Later that Morning…

Breakfast in the Yoon household consisted of: Jan Di, Ji Hoo, Grandfather, Seok-Young, Mee-Yon, Aidan, and Aria all sitting down to a large meal. Ji Hoo made his specialties, and Jan Di had also insisted upon making hers, which included porridge.

Once they were all seated—with their food before them—Jan Di picked up her utensils and vibrantly exclaimed, "Let's have a good meal!"

And then Jan Di encouraged her family and the young pop stars to eat a lot. Aria and Aidan smiled and nodded, despite thinking it to was entirely too much food. Still, they didn't want to be impolite to their hosts, so they ate it—discovering that it was all quite delicious.

During breakfast, Seok-Young noticed that Mee-Yon was acting strangely—around Aidan, in particular. She was avoiding eye contact with him, being clumsier than usual, and eating less. But Seok-Young shrugged it off—assuming she was merely crushing on the pop idol—at first, anyway.

Seok-Young also noticed a few glances between the two—when their eyes did inevitably meet across the table. And he did not particularly like the way Aidan was encouraging Mee-Yon's crush by tossing her little smiles here and there. Aidan probably thought it to be harmless, but Seok-Young didn't like the idea of Aidan messing with his little sister, even if only inadvertently.

But then, Seok-Young observed an interaction between the two that made him believe there might be more to this than met the eye…

After finishing, both Aidan and Mee-Yon took their plates over to the kitchen sink—in order to help out Eomma—and Seok-Young noticed that Mee-Yon had left quite a bit of food on her plate. And in the process of clearing the plates, Mee-Yon and Aidan bumped into one another. Aidan apologized and they exchanged another look—one Seok-Young definitely did not like. Then Mee-Yon got extremely flustered, apologized profusely, and rushed out of the room—leaving them all stunned.

And Seok-Young was suspicious…

Had something happened between them? Or was Aidan merely being flirtatious with Mee-Yon? Either way, Seok-Young didn't like it and planned to keep a close eye on the situation. He wondered if perhaps he should even speak with Aidan about it.

But Seok-Young had other problems of his own. Namely, Aria seemed to be showing some kind of interest in him. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions—particularly since Aria knew he wasn't available and could have just about any guy she wanted—but perhaps he should have a talk with her, too. And his other problem—although she was doing her best not to let on, Seok-Young could tell that Eun-Jeong was not at all happy about Aria staying over at his house.

…

Mid-Morning…

Since it was the weekend and they were off, Jan Di and Ga Eul decided to take all the girls out, while Ji Hoo, Yi Jeong, and Woo Bin took the boys out. In actuality, it was Jan Di's doing. She had wanted to take the girls out shopping, but she had also hoped to get Ga Eul out of the house—to take her mind off awaiting Byeong-Ho's test results…

Ji Hoo had examined Byeong-Ho, and though he didn't feel the infant was in any immediate danger, he had recommended having a series of tests done to check Byeong-Ho for a con heart defect. So, Ga Eul and Yi Jeong had gone for the tests immediately. And Ga Eul was going crazy awaiting the call with the results…

Aria was rather surprised when Mrs. Yoon and Mrs. So took them to a large, open outdoor marketplace called Namdaemun Market, rather than to a shopping mall or grocery store. The girls walked together through the crowded streets and browsed through the shops—which were filled with clothing, accessories, wholesale items and various other goods.

And along the way, they passed by many a street food vendor, selling various delicious-looking and smelling—mostly deep-fried—treats. But despite how appetizing they appeared, Aria couldn't even think about eating again—she was still far too full from breakfast. But the F4 girls insisted that she try the street foods; they simply wouldn't take no for an answer, and they just kept buying food for her to try and practically shoving it in . And Aria only half-joked that they were going to cause her to gain weight and make her manager angry with her.

…

"Ya, you can give me a better price than that, right?" Jan Di placed her hands upon her hips, as she haggled with a storekeeper.

The girls had been browsing, but they all stopped and turned to watch the interaction when they heard Jan Di's loud voice. The F4 girls always found it entertaining when Aunt Jan Di bargained.

Aria looked on curiously and then turned to Mee-Yon. Hoping it didn't come across as rude, she asked, "Don't your eomma and appa have a lot of money? Why is she so concerned with saving a few won?"

Mee-Yon gave a small laugh, and she and Eun-Jeong informed Aria that their eommas liked to bargain shop…

"Oh," Aria nodded, but she still appeared confused by this.

Mee-Yon looked to Eun-Jeong, and they smiled at one another. "You see, Eomma didn't have a lot of money growing up," Mee-Yon explained to Aria.

"Mine either," Eun-Jeong jumped in.

"So, I guess you could say she learned the value of won," Mee-Yon continued. "She still likes to get a bargain when she can. And she usually does. Eomma is really good at making deals," and Mee-Yon smiled proudly, as she folded her arms and watched her mother.

"And if she doesn't get it, I'm sure my eomma will come in and seal the deal," and Eun-Jeong pointed out Ga Eul, who appeared ready to back Jan Di up.

Then, the Yoon and So girls further explained that it was sometimes even a source of conflict among their parents. For, their appas always liked to buy them the finest things—they would plunk down money for just about anything, out of habit and love for their daughters—but their eommas didn't want them to be spoiled and had no qualms whatsoever about buying off-brand or sale items.

And the girls all watched Jan Di begin to walk off until the shopkeeper urged her to come back—and ended up giving her the price she asked for. The F4 girls looked between each other and grinned, knowing Aunt Jan Di was going to get the deal she wanted all along. After all, Aunt Jan Di could talk just about anyone into anything.

They continued shopping…

Hye-Mi picked up a pair of dangly earrings and held them up to her ears. "Ooo, these are cute. What do you think?" she asked of Ju-Mi.

Ju-Mi glanced over, "No," she said simply, "they're too tacky," and she went back to browsing.

Hye-Mi stuck out her lip. "Well, I like them!"

Then, Ga Eul held up a shirt to Eun-Jeong. "What do you think?"

Eun-Jeong mustered her best smile.

It wasn't that the shirt wasn't cute or that her eomma had bad taste—and it wasn't even that she minded discount items—but Eun-Jeong still hadn't worked up the courage to tell her mother about how merciless the Shinwha girls were about items without a designer tag.

Oh, they never said anything to her face—for fear of ramifications from her family—but she'd heard some of them whisper when she wore an item that didn't meet their standards.

It made Eun-Jeong feel weak and shallow to worry about such insignificant things, but the female population could be extremely cruel and two-faced. Still, she wouldn't dream of hurting her eomma's feelings, and she would sooner die of embarrassment than do anything to upset her eomma right now—with all that was going on with Byeong-Ho. So, Eun-Jeong began raving about how adorable the tee was. And Ga Eul bought it for her.

