Chapter 11
Gay? Seung Hoon had explained it to me. And then I cried. I cried only because of Park Seung Hoon. From then on, I transformed into the b*tch. I kept thinking to myself, if I couldn�t impress Seung Hoon then I could impress no one else. I didn�t care of my appearance or anything else. See what happens when you think you were in love with the right man and he turns out be the wrong kind of man?

Seung Hoon moved to Japan a few years ago. When he left, we tried to keep in contact but it was Seung Hoon who didn�t respond to the last letter I had sent him. From then on, we lost contact. Until now. Now he was back, wiping my saliva off his face.

I pushed up and went to offer an arm. �Need help?�

He flashed his adorable smile at me. �Always,� he replied, taking my arm and stood up, pulling me into his embrace. �Gosh, I miss the old days.�

I would have pulled away if it had been anyone else other than Seung Hoon. Why did I feel so right in his strong arms? Damn, I couldn�t enjoy it too much, Seung Hoon wasn�t the same. �You�re smothering me.�

�I can�t help it,� he answered.

�You can let go now,� I told him, trying to pull away.

�I don�t want to.�

�You will or I�ll hurt you.�

�Cheap threat,� he retorted. �Besides, I bet you�re enjoying it.�

There�s no doubt about that. Man, if there was a way to reverse his gayness.

The phone started to ring again. And that was when I realized I forgot all about Jong Min. Oops, my bad!

�Urgh! Seung Hoon, my phone is ringing.� Stomping on his toes, I made him let go of me.

He lifted his feet, wincing in pain. �Wah! Who�s calling you anyway, your boyfriend?�

I didn�t answer him, instead I answered the phone, preparing for what was to come next. �Yes?�

�I�m coming in, Landy,� Jong Min said, sounding very pissed off.

�No!� I yelled and then WHAM! The door struck me from behind and I stumbled forward, falling directly into Seung Hoon�s arms.

The first thing I heard was Mie Suk�s voice. �Look Jong Min, that b*tch�s cheating on you!�

Really I wanted to laugh my head off at Mie Suk�s accusation. Cheating? Good one Mie Suk. When I finally tore away from Seung Hoon�s grasp, I found myself staring at a pissed off Mie Suk, a nervous looking Woojin and ten others who had crowded inside. And there was no Jong Min anywhere.

Gosh, you don�t know how much that bothered me. I wanted so much to drag Seung Hoon with me and get the heck out of there but I couldn�t bring myself to do it. All because of that stupid Jong Min.

Turning to Seung Hoon, I said, �This might seem stupid, but if I were you, I leave this place as fast as I can. I�ll call you later. Or you call me---whichever which. We�ll talk later.�

He nodded. �But if there�s anything---�

�Trust me, there�s nothing you can do right now.�

He nodded again and left. I watched him go, feeling guilty. Seung Hoon didn�t need to deal with any of this.

I turned to face the others who all wore the same expressions. I swallowed before I said, �Err�Jong Min�s gone?�

Okay so that didn�t come out exactly as I hoped.

They were still silent. Mie Suk who can never keep her mouth shut, broke the silence. �What do you think?�

So then I was moving out the door when suddenly Mie Suk yanked me back by the arm. �It�s not over between us!� she hissed before dropping my arm.

I wanted hurt her then but I didn�t have time. Ignoring her threat, I ran down out the door and through the back alleyway, feeling stupid for calling after him. �Jong Min, where are you?!�

After ten minutes of my unsuccessful calling, I stopped to catch my breath. The sound of some rustling caught my attention as looked up to find Jong Min sitting with his back to the wall, holding onto a lit cigarette in the darkness. He was smoking. But why did he have to look good doing that too?

Striding up to him, I snatched the cigarette from his fingers and threw it on the ground, repeatedly stomping hard on it, picturing it to be Mie Suk�s head.

�Shouldn�t have done that.�

I plopped down beside him and turned to stare at his profile. �I just did. Besides you said you don�t smoke.�

�I wasn�t talking about that.�

Then what was he talking about? It couldn�t be---Damn, it had to be. �Don�t do this,� I told him.

He rummaged through his jacket pocket for another cigarette and found one. �Why didn�t you answer the phone?�

�I did.�

He took out his lighter, trying to light the cigarette. �But you hung up on me and then you didn�t bother.�

I wanted to argue with him. He was acting like no one ever hung up on him before. Seeing that it was only going to make matters worst, I didn�t bother to argue. Instead, I looked away and said, �I don�t understand why are you turning this into something big.�

�If I knew you were throwing yourself in another guy�s arms, I wouldn�t have interfered.�

Was he jealous? If only he knew that Seung Hoon was gay. Oh well, it wasn�t his business in knowing anyway. �Is that what this is about?!�

When he didn�t answer me, I snatched the cigarette from him and tossed it away. �You have issues, you know that?�

He turned to glare at me. I could see the glint of his studs against the moonlight. Damn, I never knew he had his ears pierced. There always something new to discover every time I look at him. I tried not looking into his eyes and I failed. He had me wrapped up under his spell again.

