Fabio's was empty but for the familiar figure sitting on a stool by the counter. Hyomin's heart skipped its usual beat as she approached Joon.

She hadn't seen him since he'd come to talk to her a week before. She hadn't felt ready. There was so much to think about. Not just about Hyuna, but about him. Everything seemed so intense all of a sudden. And then there was Jaejoong ... That was intense, too. In a different way.

She'd spent a lot of time out walking the dog, poring over the mysterious girl's notebook. Entry after entry of heartache. Whoever she had loved had just disappeared and the loss was nearly killing her. It frightened Hyomin. To get so attached to someone, and to have them just disappear ... She'd shut the book back away in her drawer, unable to read more. It hadn't helped her much, it just made her feel more apprehensive. What was she getting herself into?

Hyomin should really lighten up, she suppose.

Joon turned intuitively as she came up behind him.

"Hello stranger," He slipped one arm around her waist and his lips brushed her cheek. "What can I get you?"

"A coke, please." She climbed up on to the stool next to him, running her eyes over his black jeans. He took off his denim jacket and draped it on the back of the stool, and it was hard for her not to notice his muscular, tanned arms as he waved at Eunjung.

"A Coke for the lady," he said, as Eunjung came over to them. "And another iced tea, please."

"Coming up." Eunjung beamed at him and started getting their drinks. "What are you two up to today?"

Joon looked at Hyomin. "Want to come for a ride?"

She nodded. "But somewhere safe. I told you how uncoordinated I am."

"Rubbish. I'll bet you're a natural," he said, smiling.

Eunjung placed their drinks on the counter and Hyomin took a swig of Coke straight from the bottle.

"I missed you. I thought, after I saw you ..."

"I know." She looked down at her Coke. "I just needed some time to think."

"I understand." But she heard a slight edge to his voice, a little defensive. For some reason she felt the need to explain herself, but what could she say?

"Sometimes I just need to be by myself," She looked at Joon now. "You must know that feeling."

"Sure." He picked up his tea and drank some more, but he seemed a little tense still.

"Joon?" Hyomin said quietly. "It's just the way I am."

"And it's exactly what I like about you." He smiled properly at her then, and she felt herself relax.

"So," she said, "where shall we go?"

----

Joon was patient with her and Hyomin attempted to drive his car along a deserted training field. They were miles from home in a place he had researched beforehand. After ten minutes she gave up as the car was bumping and stalling under her control.

"Rain check?" She asked him, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Joon shook his head, but they swapped seats and Hyomin relaxed now that she was safely in the passenger seat. Joon drove round in circles and then stopped the car.

"The army used to use this place," he said. To the left of them, a row of Nissen huts stood abandoned and eerie. Hyomin glimpsed machinery of some kind, rusting away inside.

"It's a bit creepy," she said. "How did you find it?"

"Dad told me about it." Joon wound down the window and the freezing air nipped at her cheeks. "He was in the services ... way back. It was the reason he moved here, in fact."

"Did you live here, then?" she asked. "I mean in Jongamno ... Did you come with your dad?"

Joon shook his head. "No ... they'd broken up by then. My parents. He came here alone. Said they trained in this place. Like a kind of crude barracks or something.

From out of the silence came a piercing bark -- more of a howl, really. Hyomin pressed her face against the window and for a second or two, she thought Jaejoong would come bounding out to her. Hyomin swallowed. The sound stopped abruptly.

"Was that a wolf?" She turned to Joon.

His face darkened. "A what?"

"A wolf." She gestured outside. "Didn't you hear it?"

Joon shrugged. "Didn't hear a thing." A slow smile crept on to his face. "Are you scared, Hyomin?"

She stared at him. He was still smiling, but there was a sharpness to his eyes. It was difficult to see in the low light though. Maybe she was imagining it?

"Of course not." Hyomin fronted up. "I'm not that easily scared."

"Good. I wouldn't want that."

She nodded, but wasn't looking at him. She was looking at his reflection in her passenger window. Of him, staring at the back of her neck. Hyomin felt a prickle of discomfort.

She flipped back to see his face, friendly, with a little creases around his brown eyes.

Hyomin relaxed again.

