He’d been silently watching her since Kpop Star. When he first saw her come to him for help with her rapping, he found her to be talented and hardworking. Thus when Lee Hi was signed with YG, Choi Seunghyun couldn’t help but be a little bit excited. Her hard work ethic didn’t stop when she entered the company, if anything it doubled. He was happy for her when YG decided to debut her early with her own single. And like that she became an overnight success. He heard her single on the radio and fell in love with her voice. Truthfully though, he had been falling in love with her for a while now. He liked her petite figure, her soft smile, and her kind manners. She was always proper and sweet and he found that from one artist to another, he could respect her music…which is why he immediately went out in the middle of rehearsals to go buy her CD.

It was a week after her official debut and TOP was taking a short break by the back stairs. Rehearsals were long and he decided to step outside for a breath of fresh air. What he didn’t expect was to see Lee Hi in her practice clothes sitting on the back stairs, sniffling.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he worried she didn’t want to talk with anyone. Just then the door slammed and she jumped to look around at who was there. She had indeed been crying.

“S-sunbae!” She hastily stood up and bowed. “I-I’m sorry.”

TOP blinked, confused “For what?”

“Um…just…cuz…” she finished lamely. She began drying her tears.

Seeing her like that made his heart twitch. He felt sad just looking at her. “Wait a second,” he said. He went back inside and came back in two minutes carrying two boxes of liquid.

“Juice…?”

“Orange juice,” TOP corrected. He walked down several steps before sitting, indicating she should too. Even with the narrow stairs, she tried to keep a respectful distance away. She accepted the orange juice and the handkerchief he offered her. He began poking the hole in the top with his straw “My eomma says that drinking something citrusy will up all the tears you want to cry and save them for when you eat cake.”

She handed back his handkerchief. “What happens when you eat cake?”

“You cry from happiness.”

She laughed briefly, sipping her juice. “Your eomma must make really good cake then.”

TOP nodded. Then his face grew serious. “So…want to talk about it?”

“No…you’re probably busy, I shouldn’t bug you-”

“I’m not busy, I’m on break right now.” Liar, you said you’d be gone for 5 minutes. Shut up brain.

She sighed. “I just…I don’t think I’m ready to debut. I need to work harder and develop my voice more. I’m just worried what YG sunbaenim will say with the song reception.”

TOP sighed. “Who told you that?”

“W-what?”

“We all notice how hard you work and you know how hard you work, so it had to be someone else who told you that.”

She bit her lip. TOP did his famous minute eyebrow raise and she relented. “Some of the other trainees were talking about me. They thought I couldn’t hear…but what if they’re right? Did I only debut because of K-Pop Star?”

“No you did not,” he said firmly. “I’ve sat in on plenty of trainee practices to know the good from the bad. You aren’t good.” Her face fell. “You are excellent.” She looked surprised. “And Sunbaenim must have seen it too, you know why we don’t have many debuts?” She shook her head. “Because he wants to show the world the best. And now you are. I’ve had your song stuck in my head for the past week.”

“That’s because the radio plays it so often.”

“No, I bought your CD.”

Lee Hi turned ruby. “Y-you bought it?” TOP’s brain went on overdrive. , what the HELL did he just say?!

He wracked his brain a second before deciding honesty was the best. He nodded slowly. “Do you know why we call ourselves the ‘YG Family’?”

“Um…because it’s a big company?”

“No, because we are there for each other like family. We laugh, we cry, and we celebrate each other’s high and low points. Everyone here is YG family. Even those stupid trainees who don’t know what good music is.” Lee Hi smiled and it gave him more courage. “They’ll be excellent too someday, but for now you debuted over them because you proved that you were ready here and now to share your music.”

TOP had another brilliant revelation. “Ya, give me your phone.”

She handed it over. “Why…?”

“Friends need to look out for each other too right? Well, friends can be family…and vice versa…anyway keep it. In case you need someone to talk to.” Or ‘Somebody to Love’. Shut UP brain.

“Thank you, sunbae,” she said, taking back her phone with a shy smile.

“Ya, we’re friends now, you don’t have to be so formal with me.” He said, copying her smile.

Her cheeks tinted pink now. “Um…okay. Thank you, TOP-sshi.”

His heart fell a little when heard the honorific, but outwardly he chuckled. “Am I really that scary?”

“N-no of course not!”

“Then call me Oppa, I don’t mind.” His heart started beating fast as he said this.

She blinked, wide eyed. “I can’t call you Oppa,” she blurted.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m younger than you!”

“So are Minzy-sshi and CL-sshi, but they still call me Oppa.” He knew what she meant, but damnit his adrenaline was pumping and he finally had a chance to talk to her. “Would you prefer to call me Ahjusshi?”

She shook her head. “Okay…thank you…Oppa.”

TOP smiled at her, not his popular ‘I’m a y fiend’ smile, but a true wide smile showing off his dimples. “So what should I call you?”

“Huh? Hoobae is fine,” she said absently, playing with the juice box.

“Ya, it’s no fair if you call me Oppa and I call you Hoobae…should I call you Noona?”

Lee Hi chuckled. “No way! Oppa, that sounds weird.”

His heart skipped hearing that word again. “Then what can I call you?” She was about to answer when TOP’s phone went off. Damnit, I was so close!!! “Excuse me,” he told her. He checked the caller ID. It was the Boss. “Yobuseyo?”

“TOP get your up to my office RIGHT NOW!” He shouted. The line went dead.

“Um…that was the Boss. I have to meet with him.” She nodded. “Thank you for your help.” He was about to leave when a sudden idea came to him. He straightened properly and gave her a 90 degree bow. “Good-bye for now, Aghasshi.” He smiled cheekily at her before turning and running up the stairs.

Lee Hi waited until she was sure he was gone before snorting. “Aghasshi?”