While casually perusing items, Eun-Jeong's mind began to wander, and it settled upon what—or rather whom—it usually did. As Eun-Jeong daydreamed about Seok-Young, she suddenly—inadvertently—spoke aloud, "I wonder what he's doing right now?" she mused.

"Him who, Eun-Jeong-ah?" Aria asked, shattering Eun-Jeong's daze.

"Oh, umm, they, I mean! I wonder what they are doing now, the boys. I wonder what the boys are doing right now."

But the others knew the truth and exactly who him was—and Aria quickly caught on, too.

"You mean you wonder what your boyfriend is doing right now…and if he's thinking of you…," Yeong-Hui taunted, with a sly smile upon her lips.

"Ya! Was not!"

Truthfully, Eun-Jeong knew exactly what Seok-Young and the other boys were doing. They had gone to a baseball game with her appa and Uncles Ji Hoo and Woo Bin, and after that they were going to an airsoft park for a game of Survival… Eun-Jeong and Mee-Yon had giggled about that when they heard—just picturing Seok-Young, Jun-Seo, Jae-Jin, Il-Hun, and Aidan running around and trying to fake kill each other, along with their appas.

"Uh huh! How many times have you texted each other today, by the way?"

Eun-Jeong's cheeks heated, and she turned her face away.

"Come on, let's have the number! 10, 20, 50 times?" Yeong-Hui raised a brow.

Eun-Jeong scoffed. "Not 50…," she muttered under her breath. "Besides, it's none of your business!" And Eun-Jeong turned fully away from Yeong-Hui and the others, pretending to shop.

It was then that Aria sidled up next to Eun-Jeong, startling her slightly. Eun-Jeong turned to face Aria when she heard her speak. "No need to be embarrassed, Eun-Jeong-ah. You're lucky to have such an attentive boyfriend. And such a cute one, too," she said, almost dreamily.

Eun-Jeong plastered on a smile in response and then lowered her eyes. Though it was true, she wasn't thrilled about hearing that another girl thought so, especially not one like Aria.

And though Eun-Jeong wasn't proud of it, she had been doing her best to avoid the pretty pop star, out of pure spite.

Her jealousy began at the concert and had only worsened since hearing that Aria was staying with the Yoons. When Seok-Young told her that Aidan and Aria would be staying with them, Eun-Jeong felt a sudden pang within her chest. She hated the idea of Aria staying under the same roof as Seok-Young—of her being so near him…

But what could she do about it? She couldn't possibly say anything to him about it, or he would think she was a mistrustful, small-minded, horrible person.

When Eun-Jeong remained silent—and as if reading her thoughts—Aria placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Yoon Seok-Young seems to be really into you, you know? It's obvious how much he likes you and cares for you, Eun-Jeong-ah."

Eun-Jeong's head snapped up toward Aria, and a faint smile graced her lips. It was kind of ironic that the person she was trying so hard not to hate—yet failing miserably at—was being so nice and reassuring her.

"He even seemed to be a little bit jealous of my brother when he sang to you…," Aria added, with a grin.

"Really?"

Aria nodded, still grinning.

Eun-Jeong released a sigh. "Aria-yang…"

"Unnie," Aria corrected.

"Unnie… I have a confession to make," Eun-Jeong glanced away and took a deep breath. "I was…well, still kind of am…a little bit…jealous of you…"

Aria looked at Eun-Jeong curiously. "Really?"

Eun-Jeong nodded, keeping her eyes fixed upon the ground. "Yes. I was jealous when you came out from backstage with Seok-Young Oppa and when you two did the duet together…and now…because you're staying with him… And I guess…I didn't like you very much…" And Eun-Jeong dropped her head in shame.

"Oh, well, you needn't have worried about any of that," Aria replied.

"I'm sorry, Unnie, for being so jealous. I'm so sorry!" And Eun-Jeong bowed emphatically before Aria.

"It's OK, Eun-Jeong-ah," and Aria took hold of Eun-Jeong's shoulders. At this, Eun-Jeong looked up again, and Aria was smiling at her.

Suddenly, Aria pinched Eun-Jeong's cheek as if she was a tiny baby girl. "You're too cute, Eun-Jeong-ah," she said, with a small giggle. Eun-Jeong simply stared at her in astonishment. "And don't you worry a bit. Yoon Seok-Young is crazy about you. Listen to your unnie on this one because she's right—it's completely obvious. Like I said, you're really lucky," and she smiled brightly.

Eun-Jeong smiled in appreciation. "Gomawo, Unnie."

And Aria simply nodded to her.

"But…what about you, Unnie? You must have lots of boyfriends," Eun-Jeong said. "Well, I mean…" That didn't come out quite right… "I mean, um, you're so beautiful that I'm sure all the guys are crazy about you."

Aria gave Eun-Jeong a warm smile. "Gomawo, Eun-Jeong-ah," and then she paused. "Well, I've dated some guys, but I'm not really around any one guy long enough to really get to know him. So, I wouldn't say I've had an actual relationship… But you guys, I envy you—having such a strong bond and relationship and all."

"Well, as for the strong bond, we do have that. We've known each other forever—our whole lives basically. But our relationship…," Eun-Jeong blushed at the word. "Well, it's really just beginning, Unnie. We only recently started to feel this way about each other… And we have only been on one date so far."

Aria was incredulous. "That's hard to believe! You two seem so…lovey-dovey with each other," and Aria winked at Eun-Jeong, causing her to blush.

"Oh, but that's so nice, isn't it? When you first get to know someone…and you realize you like them… There's nothing like that feeling…," Aria uttered wistfully, as she cast her similarly colored eyes up toward the sky. And Eun-Jeong wondered if she had a specific guy in mind…

Then, Aria sighed dreamily, continuing, "That time…it's a bit scary, but exciting…when you have all those intense, confusing feelings rolling around inside… You wonder if he feels the same way, or if he even notices you… And then…when he looks at you in a certain way or touches you…even just the slightest little touch…it sets off, I don't know, fireworks in your heart!"

Eun-Jeong's lips curled ever so slightly. Aria was simply describing everything she was currently feeling, yet it still somehow made Eun-Jeong uncomfortable.

Aria looked to Eun-Jeong and gave a good-natured scoff. "I guess that sounds pretty lame, huh?"

"No, Unnie. I think you explained it perfectly."

Eun-Jeong noticed that Yeong-Hui had been lingering and subtly listening in. She decided to turn the tables on her—after her tease—and she was of course, curious about how things ended at the dance.

