"'Max Fashion Brand has randomly selected three high school students for a special hands-on experience in the fashion industry. Signing the following papers means that the child's guardian has agreed to sent their son and daughter for a three-day trip to Busan. Thank you. Sincerely, Shim Changmin the CEO of Max Fashion Brand'—Oh come on!" Jiyong cried out loudly, crumbling up the papers and shoving it back into Jiho's hand. He glared at the three kids, who innocently smiled at him. "Your parents actually believed you and signed this? Jiho! You have absolutely no interest in fashion! How did you get your parent's signatures?"

"You let them have a few bottles of alcohol and then talk about the situation," Jiho said casually. "Any problem?"

"Yes," Jiyong said, nodding his head. "There is a huge problem with that!"

"Well, the point is, we are all here at the beach, enjoying ourselves and 'learning about fashion' and all that other stuff," Minah said. She smiled. "I heard that Changmin reserved an awesome hotel for us, right?"

Jiyong groaned and put his hand over his forehead. He rubbed his temples, trying to think about his current situation.

A few days after the kids suggested going to the beach, Jiyong woke up one extremely early morning when three people in suits barged into his house. One had started packing his clothes and other vacation necessities while the two grabbed Jiyong's arms and dragged him out of the door. Of course, Jiyong tried shouting for help, but the men were clever enough to cover his mouth with tape. He was tossed into the back of a fancy car and was driven to the very location they were standing at: in front of Max Fashion Brand's building and across from the beach.

Of course, he was planning to head straight back home until he saw a bus come and unload the three kids off the vehicle. It took him minutes to realize that they were actually planning to have vacation with him. When he had asked them why they were hear, the three had given him signed papers that had their parent's signatures on it. They had followed his instructions, but he was displeased.

"Look, it's…" He glanced at his phone, which was in his hands. "It's six in the morning. No one is at the beach except for a few morning joggers and fishers. Why did we have to come early?"

"Because," Minah said, "we need to get the good spots and get our rooms checked in!"

"Where's Changmin?" Jiyong asked, looking around.

"He said that he was going to stop by at the hotel later for breakfast. Kyuhyun said that Changmin was very happy to hear that you needed him," Jiho commented.

"Kyuhyun said he's going to meet us here and take us to the hotel," Jieun said. She pointed at a black limousine. "Isn't that them?"

Minah began to scream for joy. She quickly grabbed ahold of Jiho's shoulder, and screamed even louder when the car parked in front of them. She was almost pulling his shirt with absolute delight, unable to contain her happiness.

"We're riding in a freaking limousine! A freaking limo!" Minah shouted, jumping up and down.

A driver got out of the car and went to open the side door. Kyuhyun came out of the door, and smiled at the group.

"Good morning," Kyuhyun said casually. He glanced at his gold watch. "I think I'm on time. I hope you guys weren't waiting too long."

"Are we going to ride this?" Minah said, rubbing her fingers against the vehicle.

"Yes. Changmin has specifically told me to get this limousine and take you to the hotel," Kyuhyun said. He looked at Jiyong, who glared at him. "He wanted me to deliver this message to you, Jiyong: 'I hope you remember the taste of luxury, Kwon Jiyong.' Let's get in, now."

"I refuse," Jiyong snapped.

Minah looked at up, horrified. "How can you refuse a limousine ride? Are you crazy?"

"Yeah, Jiyong! It's not like you never rode in one of these before. You used to come to college riding one of these every single day," Kyuhyun revealed.

Jiyong shot him a glare. "Didn't I say to stop revealing my previous life?"

"Come on, Jiyong. Changmin really wants you to ride in it. Look! It's his best limousine!" Kyuhyun exclaimed, gently tapping on the hood of the car.

"How far is the hotel by car?" Jiyong asked.

"Jiyong, stop being stubborn and—"

"Just tell me," he snapped. Kyuhyun blinked his eyes. Then, he sighed and pointed down the street.

"By car, it's five minutes, but by walking it might take you around twenty minutes—"

"Okay. I'm going to walk," Jiyong said. "Are my stuff already at the hotel? The guys who brought me here didn't unload my stuff."

