"You are so troublesome, Jung Hayoun." Jay remarked, once they got away from the school's faculty and the others.

Kierra eyed him as she hit him with their entwined hands.

"Then you shouldn't have interferred."

"I didn't mean it like that." Jay corrected himself.

"Okay, then how was it supposed to be meant?"

"Just saying that you attract trouble. Honestly, ever since high school."

Kierra had to agree with that as a laugh escaped her lips.

"Unfortunately, yeah I do. That's quite true."

A small smle graced Jay's face as he gave her a once over.

"Anyway, you're not hurt though, right?"

With her free hand, Kierra unconsciously touched the cheeck the trio had slapped her. Luckily it didn't sting, but she could still feel how warm it was.

"Not really, but thanks, I guess."

Jay noticed Kierra touching her cheek and went to reach out a hand towards where Kierra was still holding her cheek, but she maneuvered out of the way as for him not to touch her. He raised a brow, amused, but Kierra just flashed him a small smile.

"It's really nothing, Jay. I'm fine."

The two realized they were still holding hands and let go immediately. Kierra excused herself first without giving Jay time to respond.

"Anyway, thanks again and see you around. Bye."

"Bye."

Jay gave a small wave as she ran off while he let out a breath, wondering if she would ever be absolutely comfortable around him.

"I guess I gotta keep you safe longer than you wanted." Jake said with a chuckle as Melanie eyed him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The pair successfully escaped from the school's faculty as well as from the other students. A smile lingered on Jake's face.

"Because you wanted to fake a break-up and if we did, then I wouldn't be able to save you."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah, so we gotta keep this up so that you won't get into more of those situations."

Melanie eyed Jake as she mumbled to herself while looking over her shoulders again.

"I highly doubt that."

"Hmm?" Jake hummed as Melanie returned her attention onto him and shook her head.

"Nothing."

Jake notice the keychain he gave her.

"Aww, you're using it."

He pointed at the plush toy with their entwined hands as Melanie nodded, aware that they were still holding hands.

"Uh, yeah. I found HiCat in my closet last night and switched it out so that you'll stop bothering me."

"Wow and HiCat?"

"Yes, it's cute. Want me to name her after you or something?" She joked, but Jake shrugged.

"You could."

She stopped laughing and didn't comment, but remembered that her hand was still in Jake's

"Anyway," Melanie pulled her hand from out of Jake's.

"I gotta go. Thanks for helping and keeping me safe, I guess."

She flashed him a smile while taking a few steps back.

"I'll see you tomorrow for tutoring and then on Friday night for a date. Bye."

She ran off before Jake could respond with a smile gracing his lips a second later, watching her go.

"I thi-" Sunghoon stopped speaking as Linna ran into him after he abruptly stopped and turned to face her at the same time to talk.

"Oh, sorry."

He chuckled sheepishly while using his free hand to keep her in place despite the closeness of it all.

"Didn't mean to do that."

He looked about them to make sure they had escaped everyone.

"Are you okay?"

His eyes focused on Linna once again, but she didn't dare to look up at Sunghoon as they were way too close for her comfort and that he was still holding her hand. So, Linna just meekly nodded. Sunghoon just smiled until his eyes caught sight of the keychain he gave her.

"Oh, you're using it."

"Um, yes." Linna responded, looking up now.

"I finally found Ice Prince after misplacing my hoodie that night."

"Ice Prince?" Sunghoon mused as Linna laughed sheepishly.

"Um, yes. Anyway, sorry it took a while."

"It's nothing."

Linna froze when she felt Sunghoon's free hand swiped a loose strand of hair behind her ear as his fingers tenderly grazed behind her ear and down her jawline. She felt ticklist by the action and took a step back, but was stopped by their tied hands, remembering it

"Um, thank you for your help back there."

She let go of his hand and backed up even more with a sheepish look.

"Anyway, thanks again, but I gotta get going. Um, see you Friday for sure."

Linna turned heel and ran off with the plush toy bouncing against her backpack. Sunghoon watched her, amused before remembering about the date on Friday.