I waited for him to say something. Just maybe he would open up to me. He didn�t. I was very disappointed. After all that happened, you would think he would be a little less uptight. I didn�t know what the heck was going on and I couldn�t stay there to watch it all unfold.

That�s when I pried my eyes away and finally stood up. For some stupid reason, I felt like I wanted cry. As I turned to go, he pulled me back until he had his arms wrapped around me. I was literally pressed against him and my face was buried in his shoulder. �I need you. Don�t leave me,� he murmured softly.

The pain his voice. There was so much pain, that it made me cry. I didn�t care anymore. I began to sob against him. Truthfully, I really didn�t know what I was sobbing about. Maybe it had to do with Seung Hoon coming back, or that lately, nothing seems to be going my way. Or maybe I was crying for Jong Min. Heck, if know.

As if the heavens understood our sorrow, the rain came pouring down on us. Jong Min was still clinging desperately onto me. And for the first time in my life, I wasn�t afraid of the thunder. All because of Jong Min�

Chapter 12
++Jong Min�s Apartment 11:05pm++

�JONG MIN!! YOU CANNOT BRING HER INTO YOUR ROOM!!� shouted Mie Suk, trying to struggle out of Woojin�s grip.

I had to defend myself. �I am not going in there Mie Suk.�

Jong Min shoved me forward. �Yes, you are. You have to change out of your wet clothes.�

Before I could turn to argue with him, he already shoved me inside, closing the door and locking it behind him.

I turned around to glare at him, wanting to reach for the knob but he blocked my way.

BANG! BANG! The pounding came from the other side of the door. �Let me in, damn you!!� Mie Suk continued to yell.

�Move!� I commanded. �She�s pissed off and so am I.�

�You touch this door and you�ll regret it,� he warned.

I knew that he meant it. �Why can�t I go home? Why did you have to bring me here?�

�Maybe because I want you here,� he said, moving from the door and went to open his wardrobe closet.

I thought about what happened earlier. I knew he needed me. What I didn�t understand was why it had to be me.

Glancing around the room, I noticed how empty it looked. His bed was unmade, the sheets had fallen to the ground. My eyes immediately came to rest on the red satiny bra that was left to expose itself to the entire world. No surprise there. Lord knows how many women who had visited his room. I really couldn�t let a red satin braw bother me. Whatever Jong Min did in his bedroom was his business, not mine. It did get me wondering if it belonged to Hana though.

As if reading my thoughts, he said, �It�s Mie Suk.�

Now I could understand why she was so angry. �Interesting.�

�She�s claims she�s looking out for me, that�s why she leaves it there on the bed.�

Funny Mie Suk. Funny and smart Mie Suk who would go at any lengths to protect the man she likes. Jong Min was an idiot if he couldn�t recognize the obvious signs.

I turn to look at him and he was in the process of stripping off his jacket. After flinging it behind him, he shook his head and ran his fingers through his damp hair. I stared at the tiny droplets of water cascading down his face. It got me thinking that those droplets were damn lucky to have touched his face.

When he caught me looking at him, he said, �Change out of your clothes before you catch a cold.�

I was shivering nonetheless and I was too damn stubborn to change out of my wet clothes. �Change out of it? And into what exactly?�

He rummaged through his wardrobe closet and tossed a gray hooded sweatshirt my direction, striking me in the face. Then he threw a pair black drawstrings pants and I caught it .

I stared at them in uncertainty. �When was the last time you washed these?�

He had his back to me as he removed his wet black tee over his head. I only intended to glance and ended up staring instead. Couldn�t help it. I was curious. He had strong broad shoulders as I expected. I nearly gasped at the sight of the jagged scar that ran along his back. If I had to guess, I would say it was definitely a knife scar. Self-consciously aware that I was staring at him, he turned around. I could�ve sworn it was the slowest moment in my life.

How had he managed to hide such a body beneath those clothes? That chest, that narrow waist and that stomach! I had to count�

�one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

He also wore dog tags around his neck, making him look like a military man without his shirt on. That made him even sexier.

I think it was enough to make me lose all of my senses because I didn�t realized how fast he move to pull me towards the bathroom. �Come.�

I tried holding my ground. �Wait, what do you mean by that?�

�I�ll wash your hair for you.�

I wrenched my arm free from his grasp. �I can wash my own hair, thank you.�

He smirked. �For a moment there, you looked kind of lost.�

Yeah, and it�s all your fault Jong Min! I wanted to say. Dammit Landy, quit staring at his chest!

