“When will you ever get over your crush on Yoseob Sunbae? It pains me to see you so heart-broken.”, Minah said while we were doing exercises before dance practice.

“I'm not heart-broken.”

“You should've seen your face when that Hayoon-ssi declared her love for Yoseob Sunbae.”

“Maybe I was making a face because of her sudden honesty?”

“Like I said, that girl was nuts.” She paused. “Ah, by the way, did you know that Wooyoung Sunbae's going to join that virtual marriage show called 'We got married'?”

“Oh really?”, I asked.

“Does it bother you?”

“No, why?”

“Yeah, well, I thought that, maybe, you still have lingering feelings for him.”

I sighed. “I do. But I also know that it's over between us, so whatever he does in the future, it doesn't concern me anymore.”

“That sounds like you guys aren't even friends anymore.”

“To be honest, I only know that he can't stand to see me right now. Maybe he even hates me. And I deserve it, I know that. That's why I try to not think about it. And him, for that matter.”

“I see. Sorry for bringing up this topic.” She grinned and nudged me. “But you know what? It's good to see you behaving so mature about this.”

I laughed. “Hey, are you implying that I always act like an immature child?”

“That's what you said.”

“Hey guys, did you read the notice? Tomorrow's parent meeting.”, Eunhee said, suddenly appearing next to us.

I frowned. “Parent meeting? We had this kind of stuff at high school.”

“All the parents of the current Cube trainees gather at the Cube office to talk with the supervisors and coaches about their child's future.”, Sunhee lectured, also suddenly appearing next to us.

“Our parents are even coming back early from their vacation to attend this meeting.” Eunhee turned to Minah. “Hey, were your parents able to take a day off from work? I can remember you telling us that their boss was very strict.”

“Their old boss retired and his son is more relaxed than him. So yeah, my parents will be able to attend.”

“I heard Hyomin bragging about her stepmother earlier. She's some kind of Vice CEO of a music label.”, Sunhee said. “I bet she's as y as her plastic daughter.”

“Oh my gosh, an older version of Hyomin, that's way too much to handle.”, Minah groaned.

“I heard that the parents of Haeri and Sora are some kind of high society people. That would explain their children's spoiled behavior.”, Eunhee commented.

“Yeah, Hyomin and her pawns, they're perfect for each other.”, Sunhee giggled.

Eunhee turned to me. “Say, Ha Ni, what about your parents? Are they.....oh.” I noticed Minah nudging Eunhee subtly. “I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking.”

“It's okay.” I took a deep breath. “Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.”

I quickly turned around and sauntered off. Before leaving the room, I heard Minah hissing “Wow, way to go, genius.” at Eunhee.

Instead of turning right to go to the bathroom, I turned left, directly heading for the canteen. At this time of the day, this place was deserted. Well, I didn't mind at all. I needed a little bit silence right now.

Sighing loudly, I sat down. Parent meeting. Huh. Such nonsense. We weren't little teenagers anymore, so why did we need our parents to decide for us?

Ah, this was seriously getting on my nerves.

I quickly pulled out my phone and texted my aunt.

TO: Aunt

Hello.

Are you free tomorrow?

There's a parent meeting at the Cube Office.

Could you attend on my behalf, please?

FROM: Aunt

Sure.

Send me time and place.

Just a day later, I was gathered at the canteen with my friends, waiting for my aunt to arrive. While the others were mingling with their parents, I was sitting all by myself. Just when I was about to get impatient, my aunt finally emerged through the door.

“I'm sorry, Ha Ni. I couldn't leave work earlier. Am I too late?”, she asked while panting.

“Nope, you're just on time.”

“Okay. So what am I supposed to do at this meeting?”

“I don't know either. I think they just want to discuss our future with our guardians.”

“Oh. Okay.”

I sighed. “Just sit down for a bit. The meeting will start in a while. I need to go to the restroom first.”

“Of course, just go ahead.”

Without saying anything else, I rushed off. I really did need to go to the restroom but I also wanted to escape the awkwardness between my aunt and me. It was no surprise though. We were never that close to begin with. My Mom once told me about my Dad's sister and how she had despised my Mom. Even my Dad couldn't find out why my Aunt despised my Mom so much. Well, needless to say, we didn't stay in contact with her to avoid trouble. And because my Dad didn't want my Mom to feel uncomfortable.

Ah, how nice it would have been to have my parent with me today. My Mom would've been so proud of my progress in singing and my Dad would have been happy to see me one step closer to my dream. Their sole appearance would've encouraged me so much.

But my Dad passed away and my Mom had abandoned me. There was no point in indulging in wishful thinking. An even though I couldn't help but feel lonely at times, I had to be strong. Seungho and Yoseob, they both once told me that they admired my strength. And I really wanted to be the person they thought I was.

A painful bump against my head pulled my out of my thoughts. Once again, I managed to collide with someone.

“I'm really sorry, I -”

When I realized who was standing in front of me, my heart stopped beating for a moment. Was this some kind of joke from the universe? Or was this some twisted way to fulfill the inner wish I didn't dare to speak out?

