A/N: Sorry for the late update!  Can anyone guess what's going to happen next?   I already have the next chapter's plot in mind, but I'm curious to hear what you think is going to happen.  Maybe I'll even add your ideas to the chapter.  ^^

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IU AND YOSEOB SPOTTED ON A DATE AT LOCAL RESTAURANT

IS SEOBIU REALLY HERE TO STAY?

NATION’S LITTLE SISTER SEEN GETTING COZY WITH BEAST’S POWERFUL VOCAL

Jaehwa stared emotionlessly at the headlines rapidly spreading across the Internet.  Sighing, she closed the laptop shut and shut her eyes, letting thoughts run rampant through her tired mind.

Heavy footsteps broke the silence.  “YAH!  GIVE IT BACK!” an angry voice shouted above a chorus of laughter.

The door was suddenly flung open, and Dujun raced in, followed by Junhyung, Gikwang, Hyunseung, and Dongwoon.  They quickly locked it behind them, not noticing the shocked dancer sitting on the chair nearby.  She could hear Yoseob shouting from the opposite side, pounding desperately against the wooden barrier.

Jaehwa swiveled around to face them, waiting for the unsuspecting boys to look up.  Gikwang laughed and exclaimed to his frustrated hyung outside, “Maybe after we take a peek!”

Confused, Jaehwa squinted at the object in Dongwoon’s hand.  Yoseob’s handphone.  Raising an eyebrow in amusement, she crossed her legs and leaned back for the show.  Dongwoon’s eyes flickered back and forth as he scrolled through the phone.  “Oh, this is priceless!” the maknae shouted in glee, stopping at a particular photo album, “Guys, check it out!”

He flashed the screen so the rest of the boys could see.  The album was titled ‘IU <3’ and was filled with aegyo selcas of the couple.  Hyunseung grabbed the device.  “I’m sending all these to our phones!  We’ll post some of these on Twitter!” he muttered, an evil plot forming as he spoke.

“WHAT THE HELL?!  DON’T!” Yoseob shrieked from behind the door, followed by a thud which Jaehwa could only assume was his foot kicking the wood.

Finally, Jaehwa decided that enough was enough and pulled out her own phone.  Silently, she called the handphone.  When the ‘Mystery’ ringtone went off, Dujun glanced at the screen and said, “Hey look, Jaehwa’s calling!  Yoboseyo?”

Jaehwa smirked and spoke loudly, “Have you guys had enough fun yet?”

All five heads whipped around to the location of the girl’s voice.  She smiled mischievously and waved her cellphone at them.  Dongwoon stuttered in shock, “J-jaehwa…h-how long have you been there?”

Still grinning, she got up and stretched before answering, “Long enough,” and unlocking the door.

“Aish…run!” Dujun hastily ordered before the boys bolted out the door on the opposite side of the room.

Jaehwa shook her head just as Yoseob tumbled in.  “Welcome back,” she said coolly, not bothering with the usual ‘oppa’ title.

He groaned and nodded his head at her in response.  She rolled her eyes and handed him his phone.  “I don’t think they got ahold of the pictures, but next time, don’t let them catch you off guard.  It might ruin your image,” she emphasized coldly, mimicking his earlier words, before beginning to walk out the door.

Just as she entered the corridor, Yoseob called after her, “Wait!”

She paused and motioned for him to speak, not bothering to turn around.  She knew that if she got even a glimpse of his face, her emotionless façade would break.  An awkward silence filled the air for a moment.  After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Thanks.”

She nodded silently and then resumed her stride, never turning to face him.  But the second she heard the door close behind her, a solitary tear broke free of its restraints and slid down her cheek.

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“It’s amazing how easily a friendship can break under the pressure of the media,” Dujun mumbled as Jaehwa absentmindedly tapped her pencil against the notebook.

“Huh?” the girl inquired, looking up in surprise at the Beast leader.

“You must be really upset after this recent turn of events,” he said, nudging her gently.

“Of course n–” she started to deny when he glared at her.

Clenching her teeth, Jaehwa threw her pencil down at the blank paper in frustration.  “Fine, I’m upset.  So what?  He doesn’t care!  What can I do about it?” she snapped, running a hand through her bangs.

“Put your feelings down on paper,” Dujun advised soothingly, “Who knows?  You might be able to write a really good set of lyrics.”

He patted her back reassuringly before getting up and leaving her to her thoughts.  Jaehwa sighed and stared at the empty lines on the page.  Suddenly, an idea appeared in her mind, and she picked up the pencil from where it had fallen on the floor.  Then, she began pouring her sadness onto the paper.