"Clothes, check! Shower supplies, check!" Dongwoo rummaged through his green duffel bag and took out a small little toy. "Min, look at this!"

I squinted. "What is that?" From my view, it looked like a miniature version of an accordion.

"I don't know." He opened and closed it. "Myungsoo bought this for me from his vacation in Japan."

"Ah," I took it as he handed it to me. "It's very...interesting."

"I like these kind of stuff." A cheeky grin appeared on his wide mouth as I played around with it.

"Hyung's very childish if you hadn't noticed." Sungyeol appeared in the doorway behind Dongwoo.

"Look who's talking." Dongwoo chuckled. "Don't you ever wonder why people call you 'Choding Sungyeol'?"

"Tch." Sungyeol fell down onto the couch across from me.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"You mean Myungsoo?" Hoya smirked and crossed over to the corner of the room and retrieved his bag. "He's getting things ready in the car. It's going to be a long ride."

"I didn't mean Myungsoo." I mumbled to myself.

Sunggyu swung into the room. "Min! Woohyun said to come outside." And he left.

"The Nam-Prince is calling for you." Dongwoo waved me to the door. "Better go."

I sighed and slightly nodded my head before getting up and out into the opened garage to where Woohyun, Sunggyu, and Sungjong were. "Did you call for me?" This was actually my very first time seeing and being in the garage since I've lived here.

"Yeah." Woohyun stuck his head out from inside of the car. "Whose car do you want to ride in?"

A shiny blue car pulled up next to the driveway and honked its horn. "Mine!"

My eyes shot through the large window to the driver's seat and saw Daehyun behind it. I ran over excitedly and stuck my head in the passenger's window. "You're coming too?!"

"Yep." He winked. "Hey Min."

I waited until he exited his car before hugging him. "I missed you."

He laughed softly into my hair. "You just saw me yesterday and you miss me already?"

"Mhm. A lot."

"Minhee?" Woohyun came up behind me. "Who's this?"

Daehyun held out his hand. "I'm Lee Daehyun."

"He's my friend." I spoke carefully as Woohyun eyed him.

"Ah." Woohyun met Daehyun's hand with his own. "I'm-."

"I know who you are." Daehyun spoke with a little bitterness in his voice.

"Well then," Sungjong slapped Woohyun on his back. "Let's continue the introductions inside. Hyo wants everyone gathered in the living room."

Daehyun walked alongside of me as we entered the house. Hyo almost threw Daehyun over as she gave him a tight hug. I laughed when his eyes were practically asking for help.

"Yah." Woohyun purposely walked in between them and wrapped his arm over Hyo's shoulders. He waved for Daehyun to move away.

"Oppa," Hyo frowned. "He's my friend."

"I know."

"So," Sunggyu gave a firm pat on Woohyun's arm. "Why are we all here again?"

"Because," Hyo clapped her hands together enthusiastically. "With Ahjin's permission, we're all being invited on her yacht!"

"I get seasick though." Sungyeol groaned and messed with his hair.

"No you don't." Myungsoo pointed out and laughed. "You're just lazy."

Sungjong nodded his head. "That's true."

Everyone gave out a chuckle here and there as Sungyeol's face turned a light shade of red. "I'm not that lazy."

Hyo stuck a finger to her lips. "Shh! Now, let's all figure who's going with who in whose car. Myungsoo, Daehyun, and I are driving our cars. Each car can fit about five people each."

"I'm going with L-oppa!" Ahjin exclaimed.

"But," Sunggyu held a hand up. "Wouldn't you rather hang out with us? If you want to get close to Myungsoo, you have to get close to us too."

For a split of a second, Ahjin had on an indescribable expression that showed annoyance, but she eased a smile onto her face. "Okay then. Why not? It'll be fun."

I saw Myungsoo snickering behind Sunggyu, who had to turn away to hide his laughter. I shook my head slightly at the two of them.

"What about you, Min?" Hyo turned to me. "Who do you want to ride with?" Suddenly, everyone's attention was on me.

"She can go with me." Daehyun and Myungsoo spoke in unison. "No, me. Me!"

"Aish," Woohyun covered his ears. "You guys are too loud."

"Min?" Hyo said again.

"My little tomato wants to go with me, right?" Daehyun scooted by my side and stared intently at me with a confident smile on his face.

"My Minnie wants to come with me." Myungsoo spoke in a quieted monotone voice. He bent his head to get a better look at me. "Right?"

"I-."

"Rock, papers, scissors!" Hoya yelled out. "Just do rock, papers, scissors! Hu... It's not even a big deal."

"Fine." Daehyun walked towards Myungsoo. "The winner-."

"Drives with Min."

"In the car."

"Alone."

"Don't I get to say anything?!" I stomped to the two of them. "Don't I get to choose?"

"Shh..." Dongwoo gently pulled me away. "This is kind of getting interesting."

"Yah!" I shouted, but no one was paying any attention to me anymore.

