"hey, we're both going to the same place?" Seunghee said, as both she and Seohyun ended up walking to the same apartment door.

"I guess were are. You're here to see In Young unni too?" She asked, and Seunghee nodded.

Seohyun rang the doorbell, and a few seconds later the door opened.

"Oh good good you're both here. Come in come in" In Young quickly ushered them inside and led them to the living room.

"Seunghee the guest room is the first door on the left" She told Seunghee who nodded and went to go put her bag in the room.

Seohyun sat on the couch, surprised. "Um unni, excuse me if I'm being a bit nosy, but who is that and why is she staying here if you don't mind me asking?" And In Young chuckled at her younger cousin's politeness.

"Well that's Seunghee, she's a family friend and maybe she'll explain when she comes back out." She told Seohyun who nodded at this.

Seunghee came out of the guest room, and joined them in the living room, as Seohyun and In Young sat quietly.

Seunghee was a bit unnerved at this.

"So Seohyun, um you and In Young unni are cousins?" Seunghee asked to break the ice.

Seohyun smiled nodding. "I remember you have something to talk about with me? Is it okay if Seunghee hears too?" In Young asked her.

Seohyun nodded."Sure. Well basically, Tiffany and Jessica unni went crazy, and tried to keep me in our dorm closet because I caught them planning to do something to Jihyun unni from 4 minute and..." She started to explain but Seunghee gasped loudly.

In Young and Seohyun turned to her surprised.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry it's just.. I knew you looked familiar. You're Seohyun from SNSD right?" She asked, feeling slow.

Seohyun nodded. "Sorry go on" Seunghee said and kept quiet for the rest of Seohyun's story.

"And luckily In Guk oppa figured out something was wrong and got me out of the closet, but I have no idea if Jihyun unni is okay." Seohyun said worriedly.

~

Seunghee and In Young looked worried for Jihyun as well.

"This is why I don't want to get involved with an idol." Seunghee muttered to herself.

Seohyun and In Young looked at her in confusion.

"Seunghee, you had something to say didn't you?" In Young remembered, and grabbed some iced tea for them to drink.

Seohyun looked at her with genuine concern, and it was a bit disconcerting to Seunghee.

"Earlier um, you were crying weren't you?" Seohyun asked her gently.

Seunghee nodded slowly. She took a sip of the iced tea In Young brought them, and then started to explain.

"The reason I'm here is because, okay I admit I'm in hiding so to speak. I met Eli from U-Kiss while I worked at a cafe and we became friends but then all this paparazzi crazy fans thing happened, and I don't want him to go through that anymore, so I stopped hanging out with him recently." Seunghee explained.

Seohyun and In Young gaped at this.

"But, does this really solve anything?" In Young asked.

Seunghee sighed, shrugging. "I don't know what else to do." She admitted, stirring her iced tea half-heartedly.

Seohyun had a certain look in her eye after pondering for a moment.

"Seunghee can I ask you, is it the media backlash you're afraid of, or is it being with him that you're worried about?" Seohyun asked carefully.

Seunghee looked surprised. "Being with him, you said?" She asked for clarification, and Seohyun nodded.

"The reason I ask is because if you were, like you said just a friend, the media and the fans would eventually back away. But from what I've seen, if fans spot that you two are interested in each other, or even if just one of you likes the other, then they won't let go, and they'll just latch on and try to break you down." Seohyun explained.

Seunghee sighed again, staring down at her iced tea. 

"I..I don't know. But I guess you are right. I don't think I'd be strong enough to handle the hate that comes with being with an idol. No offense." She quickly added, but Seohyun wasn't offended, she understood.

"And has he said anything about being interested in you?" In Young asked, squeezing lemon into her tea.

Seunghee thought for a moment. "Not in so many words but, he has been there alot for me, he doesn't talk about other girls, and he asked me, just before I got here, if I only saw us as being friends." She explained, feeling a pang at having lied to him.

"And what did you say?" Seohyun asked, almost whispering.

"I said that I did." Seunghee said sadly.

In Young and Seohyun looked at her in sympathy.

"Well, you do like him though don't you?" In Young asked, just to be sure.

Seunghee nodded. 

"But you're letting him go because you think it's best for the both of you?" Seohyun asked.

Seunghee nodded again.

In Young scrunched her brows in confusion.

"But if he likes you, and you like him, how does this solve anything?" She asked, not seeing where everything fit.

Seunghee blew at her bangs in exasperation.

"I don't know. But he can find someone better. Maybe a fellow idol." Seunghee said softly.

"But would you be able to live with that? Knowing that you were the one in his heart, and you pushed him away, and he just tried to fill that void with someone else?" Seohyun asked seriously.

Seunghee raised an eyebrow at this. 

"Seohyun I know you're very smart, but I think you watch too many dramas. But you do have a point" Seunghee added.

Seohyun nodded slowly, with a small smile.

"I don't know what to tell you dongseng. It seems you have two options, live with the lie you told him, and try to have things go back to how they were before you met him, or be honest with him, and face the hardships together." In Young said.

Seunghee bit her lips. "But how can I prove my feelings now, that I've lied and hurt him like this?" She asked aloud.

In Young and Seohyun looked at each other. 

"That's up to you. I have faith in you" In Young said gently.

"Me too. Although I just met you" Seohyun added with a light laugh, and Seunghee smiled back, grateful.

~