~ Author's POV ~

“Nic, you could go talk to Sungyeol Hyung.”

The female widened her eyes at her older brother, in complete disbelief. What the hell are you doing? she screamed, if only they had telepathy. Sungyeol smiled at Kevin, before thanking him and pulled her out of the room into the hallway. With not a single word spoken, the two walked down the hallway and entered the empty staircase. He closed the door shut behind him and stared at her with a stern gaze.

“So Nic,” Sungyeol spoke with a small smirk, “I heard Nicole is your sister.”

She laughed nervously, “Yeah, well step sister.”

Suddenly, Sungyeol slammed his long arms on the side of Nicole, trapping her in between his arms. She jumped at the sudden action, quite scared at his weird behavior. Never once had she seen him like this before, a sign of anger at any sort. The space between their faces was just a few inches, their eyes directly meeting each other.

“Quit the act already,” he said, more like ordered. “I’m not dumb enough to think that my ex-girlfriend had another step brother that I never knew about.”

Nicole sighed, shifting her gaze at her side, “Fine, what do you want?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he raised his voice, but tried straining it from going any louder than it is now.

She stood against the wall, quiet as a spider. Shifting back her gaze at the Sungyeol, this time she tried to make herself look fierce as possible.

“Because..” she began to answer. “Don’t you remember I said that I want to be a top dancer?”

“I know that’s not the reason,” he answered. “You could’ve joined that dance high school in LA. I remember you sending the application before we even broke up.” Sungyeol noticed the sudden stiffness in her face as soon as he mentioned the application; he sighed and tried to relax himself. “It’s just that, after all we’ve been together, I was hoping you would have some trust in me. You could’ve told me you were dressing up as a boy just to join the school, not me finding out. I’m just worried about you, sorry.” He lightly patted her head and pulled back his arms from the wall. Just when he was about to walk away, he was stopped by the sudden grip of her hand on his arm.

“Wait,” she bit her lip, “please keep this a secret from everyone else, I already have a few people that know about this. I don’t want more to know.”

Sungyeol pulled her hand away and gave an assuring smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t. Why would I tell anyone anyways? Just be careful.” They held their gaze with each other until he pulled her into a tight hug, “I’m always here for you; and remember what I said before. I don’t plan on loosing you by any other guy,” he whispered into her ear, releasing her from his embrace.

Nicole could feel her face burn, “Yah! Who said I was going to any other guy?!”

“Good,” he smiled, “because you are mine.”

With that said, he quickly walked out of the staircase and back into the hallway, leaving her behind. Nicole watched him before he was out of her sight; she tried to fight the urge of calling him back. Acting cold then nice, what’s up with him? Nicole thought It’s not like I had a choice not being able to tell him. Now the feeling a mixture of anger and confusion starting to surface, she frowned. Nicole opened the staircase door and entered back to the hallway, walking back to her room that was still occupied by the drunk Woohyun and Kevin. 

“Hmm..” the latter grumbled as he rose up from his bed, holding his head in pain.

“I would rest back if I were you,” a male voice advised the sick male and pointed to the table placed next to the bed. “Hangovers are never nice. I bought some hangover soup from room service; eat it before it gets cold.”

The mix of astonishment and pain was planted on his face as he stared at the male across from him, Woohyun said, “Omo, thanks Kevin. What happened to me?”

“Two things,” Kevin explained, “Alcohol and chocolates.”

“No wonder the chocolates tasted weird,” he muttered to himself. “So why are you here Kevin? Where’s Nic?”

The blonde sighed and answered, “Sungyeol Hyung wanted to speak to him about something and I had to finish some business with you about yesterday.”

“What business? I’m pretty sure I got your message clearly.”

Kevin shook his head, “Ani, I’m sorry for the way I talked to you. It’s just that..”

There was a long silence between them, only the air conditioner blowing covered the awkward atmosphere. Woohyun, who was holding his head in his hands to decrease the pain injecting his head as much as possible, stared at the other male, who was looking at the open view of the beach, in anticipation.