"Rock,"

"Papers,"

"Scissors,"

"Shoot!"

The first game was a tie.

"Rock,"

"Papers,"

"Scissors,"

"Shoot!"

 

"Myungsoo's currently grumbling to himself right now." Sungyeol spoke through the other line. "He is not happy."

"That," I sighed. "Is not my problem. And honestly," I turned away from Daehyun, who was currently listening into our conversation. I reached to turn on the radio and slid away from him with my phone to my ear. "Honestly, I would've chosen Myungsoo over Daehyun."

"I knew it!!" Myungsoo screamed in the background.

"Yah, am I on speaker?!"

"Sorry Min. It was either this or being dropped off by the side of the road." Sungyeol didn't sound too sorry. I could faintly hear the others in the car laughing. "Myungsoo wants to talk to you."

"No-!"

"Min?"

I cleared my throat and took in a deep breath. "What?"

"So... You really would've chosen me instead?"

"I-."

"Min," Daehyun turned off the music. "There's going to be no service here. You're going to lose the call, so hurry and hang up."

"But-."

"I can't hear you." Myungsoo said anxiously. "Are you still there?"

"There's no service." I pulled my phone away and checked the service bars, there was a big red 'X' in the place. "I have to go."

Myungsoo didn't reply back because when I had the phone to my ear again, the call had dropped.

"Was that Myungsoo?" Daehyun looked at me quick before turning his eyes back to the road in front.

I shuffled uncomfortably at the sharp tone in his voice. "N-no. It was Sungyeol."

"Ah." He started drive faster. The speedometer rose past sixty-five. We drove in silence until the port came in sight.

"And we're here." Daehyun sung as he parked the car next to a streetlight. "I'll get our things out. Since we're closer to the sea, it's colder than in the city so you wait in here, okay?"

"Okay." I smiled as he unlatched the trunk and carried out things to the front of the car. I eventually stood out along and held my bag after he handed it to me.

The others began to arrive at that moment, parking next to our car. One by one, they each arrive on the port with baggage in hand and a restless expression.

The sun had just started to set as we waited for the ship to reach the docks. Seagulls flew over head, coming back once again from the long, cold winter season.

"Oh my gosh!" Ahjin shrieked. "A bird almost pooped on me!"

I ignored the commotion and watched as the sun made its way below the horizon. The sky turned a beautiful fiery reddish purple and dyed the ocean waves a bright orange. I viewed the waters as it rippled and created small waves that splashed along the shore just below the dock.

The ship was just in reach now as someone dressed in a professional suit directed us to the very edge of a wooden platform.

I began to feel nervous about the whole trip. What if I fell while aboard? What if there's all of a sudden a giant storm that overturns the whole ship? What if we crash into something and it's like the Titanic all over again? What if I get seasick? There were so many thoughts entering and exiting my brain that I didn't even comprehend what Myungsoo had been trying to say to me.

"Are you still there?" He chuckled and waved a large hand in front of my face. "Earth to Minnie."

I held his hand down. "I-I'm fine. Just a little-."

"Scared?"

"More like nervous." I corrected.

He bent down to my height. "Is this your first time? On a boat?"

I protruded my lips in deep thinking. "I'm pretty sure it is."

"Well," He clasped his hand with mine and had on one of his most breathtaking smiles. "Then I'm just glad to share this special experience with you."

"Me too." I spoke without thinking.

My answer seemed to satisfy him to the extent where he didn't even let go of my hand even when Sunggyu came to talk to us about our assigned rooms.

"You can let go now." I smirked at his pouting face. I really didn't want to have him let go.

"But I don't want to."

"If you hadn't noticed." I shuffled closer and whispered in his ear, "Ahjin's standing less than three meters away."

He turned his head in my direction. "I know." His face stayed staring at mine longer than necessary. "And I don't care."

"Oh." I pulled my face away from him as the humongous ship appeared right in front of our very noses; it was much larger than I had originally anticipated.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" Ahjin stepped in between us, breaking our grip on each other. "Oh, Minhee. You were there? I didn't see you." But before I could answer back, she was already pulling Myungsoo along through the heavy door that led to the inside of the huge vessel; I still couldn't believe Ahjin's family owned this giant thing.

"Come on." A smiling dinosaur appeared beside me. "Wouldn't want us leaving without you, right?"

 

"Wah..!" Woohyun exclaimed quietly. "Wah, wah, wah..."

"Hyung," Sungjong pointed at his lips. "You have a little drool right there. Lemme get it for you." He his fingers and plastered them onto Woohyun's face.

"Aish! Get away from me!" Woohyun flailed his away to get Sungjong away, which worked.

If anybody else had seen us right there and then, the whole bunch of us, excluding Ahjin, could've been seen as tourists.

As soon as we entered, there were endless lines of staffs to tailor to our needs. Our bags were taken right away to our rooms without a word. When Ahjin dismissed the faculty to their jobs, the room became big and vacant.

