“Hey, where’s Lila?” Jinyoung asked as Sandeul walked by his room. “She was supposed to come back to the dorm with her.”

            “Ah, she said that she had something to do,” Sandeul said as he thought of any excuse that was possible. “I’m going to go to the bathroom and then get something to eat.”

            “Oh, alright,” Jinyoung said as he watched Sandeul leave to go to his room. He couldn’t help but think that something went wrong and also couldn’t help but think the worse had happened, that Lila had experienced another relapse or some other hidden side effect of the medicine that she was taken or the medicine that she was on during her treatment. Quickly, though, Jinyoung pushed those thoughts out of his head and took out his phone to dial Lila.

            “Oh, Jinyoung-oppa,” Lila said as she picked up her phone. “Why are you calling?”

            “Did something happen? I thought you were going to come over with Sandeulie,” Jinyoung said with concern in his voice.

            “Ah, nothing happened, I’m perfectly fine. I just had to come home to check and see if I turned everything off. I actually cut the shopping trip with Sandeul-oppa a little short,” Lila said attempting to do her best at thinking of an excuse. She didn’t want to worry Jinyoung by talking about Sandeul’s confession and figured that it would just be best to think as though it never happened.

            “Oh,” Jinyoung said as he nodded his head. “If you still wanted to come over you can.”

            “Um…maybe,” Lila said with a chuckle. “Maybe I’ll come over, I’m not sure.”

            “Alright,” Jinyoung sighed, “I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to.”

            “Thanks. I guess I’ll get going now.”

            “Alright, goodbye,” Jinyoung said as he hung up the phone.

            Once the conversation was finished between him and Lila, Jinyoung kept staring at his phone. He didn’t know why he had a bad feeling inside, but there was just something that was bothering him that he couldn’t put his finger on.

            “Hyung,” Gongchan said as soon as he came into the room, “why did Sandeul-hyung suddenly leave?”

            “He just left?” Jinyoung wondered. “I think he said he was hungry, could he be getting some food?”

            “But he normally orders in…” Gongchan said as he shook his head. “It looked like he was in kind of a rush.”

            “Oh,” Jinyoung said, it was the only thing he could say. “Maybe he’s just going to get some fresh air.”

            “Maybe,” Gongchan sighed, “but don’t you think he’s been acting strange lately?”

            “I don’t know, has he?”

            “It just seems like he’s become different,” Gongchan commented with a shrug of his shoulders. “But whatever, Sandeul-hyung is a strange person.”

            “That he is,” Jinyoung said as he looked out the window. “That he is.”

“Who is it?” Lila asked as she went to the door and looked out the peep hole. “Yah, what are you doing here?” she asked as she quickly opened the door to reveal Eunji standing on the other side. “You just disappeared and now you come back?”

            “Yeah,” she said with a chuckle as she hugged Lila. “Sorry for disappearing on you like that, but there was a couple of things that I had to figure out.”

            “Things like what?” Lila curiously asked.

            “Just getting my priorities straight.”

            “Oh, alright,” Lila said as she opened the door wider, “why don’t you come inside?”

            “I’ve only come for a brief visit,” Eunji confessed. “There’s actually something that I want to talk with you about.”

            “And what is that?”

            “I want you to stay away from Sandeul-oppa, I mean it,” Eunji said with a hint of seriousness in her voice. “I understand that you two were things of the past, but that’s what you were, things of the past. You’re together with Jinyoung-oppa now, so shouldn’t you be happy with him instead of Sandeullie?”

            “Huh?” Lila asked in surprise. “I’m not trying to go after Sandeul, I don’t know where you got that information.”

            “I see the way that you two look at each other, the way that you two interact with each other.”

            “That’s because we’ve known each other for a while,” Lila confessed, “and we’re just comfortable around each other. It’s nothing like how it was before, I promise you I have no feelings for him. I don’t understand why you’re suddenly bringing this up.”

            “Just making sure that we get our boundaries straight. I know that the company broke us up, but I think with the information I have they’re going to let us be back together.”

