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She had to act like he wasn't there, like his presence didn't bother her. They were still filming and there was nothing she could do but keep doing what she was doing, grilling the steak. But even as she did this, she felt Jun watch her. No one there seemed to mind his presence despite the water park having been closed to the public. In fact, Adam's manager was talking to him but they were too far for her to hear what they were saying. She only hoped Jun wasn't ratting on Cain for "dating". It didn't look like that was the case though as the manager looked far too happy for that.
Abby was still looking in their direction when she felt someone sneak up behind her, it was Seth.
"What do you think they're talking about? Nothing bad, right?"
By "nothing bad", she knew he meant what she had been thinking at first. "Don't think so unless our manager usually smiles when he's mad..." She flipped another steak but noticed it was burnt in the center, she had been pressing on it too hard with the tongs.
"I swear I didn't say anything." Joel appeared right behind them. It seemed like he too had noticed Jun's presence.
"I know. I believe you. I think he's just trying to intimidate us by being here." At least that's what she hoped.
"Hyung, I'm sorry to say this but I think your novia's ex is trying to get back with her."
Abby was surprised to hear Eli say a word in Spanish but as novia meant girlfriend, she suspected he used the word so none of the staff would know what they were talking about. He also talked to her in English despite Cain not being one of the English speaking members in the group. Although he did know enough that he would have understood what Eli said. "I doubt it. The bastard was the one that left her and she hates him too much for that."
"Woah mate, your English has improved." Joel patted her on the back.
She had responded to Eli in English as he had talked to her in that language. Abby however hadn't realized her English sounded way too good for it to sound like Cain.
"Cain, could you come over here for a sec?" The manager who was still standing next to Jun gestured for her to join them.
Abby turned back to look at all the members before leaving and saw them look just as worried as she was.
"I'll like you to meet Lee Jun, the nephew of the CEO of eLee's Cosmetics."
It was the name of Mrs. Lee's company, the one Jun was meant to succeed from his aunt.
"Actually, I AM the CEO and shouldn't you be bowing little boy?" Jun tilted his head and sneered at her.
Bowing to him was the last thing Abby wanted to do but as she knew the manager would expect her to do so and not wanting to get Cain in trouble, she bowed. She could see as a smile appeared on Jun’s face, he was enjoying his position. Were the two alone, she would have flipped him off.
His smile annoyed her so much it made her wish she could wipe it off by kicking him where it hurts just like Cain had done at the café. She had forgotten all about Cain but knew he was most likely still there as makeup artists usually didn't leave until the end. She felt the urge to warn him about Jun so he could hide. She didn’t want him to have to deal with her ex if they ended up running into each other. Abby was about to take out her phone to text him but the manager cleared his throat just then.
"Cain, how would you like to be the next model for eLee Cosmetics?"
Her mouth slackened, there was just no way that was the only reason Jun was there. He had a hidden agenda, she could feel it. He was never the type that would do something like hire an ex's boyfriend as a model "Could I perhaps talk this out with Mr. Lee? In private please." She needed to be alone with him if she wanted to find out what he was up to.
"Mr. Lee?" The manager turned to Jun for approval.
"Yea. Ok.” He nodded. “I'll talk in private with him. I was meaning to make a special proposal to him anyways."
With the manager gone it was just the two of them alone. Abby could see Jun was about to speak but she put her hand out at him before he could. "Hold on just a second. There's something I have to do." She needed to send the text to Cain. With phone already in hand, she started to type.
"You're texting her, aren't you? I already know she's here. I saw her trying to hide behind a pillar when she saw me. I think she was eavesdropping on my phone conversation.” He crossed his arms and walked closer to her. “Don't you think it's a little too risky for Abby to work at the same company as you though? I had no idea she even had such a talent as being a makeup artist, eLee Cosmetics could hire her. I'm sure my aunt would be more than happy to have her work with us." And again he had that smug smile of his.
