The two pretended nothing out of the ordinary happened, like it wasn't something to talk about. Though they had the most kisses exchanged out of all the members, usually out of teasing, both felt it was different that night. Bomi's simple kiss on the wrist was beginning to open a jar that they wished to remain closed.

Chorong ignored what had been a strange lapse in control, choosing to blame the fleeting desire on a lack of sleep. She took note to go to bed the moment she became loopy from drowsiness. 

Maybe it was the fearful event with that guy that spurred it; the rush of adrenaline. Combined with how grateful she was to have Bomi in her life, it must have created a drunk sense of glee, like when people get so happy that they say "Oh I could kiss you right now."

At least, that was how Chorong deduced the case after it happened again.

"Ei- Eipinkeu~ Park Chorong-ssi~" called a lower-pitched voice behind the pulling and tugging on Apink's waiting room tent, impatiently trying to find the opening.

Oh no. Seriously?

Chorong remembered that voice. Goosebumps went up the back of her neck. She watched in slow motion as a hand finally found its way through the flap of the tent and swung open an entrance; the top of someone's head beginning to poke in as he attempted to duck inside.

It was him again, from that night. The night she was cornered and her wrist was attacked. The night Bomi kissed it better.

...It was the night she wanted to kiss Bomi, but now was not the time to be recalling that.

Why was he here? Surely he can't be thickheaded enough to make an advance on her around the idol waiting room tents? And yet here he was! 

What the—

Before he could scan the room, or for the other Apink members to notice him, Bomi had followed Chorong's line of sight and was already leaping up in a fury. In a flash, the dancer knocked him back like a whack-a-mole and squeezed herself out the tent after, the flap swaying closed behind her. 

"B.. Bomi??"

She was suddenly outside with that man.

Chorong came to her senses in a burst of worry and she quickly looked around the waiting room, seeing her members busy eating and getting their makeup done. They were currently occupied and hadn't noticed what happened, so the leader was going to peek outside herself to see what was going on with Bomi. 

Stepping out into the open where celebrities and staff members were walking about, Chorong spotted the two having a serious confrontation literally right there by the front of their tent. 

A part of Chorong wanted badly to yank the younger girl back to the safety of their room, but if she did that, then the guy really might not leave them alone. And she'd never seen Bomi look so angry for her sake. The dancer jumped out there with such purpose she had never seen before. It seemed Chorong wasn't planning to stop her.

"Hey hey hey! Watch it!" the idol scowled as he smoothed his hair back up, a little dizzied from the sudden push to his skull. 

Finding his balance, his face turned sour when he noticed it was another member who had stopped him, and he stood up tall, looking Bomi over with a sneer. "You.. Let me talk to Park Chorong."

Bomi flinched at the lack of formalities used to address Apink's leader. Hell no! I won't hesitate bitc—

But the girl remembered Chorong scolding her for her manners, so Bomi gritted her teeth, ready to speak as polite and as firm as she could. She inhaled a breath. 

"...No," she said.

"What? No??"

It was as if nobody had ever said "no" to him before. He looked at Bomi in a genuine moment of shock. 

"She doesn't want to see you," Bomi crossed her arms unhappily. 

His eye twitched but that didn't discourage him. He shifted his weight to his other foot, decidedly thinking about something else.

"Yahh! Chorong, aishh, that girl. I could've been fooled by that punk who interrupted us last time," he scoffed. "That punk and Chorong? Pfft. There's no way... She shouldn't befriend so many men! It's annoying."

What is this? A drama? Bomi narrowed her eyes at him in his personal ranting. Then he suddenly made hard eye contact with her, stepping in close to a crazed whisper as Bomi's back hit one of the poles that held the tent up.

A smirk flew onto his face. "Playing hard to get, hmm? I know she got her member to stand in for her."

Chorong could've screamed from her hiding spot, feeling an uncomfortable knot tighten in her chest. She knew the younger girl and her impressive athletic achievements was a force to be reckoned with. She knew Bomi would be fine! Bomi could totally throw him by the shoulders and do a thunderous yell! But... Bomi wasn't doing that because they weren't fighting right now. Chorong was already coming up with hapkido scenarios because this was terrifying to watch. In her fear, she could barely hear Bomi giving him a harsh talking to. 

It had taken all of Bomi's power not to sock him in the face right then and there. 

"No, no.... You are seriously mistaken.... said no.... rejection.... Now you listen here.... I am not letting you near her. You hear me?"

The next thing Chorong knew, the suitor had given up with a wary look on his face and spun on his heel with his hands in his pockets. Wait, what just happened?

And Chorong turned back to Bomi's place in her confusion, only to find eye contact, as Bomi was now staring at her with her cheeks coloured, realising she'd seen everything. 

Embarrassed, Chorong stuck herself back inside the tent before Bomi's return and was surprised to find the snooping members scattering back to their places too. Her hands rested on her hips in amazement. So it wasn't only her who watched it unfold. 

A whistle came from Hayoung as Bomi entered the tent. "As expected of Bomi unnie, the right-hand woman!" 

"Y-You were listening??" 

But Bomi was struck silent by the cold aura surrounding Chorong. She followed timidly as the older girl took her by the hand, sitting them in the far corner. Bomi started questioning her impulse decisions and if that upset Chorong. Did she say something she shouldn't have? Was it too much? Was it intrusive to meddle in her member's business?

When it concerned the safety of the one she loved, Bomi felt it had become her business too. 

"Bomi-ya, why did you talk to him by yourself. That could've been dangerous."

"Y.. Yes unnie."

"Something could've happened to you!" Chorong said eyeing Bomi's fist warily. Or something could've happened to him. "We always need to be careful, right? You know that."

"Yes unnie."

"Aigoo, I'm not scolding you. Why are you looking down? Bbom-ah."

Chorong tapped at her chin, making the girl look up hesitantly, only to see her unnie with no trace of malice in her expression. Instead, her eyebrows were curved up in worry with a smile resting on her lips. "Pabo. Don't scare me like that. I was so worried..."

The leader let out a sigh, smoothing out Bomi's layered hair and clothes although it seemed like nothing was ever out of place. 

"You talked to him for me.. Really, thank you, Bbom-ah. I appreciate it so much.. I can't believe you would really do that for me."

Bomi grinned. "Of course, unnie. I care about you," she brightened, and a rosiness threatened to flood Chorong's cheeks. "I'm here to protect you, although, I know you're perfectly capable of protecting yourself," she added with a cheeky smile.

Chorong cleared in attempt to cool down. "D-Did you even think about how it looks to have the two of you alone out there?" she said with a glare.

Protecting Chorong had taken full priority of Bomi's mind that she failed to be cautious of their interaction as male and female idols. It was no wonder some guys were so taken aback by her boldness, although it took a good moment for Bomi to understand what was the error in that.

"Huh? It's not the first time though—" she slipped.

"What?? What did you just say, Yoon Bomi?"

"Unnie!" Eunji jumped in to cover her friend. "It's because there are many guys who like you!"

"Wha– Jung Eunji, you too?? And you're only telling me this now?"

"Th-The guys don't suit your personality!!"

Bomi agreed with Eunji frantically, trying not to get scolded. "Yeah!