Wheein’s mom answered the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Jung. Is Wheein in?”

Her face, which had lit up when she saw me, now turned into an apologetic moue.

“Sorry, dear. You missed her by about ten minutes.”

Perfect. Just my luck. “You wouldn’t know where she went?”

She shook her head. “Shall I send her over when she comes back?”

Should she? I grimaced. “No. I think I’ll just call her.”

She smiled and nodded, then closed the door as I dragged my feet from their front yard. I pulled out my phone, but somehow I didn’t want to talk to her this way. So I punched in a message instead. WHERE ARE YOU?

GROUND ZERO were the two words she sent back. And I hadn’t even reached my front door yet.

My spirit lifted. I wheeled my bike out of the shed and pedalled it to the small lake where Wheein and I had spent some very nice afternoons together. It wasn’t really a lake, but more a pond in the middle of the woods.

We used to call this place Ground Zero, because some ten years ago, Wheein had found a strange box there, filled with six metal balls. She’d assured me they were made of Trilithium, the only known power source for starships. We had been waiting for the aliens’ return all week. Little did we know of Boccia, the Italian style of bowling back then.

I spotted Wheein sitting on the aging log that was about as long as a park bench. Leaning my mountain bike against the closest tree, I climbed over the fallen trunk and settled down next to her. Neither of us said a word.

Gazing at the small pond for quite some time gave us the chance to silently make up.

When the concert of frogs turned the evening into a romantic night, I let out a sigh that seemed to have stuck in my chest since the last time she’d climbed out of my window.

This moment of silent, it was like all those many times when I was with her, utterly content. Just this time I felt no tingle in my gut. No butterflies. No joyful heart-pounding. Like all the excitement had faded out of me.

In a way I missed it. In another…not. I knew why the feeling was lacking now. She’d hurt me on a level that was beyond repair. But somehow even that was okay. Things changed. We were growing up. And I couldn’t hold it against her.

“Sorry. I didn’t intend to ruin your summer with being the master of -land,” she said in a very calm voice.

I let that apology hang in the air for a few minutes.

“I saw the news, she even goes that far for you huh. You having fun that night, unnie?”

“I don’t know, what do you think?”

“I think you do. I guess I was wrong about her. You know I always saw her flirting with other girls at her party so I thought…” she sighed before she continued “…It was stupid of me, I fail to see she was so interested in you when she keep asking me to bring you to her party”

I lifted my legs to the trunk and hugged my knees to my chest, facing her. “How long have you know about my feeling for you?” Amazing. One might think I’d knocked back half a bowl of wine cooler to babble so free from the heart and not blush one bit.

Wheein rubbed the back of her neck, giving me a tight smile. “It was Hyejin. She told me. She has this feeling that…well…from all the glares that you gave her when she’s with me.” She her bottom lip. Swinging one leg over the log, she sat astride. “I’m sorry I should say something. We never keep anything between us. I was worried about losing you.”

 “Why should you be worried about that?”

“I don’t know. I’m afraid to lose all the precious times we spend together when you know that I can’t like you back the way you like me.”

“You know I could never leave you.” And the last for that matter. The fact I could tell her this now had me wondering how far I really had distanced myself from her, emotionally.

And suddenly I was smiling. “You happy with her?”

“Yeah.” She smiles brightly. “Like I always tell you, you are going to like her if you ever give her a chance to get to know her.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything at all. I just nodded.

Deep dimples appeared on her cheeks. “Are we good now? No more fighting?”

A sigh escaped me on a soft laugh. “Yes, Wheein”

She brushed her knuckle along my jaw. “Because I really hate it when you get mad at me and this time it’s all because of Byul unnie”

I laughed again. And this time I felt my cheeks warming slightly. Yeah, just thinking of Byul did that to me.

Wheein shifted back on the log, and I resumed my curled up position. With my cheek resting on my knees, I watched the vanilla moon creep up above the lush crowns of the trees.

“Unnie…”

“Yeah”

“Can you please talk to Byul unnie into coming back to the team?”

In a split second I turned my face to her, giving her my what-the-hell look. No way am seeing Byul. It’s still too early. Just no in the hell way.