�Rain must�ve gone to my head. What about you,� I said, feeling my cheeks heating up.

Right then, he yanked off my bandana, pulling a good amount of my hair with it. �Oww!� I howled.

He did it on purpose because he was grinning. �Sorry.�

I shoved him out of the bathroom and shut the door before the tears came pouring out my eyes. That son-of-a-b***h!

�SH*T! THAT F*CKING HURTS YOU BASTARD!!� I shouted for the world to hear.


* * *


Everyone of them were there. Jong Min had introduce the members to me, giving away only their nick names. Remember Dumbo with the big ears? His name was Big Ears. Yeah, I know. Pretty original. You can�t forget about the bald guys with the tattoos and piercings. The short one that I had kicked in the head, went by the name of Shorty-O. The taller one was Killer Mouth. There were about ten others whose names I didn�t want to remember considering they all didn�t look too friendly. Most of them looked like they were about ready to take me on, even if I was a girl. Or maybe because the alcohol was finally getting to them.

I kept pouring shots after shots for them. I didn�t mind. If I could get them drunk enough, I could leave the place before my mother starts stressing again.

Jong Min had vanished after he made the brief introductions. After answering a phone call, he disappeared into his room. Once in a while he came out to sit and have a drink with his people. Not once had he glanced my way. I think he was trying to avoid me. Either that, or if he was ashamed of being around me. He can ignore me all he wants, it�s not like I give a damn.

Just when I thought I hated him less, I end up hating him more. And just when I thought he needed me, he acted like he didn�t. Why does he have to be so complicating?

Mie Suk, on the other hand had disappeared somewhere too. She came back an hour later and dropped a black bag beside me. �Clothes are dried. You�re free to go home,� she told me.

I looked up to her. �You dried my clothes for me?�

�Yes. But don�t bother thanking me. I only did it because I wanted you out of here.�

I nodded, picking up the bag and said, �Tell Jong-Min, I�ll give his clothes back.�

I slung the bag over my shoulder and gazed around the room, noticing that half the guys were knocked out. All except for Killer Mouth and Woojin who were in the middle of arm wrestling.

It was Woojin who looked up. Killer Mouth ended up winning over him. �Ha! Loser!� he yelled, pointing a finger at Woojin�s face.

Woojin glared at him and turned his attention to me. �Hey, you�re leaving already?�

�Yeah. It�s late.�

Woojin raised his brow. �Well, aren�t you gonna let Jong-Min know?�

�He seems occupied. Besides there�s no point.�

He stood up to stretch. �Ah hell, I�ll see to that you get home safely.�

I didn�t know whether I should be touched by his concern. I didn�t need him to walk me home. �Thanks, but I�ll be fine.�

He persisted. �No, really. I insist.�

Mie Suk had noticed our little exchanged and cut in. �Woojin, you�re not going anywhere.�

Woojin smiled, turning to her. �Oh, don�t tell me you�re jealous.�

She puffed her face. �The hell I am!�

That�s when I took my chance to slowly slip on my shoes and booted on out of there. Once I stepped outside, I didn�t bother looking back. I ran thinking I could erase all of all the stupid feelings that I was currently feeling. People on the streets shot me strange looks, wondering where the hell I was rushing off too. I still ran. I ran until I stumbled into a park and plopped down on the bench and made some decisions.

Reaching for my phone, I dialed Anna�s number. It took four rings before she answered in grogginess. �Huh, Landy, is that you?�

�I know it�s late. How about we get together early tomorrow and go shopping?�

She managed to laugh. �Sure. What�s the occasion?�

I took a deep breath and then answered, �I�m going to that party.�

�NO SH*T!�

�Yes. I�m going, believe it or not.�

�What changed your mind?�

�Many things.�

�Great, then we go together.� She yawned. �I�ll call you tomorrow morning.�

�Yeah.�

�Goodnight freak.�

�Goodnight airhead.�

Before she could hang up I said, �Wait, one more thing.�

�What is it?�

�I have to take the ever-so-annoying twins with me.�

�Damn. Does Soo Hyun really have to tag along?�

I didn�t answer her, instead I told her goodnight and hung up. I sat there smiling at the thought of Soo Hyun tagging along with us. Anna couldn�t stand him. He was constantly doing everything to impress her. After all, Anna was his first crush.

For that moment, I managed not to think of Jong Min. But for the long walk home, he invaded my mind again. I hated him for that.

Chapter 13
The Beast

Jong Min�s P.O.V

I let her go. It was my every intention to force her to leave. I no longer needed her here. Not right now. Not when things were looking bad for the crew.

�You�re going to call her, aren�t you?� Woojin�s voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up at my friend Lee Woojin, saw the smirk on his face and immediately placed the phone down. �No, what makes you think I�d call her for?�

�You were playing with the phone for the past ten minutes.�

�I was checking through some numbers,� I lied, as I slid the phone into my pocket.

