Ma — Maknae Oppa?” Lia stuttered.

“What are you doing?” he asked them in a low voice.

“Ji Yong Oppa wasn’t feeling all too well so I decided to take care of him since I was at home,” she explained.

“Why aren’t you at work?”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t feeling too well either,” she replied.

He shook his head. “I thought I could trust you, Lia,” he said.

“What?”

“I thought you hated cheaters. And yet . . . is this how it is? Every time I’m not there you go back to him?” Seung Ri was hurt and he was jealous.

“What? You’re not making any sense.”

“Of course I don’t,” he said sarcastically. “I never do. I’m just your rebound guy, aren’t I?”

“That’s not —” Lia didn’t get to finish her sentence because Seung Ri left the room in a huff. Moments later they heard a door slam.

Lia bit her bottom lip and Ji Yong glanced at her worriedly. “You should go to him,” he said after awhile.

She shook her head. “I told him the truth. It’s not my fault if he refuses to believe me.”

He chuckled. “You’re always so stubborn, just like your oppa,” he remarked. “It must run in the family.”

She whacked him on the arm. “Yah! That wasn’t a very nice thing to say about me!”

He shook his head. Some things never do change, will they? “I really think you should go talk to him.”

She sighed, knowing he was right. “Yeah, he probably won’t forgive me.” She rolled her eyes as she stood up. She pecked him on the cheeks and walked out of the room.

Seung Ri’s door was closed.

“Deng, he’s so immature,” she muttered as she went to open the door. He was lying on bed, pouting.

He pretended to ignore her and turned his head away when she sat down on the floor in front of him. “Just because Ji Yong Oppa and I aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean we can’t be friends,” she said to him. “I’m not cheating on you. I swear I’m not. You know how much I hate cheaters. He was sick and I was home. Of course I have to take care of him.”

He kept silent.

Lia began to get irritated. “Stop acting so childish,” she snapped, standing up to leave. When he didn’t budge, she said, “Fine. Be like that. I don’t care.”

Seung Ri was taken aback by her words. He quickly sat up, grabbing her by the hand to turn her back around to face him. “Mianhae,” he hastily said. “I was jealous. I know you still like him. Don’t try to deny it. But I do know you will never cheat on me. I’m so sorry for doubting you.”

Lia softened and went to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “I love you,” she murmured.

He leaned back until she was on top of him, burying his hand in her hair. He kissed her back. “I love you too.”

Ji Yong kept throwing up his food the next day. He got a high fever. They took him to the doctor, who said he just got the bug that was going around. They had nothing to worry about. He’ll be fine soon.

But he was weak so he had to stay at home to recover, something which he was not happy about, even though it was just for a day. Lia took care of him. She would rush back home during her lunch break just to check on him and as soon as her shift ended, she rushed back home. She would also call him during any free time she had.

Seung Ri decided to go talk to Ji Yong, to see how he is. He knocked on the door and poked his head in. “Can I come in?” he asked.

Ji Yong looked up, surprised. He put his lyrics book away. “Uh, yeah sure,” he said curiously.

Seung Ri came in and went to sit on the edge of his bed. “How are you?”

“Much better,” he replied. “The doctor said I can go back to YG building. Thank goodness; I hate being stuck at home.”

“It was only for two days,” he pointed out.

Ji Yong shrugged. “True, but I was bored. I had diarrhea and vomited all day. It isn’t a nice feeling.”

“You even got skinner,” Seung Ri joked.

He cracked a smile. “But it’s all thanks to Lia that I got better. She’s really caring. You’re really lucky to have her.”

“Uh, speaking of which, thanks for letting me know about Lia and the prawns the other night,” Seung Ri said sheepishly.

“You really didn’t know?”

He nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I really didn’t know. I guess I should have paid more attention to her, huh?”

“You’ll learn eventually,” Ji Yong replied. “It took me awhile to learn too.”

“Any other things you can tell me about her before I look like an idiot when it actually happens?”

He looked thoughtful as he thought about it through. “Yeah, there is, actually,” he replied. “If she’s feeling sad and she doesn’t want to talk about it, just hug her. You don’t need to say anything. Just hug her and eventually she’ll open up. There are times when she is lost in her own world. If she kicks you out saying she has stuff to think about, she’s usually stuck writing a poem or a story.”

Seung Ri nodded. “Been there, done that.”