So, she spoke up. "Speaking of boyfriends," Eun-Jeong smirked over at Yeong-Hui, who turned to look at her. "Did Chae-Won Sunbae catch up with you and clear things up after you walked off on him at the concert?"

"Maybe," a faint smile crossed Yeong-Hui's lips.

A smile played upon Eun-Jeong's lips. "Well?"

"He told me he's just friends with Ha Ji Su."

"That's good! Anything else?"

"No," she said, her smile fading.

Eun-Jeong groaned. "Didn't he even tell you he liked you or ask you to dance again?"

"He did ask me to dance, but he didn't say he liked me."

"Did you dance with him?" Eun-Jeong asked hopefully.

"No," Yeong-Hui replied immediately. "If he really wanted to dance with me…if he really liked me, then he would have asked me to the dance instead of Ji Su."

Eun-Jeong groaned, more loudly. "Maybe he was just afraid to."

"Well," Yeong-Hui folded her arms. "I want a guy who's not afraid to say how he feels."

Eun-Jeong sighed. "Well, sometimes guys need a little time, or even some help… Maybe you could tell him how you feel about him."

"No way. He should do it. If he really likes me, he'll tell me." Yeong-Hui's face was completely set in stone, as if she wouldn't budge on that.

Eun-Jeong released a heavy sigh. "Ahh, you're so stubborn..."

Then Eun-Jeong recalled Yeong-Hui's plot for getting her and Seok-Young together. It may have been a bit underhanded, but it was Hyun-Joo's interest in her that had spurred the confession from Seok-Young, after all.

"Hm, maybe we should find someone to show interest in you, Yeong-Hui, in order to get Chae-Won jealous… Maybe that'll force him to confess…," and Eun-Jeong nudged her sibling playfully.

But as she had, Yeong-Hui shot the idea down immediately. Perhaps, Eun-Jeong thought, she would have to interfere a bit more…

Next, the girls came across a shop with an assortment of pop memorabilia. Hye-Mi found a calendar of her second favorite pop star—after Aidan, of course—and she picked it up to ooh and ah over it.

Suddenly, Hye-Mi screamed. Everyone turned to her for explanation, and she had discovered a pillow with Aidan's face on it. "I need to buy this!" she exclaimed, as she showed it off to the group. Beaming, she hugged it tightly.

Mee-Yon and Eun-Jeong smiled; Yeong-Hui shook her head, and Ju-Mi rolled her eyes.

"Is my oppa really so great, Hye-Mi-ah?" Aria asked with a chuckle.

"Of course!" Hye-Mi replied vibrantly.

Aria laughed. "Come on, Hye-Mi-ah. My oppa is a bit of a doofus and really kind of weird looking, don't you think?" she teased, and all the girls laughed and disagreed, except Hye-Mi—who was gaping at the pop princess in horror.

"How could you say that, Unnie?!" Hye-Mi whined at Aria.

"Well, he is her oppa. Do you think your oppa is cool and handsome, Hye-Mi-ah?" Ju-Mi asked with a smirk.

"Ewww, gross, no!"

They all laughed.

"But why are you so excited by the pillow? You've met the actual person. You're seeing him later, and whenever you want to see him you can just go to Mee-Yon's house," Ju Mi argued. "And then, once my halmeoni leaves, you can see him at mine."

"Well, yes, that's true. And the real thing is better, but that's only until he goes back home! I'll have this pillow forever…," and Hye-Mi squeezed the pillow tighter. Ju-Mi sighed, and the others nodded. It made sense.

"Besides, I can't sleep with him like I can with this!" Hye-Mi declared loudly.

Aria mouthed an 'oh my.' Mee-Yon's eyes went wide, and she and Eun-Jeong looked between each other—equally shocked.

The girls knew that Hye-Mi had not meant that the way it sounded, but since their eommas hadn't heard, so they decided to a little bit.

"Well, no, you certainly cannot do that," Ju-Mi smirked, folding her arms over her chest. And Yeong-Hui was behind her stifling laughter.

"What?!" Hye-Mi shouted out. "Wh-what's so funny?!" she stammered.

"Oh, you know…you said that you can't…sleep with Aidan…," Yeong-Hui explained through laughter.

"That's so immature…," Hye-Mi muttered, as her face began to warm. She pouted and buried her reddening face into the pillow.

Mee-Yon felt a bit bad for Hye-Mi. Sometimes her F4 sisters took things a little too far. And apparently—at times—they had no filter. After all, Aidan's sister was right there… Mee-Yon glanced to Aria, who appeared amused and a bit shocked, too.

All-of-a-sudden, the incident with Aidan the night before came forcibly back to Mee-Yon. But it wasn't the first time she'd thought of it since it happened… And she felt herself flushing at the memory. It had been humiliating but in a way kind of nice—the warmth of his chest, the feel of his hands upon her arms—and everywhere they touched—had sent tingles all throughout her body. And she felt extremely guilty about thinking in such a way…

Mee-Yon snapped back to reality to discover that the other girls were still torturing Hye-Mi.

"It's just, we never knew you were like that Hye-Mi-ah…," Ju-Mi commented, with a sly smile.

Hye-Mi snapped her head up from its hiding place, still clutching tight to the pillow with both hands. "Ya!" she shouted.

"Yes, Hye-Mi-ah, you naughty, naughty girl!" Yeong-Hui giggled.

By now, Hye-Mi had gone beet red from neck to head. "Stop laughing, you meanies! That's not what I meant at all and you know it! So, get your minds out of the gutter! Sickos…"

But her friends kept snickering. It was tough to catch Song Hye-Mi in a moment of pure embarrassment, and they were enjoying it. "Aigoo, you know what I meant!" Hye-Mi shouted and—releasing one hand from the pillow—she smacked the nearest girl in range on the arm, who happened to be Yeong-Hui.

"OK, OK, we're sorry," Ju-Mi finally spoke—once she could. "Forgive us?"

Hye-Mi looked away. "I don't know… I don't think I should just yet," and she began to walk off. Ju-Mi, Yeong-Hui and Eun-Jeong ran to catch up with her and pulled her into a walking-group hug, while further apologizing and telling her they loved her.

Mee-Yon began to follow behind them, shaking her head. And Aria joined her. Mee-Yon cast her eyes downward, smiling faintly, as the memory reared itself again.

The girls and their mothers continued with the shopping trip—picking out clothing for each other, trying on sunglasses and crazy hats, and walking along and chatting with arms linked

An hour later, they ended up at Noryangjin Fish Market.

