Chapter 82: Million Men

[Sierra’s POV]

The next morning, I woke up and found Shoei beside me, with his arms wrapped around me. Many would feel awkward or uncomfortable if faced with a situation like this, but I didn’t. I actually felt very comfortable when in Shoei’s arms and I’d say it’s because I always felt protected by him.

I squinted at the clock; 8:30am. It was time to wake up.

“Shoei,” I whispered as I nudged him.

“Hmm?” he murmured.

“It’s 8:30,” I said. “Wake up.”

“Already?” he yawned.

“Yeah,” I said and I sat up in my bed.

“Omigod,” he groaned.

“What?”

“My arm’s asleep,” he laughed.

“Was I lying on your arm the whole night?”

“You probably were,” he said as he tapped his arm to get the circulation going.

“Mian,” I giggled.

“Feeling better?” he asked me.

“Don’t know,” I replied, and it was the truth. I still feel like yesterday had been a bad dream.

“Why don’t you go shower first?” he said.

“Okay,” I said as I slid off my bed and walked towards the cupboard to pull out some clothes.

Before I walked out of the room, I picked up my phone to check if Jae Joong left me any messages; none. I sighed and I put my phone down on the table.

“Ppalli, ppalli!” Shoei drawled as he stretched leisurely on my bed.

“Araso,” I replied as I walked out of the room.

[Shoei’s POV]

I stared at the ceiling after she’d left, marveling at the thought of how I could have her so close, and yet I am unable to own her heart. We’d slept on the same bed plenty of times, the three of us. Most morning I’d find nuna in my arms because she was always feeling cold. Somehow, in the middle of the night, my arms would automatically seek her out and hold her close to make sure that she didn’t feel cold. I guess this is how Jae Joong hyung felt when he was around her; the need to make sure that she was well.

I reached for my mobile phone and flipped it open, dialed Jae Joong hyung’s number, and put the phone to my ear.

“Yoboseyo,” he answered in a hoarse voice.

I could tell that he didn’t get much sleep.

“Hyung,” I greeted him. “Are you alright?”

“Yea, I’m fine,” he said as he yawned.

“You’re not still upset, are you?” I asked him.

“I don’t wanna talk about it now, Shoei. If you called me to talk about it, then I’m gonna hang up.”

“Don’t hang up,” I said. “At least tell me… tell me you know nuna is innocent. Because I don’t believe you staying away have to do with this entirely.”

“I know she’s innocent. But we have other issues, and I need time to think them over.”

“Can’t you at least tell her you know she was innocent?”

“I can’t talk to her now. I need to be alone, to figure things out.”

“Are you at home?”

“Yea… I almost got beaten up by Yun Ho when I got home,” he laughed.

“He was pretty livid.”

“Tell me about it,” he sighed. “He cares too much about me, about Sierra.”

“He’s your brother. Of course he cares. It’s like how Skye and I care for nuna.”

“I guess… damn! Its 9am already?” he exclaimed. “I gotta go,” he said.

“Okay,” I replied. “Call nuna as soon as you can, alright? I don’t want to see her be a zombie for the rest of the day.”

“I will. Bye,” he said, and he hung up.

Nuna was silent that morning. We’d left the apartment by 9:30am and headed to the stylist’s since we had a slew of promotional events today. I was relieved that she didn’t walk around like a zombie. The last time she and Jae Joong hyung had a huge fight, she didn’t talk, didn’t eat much, and spent all the break times we had, between recordings, staring into space. But no matter how she felt, she managed to perform and that was what she did today.

We were at a mall promoting the new album. Cameras flashed, fans screamed, and all this while, nuna managed to smile genuinely at them, and greet them in the friendliest manner when they came up to her for autographs. She wasn’t acting. Nuna was never a good actress when it came to her personal feelings. She literally wore her heart on her sleeve. Only those closest to her can see that behind the smile, she was still upset.

“This is the bonus track from our latest album, and it’s a beautiful bilingual duet by nuna and Skye,” I announced. “Please give it up for ‘Don’t You Know’.”

The sweet melody played as nuna and Skye took center stage, hand in hand.

Sierra: Ni wei shen me yao ru ci dui dai wo
Ni wei shen me yao ru ci zhe mo wo
Zai wo di xin zhong you shu bu liao de shang kou
Nan dao ni yi dian dou bu xin teng

Skye: Why do I keep on running back to you
Each time I do I just get hurt again
For in my heart lie millions of sorrows
You placed them there, only you can take them away

Sierra: Oh baby, ni shi wo xin zhong de wei yi
[Skye: Oh baby don’t you know, that you are the only one]
Sierra: Ni rang wo xiao, ni rang wo ku, ni gai bian wo yi sheng
[Skye: You make me smile, you make me cry, you change my life]
Sierra: Nan dao ni bu zhi dao, ni jiu shi wo de yi qie
[Skye: Oh baby don’t you know that you are the world to me]
Sierra: Wo hui fang qi le suo you, ru guo zhe yang ke yi yong you ni di ai
[Skye: I’d give up everything, just to have your love, don’t you know]

Sierra: Wo men de ai nan dao zhe yang jie shu
Ni yi yan dou bu kan jiu li kai wo
Wo xin li zhi dao ni shi mei zhe me hen xin
Ni shi fou neng hui tou, zai gei wo men yi ci ji hui…