Joon rubbed her leg and it sent tingles through her. This time, she enjoyed them. Looking down at his strong brown hand, Hyomin didn't want him to take it away. She shifted and met his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked softly. Then he leaned across and put one hand on her thigh, pulling Hyomin in towards him. She looked at his soft, partly-opened mouth and she put her hands on either side of his face. They kissed and she felt her whole body responding to him. As his hands moved up to her waist, Hyomin felt his fingers touching the skin there, and she realised she would let him do whatever he wanted.

If she wasn't careful.

Hyomin pulled away, breathing hard. "Not yet," she said. "Not in this place."

Joon looked hungrily at her and gave her one final hard kiss before sitting back and putting his hand on the ignition key.

"Bad girl," he said, but she saw his smile.

"Is the lesson over for today?" She asked coyly, wrapping her arms around her body. "Because I'd like to get out of here ... If that's okay."

Joon started the engine and they drove smoothly out of the field. As they came up to the exit, a line of crows sitting astride the fence cawed anxiously at the car. As Joon pulled out on to the road, one of them suddenly took flight, shrieking menacingly close to his window.

Joon didn't flinch, though the bird was quite terrifying. Up close, its beady eyes trained themselves on him.

"Shut the window," she said, alarmed, "It's going to peck your eyes out!"

"It won't hurt me." Joon's tone was assured, and though she should have found that comforting, Hyomin felt almost suffocated by the noise.

"Joon, please!" Hyomin reached across him and pressed the button to close the window.

When she sat back in her seat, he glanced at her, amused.

"You need to toughen up," he said laughing. "There are more dangerous things than crows out there in the big bad world."

Though he squeezed her hand reassuringly, Hyomin felt a shiver travel up her spine.

----

"I've been thinking," said Joon as they drove back on the rode to Jongamno. "I might stay around a little longer."

"Really? You mean, for the summer?"

"Maybe." He flicked on the indicator to turn right. "Would that suit her ladyship?"

Hyomin fake-shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

"You're harsh." He laughed. "I know you don't mean that."

"I suppose it would be fun." She rubbed at the steamed-up window. "We've only just got to know each other. It would be a shame if you left."

"I'll take that as your boundless enthusiasm. I kind of like how understated you are."

"You mean rude?" She said, dryly.

"No. Not rude. It''s kind of y in fact. Back home, the girls are just so "up" all the time. Fake. You know what I mean?"

She nodded. "No danger of that with me."

Joon smiled, then screwed up his eyes a little, as though he was thinking about something, then started to slow down.

"Can i run something by you?" he asked then, turning to look at her. "And if you hate the idea, then that's fine."

"What?"

"Will you consider meeting Hyuna?" he said.

Hyomin dropped her eyes away from his. "I told you I would --"

"I mean today? She wants to."

"Right." She looked down at her hands, feeling cornered. "Does it have to be today?"

"No." He pulled outside Fabio's again. "But she's waiting for you, in there." He gestured at the cafe.

"Oh my God," Hyomin swallowed. "I'm not ready."

"It'll be fine," said Joon. He took a hand off the wheel and grasped one of hers. "And you can leave any time you like."

Hyomin breathed out deeply. "Okay. But it's not going to work."

"Just give her a chance." Joon leaned across and kissed her on the cheek.

---

For a moment she stood by the door, her eyes wandering round the room until they settled on the back of her brown head. Thick, straightened glossy hair, perfect as usual. Hyomin felt fear creeping inside her. All at once she was there again. Sitting with Hyomin's back to her in the classroom, hearing her whispering loudly to Gayoon, with the odd word emphasised. Ugly cow. What the hell is she wearing? Hyuna was coarse, she remembered that.

Hyomin took a deep breath, catching Eunjung's eye. She smiled but her glance flickered over to where Hyuna was sitting on a banquette by the window and she frowned. Eunjung was one of the few people who knew what had happened. Thanks to Hwayoung's big mouth of course. But Hyomin was grateful for her protective gaze as she walked slowly over to Hyuna. As she reached her elbow, Hyuna turned carefully and her eyes swept over her. Hyomin held on to her nerve.

"Hi," Hyomin said, awkwardly.