“Mom?”

She froze for a moment when she heard my voice. Then she slowly looked up, that annoying blank look on her face again. “Oh, Ha Ni. It's you.”, she said calmly.

“What are you doing here?”

Could it be? Could it really be that she was coming for me?

“Well, I came here for my daughter.”

I was so touched that I teared up. But before I could say anything, a voice interrupted me. 

“Mother? Where are you?”, someone shouted.

“I'm over here, honey.”, my Mom responded, still looking at me.

I heard steps coming around the corner while my mind was still processing the information. Who was that person calling my Mom 'Mother'?

A moment later, I saw Hyomin approaching us. “There you are! The meeting's about to start, mother.”, she said while glaring at me.

“Why are you calling her 'mother'?”, I snapped.

“Because she is my mother?”

“Don't you dare lie to me, you dumb -”

“HA NI!”

We both winced at my Mom's loud voice. She was crossing her arms and didn't look amused at all. “Hyomin, honey, go ahead, I'll join you in a minute.” Hyomin frowned and looked back and forth between my Mom and me but then she sauntered off without saying anything. “And now you, young lady. Didn't I tell you to watch your language?”

That stuck up attitude was pissing me off. “And didn't I tell you that you lost the right to reprimand me after abandoning me? And why the heck is that hag calling you 'mother'?”

“First of all, don't call her 'hag', that's rude. And secondly, she get's to call me 'mother' because she is my daughter.”

“Last time I checked, I was an only child.”

“She is my stepdaughter.”

I snorted. “Oh, I see. So you abandon your real daughter and take on a spoiled brat from a rich family. Wow, Mom, I'm so proud of you.”

That earned me a slap on the face. I was still too dumbstruck to react. Did she really just hit me? My mom had never hit me before.

When my brain finally registered what just happened, anger took over. I balled my fists and glared at her. But she wasn't even looking at me. She was still staring at the hand that has been giving me that slap. Then, as if she noticed me glaring at her, she quickly put down her hand and gave me her snotty face again.

“Your Dad should have taught you manners, Ha Ni.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. I guess he didn't have enough time to teach me manners while he was dying away in the hospital.”

Okay, that was a low blow. But she had caused me and Dad so much pain, I just wanted to hurt her, too. Or at least let her feel a part of the pain we had been suffering from.

Now it was her turn to clench her fists. “I have to go. Farewell, Ha Ni.”

And then she turned around and walked away. I didn't even have the strength to go after her. Why was it that every time I met my Mom, new questions kept coming up?

After half an hour, the meeting was over. All the trainees were waiting outside for their parents. During the whole time I had to endure Hyomin's constant glare. If only she knew that her beloved stepmother is my mother by blood. She would be so disgusted. Huh.

When all the parents came out of the room, I spotted my Mom immediately. She did, too, but instead of acknowledging me, she just walked past me. I took a deep breath and waited for my Aunt. When I saw her emerge from the room, she was obviously fuming.

“She dares to show up in front of me like that?”, she said when she approached me, her gaze locked on my Mom.

“She's the guardian of one of my fellow trainees.”, I explained.

“She sure did switch families rather easily.”

Suddenly she stormed off. I turned around and saw her rushing towards my Mom, her fists clenched.

Oh snap. This wasn't going to end well.

I quickly followed her.

“How dare you appear in front of me and act like we don't know each other!", my Aunt snapped. "How dare you pretend that Minhyuk, your husband who loved you more than everything in this world, never existed. How dare you ignore your own daughter. What kind of trash are you exactly?”

My Mom arched an eye brow. “Well, now I can see where Ha Ni got her manners from.”

“She is your daughter, Hyori! She should have been taking care of by her mother. You should have been the one teaching her manners instead of abandoning her and running towards another family.”

“I do not know this person called 'Hyori'. My name is Kang Soori. And my only husband is Kang Chanyeol.”

The sound of a slap vibrated through the entire room. Fortunately, all the others have left by now and the only people witnessing this drama were my aunt, me, my Mom and Hyomin.

I was too speechless to move. Hyomin, on the other hand, jumped in front of my Mom. “How dare you lay a hand on my mother!”

“Honey, it's okay. Let me handle it.”, my Mom said and gently pushed Hyomin aside. She looked calmly at my aunt. “Are you satisfied now? Are you happy now that you finally got to lash out on me?”

“You -”

“I have to go now.” She turned to Hyomin. “Let's go, honey.”

My Mom walked out of the door without saying anything else. Hyomin glared at me. “I can see that both you and your aunt have violent streaks. Maybe you both should consider going into anger management therapy?”

Then she flipped her hair and followed my Mom. I slowly turned to my aunt. “Why did you do it?”

“I....I....don't know...she was making me so angry with her impassive behavior.”, she said, still shaking visibly. “All the pain your Dad and you had to go through because of this woman.....and she doesn't even care. Minhyuk was loving her until his last breath and she doesn't even wasted a thought on him. I despise this woman.”

