“Mi Young ah~” A soft familiar voice probed at your consciousness, pulling you out of the remains of a sweet dream. Your eyelids twitched slightly, your thoughts still confined to the fence between dreams and reality. With your eyelids still pressed firmly closed, you shuffled around in bed, rolling till you were curled up on one side. A faint chuckle rang through your thoughts, as slight creases framed your smooth forehead. The bouncy mattress beside you lurched gently, indicating that someone was present. When you felt a warm, gentle touch against your tingling cheeks, the last tendrils of sleep faded away. Slowly, your heavy eyelids fluttered open, prepared to face the harsh rays of a typical sunny morning. However, you blinked slowly when you saw the familiar features set on a chiselled face, framed with dancing eyes that stared back at you intently. His arms were folded and propped by on the bed, as he sat on a chair by the bedside. As a bright smile spread over his pink lips, you noticed that he was resting his chin on his arms, his gaze fixed contently on your face. Normally, the mere closeness of your faces would leave you embarrassed, but something had changed between the both of you. As if reading your thoughts, his eyes twinkled happily before disappearing into your favourite crescent moons. A warm fuzzy feeling spread throughout your body, and yet his gaze captured yours, preventing you from looking away. You felt a smile tug on the corners of your mouth, as your chapped lips curled up into the first smile of the day. Seeing the lovely smile framing your beautiful features, the mere force of your natural glow took his breath away. It was almost enough to make him forget the reason why he was here. Last night was truly one that the both of you would remember. The only regret he had was that he hadn’t been able to personally confess his feelings for you. It was intriguing how something so trivial had managed to bother him so intensely. It was a regret that he planned on fixing as soon as possible. “Morning sunshine”, he whispered, the gentle scent of mint instantly making you shiver. Such a cheesy boy, you thought affectionately. Chuckling softly, you reached out a hand to ruffle his hair. Only, when you were about to withdraw your hand, his own reached up to grab it before bringing it to his lips. Smiling, he kissed the back of your hand cheekily, launching your heart into a frantic rhythm of beats. He watched the growing blush on your cheeks with an evil smirk. “Still not going to get up?” He cooed mischievously. “Yah yah oppa! I’m getting up now!” You said in a panic, jumping out of bed, eager to dispel the pink on your cheeks. “Go get ready, we’re going somewhere”, he said proudly. “Where are we going? Don’t you have practice?” You asked curiously, shooting him a blank expression. “It’s Sunday, so we get a day off. I’ll see you downstairs in 15 minutes alright!” He explained with a smile while ushering you towards the bathroom. With that, he dashed out of the room, disappearing down the vast hallway. Aish… this boy, you muttered under your breath, despite the fact that an unstoppable smile had graced your face. Excited at the prospect of spending a day with him, you started to wash up, before fretting over the wide collection of clothes in your wardrobe. Bypassing the section with anything glittery, short or translucent, you picked out a favourite white top, and a pastel brown skirt. You could never get used to wearing anything more flamboyant than this, and so decided to stick to something you felt comfortable in. Pulling on a grey cardigan, you dressed yourself and cautiously made your way downstairs. Thank goodness it was a sunday, which meant that all the house attendants had the day off. Your heart skipped a beat, when you caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, standing in the living room, his back facing the stairs. You took the opportunity to look at him. I mean, really look at him. His brown hair was tousled, his bangs effortlessly falling over his bright eyes. The perfect arch of his nose, and the affectionate curve of his lips, made complete by a small smile. He was dressed in a white shirt, and a preppy grey cardigan, his hands disappearing into the pockets of his jeans. Your smile turned into a slight blush when your gaze travelled to admire his stature. Although he was lean, he was definitely fit. With those muscular arms and hidden abs, he was the most perfect sight you had ever laid eyes on. But despite his physical appearance, his personality was the thing you loved. He was just so precious. At that moment, you knew that you would never be able to love anyone as much as you loved this boy standing before you. As if hearing your thoughts, Min Hyuk turned around slowly, a grin creeping up his cheeks. You watched silently as he walked towards you, your cheeks gradually reddening into an unstoppable blush. “Let’s go”, he whispered enthusiastically while placing a hand behind your back.”Wait oppa, where are we going? What about the other oppas?”you stammered, before wanting to mentally slap yourself for spoiling the moment. “I knew you wouldn’t leave without some persuasion”, Min Hyuk chuckled as you pouted at him. “Come