Haebyeol was stiff the next few weeks, much unlike her usual demeanor. Because since then, Lu Han hasn't called back or even answered her calls, emails, or texts. He left her alone with those last words and had left himeslf to be sheltered away from her, shunning her. So in response, Haebyeol began to mope with frustration and irritation toward the stupid deer; her members were worrisome. Every time she would step into the room, eyebrows would knit together with concern, and Haebyeol would only shrug them off and respond with, "Nothing's wrong; just tired from practice." And the girls would drop it, but not Vivien.
"Yah!" she called, pouting feverishly. "Yah, I'm calling you, Byeollie-ah!"
Haebyeol grimaced, taking a sip of her bitter coffee. "What do you want?"
"Our goodbye stage is tomorrow! We can't afford to have you act like this, is what!"
"I'm not distracted," Haebyeol declared argumentatively. "I'm just worn out; we practiced five hours today."
Vivien and Hannie narrowed their eyes on Haebyeol. "Are you sure nothing happened?"

Ava her lips, "Does it have to do with that call you got that one night?"

"What phonecall?" Anna demanded profusely. She slammed her hand onto the kitchen counter, causing all, excluding Haebyeol, to jump suddenly from the loud smacking sound. "You can't afford to be distracted; if you're suffering, you should confide with us," Anna chided softly.
"What good would it do --"
"We're your familiy," Kisa argued loudly. "We are supposed to stick together, but if you keep doing this, we're not going to get anywhere. We could fall apart and that would be the end of our careers!"
Haebyeol sighed, "It's nothing, okay?"

The young adult fought hard to muster an encouraging smile. "I'm just... Masquerade promotions are coming to an end, then we have to worry about Dr. Feel Good; it's just overhwelming," she cleared . "Hwaiting for tomorrow. I'll just rest up now, okay?"
The girls nodded, buying every bit of it. However, they still did look after her, examining her back carefully as she exited the kitchen. Hannie's lip twitched suddenly as she let out a long hum. Moreover, the topic was dropped, and the remaining six carried on with their nightly routine in preparation for the big goodbye stage for tomorrow.

Haebyeol slumped onto her bed, pulling out her phone; she scrolled down her contacts list and stared at Lu Han's name with a glare, gentle, but still gathered with a substantial amount of scorn. "Stupid deer," she cursed quietly under her breath, "you didn't even give me a chance to respond."

They scurried off of stage, stumbling over several wires and over their own heels; sweat coursed down their faces and necks, drowning them in a river of salty perspiration; adrenaline coursed through their veins and arteries. But most importantly, above all, they were smiles. Haebyeol, Anna, Hannie, Ava, Kisa, Kyo Jin, and Vivien -- all alike with smiles to match each other's expressions. They stripped out of their concert outfits gladly, peeling on their sweats and casual attire.

"I'm so pumped still!" Hannie declared, throwing her arms above her head as she settled down onto the couch. She smiled brightly at her elders as they gathered around, picking at the food on the coffee table. "And after this, we have to do an interview, right?"
Anna nodded. "They're giving us a half hour intermission, though, so eat up and re-pump yourself if you need to."
"Our first goodbye stage," Kyo Jin giggled. "Exciting, don't you think?"
"You have no idea," Kisa breathed, laughing breathlessly as she popped a grape into .

Haebyeol smiled, nudging Vivien as they bickered playfully.

"Haebyeol-shii?"
The said girl looked up to come face to face with the stage director. "Ne?"
Anna looked back, eyeing the PD worriedly as he kept his gaze fixated on Haebyeol. "There's someone outside your dressing room, waiting in the hall. They are claiming they want to speak to you."
"Does this person have a name?" Hannie chuckled lowly, her protective instincts kicking in. Kisa nodded. "How can some guy just come in and claim to talk to Byeollie?" Kisa demanded.
The stage director bowed his head silently. "I'm so sorry, but he told me to just bring out Haebyeol-shii. However, I believe it may be someone you know."

Haebyeol rose, but her wrist was caught by Ava. "Are you going, seriously?"
"Who would want to take me? This place is full of people; one scream and I'd have a thousand body guards and stylists at my aid," Haebyeol remarked playfully. "I'll be fine, no worries."

Out into the hall she stepped out. At first, she was met by no one, only a blank white wall staring back at her blandly. And it wasn't until she was going to step back into the dressing room when she finally heard a voice; a very familiar one, at that.

