Ji Yong didn’t try to deny it. But he did try to reason with her. “Lia, I was drunk,” he said. “I’m sorry. But nothing happened, I swear.”

Lia slapped him, tears pouring down her face. “Liar!” she screamed in his face. “You kissed her, you touched her! You were about to have with her!”

“But I didn’t!” he yelled back.

Lia didn’t flinch. She glowered at him. “Do you want to know why I went to sleep with my brother last night?” she asked. “Because when you were sleeping, you muttered her name. Her name. And that’s not all. You also said, ‘Don’t tell Lia I’m cheating on her’.” She looked away. “I was hurt, obviously. That’s why I went to sleep with him.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” She sighed. “Then this morning at the beach. I saw these two beautiful and gorgeous girls in front of me as I was walked King. I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.” She looked at him. “It was Shi Wen and her friend. She was telling her friend about how she’d nearly had with an incredible hot guy whose name is Ji Yong. I froze, because that was your name. Then her friend called her Shi Wen. That was when I knew that this beautiful girl standing before me was the girl you made out with last night.

“I went up to them in time to hear her say that the only reason why she didn’t sleep with you was because you accidentally called her my name,” she went on. She stood up and walked to the window. “You cheated on me, Ji Oppa.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Lia refused to meet his eyes. “But you got to understand, I was drunk. I know it’s not much of an excuse but it’s the only one I’ve got. You know I’d never cheat on you if I was sober.” He went over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Lia,” he pleaded. “You know the only person I want to sleep with is you. You know that. Please, I’m sorry.”

She covered her face and he knew she was crying. He pulled her into a hug but she pushed him away. “I want to be alone for awhile,” she said in a small voice, breaking a little. She untangled herself from his grip and walked out of the room.

Seung Ri, who was now reading another magazine, looked up and was shocked to see the tears in her eyes. “Lia.” He jumped up and ran to her side. “What’s wrong?” he asked her, alarmed.

She sobbed into him and he led her to the sofa. “He cheated on me,” she sobbed, sitting down next to him.

He bit his lips. He was stunned at the news. He swore under his breath as he hugged her tightly. He felt her gripping onto his shirt, her fist in a tight ball.

“Just let it all out,” he told her, her hair gently. Inside of him, he wanted to go to Ji Yong and punch him in the face. He wanted to hurt him the way he hurt her. He wanted him to feel her pain.

Wait.

“Lia?” He grasped her chin and lifted her face up. She gave him a watery smile. “You’re so beautiful.” Then, on impulse, he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

Lia was surprised to feel his soft lips on her. She blinked a couple of times, confused.

He gazed adoringly at her. “I love you,” he whispered. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I fell in love with you.” But then he pulled away and buried his head. “It was hard, trying to keep my feelings from you, watching you and hyung together. But  . . . I really, really like you, Lia.”

“Maknae Oppa . . . I . . .” Lia was feeling lost, confused. This is all wrong.

He kissed her again, sweetly like before, and Lia found herself kissing him back. Her heart was pounding, something inside of her twisting into knots. Her hands moved up to his hair and he pulled her close.

No, this is wrong.

She pulled back, face flushed. When she looked up, Ji Yong was staring at them, his face filled with shock, hurt and anger.

“So this is payback, huh?” he asked quietly. “I don’t blame you. Maknae has been crushing on you for a long time now.”

“Oppa . . .”

But he cut her off. “It’s over.”

She stopped, cold. Suddenly everything seemed so dark. “What?” She felt chills, going numbed. This can’t be happening. Not again.

He looked pained as he glanced at Seung Ri. “I guess you can make your move now.” He walked away. He looked as though he wanted to turn back but thought better of it and continued on his way out.

Seung Ri frowned. What? He didn’t even try putting up a fight. He turned back to Lia, who was staring after Ji Yong. “Lia . . .”

“He . . .” Lia couldn’t even string two words together. She just sat there, next to him, in shock.

TOP came out from his room with his bag over his shoulders. He set it down on the floor. When he saw Lia’s face expression, he knew something was wrong.

“What happened?” he asked Seung Ri for he was the only one with her.

“Hyung cheated on her.”

“What?” he hissed. He looked at Lia, who did not even blink. He went to her and kneeled in front of her. “What happened?”

She shook her head numbly. “It’s over,” she whispered. She finally blinked and covered her face. She began to sob uncontrollably.

Tae Yang and Dae Sung came in. One look at Lia and they both knew Ji Yong had hurt her. Dae Sung and Seung Ri, stood up and went to look for Ji Yong.

TOP pried her hands away and took her in his arms. “Mei . . .” he whispered in her ears. He hugged her tightly and winced when she struggled. “I’m not letting you go. He may have let you go but I’m not.”

