CHAPTER TEN

-Two days later-

That morning, I was woken up by a phone call. I groaned immediately from the shrieking noise coming from my phone. Seriously? Why do I keep getting early phone calls that wake me up these days? I grunted as I twisted my body to reach over for the phone. Then it suddenly hit me. The boys are coming back today! A smile slowly crept onto my face. Could it be Sungmin-shi calling me to start preparing for work today? Or even better is it Taehyun calling me?

NO!

Yunju, you made up your mind already, don’t think about him! Avoid him at all cost! Don’t answer his calls! But… It’s so hard! I answered “hello” a little too excitedly, and to my disappointment, it was actually Bom unnie who called.

“Yunju-ah! Are you up?” She screamed into piece, the blast of noise almost made my ear go deaf in my quiet environment.

I almost wanted to laugh at her question with an obvious answer. “What do you think? I picked up didn’t I?”

“Right! Then let me up! I’m actually downstairs!” She insisted. “Quickly! I think there are people on the streets that are starting to recognize me!”

“You’re downstairs??” I exclaimed into my phone, lifting the covers off my body and sprinting to the living room to the intercom in order to buzz her in. “Are you able to open the door now?”

“Yes! See you soon!!” Bom immediately hung up after.

What is unnie doing here anyways? The boys aren’t even back yet…  Why is she suddenly paying me a visit?

I quickly washed up in the washroom, expecting my guest anytime. I also managed to change out of my pajamas before I heard a knock at the door. I quickly let Bom inside.

“Ohhh Yunju-ah!” She said a little too excitedly as she walked in. “Wow your apartment looks the same as your old one.”

I slowly observed her from head to toe. “Unnie, I cannot even recognize you!” She is wearing some typical disguise garments but as her friend, I have to say I don’t even know who she is if she walked past me on the streets.

She placed both her hands on her hips and said, “Of course! As a matter of fact, my skills at disguising are always improving!” Oh, such a classic Bom answer…

“Anyways, why are you here so early this morning?” I questioned, thinking of all the possible things she will say. I’m putting my money on trying to pay WINNER a visit though.

“Well, I have a day off today and I really miss you so I thought I’d drop by!” She proclaimed. I cocked up an eyebrow at her, urging her to spit out the truth. “Well, and maybe also visit my dongsaengs…” I KNEW IT!

“Sorry unnie but there’s some bad news.” I said, pouring some water into a glass for her. “But WINNER is filming somewhere and they shouldn’t be back till later this afternoon.”

“Are you serious?” She said disappointedly. “I could have slept in this morning then!”

“So much for ‘wanting to hang with me’ unnie…” I pretended to pout and handed the glass of water to her.

“Of course! I DO want to see you!” She took a sip of water. “My mind isn’t always just on boys!”

“Right, unnie, right…” I continued in a teasing manner and opened the fridge to see what I can cook up. “I assume you haven’t eaten yet?” She shook her head. “Well, it’s your lucky day. I have corn at home, surprisingly.”

She clapped her hand in happiness. “I knew visiting you is definitely a better choice than staying home!” I rolled my eyes and laughed at her honesty.

We ate and talked about new happenings in our lives. Since we have nothing to do after brunch, we decided to take a stroll in the park around the neighbourhood. That was the most we can do because I was afraid people will start to recognize unnie if we go anywhere else. Bom insisted it was okay though because she does it often enough but I refused. I don’t want to be captured in another photo with a celebrity!

The sun was glistening, shining brightly upon us. It wasn’t that warm as it is only spring but it wasn’t raining which I am thankful for. The weather was pleasant and everything was going well… Until Bom started asking me questions about a specific person that almost made me lose my mood to walk any longer.

“Yunju-ah, so what kind of person is Nam Taehyun? Is he nice? He looks like a gentleman!” Bom asked and looked upwards to the sky in a thoughtful manner.

I stared at her. “Seriously? Unnie, you’re still interested in him? What’s so good about him anyways? He’s a jerk!” I unconsciously started kicking angrily at the small rocks that are scattered on the side walk.

“Omo!” She covered . “Why? He seems very kind though!”

“Maybe to you only.” She immediately giggled at my response. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. “You should just give up already! He’s not someone that you think he is.” I took a seat at a bench and Bom followed suit.

She laughed. “I know I know. I’m just curious about him, that’s all. He seems the most mysterious out of the group.”

