"So, ladies: now that you are finished with 'Masquerade' promotions, what are your newer plans?"

The MC held the microphone to Anna, who was positioned to his left, with the girls piling beside her in comfortable stools. Cheers and cries alike were coming toward them nonstop from the seated audience; cries of blissful delight scurried into the girls' ears, bringing ear-to-ear grins to their glossy lips. "We are planning a comeback right now; though, we are not revealing the album's title yet, we will tell you that it's something to look for," Anna replied with a tight smile.
"It's something that is edgy and y, with a dangerous touch," Haebyeol explained professionally, looking at the MC.
"On a level of 1 to 10," the MC announced, "with 1 being the lowest level, and 10 being the highest, how 'edgy' and 'y' is the new concept?"
Kisa guffawed loudly. "One thousand," she blurted with a primitive smirk.
"Seriously?" the MC whoa-ed, along with the fans, who had waved their posters and glow sticks at an even faster pace.

The background music halted suddenly, and the MC's face turned seriously. "But now that we know about the comeback, which can't be revealed of any further... how about some juicy gossip?"
The ELiTE girls shared knowing glances, playful smiles platonically lining their pink lips. "Come at us, bro," Hannie stated humorously, egging on both her audience and interviewer with a tough smirk.
The MC rose his eyebrows instinctively, a devious glint playing into his eyes. "Well, Hannie-shii, we should start with you."
"I'm ready for it," the maknae shrugged cooly, winking at the front-row seaters. In response, the girls howled into a fit of screams and cries, extending for their favorite tomboy to grasp. But Hannie only laughed under her breath, diverting her gaze back to the MC, who had gestured with his hands to the audience. 
"You have many fans here today; along with some special guests. From what was reported, we have scouted B2ST and U-KISS members to be in the audience, along with Big Bang and 2ne1, and even some EXO members. Knowing this, please choose one person out of the guests you have to dedicate a song to."
Hannie blinked. U-KISS?

The maknae quickly recovered her composure, masking her shock with a facade of something giddy and whimsical. "To dedicate a song to? Does that mean you want me to sing for them?"
"Well, why not?" Vivien chirped mischievously wiggling her brows. She knows, Hannie realized with a mental groan. How could she have forgotten that Vivien was one of the evil monsters that got her to confess who her ideal type was?
Hannie laughed briefly before restablishing her eye contact with the MC. "How about you choose for me, and I rap instead of sing?"

Hannie's peers nodded, eyes twinkling, just as the MC did.

Vivien jumped from her seat, shooting her tongue out at Hannie before bouncing over to the MC to whisper into his ear. His expression changed from one of confusion, to one of immediately jeer. "How about we bring up U-KISS' Kevin Woo?"
Hannie smirked burlesquely, cooly managing to contain the bubbling benevolence that was pitting inside of her. Stupid Vivien-unnie.. dear God, is this my punishment for ruining Byeollie-unnie's chance with that oppa?

No one had made their way up to the stage yet; instead, a spotlight flashed remarkably on Kevin, highlighting his femining features perfectly, whilst bringing light to his smiling visage. His picturesque form slowly rose, as he looked around unsurely, as if debating whether or not he wanted to go; Hannie didn't know whether or not to feel insulted.

"Oh, welcome Kevin-shii," the MC greeted brightly.
"Ne, annyeong haseyo."
"You look nervous."
Kevin giggled boyishly, his fingers fluttering to his face to mask the pinkish hue staining his defined cheeks. "No, it's just.. I've never been serenaded before."

"That's going to change!" Ava piped up happily, with the girls, excluding Hannie, nodding along.
Kevin bowed his head respectively before the MC placed him directly in front of the 17-year-old tomboy. "Annyeong haseyo," he greeted cheerfully.
Hannie felt it immediately. Her eyes widened at the sudden stirring inside of her stomach, her hand instinctive placing over the twisting body part. She blinked before ducking her head, returning his formal bow. "N-ne, annyeong haseyo," she murmured, smiling stiffly.
"I heard you were going to rap for me --"
"Stop being so tense!" Haebyeol declared, pointing an accusing finger at her dongsaengs. "You!" she pointed at Hannie. "Just sing now!"
"Rap," Kisa corrected her sharply.

