"Shin Hye, are you sure this is the right place ?" Yong Hwa asked, eying suspiciously his surrounding as he was driving her to the address she gave him. When Shin Hye told him about the place she had rented by herself through the Internet, he had already begun to have doubts, hearing the neighborhood's name. And now that they were approaching their destination, it was confirmed. This was one of the most badly attended area of Seoul.

"Well, that's what the website says." She replied while checking the directions on her phone for the umpteenth time. She knew what Yong Hwa was thinking and she had to admit to herself that it was not really what she had expected when she had been in contact with the owner. The apartment was occupied by two girls who were looking for another roommate.  She chose it because the rent was cheap and she thought it would be nice to live with two native girls to know more about the city. The thing was that, now that she was here, she understood why the price was so inexpensive.

The street was full of local bars and drunk people coming out of it. Young guys and girls, who seemed pretty wasted were also gathered at the end of the building she thought was the right address.

She sensed Yong Hwa looking at her with a worried look as he parked the car before them. She looked outside the window and gulped inaudibly before turning to Yong Hwa.  She tried to keep any of her worry visible on her face, knowing what was coming if she did.

"Come on, let's go take a look." She announced, forcing a smile as she reached for the handle.

"Wait, Shin Hye." He stopped her from opening the door. Once she turned to look at him with questioning eyes, he sighed, like preparing for a battle. "Shin Hye, I don't think this is a good idea..."

"What do you mean ?" She frowned, despite knowing exactly what he meant.

He looked at her right in the eyes, ready for the argument "Look, I know you might have taken time to search for the apartment, but it's clearly not a place for you to stay." He finished looking around them.

Shin Hye knew he was right but she still didn't want to admit defeat "How would we know if we don't go up to take a look?"

He rolled his eyes and signaled to their surrounding with his hand "Come on, Shin Hye. I think it's pretty obvious!" He paused when she stayed silent, before adding "Why didn't you ask for my help when you were apartment hunting ? I would have gladly-"

"-Oppa!" She interrupted. Shin Hye knew he was right about everything but she couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment as she realized that she failed while first doing something on her own...

"I know you would have helped me if I'd asked. And believe me, I really appreciate the thought and I can't thank you enough for everything you already did for me. Finding me the internship and all..." She pause, smiling sadly at him. "I'm so grateful Oppa but so shameful at the same time that I had to ask you for something like this." She sighed before adding "Oppa, you're one of the few person who knows what going to Korea meant to me." Yeah, Yong Hwa knew how much she wanted to prove to herself and to others that she had grown up enough to take care of herself. "I know that they are people who are there for me and I feel so blessed, really... But I'm afraid that I will never be able to do something on my own if this continues... Please tell me you understand, Oppa ?" She looked at him with hopeful and pleading eyes and he knew he could never win over that expression.

After a moment, considering and understanding her words, he sighed giving her a nod of acceptance.

Her smile lit up her face "Thank you, Oppa.", as she got out of the car towards the apartment.

Once out, she immediately felt all the stares turning towards her. Guys were whistling and some were making harsh comments. She suddenly felt not at ease and missed the comfort of the car.

She hung her head low and kept looking at her feet while she hurried towards the building. Right when she felt someone approaching, she recognized a familiar touch on her shoulder. Gasping, she turned to see Yong Hwa right beside her, his arm around her body, protecting her.

He looked fierce at the guy who was approaching her and she noticed he was slowly going away, rumbling incoherent words. She felt herself relax and faced Yong Hwa, mouthing a "komawo".

He nodded and guided her until the building hall. There, he turned her to face him and in a serious tone, told her "Shin Hye, let's do one thing. I'll you until the apartment, if it's worse in it than it is outside, you're going back with me. Is that clear ?"

She knew at his expression that he was dead serious and maybe even slightly angry with her stubbornness of staying in this place, especially with what almost happened outside. She hesitated before answering, she didn't want to make him any angrier, but she still needed to stated that she wasn't getting any help from him.

"Oppa, I get it. I don't like the neighborhood either. If it's that bad, I promise I will quickly look for something else don't worry." She rapidly mumbled before headed for the stairs.