on”, he said while tugging on your arm. You followed him through the foyer, and towards the wing that BTOB was occupying. Nodding at Min Hyuk’s gesture to be quiet, you peeked through an unfamiliar door. “Ohh”, you gasped before covering your mouth. This was the guest room of the east wing, and you saw a frail looking girl lying peacefully on the bed. Seo Yeon was completely knocked out from all the alcohol, and for once, she looked almost-vulnerable. But what surprised you the most, was a figure perched by her bedside, fast asleep as well. “Peniel oppa…” You whispered, fully comprehending the situation. “He insisted on staying with her since last night”, Min Hyuk said with a smile. “How did you find out about them?” You asked him after the both of you had left, wanting to give the couple some privacy. “I have eyes you know… I saw the way the both of them looked at each other, and I just knew that the both of them still had feelings for each other”, he explained. “I knew first!” You nodded childishly, watching Min Hyuk’s expression change. “No, I knew first!” He barked jokingly, a smirk lighting up his face. “Yah oppa, you couldn’t have known before me... Otherwise, you wouldn’t have hit Peniel”, you whispered, your tone falling as you left your sentence hanging, feeling the awkward tension in the air. An unavoidable silence took over, as you played with your fingers nervously. “I know it was wrong… I hope, I didn’t scare you”, he whispered, watching you intently for a response. “Aniyo… I know that you’re not usually like that”, you replied understandingly. With a slight smile, you your heels. With lightning fast reflexes, his hand shot out to grip your arm, making your skin tingle. Instinctively, you flinched, an expression of shock evident on your face, even if it lasted for a single second. Pulling your hand back, you saw his expression fall, and you tried to collect yourself, returning your posture to a natural one. Why did I do that? You thought anxiously, trying to pinpoint the unexpected sensation. It was obvious then, that even though you had tried to pretend that everything was alright, you were physically and mentally scarred by the close shave last night. Recalling the night’s events in your head, you could remember the sensation of fear mixed with hatred, as you felt his slimy lips on your skin. His harsh grip on your arms left invincible scars. You could have been … Last night, in the seclusion of your own room, you allowed yourself to cry, tears mixing in with water droplets as you scrubbed your limbs desperately, wanting to remove all memory of him. Conflict was written all over your face, and when you glanced at Min Hyuk, his expression completely overwhelmed you. Horror was mingled with disbelief, as his eyes glistened, b with pain. You could no longer hold your emotions in. As the first tears escaped your eyes, you turned away, clasping your hands over your mouth as your feet carried you away desperately….

Min Hyuk’s first instinct was to run after you. He desperately wanted to hold you in his arms, to comfort you and protect you. But his feet completely failed him, as he watched your petite figure disappear through the velvet curtains of the East Wing. He had failed to protect you… I’m such an idiot. Min Hyuk you pabo, how could you even believe for a second that she would be okay?! She was being strong so that you wouldn’t worry, and you actually believed that she was really that strong?! He clenched his fists slightly, his heart constricting in pure regret. This was the first time he had seen you react this way. The pain of knowing that he couldn’t even touch you scared him intensely. It took all the restraint he could master, to stop himself from bringing you back to his chest, where you belonged. “Min Hyuk, is something wrong”, a familiar voice called out worriedly. Eun Kwang dashed up to the motionless boy, gripping his shoulder tightly. “Hy-ung”, he muttered, choking on the tears that escaped his brown orbs. The older boy gasped when he noticed that his dongsaeng was crying, as he enveloped Min Hyuk in a brotherly hug. “Is something wrong hyung?” Another timid voice called out from behind the door frame, worry evident in his trembling voice. This wasn’t the first time they had seen Min Hyuk cry. After all, he was ranked the “crybaby” of the group for a reason. But somehow, the expression of pain stretched over his face left s more worried than ever. Tentatively, Sung Jae placed his palm over the older boy’s shoulder, patting it gently. Min Hyuk looked up at his two brothers, seeing the pain he felt reflected in their eyes. Managing a shaky nod, he gave the two boys a gentle squeeze, assuring them that he would be alright. Eun Kwang was always a brother he was close to. Even though they were only days apart in age, Eun Kwang had always been the more mature of the two. Calm, kind and empathetic, he had always been a close confidante of Min Hyuk. Sung Jae, was the maknae, and his childish demeanour had always shone through his contrary stature. However, he was earnest and loyal, and Min Hyuk had built a strong bond of trust with the younger boy. With a deep breath, Min Hyuk explained to the two boys of what had happened the night before.