"What do we do now?" Hoya slumped against the door until the captain of the ship came and ordered him to move.

After closing the door, the captain turned and greeted us with a bow. "Welcome Miss Kang and her friends. I hope you'll find your stay here enjoyable. If any of you were to need anything, come find me. I'm Captain Jo." He spoke in a deep, commander-like voice. "We have many fun activities here that Miss Kang has planned. Enjoy." With another bow, he left up a flight of stairs.

"Okay!" Ahjin stepped out of line and hurriedly turned to face us. "What do you guys want to do first?"

"Eat!" Dongwoo yelled with his hands cupped over his mouth. "Food! Please!

"Yah," Hoya nudged him. "We just ate before coming here."

"My baby's hungry." Dongwoo patted his flat stomach.

Hoya scoffed. "What baby?"

"Our baby."

"Eck!" Sungjong backed away from them and shook his head. "I swear, each day, my hyungs get weirder and weirder."

"We can eat." Ahjin smiled and immediately ordered for a few staff members to prepare a table in the dining hall.

"Food..." Dongwoo whispered and rubbed his hands together. "Food..!"

Sunggyu made a face at him. "What is it with you and food?"

"I told you. My baby is hungry."

Sunggyu slapped his stomach. "Whatever."

Dongwoo laughed his contagious laugh and followed after Ahjin, who was already heading for the dining hall. "Wait for me!"

Woohyun sighed in annoyance and embarrassment. "Let's just go eat." He pulled Hyo along with a twirl.

"Us too." Myungsoo grasped my hand and put me in a small spin.

I planted my feet to the ground before he could twirl me. "No." He ended up almost tumbling to the ground.

Hoya bursted out laughing. "Ahahaa!"

"Tsk." Sunggyu shook his head. "Hurry. Ahjin and the rest are probably waiting for us."

"Yeah, hurry." I rushed ahead of everyone else. As soon as I reached the double doors, which I guessed led into the dining hall, I smelled the wonderful scents of food. Opening the doors only made my stomach ache even more.

Different types of seafood sat waiting on a long, blue covered table; from crabs to sushi, raw and cooked. There was also an all-you-can-eat Korean barbeque, which Dongwoo had already started on.

"Raw food..." Myungsoo stood next to me and wrinkled his nose. "I don't like raw food."

"I didn't know that about you."

He swung his arm around my shoulders. "Well, I guess you learn something new everyday, don't you?"

"I guess so." I removed his arm with a flick.

"Min!" Ahjin waved for me. "Come help me with these plates please!"

"Alright!" I made my way to Ahjin, but she had already finished with the setting up.

She gave me a small smile. "Never mind. I got it." But in her eyes, there was another emotion that I couldn't detect.

Before I could do anything else, Daehyun pushed me down into a seat and sat next me on the right. "Sit beside me." He smiled, but it wasn't like I could move anywhere else.

Sungjong took the seat on the other side of me and grinned a knowing smile; I had wanted Myungsoo to sit there. "Don't worry, I'm moving over anyways." But before he could scoot, I grabbed onto his sleeve.

"No wait. You can stay." I pressed my lips together as Myungsoo passed by with his eyebrows raised and head lowered.

"But L-hyung..."

I gave him a shrug. "He'll be fine. See," I pointed at Myungsoo settling down next to Ahjin across the table. "He's...sitting with Ahjin."

Sungjong narrowed his eyes. "Are you okay?"

I spoke in a rush murmur. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know." Sungjong smirked. "You just seem to be-."

"To be what?"

"Let's EAT!!" Sungyeol waved his arms up only to be put back down by Sunggyu.

"Yeah..." Daehyun sighed and swirled around his glass of water.

I slid closer to him and ignored the look I felt from Woohyun. I leaned in towards Daehyun to make myself heard from all the other occuring conversations. I asked, "What's wrong?"

He gave me that same smile. The one that told me he wasn't okay. The forced half-smiled to show he was trying. "I'm fine."

"Either you tell me what's wrong or I'm leaving." I gestured to the empty spot next to Sunggyu. "And don't tell me nothing's wrong. I've known you for forever. You're never like this."

"Like what?"

"Since this afternoon, you've been so quiet and out of it." I drew my eyes down and looked at my plate of food. "You know, you once said that you've always wanted to go on a cruise with me because I was so scared to before and here we are now. But you don't seem to be enjoying it very much. With me."

He didn't reply back immediately and instead dropped a giant piece of crab tail onto my plate. "Eat." When I just continued to stare at it, he said, "I want to talk to you."

 

I pulled my arm away from his hold and with a firm voice I said, "What?" Daehyun had been dragging me along for the past five minutes and maybe we even crossed the other side of the ship by the rate he was walking. "What do you want to tell me?"

He only looked off into the horizon where the moon shined and glistened off the surface of the water so bright, it hurt my eyes.

