“Besides, I really didn’t think you could have caught him if you were running after the right person. He is really fast.” He sighed. “San Ha is only sixteen… He is still a kid, still attending lessons in school. It doesn’t seem right for adults to cage him into a singing career from such a young age. Sometimes when people are caged up for too long, they need relief. I think what he’s doing—playing hide and seek and running away; often at that— is a way for him to relieve stress. As his brother, I certainly don’t see why we should hold him back from doing what he wants.”

            “Do you support him? To run away from the company like that?”

            “Not just me, all of us do. But we act like we don’t.” He returned her baffled expression with a smile. “It’s alright if you don’t understand. Sometimes we just like to twist around the company’s rules.”

            “I already wish I could do the same,” Winter replied bitterly.

            Eun Woo seemed surprised at the bitterness in her tone. “How’s practice going by the way? Is everything going all right?”

            “Nope,” Winter laughed dryly. “It has been two days, and I know others have already finished planning the dance movements for half of their performance. But I’m still stuck at the introduction.” She sighed deeply. “I’m never going to win.”

            Eun Woo looked slightly alarmed. Nevertheless, when he spoke his voice was still gentle and calm as if he were trying to pacify a baby. “What about your mentor? He doesn’t seem to be doing his job if he is leaving you in the dirk to struggle by yourself.”

            Winter fiddled with her fingernails for a short moment, deciding whether she should bring out the question that she had in mind. Finally, she said after a moment’s pause, “is Moon Bin always like this? I don’t know why, but it feels like he hates me with all his guts.”

            Winter saw Eun Woo tightening his jaw. He looked deep in thought, his brows furrowed in concentration. She could tell this was a subject that was difficult to talk about. After a while, he said carefully, “what makes you think so?”

            “He didn’t seem happy or willing to be my mentor at all when I came into his group. When I confronted him, he said I was a fool to enter this competition; he said it was a bet that could possibly risk my life. He was really infuriated when he said so as well. I can’t help but think that I have offended him somehow…”

            She shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the prickly silence that ensued after her words. No doubt she was touching a sensitive topic, seeing the expression on Eun Woo’s face; he looked like he was in rather deep thought, struggling to say something.

            “… Yoo Bin…” he murmured indistinctly to himself.

            “I’m sorry?”

            “Well if I were to put it this way, some… unfortunate things happened relating to Moon Bin a while back… and it didn’t leave a really good mark on him.” Eun Woo’s expression was grave. “As a result, he might take some things in this competition a bit more seriously than usual. But I hope you don’t feel discouraged when he acts up to you; he really doesn’t have bad intentions. Moon Bin is a good kid as far as I have known him; he has a really soft heart— just that it is masked by his actions and the way he brings himself across to people.”

            His words left her in a baffled state. Unfortunate things? What could possibly have happened to Moon Bin to turn him into the steely person he was? Winter itched to ask, but right then her phone gave a sharp ping, shocking goosebumps onto her skin.

            It was a message from Moon Bin. His words captured his annoyance easily at first glance: WHERE ARE YOU? COME TO 7-2 NOW.

            “!” Winter exclaimed as she jumped into a standing position, her legs slightly wobbly from having sat too long. “I’m really late, I have to go now. My apologies!”

            “Sure,” Eun Woo said serenely, “but before you go, take this.”

            He placed something small and crinkly in her palm. It was a Hershey’s chocolate bar.

            “Eat this and don’t be so discouraged. If you need anything, you know I can be here for you,” he said with a voice that was capable of melting her soul.

            “Ha ha, thank you so much,” she laughed awkwardly. There was a short, almost imperceptible pause before she said, “I’ll get going now,” in a strangled tone, closed the door behind her and hurried away with her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

            “I don’t remember asking you to be here fifteen minutes late,” Moon Bin said the moment the door had closed behind her. It took her less than a second to observe his posture; he was sitting in a single chair in the middle of the room, his arms tightly folded around his chest and his lips made a thin line above hi