I felt something tugging my blanket away and so I pulled it up higher to cover my head. But as soon as I was about to doze off again, my entire blanket was yanked away.

             "What!" I yelled as I shoot up from the lying position, only to see Yoogeun standing there with a sad face. "I didn't want to wake you up but...but there's nothing left to eat anymore and I'm running late for school..."

             I sighed and run a hand through my hair, "Where's ahjumma? Isn't she here?"

             "She called just now and said that she had got something on so she can't come for housekeeping today."

             Ugh, great.

             "Give me five minutes, I'll drive you to school and buy you sandwich on the way."

"Here you go," I get into the driver seat and gave Yoogeun the sandwich that I bought from a convenience store. I fastened my seatbelt and placed my hands on the steering wheel after shifting the gear into drive mode. "Eat it now before we reach school," I said.

             I watched as he unwrap the plastic and was munching on his sandwich now. It was weird. We used to have a lot of things to talk and laugh about. 

             "Yoogeun," he turned and looked at me with big anticipating eyes. "I...I have a shooting later," I smiled.

             "Oh. Work hard hyung," he simply said and although I can't hear him, I can see the restlessness in his eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you so listless?"

             "I'm bored,"

             "Bored? Why?"

             "Because noona's not around, I'm bored," he wrapped up the sandwich that he ate only half and put it aside. "If you need a noona to play with, I have a lot other girl fr—"

             "I mean Sanghee noona, hyung."

             "She's not coming back, kid."

             "And why? She's the only noona that treated me good!"

             "You don't understand, kid!" I stepped on the brake as soon as we reached the school compound. A moment of silence was felt as both of us (or maybe just me) tried to calm our heart down.

             "You're the one that don't understand, hyung." And he gets off the car without looking at me.

*****

"Here. Your money," Mr. Kim wrote me a cheque and slides it over the table. "Mr. Kim, I don't need money. Can I request for something else?"

             "What?" He gave me a baffled look before sighing. "Fine, what you want?"

             "I...I think I fall in love with Taemin during the process of helping you, and obviously he's ignoring me right now because I sort of...lied to him. Can you help me?"

             Mr. Kim had a serious expression on. After a long fifteen minutes of silence, he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "How?"

             I bit my lip and looked away. How can he do to help? And when my eyes landed on the cover of the magazine on the table, a light bulb lit up in my head.

"Has he arrived?" I asked the make-up artist that's applying blusher on my face right now.

             "No, haven't. He usually only arrives on time and not early," I nodded.

             "OH REM YOU'RE HERE," shouted some other staffs. I immediately turned to look at the entrance and before the make-up artist forcefully pulled my chin back, I caught a glimpse of Taemin walking in casually.

             "Sorry," I apologized for turning my head so sudden and the make-up was a little spoiled that she had to re-do it. I pursed out my lips for her to apply lip gloss but my eyes were following Taemin as he walks past. He didn't seem to know my existence and that's a good thing because I could surprise him later. Although I'm not even sure if he's going to like the surprise or...he's just going to ignore.

             "Whose shooting I'm doing for?" I heard him asking the director as he runs a hand through his hair with a bored face. "You're doing a shooting with a female today," the director said while flipping through a clip board.

             "I am? Wow," he smirked and followed one of the staff to one corner for his make-up and stuff. I looked back into the mirror in front of me and realized that she's done with my face. "Thank you," I quietly said and she walked away after a smile.

             I looked so different right now. Even though I had applied make-up before, but my skills are definitely not as skilled as the professional ones. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I watched as people in the mirror walk here and there hurriedly with sets of clothing and bottles of hair spray in their hands. So this is the environment that Taemin work in?

             After a while, the director gave me a wink as he passed by my area. I smiled a little and watched as everyone was prepared for the shooting to begin. Looking at the sea of faces, I could easily spot Taemin. Why? Because he's the most good-looking one. I mean, with all the make-up and clothing he's supposed to wear for shooting, he is definitely the most eye-catching one in the entire studio. But in my eyes, it seemed like all I could see was him. It's like he's glowing among the crowd and I have no choice but to automatically look at him.

             Anyhow, I was surprised. Within only a short amount of time, Taemin was ready for shooting. I mean, he dressed up, done make-up, done hair styling within that little amount of time. No wonder he don't arrive early because he don't need to rush at all. By the way, he looks smoking hot with eyeliner. He wore maroon red tight jeans with a simple black tee and his hair was styled in a wavy manner. I then looked at myself; I'm wearing a knee-length black dress with a maroon red ribbon on my hair. Wow, even though it's just a show, they insist to match everything isn't it?