Ji Yong was walking down the hall when an arm roughly grabbed him and whirled him around. Before he could react, he was punched in the face. He stumbled backwards onto the floor, closing his eyes. Then someone grabbed him up and gave a blow at his stomach. Another one kicked him on the legs. And again they hit him and kicked him. He doubled over in pain.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Dae Sung and Seung Ri glaring down at him. “Hi guys,” he said weakly.

“Don’t ‘hi guys’ us,” Dae Sung snapped. “Why did you cheat on Lia? No, why did you break up with her?”

Ji Yong looked at Seung Ri. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be consoling Lia? Hold her, kiss her and make her fall in love with you?” he asked bitterly.

Seung Ri felt like strangling him. “You are idiot! Lia loves you, she was going to forgive you! And then you tell her it’s over! Why? Why do you say it’s over? Because I kissed her and she kissed me back?”

Dae Sung halted. “What?” he gasped. But Seung Ri and Ji Yong ignored him.

“I saw the look on her face when she kissed you back,” Ji Yong said angrily. “I can tell she has some feelings for you.”

Seung Ri punched him. “SHE LOVES YOU, HYUNG!” he yelled at him, frustrated. “SHE’S FEELING CONFUSED BUT SHE LOVES YOU, YOU BABO! But you know what? You don’t deserve her! Lia deserves someone who loves her! And it’s not you!”

“Like she deserves you?” he sneered.

The maknae lost his cool. He clenched his fist into a tight ball. “If I was drunk and Lia is my girlfriend, I would go looking for Lia and not another girl. Yeah, maybe I’d do something stupid but at least I won’t touch another girl,” he said harshly and Ji Yong flinched.

He took a step forward. “You . . .”

“And now that you guys have broken up, I will make a move on her!” Seung Ri went on. “I will make her fall in love with me and you are not going to do anything.”

Ji Yong’s eyes blazed. He took another step forward. “You wouldn’t,” he said quietly.

“Yes I would,” he retorted.

“Maknae, enough,” Dae Sung said, trying to break them apart.

Seung Ri just shoved him aside and turned back to his leader. “You gave me permission, remember?” he reminded him. “‘I guess you can make your move now’,” he repeated. “Or have you already forgotten them, now that you realized your mistake? Didn’t you just tell me yesterday that you weren’t going to break up with her? Is that the kind of man you are: someone who goes back on his words?” He laughed cruelly. “You sicken me.” With that, he walked back to the hotel room.

Lia was still crying and TOP was hurting inside as he hugged his little sister. She was calling Ji Yong’s name. Seung Ri came to her and scooped her up in his arms and set her down in his lap, hugging her, kissing her face with sweet kisses.

“Jagiya,” he murmured. “I’m here.”

Lia wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want Ji Oppa,” she wailed.

“I know baby, I know.” Seung Ri sighed as TOP mouthed, “Thank you” to him.

No matter what happens, I’ll make you mine, he thought, holding her firmly in his hands. He closed his eyes. Lia, I love you.

The ride back to the apartment was long and suffering. Lia sat in the backseat with her brother. Seung Ri and Dae Sung sat in the middle while Ji Yong and Tae Yang were at front. Ji Yong was badly bruised after getting beaten up by Seung Ri and Dae Sung (which Tae Yang scolded them for).

None of them knew what to say to each other. They would occasionally turn back to check on Lia, who was asleep in TOP’s arms. When they got back, they all trudged to the apartment and opened the door. They were instantly hit with the aroma of kimchi rice.

Someone was inside.

Se7en turned around from the stove in the kitchen and smiled at them. “Welcome home, you guys,” he said brightly.

“Dong Wook-sshi!” Lia cried. She dropped everything and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

He lifted her up and spun her around. “Lia, how are you? Did you enjoy yourself? Happy belated birthday, by the way,” he added. He was happy to see the petite girl.

“Sunbae, what are you doing here?” Seung Ri asked.

“Someone has to look after the house while you guys are gone,” he simply replied, turning back to the stove.

Dae Sung hovered around him, his mouth drooling. “Mmm, that smells good!” he said, smiling hopefully.

Se7en just whacked him on the head. “I’m not done with it yet,” he told him. “Go unpack your things and everything first.”

He pouted as Tae Yang pushed him to their room. TOP and Seung Ri went to their own room and Lia to hers. Ji Yong sat down on the dining table’s chair and buried his face in his beanie.

Se7en looked at him and sighed. “Please don’t tell me something happened between you and Lia.”

He just slapped himself. “We broke up,” he muttered, a tear escaping his eyes.

What have I done?, he thought.