>Lia<

Since I didn't come home for five days, I missed Junhyung's birthday party. He was angry at me and demanded his presents. I promised him that I would give him one soon. Dongwoon was angry at me for abandoning my chef role for five whole days. I promised him I would cook a big feast that night. The feast was also a belated birthday celebration for Junhyung. Doojoon was just glad that I was back. Hyun Seung ordered me to cook his favorite foods.

Yoseobie was the one I was worried about. He wouldn't talk to me. I knew he was hurt that I left and wouldn't text him. I didn't know how to explain.

We bumped into each other at the apartment lobby when I got back from work. He didn't look at me properly, nodded at me, and turned to leave.

"Yoseob, can we talk?" I said before he could get away.

He stopped, and then reluctantly turned back to me. "Sure." His face was guarded, he didn't gave me his usual smile.

I bit my lower lip. "I know you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you."

"No, you're not mad. You're just hurt that I didn't text you or come home."

He stared down at the floor.

I swallowed. "I can't explain it, Yoseob-ah. All I can say to you is that I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me? What do I have to do to make it up to you?"

He sighed and finally, finally looked at me fully, his face softened. "What is it with you and your apology? It always break through my defenses."

I smiled unsurely. "Does that mean I got back my best friend?"

"Yes. You can call me Yoseobie again." He opened his arms and I went into them.

When we pulled apart, he smiled at me. "I missed you, you know. And I have so many things to tell you."

I grinned. "I missed you too. Help me make dinner? You can tell me everything then."

"Okay. Just like old times."

"Not that old."

•Gi Kwang•

We gathered around the table for dinner in my and Lia's apartment that night. The mood was a joyous one. A reunion between Beast and Lia. And oh, wow, you should have seen how Beast was treating her. It was as if she was their favorite little sister.

Lia was smiling widely too. I wasn't jealous or annoyed anymore. I was just glad that we got her back.

The kids stayed for awhile after dinner. We played poker games. Lia won every game.

"Lia-ah, where did you learn all these skills from?" Junhyung asked her.

"I've been through lots of poker games," she said mysteriously.

When the kids were gone, I was left with Lia. She was stacking the cards, sitting at the armchair. I watched her for awhile. Garfield meowed, grazed my feet and then jumped onto the sofa beside me. I patted her head, my eyes still on the real, original Garfield.

She looked up then, and caught me staring.

"What?" She said.

"Nothing."

"If you're looking at me like that obviously there is something."

"Nothing. Really." I glanced at the tv. "Switch on the tv for me."

"Switch it on yourself. Where's the remote?"

"No idea. Doojoon must have taken it back next door again. Switch it on for me, please? You're closer to the tv."

She grumbled, got up and switched it on.

"Wait! Change the channel to KBS please. And thank you."

She scowled at me, then turned and bent down in front of the tv. The hem of her tshirt at her back lifted a little, showing her fair skin. Something black on her spine caught my attention. Frowning, I sat forward at the edge of the sofa to get a closer view. It was a lettering in black ink, with a picture of a rose behind it. It was a tattoo. Of a name.

I edged closer and touched the tattoo at her spine. Lia spun around and swatted my hand away, her eyes flashing. She covered the tattoo with her hand even though she was facing me and I couldn't possibly see it.

I stood up to face her. "Lucas?" I said angrily. I could feel heat rising up to my face.

Her eyes were huge. She was furious. Oh, I was even more furious.

"Your boyfriend?" My voice was hard.

She clenched her teeth and kept glaring. "He's none of your damn business."

She. Did. Not. Just. Said. That.

In a flash, I was right in front of her. I grabbed her arm roughly and hissed. "It's goddamn my business! You're married to me. You can't have a name of a guy tattooed at the back of your spine!"

She snatched away her arm. "Mworago? I'm married to you?" She snorted harshly. "Aren't we only officially married on a piece of paper?" She threw my words back at me. Dammit!

She turned to leave but I grabbed her arm again. "I haven't finished talking to you!"

"Don't grab my arm like that!" She yelled back.

I wouldn't let go. "All the happily ever after thing you told me yesterday, and the "don't ever fall for me", was all bull, wasn't it? You already have a boyfriend, that's why you didn't want me to fall for you! You're trying to find a way to get a divorce, aren't you? Answer me!" I shook her hard.

"What I told you yesterday wasn't bull! It was the truth. And I don't have a freaking boyfriend!"

I shook her again. "Who's Lucas then? Huh? Let's call him, shall we? We'll ask him what he thinks of you. If he says that you're his girlfriend then what are you going to say to defend yourself?" I snatched my phone off the coffee table without letting her go. "What's his number? Huh? Let's call him and find out the truth!"

She didn't answer, just glared at me. Tears filled her eyes, but they didn't fall. She wasn't allowing it to fall. I was so angry that I didn't give a damn that I was hurting her.

"Why aren't you giving me his number?" I snapped. "Why, huh? Scared that I'll find out the truth?"

She looked away. "Let go of me."

"Why aren't you giving me his number? It's the truth, isn't it?" I yelled. "Isn't it?!"

Her head swung to look at me. Her eyes bore into mine. The rage, the hurt, the intense pain in her eyes startled me. I fell silent.

"Let. Me. Go," she hissed dangerously through clenched teeth.

I did.

She glared at me one last time and stomped off to her room, slamming the door.

I stared after her for a moment, then rubbed my face roughly with both hands. Why was I feeling guilty here? She was in the wrong, not me. How dared she looked so angry and hurt like that!

"Stupid!" I screamed. I stalked off to next door.

"Oh, Gi kwang hyung. Waeyo? Why are you here?" Dongwoon asked me.

Doojoon took one look at me and knew.

"What is it about this time?" Junhyung asked, he too, figured it out.

Yoseob came out of the bedroom and watched me. I slumped down on the bean bag in front of the tv.

"Ya. Did you fight with Lia again? What about?" Hyun Seung asked.

I didn't usually tell them about my problems with Lia. But this one, I had to let it out. "Lia had a tattoo of some guy's name at her spine. I lost it. We yelled. She stomped off."

"What's the guy's name?" Yoseob asked.

"Lucas."

They stared at me for a moment, didn't know what to say. And then we all heard Lia slamming the apartment door next door. Yoseob ran out. To go to her, I guessed.

We heard some murmuring outside and then when the elevator arrived, they fell silent. After that, nothing. Yoseob must have followed her.

"Did you ask her who this Lucas is?" Doojoon asked me.

"It's her boyfriend. Who else would it be?"

"Did she said that?"

"She didn't have to."

"So you just assumed it's her boyfriend?" Hyun Seung asked me in disbelief.

"I didn't assume. I know."

The kids started muttering under their breath and shook their heads at me.

"You should have asked," Dongwoon told me. "Maybe it was an old tattoo. An ex-boyfriend."

Junhyung nudged me. "Ya. If you keep treating her wrong, she's going to leave you. And she will never come back. You can never, ever see her again."

Those words haunted me that whole night.