*~*~*~

Hyukjae's house was completely dark when they arrived back.

Standing outside the main entrance, Donghae stopped Hyorin from going in.

"What?"

"I'm really grateful that you were the one helping me out today," Donghae said a little shyly.

"Why am I so nice?" Hyorin laughed as she flicked her ponytail over her shoulders.

"Because you're a really great person."

"Well, you should rest early. Tonight's been tough on you," she said, taken aback by Donghae's unexpected sincerity. She had overheard his and Crystal's conversation on the boat before they left and figured that something had happened between them in the past.

"You overheard us?"

"I was curious, but tuned out halfway when-" Hyorin's eyes widened as Donghae trapped her against the wall and kissed her on the lips, cutting her off mid-sentence.

She broke it off and turned her head to the side.

"I- I don't think this is a good idea. I barely know you."

"You can get to know me."

"But I'm sick," Hyorin tried finding another excuse.

"We can get sick together."

"I have a boyfriend."

"Ditch him."

"I'm a lesbian."

"Let me be the one to turn you straight."

"I've... run out of excuses," Hyorin sighed, and this time, pulled on Donghae's shirt so she was the one who kissed him first.

She couldn't resist anymore.

Donghae gladly welcomed the gesture and started to move his mouth along her jaws and onto her neck, down to her chest. He wanted to take things a little slower, but Hyorin was making it very difficult for him to stick to his plans. As Hyorin started running her hands through Donghae's soft hair in wild ecstacy as he softly nipped her raw flesh, she realized that they were still outside. Other people could still see. She slightly pushed him away from her.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was actually thinking of going inside to your room to finish what we started," Hyorin said over her shoulder to Donghae as she turned around and unlocked the front door. "But we could end it here too if you'd like."

"Who says anything about ending it? This is just the beginning," he growled, pushing her into the house.

But it was too late. Someone was already very close to them, hiding.

He had already gotten all the pictures he needed.

This was indeed just the beginning.

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