~ Joshua's POV ~

 

  “You seem happy.” S.Coups says.

  I can't stop smiling and thinking about Alayna. I try to cover up with an excuse. “No, I was just remembering something funny.” I don't think S.Coups buys my lie but at least it was worth a shot.

  “Okay. Well, we better get some sleep. We’re going to Japan tomorrow.”

  “Japan!”

  “Have you forgotten?”

  “No, no I remember. I just forgot that it was so soon.”

  “Yeah, so finish up any last minute packing in the morning. We’re going to be there for about a month or two.”

  A month? A month! “Okay, hyung.”

  “Good night, Josh.”

  “Night.” I can’t leave for a month already. I was going to plan stuff with Alayna. I better tell her that so she won’t be worried. For now I'll listen to S.Coups.

 

~ Alayna's POV ~

 

  “You’re going to Japan? Today!” I text Joshua. He’s leaving already?

  “Yeah, for about a month.” He texts back.

  “I’ll miss you!” He can’t leave already! Why didn’t he tell me sooner?

  “I’ll miss you, too. Where are you?”

  “I’m at the studio.”

  I hear someone knock on the door. “I’ll get it!” Lihua says.

  She opens the door and Mingyu walks in. “안녕하세요,” he greets the other girls, “Alayna, can I talk to you for a second? Outside?”

  The other girls turn to me nodding and motion for me to go with Mingyu. “Oh, okay.” I follow Mingyu outside. Right as he closes the door I can hear them rushing next to the door, listening through the cracks.

  “I wanted to ask you something.” His eyes lock with mine. “You already know that I like you but I wanted to know...if you...like me too?”

  I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to break his heart and make things awkward between us. “I-I don’t know, Mingyu. I--”

  “Maybe this will help you.” He kisses me. No! This isn’t what I wanted. I’m already with Joshua.

  “A-A-Alayna?” Joshua studders. I pull away from Mingyu.

  “Joshua! This-this isn’t what it looks like.”

  “Oh yeah, sure! You guys aren’t sure aren’t kissing. I should have known. Just ‘cause I’m leaving that means you can go behind my back, making out with Mingyu! Doesn't it..."

  “No, no! Joshua! Really, it’s not like that!” My eyes start watering.

  “Stop lying to me! I know what I saw. I trusted you, Alayna. Do you know how much trouble I could have gotten into if people found out about us? But I decided to forget all that. I risked so much for you.” Joshua’s voice shakes and he starts crying too.

  “Hey, hey, hey, calm down--” Mingyu tries to comfort Joshua.

  “Calm down? You’re telling me to calm down! You started this mess, Mingyu!”

  “Hyung--”

  “Shut up, Mingyu. I don’t want to talk to you.” Joshua turns to me. “So it was all an act, huh? This was all a joke to you wasn’t it? I should have known since you had such a quick change of heart. I fell you. It’s over, Alayna. You clearly care for Mingyu more.”

  My tears stream down my face. “Joshua…”

  “Woah, woah, woah! What’s going on here?” S.Coups cuts in.

  Dino rushes to Joshua’s side. “Hyung! Why are you crying? You’re gonna make me cry!” He hugs Joshua tightly but then sees that I'm crying too. "Noona! What did they do to you?" He runs to me and hugs me tight too. "Why is everyone crying! I'm going to cry too!"

  “What did you do?” S.Coups yells at me.

  “I--” My voice softens and shakes.

  “It’s my fault, hyung.” Mingyu interrupts.

  “Explain yourself then. What happened?” S.Coups says sternly.

  “I-I kissed Alayna…”

  “Again?” Dino says surprised.

  “Then why is he crying?” S.Coups asks.

  “Well, uh…”

  “We’re dating…” I interrupt. Everyone looks at me. The girls who were listening silently gasp.

  “You guys know this is all against company rules, right?”

  “Yes…” All three of us say at the same time.

  “What were you thinking then?” S.Coups asks.

  I stare down at the ground.

“Hyung, please. Don’t punish her. She didn’t do anything wrong.” Mingyu says.

