Camera flashing. The uncle couldn’t stop taking Emilie’s picture. Emilie didn’t realized as she was playing by herself by the swing. Swiiiiiing, there she goes higher. “I guess I have to play by myself. Taec oppa went to vacation with is his family,” She said. 

Later, she realized that there is someone stalking her as she heard a loud noise of flashes. She looked at the noise curiously. She walked slowly as she doesn’t wanna fall and possibly ruining the pink gown that her mum just bought for her.

She walks to the bush and said “Hello, who’s there?” There were no sound but camera flashes only. She walks slowly behind the bush. She saw a figure that was squatting. The figure was in black from head to toe. A camera was hiding the face of the figure. She asked again “Hello??”

She was startled as the figure removed his camera; it was an uncle. ertly smiling. She walked back slowly but she fell down as he pulled her shoe. “Come play with uncle. Don’t run away,” He said to Emilie.

“I don’t want. Please let me go” Her eyes started to became teary. “Please uncle” She pleaded. “Taec oppa, why are you not here?”

“Come play with uncle. Uncle will gives you pretty gown. Uncle will gives you lollipop. You like lollipop, right?” He said as he touched Emilie’s thigh. She shivered.

“I don’t like lollipop. Not good for my teeth. Taec oppa don’t go holiday.” She cried.

“ Don’t cry little girl. Not pretty.” He said as he pulled off her gown. He tore the gown on her shoulder.

“Stop! Stop! Taec oppa! Eric gege! “ She screamed her lung out.

“Taec oppa! Help me” Emilie shouting frantically in her sleep. Min min that was sitting at her bed quickly came up to Emilie. “Please stop!” Hysterically screaming, she kicked her pillows and blanket off her bed.

“Milly, wake up! It’s just a dream” Min Min shook Emilie hard. Emilie opened her eyes and sat up. Emilie turns her heads towards Min Min and quickly hugs her. “ Shuushh, its okay! It’s okay. It’s just a dream dear. “ Min min cooed her and pull her into a tighter hug. Emilie clung to Min min tightly like her life depends on it.

“Unnie, I h-hate …….. Taec o-oppa. I h-hate …… him,” Emilie mumbled randomly. She is shivering.

Taec oppa? Is she talking about the same Taec oppa that we both know? If it’s true then why? Min min questions herself.

“Waeyo, why you hate him?” Min min asked slowly.

“It’s b-because he w-wasn’t there ..….. He p-promised to be th-there… a-always” Emilie who was shivering, stuttered around.

“Taec oppa? Our sunbae?”

 “No, unnie……it’s my c-childhood friend” Emilie sobbed.

“Mianhae dear. I don’t ... understand” Min min rested her chin on Emilie’s head.

“When I w-was little, I had a b-bestfriend. …….He w-was my only f-friend.…….. Taec oppa.” She stops there. It’s too painful for her to carry on.

“Shuushh, please don’t carry on if its too hard. Its okay” Min min kissed Emilie’s forehead.

“Taec o-oppa was my bestfriend, unnie. Eric, Taec oppa and me. We always play together. ….B-but one d-day I w-wanted to play …….the swing. My mama w-won’t let me …… since Taec oppa was h-holidaying with his f-family and …. and Eric was p-playing football with my b-brothers. I s-sneak out and ….. play the s-swing by myself. ………And that’s w-where the .. the incident start” Emilie started get teary eyes.

 “An u-uncle was s-stalking me. ……….He was c-capturing my p-picture …… when I f-found …….. h-him. And h-he t-tries ……... t-to r m-me” Emilie give in to the tears that was stinging the back of her eyes. Tears rolled down on her cheek. Hiccuping, she continues, “Taec op-ppa wasn’t t-there unnie. I c-called his …... his name. He d-didn’t ……. c-come unnie. Waeyo unnie he d-didn’t …… come?” She tugs Min min shirt slowly. She sobs on Min min’s chest.

As Min min doesn’t know what to do she keeps caressing Emilie’s head and whispering, its okay. Emilie continued to cry until she fell asleep. Min min kisses Emilie’s forehead again and lays Emilie’s head on her pillow.  She wipes off Emilie’s tears. Min min pulls blanket over Emilie.  Min min felt Emilie’s forehead, its’ hot. “Poor kid. Who knows thing like this happen to her when she is just a little girl” Min min carefully puts damp towel on Emilie’s forehead. She stared at Emilie for a while and tip toe out of the room.

