“Eonnie, the neighbor called! She said there is a man going back and forth our door. I’m scared. I didn’t tell the others. Should I call 112?”

“No. We’re coming. Don’t open the door.”

“Eonnie, please hurry.”

--

“Yewon-ah we’re here. I’m going up.” Joon called the maknae after parking the van.

“I don’t know if the man is still there. Take care. If you don’t open the door in 5 mins. I’m calling the police.” Umji is not only smart but she has a mature disposition that even in times of stress, she is able to anticipate her next move.

“Make that 10 minutes. The elevator might take a while.” She did not have plans of taking the elevator but she knew that she might need more time interrogating the unidentified man. “Bye.”

“You two stay here. Wait for my call.”

“What’s happening??” Sowon was panicking.

“Everything is fine. Just stay here.”

“Okay eonnie, take care. Call immediately.” Cutting off her leader’s forthcoming worried nagging, Yerin replied.

Joon reached the floor where the dorm was after a millisecond. Throughout their journey back from the tea house, she has been receiving updates about the unknown person who has been surveying the girl’s apartment. She knew that there was no possibility of harm but she wanted to see for herself.

The foreigner called Yerin after a few minutes of confronting the person who paced the apartment building back and forth. “Hmm you need to come up here quickly. Yes take Sowon-ssi. Yes, it’s safe. It’s a false alarm.” She ended the call and rang the bell of the apartment to assure Yewon of their safety.

“Eonnie?” Yewon opened the door cautiously.

“It’s me, but you don’t have to come out. I’m just telling you that I’m here. Just stay inside.” After hearing the bell, Sinb, Eunha and Yuna ran to the door to check who the maknae was talking to and why she pulled the door open only an inch wide.

“Who’s outside?” Seeing how the youngest member was discreetly peeking through the door, Yuna whispered as soon as they reached her.

“Joon-eonnie. But there’s a guy we don’t know.” She whispered back.

“Boyfriend?” Sinb joined the whispering.

“No.” The youngest girl did not desire to explain further.

“Suitor?” Sinb was persistent.

“No. The neighbor called and said some guy was at our door many times. I called eonnie.”

“So scary…”

Yewon gestured that they keep mum and just listen to the conversation transpiring outside. After a minute, the elevator door opened and Yerin and Sowon’s voice can be heard.

“Joon-ah, who is he?”

“He’s looking for Yerin.”

“Me?”

“He’s been waiting here. He said that his boss has been texting you.”

“His boss? I’m not receiving any text.”

“Yes. The oppa.” Joon answered.

After hearing Joon’s reply, Eunha quickly looked at her phone and discovered 8 missed calls and 24 unread messages from the same number. “Ooops… I guess that oppa has been trying to reach Yerin-eonnie.” Sinb’s facial expression was unreadable after glancing at the other girl’s phone.

“I’m Yerin, mianhaeyo if you waited. But what did you need?”

“It’s okay Yerin-ssi. My boss wanted you to receive this. He said he forgot to give it to you earlier.” The stranger replied while handing a small paper bag.

“What is this and it's this urgent?”

From inside the apartment, the sound of a gift wrapper being torn apart can be heard. Everyone was curiously anticipating Yerin’s reaction especially her girlfriend who has remained silently all ears. After several seconds of listening to paper being hastily crumpled and ripped, the recipient of the gift finally spoke.

“Please tell oppa that I appreciate the gesture. But please return this to him. I am not accepting it. Whatever his reasons are for giving this to me, I cannot accept it.” The sound of her voice was muffled by the mask she was wearing but the message was clear. “And please tell him to not give or send anything again because I won’t take them.”

“But Yerin-ssi…”

“Mianhaeyo. I don’t want to be rude but please go.”

“But I must give it to you no matter what. That’s what he told me.” The man insisted.

“Please tell him it’s my wish to not receive anything.”

“But Ye-”

“You heard the girl. I’m giving you 3 seconds to turn around and leave.” Joon's words pierced through everyone’s ears. It was the first time they have ever heard her speak in Korean with such an intimidating tone. “Get inside, Yerin-ssi, Sowon-ssi.” In spite her calling them formally, neither one protested and just complied.

Yewon opened the door wider and the two were pulled further inside as they walked in. The door closed abruptly behind them and not a sound could be heard from the outside.

