She stared at the rocks for only god knew how long, As much as she tried to shove that particular feeling off, to just leave it behind and let it be, she just couldn’t. There would always be the same butterflies feeling fluttered in her stomach each and every time he treated her like he used to be. Even the simplest gestures could make her heart went ballistic.

           “Why am I so pathetic?”

     She admitted that she was being quite obvious during the United Cube concert period but she just couldn’t help it. Her body seemed to have a mind of its’ own and refused to succumb to her brain whenever he was around. Her tears fell again for the nth time. It’s not fair, it’s really not fair. He was more capable to pretend, no, not pretend. He was moving on, forgetting her, erasing the memories they’ve had together.

    While all she could pathetically do is pretend. Pretend that she was alright. That there wasn’t even a tiny speck of jealousy each time he spoke of her best friend, his girlfriend. And so here she was, spilling all the tears she had been holding back before.

…………….

    He was walking back to the apartment after some time wasting at the practice place where two of s were preparing for their debut stage after leader’s solo act. An idea struck his head as he walked past the park across their apartment building. He skipped away happily to the swing at the children playground and played by himself. It’s been so long since he was freely playing like this. As he was humming to ’60 Seconds’, he heard the sound of a female crying.

   He decided to ignore the noise when it suddenly got louder and clearer as if it was coming nearer to him and truthfully, it was giving him the creeps. He was reminded of Dongwoo’s story of the red masked woman. Quickly he shooed that thought away. Besides, from what he heard of the story, the red masked woman doesn’t cry, she’s just some psycho wearing red trench coat carrying scissors and went around slaughtering people. She does not cry, right?

   Whatever that noise might be, it made his feet scattered its’ way back to his dorm. Better safe than sorry, he thought. That’s when fate decided to have a twist of its’ own, when he saw a woman about to get up from a bench and started walking towards him. All of his hairs began to stand when he noticed that she was wearing an awfully familiar red trench coat. Panicked, he frantically searched his brain for a single clue of what his hyung said to do when coming across her. Nothing. His mind was blank.

          “What to do? What to do?”

          “Excuse me?”

   He fainted.

    She saw the man grew whiter and whiter as she approached him closer. Is he sick?

           “Excuse me?”

Suddenly, the man dropped to the ground much to her surprise.

           “Oh?”

She rushed to the man’s side and bent down next to him. Sure, she wasn’t a doctor but she   herself have been through a series of fainting spells especially during her Wonder Girl’s days so, pretty much she knew what to do when facing these kind of situation. She quickly checked his wrist for pulses. Her expression relaxed when she felt the familiar beat on her fingers, well, at least he wasn’t dead. But why this man looked so familiar? She was sure he was an idol like her but she can’t remember him from anywhere.

            “Excuse me, excuse me, sir?”

   She tried shaking his shoulders and poked his cheeks gently several times but still, there was no response. She tapped her head nervously in case her brain has decided to pop out some brilliant ideas. An image of a convenient store flashed through her mind. Dragging the slightly taller male with all her might, she successfully placed him on one of the benches comfortably before she rushed to the nearby convenient store. Thankfully, she knew the neighbourhood well from that many times she and Bomi sneaked out from their respective dorms for ice-cream. She came back with a bottle of mineral water and a bar of chocolate. People said chocolates help calm a person down, so why not? Maybe this guy had a tough day.

    The guy was still in the position she left him as she walked closer towards the bench. Without wasting any time, she sprinkled the mineral water on his face using her hand. The unconscious male’s face started to twitch at the impact of the water. She sat beside him and ate the chocolate she bought earlier, breathing in the cold night air as she waited for him to come to his senses. Ah, it’s been quite a long while since she last ate some.

………………..

    His eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them slowly. His hand automatically went to his head as it was killing him. Slowly, his sight was becoming clearer and clearer. He looked around, right to left when he spotted a particular female wearing red coat sitting casually beside him, eating chocolate.

          ‘Is she going to kill me after that?’

