“Since when did the weather get so cold?” Nicole asked Jinwoon as they stepped out of the university buildings unto the outdoors. She rubbed her bare hands together to warm up her body.

“I believe since winter started” He , poking her side with his elbow. She giggled; quicken her step, “Says the boy who is losing to me!” She stuck her tongue out playful and began running.

He began chasing her around the campus, not caring when other students had given them odd looks. She seemed careful and surprisingly happy today. Her eyes sparked with glimmer as she would occasionally look back to her friend. She smiled seemed genuine today. Jinwoon was glad that her changed in mood was turning for the better. For a couple of weeks, he watched the girl before him smile fade into a grim face and whenever she would smile, it had bothered him that it would never reach her eyes.

By the time he realized that she had given up, they were already at the front of the gates. Nicole had placed herself on the bench in front of the gates, her hands on her lap as she tried to catch her breath. She turned to him and gave him another smile, “Are you going to sit or stand there all day?”

He nodded and sat himself beside her, “Well then I chose to sit” He gave his famous eye smile. If Nicole’s cheeks weren’t already red from the cold, it would sure be red now. She never understood how a simply smile from him could just cause her to blush.

“You seem to be a better mood now” Jinwoon spoke up, after a period of silence; they were happily enjoying the view of the people walking by.

She hummed the same song as before, a song that had a special place in her heart now.

“I guess you can say that” She spoke up, her eyes still on a group of little boys across the streets trading cards, “I just don’t want people worrying again”

“Is something bothering you?” He asked, curiously.

“Yes... no... Yes.... I mean no” She looked more confused than Jinwoon was at the moment, “No. I mean no, nothing is bothering me” She covered up with a smile.

Jinwoon shrugged, not wanting to press any longer, “If you say so”

Nicole turned away from Jinwoon’s face, feeling uncomfortable. She didn’t want anyone worrying again, especially if it was over the same person.

---

“OH MY GOSH! WHAT TIME IS IT?” Nicole yelled into Jinwoon’s ear. He leaned away from her, covering his ear.

“Calm down will you? It’s almost 11’o clock” He said after checking his watch.

He watched as she hopped up, grabbing her backpack, “I need to go, Jin!” She yelled over her shoulder, already running down the street, “Sorry, I’m late. I’ll see you soon!” He smiled at her, waving good bye.

---

“Sorry” Nicole stood in the door way of her family’s kitchen. She ducked her head, like a little girl waiting for Gyuri to lecture her.

She looked up, her bangs covering her eyes still, as Gyuri cleared , “Lucky, it’s your mother paying me” She grabbed an apron, “Catch- you’ll be washing the dishes since you’re late”

Nicole tied the apron around her waist; she looked up to find everyone working diligently. Jiyoung and Taemin quickly gave her a smile before getting back to cutting, while Seugyeon and Hara looked sorry for her, but stayed sited across from the couple. Gyuri’s attention to the cake, her hands still as she began decorating the cake.

Gyuri was hired by Nicole’s mother to cater the Christmas party that Nicole’s family had every year at the beginning of December. It was unknown to how Gyuri’s cooking skills got to Nicole’s mother, since Nicole never spoke of it to her parents. Nonetheless, here they were in the middle of the winter, all gathered in the large opened- spaced and fully equipped kitchen. To be exact, it’s was Nicole’s family’s kitchen; there apartment was too small for all the food that Gyuri had to prepare that Nicole’s mother was kind enough to let them use her kitchen for the week.

The three girls were kind enough to help after school to help with preparations. Jiyoung and Taemin were exempt from school, since their class was away for a trip and were glad to help out. Originally, Gyuri was going to decline the job because she was already joggling too much work, but after a talk from the girls, she decided to take the job. This just met losing two jobs in the process, but the pay check from Nicole’s mother was going to be bigger than the other two combined.