Aria's nose wrinkled up in disgust, as she passed through the stalls full of fresh fish. And she cringed when she saw a woman slicing through an eel with a long, serrated knife—freely exposing its long, crimson innards. And Aria thought she might puke. As if that wasn't enough to turn her stomach, Mrs. Yoon and Mrs. So then picked out some fresh seafood with the girls—including the eel—and suggested they go to the restaurant upstairs to eat it. The old ahjummas snatched up the chosen sea creatures and proceeded to chop them up.

"We're going to eat…that?" Aria asked, distressed. She placed a hand over to subdue the sudden wave of nausea that churned within her stomach.

"Don't you have seafood in the United States, Unnie?"

"Well, sure, but it's dead and cooked by the time I see it," Aria explained.

Mee-Yon chuckled. "Well, we're not going to eat it raw, Unnie. They're going to prepare it for us in the restaurant upstairs," she explained. "Don't worry. It's really good!" And Mee-Yon smiled brightly at Aria.

Aria nodded, breathing a small sigh of relief that they would not be eating it as is. Still, she didn't feel so good about seeing her lunch up close and personal—and wriggling around like that. It suddenly made her want to become a vegetarian.

After lunch, Jan Di and Ga Eul strolled on, slightly ahead of the girls.

With their eommas out of earshot, Yeong-Hui muttered, "I wish we could have went to Shinsegae Department Store instead…"

"Yeah, or COEX," Hye-Mi added.

"But it was still a lot of fun today, right?" Mee-Yon said.

"Yes, I found my pillow, so I'm happy!" Hye-Mi squealed.

"You're so easily pleased, Hye-Mi-ah," Ju-Mi chuckled. Hye-Mi poked her lip out, but then she smiled and agreed with her friend on that.

"Well, I think this was pretty much a perfect day…," Aria spoke, while smiling brightly at her new sisters.

"Perfect?" Ju-Mi asked, incredulous.

"Really, Unnie? Even though you got sick on the seafood?" Hye-Mi inquired, as she pet Aria's hair affectionately.

Aria nodded. She looked slightly pale but happy. "Mm."

"We're so sorry you got sick on the food, Unnie," Mee-Yon said, and the others joined in the sentiment.

Aria shook her head. "No, it's OK. It was really good, actually. I think I just ate so much good food today and my stomach wasn't used to it," Aria gave a small laugh, as she recalled her day with this wacky bunch of girls—who kept dragging her all over the place and stuffing her with food until she felt like bursting. They had good intentions, of course.

"And you guys were so nice...to take care of me," Aria said, and she turned toward Mee-Yon, "and holding my hair back like that...it was really sweet."

Mee-Yon smiled at Aria. "No problem, Unnie."

They had all ensured that Aria was OK when she got sick at lunch. Mee-Yon had held her hair and Hye-Mi had patted her back lightly while she vomited in the bathroom of the fish market restaurant.

And then afterwards the ahjummas had sweetly offered to take her back to the Yoon place to rest and recuperate, but Aria had insisted that she was fine. She didn't want to inconvenience them or spoil everyone's fun, and besides, she was enjoying herself immensely, too.

Aria honestly believed she had never met such nice, down-to-earth people. And it was particularly strange, considering they were from chaebol families.

"It was perfect because…," Aria continued, wearing a wistful smile, "…because it was so nice to spend the day with all of you. Since I travel a lot, I don't really get the chance to make many friends…"

The girls looked upon Aria sadly.

"And it was also really nice spending time with…your eommas," Aria added. And she smiled softly, recalling how their mothers had insisted upon paying for everything for her—her food, and they even bought her an outfit, despite her protests.

"Our eommas?" Yeong-Hui cocked her head curiously.

...

Mee-Yon was taken back to her conversation with Aidan the night before…

...

"Yes. It's nice to have an eomma to do these things with…," Aria muttered, allowing a nostalgic smile to cross her lips.

"What, Unnie?" Yeong-Hui asked, placing a hand on Aria's arm.

"You see, Aidan and I, we…don't have any parents," Aria explained. "They died. And the man who is now our manager adopted us, so I guess we have him. But no eomma…"

The girls all gazed sorrowfully upon Aria.

"Unnie…," Hye-Mi muttered, her lip trembling lightly.

"We…didn't know. We're so sorry," Ju-Mi said.

And Hye-Mi joined in with, "Oh, Unnie, I'm so sorry for your loss!" and she went to Aria and wrapped her arms around her.

Aria smiled and gave Hye-Mi a light hug back. "Gomawo," she whispered. And they all gathered around Aria, hugging her and patting her on the back.

All except for Eun-Jeong—who stood back a few steps from the group, watching.

She's an orphan, Eun-Jeong thought sadly. It must have been so lonely for her on the road and without an eomma…

Suddenly, Eun-Jeong felt completely awful for her negative feelings toward Aria, even though she'd apologized. She felt herself beginning to tear up. Then, she promised herself to stop with the stupid jealousy and be kinder to Aria. And she joined the group hug.

That Evening…

The girls met up with the boys for a carnival. Ji Hoo approached Jan Di and kissed her hello, and Yi Jeong did the same with Ga Eul. They all greeted each other and asked about their days. Then, the parents decided to drop the kids off for a while, since Ga Eul and Yi Jeong wanted to get home to check on Byeong-Ho and Ae-Jeong and relieve the babysitter, and Ji Hoo and Jan Di needed to stop by the hospital.

The F4 boys and girls met up—all but Jun-Seo were wearing matching baseball caps—and the girls asked them about the game. The boys informed them that their team had won, so they were all in a good mood.

Then, Eun-Jeong stepped up to Seok-Young with a wide smile on her face and her hands clasped behind her back. She didn't care that everyone was watching, for although she had fun today, she'd missed him like crazy.

Eun-Jeong tapped the brim of Seok-Young's cap with a finger. "Nice hat, Oppa," she said, smiling.

"Oh, you like it huh?" he grinned.

"Yea, it's cute," and she cocked her head to the side.

"Well, it's not supposed to be cute," Seok-Young smirked at her.

"OK, fine, then it's…masculine," Eun-Jeong shrugged.

Seok-Young grinned and shook his head in amusement.

"Alright, I give up, Oppa. What is it supposed to be then?" she held up her hands in defeat.

Seok-Young just chuckled and put an arm around her, giving her a quick one-arm squeeze, "I'm glad you like it," and then he released her. And Eun-Jeong smiled and bit her lip lightly. Apparently, he'd been teasing her yet again. One would think that she would always be able to tell by now…

"Aw, aren't they cute, Aidan?" Aria commented. And Aidan simply nodded to her.

Then, Hye-Mi bounded up to Aidan to show off her pillow—with his face on it. He smiled at her. "Oh, that's nice, Hye-Mi-ah," he gave an awkward laugh and rubbed his neck. Unsure what else to say about it, he jokingly added, "Do you want me to autograph it for you?"