I held onto his sleeve. "Why did you want to talk to me? Is it that important?" Before I could even take another breath, Daehyun pulled me into a tight hug.

"I-." He stumbled across his words. "I don't even know how to start."

"Then-."

"Excuse me? You aren't allowed here." A man came up to us wearing a captain-like suit. We pulled away from each other just as he began to speak again. "This section of the ship is for staffs only." He pointed up at a large sign that indicated we weren't allowed there.

"Sorry." We mumbled in unison and headed off in the opposite way we came from.

"We got in trouble." I glared at him with accusing eyes.

"I know." He shrugged. "Sorry."

"So," I waddled closer to him. "What were you going to tell me?" When he didn't respond, I left him behind and moved farther ahead until the dining hall came into view. I shoved open the door, but there was no one in there. There were only staff members, who had already began to gather all the plates and utensils. "Excuse me?" I walked up to one of the ahjumma workers, who was busily wiping down the table, and gave my brightest smile to make up for interrupting her. "Do you know where the others went to?"

"Laser tag." She nodded with her head. "I heard the tall one yelling something about going to the laser tag dome."

"Could you tell me where it is?"

She pointed towards the ceiling. "It's on the deck. It's huge. You can't miss it."

"Thank you!" And with that, I hurried out the door. Daehyun was leaning against the wall, waiting. "They're playing laser tag."

He gave me an unbelieving look. "Laser tag? On a boat?"

"I guess so. Come on." I tilted my head to get a better look of his, which was lowered. "Tsk, don't look so gloomy. It's saddening to see." I grabbed his hand and tugged on it. "Let's go. The others are probably waiting for us."

 

We entered the white twenty feet dome; the height of the whole thing was plastered right near the door. Inside was a dark hallway with tiny yellow lights placed on the walls, but until your eyes were fully adjusted, everything seemed as if you were in a long, black hole. If it weren't for Daehyun gripping my hand firmly, I probably would have knocked my head against something and fall unconscious.

As soon as we had made it past the dark hallway and through the glass doors that led into a much brighter place, Hyo and the others were at the front counter obtaining their laser guns and jackets.

"Min!" Hyo ran over and threw me over with a hug. "Where were you? Why don't you ever answer your phone? Why do you even have a phone if you don't answer it? What were you-? Oh, Daehyun-ah." She ran to and dragged him to the front counter and had him register as a player. She then came back for me and did the same.

"My phone was turned off." I said apologetically. She either pretended to not hear me or the sound of game noises drowned out my voice.

Ahjin came over to hand me my equipment. "Where were you two?" She eyeballed Daehyun and me. "We couldn't find you guys after dinner. Did you run off together?" She said the last part loudly as Myungsoo advanced towards us.

"N-no. We were just-."

Daehyun stepped in, literally. He held me in a sort of protective stance behind him. "I just needed to speak to her, privately."

"And what did you talk about?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Is that really any of your business?"

Ahjin raised her hands up in mock defeat. "Fine. L-oppa, you heard that, right?"

"What?" I rounded from behind Daehyun until I came face-to-face with Ahjin.

"This oppa," She whipped a hand in Myungsoo's direction. "Was so worried when he couldn't find you after dinner. He must've called your cell a hundred times, but no answer. He has been waiting for you for such a long time. What are you going to do now?" She raised an eyebrow as if to challenge me and clung onto Myungsoo's waist objectively.

Woohyun seemed to have seen the whole thing play out and rushed over with a wide smile. "Min, there you are! You have to register your name into the system first." He pulled me away from everyone's curious stares. "You don't have to tell me anything." He whispered to me as soon as it were just the two of us standing at the front counter.

"I wasn't going to." I typed in my name and then my username: Minnie Mouse. The computer showed a screen, saying that now I have registered into the Player ten slot. "Someone isn't playing?"

Woohyun shook his head. "Sunggyu-hyung isn't. He said he has 'sea-leg', but I think he's just making it up. I've only ever heard of jet-leg before." He gave me a tiny smirk. "I think he's just getting old."

"I heard that!" Sunggyu yelled down from the top floor, where there were gigantic windows that showed a view of the playing field. "I'm not getting old. I told you I have 'sea-leg'!"

"Sea-leg, my !" Woohyun yelled back and shined his bright smile. "We're starting soon."

"Yay!" Dongwoo jumped next to us. "Come on, come on, come on! Let's go into the starting room. They're going to explain the rules to us and then we get to play!" He spoke so fast, I could barely make out a single word.

"Oh, okay." Leaning to Sungyeol, who had just appeared beside me, I whispered, "What did Dongwoo say?"

"We're going into that room," He pointed to a gray door. "To get the rules and then starting after."

"Ah..."

As our whole group entered through the gray doors, a woman stood dressed as if she were in the army. "Attention!" She yelled to settle down our people and continued to shout out her words. "Welcome to The Laser Place." Nice name... I laughed to myself as she continued on with the rules, map of the field, and what to do if we hit someone or get hit; there were four games in total and each lasted thirty minutes each. "Are you all ready?!"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure?!"