“Maybe she had her reasons....”

“Don't try to defend her! You saw the way she behaved today and judging by what she said, I suppose you met her earlier, too.” She paused. “She isn't the mother you once knew. She's changed.”

“Misun Imo said the same, you know.”

“Then you should believe her. As your mother's best friend, she knows her best.”

“But -”

“I'm exhausted, Ha Ni. I'm going home now. See you on Sunday?”

“Yeah. Have a safe trip home.”

“Thanks. Bye then.”

Only after my aunt went away and I was the only one left, did the full impact of what just happened hit me.

My Mom had officially abandoned me. And on top of that, she had abandoned me for that plastic face!

Okay, I needed air. And distraction. Oh my gosh, I needed to get out of here. But I wasn't ready to face Hyomin and the others at the dorm. And I also wasn't ready to talk with my aunt yet. There weren't many places I could go to right now.

Without really knowing where to go, I walked around the block for a while. And to be honest, I also didn't know how long I've been walking around. The only thing my brain registered was that it suddenly started to rain. And boy, was that a heavy rain. Totally soaked, I ran towards a bus stop for shelter.

This day was getting worse with every passing minute. Right now, I was in the middle of nowhere while it was pouring down like crazy. And it was freezing cold. I hugged myself and hunched down, trying desperately to preserve the weak heat my body was emitting. My teeth kept chattering while I couldn't stop myself from shaking. After checking my phone, I had to find out that the battery was dead. I was literally stuck at this place.

Not a single person was walking by. It was like I somehow ended in the Ghost Town part of Seoul. A perfect place for criminals and erts. Oh my gosh, what if a ert suddenly appeared in front of me? Where could I hide from him?

Right now, while being stuck in the middle of nowhere with possible criminals lurking around, I wouldn't have minded facing Hyomin or my aunt. Everything would have been better than being here while freezing to death.

When my stomach started growling, I was on the verge of passing out. The cold, hunger and exhaustion were finally getting to me.

So when I saw a figure walking towards me, I thought I was just imagining it. But then, even after blinking for several times, the figure didn't disappear. Then it hit me. Oh my gosh, this was probably a ert or a criminal looking for easy prey. And right now, I was definitely easy prey. Alarmed, I tried to stand up but my body just wouldn't move. The figure came closer and I could see that it was someone with a bright umbrella. Criminals wouldn't have bright umbrellas, right? Maybe it was just a mere pedestrian on his way back home from work. Maybe if I would just stay huddled on the ground, this person wouldn't see me?

When the person was only several feet away from me, I held my breath. 'Please go away, please go away', I kept chanting in my head. Without breathing I was on the verge of passing out again but I just didn't dare to breath, even though the person could still see me, breathing or not.

Out of curiosity, I automatically looked up when the person was in front of me. And nope, it wasn't a criminal. At least I thought that it was no criminal, considering the fact that the person was a girl with a bright backpack. When she saw me, she frowned at me, maybe because I looked weird in my hunched position, but she didn't stop. When she was finally out of sight, I let a relieved sigh. Wow, way to go, Ha Ni. I really did manage to scare myself to death. I bet I must have aged at least ten years in the last couple minutes. Jeez.

“Hello?”, someone suddenly said behind me.

And yes, I screamed. Not just a girly little scream some girls did to play the princess for their guys. Nope, I let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was like a scene in a cheap horror movie. My scream even kept echoing through the empty street.

Shaking from fear and terror, I slowed turned around to face the source for my panic attack. Never did I imagine to come face to face with Yoseob.

Yup, you guys didn't misread it. Right in front of me was Mr. Handsome Yoseob with a black umbrella in his hand, a backpack on his back and a shocked expression on his face.

“Ha Ni, what the heck? You nearly scared me to death.”, he said.

“I scared you to death? Who was the one sneaking up on me?”

He frowned. “I didn't sneak up on you. And what the heck are you doing here?” He scanned me from head to toe. “Jeez, you're soaking wet!” Putting his umbrella down, he shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shaking shoulders. Then he rubbed my arms through the jacket to put some heat back into my limbs. “What are you doing here, Ha Ni?”

“Yeah, well, I kinda got lost and then it suddenly started raining. I took shelter from the rain at this bus stop.”

“Why didn't you call a cab?”

“Maybe because my phone's dead? Jeez, Sunbae, I'm not stupid, okay? I already came up with that idea.”

He smirked. “Well, you are stupid enough to get lost.”

“That's not funny.”, I said and shrugged off his hands.

“I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.” Then he sighed. “Come on, let me call a cab for you. Back to your dorm, right?”

“To be honest, I don't really want to go back there right now.”

“Huh? Why?”

“It's a long story.”

“I see. Then back to your house?”

“I don't really want to go back there either.”

“Ha Ni, seriously, what is going on?”

“Like I said, it's a long story.”

“I swear, sometimes you are driving me crazy.”

“You're welcome.”

