.eight.

The football game went as Sun expected it to go. The Chivas team ended up defeating the boys and Narda, but it had been a pretty close match between them. It had all been filmed and would be later posted on the Pledis and SM youtube pages for fans to watch after editing the footage. Sun spent it the entire time with Ernesto, and went to Yixing's side as they filmed an outro for their day at Verde Valle with the footballers. They had another few minutes to socialize afterwards and the footballers once again tried to make conversation with the single members in Baby Lips. Sun let go of Yixing's hand and was about to walk away when his voice stopped her.

"So...he's your boyfriend now?" He asked her, and he was unable to hide the jealousy and disappointment in his tone.

Sun paused in her stride and looked over her shoulder at him. But she said nothing, hoping that her words would be answer enough. She faced forward once again and went back to Ernesto who was waiting for her already with a wide smile spread across his lips. Yixing only watched her go, a prick in his chest at the thought of knowing she was with someone else.

A part of him was still hurt over their breakup, while another had still been hoping they would eventually get back together, once they could talk about things. He went over to his friends, Minseok and Jongdae, which he was closest to at the moment. The other three Chinese members were gone now and he was the only one left in EXO. He had promised the fans he would never go because he didn't want Chinese idols to look bad and appear ungrateful to Korea and their entertainment companies. He was happy in EXO, with his brothers, and would stay as long as the group was active.

Minseok was busy getting autographs from the footballers, filled with excitement. He didn't much know about the Mexican league, or the team itself, but he was still very excited to meet them. The footballers had been very excited to meet them as well.

The other members spent their few minutes snapping pictures with the footballers for their social media accounts, as well as exchanging usernames to follow each other. And finally, they took a group photo all together. That one had been sent around to everyone and they posted it on their social media together. Sun had posted hers on instagram and twitter, with a light caption about how it had been great to spend the day with a bunch of handsome footballers.

It was early in the afternoon when they finished filming and afterwards, Minnie and Isaac invited everyone over to their house for a small get together. They were going to have food, drinks, and music. Everyone headed over to their house, some of them informing that they were going to invite a few of their family members and loved ones.

Isaac fired up the grill in the back yard while Minnie was in the kitchen cooking up a huge pot of Mexican rice and refried beans, among other foods that were native to Jalisco. Sarang had gone over to the kitchen to help out, along with Sun. She wanted to spend some more time with Ernesto, but she thought that she could do so after helping her friends prepare the food. The three of them were making conversation with each other about what they had been doing recently. Minnie explained to them about how she felt adapting to living in Mexico again and continuing with a solo career in her home country. She said that it was difficult, but she wanted to make it work and she was already working on writing and producing some songs. 

Minnie asked the leader of Baby Lips to hand her something from the cupboard and when Sarang reached for it, Sun caught a glimpse of a few bruises on her hips. Sarang quickly tried to cover them up by tugging down on her shirt. Minnie didn't seem to notice, but Sun didn't want to worry her since she knew that it might do something to upset her friend's pregnancy.

Sarang managed to grab the box of seasoning from the cupboard and handed it to her friend. 

Almost immediately, Sun grabbed her by the arm and tried to take her some place private so that she could question her once more. "Sarang, lets go up to my room so that I can let you borrow a hair tie, its getting warm in the kitchen and I wouldn't want your hair to get in your face." She pulled her into a part of the house furthest from the kitchen.

When they stopped, Sarang assured her friend. "I don't need a hair tie, maknae. I'm just fine."

Sun gripped the bottom of her friend's blouse and raised it just above her belly button, revealing the finger print sized bruises that were there. Sarang quickly gasped and tugged her blouse back down to cover it up. But she knew that Sun had already seen them. "What is that, Sarang unnie? Did...did Junmyeon oppa do this to you?"

"He doesn't hit me, if that's what you're trying to imply." Sarang replied with sharp words that were full of outrage. "You know him. He wouldn't hurt me."

"Then what are these bruises, unnie?" Sun demanded. Her eyes caught another glimpse of more bruises as the sleeves of her blouse moved up her arms. She grabbed Sarang's wrist and pulled her sleeve further, exposing more bruises--deep purple against her porcelain white skin. She next spotted some on her collarbones and neck. But her friend had been hiding them by wearing her hair down.

Sarang pulled her arm from Sun's grip and said defensively. "I have anemia, okay? I'm bruising easily because of it, now let it go, Sun."

But Sun wasn't believing any of it. With anger and determination, she left her friend alone and stormed across the house until she reached the back yard. She marched right up to Junmyeon and said nothing as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to another secluded part of the house. He had been talking with the other EXO boys, who only watched with surprise as they saw him being dragged away by a girl who was much smaller and thinner than he was.

By the side of the house was a long passageway and she stopped there, pushing him up against the cinder block wall that separated Minnie's house from her neighbors. "I want you to tell me the truth, Junmyeon oppa." Sun demanded, her lips forming a tight line because she was currently displeased with him. "Have you ever hit Sarang unnie?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Someone is hurting her." Sun informed him, for the moment trusting that he was telling the truth. "I saw the bruises on her skin. Someone is doing something to her and we have to help her."

