"What the..."

The two girls are like deer caught in headlights when they see the people that enters the room.

"What happened here?" Junmi says, voice filled with concern. The boys behind him are also sharing the same expression. Thankfully Hanbin and Junhoe are not there.

"Just now, the-"

"I tripped over my own foot and dropped the coffee. I'm sorry," Ahreum interrupts her friend. Bomi gives her a look but Ahreum avoids eye contact and looks down instead. She feels embarrassed. She feels like crying.

Junmi sighs before speaking up, "But are you okay?"

Ahreum nods and still keep her head down.

"WHERES MY PRETTY- oh," Baram stops in his tracks when he sees the poor state of his cutiepie. He shakes his head and drags her out of the room. Bomi excuses herself and follows them outside, leaving behind the confused people in the room except for Yunhyeong. He knew what happened and could do nothing other than feeling sympathy for Ahreum.

~

Yunhyeong's POV (flashback)

After my turn was done, I sat with Junmi hyung, monitoring our photos. Suddenly, my stomach growled out loud and I sighed.

"I'm hungry," I whined out, hoping that Junmi hyung would get the hint. I look at him and he chuckled. Good. He does get the hint.

"Why don't you go and find Ahreum? She brought you guys some refreshments from the café," he suggested and I instantly light up at the mention of "refreshments". I thanked Jun hyung and go on a mission to find Ahreum.

I searched everywhere but there was no sign of Ahreum. Tired out, I sat on the nearest chair and sigh. Where's the food!?

"Hyung, what are you doing here?" I look up and see Chanwoo looking at me. I told him about my mission and he laughed at me. Yah, this kid is really...

"She went in the waiting room. Have you checked there?" Oh? My face lights up and I thanked Chanwoo before continuing walking. When I reached to the door of the waiting room, I place my hands on the knob and was about to open it when I heard someone saying,

"It tastes like ,"

A loud sound of a plastic cup being smashed afterwards surprises me and I wanted to open the door to see what happened but before I could do so, the door pushed opened from inside, sending me to the side of the door.
Hanbin leaves the room without even looking at me. I ignore him and take a peek on what happened in the room and gasped.

Ahreum was covered in coffee!

I peeked again and see Ahreum and her friend frozen in shock. Did Hanbin did that? But why? She did not even do anything wrong! I wanted to go in and help her but suddenly, I got pulled back by someone.

"Hyung, you have to take another shot again," Junhoe said as he points to the director that was anticipating me. I sighed and glance one last look t the room before leaving.

~

The three of them enters the toilet at the training centre. Baram locks the door after ensuring that there's nobody in the toilet other than them.

"You can look up now," Baram says to Ahreum.

Ahreum slowly looks up and scans the place. Bomi looks at her roommate with sympathy, looking at her condition.

"Go and wash up. I brought extra clothing for you," he says to her again, this time pushing her to one of the cubicles.

Ahreum locks the door as soon as she gets in it. She turns on the tap and let the water runs through her. She shivered as the cold water come in contact with her skin.

Ahreum stares blankly at the wall. She is disheartened and deeply embarassed by the incident. Tears threatens to fall but she still holds on. Ahreum decides that crying would not bring her anywhere so she snaps out of her trance and quickly washes all of the coffee stains left on her body. After she's done, she calls Baram.

"Hey, I'm done!"

Footsteps are heard and clothes are hang on the top of the door. She takes the clothes and realize that it is a guy clothing. Nevertheless, she still puts it on without any complains.

Ahreum opens the door after changing. She feels alot better now, feeling refreshed from the cold water just now. Bomi takes her dirty clothes and place it in a plastic bag and after ensuring that Ahreum's fine on her own, she excuse herself as she has to continue with her work.

"Thanks, Baram," Ahreum says to him when Bomi left.

"You poor girl! You know what, we have to teach them a lesson," Baram says and approach Ahreum. She looks at Baram questionly, not comprehending the situation. Baram smirks and holds both of the smaller's shoulders.

"Shhhh, they are outside," he whispers in her ear. Ahreum instantly looks at the door and notices shadows from the bottom of the door. The situation seems funny to Ahreum that she has to stiffle her laughter. However, she stops when Baram tilts her head up to meet his eyes. Baram lowers his head and stops when there is only a few space left between his lips and Ahreum's.

Her eyes widens when Baram moves in closer, their nose touching. Baram suddenly bites Ahreum's lower lip, making the girl under him flustered and eyes widens in shock again. She tries to push him away as it hurts but the taller guy is much more stronger than her.

Baram pulls back when he sees the skin on the lower lips tear and blood begining to gush out from it. Ahreum holds her bottom lip and whimpers in pain. She takes a tissue from her pocket and wipes the blood off. Even though Baram did not kiss her, she is very confused and the fact that her heart is beating very fast is not helping her either.

When Baram approaches her, he whispers to her again.

"Is your skin sensitive?" he asks her. Ahreum nods and regrets for admitting it when Baram suddenly close the gap between them again.

Heat rush to her face and Ahreum attempts to push him away again. Baram seems unaffected by her hits so she stops trying. He brings his finger to Ahreum's neck and pinches the skin there lightly. Ahreum hiss in pain but Baram brings his other hand and covers with it. After a few seconds, he let go and smiles at the dark bruise formed on Ahreum's neck.

"That will teach them a lesson," he says, satisfied with his work. Ahreum is still in daze and did not realize that Baram has unlock the door and leave her in the toilet. As soon as Baram opens the door, he smirks at the people in front of him before going back to the studio.

Junmi and the rest of the members got in the toilet in hurry and sees Ahreum staring in a distance. The boys approach her and ask her if she is alright.

"Oh? Y-yes I'm okay. L-let's.. I mean-" she stutters, still feeling embarassed of what Baram did to her.

"Let's go for a heavy lunch, you had a rough morning, Ahreum," Junmi interrupts and ruffles the smaller's hair. Ahreum nods and follow Junmi as he walks out of the restroom.

~

They arrive at a restaurant not far from the place of their next schedule. Ahreum is thankful that Hanbin is not in her car as she would probably not be able to concentrate on her driving. The sandwiches that she had brought are gone as the boys had eaten it, on the way to the restaurant.

Apparently, it is a buffet so they just have to choose what they want. Ahreum takes a small bowl of noodles and returns to her seat with the rest. The tables are noisy with the chatterings and laughters from the boys.

Ahreum takes a slurp of her noodles and hissed when the hot soup came in contact with her busted lips. The people siting on both of her side, Donghyuk and Jin Hyeong, heard her hissing in pain and begins to question her.

"I'm okay, its just that the soup's too hot," Ahreum laughs nervously.

"Ahreum, what happened to your lips?" Bobby, who is sitting across her, asks and looks intently at the cut on her lips.

"A-ah, m-my lips? It's n-nothing," she is beginning to blush from all the attention she's getting and also when she remembers what Baram did to her in the toilet just now.

"What happened to your neck?" Junhoe
asks and narrows his eyes at her. Everyone turn their heads and look at Ahreum's neck. Junmi gasps when he sees the dark spot on her neck. Ahreum gulps and pulls the oversized hoodie in an attempt to cover the spot.

"Who did this to you?" Junmi asks.

"It's that Baram right?" Yunhyeong adds on. Ahreum plans on not telling them but since they are still waiting for her answer, she gives a shy nod.

"Guys, from now on, we have to protect her from any erts that we come across to," Bobby suggests as he stuff a chicken in his mouth.

A bunch of 'yes' and 'definitely' came from them as they give one last look to their female manager before continuing on eating their foods. She sighs and takes a small sip of her water, oblivious to the stare that she is getting from the leader of the group.