"So, you're not going to look for me anymore, are you?"
Haebyeol whipped around, her lips; she searched for words, looking for a witty response, but he saw right through her, chuckling huskily under his breath. "I just got back this morning.. you did great out there --"
"What are you doing here?" Haebyeol breathed, her breathing growing heavy with shakes and tremors.
"Is that how you act around the person --"
"I'm just trying to look out for you," Haebyeol interjected objectionally. "Shouldn't you be practicing? Or in the studio or with the guys; prepping?"
"I'd choose to watch your goodbye stage over all of that anyday," he demurred gently, taking two long steps toward her; the vast distance that separated them suddenly disappeared, and he stood in front of her, towering over her small frame with his large one. He searched her eyes meticulously. "I can always make up for practices," he told her softly. "But to miss your goodbye stage? I wouldn't be able to make up for that, especially since it's your first one."
"Lu Han oppa --"
"Do you not want me here?" he whispered, his warm breath tracing her picturesque visage. "I came all the way from Beijing to greet and congratulate you personally. I even confessed to you and you're saying you don't want me here?" His smile contrasted his solemn tone, a dead giveaway that he was intending to be playful. "I'm hurt, Byeollie-ah," he whispered finally, slipping his arm around her.

He pulled her into a tight hug, nestling his face into the crook of her neck. Stylists walked by, uncaring to the scene. PDs shuffled past, not sparing a second glance; and luckily for the two, Lu Han was adorned casually in his own sweats and beanie. The only giveaway were his eyes, which were boldly hovered behind a thick frame of eyeglasses. He continued to embrace her, losing himself in her sweet scent. "You didn't give me an answer yet," he mumbled, pulling away softly, just enough to touch his forehead against hers.

Haebyeol gulped, laughing quietly. "Well, I --"

"Unnie!"

Haebyeol and Lu Han, immediately pulled away, separating faster than a hoard of disturbed flies. Lu Han cleared his throat loudly, turning around so that Haebyeol was met with his back rather than his front. He rubbed his neck sheepishly, whistling as he bounced up and down on his toes. 

"Oh, mianhe." Hannie scratched her head, but jabbed her thumb back into the direction of the dressing room with a sly smile, a smug expression taking place of her look of confusion. "I'll just go tell them to give you five minutes," the maknae whispered mischieviously, slipping back into the dressing room, leaving behind the two with her echoing laughter.
Haebyeol sighed, blowing a strand of her air out of her face. "How do you expect me to confess to him when you've already killed to mood, you pabbo?" she muttered, cursing Hannie silently to herself in a fit of grumbles.

Lu Han turned back around, chuckling lowly. "Sorry," he murmured huskily. 
"I still have five minutes," Haebyeol offered with a sheepish look. In return, he only ruffled her head, pecking her forehead with what only lasted half a millisecond. "Five minutes you should use to prepare for your interview," Lu Han objected. He nudged his head to the door, letting his hand linger behind Haebyeol's neck. "I'll be waiting for you after the show, so just find me," he told her.
"Wait!" Haebyeol pouted childishly, grasping his wrist as he was caught walking away. "I need something for good luck!"

Better than confessing to him with this awkward air, she thought to herself with a determined air about her.

Lu Han caught her drift immediately, laughing as he threw his head back with a wide grin tracing his thick lips. Softly, yet firmly, he pulled her closer, yanking her by her waist, until their lips were just inches apart from one another's. He stared into her eyes for just a second longer before leaning in promiscously, his smile permanently glued to his flawless features. Lips just suddenly centimeters away from brushing against one another, he noted. Just a bit more to lean into and he could --

"Unnie!"

He grimaced, pulling away even faster than he had the first time, letting out brief laughs of dismay and awkwardness. "Y-yeah.. good luck Byeollie-ah... Hannie-shii.." His voice cracked slightly from embarassment before he jogged back to the auditorium area to redeem his spot in the front row.

"Ah," Haebyeol sighed, ruffling her hair with irritation. Hannie only chuckled, making way for Haebyeol, who slipped past her into the dressing area without sparing a second glance.
"I did it on purpose," Hannie remarked.
"I know," Haebyeol hummed.
"You can't be off in dreamland during the interview," Hannie reminded her.
"I know."
"So kiss him some other time, okay?"

"Yah!" Haebyeol spun around, nostrils flaring with embarassment. "You can't --"
"We already know," Anna muttered humorously as she strolled past her, walking to the vanity mirrors.
"We've probably guess since Strong Heart," Kisa remarked, throwing another chip into .
"Seriously," Vivien added.
"It's pretty obvious," Kyo Jin smirked.
"And Hannie has a pretty big mouth," Ava mentioned.

"Mianhe, unnie," Hannie beamed, sticking out her tongue, "but mehrong!"

Haebyeol pouted, stomping off into the direction of her stage outfits, her fingers subconsciously rubbing her lips. Soft.