He quickly caught her elbow to stop her "No, I don't think you got me there Shin Hye." Now she knew, he wasn't kidding anymore and her feeble attempt to play with words by telling him what she wanted without being too frank didn't worked at all. On the contrary, it seemed to have angered him more. "If it's not proper for you to stay there, you'll go back with me. Either willingly or not. I'll not let you stay there until you find something else. We don't know how long it will take for you to look for proper accommodations and I'm definitely not leaving you here! Arasseo?"

"But, Oppa-"

"-no buts Shin Hye." He interrupted her fiercely. "I know you want your independence and I know you want to do things on your own, I get it. But you'll do it another way, not by putting yourself in danger."

She looked at him, blinking, afraid that tears of shame would drop but she has too much pride to let them fall anyway. She knew he was right and she was grateful that he took the courage to put some sense in her.

"I promised your parents I would take care of you Shin Hye. And that's what I'll do." She slowly nodded as he gently her arm.

Few minutes later, they were both back in his car, heading to his house...

To say the apartment was not proper was an understatement really. A guy opened the door for them. There was a huge party and the owner of the house was somewhere on the floor, passed out with too much drinking and other substances...

Anyways, they both agreed that this wasn't a place for her and she reluctantly followed his instructions of going back home with him.

***

"But Oppa, you live with your two brothers right ? It's not that proper either..." Shin Hye said absent-mindedly as she was looking outside the windows while they were driving. It was late morning and the sun was bright. It was the first time since she landed that she was taking a real look at the city. They passed by parks, coffee shops, malls and huge buildings. She had to admit, this part of the city was nothing like the one they had been to a little earlier. There, even in total daylight, it had seemed like it was the darkest night.

If she had to be honest, she was glad that she didn't have to stay there... She just didn't want to bother anyone...

"I'd rather have you living with three decent men than with girls with addiction problems and very dangerous habits in an unsafe area."

She slowly chuckled at his response.

"I know you were right Oppa. I just don't want to be a burden to you or anyone, that's it..." She finished looking at him with a small smile.

"Don't worry about that. How can you be a burden ? Such a sweet girl like you." He ruffled her hair, smiling back.

***

"Oho... Ya! Very, very nice hyung. How did you find yourself such a pretty girl?"

"Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit when I said 'decent men'..." Yong Hwa mumbled in her ear to justify his little brother's comment. Shin Hye chuckled.

They had just entered the house when they meet up with Hong Ki, Yong Hwa's little brother who were about to walk out.

"Hong Ki, this is Shin Hye. You remember, the girl I told you about ? I was staying at her family's place in New York."

A sense of recognition dawn on Hong Ki at his hyung's statement "Oh yeah, I remember ! Wow, hyung told me so much about you and your family, but never that you were that pretty. It's nice to meet you" He finished with a wink, letting his hyung escaping a desperate sigh and Shin Hye giggling.

"Well, that's nice of you Hong Ki. I'm happy to meet you too. Your Hyung talked a lot about you too." She smiled genuinely at him.

It was true. Yong Hwa used to talk about his brothers a lot while in New York. He cares a lot about Hong Ki and admires his Hyung too much. That’s what Shin Hye remembers.

"She will be staying with us for a while, until she finds herself proper accommodations." Yong Hwa explained while Hong Ki grabbed Shin Hye's hands as a greeting.

He still didn't let go while saying "Why only for a while? Why don't you stay with us? Period ?"

Shin Hye smiled awkwardly, aware of her hand in his and his intense eyes on her. "Well..." She begin but never finished as he interrupted.

"Seriously, we miss a woman's aura here. Don't you think Hyung?" He turned briefly to Yong Hwa before returning to his 'angel'.

"What I think is that you better let go of that hand if you don't want to scare her off and that you might seriously get late for school if you keep messing around."  

At his words, Hong Ki laughed and after deposing a light kiss on her hand he let go.

"I'm sorry if I scared you Shin Hye, I was just kidding. You're seriously welcome here. It would be great to have you there." He smiled his trade mark friendly smile and with a last wave and a "See you later!", he was gone.

Shin Hye looked at his retreating back, fighting a laugh. He had to be the warmest guy she had ever seen. She thought, mumbling a "thanks" even if she knew he wouldn't hear her.

Turning back, she saw Yong Hwa heading for the kitchen, asking her to follow him.

