Tied Remastered

Chapter 12

Y/n stared blankly down the hallway, locking on Wonyoung's bathroom door. The feeling of Hyewon leaning against his chest spread warmth through his body, pushing the corners of his mouth upward. His skin tingled at the thought of holding Hyewon once again, bringing him to hope he'll be able to do the same again.

"What are you smiling about?" Hyewon questioned.

"Nothing," Y/n replied.

Hyewon side-eyed the man, shaking her head. "It better not be anything indecent."

"I said it wasn't anything indecent."

Eunbi stepped into the living room, running her hands through her damp hair. She scanned for the other members before turning back to the tied pair.

"Anything new?"

Y/n raised his hand, gesturing to the backside, "The string got longer."

"Long enough for us to at least take a shower in the main bathroom," Hyewon added.

Eunbi nodded. She crossed her arms, letting off a low sigh. "Our comeback is coming up soon though... Do you know how it got longer?"

The pair shook their heads, prompting Eunbi to turn away. From the kitchen, Wonyoung leaned against the separating wall with her lips pursed.

Do I tell them...? How can I? Will he get mad at me?

"For what?" Ji Hoon trailed.

Wonyoung yelped, pushing herself off the wall, "When did you get back??"

"Just now."

"About that bell..." Wonyoung scratched her head, protruding her lips with a slight smile.

Ji Hoon shook his head as he set the groceries onto the counter, "I don't want to wear a collar while I'm here."

"Who said it was a collar?" Wonyoung scoffed.

"You. Every time you mention it," Ji Hoon droned.

Wonyoung wrapped her arms around the boy's torso, resting her chin on his crown. "You know I'm just joking. You do need a bell put on you though."

"Yeah, yeah. Do you want to help me cook?"

The young bunny's eyes widened. She stepped next to him with a straight back and a resolute expression. "What do you want me to do?"

"We're making stir fried pork."

"One thing I'm really surprised about is how you can eat so much, but stay fit," Y/n commented.

"Ya," Hyewon glared. She kicked the couch Y/n sat on, "I like to eat food; that doesn't mean I eat a lot."

"Do you get bloated when you eat so fast?"

Hyewon slouched into the couch, rubbing her stomach. "Sometimes, but I've learned to eat without getting bloated."

"How often did you get bloated before?" Y/n chuckled.

"A lot, but only when Ji Hoon cooked." Hyewon leaned her head back, closing her eyes, "When he cooks I gain at least five pounds."

Y/n furrowed his eyebrows, "Does he cook unhealthy foods?"

"Unhealthy for your stomach? Yes. Unhealthy for your body, mind, and soul? No."

"What does that mean..." Y/n trailed.

Hyewon held her hands in front of each other, "Your stomach is normally like this. But, when he cooks..."

She pulled her hands apart, pulling her fingers apart, "Your stomach expands at least twofold!! It's that good."

"He's only sixteen, right?" Y/n scoffed. "Does he come from a family of cooks?"

"Nope," Hyewon smiled.

Y/n crossed his arms, "Then I don't believe you."

Chaewon planted herself next to Y/n, bouncing on the couch cushion. "Whatcha guys talking about?"

"Ji Hoon's cooking skills," Hyewon replied.

"Oh..." Chaewon nodded. "Have you figured out anything about the string?"

"We haven't learned anything new yet," Y/n sighed.

Chaewon nudged Y/n's arm, "That's okay. Remember how you figured out that one thing? I'm sure you'll be able to figure this out too."

"One... thing...?" Y/n trailed.

"You remember? A few days ago," she smiled.

Y/n crossed his arms, pondering as he stared into the ceiling. From the single arm chair placed adjacent to the gray felt couch, Hyewon observed Y/n carefully.

His body language, his heart beats, his expression, she watched him closely in hopes of decoding their esoteric message. Despite staring as hard as Y/n stared into the ceiling, none of the puzzle pieces connected.

Hyewon frowned, when a spike shot through her heart. Her drifting eyes snapped to Y/n's illuminating smile.

"Oh yeah!! But that was different," Y/n chuckled.

"But how were you supposed to know?" Chaewon grinned.

Hyewon sat up, placing her elbow on the chair's arm, "Know what?"

"Don't worry about it," Chaewon waved dismissively. "It's nothing important."

Hyewon silently clicked her tongue, frowning as she slouched over once more. Though she felt her heart race, Hyewon watched the pair converse with an unamused stare.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, shifting through apps before ultimately placing her phone back down. A simple sigh slipped through her lips as her boredom settled.

Chaewon's giggles and gentle mannerisms shot skips in Hyewon's heart, causing the woman to glare towards Y/n.

I thought I was your bias...

The idea of barging into their conversation and resting her head on Y/n's shoulder deviously prodded at her mind. Her stomach churned at the idea, but it felt alluring.

He may be a good man, but he can't resist Chaewon's aegyo. That means if I were to...

Hyewon shook her head, dispersing her thoughts. She eyed Y/n once more, scratching her head before closing her eyes.

Might as well nap.

Eunbi laid sprawled on her bed. Her eyes spun as they tracked the ceiling fan's slow rotations, turning the gears in her head.

We could try putting him in a puffy jacket and giving him a wig. There's be no way for the public to know he's a guy. But... we could also say he's our manager. No. That wouldn't explain why he's everywhere Hyewon is.

Huffs of frustration puffed from Eunbi's nose, prompting her to turn on her stomach. She dug her face into her pillow, lifting her head before dropping it into the soft cushion.

How do we justify Y/n being in public with Hyewon? What if we got him a job as a camera man so that he can be on stage. The string is long enough for him to stand in the center regardless of where Hyewon is... He probably doesn't know how to use those cameras though.

Eunbi groaned as she turned over, frowning.

"Why is this so hard..."