Junmyeon had been horrified to hear that someone was hurting his girlfriend, and that Sun suspected him. But there was a hint of relief on his face when he heard the rest of her explanation. "I would never hit her. But she told me she has anemia, so she's been bruising easily. I did bruise her, but I didn't hit her. Okay? Merely touching her gives her a bruise now a days and when we...you know, get it on, she bruises even more. I thought I was being too rough, but I swear I barely touch her. I'm worried about her health too, but she assured me she'll get better in no time."

Sun heaved a sigh of defeat. "Something is really wrong with her, and she won't talk to me about it."

"She won't talk to me about it either." Junmyeon said.

"Sorry for accusing you, oppa." The maknae of Baby Lips apologized, and it was a genuine apology. She had been so worried for her friend that she had gotten carried away and started accusing him for no reason. "If I find out anything, I'll let you know."

The two went back to the party just as Isaac was helping Minnie get the large pots of food out onto one of the picnic tables in the backyard. Sarang brought out paper plates for everyone, and eyed her friend suspiciously when she saw her emerging from the secluded part of the house with Junmyeon.

"What were you doing over there with my boyfriend?" She asked Sun.

Sun merely gave an innocent shrug of her shoulders. "Nothing, unnie."

"You better not have been harassing him." Sarang warned, full of authority. Despite her pale and weakened appearance, she was still the leader of Baby Lips and the other members respected her. Her voice lowered into something of a whisper as she continued talking. "I already told you I'm bruising easily because I have anemia. For the love of God, everyone just needs to let it go. I am not going to die or anything." 

But Sun was determined to help her friend, and she wouldn't let it go.

-

The day of the wedding finally came around and according to tradition, the groom was not to see his bride before the wedding. Isaac's friend's had taken the tradition too seriously, because they had broken into the house at dawn, startling all the girls and the EXO members, as well as the bride and groom. They dragged him out of the house in his boxers and stuffed him into a waiting car, taking him to Ernesto's house, where he was to get ready for the ceremony. 

Minnie took the girls of Baby Lips, as well as Narda and Nari, to a nearby beauty salon which was owned by one of the WAGs of the Chivas players. EXO had their own stylists come in. Pledis wanted to do the same for their idols, but Minnie convinced them that it would be better to record them going to a beauty salon in town. 

It took about two hours for them to get their hair, make up, and nails done for the wedding. 

Then they returned to the house in a hurry to get dressed. Minnie complained as she got into her wedding dress that she was gaining weight quickly due to her pregnancy, even though she had only known for about a month that she was expecting. 

Once everyone was ready, Sun had gotten a text from Ernesto informing them that the groom was already at the church. The EXO members were also already there. The only people missing were the bride and her bridesmaids. Sun passed the message onto Minnie and the girls were on their way, all of them piling into a waiting limousine. 

-

There had been a lot of people at the religious ceremony, including the press who were eager to photograph Isaac Brizuela with his wife who was just as successful as he was. It was the biggest wedding in Jalisco, according to Ernesto and his friends. And once the ceremony ended, everyone headed to Verde Valle for the wedding reception. Everyone was going to wait for them as the bride and groom, with their grooms men and maids of honor, took pictures together. 

Minnie had strategically placed Sun between Yixing and Ernesto in all the wedding photos. She had placed her next to Yixing to please the fans, since they all thought the two were dating. And she placed her next to Ernesto for Sun's sake. She knew the two of them had gotten off to a good start.

At the party, Sun found herself keeping a distance from Ernesto. There were cameras everywhere and she didn't want rumors to start, even if there would be some basis to them. 

Towards the end of the night, her new lover had had enough of being away from her. She had been standing off to the side, watching as Isaac and Minnie had their first dance as a married couple. She almost let out a yelp when she felt someone grab her arm and pulled her into the small passageway by the side of the venue at Verde Valle. 

He clamped a hand over her mouth gently, to prevent her from screaming.

"Shh..." He whispered into her ear. "Its me. Ernesto."

He let go of her and she turned in his hold, her chest heaving up and down. "You scared me." She told him, breathless.

"Sorry." He apologized sheepishly. "I just wanted so badly to talk to you, but I couldn't in front of all those cameras. And I wanted so badly to kiss you too..." He trailed off, his eyes staring at her lips. 

Before she knew it, he was leaning in, and she closed her eyes, bracing herself.

It was like fireworks erupted when she felt his lips on hers. His arms wrapped around her slender waist, and her arms went around his neck, sighing happily into the kiss. It was different than the way she felt with Yixing, but it was still a nice feeling, and she felt like she wanted more of it.

While the two were hidden away in their little space, they didn't even notice as one person saw them. The one person whose feelings Sun wanted to spare the most after hurting him so many times.

Yixing.

-

sorry if its a bit rushed right at the end. i promised my cousin we would go out tonight and she just texted me so i have to go. thank you all loads for reading and supporting me and my stories. it means the entire world to me.

thank you for your patience, and thank you so much for still reading this story. even though its been a really long time since i last updated.

have a wonderful week!

-clary