The A.N. Jell van sped through from the dorm to the agency. The guys had to make it fast, or else, their fans are gonna roast them alive.

While inside the van, Jeremy was laughing his stomach to death. He was watching The Annoying Orange on Youtube, and he was in the episode where Orange was pestering and bullying Grapefruit.

"Ige mwoya (What is that)!" Mi Nam snapped. "Could you quit laughing, Jeremy?"

"Ah, don't disturb me here, I am watching Annoying Orange...oh, I am watching the video of your half-brother," Jeremy said to irk his rival.

"Mwo?????" Mi Nam asked in ire. So, he reach out his hand to box Jeremy's arm.

Inside the van, the lovers sat across each other, while the rest sat at the backseat. Shin Woo sat in between Mi Nam and Jeremy so that he could throw both guys out of the van if he wanted. (But we know our Shin Woo is not that type of guy ^_^).

While the other guys were quarrelling, Tae Kyung looked at Mi Nyu. 

"Are you all right, Mi Nyu?" he asked.

Mi Nyu nodded. "But I am also scared. I am going to debut as a solo artist. It was different doing it together with you all in the past."

"Ah, do not worry too much," Tae Kyung advised. He smiled at her, just like the first smile he gave which gave her the electric shocks she didn't understand in the past.

"I am okay now, Hyung-nim," Mi Nyu told him.

"It will be three months, so don't worry. You will have much time to prepare," he told her.

Mi Nyu nodded. She looked back at the people sitting behind them. Jeremy and Mi Nam were still fighting over Annoying Orange, and Shin Woo just slept right through it.

"Annoying Mi Nam!" Jeremy shot at him, sticking out his tongue afterwards.

"Why you!" Mi Nam shot back.

"Please stop it, Jeremy, Oppa," Mi Nyu pleaded.

So the guys had to stop, because both of them love her so much that they are willing to do anything for her. Yet, even if they stopped, Jeremy stuck out his tongue at Mi Nam. 

*****

Inside the recording studio...

Tae Kyung announced that they take a one-hour break first. Jeremy was too relieved, as he had to practice catching up the beat of the song that Shin Woo was to sing solo during the concert.

The leader went to the other recording studio, where his girlfriend was recording her last song before the release of her own album. He stood outside looking proud of her when he was distracted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see He Yi.

"Oh, annyeong," he greeted her.

"Annyeong haseyo," she greeted back.

They shifted their gaze to look at Mi Nyu.

"She is getting better by the day," Tae Kyung told He Yi.

"After all, she was Go Mi Nam in the past," He Yi pointed out.

Looking at the time on his watch, Tae Kyung felt uneasy. "Aish, I think they are working double time, she won't be having adequate time for lunch."

It was true. Mi Nyu was getting busy by the day.

"Fake fairy, have you eaten lunch?" Tae Kyung asked, and was answered with a shaking of the head. "Well then, is it all right if you go with me to the mall? I need to buy a gift for Mi Nyu. Lunch is on me."

He Yi was crestfallen a bit. He was asking his fake ex-girlfriend to accompany him to the mall to buy a gift for his girlfriend. Is it not too much? But the bribe of lunch and being with Tae Kyung consoled her a bit. As long as she is beside him, it will be OK with her.

"But people won't start another round of gossip, will they?" He Yi asked in concern.

"There is a possiblity that they will, but don't worry. Let's act accordingly as not to arouse any suspicion," Tae Kyung flatly said.

So, for that one hour break, Tae Kyung and He Yi went to the latter's favorite spaghetti resto before hitting the mall quickly.

*****

Many salesclerks were pointing at them, making He Yi uncomfortable. To dispel any rumors, she maintained a safe distance from Tae Kyung.

They were about to enter a dress shop when He Yi stopped him.

"Giving a girlfriend some dress is not a good idea for me," He Yi advised. "It will give her the impression that she cannot choose her own clothes. Or that she has bad taste in choosing outfits."

Tae Kyung raised an eyebrow. Was that an insult? He had given Mi Nyu girl clothes in the past.

"She would rather appreciate it if you give her jewelries instead," He Yi told him. "That would be a good gift for a debuting girlfriend, right?"

"Ah...arasseo (I understand)," Tae Kyung said.

They went to the Tiffany & Co. store where Tae Kyung got to press his brains in buying some jewelries for his beloved. He Yi wanted to choose a second-rate necklace that Tae Kyung could give to Mi Nyu, but then, thinking of her new friendship with Pig Rabbit, she helped him choose the best. She still felt ambivalence towards Mi Nyu that she was willing to do good for her, yet wanted to steal Tae Kyung away.

"You are buying two?" He Yi asked Tae Kyung.

"Yes, I want to surprise her with two necklaces," he dryly replied.

When they reached the counter, Tae Kyung asked the saleslady to wrap the two boxes nicely.

"Oh, Hwang Tae Kyung-ssi and Yoo He Yi-ssi, I am a fan of yours," the lady said.

"Gamsahamnida,"  both chorused.

"Hwang Tae Kyung-ssi, you have a girlfriend, right?" the lady pressed on. "Go Mi Nam's twin?"

"Yes. Wae?" he asked.

The lady smiled slyly. As if knowing what she was thinking, Tae Kyung defended He Yi.