“Well listen up. One, he’s probably the most insincere person on Earth. Two, he has a super huge ego. Three, he likes to order people to do things for him a little too much and he loves to go overboard with it. Four-“

“Whoa stop stop. It seems like you know him quite well eh Yunju-ah!” Bom suddenly caught me off guard and interrupted my ongoing outburst.

“What are you talking about? Of course not!” I immediately disagreed. Did I say a little too much? Time to keep quiet…

Bom all of a sudden leaned in towards me and studied my face closely. “Are you sure?” She grabbed my arm and started patting my back. What the… “Yunju-ah, your face tells me otherwise.” I tried to look away and she pulled my chin to face her again. “Omo, are you blushing?”

I instantly denied. “No! What are you talking about? I’m just getting hot because we are sitting under the sun!”

“Sun? Dude I know it’s not winter anymore but it’s impossible to be hot in this weather!” She shook her head, unimpressed with my answer. I looked at her awkwardly. “Don’t tell me that you like Nam Taehyun?”

“No way! Why would I like a jerk like him?” I pretended to show her a disgusted look. “I rather stay single and be a cat lady for the rest of my life!” I secretly crossed my finger behind my back.

Bom merely leaned back on her seat and observed me again. “You’re lying!” I kept quiet. “Oh my... You DO like him!”

“Why do you keep saying that!”

“Because… I AM PARK BOM and I know you well Yunju-ah!” She insisted and straightened her spine determinedly. “You can’t lie in front of me! I’m your friend!” I sighed in defeat. “See! I knew it!”

I frowned. “Yeah okay whatever. You win unnie.” I finally said. “I can never win an argument with you!”

She practically jumped out of her seat and lifted her fist up in the air. “ONE POINT FOR PARK BOM!” I quickly pulled her back down on her seat. The last thing I want right now is to be surrounded by her fans and she just practically screamed out her name! She sat down immediately and looked at me with an unimpressed expression. “Yah! Why have you never told me that you like him?”

“Why have you never told me that you were crushing on him?”

“I don’t like him. I just think he’s cute.” She shrugged. I squinted my eyes and looked at her suspiciously. “I don’t understand you. One moment you’re saying he’s a jerk and treat others badly and now you’re telling me you like him?” I was about to protest but she interrupted me. “It’s okay. You can have him!” She gleamed brightly at me.

“Why are you saying it as if he’s an object?” I asked, almost laughing at the thought. “And no! I decided to not like him anymore. It’s for the better anyways!”

“Why? You guys make a cute couple though!” Bom gasped. “Plus, you two-“ I put a finger to her lips to shush her. I shook my head to stop her from talking any further. The last thing I want is to be convinced to like him again. She got the hint and shoved my hand away. “Fine. Don’t listen to me!”

“Oh come on unnie!” I pouted, trying to use the best of my aegyo skills so she won’t be mad.

She looked at me seriously and continued. “I’m just saying… You shouldn’t miss your chance to capture any opportunities. When you’re at my age now, you will definitely regret it! You will become so desperate that you will try to snatch onto anything!” Her face dulled with sadness after she said that.

I raised my eyebrow at her. “Don’t make it sound like I’m just like you unnie!”

“Yah!” She yelled agitatedly. “I’m just trying to-“

“Stop! Unnie I like you a lot but sometimes you talk too much.”

Bom looked unsatisfied but decided not to argue anymore. “Well, just follow your heart Yunju! That’s all I’m going to say now.” I nodded at her and smiled appreciatively.

She then received a call from her manager who asked her to return to her dorm immediately. Apparently she forgot that she has a schedule that afternoon. “Good going unnie…” I laughed at her forgetfulness.

She frowned. “I knew it’s too good to be true when I thought I had the whole day free!” She got up to get ready to leave. “Actually, do you want to come with me?”

I shook my head. “Nah! I think I’ll just go home! I probably should clean up the apartment anyways.”

She nodded understandingly. “I’m just going to catch a taxi then. Sorry our little date has to end already!”

I smiled warmly at her. “Don’t worry. You should get going now. Help me say hello to the other members!”

We bid farewell and I saw her off when her taxi drove further away. I sighed and placed both my hands into my parka as I walked back towards my apartment. Well then… I guess it’s time to continue with my drama marathon before the boys get back! I almost wanted to run back to my apartment after realizing that but I decided not to as I will just gain the attention of many strangers- which I definitely don’t want.

As I was heading back though, I suddenly felt a little uneasy. I stopped walking and turned back to see if anyone is there but I couldn’t see the presence of anyone. I dipped my head to one side in confusion. Why do I have a feeling that someone is there? As if someone is following me? Maybe I’m just being paranoid and imagining things. I shrugged and quickly continued my way home.

