"And I was like it." Eli said smiling widely as he explained a story of how Kiseop pranked him one day. HeeJIn scrunched her nose at his cursing, and threw a french fry at his head.

"Why do you have to curse so much?" She said, as Eli held his palms in front of him.

"What the hell--heck?" He asked, startled by her throwing food.

"Another important thing to know about me. I don't like cursing." She told him, chomping on a french fry.

Eli gaped at this. "You called me an that one time." He said slowly.

She shrugged. "You deserved it. But I know you're not like that now." She added quickly..

Eli sighed. "Fine I'll try not to curse in front of you." He said.

"Thanks." She said dryly.

Eli tried to start his story over again, without cursing.

"And I was like forget it. But Kiseop hyung still kept laughing at drawing on my face while I was sleeping so later that night I put shaving cream on his hand, and got a feather to rub his nose and he smacked himself with the shaving cream." He said grinning still.

Seunghee smiled but rolled her eyes at the boys' immaturity. 

As she sat there chatting and eating with Eli, something dawned on her. 

When was the last time he was able to go out freely to socialize?

"What's with the face?" Eli asked, noticing her frown.

She looked back at him. "I was just wondering, when was the last time you were able to just go out with friends to talk?" She asked.

Eli raised an eyebrow mischeivously "Who said we were friends?" He joked.

Seunghee sighed, "I'm being serious here. It's something I always wondered about you and other singers." She explained.

"You wonder about me? Eli asked, amused.

She threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. "Bah. Forget it. Let's go." She said, tossing her empty paper plate in the trash.

She started walking ahead while Eli finally caught up to her, grabbing her hand to stop her.

She stopped walking and looked back at him, not glaring but just looking at him in surprise.

He suddenly remembered her distaste of skinship and quickly let go, clearing his throat to ease the awkwardness.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Me too." She said, realizing that she was being too hard on him.

Eli rubbed the back of his head, checking the time on his phone.

"Wow are you that bored already?" Seunghee said, feigning offence.

"It's only 9. Want to go to the arcade?" He asked, impressed that she was learning quickly at how he faked feeling offended sometimes.

Seunghee looked back up at him, unsure. 

"Sure. Not like I have anything better to do." She replied.

"Gee. You sound really excited." Eli said sarcastically.

Seunghee half-smiled, quickly giving him a one armed side hug. "Oh come on. Course I want to hang out with you." She said.

Eli was surprised at the sudden skinship and Seunghee let go, flushing slightly.

"Let's go" She said quickly and walked ahead of him down the sidewalk, as Eli smiled, shaking his head at her embarassment.

"Yo wait up Seungie!" He called out.

Seunghee cringed and turned to glare at him.

"Yah you wanna die?! Call me Seungie one more time." She jokingly warned him.

Eli quickly caught up to her, saying in a low voice. "Seungie." His deep brown eyes staring down at her.

Seunghee felt a shiver run up her spine, but blinked, punching him in the arm.

"Oh god. Don't do that either." She said, shuddering for emphasis.

Eli laughed and walked beside her to the arcade.

He could tell she didn't really mind it, and he wondered why she was fighting it, but he knew she had a point about what she had said last week.

Dating an idol would be hell.

Wait a minute. How could he be so sure that Seunghee was even into him like that? She kept mentioning their friendship how many times a day.

He was curious though.

"Hey Seunghee?" He asked, as they neared the arcade.

"Yeah?" She said, glancing up at him.

"Are you interested in anyone at your University?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

Seunghee raised an eyebrow at this. "At my school? No. Why?" She asked, confused.

"Just curious." Eli said with a shrug. She gave him a weird look, but then walked into the arcade ahead of him.

After an hour of playing air hockey, and DDR, they left the arcade, exhausted.

They bought cups of coffee from the convenience store, and stood outside her apartment complex, chatting for a bit longer.

Eli was still curious about why she flinched so much about skinship.

Seunghee blew at her hot cup of coffee to try and cool it off a bit, as they sat on the stone bench outside her apartment complex.

"Hey, I'm going to ask you a question, but if you don't want to answer it, it's cool." He said slowly.

"Um okay?" Seunghee said, not sure why he was speaking so hesitantly.

"I was wondering why you flinch so much with any sort of skinship with people. Well except with your family, but other people." He asked carefully.

Seunghee's face became downcast and Eli felt bad.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to..." He started to say, but she quickly shook her head.

Her voice was soft when she spoke next.

Placing her coffee cup on the ground beside her, she spoke slowly not looking down at her lap as she spoke.

When I was fourteen, I went to summer camp for a month with a few of my friends. 

It was late at night, and I was already sleeping in my cabin bed when I suddenly felt a rough hand sliding up my stomach to my..." Seunghee said, unable to finish her sentence, having flashbacks of that horrible memory.

Eli felt sick to his stomach.

"...I woke up and it was one of my camp counselors, and he clamped a hand over my mouth, warning me not to tell anyone or he would tell everyone that I had come onto him." She continued on, choking out her words.

"I knew I should have reported him. But then I thought, who would believe me over him? there was already this ridiculous rumor that I was just a at that camp anyway." She said, sobbing suddenly unable to control her tears.

Eli crushed the cup of coffee in his hands in anger at the man who had harmed Seunghee. 

But the coffee was still hot.

"" Eli said, as the coffee spilled on his hands.

Seunghee suddenly stopped crying and looked back at him with wide eyes.

"I didn't mean to curse again." He apologized.

She quickly sprang into action, and took off her scarf to dry his hands and then used it to grab some snow from the ground and wrapped it around his hands securely. 

She kept her hands around his, trying to make sure the burning sensation stopped.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, as Eli looked at her in confusion.

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked, and Seunghee looked up at him, her eyes still red.

"For causing drama by talking about this.I hope your hand's okay." She said softly.

Eli couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Seunghee listen to me. What happened to you, is serious. I'm really sorry you had to go through all of that. I shouldn't have brought it up. But do you think you could report the guy now?" He asked.

She looked back up at him, torn. "I don't know. My parents will be devastated. And I don't know what everyone else will think." She admitted.

Eli realized now why she had taken a job that treated her poorly. She wasn't able to see that she was worth alot more than that.

He carefully removed his hands from her grip, and embraced her, expecting her to push away, but Seunghee felt so weary that she just collapsed against his shoulder, crying again.

~