“I don’t know why you guys put up with him, seriously! Doesn’t he get under your skin? He clearly doesn’t care about us, all he cares about is when we will put a song out there, and if we are busy with schedules. I mean I’m not even a month in Korea and he’s expecting me to pull an album out of thin air!” Zoey vented to Sunhwa and Himchan, the group of three and the rest of the group went to the companies café before heading back into their studios.

“He means well, he just is trying to get you on track and not lose sight of the most important things.” Sunhwa said in her calm voice, while opening a can of soda. Himchan almost choking on his pudding started laughing, Sunhwa and Zoey looked at him in shock not realizing what was so funny.

“Yah Sunhwa-shi he doesn’t care she’s right about that. He just wants us to work and work. But it’s ok, you two oppa is here to protect you!” Himchan looked down at his food and brought a spoonful to his mouth.

Sunhwa and Zoey exchanged looks and bursted out laughing causing the rest of the people at the cafe to look the pair of them. Zoey finally composed herself before responding to Himchans comment.

“Well oppa is like the size of the CEOs thigh so before you protect us hit the gym!” she smirked at him and took a sip of her drink.

He narrowed his eyes at the two girls and stuffed his mouth with what was left of his pudding.

Zoey smiled and gave herself a mental pat on the shoulder. “What are you doing today?” Sunhwa asked her changing the subject.

“Probably I will be in my studio writing, not sure. How about you?”

“I have to go to Busan to do a show, then I think I have to do a radio interview and then not sure. I’ll text you, I have to get going actually we leave in an hour. Bye protector oppa!” She got up from the table, Himchan and Zoey waved back at her.

“Then there were two.”Himchan stated pushing his plate away from him and placing his hands on his stomach.

“No then there was one, I should get going I don’t want to run into anyone else who will annoy me today. I’m not in the mood to deal with anyone else’s thoughts on what I should do.” Zoey got up. Just when Himchan was about to reply Zelo came up to where two were sitting.

“Hyung, Yongguk hyung wants you to come to practice the choreography. Noona! I’ve missed you so much.” Zelo then turned his gaze from Himchan to Zoey and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.

She laughed and put her hand on his arm. “Zelo, you saw me thirty minutes ago. I didn’t change from thirty minutes till now.”

“I know. But I hadn’t seen you in so long that I just feel-.”

A deep voice from across the room interrupted Zelo “Himchan, Zelo let’s go!” The three turned to their attention to the front entrance of the cafe. Yongguk looked at the pair of them and walked away from the doorframe.

“We best get going, I’ll text you maybe we could grab dinner with the crew later on. If we are even done with practicing.”  Himchan grabbed Zelo by the arm and walked away to the rest of the members waiting by the door.

            Zoey walked down the long familiar hallway to her studio, the place felt the same yet so different. The hallway she once loved walking down because of all the memories, was now one she feared, the air wasn’t the same knowing that their practice room was only a couple of doors down from her studio it was haunting her.

*Flashback*

She looked down the hallway to make sure no one was there.

“Coast clear.” Zoey turned to Yongguk who was hiding between the wall and a ficus.

“Hold my hand babe.” He stretched his hand out to her so she could interlock them with his. Zoey reached her hand out to his making it look like as if she was going into to hold his hand and smacked his hand away.

“Hey!” he looked at her in shock. She stuck her tongue out and ran down the hallway as fast as she could.

He turned his baseball cap backwards and ran after her “Eh! This girl you can’t out run me! Get over here.” There was nothing but echoes of the two laughing. Yongguk grabbed the loop on Zoey jeans and pulled her into him, she let out a yelp and gave in turning her body to face his face. He pushed her back against the wall before looking down at her face. He had that smile on his face, gums and everything showing which caused Zoey to look down and  blush.

“I’m really am a lucky guy to have a girlfriend as beautiful you.” He brought his hand to cup her cheek. Zoey leaned her face against his hand closing her eyes and taking in his scent. He pressed his forehead onto hers looking into her eyes and bringing his lips to hers. He put a little pressure against her body pushing their bodies together, his hands roamed the small of her back while Zoeys hands were roaming in his hair bringing his head as close as she could get. He bit the bottom of her lip causing Zoey to moan letting him take advantage of her open mouth he slipped his tongue in, she with her tongue which made him let out a groan. He picked her up wrapping her legs around his torso. His kisses became hungrier and she knew that if she didn’t put a stop to this someone would have caught the two of them in a compromising position.

She felt like she was in another world moving her head from side to side. Her head spinning, she moaned his name.“Yongguk.” He let out a moan while kissing her neck.

“Yongguk stop someone can walk in on us.” She pushed him back a little but to no prevail.

“Let them.” He continued on kissing her neck leaving marks.

Zoey mustered up all the force she could and taking his face into her hands seperating them.

“No, let’s continue this later ok?” He gently let her down fixing his shirt. He gave her a small peck.

“He placed his forehead onto hers, looking deep in her eyes "I love you, you know that?”

She broke his gaze and looked at their hands interlaced. She kissed his nose and brought his ear. “I love you no matter what.”

*End of Flashback*

Zoey shook her head trying to get rid of those memories. She walked up to the door of her studio took a deep sigh and looked down the hallway where he was at. She entered the room and closed the door resting her head on it.

“Day One.” she sighed.

Several of hours had passed by she looked back at the clock and nine o’clock had hit, her stomach let out a grumble reminding her that she had to eat dinner or else she would collapse here. Just then Zoey remembered what Himchan said about grabbing something to eat and decided to call him.

