It was night when Seungho's finally back to Aira's apartment. He rang the bell and soon enough the door was opened by his brother. "Sorry I'm late, everything's fine? Where's she?" Seungho asked him, a slight urgency in his tone.

"Wohoo chill.. come inside first, and of course everything's fine, why wouldn't it be?" Seungho walked into the living room and found Aira on the couch. She perked her head up and let out a big sigh when she saw him, suddenly feel annoyed. It was tiring to put up a facade and chat around normally with Seunghoon all day, and now the very same guy who brought her into this situation came again to invade her personal space. 

She just wanted to be alone.

If she had to deal with them for a couple of hours more, she's afraid she might really get used to them. It would only hurt her when they left, and she knew that they would.

People always leave.

Noticing Aira's cold attitude towards his brother, Seunghoon shurgged and walked out to the veranda to leave them alone. Unlike what he expected, Seungho decided to follow him outside. He knew Aira wouldn't acknowledge his presence again, he might as well talk to his brother. 

"So, what were you guys doing?" He rested his back on the railings and asked his little brother. 

"We ate out and watched a movie, just like you told me to. Why are you out here? You didn't even greet her." Seunghoon frowned in confusion.

"Did she do anything strange?" Seungho asked again, ignoring his question.

"No, why?" The younger guy's forehead creased more.

"Nothing, just asking.." Seungho shrugged and turned around to face the night view.

"What are you guys fighting about anyway?" 

"What? Who's fighting?" It was now Seungho's turn to frown in confusion. Did Aira say we were fighting? 

"You and Aira.. you guys are having a couple fight, right?"

"What? Noooo. What makes you think so?" Seungho let out an amused laugh. 

"So you guys aren't dating?" Seunghoon turned his head to look inside where he saw Aira sat hugging her knees and her blank eyes focused on the television. She didn't really watch anything, it's just seemed more normal for her to do that instead of staring into an empty wall. Afraid that she might heard him, Seunghoon lowered his voice, "Then who is she?" 

"It's a long story, I'll explain to you later." Seungho said, not really intending to. "But no, I'm not dating her."

"Well, whatever. Then, I could hit on her if I wanted to, right?" Seunghoon smirked playfully.

"You like her?" Now it's time for Seungho to be surprised by his brother's remark.

"Well, I don't know, maybe I will. I mean, I'm single and she's apparently not your girlfriend so I have no reason not to," Seunghoon said.

"Aigoo..you only spent half a day with her, what do you know." Seungho grabbed his brother's canned drink and gulped it down.

"Yeah, you're right, but she's comfortable to be around. That's what I don't understand hyung, she's so cold but yet I found myself feeling comfortable with her. There's this feeling that she won't ever judge me for whatever I say or do so I could just be myself.." Seungho wacthed him waving his hands in the air, trying to explain. "...or maybe it's comfortable just because we're the same age, I don't know." He finished with a shrugged.

"She's the same age as you?" 

"You don't even know that? Waah hyung, tell me really, who's this girl?" Seungho just laughed it off. Things were complicated, he didn't really know how to explain. He didn't want to say something that might offends Aira if she heard it, and it wasn't even his story to tell.

He told Seunghoon to go home because it was late and their mother must be worried. He gave him his car key and told him where he parked it. After bidding good night to Aira, Seunghoon walked to the door and left. 

♦ ♦ ♦

What to do now?

He's been asking himself all day long, and now that he's left with her alone again made his question grew bigger. They were just strangers, but he couldn't seem to make himself realize that. The only thing he knew was that the girl with him tonight was someone he couldn't just left alone. 

Seungho sat besides her on the couch. He's dying to have a conversation with her but not knowing where to start. His mind wandered off to the night of the concert when he first saw her. He remembered how she was silently crying in the middle of the crowd and how he felt seeing that. "Why were you at our concert?", he asked Aira.

"Why not?" She answered, not shifting her gaze from whatever it was she was staring so seriously.

"Are you a fan?" Really, Seungho? Don't you have any other thing to ask?  

"Used to be.."

"What does it mean? You hate us?" He never expected for her to answer, but her answer perked his curiousity.

"No, I just stopped being a fan."

"Why?"

"....just because. I don't remember why, maybe I was started to...not care about...idols, I guess.." She stuttered because she started to remember again how much she changed for worse for the last couple of years. 

"Then why were you there?"

"......", Aira stayed silent for a while, not knowing what to say, but finally answered him with a whisper. "To say goodbye...." 

"You wh..what?" He raised his tone in disturbance. 

Seungho was angry, she knew that, but she's just telling the truth. She smiled weakly at him and turned off the tv. She walked into her room and lay on her bed. Aira hoped Seungho would just leave her alone, she doesn't need to be pitied.

She didn't need anyone.

On the other side, Seungho was trying to control his emotion. He's angry, for sure, but beyond that he's sad. He remembered the 'thank you' she gave the other night and wondering what would happen if he wasn't there saving her.

Closing his eyes and calming himself, Seungho stood in front of her door. I can't just barge in and scold her, she wouldn't hear me out.

"Aira, can I talk to you?" She saw Seungho standing at her bedroom door. She wasn't answering so he walked in and sat on the bed. "I want you to promise me something" he said with a gentle tone.

She turned her head to him as to tell him to go on with whatever it is he was going to say. 

"Please don't try to kill yourself anymore.." She stared at him coldly and didn't say anything so Seungho continued, "I can't be here the whole time, I know you're happy to hear that, but I'm not. I don't want to leave you alone so that you could continue your attempts, but I guess I'll try to believe you this time." 

She still wasn't saying anything, and instead she looked away from him. Noticing that, Seungho shifted his position closer to her. Slowly he cupped her cheek and turned her to face him.

"Please Aira, if you ever be our fan even for a minute, please listen to me. I would help you going through whatever it is you're going through, so please try with me. I'm going to believe you that you won't try to kill yourself again. Can I trust you?"

She stared at Seungho's pleading eyes and she couldn't help feeling touched and surprised, she didn't realize the tears that started to welling up in her eyes and finally fall on her cheeks. She didn't know what to say, everything was too overwhelming, no one ever cared about her until today.

Seungho saw her tears and wipe them with his hands, he felt as if he started to break the wall she put around herself so he asked again, "Can I trust you?"

She opened but nothing came out. The emotion she felt was too much for her, but somehow in a good way. Does it mean I'm not alone?

She felt something crept up within her, slowly but sure. It was something she never allowed herself to feel, something that she threwn away long ago.

Hope.

"I'll try.." She said with a weak voice. She was sincere and Seungho knew that, he saw it in her eyes that she meant what she said. He knew that she would try to live.

He knew that she accepted his heart.

"Come here.." Seungho pulled her into his embrace. He wanted her to just let everything out and cry, and she did.

No words said between them for the next half an hour, until she finally fell asleep in his arms. He laid her down and covered her with her comforter. He sat on the floor besides the bed, staring at her. He pushed aside some hair that was covering her face. 

She was the same age with his brother, and instead of living fully and working for her dreams like everyone her age, she was giving up her life.

Seungho let out a sigh from the heavy feeling inside his heart. He wanted to stay just like the night before but he knew he couldn't. He has work to do tomorrow and everyone would start asking questions if he didn't come back to the dorm anytime soon.

After making sure she's comfortable, he got up and left a note on the dinner table. He walked out the apartment with a hope that Aira would be there to open the door when he get back tomorrow.

"I'll come back tomorrow, Aira. I promise."

AN:

Love triangle? Hmmm... let's see.

but I don't think I have the heart to put the two brothers against each other :(