Yoona chewed on her bottom lip. She felt frustrated. She felt unsatisfied. She felt hungry! Well, that last one wasn't anything new: it was a constant with her. But the frustration and dissatisfaction were real.

It was ironic, considering the fact that she was sitting next to DongHae, who looked more nervous than she had ever seen before. She glanced at his sideburn and noted how it glistened from the trail of sweat that dropped down from his forehead, against his hairline.

She needed to do something ... quickly. He looked like he was about to pass out.

"Daddy," she looked across the dining room table, at the cause of DongHae's shattered nerves, "You've known him for ages now, so stop being so mean."

Mr. Im folded his arms across his chest, determined not to change his mind. Not even for his precious daughter. Yes, he know Donghae Lee very well, but that was before, when he was just her 'sunbae.'

"It doesn't make sense," her father said, "You'll ruin your careers if it gets out."

DongHae flattened his palms against his thighs and rubbed downward, drying the perspiration off.

"Sir," he began again, "I promise that will not happen." He bowed his head again, for the dozenth time.

"How can you make such a reckless promise!"

"Daddy..." Yoona began, but was immediately interrupted by her father.

"You!" he looked over to her, "You're too young to date!"

Yoona loved her father unconditionally.

He was usually so caring, loving and gentle with her. He spoiled her, and she knew she was the apple of his eye.

But he was strict.

And he was traditional.

When DongHae asked her if she had given any thought to his confession, the only answer she could give him was the truth, "You'll have to ask Dad. If he says ok, then I'd love to date you, Oppa!"

"Sir," DongHae made a new attempt, "I have known Yoona for 8 years now. I have grown to love her very deeply. I know she's young. I know I'm lacking. I know you have every right to say no, but I beg that you will reconsider. I've loved her for so long, that I feel like if I can't tell her that every day, then I won't be living an honest life."

"Selfish reason." the older man's eyes bore into the younger man's with deep intensity.

"Yes," DongHae admitted, "It's selfish."

He paused and looked over at Yoona who smiled gently at him. Her eyes were filled with apology, but her soft smile cheered him on.

"I am selfish. But because I love Yoona so much," he returned her smile with his own, "I promise you that I will never do anything to hurt her. I can confidently say that her life, her career, her needs will always be put before my own. I just want to make her happy."

Mr. Im reached for the cup of tea and swallowed. The young man was polite. He was honest and earnest. But Yoona was much too young to start dating. Her career was just starting to really take off, having three dramas under her belt now, and being the center of SNSD.

"Why can't you just be satisfied with how things are now?"

"Daddy," Yoona spoke up. She reached down for one of DongHae's hands and placed it on the table and then covered it with her own. "I want to be able to hold hands with Oppa. I want to go to the movies. I want..." her voice broke, and tears appeared instantly from nowhere.

She swallowed.

"I want... I want to try and have a normal life sometimes too!"

"You're only 19 years old. You have plenty of time for that sort of thing later!"

"Daddy, I'm not asking if we can get married. We just want to date... please."

His resolve weakened at the whispered "please".

She never asked him for much of anything. She had always been the one to give. She gave and gave and never stopped, just because that's the kind of faithful daughter she was.

But if he allowed this... if he gave his blessing, they could easily be found out by their company and by the annoying bloodthirsty paparazzi. And for what? She had worked so many years for what she had... and he didn't want to see her throw it all away.

"You say you love her?" he looked back at DongHae who nodded in agreement.

"Yes sir!"

"Then you will do what's right."

"Yes sir."

"You will talk to Lee Soo Man, and get his permission before I grant mine."

Yoona's eyes widened in surprise, but DongHae did not even hesitate for a moment.

"Yes sir!"

"And if he says it's ok, then I'll think about it."

"Yes sir!"

"You remember your own words, boy. If you ever hurt her..."

"No sir! Never!" DongHae bowed again and again as he knelt at the low table.

Yoona smiled just as her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Aigoooo," her father breathed heavily, "Go make us something to eat already Yoona, we're all going to starve to death here."