"Yes!"

"Then, let's go!"

 

"Yah, yah! Get away!" Sungyeol ran past me, trying to get away from Sungjong.

Our teams were divided into two. The red team consisted of: Hoya, Sungjong, Ahjin, Myungsoo, and Daehyun. The blue team included: me, Dongwoo, Sungyeol, Hyo, and Woohyun.

"Aha!" Sungjong found me hiding in my little corner I had found in the beginning of the game. From the foggy darkness, red beams began shooting out of his gun, but then stopped; Dongwoo had shot him from the back.

Dongwoo drew his head back in laughter and ran off again to chase after Hoya with hungry eyes.

"Aish, you're lucky this time, Min." Sungjong yelled as I ran away before he could recharge and attack.

Where to go..? What to do..? Who to shoot..? I stumbled into barriers that were meant to hide behind, but ended up being stubborn obstacles for me. I stalked up the ramp that led to higher grounds as something red shined from a few meters in front of me. It was someone from the other team I concluded as I crept closer and closer. I should've shot and ran, but he turned around.

Myungsoo fell back from his crouching position and looked at me with wide eyes. "Wah.. W-wait!" He held up both hands and a nervous laugh escaped his lips. "Hold on."

"I swear, if you shoot me..." I lowered my defenses, but kept both eyes on him. Everything in this game seemed so real, I felt like laughing from the madness of it.

"I won't, I won't." He stood up, but his legs were still shaking until he regained his balance. "But he might." I turned around and saw Daehyun just as he was about to shoot, but he didn't.

"Shoot!" Myungsoo shouted, but Daehyun drew back.

"Do it yourself."

"I won't."

Hoya rushed up the ramp at lightening speed. "Then I will!" And he did.

It takes approximately three to five seconds for the gun to fully reload before the user could attack again, so I stood there and waited as Hoya began to scold Myungsoo and Daehyun.

"Yah, why didn't you two shoot?!" He turned to Myungsoo. "I know you like her and all, but this is just a game. Push your feelings aside." Hoya turned to Daehyun, but he had on such a look that left all of us quiet; he looked as if at any moment, he would start crying.

"M-Myungsoo likes Min?"

"Huh? Yeah, he does." Hoya patted Myungsoo's back and stared back at Daehyun. "Why, you too?"

My gun then made a cheery noise in my hands, indicating it was ready. "Get back or I shoot."

"Jeez." Hoya made a run for it, but not before I shot him.

"Ha! Karma hit you good." I jumped from my spot and ran off. Someone called after me, but I didn't stop and kept on going until I couldn't breath anymore, which was only after a few seconds. "Hu..."

"Min!" Myungsoo hurried up behind me and pulled me backwards into his arms. "I was calling for you to stop."

I struggled to get out of his grasp "And that's why I didn't stop." I stopped moving and waited to catch my breath and for Myungsoo to release me. "Let go!"

"Yah!" Someone shouted from above. "I can see everything you're doing!" I caught a movement in one of the windows from the upper floor. Sunggyu was watching down on us with his small, eagle eyes. He pounded on the glass. "Myungsoo-ah, don't do that!"

Myungsoo snickered lowly in my ear. "I thought it would be too dark for him to see. I guess not."

I broke away and started to head in one direction. "Get away from me."

"Why?" He pouted. "Don't you like me?"

"Nope."

"Liar." He kissed my cheek with the lightest of pecks and ran away chuckling to himself.

I gently touched the place where his lips had left its electric feeling, but knocked myself back to reality. "Yah, Kim Myungsoo!"

 

"Round One, over. Players Namstar, Choding, Hoya-prince, Dae-honey and Minnie Mouse had the highest scores. Blue team wins the first round. Next game continues in one minute."

I stood in the recharging lab until the deafening ring of the starting bell rung all around. Everyone exited the area and began running around, shooting the other team. I stayed behind a little longer until it all seemed calm.

"Die!! Kill him!!"

I rushed back into hut after hearing the terrifying screams and yells. Today, I've seen a different side to everyone.

A shadow passed across the front of the opening just as I was about to step out into the light. "Min-ah.." The voice belonged to Daehyun. "Are you still in there? I won't shoot."

I waited and waited until it all became quiet before crawling out of my spot.

"Got you!" Daehyun snuck up behind me and had me in a headlock. "I told you I wouldn't shoot. Tsk, you didn't believe me, did you?"

"Aish.." I bit his hand, but he only replied with a laugh. Instead of a headlock, now he had me in a hug.

"This game in pretty fun, isn't it?"

"Um-"

"Let go." A hand grabbed mine and pulled me from Daehyun, who was left baffled. I didn't get to see the face of the person, but his voice gave it all away. "You're suppose to be playing the game, not having a date."

