Mirotic always looked different when no one was there. More quiet and peaceful than the usual noise and chaos. But for some reason the girls that worked there enjoyed it more when the place was full. Sure it was tiring and hectic but enjoyable none the less.

"Too quiet don't you think?" Steph looked around the place. Roz stuck her head out of the kitchen to look around. Resting her gaze on Steph she nodded before going back into the kitchen.

"Remind me again why we opened up late today," Roz spoke as she placed a batch of cookies in the oven.

Steph shook her head, laughing. "The manager's kid had her party here. It migrated somewhere else allowing us to work today."

"Oh that's right," she chuckled. "Did BoA go on a date with Su?" Steph nodded. "Well i hope she has a great time while we're slave driven."

Steph laughed. "Quit your whining. I bet you had an awesome time with Yunho the other day." Roz blushed. Steph stuck her head into the kitchen and grinned. "Shut up." Roz told her, blushing harder. "I didn't day anything." Steph backed out of the kitchen before Roz could even thing about throwing something at her. Like a knife or any other type of pointy object in her general vicinity.

"Hey," Roz rushed out of the kitchen so fast Steph thought she was gonna die. "How was your practice?"

Shock turned to laughter on Steph's part. Roz on the other hand just stayed looking at her friend critically. "It was ok. Short lived though cuz I had to rush to the hospital."

Roz cringed a little. Steph's face had gone from cheerful to sullen in one second flat. "What happened?"

Steph sighed. "My bro moved his fingers. But by the time I got there he stayed immobile. Like a statue. The same statue that he's been since he ended up in there in the first place." Steph began scrubbing away at a table. "You know it's really hard. I stay strong and stuff but sometimes I wonder why."

"You shouldn't," Roz's outburst stunned Steph. "Stay strong four your brother. He can feel your strength. It may take a little more time but the fact that he moved should bring hope." Steph smiled as Roz went on. "Believe that he'll wake up soon cuz he's starting to make an effort."

"Thanks," Roz and Steph smiled at each other. "I guess its time to open now."

It took a few minutes after the girls opened the cafe for it to be almost full. Both steph and roz began to wonder why they liked the noise as time went on. steph grimaced when jessica walked in. the girl was a pain in the and she'd never step into Mirotic unless she had to. she was shocked to see Sunny with her. Sunny was BoA's best friend and she wouldn't have thought both girls would get along. They just seemed to have to complete different personalities.

"You won't believe this," she walked into the kitchen. Roz looked away from her batter to give her an arched eyebrow telling her to go on. "Sunny walked in here..." "So? Lots of people come in here." Roz interrupted. "Sunny happens to be one of them."

"Let me finish," Roz smiled and bade steph to continue. "With Jessica."

"No way," Roz walked towards the door leading into the cafe. Sitting in one of the far tables was Sunny and Jessica. "I wonder if they're waiting for someone." Both girls were looking around Mirotic. Actually their gazes kept on going to the kitchen.

"I'm guessing me," steph sighed. "Well I guess I'm off." she left the kitchen and headed straight for Sunny and Jessica, who had stopped looking around the moment they saw her. Now they were both talking animatedly with each other.

"You know i'm shocked," jessica was saying. "The fact that the boys are doing something like that is alaeming."

what the hell are they talking about, Steph thought.

"But your sure Su isn't involved?" sunny asked her. Jessica nodded. "i'm positive."

"i can't believe it." sunny looked outraged. "it's a good thing i turned Min down, then."

"Yeah. Min looked like a sweet guy too," jess commented. "but i guess its true that all guys are jerks."

steph coughed in order to get their attention. jess and sunny stopped talking and looked up. they both gave steph a sympathetic look that she raised her eyebrow for.

"Can i get your order." both girls rallied off what they wanted and steph jot it down on her notepad. as she walked away sunny and jess resumed talking.

"the bet's 1000 dollar and its looks like my brother might be in the lead," steph stopped walking. "junno seems to be getting through the ice princess defenses," steph's hands balded into fists. jessica contined talking as she noticed steph had stopped to listen. "micky was on the list too," jessica lowered her voice into a whisper. one that steph could still pick up since she wasn't far enough away from the girls.

steph was about to turn around and demand answers from jess and sunny but thought better of it. nothing good would come from a confrontation. besides she was currently working and didn't have time for them. instead she did the next best thing, she picked up her pace and went into the kitchen.

"You ok?" roz asked noticing steph's pale face. "i'm fine." she waved away her concern. until she learned more she wouldn't say anything.

~*~

"did tou see her face," sunny laughed. jessica grinned. "she looked totally crest fallen."

"hopefully,: sunny looked at her phone. "now she'd do the rest. i just wish i could be there to she the ice princess get hurt to." she sneered.

"why don't you like her?" jessica asked looking at sunny. "y don't you?" sunny shot back.

"she gets on my nerves." jessica admitted. "i have no other reason, really."

