Woohyun’s POV

“Oppa?” a female voice spoke into my ears, bringing me back to reality from all thoughts of missing her so badly.

“Kasumi, I —” I froze.

I heard the faint clicking sounds of heels fading from my hearing and I quickly turned to realize that she was walking away from me. With a sinking heart, I guessed as much that she was hurt. , I didn’t want to do the same thing to Seohyun! I panicked.

I ran after Seohyun.

I could not lose her after I’ve lost Kasumi. She’s special to me, she meant a lot to me. I only missed Kasumi because even if I couldn’t talk to her, I would still see her and not seeing her was really weird. But that didn’t mean I still loved Kasumi. I didn’t. I was in love with Seohyun. I really do.

I grabbed Seohyun by the hand and made her look at me. “Look, I love you, babe,” I tried to convince. “I really do.”

“Then why did you —?”

I shook my head. “I was thinking about her, yes, but that doesn’t mean I still love her. It is you who I love,” I insisted. I brought her close to me. “Darling, you’re mine. You know that. You know I chose you over Kasumi.”

She hesitated. “I – I know.”

I kissed her and she kissed me back, relaxed. I smiled in between our kiss, glad that I didn’t lose her yet.

I couldn’t lose her, like how I’ve lost Kasumi.

U-Kwon’s POV

It’s been a week and Zico still wasn’t back yet. I wondered what he was doing. Was Kasumi okay? What are they doing together?

 “What’s your problem?”

I looked up to Kyung. “What?” I snapped.

He reeled back. “You seem to be snappy these past few dayys,” he observed. “Are you okay? What seem to be troubling you?”

“Nothing,” I mumbled, stirring my spoon in my food. I wasn’t really hungry. I wasted my money just buying it.

“Has it got to do with the fact that Jiho is in Japan . . . with Kasumi?” P.O pushed the nerve button somewhere in me.

I stood up and marched away — only to be held back by Jaehyo, who glowered at me. “For goodness sake, idiot, grow up!” he snapped angrily. “This isn’t a time for you to think about your jealousy. Leave Kasumi alone.”

“Do you honestly think Jiho would leave her alone too?”

“Yes,” he retorted. “He would. After everything Kasumi had gone through, the last thing you and he would want for her is confusion.”

I hated how he was right so I sighed. I looked at him. “Do you think he likes her, too?” I asked him quietly.

“No.”

I realized that he had only been stirring things up in my heart for fun. “That was mean. You shouldn’t have made me think that he has a crush on her,” I complained, throwing a grain of rice to him.

He burst into laughter and everyone else smirked. I gnawed my teeth in frustration. I cannot believe that he dared to trick me. He knew I liked Kasumi, but I didn’t think he would dare to try to trick me.

But I decided to make a payback. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. “Hey, Kyung, how many steps does it take to hit an idiot?”

“I don’t know, how many?”

“None. I just reach out my hand to hit the idiot.” I reached my hand out to him and hit him on the shoulder. “Haha!” But then I noticed his expression and dashed away.

Kasumi’s POV

I was at the airport, saying goodbye to Zico. His time here was up and I decided I was going to see him off. When it was time for him to board the plane, he turned to me at the terminal entrance and smiled, holding his hands out to me.

I hugged him. “I’ll see you when I come home, okay?”

He nodded. “I really enjoyed spending time with you,” he said softly, “especially when we were at the beach.”

I smiled, remembering how we talked for hours at the beach (under the watchful eyes of lovely Changmin, of course — but note my sarcasm). It was great fun. We even splashed water at Changmin and swam in the sea. We climbed rocks as well and even went scuba diving and rode on the banana boat.

“I enjoyed myself, too,” I replied.

He hugged me again, smiling that sincere and warm smile of his. “You really like it here, don’t you?” he asked me.

“Yes, I do. I feel like I belong here,” I replied resolutely.

“You’re . . . returning in two weeks, aren’t you?” He looked afraid.

 I nodded again. “Of course,” I reassured him. “I will be back, because even though I loved being here in Japan, I loved Seoul, I love Korea, and I love —” I stopped talking and looked down to my feet.

Zico grasped my chin and lifted my head up to him. “I know it hurts, but you can’t hide out here forever,” he whispered into my ears. “Sooner or later, Sumi-yah, you’re going to have to talk to him. you’re going to have to face them. I mean, you live with one of them, right? They’re gonna be everywhere.”

“I know, I know,” I burst out. “I just . . . don’t know how to act around him yet.” I was near tears but I tried not to show it.

He softened. “Look, if it’ll make you feel better, you know Block-B have your back. If you want, we’ll be with you when you’re with them. Well, at least one of us. I doubt that they’d like it very much if we’re all with you.”

I nodded. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Zico hugged me tightly. “I gotta go. I’ll see you in two weeks, all right? You better be back. Or else you’ll be missing the biggest event of your Year Seven,” he threatened playfully, wagging a finger at me.

I laughed and nodded, hugging him back. “Thanks, Oppa, for always being there for me when I needed you,” I said before he waved cheerfully as he entered the terminal. I stood there until I was sure he was gone.

On my way back to my auntie’s house, I thought about what he said. He was right. Sooner or later I was going to have to talk to Woohyun about everything that had happened. I just need to prepare myself for that.

U-Kwon’s POV

Ever since Zico came back from Japan, he had been acting really weird. He avoided gazes with everyone and he seemed a little withdrawal but no one understood why. He refused to tell us what had happened when he was with Kasumi. He even refused to tell his own best friend, Kyung.

But we believed him when he said that nothing happened because we could hear the sincerity in his voice.

So why was he so damn reluctant to talk?

Two weeks later Zico still wasn’t talking and by then I had pretty much given up on trying to. What’s the point in trying to keep a one-sided conversation going when the other party does not want to respond?

On Saturday, I was staring out of my window when I noticed the Kim’s car pulling up into the curb next door. The black door swung opened — and a girl stepped out from it. I knew who it was instantly, even though I couldn’t really see her face properly since she had her black hoodie up.

She’s back!

I ran out of my room, down the stairs, and out of the door. But before I could go over to her house, Myungsoo had closed the door behind him. He faced me. “I saw you coming out,” he told me.

I frowned. “I want to see her.”

He sighed. “Kasumi had a long d