Jeremy saw the whole happening from his window, and he gritted his teeth in relief.

"Ugh! I also thought once that I was gay," he thought.

*******************

Mi Nyu did not join them for breakfast because she had to take a bath. Had she been more aware last night, she should have gone back to her room to sleep. It was embarrassing to face people with that sleepy morning face of hers.

"Eotteokhaji? Eotteokhaji? Eotteokhajiiiiiii......"

She drowned herself in the bubble bath, hoping that the bubbles will rinse away all her shame. She feared that He Yi will broadcast that she had seen Hwang Tae Kyung's dirty girlfriend sleeping near the doghouse.

"Omo, wait," she thought as she resurfaced. "He Yi will not do that. Hyungnim will go out to get her."

She absentmindedly the soap from her lips.

"Eck!" she complained.

As she attempted to spit the soap out of , she remembered Shin Woo's smile for her. He even ruffled her hair just like he used to do in the past. But the gestures she saw were just friendly. Tears began running down her eyes.

"Shin Woo-hyung no longer loves me..." she sobbed.

She absentmindedly wiped her eyes, but the soap had contaminated her eyes.

"Aya!!!!" she screamed as she grasped the faucet.

She let the water run down her face to wash away the soap. Then, remembering the friendly gestures, she let her tears mingle with the water.

****************

The people in the dining room were already very much alive. Jeremy shared that he heard the conversation that morning.

"Tsk. That fairy is scandalous," Tae Kyung nonchalantly replied after drinking water.

"I am glad we broke up. I might end up being throttled!" Mi Nam said.

"I cannot imagine Hyung being gay. Eeeeyuk!!!!" Jeremy said.

"How can Shin Woo be gay? He was even Mi Nyu's ex-boyfriend," Tae Kyung replied to hide his secret about Shin Woo and him being love rivals.

"Ah, yes, I remember the news," Ri Ja said.

Then she broke out into a smile.

"Tae Kyung-oppa, please eat breakfast," she amiably said.

"Oh, I don't eat breakfast," he said.

"Geurae? But breakfast is the best meal among the three meals," Ri Ja said.

"Ara (I know). But I just don't eat breakfast," Tae Kyung explained.

Ri Ja did not argue anymore. She knew Tae Kyung's charisma being a famous singer, and knowing him this close meant that she had to be careful around him too.

***********

Shin Woo and Ri Ja drove to the studio. Ri Ja wanted to meet the president, who had been wanting to see her in person.

"Shin Woo-oppa, about what you said, is it really true that I am your first kiss?" Ri Ja suddenly asked.

The car came to a halt.

"Did I startle you, Oppa? Mianhae..." she apologized.

Shin Woo started to drive as he replied.

"Actually, Mi Nyu and I have never been lovers. It was just that, Tae Kyung and I were actually love rivals for Mi Nyu, but she chose him. I courted her secretly but she was clueless, and she chose Tae Kyung's direct love. That is why I promised to myself that if I will love someone, I will pace it decently and let her know. And technically, you are my first kiss," he told her.

Ri Ja smiled at him.

"Did you really love her, Oppa?"

"Ne. Wae?"

"Just to tell you, Oppa, I may be jealous at times, but I see some logical things first before I get jealous. I can see why you like Mi Nyu. She is pretty, innocent, kind, something that every guy wants in a girl. I am sure that if my brother will know her, he would fall for her too," was Ri Ja's explanation.

And Shin Woo found another reason to love her even more: because she is logical.

"If I were in her place, I will really ask myself why you are being kind to me. Then, sensing something weird, I might think that you actually like me, and I will give you a chance," Ri Ja said. "And between you two, I will really choose you."

Shin Woo smiled at her. "Are you saying it because you are already my yeoja?"

Ri Ja blushed and pouted. "Anio, Oppa. Even if you are not my boyfriend, I will still choose you. You are warm, caring, and a perfect gentleman."

Shin Woo smiled at her. 

"But too bad, she never saw it that way. She had to tell me to let go. I did all I could to let her see me, but then, she refused," he said.

"You took it hard, didn't you?" she asked.

He noticed the seriousness in her voice. "Ne."

"I could tell, because when it was still not us, you would come to Hyun Joong's pad looking sad and all. Then, when we became the couple, you suddenly became happy. Then, hearing from Tae Kyung-oppa that you were Mi Nyu's ex-boyfriend, I suddenly understood why you were looking sad all the time," Ri Ja said.

Shin Woo was really thankful for having such an understanding girlfriend.

"It was hard letting go, but since I found you, I found myself wanting to live life sweetly," Shin Woo replied. "And now I am happy."

Ri Ja smiled and pinched his cheeks.

"Isn't it awkward, living in the same house as your ex-girlfriend? I mean... your ex-love?" she asked.

He smiled. "Of course, it was awkward at first, especially those times when she just got back from Africa. That was why I chose to drown myself at work so that I will forget her."

"Or are you running away from her?" she asked.

Shin Woo looked at her. "Please, let's not talk about it."

"Shin Woo-oppa, I already told you that I don't get jealous easily. You can tell me what you think."

Shin Woo sighed. He was feeling that he could really share his thoughts with his girlfriend.

"Ne. I was running away. I was avoiding her. I come home late not only because your cousin is a perfectionist," he admitted. "But what could I do? I see her everyday, she is Mi Nam's twin after all."

"And now?"

"And now, I don't think of her the way I used to. Eversince I thought of you, thoughts of Mi Nyu just suddenly vanished," Shin Woo said.

"I totally understand that," she said. "No wonder you prefer calling her now as your yeodongsaeng because you already think of her that way."

"Ne," he replied.

"If you think of her that way, then I will respect that. For me, I have found a new friend in her," Ri Ja smiled.

