“Are you okay?”

She refused to look up and so, she just nodded.

There was a shuffling of feet and she could see girl shoes.

“Joonie, she’s hurt. She needs help.”

The girl’s voice almost caused her to look up. She needed someone to help her. She needed someone….anyone.

She slowly looked up and they froze as they looked at her. Her face was bloody and her left eye was swollen, her right eye was turning black. She started to cry, her hands gripping her stomach from the pain. She watched as the guy bent down and gently scooped her up in her arms. He wrapped her arms around his neck and walked. She could smell the faint scent of something sweet on him. He smelled like vanilla, her favorite ice cream. She let her eyes close. She was tired and the warmth coming from him was comforting.

She awoke among bed sheets and the smell of vanilla underneath her pillow. She felt horrible. Her face hurt and her stomach hurt even worse. She looked around the room and noticed it was not her room. Her mind flashed back to the guy who had carried her. Maybe she was in his room. She heard commotion outside the room and wondered where exactly she was. The door suddenly opened and she froze. He walked in and stopped when he saw her awake. He smiled.

“Oh, you’re awake. Are you feeling okay?”

She didn’t respond and he sort of chuckled and turned to look out the door.

“Hyosung-ah, she’s awake but she’s not talking to me.”

He turned back to look at her.

“Yah, say something. I carried you all the way here. At least thank me” he said as he smiled once again.

She was completely stuck. She didn’t know how to respond to him.

Suddenly the girl walked in and pushed him aside.

“Leave her alone. Maybe she doesn’t like you.”

“Everyone likes me” he replied, completely offended by her remark.

He turned to the young girl.

“You like me right?” he asked.

The girl pushed him again, this time out of the room. She closed the door and locked it before she turned around and smiled.

“I’m Hyosung. That crazy guy is Joon. We found you outside the train station last night and brought you here. We wanted to take you to a hospital but you kept denying, so we brought you here.”

Hyosung looked at her with a serious expression.

“Are you okay? Do you want us to call someone or maybe call the police?”

Hyosung looked at the girl in front of her, her eyes almost tearing up at the sight. She kneeled in front of the girl.

“You’re safe here. I ran away from home almost two years ago. I was attacked by a gang and Joonie helped me. He had no reason to take me in but he did, he didn’t even know my name when he asked me to stay. He is a nice person and you can trust us.”

Hyosung stood up and silently tucked the girl in as the girl stared at her with slightly hopeful eyes. As Hyosung turned away, the girl spoke.

“I’m Hyuna…”

Hyosung smiled widely.

“Hyuna-yah, are you hungry?”

Hyuna nodded.

“I want ramyun” she suddenly said, gasping when she finally realized what she had said.

Hyosung laughed and nodded.

“It’s okay! I’ll make some ramyun. Get some more rest.”

She left the room and Hyuna sighed. She looked around the room once more and noticed it was pretty bare. She suddenly missed her room and the thought of home brought tears to her eyes. She looked down and saw bandages on her arms and stomach. All the bruises that were there, they had made it so that she couldn’t see them. She almost smiled. She saw a mirror next to the closet but she decided to leave it alone. She didn’t want to see what she looked like right now. She had been stupid. She thought about what happened last night and frowned. She could never go home again…she didn’t want to. The door opened once more and this time, Joon stepped inside.

“Let’s go eat.”

She stared at him as he made his way to her and picked her up. She wanted to protest but the way his arms wrapped around her made her feel protected and that made her grateful. He carried her out into the small living room and sat her on the couch. He scooted the coffee table closer to her and began placing cups and spoons. She watched the two people fumble around and when Hyosung placed a big bowl of ramyun in front of her, she almost cried in gratitude. She looked at them as they sat on the ground in front of her.

She felt a tear escape as she opened .

“Thank you” she whispered.

They looked at her and smiled before they told her to eat.

She watched them as she ate and couldn't help but feel loved in some way. When they finished, she braved herself for the intense questions they were bound to ask, but was only surprised when Joon looked at her and smiled.

“You’re going to have to share a room with Hyosung-ah from now on. She snores.”

Hyosung threw a pillow at him.

“I do not!” she said and then looked at Hyuna.

“Hyuna-yah, don’t believe him okay? He’s the one who wets the bed.”

Hyuna’s eyes widened in surprise.

“YAH!! I FELL ASLEEP WHILE DRINKING JUICE!!” he screamed and waved his hands around.

Hyuna couldn’t help but laugh, causing Joon and Hyosung to smile.

Joon suddenly stood and grabbed his coat, casting a glance at the window and then turning to them.

“I’m going now. Lock the door and go to bed early.”

Hyosung nodded and stood. Joon looked over to Hyuna and pointed a finger at her.

“Start bonding with Hyosung-ah.”

With those words, he left.

Hyosung left for a few minutes and came back with a first aid kit and then sat down on the couch.

“I just want to check your wounds.”

She started to unwrap her wounds and all Hyuna could do is watch. Why were they being so nice to her? Hyosung caught her looking and smiled. Hyuna then decided to speak out.

“Why did you run away from home?” she asked, somewhat afraid to find out.

“My mother died when I was small and my father died 2 years ago. I had to live with my aunt who hated me. She used to lock me in a closet and beat me. I ran away and then met Joon.”

Hyosung stopped what she was doing and looked at Hyuna with an understanding expression. Hyuna took a deep breath as she looked at Hyosung in the eyes.

“My step-dad was beating me. I left because my mom only blamed me even after seeing this.”

She pointed to herself. Hyosung sighed and patted Hyuna on her leg, a silent understanding flowing between them.

“Is it really okay for me to stay here?” Hyuna whispered.

“Of course! Joonie doesn’t mind, just as long as we feed him.”

They laughed.

“Unnie…is Joon-ssi your boyfriend?”