They had worked quietly only the sound of running water and the whispers between Taemin and Jiyoung were heard from Nicole’s ears. She looked down at her hands, frowning at their state, “Aish! They look like prunes now “She had only meant for it to be a whisper.

Gyuri was the first to speak up, “Take a break, you’ve done enough anyways”

Nicole gratefully smiled; “Thanks” She took a seat beside Hara.

---

“So Nicole noona, how are you?” Taemin asking, trying to make conversation since everyone else had decided to take a short break, “I haven’t seen you in awhile”

Nicole smiled at Taemin concern, “I’ve been busy with school, I’d ask you the same but it looks like you doing pretty well” Her switched her stare from Taemin and Jiyoung then back to him, before giving him a wink. She listened as the girls giggled and the two kids blushed, “Taemin, you better treat her right, you hear?”

“Unnieeeee~” Jiyoung’s voice rang, “Stop trying to make Taemin uncomfortable” She pouted her lips.

Nicole groaned in defeat, “I’m sorry! I’ll stop!”

Hara giggled, “Serves you right!” She nudged her on the side.

“Oh don’t start with her, Hara!” Gyuri giggled, “Or we’ll start with you and Minho!”

“Did someone say Minho and Hara?” Seugyeon’s head popped in from the door, followed by her body. She had just come from the washroom.

“MINHO OPPA AND HARA UNNIE?!” Jiyoung yelled, surprised.

Taemin sat beside Jiyoung also confused in the turn of conversation.

Nicole giggled along with Gyuri, “What do you think, kids?” Gyuri asked.

“Do you like him, Hara unnie?” Jiyoung leaned on the table curiously, “I remember at the mall you guys walked together. You guys looked cute”

Hara felt a tingle in her stomach, a good feeling. She had to compress an urge to smile.

“But Jiyoung, my brother hasn’t said anything to me about dating Hara” Taemin answered.

He hasn’t said anything about me? Even if we were just friends, wasn’t I part of his life now? I guess I’m not important to him as I thought. Maybe hanging out all the time just means nothing to him... but why does it mean the world to me now?

She left a sharp pain in her heart. How can a simple sentence bring such pain to her?

---

“Did someone call for me?” Minho’s head popped in from the door, giving everyone a scare. Automatically, he went straight to Hara’s chair, smiling down to her, before he smiled to everyone else. He held the chair, so Hara was unable to move.

“Minho oppa?” Hara softly whispered, her body turned to his direction.

“Surprised?” He smoothly said, winking to her.

“Ahem” Seungyeon cleared , causing the two to break apart, “I think we are all surprised actually”

“I asked him to come here and be my errand  boy for the time being” Gyuri announced from across the room, bent over in search of something.

“You never told me you were coming today!” Taemin said, still surprised.

“I didn’t know either until Gyuri texted me after you left”

“You said you were busy today!” Hara joined the conversation

“I am busy today! I’m Gyuri’s errand boy!” He posed with his hands on his hips, his chin raised slightly up.

Everyone laughed.

“Alright enough now!” Gyuri said in a motherly tone, “Here- this is the list of ingredients” She handed him a piece of paper from one hand, “And this is the money. You should have enough” And the money in the other.

“Yes sergeant!” He placed his arm on his forehead like solider. “-Wait, before I go to the battle field” He said jokingly, cause the groups to laugh while Gyuri rolled her eyes, “Can I take Hara as my protection?” He flashed his pearly whites to Gyuri.

Even Gyuri was helpless to his Prince-like charm, “Sure why not” She choked out.

He grabbed Hara’s wrist, pulling her up from the chair, “Let’s go malady!”

“Thanks for helping me out, Minho” Gyuri yelled at him and Hara as they disappeared through the door.

“Don’t worry about it! I still owe you from last time!” He yelled back. The sound of the door shutting soon followed.

“What does he mean?” Nicole asked curiously, causing everyone’s attention to Gyuri.

“Because she helped out Jo-” “ Nothing!” Seugyeon was about to tell the group, until Gyuri cut in, giving her a death stare, “Nothing!”