“She was my first crush.”

Woohyun sat still as a rock, processing what he just heard just now. “EHHH!!~~” he cried, his first reaction to the sudden confession.

“Yeah,” Kevin sheepishly nodded. “When I was just 8 years old, my parents were killed in the fire and none of my relatives lived in the states, leaving me as an orphan. Nicole’s parents, who were best friends with my parents decided to adopt me that’s when I met Nicole. During that time, I hated interacting with friends because I was scared of losing them just like my parents. Just like any drama, she changed me you could say, so naturally I was attracted to her. After all these years, I never once confessed to her because of my coward self. When you asked me for help, I was thinking how cowardly you were acting, just how I was,” Kevin explained. “Why couldn’t he just find out by himself? I asked myself this question; after all I hate people that try to go the easy route towards love. Love is never easy. So you could go after my sister but try to know her slowly by yourself instead of researching.”

Woohyun nodded, understanding everything. He carefully spoke, “I’m sorry for your loss, but do you still like her?”

Kevin couldn’t help but laugh at loud at the sudden question, “Of course not! I’ve been with her for a long time so the feeling wore off since I only see her as someone super important to me.”

A sigh of relief escaped the latter’s mouth; he didn’t need any more rivals to compete with. Myungsoo had a lot of advantages; he’s smart, handsome, nice, and rich. A perfect combination! While there’s Sungyeol Hyung, the hardest rival to beat. He had so many advantages that it would take too long to list. Woohyun tried to cheer himself up a little; at least Kevin doesn’t like her.

“But I wouldn’t be too happy,” Kevin chuckled. “You have some hard competition, plus if my older brother saw you in this state. Your chance of even seeing Nicole again is over.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

Kevin got up from his seat and said, “I’m going to go back to my room, still need to wash up for dinner tonight.”

“I’ll see you at dinner then, maybe.”

The two males bid their goodbyes, Kevin left and Woohyun started to eat his hangover soup that was bought for him. Eating it quietly, he cracked a small smile unknowingly. It wasn’t until he heard his room door opening, moving his attention to the figure who seemed to be slightly angry.

“Nic,” he called out, “are you ok?”

The short haired male nodded before shifting his gaze at the male, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Woohyun displayed an assuring smile. “Maybe this is what I get for not saving any chocolates for you.”

Nicole laughed and unanimously agreed, “But will you be able to go to dinner tonight?”

Thinking about it for a while, Woohyun shook his head, “I don’t think I will. I already had some soup that your brother bought me plus I’m not feeling so well.”

“Ok I see then,” Nicole said, hiding her slight disappointment. She always thought the more people the merrier it will be. “If you need anything just ask me, I’ll be taking a shower for now.”

Nicole grabbed her clothes from her suitcase and headed towards the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Undressing herself, she placed her clothing in a pile and stepped into the bathroom tub. Turning the knob slowly she adjusted it to the perfect temperature and proceeded to bathe herself. While she showered, Nicole began to remind herself about how careful she should be. The situation that she got herself into today was an obvious sign for her to be more cautious. After a few minutes, she closed the shower and pulled the curtains to the side. The cold air kissing her bare skin made her shiver; she grabbed a white towel near the sink and dried her body. Pulling a purple t shirt and pair of jeans over her body, she exited out of the restroom and into the bedroom.

“Woo-” Nicole quickly shut once she saw the male sleeping soundly. She quietly crept towards him and examined his sleeping face. Placing her hand over his forehead, she smiled and whispered to herself, “No fever.”

She took out her phone to find out that it was just a few minutes till they were supposed to meet up in the lobby. Tip toeing towards the front door, she slipped her shoes on and grabbed the keys before silently closing the door behind her. Entering the hallway she walked down the lined space alone and hummed to herself. She pushed the elevator button and waited patiently till it arrives. Once it dinged, she lifted her head up to find two familiar figures.

