"Oppa, I've almost gotten the things. Just wait."

Hoseok and Yu Na still were in puzzlement. Eun Ji kept looking for the gadgetries until Yu Na uttered, "Eun Ji, please stop. You must be offended.
Let us do the work."

"Unnie! But I'm just giving a hand to help you-"

"Don't do it if you plan to bully her." Hoseok's sudden reply had her choked on speech. She gulped thickly.

"Please, guys. Try to listen to me." Eun Ji pleaded in a papery voice.
"We've already heard you enough, Eun Ji. And we aren’t gonna leave this place except for any good reason." Hoseok firmly stated.
"And that's exactly what your problem is. Why don't you get yourself into another one instead of this club? This is hell. I did warn Unnie earlier but she doesn't listen to me. Why?" yelled Eun Ji out of the blue ignoring the tears welling up in her eyes.

Her sudden wail echoed through the empty room. Both exchanged glance while Eun Ji wiped away her tears averting their gaze.
Clearing her throat, Yu Na spoke, "Look, Eun Ji. You're acting so weird lately. I'm none to say this but seems like I'm the reason for this."

"Yes, you are, unnie." She retorted in a cranky tone, "Why are you being so nice to me all the time? How can you be so positive to me always?"
Sighing deep, Eun Ji resumed again, "I used to be my mommy's little girl. But this cruel world never seemed to be by my side for once."

"Eun Ji-ssi, I'm sorry if my actions bothered you-" Yu Na replied earning a glance from the said girl.
"Am I the one should say sorry?" she grinned sadly, "I just tried to save you. Feels like my existence is a curse."
As if her words had the magic of throwing people into uncertainty. Hoseok, then, frowned at Yu Na while the said girl puffed up her eyes, "To save me? Eun Ji, w-what are you talking about?" she stuttered.

"I'm saying the fact, Unnie. But you never try to understand or probably it's my fault," she exhaled deeply.
"But why? Who will want to harm her?" asked Hobi.
"Only if you trust my words, I can explain." Eun Ji responded.
"And why do we believe you?" earning the attention of the girls he questioned again.

"Because-" Before Eun Ji could exclaim further, they heard a sound of footsteps, "sh*t-" she cursed out low and averted her gaze on them, "Quick, guys. Come to this corner."
"Why? What happened?" Yu Na asked.
"I'll tell you later. Just hide." She kinda pushed them and concealed herself before a silhouette appeared.

"WHO THE HELL LEFT THIS ROOM OPEN?"

A rough, high pitched feminine voice it was to make sure of another human presence but them. Eun Ji bent herself a bit to check the position of the intruder. A lady in her fifties or probably more she was, wrinkled face and old yet strong body were her appearances. Hoseok did try to have a glimpse but Yu Na stopped him to do so as she smelled the danger and gestured him to keep quiet. The lady walked into the room, every firm step of her had them barely feel their heart under the ribcage by fear. Unfortunately, she was moving toward the corner they hid.

"Oppa, Unnie. Hide in that room, quick. She’ll find us just standing here." Eun Ji whispered carefully.

"But what'll happen to you? I bet that room is too small for three people."
"I'll manage it. I know this place better. Besides, Oppa is new here." Eun Ji replied lowly.

"But-" Yu Na’s caring side rose but again interrupted by the youngest.
"Unnie, don't be obstinate, just do what I say." Eun Ji, this time, blowing her words a bit high was enough to bother that deadly quiet place.

"WHO'S THERE?" cried the lady in a high tone.
Yu Na promptly got into the room but tripped on her feet. Hoseok held her waist to prevent from falling and pulled her near him. The lady rotated herself to the corner. Those thumping sound of strong feet caused them getting closer to the wall as if feeling that would make them vanish in the darkness. A good deal of minutes passed by with complete quietness before the sound of step slowly traced its way out of the place as a loud slam of shutting the door occurred.

"Phew!" Yu Na exhaled a long breath gulping a lump that formed earlier out of fear. Deciding to proceed with her movement until she felt locked in his grip. Hoseok firmly held her against his chest caused her cheeks turned to be crimson red.
"You okay?" his soft voice played in her ear making her heart beat faster. The only nod was her answer when she looked up embarrassed feeling his deep gaze on her. So intense it was as if his stare had been enough to heal her wounded soul inside. He slowly let her go.

"Aish, this dirt. Guys are you okay?" Eun Ji, meanwhile, trudged herself.
"Yeah, Eun Ji-ssi, Thank you.
And where did you hide?" Yu Na said crouching down to remove the cinder on her face.