“Oppa, Still practicing I see?” Zoey hearing the music in the background.

“Yep, still here Zo. Just come in we bought some pizza with soda grab a slice and hang out with us.” The offer was tempting she was starving and didn’t want to go to the café or outside given that it was freezing and she didn’t want to be alone.

“He’s not here, he stepped out for a bit.” He urgently stated sensing the hesitation at the end of the phone line.

She bit her lip before replying. “I’ll be there, I’m walking down the hallway now.”

She hung up and closed the door to her small prison cell and headed to their practice room. Her heart was racing as she slowly walked to the door. It felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She made her way to turn back around in the other direction to her studio when she saw that Yongguk was behind her waiting for her to open the door. He saw that she wasn't going to open the door so he went around her letting himself into the room. Zoey felt the coldness he had towards her, she changed her mind and started to make her way out of the doorway when Youngjae called out for her.

“Noona! Come inside.” She heard Yongguk groan and mumble something but couldn’t make out what it was because of the loud music and the other guys talking over him. She slowly made her way towards Youngjae not trying to catch a glimpse of Yongguk.

“Hey Youngjae, how’s practice going so far?” She said as she reached Youngjae.

He hurled his body onto hers, putting his head on her shoulder. “I want to die, we haven’t even finished I think we should be done by two in the morning. How about you?”

“Two in the morning! That ! I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be sending you good vibes from my end. I’m just writing nothing intense I’m about to go home just wanted to stop by and say goodnight.” She patted his back.

Youngjae fixed his posture and bent down to whisper something in her ear. “Noona, I know why you are here. Himchan told me just grab a slice and relax you could stay with me in this very spot but let us sit please.” Zoey looked at him and nodded in agreement. He grabbed two slices of pizza and placed it in front of her.They took a seat on the floor and began to eat.

“You look like you’re about to pass out at any moment.” She looked at Youngjae who was eating the pizza with no energy at all.

“I feel like I’m going to pass out we will be done soon, I’m not so worried just a couple of more hours. We need to perfect everything that way tomorrow and the rest of the week won’t be so intense.” Zelo and Himchan spotted Zoey and ran to sit next to her forming a small circle in the practice room.

Zoey looked up from her plate. “Can I ask you guys a question?” They looked at her with their heads cocked to the side, causing her to let out a chuckle because they reminded her of puppies.

“Why hasn’t Daehyun said anything to me or Jongup?” she looked at them with a doe-eyed expression. 

In unison the look on their faces changed and Zelo looked at Youngjae as in giving him the go ahead to speak up.

Youngjae put his plate down and ran his hand to the back of his neck before speaking. “Well you see Jongup wants to say hello and he truly does miss you but you see while you were gone he also got became really close to Yongguk helping, well helping him through that time. And as for Daehyun he’s mad at you for hyung, he knows that hyung is hurt but isn’t showing it and he just wants to protect him. He’s mad at the fact that you left so abrupt like that. We were all hurt when you left but I guess you can call us understanding. I couldn’t see myself ignoring you like that, you’re my noona the only one who understands what goes on through my head.”

Zoey smiled at Youngjae and looked over at the two boys who were sitting on the other side of the room hovering over Yongguk with their backs faced towards Zoey. She was about speak when she caught from the view of the mirror Yongguk staring at her, she quickly looked away.

Zelo broke the silence and added. “Noona, I know I told you that I missed you earlier in the day. But I really did miss you like a lot. Hyung he-.” Himchan quickly interrupted him.

“Junhong, don’t start something you can’t fix in the end.” Himchan looked at Zelo, who then retorted what he was about to say.

“Anyway let’s go bowling again sometime.” He quickly changed the atmosphere and smiled at Zoey.

She turned her face towards Zelo and leaned in.“Anytime, anywhere just let me know and I’ll be there.” She winked at him causing him to blush and the other boys to and laugh.

“Alright! let’s stop the gossip session and get back to work please.” Yongguk called out from the corner. The boys turned their attention towards him and back at you giving you an apologetic look.

They all got up from the little circle they had made in the middle of the room and began to clean up after themselves.

“Sorry for the quick dinner noona, I promise you next time it will be longer and fun.” Youngjae gave her a small smile.

She smiled at him and gave him a playful punch on his arm. “Hey, I have fun anytime when I’m with you guys even if it's for two minutes. Anytime you need me I am one phone call away or 4 doors down.”

The boys all started laughing. Youngjae and Zelo headed back to Yongguk while Himchan lingered by Zoeys side.

 “Sorry that you had to be here with him, I thought he had left.” Himchan looked at her with guilt in his eyes.

She let out a small giggle to lighten up the mood. “Hey, he was bound to comeback I can’t run from him all the time. What did I expect? I am in his practice room trying to grab dinner with his band members, it was expected. Don’t beat yourself up from it. I know what you’re doing.”

Himchan looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. “What do you mean you know what I’m doing?” She couldn’t help but laugh at his expression.

“You are trying to protect me from him, well if what I think is what you are trying to do is correct. You are trying to protect him and I. You are trying to protect me from having to run into him or confront him and you are trying to protect him from me. I get it. But like you told Zelo don’t start something you can’t fix.” She grabbed his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

            Himchan smiled and ruffled her hair. “Aish, you’re too smart for your own good. I’ll see you tomorrow, smart one.”

Zoey made her way to let herself out, as she closed the door she looked inside and saw Yongguk looking at her as she walked away from their sight.