"I could say the same for you too." Daehyun retorted back. "And who said you could grab her like that?" He pushed Myungsoo backwards into the blackened wall again and again before he fell.

"Stop it!" I twisted my arm free and dropped down to Myungsoo. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my ." He grinned shyly before shooting daggers at Daehyun. "Who said you could touch me?" And then Myungsoo lunged at him. They scuffled around, even when I tried breaking them apart, until Woohyun and Hoya came to separate them. Daehyun ended up with a bloody nose and Myungsoo with a bruise on his cheek.

"Tsk." Hoya dragged Myungsoo by his collar. "Didn't both of your parents even teach you to not hit others?" Dongwoo had came to help Daehyun out of the game room and upstairs to where I bet Sunggyu was waiting. The game had been paused for five minutes.

"What happened?" Woohyun demanded along with Hyo and Ahjin, who arrived after.

"They just..." I didn't want to say it was because of me, even though I know it might've been. "They just began fighting. I don't know? Don't all guys do that at some point?"

"Oppa!" Ahjin ran off screaming for Myungsoo. "I'm coming!"

"Min..." Hyo looked at me with worried eyes. "You're shaking." She took my hand. "Oppa, let's not play anymore. Tell Sungjong and Sungyeol-oppa to come out." When Woohyun departed, Hyo took me back outside and up the flight of stairs, where everyone else were watchfully waiting.

Daehyun's eyes were glued to the ground when I saw him and so were Myungsoo's until I climbed the last few of the stairs. Myungsoo gave me a shrug and half-smile when I approached closer.

"I'll go get ice for L-oppa." Ahjin ran down the stairs and out the door.

Daehyun's head shot up. "What about me?"

"Just shove some tissues up your nose." Myungsoo snorted.

"After you shove the ice up your-."

"Yah!" I screamed. "Shut up!"

"Minhee.." Daehyun looked at me surprised. "I've never heard you shout that loud before."

"Then you don't know her like I do." Myungsoo challenged. He stood up and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

I shoved him away. "I'm not happy with you either."

Hoya looked between the three of us. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Wah..." Sungjong came up and nudged Hoya's arm. "I think it is."

"Tsk." Woohyun nodded his head mockingly. "Someone's going to have a heartbreak."

Sungyeol chuckled mischievously. "Then, shouldn't we see who wins?"

Dongwoo whispered to Sungjong: "What is it?"

"A love triangle." Hoya answered clearly. "An old, classic, Korean drama-like love triangle."

"Hyung," Sungyeol snickered. "You watched too many dramas."

"No I don't!" He shouted defensively and turned away to look over the railing while grumbling words I'd rather not repeat.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I shook my head in disbelief. "This is not a love triangle and no one is going to have their heart broken."

"I don't know." Woohyun sung jokingly and place a firm hand on Daehyun's shoulders. "Let's see what this guy has to say first."

All eyes were now on Daehyun. Everyone was anticipating what he was going to say, even me. He was clearly annoyed and uncomfortable having everybody's attention, but that wasn't going to change anything.

"Min," Daehyun finally looked up at me from his sitting position. "I.. I didn't want to tell you like this." He pointed at his punched-up nose and then glared at Myungsoo. "I-I do like you. I really do like you. Ever since junior high."

I was left with a butterfly feeling building up in my stomach and to my chest. "Then why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because-." He glanced in Hyo's direction.

"Because of me?" She whispered back.

"No! Not because of you." He vigorously shook his head. "It's because I wasn't brave enough." He spoke the last part quickly as if he didn't even think before speaking. I didn't reply back because I couldn't. Not because of what he said, but for how clueless I was for not realizing it from the beginning and having him wait years before he could confess in an environment like this.

Sunggyu cleared his throat to garner the attention of the baffled people. "Let's go now. I'm sure everyone's as tired as I am."

"But you didn't do anything." Dongwoo snickered.

"Let's just go." Sungjong tugged on Hoya's shirt.

I mentally thanked Sunggyu and Sungjong for changing the subject and went with them as one of the first ones to leave. We passed Ahjin just as she was coming in with an ice pack.

"Where are you guys going?"

"To our rooms." Sunggyu answered and brushed past Ahjin, the rest of us following.

"Sorry if you guys didn't have fun." Ahjin caught up with us and began to blab . "I mean, I should've thought of something better to do and have guessed that this would've led to somebody breaking out into a fight." She pouted and lowered her head. "It's all because of me. I take full blame."

Sunggyu scoffed. "Okay, fine with me."

Myungsoo jogged up beside Ahjin and awkwardly wrapped his arm around her as if he didn't know where to place it. "It's not your fault, okay? I was the one who started it and stopped the game. Don't go on blaming yourself." He patted her elbow and then began drawing back until she grabbed and clung tightly to his arm.

Ahjin happily jumped up and down. "Really? Oppa, you'll take the blame?" She planted her face on his shoulder.