"What do you want from her? And what exactly is it you want from me?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I know you're not just here to offer me a job as a model." It just didn’t make sense for him to want to bother Cain all of a sudden. It almost seemed as if he were bothered by the fact she and Cain were "dating" yet he was the one that chose to leave her, it was him that walked out of her life. It was none of his business if she started to date again and he had no right to bother whoever she chose to date. It wasn't like she ever bothered him whenever she heard from his aunt that he started to date someone and according to his aunt, Jun had had many girlfriends after her. She could only assume the reason why was because none of his relationships ever lasted.
"I can see you're smart. Must be why Abby chose to date you. She does like smart guys after all, take me for example. I bet I'm smarter than you though, idol boy. Is that why you chose to be an idol? Cuz you're not smart enough to be anything else?"
His insult not only belittled Cain but all idols in general, as if their career wasn’t one filled with hardships. Just knowing all the things idols had to go through on a daily basis made Abby’s blood boil that she felt a strong urge to slap him. But considering how a slap would seem girly coming from Cain and knowing she had more strength as him, she punched him. It was right in the eye just like she did the day at the cafe. "You think I'm not smart enough to be anything else other than an idol?” She stood above Jun as he lay on the ground. “Well how about my strength? Am I strong enough to be a boxer?" Despite him covering his eye with one of his hands, she could see as it started to swell.
"I would hit you back but I don't hit children." He spat on the ground as he staggered to get up.
That was of course only an excuse. She knew Jun not hitting her back was because he was weak. He liked to act like an alpha male just because he had money but in reality he couldn't throw a punch even if his life depended on it. Her own female body was probably stronger than his. She remembered a time when they were both college students and a guy had beat him up for having accidentally scratched his car with a metal ruler that was sticking out of his backpack. The guy ended up throwing several punches at him yet Jun hadn't been able to throw a single punch back.
"Now answer my questions before I punch you again." Abby raised a fist at him and saw as he flinched. Intimidating him wasn't hard once he saw the other person wasn’t afraid of him and she was willing to do whatever it took to get the truth out of him. She had been lucky they had gone further out so they could talk as it meant no one had been around to see her punch him. The cameras could have caught it but she didn't think the security there would be so rash as to release such violent footage from an artist that was supposed to be promoting their water park.
"Fine. Here's the deal.” He shook off the dirt from his pants. “You break up with Abby, maybe even hurt her enough that she'll come running to me and you’ll get a three year modeling contract with eLee Cosmetics. Normally modeling contracts for cosmetic companies aren't that long, they’re usually only made for a single season or a year at most. eLee is the same in wanting to get new faces to endorse their products but as the CEO, I'll be able to do anything I want and that includes a three year contract."
Out of everything Jun had said there was just one thing Abby didn't understand, why would he want Cain to break up with her? There was no relationship to begin with but he didn't know that. What angered her more was that he would even suggest such a thing as hurting her to Cain and for what? So she could go back to him?
Jun was the type of person that always got what he wanted but he wouldn’t get whatever it was he was now after, she wouldn’t let him. Not only was he trying to mess with her life but with Cain’s as well. Of course a 3 year modeling contract would be great for his career but at what cost? She might love Cain as a friend but there was no way she would sacrifice herself, not in that way. "Why don't you just go fuck yourself and leave both me and Abby alone! There’s no way in hell she’ll ever get back together with you! She's moved on so why would she want a piece of shit like you?!”
She turned to leave but then saw Cain standing only a few feet away from them. He walked up to her and grabbed a hold of her hand. She was about to pull away but then noticed his hand felt odd, he was wearing a latex glove. He had put it on just so he could touch her.
"I was hiding but then thought my boyfriend might need me."
"What are you doing here? Do you want Jun to cause a scene?" Abby whispered to Cain. As much as she appreciated him being there, she would have preferred if he were still hiding.
"You probably haven't noticed but Abel is behind that bush over there right now.” He motioned his head at a bush to their side. “He’s the one that told me I should come.”
