A/N: Finally an update!~ Hope you enjoy! P.S Everything that happens in this chapter is for a reason, I swear ^^;;

“I don’t trust him. I don’t trust him, or Miyoung.” Chanhee muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rather than being excited at seeing Niel, the greeting was sadder in nature. With Niel arriving, the whole thing seemed so much more real. This was really happening. One of them could possibly die. The thought swirled in silence through each of their heads. Niel was usually the happy-maker of the group, always smiling, teasing and making a comfortable atmosphere, but he undertook a radical change, now serious and with no smiles.

“Neither do I. But so what? He’s the only one that can help us.”

Chanhee scoffed, smiling a bit dryly. “What’s to say that he isn’t making all this up? It’s possible, isn’t it?”

Niel and Byunghun spent a few minutes digesting this. What if Chunji was just making it up, as some kind of joke? Could that be possible?

“What would he gain out of that? That’s an awful lot of work to put into it if it was just a joke.” Niel commented, narrowing his eyes at the prospect. He hoped Chunji wasn’t that crazy.

“But why wouldn’t he? He’s capable of a lot more than we think. We’re underestimating him. I bet you anything that he’s making this up, and he just got all of us here to kill us off in one go. What a great opportunity—we’re secluded, nobody else knows where we are, no traces of civilization around us…Why wouldn’t he?”

Byunghun, who was silent through this whole thing, finally commented. “I trust him.”

Niel and Chanhee gaped at him, in utter confusion. “Trust?” Chanhee asked in disbelief, almost choking on the word.

“Why? All he’s done is ruin your life.” Niel added, sounding too defensive. But that was exactly what Byunghun thought was the problem. Everyone within their group had negative feelings towards each other. Chanhee didn’t like Chunji or Miyoung. Miyoung didn’t like Chunji, but liked Byunghun, who didn’t like her. Niel didn’t like Chunji or Miyoung, but neither of them seemed to have a problem with him. Byunghun knew that he disliked Chunji, but Chunji didn’t seem like he hated Byunghun at all. There were separate groups within their group, and that’s why it was hard to work together as a cohesive force. Nobody could trust each other, and everyone just assumed that another pairing of people was conspiring against them. Byunghun didn’t have any evidence to prove that any of this was real, but he believed Chunji. He believed that Chunji’s boss was going to punish him for going rogue, and in turn, everyone in this house was in danger of being killed. Therefore, there wasn’t time to sit around gossiping and emphasizing how much hatred there was for each other—how could a group like that ever prosper?

“I’m just saying, we need to set aside our differences and obvious hatred, and just keep each other alive. We’re all each other have to survive. We can’t create groups within this group, that defeats the purpose of a team.”

“Just a week ago, Chunji tried to kill you.” Chanhee said slowly, not at all understanding how Byunghun had even come to conclusion of trust. The concept sounded ridiculous that he couldn’t take it seriously—in fact, he would have thought that Byunghun had just been joking if it wasn’t for his straight expression, not even showing a hint of mischief. He was serious.

Byunghun couldn’t help but become a little irritated at the both of them. They were both so convinced that Chunji was going to kill them, or that he was just playing with them, that they weren’t seeing the full picture. Byunghun and Chanhee usually agreed on most things, mostly because they thought in a similar style, and sometimes Byunghun was just too lazy to contradict Chanhee, so he just went with whatever Chanhee decided. However, he couldn’t just throw this under the rug—they were having a serious problem with all of this, and the biggest thing Chanhee and Niel were concerned of was whether or not Chunji was out to kill them.

“So? It only took a day for you to cheat on me with Miyoung. Things happen, what can you do.” Byunghun spat out, and quite viciously, Niel thought.

Another round of silence followed. It would have been normal for Byunghun to instantly regret what he had said, and apologize. But everyone was on edge, and just…not themselves lately. It made everyone a lot more sensitive than usual, and thus, Byunghun didn’t look apologetic at all.