She nearly giggled as she leaped up from her spot, and quickly padded over to give the number #1 man in her life a huge tight hug.

"You're the best daddy in the entire world!"

"I haven't said yes!" he pretended to pull away from her embrace but secretly he loved every second.

"I know, I know..." And with that Yoona skipped into the kitchen to begin the rice and kalbi. She called back over her shoulder, "Oppa, don't just sit there, come help!"

"He's not a woman!" her father called out, "And I'm not done with him yet."

"Dadddddyyyyyy..." she whined as she popped her head back around the corner.

"This girl!" he sputtered. "Hurry up Yoona! I'm going to faint from hunger here!"

She gave in, with a pout, and slowly headed into the kitchen.

"She's my princess." her father looked directly into DongHae's eyes. "You must always make sure she stays just as pure as she is right now. If you ever disrespect her, or manhandle her..."

DongHae lowered his head and when he raised it again, his eyes brimmed with tears.

"Sir, I would never even think of it. I only want to protect her, and stay by her side as much as I can. She's my most precious person."

The boy definitely loved her. There was no doubt in Mr. Im's mind. But still... even good intentions meet bad odds at times.

"Just remember, each night you bring her home, you return her to the dorm or home in even better condition than you found her. She must always return home smiling, never sad."

"Yes sir."

"And..." her father cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "You... whatever you do to Yoona, just remember, I get to do it to you. So you better consider that before you lay your hands on her!"

In the kitchen Yoona ran the cold water over the rice and swished it around, rinsing it.

She couldn't believe how easily DongHae had agreed when she told him to come and ask her father if they could date! Boy, was she ever a lucky girl to have an Oppa as great as DongHae!

All of her Oppas were awesome, but DongHae... DongHae wanted to be hers alone! She giggled at the prospect of the two of them dating as boyfriend and girlfriend!

Yes, she was doing the right thing, she told herself for the umpteenth time since morning. DongHae loved her. He LOVED her.

She needed to let go of fantasies that would never become reality.

Suddenly the memory of waking up in Changmin's arms flooded over her, and she instinctively touched her wet hand up to her cheek, attempting to cool it down.

Yoona began to review the previous night's events, and her brows knitted together.

"Are you crazy?" Yoona scolded herself silently.

She mentally backtracked the previous evening's events that lead up to ... sleeping sandwiched between Kyuhyun and Changmin.

They were watching the old videos of their trainee days, laughing, and making fun of each other, and Kyuhyun was the first to knock out, smiling happily from the after effects of drinking his favorite red wine.

"You both have practice tomorrow," Changmin nudged her elbow and slouched back on a large cushioned pillow, "Let him sleep for awhile."

Qian wrapped her long legs with a blanket and stretched out on the couch, as she laid down, her head directly above Kyuhyun's. She reached down and gently pulled up his blanket up over his shoulders, as he laid on his side, facing away from Yoona.

"No one would know how evil this boy can be by looking at this angelic face now," Qian joked.

Yoona nodded in agreement and added, "I bet Changmin looks just as deceptively innocent when he's sleeping too."

"I'm right here Yoona," he smirked, as he nestled more snuggly into the pillow.

"I know," she looked over her shoulder, "but in case you hadn't noticed, I'm ignoring you."

"It's not ignoring if you tell me about it in advance!" he protested.

"Says you," she said with a straight face and turned to Qian.

BoA walked back into the living room with a small stack of blankets. She peeked into the kitchen and verified that Yunho was attempting to gather up the beer cans, wine and soju bottles.

"Yoona, I have three bedrooms here, so you're welcome to use one of the two guest rooms, or you can camp out here with everyone."

"Unnie, since we need to leave early, I'll take one of the rooms, so I don't disturb everyone."

That wasn't the only reason. Yoona was two years younger than Kyuhyun and Changmin, and technically wasn't even legal drinking age yet. But that hadn't stopped her from enjoying a bottle of soju and a can of Saporro beer. And she was still enjoying the buzz. She knew her judgment would be impaired if she stayed next to him.