“Unnie…please…Seulgi been pestering me every day because of this. I’ve tried to call Byul unnie and I even went to her house but she won’t see me.”

“And what make you think she would want to see me?”

She didn’t answered me instead she fished out her phone and her fingers flew over the keypad.

“What are you doing?”

“Texting a friend asking where Byul unnie is.” When she was done, she tucked it back into her pocket. “She’s at her house. We need to hurry”

“I never said I’m agreeing to this, Wheein” I protested but I was too late as she dragged me to a car parked by the street. I recognized it right away, it was her mom’s car. She shoved me into the passenger seat and locked the door before she ran to the driver seat and started the engine. Wait when did she had her license?

***

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at Byul’s big mansion. Once again I was dragged like a log out of the car and straight to the front door. We were greet by Byul’s butler.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we need to see Moon Byul Yi” Wheein answers as I was struggling to escape from her firm grip on my right arm. Why the hell is this brat so strong?

The butler frowned at me “I’m afraid I can’t do…”

“Who is it?” before he can finish his sentences, Hyuna appears by the door’s frame “Oh its Yongsun!” She cheers happily as soon as she saw me. She grabbed on my arms and start dragging me inside “You came just in time.” Leaving Wheein following us a few feet behind and she stopped when we reach the stairs.

I wondered, what had I done so wrong that I had to be dragged away like this from one person to another person. I turned back begging for Wheein to come up here and dragged me back down, but she only gave away her two thumbs up and a smiles.

Wheein, you idiot!

When we finally reach a room which I guess it was Byul’s. I couldn’t really remember anything because I was too drunk to even remember how I got in her room and I was too hungover to even remember anything on my way out of the room the next morning. I started to panicked. “Unnie I really think this is not a good idea. Please let me go” I was begged her.

“Nonsense” she said before she took out a bundle of keys from her jeans and unlock the door, she pushed me in and she lock the door from outside?

Glued myself to the door as my heart beating so fast that I could feel it was threatening to jump out of my chest. I wanted to get out of here but I have no way out other than the balcony right across me. Right I can do this. Let’s escape through the balcony.

I took a moment to scan around and there was nobody in the room. There was no signed of Byul. I let go a long breath which I been holding before, slowly and carefully I took a step forward, then I took another step and another towards her untouched bed.

I took a moment by observing her room since I never had a chance before because of the hangover and I was on a rush to get out of the room. But the rooms are really spacious, but simply furnished and very colourful, four doors closet, a bookshelf, a study table, posters of anime, and there’s a big flat screen on a table with an expensive looking keyboard and mouse and a big comfy looking chair which caught my eyes the most. I guess she’s a fan of pc games.

My steps halted when I heard movement coming from the other side of her king-sized bed.

I shrieked when a figure suddenly appear from the other side of the bed “Oh it’s you”.

It was Byul.

Unlike me she was calmed. Phone in her hand, she tossed it on her bed. Hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans, she’s wearing a yellow sweater which looks really good on her. My mouth hung open at the unexpected sight of her.

She looked totally fine. Like really fine. Like nothing happen.

I thought she would at least look pale, unorganized, or maybe lose some weight if that even possible to lose even more weight as she was already too skinny. Like we always see on the drama, when couples argues and when they decide to take a break from seeing each other, they started weeping and became hopeless with their life.

She tilt of her head and a slight half-smile. “I thought you told me to go to hell?”

Ommo, would you look at this brat. I cleared my throat, “Look I was dragged here, okay? I don’t want to see you either. So I’m leaving.” I turned around to leave. When I remembered the door was actually locked from outside. “Just open this damn door and I’m out of tour life”

A few steps before I reached the door Byul was already behind me, did she jumped or flew from the other side of her bed I don’t know but all I know she was wrapping her arms around my middle from behind.

Her breath feathered against my neck, her chest pressing against my back. “I’m sorry for what happened, but I never meant to hurt you. And I certainly didn’t have any bad intentions. I swear.”

I stopped moving as I wait for a moment before I let go a sigh. “Yeah, I guess I know that. Hani told me a few interesting things today.”