Abby looked towards the direction and saw a bit of bright red hair sticking out in between leaves, it was definitely Abel. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed him there and felt embarrassed to know he most likely heard everything.
"Can't even hold each other's hands without gloves? Pathetic." Jun went over to Cain and pulled his hand out from Abby's only to then snatch his glove off.
"If you think we're so pathetic then why do you want to get back together with me—I mean with Abby?" She had to quickly correct herself and hope Jun hadn't noticed the slip up. She had meant to ask him the question but it wasn't like it really mattered. Whatever his reasons, there was no way she would get back together with him.
"It's not so much that I want to get back together with my freak of an ex but I do want the CEO position and my aunt is not letting me officially have it until I get married. Of course it'll be easy for me to find someone that will want to marry me but the problem is it has to be someone my aunt approves of. Even though I’ve dated many girls, none of them have been worthy enough for her. She keeps insisting I either get back with Abby or find someone like her, so here I am. It's not like I'll be able to find another freak like her." He talked as if she wasn’t even there.
"Wow. Way to win over a girl's heart, fuckin jerk!" Abel came out from behind the bush. "Too bad for you she's moved on. She has a boyfriend now and not only that but she has someone else that also likes her, me. So if she ends up breaking up with him, it'll be me she runs to and not you."
Hearing that Abel liked her made Abby’s cheeks flush. He had already told her so but she still couldn’t believe it was true. Not even in her wildest dreams had Lee Abel liked her.
"Well I need a wife and I need a model, that's what I came for and that's what I'm going to get. So you're coming with me little freak. You should consider yourself lucky that for some odd reason my aunt likes you."
Jun grabbed onto Cain’s hand and started to pull him. It was the same hand he had taken the glove off from. Not only was he rude but also inconsiderate. He knew her condition and yet still proceeded to do such a thing. Cain would however not stand for it, he didn’t care so much that he was being mistreated but that someone would even treat Abby in such a way was unforgivable to him. Without hesitation, he stomped on Jun’s foot and then spit on his face.
"Fuckin bitch! You're going to regret having done that! It's not like either one of these fools are going to marry you! They aren’t even allowed to date for crying out loud! I know your parents are also expecting you to start a family soon! So you'll either have to marry me or find yourself someone older but I doubt anyone else is going to want to marry a freak like you!"
If there was anything Cain and Abel could agree on at that moment was that the guy deserved to be taught a lesson. Neither of them were usually violent but drastic times called for drastic measures. Having turned to look at each other, they could tell they were both thinking the same thing and with a nod of the head they silently agreed to do what it was they were about to do next.
As Abel was the one with the stronger body, he went ahead and held Jun down while Cain kicked him.
"Call!—me!—a!—freak!—one!—more!—time!—and!—I'll!—break!—every!—bone!—in!—your!—body!" Cain kicked him after each word.
It was a total of 15 kicks, Abby had counted as she stood back and watched. Normally she was the type to break up a fight but she didn’t this time for the one that had hurt her deserved every kick and more.
"Omg! You guys! Are you seriously beating up a CEO right now?!" Having been asked about the two missing members, Joel had gone to look for Cain and Abel. The last thing he expected was to find them in a fight. At seeing Jun struggle to get up, he ran up to him and helped him. “Where’s your car? I’ll take you to it.” The leader grabbed one of Jun’s arms and draped it around his back.
“Over there.” Jun pointed to the nearest parking lot where a black Bugatti Divo was parked by the curbside.
“Yeah go ahead and help him you traitor!” Abel yelled out to Joel before going to Abby’s side. “Don’t let the things Jun said get to you. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” He really hoped she didn’t believe the things her ex had said out of anger.
“Well he did sort of have a point though...Anyways, thanks you two. I don't know what I would have done without you guys here." Most likely she would have ended up crying but she didn’t want to say that aloud. She was just glad for the first time that she wasn’t alone as for the last few years it was the only thing she knew, loneliness.
