Days later and she was still throwing up. She refused to see the doctor though. When Big Bang tried to carry her, she would thrash and kick and scream. Then she would run to her room and wouldn’t come out. Eventually she got better so she didn’t have to go to the doctor.

But she changed.

She stopped interacting with them. In fact, she avoided them. She kicked Seung Ri out of her room and she wouldn’t let him even come near her. But it wasn’t just him she avoided. She avoided everyone. She stopped taking the dogs out for a walk with Tae Yang. She doesn’t play pranks with Dae Sung anymore. TOP doesn’t get his heart-to-heart talks with his sister and she doesn’t go for her guitar lessons with Ji Yong. She avoids eye contact with any of them.

What happened?

They tried to approach her many times but she would always mumble an excuse and run off. They didn’t want to pressure her because she looked as though she would cry whenever they cornered her. She avoids them by working at the café or being locked up doing her school work. She would find a way not to see them as often as she could. When they go to the café, she hides in the back, letting others serve them for once.

Chung Ho was perplexed at this but he didn’t question her. It was neither his place nor his business to ask his employee any personal questions. Yet he had noticed that she had been vomiting. One day he called her into his office to talk to her.

“Lia, do you have an eating disorder?” he asked her bluntly.

“What?” Lia was startled.

He didn’t smile. “I noticed that you don’t really eat anything, you’ve gotten skinny, and I know you have been vomiting in the toilet.”

She sighed. “I don’t know,” she replied in a small voice. “I think I do. I don’t know why it’s like this. Every time I try to eat, I would feel like puking. I can’t force myself to eat or else I would puke. I have seen the doctor about it and he told me to just take it slowly.”

“How did you get by all these months if you don’t eat?”

She held out her water bottle. “Fruit juice works like a charm,” she explained.

Chung Ho didn’t quite believe her. “Lia, I know as your boss I shouldn’t be asking any personal questions but did you and Big Bang have —”

But she just waved her hand away. “You’re right, you shouldn’t be asking,” she said flatly. “I have things to do, cupcakes to bake. May I please be dismissed, Chung Ho-sshi?”

Normally if any staff talked to him like this, he would fire them on the spot. But Lia had a problem and he couldn’t blame her for being defensive. Sighing wearily, he nodded. “Sure,” he relented and she quickly walked out of the office. He called Char Nie and Char Lie over in the office.

“Yes?” they asked. “What do you want, oppa?”

“Lia is sick and unwell,” he began. “I want you two to help me watch over her, okay?”

They nodded, relieved that someone else had spotted the problem too. “Sure.”

Seung Ri thought the house was way too quiet. The boys were out. TOP and Dae Sung were at the gym. Tae Yang took Boss out for a walk. Ji Yong was still back at YG, practicing for the days he’d missed. Lia was in her room, her door closed as usual.

He was in his room, staring at the ceiling, in silence. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore. He got up and went to Lia’s room. He didn’t bother to knock, just opened the door and went right in. Lia was sleeping.

He smiled softly. She looked so beautiful asleep, like an angel. “My Angel,” he said to himself. He sauntered over to where she was, got in her bed and wrapped his arms around her, cuddling up with her.

She stirred a bit but she didn’t move. He held her tightly in his arms, missing being so close to her, feeling her warmth.

Lia suddenly woke up, surprised to find herself in his arms. She cried out a bit and he turned her to face him. Without giving her a chance, he kissed her, holding her firm as she squirmed trying to push him away.

She began to cry.

He pulled back, startled. “Lia?”

She sat up and turned her back to him. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

“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 . . .” Ji Yong’s voice echoed in her mind.

He nodded. Right. That is what he is going to do. He is going to hold her and hold her he did. He kissed her forehead gently and she cried in his arms.

But after half an hour or so, even when her sobs died down, she still didn’t talk. She just sat in his lap as he embraced her. Eventually he realized she wasn’t going to open up to him so he let go of her. He kissed her gently on the forehead before walking out of her room.

He sighed as he went back to his own room. Why won’t she talk to anybody? Why is she avoiding him?

He didn’t know.

Dae Sung was hungry so he decided to go to the kitchen to find food. He saw that there were leftovers from lunch so he scooped a plate of rice for himself. He was about to leave when he turned and found Lia on the floor. “You okay?” he asked, squatting down to be eye-levels with her.

She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Mind if I join you?”

She nodded again and he sat down next to her. They ate in silence. It was a bit awkward though because usually they would always find something to joke about but that day, it was different. Dae Sung was trying to find the words to say and Lia was hoping that he won’t say anything.

“We really miss you at YG,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

She shrugged. “I was at work,” she replied. “I was busy. And I can’t just simply take off-days because I want to.”

“I know,” he said quickly, “but you’re free on weekends now, right?”

That was true. Chung Ho finally managed to convince her to take a break by refusing to let her go to work on Saturdays and they were closed on Sundays. “I have to do my school work,” she argued.

“Yeah, but we could help you with your work,” he argued back. “And then on days that you do work, you don’t serve us like you used to anymore.”

“It isn’t my fault people kept ordering a lot of many things to bake,” she retorted angrily. “Some more, we don’t have that many bakers. They really need extra hands back there.”

Dae Sung sighed, exasperated. “Why are you avoiding us, Lia?” he asked.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

She stood up, food not finished. She had to wrap it up in aluminum foil. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m really busy,” she said in a flat tone.

“Is that the best excuse you’ve got?” Dae Sung snorted, folding his arms. “Cos I’m not buying it.”

“Whatever,” she snapped as she washed the plates and spoons. “Say whatever pleases you then. I don’t care.” She walked back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Dae Sung banged his head. “Aaahh, why am I so stupid?!”

Ji Yong was alone in the living room. Seung Ri was sleeping, TOP and Dae Sung were out at the gym and Tae Yang was out for a walk with Boss. Lia was in her room, doing who knows what inside.

He just sat on the sofa, staring into space. He wanted to play a few songs on his guitar but he couldn’t find it, which was strange for he never moved it. It was always in his room. Yet somehow it just wasn’t there. But even though this curious him, he was too lazy to go look for his guitar.

His eyes wandered about and landed on the table, where papers scattered all around. He decided to clean it up. As he picked the papers up, he recognized the handwriting. It was Lia’s handwriting scrawled all over.

We’re Just Friends

You smiled at me the moment we met.

I'll never fall for him, I said.

But, somehow, you had me at hello.

And soon my love for you began to grow.

We talked, we laughed and shared good times.

I knew I wanted to make you mine.

But sadly you did not feel the same.

Left me alone, crushed with pain.

How foolish I was, wishing for you.

Stupidly thinking my wish would come true.

But now I see the real true picture.

I guess it's just a course of nature.

You're my friend, that's all you'll be.

Know what, knowing this sets me free.

The pain subsided, now I smile.

Though sometimes it's there, but just for awhile.

I can't seem to thank you enough.

Pulling me through when time is tough.

It's time to say the pain met its end.

This is just it: we're just friends.

He smirked. Lia really did have a potential in poetry. He was about to fold it back when something at the bottom of the page caught his eyes:

Written about William Blankenship

He shook his head, chuckling to himself. Judging from how faded the pencil led looked like, Lia must have wrote this a long time ago before she met him, met the boys. He folded it back, going to her room. He was itching to look at her other works but he thought it would be an invasion of privacy.

He opened the door but stopped short when he saw Lia on the bed, her side facing him, unaware he was there, while strumming on his guitar. Ah, so that was where his guitar went. No wonder.

He leaned against the door way to listen to the song she was playing. Then suddenly she began to sing.