What is going on?” Dae Sung wanted to know. He turned to Tae Yang and Ji Yong for answers.

“Aing, I don’t know,” they said, perplexed. They were just as confused as he was.

Lia unclasped the necklace and handled it to TOP, who took is slowly, as though he was awestruck.

His thumb rubbed against the smooth wood. “There is an inscription saying hangsang (always),” he murmured, turning the necklace over. Sure enough, the word was written on the back.

There was a moment of silence as Lia and TOP looked at each other and then —

“Mei,” he choked and Lia began to cry. “It’s really you!”

“Oppa,” she said and he stood up. She ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. “Oppa!”

TOP hugged Lia very tightly, tears falling from his face too. “Naega isseo. I’ve got you.”

Seung Ri smiled, obviously very pleased with himself. Thanks to his hints, they were reunited again after ten years. He turned to see the confusion on the other three hyungs’ faces. He laughed and told them everything he knew about it. Lia and TOP told the entire story.

“We searched everywhere for you,” TOP was telling his little sister, who was seated next to him, snuggled close to him. “Eomma and appa kept crying. We were all really worried.”

“I was scared too,” Lia told him. “I was only five. And it was a huge storm. Luckily I didn’t drown.”

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her. “Every year on your birthday we would come together and celebrate,” he told her, “hoping one day you’ll come back to us. Eomma and appa even learned how to speak English so that they could go overseas to look for you, Mei. We never gave up.”

Lia buried her face in his arms.

“Oh, I get it!” Dae Sung suddenly cried out. “No wonder every year on March fifteen you would go back to your family’s house. It is to celebrate Lia’s — or Jun Mei’s — argh, her birthday!”

Ji Yong turned to Lia. “What do we call you now?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I know that Jun Mei is my name, but then again, so is Lia. Or rather Ophelia, as my name is actually called.”

Tae Yang choked on his drink. “Ophelia?”

She nodded. “It’s my English name,” she explained. “Obviously my parents wouldn’t going to call me Jun Mei all the time so they decided to give me the name they always wanted to name their baby girl if they ever had one.” She winced. “Of course I knew I was going to get a kick out of it so I shortened my name to Lia.”

“Yeah, Lia sounds so much cooler,” Ji Yong agreed.

“Mei, do you want to follow me to eomma and appa’s house tomorrow to celebrate your birthday?” TOP suddenly spoke up.

She hesitated. “I . . . I don’t know.”

“Wae? Why not?” Dae Sung asked. “Don’t you want to see your family after so long?”

“I do. I’m just not sure if . . .”

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” Ji Yong asked.

She nodded, feeling glad that someone at least understood what she was feeling. “Yes,” she admitted.

“Well, can we come as well?” Seung Ri asked.

TOP’s eyes lit up. “Ohh, Maknae, that is the best idea you have ever come up with!”

“What is that suppose to mean?!”

Tae Yang nodded. “We’ll be there with you, Lia . . . Jun Mei. Aaargh, can I call you Lia since I’m already used to calling you that?”

She laughed. “Yeah. Just stick to what you guys feel comfortable calling me by,” she said.

Ji Yong turned to her, grinning. “Not only did you go on a date with a hot guy, you can also tell your grandchildren how you got reunited with your family again,” he said.

She grinned back. “This gets better and better.” She turned to TOP. “Okay, I’ll come tomorrow,” she told him.

“Great!” TOP beamed.

She looked at the wall clock and pulled a face. It was already ten-fifteen. “Awww, I gotta go now,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Ji Yong asked. “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“Why don’t you stay over for the night?” Tae Yang suggested.

“Yeah, you can sleep in the guest room,” TOP chimed in, liking that idea.  He stood up. “I’ll get clothes for you to sleep in. Somehow.”

“Yeah, we don’t mind,” Seung Ri nodded enthusiastically.

But Lia shook her head. “Thanks, you guys. I’m really touched by your offer but I promised my teacher that I would be back at the hotel by eleven.”

“Awww.”

She stood up, grabbing her stuff. “What time will you come to pick me up tomorrow?” she asked, turning to look at her brother.

“Nine-thirty?”

“Okay.” She gave him a big hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Oppa.”

“Bye Lia,” the others said and she and Ji Yong headed out of the apartment.

“You’re happy that you found your big brother, aren’t you?” he asked as he drove her back.

She nodded. “You have no idea,” she told him. “I have been waiting for the last ten years of my life. And now, to hear that they never gave up on me, that’s something. I didn’t think they would keep looking.”