Chanhee’s face distorted emotions; it was a mutant mix of anger, regret and sadness.

This can’t be good, Niel thought to himself. Secretly, he was disgusted at this whole thing. This was probably what Chunji had wanted, to come in between people and their relationships and friendships. Boy, was he succeeding.

“That was different, and you know it.”

“No, I don’t know. So don’t pretend that you’re any better than him.”

Chanhee immediately sat upright from his slouched position, suddenly more alert. “Why are you defending him? He doesn’t deserve anything!”

“All of you are so hell bent on dissecting him and proving him to be bad. He’s bad, he’s done bad things, he’s annoying and ing repulsive, but I can be mature and set that all aside to save my own goddamn life.” Byunghun hissed, slowly getting off the bed.

Niel stomach fluttered in anxiety, a terrible clench of anticipation, and none of the good kind, either. The problem with Byunghun and Chanhee was that they were both very hot-headed and temperamental. An argument about something simple, something trivial, something that didn’t need to be argued about would turn into a massive fight. And if they were able to turn something minor into a full blown argument, how was this argument going to play out?

“Guys, stop. This isn’t right.” He tried to mediate the situation as best as he could, but Byunghun and Chanhee were going at it with each other, not even acknowledging his existence.

“That’s the whole point Byunghun—you’re not saving your life, you’re risking it. Nobody knows what the hell Chunji is planning behind closed doors. You’re putting your life in his hands for what? Some misconceieved concept of trust?”

Luckily, as if it was a miracle sent by God, the door to the room opened and in walked Chorong. Niel was just glad that there was someone else there with him that could try to help, since it didn’t look as if what he was doing was making any difference. As soon as she walked in the room, her entire demeanor changed. The tension was thick enough to slice with a knife, and her eyes immediately glanced back and forth between Byunghun and Chanhee, who were both looking away but not in the sort of way that said surrender. It looked as if they were silently fuming, preparing themselves to explode after she left.

“What’s going on in here?” She asked in a suspicious tone, eyeing Niel as if he had the answers. All he did was shrug.

It may have been a deluded sense of protection, but anybody Chunji brought to “help”, he didn’t trust. He didn’t even know why he was here in the first place—so who was he to guess what kind of person Chorong was, and why Chunji brought her along. She could be working with Chunji for all they knew. Byunghun might have been okay with trusting, teamwork, all those optimistic feelings, but Niel wasn’t, and he knew Chanhee wasn’t either.

“Byunghun…why don’t you come with me?” She offered, angling her body towards the door and gave him an expectant look.

Without another word or a glance, Byunghun led the way out the door.

****

Dinner that same evening was awkward, at best. Byunghun and Chanhee refused to even talk to each other, looking at each other was out of the question. Chunji wasn’t there to make his characteristically sarcastic remarks and sly digs. Niel was almost instantly quieted by the tension, Chorong didn’t know everyone well enough to successfully start conversation, and any attempt made by Miyoung went unnoticed and uncared for. It was no surprise that individual bodies soon began to depart, leaving only untouched dishes and utensils.

Despite appearance, some of Byunghun’s anger had deflated, thanks to the work of Chorong. He didn’t know how it happened, but after a brief talk with her, he had calmed down. Unfortunately—and he didn’t know if it was just pride or fear—he did not make any move to mend things with Chanhee. Their fight had been too much to be solved with just an apology and a hug.

As with Byunghun, Chanhee’s anger had diminished within a time frame of a few hours. All he felt now was guilt, regret, and most of all sadness, not only because Byunghun dared to compare Chanhee with Chunji, but also because he made clear that the situation with Miyoung that happened in New York was still not forgotten, or forgiven. It had been used against him, and in a way that was so harsh and just plain cruel that he couldn’t forget them. Laying in bed, Chanhee let out a sigh and to his side, staring at the unwrinkled side that was supposed to be Byunghun’s. There was no way Byunghun was sleeping here tonight; he seemed too angry and disgusted to even be near him.