"Don't pay much attention to him, he likes to joke around a lot." He said to her, apologetically.

"Oh it's okay, I don't mind. He seems really nice." She smiled at him.

Suddenly he looked at her, silent. After what seemed like a long pause to her and she begin to wonder what he was thinking, he spoke.

"Well, I'm glad you think that way, because... you might not get the same impression with my hyung." He mumbled the last part. So much, that she had to lean closer to get what he said.

Suddenly, he turned to the fridge to take out left-overs and two bottles of water.

"Shin Hye, will you hate me if I leave you alone now ? I have to go to the office for an important matter."

He seemed...disturbed, she thought. She looked at him with suspicious eyes but didn't dare to tell anything. How could she? After everything he did for her.

"Are you mad? Oppa, why would I hate you? I'm already really grateful for everything. Don't worry about me, you can go on, it's okay."

"I'm really sorry Shin Hye, to leave you like that. Please make yourself at home. Here, you can heat this if you're hungry" He showed her the plate he just got out of the fridge. "Upstairs, you can go to the third room on the right and relax. When I come back, I promise I'll show you the whole house and treat you to dinner, all right?"

"You don't have to do all this, it's no big deal, seriously." She smiled reassuringly at him. "Komawo Oppa."

He ruffled her hair, grabbed one of the bottle and he was out.

***

'Okay, now that I've promised I would take care of her, how do I convince hyung?' He thought, while he was driving towards the office.

When he received the call from her parents that she was arriving this morning, Yong Hwa took the day off without thinking and went to pick her up. His only thought when he saw the apartment she was planning on staying at was her safety. But not once has he thought about his hyung's reaction.

When he saw Hong Ki's enthusiasm by seeing Shin Hye, he immediately wondered if it would be the same with Geun Suk... Unfortunately, he knew the answer...

***

“President Jang, Mr Lee on the phone.” The voice of his assistant was heard as soon as he pressed the answering button of his desk phone.

“Tell him, I’ll call him back.” Not waiting for her reply, he hung up and turned to look at his brother once again.

“So?” He heard him probing further.

Geun Suk looked at him with that scary blank stare and for the umpteenth time answered him: “No”.

The younger one sighed desperately “Hyung…Chebal…I’m asking you this as a favor.”

Not minding his brother at all, Geun Suk stood up, his eyes fixed on the file in his hand as he almost absent –mindedly said “Yong Hwa, get back to work, I’m busy right now.”

“Hyung, you know I stayed at her family’s place while in New York. They were all so adorable with me. Especially her, she’s a sweet girl. I want to help her in return.” Yong Hwa insisted once again.

“How can a ‘sweet girl’ live with 3 men Yong Hwa ?! Are you even aware of what you’re asking? If you’re so willing to help her, book her a hotel room or something-”

“What?!” Yong Hwa interrupted loudly, startling his older brother. “And leave her all by herself in a hotel while she doesn’t know the country at all? Come on, Hyung, be sensible!”

“I’m not. I’m not sensible, so-”

“It’s just a matter of a few days, really, only until she finds some proper accommodation. Chebal, Hyung…”  

“Stop! Stop it Yong Hwa.” This time, annoyance and anger began to show in Geun Suk’s eyes as he looked at his brother, who immediately knew that the best for him right now was to keep quiet. Geun Suk sighed silently, calming himself. 
“Listen, I’ve agreed to her internship in the company because you asked me to. Now I can’t agree for a girl to be living alone with the three of us, nor to an employee of mine living at my house. Do you understand?” He paused, letting his words sink into his brother’s head. “I don’t want her in my house. Is that clear?” He finished, looking straight at him.

After a while, Yong Hwa answered a bit defeated “Deh…Hyung…”

“Good. Now back to work.” And with that, he walked out of his office.

***

Geun Suk left his brother in his office and walked through the corridor, heading to the conference room. He had an important meeting with investors and his mind was full of that. He knew he had put his brother in a bad position but he couldn't deal with that right now. His first impulse is to refuse, simply because the idea is outrageous. His house was not a hotel to welcome everyone and he couldn't stand people he didn't know in his comfort zone. Not to mention that the girl would be an intern in his company. How inappropriate would that be... Thinking about it, he wasn't completely honest when he had told Yong Hwa that he agreed to this internship because he asked him. He saw the girl's profile and he had to admit it was an interesting one regarding the need of reinforcement in their marketing department. But he couldn't say that to Yong Hwa... He found it weird how much he was willing to do for that girl. He knew he thought highly of her and that only he found suspicious. Yong Hwa was a sweet guy, but never that sweet to any other girl. Was there something going on with this New York girl he wasn't aware of ? To the point where he dared asked if she could stay with them? He didn't need to add that he hired her for her skills and not because he asked him to...