“Ah,” the male greeted, surprised just like her, “annyeong Nic.”

Nicole waved, greeting back, “Annyeong Nichkhun, Myungsoo.” She stepped into the elevator and watched it close.

“Where’s Woohyun?” Myungsoo asked.

“He’s not feeling well so he decided to stay behind,” she explained, getting a simple nod from both males in response. “What are we eating for dinner?”

“I heard we are going to eat at a steak house in the hotel,” Nichkhun his lips deliciously, rubbing his hands together. He could already feel his mouth watering up at the thought of the food.

Nicole probably was off in dream land because she didn’t notice they arrived at the lobby until Nichkhun and Myungsoo had to call her out of the elevator before it closes on her. The three walked towards the lobby to find their classmates waiting while being seated or standing. Spotting their friends, they grouped together until the teacher came.

“Ok everyone!” the teacher gestured everyone to pay attention. “We will be eating at the steak house in the hotel.”

Automatically, Nichkhun and Nicole cheered and high fived, ignoring the fact that their friends looked at them weirdly. The group began to walk to the steakhouse, following the teacher as they observed the hotel. Once reaching the restaurant, they were seated and quickly ordered their drinks before choosing their food. Myungsoo sat beside Nicole while she sat beside Kevin. Across from them were Yoseob and the twins. The others were seated at a different table because of the maximum number of people per table.

“Hi, what would you like to order?” a waitress came up to their table with a pen and notepad ready to go.

The six told their order and the waitress took the menus before leaving. The group chatted about the site seeing trip that will happen tomorrow. They were supposedly going to an underground aquarium near the hotel but the horrible part is that they must wake up early.

“I don’t want to wake up at 6 AM,” Kwangmin whined, his twin agreeing with him.

Nicole took a sip of her water before answering, “I don’t think anyone wants to wake up that early.” She watched as everyone in the table nodded their heads in obvious agreement. “So the only thing planned for tomorrow is just the aquarium?”

“Well that’s what it says on the schedule they gave us,” Myungsoo shrugged, leaning against the back of his chair. “At 7 meet at the lobby to eat breakfast together, 9 we are off to the aquarium till 12 then everything else is free time.”

“How about we go to the square nearby?” Yosoeb suggested.

Kevin snapped his fingers and smiled, “That’s a good idea, right Nic?”

Nodding, Nicole smiled in agreement. She’s never been to a market in Korea before, neither has Kevin, the thought of it excited them. But in a split second that thought was interrupted by the sizzling sound of their steaks coming towards their table. The strong aroma captured everyone’s attention, their mouths were already watering. As soon as it was settled down on to the table, they placed their napkins onto the laps and dug in. No one said a word; the taste didn’t need words to explain how good it was. Only 10 minutes passed and Nicole was already half done.

She nudged Myungsoo’s shoulder, hopefully to get his attention, “Hyung, what did you get?”

“New York Strip,” he simply answered, placing a piece of meat casually in front of . By instinct, she took it and chewed it slowly, savoring the taste. “Tasty?”

She smiled and gave a thumb up, flashing a wide smile. The fact that the males across from them were staring at them was probably oblivious to her or she chose to ignore it since she continued to eat her steak without a single care. Kevin just continued to eat, stopping himself from chuckling at his friends’ reactions.

“Yah, give me some,” Myungsoo whined, he pulled Nicole’s hand to move the fork near his mouth. Eating the piece of meat off of it, he chewed it with a nod of delight.

“That was my last piece!~” she pouted, poking his head.

“Sharing is caring,” he smiled innocently, taking a sip of his Coke.

Just before she could say anything else, a piece of meat was stuffed into by Kevin. “Stop fighting,” Kevin sighed. “Here’s a piece of my meat.”

The twins giggled and smiled evilly, “Hyung, where’s our piece? We want one too!”

“Same here!~” Yoseob joined in, placing a plate out in front of Kevin.

