When she woke up, she saw Ji Yong’s face smiling at her. She smiled back. “Hi,” she said. “When did you guys get back?”

“Awhile ago,” he replied, her cheeks. “You’re so cute when you’re sleeping. It makes me want to kiss you.”

“So what’s stopping twhat?” she teased.

He cupped her face and leaned forward to kiss her. He pulled the blankets over their heads and he edged a bit closer to her until their bodies were touching. “Lia . . .”

Lia never get tired of his lips on hers. It was a nice feeling; when he kissed her, all her fears and worries goes away and she just feel so relaxed, enjoying the time given to her with her wonderful boyfriend. The urge to say ‘I love you’ to him was strong but she resisted.

“Tired?” she asked, placing a palm on his cheek.

He nodded, closing he eyes. “Let me sleep for awhile,” he said.

“Okay.” She kissed him on the forehead and he opened his eyes. He wrapped his arms around. She felt his warm breath on her face. She kept quiet as he closed his eyes again to sleep. She studied him in the quietness.

His hand reached out to hold her hand and her heart raced a little bit faster as he brought it to his lips and kissed her hand softly, leaving her hand against his lips. He opened his eyes again and smiled sweetly at her.

“I thought someone was going to sleep,” she said, laughing.

“How do you expect me to sleep with a beautiful girl next to me?” he asked. He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

She giggled. “Is Oppa making dinner?” she asked, feeling a little bit hungry.

He nodded. “He said he’ll call us when he’s done,” he replied. Then he added in a low voice that Lia almost missed it, “I hope.”

“You hope?” she repeated, raising an eye-brow at him.

He shrugged. “He actually said to be out when he’s done.”

She sat up. “That’s different than calling us when it’s done!”

He tugged her hand and she lay back down next to him. “Knowing them, they’ll call us. Knowing your brother, he’ll come in to check on you,” he replied.

Lia made a face. “Oppa is a little bit overly protective.”

“He’s your big brother, so it’s kind of his job to be protective,” Ji Yong replied.

She shook her head. “But he checks up on me all the time,” she whined. “It’s so annoying. I love Oppa, I really do, but too much is too much.”

He chuckled. “Baby, I know. He asks me a lot about you too. I think he’s scared that I might hurt you or make you things you don’t want to do.”

“But you won’t,” she countered.

“I won’t,” he agreed, “but that doesn’t stop him from worrying. It’s only natural.”

“Especially with the reputation you had, huh?” she said softly, referring to how Ji Yong was usually known as a player. “I guess I can understand, but still . . .”

He nodded. “How can you stand being with me, knowing the fact that I’ve slept with other girls before?” he asked softly.

She shrugged. She didn’t want to admit that it makes her feel uncomfortable in two ways: that she’s not the only one he’s ever loved and that she feels like she’s inadequate to be his girlfriend because she’s never had before. “I don’t know,” she lied.

He studied her for a bit. “I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want,” he told her. “I promise I won’t.”

“Does this mean I don’t make you want me like how all the other girls made you want them?” she teased, trying to lighten up the mood.

Ji Yong, however, frowned deeper. He did not crack a smile. “No, you do make me want you,” he finally said. “Honestly? Lia, you make me want you more than I’d want any other girls before in my entire life. I literally have to fight down the urge to rip your clothes off and take you in right now.” He stared hungrily at her but quickly looked away, ashamed. Then he kissed her, crushing her to him. “But I won’t because I like you a hell a lot and I don’t want to risk losing you by making you do something that you don’t want to do.”

Lia didn’t know what to say. She’d never met a guy so sweet like him. It makes her happy that someone actually does care about her to not want to hurt her, someone who respects her.

Unfortunately Ji Yong took her silence as a bad sign. “Are you mad at me for saying that? I don’t blame you if you hate me. I’m sorry.” He covered his head.

Li shook her head, removing his hands away from his face. “No, I don’t hate you.” She kissed him, trying to muster all she felt about him into the kiss.

Ji Yong got the message and began to kiss her back just as passionately, rolling over until he was on top of her. He moved his lips down to her neck, kissing her there. “Lia, you’re so different than any other girls. I like you because you make me feel alive; you make me feel so comfortable to be who I am with you.” He kissed her on the lips again.

“Ji Oppa . . .” Lia kissed him back. She was about to say something when the door swung open.

“Lia, dinner is — oh!”

Ji Yong quickly got off her and they sat up to see Seung Ri gaping at them with shock, frozen at the door.

With a sinking heart, Ji Yong realized that from Seung Ri’s point of view, it looked as though they were making love to each other. He turned to Lia, who was looking down. He could tell that she was blushing.