"Well, yeah, but Jiyong, shouldn't you just ride?" Kyuhyun asked tiredly.

"Nope. I'm walking," Jiyong said. "Take the kids, though."

Minah pumped her fist in the air. "Yes!"

She quickly got in the car, taking advantage of the situation. She poked her head out the door, waiting for the rest to join. However, Jiho was keeping his eyes on Jieun, and Jieun was staring at Jiyong. Minah's eyes slowly softened and groaned to herself. She could tell where this was going. Jieun wanted to go with Jiyong, which would mean that Jiho would follow, too. That would mean that riding in the limousine would be pointless.

"Let me walk with you!" Jieun said.

There it is, Minah thought, glaring at her. There it is…

"If Jieun's going, I'm going," Jiho declared.

As always, she thought, scoffing.

"You guys get in the car. I don't feel safe walking with you guys early in the morning at a place I hardly know," Jiyong said.

Jieun stepped forward to protest. "But—"

"In the car," Jiyong said in a serious tone. "Now."

Jieun let out some inaudible grumbled and did as she was told. Jiho smiled in the inside, happy to know that he would get some privacy with Jieun without Jiyong. The teenagers stepped into the car, much to Minah's contentment. Before Kyuhyun closed the door, he looked at Jiyong once more.

"Are you sure you're not coming with us?" Kyuhyun asked. "Changmin will be disappointed."

"Maybe next time, Kyuhyun. I'll ride it some other time," Jiyong promised.

The assistant shrugged his shoulders and hopped into the expensive vehicle. The driver closed the door and quickly got into the front seat to drive them to the hotel. Jiyong watched the car leave first. The moment the limousine was a few meters away, Jiyong began walking towards the direction to the hotel.

He could smell the salty sea along with the fish and seaweed as he walked across the beach. He knew that even though there weren't a lot of people now, there would be tons during the days. Umbrellas would be set up in a uniformed line while people took a light tan or swam in the endless ocean. The only thing he could remember about this place was when he was given news that his life was already arranged for him…

He shook his head and rubbed his forth finger. "Let's not remember now, Kwon Jiyong. Take a deep breath and walk to the hotel."

And figure out what the hell Changmin has in plan for you, he told himself.

* * *

"Are you surprised? You're surprised, right?" Changmin laughed boldly while he stirred his orange juice in his fancy glass cup. "I knew you'd be surprised! Aren't I a genius? Admit it, you were surprised, right?"

Jiyong glared at him while sipping his drink. "Yeah, I was surprised. I could've called the cops."

"You wouldn't do that," Changmin said, digging into his bacon and egg. "You can't risk doing that."

Jiyong grumble. As much as he wanted to argue, Changmin was right. At his current situation, he couldn't call the cops. That would lead to some trouble that Jiyong didn't want to get involved in.

"So do you own this hotel, Mr. Shim?" Minah asked, chewing on her sausage.

"Why don't you guys address me as a mister, huh?" Jiyong asked, frowning.

"Jiyong, do you not know who we're talking to? We're talking to the CEO of Max Fashion Brand. Are you really telling me to be disrespectful to this amazing man who gave us a good reason for vacationing?" Minah retorted, looking slightly offended.

Changmin smirked and nodded his head towards Minah's way. "I like that kid, Jiyong. You did a good job with this one."

"I didn't even do anything with them," Jiyong said tiredly.

"Yeah. Minah's only good at flattering. That's the only skill she has. Don't take it personally, Changmin," Jiho said, biting into his toast.

Changmin shot a glare at Jiho and pointed at him with his fork. "You didn't do a good job with this guy, though." He scoffed at him. "I bet you never even kissed a girl, huh?"

Jiho choked on his food while Minah coughed. Jieun stared at her friends innocently, wondering what had made them so flustered. Jiho grabbed his drink and gulped it down, but his eyes were on Jieun.

"Jiyong did a lot of kissing back in the days," Changmin told them. "By the way, did your girlfriends put on some kind of flavored lip balms before they kissed you?"

"I don't know. I don't really care. That was back in high school," Jiyong said.