�Whatever. You miss her already.�

�Bullsh*t.�

�You�re bullsh*t. You know you want her. You�re just in denial.�

�Yeah, I agree with Woojin. You�re in denial,� interjected Killer Mouth whose real name was Choi Joon Ho.

They called him Killer Mouth because he was the mouthiest amongst the crew. Unfortunately his mouth was the only weapon he could offer, despite his tall medium build frame. Killer Mouth wasn�t a tough guy.

Lee Woojin on the other hand, had both the mouth and the skills. His short spiky white hair always comes off as a jest. People always assumed that Woojin had his hair bleached. No one knew that it was his natural hair color. I remember him telling me that somewhere along his bloodline, at least one out of ten of them were born with white hair and he just happens to be one of them.

I pretended to laugh in reaction, having them think that I found it ridiculous. And I felt like and idiot because they saw right through me. �You two are pathetic. Just because she�s joined the gang, doesn�t mean I want her.�

Killer Mouth shook his head slightly. �If you didn�t want her, then why you force her join for? We don�t just bring anyone in here. You know that.�

I gave Killer Mouth a look that meant, �I don�t have to answer that.�

�If you don�t want her, then call Hana up. She�s been callin� my ass for the past two hours demanding that I have you call her back.�

I didn�t see the point in calling, feeling slightly uninterested and annoyed. That�s when Woojin, being the friend that he is, grabbed the bottle of vodka next to him and poured into my glass. �It�s a booty call, you know? If I were you I wouldn�t turn her down.�

Killer Mouth pushed his glass towards Woojin, gesturing him to pour for him. �I�d do anything to get a piece of that ass.�

They both laughed and did their usual handshakes.

�The both of you would never be me, so don�t even think about it.�

Woojin placed a hand over his heart as if he was really in pain. �Ouch, dood that hurt.�

I picked up the glass and downed it, liking the way it burned my throat. Drinking it only made me think about her. So then I grabbed the bottle and chucked it across the room, watching it shatter into pieces.

�F*ck man. Why did you have to do that for? That�s the last bottle!�

�Alcohol does no good.�

�Being intoxicated does,� Woojin argued, sending me a sideway glare. �You�re just moody because that f*ckhead is back in town.�

I turned my head enough to look at Woojin. �Don�t mention his name,� I warned.

�What? I called him a f*ckhead,� Woojin defended himself.

�Jong Min, you�re drunk and you�re still thinking too much. Go to sleep,� Killer Mouth suggested.

�I never get drunk,� I said, thinking about the call earlier. The call that brought back the anguish that I kept so well hidden.

This f*ckhead that Woojin referred to was my worst enemy who went by the name of Cobra. The scar on my back was a constant reminder of what he had done to me. Nevertheless, I couldn�t forget what I had done to him in return. I might be eternally scarred but at least I didn�t walk around with one eye.

�I�m more concern about Mie Suk. She�s doesn�t have to deal with this,� I said aloud.

The expression of Woojin�s face was priceless. His mouth hung open while he scrunched his face at the mention of Mie Suk. �Who cares. If she thinks she�s one of us. Let her think that. That�s not going to change the fact that she�s still a woman.�

Killer Mouth shoved Woojin playfully. �If she heard you what you just said now, she�ll definitely hurt you man.�

�Can�t help it. I hate her.�

�Sure you do. That�s why when you cry in your sleep, the only name I hear coming out of that mouth of yours is Mie Suk, Mie Suk! Killer Mouth imitated Woojin.

Woojin slapped Killer Mouth�s head. �I don�t cry in my sleep.�

�Yes, you do. Why do you think your pillow is always wet every morning?�

I shook my head, knowing their argument could go on forever and stood up to seek solace in my room, only to find Mie Suk had fallen asleep on my bed. I pulled the coverlet over her and then strode over to pull on my jacket that Mie Suk had dried for me. For a moment I just stood watching her mutter something in her sleep.

Not once had she gotten a good night rest without having to wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and panting, drenched in her own sweat. I couldn�t bare to leave her. Not now Jong Min, she needs you. Changing my mind, I removed my jacket and went to kneel in front of her, whispering words of comfort until her mouth stopped moving.

I turned to sit with my back against the bed and slid my hand into my pocket to bring out the phone. And then I decided to dial her number�

* * *

(Landy�s P.O.V)

4:00am

Ring! Ring! Ring!

My arm automatically shot out to hit the alarm. But damn, why didn�t it go off? Wait---didn�t Soo Hyun steal my alarm clock? Then where the hell was the ringing coming from?

