The three of them stared back at TOP, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to do. It didn’t help when Dae Sung burst in, panting hard, leashes in his hand.

Finally Tae Yang spoke up, “We just want to know what’s going on.”

But TOP was already shaking his head. “I can’t believe my own friends would go behind my back like this,” he said. He clenched his fists as he glowered at Seung Ri and Ji Yong. “You guys really want to see her? Fine. I’ll let you see her after her doctor’s appointment.”

“She’s sick?” both Seung Ri and Ji Yong blurted out worriedly at the same time.

He ignored them and walked to Lia’s bedroom. They trailed after him. He unlocked the door. “Mei, cover up. We’re going now.”

The other four held their breath as Lia came out of the room, her head down. She looked so pale, so sad. They couldn’t really get a proper look at her because her brother blocked her. “You’ll see her when we come back,” he told them firmly. “I promise.” The two of them left the house.

Seung Ri and Ji Yong immediately glared at Dae Sung, hands on their hips, frowns on their faces. “Nice going, babo,” they all said.

He bit his lips. “I did nothing!”

“Exactly, you did nothing to stop him from coming back,” Seung Ri snapped.

“Hey, look at the bright side,” Tae Yang spoke up, coming to Dae Sung’s aid, “at least now hyung will tell us what’s wrong.”

“Oh, Lia’s sick,” Dae Sung said.

Ji Yong and Seung Ri each flicked him twice on the forehead. “Oh, way to go, Captain Obvious,” they said sarcastically.

Tae Yang rolled his eyes. “I’m not helping you on that,” he said.

Dae Sung just pouted.

The front door opened two hours later and the four of them looked up to see TOP and Lia walking in, looking tired and weary. TOP was debating whether or not he should tell the boys later but he promised them. And Lia was ready to face Seung Ri and Ji Yong. Personally he was tired of hiding all the time. “Sit down,” he told his friends. “Mei is tired but she’s still willing to explain everything to you curious idiots.”

They all sat down in the living room. TOP and Lia sat on the sofa. He put his arms around her and she leaned against him, too tired to say anything. Ji Yong sat on an armchair and Tae Yang sat on the other. Dae Sung perched on one of the armrest of Ji Yong’s chair and Seung Ri at the other.

The four of them glanced back and forth expectantly between the Choi siblings, waiting and wondering when they would tell them.

After a moment of silence, Tae Yang said timidly, “So . . . what’s up?”

TOP sighed heavily. Lia looked at him and he nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, “I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?” both Tae Yang and Dae Sung gasped. Ji Yong and Seung Ri’s mouth just fell opened with shock. Their eyes landed on Lia’s stomach, where they could see a small bump beneath her shirt. They gaped at her, not believing their eyes.

She’s pregnant.

“Before you all start making assumptions,” TOP hastily went on, “we don’t know who the father is.”

“What?” This time Tae Yang and Dae Sung’s voices were louder than before. They looked at Ji Yong and then to Seung Ri before turning to Lia. “What does that mean?”

“That means either maknae or Ji Yong is the father,” he replied, rubbing his forehead. “Lia isn’t sure. And frankly I don’t care which one of them is the father. What I do care about was that you two were supposed to know better than to have with my sister,” he said, now personally addressing to Ji Yong and Seung Ri.

They hung their heads low in shame.

“So what happens now?” Dae Sung wanted to know. “I mean, you’re going to have to take some tests to see who the father is, right?”

It’s not that simple, Seung Ri, Ji Yong, Lia and TOP all thought at the same time.

Tae Yang just sighed again.

TOP looked seriously at Ji Yong and Seung Ri. “I want to know when you guys slept with her,” he said. “Jun Mei refused to tell me. So, Ji Yong, you start.”

Lia sniffled.

Ji Yong looked at her, his heartbreaking. When she said she was pregnant, he thought he was the father. But then he found out she had with Seung Ri too and his heart ached, jealous, at that thought. And now looking at her, so lost and confused, he really wished he could hold her.

“Th — that night, before Lia’s birthday, at the beach,” he told Lia’s big brother.

TOP gasped and turned to stare accusingly at her and she winced slightly. “You mean you actually told me the truth about what you guys did?” he exclaimed, recalling the conversation he had with her.

“What did you and Ji Yong do last night?” he asked.

Lia sighed. “We didn’t do anything, okay?” she said testily. “Can we drop it?”

“Why are you being so secretive?” TOP didn’t understand. He shook his head. “Am I not suppose to know what my sister —”

Lia threw her hands up in the air. “Okay! Here’s what we did,” she said. “He told me to meet him at the pub a few minutes away from here. I met him there, we drank, we danced then we came home and had wonderful . After , we fell asleep, , in each other’s arms. Now you know.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, no need to get all snappy with me,” he shot back. “Cool your jets.”

