“So this how’s it’s going to be? Fine. Whatever.” Jiyeon stated calmly. Her face was devoid of any emotion. Chaerin on the other hand was nervously biting her lip and her hands were shaking underneath the table.

Chaerin and Seung Hyun just announced that they decided to move in together after preparing a sumptuous dinner for Jaejoong and Jiyeon. Chaerin knew that behind the cold exterior Jiyeon was showing, she knew that she hurt Jiyeon’s feelings by this sudden announcement. She wanted to embrace her unnie tightly and apologize and just take everything back. But she’s already talked about this with Seung Hyun and they both decided that this is the best solution.

“Unnie… I’ll still be living across the hall… we’ll still see each other…” Chaerin pleaded as she tried reaching for Jiyeon’s hand across her but the latter swiftly folded her arms across her chest and looked at Chaerin straight in the eyes. Jiyeon’s face was stoic, her eyes grey and lifeless not showing just like a barrier shielding all her emotions and thoughts inside.

“Unnie… please… I love him…” Chaerin’s voice shook not being able to take any more of Jiyeon’s cold treatment. Seung Hyun gently held Chaerin’s hand and squeezed it. He kissed her cheek and embraced her tightly.

“Just let them be, Jiyeon. They’re grown ups. If they want to live together, just let them.” Jaejoong interjected, sighing heavily. He doesn’t want to be part of this drama any more. He’d rather be in a bar and search for his next conquest.

“I’ll take very good care of her. I love her so much.” Seung Hyun met Jiyeon’s gaze with much conviction as he held Chaerin closer to him.

“Why does everybody at this table think I’m against you two? No. You guys can do whatever you want. I don’t give a rat’s what you guys do.” Jiyeon looks away and laughs bitterly. Chaerin looks down and winces upon hearing her unnie.

“I’m just utterly shocked that you… Chaerin… you who claim to know me so well... would be insensitive enough not to consider the gravity of the situation you’re putting me into… well let me give you the bigger picture here…” Jiyeon leans on the table and looks at Chaerin, her eyes dead and grey.

“You’re compelling me to take a stranger as my new housemate just because you want to be with your boyfriend. I’m being forced to take a stranger into my house just so you could be with your prince charming. I’m not being given a choice because your big shot boyfriend and this blondie surprisingly own this damn building and if I don’t agree with this set up, they’d both be constrained not to extend my lease contract just so this guy could take my apartment… my apartment…”

“So you see I can’t be all happy for you and your boyfriend because I have my own problem to deal with. Besides, it looks like you have already made up your mind anyways. You’re not even here to ask my permission, you’re just telling me so I could it up.” Jiyeon finally stood up.

“So my opinion doesn’t really matter. You guys can do whatever the hell you want. I’m out of here.” Jiyeon padded towards the door. She stopped right when she was at the door and looked over her shoulder to meet Jaejoong’s gaze.

“Jaejoong, you can go sleep in my room starting tonight. Just give me a week to move all my stuff out.” Jiyeon announced and then walked out of the apartment.

*****

Jaejoong searched for Jiyeon upon finding out that she wasn’t in her apartment. He didn’t tell Chaerin and Seung Hyun that Jiyeon was missing because when he left them Chaerin was sobbing terribly and was pleading Seung Hyun that they should just back out of their plan.

He first went to the hospital and asked the nurses if they’ve seen Jiyeon. He also tried searching every on-call room in the hospital but she wasn’t there. He went to Tequila Joe’s and asked Jay, the bartender, if he’d seen Jiyeon. Jay confirmed that Jiyeon just left minutes before Jaejoong came in and said something about going to a bath house nearby.

After hours of looking for her, he finally found her in the bath house a few blocks from the hospital. She was lying down on the floor in the common area where most customers sleep, she had a small towel supporting her head, her eyes were open, just staring blankly at the ceiling. She was wearing the standard pink short and pink shirt that the bath house has for ladies. Although he really didn’t want to be seen in such unfashionable outfit, he had to wear the standard blue short and blue shirt in order to get in.

He walked towards Jiyeon and lied down beside her. His hands supported his neck as he lied down, staring at the ceiling like Jiyeon was doing. They lied down there in silence. Jiyeon finally sighs. Jaejoong could smell the hint of tequila from her breath but he couldn’t see any signs of drunkenness on her face.

“What are you doing here?” Jiyeon asks.

“Do you know that bath houses… though ironic for its purpose is supposed to be for cleaning your body… is one of the prone areas to spread germs. Imagine how many people uses the shower and sauna rooms in a day… imagine the horror that one out of ten customers might have some kind of sk