"Hm. I used to do some kissing, too, but I forgot. I wonder how high school girl's lips taste like now," Changmin muttered. Jiyong subconsciously looked at Jieun's lips.

"You sound like a ert," Jiho mumbled. Changmin shot him another glare. 

"So what are you planning to do today? Are you going to the beach with us?" Jieun asked.

"Me? Oh, I can't. I have an important meeting to attend later today. I would sent Kyuhyun, but this is a really important company so I can't miss this opportunity. Don't worry, though. Kyuhyun will be here to observe every single thing you guys do," Changmin said.

Kyuhyun looked up at him with wide eyes. "But Boss!"

"What? It's not like you have anything better to do," Changmin pointed out.

Kyuhyun nervously look at the kids. "But these guys… I'm not so close with these people…"

"You know Jiyong. Hang out with him," the CEO ordered. He looked at Jiyong. "You don't mind that, right?"

"I mind," Jiyong said smoothly, finishing his toast. "I'm planning to stay in the room until the three days are up."

Jieun choked on her drink while Jiho rushed over to help her. Minah groaned and rolled her eyes as Kyuhyun paled. Changmin dropped his jaws, unimpressed with Jiyong's childish decision.

"Look," Changmin said, waving his fork in the air, "I gave you this opportunity to stay in this room and have fun for a few days. I told you, swim in luxuries for a few days. It's not like a lot of money will kill you, right?" He swallowed his food. "Besides, even if you don't want to spend money, at least go and spend some time outside. You need the sun. I have spies who told me that you only come out for work or for shopping. That's not good, Jiyong."

Changmin was about to say more until Kyuhyun's phone beeped. Everyone stared at Kyuhyun, who took out his phone and checked the alarm message.

"Um, sir," Kyuhyun said. "You have to get on the plane right now."

Changmin groaned. "We're late?"

"Not exactly." The assistant looked at his boss with worry. "Are you sure you'll be fine without me?"

"I'll be perfectly okay. Kyuhyun, I'm not irresponsible. Didn't I tell you? I'm the CEO of Max—"

"We get it!" Jiho exclaimed, slamming his utensils against the table. "You're a CEO from a huge company! Geez, you don't have to tell us that every single time."

Changmin glared and looked at Jiyong. "You see, Jiyong? You messed up with this kid." He turned to Kyuhyun. "Okay, I want photographic evidence that Jiyong is enjoying his stay here. I've got two other people who's keeping an eye on you in case you and Jiyong decide to come up with a lie. If he doesn't have a good time, you're fired."

Kyuhyun's eye almost popped out. Changmin smiled at the rest and waved his hand, leaving the group alone. Once he left, Kyuhyun sighed and turned.

"Did you hear any of that, Jiyong?" Kyuhyun asked weakly.

"Yep," Jiyong answered. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Looks like I have no choice but to go, huh?"

As the adults cried inside about having to go to the beach, Jieun cheered mentally. She smiled and clasped her hands together. She couldn't wait to see Jiyong at the beach with her, and she was determined to have him look at her as an adult instead of a kid.

* * *

At noon, the five arrived at the beach in their swimwear or summer clothes. Jiyong was wearing a white button-up shirt with black-and-white checkered shorts. For accessories, he put on a white cap and an expensive pair of sunglasses that Kyuhyun kept insisting him to wear for Changmin's pleasure. Kyuhyun was wearing a simple graphic t-shirt with jeans, covering his eyes with the company's sunglasses. It was obvious that even though it was hot outside, Kyuhyun preferred to be covered up at the beach.

"Okay, so you kids play over there. We'll stay here," Kyuhyun said. He quickly pulled out a mat from his bag and covered the sand.

Jiyong was just about to help out until Minah tugged on his shirt. He casually turned around.

"What?" Jiyong asked.

"Well, two girls are wearing some swimsuits. Compliment us!" Minah demanded. However, she could care less about what Jiyong thought of her. She was only doing this for Jieun's sake, who seemed to be anticipating on Jiyong's words.

Jiyong took a quick glance at Minah's black bikini. She was obviously looking forward to getting hit on at the beach. He sighed, ed his shirt, then took it off, putting it over Minah's shoulders. Minah widened her eyes, while Jieun turned beet red at the sight of Jiyong's torso.