He sighed again. “Well, we need to get you out of this rain. Waiting for a cab would take too long.” He paused. “Seems like we can't help it. Come on, the next train station is right around the corner. It will only take us five minutes until our final destination.”

“Where are we going?”, I asked curiously while he was gently nudging me across the street.

We were both walking very close to each other to fit under his umbrella. When my arm still got wet, he put his free arm around my shoulder and pulled me against his chest. Now my arm didn't get wet anymore but my heart was on the verge of exploding. Fortunately, it was dark, so he couldn't see me blushing.

“To my apartment.”, he said after a while, answering my previous question.

“I see.” Then I realized what he just said. “Wait, what? Your apartment?”

“Yes. I was on my way back there when I saw you.”

“But I thought that you were living in a dorm with your members.”

“Yeah, I still do when my schedule's busy. But most of the time, I'm at my apartment. After living in such a close space for several years, I just needed a place for myself.”

“Aren't you feeling lonely?”

He couldn't answer my question because when we arrived at the train station, we had to run to catch the train. The rest of the ride, we sat there in silence.

Only when we emerged from the train, did he answer my question. “Of course, I do feel lonely at times. But it's okay, I have someone to keep me company. He's like a roommate.”

I frowned. A roommate? One of the members maybe? Or a non-celebrity friend?

“You'll meet my roommate in a while.”, he said and smirked, obviously noticing the confusion written all over my face.

We stopped in front of a high building. He unlocked the door and motioned me towards the elevator. When we stopped at his floor, he quickly unlocked the door to his apartment.

Oh my gosh, I was about to enter Yoseob's very own apartment. I wondered if I was the first female to have been here. No, he probably had a lot of female friends come over. I knew that he was popular. But then I also knew his stuck-up attitude and his frustrating morals.

He held out the door for me and I entered slowly while my heart was beating like crazy. But the first thing I saw was utter darkness.

“Ah, sorry. The sensor's still broken. I'll turn on the lights.”, Yoseob said quickly.

Seconds later the apartment was filled with brightness. I had to squint at first to make out anything. This time, the first thing I saw was the small shelf filled with shoes next to the entrance. The parquet floor and the white walls brightened up the apartment.

It took me a moment to notice that I was dripping water all over his floor.

“Aigoo, I'm so sorry, Sunbae. I'm messing up your apartment.”, I apologized.

“It's okay.”, he said and vanished through a door on the left side of the hall. Then he came back with a towel in his hand. “Take this and dry yourself before you catch a cold. Give me your wet clothes, I'll wash them.”

“But what do I wear instead? I can't possibly....uh....you know...”

“Oh....of course not. Wait a moment, I'll get clothes for you.”, he said and handed me the towel. Then he vanished through another door on the left. I stood awkwardly at the entrance, not really knowing what to do. Fortunately, only seconds later, he came back. “I don't really have female clothes at home right now. But you can wear my sweater. It's oversize, so it should cover your legs, too.”

Oh my gosh. He was seriously lending me his clothes.

“Thank you, Sunbae.”

“Don't mention it. You can change clothes in the bathroom. It's over there.”, he said and pointed to the first room he had vanished into.

I quickly walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I put the sweater on the counter next to the basin and then I tried to get out of my clothes. It was very difficult,considering the fact that they were now kinda sticking to my body. After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to get out of them. At first I dried my hair with my towel and then I dried my body. After that, I put on Yoseob's sweater. I couldn't help but sniff at it. Oh boy, it smelled exactly like him. Normally he wore a little bit aftershave, but during practice, it was just his natural scent plus a weak hint of some kind of fragrant soap.

A little voice inside my head urged me to take a look at his shelves to find out what soap it was that he was using but my mind told me to avoid acting liking a lunatic and obsessed fan. Sniffing his sweater was already on the verge of being a lunatic.

I sighed and took a quick look at the mirror. Yoseob was right. The sweater was long enough to cover my legs until my knees. He usually looked so slender but now that I was wearing his clothes, I could see that his body seemed to be more manly than I thought.

“Everything okay?”, Yoseob asked from the other side of the door.

“Yes. I just finished changing.”

“Okay. Just put your clothes on the counter, I'll wash them.”

“You don't have to. I can do it myself, Sunbae.”

“Nonsense. Go drink your tea while I take care of your clothes.”, he insisted with his stern voice. I sighed again and slowly opened the door. He was standing there, his arms crossed. I noticed his gaze wandering down to my bare legs. Then he quickly looked up and fastened his gaze on my face. “Don't argue with me, Ha Ni.”

“Okay, you win.”. I said and shrugged, trying hard not to blush. The sweater did cover the majority of my body but I still felt kinda exposed. Maybe it was because of his unwavering stare.

“I put your cup on the table in the living room. Just go through this hall end you'll end up in the living room.”

“I really don't know how to thank you, Sunbae. You've done so much for me.”

“Just don't get sick, that's all I'm asking for.”, he said and walked past me into the bathroom. I took this as an cue for being dismissed and followed his directions to the living room. I had to admit, for an apartment being inhabited by a man, this place looked really neat. Nothing was out of order.