"Behind that stuff." Eun Ji pointed at the pile of boxes covered with dirt.
"Yah, sit here. You can't do it by yourself." Yu Na scolded like a mom while Eun Ji whined like a child.

"Who's that lady anyway?" Hoseok managed to sit near crossing his hands against his chest.
"She's superior of the staffs here, Everybody fears her so much. Even me." Eun Ji pouted.

Hoseok observed every interaction of her, the way she was treating Yu Na revealing a completely new side of Eun Ji. Sounded like the intimacy was more like friendship. Hard to believe Eun Ji had this caring side other than her cold manner. Something so mysterious Hoseok could smell from his strong suspension.
Her genuine smile, she curtained behind her arrogance, filled with pure innocence creating a new introduction of her. The thing happened once in a blue moon had Hoseok along with Yu Na the witness of this.

"Thank you." Eun Ji's calm utter had him stopped on his track of thoughts while both of them fixed the awareness on the said girl. Smiling genuinely, where the gratitude was glowing on her lip, Eun Ji looked up at them, "Thank you Unnie, for not telling anybody about my secret hideout."
Yu Na hummed as she nod but inside she was surely uncertain about this entire matter.
"Eun Ji, " Hoseok called by her name earning a glance, "Why are you acting so nice to us all of a sudden? I mean, isn't it obvious?"

"I know what are you thinking of me?" she pulled a small smile making a blank stare on the floor.
"Since you got me treated you so bad earlier, it's hard for you to trust me. Bullying you was the only option left for me. Pretty funny, isn't it?"

"But why? What made you go through this?" Yu Na retorted mirroring her curiosity through her tone.
"Because... " Eun Ji paused to inhale, "I want my mom back. But your kindness toward me was so unlike others making everything so hard."
"What happened to your mom?" Hoseok gently asked as the issue caught his sensitivity.

Gulping, Eun Ji stood up trudging herself to the canvas she was working on, " I-I don't know. All I want is my mom-" Eun Ji pressured her forehead with the palm of her hand to force the rising pain inside down. She spun around, gazed on them straight, "I warned you two enough. But you, yourself, trapped here. I don't care if you're listening to me or not but I'm saying it again, be prepared for upcoming threats."
Saying her last words, she attempted to leave the place pulling herself back into her familiar attitude. Her abrupt change in a second sorta puzzled them but easily had them realized the fact of being wrong in somewhere.

"Eun Ji, wait!" cried Hoseok suddenly making her pace slow, " you're leaving us in the middle of uncertainty."
"Don't expect me anything more than this. I said what I needed to say. And now it's all up to you." Eun Ji, not even turning back, blurted and left while the remained souls there had themselves glancing at each other, anxiety marked upon their face as the sweat started to drop down.

Later after a good deal of the moment, they came back with the things to the stage room slowly.
"You two. Where were you this long?" Jimin ran to them, consisting the wariness that was visible on his face.
"Did you by any chance meet with the trouble?" Taehyung added.
"Yah! TaeTae, how many times have I told you to-" Yu Na retorted but got paused by the boy, "Call by her name! Ah, sorry. But I can't. She's simply a piece of trouble." Taehyung rolled his eyes while Jimin nodded with agreement.

“Why are you so down, hyung?” Jimin's sudden utter let the older have the center of attention.

“N-no, I'm fine.” he spluttered faking a smile, “could you show the way to the restroom?”

Chitter chatter of the trainees occupying the corridor sounded it a bit lively than earlier. Hoseok walked past not giving concern about his surrounding. Every thought left him in puzzlement before he could sort it out. He let his feet drag until he heard some words of conversation. He stopped on his track trying to follow where it came from. Around the corner, a door thereof a room engraved the name of a person Hoseok had already met. Sounded so desert around as any single soul wasn't in sight. Hoseok tiptoed near the door.

“WHAT ARE THESE? Do you have anything to say?” Lee Eun Jun, one of the members of the authority, howled at his own daughter. Hoseok was taken aback with the scene. Wasn't that man the one bragging of his daughter the previous day? He leaned a little nearer the door as the issue caught his curiosity when the harsh discussion inside was carried on.

“Dad, you're so fortunate that I'm still hearing your demand.” rolling the paperweight nonchalantly she uttered.

“What did you just say?” his father eyed narrowly.

“You heard me already, dad.” the said girl rolled her eyes.

“EUN JI!” yelled the man knocking the wood hard, “This is what I get raising you, hm!”