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Maybe if I slap myself awake, the ringing would go away? Grunting in annoyance I rolled over and ended falling to the floor. Crap! Stupid hard floor.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Oh yes! Must be Anna! Why the hell she calling now?! Finally pushing myself to sit up, I began looking for my phone. Tossing my blanket aside, I couldn�t find it anywhere.

�Sh*t, where did I leave it last?�

Then I realized that I was still in Jong Min�s clothes. So that meant it was in the black bag. I went over to bag and pulled out the phone and answered, �Hello?� I croaked.

�You�re awake?�

�Ah ha,� I answered and then I realized it wasn�t Anna but Jong Min. �What the hell do you want?�

�Checking to see if you made it home.�

I rubbed at face, trying hard to rid of the oncoming yawn. �Five hours later, good checking there buddy.�

�You would have me call earlier?�

�No. I don�t want you to call at all.�

�Too bad. I did.�

�Yeah, you did. Now I can hang up.�

�You wouldn�t dare.�

�You don�t know me. I�m a b*tch when I don�t get enough sleep. I would do anything, even if it means hanging up on your sorry ass.�

�You know Landy, you could learn to speak more politely.�

Damn, why did he have to go off, saying my name. It was strange to have Jong Min say my name. It was like having him as a friend. �I�m going.�

�Suit yourself.� And then he hung up on me.

I stared at the phone in disbelief. Was this how it felt like to have someone hang up on you? Now I understood why Jong Min was so angry when I hung up on him. Urgh!

Chapter 14
We went shopping the next day. And guess what? I decided to leave the mobile phone Jong Min had given me at home and I made sure it was turned off. Not that I was avoiding him but I wanted to prove to myself that I could go on a day without having to see his sorry face.

Anna and Soo Min were the shop-a-holics and me and Soo Hyun did the lurking around, being forced to have to follow them into almost every shop. Anna and Soo Min made me try on over a dozen of short dresses in a variety of different colors and styles. They claimed I looked best in sky blue. They say it brought out my skin tone. I don�t see how. I knew they only said that because they wanted to see me in a dress.

Eventually after two hours of dress shopping, they settled on a short sky blue satin dress that had spaghetti straps. I hate spaghetti straps. I hate dresses. I hate shopping too. You know, come to think of it now. I hate many things. The only thing I could find about liking it, was the fact that my uncle had given us his Visa card for the day.

Anna nudged at me. �You�ve got a great figure, you know that. Why do you hide?�

�Maybe because I know I�ll attract one too many men, if I was to show it off,� I joked, battering my eyelashes.

They all looked surprised when I said that. �Wow, Landy. I�m surprised, you�re starting to think like a real woman.�

�Just because I choose not to wear dresses or skirts, doesn�t mean I�m not one.�

Soo Hyun joined in. �If you�re such a woman, then why don�t you have a boyfriend?�

Good question. It did get me wondering�

�Because I choose not to,� I answered. �Besides, most guys are jerks.�

�I second that,� Soo Min added.

�C�mon, not all guys are like that,� Soo Hyun defended.

Soo Min pointed at his face. �That includes you too, Soo Hyun.�

Anna and I broke into laughter as Soo Hyun pouted. He went to nudge at Anna and she rolled her eyes at him. �Do you think I�m a jerk?�

She laughed again. �No darlin�, I don�t.�

�Mind giving me kiss then?�

�Yes, I do mind.�

�Why do you say that?�

�I don�t want to wear off my lipstick.� And then she strode passed him while me and Soo Min �Oooohed� at him.

Five minutes later, we stopped right in front of a salon.

�Noooo! Don�t drag me in there dammit!!� I whined as Soo Min, Soo Hyun and Anna began to drag me into the salon.

It took three of them to pull me inside. I clung desperately onto door, refusing to let go.

�Come on, Nuna. You know you�re doing yourself some good. Remember we can�t make you do anything you don�t want to.�

That came from Soo Hyun and he was right. It was my decision and yet I was reluctant to do anything. Truth was, I was doing this for myself not anybody else. Seeing that everyone was changing with the world, I thought I hop along too. It got lonely sometimes, being an outcast. Not that it was bad being the outcast. The only wrong thing about it was the fact that I made myself into the outcast when I wasn�t an outcast to begin with. Do you get my drift? Anyway, I just thought it was time to do something about it.

I dropped my arm in defeat and turned to face them. They all looked at me with the same worried expressions, thinking I was going to boot it on out of there.

�Let�s do it,� I conceded and went to sit down.

The hair stylist, just stared at me.

�What?� I asked him, looking clueless.

Soo Min tapped my shoulder. �You�re suppose to wait for your turn.�

I turned in my seat to look at the other four who were still waiting. �They can wait a bit longer.�

The one girl stood up when she heard me. She was tall and lanky with very curly hair. �Who in the hell do you think you are, waltzing in here thinking you can go before us?�

I spun around in my chair to face her, having no patience at all. I wasted it all on trying on those damn dresses. Soo Min and Anna gathered close to me, preparing to hold me back.