When I heard a noise, I quickly turned left. There, right next to the couch, was a small fenced off space. But that wasn't what surprised me. Inside that fence, there was a small puppy!

I rushed towards him and sat down next to the space. The little puppy seemed very agitated. He kept jumping at the fence, then he quickly ran around his space, just to return to his old spot to jump at the fence again.

“Hey little one, nice to meet you.”, I said and slowly reached out with my hand.

I really liked animals but I wasn't very good with them. Was it okay to caress him yet or should I wait first? I was a stranger to him after all. I decided to wait for Yoseob.

I slowly got up from the floor and sat down on the couch. A cup was on the small table in front of the couch. This must have been the cup of tea he was talking about. Leaning back, I took in my environment. Opposite from the couch was a big flat screen TV. On the left side of the couch, next to the puppy's space, were several shelves and an opening into another room, which looked like a kitchen.

What caught my attention were the numerous toys on the shelves. Oh boy, I never took Yoseob for that kind of guy. He always seemed so mature and moody, I would have never thought that he was collecting toys. The majority of these toys were Iron Man figures. I chuckled. How cute.

But then again there was also a big white teddy bear on his couch. That was also a contradiction to the image I had of him. I bet the next time he was going to be all mature and moody on me, I would picture all these toys and the teddy bear. It was hard to contain my laughter.

After a while, I got bored and decided to play with the puppy. I stretched out on the couch, my head on my arms, while facing the little puppy.

“I wonder what your name is, little one. Judging by the new image I have of your master, I would guess 'Iron Man Junior'? Or maybe 'Teddy'?” The puppy looked at me for a moment. Then it continued biting his toys. “Okay, maybe not. Well, how is he as your master? Is he nice? Or is he very strict? Judging by your energetic behavior, he must spoil you a lot.”

I heard someone chuckle, so I looked up. Yoseob was leaning against the wall, watching his puppy affectionately. “I do spoil my little boy but that doesn't mean that he is spoiled.”

“What's his name? I did asked him but that little rascal just wouldn't tell me.”

He smiled. “His name is Yanggaengie.”

“Yanggangie? Wow, very extraordinary. How did you come up with that?”

“I don't know.”, he said and shrugged. “It kinda popped into my mind when I first saw him.”

Before I could retort, he cursed all of a sudden. Then he rushed into the room adjoining to the living room. Judging by the bed I could see through the small slit of the door, it was his bed room. He emerged through the door with a blanket in his hands. Confused, I sat up and gave him a questioning look. He came towards me and sighed. Then he put the blanket on my lap, covering my legs.

“Ha Ni, you can't let down your guard just because you know me. You are alone in a guy's apartment and you aren't wearing any pants. You shouldn't expose your legs even more by stretching out like this on the couch.”

I blushed. “I'm sorry, Sunbae. I kinda forgot that I'm just wearing a sweater.”

He sighed again. “Are you hungry? I could order food.”

“No, it's okay. I already ate something.”

“I'm still gonna order something. I didn't have dinner yet.”

“I could cook something for you. As a 'thank you' for giving me shelter.”

He smiled, causing my heart to skip a beat. That was the second time today. And no, I would never get enough of his smiles. “Thank you, Ha Ni, I appreciate it. But the thing is, I don't have anything in my fridge except for water bottles, fruits and pear juice.”

I widened my eyes. “Seriously? You always just order something?”

“It's either this or instant meals.”, he said and shrugged. “Well, just lean back and take a rest. I'm gonna order something. Ah, by the way, I've washed your clothes and hung them on the clothes line in the bathroom.”

“Thanks, Sunbae.”, I said and smiled.

He looked at me for a moment and then he vanished back into his bed room. I picked up the cup of tea and leaned back. To be honest, if someone had told me that I would end up in Yoseob's apartment someday, I would've laughed at that person. And if they had told me that I wouldn't be wearing any pants at that time, I would called the nuthouse to report that person.

But well, now I was really sitting in his apartment, I was really wearing his sweater and I really didn't have any pants on. I bet the universe was playing some kind of sick joke on me. Just when I had decided to forget about Yoseob and my feelings for him, I had to end up in his apartment. And instead of being the jerk he usually was, he was taking care of me, just like the Yoseob I fell in love with. Jeez, my life wasn't about to get any easier.

A moment later, Yoseob came back into the living room. He must have changed his clothes, because instead of the sweater and his jeans, he was now wearing a sleeveless shirt and black adidas shorts. My gaze stayed locked on his arms. Oh my gosh, since when did he get such muscular arms?

“Are you working out for your solo debut?”, I asked curiously.

“What?” Then he noticed my gaze. “Ah, no, in my free time, I'm boxing.”

“Wait, what? Boxing?” Okay, that didn't fit the image I had of him. Not at all.

He sat down on the floor and leaned against the couch. “Yeah, I was trying it out and I kinda fell in love with it.”

“Uh...how long have you been boxing?”

“For several months now.”

Yeah, that would explain his arms.