             After a few shoots of Taemin's solo, the director called for the female to come in and that's when my heart starts to pound irregularly again.

             I can do this.

             I inhaled deeply and exhaled sharply. Standing up on the 6-inch bloody heels, I scolded myself for not learning how to wear heels that are more than 5-inch high. Remember that time I wore the studded black heels? That's only like 3 to 4-inch I guess and it's already killing me in the inside.

             Taking small steps towards the set, I looked at Taemin who's having his back towards me as he talked to some of the male staffs and joke with them. "Okay get ready," the director said as he held onto the camera on his hand.

             Just then, Taemin turned back when the staffs left. His eyes widen as soon as our eyes came in contact. "You're the female model?!" I nodded in response but he seemed not very happy with it. "Get me the proposal," he commanded coldly and immediately, a staff delivers a file to him. "...KIM design's co...Why didn't anyone tell me that I'm shooting for this !" He raised his voice as he slammed the file onto the ground.

             I didn't expect this.

             I thought the most he would ignore me and give me cold attitude until the end of the shooting but I didn't expect him to have such a strong hatred towards his father's company.

             "You planned this?" He asked, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You asked HIM to do all this? Why? Want to see me making a fool out of myself?" He scoffed.

             I stood there motionless and occasionally shift my weight because the heels were killing. All the people there seemed to sense the tension so they started to leave one by one until the studio left only Taemin and I.

             "I don't know if you will believe me but I just want to say—"

             "Say what? Say you love me?" He smirked in a way that I know he's mocking me. "I—"

             "Stop lying, Sanghee. Stop lying," he sighed and closed his eyes.

             I felt like the world was crumpling down on me, why can't he just believe me? Just because I lied to him once doesn't mean I will lie all the time. Even the boy that lied about wolves, the villagers only decided not to trust him when he lied for the third time. Why? Why don’t Taemin trust me anymore? I only lied once.

             But something inside my mind told me, because Taemin was a fragile being. He lost the ability to hear; he's only able to listen through his eyes and feel through his heart. He's an unwanted child; he lost the ability to trust since he was young.

             And he trusted me, but I betrayed that trust.

             I sighed and swallowed back the tears. Walking towards him, I cupped his face to make him open his eyes and look at me.

             "Taemin, you listen through your heart don't you? Can't you feel that I'm—,"

             "No, Sanghee," he pulled my hands away from his face as he glance at me with not anger in his eyes but disappointment and hurt. "I don't know how to feel with my heart about you. You...you don't actually love me right? Because you had a motive in getting close to me, that's why you pretended to love me. Your feelings for me are fake, your feelings towards Yoogeun are fake too because you just want to earn my ing trust!"

             "No!" I yelled, and finally the tears I'd been holding back spilled out on my cheeks. "I really love Yoogeun, I...I really love you too... Why can't you just believe me? I know I may have motive in the beginning but in the process, I fell in love!"

             "You don't love me, Sanghee. You don't," he whispered so softly that I had to strain my ears and listen. "You're just doing this to earn my trust again so that you could continue to work for that old man."

             "No Taemin..." I tugged on his arm and cried so heavily that I can't find time for breath intake.

             "Sanghee...I asked before," he blinked and for a moment he didn't open his eyes. By the time he opened again, his eyes were already red. "I asked if I could trust you. Why? Why didn’t you just say no? I won't have trusted you. None of this would have happened,"

             "I'm sorry..." I murmured through the sobs. I think I look horrible right now with all the tears staining my face and trembling lips that couldn't form words. "Taemin, I didn't mean to...I know I hurt you a lot...I know..."

             "You have the ability to hurt me because you mean a lot to me do you know that? How..." Taemin did not complete his sentence, and instead, he pulled me into a tight hug. "So how can I let someone who mean a lot to me, cry like a baby in front of me?"

             He patted my head with one of his hand and another one rubbing my back. I stayed silent and relaxed my face against his chest as the sound of his heartbeats travelled into my ear. Can I assume that he forgiven me already? Can I?

             'Click'

             I pulled away from the hug as my head flew up from Taemin's chest, only to realize that the director had just snapped a picture of us hugging.

             I looked at Taemin and he gave me an assuring smile that seemed to say ignores director's existence. "Although my mind said you lied to me, my heart told me I love you," he whispered as he slowly leaned in until our faces were inches apart. I closed my eyes in anticipation, waiting for his warm lips to touch mine. "Someone's anxious huh?"