“Then her periods.” Ji Yong shuddered. “This is something you need to know. When she’s on her period, she gets cramp badly she can hardly move. You have to make sure she’s warm; do not let her be the slightest bit cold. Watch out for rainy days or if the fan is on too high or if the air-conditioner is on. She’ll get cramps like nobody’s business. Oh, and when she’s PMS-ing, you need to be careful. She’ll snap at you. Be patient with that fierce lion.”

Seung Ri was a bit scared of that.

Ji Yong laughed at his face expression. “No worries, it’s nothing personal. Anyway, that’s about it really. You already know everything: she’s weird,” he said in a stage whisper.

Seung Ri burst out laughing. “She’s really something to all of us, isn’t she?” He smiled, thinking of Lia. “There’s just something about her that makes you want to listen to her.”

Ji Yong nodded understandingly. “Yeah. I know what you mean. When she smiles, you can’t help but smile,” he agreed. “And when she’s sad, you want to punch the person who made her sad, even if it’s a good friend of yours.”

Seung Ri winced. “Ah, yeah,” he said as he remembered the time he and Dae Sung beat him up. “I’m sorry for beating the crap out of you the other day.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize. I forgive you.” He shrugged. “I deserved it anyway. But hey, you gotta admit that at least something good came out of it.”

“What?”

He gave him a look. “Because you were there for her and always ready to listen, Lia became your girlfriend,” he replied as though it was obvious.

“Oh, right.” He nodded, smiling widely. “Yea, I have to thank you for that.”

“You’re welcomed.”

He looked at his hyung. “Don’t you hate me, though, for taking her? I mean if I hadn’t asked her to consider me and if you were given the time, she would have took you back. You and I both know it’s true.”

“It’s true, I don’t deny that, but that’s not how it happened in the end. In the end, you took her,” he replied. He looked seriously into his eyes. “Honestly, maknae? I can’t hate you for bringing the happiness in her life when all I’ve ever brought was sadness.”

“You made her really happy when you guys were together,” Seung Ri contradicted. “You were just an idiot for ending it.”

He laughed. “I am an idiot, aren’t I?” He chuckled. But then he had a sad face. “I have to admit, I was angry at you at first because I was blaming myself for what I’ve done. I still do, but seeing her happy is what matters. And if you make her happy, then that’s fine. Just don’t ever break her heart, okay?”

Seung Ri nodded. “She’s different from all the others girls I’ve met,” he told him. “Ever since I met her, I haven’t gone out with another girl. I can’t. when I try, I ended up comparing them to her. And she can’t be compared to. Lia is . . . one of a kind.”

“She sure is,” he said softly.

The maknae stood up. “Well, I should go. I actually have a date with her.” He was about to leave when Ji Yong called him back. He turned around.

“If you ever hurt her, if you ever leave her, or if you guys ever break up . . . I will not hesitate to take her back.”

Lia woke up in the middle of a night and rushed to the bathroom. Seung Ri woke up to the abrupt noise.

“Angel?” He heard her retching in the bathroom and immediately rushed inside to see her hovering over the toilet bowl. He kneeled besides her, holding her hair back and patted her on the back. “Are you okay?” he asked, alarmed.

She wiped and gave him a weak smile. “I must have caught the bug from Ji Yong Oppa,” she said. She looked pale as she got up to rinse .

They went back out and he got her a cup of water for her to drink. He waited until he was sure she was okay before he turned the lights off. They settled back in bed. He pulled the blankets over the two of them and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her tightly. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “I’m just getting rid of the bad toxin in my body.” She shrugged it off, going back to sleep.

The next morning Ji Yong was finally able to join the others for breakfast instead of having Lia taking his breakfast to him in bed. “Oh, where’s Lia?” he asked.

Seung Ri sighed. “She’s throwing up,” he replied. “She threw up earlier this morning. The bug must have gotten to her.”

“Is she okay?” Dae Sung asked.

He shrugged. “I hope so. It’s only just a bug, right? Ji Yong had it and he survived.” But he doubted his words.

Ji Yong nodded. “It’s not a nice feeling, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. And we’re definitely going to take care of her, right guys?”

“Yeap,” the boys said.

TOP looked thoughtful. “You guys eat,” he said. “I’m going to check on her.”

The others nodded as they went back to their breakfast. Seung Ri couldn’t help but worry about Lia.

Ji Yong noticed his face and smiled. He knew what he was feeling. He was worried too. He punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m sure she’s fine,” he reassured him.

“Yeah, same.”