Spontaneous combustion obviously was too much to hope for since Lee Mi Cha walked into the hostel like she was supposed to be there. I tucked away the self pity I wanted to have when I saw them arm in arm, and put on my poker face. The boys needed Daesung back, and I did too, so I had to do this one little thing.

            “Mi Cha unnie! It’s nice to see you again,” I lied through my teeth. Mi Cha looked stunned.

            “Well it’s nice to see you too, Leah,” she said. It was obvious that she had no idea why I was being so nice to her.

            “I’m so surprised to see you here with Dae-oppa. We didn’t think that you were going to let him back since he hasn’t been home in so many days.”

            “I didn’t want to let him go, you know how easy it is to get attached to him.”

            “Believe me, I know,” I said. “But I’m glad you decided to share him with us. I know the guys have been kind of lost without him.”

            “That’s true,” Youngbae said. “It’s strange to wake up and it’s quiet around here.”

            We all laughed and I wondered if I was the only one who noticed how fake we all sounded.

            “Hyung, I’m not that loud,” Daesung said.

            “Yes you are,” TOP said, “especially when you decide to randomly yell ‘I am Daesung’ through the house.”

            “You don’t call us much either,” JiYong said. “You know how I worry….Don’t you like your hyungs anymore Daesung-ie?”

            “Of course I do, but I thought…” he trailed off as he looked at me and then away quickly. Mi Cha noticed and it became obvious that she didn’t know what I’d said when I was drunk.

            “What did you think Dae-oppa?” I asked, voicing the thought I could see on Mi Cha’s face.

            “I just thought I’d get away for a little while longer, that’s all.”

            “Get away?” I asked. “But oppa, you’ve already been gone for two months.”

            “We don’t usually get many vacation days. I thought I’d take a couple more. It doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about you guys though. Ask Mi Cha, she scolds me all the time for having nothing else to talk about.”

            “It’s true,” Mi Cha said. “Every other sentence is Youngbae-ah this, and SeungRi-ah that, and Dakota and Leah such and such. It makes me jealous the way he talks about you all.”

            “Oh unnie, I’m the one who should be jealous,” I said. “I mean, Dae-oppa is always with you. I just have his clothes and the snacks he likes and all the pictures and memories of him to make it through the day.”

            “Aww…you really care about our Daesung-ie, don’t you?” Mi Cha asked.

            “Of course I do unnie. We already had this discussion.”

            “When did this happen?” JiYong asked.

            “Oh about a week ago,” I said. “You guys were gone to an interview and Mi Cha unnie came over and had a nice little chat with Dakota and me.” I could feel Mi Cha’s eyes as they bore into my skull. “She told us all about how she’d been wanting to work with Dae-oppa since he debuted and how much of an honor it was to work with someone so much younger than her. She also told me that I would be seeing a lot of her.” I paused for a moment. “But now that I think about it unnie, right after that you left. I wonder if you really did want to see me.”

            Mi Cha narrowed her eyes, catching my drift. “It wasn’t like that,” she said, trying to bluff her way out of it. “Of course I wanted to see you, but I did have to work.”

            “But Mi Cha, you always said that Leah wasn’t-”

            “What are you talking about Daesung-ie? I’ve never said anything about Leah,” she said.

            “That’s too bad because I’ve been talking about you unnie,” I said. “I mean, I tell anyone who would listen how great it is to have such a talented unnie like you.”

            “Really? That’s a surprise.”

            “What do you mean? You don’t think you’re great?”

            “It’s not that, it’s just…”

            “Oh, you mean that you didn’t think I’d say such things since you tattled on me to President Yang and tried to get me thrown out? I thought we were both adults and could get past that unnie.”

            “What are you talking about Leah?” JiYong asked.

            “Oh it’s nothing big. Remember that radio show you guys went to and I missed it because I had to talk to the President? Mi Cha unnie told him I was disrespectful to her and he scolded me. But like I said, it’s not important.”

            “Mi Cha, is this true?” Daesung asked.

            “Of course it’s not. She’s making up stories because she’s jealous of how much time we spend together.”

            “Ha!” I laughed. “If I wanted to make up stories, I’d come up with some that were actually gossip-worthy, like Dae-oppa walking in on me in the shower, or me seeing him in his boxers, both of which did actually happen. But we can always call Papa YG if you want to know. I’m sure he’d settle this in a moment.”

            “I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Mi Cha said. I was starting to understand why she’d won do many acting awards. “I don’t know why you hate me Leah, but I’m not going to stay here and listen to this garbage anymore. I’m leaving.” She headed toward the door. “Daesung-ie, are you coming?”

            We all turned to watch Daesung. “Maknae, I can’t believe you would say such things about Lee Mi Cha.”

            “I’m saying such things because they’re true. Why don’t you believe me?”

            Daesung shook his head in my direction as he walked out the door.