Heechul's POV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     "Took you long enough to call, stranger!" I said to the voice at the other end of the line.

"Hello to you,too," Hankyung replied. "At least I bothered to call you first, hyung," he said.

     "Whatever. How is everything going in China?"

"China is good. So are my parents. And girlfirend."

     My face lights up, although he can't see it. "Girlfriend?" I begin to yell. "GUYS!!! He's got a GIRLFRIEND!!!"

"HYUNG!" he cries, "I was kidding."

     "Darn you, babo (idiot)," I tease.

"And I assume you must already have a girl," he says.

     "Um...aniya (no)," I whisper, "But I'm working on it."

I look over at Hyun-Ae. I don't think she heard me. 

     "Ooh! Hyung likes a girl. HE'S NOT GAY!" he cries.

"Shush! Everyone will hear you!" I say.

     "Where are you?"

"Well, if you had called earlier," I begin.

     "Just get to the point, hyung."

"Do you know who the band Jump Girls is?"

     "I've heard of them," he tells me.

"We're doing a promotional thing with them, and we're out for lunch after our first meeting."

     "When you guys have a concert together, I'll see if I can get time off to see it. I really miss you guys."

"We miss you,too," I tell him.

      "Hello, Hangeng hyung!" Henry yells.

"How did you know it was him?" I ask.

     "You went all big aegyo-eyes when you answered it," he says.

"Why don't you put it on speaker?" Hankyung suggests.

     "Okay. Everyone say hello to Hankyung," I call.

"Anyeonghaseyo (hello)!" they call.

     "Hello! I miss you, and I can't wait to meet the Jump Girls. Fighting!"

"Hello, oppa. It's Chung Eun Kyung. Do you remember me?" Eun Kyung asks.

     "Oh, yes. Wasn't it that one ballet show where we met?" he says.

"Yes it was. Our maknae *(note) maknae is the youngest member of a group)*, Maggie, is very good with ballet," she says.

     "Well, I don't know about very good," Maggie says.

"You've done it ever since you started kindergarten," Mi Hi adds.

     "I guess I'll have to judge that for myself," he tells her.

"I hope that will be soon. I would like to meet you," she says.

     "That sounds good. i was actually calling to tell you all that I am coming to visit soon."

I feel my smile increase about ten times in size.

     "That's great, hyung!" Siwon says. "I can't wait to see you."

"I missed him more!" Henry says.

     "I'll let you all shower me with affection when I get here in a month," Hankyung says. 

"Hear that guys? We have to neaten up the dorms," Sungmin says.

     "Eun Kyung, the pretty girl next to me, is good with organizing, or so I hear," Donghae says.

"Ke Ke. Your dorm. Clean it," Eun Kyung replies. 

     "Donghae, such a schmoozer," Hankyung says. "I have to go. My manager is calling me, but I will call you later. It was nice speaking with everyone."

"Goodbye!" Everyone says.

     I hang up the phone, excited to see my friend again soon. I missed him so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melinda's POV

     Soon after our group phone call with Hangeng, my phone rings. 

"Hi, Mom," I say.

     "Hello, sweetheart," she says.

"Hey Mom, can I call you back later? I'm kind of busy right now, but I promise to catch you later today. Hey, isn't it almost three a.m. there? It's noon here."

     "Actually, sweetie, I figured it'd be best if I called you now. Steven wanted to call you, but he lost your number. You'll want to call him as soon as possible," she tells me.

     "Is everything alright?" I ask.

"That's why I called now. He needs to tell you something important. It's rather serious."

     "Okay, I'll make sure I do. Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, sweetie. make sure you pray for Steven, too. I'll talk to you later."

     As I hung up, I wondered what was so urgent that caused Steven to need an immediate phone call from me. He was like a brother to me, but I didn't think he'd miss me this much as to have me call him during the wee hours of the morning in the U.S. It had to be something else. 

     I get an uneasy feeling as I wait anxiously to get back to our dorm so I can call him.