“It shows how much they really love you,” he pointed out. “And now we all know why hyung goes back to his family’s house every March fifteen. We all thought it was just a reunion date his father set. We never thought it was because of something really important.”

She smiled.

“I’ve know hyung and his family. They are the loving kind of family. But, how come I never knew you? I knew him since we were kids! I mean, yeah I moved away when I was eight but wouldn’t I have at least remembered he had a little sister?”

“Maybe it was because I was only one year old when you moved away?” she guessed.

“I don’t know, but it’s possible.”

“I wonder . . .”

“You wonder what?” He turned to her from the wheels.

“What would happen if we never saw each other at Lake Crystal? And at the aquarium? And what do you think would happen if we never hanged out, if you never asked me out on a date?”

“Well, you and I wouldn’t have gotten to know each other,” he started to say, “and you wouldn’t have found out TOP hyung is your brother.”

“True.”

They had reached the hotel. She unbuckled the seatbelts and leaned forward to kiss him.

He shook his head when they pulled apart. “I’m not satisfied,” he declared. “I’m walking you to your room.”

“Hey, you don’t have to,” she told him as he began to unbuckle his seatbelt.

“I want to.”

He walked her up to her room. She didn’t immediately go in. Instead she turned around to face him, leaning against the door with her two hands behind her. He placed one hand on the door next to her, leaning on that hand. His face was close to hers.

“Tonight was awesome,” she said sincerely. “I really enjoyed myself. I had so much fun.”

“Because you went on a date with the hottest guy ever and found your brother?” he said with a smile.

“Well, the highlight of tonight was finding Oppa,” she replied.

“Ouch,” he remarked good-naturedly.

“But,” she went on, putting a finger on his lips. He kissed it. “If I hadn’t gone out with the cutest —”

“And iest.”

“— guy I’ve ever met, I wouldn’t have found Oppa. So thank you.”

But he shook his head. “I want my thanks to be more than just words, girl,” he told her.

“Ji Oppa, you are so demanding,” she said affectionately. She giggled and lifted her head up so he could kiss her.

He placed his free hand around her body, pulling her close. Few minutes passed before they reluctantly bid goodnight.

“See you tomorrow, Lia,” he said sweetly.

“Good night, Ji Oppa,” she replied softly.

“Dream about me.”

She smiled, waiting until she couldn’t see him anymore before she rang the doorbell. She sighed happily. She heard hurried footsteps rushing to answer the door and she laughed when she saw Shervonne’s eager face. “Hello, Sher.”

“So, how was it?” Shervonne asked her breathlessly.

“Let me come in first, and then I’ll talk. I’ve got loads to tell you guys.”

Once she went inside, her friends were all bombarding her with all sorts of questions. Lia just took her sweet time. She grabbed her stuff and went to bathe, leaving her friends in total suspense. She knew they would slaughter her but they wouldn’t do it just yet without knowing how the date had gone.

She smiled, remembering how the night went as she let the droplets of water trickle down from the showerhead. She closed her eyes.

“Oi, Lia!” she heard Rylee thumping on the door. “Are you done yet?! What’s taking so long? Faster!”

She laughed. “In a minute!” she called back, stepping out of the shower. She dried herself and got dressed in her pajamas. She walked out, where they were eagerly waiting on their beds. She dried her hair slowly. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw them giving each other looks and darting impatient ones at her.

“So, you girls,” she said finally and they perked up. Hmmm, let them wait a bit longer, she thought to herself. “What did you guys do while I was gone?”

“OPHELIA!!” they all exploded and she burst out laughing, jumping on her bed.

She turned her laptop on. “Well, a lot of unexpected things happened,” she began to say. Lia told them everything. She told them about Seung Ri the chauffer, the date in the room, at the rooftop. How they kissed (the girls squealed at that part). She also told them about finding out that TOP was her brother.

“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Shervonne gushed. “You went on a date with a hot guy and ended up finding your real family! It’s a win-win.”

Rylee poked her in the head. “You have obviously watched one too many romance shows, haven’t you, Sher?” she observed. “It’s making your head go bleh!”

“Excuse me for being a GIRL,” Shervonne snapped indignantly.

“How do you feel about tomorrow, Lia?” Paige asked. “You’re going to see your family! You must be pretty excited.”

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “I’m actually a little bit scared.”

Shervonne frowned. “But, so what happens now? Are you going to leave us?”

Lia was shocked. “What?”

“Well, your real family probably wants you back,” she pointed out. “Will you live with them?”

Lia was speechless. She didn’t think of that. Plus, Shervonne has a point.

What will she do?