"He Yi is my friend. She accompanied me here to help me buy the perfect gift for my girlfriend," he plainly explained.

He Yi looked at Tae Kyung. She was only a friend...but she was contented that he defended her.

*****

Back to A.N Entertainment....

Tae Kyung thanked He Yi for accompanying her.

"It is my pleasure to do anything for my friends," she lied. It was not pleasure. It was sacrifice.

Tae Kyung smiled at her before going back to his studio to continue practicing with the band. She, meanwhile, went to President Ahn's office to thank him.

****

Tae Kyung left the studio late to finish with his musical arrangements. Earlier, he instructed Mi Nam to just take his sister home, with the instruction that he won't  be having dinner at home.

Finally, he was able to get out of the studio and started to drive home. When he passed by the park, he saw He Yi strolling by herself, catching some moments with her cellphone camera. He got out of his car and went to her.

"Fake fairy, why are you alone at this time of night?" he asked.

"Ah, I am trying something fancy to play up with Photoshop later," she told her.

"And being a photographer at night?" Huh!" he mocked.

He Yi got irritated at his mocking, but it was better than nothing. She find it better to be talking or bickering with Tae Kyung than not having anything at all.

"It is all right. There are still lights on, so I can see my subjects," He Yi said before sitting down on the bench.

Tae Kyung sat down along with her and watched the youth doing skateboarding. Out of the blue, Tae Kyung spoke.

"I have one fear," he shared.

"Mwo?" she asked.

"I fear that one day I cannot see Mi Nyu, and I cannot be with her," Tae Kyung said to her, still looking at the skater boys. "She will soon debut, and I am happy for her. I know our schedules will be tight and might not cross each other. What I mean by my fears is, what if one day, that day will come that she will leave me for another. Or if she doesn't leave me, yet she will fall out of love for me. Show business is a jungle, a difficult world for those in love. I am afraid that her coldness will leave me blind, her coldness will turn my heart into that of a stone--unable to feel, or most of all, unable to love again. I have once pined for the person who abandoned me to be with another."

He Yi didn't understand what he meant by his first love. He was talking about his longing for his mother, who did not acknowledge him and even abandoned him to his face for another guy with children of his own. His wish of being acknowledged and loved by his mother spurred him to do his best to be at par with her standards, thus wanting her to be proud of him. Which kind of explains his obsessive-compulsive behavior. He wanted to be perfect for his mother. It was all right now. He had patched up with his mother, yet his obsessive-compulsive habits remained.

"But of course, I had patched up with the other person, and I am grateful. And because of Mi Nyu, she made me feel how it is to be loved and to be needed. But if that time comes that she will no longer see me the way she does now, I will wish I had never met her. And I am not wishing for it to come," Tae Kyung explained.

He Yi leaned a bit, and saw tears falling from his eyes. She wanted to dry his tears, but she restricted herself. Her chest felt tight again, feeling hurt of his revelation. His fears were the same as hers, only that she is living in his fears as of the moment. She was sad that the love she had been looking for so long did not see her the way he saw his girlfriend, and he only saw her as a friend. But if given the chance, is it allowed for her to even say her feelings for him? He knows it, right? But, given the long period of time that they had separated, could she still tell him how she feels? 

"Girls confess to guys these days, but is it really acceptable?" He Yi thought, drowned in her own concerns. "I am only a girl. I know that if I confess to him, I will get rejected. But am I even allowed to say what I feel?"

"Ya, are you all right?" Tae Kyung asked her, shaking her shoulder.

"Ah, ne (yes)..." she said, discreetly wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"Y...ye (yes)...I was just feeling sad...I felt your fears," she said.

Tae Kyung smiled behind tears. "You really can fakely empathize with others. The title National Fairy suited you well."

"Ya! Take it back!" she told him, half-joking.

As they were taking time to relieve themselves from the stress of the day, Tae Kyung received a text message.

"Fake fairy, you are giving me a message, yet we are sitting here together," he frowned.

Upon opening the note, this is what He Yi sent to him:

Math tells us three of the saddest love stories:

TANGENT LINES who had one chance to meet and then parted forever,

PARALLEL LINES who were never meant to meet, and

ASYMPTOTES who can get closer and closer but will never be together.

Tae Kyung snickered after reading the note. "So sad indeed. But do not tell me that the National Fairy could make us math geniuses."

"You may think I am dumb, but I am the math wizard in school," He Yi bragged.

Later, Tae Kyung asked if she brought her car.

"Wae? Are you going to smash it?" she .

"Andwae (no)," Tae Kyung said. "I could take you home. It is getting late."

"Thanks for the offer, but my dorm is just across the street," He Yi corrected him.

"Oh, mianhae (sorry), I didn't know," he said.

"All of you can drop by my dorm some other time. We'll have some cooking spree," she offered.

"Arasseo," he replied.

When he was about to walk away, He Yi gave him a hug from behind. 

"Be safe, Tae Kyung," she said.

He held her hand and patted it. "You too."

As she looked at him go, she whispered to him in tears, "Gaji ma (Don't go)..."

****

Asymptotes: Mi Nyu and Shin Woo. Tae Kyung and me.

That was her entries in her diary for that night.

*****

I got the math text message from a friend. It is quite sad, so I thought I could share it with you guys. ^_^