  “Alright, but I still have a lot of questions. Since when have you guys started dating?”

  “Yesterday,” I tell S.Coups.

  “But we’re not together any more.” Joshua snaps coldly. More tears start streaming down my face.

  “So that’s what happened to you yesterday, Josh. Mingyu, why did you kiss Alayna?”

  “I wanted to ask her out too.” Mingyu answers.

  “Aish...you guys.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “We’ll finish this later. We have a plane to catch, come on.”

  “Bye, noona...feel better.” Dino says.

  I give him a small wave goodbye. He turns around and follows S.Coups. Then he quickly turns around again and gives me a hug. “Stop crying, noona! All of you! Stop hurting each other!”

  “Come on, Dino.” S.Coups says trying to rush Dino.

  “Listen to S.Coups, Lee Chan.” I pry him off but then I see why he didn’t want to let go. He’s crying too. “Lee Chan, it’s okay. You don’t have to cry too.” It breaks my heart to see Dino act like this. It’s my fault all this started.

 

~ Joshua’s (left) and Mingyu’s (right) POV ~

 

I thought this through more. I shouldn’t have trusted Alayna. The one time I choose to go outside my comfort zone, I end up getting hurt.

 

“I’m sorry, Joshua...I didn't know...” I don't think he’ll ever forgive me.

 

“No. Sorry isn’t enough. You didn’t know because you never think. It’s your fault that Jeonghan was in the hospital too.”

 

He’s right. It is my fault. But I didn’t know Joshua could be so mean and cared for Alayna that much. “Yeah he was in the hospital, yet you still asked her out even after that. I know you’re mad at me, but please, forgive me.” She liked me first. I kissed her first. Was she just playing with me too?

 

“You asked her out too. You even kissed her again.” I walk down the plane aisle and sit next to Jeonghan, ignoring Mingyu. S.Coups notices that  I don’t want to talk to Mingyu anymore. “No, no, no. You’re not going to deal with this problem like this. Come here, Jeonghan.” S.Coups motions Jeonghan to stand up and follow him. “Sit down, Mingyu.” S.Coups points at the now empty seat next to me.

 

This isn’t going to solve anything if S.Coups forces us to get along. “No it’s okay, hyung. He wants some alone time, away from me as possible.”

S.Coups doesn’t agree with me. He shakes his head. “No. Sit down, Mingyu.”

“But, hyung--”

 

“Hey, hurry up! Come on! You’re holding up the line!” A man behind S.Coups says.

 

“He said he doesn’t want to sit next to me.”

“I don’t care. Sit down, Mingyu. I don’t want to argue with either with you.”

 

“Fine.” I take a seat next to Joshua.

 

I’m really not in the mood. I stare outside the window.

 

He doesn’t even want to look at me.

 

~ Alayna’s POV ~

 

  What have I done...I should have never moved to Korea. I should have listened to my parents. I sat crying in a corner of the practice room. Alexis sits t to me rubbing my back. “It’s okay, Alyana. It isn’t your fault. Everything will be alright.” Alexis reassures.

  “When? When is everything going to be alright?” I ask but I didn’t even realize I snapped a little.

  “I don’t know but it isn’t your fault.”

  “Yeah, it isn’t your fault,” Mingxia agrees, “It was just boys being boys and we can’t do anything about it.”

  “Mmh-hmm,” the others agree.

  “How much do you like Joshua?” Alexis asks.

  My heart ached at the sound of his name. I don’t answer the question.

  “Oh, okay, how much do you like Mingyu then? He seemed to like you...alot.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about either of them,” I finally answer.

  “Well, that’s okay if you don’t know. Think about it when they get back. You have, what, about a month?” Minxia asks.

  I nod. “See, and a month without any boy trouble will be perfect. It’ll give you some time to clear your head.” Alexis suggests.

  “Thanks so much you guys, for looking out for me.” I tell them.

  “Oh, no problem! We’re always here for you.” Alexis says. “Do you want to continue practice?”