Hye-Mi's eyes lit up like stars in the night sky, and she nodded emphatically. "Could you, Aidan Oppa?!"

Aidan gave a good-natured chuckle. "Sure, I just need a pen."

Hye-Mi immediately began rummaging through her purse and then asking people for one when she didn't find one there. Hye-Mi attained one from Yeong-Hui but then groaned loudly when the pen wouldn't show up on the pillow… And she frantically began the search again. She finally managed to locate a marker that would show up on the pillow. She smiled brightly and thanked Aidan, and then she began blowing on the signature to get it to dry quicker.

The group of girls and boys all walked together, checking out the carnival—playing the games, riding a few rides, and Aidan bought everyone ice cream. Hye-Mi and Ju-Mi remained close to Aidan, while Eun-Jeong walked along between Mee-Yon and Seok-Young. And Aria remained on the other side of Mee-Yon and behind her brother.

Occasionally, they divided up into subgroups, usually with Seok-Young, Eun-Jeong, and Mee-Yon together; Jun-Seo, Il-Hun, and Jae-Jin together, and Ju-Mi, Hye-Mi, Aidan, and Aria together. But sometimes Eun-Jeong would follow Mee-Yon when she beckoned her to look at something. Eun-Jeong wanted to be near Seok-Young, but she was doing her best to divide her time, for she wanted to spend time with her best friend, too, and she didn't want Mee-Yon's feelings to be hurt.

Seok-Young would sometimes follow Eun-Jeong and Mee-Yon, but not too closely—so as to give them their space. Or, he would hang out with Jun-Seo, Il-Hun, and Jae-Jin—when the latter two weren't off trying to flirt with Aria.

And Eun-Jeong was trying so hard, yet she was still fighting her jealousy, for when she would go off with Mee-Yon, sometimes Aria would hang back and talk to Seok-Young, especially when Jun-Seo, Il-Hun, and Jae-Jin weren't in the immediate vicinity.

…

As they walked along in one large group again, they came across a shooting range game, which piqued the interest of the boys. And they had to stop to try it.

"Didn't you guys get enough shooting and violence for one day?" Yeong-Hui asked with a smirk.

"You can never have too much violence," Jun-Seo retorted. And Il-Hun and Jae-Jin readily agreed.

"Anyway, what violence, Noona? We're shooting at a paper target," Jae-Jin laughed, and Yeong-Hui shrugged. Then, inevitably, the airsoft game came up, and the boys joked and argued over who annihilated whom.

Jun-Seo stepped up to the shooting range booth. He paid the man behind it and picked up a rifle. "So, you're OK at video games and airsoft, Aidan, but how are you at shooting a real weapon?"

"Well, I wouldn't call that real, Goo Jun-Seo. There are no actual bullets in that thing. It's compressed air and just as fake as the airsoft guns," Aidan replied.

Jun-Seo scowled—fighting the urge to hit Aidan in his smart mouth. "You know what I mean!" he shouted. Aidan was kind of annoying, but Jun-Seo was still unsure why Aidan seemed to set his temper aflame so much. "So, think you can beat me at this? I'd like to see you try!" Jun-Seo taunted, picking up their rivalry from where they left off earlier at the airsoft range.

Aidan grinned and paid the man. "Alright, Goo Jun-Seo, challenge accepted." He took the weapon and peered through the sight.

And they all stood back and watched, as Jun-Seo and Aidan began rapidly firing off shots at the target.

Somehow, the girls ended up divided between the two boys—each girl cheering for either Jun-Seo or Aidan.

"Waaau!" the girls exclaimed from behind Aidan when he got a bullseye. "Good shot!" they cried out in unison, addressing him with the various titles they used for him.

…

When the shooting got too heated, they all moved on to another game—a game with baseballs and bottles. Hye-Mi bounded up to Seok-Young. "Oppa, could you win me a prize at that game?" and she pointed to a giant teddy bear.

"Sure. I'll try, Hye-Mi-ah," he said, and he approached the booth. He plunked down some won and was given two balls. He cocked back his arm and threw. The ball hit just slightly off center and bounced off.

"Good try, Oppa!" Eun-Jeong shouted out.

Seok-Young sighed. He glanced to Eun-Jeong and then picked up the next ball.

Then, Aidan stepped up beside him and whispered a tip to Seok-Young. "I know," Seok-Young replied, rather sharply. Seok-Young could be proud at times, and he didn't need Aidan's pity.

Aidan stepped back to give Seok-Young space and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fighting, Oppa; you can do it!" Hye-Mi exclaimed, pumping a fighting fist in the air at Seok-Young.

Eun-Jeong noticed that Aria was also eagerly cheering on Seok-Young.

Seok-Young made a brief mental calculation, reared back and threw again—this time, knocking over most of the bottles. He was given a small bear, and he handed it to Hye-Mi. She squealed, thanked him, and hugged the bear to her chest.

"Sorry it's not the big one, Hye-Mi-ah," Seok-Young mumbled.

"That's OK, Oppa; I love it!"

"Good job, Seok-Young," Aidan spoke. "Let me give it a try," and he stepped up beside Seok-Young. He paid and took the first ball. He hit the target dead on—first try—and knocked all the bottles over.

Seok-Young gaped, and Hye-Mi jumped up and down. "Waaauuu!" And the other girls began cheering and clapping. Even Eun-Jeong was clapping for him.

Aidan was given the large prize—the gigantic teddy bear. "OK, who wants this thing?" he joked, holding out the monstrous stuffed animal. "Aria?"

"No, thanks, Oppa. I'll never get that back on the plane."

Aidan looked to Hye-Mi, for she had wanted the big bear in the first place. And Hye-Mi did want it, but she didn't want to hurt Seok-Young Oppa's feelings more, so she passed on it.

"Eun-Jeong-ah?" Aidan offered the bear to her next.

Seok-Young frowned, and his eyes shot to Eun-Jeong.

Eun-Jeong noticed that Seok-Young's eyes were on her, waiting for her response. She met Seok-Young's eyes and then looked back to Aidan. Feeling as though she would be somehow betraying Seok-Young by taking the bear, she politely declined.

Aidan glanced around the group. "No one wants the big bear?" he asked, incredulously. Then, he looked to Mee-Yon; she glanced away and wrapped her arms around herself. She also felt it would hurt her oppa's feelings.

"I'll take it," Ju-Mi volunteered. And Aidan smiled at her. "Oh, thank you, Ju-Mi-ah!" And Ju-Mi took the bear but struggled to carry it, so Aidan told her he'd carry it for her. For the time being, he set it down at his side.

Jun-Seo came up beside Seok-Young and whispered, "Don't let him show you up like that, Hyung!"