“Hey.”, he said after a while.

“Hm?”

“What's bothering you lately?”

“What do you mean?”

“You always look so sad when I see you. You do smile when you're around your friends but I could see that the smile didn't reach your eyes.” He paused. “You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But maybe I can help.”

“I've met my Mom.”

He froze for a moment, obviously surprised. “But...I thought she's passed away.”

“Until several weeks ago, that's exactly what I thought, too. But after my Dad passed away, my aunt gave me a letter from him. That's when I found out that my Mom entered a witness protection program when I was 9 years old.”

“And they didn't tell you the truth.”

“No. I guess they wanted to protect me. But the thing is, the guy who threatened my Mom died several years later during a fight in prison. She had the chance to come back, to return to her family.” I clenched my fists. “But she didn't. She chose to stay with her new family, abandoning my Dad and me.”

“Maybe she had her reasons why she couldn't return.”

“And what would those be? The murderer was dead, my Dad has passed away...not even after finding out that my Dad was dead, did she want to return.” I snorted. “But then again, it must have been a mistake to return to a broken family and turn your back on a rich family with a big mansion.”

“Did you asked her about her reasons?”

“I did. Every time I saw her, I demanded an answer, a reason.....” I quickly wiped away the tears that were trailing down my cheeks. “But she always refused to give me an answer, telling me that the Jung Hyori from the past didn't exist anymore.”

Yoseob stood up and sat down on the couch next to me. Without saying anything, he just took me into his arms while gently my back. I wasn't able to hold back my tears anymore, so I just let it out. He kept my back until I calmed down. Just when he was about to let me go, I grabbed his shirt and held him back. He hesitated for a moment but then the tension left his body and he hugged me tighter.

“It's okay, Ha NI.”, he whispered into my ear. “Everything will be okay. You're not alone.”

After enjoying the feeling of being in his arms for another short moment, I slowly pulled back. I looked up to thank him for being so kind but when I realized that our faces were only a breath away, the words got stuck in my throat. I would have expected him to back away immediately but he didn't. He kept staring into my eyes, causing my insides to melt and my heart to beat like crazy. My mind shut off and my body moved on its own, closing the last inches between us. All I could think about was that I was about to feel his soft lips. Only a few inches more...

Suddenly the bell rang. We both jumped apart, breathing heavily, even though we didn't do anything exhausting. When the bell rang again, Yoseob jumped up from the couch. “It must be the delivery man.”, he said and rushed out of the room.

I heard muffled voices coming from the hall and several minutes later, he came back into the living room. He put the plastic bag, which he was carrying, on the table. “I bought two servings. Come down and eat with me.”, he said and pushed the table further away from the couch to give me space to sit down.

I stood up from the couch and sat down on the floor, placing the blanket across my lap. Yoseob sat down on the other side of the table. He took the food out of the bag and placed a box in front of me and another box in front of him.

I inspected the box in front of me. It was filled with rice, beef and vegetables. The box in front of him had the same content. A third box, a much smaller one, contained kimchi.

“Let's eat, it's getting late. Enjoy your meal.”, he said.

“Thank you, enjoy your meal, too, Sunbae.”

We ate our meal in silence. After dinner, he quickly gathered all the empty boxes and tidied up the table. I offered to help him but he wouldn't let me. After throwing he boxes into the trash can and sealing away the leftovers in a separate bag, so it wouldn't smell, he returned to the living room. “You can sleep in my bed tonight. I'll take the couch.”, he told me.

I crossed my arms. “No, I'll take the couch.”

“Ha Ni, I can't let you sleep on the couch.”

“Why not? I'm not a fragile little princess, I'll survive a night on the couch. You've done more than enough for me, I refuse to take away your bed, too.”

“You won't 'take away' my bed. Ha Ni, please, just take the bed.”

“We can do this all night long, if you want, Sunbae, but I won't budge.”

“You are way too stubborn, you know that, right?”

I grinned. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“Just take the friggin' couch if that makes you happy. But don't complain to me tomorrow, okay?”

“Yes, Sir!”

He sighed and shook his head. “You are driving me crazy.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot, too. Especially from you.”

“I can imagine. Well, I'll get you my pillow and blanket.”

“Huh? Do you have any pillows and blankets left for you?”

“I have the blanket that's lying across your lap. And the pillows on the couch.”, he said and shrugged.

“I'll take them.”

Now it was his turn to cross his arms. “If you don't take them, I'll personally carry you into my bed.”

I blushed. And yes, I could add this sentence on the list of things I would have never expected to hear from him.

He must have realized what he just said because he became flustered. “Uh....you know what I mean. Ah whatever, just take the pillow and the blanket.”

I was still too flabbergasted, so I just nodded. Satisfied with my answer, he sighed again and went into his bed room, just to come back while carrying his blanket and pillow. I stood up from the floor and made room for him. He dropped them on the couch and picked up several couch pillows. When he turned to me, I quietly handed him the blanket. “You have practice tomorrow, right?”, he asked. I nodded. “Me, too. You can drive with me.”