�If your shouting gets your point across then I SHOULD SHOUT TEN TIMES LOUDER THAN YOU!!!�

She pointed a finger at me. �Why you---�

�No need to point at me either. I�m sitting right in front of you.�

Anna touched my shoulder. �Landy, calm down,� she whispered.

I stared coldly at the curly hair girl. �I�m calm alright. More calm than ever. Just a little impatient.� I looked at Soo Hyun for assistance. �Soo Hyun, let her know who I am.�

Soo Hyun nodded and said, �She�s a member of The Black Dragons and she�s dating Jong Min, the leader!�

No! No! No! It was suppose to be, �She goes by the name of Black Orchid, the b*tchiest b***h in Seoul.�

My foot suddenly swung forward to kick Soo Hyun�s behind. �You stupid idiot! You�re suppose to use the same phrase that you always use!�

All four of them included the hair stylist, froze like statues. And in a flash the four girls ran out, leaving only the fear stricken hair stylist to deal with us.

I gave Anna a sideway glance. She too, had dropped her jaw. �Y-y-you�re a member of the Black Dragons?�

Soo Hyun recovered from his fall as he rubbed his behind. �See, it worked.�

I quickly answered her. �I�m not. Soo Hyun was playing around.�

Anna exhaled and punched Soo Hyun playfully on the arm. �Gosh, for a moment there, I almost believed it.�

The hair stylist wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally greeted us. �Welcome, how can I help you today?�

During the whole process, I fought off the sleepiness. I didn�t want a chunk taken off my hair. I only wanted a trim. But it didn�t turn out as I expected. I had bangs now and my hair was layered. They even did stuff to my face. For one thing, my eye brows were slightly thinner, making them look more defined. Not too bad. Now all I had to do was batter my eyelashes at every guy that I pass and pray that he�d take notice. Yeah, right. I have to admit though, I was very impress with the outcome.

�Landy!!� came a deep voice to my right.

I turned my head to see Seung Hoon stepping through the door and he froze, running his eyes over me. �Damn, is that really you?�

I had to smile, happy to see Seung Hoon again. �In the flesh,� I replied.

Before he could say anything more, my sister cut him off. �Hey Park Seung Hoon! A hello would be nice!�

Park Seung Hoon darted his eyes to Soo Min. He shook his head in disbelief. �Is that you? You little brat.�

Soo Min already ran towards him and he lifted her off her feet when he caught her, swinging her around in a circular motion.

Soo Hyun was grumbling to himself. I knew he was jealous because Seung Hoon was better looking than he was.

When Soo Min was on her feet again, Seung Hoon looked over to Soo Hyun. �Hey pretty boy, how�s it going?�

As if he could make himself appear taller to impress Seung Hoon, Soo Hyun immediately stood up and said, �Still growing.�

Poor guy. Gosh, I tried so hard not to laugh at him. I could tell the others were trying to do the same.

�I called Seung Hoon here because I thought we all could go out for lunch together.�

Soo Min rolled her eyes. �Lemme guess, McDonalds right?�

�Well---we don�t have to if---�

�McDonalds, here we come,� I said, linking my arm into Anna�s arm.

She smiled at me. �Thanks.�

�No problem. Let�s go.�


* * *

(Jong Min�s P.O.V)

I waited for her for five minutes and she still hadn�t showed up. I reached for my phone to dial her number again and then I saw her walking through the door with a tall good-looking man, who had his arm linked to hers. Damn, where did I see this loser from? Behind them came two other people. A girl and a guy who were about the same height. I saw them before too. I couldn�t quite place my finger on it. Not far behind them, they were followed by another woman who appeared as if she was trying to remove something from her sneakers because she kept looking downwards. The thing that caught my attention about her was her hair. Shiny and silky, she looked like she just stepped out of a salon. Anna and the good-looking guy blocked my view of her as they approached the table. Anna immediately let go of the guy�s arm as I stood up, fixing my suit to get her attention.

�David, you�re here,� she beamed. �Did you have to wait long?�

The look in the other two eyes caught my attention. They recognized me. They knew me, that�s why they both turned around to say something to the woman behind them.

�No, I didn�t,� I replied.

�Well, let me introduce you to my friend, Park Seung Hoon from Japan. He�s come to visit his grandparents for the summer.�

We exchanged greetings of courtesies and I couldn�t help but think there was something more to this guy. I hated him already.

Then Anna looked past Seung Hoon to the other three who appeared to be bickering and moving away from us. �Are you guys okay?� she asked.

They look like they were shoving and pulling each other now. That�s when they fell.

Idiots. Didn�t they know they were drawing attention?

�URGH! SOO HYUN, GET THE F*CK OFF OF ME!�

I heard Landy�s voice, but where the hell did it come from?