---

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the whole apartment. This included all the things I hate such as vacuuming, mopping, doing laundry and cleaning the bathtub. When I was done it was already six in the afternoon, cutting close to dinner time. So much for my Korean drama marathon… I lain down on my sofa and started to check if I missed anything on my phone. Other than a missed call from Hyejin and a gazillion unread messages on What’s App, nothing much was out of the ordinary.

I stayed quiet and tried to eavesdrop on any noises next door. Are the boys back yet? Aren’t they supposed to return this afternoon? Or are they back already? Oh well, if anything they’ll contact me first.

Wait. Why am I even anticipating their return? God damn it. Just forget about that jerk already Yunju! I huffed out a sigh and decided to step out onto the balcony for some fresh air.

I took in the view of the sun setting over the horizon and instantly relaxed at the sight. Suddenly, a van pulled into the apartment driveway and I immediately recognized it as WINNER’s car. Oh crap, maybe I should head back inside so they won’t see me up here. But I do live on the tenth floor and I doubt they will look up to see me.  

…But I really want to see them.

Should I go downstairs? Will it be really obvious as if I’m waiting for them though? No. I shouldn’t do that. But I think I should go to Taehyun and thank him personally for the phone he got me right? Right.

An idea popped into my mind and I quickly ran inside the apartment to grab the key to my letter box.  Since the letter box is in the lobby, it’ll make the best alibi since I am just checking for letters! They won’t suspect a thing!

When I got downstairs though, I saw no signs of them anywhere. That’s odd. They’re usually dropped off quite fast! Did fangirls manage to find out where they live already? I hovered in front of my letter box and tried to sneak a peek at the glass window at the entrance. OH SNAP THEY’RE WALKING IN! I quickly turned my head to the letter box and retrieved the contents I had.

Oh man… Phone bill, bank statement, visa bill… I flipped and scanned through each letter until something new caught my eyes. There’s a letter without a return address or my name on it. Is this even for me? The letter wasn’t sealed though so I quickly took out what’s inside. I unfolded the letter and almost dropped it. What the heck? The paper had a very messy message written with red ink that resembles blood dripping down. It also read ‘This is your first warning. Stay away from WINNER.’

I didn’t know how to respond to this. Is this some kind of threat? Some kind of joke? Or is one of the boys pulling a prank on me?

“NOONA!”

I practically jumped on the spot when I lifted my head to see a happy Jinwoo hopping up to me. “What a coincidence that you’re here too!”

“We’ve missed you noona!” Seunghoon joined in and appeared behind Jinwoo. “Did you miss us?”

I tried to smile at them but the words from the letter I just read couldn’t be taken off my mind. Who would do this? This has got to be one of their doings!

“Wow noona, you sure seem happy to see us…” Mino commented sarcastically at my lack of words.

Wow, since when have their acting skills improved so much? I thought they would’ve asked about the letter already! “What’s this prank you guys are trying to pull on me this time?” I asked, annoyed at their behaviour. They seem confused though. I turned to face Taehyun. “Isn’t this going a little too far?”

“Yo what the! I didn’t do anything.” He replied, crossing his arms. “Is this your way of greeting me? And why would you assume it’s me pulling a prank on you?”

“Who else would have so much time on their hands?” I retorted. Tsk, why is he still hiding it?

“Hmm, you’ve probably mistaken something. All five of us just got back! Literally!” Seungyoon said. Wait, he’s correct. I did check my letter box yesterday but nothing was in it. Then the letter must have been received today… There’s no way they could’ve put it in already. A chill suddenly went down my spine and I froze, unable to think of anything at the moment. Crap. Who sent me this then? I looked to my left and right uneasily. Is whoever that dropped this off still in here?

“What’s that you’re holding?” Taehyun questioned as he took a step towards me.

I quickly hid the letter behind my back. No… I can’t show this to them. Especially Taehyun. Oh my goodness what should I do with this? “N- None of your business.” I stuttered out, shoved the paper in my bag and headed for the elevator.

“Damn. Someone’s being extra sensitive today. Time of the month?” Taehyun smirked as he and the others walked behind me. I decided to ignore him.

Seunghoon finally stated. “You do seem a little out of it today noona.”

“Are you just really missing us?” Mino suddenly grinned as we stepped into the elevator and pressed for the tenth floor. “You can just say it! You don’t have to be embarrassed!”

I gaped at him. “Oh come on!” Mino laughed and placed his arm on Jinwoo’s shoulder. “How was filming for WINNER TV?” I asked, trying to switch the subject.