"Hyomin." Her husky voice was softer than she remembered. Less arrogant. "I'm glad you came."

Hyomin said nothing but moved to sit on the banquette opposite her. She shrugged off her coat, keeping her eyes down a little.

Hyuna was drinking a latte in a tall glass, she pulled it towards her and took a sip.

"How's home school?" she asked, but without her regular sarcasm. "Beats Mrs Lee Maths period I bet."

Hyomin gave a little smile. "It's different, yeah." She fiddled with the fake flower placed in a small spot in the centre of the table.

"Hyomin, I'm really sorry." Hyuna said hesitantly. "About everything I did." She flopped back in her seat a bit. "I was a monster."

Hyomin frowned slightly. She never thought she'd hear Hyuna apply that term to herself. It seemed so odd coming out of her perfect little rosebud mouth. She had come out with worse, of course.

"Yeah. Well ..." Hyomin didn't know how to respond. But maybe a part of her didn't want to make it too easy for her. After how Hyuna had made her feel for so long.

"I thought about it a lot," she went on. "After you left, well, I began to notice how everyone at school saw me. They kept away from me. like I was contaminated." She turned her face up in a perfect expression of remorse. "Everyone hated me."

Those big, dark blue contact-lensed eyes looked so hurt. Hyomin felt something like bile coming up from her stomach.

No, they hated me. You made them hate me.

Freak.

But Hyuna was oblivious to her internal narrative.

"I told myself that I'd make it up to you. But I knew you'd never want to see me. When Joon told me he was seeing you ..." She shook her head. "I felt like it was a sign."

"A sign?"

"Yeah. That it was time to talk."

Hyomin chewed at the inside of . Time for her to talk.

"Let's just forget about it," Hyomin said, lightly. "I accept your apology."

"Seriously?" Hyuna's eyes widened,innocent and grateful. "Just like that?"

Hyomin shrugged, anxious to leave. She wasn't going to hear anything she believed. No point in sticking around. "Sure. It's all in the past."

"Hyomin, you're ..." Hyuna slid one bangled wrist noisily over the table, reaching for Hyomin's hand, but she didn't move.

"You're so nice. I would hold a grudge forever if you'd done to me what I did." She sighed, drawing back her hand.

"Don't worry about it." Hyomin started putting her coat back on. "Life's too short."

Hyuna's expression grew misty and confused for a second before the familiar toothy smile kicked in.

"You're so right," she breathed, picking up her band and glancing out of the window. "Is Joon outside? Can you guys give me a lift back home?"

"Course." As she turned to pick up her sweater, Hyomin rolled her eyes, making sure she wore no expression when she turned back again.

Eunjung winked at Hyomin as they walked out. Hyuna in front. Hyomin gave a wry smile in return.

"Hi!" Hyuna waved excitedly at Joon who was still outside in the car. She rushed to the front passenger seat.

"You know what, I'm going to walk," Hyomin said, bending down to talk to Joon through the window. "I could do with some exercise."

Settling herself into the front seat, Hyuna craned up out of the window, a catlike smile on her face. "So great to talk. I hope we can be friends."

Hyomin nodded in the absence of a civilised response. Hyuna and her may no longer be enemies, but they would never be friends.

"I'll catch up with you tomorrow," Joon said in a honeyed voice. "Thanks, Hyomin." He gestured subtly at the side of his stepsister's head. She was already bent, riffling through something in her bag.

"Of course."

Hyomin stepped away from ther corner and stood for a bit, watching as they drove away. She saw Hyuna lean in to Joon closely as he drove, as though whispering in his ear, and his head moved towards hers, forming one dark shape. Her stomach clenced at their closeness.

A girl he hardly knows.

Of course, Joon's like that, Hyomin told herself, turning away. He's friendly and warm. It's just his way.

But Hyomin was cold as she walked home. A kind of chilly confusion had caught hold of her.

Hyomin had done the right thing. So why did it still feel wrong?

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

Phew! Long chapter for me x.x

I'm beginning to question the rating for this story. Hmm. /evil laugh/

Comments jusaeyo! ♥

(hulll. i miss writting Jaemin moments ): )