Puffing out his cheeks, Kevin helplessly gave them a piece of his steak and said, “Look at what you guys did.”

Nicole and Myungsoo stared at each other for a moment until they cracked into a light laughter, and said in sync, “Mianhae.”

As soon as the group finished their meal, they caught up with the rest of the crew at the front of the steak house. Nichkhun and Minhwan were either bickering or talking when the group found them. Minhwan was searching up something on his phone while right next to him was a blabbering Nichkhun.

“Annyeong!~” the group greeted the two males.

Looking up from his phone, Minhwan smiled, “Hey.”

“Guys, we should go to the sauna in the hotel,” Nichkhun jumped around, placing his arms around those who were the closet near him, which were Minhwan and Kevin.

“That sounds fun,” the Jo twins commented, everyone nodded with them.

Kevin secretly eyed Nicole and gave her an unsure look, hoping she would think about this first. Noticing him, she nodded with a small pout. Nicole wanted to go to a sauna, there isn’t many in LA so she never experienced it especially a Korean one.

Interrupting her friends, she raised her hand a little, “I’m going to pass on that one.”

“Chincha?” Nichkhun looked at her in confusion. “Why are you passing out on this? It’s going to be really fun; you’ll be able to see me drown the twins in hot water.”

“Yah! Who’s going to drown who?” the twins yelled in sync, lightly shoving the tall male.

Laughing, she patted his shoulder, “Mianhae, I’m just tired from the trip today. Maybe next time I’ll be able to see you drown the twins.”

Biding her goodbyes, Nicole left the group and walked to the elevators. A few seconds passed until it arrived, she stepped in and pushed her floor number as the doors closed. Leaning against the railing, she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. I wanted to go.. her lips formed a cute pout. Hearing the elevator ding, she exited out of the elevator and made her way down the hallway. She read each room number until she came across her room, pulling out her key. Inserting the card into the slot, a brilliant idea popped into her head. Opening the door, she entered the dark room and closed the door quietly behind her. Shuffling her way to her suitcase, she dragged it into the restroom. She closed the door shut and flipped her suitcase open, throwing out all the unnecessary items onto the floor.

“Bingo,” she smiled excitedly to herself, holding the long extensions in her hands. “I knew these would come in handy.” Nicole placed it into her hair and combed it out to look more natural. Staring at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but think how smart she was.

“Kevin, hurry up!” Minhwan yelled as he stepped into the hot water.

Slowly, his feet took hesitate steps across the warm, wet tiles. Kevin looked at the other males, who didn’t seem to mind exposing their bodies very much. “Don’t you guys feel awkward?”

“Nope,” Kwangmin answered as he scrubbed the back of his twin brother. “Wae?”

“Yah, that hurts!” Youngmin cried, tapping Kwangmin’s right leg to express his pain.

Myungsoo breezily passed by, giving a light tap on Kevin’s , “You should get used to it sooner or later. This is Korean culture.”

Kevin bit his lip and let out a sigh of defeat; he did have a point there. Finally entering the warm water, he felt relaxed and stretched his arms on the edge. “So relaxing~”

“I know right?” Nichkhun proudly said. “Too bad Nic didn’t come.”

“He would’ve liked this,” Myungsoo agreed, a tone of disappointment in his voice.

Snickering, the twins evilly grinned at Myungsoo, “I bet that’s not the only reason why you wanted him to come.”

Obviously knowing what they meant, Myungsoo blushed madly as he retorted back, “What are you talking about?!” Suddenly feeling a heavy splash hitting his head, he looked at the blonde male and yelled, “Yah! What was that for?!”

“Don’t think dirty,” Kevin glared at him.

“I wasn’t though!”

Yoseob laughed, pointing at the baffled male, “Dude, it’s written all over your face.”

“You aren’t helping,” the shy male muttered. “I wasn’t thinking of your sister.”

As soon as he heard the last word, Nichkhun snapped his fingers, “Oh yeah, Kevin, your sister is pretty cute.”