“Better for both if you had sent me away with mom then. You wouldn’t have to see me.” sighing deeply the girl eyed straight to her dad not being aware of her streaming tears.

Her dad emitted a long exhale, “That lady left you behind and you're still blaming me. Tell me what good had she done?”

“Don't pretend to be naive. You forced her to leave, didn't you?” Eun Ji gulped thickly, “Just because I promised her… to stay with you and hear you out all the time.” she clenched the hem of her skirt bowing down.

“Huh! what a story.” Eun Jun leaned back on his cozy chair, “Listen, Eun Ji. I have tolerated enough of your drama, now gimme some good feedback. In the next few months, agencies will come to pick up. You know, what I mean?”

“How do you still expect me? And what's the point of doing this? You're just using me.” making a rigid face, she replied.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BLABBERING OF?” his roar echoed through the room, “Ahhh! You ungrateful brat. What do you want exactly?”

“Huh as if I had asked you the color of the sky.” Eun Ji showing the ignorance averted eyes from his dad, “From the past few years I'm asking this single question having you pretending.”

“I have told you already. Don't act like you're still a kid.” Eun Jun again ignored his daughter before adding, “She’s dead. Accept the reality.”

“CAN’T ACCEPT A LIE.” the said girl squealed high all of a sudden.

“Eun Ji, behave yourself. It's my office, not your living room.” her dad shot a glare.

“Ah, really. Now you're gonna say this. Am I a laughing stock to you or what?” her words hit the silence.

Her dad faced straight to her, plastering soft fatherly warmth, sat beside, “Eun Ji, why are you doing this to me? Daddy loves you.” patting on her head he hugged his daughter.

The girl, still on her rigidness, grinned, “You don't seem feeling tired of being a facade, do you? But I do.” unleashed herself from her dad's embrace she sat in the distance, “You only love to be perfect, staying at the top at any possible way. Something that you always dream to do no matter what worse happens around doesn't matter to you.” she grinned averting her teary eyes.

The man then stood up, walked until he stopped near the racks of folders, pulled a specific one and at last threw it to the said girl out of anger startling her. “You're mature enough to understand, I guess. Have a glance of the file. Let yourself know one last time.”

He turned his heel to face his daughter, “Make yourself prepare. Last time Yu Na was nearly picked for your low performances. Don't let it happen this time, will you?”

Ignoring her presence he dived into his own world of work. The said girl there gulped, brushing her fingers on the name of the death certificate before her. A single tear dropped down.

Mrs Lee Yura died from a massive heart attack.

Digging out the words, she exhaled. Grinning, she stood up, “How long will you keep lying to me?”

Her father raised his brows of a visible irritation before resuming the thing he was into.

“She was absolutely fine while we met.” Eun Ji murmured.

Lee Eun Jun, this time, gazed back frowning at the girl, “You did what?” as if Eun Ji said something unexpected to hurt his brain.

“The day, we dropped by the nearest cafe.” She muttered something made her dad bulged up his eyes.

“And you're telling this to me now?” under the breath her dad clenched his teeth.

“Cause I didn't feel the importance to tell you. We met Mrs Soo Mi there.” Eun Ji could feel awkwardness all of a sudden in the air. She wasn't supposed to split something like this, If only she knew outside the room, a soul there, to whom it might be unexpected.

Jerking, he spun her around to face him, “How dare you not telling me anything?” his dark eyes shot death glares, “Now spill everything you little punk.”

“How do you expect it dad?” smirked Eun Ji, “Spill the truth, first.”

Her words influenced the rising anger into Eun Jun.

“I knew it, dad.” muttering low she showed her known arrogant side, “Cause truth always tastes bitter, doesn't it?” Saying she attempted to leave disobeying her dad. Her stomping steps traced to the door alerted Hoseok. Promptly, he slid himself to the room that was just beside the office. Seconds later, he came out sensing everything alright.

Stopping near the restroom, he leaned back against the wall. The streaming sound of water came from the ladies restroom. The knob of the door was twisted revealing Eun Ji’s pale appearance. She was also caught surprised seeing the said boy.

“Anneyo, Eun Ji.” he smiled at the girl who was still in her puzzlement. A new beginning would lead them to face the twist of their harsh life story.

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A/N: yeah, I'm getting busy lately. Hardly have the time to update. By the way, anneyo lovely readers. I should be thankful to you. You're giving your precious attention toward our sunshine's ff... Love u so much.😊😍

KuyaReCom as I once promised to tag you. Sorry for the delay.

Queen_kim247 thank you for helping me. I'm grateful to have you 😊