After the conversation, they reached the agency.

*********

That afternoon, Shin Woo came home, bringing some ice cream for Mi Nam and Jeremy. He was totally satisfied that his bandmates were getting well. Mi Nam and Jeremy were watching foreign films on TV, and "One More Chance" was being aired again.

"Hyung, hyung, let's watch this movie together," Jeremy pestered him. "Me, Mi Nam, and Mi Nyu already saw this. We cried a lot, hyung."

"Yeah, we sure did. It's about to start," Mi Nam said.

The three of them watched the movie together, and ate the ice cream together. Shin Woo looked at the two guys crying during Basha and Popoy's breakup. Later, he saw them crying when Popoy made a scene at the restaurant when he confronted Mark, whom he thought was Basha's new boyfriend (when in fact, Mark was just Basha's officemate in the construction firm).

"I thought you have seen this movie already," Shin Woo asked them casually. "Why are you still crying?"

They looked at him and saw his dry face. "You're not crying, hyung?"

Shin Woo shook his head. "Why would I?" he asked as he savored his ice cream.

******

Mi Nyu got out of the room and saw Shin Woo watching TV with them, so she stood a few distance away. Then came the part when Basha told Popoy that she was the problem, and that she could not congratulate Popoy for his new love. Mi Nam and Jeremy were already crying their eyes out. They were listening to the part although they had totally memorized it.

"Because the truth is, I am still hoping that you'll say that I'm still the one. Let it be me, let it be me again...," Basha said on the verge of tears.

They had been listening and savoring each lines. 

"She loved me at my worst. You had me at my best, but you took all of it for granted…" Popoy said.

"Popoy, is that how you truly see it? I just made a choice!" Basha defended herself.

"And you chose to break my heart," Popoy said.

Mi Nam and Jeremy sobbed. It was like a crying race. Shin Woo shook his head as he finished the ice cream.

"That girl Basha... she is pathetic," he said.

Mi Nyu felt her heart being broken to a million pieces. She had deciphered what she had felt for Shin Woo, and she was sure she had fallen for him already. She could say Basha's lines, telling Shin Woo to choose her again. But hearing him say that Basha is pathetic was like saying to her (Mi Nyu) that she chose to break his heart.

********

That night, Mi Nyu chose to let her crying heart out, so she pretended she was having a concert in her room. She her laptop and logged on to Yourtune (wahehehe) to sing along with the songs in the videos and even follow the acts in the music videos. First song she chose was "You're In Love" by Wilson Phillips.

Open the door and come in
I'm so glad to see you my friend
Don't know how long it has been
Having those feelings again.

And now I see that you're so happy
And ooh, it just sets me free
And I'd like to see
Us as good of friends
As we used to be

[Chorus:]
Aah, my love, Aah
You're in love
That's the way
It should be
'Cause I want you to be happy
You're in love
And I know
That you're not in love with me
Ooh it's enough
For me to know
That you're in love
Now I'll let you go
'Cause I know
That you're in love

Sometimes it's hard to believe
That you're never coming back to me
I've had this dream that you'd always be by my side
Oh I could have died.

But now I see that you're so happy
And ooh, it just sets me free.
And I'd like to see
Us as good of friends
As we used to be

[Chorus]

I tried to find you but you were so far away
I was praying that fate would bring you back to me
Someday, someday, someday... Ooh, you're in love

Ooh it's enough
For me to know
That you're in love
Now I'll let you go
'Cause I know
That you're in love

****

Then, she chose another song, "I'll Back Off So You Can Live Better" by G.na. She wanted to shout the lyrics, but she did not want to let everybody know that she was getting pathetic like Basha. She acted and danced like G.na to get the stress off her system.

(written here is the English translation of the Korean song)

I’ll back off so you can live

Say it directly, looking at me.
Say it looking into my eyes.
Did you just say you wanted to break up?
Did you want to end it between us?

(I Know) You probably got a lady.
(I Know) You probably got sick of me.
(Although) Even though the tears are rushing to me.

*I’ll back off so you can live.
That is all I can say.
I’ll forget you so you can live better.
So that you’ll be happy without me.
The love that you tossed away, you can take it.
Don’t even leave a trace behind and take it all.
Don’t even say you’re sorry.
Don’t worry about me.

Sorry My Sweety.

Your lips that told me that you were going to leave.
Why does it give me a reason to be angry today?
I need to stop you, the words don’t go out
And you are already moving far apart

(I know) You will forget me
(I know) I will really hate you
(Although) Even though you know everything

*I’ll back off so you can live
That is all I can say
I’ll forget you so you can live better
So that you’ll be happy without me
The love that you tossed away, you can take it
Don’t even leave a trace behind and take it all
Don’t even say you’re sorry
Don’t worry about me

(You)Were my reason to live
(You)Were everything I've ever wanted
(You)It's me who used to care about no one else but you
(Why)Why are you leaving from my side
(Why) Why are you throwing me away
You were going to be like this anyways
So why did you love me

(~oh, oh)

Do you remember that day?
The day when we met for the first time?
I still remember it. 
Those words you promised;
You said you would care for and protect me and only me.
You said that you didn't love anybody but me.
I believed you. 
I believed your lies.

(oh) oh, oh, oh, oh
Do you really love me?
(oh) oh, oh, oh, oh
no, no, no. no
(oh) oh, oh, oh, oh
I’ll back off so you can live better (~hmm…)

****

After the song, she felt so tired that she turned off her laptop, turned off the lights, and lay down on the floor to continue her crying session. 

And outside her door.... Shin Woo was standing there, listening. Then, he went back to his room.

*********************************************************************

Author's notes: Sorry for my constant usage of the Basha and Popoy stint. I just love that movie, and those lines were among the most memorable lines in our movies here.