She scowled.

He rolled his eyes. “So basically what you are saying is that you and Ji Yong just probably had an ordinary date but it was so special to the two of you because you two hadn’t had time for yourselves in a long while.”

Lia nodded. “Yes.”

He groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. “Omo, I can’t believe I fell for that.”

“Me neither,” he heard Lia mutter.

He looked up and glared at her. “This isn’t funny,” he snapped. “It’s not funny at all, Jun Mei. It may have been the night before your birthday but then that means you were still sixteen!” He glowered at Ji Yong who had seemed to shrink back in his chair.

Lia tugged him on his shirt. “Oppa,” she said in a quiet voice. “Don’t blame him. I . . . wanted it as much as him.” Her face turned red with embarrassment and she looked down, folding her hands on her lap.

Her brother turned to Seung Ri who looked at him nervously. “Erm . . . do you remember the time Lia and I went to my parents’ house for a short holiday in the weekends?” he asked, fidgeting.

TOP slapped himself. He looked at Ji Yong, who had the I-told-you-so look on his face. He sighed, remembering how Ji Yong had over-reacted and said things about how they might to do it while they were there. He turned to his sister, more disappointed than ever. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, huh?” he said softly.

Lia looked as though she was about to cry. She covered her face with her hands, turning her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “What are we going to do with you?” he sighed exasperatedly.

“Maybe you could call your mom up and tell her the situation?” Tae Yang suggested.

“I already did,” he replied. “Eomma’s not too happy about it, neither is appa.” He sighed again. “I was thinking she should go for an abortion.”

Ji Yong and Seung Ri, whose heads were bent down, snapped up. “No!” they said at the same time.

“She’s not going to,” TOP snapped. “Lia refuses to take an abortion and my parents are against the idea too. I still think it’s stupid. She’s only eighteen!”

“Look, we’ll go for the test and whoever the father turns out to be, he’ll take care of Lia and the baby,” Ji Yong protested. “Just don’t harm the baby. It’s not its fault.”

TOP sneered at him. “You’d like it to be your baby, don’t you?”

“So what if I do?” he asked defensively. “Maknae and I both want the baby as ours but we can’t confirm until we take the test. It’s only natural to want to be the father.”

“Especially since the both of us care about Lia,” Seung Ri chimed in.

“But . . . won’t the other party be sad and disappointed that the baby isn’t his?” Dae Sung spoke up.

“Oh.”

Seung Ri and Ji Yong were more focused on wanting to be the father that they didn’t think about how they would feel if the baby isn’t theirs. Suddenly they didn’t want to know who the father is anymore.

“This is ridiculous,” Tae Yang said. “You guys can’t not know who the father is. That is the most important — okay, fine, second most important — thing about this situation.”

“I think it’s up to my sister to decide what she wants,” TOP spoke up, his grip tightening on his baby sister.

“I want to know who the father of the baby is,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m sorry if it’ll break the other person’s heart, but I want what is best for my baby, and that is by giving birth to he or she safely and making sure he or she has both a mother and father to love.”

“Well, you could always just not take the test and let the baby have two fathers,” Dae Sung suggested.

Seung Ri and Ji Yong looked hopefully at Lia. They were scared to death about this sudden change. As much as they wanted to be the father, they were both scared that the other person might be the father and they didn’t want to feel sad.

But Lia just shook her head adamantly. “I want to know who it is,” she insisted.

TOP was disgusted with the two boys. “I can’t believe you guys are being so selfish,” he said angrily. “Shouldn’t the main thing be about Lia, the mother, who was to carry the baby for nine months? It’s going to be tough for her and yet here you two are, scared out of your wits and afraid to make sacrifices.”

The boys realized he was right. They can’t believe they were being so selfish to the girl they both love. “I’m sorry, Lia,” they both said remorsefully.

Lia smiled sadly. “It’s okay,” she replied softly. “I can understand why you guys feel that way. I’d feel scared too. Well, actually, I am scared.”

“Lia, we promise you we’ll help you with your pregnancy,” Tae Yang said kindly to her. He smiled. “We’ll take care of you.”

Dae Sung nodded. “I’m going to be an uncle!” he cried with glee.

Lia giggled as the others all relaxed back into their chairs. She looked at Seung Ri, who smiled at her, but she could see the fear yet the longing in his eyes. She turned to Ji Yong, who had his head bent down, and knew that he was just as scared.

Her smile faded. She wanted to know who the father is, but she was scared to know too.

Who is the father of the baby?