I had to look twice at the three fallen people before I realized that Landy was one of them. Damn.

Seung Hoon went over to them and helped them up. A gentleman is he? When he helped Landy up, he made sure his arm supported her back. That�s when it occurred to me. It was that same bastard that was caught in the embrace with Landy. Why did it bother me so much to see them together again?

What the hell? Was she finally getting in touch with her feminine side? And for that loser? I had to admit, she did look much prettier. I couldn�t help but clench my jaw in reaction, feeling the anger swelling up inside of me.

Seung Hoon touched her arm. �Are you okay, Landy? How�s your arm?�

�It�s okay. I�ll live,� she answered ever so sweetly. That got me wondering where the hell did she learn to use such a tone?

�Come let�s sit and figure out what we want to order,� Anna suggested, gesturing for everyone to take a seat.

Once everyone was settled, Soo Hyun, the small guy, was the first to speak, breaking the awkward silence. �I want two big macs, fries upsize, coke upsize and three extra cheeseburgers.�

I was still staring at Landy who didn�t even bother to glance my direction. She preferred to keep busy by making funny faces at Seung Hoon.

Anna tugged at my suit. �David, what do you want? The same like the last time?�

�Yea, I guess,� I said.

�Seung Hoon and Landy? What do you guys want?�

�I�ll just have a large coke,� Landy answered, elbowing Seung Hoon.

�I�ll have a big mac combo,� he answered, leaning in to whisper something into her ear as she giggled.

�Soo Min?�

I caught Soo Min staring at me. She quickly looked away and answered, �Uh, I�ll have a salad.�

Anna pushed back her chair. �Okay, I�ll go---�

I pushed my chair back hard enough so that I drew attention. �I�ll go with you.�

She smiled as I offered my arm. Once we walked away, I knew I was going to end up hating lunch. If Anna hadn�t called, I wouldn�t be here to witness Landy and Seung Hoon flirt so openly. And I would never have a chance to see a different side to her. Why was it that every time I thought I was beginning to know her better, she always manages to surprise me?

Chapter 15
Stupid Jong Min had to show up when I least expected him to. I was more angry at the fact that he had to see me looking more like a girl with my new stylish haircut.

Seeing that the previous night, he had done fairly good job at ignoring me, I thought I play his game too. It was hard trying not to look in his direction because he was going out of his way to try and get my attention, only to receive none. Ha! That loser. Serves him right. I felt quite proud at myself by the time lunch was over. Honestly, I was more relieved be out of there. Not to mention, Seung Hoon was so adorable with his adorable personality. How can you not love this guy?

At home, Soo Min and Soo Hyun continued to interrogate me about Jong Min�s double identity. �Why is he playing Anna? Or is he playing you?�

�Did you see the way he flirted with her?�

�Is he engaged to her?�

�Does Anna know about his real identity?�

�SHUT UP!� I finally screamed, unable to take much more. �I don�t have to explain anything to the both of you.�

Soo Min argued, �Yes, you do. Or else, we�re gonna ruin it for Anna.�

I glared at her. �And break her heart?�

�You�re the one who�s breaking her heart. If you told her the truth, she wouldn�t have acted that way around him. What are you gonna do, have her find out for herself?�

What Soo Min and Soo Hyun understand was Jong Min had his reason in becoming David. I didn�t know why he was doing what he was doing. For some odd reason, I trusted he knew what he was doing, even if I didn�t trust him.

�Soo Min�s right,� said Soo Hyun.

I shot my brother a look. �I didn�t ask for your opinion.�

�We�ll tell her then.�

�No!�

�Why not?�

�Because I�ll tell her myself.�

They looked at each other.

Crap! That wasn�t suppose to come out.


* * *

++ 6:00 pm - Party Time ++

My uncle neglected to mention that the party was actually a birthday party. He never says much unless I ask. Hana�s aunt was turning 28 and she decided to invite her ex. Her ex, wasn�t going and have me replace him instead. When he saw me in the dress, he asked me if I wanted a few of his men to watch over me. That was his way of telling me that I looked pretty

So there I was, along with Soo Min and Soo Hyun including Anna, crossing the street to the club where the party was being held at. Soo Min signaled for me to stay behind a little and tell Anna the truth regarding Jong Min because the entire time that Anna had helped me dress up, I couldn�t conjure up the nerves to tell her.

The twins went ahead of us and I lagged behind, trying to walk with the stupid stilettos on, stumbling on almost every step. It was such a bad time to tell her. Anna was a step ahead of me when I said, �Anna, there�s something I need to tell you---�

Suddenly, I could no longer move. Anna twirled around to face me, with her lovely hair swinging in the same direction. She looked beautiful in her white Prada strapless dress. �What�s wrong?�

Damn, I couldn�t tell her. Not when she looked so carefree and happy. Not when my stupid heel was caught in the crack of the road. �Sh*t!� I cursed and tried to force my feet free.