"Please cover up a bit," Jiyong said. "I don't want you to meet someone strange. You look like you're trying too hard to get people's attention."

Minah's face turned red. "H-How could you say that!"

Jiyong rolled his eyes and looked at Jieun. Compared to Minah, Jieun was well covered. She was wearing a pink one-piece skirted swimsuit, which almost looked like a tight dress. She even had a large floppy sun hat to give her the proper shade. Even though she was more covered that Minah, Jiyong couldn't help but stare at her pale legs and her curves.

"You dress nice, Jieun. You look cute," Jiyong said. He wasn't expecting her to turn bright red at his praise.

Jiho narrowed his eyes. "Hey! Women aren't the only ones who needs complimenting. Compliment me!"

Jiyong examined him. "What do I have to say about you? You're just wearing blue swim trunks."

The little boy turned red in embarrassment. He was about to say more until Minah brought everyone's attention to Jiyong's bare chest.

"You're surprisingly well-built, huh?" Minah asked, staring at his chest. "Right, Jieun?"

Jiyong slightly turned pink. "What? Jiho has some abs, too."

The girls began to compare Jiyong's and Jiho's abs. It was clear that Jiyong was more built than Jiho, much to his disappointment. Jiho had been working out for the past few days, hoping that he could improve his looks by the time they would go on the trip. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to give him enough time to look impressive in front of Jieun.

At least she still looks cute in that swimsuit, Jiho thought, trying to brush away his dismay.

"Yeah, Jiyong has more packs than Jiho," Minah confirmed, nodding her head. She slowly glanced at Jiho. "Well, don't be disappointed. Some girls prefer skinny guys."

Like me, she wanted to say. Of course, she couldn't bring herself to say something so embarrassing. Even if she said it, Jiho wouldn't believe her.

Minah sighed. Then, she handed Jiyong his shirt back.

"Take it. I don't want to wear that while I wander around," Minah said. She smiled and waved at them. "Well, I'm off! Later!"

She ran into the crowd, searching for someone to liven up her mood. Jiyong dropped his jaws, shocked at how fast she had disappeared. He was about to chase after her until Jiho raised his hand to stop him.

"Leave her," Jiho told him. "She'll come back safe."

"But—"

"It's Minah. No one is going to hit on her or anything," Jiho said confidently. Jiyong let out a few grumbles and slipped on his shirt again. He left the buttons undone; he was too lazy to button them up individually.

Snap!

Jiyong blinked his eyes for a few moments. He looked at the direction he saw the flash. Kyuhyun, who was holding up a large Canon camera, smiled and waved his hand.

"Smile!" Kyuhyun instructed. He took another picture, but Jiyong didn't smile. Disappointed, Kyuhyun let out a pout. "Come on, Jiyong. I need to take pictures of you having fun. If you're frowning and worrying, how are you supposed to look happy?"

Jiyong was about to say something, but realized that Jiho and Jieun were still nearby. He turned and gestured them to play in the waters. Jieun hesitated, but she was soon pulled away when Jiho grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the adults. Once the kids were gone, Jiyong whirled around and focused his attention back on Kyuhyun.

"Kyuhyun, stop with the flashes. I don't want my pictures to be taken," Jiyong said, scowling.

"Changmin won't let anyone see it, though," Kyuhyun told him. "Besides, Changmin was really sad to know that he wasn't able to come here. Don't do it for me, but do it for him, will you?"

Jiyong groaned. He let out another sigh, but stopped when he realized that no one else was around him except for Kyuhyun.

"Hey, Kyuhyun. Have you been keeping track of what's going inside there?" Jiyong asked, emphasizing the last word.

"'There'? Oh! You mean your folks," Kyuhyun said. He let out a faint smile. "They're doing…okay. They're barely managing, though."

"What's going on inside? I've read about them in papers, but you know that the papers don't reveal the entire truth."

"Your father is planning to work for the next few years, hoping that you'll return. Your mother is still faint at the hospital; she went through a lot when she found out that you had ran away from home."

"Then what about her."

"Doing what she always does."

"And my friend?"