After 2 seconds, “I’m worried, we shouldn’t have left her there.” Sowon decided to open the door again but there was no trace of Joon or the stranger. “Where did they go?? Call her!”

Yerin pulled out her phone and pushed the speed dial. “Eonnie, where did you go?? Ah you brought him to security? Okay. Have him blacklisted. No, not the police station. Yes, okay, come up soon.” There was no conversation, it was only Joon who dictated what Yerin was going to say and the girl willingly followed the flow.

Everyone stayed in the living room while waiting for their foreigner friend; and after 5 minutes, the door rang to her return. There was not much to talk about since everyone heard the exchange earlier. After the worry and tension died down, Yerin excused herself, glancing at everyone except Sinb and went to their room to rest; after a few minutes, the other girls did the same. Only Sinb and Sowon stayed with the foreigner after everyone left.

“What happened to your eyes?” Sowon asked the younger girl.

“I’m sorry, eonnie.” She kept her head low anticipating a lengthy scolding from the leader.

“You know, that oppa gave her a very expensive gift.” Sowon’s response made Sinb sigh heavily. “I know you heard what she said.”

“I did. We stayed behind the door.”

“If you’ll continue to act the way you did earlier, I’d be the one to tell Yerin-ah to just entertain that oppa.”

Sinb did not react savagely like how she would normally do. She instead lowered her head more and started wiping her tears.

“Don’t be stupid Sinb-ah.”

The girl was just eagerly shaking her head, unable to speak due to her sobbing.

“Stop crying. Fix yourself and rest. And you.” Sowon turned to Joon. “We need to talk.”

>>>

“You have to help me, I keep saying the wrong things to Yerin-eonnie.” Sinb rushed out of Yerin’s room disgruntled to find Yewon who was sorting out some gifts from fans at the farthest end of the living room after they got home.

In the morning during the entire duration of the photo shoot, Yerin was ignoring her and Sinb did not dare push her luck to try to approach since it was evident in the older girl’s aura that she was not ready for any kind of conversation. In the van, Joon took the seat at the back and Yerin took hers and no one said a word. The night before was a long night of contemplation for Yerin, while it was regret for the other girl.

“We need help. With the amount of panic in your eyes, I can’t handle you by myself.”

“Aish! Don’t tell me the foreigner again??” Emerged a more distressed facial expression from her face.

“Why?! She’s the one who makes the most sense aside from me.”

“I heard that.”

“Oh eonnie, you understood?” The the two turned around to see Joon coming out of the washroom crumpling a paper towel.

“Yeah, most of it. So, what’s up?”

“Wait! I didn’t agree that she would join!” Sinb objected.

“Okay. Bye.” Joon quickly U-turned toward the dining area but the maknae was lightning-fast to grab her hand.

“Do you want help or not?” Yewon turned to Sinb, crossed her arms and shifted her weight on one leg.

“Tsssss. But my brain is itching trying to speak in English.”

“Then speak however you want.” The foreigner replied in Korean. “I can understand more now. I will ask Yewon for help if I’m not following.”

“Eonnie, just try to speak in both languages if you can. Okay, what happened?”

“I kept saying the wrong things to her.”

“Like what?”

“So, I went there in their room and apologized to her, then she asked me why I was apologizing.”

“And what did you say?”

“I said ‘because I have to’.” Sinb’s face was filled with both confusion and oblivion as she bit her thumb in embarrassment.

The synchronicity in Joon and Yewon’s facepalm was remarkable like it was part of a dance step from the group’s knife-like choreography.

“Wrong.”

“What should have I said?!”

“Think again, why are you saying sorry?” Joon tested.

“Because I need to?”

“NG. Try again.”

“Because… I feel sorry?”

“Tsk. NG!”

“Because… I should?” Sinb started scratching her head.

“NG!!” Arms and fingers crossing in front of her face.

“Because… I was wrong?”

“You’re not sure?” Yewon asked.

“I was wrong. I’m sure.”

“There you go…”

“This is difficult, it’s like minesweeper game.”

“Yup. And you happen to step on all the bombs.” Yewon laughed at Joon’s remark that the other girl did not understand.

“Try to ask me other questions that she might ask me in the future.”

“Like what?”

“Lovers’ stuff.” The older maknae cringed to her own choice of words.