Seung Ri didn’t know what to say, what to feel. He wanted to cry, seeing them so close like that. He wanted to go up to Ji Yong and punching him in the face. He wanted to turn and tell TOP about it. He wanted to do this, he wanted to do that. But he wasn’t sure what he should do instead.

“Maknae Oppa, it’s not what you think it is,” Lia finally spoke up, breaking the silence. She threw the blankets away to let Seung Ri see that they were fully dressed. “We’re still in our clothes; we weren’t . We were kissing, that’s all. Nothing more.”

But nothing less, Seung Ri thought bitterly. He tried to think of something intelligent to say but all that came out from his mouth was, “Err . . .” He wanted to punch himself for being an idiot.

“Don’t tell hyung,” Ji Yong begged. “After all, we don’t want him to worry about nothing, right?”

Lia nodded. “Yeah, Maknae Oppa, please don’t tell Oppa,” she said, pleading with her eyes which Seung Ri found irresistible. “It was nothing, really. I swear we weren’t going to do anything.”

It was Ji Yong’s turn to nod. “I would never do that to her, you know that,” he said even though he knew Seung Ri probably didn’t believe him.

He didn’t.

Lia just glared at him, knowing that Seung Ri would definitely not believe what he said. “Way to go, Captain Obvious,” she murmured at the corner of .

“Sorry,” he muttered back, his arms around her waist. He hugged her tight.

Seung Ri was still standing awkwardly at the doorway, unsure of what to do. “Erm, so, uh, dinner is ready,” he said.

Lia got out of the bed, looking relieved. She walked to him. “Promise you won’t tell?”

He nodded. “I promise,” he replied.

She smiled at him and his heart ached even more. “Thank you.” She tiptoed to kiss him on the cheeks. She turned to Ji Yong and held out her hand. “Are you coming?”

Ji Yong gout out of the bed and walked to them. He patted Seung Ri on the shoulder. “Thanks, man,” he said as he followed Lia out of the room to the dining table.

Seung Ri shook his head. He was not going to cry. He closed the door and walked behind them. But instead of heading toward the dining room like they were, he headed for his room. He didn’t want to see them, not after what he’d just witnessed. Not just yet.

Once he was in his room, he punched the wall in frustration. His fist hurt with the pain but he clenched his fist.

Why?he thought. Of all girls, why did I fall for her? Why is it when she smile, I smile? Why is it when she talks, I want to listen to her? Why do I want her so badly?

There was a knock on the door. “Maknae Oppa?” he heard Lia’s voice said hesitantly from the other side and he cursed silently when he felt his heartbeat race a little faster.

“I’m not hungry,” he called back. “You go on without me.”

The door pushed opened and Lia came in. She smiled tentatively at him. “Hi,” she said. “Why aren’t you hungry?”

He smiled back, trying to hide his feelings. “Nah, I’m just not hungry. I’ll skip dinner.”

She sat on his bed, looking around. It was the first time she actually really took a good look around his room. She looked down and suddenly she gasped. “Your hand!” she exclaimed.

He looked down at his hand. Oh. His hand was bleeding from punching the wall. “I have no idea how I got that,” he said lamely and received a look from Lia.

Lia rushed out of the door and came back with the medical box. She rummaged through it and took out the ointment and cloth. She dabbed his hands with the ointment and then proceeded to wrap his hands with the cloth.

When she was done, she smiled at him. She took his hand and it. “Feel better?” she asked.

“You didn’t have to, Lia,” Seung Ri replied. “I was fine.”

She kissed his hand. “Try not to hurt yourself again, eh?”

Ji Yong came walking in. “Eh, baby, why aren’t you eating dinner?” His eyes landed on their hands, still entwined with each other.

Lia smiled but didn’t let go. “I was trying to convince Maknae Oppa to come and eat, too,” she replied.

Seung Ri rolled his eyes. “All right, I’ll go eat,” he said, standing up. He pulled Lia up and linked arms with her. He looked at Ji Yong who had a normal expression on his face. What? He’s not even jealous.

She giggled and as they walked by him, she linked her other arm with his and the three of them walked out of the room together.

Seung Ri looked over and saw the look Lia and Ji Yong were giving each other. It was a look of love. He was jealous. He wanted to share that look with Lia.

He immediately let go, but Lia didn’t seem to notice. She only had eyes for Ji Yong. As he watched, she sat down next to Ji Yong and throughout the whole dinner, he watched with a sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach as Ji Yong fed her and she kissed him sweetly.

They really do love each other.