Anna rushed to help. �Oh gosh, how did you get your heel caught?�

I panicked, realizing that we were standing in the middle of the street. �Damn, tonight is gonna suck,� I muttered, wanting to bend down to remove my feet from the stiletto when Anna stopped me.

�No, you�ll dirty your dress!�

The hell. My heel was caught and she was panicking about my dress? �Ugh!�

Anna tried to help but she was unsuccessful. �If I bend down any lower, it�s not gonna look good. I�ll go and get help. I�ll be back real quick!�

And then she ran off into the club, leaving me behind to stand in the street.

A few minutes later, some idiot drove by and shouted for me to get off the street. I gave him the middle finger. Another car full of guys drove by and slowly passed, hollering at me

�Hey babe, you need help?!�

�Yeah, why don�t you come and help me get my foot out so I can shove it into that mouth of yours?�

The guys all �ooohed� one another before they drove away.

Why did I feel like such a damsel in distress? This is what happens when you try to look pretty. I never realized that trying to be a girl could be this difficult.

Screw it! I thought, lowering myself to try and free my feet from the stiletto when suddenly bright lights came upon me. I shielded my eyes from the oncoming headlights and almost screamed when the car stopped just inches from my face. Okay so it wasn�t just any ordinary car. It was a limousine.

I suddenly felt like a small rat, being put under the spotlight with my heart pounding out of control.

The chauffeur immediately got out of his car and shouted at me. �What the hell are you doing standing in the middle of a lane?!�

I was still holding onto my one leg, looking quite guilty when I slowly raised my voice at him. �Feet kinda CAUGHT HERE!!�

When he saw what I meant, he laughed at me. That stupid idiot. Where was Anna when I needed her?�

�What�s going on here?� came a smoothest male�s voice I ever heard.

I looked up to see the man of my dreams, donning a pinstripe suit with a hat on his head. He was so fine and yet so slick all at the same time. My heart fluttered out of control. I would have screamed if I had been a crazed fan, but I bit my tongue back. Right in front of me, stood LEE MIN WOO!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! That�s my heart crying out to him.

He smiled that little smile of his when he saw the state that I was in. �Are you okay?�

That�s when the rest of the guys came out of the limo. One by one they came out. Hye Sung, Andy, Eric, Dong Wan, including Jun Jin. Oh gosh, this was way too much!!

I couldn�t find my tongue to answer him. �Uh---�

�Her heel is caught in the crack,� spoken the chauffeur.

The other guys just looked at one another.

Min Woo came over and lowered himself to examine my feet. Ah, dammit, I hope he wasn�t staring at my legs. I wouldn�t mind but still, I didn�t want him to stare. �Here, I�ll help,� he offered, removing my feet from the stiletto. He was holding onto my feet!

Still holding onto my foot, he gestured for the chauffeur to try and remove the stiletto from the crack. I wonder what his fans would do, knowing that Lee Min Woo was holding onto my feet. I didn�t need an answer to that.

�Thank you,� I said, �but you keep holding onto my feet like that, I�ll lose my balance.�

He smiled. �Sorry.�

Once he let go, he stood to help balance me with his arm holding me in place. Why was this guy so sweet?

As we were watching the chauffeur struggle to get the stiletto out, Min Woo asked, �You here for the party?�

I was so planning to kill my uncle for not informing me that Shinhwa were planning to be there. I couldn�t face him when I answered, �Yeah.�

The chauffeur finally wrenched it out, falling on his butt in the process of doing so. The guys laughed at him. He glowered before handing it to me. Although Min Woo was quicker than I was, grabbing the stiletto from his hand and insisted that he put it back on for me. When he was done, I thanked him.

�No problem. Anything for a beautiful woman like you.�

I chuckled. �Beautiful? You must be joking.�

He just smiled, flashing that adorable smile again and then he said, "I'm not."

Gosh, was I blushing?

A middle-aged man appeared out of the club. �You guys are here, great let�s go inside.�

Min Woo turned to face me, taking my hand to place a gentle kiss. �You look beautiful. Let�s hope we�ll see each other in there. Try not to get your heel caught again.� And then he leaned in close to whisper, �By the way, you�ve got incredible legs.�

Then he was off, being ushered inside by the middle-aged man.

I was still smiling to myself when Anna, Soo Min and Soo Hyun came running out.

�What the? She looks fine. What are you talking about Anna?� asked Soo Min.

Anna looked at me in question. �Who helped you?�

�Why are you smiling like that?� Soo Hyun questioned.

I snapped out of my fantasy state and rubbed my knuckles. �I got help from the man of my dreams. Let�s go inside.