“I bet my life on it. Your “revenge” will not be successful.” Woohyun was leaning on the doorframe, watching his sister tie her shoelaces.

“It’s the thought that counts.” Jae Hee blew her brother a raspberry.

“Very fit for a twenty year old. Grow up will you?”

“Don’t tell me what to do when you haven’t grown up yourself.” Jae Hee stuck her tongue out once again to her brother. “I’ll get going.” She rode her bicycle and pedaled towards Minhee and Chanmin’s place.

-----------------

Where are those girls? Jae Hee thought. She had been waiting for almost an hour for her friends to make an appearance and still, no sign of them.

Jae Hee rubbed her hands to keep away the cold. She looked at her friend’s front door once more and spotted two figures walking down the pathway.

She snickered. It’s almost show time.

Minhee and Chanmin passed by her hiding place and Jae Hee jumped behind them, snowballs in her hands.

“You look pathetic Jae.” Minhee didn’t even bother to look behind her.

“How did you know?” Jae Hee lowered her hands, letting the snowballs fall into the ground.

Remind her not to mention this to Woohyun. No, scratch that. Her brother already knew this would happen. No point in hiding such failure.

“Of course we knew. You would not let go of the idea that we went home first without you.” Chanmin explained.

Jae Hee nodded her head in agreement.

“Where are you going? I hoped I could drink some hot chocolate in your home after the cold I went through.” Jae Hee grumbled at Minhee. She took a peek at their house and pouted. She did not forget her friends had the biggest house in this part of the community. Surely they will have hot chocolate inside.

“We were heading into your place to pick you up. We’re going to get some groceries.” Minhee pulled Jae Hee back to their house. “But I changed my mind. We can do that tomorrow. Let’s drink hot chocolate now.”

“Why did you not tell me your exams will finish a week before mine does?” Jae Hee asked her friends, sipping hot chocolate inside her friend’s house.

“We were supposed to tell you that day. But omma called us saying that we should hurry getting home because our relatives are arriving that day too.” Minhee explained.

“Then why is it so quiet in here?”

Minhee shrugged. She looked at Cha to get some answers.

“They went out for a walk.” Chanmin said.

“Oh.”

“Let’s watch a movie!” Minhee pulled the two to their TV room.

“Can we not go to the grocery today?” Chanmin asked after finishing the movie.

Jae Hee looked outside the window. “It’s getting dark already.”

“Why? Can we not go to the grocery at night?” Chanmin grumbled.

“We can. What do you say Min?” Jae Hee turned to Minhee.

Minhee slouched on her seat. “I feel lazy.”

Chanmin threw a marshmallow at Minhee’s face. “You were not feeling lazy a while ago.”

“I feel lazy now.” Minhee reasoned.

Jae Hee shook her head, getting up from her seat. “I’ll get going now Min, Cha. Omma’s expecting me for dinner. See you tomorrow.” Jae Hee started for the door.

“Bye!”  Jae Hee waved at her friends, riding her bicycle.

She started pedaling towards their house. She closed her eyes feeling the winter breeze on her face. She opened her eyes, smiling. I should pedal faster, she thought.

She suddenly stopped pedaling. “There are garbage bins just beside the road, and these people cannot even throw their trash properly.” She got off her bicycle and picked up the garbage that was littered on the ground.

Approximately twenty steps behind her, six men were looking at her, following her every move. One of the men had his jaw slacked open.

“Hyung.” Jongup nudged Yongguk.

“What?” Yongguk asked Jongup, not taking his eyes off the girl who was picking the garbages and putting it in the trash bin.

“You can’t like her.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

And Jongup ran towards Bang Yongguk’s ideal girl.

Jongup knelt beside Jae Hee, picking up the garbage.

Jae Hee looked up as a hand brush hers.

“Jongup!”

Jongup smiled, putting the remaining garbage on the trash bin.

“Why are you here? Do you live here?” Jae Hee asked Jongup, her eyes following him. “You didn’t tell me.”

 “A friend of mine lives around here. I and my friends are staying here for a while.” Jongup noticed that Jae Hee was rubbing her hands. “Are you cold?”

“Huh?”

Jongup removed his gloves and held Jae Hee’s hands. He rubbed it together and put his gloves on her hands.

Jae Hee pulled her hands away. “You don’t need to.”

Jongup held her hands tighter. “I want to.” He continued putting the gloves on Jae Hee’s hands.

Behind them, someone coughed.

Jongup and Jae Hee turned around and were greeted by five smiling faces.

Jongup slapped his hand on her face. How could he forget about Junhong and his hyungs? Now, they will surely ask questions and make a fuss. He did not want Jae Hee to know about his real identity. Not now.

Jae Hee looked confused. Who were these guys? And why were they smiling at them? Jae Hee turned at Jongup.

“They were the friends I’m talking about.” Jongup explained. Surely, she would not recognize his friends, right?

“Oh.” She smiled at Jongup’s friends. “Hello, I’m Nam Jae Hee.” She bowed.

“Hello.” B.A.P (with the exception of Jongup) bowed in unison. “We are—“

“They’re my friends!” Jongup said, in a voice an octave higher than normal.

Jae Hee and the rest of the boys turned to look at him.

“”What are you doing hyung?” Zelo mouthed at Jongup.

“I’ll explain later.” Jongup mouthed back.

“Jae, these are my friends.” Jongup introduced them one by one. “This is Yongguk hyung, Himchan hyung, Daehyun hyung- he’s the one who lives here, Youngjae hyung, and the maknae of our group, Junhong-ah.”

Jae Hee bowed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

B.A.P was rendered speechless. Did she not know them? Where did this girl live? They turned at Jongup, looking bewildered, all five of them.

Jongup shook his head. Later, he mouthed.

Jae Hee’s phone rang. “Excuse me.”

“Where are you?” Woohyun asked her on the other line. “Dinner is almost ready. Omma is looking for you.”

“I’m on my way oppa.”

“Arasso.” Woohyun hung up.

Jae Hee turned to Jongup. “Up. I’m going home first. My mother is already looking for me. See you around.” She waved at Jongup and his friends.

-----------------

“She didn’t know us. She didn’t recognize us.” Himchan still looked bewildered. He could not accept such thing.

“Stop being so dramatic hyung. It just shows that we are not yet popular enough.” Yongjae told Himchan. “And stop pacing around. You’re making me dizzy hyung.”

“Or she’s an alien.” Daehyun butted in after a session of contemplating.

“Don’t talk about her that way.” Jongup told Daehyun.

“So she’s the one huh? I almost had a heart attack when you put your gloves on her hands.” Yongguk smiled at Jongup.

“What do you mean by she’s the one hyung?”

Youngjae threw Jongup a pillow. “Stop playing dumb, will you?”

Jongup looked at Zelo.

Zelo stopped munching on the popcorn he’s holding and raised his hands.

“We followed you once.” Daehyun told Jongup.

“You did?” Jongup couldn’t believe his ears. When?

“We did. You don’t have to keep it a secret from us, you know? We’re happy for you and we support you.” Himchan’s motherly instincts were kicking in. He sounded like he was giving Jongup his blessings for marriage.

Daehyun patted Jongup’s back. “Even though it breaks Yongguk hyung’s heart.”

B.A.P laughed heartily.