He didn’t have an answer to that.

“Oppa!” Lia said sharply and he winced. “Why did you lie?”

“Because if I told you the truth, things would get really messy!” he blurted out.

“Oppa, that is the most pathetic excuse you have ever came up with and I feel ashamed to call you my brother because I know that that is your sincere excuse,” Lia said in her nastiest voice.

TOP felt as though he’d been stabbed. His heart broke hearing those words coming from his own sister. “I know,” he said quietly. “But Mei, I did this for you.”

But the damage was done.

“You selfish bastard. I hate you. I cannot believe that you would do this.”

“Mei, remember how you said you’ll still love me even though I’m annoying? That too applies to me lying,” he pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Oppa, but this is too big a secret for me to forgive you,” she replied. “What you did was unforgivable. I bet you didn’t even tell the others yet, have you?”

“We can’t,” TOP said.

“THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT IT!” she shouted and he had to pull the phone away. “You can’t not tell them about it, Oppa! DAMNIT, do you honestly think you could hide this forever?”

He cringed. He had never ever heard Lia be so angry like this before. He began to regret not telling the truth. But it sounded like the right thing to do at that time.

“True, but everything is going to be really messy.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that there was a major flaw. But he hoped Lia didn’t noticed it.

But Lia noticed it. “It’s your own bloody fault for not telling us in the first place!” she shouted through the phone.

“Jun Mei . . .”

“We have to tell them,” she said. “It isn’t fair to keep them in the dark.”

“Why did you leave?” TOP asked.

“Because I can’t stand the thought of being in the same room with someone I thought I can trust,” she said tactlessly. “You betrayed me. My own brother.”

Now he was going numbed with the pain. He didn’t mean to mess up. He thought he was doing everyone a favor. He never expected this to happen. He didn’t want this to ever happen but now it has.

And it’s too late to take it back.

“Mei . . .” he said weakly.

“Don’t ever call me that,” she hissed. “Once we hang up, I’m calling them to tell them.”

“Are you going to cause more damage than what I’ve done?” he asked.

There was silence on the other end of the line and he knew that he had her.

“None of this would have happened if you had told the truth right from the start,” she said faintly but she sounded uncertain.

“Are you coming for the wedding?”

She paused again. “I . . . don’t know,” she finally said after a longer silence.

“Mei —”

“I hate you. Don’t ever talk to me every again.” She hung up.

TOP screamed in frustration as he went to punch the pillow. He was so mad at himself. No, no, NO! This can’t be happening! It’s no good. It’s no good at all.

He really didn’t mean to hurt anyone. He knew the consequences once she found out but he never expected her to react this way. Yes, he knew she would be flipping out. But to say how much she hated him?

No . . .

Lia was crying in Mir’s arms. She cannot believe it. What is she going to do? She can’t face them yet.

Mir hugged her gently. “Lia, you do know you will have to go back home eventually?” he asked her. “I know you don’t want to, buy you need to clear things up.”

“Not now.” She took out her phone and sent a text to her brother.

To: Bingu Oppa

From: Mei

Message: Don’t tell them yet. Let me think. I’ll come home soon.

She cried all over again and Mir could do nothing but hold her. “You’re not going to kick me out, are you?” she asked, suddenly scared that he might do just so.

He shook his head. “No way,” he replied and she felt relieved. “But you are going to the wedding.”

She sighed as she sent Seung Ri and Ji Yong each a text.

To: Maknae Oppa

From: Lia

Message: I’m sorry. Don’t worry, it’s not you. I promise I’ll explain soon. I just need some time alone first. Do not whatsoever blame yourself for this. You did nothing wrong. I . . . I love you.

To: Ji Oppa

From: Lia

Message: Don’t find me. I’ll come to your wedding, I promise. I just . . . need some time alone first. Please don’t be mad. I’ll explain soon. Do not worry about me. I’m fine.

She immediately got a text from both of them after she had sent the message. Mir had to sigh.

He thought Lia needed to talk things out but she was so lost and confused.

Ji Yong: Yah, just tell me where you are now. I don’t care. I’m searching the streets for you right now.

Fat chance, she thought bitterly.

Seung Ri: Come home soon, please.