"He's working diligently, too."

"Any news between those two?"

"Nothing. They're just waiting for you to come back," Kyuhyun said. He stared at Jiyong for quite some time. "If you're so worried, why don't you come back?"

Jiyong chuckled. "Go back? No, I'm not going there." His eyes softened. "At least not yet."

"Why not? Did something happen?" Kyuhyun questioned him.

Jiyong pressed his lips. Thinking that he was getting too deep into the conversation, he only shook his head. However, it was too late for Kyuhyun to retreat from the conversation. He was learning about another company's situation, and he was interested in hearing more.

"Come on, tell me!" the assistant pleaded. He raised his camera and took several pictures of Jiyong. "You better tell me or I'm going to keep taking pictures of you and nag you all day long!"

Damn it, Jiyong thought. He tried walking away, but once he realized that Kyuhyun was serious, he began running into the busy crowd. Kyuhyun chased after him, struggling to run while snapping pictures of Jiyong's back.

When Jiyong took a sharp turn, he gasped and bumped into someone. Before the person fell, he managed to catch her by the waist. When he stare down to apologize, he was surprised to see that it was Jieun.

"Jieun?" Jiyong cried out. "Where's Jiho?"

"M-Minah was getting hit on and Jiho went to stop, b-but I kind of got swept away in the crowd," Jieun stuttered. She was feeling hot. The way his arms wrapped around her waist made her feel incredibly jumpy inside. "W-What are you doing…?"

"Running away from—"

"Kwon Jiyong! Where are you?" Kyuhyun's voice was faint, but Jiyong could tell that he was coming closer. Feeling threatened, Jiyong grabbed Jieun's hand and dragged her out of the crowd. He planned on letting go when he saw Jiho, but as he kept running, he couldn't find Jiho or Minah at all.

The two stopped and took a turn. They walked deeper into a thin alleyway, blending in the darkness. With one swift movement, Jiyong brought Jieun in front of him, pushing her against the wall while hugging her to keep still. He could feel her breathing on his neck; there was hardly any room for the two to move in.

"Jiyong!" Kyuhyun shouted. Jiyong tensed up and put his hand over Jieun's mouth to keep her from breathing loudly. The two waited in the alley, hearing Kyuhyun call his names multiple times. 

After a while, the assistant's voice had disappeared. They waited for an extra five minutes, waiting to hear any more footsteps. When they heard nothing, Jiyong carefully removed his hand from .

"I think we're good," Jiyong said, glancing down at her. "Yeah, I think I finally got rid—"

He stopped talking when he saw Jieun's rosy cheeks heating up her face. He didn't realize that pressing her against his bare chest would cause her to blush so much. He could feel the heat of her body warm his chest. Lots of thoughts were running in his head, and one of them was to resist the urge to let her get what she wanted

But Jieun wanted more than just a measly hug, and he could see that in her eyes. She wanted him to press their bodies tighter, she wanted to melt in his embrace, she wanted—

He looked away. His ears were red, and he knew that they were. He cursed himself for reddening, especially since Jieun caught sight of it and knew that he was letting his guard down.

"Just one," she pleaded desperately.

"I can't," he muttered. He wasn't going to let his desires get in the way. There was no freaking way—

"Please?" she breathed.

"Jieun, I'm not going to kiss you," he told her in a stern voice. 

"Is it because you think I'm a kid?" she asked. She frowned. "I've kissed other people before. I've kissed Chanyeol."

"No, it's not that." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I just don't want you to make a mist—"

Before he had the chance to finish, Jieun was standing on her toes, bringing her plump lips up to Jiyong's. Her small fingers trembled as she grabbed onto Jiyong's shirt. She pulled them down, forcing him to lean forward. His eyes were wide, but Jieun's eyes were closed.

For a child, she was pretty good at kissing. However, she obviously lacked the skills for an adult kiss. After another minute, she pulled apart, staring at Jiyong's alarmed eyes. Her entire face colored into an attractive shade of red. Her heart was racing; her mind went completely blank.

"T-That wasn't a mistake," she declared nervously. She her lips, unable to calm herself down. "That was d-definitely not a mistake."