“But what if someone sees us coming out of your apartment?”

“If we're careful, the only one seeing us will be my manager and he won't mind.”

“I'm sorry for troubling you.”

“No need to be sorry.” He seemed to consider something because he was spacing out for a while. Then he walked towards me. I was too stunned to move. He gently placed his hand on my cheek. “Goodnight, Ha Ni.” Then he leaned forward and gave me a kiss on my forehead. And yes, my heart skipped a beat again.

Without saying anything else, he turned around and walked into his bed room, leaving me staring after him. What the heck was going on with him today? That wasn't the Yoseob I used to know....well, he kinda was, but not lately. During the last weeks – no, months - he has been nothing but a moody jerk to me. And now, all of a sudden, he was the kind Sunbae again. Jeez. Why was he doing that to me? I was about to get over my feelings for him and now my feelings are in a turmoil again. Damn him. Damn him and his friggin' kindness.

Totally frustrated, I wrapped myself into his blanket and lay down on his pillow. It didn't help the matter that both his blanket and pillow were filled with his scent. How was I supposed to sleep like this? I closed my eyes and started counting sheeps. I didn't know when, but I would guess somewhere after the 150th sheep, which had Yoseob's face, I fell into deep slumber.

The next morning I was awakened by light steps. I slowly opened my eyes just to find myself in unfamiliar environment. Huh? Where the heck was I? Startled, I sat up abruptly. After looking around the room for a while, I finally remembered last night. Ah, right. I was in Yoseob's apartment, wearing his sweater and sleeping in his bed linen. Lucky me.

I yawned and stretched myself. After looking at the clock, I found out that it was 5am. One hour left till practice. I heard the sound of running water coming out of the bath room. Seemed like Yoseob was taking a shower. And nope, I so wasn't going in that direction. I would not imagine him under the shower, being all....ah, jeez! Ha Ni, get a grip!

I quickly folded Yoseob's bed linen and put them neatly on the couch. Then I sat down next to it, considering what to do next. To be honest, it was kinda awkward. I had no clue how to behave in front of him right now. Okay, it wasn't like we spent the night together. Oh, well, in a way we did, I guess, but you know what I mean. He was just giving me shelter, so it shouldn't be awkward, right? Yeah, if only there wasn't that 'moment' right after he hugged me yesterday. I was totally sure that he was going to kiss me. Argh, if only the delivery man wouldn't have chosen that time to arrive. But then again, maybe it was better this way. He was just a man after all and I was a female, who was alone with him in his apartment and who was only wearing a sweater. Of course he would be a bit tempted, I would have been worried if not. And after acting on his instincts, he would've immediately regretted it and then he would ignore and avoid me again.

Nope, I didn't need this drama at all. Maybe I would never really get rid of my feelings for him, but it was better for the both of us to just stow away those feelings in a mental box. And then lock it and throw away the key. Yup, that would be the best for all of us.

The sound of the bath room door getting unlocked pulled me out of my thoughts. I quickly looked up, expecting him to come around the corner. And indeed, he did. This time he was wearing blue shorts with a white shirt. His hair was still damp from the shower.

Well, at least he didn't wore a sleeveless shirt this time. I could still see parts of his muscular arms but it was better than seeing the 'whole package'. His sole existence was already a danger to my heart, I didn't need more reasons for a heart attack.

“Oh, I didn't know you were up already. Good morning, Ha Ni.”, he said when he spotted me.

“Morning, Sunbae.”

“You can use the bath room now, if you want. Your clothes are dry now, by the way.”

“Thank you.”, I said and smiled. "Ah, what about your bed linen? I can carry it back into your room if you want.”

“No, it's okay. I can carry it myself. Just go ahead and use the bath room.”

“Okay. Thanks again.”, I said and hurried into the bath room.

After freshening up myself and brushing my teeth – yes, he even prepared a spare toothbrush for me – I changed back into my clothes. I folded the sweater and left the bathroom. Yoseob was standing in the kitchen, drinking something out of a small bag.

He noticed my stare. “It's pear juice. It's good for the voice.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I'm sorry, I don't any food in my fridge, so I can't arrange a breakfast for you.”

“It's okay, I'll grab something in the canteen. You already did more than enough for me.”

“By the way, you can leave the sweater in the bath room.”

“I'll wash it for you and return it to you later. It's the least I can do.”

“That's not necessary, Ha Ni.”

My grip on the sweater tightened. “I insist, Sunbae. Please, let me do at least this for you. As a thank you.”

He sighed. “Okay, okay. I just can't argue with you, can I? Anyways, it's time to get ready, My manager will arrive in a couple minutes.” I nodded and followed him into the living room. He sat down on the floor, indicating me to sit down on the couch. “I forgot to ask, did you sleep well?”, he asked when I sat down.

“I slept like a baby.” I grinned. “Why, did you expect me to whine about sleeping on the couch?”

He smirked. “To be honest, I kinda did. I wanted to give that stubborn head of yours a lesson.”