***

Shin Hye had just woken up from her nap. She had been sleeping for a little more than two hours. The trip's tiredness was definitely getting to her. When she went downstairs, she found Yong Hwa and Hong Ki already there. Yong Hwa offered to treat them to dinner and that they could take the opportunity to show Shin Hye the city. They both were so enthusiastic, they did get ready right away.

Yong Hwa decided that he would talk again to his hyung tomorrow about Shin Hye. He was sure he wouldn't even notice her presence tonight. As when they got home, they all headed to their bedroom to sleep and Yong Hwa knew Geun Suk would come home late and would head right away to sleep...

***

Shin Hye was so glad to be here. She had spent a fun evening with Yong Hwa and Hong Ki. They went to eat to a local restaurant and she got to taste all the specialities. Then they went to take a tour and played the tourist for hours with them. They were really nice and fun to hang out with.

While back, she thought to take a shower to relax and have a good night sleep. Well, that was what she thought...

***

Geun Suk was dead tired when he came home that night. It was really late and he was sure his brothers were sleeping at that time. So he quietly went to his room to rest.

He sat on his bed for a moment, his head on his hands, trying to fight sleep and gather the courage to walk to the bathroom and take a shower. Finally after a good 10 minutes, he stood up, took off his tie and shirt and made his way to the bathroom, a towel in hand.

What he didn’t expect was the sight he got and the sound he heard when he turned the door knob.

Right in front of him was the sight of a woman’s back facing him. She was wrapped in a towel, and was putting her long wet and wavy hair into a bun, leaving him with the sight of droplets making their way from the back of her neck all along her , until disappearing into the towel she wrapped herself in. She was fresh from the shower and the smell was enchanting, as well as the sound of her sweet voice humming a slow song.

When she stopped, so did his crazy thoughts, and that’s when he came back to his senses.

“Who the hell are you?!” He shouted, totally confused about what this girl was doing in his own bathroom, showering freely, without a care in the world.

Obviously started, the girl turned facing him, her eyes widened as she let out a loud scream, clutching on her towel tightly.

He looked at her shocked for a second. Why was she screaming, he should be the one, shouting and screaming about a stranger breaking into his house and room… But before he could think about it or react to it any further, his two younger brothers barked into the bathroom.

“Shin Hye, Shin Hye!” Hong Ki called while trying to locate her in the room.

“What happened? Are you all right?” Yong Hwa continued, only to stop short once he noticed the scene before him.

His Hyung and Shin Hye, half and facing each other in Geun Suk’s own bathroom. He surely was dead…

Slowly, Geun Suk uttered “Shin Hye?” in a scary calm voice, glaring evilly at the three of them.

After what seemed like a very long moment for Yong Hwa, Geun Suk closed his eyes obviously trying to watch his temper. His fist clutching the towel he carried.

"Yong Hwa?" Finally, he uttered words. But the tone he used didn't seem to appease any of them.

Finally he opened his eyes, offering Yong Hwa one of his deadliest glare. "Shin Hye? The New York girl, right ?"

His little brother gulped nervously at his question. Apparently that made him laugh humorlessly.

His straight face came back quickly enough as he eyed each one of them with fury in his eyes. "Everyone, downstairs."

He finished, throwing the towel he had in hand hard on the floor. Enough to make a slapping sound. All three were startled at the sound but only Yong Hwa and Hong Ki followed Geun Suk downstairs.

Shin Hye didn't budge and after a while she saw Geun Suk reappearing at the front door. He looked at her not as fiercely as he had looked at his brothers but he still gave her a menacing look. One that left her scared.

"I said downstairs, now." He said emphasizing.

"Ca-can I get dressed first ?" She had managed to utter under his intense gaze.

At her request, she noticed as he squinted his eyes, just before giving her body a one-over look.

"You must."