“Look, I’m trying my best okay! Stop nagging me, woman!” I replied annoyingly through the phone. 

She calls me less than thirty minutes since she dragged me into the search operation and goes ranting on about how hopeless I was and of no use of the current situation. And that was only because I haven’t found Liyin yet.

Stupid Ara. It’s not like she found her either!

“I swear, if Junsu kills me because of you—”

I closed my phone shut before she could have said another word. Times like these that I wonder to myself how we even became best friends. I also wonder how I’m able to put up with that nagging of  hers.

I mimicked her little voice to myself as I repeated what she had said until a sweet, melodic voice interrupted my mocking that echoed from upstairs. Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed the sound until it led me to the roof.

God must love me.

Because that small, long haired girl sitting on the steps that I could see from afar was no other than Liyin. I’ve seen her back so many  times now I’ve learned to recognize it.

“Liyin…sshi?” I called out, causing her to look back in shock. “I-I’m sorry, did I interrupt you?”

“N-No,” she stammered, looking down at her feet. I didn’t miss the blush that crept to her cheeks. “You…surprised me, that’s all.”

“Um, what are you doing here?” I approached and stood by her side, a curious expression emerging from my face. “Everyone’s…looking for you, you know. Junsu, Ara and me, I mean.”

She immediately looked back up and stared at me in shock.

“Y-You…you were looking for me too?”

“Yeah,” I paused, a bit confused at her expression. “And Ara.”

I almost jumped back at her sudden bow again. I might have to get myself used to this when I see her. Her apology might not be an apology at all.

“I’m sorry!” She cried, almost making me retreat once more when she suddenly stood back up. “He always drags people into his problems. I feel so embarrassed, I didn’t mean for him to drag you and your friend into this,” she continued.

“H-Huh?” She grabbed my hands and squeezed them. I couldn’t help but look at the girl before me in disbelief.

“I apologize on his behalf, I’ll—”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I interrupted before she could have started an endless apology. “It’s not his fault, Liyin-sshi, he didn’t even ask me. He…I saw him running around earlier, it looked like he needed help. Ara was the one who told me his problem, so I insisted on helping. It’s not Junsu-sshi’s fault, so please, no need to apologize,” I lied.

I had this awful feeling that she was going to apologize and apologize and apologize about this every time I would see her if I hadn’t stop her. If it’s something I don’t want, it’s the curious stares of other people especially her oppas  when they see her bow at me.

“R-Really?” 

“Yes, really,” I sighed inwardly when she let go of my hands. “Liyin-sshi, Junsu has been looking for you for a while now, don’t you think you should show up? The other members have no idea about this yet, and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t them looking for you when they find out, right?”

She gave me a helpless look before sighing heavily.

“If Yunho and Jaejoong oppa found out—honestly, they would call the security force,” she chuckled. “Now that would be a really big problem.”

I gawked at her statement. No way.

“Are you serious?” She nodded. “Not to sound offesive, but those are some kind of brothers you have.”

“I get that a lot from the ajummas and ajusshis,” she shrugged. “Junsu passed by the roof seven times, and still he didn’t see me. Which only proves that he really needs glasses.”

You can’t be serious. Seven times?

“And he’s still running around. You have to go see him now, before your brothers start to wonder,” I convinced. I intended to smile after that but she suddenly changed expressions.

“I still can’t forgive him so easily,” she mumbled, although loud enough for me to hear. 

“You don’t have to,” I replied. “The longer he waits, he’ll learn from his mistakes permanantly.”

She looks at me for a few seconds before giving me a comforting smile. I felt my chest swell up with pride. I had just given the best advice to the goddess. And that smile confirms that she understands.

