Chapter 4!          The Chase

I don’t think he saw me escape… Nicolette thought, as she climbed up a stairway to the highest point on the cruise accessible to the public. There was a narrow stairway on the port side of the cruise that was not really very noticeable, but having been here many times before, she knew most of the ship inside out. Reaching the top, she carefully made her way to the railings at the front, ready to duck in case one of them was looking in her direction. Luckily for her, the boys had given up and were enjoying themselves again, with the wind buffeting their faces.

Nicolette leaned on the railings, her head resting on her arms, contented in just watching the six boys enjoying themselves, joking amongst themselves. Just watching them behaving so naturally in front of her was her biggest dream come true. She had never expected to see them in real life, let alone have any form of encounter with them. So lost was she in her contentment, that she never noticed Doojoon turning around to lean on the barrier, facing the rest of the guys, facing her direction…

Ignoring the fact that the wind was messing up his short hair, Doojoon leaned back, trying to find a comfortable position that he could settle in while facing the rest, making it easier for them to converse. From his position, he lazily gazed around, it took him a while to realize that there was someone looking in their direction. Squinting his eyes to see properly as the light was behind the figure, he finally realized that it was the fan they had met earlier.

“Guys,” Doojoon said, breaking their current conversation with his serious tone, “I think I found our stalker fan.”

The guys followed their leader’s gaze, squinting their eyes due to the light, taking a while before they finally found their target.

“Guys, let’s do something fun. Let’s go catch her.”

Nicolette’s eyes widened, as she saw six pairs of eyes fixed on hers. , they saw me. If they block the staircase, I’m trapped. I gotta get out of here!

She quickly climbed down the staircase, going fast but carefully in case she missed a step. When she reached the bottom, she took a quick glance to find BEAST also going down the steps towards her. Blood pumping through her veins, she immediately turned and strode hurriedly to the thick wooden door. Pulling open the door, she quickly stepped in. The wind pressure slammed the door shut behind her, and as if it was a gunfire, she started running.  Down the steps, skipping two as she ran, turn right to the corridor, a left to the room, hearing shouts behind her as she ran. She suddenly walked normally, desperately steadying her breathing as she walked past the people inside, heading for the partially hidden staircase to her favourite hiding place. Once her hand touched the handrail, she descended the winding steps as fast as she could, disappearing from any prying eyes, and entering the room lit by a red light and a few other dim lights, causing the room to shine with a red glow.

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“Stupid door…” Junhyung mumbled, as he struggled to open the door for all of them.

“Where did she go?” Kikwang asked aloud, the first member to step in. “She ran away!”

“She must have ran down!” Doojoon yelled.

“But what about that room?” Yoseob asked, pointing to the room near the door.

“Dongwoon! Go in and check that room! The rest follow me down!” Doojoon ordered, leading the way down the flight of stairs.

“Why is it the maknae that’s always being ordered around?” Dongwoon grumbled to the air, as the rest was already noisily making their way down the stairs.

“Shoot. There’s too many ways she could have gone! Hyunseung, Kikwang. You two go into that room to and check! Junhyung, you take the right corridor, see if she went outside! Yoseob, follow me down!” Doojoon yelled when they reached the floor below. “We’ll meet back here unless anyone found something. Give a shout if you do.” With that, he ran down the stairs again, Yoseob following close behind.

“You take the left entrance, I’ll take the right.” Kikwang said, heading towards his given area.

Hyunseung nodded, and went in.

Junhyung stood near the lift area, looking at the map of the ship there. There’s only the activity room and library here, unless she passed the spa area and went outside. Walking down the corridor, he asked the staff outside the spa if they had seen a girl running past in his broken English. Receiving a negative reply, he calmly but carefully searched the library and activity room, seeing no signs of the girl. He headed back to their meeting place, meeting Dongwoon already standing there, having found nothing in the karaoke room. Before long, more joined them.

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Galaxy of the Stars… Hyunseung read the sign, walking into the well furnished room. It had a bar which served drinks, and a dance floor with disco lights equipped. To the left of the room, jackpot machines lined the glass divider, most of them in use. A glass divider ran in a semi-circle around the room, behind the dance floor. There, tables and armchairs were placed where people could enjoy their coffee, read a book, or just enjoy the ocean view though the glass windows that ran from the ceiling to the ground. A model of the ship was placed at the front, as well as a fake steering wheel mimicking the ships of olden days.

Currently, the dance floor was being used to run a bingo game. People sat in the comfortable chairs, waiting for their number to be called so they can win the game. Meeting Kikwang just in front of the bar, Hyunseung shook his head, as did he.

“She’s not here. Besides, she’ll really stand out from everyone else in here. Let’s go back. Maybe the rest had better luck.”

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Everyone waited for the last two members to return. Seeing their face as Doojoon and Yoseob climbed up the stairs, the members sighed in disappointment. Somehow, they had lost their stalker fan so easily. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.