Changmin to his side, facing Yoona, and grinned, while his eyes flashed at her.

"I wonder what the real reason is that you don't want to stay here? Are you afraid that your boyish charms will tempt me?"

BoA tossed a blanket over at Changmin and another at Yoona heading to the kitchen, "You two never stop do you? One of these days..."

"Drinking has turned you deaf, Changmin. I told you I'm ignoring you, so stop talking to me."

Qian smiled at her two friends. BoA was right. They were always like this, ever since she could remember.

"Then again, you might eat me while I'm sleeping." Changmin teased again.

"Is that a fly buzzing around, Qian?"

He reached down and covered his legs with the blanket that BoA had given him and yawned.

Qian knew that even though she was great friends with these two, this conversation didn't include her. She closed her own eyes, succumbing to drowsiness.

"Aren't you going to tell me why you're ignoring me?" he yawned again. "Don't you think you at least owe me a reason?"

"Because you're a stupid-head." she didn't hesitate.

He chuckled and rose up one of his legs to cover Yoona's. "Why am I a stupid-head?"

"Don't act like you don't know," she pushed the leg off of her and made to get up.

He reached for her wrist and held it for a few seconds before releasing it.

"Don't leave," he pulled her back with his softly spoken words.

She glanced over at him, and saw the seriousness in his eyes.

Something in that look reminded her of why Kyuhyun had asked her to come in the first place… DBSK was self-destructing. The mighty DBSK, was falling apart.

Several minutes passed between them and she could hear the rustling of Yunho and BoA tiding up the kitchen and speaking in lowered voices. Above her and next to her, both Kyuhyun and Qian slept peacefully.

"If you want to talk, I'll stay. But I won't sleep here with you." Yoona negotiated.

"I feel better when you're next to me," he said more seriously than he meant to sound.

"Changmin," Yoona started. Where were the words, now that she had his full attention?

She folded her legs, crossing them under her and took a deep breath. She didn't look at him when she spoke; she focused in on the TV pixels instead.

"In the bathroom ... I don't know what that was, but... whatever it was, it can't happen. I have someone who wants to be with me now."

He listened and nudged his leg against hers. "Everyone wants you, Yoong."

"You're not listening. He really has taken care of me while you've been gone. These past four years while you've been living in Japan, popping back here once a month or so, then disappearing again, he's been watching over me."

His hand reached over and he carefully placed it around her waist.

"I know."

No smirk, no grin. Just a gentle touch around her waist.

She placed her hands on top of his arm. Why did it have to feel so good there? Why did his touch have to be so warm?

Instead of moving it away, as she had intended, she patted his arm.

"I'm going to fall in love, Changmin, but not with you."

He stilled before whispering his reply, "You've always been in love with me Yoona. Ever since the day we met."

He wasn't being arrogant, it was the truth, and they both knew it.

Before she could pull away he reached up and pulled her down next to him.

"You said, "I'm going to fall in love." That just means that you're not in love with him."

Their faces were inches apart, his eyes locked her own and held her.

He raised his leg up again, and placed it on top of hers, coiling her closer to him.

"I do love him!" she protested softly.

"But you're not IN love..."

She exhaled loudly and turned away, facing her back to him; she pushed his leg off of her.

"Aren't you even going to ask me who? Or don't you care?"

He leaned over and looked at her.

Then he raised up her head and slipped his arm under it, and snuggled up behind her.

"Who says I don't care? DongHae-hyung has never really been good at hiding his feelings for you."

She tutted with a "Cheh" sound, and closed her eyes briefly. Changmin had seen it, even before she did.

"Don't be mad at me, Yoong. I know I'm a jerk. But no one can say I don't care about you."

Like a sister, she thought disdainfully.

"I will always need you."

"Need isn't love." she replied with tears forming in her eyes. She closed them tightly, refusing to give in to this near forgotten emotion.

What was she doing? He was only her crush, for heaven's sake! He was her infatuation, nothing more, she told herself.