That part didn't bother Seok-Young so much, but he did feel badly for not winning the prize Hye-Mi wanted—and she had obviously turned down the big bear Aidan won for his sake, even though she wanted it. That made Seok-Young feel like crap. He also wanted to win a prize for Eun-Jeong, so he decided to try again. Seok-Young bought more balls. Il-Hun whooped and Jun-Seo and Jae-Jin also cheered on Seok-Young.

With his next ball, Aidan won another large prize, a gigantic giraffe, which he set next to the bear—for whoever wanted it.

Then, Seok-Young picked up his ball, while Hye-Mi cheered him on and encouraged him to win a prize for Eun-Jeong Unnie next. He tried two more times, but failed to win a prize that round. Seok-Young couldn't leave it at that, so he bought another two.

Aidan approached Seok-Young again. He leaned toward him and whispered, "Don't waste any more of your money, Yoon Seok-Young. It's obviously rigged."

"Well, you won the large prize—twice," Seok-Young protested, suddenly realizing how envious he sounded.

"Well, I just got lucky," Aidan humbly responded, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. But Seok-Young suspected his humility was fake.

And, all of a sudden, Seok-Young was experiencing that testosterone-filled drive to win that many athletes experience. He had never really been a competitive guy—driven, yes, with his music—but not in this way, at least.

"You know, we could buy those things for 1/3 of the price," Aidan quipped.

But Seok-Young couldn't give up; he kept trying to win large bears for Eun-Jeong and Hye-Mi, but he would either miss or win the smaller or medium sized prizes. Once he had managed to gift all of the F4 daughters and Aria with at least one prize—several to Eun-Jeong—he finally stopped.

And Seok-Young felt like a fool. Aidan was right. With the money spent he could have taken Eun-Jeong out to a movie, gotten popcorn and drinks, and still had money left over. Eun-Jeong was very sweet about it and appreciative, and it made him feel a bit better. And he knew it shouldn't bother him so much, but somehow it did.

And Seok-Young dropped back slightly from the rest of the group. Jun-Seo dropped back with him and continued walking in stride.

Seok-Young and Jun-Seo continued walking, while observing the group ahead. Hye-Mi and Ju-Mi each had Aidan by an arm, while Eun-Jeong, Yeong-Hui, Mee-Yon, and Aria walked behind them. And Aidan kept turning back to the So twins and Mee-Yon to talk to them.

Then, Eun-Jeong turned back to look over her shoulder—when she lost sight of Seok-Young—and their eyes met. She gave him a sweet smile, and he smiled back.

He had to admit, he wished she was walking with just him—perhaps even hand in hand—and he wasn't thrilled that she was walking ahead with the group of girls and Aidan. But perhaps she just wanted to hang with Mee-Yon. And he wasn't such a controlling boyfriend that he would prevent her from spending time with her best friend…

He watched the girls walking together with Aidan. Then, he noticed that Eun-Jeong had dropped her scarf. But before he could go for it, Aidan quickly scooped it up for her. He brushed it off and then put it around her neck, while Seok-Young and Jun-Seo looked on from behind.

And Seok-Young's suspicion began. Was it possible that Aidan liked Eun-Jeong? Perhaps the concert wasn't just an act… Aidan had been awfully nice to her today and he'd been paying a lot of attention to her… No, that was silly! But then again—was it? It was not so crazy at all to think that Aidan might like So Eun-Jeong; she was amazing, after all.

Just then, Jun-Seo caught Seok-Young's arm and pulled him aside. "Are you just going to put up with that, Hyung?" he pointed toward Aidan and the girls, once they were out of earshot.

And apparently Jun-Seo had noticed something, too…

Seok-Young decided to play dumb. He didn't want to acknowledge that Aidan could possibly like his girlfriend. "Put up with what?" Seok-Young asked casually, and he began walking again to decrease the distance between the group. Jun-Seo began walking, too.

"Aidan," Jun-Seo spoke his name in a deliberately sarcastic and mocking tone.

"What about him, Jun-Seo?"

"No offense, Hyung, but are you blind?! Is your hair in your eyes or something?"

Seok-Young's brow furrowed. He sighed, blowing his bangs out of his face in the process.

"Don't you see how he's flirting with the girls?! Especially Eun-Jeong Noona and Mee-Yon Noona!"

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it flirting…," Seok-Young mumbled. "Maybe he's just being nice…" But Seok-Young didn't even necessarily believe his own statement.

"Come on, Hyung, wake up and smell the instant coffee! No one is that nice without wanting something!"

"Well, that's a bit negative, Jun-Seo. Aren't you a bit too young to have such a cynical view of the world?"

Jun-Seo ignored the statement and instead stood in front of Seok-Young and shook his shoulders. "Well, what are you going to do about this, Hyung? Or, should I do something?!"

"Ya, Jun-Seo," Seok-Young protested, as Jun-Seo continued rattling him. "I don't think anything needs to be done…"

"Come on, Hyung! Don't you see it? Buying them ice cream, winning them prizes, showing off at the games, and look how the girls are acting around him! They're just eating it up and falling all over him!"

Seok-Young sighed.

"What, does he think he's some gift to women or something? What a jerk!" Jun-Seo sneered.

"Actually, he seems like a pretty nice guy," Seok-Young muttered.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing, Hyung! Does he have you fooled, too?!"

Seok-Young paused and looked at Jun-Seo curiously. "Jun-Seo, why do you even care?" he finally asked the obvious question.

Jun-Seo stopped in his tracks, and he thought about it for a moment. Yea, why do I care so much? Jun-Seo wondered.

"I…well, I…don't…know," Jun-Seo stammered. "Aish, he just gets on my nerves! He cheats at games, you know! That's probably why he won all those prizes… And I don't think he can be trusted around the girls!" Jun-Seo added.

Seok-Young released air through his nose. "Well, I understand your concerns, Jun-Seo, but I still don't get it. Why are you so upset about this? I mean if anyone should be bothered by it, it should be me—if he is, as you say, flirting with my girlfriend and my sister," Seok-Young continued.

And his hyung did have a point. It didn't make sense that he should get so worked up about Aidan and the girls. It was confusing…

With a heavy exhale, Jun-Seo forced himself back to the present moment and put the focus upon Seok-Young again. "Right, so why aren't you?!"

Seok-Young shrugged and tucked his hands into his pockets. "I don't know. I guess I just feel secure in my relationship with Eun-Jeong."

Jun-Seo opened his mouth to speak; he stammered, not sure how to combat that and finally exclaimed, "Well, I'm still upset for you, Hyung! He has no right to do that, and it's…it's embarrassing, too—the way the girls are acting!" he looked on ahead, squinting slightly.