             My eyes snapped open and saw that Taemin was laughing at me. "You—" I couldn't finish what I wanted to scold him as he crushed his lips onto mine. The kiss was rough at first but it became slow and sweet gradually.

             I swear I could feel his smirk against my lips as his arms made their way around my waist.

*****

"Oh!" My mouth unknowingly formed into 'O' shape when I realized my car was being overtaken by Yoogeun. Occasionally I would turn my head to catch a glimpse of Yoogeun's smiling face as his small hands grabbed tightly on the controller.

             I'm glad; he's happy, he's back to happy kid again.

             Suddenly, Sanghee's face was in front of me and the next thing I know, my car went crashing against a pole. "! Sanghee!" I groaned before dumping the controller on the ground.

             "Oh hyung you lose!" Yoogeun laughed at me which instantly fire up my competitive self. "If not for your noona, I won't lose!"

             "Yah! So you're blaming me now?!" Sanghee frowned, "I made lunch and I'm kind enough to tell—YAH!"

             I grabbed her waist and pushed her onto the couch. "Your punishment," I smirked and started tickling her sides, she laughed as her body curled up. "Oh, someone rang the bell."

             I pecked a quick kiss on her lips before getting up and walked over to the door while tugging my shirt. "Anneyong-haseyo, Lee Taemin-sshi? This is the photo from the photo shoot."

             "Photo shoots?" I took the big vertical photo frame wrapped up in paper. "Thanks," I signed the paper and bowed to him before closing the door.

             "Hyung, what's that?"

             "Photo I guess," I ripped off the packaging and it was a picture of Sanghee and me hugging.

             "Hey...it's gorgeous," Sanghee walked over and stood next to me as both of us stared at the beautiful photo.

             The theme seemed to be vintage chic with the background of grey. Both of us in our maroon red and black outfits with rose platter scattered on the ground. I must admit, this was a piece of artwork.

             I was so into the photo until Sanghee pulled my arm, "Let's have lunch first." She smiled and walked away to find Yoogeun.

             I watched as Yoogeun's smile seems to never fade from the day since Sanghee was here. I'd told her to move in and live with us so that she doesn't have to waste money paying rent on apartment. Other than that, director found out that Sanghee was actually so photogenic that he wanted her to sign contract with the company. I sighed and scratched the back of my head, sometimes; I really hope I could hear. I'm dying to hear her voice, Yoogeun's voice, and even my own voice.

I was lying on the bed with a book until Sanghee came out from the bathroom in her shorts and tank top. "Hey," I smiled and put a bookmark in between the pages that I stopped before putting the book aside. "Yoogeun slept already?" She asked before entering my embrace and placing her hands on my chest. I nodded, "I read him bedtime story and he slept after that."

             "And I thought he don't like your bedtime story," she said. I flicked her forehead with my middle finger and immediately she gave me a glare before lying down on my chest again. "Sanghee, I can't see your lips if you're lying like this so I'm going to talk and you listen alright?"

             I felt her nodding as I placed one of my hands behind my head and another one running up and down her forearm. "I lost my hearing when I was thirteen...It was a sunny afternoon and I'm dying to go to the beach. So I jumped into the sea without any thoughts because I always love the sea and I love the sound of the waves hitting the shore."

             "And then, my leg cramped. I was further out in the sea and I struggled a lot. I lost hope as soon as I started to sink. I sank, Sanghee. It was so painful," she looked up from my chest as she snuggled closer to me so that she's facing me. Her hand reached out to push my fringe out of my face as she caresses my cheek and gave me a smile. "When I wake up again, I realized I couldn't hear anymore. The doctor said something about the pressure under the sea and that my ear couldn't take the pressure. He even jokingly said that it's lucky enough that my organ didn't burst and I survived."

             From then, I realized how fragile human ears are.

             Sanghee cupped my face and leaned in to kiss me. I returned the kiss as I nibbled on her lips ever so gently before she pulled away. “‘Tough on you,” she said. I smiled and hugged her closer to me, "How does my voice sound like?"

             "Your voice? Your voice is soothing, gentle, and sweet. Really," she giggled.

             I chuckled and felt tiredness taking over my body already.

             "I'm glad you were once a PI...if not we won't have met..."

             And my eyes couldn't read her lips because they were so heavy that it closed. Before I totally doze off, I felt her warm lips on the tip of my nose before the blanket was pulled over us.

             I really want to hear your voice, Sanghee.