“Well, this time, my stubborn head won again. No complaints from my side.”

He chuckled. I savored every little bit of his laughter, considering the fact that I didn't get to hear it so often. Well, or rather rarely.

All of a sudden he turned serious. “About yesterday...”, he started.

I tensed. Was he about to bring up the almost-kiss? He wouldn't, would he? I thought he was going to ignore it, like always. I held my breath in anticipation.

“I think you should talk to your mother again before judging her.”, he continued.

I exhaled loudly. I didn't know if I was disappointed or relieved. But what I did know was that I wasn't in the mood to talk about my traitorous Mom again.

“I tried, Sunbae, several times. She just doesn't want to.”

“A mother can't just switch off the love for her daughter from one day to another. There must be something she didn't tell you. Something she's hiding from you.”

“Did you turn into a psychic overnight, Sunbae?”, I asked dryly. “That woman would rather keep chasing after money and wealth than trying to repair the ties to her former family. She told me as much.”

“I don't need to be a psychic to know that something just doesn't add up.” he said in his usual teacher voice again. “I can see how unhappy you are, Ha Ni. Don't you want to resolve this? Isn't there a part of you that also noticed that something's wrong?”

“I want to resolve this more than you can imagine. But I just don't have the strength to face another rejection. Sometimes it's just too much, you know? I always try to be strong but there are days, when I just can't bring myself to smile when deep down inside, all I want to do is to cower down and cry my heart out.”

“Strength isn't always about lying to yourself and those around you. Strength means admitting your weakness and standing up again after falling down. Let those who care about you comfort you. Let them give you even more strength. You don't have to be alone. I know that you have so many people around you who care deeply for you.”

“Are you of them?”, I asked quietly.

“You know that I care for you. All I ever wanted is for you to be happy.”

I could feel my insides melt away. And my heart was pounding so hard again my chest, it felt like it was about to break through my skin.

“Sunbae, before worrying about my happiness, you should think of yourself first.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You always put yourself behind while carrying for others first. But your happiness is important, too. You once told me that you feel lonely at times and that you do long for someone at your side to fill that emptiness. Then why don't you look for that someone? Why are you forcing yourself to be lonely?”

“Because right now, my fans come first. They have my full attention, my whole heart.”

“But fans can't fill the emptiness in your heart and you know that.”

“Didn't we talk about that already? This is getting tedious, Ha Ni.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Your girlfriend wouldn't be happy, your fans wouldn't be happy, blah blah blah. But you know what? If your fans love you that much, then they should want you to be happy, too.”

“You don't understand.”

"What do I don't understand? That it would hurt some delusional person's feelings if you started dating? That they would lose the illusion of having a chance at being with you? That's ridiculous.”

“So what? You want me to ignore my fans and just start dating? Do really want me to do that?”, he said and gazed at me.

I returned his gaze. “Yes. I want to you to pursue your happiness. By the way, so many idols are publicly dating right now and their fans are even okay with that. Why not you, too? And if you don't want the public to know yet, you could also date secretly.”

“You know how it was like to date an idol. Was it really worth it?”

“Yes. And I don't regret dating Wooyoung Oppa, no matter what some jealous people were saying about me. The time we had together made up for the inconvenience of being the target for those idiots.”

“He was lucky to have you, Ha Ni. You are strong. But not everyone is as strong as you.”

“Nonsense. As long as she loves you, she can endure everything. I'm sure of that.”

“Maybe, but I don't know if I could endure it. Because seeing her suffer would hurt me as well.”

“That shows how caring and kind you are, Sunbae. And if she can't stand it, then she wasn't the right one aynway.”

He smirked. “You are very wise, Ha Ni.”

“Of course, but you don't have to sound so surprised.”, I said and chuckled. “And I had a good teacher after all.”

“Thank you for listening. I will consider your advice.”, he said and stood up. “By the way, my manager just arrived.”

I nodded and quickly gathered my stuff. I put the sweater into my bag and followed him to the entrance. We quickly left the building and rushed into the van. The manager was frowning when he saw me but he didn't say anything else.

Moments later, we arrived at the Cube Office. Yoseob quickly said goodbye and hurried to his practice. I decided to go to the canteen first. I bought some snacks and sat down.

Only then did it finally hit me that I just encouraged Yoseob to start dating. I was so caught up in convincing him that I didn't consider the fact that he could be dating someone else. After all, we all had established the fact that he didn't have the same feelings for me. Ah, crap. Own goal, Ha Ni. Way to go.

You want me to ignore my fans and just start dating? Do really want me to do that?

That was what he has been asking me. And right now, after realizing all this, I wasn't so sure about my answer to him anymore.

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A/N:

Heyyyyyy there! :)

Here I am again hehehe

Did you enjoy the chapter?

Many of you guys have been asking for more Yoseob-Ha Ni-interaction, and tada! Here it is!

Yup, yup, I aim to please :D

Please keep commenting & requesting!

As you can see, I do take your comments & requests to heart :)

Well then, until the next chapter!