"Ne, I never thought that Sister could look this sweet and pretty," Manager Ma sighed.

Previously, Ma only had two images of Min Nyu – one as the virtuous Sister in Training and the other as an awkward young boy. Never had he pictured her as a quiet, demurred, pretty young woman before. Even with short hair, Min Nyu managed to comb it in a more girly fashion, complete with her beloved faux jewel encrusted clip.

The blouse and skirt made all the different, Ma supposed, still musing on the 'Sister's' physical changes, but he concluded that it was more the quiet and calm disposition she currently exuded – seeming to be more sure of herself, her sense of purpose but most glaringly, the confidence in the love, family bond and friendship that she has now well excepted and embraced.

The secretly dating Manager Ma and Cordi Wang arrived that late morning at the ANJells' abode to say farewell to Min Nyu and perhaps follow the others to send her off to the airport.

The scene that greeted them was of the ANjells and their honorary fan sitting having breakfast and bantering with each other that just overloaded the Cuteness Radar.

The two younger ANjells were still bantering each other, with Jeremy telling Min Nam to get his own bike and leave his, Jeremy's, alone.

"Ya, you are earning well now. So, go get your own vehicle!" Jeremy screamed.

His anger was only met with more teasing from Min Nam, who answered, "you don't have a poor sister to support Jeremy – with your family living the high life in the UK," Min Nam grinned.

"Ya, who are you calling poor here. I am working now, all right!" Min Nyu answered indignantly. "And I am keeping that royalty on Maldo Obshi, until you decide to re-record it!" she humphed in triumph, knowing full well that her boyfriend, the ANJell leader, would go through heaven and hell to keep the original recording going strong.

On that statement, Tae-kyung who was having a discussion with Shin Woo on the arrangement the latter has done on their latest song, rubbed his hand absently on Min Nyu's back, silently reassuring her that the royalty earned on the extremely popular single was safely hers – not that Min Nyu really meant what she said, anyways. It was just a jest with her brother; and in a way trying to tell Min Nam that he can slowly step off his 'bread winner of the family mode' since they were both grown up now and able to earn their own living. In a way, Min Nyu's decision to go to Uganda was to double up as a self discovery journey for herself.

She knew that she wanted to work with children and if possible, within the confines of the church, but in what exact capacity, she was not quite sure yet. She also knew that music will also play a part in her life from then onwards.

And it was in that mood that both Cordi wang and Manager Ma found the ANjells, comfortable and happy to be with each other again.

"Good morning, good morning…," called the manager cheerfully. "Have you all started breakfast without us?" he asked dangling a bag bearing a famous Korean deli's brand.

"Come, come, Min Nyu ya, you must tuck in some of our Korean delicacies too before you go," Ma laughed.

Then, he leaned to his companion and whispered, loud enough for all to hear, "how long will she be away again?"

"Just 3 months, Manager Ma," Min Nyu laughed at the latter's entrance, bounding off her seat to help the newcomers with their bags of food and other goodies.

"Min Nyu, I packed some Korean seaweed for you to bring with you on your journey."

"Thanks a lot, Cordi," Min Nyu said, fondly hugging the taller lady.

"Sigh…Nyu Ya…cincha, you are such a pretty girl," said Wang, repeating the same statement she had been saying since last night's concert. "I did such an incredible job hiding this gorgeous girl!" she laughed.

And so, the two new additions joined in the fracas at the breakfast table. Min Nam and Jeremy helped to unload the food from the bags, Shin Woo made extra pots of tea while Tae-kyung just smiled and looked on.

Manager Ma, silently thanked the powers that be that brought him to the beautiful voice of a wiry young boy, singing his heart out in an empty park one fateful day. Ma's car broke down that evening and he went to search for help, to push his car to the side while waiting for his mechanic to arrive.

But instead of finding some able hands to help him, he was drawn to the voice singing from under a discoloured play tunnel there. A 17 year old Goh Min Nam was simply singing, whiling his time away, thinking that he was the only one at the already deserted playground.

Dumbed struck at the beautiful voice, Manager Ma could only hand his card at the scowling Min Nam, having been disturbed from his favourite evening past time. Croaking that he was looking for talents for the ANjells, Manager Ma extended his hand for a hand shake and after a long silence, Go Min Nam accepted the hand and hence started a beautiful journey that had recently ended at this breakfast table.

***

An hour later, a reluctant Tae-kyung announced, "Goh Min Nyu, I think it's time for you to get ready. We have to leave the house in half hour, at the max."