As Min min was about to walk out the room, Jin Ah came in. “Has maknae wakes up?” She folded her arms across her chest.

“No, Jin Ah. She is sick. She got fever” Min min said weakly.

“Fever? I bet she is just fooling around and want to skip practice today” Jin Ah scoffed.

“She is really sick, Jin Ah.  Now, lets get going” Min min walks away leaving Jin Ah behind.

“Ah, noona. Have Em wakes up?” Eric who was eating with Hiro in the dining room asked as Min min enters the room.

Min min shook her head, “She is sick. I don’t think she can make for today’s practice. I think she just need to sleep,” She said to both of them. “Listen, there’s something I want to ask about,” She whispers to Eric. 

Eric stared at her, “Sure. What it is?”

 Hiro was eyeing them suspiciously ordered “Kids, ppali. We only have 10 minutes before singing practice starts.” Hiro finished his cereal and stands up.

“We’ll talk in private later okay” Min min whispers to Eric. Eric nodded. Min min messaged their manager to inform about Milly condition. Jun Lee replied he will check her up later and he was preoccupied with something.

Four of them get into the vocal studio on them. They warm up their vocals as usual. They are practicing today for their position in the group. Lee In Sung eyes four of them on by one. “Twin, where is your other twin?” In Sung asked Eric. When Eric told him, she was sick. In Sung scoffed, “Tsch, noob. Already sick when the war is just starting”

When In Sung turn around, Eric mumbles some cursing in Mandarin at him while Min Min burns a hole on the back of his head.

Junsu came in an hour after that as he had schedules of filming Idol Army show before that. “Min min, where is Em?”

“She is sick. She gots fever” Min min answered.

“She is just pretended she is sick. Tschh” Jin Ah scoffed.

Junsu ignored Jin Ah, “Really? I mean how, when, why, where, how, what?” He got panicked.

“Relax. She just got fever. I think she just need to rest. I guess those extra hours in dancing really tired her out”

“Extra hours in dancing?” Junsu raised his eyebrows.

“I umm. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone for this. After our dancing practice, she stay on and continued after that” Min min look down to her suddenly interesting shoes.

“Well, why? She is already good at it. No, she is like freaking better in dancing like Jay hyung”

“Well, she said she is stress about schools. But I don’t think that’s what stressing her out.”

“Well, what is it then?” Junsu interrupt her as she being hesitant.

“I think it is about your Idol Army show, oppa”

“What, waeyo?”

“Well, I think she can kind of jealous of you guys about the picking partner thing. I think she can kind of jealous especially about Taec oppa.”

“Jealous about over our picking partner with girls?”

“Well, when you guys were filming with Kara, she watches with us until the end of the show. But the episodes after that she just watch you guys halfway”

“I’m not getting anything. Why are you so sure she is jealous about Taecyeon’s picking partner and not anyone else?”

“Sometimes you can be a little pabo oppa. Hehee.  In episodes Kara, T’aecyeon didn’t get any girls pair. And after that, he always got girls pair. I totally caught her when she didn’t even watch your episode with SNSD. I know I’m right” She snickered. “But then again, maybe she wasn’t sleeping well without her Mr Whitey.” She didn’t realize that Junsu sighed. Her stories just ruined his mood. “Junsu oppa, gwenchayo? You look tired?”

“I guess I’m just tired from the filming. Well, I should get going” He stands up to leave. Mr Whitey must be Mily’s teddy bear. That bear is still in Taecyeon’s room.Taecyeon hugs it to sleep every night.

“But oppa. I thought you are coaching us today?” Jin Ah who was eavesdropping them asked Junsu.

“Not today. I’m kind of tired. In Sung sunbae, mianhae. I have to go. I’m kind of tired from the filming just now” Junsu scratch his head.