“Did she?” I could clearly hear how this made her a little uncomfortable, but an edge of relief filled her voice nonetheless.

With her arms still around me she walked me backward, pulled me down on her laps as she sat down on her bed.

“Thanks for making me appeared on the television by the way. You don’t know how much I like it” I said in my most sarcasm way.

She chuckled softly, “I’m sorry for that too.”

“Damn right you should”, I lightly shoved her using my back.

Then we fell into silent for a couple of minutes until she asked me, “So, what are we going to make of this situation?”

“Situation?” I swallowed to get rid of the dryness in my throat. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you…me…” Suddenly her lips were on my bare shoulder, brushing toward the crook of my neck. “Alone…in this room again…”

Suddenly the imaged of us together on this freaking same bed flashing on my mind making me blushed nonstop.

Her tongue trailing up my throat sent shivers along my skin. Everywhere. Down my arms, my legs. Even the hair at the back of my neck stood on end. She placed the softest kiss to the spot behind my ear.

My breath hitched. My mind searched for an escape from this situation. But there was none. And even if there had been, Byul wouldn’t have let me go. Her hand moved up to my neck and shaped against my cheek, tilting my face slowly until I gazed into her gorgeous eyes.

“What do you say, Yongsun-shi? Should we give it a try?”

I searched her face for a reason not to believe in her sincerity. The tiniest lie even. But nothing. She seemed to mean what she said. A reluctant smile tugged on my lips. “Only if you stop calling my name with honorific, Byul.”

She laughed at that, softly, melodiously. Beautifully. Her nose skimmed across my cheek, and she pressed her lips gently on mine. A volcano erupted in my stomach with thousands of butterflies set free. But she wouldn’t kiss me just yet. Instead she drew back, a spark lighting up her eyes. “While we’re at it, Yong…I have a condition, too.”

“You do? What is it?”

“For the time being…” She emphasized each word. “I’ll be the only one climbing through your window.”

Now she made me laugh. “I think I can agree to that.”

“You think?” Byul nipped my bottom lip with her teeth.

The tiny, playful sting had me surrendering completely. “Okay, you win. You’ll be the only one.”

She her hand in my hair, holding me tight against her with her other placed flat on my stomach. “See, Yong…that sounds a damn lot better.” She move her head and captured my mouth. Her soft breath on my cheek coated my neck and arms with goose bumps, while her tongue traced the seam of my lips, demanding entrance. My heart knocked hard against my ribcage. Byul must have been able to feel it, because before she went on with the kiss, she whispered against my lips, “You nervous?”

Excited! “That’s just all you,” I whispered back. Then I reached around her neck, laced my fingers in her hair, and pulled her closer. I was done waiting.

“Will you kiss me now or what?”

curved into a smile. I could feel that, just before she made me turn around in her arms, so I straddled her lap, and she cuddled me tight against her. With her hands first in my hair and then everywhere, she kissed me in a way that made my insides tickle. Slowly she laid on her back and I’m laid on top of her. Her tongue slid against mine so slowly, so tenderly, that I thought I’d die if she stopped only for a second.

But Byul didn’t stop kissing me. She gave me everything I ever wanted. It had just taken me a little while to realize, I wanted it from her and no one else.

Suddenly I remembered something. Oh . I broke the kiss. I lifted myself up and sat on her hips.

“What’s wrong?” she asked confused.

I nearly forgot about Wheein, “You have to come back to the team.”

She frowned. She placed both her hands behind her head comfortably “On one condition”

Now it’s my time to frowned “What?”

“Only if you…” She smiled and reached her hand out to grab me by my neck and pulled me down to her. Placing my head on hers. I wait for her to finish her sentences.

“…dance with me.” she grinned.

I chuckled before l leaned forward to catches her lips with mine. “Sure” I managed to reply between the kisses.

With the feeling of totally melting into her, I didn’t notice how fast or slow time passed.

It seemed like only a second to me, or maybe it lasted for eternity. Being enclosed in Byul’s arms, I didn’t care…

Because it was perfect and I don’t want this to end.

Author note:

Finally it's done! Thank you for reading everyone !