At Tae-kyung's announcement, all laughter and nonsensical chatter stopped.

Jeremy looked like he was about to cry, Cordi Wang too for that matter. Min Nam looked like he wanted to hit someone. Manager Ma looked helpless while Shin Woo was his normal unreadable self.

"Emm, Hyungnim, do you think I could bring Dwaejo Tokki with me?" Min Nyu said in a small voice, wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.

"The Pig Rabbit doll?" Tae-kyung cocked his head.

"Ne, the pig rabbit doll. May I? Take him with me?" she asked again.

"Ya, Goh Min Nyu," Tae-kyung boomed, straightening his stance. "I don't think you understand the concept of that doll. First of all – it is a she. You are a dwaejo tokki. Hence the dwaejo tokki doll is you. If and when you are not around, the dwaejo tokki doll represents you. Hence, while you are in Africa, dwaejo tokki stays with me here."

"But I thought you made the doll for me," Min Nyu whined.

Tae-kyung cocked his head again, "No…. I made the doll so that I can put the pin you lost on its ear. The pin is yours but the doll is not." He actually spoke in slow motion, punctuating almost every word, as if talking to a child.

"Aish…Hyungnim, sometimes your logic really frustrates me," Min Nyu scowled and said, looking so much like her brother.

"Hummpphh, she is still calling him Hyungnim after all this time," Min Nam shake his head, mumbling to himself and at Min Nyu's 'couplehood' inexperiences. "Perhaps it is better for you to go overseas for a while," he further thought. "Perhaps it will light a bulb somewhere on what couplehood really is in that little head of yours."

"Ya, who are you calling frustrating?" Tae-kyung voice was heard in rebuttal, drowning Min Nam's inner conversation.

"Ya, ya…kids don't fight. You only have a few more hours together before Min Nyu board her plane. But you are lucky today, Min Nyu ya, because I have just the solution for you," offered Manager Ma.

Ma disappeared for a short while, only to return with a huge brown box.

Ceremoniously, he opened the lid of the box and lifted a brightly coloured doll box, quite like one of those Barbi doll ones, only half a size bigger.

"It's a Tae-kyung doll!" Min Nyu shrieked in delight, arms outstretched to receive the doll from Manager. "And Shin Woo-hyung, Jeremy and oppa too," she further peered in the big brown box.

"Can I take them all with me," Min Nyu beseeched. "Please? I need to them to keep me company at nights," she smiled winningly.

"Ya! You can take them all to Africa with you, but you can only take Tae-kyung to bed," the Leader again had to have the last say. "I mean only the Tae-kyung doll to bed," he corrected himself.

"For a prickly guy, you sure are a smooth one, aren't you, Hyung," Min Nyu's oppa said grudgingly. "If Nyu ya were to take any doll to bed, it would be mine. Her oppa is the one who should be guarding her, from smooth operators like you. Even if it is just in the form of a doll."

"Seriously, I am beginning to doubt the rationale of having you stay here permanently, Nyu Ya. Perhaps I should a rent an apartment for you after all," her brother continued.

"Ani," Jeremy protested quickly, stopping his admiration for his doll. He was helping Min Nyu tear away at all the doll boxes, with all the other dolls tucked safely in Min Nyu's arms. "Ya, think about it, Min Nam, with Min Nyu in the same house, we can chaperone her. Watch over Hyung, make sure he does not to try anything funny."

"Ok, ok, you may have a point there, bud. For once, you seem to make sense," Min Nam concurred, however his innuendo at Jeremy's 'slowness' seemed to be lost where Jeremy was concerned. Then, he too caught up in the excitement of looking at the ANjell dolls – making a grab for the already opened Min Nam doll from Min Nyu's hands.

Min Nyu smiled at her brother and pointed at the ear ring that the doll designers had thoughtfully included on the Min Nam doll. Since the effort was a product of Manager Ma's, the doll designs were basically 3D models of the play cards that Min Nyu had found with Tae-kyung on their 'birthday date' not so long ago.

Shin Woo smiled at the two younger guys antics and came forward to pick his doll up.

He leaned to his side at Min Nyu, and whispered, "you know that at the end of the day, which doll you can really count on, right, Min Nyu ssi?'" he wriggled his eye brows in an unexpected attempt at a joke, soliciting a warm smile from their common object of affection.

All these while, the ANjell leader stopped his tirade and noticed that at the end of the excitement, the only doll that remained in Min Nyu's arms was the one that truly belonged there – the Hyung doll himself.

~ To be continued ~