“Well if he ever bothers you again, let me know and I’ll handle him for you. Cain was the one that got all the action after all. I was only left with the desire of beating up the guy myself.”
“I heard that Lee Minjun! And there’s no way I’m going to let you do such a thing!” Joel who had run back to them, stood in front of them catching his breath.
“Ugh. Not my Korean name.” Abel rolled his eyes. “You already know that unlike all of you my stage name Abel is actually my REAL name. And I can do whatever I want, if I want to beat up the guy then that’s what I’ll do.”
“You’re only saying that because you didn’t see how badly hurt he was. I on other hand having taken him to his car got to see just how bruised up he really was. Even just seeing him put on his seat belt hurt to watch. Why were you guys beating him up anyways? I mean, I could understand why Abby would but YOU...why would you help her with holding him down? And Cain, why were you just standing there watching? She's your girlfriend, you're supposed to be the one helping her."
"I helped her because I like her." Fed up that he was being scolded, Abel blurted out the reason for his actions.
"Well okay..." Joel looked at Abby and then at Cain, he expected a reaction from either one.
Both already knew about Abel liking her so it hadn't really surprised them but as Joel believed the two were dating, at least one of them had to react like he expected. Knowing it would be more believable coming from her, Abby started to laugh. "Dude! You should have seen your face! We totally got you! He was only joking, right Abe?" All it took was one serious look at Abel to get him to start laughing along with her.
"I can't believe you actually fell for it! I mean, Abby is really pretty but I wouldn't try to steal a friend's girlfriend!"
“Well it’s nice to know that two of my sons won’t be fighting over a girl.” Joel smiled.
“Eww hyung! Stop acting like you’re our dad! You’re only 3 years older than us!”
“I guess that means I won’t be giving you any of the bulgogi I made then as I only cook for my sons. Bye! My real children await me!”
With a wave of the hand, Joel went off running but not far behind him went Abel.
“Wait! I take it back! Give me some of your delicious bulgogi daddy!”
“Eww! Don’t call me that! Just dad is fine.”
Abby laughed at seeing them act in such a way.
“I guess you have to go with them, huh?” Cain had known from the start that his time with her wouldn’t last long and yet he couldn’t help but feel sad.
“It looks like it. I’m just glad I won’t have to eat food cooked by others.”
“Yea, I heard...” For the second time that day he felt jealous of Abel. The reason why he had gone there after all was so he could help Abby. It was however almost the end of the day and he hadn't been able to do much for her. It didn't matter that they both worked at the same place, he was still limited in what he could do because he wasn’t the one that got to stay by her side.
“Well see ya later!” She had to run just to catch up. “Wait for me you guys!”
Seeing Abby get further away from him and then as she got to Abel’s side made Cain not only feel jealous but also envious. He thought he had been lucky to be the one at the clinic that day but had it been another member, he could have been the one next to her at that moment.
They were all gathered around a table to eat, including the losing team who still wore the girl school uniforms and wigs but instead of eating, Abby couldn’t stop looking towards Cain’s direction. All the while sitting only a few feet away from her was Abel who watched her.
"I thought you said you were just kidding. Why are you staring at Cain's girlfriend right now?" Joel leaned into Abel. He had noticed him withdrawn from the others.
Were he not feeling so down, Abel would have laughed at the misunderstanding. It wasn’t really Cain who he had been staring at after all, it only looked that way as Abby just so happened to be sitting in that same direction. "Would it make any difference if I liked her? It's not like she likes me either way." He turned around to look at his leader, he couldn’t believe what he was about to do but he needed advice. "Hyung you're the oldest, got any advice you can give me? But don't think of it as me liking a friend's girlfriend, think of it as me liking someone that cannot even like someone to begin with."
"Well what do you mean by not being able to like someone to begin with? Why can't she like someone?"