Sung Jae was curled up on the couch, biting his fingernails absentmindedly, his mind lost in weary thoughts about you. Eun Kwang and Min Hyuk sat behind him, as the two boys tried to digest what had happened. The pain Min Hyuk faced was now clearly reflected in the worried faces of the two other members. “I can’t bear to think…what would have happened if you hadn’t found her in time”, the leader stammered, his usual calmness lost in the situation. “Is…noona…okay?” Sung Jae asked nervously, his playful banter replaced with a tone of desperation. “She seemed fine last night… But now that I look back on it, she was probably just pretending to be strong so I wouldn’t have to worry”, Min Hyuk explained. Sung Jae sighed quietly. “That’s just how noona is. Always pretending to be strong for our sakes, even if she’s crumbling inside”, the maknae muttered softly to no one in particular. From across the couch, Eun Kwang reached out to pat Sung Jae’s shoulder comfortingly. “What happened after you found her?” Eun Kwang asked again when the younger boy had calmed down. “I beat up the boy, and pulled her away. We were hiding out in an alley beside the house, when I tried to check if she was alright… and…” Min Hyuk drifted off nervously. “And what?” the leader asked anxiously. “I kissed her”, he whispered softly. “You What!” the maknae shouted before the leader clamped a hand over his mouth. Despite the pessimistic circumstance, Eun Kwang and Sung Jae’s faces had brightened a little. “So you finally told noona that you like her?” Sung Jae asked excitedly, nudging the older boy. “Not exactly… I realised that I never got a chance to actually confess to her. I was going to correct that today when things went wrong…” Min Hyuk said, ruffling his hair dejectedly. “Wait, how did you know about my feelings for Mi Young?” Min Hyuk asked the younger boy suspiciously. “Aish Hyung. It was kind of obvious”, Sung Jae replied sheepishly, his eyes curling up into a slight smile. “It doesn’t matter though. She won’t even let me touch her. I tried holding her hand earlier, and she pulled it away… I know it’s not her fault, but it just hurts seeing her pull herself away from me”, Min Hyuk stammered sadly, burying his head in his hands. “Give her some time to recover. The only thing we can do for her now, is to help her get through this. We may not be able to erase that painful memory, but we can give her many more wonderful memories. Even if it takes weeks, months or even a year, I know that she will definitely be able to pull through” Eun Kwang explained patiently. Smiling at the worried look on Min Hyuk’s face, the leader said:”You have to believe in her. She’s a strong one”. Min Hyuk nodded convincingly, clenching his fists. I believe in you Mi Young. Take as long as you need, I’ll always be here waiting for you. They say that true love conquers all, and I’ll be waiting for that one day where I can finally hold you in my arms again.

Hi readers :3 It’s been so long right? I sincerely apologize for my unintended long hiatus! I got really caught up in work and the week’s events): But I hope that you guys have been well! ^^ Everyone please take care of yourselves and drink more water! Anyways, here’s a new chapter for you~ I’m sorry if I repeated some words, I suddenly ran out of vocabulary hehe! 

Oh, and remember that chapter from the past? Where it was set in Cordoba, Spain! I went through my camera to pick out photos of Cordoba for you guys!