“It went fairly well I think!” Jinwoo smiled. “Too bad we have to come back already!”

Seungyoon’s leadership skills took over and suddenly chirped in. “Don’t forget we have to go in the studio to continue some recordings tomorrow.”

“Neh leader…” The rest of the boys said in unison.

As we reached our floor, I suddenly felt even more worried all of a sudden. What if this isn’t a prank? Then how did this “person” know where I live? How do they know my relationship with the boys? Does that mean they know the five of them live in this apartment too? My mind was so occupied with various questions that I didn’t even notice Mino waving his hand frantically in front of my face.

“Yunju noona… You don’t look so well. Are you okay?” Mino asked with concern.

I finally snapped out of it and faced him. “Oh, yes I’m okay. Just tired I guess.”

“Tired?” Taehyun asked. “Wow you’re such a pig! Shouldn’t you have rested all you want the past two days already?”

I glared at him. “Can you just keep your mouth shut?” Mino and Seunghoon laughed at us bickering again.

Seungyoon opened the door to their apartment and grabbed my arm to pull me inside.

I quickly stopped though. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“You’re coming in with us!” Seungyoon answered, closing the door behind him immediately once we have all stepped foot inside their apartment. “Noona, you’re spacing out since the moment you saw us! What’s wrong? You’re not usually like this!”

I stared at the five in front of me. All of them looked back at me with concern, except for Taehyun who is in the kitchen fetching a glass of water and is trying to hide his smile. I have a feeling that letter is actually a prank by him. That smile of his… So evil, yet so captivating! UGH!

I straightened up my back on the couch and inhaled deeply. “Nothing is wrong guys. I just need to talk to Taehyun about something.” I got up from the sofa and pointed at him and made a ‘come here’ sign with my index finger.

Taehyun returned my gaze innocently. “What? What do you want?”

Acting all innocent now huh? I can’t stand it anymore! I stomped over to him, lifted his shirt by his collar and dragged him into his room, ignoring all the questionable faces of the other four guys in the living room. I don’t know where I suddenly got my strength from but I threw Taehyun on his bed and locked the door behind me. He quivered up to a corner immediately and pressed his arms across his chest. “Whoa! What do you want?”

I marched over and leaned down to face him. He looked tense and backed away. I began by asking, “What do you think I want to talk to you about?”

He shook his head, hands still on his own chest. “I don’t know… ” I rolled my eyes. “By the way did you like your gift?” He suddenly flashed me his classic smirk.

I totally forgot about that! “Um… Yeah. Thank you. You didn’t have to…”

“You know how much time I spent trying to take that selfie for you! Now you can brag to your friends about it!” He exclaimed and nodded at me about his thoughtfulness.

“Um…” Well this is getting awkward. Now is not the time to blush Yunju! I cleared my throat again and asked. “Stop pretending to be nice. Now tell me, what’s with the stupid prank of yours this time? You think it’s funny? You almost made me call security!”

He looked majorly confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Man… I don’t understand you at all! First you get me a phone and then you pull a prank on me?” I sighed in defeat at his foolishness. “Why do I even like y-“ I quickly forced myself to stop talking when I almost blurted out that I liked him right in front of his face.

He raised an eyebrow and finally relaxed his pose and sat cross legged. “First, you’re welcome for the phone. Second, I have no idea what prank you’re talking about. Third, what did you say you like?”

I decided to completely ignore his third comment. I got up and snatched the paper out of my bag and shoved it in his face. “THIS! This is what I’m talking about! Don’t pretend you don’t know anything about this! I just got it when you guys came back! Did you bribe the mailman or something?”

Taehyun took the paper out of my hands and studied it closely. That was also when I noticed he stopped smiling and looked at me with a serious expression.  My heart suddenly sank and my body temperature dropped. Don’t tell me… “Noona… Believe me. I didn’t write this.”

I know that face of his. He’s not lying. I blinked at him and gulped. My palms turned cold and sweaty. I didn’t realize I was shaking with fright. Then who wrote this to me?

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Author's note:

DUN DUN DUN. oh snap. seems like Yunju has a stalker now. What is going to happen? Is she going to be safe? :S *crosses fingers*

Sorry for the lack of Yunju- Taehyun interaction in this chapter by the way. Hopefully things will pick up in the next few chapters. 

As always, comments and opinions are welcomed! I really do want to hear your suggestions and opinions of my story so please please please feel free to write me something! Anything!! 

I'll post up the next chapter in a few days. Stay tuned :D