"I think it's because someone in her past hurt her. Do you think it could have to do with trust? Should I try making her trust me first instead of trying to get her to just like me?" He had always wondered what exactly happened between Abby and her ex but had been too afraid to ask. He knew it would most likely be too painful for her to talk about and he didn't want to make her go through any pain simply because he was curious.
Joel munched on his turkey sandwich while he tried to come up with the best advice he could give to his dongsaeng. Being a part of the losing team, he had been given a subway with chips and vitamin water. The sad part was that it wasn’t even a footlong but a 6 inch sub.
Abel felt bad at seeing him eat something so plain while he himself ate steak. It was why he grabbed a piece of his steak and placed it inside his leader’s sandwich. "Would you like gochujang as well?" He passed the sauce that was in front of him to Joel.
"Sure, thanks. And I think you should definitely get her to trust you first because in order to be able to like someone you first have to trust that person. So if she ends up trusting you that means she likes you, perhaps not in the kind of way you’re hoping but it’s a start. Because love is really like a seed you plant as once it grows you get to harvest it. You've seen how simple buds grow bigger and then eventually bloom into beautiful flowers, haven't you? Well whatever it is you have with her now, no matter how difficult it may seem, it has that potential of blooming into something as beautiful as love."
"Wow. That was deep. I never knew you were the romantic type but you're right. Thanks hyung." Feeling confident after speaking to someone about his feelings, Abel went to sit next to Abby.
"Hey. I like the food you made me." He was surprised when he had been given the extra plate of food but was even more so when he found out it had been Abby that made it for him.
It was what she called “Mexicanized-Korean” food which by changing a few simple ingredients she had been able to achieve a fusion of both Korean and Mexican flavors. Although it had been somewhat hard for her to do as there weren't many ingredients to choose from but by asking the manager she had been able to get what she needed.
"Really? You think it came out alright?” Had they been closer to Seoul, she would have liked to have taken Abel to her parents restaurant to eat. What she made was after all not nearly as good as the authentic Mexican food her parents served.
“Not just alright, it came out fantastic! You’re probably even better than the chefs here!”
“Now you’re just trying to flatter me.” She reached out with a napkin and wiped some sauce that was on the corner of Abel’s lips.
He blushed at the contact.
“Sorry. I should have just told you that you had sauce on your face instead of wiping it myself.”
“Uhh...it’s okay.” He looked down at his plate of food and smiled. “I really wasn’t trying to flatter you though, I was only saying the truth. I even gave Joel some of my steak because I preferred the food you made me.”
“Well I hope Cain likes it just as much. I made another plate and was thinking about giving it to him. I'm just not sure that's going to be possible at this moment...Do you think I should wrap it up for him?"
It explained why Abby had been looking at Cain's direction that whole time. She wanted to give him a plate of food but the staff rarely ate anything the idols did. They all usually just ate fast food as Cain was doing at the moment. The way he was shoving a bunch of french fries in his mouth however did not make Abby look very ladylike. As Abel couldn’t go tell him to stop eating in such a way, he texted him instead.
<Stop eating like a pig! You’re only making Abby look bad by eating like that! Also, she wants to know if she should wrap some food for you. What should I tell her?>
If there was anything that kept Cain busy and distracted it was food. He hadn’t even noticed he was being watched nor that he was eating so sloppy that a drop of ketchup had fallen on the pair of jeans he wore.
<Tell her I’ll be happy to eat anything she wraps for me and also ask her where she buys her jeans.> He would have to buy her another pair as he had just stained one of her jeans. He already knew her size, a size 2. All he needed to know was where she bought her clothes.
<Ask her yourself. I don't want to ask her something weird like that.>
<Fine.>
Abby had been waiting for Abel's response but instead saw as he texted someone. She tried to take a peek to see who he was talking to but Abel's head shot up just then and they ended up hitting each other's forehead. "Sorry. I was just trying to see who you were texting since you weren't answering me." She rubbed her forehead at the same time Abel did.
