The next couple of weeks just flew by. Infinite were still busy promoting their new song and album and I was busy trying to repair what little relationship I had with the other 5 members of Teen Top.

Woohyun was right. The others did give up on me. I could tell C.A.P, Ricky, and Chunji didn’t seem interested in having a romantic relationship, but instead would be happier as friends. L. Joe straight out told me that he would like to be more than friends, but it was up to me. He saw how much I had fallen for Niel so he wouldn’t push the issue. Changjo, however, acted like he still wanted to pursue our relationship. I wasn’t going to deny him, of course, but I did tell him how I felt about his bandmate and because of that, I might not choose him in the end.

The attraction between Changjo and I didn’t really form until one particular day. We were coming towards the end of June and in Korea, that meant it was getting pretty hot outside. It wasn’t as humid as I’m used to, but the weather was just sticky enough to either make you want to stay indoors or spend all your time at the pool.

That day, I decided I would go for a swim. After all, what good is having a pool if you don’t use it?

I had just laid my towel on the chair and was about to take my flip flops off to jump in when I saw Changjo and Niel coming towards me with swimming shorts on and towels in their hands.

“Hey mind if we join you”, Changjo asked as the pair walked up to me.

“Not at all”, I said, smiling. “I was just about to get in. What, you couldn’t take being inside anymore either?”

“Something like that”, Niel said, putting his stuff down on the chair next to mine.

“What are the others doing? Just lying around?”

“They went out to eat. We told them we were going to stay here with you”, Changjo replied, walking to the ladder and climbing into the pool.

“Aww, that was nice, but you didn’t have to stay because of me. I would’ve been fine by myself.”

“Initially, Niel hyung was the only one that didn’t want to go, but I volunteered to stay as well. Can’t leave you two alone together, now can I”, Changjo explained, laughing.

I just rolled my eyes and jumped in the pool, splashing him in the process.

“Hey, I was only trying to look out for you—noona. Oh that’s right. I can only call you that when I’m fully clothed”, he said, smirking.

“Your attempts to make me jealous aren’t working”, Niel said, glaring at him.

“Really, because your ears are getting a bit red, hyung.”

Niel covered his ears and got into the pool with us. “They’re just sunburnt, that’s all.”

“Guys, come on. Knock it off”, I warned.

“Sorry noona, I was just joking”, Changjo pouted.

“If you want her to like you, acting like that will get you nowhere.”

Changjo just glared at his older bandmate, probably wishing he’d just be quiet.

“Hey leave him alone”, I said to Niel playfully, splashing him a little.

He was surprised at first, but then laughed and splashed me back.

Giggling, I hid behind Changjo and used him as a shield. This seemed to soften his mood and he soon joined in and helped to defend me from Niel’s attacks.

By the time he finally surrendered, the three of us were coughing up water and trying to catch our breath from laughing so hard.

“I’ll be back. I have to use the bathroom”, Niel said, climbing up the ladder.

“I’m really sorry if I made you angry”, Changjo said as soon as he was gone.

“I wasn’t angry—I just don’t want to see any more fighting over me, that’s all”, I explained, swimming casually around him.

He nodded, then smiling he asked, “Do you remember the night that we all went to the club? When Chunji hyung got so drunk?”

“Uh huh, what about it?”

He swam closer to me. “When you were dancing with us, I think that’s when I really started falling for you.”

I blushed. “You fell for a girl who can’t dance to save her life”, I questioned, chuckling.

“You can dance better than you think—a lot ier than you think too”, he added, swimming until he and I were only a couple inches away from each other.

He cupped my cheek, running his thumb over my bottom lip. “I want to kiss you, but Niel hyung will be back soon and I think it’s best if we don’t make him jealous, hmm?”

This small, but so very obvious boost of confidence and possessiveness that Changjo suddenly showed, gave me chills. Normally, I would be offended that a guy thought he had the right to claim me, especially if he knew I liked someone else, but oddly enough, I found this quality in Changjo to be very y.

Before I had any time to process what he just said, Changjo got out of the pool just as Niel was coming back from the restroom.

“I’m hungry, either of you want anything. I’m ordering fried chicken for delivery”, Niel asked us, already grabbing his phone.

I kept staring at Changjo, who was looking back at me, smiling innocently.

“Well noona, would you like something to eat?”

“Sure, I’m a little hungry”, I said, continuing to watch him as I got out of the pool.

Niel was busy on the phone with the restaurant; too engrossed in ordering the food to really notice what was going on between Changjo and I.

“I got two boxes of half and half”, he explained after he hung up. “Half normal and half sweet and sour.”

I finally looked away from Changjo as the three of us walked back inside the mansion.

As we ate our lunch, my mind drifted back to what Changjo said earlier. “I want to kiss you, but Niel hyung will be back soon and I think it’s best if we don’t make him jealous.”

I found it strange that he was acting like this all of a sudden. I wasn’t sure if I should confront him about his behavior or just let it play out and see what happens.

I decided on the latter because who knows? Maybe this was just Changjo’s way of letting me know he was definitely interested in something more than friendship.

C.A.P, Chunji, L. Joe, and Ricky returned from their lunch about the same time we finished ours. And just as they walked into the kitchen to join us, I got a phone call; shockingly from Woohyun.

“Hey Woohyun, is something wrong?”

“No, everything is fine. Why would you think something’s wrong?”

“Well, you don’t usually call me—especially in the middle of a schedule.”

“We had a short break and I just felt like calling you. How is your day going so far?”

 I looked over at the boys, who were finishing up the boxes of fried chicken. “Pretty good, actually. We went swimming earlier and now we just ate lunch. What about your day?”

“Not too bad. Tiring, of course, but nothing out of the usual.”

I heard people in the background talking and laughing loudly.

Woohyun lowered his voice. “He’s a little irritable today. When are you going to tell him?”

I knew he was talking about Sunggyu. Since that night, I didn’t really give much thought about when or if I was going to reciprocate Sunggyu’s confession. It was almost a month ago that he told me he would wait until I was ready, but I had the nagging feeling that at this point, he was growing impatient.

Sighing, I replied, “To be honest, I’m still not sure yet.”

“Well, I think luck has been on your side because he’s been preoccupied with promotions, but they end next week so I would have your answer soon.”

Only a week? No pressure or anything, right?

“I have to go, Morgan. We’ll see you tonight when we get home.”

“Alright Woohyun, see you then”, and we both hung up.

“Hey noona, are you okay”, I heard Ricky ask.

I looked up to see him, L. Joe, and Niel all staring at me with concerned expressions on their faces.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Woohyun just called to see if you guys were behaving”, I lied.

Ricky and Niel just blew it off and went back to playing games on their phones, but by the way L. Joe kept looking at me, he knew I wasn’t telling the truth.

I got up from my seat, wanting to go upstairs and change out of my bathing suit, but as I reached the hallway, I felt someone grab my wrist.

“Morgan, are you sure you’re alright”, L. Joe asked, the worried look on his face still present.

“Uh yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Did Woohyun say something that upset you?”

“No, of course not—Well, not really.”

He waited for me to elaborate further.

I sighed heavily, sitting on the floor.

“It’s—sort of hard to explain.”

“I’m here to listen if you want to tell me about it”, he said, taking a seat next to me.

“Well okay, but promise me you won’t get mad at me for it.”

“Cross my heart.”

I told L. Joe about how Sunggyu confessed to me, which surprisingly, he already knew. I think just about everyone in the mansion knew at this point. What a lot of them didn’t know though was that I was in the midst of internal conflict. I was torn between what I felt for Niel, what I fe