“Why don’t you ask him?” asked Donghae trying to avoid even finding the answer to Eunhyuk’s father’s questions.

“Eunhyuk…you know he’s always been silent and never talked much to me. At least don’t you know what he’s been up to lately?” asked his father.

“I don’t know,” Donghae replied after a long pause, “we haven’t talked much lately.”

“Did you two perhaps fight about something?” an expression full of curiosity stayed on his face.

“We don’t have anything to fight about,” Donghae denied calmly.

“I see,” he said, “that’s all I wanted to ask. Thank you for taking care of Hee Sun, I appreciate it, but if ever she wants to marry you I want to let you know that I won’t permit it.”

Donghae just nodded thankfully, glad to hear that from him.

/////

“Can you find it?” her voice came loud from the kitchen.

Eunhyuk scurried around the room opening the closet then glanced under the bed.

“Aish…couldn’t she keep the book out somewhere?” he muttered scratching his head.

Staring at the drawers on the ground he wondered why he hadn’t looked there first. Pulling open the top drawer he came across nothing but paper clips, theme papers, and highlighters. Closing the drawer he opened the second one to find the fat recipe book lying there. Grabbing it glad that he’d finally found it he glanced at the envelope under it. Raising an eyebrow he grabbed the white envelope to find a card inside with some words written in Chinese. Without thinking much he put the card back into the envelope and closed the drawer hurrying out.

“Ah…” Victoria let out a loud sigh glancing at the plate of fried rice noodles mixed with vegetables and chicken on the table. “Well…it looks alright. Edible, don’t you think?”

“Shall I try it first to see if it’s ok?” Eunhyuk asked grabbing his fork. After taking a bite he turned to Victoria with an unsure expression then smiled, “It’s good!”

“I’m a natural, aren’t I?” she asked excitedly patting Eunhyuk on the back with a wide smile on her face.

After eating he stayed behind to clean up the mess while Victoria returned to her school work. Walking over he glanced at the textbook she had on her lap.

“I know that!” Eunhyuk exclaimed. “I learned that in high school! If I knew becoming a professor was this easy I would have just became one.”

Victoria turned to frown at him, “You? A professor? Aren’t we glad you’re not one.”

“What do you mean? I’m the best at socializing,” Eunhyuk claimed.

“I think I know why,” she replied turning back to her book. “If you come again tomorrow why don’t you prepare something to eat? You’re always messing up my apartment.”

Eunhyuk sighed, moaned, and complained but he really was glad that he was able to come back again and again. When he drove back home in free spirits he had expected his whole family to be asleep already. However, as he came whistling down the walk he stopped and became quiet when he noticed his father sitting on the front steps smoking a cigarette. Eunhyuk found himself staring at his father for a long time.

Finally he asked, “Didn’t you quit?”

“I did,” he replied throwing his cigarette onto the ground stepping on it. “Where did you come from?”

“I was out, that’s all,” Eunhyuk replied.

“Is there something you’re upset about?” his father asked. “You’re barely around anymore.”

Eunhyuk didn’t reply.

“Before Donghae started paying more attention to Hee Sun you were always around,” his father pointed out, “but after Donghae came into the picture you’ve left quite often.”

Eunhyuk felt surprised that his father paid so much attention to him even when they never quite talked personally. He hid his surprised feelings and just stared at the cigarette on the ground.

Eunhyuk laughed, “Do you think I’m jealous of Hee Sun?”

His father stared back at him telling him to take him seriously. Eunhyuk pressed his lips together.

“I don’t find a need for me to be around much,” Eunhyuk told.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” his father suddenly asked.

Eunhyuk suddenly felt thrown off. Those words were the last words he’d expected to come from his dad’s mouth.

“Do you?” he asked again then added after a moment of silence, “Is that why you’ve been out so much? Because there’s someone you’re seeing?”

Eunhyuk thought hard for a moment wondering what he should say and quickly weighed out the consequences. He nodded his head a few moments later.

“There is.”

His dad’s face seemed to brighten, “Who is she?”

Eunhyuk’s face remained expressionless at first before he replied, “We’re not officially seeing each other. I’ll bring her to visit you and mom…but guarantee me that Hee Sun and Hae won’t be here.”

He walked into his room a few minutes later without turning off the lights tossing his jacket onto the bed and sat down at the edge of his bed. He knew well what he was doing and was sure both Victoria and Hae would have the same reactions. Because they weren’t clearly over each other yet Eunhyuk wanted to pull the string.

“I want to see if the knot will tighten up or break midway,” he silently thought.