“Yeah, she is really nice too,” Minhwan added as he pushed his wet hair back.

If only you guys knew…the 5 males thought to themselves.

Outside, the female nervously walked to the front counter and handed the staff her room card. She paid for the fee and waited for the staff to give her a towel and other items needed. Just standing still for a few seconds, the thought of someone seeing her already made her scared. Paranoid, Nicole looked at both sides to check if anyone familiar was nearby.

“Here’s your stuff, Miss,” the staff politely handed her the items, which she took gratefully.

She hurriedly walked inside the woman’s changing room with a sigh of relief. Suddenly hearing a group of familiar voices coming from outside, she felt her whole body freeze. The voices faded, decreasing very slowly. Patting her heart, she thanked God, Safe. Pulling her clothes and hair extensions off, she placed them in a basket before entering the warm sauna. The warm air hugging her bare skin, a slight chill rolled down her spine. Walking across the wet floor, she placed her feet inside the warm water slowly before dipping her entire body in.

A loud ‘ah’ escaped ; the feeling of relaxation soothed her. She laid her head back, resting it against the tile wall. How long has it been since I’ve been this relaxed? she thought to herself. Her eyes lids slowly fluttered closed, Nicole doze off which seemed like forever until she heard a faint sound of chattering females a few feet away. Her eyes automatically forced open and quickly got up from the water. Just by taking a quick glance at the incoming females, she tried to act as natural as possible and stepped out of the tub with little to no contact with any pair of eyes. Why do the female teachers have to be here? she whined.

Swift fully entering the changing room, she closed the door that separated the sauna and lockers. Nicole messily took out all her clothes and placed it over her bare body, before any of the female teachers happens to forget something and sees her face. In a matter of seconds, she was fully clothed and ready to leave. She brushed her wet hair behind her shoulders and carried her used towel before exiting out the lockers nervously. Seeing that no one was at the front desk at the moment, she just placed the towel neatly on the surface and left, not taking a chance of being spotted.

Walking to the elevators at the quickest speed possible, her heart was racing as well as the reminder of looking out for anyone around her filled her head. Its either she was being impatient or just paranoid to death because when the elevator finally arrived, it felt like it took a thousand years. Once her feet set foot on the elevator, she pressed her floor number and spammed the close button. The doors closed slowly, it wasn’t until there was only a small crack for her to spot a familiar male coming up to the elevator with a group of his friends.

In that moment, she spammed the button even faster. Thinking if she did, the doors would close even quicker. Luckily, the male didn’t notice her and the elevator made its way up the floors peacefully. She loosened up her guard now, finally in comfort by just standing in the confined space alone. You are such a genius Jung Nicole she thought to herself, questioning if it should be taken as sarcasm or not.

Well at least you’re safe…? she couldn’t help but end it as a question, she just had this feeling something bad might happen.

Preview:

She could feel her heart pounding, wanting to explode out her chest so it could be free. Her hand gripped onto her grey bag, just seeing his eyes stare at her already sparked nervousness. Nicole cursed herself for even thinking this plan would work out all the way, after all a few people knew how her sister looked like. His face was splashed with disbelief, his brown eyes examining from head to toe. 

“What is this?”

There was a silence between the two; they were cleaning up their bed and packing all the needed items for the trip. Their loud silence was broken once they heard the room door slam open. In sync, their heads turned to the out of breath male, who was having a hard time choosing the right words to explain what was happening. His face had many signs of panic; sweat was dripping down his forehead.

“The teacher.. You’re in trouble..” 

Author's Note

Finally got to update this! I really wanted to post this chapter up earlier this week but my internet didn't want me to so it killed itself before I even could.. -_-" But anyways, here's a new chapter for my dear readers. I'm super sorry for not putting much scenes in this chapter, but hopefully you look forward to the next one. *wink wink*  I'll try my best to update as soon as possible, I've been procrastinating recently, reading fanfics, catching up anime, so super sorry hehe... >.< Hope you guys like it!