"It’s alright. I’m actually the one that should apologize. I just had to text Cain to tell him to stop eating like a pig. Did you not notice the way he was eating?" He only hoped the way he ate was a turn off for her.
"Aww. Why did you tell him that? I thought he looked adorable eating that way."
"You call that adorable?! Well then I guess I should start eating like that too then." Abel tried to imitate the way Cain had been eating by shoving some of the food from his plate in his mouth.
Abby shook her head as she watched him. "You and Cain should really stop trying to be like the other. What makes the two of you unique is that you’re different and I like both of you just the way you are.”
Abel stopped and reflected on her words. He realized she was right. If he wanted Abby to like him, he wanted her to like him for who he really was. Both his qualities and Cain’s were different but if he tried to be more like Cain and she ended up liking him for it, it would really only mean she liked qualities that were not his but Cain’s. He was however confused as to what she meant by saying they should both stop trying to be like the other. "Is Cain trying to be like me?"
"Well he asked me earlier if he would look good with freckles, I presume he was thinking about perhaps drawing some on himself like he did with you.”
“And what did you tell him?” He was curious to know.
“That he was already perfect just the way he was and that’s exactly what I think about you. You’re perfect, Lee Abel. Never change.”
Despite blushing from hearing such a thing, there was still something else Abel wanted to ask her. "I know this is going to be off-topic but...I noticed earlier back when we were with Jun that Cain had been wearing latex gloves and he was holding your hand. You seemed fine with it so...what if I were to wear latex gloves? Would you hold my hand then?" He took out a pair of gloves he had gotten from the kitchen’s supplies closet and put them on. He then extended a hand out to Abby. "Will you please hold my hand? There's something I want to show you."
Even though she had no idea as to what he wanted to show her, she saw no harm to it and took a hold of his hand.
Abel immediately intertwined his fingers with hers but then realized he should have waited to do such a thing once Abby was back in her own body. He was really only holding hands with Cain's and his hands were a lot bigger than hers. It just couldn’t work for what it was he wanted to say but he had to make do.
"I would have much rather done this with your actual hands but you remember how you said that love and you were like two puzzle pieces that wouldn't fit? Well...you're Cain right now but...if you were in your own body you're hands would be smaller, right? Closer to the size of my hands? Maybe even the same? Cuz my hands are pretty small, don't you think?" She nodded to everything he said. "Well...just imagine that we're holding hands with your actual hands. Close your eyes if it will help you imagine." Once he saw her close her eyes, he squeezed her hand. "So just REALLY imagine your hands are smaller right now. They are your own hands and not Cain's. Don't you think our hands would fit well together? Almost like they were meant for each other just like you and I are."
Shocked by what he said, Abby opened her eyes. If she were still the same person she was before, the one without all the defects, she would have thought it a romantic confession. Heck her heart probably still thought it as it had started to race faster but her mind told her the opposite, she couldn’t love or be loved.
"Abel...that's so sweet but...I don't think you really like me..."
He noticed she hadn’t said anything about her not liking him which gave him hope. It however saddened him that she thought such a thing. It made him wonder if perhaps he just hadn’t shown her enough how he felt.
"Why do you say that? Don't you think I know my own feelings? Because I do and I can feel it in my heart, I like you. I like you so much that I think this feeling could perhaps even turn to love. All I want is for you to give me a chance but if you need time, I can wait. However much time you need, I'll wait because that's how much I like you."
Abby had just opened her mouth to say something when they both heard glass shatter. They immediately pulled their hands apart and turned around, Josiah was standing behind them. He had dropped something and it looked like he had heard their conversation, at least part of it. No one else had been around, not even cameramen. As the members had finished eating, they had been allowed to roam the place but it seemed like the youngest had somehow stayed behind.
It didn't look like he had been there when they were talking about the body switch but he had instead arrived at the worst possible time as he would only think wrongly of them. The last thing they needed was to have to put up another charade, especially one that would make both Abel and Cain into a gay couple.
