I avoided any of them sending me home as I felt uncomfortable. I told them I would take a cab home for my own safety. “I’ll leave first...” I bidded farewell. Youngjae then dashed out from the kitchen joining me and the rest at the doorstep. “Wait noona, you are not leaving like that!” I stared at him with a confused expression and then Youngjae embraced me. My body somehow froze and then Jongup and Zelo joined in too. I somehow felt weird but the embrace felt comforting, like a family hug. “Hyung, why are you standing there like a statue? Come here!” Zelo said to Yongguk. Yongguk scratched the back of his head and looked around. His body then started to awkwardly move towards us as he opened his arms to embrace us. For a moment, we exchanged body heat. In that moment, my eyes landed on Yongguk as I looked up front and our gazes locked as we got drowned in each other’s gaze. They finally let go and I made my way home with my heart palpitating faster than usual.

The two men lit up their cigars as they scanned the surroundings from the corner of the roadside.They kept glancing at their watches while staying alert. “Hey look, someone’s coming out of the house,” the tall one signalled. Both of them stared the house. They saw 4 men and a girl at the doorstep. They all were embracing each other for some time before the girl left the house. The girl held onto her bag as she walked past them. Her boots clunked in sync with the sounds of crickets blanketing the night air. The short man took out his binoculars to get a clearer view of the men standing at the door while the tall one scrutinized the girl.

“Damn! It’s him. This must be his house and those brats must be his friends,” the short one cursed.

“That girl seemed familiar...wait...isn’t she Himchan’s hyung sister? I see...” the tall one commented. They continued scrutinizing the girl as her image diminished from their sight. The men then focused on the house where the four men were standing and looking at the girl that just left. They were not interested in what they were doing but they were more interested in the relationship between the girl and the four men. They exchanged glances and smirks to acknowledge the new information they could bring back to their boss before they left the place.