"Even Mee-Yon Noona…look at her…," and Jun-Seo's words trailed off as he gazed upon Mee-Yon. She had turned slightly to where he could see the profile of her face. He watched her smile widely and then laugh, and Jun-Seo softened. She has the cutest laugh, Jun-Seo thought. And when she smiles, her face seems to light up brighter than the morning sun.

…

Jun-Seo quickly shook off his temporary insanity, and then he scowled—knowing the source of Mee-Yon's radiant smile and infectious laugh. It was in response to something Aidan had said. He folded his arms tight. "I thought Mee-Yon Noona had a little more self-respect than that..."

"Ya, watch it, Jun-Seo," Seok-Young warned. Jun-Seo looked away, clenching his mouth. "This is completely normal for girls their age," Seok-Young continued, "I mean they've just never been this close to a pop star before. I guess it makes sense for them to be a little star-struck…"

Jun-Seo scoffed and folded his arms over his chest.

Jae-Jin and Il-Hun noticed that Seok-Young and Jun-Seo had been lagging behind for a while now, so they tore themselves away from following Aria like puppy dogs and joined their brothers. Jae-Jin and Il-Hun asked Seok-Young and Jun-Seo what was up, and Jun-Seo filled them in on the issue with Aidan. And the F4 boys congregated while the girls and Aidan walked on ahead, apparently without noticing.

…

"I don't know, he does seem like an OK guy, but if you want us to hate him, Hyung, we'll hate him," Jae-Jin spoke for F2.

"Yea, we got yo back, man!" Il-Hun chimed in.

Seok-Young smiled faintly. "No, that's OK." Though a bit immature and misguided, Seok-Young appreciated the support of F3. They were, truly, just trying to look out for him.

…

It was then that Aria dropped behind the others and joined the boys. Jun-Seo stopped speaking as soon as she approached. "So, here you boys are! Thought we lost you!" she said, bubbly.

"Oh, mianhae, Aria. We were just talking," Seok-Young politely informed.

"Oh, I see. Guy talk, huh?" she joked.

"Yes, so don't even ask," Jun-Seo replied immediately, and Seok-Young shot him a 'don't be so rude' look.

"Oh, don't worry. I wasn't going to ask," she said, as she began walking beside Seok-Young.

"Are you having fun, boys?"

They all nodded. And Il-Hun and Jae-Jin strolled up to Aria'a side again. "Yes, we're having a lot of fun. And what about you, Aria-yang?" Jae-Jin asked.

"Have you ever been to a carnival before, Aria-yang?" Il-Hun added, smiling.

Aria ruffled Jae-Jin and Il-Hun's hair in turn. "Oh, call me Noona, you two," she said. And the boys gave sheepish grins. And she answered their questions.

...

Eun-Jeong looked back again to locate Seok-Young, and she noticed that Aria was at his side, talking to him and giving him her full attention. Eun-Jeong's forehead wrinkled. She continued walking but kept glancing back over her shoulder. And then the boys and Aria caught up.

…

Then, the girls stopped at a fortune-telling booth, despite the boys' protests that it was stupid and fake. The girls insisted upon trying it out, and the boys waited for them outside.

The girls stepped into the small darkened tenth—that smelled strongly of incense. Inside, an old ahjumma was seated at a table, wearing a scarf tied around her head, large hoop earrings, and multiple gold-colored necklaces.

"This is cr-eepy…," Hye-Mi whispered to the group, as she shuddered lightly and clutched Ju-Mi's sleeve with both hands. The fortune-teller heard this and raised a brow at Hye-Mi. Hye-Mi gave an awkward laugh and waved at her. The old ahjumma simply rolled her eyes and beckoned for one of them to sit. She began pointing to each of them, asking "You first?"

Ju-Mi and Yeong-Hui didn't want to go because they didn't believe in it. Aria was curious but wanted someone else to go first, and Hye-Mi was too afraid, so Eun-Jeong stepped up and hesitantly sat in the chair. And the other girls all crowded around her.

Once seated, the fortune-teller closed her eyes. She was silent for a long moment and was humming something, as if she had gone into some kind of trance—or was at least pretending to. Finally, she opened her eyes and took Eun-Jeong's hands within her wrinkled ones. "I see…distance…," she spoke after another long pause, "…many, many kilometers…and I see…separation…"

"Distance? Separation?"

"From who?" Eun-Jeong leaned in, gripping the old woman's hands.

The fortune-teller closed her eyes again and chanted something to herself, while the girls watched curiously. "…I see…the ocean…"

"The ocean? Is someone crossing the ocean?"

…

Then, the psychic opened her eyes. She released Eun-Jeong's hand and held out a palm, indicating that she wanted more money. "Well, I'm…out of money…," Eun-Jeong said, and the psychic shooed her out of the chair. Eun-Jeong poked out her lip slightly, and the other girls brought her into their protective circle. And they all huddled together.

Next, it was Mee-Yon's turn, and the ahjumma took her hands and closed her eyes tight, once again going into her trance. Mee-Yon sat there, while the ahjumma remained silent for several minutes, holding her hands. The psychic squeezed her eyelids and further wrinkled her brow. And the girls looked amongst themselves. What was she doing? Was she stalling for time or something?

Out of nowhere, the fortune-teller spoke, startling them all. "I see…passion in your future…"

"Passion? Mee-Yon muttered. Her cheeks warmed and her eyes shot to her hands in her lap.

"Whooo, passion, Unnie!" Hye-Mi shouted out, and the fortune-teller narrowed her eyes at the Song girl in warning. Hye-Mi mouthed a sorry to the old fortune-teller.

"...And I see…two men…," the ahjumma continued cryptically.

"Two?" Mee-Yon asked with wide eyes.

"Yes," the fortune-teller replied. "There will be two important men in your life."

"Two men?!" the girls all asked in unison.

"Wow, Unnie!" Hye-Mi interjected. "Two guys, huh? You go girl!" and she nudged Mee-Yon lightly. Mee-Yon gave an awkward chuckle.

The fortune-teller loudly shushed Hye-Mi, who shrunk back, lowered her eyes, and quickly shut .

"Who are these guys?" Mee-Yon asked, leaning forward slightly, as the fortune-teller held her hands.

"One, you have known for many years…"

Yeong-Hui scoffed. As in the many 15 years she has been alive…

Mee-Yon blinked, wondering who the fortune-teller could be referring to. "And the other?"

"The other…he is…new…," she raised a brow, "but he will still be important."

"Important…how?" Mee-Yon asked.

And the psychic held out her hand again for payment. Mee-Yon nodded and pulled out more won from her purse, despite Ju-Mi and Yeong-Hui's whispered protests.