"i don't like her because she's besties with the ice queen," sunny replied after receiving a look from jessica. "she's also incorporated boa into her little friendship group." "ah," jessica nodded. "jealousy triggers the worst in people."

"i'm not jealous," sunny glared in denial.

"whatever," jessica's voice was mocking. "anyway i'm out of here." she waved good bye and walked away.

"didn't we come together," sunny looked after her. she'd ridden with jessica. the girl shrugged. "i told you i'd come with and stuff. but i never said we'd leave together."

sunny glaed daggers into jessica's receding back. the girl was a and no matter the amount of time spent with her would change that. with one last glare and a sigh at having to walk sunny turned the other way just in time to walk right into changmin.

"Hi sunny," he greeted while scratching an nonexistent itch at the nape of his neck.

"hello min," sunny greeted back without meeting his eyes. "anyway i have to go. see ya." she bolted in quite a hurry. making sure that no one followed her and that she didn't walk into anyone again.

Min on the other hand watched her leave. he found it weird that she'd been with yunho's sister. that was a first. everyone knew that jessica didn't give anyone the time of day. she was the biggest in the school who had a massive crush on jae. not that he would notice since he liked tiffany, her best friend.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" steph asked him from the entrance of the cafe.

"how long have you been there?" min was caught by surprise. it's not like Mirotic staff just happened to great you at the entrance.

"Long enough," steph smiled. "does bumping into sunny bug you? is it awkward?"

min could tell steph's words were laced with concern. he had to smile at the fact that she'd come greet him at the door just to see how he was holding up. before he could stop himself he blurted out, "tell me about your brother." steph stared at him blankly. the topic of her brother was touchy at most. however, min was a good kid no matter what sunny and jessica said on the contrary. "sure," she returned his earlier smile. "but it'll have to wait until after work."

min grinned back. "works for me. oh, and i want a piece of chocolate cake." he ordered as he walked into the cafe. steph shook her head and rolled her eyes before she playfully hit min on the shoulder and headed towards the display.

seeing as how business was slowing down at the moment she cut a big slice of the cake so she could take it to min. there was no way anyone would notice, right.

"who are you giving that to?" roz asked as she exited the kitchen. "no one," steph grinned back at her innocently.

"yeah right," roz looked around the room. she noticed that min was sitting down on one of the tables waiting for his order. she turned to look at steph, who shrugged in return.

"what," steph chuckled. "the kids grown on me."

"really? i don't see him sprouting out of you," roz joked.

"oh shut up," steph laughed. "you know what i mean. now i'm going to go give this to him before you come up with any more dumb jokes." she walked away with the cake in her hands. roz threw her a good luck and steph stuck her tongue out at her playfully. then she turned her whole body and walked straight to min.

"thanks," he grinned at his big piece of cake. "i should put you in a good mood more often." steph flicked him before she left again.

"that boy can eat," roz commented as they watched him wolfing down his food.

"i know what you mean," steph stared, wide eyed. "i know guys like to eat but watching him makes me think he hasn't eaten in days."

roz laughed. "that or weeks." steph nodded in agreement.

"speaking of which, did you pick up the table sunny and jessica were sitting in?" roz looked at said table.

"didn't have to," steph grimaced. "they bolted right after they ordered."

"how annoying," roz pursed her lips. "Tell me about it," steph returned the sentiment.

"you know what," steph walked towards the table. "i'll just clean it now. get rid of the germs and stuff," she said with a chuckle.

when steph got to the table she noticed a stray piece of paper. she grabbed it and took a peek. inside the paper was a list of names. everyone's names where on there, from jae to junno on the boys section and from tiffany to ray on the next margin. it was shocking. looking at the paper gave solid proof of the words both sunny and jessica were speaking about when they were here. not only that but below all the names was the reward of 1000 dollars. the freaking paper even had 'bet' as the title to it.

steph looked up and saw min eating happily. she refused to believe that he was part of something like this. she looked down at the paper again. she sighed, folded the paper and stuck it in her pocket. before jumping to any conclusions she would research things first. get a feel to what's false and what's true. min seemed to good to be a part of something like this, he couldn't be a bad kid and still care about her situation with her brother. if he was heartless he wouldn't have bothered to ask her to tell him about him. besides he looked very hurt when sunny rejected him before he could ask her out. that won points against her, so steph couldn't trust her completely even if she was boa's friend. it just seemed to weird.

there's no way i'll say anything, she thought. not yet. if i'm wrong i won't be the only one who gets hurt. so for now i can't say anything.

hey everyone. i'm back sort of lol. this is the first chapter of the triple update i am conducting today. i hope you enjoy what you read and don't forget to read the two other chapters after this. ^_^...i apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes i might have made while writing. since i wanted to update now i didn't go through and correct my work. i also decided not to capitalize anything so if that bother's you let me know. i'm trying to decide whether to leave everything in lower case or capitalize what needs to be capitalize. the former actually takes less time but i want to know your opinion on the matter. anyway enjoy. XD