That thought made him jumped off his seat, surprising the female beside him. So, he resorted to the last effort he could think of. As swift as he could manage, he knelt down to a deep bow in front of the startled woman and begged for his life. Much to his surprise, he heard her laugh. No, not that kind of the  I-got-you-you-have-nowhere-to-run-now laugh psychos had, but rather a normal girl laugh.

           “Why.in.the.world.would.I.kill.you?”, He heard her say in between her laughs.

     Taken aback, he braved himself to look up. There he saw a laughing girl, a familiar one to be exact. His usually small eyes widen as he realised something. His face reddened as he quickly got up and bowed his head.

           “Choisonghamnida, choisonghamnida, I wasn’t in my right mind. I thought   you were the red masked woman my hyung was talking about. I see I got the wrong person. Again, choisonghamnida. I will just take my leave now”

He was about to walk away when he felt a tug on his coat.

……………………

     She chuckled again quietly before she pulled his coat, putting just enough pressure to stop him from going any further.

           “Are you sure you are okay enough to walk without passing out again? I think you hit your head pretty hard when you dropped to the ground earlier. Here take this”

She handed him the leftover mineral water and half of the chocolate she ate earlier and patted the empty spot he left behind beside her, motioning him to sit down not forgetting to put on her best assuring smile. She didn’t want him to pass out again if she let him go. He seemed to hesitate for a while but decided to take her offer and sat down next to her.

        “Thank you, Hyuna-shi”

        “You’re welcome. You…know me?”

    His expression changed a bit when he heard her question but he kept his composure and answered it rather calmly.

           “Of course. We were in Bouquet together. Remember the guy who carried you? It was me. I also saw you at the Idol Crown Prince Resurrection show but you were pair up with Wooyoung hyung and I was with Soyu-shi”

She blushed as realisation filled up her mind.

       “Ah…you’re from the group where that small-eyed guy sang a ballad for my unnie twice. What his name was…ah! Infinite Nam Woohyun, am I right?”

He chuckled.

      “The one who sang the ballad is Sunggyu hyung. I am Nam Woohyun”

His statement made her cheeks scarlet again.

    “Really? Choisonghamnida, Woohyun-shi. I tend to mess up with people’s name. That was foolish of me”

She looked at him apologetically.  

     “Nah, there is no need for apologising. People tend to mistook me as Sunggyu hyung pretty often as our eyes have almost the same degree of smallness so I’m already immune to that. Besides, I don’t think anyone would recognise me now, what with my hair darker than they used to be”

     He pointed here and there as he explained things causing her to laugh, yet again.

      “Well, personally I think you look flashier now than you used to be”

 That caught him by surprise.

         “Huh, really? Do you really mean that?”

She nodded.

         “Assa!”

He pumped his fist in the air, jumping on the his seat like a happy little kid making her having a hard time containing her laughter to herself. It’s been a long time since she sincerely laughed. It made her felt…good. For the first time in her life, she managed not to think of that person. She will be glad to keep that. Both of the idols shared a fair share of laughter as they recalled back their memories from the show they participated together.

         “Woohyun-shi?”

         “Hmmm?”

         “Can I ask you a question?”

         “Only one ~~”

He sang, causing her to giggle again.

         “Can I, umm, be your friend?” She asked him, a hint of hesitation clear in her tone.

         “Wae ~~?”

         “Geunyang. I’ve never had a guy friend outside of the agency, only co-stars, and you looked like a fun person to hang out with. So, can I?”

         “Hmm, let’s see…”

         “Ah,wae.....am I not a good person?”

         “Got you! But, just call me oppa, arasso? Pinky promise, chingu?”

 He was just like her.

         “Promise! Yay, can’t wait to tell oppa’s noona I’ve made a new friend today”

         “Who?”

         “Our Jihyun omma. Nam Jihyun”

They laughed together as he ruffled her hair.

Another relationship formed. Maybe there were bit truth to what people always say : When a door closes, what that really mean is another is open widely. And who knows what the other door may have in store for us?

           “Oppa! One question more! Who’s the red masked woman really?”