"How is she?" Daehyun immediately questioned when Youngjae emerged from So Eun's room.
 
He had been pacing outside the room continuously and trying to listen to what they were saying through the door. Why on earth did they have to lock it?
 
However he never hear anything and all he did was to get more and more worried.
 
Youngjae met Daehyun's gaze and an unreadable expression appeared on the brainiac's face. Youngjae studied Daehyun's every detail with utmost seriousness.
 
Daehyun shifted uncomfortably, feeling as if Youngjae had looked through him and into his secrets. Youngjae eyed Daehyun from top to toe and twisted his lips wistfully. "Hmm...I really can't tell..." He muttered under his breath.
 
Daehyun raised his brows questioningly. "Tell what?"
 
"Nothing." Youngjae shrugged. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So Eun told me that she fell in love with a guy that likes someone else, but I always thought that guy liked her back. Strange."
 
Daehyun immediately perked up. "Wait, so she told you who the guy is?" He pressed on. *Why didn't she tell me!*
 
"I kind of knew who she liked before she even said it." Youngjae grinned. "But I can't tell you, it's not for me to say." He wriggled his brows.
 
Daehyun let out an annoyed growl and gave Youngjae the fiercest glare possible. Youngjae just grinned. "I can't say~~" he sang. He leaned nearer. "Why do you want to know anyway? You like So Eun?"
 
Daehyun leaned away and cleared his throat. "I thought I told you before, no I don't."
 
"Then do you love her?" Youngjae grew more and more interested, but at the same time serious. Daehyun sent Youngjae a frown and sneered. "Stop these meaningless questions. If you're not going to tell me anything, just go home." He walked to the door and opened it.
 
Youngjae just shrugged and pranced out of the door. "Suit yourself." He murmured, marching back to his own house.
 
Youngjae frowned and tapped his chin, deep in consideration. "He didn't say he didn't love her." He murmured. "But he loves Kim Sohyun. Unless Daehyun loves two girls at the same time, I think there's something wrong here..."

"Morning!" So Eun chirped as she skipped down the stairs. "Wow can't believe I actually made it early enough for breakfast today."

Daehyun fixed his gaze on So Eun as she bounced over to the breakfast table with more enthusiasm than natural. He frowned slightly as he watched her sit down and pour a tall glass of milk for herself. She greeted her parents and grinned at Daehyun when she noticed him staring.

"Morning Daehyun!" she beamed.

Daehyun was momentarily dazzled by the brightness of her smile until he forced himself to snap out of it. Seriously, why was she so chirpy all of a sudden? She was crying to bits last night!

Daehyun grunted in response as he studied her face carefully. Despite her bright smile and cheerful voice, he could see the dark circles under her eyes and how they were slightly pink and puffy. Her nose as well. For the first time, So Eun tried to put on some make up foundation to hide those dark rings but they were still visible with the powder.

"You're early today." Mr Kim commented, not noticing anything wrong like fathers usually miss. "And exceptionally happy today. Did something good happen?"

So Eun flinched. Good? Oh yes, she realized she was in love with Jung Daehyun who was in love with Kim Sohyun. Life was great, fantastic.

Not.

"Nothing in particular." So Eun murmured briefly as she ate her toast. Mrs Kim noticed something was wrong with her daughter but didn't probe, especially not in front of two males. She glanced at Daehyun and noticed a similar confused expression on his face. She smiled lightly. *So he's concerned as well.*

"Umma, I'm going to be late coming home today." So Eun notified. "I have some things to do."

"Okay." Mrs Kim nodded. "Back for dinner?"

"Probably not, I'll have to call you again." So Eun drank her milk. She downed the entire glass and swallowed. So Eun looked at Daehyun with a bright smile. "Ready to go?"

Daehyun nodded and followed her out, nodding silently at the parents. He eyed the back of So Eun's head as she bounced out of the house to wait outside for the rest of the BAP boys. "Wow look it's the first time we aren't the last to arrive." So Eun laughed in amusement. "This is really a first-"

Daehyun grabbed her arm and turned her around. So Eun felt her heart stop beating in that one moment and she swallowed, staring back at Daehyun. Would he see through her act? That her smiles were all forced and she had to jerk her feet so that she could bounce in a seemingly happy manner?

Daehyun's eyes roamed around her face and caught the hesitance in her eyes. "Are you...okay now?" he asked in a low voice.

The look in her eyes disappeared instantly and she beamed. "Yes of course! Don't worry about me Daehyun!" she chattered. "Aww you're so sweet! You'll make the perfect boyfriend if Sohyun was here!"

Daehyun looked away and cleared his throat. "Hn. Whatever."

So Eun smiled and shuffled around, kicking the pebbles on the ground while waiting. If only that girl wasn't Kim Sohyun but Kim So Eun.

-----

So Eun looked around the foreign neighborhood and scratched her head. "Hmm...where is it exactly?" she murmured.

Youngjae stretched his arms and yawned. "Yah, I'll tell you first alright?" he muttered. "I'm only accompanying you till six alright? I'm going home after."

So Eun made a face at him. "And you say you're my best friend."

"What? I need to rest as well alright?" Youngjae defended. "And you have Jongup and Zelo with you! Although they're still at the arcade playing, with no idea what we're doing..." he muttered under his breath. "How useless."

"I don't want to tell so many people." So Eun shrugged. "If I tell them that I'm looking for Kim Sohyun, they're bound to ask why. You're the only one that knows and you better shut your mouth alright?" she wagged her finger.