“She must know this ship quite well, hiding somewhere we can’t find her…”

“Yah, let’s go back into our rooms. I think we have enough excitement for one night.”

Following the leader, they walked towards the middle lift, which was the nearest to their rooms.

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I know she’s here, somewhere… she’s very close, but I don’t know where exactly…

I looked around the area, there’s not much place she could be hiding in though. The library, activity room, bar area all turned out empty without a clue… but I know she’s in here, somewhere…

“Yah, why are you just standing there? Let’s go.” One of the members called, breaking into my thoughts. Sighing, I followed the rest, throwing a last glance over my shoulder.

I’ll find you… next time.

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Okay Nikki, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out… relax… they’re not going to find you here. Already feeling a lot calmer now that she is in her favourite hiding place, her breathing soon returned to normal as she cleared her mind. Watching the captains walking around doing their stuff through the glass panels, being bathed in the soft red light, the familiarity of the whole place just soothes her nerves.

“Oh my gosh… I can’t believe what just happened…” her hands cupping her flushed cheeks, red partially due to the running, partially due to the fact she was chased by none other than BEAST.

But why did I run? Even before the thought fully formed in her mind, she knew the answer already. When in front of strangers or people who make her very self-conscious, her mind will go blank and sometimes, she’ll just react by reflex. But still, it was BEAST! Which fangirl wouldn’t want a chance to meet them! But there’s no way I can meet them face to face… I think I’ll just die…

Sighing, her breath condensed on the glass panel. Smiling to herself, she drew a smiley face on the glass.

I guess it’s about time I go back. They should be long gone by now.

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“Ah… I’m so tired now! I can’t believe that in just one night, we had so much excitement!” Kikwang said, collapsing on his bed, fresh from the shower.

“Yah! Go dry your hair first! Or you’ll fall sick! We still have schedules immediately after this trip!” Junhyung scolded from the other room.

“Oh please… it’s not like I’m so weak. Look! I have the best muscles!” Kikwang laughed, flexing his muscles, still lying on the bed.

Junhyung scowled. “Muscles have nothing to do with your immune system!”

“Hyung, loosen up! Shouldn’t the search just now released your stress already?” Yoseob said, “come on, just agree it was fun!”

“Fun? FUN?! You actually called that fun! Chasing and trying to find a girl on the cruise is so NOT fun! You better go find the definition of that word!” Junhyung almost yelled back.

“Aish. No need to be so snappy.” Yoseob mumbled.

“Ignore him. He’s just being irritable all because he doesn’t have his shades. If he wants to ruin the trip for himself just let him. I can’t be bothered anymore.” Doojoon said, letting himself fall on the nearest empty bunk.

“Hyung… that’s my bed…” Dongwoon whined.

“Hmm… just for a while Woonie-ah. I’m too tired to move now…”

“Hyung…”

“Sheesh… stop bullying the maknae and get your own bed.” Junhyung nagged.

“Sheesh… it’s none of your business.”

“Aish, you-”

“Okay, let’s cheer up! This song will make us feel better.” Hyunseung said from his position at the connecting doorway, fiddling with his iphone. “Uh huh.”

BEAST immediately perked up at the sound of the starting music, as Yoseob laughed and Junhyung groaned.

“Come on! Enjoy the song!” Hyunseung told Junhyung, as Yoseob sang, “listen boy. My first love story… oh woohoo~”

“Yongsica!” Hyunseung cued, as Junhyung gave a small stupid grin, finally giving in. “My angel. And my girls…”

“My sunshine. Oh. Oh. Let’s go!” the three of them sang.

Suddenly BEAST was singing, Doojoon and Yoseob even dancing, along to SNSD’s Gee.

“Gee gee gee gee, baby baby baby. Gee gee gee gee, baby baby baby.” They half sang half shouted, as their rooms were suddenly turned into a karaoke room.

“Ah~! I got back my strength!” Doojoon announced as the song ended and he collapsed on Dongwoon’s bed again

“Ah, hyung! You’re on my bed again!” Dongwoon protested.

“Araso. Araso.” Doojoon replied, getting off the maknae’s bed. Immediately, Dongwoon threw himself on the bed, trying to take up as much space as possible to prevent anyone from lying on his bed again, in case the leader changed his mind.

BEAST laughed at his childish action, including Junhyung. How can he not cheer up if everyone was behaving like this?

really really loved it when BEAST (mainly yoseob, hyunseung and junhyung) sang along to SNSD's Gee.. keke..

and when they go high, they really are dorks! ahahah.. xD

well, BEAST just had their Welcome Back To BEAST Airlines yesterday, and another one later today... keke... hope they'll do well, and lots of fancams will be uploaded!! ^-^

hope you all enjoyed your valentine's day, whichever way you celebrated/not celebrated it... lol. if you missed the valentine's wishes and wanna see it, its here: Valentine's Greetings from King and BEAST