****

“I want you to meet someone.” Chorong said as she pulled Byunghun away as he was heading towards his room—rather the guest room—that he was occupying. The awkward dinner was finally over, and Byunghun didn’t really want to do anything but mope, alone, on his bed.

But, Chorong had helped him, and he did owe her one from completely exploding in a raging fit. So he willingly followed her as she led him down the hall and up the stairs, to her floor. What he saw waiting there wasn’t what he expected.

“Hi, baby!” Chorong cooed, her arms outstretched. She leaned forward and scooped up the little baby into her arms, turning around to face Byunghun once again. “This is Joohyun.” She said proudly.

Byunghun stood there for a moment, speechless and mouth agape. He didn’t know how to approach this situation, being introduced to Chorong’s baby. Or at least he assumed it was hers.

“I—she—”

“Don’t look so shocked.” Chorong chortled, cutting him off. “She isn’t mine. She’s my sister’s. My sister can’t really…take care of her though, so I’ve been helping her out. Isn’t she a cutie?”

Byunghun didn’t even want to ask what happened with her sister. He observed the baby with curious eyes, never having seen one in person before. Now that it was mentioned, she was kind of cute. Big brown eyes, curly hair. The resemblance to Chorong was slight.

But was surprised him the most was when the baby shot her arms out forward towards Byunghun and gave out a loud whine, her fingers clutching and releasing in frantic motions. Chorong seemed just as shocked, looking down at the baby before looking up at him. “That’s weird, she’s hardly ever that friendly with people she doesn’t know.” With a cautious grip, she held out the baby in front of him.

It took some time, and also some instruction from Chorong on how to hold her properly, but once he had her in his arms Joohyun quieted immediately, on her thumb. “Oh my God I think—I think she actually likes you!”

Byunghun scoffed. “Why does that come as such a surprise?”

Chorong rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her features. “Come on, my room’s this way.”

****

“Have you noticed that Byunghun and Chorong are spending too much time together?” Niel inquired one day, his eyes narrowing.

“Too much time together?” Miyoung repeated.

“Yeah. They’re always together, sneaking off. I followed them one day, and they went to her room. A few hours later he came out and his clothes were all wrinkly and disheveled. Do you think—” Niel began, before taking a look at Chanhee and then clearing his throat. Byunghun spending more time with Chorong meant him spending less time with them. Namely Chanhee. Niel would have never guessed, but Chanhee took a lot of things to heart. His tough, bad-boy façade that he put on was just that, a front. He kind of wished Byunghun would stop being so insensitive.

“Byunghun and Chorong? How pissed off would that make Chunji?” Miyoung snorted, flipping through a few pages of her magazine, perched out onto the dining table.

As if on cue, Byunghun and Chorong descended the stairs in a fit of laughter. His arm was around her shoulders, and her arms were around his waist. “How amazing was that?!” She exclaimed, looking up at him with excited eyes.

“The best night I ever had, that’s for sure.” He replied.

The three at the dining table froze. They hadn’t seen him at all for these past few days, so seeing him so…happy and carefree made them do a doubletake. Especially Chahnhee, who seemed to be laser focued on something on his phone.

“Hey you two. Where have you been? Chunji’s going to be back soon.” Miyoung greeted, although her tone was unenthusiastic, borederline flat and didn’t bother to look up at the pair.

“Byunghun is literally the best ever! I’ve never seen her do that before, she loves you already!”

Niel furrowed his brows in confusion, a thought ringing in his head. He had to keep himself from gasping. Byunghun, Chorong, and another girl…Byunghun was having a ! Byunghun being labeled as the best, another girl doing something she’s never done before and loving him already…there was no other explanation!

“Oh quiet, you. But how funny was it though, when she wanted me to lay on her? Haha.”

Chanhee then suddenly got up from his seat. Niel, not to mention the others, didn’t want to see what his expression looked of.

“Niel. I’m hungry let’s go get something to eat.” Without so much of lost second Chanhee grabbed Niel by the sleeve and dragged him out of his chair.