“Your voice is wonderful, by the way,” I added, smiling when she suddenly blushed, hiding her face with her hands. “Come on, don’t blush. I’m sure everyone would say the same thing if they heard what I heard."

~~~

Ara and I watched amusingly as Junsu tried to explain his faults and why he did it. For someone who everyone feared, a stuttering and panicking Xiah Junsu was ridiculous. Liyin-sshi only continued to stare at him expressionless, as if the man before her wasn't her boyfriend, but a stranger.

"Hey! I said stand guard!" He roared when he saw both of us looking at them. Ara immediately turned around as I did the same.

"How rude. I find his girlfriend and he's not even thanking me," I muttered, causing Ara to sigh hopelessly. "What?"

"I thought you'd know by now that Kim Junsu doesn't work that way," she looked around, trying to see if anyone was coming. "Every good thing he has to do, goes through Liyin. Unless she tells him otherwise."

"You mean Liyin will do the thanking for him? Do you know how stupid that sounds? I can't imagine her saying, 'oh thank you for looking for me, from Junsu.' I mean, what the heck?"

"Well, it's been done many times before hasn't it? She apologized to us for the gods, I'm pretty sure she apologized to you again when you found her, right?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point," I rolled my eyes, refusing to accept the fact. "The point is--"

"End of discussion, please," she interrupted. "I know where you're getting at, but I told you already every good thing--"

"--he has to do, goes through Liyin. Unless she tells him otherwise," I finished. "Yeah, yeah. I got it," I waved her off, sighing. 

She really has to have it her own way, gosh.

"You're just too cruel, oppa."

Both Ara and I's ears perked up as we heard Liyin-sshi finally speak after a long endless talking from Junsu. Everything was quiet and for some reason that only increased the tension around us. I was desperately trying to hold me feet to the ground and forced myself not to turn around. Situations like these, it was needed for us to see what was going on.

"I know...I'm sorry."

I gave Ara a weird look and she gave me an amused one in return. Now that was the sound of a Junsu we've never heard before. 

It was the sound of guilt and sadness mixed together. 

"I don't know if I should forgive you," she said softly. "You broke a promise."

"I know, I know I did. And I'm truly sorry, Liyin ah--"

"There they are!" Ara and I froze as we saw four men approaching us. I looked at Ara in panic. "Move aside!"

Before I could even tell them I couldn't, Ara had already moved away from me, creating a space in between us. I glared at her as she gave me an apologetic look back, eye-messaging me that four members towering over you is more scarier than if we disobey Junsu. Sighing, I reluctantly moved to the right when I realized she was right.

"Hyung," both of us turned when Junsu's surprised voice reached us. 

"I did say you can be her boyfriend, but taking her with you for an hour and half without mine and Jaejoong's permission? I don't think so, Junsu," Yunho lowered his voice, obvious that he was not pleased.

"Aniyo, oppa. I was with them for the past hour and a half," Liyin glanced at us, causing Yunho and them to turn. "I just saw Junsu on the way to see you. Mian, I didn't mean to worry you and Jae oppa."

"What is she saying?" I whispered frantically towards my best friend. "Why is she lying?"

"I'll explain later but don't talk to me right now, they're looking," she mumbled under her hands pretending that she was about to cough.

Still confused at what she said, I shook my head and turned my attention back to the others. Whatever it was, I had a feeling it was better to listen to everything that Ara said.

"They didn't do anything or plot something on you, right?" Yoochun pointed with his thumb.

"No, they were touring me around the school," Liyin immediately defended. "N-Neh oppa, let's go? I want to go home."

Yunho nodded and lead her and the others following behind out from the back of the school. When Liyin she passed us, she gave a small smile, assuring us that everything will be okay, and mouthed us a 'thank you.' Junsu on the other hand, was trailing disappointedly behind her, looking helpless towards his girlfriend. The others didn't seem to notice it though.

As they walked further and further away, I turned to Ara who had sunken onto the ground in relief.

"That was close," she gasped. "Did you see the look Yunho gave us? God, it's the look of a murderer."

"That aside," I pulled her up, shaking a little as I remembered the look on Yunho's face.  "Why did she lie?"

"Well, she simply didn't want Junsu be put to harm. Telling Yunho and Jaejoong the truth, Junsu will be a human punching bag. Which only shows that she loves him too, despite not forgiving him for what he did. Not yet, anyway."

"And by doing so she got us involved," I rolled my eyes. 

"In a good way, stupid! She actually saved us. If you didn't talk to me while they were looking at us, we wouldn't have gotten involved. You know they hate being talked about, didn't you learn from the first meeting? I still have Changmin's hand mark on my arm."

I scoffed at her as she glared at me.

"Fine, whatever," I pouted. "But what about Junsu? He looked like he was going to crumble into pieces."

"We'll just have to wait. It's not our business to interfere with their relationship problems. I told you he's head over heels with Liyin, every once in a while someone's going to end up seeing that kind of Junsu. He'll just have to make it up to her. She'll forgive him sooner or later."

"It'll maybe take a long time before she forgives him," I mumbled, remembering the advice I had given Liyin earlier. The longer he waits, he’ll learn from his mistakes permanantly. Realization suddenly hit me. What if Junsu wouldn't be able to wait? What if he gives up trying before she could have forgiven him? Then...then they break up? That would make me the girl who broke the couple up--I would be blamed for it. Oh my god. 

"Did you say something?"

"N-Nothing!" I jumped. But wait. Ara just said that he was madly in love with Liyin. Then he wouldn't give up trying...he'll make sure she forgives him, he'll do anything, right? Calming myself down, I sighed. Yeah, that's right. Junsu would.

"Why are you so tensed? You're so weird," Ara poked my shoulder.

"Just thinking about things," I waved her off. "I'm tired. Let's call it a day."