"One…," the fortune-teller paused for a long moment, "…will be your husband…and the other…your soulmate…," she declared mysteriously.

"Eh?!" Mee-Yon's chocolate eyes widened in disbelief. That didn't make any sense…

"You mean…her husband and soulmate will be two different guys," Eun-Jeong urged. How could that be? Shouldn't one's soulmate and husband be one in the same?

The psychic squeezed her eyes shut again and swayed her head from side to side…

"What's she doing?" Hye-Mi whispered in Ju-Mi's ear, hoping the ahjumma didn't overhear and chastise her again.

Ju-Mi simply shrugged.

…

"How will I know these guys when I see them? Which…which one is which? Which one should I choose?" Mee-Yon implored, clutching onto the psychic's hands.

The fortune-teller was silent; her eyes remained closed and then suddenly shot open, startling the girls again. She eyed up the girls—in their fashionable clothes and with their designer handbags—and then she demanded more money in exchange for her answer.

Mee-Yon began to rifle through her purse again, fully prepared to pay, but Yeong-Hui placed a hand over Mee-Yon's to stop her.

"That's it, we've heard enough," Yeong-Hui stated, as she looked into the psychic's eyes. Ju-Mi nodded and began pulling Mee-Yon up from her seat. "Come on, Unnie, she's taken enough of your money, let's go!" Ju-Mi exclaimed.

"But…," Mee-Yon protested. She gave a quick bow of thanks to the psychic, as Yeong-Hui and Ju-Mi dragged her away. Eun-Jeong, Hye-Mi, and Aria followed, and they all led a bewildered Mee-Yon out of the tent.

"I wonder who she was talking about and what she meant by that…," Mee-Yon mumbled, once outside.

"Don't concern yourself with it, Mee-Yon-ah. It's just a bunch of hokum, like the boys said. It was just for fun, anyway," Yeong-Hui replied.

"It wasn't fun, it was weird!" Hye-Mi inserted. "Although," she put a finger to her chin, "I am kind of curious about what she said about the distance for Eun-Jeong Unnie and the two guys for Mee-Yon Unnie…"

And Eun-Jeong was, in fact, very curious, herself. She had to admit that she didn't usually go for that sort of thing, but she was really dwelling on this distance thing now…

The boys were waiting for them nearby, and they rejoined the girls upon noticing they'd exited the tent. "So, how was it?" Aidan asked of the girls, with a smile.

Seok-Young observed Eun-Jeong and Mee-Yon—the two seemed rather quiet and pensive. Seok-Young moved to put an arm around each of them.

"It was…interesting…," Yeong-Hui simply replied for the group.

And Jun-Seo started teasing. "Are you going to meet some mysterious stranger or become millionaires or something?"

Ju-Mi snorted. "We already are millionaires, you dummy!"

Jun-Seo scoffed. "Well, did she know that? She'd know it if she really is psychic…"

And Ju-Mi rolled her eyes at her brother. "Well, she did keep trying to take our money…"

"Yeah, and she was really creepy…and mean!" Hye-Mi added.

The boys looked at Hye-Mi curiously. "Well, what did she say then? She didn't say any of you are going to die next week or anything, did she?" Il-Hun asked, and Hye-Mi shivered, "No, don't even joke about that!" and she smacked her brother hard on the arm.

"Ouch! Sorry…," he muttered.

They all eventually decided to drop the subject and continued walking… The group stopped when they noticed a large crowd gathered around a small stage.

"What's going on?" Eun-Jeong asked of a random bystander.

"It's a musical competition. Contestants sing and play instruments and the crowd votes on the best one."

Eun-Jeong nodded, and the F4 kids and the pop stars made their way through the crowd, looking for a good spot to watch.

And then, Seok-Young was randomly selected to be a contestant...

Seok-Young swallowed hard and looked to his group. The girls were excited and squealed about him being chosen, and they began encouraging him to go up onstage. Seok-Young looked to Eun-Jeong, and she was smiling at him. He didn't want to let her down, so he once again, took the stage. It seemed like this sort of thing was happening a lot lately…

The boisterous announcer welcomed Seok-Young and asked him to speak his name into the microphone. "Yoon Seok-Young," he said, and the ones in the crowd who knew him started shouting out to him, and they all clapped.

A second contestant needed to be selected, and the announcer chose Aidan.

Of course…, Seok-Young thought.

Aidan took the stage, with a smile and a wave, and the large crowd immediately recognized him. The audience started screaming, and now Aria had been discovered and they were gushing over her, too—trying to touch her and get her autograph.

The announcer held up the mic to Aidan, but before he could say his name, the crowd answered for him.

"What's that?" the announcer asked of the screaming crowd. And they responded, shouting out Aidan's name again and explaining who he was. "Oh, I see we have a pop star in our midst!" the announcer exclaimed, incredulous. "Well, this competition may very well be over before it even begins!" he chuckled.

And Seok-Young frowned. His eyes then went to Eun-Jeong; she smiled at him, giving him renewed confidence and determination.

"Perhaps this is not fair to our other contestant," the announcer motioned to Seok-Young. "Perhaps I should choose another to go against him."

"No," Seok-Young interjected. "Allow him to compete, sir, please," and Seok-Young gave a short bow to the announcer.

The man chuckled. "Well, aren't you a spunky, competitive young man!"

And then shouts were heard from the crowd, saying that it was Yoon Seok-Young, and informing the announcer of his status as the F4 leader and detailing all his musical accomplishments.

"Oh, well, I didn't know all that! This should be some competition then!" the announcer boomed. And then he turned back to Seok-Young, sticking a microphone in his face. "So, do you really think you can beat a famous pop star?"

Seok-Young looked at the man and then to Eun-Jeong in the crowd—and she smiled at him. Then, Seok-Young returned his focus to the announcer. "I'm going to do my best to beat him," he assured.

The man guffawed. "Well, looks like we have a competition!"

Aidan turned to Seok-Young and smiled. "Good luck," he whispered, sticking out his hand. Seok-Young shook it. "You, too."

…

Seok-Young thought to himself. If he couldn't compete with Aidan in sports—or rather, stupid carnival games—at least he could in music. But then again, Aidan was also a musician—he was a pop star.

Sure, Aidan can sing, but how is he with instruments? Seok-Young wondered.

This was the one area Seok-Young believed he could actually—possibly—outshine Aidan in. And if he couldn't beat Aidan in music, what did he have going for him? What hope was there for him to ever look good in Eun-Jeong's eyes?

I won't be beaten by Aidan—not at this! Seok-Young vowed to himself. And he took a deep breath in preparation for the competition.

To Be Continued...