She moved to run away, but Jiyong caught her wrist. He quickly pulled her back into the thin alley and pinned her against the wall. They stared at each other for some time—Jieun's eyes were wide with astonishment, and Jiyong's eyes were gazing into her brown orbs.

"Jiyong?" She whimpered softly. She felt his thumb graze against her lips and down to her chin. He cupped her chin, tilting her head upwards for him to take better aim for a kiss.

"Only once," he murmured. His husky voice brought shivers down her spine. She breathed hard, excited, while Jiyong came towards her in a painfully slow manner.

Their nose brushed against each other. Jieun thought that he would be gentle, but the moment his lips crashed onto hers, she knew that he wasn't going easy on her. He nibbled on her bottom lip, luring her to part her pink lips. She opened to take a deep breath, but he slipped in his tongue. He was giving her a taste of how he kissed, and she was struggling to get used to it.

He parted their lips for a brief moment. Jieun was still panting hard. She was exhausted, but Jiyong, who hardly seemed tired, lunged forward to kiss her again. Their lips were on fire, burning in summer's heat. He released his grip from her wrist and placed one hand on her waist. His other hand played with her long hair, twirling it and intertwining it. Jieun placed her palms against the wall, clawing it as Jiyong kept pressing her body closer to the brick.

In the heat of the moment, she had placed her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart beating—beating for her. However, the sudden skin contact caused Jiyong to snap out of the mood and pull back. His eyes were wide, as if he was surprised at what he had done.

He took the moment to examine Jieun's current situation. She was completely worn out, but her eyes craved more of his sweet lips. She wanted another of his special kisses, but Jiyong knew that they weren't special kisses at all. He had let the heat get to him; he had let his childish side take over him.

Before Jieun had the chance to study Jiyong, he quickly took off his cap and placed it on Jieun's head, covering her eyes. By the time she fixed the hat and looked up, she was already looking at his back.

"That was a mistake," he muttered. Those words broke Jieun's heart. "I'm sorry."

"It's wasn't a mistake for me," Jieun whispered. She paused. "Do you still think I'm a child?"

Jiyong looked at her from the corner of his eyes, but didn't say a word. Jieun, dejected, sighed. She touched her lips and walked away, leaving Jiyong alone to think about her last question.

* * *

When Jiyong went back to the hotel, the first thing he did was go to his room. He noticed that Changmin and Kyuhyun were in his room, delightfully waiting for his presence. However, they frowned, knowing that something was wrong when Jiyong ignored them and headed straight towards the balcony. The two followed behind him, asking him what was wrong with him.

He didn't reply to their question, but only said one thing: "Cherry."

Changmin looked at him. "What?"

"You asked me how a high school girl's lips taste, right?" Jiyong reminded him. "Well, I'm telling you right now. The one I kissed tasted like cherries."

Changmin blinked his eyes. "Which one did you kiss?"

"Why? You want to kiss her?"

"No," Changmin said slowly. He shook his head. "No, I don't."

Jiyong sighed. He pulled out a cigarette and his lighter and began to smoke. Changmin blinked his eyes again, staring at Jiyong's messy state.

"You smoke?" he asked, amused.

"Yeah. Want one?" Jiyong asked, gesturing the small box towards his way.

Changmin shook his head again. "No. I don't smoke."

"I'll take one!" Kyuhyun exclaimed excitedly. He was quickly stopped by Changmin, who shot him a small glare. Kyuhyun pouted. Changmin dragged him into the room, giving Jiyong the privacy he needed.

As Jiyong exhaled, he glanced at the beach. He watched people various of age scatter amongst the sand and waters. As his eyes rolled around, his sight landed on the area where he had brought Jieun into the alleyway. His eyes softened for a bit, but he began to groan when he closed his eyes. He put his fingers between his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

I kissed a girl. I kissed a high school girl, he thought. He looked up and gazed at the alley.

I kissed Jieun.

Author's Note: This chapter has reminded that I have to work on my kiss scenes. OTL Usually kiss scenes happen at the end of the story, but this happened in the middle so it was a different change for me. This chapter feels so rushed, BUT I'M POSTING IT. OTL