Sierra: Oh baby, ni shi wo xin zhong de wei yi
[Skye: Oh baby don’t you know, that you are the only one]
Sierra: Ni rang wo xiao, ni rang wo ku, ni gai bian wo yi sheng
[Skye: You make me smile, you make me cry, you change my life]
Sierra: Nan dao ni bu zhi dao, ni jiu shi wo de yi qie
[Skye: Oh baby don’t you know that you are the world to me]
Sierra: Wo hui fang qi le suo you, ru guo zhe yang ke yi yong you ni di ai
[Skye: I’d give up everything, just to have your love, don’t you know]

Skye: You are the one for me
Sierra: Baby, wo de wei yi
Skye: No matter where you go
Sierra: Wo hui deng dai ni…

Sierra: Oh baby, ni shi wo xin zhong de wei yi
[Skye: Oh baby don’t you know, that you are the only one]
Sierra: Ni rang wo xiao, ni rang wo ku, ni gai bian wo yi sheng
[Skye: You make me smile, you make me cry, you change my life]
Sierra: Nan dao ni bu zhi dao, ni jiu shi wo de yi qie
[Skye: Oh baby don’t you know that you are the world to me]
Sierra: Wo hui fang qi le suo you, ru guo zhe yang ke yi yong you ni di ai
[Skye: I’d give up everything, just to have your love, don’t you know]

By nightfall, Jae Joong hyung still hadn’t called. Nuna was pushing her food around, hardly eating. Skye and I have been observing her the entire night, and we were getting increasingly worried. She was starting to look tired from holding back her emotions the entire day. Immediately after the promotional events, when we were alone, she’d stopped smiling and had been looking depressed up till now. Skye and I didn’t say anything, and acted as if everything was normal.

We were eating with about half of our entourage; the other half had gone off to prepare for the next day’s events, when Brian hyung showed up.

“Yo!” he exclaimed as he stood next to us; we didn’t even notice him walk into the shop.

“Hyung,” Skye smiled. “Sit with us,” he said as we made room for him at the table.

“Are you here alone?” I asked him.

“Yea,” he said as he sat down. “Hey Sierra,” he greeted nuna.

“Oppa,” she smiled. “What brings you here?”

“Dinner?” he laughed. “What’s up with you today? You look tired?”

“We’ve been out all day, promoting the new album.”

“Right…” Brian hyung said. “So how are the sales?”

“Not bad,” Skye beamed.

“Then I’ll need to pick up your marketing plan.”

“That would mean that you need to get a girl band mate,” Skye laughed. “Cos that’s the only thing we have that’s different from FTTS.”

“And of course the fact that Skye and Shoei are younger,” nuna added, to Skye and my surprise.

[Sierra’s POV]

“Ya… agasshi… are you trying to tell me that I’m old?” Brian glared at me.

I could feel the stares from Skye and Shoei as well. I’d been either quiet or moping the entire day, and I think they were surprised that I was still able to tease Brian. I just felt tired of feeling depressed, so I decided to get a little fun out of Brian.

“No… not old. Just… matured?” I smiled. “No… you’re hardly mature. What’s the word? Hmm…”

I could feel Brian seething, but of course his anger was playful anger. I’ve never seen him really pissed or upset.

“Fermented?” Skye offered, and we started to laugh hysterically.

“Yah! You think I’m tofu? Fermented! Of all things,” Brian laughed.

“I can’t find a word to describe you,” I said.

“That’s a good thing, right?” he asked me.

“Maybe,” I smiled slyly.

“So where’s lover boy?” he asked and the whole table fell silent.

“He’s probably recording,” I replied casually.

I’m not about to start pondering what Jae Joong was up to. He hasn’t called the entire day, and didn’t leave me any text messages. When I get my hands on him…

“You guys wanna go for a drink later?” Brian asked.

“We still have work tomorrow,” Skye groaned.

“Just coffee,” Brian said.

“I’ll go,” I said.

“Are you sure, nuna? Aren’t you tired?” Shoei asked me.

“I’m fine. I need to get out more,” I said.

“I’ll have her home by midnight,” Brian winked.

“Whatever you say,” Shoei sighed. “I’m not coming. I’m a little tired myself.”

“No problem,” Brian smiled.

After dinner, I left with Brian and we went to a coffee house near my place. As soon as the waitress left after taking our orders, Brian started to question me.

“You don’t look fine. Spit it out,” he said.

“Spit what out? My dinner?” I smiled.

“Don’t be coy with me,” he said, acting like a stern father. “I know you’re unhappy about something.”

“Brian-shi… how well do you know me? How would you know if I’m unhappy?”

“I know you well enough,” he laughed. “Well enough to tell when you’re not behaving normally.”

“Like how?”

“Like how you’re being polite to me today. You’re usually playful and sarcastic.”

“I was trying to be civil for a change.”

“Liar,” he accused. “When have you ever thought to be civil to me?”

“Just now,” I laughed.

We paused momentarily as the waitress put down our drinks.

“You’re not afraid that we’re going to be in the papers tomorrow?” he asked me. “I can already envision the headline ‘Sierra cheats on Jae Joong with Brian.’”

“If such a headline were to appear, you would be sure that you will survive, since both yours and Jae Joong’s fans will kill me.”

“I don’t have that many fans,” he said.

“You do. You just don’t know it,” I said.

“Are you my fan?” he asked me.

“Of course I am. Or I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. Do you know that you’re not that easy to tolerate?” I laughed.

“I’m that overbearing? Mian,” he said as he lowered his head in shame.

“Stop it,” I laughed, as I reach over to smack him lightly on the arm.

“I’ll stop it if you tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said.

“Aha!” he exclaimed, pointing as me as he did. “So there is something wrong!”

“Tell me,” he said.

“No.”

“Come on, tell me,” he pressed on.

“Shiro…” I said as tears started to fill my eyes. “Keuman…”