The next morning he spotted Victoria outside her home watching Melodix gallop around in the front yard. Slowly parking his car he observed her for a few minutes. On the outside she seemed carefree. If he didn’t know her he would have thought that her life was an extremely happy one. A person who had never experienced pain. Her outer appearance showed that. When Victoria finally turned around and noticed him a small smile crept onto her face and he couldn’t help but smile back. The façade she hid herself under was only a lie to mislead others. Victoria knew pain.

“What are you doing over there?” she asked walking toward him.

Eunhyuk got out of his car closing the door behind him with the smile still on his face. “Want to go on a date?”

“Psh,” she snorted, “what?”

He bit half of his bottom lip still foolishly smiling.

/////

Donghae didn’t know what was wrong or what was going on when Hee Sun’s mother suddenly dragged him out of the house. Stopping out by the back door she turned around with a strange expression on her face.

“When you take Hee Sun to the hospital make sure to take her somewhere else afterward.”

“Ok, I understand.”

It wouldn’t have been right if he asked her why so he just went along with it.

/////

“What!” Victoria exclaimed. “Your house? Why?”

“I have something I want to show you,” he told.

“Can’t you just show me here?” she asked. “You can just bring it or something.”

“It’s more natural if you come see it for yourself,” Eunhyuk tried.

Victoria eyed him suspiciously, “What do you have up your sleeve Eunhyuk?”

“Nothing,” he lied, “so lets go, ok?”

“This gives me a bad feeling,” Victoria said, “I feel like rejecting your offer this time around.”

“If you don’t like this then you won’t have to go back anymore,” Eunhyuk said, “I mean I know the last visit didn’t turn out so well and I was really sorry and everything. If you really don’t want to go then I guess it’s fine.”

He sounded disappointed and Victoria felt a crushing guilt within her. She stared at him as if watching for any signs of suspicion.

“If you say that then I guess it won’t be too bad of a trip this time around,” she added. “Fine. Lets go.”

/////

“Oppa, the baby’s bigger this time, right?” she asked walking down the hall with both arms around his.

“You’re doing well, Hee Sun,” he told walking out of the hospital with her.

“Oppa, I think I’m going to need to buy some new clothes,” she told.

“Then should we go shopping?” he suggested remembering her mother’s words to him that morning.

“I want mom to go with me.” she said. “Lets go home and get mom then you can leave, ok?”

Donghae glanced at her.

“Oppa, don’t you have work to do, too? Mom said you moved back, right?” she questioned.

“Yea, I moved back,” he replied.

“Don’t you have to stop by the office today then? Take me home and then you can go do your stuff,” Hee Sun urged. “I know oppa has a lot of work to do.”

“No, it’s ok. I’ll take you shopping instead…isn’t your mother very busy today?”

“Mom?” Hee Sun asked then shook her head. “No. She’s not going anywhere at all today…now that I think about it dad was home this morning too. I wonder what they’re doing today? I think they’re going to have fun without me so lets go back ok, oppa?”

“Don’t you think they might want to be alone today?” Donghae opened the car door for her.
 
“Oppa,” her voice was steady and serious, “I want to go home so take me home. I want to go home.”

Donghae stared at her. She was stubborn and wouldn’t listen to anyone unless she had things her way. He had no choice but to return her home.

Donghae drove into the driveway a second after Eunhyuk drove around the back of the house. He slowly got out of his car and followed Hee Sun to the front door. When she opened the door they met her mother.

“Wha…what are you doing back so early?” she asked.

Donghae apologized, but Hee Sun cut in. “I wanted to come back so I made oppa bring me back.”

“Aren’t…didn’t I tell you to take her out?” her mother questioned looking at Donghae.

Before he could say anything Hee Sun interrupted again, “Mom let me in.”

Walking pass her mom she walked into the house through the living room toward the kitchen where she heard voices. Chatter and voices. Donghae’s legs dragged him after her also hearing the voices as he went nearer.

“What is this?” she asked stopping in front of the hallway between the kitchen and the living room.

Donghae stopped just behind her with her mother by his side looking at both of them as if lost about what to do. Literally he felt lightening strike him when he saw what was before him. It was as if he was breaking up all over again.

***“I want to see if the knot will tighten up or break midway”->a metaphor. Eunhyuk is talking about Donghae and Victoria. Because they are still holding onto each other without showing it to anyone he wants to see if they will still stick together or if they can really separate. Eunhyuk's "Girlfriend Scheme" coming up xD

The part where Eunhyuk thinks about the fact that Victoria does know pain and hides herself under a facade-I just wanted to illustrate that everytime he sees her he focuses on the hurt she has received from Donghae and Hee Sun and her past. What are his feelings toward her? Does he like her? Does he really just feel sorry? Or does he both have feelings for her and feel sorry? Remember he said before that he'd defend her?-How will he defend her? Can he do it?