“Okay Junsu-ah. Please rest well,” In Sung bid him goodbye. “You kids, continue your practice. Break time is over”

They continued their practice for another one hour and half. They said thank you and bid In Sung goodbye. When they arrived at dancing studio, Jaybeom and Jin Guk were already waiting there. Jaybeom who just realizes their presence, quickly came up to Min min. “Min min-ah it is true? Emilie got fever?” Jaybeom hold both Min min’s arm.

“Ah, not you too” Jin Ah scoffed and start warming up with Hiro.

Min min ignored her. “Its true oppa”

“Ani, who said I’m sick. I’m fine” Emilie’s voice totally shocks everyone in the room when she came in.

“Ah, my favorite student. You already came.” Jin Guk welcomes her happily. “Come on kids, warm up. Today, we are going to continue our dance step from yesterday.”

Eric grabs Emilie’s hand towards him. He put his hand on her forehead but got smack away by Emilie. “I’m okay” Emilie reassures him.

“Stop, acting like you are not sick sis. Your fever is so terrible that it can fry a kimchi pancake on your forehead,” She smirked at his lame jokes and staggering, walking away from him. Eric pulls her back. “Stop being so stubborn and get back to dorm!”

“Dongsaeng, I think you should listen to Eric” Jaybeom came to Emilie.

She pushes both Eric and Jaybeom weakly. “For the last freaking time, I’m not sick” Then in a glimpse, Emilie fainted. Jaybeom, Min min and Eric quickly ran at her.

When Eric is about to lift her up, Jaybeom stops him. “Eric-ah. Let me do it. You got dancing practice. Jin Guk hyung, I think you have to carry on coaching without me,” Jaybeom picks Emilie up bridal style. Jin Guk nodded.

“But, but..”

 “I’ll take care of her. Trust me” Jaybeom cut Eric off who was still not intending to leave Emilie.

TAECYEON’S POV

Flashback start;

“Taecyeon-ah. Where are you going?” Omma asked as she saw me at our house gate holding a white bear.

“Omma, I’m going to meet my bestfriend, Milly. I miss her. We are vacationing too looooooonngg. I want to give her this,” I hold up the white bear.

“Taecyeon-ah. Listen to omma okay. You can’t meet Milly anymore” My mom kneels down and holds my shoulders.

“Waeyo omma?”

“It is because she is not clean. She is dirty. So, you can play with her, okay?”

“Aniyo omma. Milly is always clean and she always wear white” I shook my head.

“Taecyeon, she is not d-dirty in that way” She stuttered.

“Then, why you said she is dirty omma?” I tilted my head.

“Listen, you just can’t see her because I said so. So, now come inside home” She dragged me.

“No omma. I want to meet Milly.” I pull away from omma and ran away. I ran away as fast as I could, as I am afraid omma would catch up. I quickly hide in bushes.

Flashback end;

I smiles as I stares at the picture of Eric, Milly and me when they were little. I’m sure that little Eric that I knew back in Massachusetts is the Eric that I know now. Eric is always the friendly guy that I know. Always speak up for Emily.

But Milly is that Em, the tomboy monster a.k.a bo-girl is just impossible. The Milly I knew is the sweet little girl who likes wearing gown and eye-smile. Both Milly and Em probably share the same eye-smile but too be the same person is just no way. This Emilie is nothing but a pain in , on the other hand Milly always make me happy.

I chuckled as I compare them both. I stared at Nickhun’s empty bed. Nickhun is off to another schedules again with Wooyoung.  Chansung were probably playing games in JunYoung’s room (Junho + Wooyoung= JunYoung XD). Junsu? Humm, he should be home by now. I mean his vocal coaching with XXY just finish half an hour ago. He should be home any minute now. Jaybeom again dance coaching XXY.

I walk to the kitchen, as I was hungry. Maybe I should cook ramen? As I was filling the pot with water, I was startled as Junsu and Jaybeom barge in our dorm looking panicked. Jaybeom hyung was carrying a guy in a bridal style way.

I tilted my head. Humm, the guy looks familiar? It is Em, the tomboy monster. I shook my head, impossible. I stared at both of them, dumbfounded.

“Taecyeon, get some damp small towel” Jaybeom ordered me.

“Why, where, what, how, who, what the?”

“I’ll explain later. Now, just get the freaking towel” Jaybeom said and go to his room with Junsu following from behind.