            “What are you talking about?” Lila asked confusingly. “You mean that you framed your way into a relationship with him? Do the guys know about this?”

            “I hope not, and I hope to keep it that way,” Eunji said with her voice getting more and more serious with each passing word.

            “Lila!” a voice yelled running down the hallway.

            “Huh?” Lila asked as she stuck her head out to see who was calling out her name, only to see Sandeul running from the elevator to her door.

            “Lila, I have to— oh, you’re already out in the hallway,” Sandeul said as he looked at her. “Eunji…what are you doing here?”

            “Just having a lovely chat with my friend,” Eunji said as she slung her arm around Lila’s shoulder.

            “Hmm,” Lila nervously hummed as she looked at Sandeul.

            “Ah…um…Eunji…if you don’t mind, could you give Lila and me and moment? There’s something we have to talk about,” Sandeul hesitantly started.

            “What do you have to talk about?” Eunji asked as she looked from one to the other.

            “We just have to talk about this wrap-up party that I’m taking her to tomorrow night,” Sandeul said as he attempted to think of the best excuse. It wasn’t like he wanted to announce his confession to Lila to the entire world and he especially didn’t want Eunji to hear it.

            “Alright… I’ll stop by later, okay?” Eunji asked as she looked at Lila.

            “Oh…okay,” Lila awkwardly said as she watched Eunji disappear into the elevator. “Goodbye,” she immediately said as she turned to Sandeul and attempted to go back into her apartment, only to have Sandeul follow her inside.

            “Lila, let me talk to you,” Sandeul said.

            “Why? What is there to talk about?” Lila questioned. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to be alone.”

            “Let me just talk to you, please,” Sandeul begged. He wanted to talk with Lila, he wanted to talk about his confession, but it was obvious that Lila didn’t want to. Still, it was something that Sandeul felt as though needed to be discussed, he couldn’t just let it go at Lila pretending it didn’t happen. They had a past together, they spent two years together, it wasn’t like nothing happened.

            “There’s nothing to discuss,” Lila said as she shrugged her shoulders. “What is there to discuss?”

            “My feelings, your feelings,” Sandeul said as he attempted to look at her, but Lila kept avoiding her eyes. She didn’t want to look at them because she didn’t know what would happen. With Sandeul’s confession, it was like everything had changed. With his confession, it was like things had become more complicated for Lila.

            “What do you mean my feelings?” Lila scoffed. “Jinyoung-oppa is my boyfriend, I don’t know what you’re talking about feelings for.”

            “Fine then, we’ll just talk about my feelings,” Sandeul said as he sat down on the couch. “I’m not going to move until you talk with me.”

            “I am talking with you,” Lila mumbled.

            “Until you talk with me about my confession,” Sandeul said finally saying it. “You can’t pretend like it didn’t mean anything. I’m serious when I say that I still like you, a whole heck of a lot. You can’t say how much I missed you after we broke up.”

            “Then why did you get a new girlfriend instead of trying to find me?” Lila retorted.

            “The company set me up with her,” Sandeul said in an attempt to defend himself. “I had nothing to do with it and because I was stuck with her all the time, the feelings just appeared, but it was always you… The only one I ever wanted was you.”

            “Of course,” Lila said as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Sandeul. “Of course the only one you ever wanted was me, then why did you treat me this way? Do you know how much pain I felt before? Do you know anything about my life in the States? Do you even understand a tiny bit of it?”

            “That’s what I’m trying to do,” Sandeul said as he stood up from the couch and faced Lila. “I’m trying to understand what happened, I want to know what happened back then. I’m so curious I could die and I want to know so I can protect you from those things in the future. Even if you have Jinyoung-hyung, you’re still a part of me. You will forever be a part of me. I really mean it,” Sandeul said in a softer tone as he looked at Lila. “I really mean it when I say that I like you, I really do like you.”

            “I know you do,” Lila whispered. “I know you mean everything, but I can’t. I have Jinyoung-oppa.”

