A/N:  Hope you enjoy the chapter!  Please comment!  I really would like to have some support and maybe some constructive criticism or feedback about my writing.  Thanks, everyone~  ^^

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Jaehwa let a smile settle on her face as Yoseob led her off the stage.  The duet had been exactly what she had always dreamed.  She truly felt like herself again.  It was as if time had turned back to when they shared an inseparable bond, when it was not just friendship but something more as well.

The company president met the duo backstage, a gleam of satisfaction evident in his eyes.  One quick nod of his head, and Jaehwa knew they had performed even better than he had hoped for.

After a long round of ‘good jobs’ and ‘congratulations’, Jaehwa and Yoseob were finally alone in the waiting room.  Jaehwa glanced down at their still-intertwined hands, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.  Without realizing it, Yoseob had kept his hand locked with hers since the moment they left the stage.

“Um…oppa…I–” Jaehwa started to say before the door swinging open interrupted her sentence.

“Oppa!” IU squealed as she hurried into the room, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend.  “That was fantastic!”

Jaehwa felt her heart drop as the warmth around her hand instantly disappeared.  Yoseob smiled at IU and returned her hug, placing a kiss on her cheek.  “Thanks.  Great job on your…MCing?” he replied playfully.

Jaehwa shifted awkwardly from one foot to another.  Her movement seemed to catch the couple’s attention again.  IU turned to Jaehwa, noticing her presence in the room for the first time.  “Oh!  Jaehwa-ssi, mianhae!” she apologized quickly.  “I didn’t see you there.”

“It’s okay,” Jaehwa answered softly, her mood having taken a full 180-degree turn.

“You were amazing, too,” IU added in enthusiastically, bowing quickly to the older girl.  “Can I call you unnie?”

The older girl blinked, taken aback by the sudden question.  “Um…of course,” she said hesitantly, smiling lightly. 

IU giggled, hugging her new unnie.  How can anyone dislike her? Jaehwa thought as IU’s cheerfulness lifted her own mood.

Yoseob watched the exchange with hidden interest.  His focus had begun on his girlfriend, but as the conversation wore on, he found himself shifting his attention to the other girl in the room. 

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On the way back to the Cube building, Jaehwa stared out of the window in a daze.  She touched the star charm resting on her neck, remembering when Yoseob had given it to her.  It had already been a few months since then, but she still remembered every detail of that day.

Every morning, when she woke up, she would automatically reach to the top of her dresser and take the necklace from the hanger.  Then, she would put it on, never having to think twice about it.  It had become a routine, a small habit that she was not willing to let go of any time soon.

Her manager glanced at her through the rearview mirror.  “Jaehwa, are you okay?” he asked worriedly when he spotted the absentminded look on her face.

Jaehwa snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly to focus her vision.  “Huh?  Oh, I’m fine,” she brushed his question off nonchalantly.

“Are you sure?  If you’re not feeling well, I can reschedule your events.”

“No, it’s okay.  I’m just a bit tired.”

The manager nodded in understanding.  “If you really start to feel unwell, tell me.”

“Arasso.”

Jaehwa leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes as different thoughts overwhelmed her mind.

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“Oppa?” IU said as she and Yoseob picked up their bags, preparing to leave.

“Ne?” he answered.

“Do you have any more events today?” she asked, hoping to spend some quality time with her boyfriend.

“Hm,” he checked his phone thoughtfully, “I have dance practice with Beast later today, but I still have some time.  Do you want to go for lunch?” he asked, sending a quick text to his manager.

“Of course!” IU cheered, linking her arm with Yoseob as they left the building.

Yoseob forced a smile on his face.  However, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to feel truly happy.  No matter how much he tried to focus on his girlfriend, his thoughts always reverted back to Jaehwa.

He ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip stressfully.  He didn’t realize that IU was watching him from out of the corner of her eye.  The girl frowned, bewildered by her boyfriend’s bout of frustration.

“Oppa, what’s the matter?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.  “Nevermind.”