"Any song you want to request?" Hannie inquired politely; she averted her gaze elsewhere, deciding to stare at his forehead, rather than his eyes. Mustering all the courage she could, she sat with her back erect up in her chair, bringing her mic to her lips. Kevin stood idly, hands clasped behind his back as he eyed Hannie expectantly with a sanguine beam tracing his perfect lips. He shook his head, prodding Hannie lightly with his smile. "No, you can surprise me," he tittered with his famous giddy grin.

Hannie smiled bashfully, hiding behind her grotesque facade as she brought the microphone back to her lips again. 

Quickly, yet smoothly, Hannie rapped a small portion from GNA's "I'll Back Off So You Can Live Better", adding her own twist to it. With it being only one minute, Kevin had already buried ihs face into the contents of his slender hands, Hannie mimicking him perfectly. Vivien and Haebyeol erupted into a fit of enamored laughter, holding onto each other amidst there hysteria. Hannie continued to duck behind her hands even after Kevin made his way off stage -- but not before he thanked her with a short, yet tight hug.

"Goh mah woh," he whispered kindly into her ear. "I like your voice. ELiTE hwaiting!"

With that, he exited, leaving Hannie incredibly flustered.

"That was beautiful!" the MC exclaimed with a coniving grin. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from you, Hannie-shii."
She rolled her eyes in return, bringing her hands back down into her lap. And so, one by one, the MC continued to pick and prod at the members, hoping to get something out of them -- anything he could get his hands on. But luckily, for the girls, they weren't as easy to bully, for they weren't the maknae.

Because in the end, Hannie found herself to be the only victim of the sneaky MC.

"That was bull!" Hannie declared suddenly, bursting into their dorm room. "You guys should've backed me up!"
"We did!" Vivien chirped, slumping herself at the kitchen counter beside Hannie. "We helped you with Kevin!"
"I didn't mean like that!" Hannie argued, mumbling profusely under her breath. "Stupid... little... sneaky brats."

"Oh.. where's Haebyeol?" Anna looked around curiously. "Didn't she --"
"She's outside with Lu han," Kisa muttered, breaking off small pieces of toast to place into . "No!" Kisa pulled Hannie back immediately, seating her back down onto the stool. "You stay put and just eat... or think of ways to get that close to Kev --"
"NO, be quiet!" Hannie shouted irately, staring eye-wide at her partner in crime. "Don't you -- NO!"

Anna nudged Hannie's head, chidingly glaring. "Don't talk to your elders that way."
Hannie stuck out her tongue. "Mehrong!"
"Shut up; that tongue's not supposed to sticking out in plain air," Kisa scolded playfully. "It's supposed to be in Kevin's mouth --"
"Unnie!"

"You're lucky the MC didn't force you to tell who your secret admirer was... I'm sure that secret admirer would've want you to tell the entire world, though..."
Haebyeol laughed, sitting against the corridor walls beside Lu Han. Leaning her head fondly on his shoulder, she let out a playful sigh of distress. "Too bad my secret admirer doesn't know that the oh-so-great Haebyeol doesn't like him back.. poor guy, living a one-sided love life."
"That's not funny," Lu Han stated seriously, jutting his bottom lip out into a pout. "Jerk."
"I'm the jerk," Haebyeol scoffed, lifting her head to face him directly. "Says the one that hung up on me after interrupting my sleep at 3 in the morning."

Lu Han let out a disbelieving noise, drawing a curious brow from Haebyeol. "Yeah, you're the jerk. The one who's kept me waiting all this time. I told you not to make me wait too long, yet you still did."
"Well, I'm sorry i don't measure my time the same way you do," Haebyeol retorted, giggling playfully.

Lu Han bit his lip, frivolously gazing into Haebyeol's eyes. "You still owe me something, Miss Baek Byeollie."
"Well, what is it?" Haebyeol inquired, cocking her head slightly. She blinked, pretending not to know.
"Byeollie-ah," Lu Han whined. 
"I really don't kno --"

Immediately, Lu Han pressed his lips to hers, tenderly, but compassionately. He pulled away, rising to his feet before breaking out into a jog. "Now you know!" he called to her, holding up a heart with his arms above his head as he skidded out the front doors of the dormitory. He had escaped, a facetious laugh leaving his lips as he made his trek back to his housing area.
Haebyeol stared dumbfoundedly at the door for a second, trying her best to process the incident; and she finally rose to her feet, a trite laugh escaping . "You stupid deer," she muttered jokingly. Her fingers brushed past her lips instinctively, her smile nearly permanent.

Even softer.