“Ah! Things she’ll screw up with…” Joon asserted.

“This is why I don’t like her here.”

“I understood that.”

“Good. That was my goal.”

“Tsk. Stop you two. Let’s just proceed. Hmm… Let’s say I’m Yerin-eonnie and I’ll ask ‘will you ever cheat on me?’ what will you answer?”

“Of course not! I don’t even have enough time to sleep, how can I have time for that??”

“NG!!! Wrong!”

“So wrong…” Eunha has been eavesdropping and giggling in one corner of the kitchen before she joined the group. “I would punch you in the face if I was Yerin-eonnie.”

“Aish! Now it’s three against one??”

“Well, three heads are better than… yours.”

“YAH! I’m still two months older than you, Yewon-ah!”

“Going back. That’s a really bad answer. You mean if you had the time, you will cheat on her?!” Eunha asked.

“No. I didn’t say that.”

“But it meant like that because you only based your faithfulness on the lack of time to cheat.”

“Aish.” Scratching her head again. “Okay, I’ll change my answer. Hmmm… I won’t cheat because I love you?”

“You’re going to pull your hair extensions out if you don’t stop scratching your head. And no, your answer is too generic. Like that’s an answer for everything, eonnie.”

“Why do you care- coz I love you; why did you give me this-coz I love you, why did you do that- coz I love you, and so on. Think again. Focus. Will you cheat?” Sinb vigorously shook her head while listening intently to Eunha. “No. But why won’t you even if you can?”

“Because I love her, I don’t want to lose her. Why would I look for another if I have everything I want already?”

“And what’s that?”

“Her.”

A thunderous slow clap followed and echoed in the living room.

“Now that’s my Sinb-oppa!” Yewon proclaimed while patting the girl’s back.

“Whoa… That exceeded my expectation.”Joon complimented while nodding.

“HA! See? I can learn this fast! C’mon ask me more.”

“Next question. What if she asked you ‘am I chubby?’ what’s your answer?”

“Ah that’s easy… I like that you’re chubby.”

“Tsk. I take it back, you’re hopeless.”

“WAE?! WAE?!”

“Eonnie, are you even a girl? If I tell you you’re chubby after working hard to lose weight, what will you do?”

“I’ll kill you.” Sinb’s forehead furrowed like Yewon was actually truthful in telling her she was chubby.

“Then that’s probably what Yerin-ah will do to you.”

“But eonnie, that’s the truth! I don’t like her when she’s too skinny. There’s not... much to... hug.” A slight blush appeared on Sinb’s face.

“It doesn’t matter what you like. You can be honest to her later on.”The shorter Eunbi replied.

“So, should I just lie instead?”

“YES!!!” The trio chorused in agreement. “At least for the time being, while you’re in the honeymoon stage.”

“Ok, next question. Hmm… This is a difficult one, but I’m certain that this question will come up in the future. What if she asks you ‘Sinb-yah, do you think we’ll end up together?’ what will you say?”

“I’ll say, it depends on the circumstances…” She thought deeply putting every neuron at work. “The future is unpredictable. We’ll actually never know.”

“Aish… I don’t get it why Yerin-eonnie likes you. You’re a mess.” Eunha’s face was a reflection of unease and hopelessness.

“If a girl asks you a futuristic question, that means she is worried. And all she wants is…” Joon looked at the two other girls to solicit an answer.

“Reassurance.” Yewon and Eunha both replied.

“And not discouragement.” Joon added.

“Eonnie, say something that can make her feel better and more secured in the relationship.”

“Ah! Ah! I know what to answer. Okay, ask me again.”

Unsure why she had to restate the question, “Sinb-yah, do you think we’ll end up together?” Yewon repeated in a sing-song manner, unamused.

“Of course, for as long as we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t do.” The taller Eunbi answered confidently.

“NG!! What are you? Superman and supergirl?”

“That’s just hyperbolic, melodramatic and too cliché.” Joon commented.

“Yewon-ah, can you tell this alien here to speak human.” Sinb poked the maknae and pointed at Joon.

“But she did speak human, and she’s right eonnie.”

“Tsk!!! So what should I say??”

“It shouldn’t come from us. So, that will be your assignment. Next question.” Joon glanced behind the defeated Sinb. “What if she asks you, ‘who’s more beautiful, Sowon-eonnie or me?’ what’s your answer?”