            “If you didn’t have him, would you like me?”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “If when you came back to Korea and you saw me again, would you like me?” Sandeul wondered. “Because I can honestly say that I still like you. Even in our next life together I’ll still only like you.” Slowly, Sandeul took small steps to close the distance between him and Lila before gently wrapping his arms around her. “Like this,” Sandeul breathed as he held Lila close to him, “I want to stay forever like this, both of our hearts beating fast when we’re close to each other like this.”

            “Sandeul—,” Lila attempted to begin, but Sandeul interrupted her and began talking again.

            “You like it, too. At least some part of you still likes it, your heart is beating really fast, maybe faster than mine.”

            “Sandeul—”

            “You can’t tell me that you don’t like it,” Sandeul said as he pulled away enough to look into Lila’s eyes. “You can’t tell me that you don’t feel nothing for me after all this time. You can’t tell me that.”

            “And why can’t I?” Lila questioned.

            “Because we’d both be lying to ourselves,” Sandeul commented. “And I’d be lying to myself if I said I didn’t want to do this,” he said as he slowly pressed his lips against Lila’s.

            “Sandeul…Lila…” Jinyoung said as he stood in the doorway of Lila’s apartment.

            “Jinyoung-oppa,” Lila said as she pushed Sandeul away.

            “Is it true? Were you guys going behind my back?” Jinyoung wondered.

            “No, it’s nothing like that,” Lila said as she quickly separated herself from Sandeul and attempted to get closer to Jinyoung who was standing in the doorway, but as Lila took a step closer, he took a step back. “I promise it’s nothing like that.”

            “Of course,” Jinyoung said. “And here I thought there was something wrong with you. What a fool I must’ve been,” he said before he turned to go back down to the lobby.

            “Let me talk with him. I’ll explain how everything was my fault,” Sandeul said as he looked at Lila. “You had nothing to do with it…it was only my greedy intentions. I’m sorry,” Sandeul said before he took off behind Jinyoung.

            Dazed, Lila slowly sat down on the couch. She had no idea what just happened to her in that moment. It was like everything was in slow motion and before she knew it, she was kissing Sandeul. “Aish, you really messed up this time,” Lila muttered to herself as she laid down on her couch and closed her eyes. “What just happened?” she mumbled to herself.

            “Jinyoung-hyung, Jinyoung-hyung,” Sandeul quickly said as he rushed down to the lobby to find Jinyoung getting into the manager’s car. Quickly, Sandeul sprinted and managed to hop in the car as well before it took off, much to the help of the manager who saw Sandeul running towards the car. “Um…hyung,” Sandeul said turning to their manager, “could you give Jinyoung-hyung and me some time alone?”

            “Um…I guess,” their manager hesitantly said as he looked back at the two boys. “I’ll be waiting outside. Tell me when you’re done.”

            “Thanks,” Sandeul said to their manager before he turned his attention to the sulking Jinyoung beside him. “Look, hyung, it was all my fault,” Sandeul attempted to explain.

            “I don’t need explaining,” Jinyoung said as he disregarded Sandeul’s apology.

            “But I assure you that it was all my doing, it was me that kissed her first, it was me that went to her apartment,” Sandeul said as he began listing off everything that he’d done.

            “Let me assure you something, Sandeullie,” Jinyoung said as he stared at Sandeul.

            “Um…what is that…hyung?” Sandeul nervously asked.

            “I’ve let it go for too long, I’ve been too relaxed about everything,” Jinyoung said. “I know you still have an effect on Lila. I know that your actions still hurt her and I’ve let it go for too long.”

            “Hyung…what are you talking about?”

            “I’m giving you a fair warning to stay away from my girlfriend,” Jinyoung sternly said. “She’s my girl and your friend. Sure you guys may have had a relationship in the past, but now it’s my turn. Just don’t make a move on her tomorrow night at that party of yours. Got it?”

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Will Sandeul listen to Jinyoung's warning? Will Eunji do anything to Lila? What will happen at the party?

Here's Chapter 26. Hope you enjoyed :D