“But-” Jiyoung whined.

“But nothing. Drop it, you understand- all of you?” She threatens. Everyone merely nodded their heads. She sighed; she didn’t want them to be scared, “...Just get back to work”

 ---

“Unnie, you never told me that you took care of Jonghyun when he was drunk!” Hara sang happily, placing the bags of groceries on the countertop.

Gyuri’s eyes widen in shock, along with the two kids and Nicole. While Seugyeon busted out laughing.

“See... I told you... they would find out!” She said between her laugh, Gyuri still hadn’t moved an inch.

“Was I not supposed to say anything?” Minho asked, worried when he saw the expression on Gyuri’s face.

“Don’t worry, she’ll get over it” Seugyeon finally stopped laughing, getting up from her chair to help put away with the groceries.

“Wait” Nicole finally spoke up, “Someone needs to tell us what’s going on” She pointed to the two kids, who were sitting quietly.

“You remember the night we all went to visit our families?” Seugyeon asked Nicole

“Yeah, I remember I wasn’t supposed to visit my parents. What happened?”  Nicole answered.

“So when Gyuri was going home from work, Minho asked her to pick up Jonghyun because he was drunk” Seugyeon continued.

“You know what happens when he gets drunk right?” Minho laughed, recalling the time when the drunken Jonhyun decided to liven up the night was to give the boys a strip dance. Lucky, Onew and Key had tied him down before he took off his boxers.

Both Nicole and Taemin nodded their heads, both recalling their own memories with the drunken Jonghyun.

“He is just the worst” Nicole commented, in horror.

“Tell me about it” Gyuri rolled her eyes, finally moving, “He was ready to give me a s... while we were walking home!”

The grouped laughed, picturing the image of how Gyuri reacted.

“Doesn’t he only go with people he is comfortable with?” Taemin realized.

“Yeah... he sometimes doesn’t even go when I try to pick him up” Nicole added.

“I guess he likes Gyuri a lot” Hara sang, winking at the horror-struck Gyuri.

“JONGHYUN LIKES GYURI?!” Jiyoung shouted. Taemin quickly covered her mouthed; whispered in her ear, which caused her to blush. She sat back down and Taemin continued to hold her hand.

“Well I doubt he likes her! They only met once” Nicole said.

“Correction, make it about four times now- right Gyuri?”

“BE QUEIT SEUGYEON!” Gyuri yelled back.

 “Four times?!” Jiyoung and Nicole said together.

“Yup” Seugyeon said, making a popping sound on the P, “Totally flirting from my point of view!”

“There was never any flirting!” Gyuri countered.

“I disagree with that!” Hara said, “I remember when we had lunch at the resort! That was totally flirting.”

Nicole smiled, enjoying the light atmosphere within the group (aside from the fluming Gyuri). Hara and Minho were putting away the groceries, speaking up once and awhile. It was obvious to the group the sparks the two had. The other couple were even more obvious about their feelings for each other were Jiyoung and Taemin. It was simple a young love but it was sure among the group that they would last even longer than their teenage years. They had an understanding between the two that they ever able to finish each other’s sentences. They weren’t physical expect those occasional hand holding, but it was easy to see that the two were more than just friends by how they look at it each other. Now the news of Jonhyun and Gyuri’s, Nicole was sure something was going to happen. She was a hopeless romantic; she loved the love that was blossoming around her. Then it suddenly hit her... she had no one but herself. Even her best friend, Key had a girlfriend and it seemed like every day now she was losing him more and more. Suddenly her smile that covered up her pain inside slowly began to fade, as the realization that now she was truly alone.

In a group full of the people she loved... all she felt was emptiness. 

Author's Note: Sorry for the last post, forgive me? :D The other couples are developing, it's cute. Theres not Key/Nicole moments but there are Jinwoon/Nicole moments. Slowly... slowly she realizing her feelings, slowly ;P