Hyosung choked on her spit and frantically waved her hands around.

“No, no, no…”

Hyuna laughed again.

Before too long, Hyuna was able to finally look at herself in the mirror and accept her faults and her past. She wanted to start a new life with the people who had shown her love.

Yet she found herself always staring at one person. She watched as he slept, as he talked, he smiled and everything else. She knew she was starting to like him. Though she could never tell him, she found comfort when he hugged her goodbye and when he let her touch him in the slightest way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyuna slowly opened her eyes and stared at the figure next to her. Hyosung was sleeping soundly and Hyuna softly smiled. She loved Hyosung dearly, no matter what. She slowly sat up and looked around. They were currently in Joon’s apartment, sleeping in his bed. She slid out of the sheets and stood carefully to not awaken Hyosung. She tiptoed across the room and exited the room. She walked into the living room and stopped when she saw Joon laying on the couch and lightly snoring. She got closer and bent down next to him. She traced her fingers around his face like she always did when he slept and she couldn’t. It had been a while since she had done it. He denied her the chance to touch him anymore, ever since that night when she confronted him.

Hyuna looked on as Joon slammed the door shut and made his way into the kitchen. He hadn’t said anything since Hyosung had left for the train station. He continued to slam doors and cabinets and it was starting to annoy her.

“Oppa” she called out.

He came out of the kitchen and looked at her.

“Why are you angry?” she asked.

Joon shook his head and sighed.

“No reason.”

“Is it because unnie left? Oppa, she’s just going to finish her college somewhere else and then she'll be back.”

Joon plopped down on the sofa, next to her.

“I know but I miss her. I feel like she abandoned me.”

“She’s only been gone a few hours.”

“Aish! You wouldn’t understand, you little kid.”

Hyuna pouted.

“I’m not a little kid, I’m 20 now.”

Joon laughed.

She loved his laugh. She loved how he smiled at her and only for her since Hyosung left. His hugs were only for her now and so were his gazes…and yet, that didn’t seem to mean anything to him. He would spend nights just thinking and when she would trace her fingers over his face, he never reacted. There were times when she would crawl into his bed while he slept and would lay next to him because she missed the warmth that he used to have. She managed to salvage happiness with him, even if she had to borrow happiness from past memories with him. All was well, until one day, they both couldn’t take it anymore.

She had just come home from her job and walked into his room only to find him packing.

“Oppa…”

He froze and turned to look at her.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she came closer and saw the bags.

There was a long silence before he finally took a deep breath and answered.

“I’m going to Seoul.”

“What? Why?”

“To see Hyosung” he replied.

Hyuna pushed him aside and pointed to the bags.

“You’re packing all this just for a trip?!”

Joon avoided her eyes and sighed.

“I might end up staying…”

She felt her heart drop to her feet.

“What…what about me then?” she asked, her voice filled with hurt.

“I am leaving you the apartment. If I do end up staying, it would only be until Hyosung’s graduates which will be in a few months anyway. I just really want to see her. I know this is all unexpected and you’re working and going to school so I can’t take you with me. You’ll be okay won’t you?”

Hyuna balled her fists. He was leaving her to go to Hyosung. She had always suspected but she never really thought about it until now and so now, she was determined to get the truth.

“Do…do you like Hyosung-unnie? Tell me the truth.”

She looked at him and he looked at her.

“Yes. I love her and now you know why I can’t stand being away from her. I have to go to her.”

Hyuna could feel her breathing start to increase.

“You can’t” she said and quickly picked up the suitcase he had already packed.

“What are you doing?” he asked and tried to get his suitcase back but she held on to it for dear life.

“You can’t leave me!!” she yelled out and snatched the suitcase from his grip.

She tossed it aside and ran into his arms, holding onto him.

“I like you” she whispered and she felt him tense up.

She reached out and kissed him and though he didn’t response, he didn’t pull away either. He waited until she backed away to finally react.

“Please don’t do that anymore.”

She bit her lip and he sighed, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry Hyuna-yah…”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and then looked up at him. She hugged him and then pulled away.

“I just had to tell you. It won’t happen again.”

She walked out of the room and headed into her room, where she made sure to cry softly so that he wouldn’t hear.

That night, she finally realized that he had noticed her feelings before tonight. That night, when she went in search of his late night warmth, she found that he had locked his door.

Hyuna stood up from her position and decided to go back to the room she currently was sharing with Hyosung. They were having so much fun catching up with each other and it had gotten late. Hyuna had agreed to stay with Hyosung but then Joon had invited them to spend the night, wanting to feel like old times.

Hyuna slipped back into bed and snuggled close to Hyosung, who instinctively wrapped her arm around her. Hyuna sighed at the warmth and snuggled in deeper. She had found warmth in both of them, but she preferred his warmth, which he could no longer provide because it wanted to belong with someone else. Hyuna sadly smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I did well on my final exam today and so I felt generous enough to give you another chapter. Yep, a whole chapter dedicated to Hyuna because I wanted to explain in greater detail how they all came to be friends and yes, Joon is her love interest. *GETS BRICKED*

Me: what did I do?!

You: If Joon was her love interest, then you should have put her next to Joon in the picture.

Me: But it would have been too obvious that way *gets bricked again*

You: I don’t care! *kicks corpse*

AHEM! I have no idea if any of you actually feel this way but please don’t brick me. My body is too weak! Anyway, the next chapter will be more exciting because Kikwang and Min will be back and everyone will mingle and etc. Thank you to all my new subscribers and for all the comments!! Expect an update either tomorrow or Wednesday ….it all depends on whether or not I have writer’s block!

******Chapter song inspiration time!! To be honest, I felt a little depressed as I listened to the song and wrote this chapter because of the lyrics and thats why I love this song so much, because it makes me feel something powerful.