"Oh, shoot. I gotta ask Jake on where we should go."

"We should be fine now, I think." Heeseung spoke in a breathy tone as he and Serena tried to catch their breath after running away from their fellow students and the grown-ups.

Heeseung glanced over at Serena as she looked over her shoulders to double-checked that they weren't being chased by the others.

"You do get yourself into a lot of dfficult situations, don't you, Park Jinae?"

"What? No, I do not whatsoever, Lee Heeseung." Serena answered in a denial-like tone, facing the male although a hint of a smile graced her face.

"Although it does get quite annoying when I do end up in such a situation from time to time."

She flashed him another smile while she tried to used their entwined hands to swipe her hair behind her hair, but paused when she finally took notice of this skinship. Serena instantly let go of Heeseung's hand to do just that as Heeseung chuckled sheepishly about the slight skinship just now.

"Anyway, what happened anyway?" Heeseung inquired as Serena shrugged.

"Dumb stuff, to be honest, but nothing for you to worry about though."

She then remembered he did save her.

"But thanks for sticking up for me though, but I could've handled it myself."

"You're welcome and yeah, true, but I think every now and then, someone should handle things for you, too, so that you don't have to."

Serena had no idea how to respond to that and if Heeseung was trying to imply something. However, she just kept it simple.

"Well, thanks, and I'll keep that in mind."

Serena cast him with another smile while pointing behind her.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go now and take care."

Heeseung only got a wave in before he could bid Serena goobye as she ran off. Once the four met up with one another made it home, they just vented and rant about the day and their weird feelings yet too tired to tease the other. However, they did get in touch with Hyeyoung and she informed them that their two friends took care of her well, and even made sure she got home safely. She thanked them for all that they did and later for the others, too. The five wished the other a good evening and just retired to their own room to recharge. 

"So, um, are we supposed to be on a double date or are we spectators to their competition?" Melanie mused between herself and Linna.

The cousins were watching Jake and Sunghoon competing against one another through another game of darts without Melanie and Linna joining in this time. They weren't interested after witnessing the two being a bit too competitive and insisted in watching the two out of pure entertainment. Anyway, the young men were currently on round five. Earlier the two had done a few rounds of arm wrestling with the arm wrestling machine, as well as the punching machine, and both machines were something to witnessed.

"I have no clue." Linna responded with a soft laugh while thinking of something.

"But do you wanna ditch them?"

"I'm down. I think they forget that we're here, too, despite inviting us on this so-called date."

"I know right."

The fake couples were hanging out at an arcade-like spot, but it seemed more like a hangout between friends than an actual date between two couples. Still, the two didn't mind as the change of scenery and pace was different from their usual weekly routine. However, Linna and Melanie didn't want to be like those plots in dramas and movies where it usually backfired at some point, but knew they needed to play cool and go with the flow. As long as the boys were preoccupied, then they were fine with that from doing anything lovey-dovey. 

"Yeah, for real. I honestly didn't think they were the competitive type." Linna commented with a laugh as Melanie agreed.

"Me either. They're actually worst than the boys and there's a lot of them."

"I know right, but luckily unlike them, we don't have to get caught in the crossfire of these two."

"So true."

Melanie started reminiscing.

"Especially between Daniel and David. They were always bad despite acting like nothing happened minutes later."

"Oh yeah, I know right, but not as bad as Jeffrey and Evan. They always brought our sisters into the mix no matter what. Remember two summers ago when we were at the beach and those random girls got jealous and kept throwing the beach ball at them until they got what was coming to them?"

"Oh yeah, most definitely. We had to leave the beach before so true. At least Kenny and Tommy would always intervened when it got a bit too much. Wow, so crazy. Weird that I miss them now."

"I know right, but after those once a week video call, I don't."

Melanie laughed in agreement.

"Oh, yes, definitely. Those calls make me glad to know we're oceans apart."

Despite calling their parents basically every day, the four had to do at least one video call a week with their so-called brothers