"He just said he will." I grumbled to no one in particular. I dodged behind Sungjong and took Myungsoo's arm from Ahjin's grasp. "Myungsoo, I need to talk to you. Alone."

Ahjin tugged Myungsoo away from me. "He's my boyfriend."

A fake boyfriend... "I know.. But I just need to say something to him." I took a deep breath through my nose and exhaled out slowly. "Now."

"But he's my boyfriend," She rose one of her fairly trimmed eyebrows. "And I'm not letting him go off with someone like you if that's what you're hoping."

 

"Tsk." Hoya placed his blue jacket around me as Dongwoo handed me a cup of steaming tea. "You really shouldn't have done that."

Sungyeol stretched out on my bed next to me and let out a loud yawn. "Yeah, you just made everything more obvious."

I sipped a bit of the tea and rubbed at the scratch on my arm. "But both you and I know Ahjin deserved it."

Sunggyu stood in the corner of my room shaking his head. "But no one deserves to get their hair ripped at and clothes torn apart."

"And did you see her make-up?" Hyo snickered. "Even I don't put on that much."

"Because you don't need it." Woohyun spoke softly and kissed the side of Hyo's temple.

Hoya groaned in disgust and threw a pillow at the both of them. "Go away!"

"But," Sungjong sat up from his chair. "Where's Myungsoo-hyung?"

"Probably with Ahjin." I mumbled while I played around with the edge of my blanket.

Woohyun pressed his lips together. "What if he really does like her?"

"Tch." Hyo nudged him quiet and looked at me. "He said himself that he likes Min."

"Feelings could change." Sunggyu shrugged. There was that sentence again. 'Feelings could change.'

"Or they couldn't." Myungsoo poked his head in through the door. "I didn't know we were having a sleepover."

"Yeah, come join me." Sungyeol snickered and reached out for Myungsoo.

I slapped Sungyeol's arm. "Eck."

"No, I'm serious." Sungyeol held a straight face. "Now. Hurry."

Myungsoo trudged over when a grumpy expression that only seemed to make him look even cuter. "What is it?"

"You, stay here." Sungyeol spoke calmly and threw Myungsoo onto the bed aside of me. "And we all leave!" Everyone exited the room in a rush and slammed the door behind them shut with a deafening bang.

I sat there blinking at the closed door and trying to decipher what had just happened while Myungsoo did the exact thing, only he began to laugh after a bit. "Those punks."

"A punk isn't what I would call them." I muttered. "They're a bunch of-!"

"Shh." He stuffed a pillow in my face before getting up to check the door. "Aish. They locked it."

"You're lying." I jumped from the bed and ran over to try the knob that wouldn't budge. "Yah! Open the door before I-!"

"Hu.. You're so loud." Myungsoo tried the knob again. "How the heck did they lock it from the outside?"

I pulled out my phone and dialed Hyo's number, but it only led to her voicemail. I called again and again, but she wouldn't answer, so I tried Woohyun's number; he didn't pick up.

Myungsoo was peeking over my shoulder when I turned my head in his direction. "Do you really think they'll get your call? We're out in the middle of the ocean. No service."

"And you couldn't tell me sooner because?"

"Because I wanted to see you struggle." He smirked.

My teeth were grinding together as I tried to figure what to say next. "You're a jerk."

He narrowed his eyes and grinned his sly smile. "Am I really?"

"Yes! I just said that!" I exclaimed and raised my hand to hit him, but he stopped me. "Let go!"

Myungsoo pulled me along and settled beside me on the bed. "You don't have to cry about it."

"I'm not!" I argued. He reached forward and used his thumb to wiped at something on my cheek; there was a small drop of water. "Oh."

"I'm sorry." Myungsoo drew closer, but stopped and bit his bottom lip as if he knew he should just stay still.

"I..." I scooted closer until our arms were touching. He didn't move a centimeter when my head fell upon his shoulder.

"It's been a long day." He nodded his head. "You're just tired." I sighed in agreement as he gently slid his fingers across the scratch Ahjin had created. "Does it hurt?"

I shook my head in response and suddenly felt tears blurring up my vision from how tender his voice sounded as he spoke. "No it's fine." I choked on my words but thankfully, Myungsoo didn't ask.

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah." I lifted my head up. "Are you?"

He smiled. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because," I felt the bruise on his cheek that faintly throbbed under my fingers. "Of this."

Myungsoo held my eyes just for a little longer and cupped his hand over my own that was still on his face. "This," He dragged my hand down toward his chest where his heart was. "This hurts."

"It hurts? How much?"

"So much that sometimes I can't even breathe." His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as his eyes stared deeper into mine.

I stood up. "Then let's get you to a hospital. Doesn't this ship have a nurse?"

"Min," He scoffed. "T-that's not what I meant."

"Oh." I pulled my hand back and sat down further away.

He frowned to himself and began to play around with his fingers. "I'm sorry."

I blinked in surprise. "Why do you have to be sorry?"