"Yes yes I'm not your best friend for nothing." Youngjae rolled his eyes. "Just as long as I can be the best man for your wedding and you call a cute girl as your bridesmaid."

"Flirt." So Eun elbowed him. She looked around the shops and brightened when she saw the shop number. "Oh #04-31! It's here!" she pulled Youngjae into the shop.

Unfortunately for the brainiac, the shop was one selling bras and lingerie and his face instantly grew red with embarrassment. A salesgirl approached So Eun and eyed Youngjae trailing behind So Eun, wriggling her brows suggestively. "Hi! Are you here to choose lingerie for your girlfriend?"

So Eun and Youngjae's eyes widened and they stared at each other in utter shock. "HIM?" "HER?" they chorused.

"NOOOOO!!!!!" they shrieked.

The salesgirl backed away with slight surprise and she bowed. "I'm sorry! I thought you two were..." she pinked. "Uhm so...can I help you?"

So Eun nodded, rubbing her pink cheeks. Seriously, Youngjae? She was so familiar with him that thinking about him in the romantic way was . "I'm here to find Kim Sohyun, I wonder if she's around? She's working here isn't she?"

"Me?" The salesgirl blinked in surprise. "I'm Kim Sohyun."

"Great." Youngjae nodded, eager to forget what the girl had said. "By the way, how old are you? Passed your 18th birthday yet?"

"I'm 19." Sohyun the salesgirl blinked. "Why?"

"Oh." So Eun deflated. "It's okay then, it can't be you. Thanks anyway."

So Eun was about to leave when she noticed that Youngjae wasn't by her side. She turned and saw Youngjae already outside waiting for her, too eager to leave the embarrassing shop. She laughed lightly and joined him, sighing softly. "It can't be her then." she crossed out Sohyun the salesgirl from her list.

"Next on the list, Kim Sohyun who stays near here." So Eun bit her lip. "And then next, the Kim Sohyun who studies in Kyungnam high school." she nodded.

Youngjae sighed and rubbed his temples. "Whatever, as long as there aren't any more lingerie shops. Why are you trying so hard anyway?" he eyed So Eun, not understanding. "Do you realize that you're slogging your guts out to search for your ultimate love rival? I've never met someone as stupid as this."

"You won't get it." So Eun clicked her tongue. "You haven't fallen in love before so you don't know."

"There aren't any cute babes around to fall in love with." Youngjae shrugged. He sighed and stretched his back. "So let's go. NExt on the list, Kim Sohyun who stays near here."

So Eun grinned and nodded, following the address on the phonebook.

Youngjae followed her and sighed softly, shaking his head. *Why must you fall for Jung Daehyun, So Eun? You're inflicting pain on yourself. But then again, does Daehyun really not love So Eun back? So confused.* he grunted.

-----

Daehyun perked up when he heard shuffling outside his room. He flung the door opened just in time to see So Eun dart into her room. He quickly threw himself into her room before the door closed and scared So Eun to death. "OH MY GOSH!" So Eun gasped, "You scared me."

Daehyun rubbed the back of his neck. "Where were you the whole afternoon?" he inquired. "Youngjae came back two hours ago. Zelo and Jongup came back at three in the afternoon. Where were you?"

So Eun smiled at him brightly and ran for her phone. "Look!" she showed him the new album of Kim Sohyuns she met that day that fitted the under 18 category.

"I met four Sohyuns who fit the under 18 requirement today." She beamed. "Go on! Look! Is your Sohyun one of them?"

Daehyun grabbed her phone and flung it to the bed without looking. "No." he gritted his teeth. So Eun's eyes widened and she watched as her phone bounced on her bed. "Yah!" she gasped. "You didn't even look at them!"

"That's because I know you won't find her." Daehyun growled. "I told you not to go looking for Kim Sohyun any more so why are you doing this? What if you faint again like the last time? I told you I'll handle it so don't into my business!"

"Your business is my business." So Eun looked away. "I told you I'll help as soon as I'm well again, right?"

"Don't waste your time, I said as well." Daehyun grabbed her shoulder to turn her around. "Why won't you listen? What will you gain from looking for Kim Sohyun? There's no reason why you should be so interested in this! Is it just the romance of the whole situation? A thousand years makes it romantic that's why you're trying so hard?"

So Eun played with her fingers, biting her lips. "Thousand years or not, I'll still help you."

"Why?" Daehyun eyed her, not understanding.

So Eun her lips, her heart thumping loudly. She stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes involuntarily. She hiccupped all of a sudden and she fanned herself as a few tear drops leaked from her eyes. She laughed uneasily and swallowed. "Why am I hiccuping all of a sudden, hahaha.." she laughed hesitantly.

Daehyun frowned. "You're hiding something." he knew her too well. "Yah."

So Eun hiccuped again and she fanned herself more vigorously. "Why won't the hiccups stop, aigoo-"

"You're scared." Daehyun's eyes rounded. "You hiccup when you're scared or you're shocked." he blinked. "You're scared...of me? Or of what I said?" he searched his memory. "Why-"

"Because I'm afraid you'll know why I'm doing all this." So Eun whispered, turning away from him. She wiped at her cheeks desperately as another hiccup slipped through her lips.

Daehyun stared at her, trembling slightly. No way. No she couldn't. Not after how he treated her, after how he even pushed her to Jongup and everything, allowing her to go on a date with Minkyu, showing her his worst side and being a mean bastard...she couldn't. She couldn't right?

"I love you Daehyun." So Eun swallowed. "That's why I'm doing this. Because if I can't have you, I want you to be happy."

Daehyun stumbled backwards, the world and his sanity slipping from his grip.