A/N: I'm back!  Sorry the update took so long!  And I know this chapter might be a bit...boring?  I'm kind of in a writer's block right now so ideas would be great.  I have the beginning and the end of the plot figured out but not really the middle...

---5---

After the “Good Day” performance, Yoseob and IU had received multiple offers to sing together at various shows.  In the end, the duo had chosen to perform “If You Want A Lover” that originally sung by G.NA and Rain.

And then, Yoseob had done something on stage that shocked the entire entertainment industry.

The applause suddenly went silent as Yoseob hopped off the stage, leaving a confused IU standing alone with two microphones.  He snatched a rose from one of the vases on the Beast table before rushing back onstage.  From the looks of the managers, it was obvious that this was definitely not planned.

The suspense heightened as everybody anticipated what the Beast member would do next. Jaehwa held my breath as he took back his microphone.  A beautiful smile graced his face as he handed the rose to the girl onstage with him and said, “Lee Jieun, will you be my girlfriend?”

Jaehwa’s heart stopped.

-----------------------------------------

Jaehwa spent her morning in the Beast practice room, helping out as they began preparations for their Beautiful Show world tour.  At lunch, the boys sat in a circle around a few open boxes of fried chicken.  Jaehwa quietly sat cross-legged in the corner, gazing up at the ceiling, deep in thought.  Dujun noticed her unusual silence and quickly tried to change the subject.  “Kids, let’s start practice!” he commanded his dongsaengs, casting a worried glance towards her direction.

Dongwoon automatically exclaimed, “I want to mirror Jaehwa today!”

It was a Thursday, so it was actually Yoseob’s turn.  Dongwoon raised an eyebrow in bewilderment as Yoseob did not protest like he usually did when the maknae attempted to take his spot.  Jaehwa grinned and nodded to Dongwoon, but the smile did not reach her eyes.  “Sure, oppa.  If you want.”

Suddenly, Yoseob muttered, “Why are you always here during our practices?”

Everybody silently gasped and stared at the girl to see her reaction.  For a second, she did not say a word.  The smile dropped from her face and was replaced by a look of hurt and betrayal.  “You never really complained about this before…” she trailed off.

“Well, I don’t want the netizens making up rumors!  It might ruin our image!  Once a reputation is ruined, it takes years to rebuild it!”

By ‘our image’, Jaehwa assumed he was talking about him and IU.  This was actually the first conversation she had had with Yoseob since the Golden Disk awards two weeks ago.  Suddenly, she wished they were still not talking.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, not knowing what else to say, “I’ll go somewhere else then.”

With a heavy heart, she bowed apologetically and then hurried out of the room.  Dujun followed her and exclaimed, “Jaehwa!”

Sighing, she turned to face him.  “Yes, oppa?” she answered, straining to keep her voice from cracking.

“Don’t take his words to heart.  Yoseob’s just having a hard time adjusting to the sudden attention from the media.  He’ll be back to normal soon.”

“I hope so,” Jaehwa replied emotionlessly before leaving the Cube building to get some fresh air.

-----------------------------------------

Jaehwa sat alone in a nearby coffee shop, sipping sadly at a cup of hot chocolate.  She absentmindedly stared at the warm steam drifting upwards from the creamy liquid, her mind miles away.  But her thoughts were interrupted when a female voice greeted her cheerfully, “Jaehwa!  Annyeong!”

Jaehwa looked up in surprise.  “Unnie!” she said, smiling at the bright-eyed Hyuna.

“Annyeong, Sohyun,” Jaehwa added when she noticed the maknae peeking out from behind Hyuna’s shoulder.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Jaehwa-ssi,” the shy girl said softly, bowing her head to the older girl.

Jaehwa shook her head at the formality as the two idols took the seats across from her.  “Aish, I told you not to be so formal!  Our ages aren’t that far apart!” she complained jokingly before continuing, “Anyways, how are you and the rest of 4Minute doing?”

“Pretty good,” Sohyun answered modestly.

“Pretty good?  We just finished a schedule that started at four this morning!  Why must we work so much?” Hyuna grumbled, resting her head on her hands.

“Four?  Really?” Jaehwa commented incredulously, “Wow, you must be so tired.”

“Not as tired as you look.  What’s wrong, unnie?” Sohyun asked, immediately sensing Jaehwa’s troubled aura.

The girl’s eyes widened in surprise at the keen observation.  “I’m fine.  Nothing’s the matter,” the dancer covered calmly.

Hyuna raised her head and squinted at the girl suspiciously, noticing the hidden stress in her eyes.  “Nope, something’s definitely up.  What happened?”

Jaehwa shook her head.  “I’m serious.  Nothing’s wrong,” she protested, trying to keep a straight face.

Sohyun opened to question her some more.  But, seeing her chance, Jaehwa glanced at her watch and quickly said, “I have to go for practice.  I’ll see you later, okay?”

The girl got up and slung her bag over her shoulder as the 4Minute members said their goodbyes.  Before they parted, Hyuna added, “Jaehwa, get some rest.  Oh, and this conversation is definitely not over.”

As Jaehwa walked out the café doors into the cool Seoul air, she sighed to herself, “I know it’s not.”