"Everything bad that's happened to you so far, I feel responsible." He blew a raspberry and fell back onto the bed. "Everything."

I shook my head. "No, not everything." I continued when he rolled his eyes. "There are some good things that have happened."

"Like what?" He sat up.

"Like-." I stopped myself before I could finish.

"See, there aren't any." He snorted. "I'm just a big burden in everyone's lives."

"N-no.." I shook in response. "Don't think like that."

He sat up. "Why? I can't?"

I moved forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. "No, you can't think like that; you shouldn't. Not everyone thinks of you like that. I don't want you to see yourself as that, please. To me, you aren't a burden. You're actually-."

He pulled me tighter, knocking the breath out of my lungs. "You don't have to continue. The more you talk like that, the more I fall harder for you."

"And the more you hug me like this, the more I feel like passing out." I gasped for air as he immediately released his hold.

"Sorry."

"Stop saying sorry." I mumbled. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But you couldn't breath."

"I didn't say that was a bad thing."

Myungsoo chuckled and leaned in as if to kiss me, but he drew back and folded his hands together. "Are you tired?"

"Not anymore." My yawn afterwards gave me away.

He rolled his eyes. "You're a really bad liar."

"Mhm." I pushed him off the bed as I climbed under the sheets and pulled them over my head. "Goodnight."

He pulled on the blanket just a bit to show my head. "Yah, where am I suppose to sleep?"

I pointed towards a chair in the corner. "Over there."

"That is a folding chair." He complained.

"It's not like we can share the bed." I grumbled and adjusted myself to face him. "Unless I take the chair and you have the bed."

"I have a simpler solution."

"No." I held a hand out, but he had already began to pull the covers over his legs. "Yah!"

"Ah.. This is pretty comfy." He grinned until he saw my expression. "It's not like this is the first time we're sleeping together. Remember the other night?"

"Yes." I hissed. "I do. Now please be quiet."

He stayed silent until he clearly became uncomfortable. The bed swayed and quaked as Myungsoo bounced around and around, trying to perfect his sleeping position. I laid there and watched as he twisted and turned under the sheets, wrinkling them in the process. A few minutes later, he calmed and so did everything else until something from outside shook the room.

"What was that?" I whispered hesitantly and shifted towards Myungsoo for protection just in case anything were to happen.

"Sea-quake?" He suggested.

"Oh my gosh..." I slid deeper under the blanket as panic settled over me. "You're kidding." 

He met my face under the covers. "I was only taking a guess. Don't worry."

"But-." A loud thunder interrupted my sentence. It boomed the whole ship and rattled objects placed on a nightstand; the lights even flicked for a moment. I held my breath as another one erupted and sent a cold chill down my back. I waited to hear one again, but the one sound heard was the pounding of rain against the balcony window. Bright flashes began lighting the room up with white streaks across the yellow painted walls and sent shadows everywhere. "My first night on a boat and this happens."

Myungsoo didn't comment back and had pulled himself back under the covers. He started to worry me when small whimpers came from him.

"M-Myungsoo, are you-?"

"I'm fine!" He yelled; his voice shook and cracked as he spoke. "I'm okay." But it didn't sound like he was talking to me.

"I was just wondering if-." Another ear-splitting explosion sounded again, this time knocking the lights out. "Myungsoo?" I reached out and brushed across his hand, which was shaking incredibly. He shuffled away towards the edge of the bed. "Don't go."

I could feel him stiffen up and slide up into a sitting position. "I wasn't going to." His voice sounded gruff, almost sandpaper-like. "I need just some water."

"Wait," I began as he lifted himself off. "It's dark. You're going to crash into somethin-!" Before I could finish, there was a loud clatter on the ground and then a sharp thud on the hard-wood floor. "Myungsoo!" I kicked off the sheets and climbed off the bed on his side.

In the white flashes from the lightening, I could faintly make out small, shiny triangular pieces scattered in a messy pile all across the floor. Next to the mass of triangles, Myungsoo laid on his stomach. It took every bit of strength in me to flip him over and away from the glass, which I saw after a closer look that it was a lamp; thankfully he didn't seem to have any out-of-the-body injuries. I gently shook him in my lap, but he seemed to be unconscious. It's wasn't like I could just call for anyone; there was no phone signal within miles. I didn't want to move him either because if I did, who knows what more damage that could do.

And so I sat there on the cold ground with Myungsoo lying on my lap. I ran my fingers over his hand, tempting me to hold it, which I did. Exhaustion hit me after a few minutes as my eyes drooped more and more over time. Before I passed out, I flipped the blanket off the bed and covered Myungsoo with it and then grabbed a pillow for his head.

"As long as he's okay." I whispered and leaned against the post of the bed as my eyes closed without much effort. "As long as he's okay."

 

---

Hello, hello! ^^

Happy Lunar New Year and a late Valentines Day! I hope you spend the days with your loved ones.