“I don’t’ have to think about this. Yes! Of course, you are more beautiful than that giraffe who pretends to have golden proportion.” Sinb’s brazen answer caused Joon and Yewon to chortle and look down. “You’re 10,000 times more attractive. That’s why you’re the visual of the group and not eonnie.”

Sinb received a hard knock in the head the very moment she finished her sentence, the knock was so forceful it made her unsteady on her feet. “YAAAAAH! What the?!” Her eyes widened after she quickly turned around.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!”

“Sowon-eonnie….?! YAH!! Joon-eonnie! You tricked me!!!”

A series of chasing, grappling and toppling followed.

After Sinb retreated to re-approach the aloof girl she left brooding in her room, Joon and the three other girls found themselves drawn to an unexpected discussion.

“I want to teach her a lesson. The incident in the broadcast station should never happen again.”

“How do we do that?” Yewon answered after translating to Joon what the leader proposed.

“Why don’t we keep them apart as much as we can?”

“Joon-eonnie, how’s that going to teach her a lesson?”

“You know how rubber bands are? The more you pull them-”

“- the greater the tension and then when released, they will reconnect again!” The smart maknae continued.

“Explain that with simple words please.” Sowon interrupted before whispering to the youngest member. “Maybe that’ll work with this insensitive person beside me.”

Yewon shook her head to the tall lady’s comic desperation while Joon was preventing herself from reacting as she heard every word that Sowon murmured.

After the nodding and the countless suggestions on how to stage the plan, the trio was able to finally agree and was ready to make the couple’s love life a little more challenging than it already is.

---

The anxious Sinb went to the eonnies’ room again and slowly climbed up Yerin’s bunk. The older girl did not acknowledge her in spite the obvious wiggling of the bed that signaled the girlfriend’s arrival; she instead continued staring at the book she was holding, unconsciously reading the same paragraph over and over because she was too distracted of Sinb’s presence to digest its meaning.

Sinb reached her bed and sat on the foot part and started scouring for the hem of the blanket that covered Yerin. Once she found it, she entered through it and crawled underneath slightly gliding against the other girl’s crouched body. Yerin was preventing herself from smiling while sensing the movement under the sheets anticipating the appearance of Sinb’s head in front of her. After a few seconds of struggling underneath, Sinb reached the other end of the hem and emerged between Yerin’s face and the book she was reading.

“Hi.” She flashed the cutest smile she could show.

“I can’t see what I’m reading.”She said while preventing herself from tucking behind the girl’s ear the strands of hair that got disheveled as she maneuvered her way to her.

“You can read me instead.” She replied with her smile not faltering.

“I’ve already memorized you.” Her answer was void of any emotion.

“Then, can I just hug you?”

“I don’t know.” In spite the girl’s neutral answer, Sinb felt Yerin’s body straightened and repositioned in a way to accept her embrace.

“I’d consider that as a yes.” She swiftly moved closer and slid one arm to wrap around Yerin’s back. Sinb rested her head on the other girl’s chest and started smiling. “Eonnie…” 

“Hmm?” Still rereading the same paragraph for eighteen times already.

“I can hear your heart beating like crazy. Are you nervous that I’m here?” She suggested teasingly almost giggling to her question.

“Tsk. Do you want a hug or you want to break a bone? Because I can toss you out of the bed.”

“No. Hug.” She clung onto her tighter which made Yerin palpitate more.

“Eonnie…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because I made a mistake. What I did was wrong and I can’t take it back.”

Yerin closed her book and laid it in one corner but did not respond.

“I’m sorry. I realized what I did. You don’t have to forgive me now. I will make up for it.”

“It’s easy for me to forgive you. But I’ll always be reminded of what you did, so you have to bear with me until I forget about it.”

“Whatever it takes to deserve your forgiveness.”

Sinb continued to latch onto the other girl until she fell asleep, but without their usual sweet talk and physical connection. There was no doubt in Yerin’s sincerity that she has forgiven her, but the remembrance of the previous night was fleeting pain and a newfound reservation about their budding relationship. She watched the girl peacefully resting against her body, but she could not get herself to kiss her the way she did during instances where she caught her in the same state. She closed her eyes trying to stop the tears that kept falling.