"No," he agreed. "Need isn't love. Need is far worse."

She considered his words when he added, "I need you as much as I need air to breathe."

"And I need love." Yoona replied.

"Don't make me beg." he whispered. "Don't leave."

She silently considered Changmin and how he held her with his plea. Minutes passed and she decided to wait until he fell asleep before leaving him. His words were so passionate that she nearly held her breath after hearing them.

Changmin's heart thumped loudly in his own ears, and he was sure she could hear it as well. But he wouldn't say the words. He could never say the words she longed to hear, because he was in no position to live up to them.

He knew he couldn't give her what she deserved.

It was moments like this that he absolutely loathed being famous. Tonight he wanted to throw it all away and just be Changmin Shim, not Changmin Choikang.

He longed to let it all go and forget singing altogether.

He tightened his hold on her and took deep breath.

Changmin suddenly felt fatigued, and he drifted into thoughts of better times.

Of a time when they could still walk the streets together, both holding a handle to a plastic bag from the convenience store filled with cold sodas that they were taking back to the practice room.

"You didn't have to come and help me Oppa," she beamed, obviously delirious that he had volunteered to accompany her on her errand.

"I couldn't let you be punished by yourself. After all, it as Kyu and I that talked you into putting the wind-up toy mouse in the girls locker room in the first place."

They both chuckled at how the conspiracy had gotten a little too out of hand when most of the members screamed at the top of their lungs and jumped up onto the benches, but Jessica and Tiffany had grabbed their towels and ran out of the locker room.

They crashed into the two awaiting co-conspirators who were roaring with laughter, but immediately were stunned to see the two lovely girls come crashing into them, wearing their sweatpants, a bra while attempting to cover themselves with their towels.

"I guess we got off pretty easy when you consider how much damage Jessica and Tiffany could have done!" Changmin grinned.

"They probably won't forgive me for you seeing them like that."

"That's the first time I've ever seen s so close," Changmin admitted.

"OPPA!" Yoona stomped her foot down in protest.

"What? It's true." Changmin shrugged and then added a snarky remark: "If I wait till you grow yours, I'll be waiting forever."

That's the first time he found out first hand how hard Yoona Im could punch.

While Yoona waited for his breathing to relax she felt a warmth wash over and realized how tantalizing it was to be lying next to him.

"Pabo," she whispered to herself. Who was the bigger fool tonight, him for needing her, or her for staying with him?

He excited her and calmed her at the same time. It was ironic, how she felt at home in his arms.

Just a little bit longer, she told herself.

It was the sense of security he gave her that lulled her to sleep.

Yunho turned off TV after confirming everyone was fast asleep. He walked over to BoA and they both shook their heads as they looked over at Yoona and Changmin.

Changmin nuzzled his forehead against the back of her head, and instinctively curled his legs inward, until his thighs rested snuggly against Yoona's bottom. His outstretched right arm served as Yoona's pillow, while his left arm was wrapped around her waist. Even in his sleep he must have somehow known it was her that he held, and he pulled her in closer, so that her back fit perfectly, as a long lost missing puzzle piece, up against his chest.

It was only in their sleep that they dropped the barrier of friendship, and subconsciously gave in to their natural feelings for each other.

They both smiled in their sleep.

Yunho wrapped his arm around BoA's shoulders and whispered in her ear, "They're making me jealous already, look at those faces!"

"Changmin better not let his hands wander, or else he'll be dead by morning," BoA whispered back.

"But what a way to go!" Yunho playfully bit on BoA's earlobe and she repaid him by leaning her head back on his shoulder.

He paused suddenly, not knowing if he should continue or excuse himself for the evening. He didn't want to assume that he could resume his place next to her side tonight, knowing that she had guests, their dongsengs.

"I'm going to bed," she stated simply and turned to give him a peck on the lips.

He took a step forward and then hesitated.

He reached down and grabbed hold of the bag and rubbed the stubble on his chin, grinning with a smirk that raised one side of his smile upwards.

Tonight Changmin wouldn't be the only one holding a secret in his arms.