Her heart broke, reading Seung Ri’s text. She can’t do this. She looked at Mir. It was late so they went back to the apartment. Everyone was back home and was surprised to see Lia with Mir.

Mir explained the situation and they agreed for Lia to stay with them until whenever she felt like going back or until the wedding day.

Three days had passed and Lia was stuck at MBLAQ’s dorm. She ignored the calls from Big Bang and she was so low, so down, and lifeless at the same time. The boys felt really bad for her.

It was tough, they know.

She wasn’t happy. She wouldn’t smile. She wouldn’t leave the room. But that’s not the worse bit; she wouldn’t talk. Sure, she would answer back if anyone asked her anything but that was it. It’s as though her mind has completely shut down. Lia was miserable; she was having a break down. She was depressed. She seemed so . . . lifeless.

One night Mir caught her crying again in the bathroom. He looked into her troubled and tired face and felt as if he’d been punched in his chest even though he wasn’t at any fault. For this past three days he had grown attached to her as if she was like a little sister and it hurt to see her like this. His heart was aching. He hated the look on her face. He hugged her tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks.  He hugged her.

“Uh, Lia?” Mir said to her tentatively, “may I speak to you for a moment?”

She nodded and waited.

“Lia, I’m worried about you.”

She raised an eyebrow at that. “Worried about me or my situation?”

“You.”

“Now I’m worried,” she muttered under her breath.

“Lia,” Mir said gently, “you don’t seem to be eating lately and, well, you aren’t the same bubbly girl I met and grew fond of.”

“Why do you think that is, huh?” Lia asked, scowling darkly.

“Lia,” he said softly. “Everything will be okay.”

She stood up. “I’m going back,” she said. “I’m going to tell them tomorrow. I have to tell them. Ji Yong Oppa needs to know. Maknae Oppa needs to know too.”

He nodded. “You do whatever is best,” he told her.

The next day Big Bang was at home. They all felt empty without Lia. The place seemed too quiet. It was not the same without her. It felt so weird.

Dae Sung stopped joking around like he used to. Tae Yang was tired of constantly being the one who goes around, trying to lighten the mood. Ji Yong was getting worried, wondering if his engagement to Soo-Jin affected her. But Seung Ri was the worst. He couldn’t eat, he wouldn’t sleep. He was so down and he looked terrible with eyebags and his spirit was so down.

Where was she?

Finally TOP couldn’t stand it anymore. The guilt was eating him up alive. So he called everyone out to the living room where they all waited for him to say something. “I know why she ran away,” he confessed.

“Why?” Seung Ri asked.

He opened his mouth to tell them when the front door opened and Lia stepped in, looking tired and sad.

Everyone looked up. They were about to get up and run to her when she held her hands up. “I’ll explain as soon as I put my bags down on the floor,” she told them. “Stay put.”

They sat back down in their seats. There were a lot of mixed emotions. They wanted to scream with joy that she was back but they were also scared of what she would say.

She came and stood in front of them. She refused to look at TOP, who was too ashamed to look at her. “My brother lied to me, lied to all of us,” she started to say.

Ji Yong turned to glower at TOP. “Wait, you mean that after all this time we all have been worried sick about her. YOU knew?” he asked him. “Hyung, what the hell?” He turned to Lia. “And where have you been? I searched everywhere for you. I called the people I know who know you — Dong Wook sunbae, YG, President, SHINee, BEAST, MBLAQ — and they all said that they hadn’t seen you. Do you know how scared I was?”

She nodded once. “I know,” she replied. “I had to get out.” She turned to Seung Ri. “I’m so sorry I left you,” she said to him, “but please hear me out, okay? I don’t mean to hurt you. I just had to get away.”

“Where did you go?” Dae Sung asked.

“MBLAQ’s dorm.”

Ji Yong’s mouth dropped opened. “AND THEY DIDN’T TELL ME WHEN I ASKED IF THEY HAD SEEN YOU? THEY DARED TO LIE TO ME?” he exploded. He looked really mad.

Lia looked pained. “Ji Yong Oppa . . . I can explain.”

“So say it.”

She looked down. Everyone was dying at the suspension. They wanted to know why she left already. The suspense was killing them.

“Ji Yong is the father of the triplets.”