Soo Yon-Not Again

'Why the sudden change in schedule?' I frowned at Cheng. 'I was told you suggested it.'

'Yeah,' Cheng replied, trying to sound casual. But something in his tone seemed off. Cheng would never trade his free time for any shooting. Moreover, the music video shooting could have taken place as per the original schedule at a manually built set instead of a real location.

'I thought using a real location would give more meaning to the video's aesthetics,' Cheng explained.

'That makes no sense!' I exclaimed.

'Just trust me on this, Cheng responded in an irritated tone. 'I know what I am doing.'

There was a soft knock on the door. We were in our trailer, taking a break between a particularly exhausting variety show shooting. We were supposed to have the entire weekend off, but thanks to Cheng's insistence, our free time was replaced with another hectic shooting. I cursed him inwardly for his stupidity.

'Come in,' I said. Mia shyly entered the trailer.

'I heard raised voices,' she said in a concerned tone. 'Is everything alright?'

'Everything is fine,' I replied. I noticed she was nervously twitching her hand.

'Uhh...' she mumbled. 'I wanted to ask for a favor.'

Cheng and I looked at her intently, waiting for her to continue.

'Can I get this Friday off?' she asked. 'Deen and I are planning to go on a vacation for the weekend. We'll be heading off to our destination on Friday.'

Before I could open my mouth to inform her of the change in our schedule, Cheng cut me off.

'Sure Mia,' he said. 'Take a break. You and Deen need some quality time together.'

I looked at Cheng in surprise. Wasn't he the one who changed the schedule suddenly? I thought. Why was he giving Mia an off day? Something did not add up. My question, however, was answered in a few seconds.

'Where will you be heading off to?' Cheng asked, trying to be indifferent. But I noticed his eyes were scrutinizing Mia.

'Jeju Island,' Mia said, not noticing Cheng's expression.

'Enjoy your holiday,' Cheng said, dismissing her. Mia's lips broke into a wide smile as she thanked us and left.

I turned to Cheng.

'Explain,' I ordered. 'Why didn't you tell Mia that we're going to Jeju Island too?'

Cheng sighed. 'Hyung,' he started. 'Sit down. Let me explain why I really changed the schedule.'

He began to narrate his time with Deen at the amusement park and the mysterious neighbor he encountered there. The more I heard, the more furious I became.

'YOU ALMOST LOST DEEN IN AN AMUSEMENT PARK?' I bellowed. 'WHAT IF HE HAD GOTTEN KIDNAPPED? OR WORSE?'

'I know,' Cheng said loudly. 'I was terrified, thinking of what could have happened. It was lucky that the guy was there and found him. Otherwise, I would have never been able to face Mia...'

He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair. 'But we have another worry now,' he finally said. 'Those guys. Her neighbors. There is something fishy about them. Mia has hardly been here for six months! How come she is close enough with three single men to go on a trip with them?'

'Did you manage to take a look at his face?' I asked. 'The man at the park?'

'No,' he admitted. 'He was wearing a mask but there was something familiar about him. If only I had caught him.'

I sank into a deep thought. I never thought of the fact that Mia might have other men in her life. I was so used to seeing her with me and Cheng, that I forgot that there will be other men who will be interested in her. She was after all very beautiful and single. This also made her vulnerable to possibly dangerous men.

'These neighbors of hers, did you find anything on them?' I asked.

'Nothing!' Cheng replied. 'I don't even know where Mia lives!'

'She probably lives near Deen's school,' I guessed. 'Hyewha Dong.'

'Probably,' Cheng said. 'But every time I tried asking her where she lives, she averted the subject.'

I frowned. Why would Mia hide her address?

'And now, she's going off to a trip with those suspicious men!' Cheng exclaimed. 'We have to protect her.'

'Is that why you changed the schedule?' I asked. 'To keep an eye on Mia and Deen?'

'Yes,' he replied. 'We need to trail them.'

I stared at him. Is this the same Cheng who was indifferent to other people? He never interfered with any of the staff's private matters. Why was he so hell bent on protecting Mia?

'Cheng, do you...' I stopped midway.

'Do I what?' he asked.

'Nevermind.'

I did not want to ask him that question. In fact, I dreaded his answer. I could see it in his eyes, the care and concern he has for Mia. He never expressed such feelings for anyone before. For Cheng, relationships were never serious and he was always clear with all the women in his life that he is only there for the physical intimacy. He was never the first one to call any girl nor did he ever invite any girls over to his place.

But with Mia, he was different. He casually talked with her about things he could never reveal to others. His concern for her even extended till Deen, whom he shared a special bond with. This was not Cheng's casual escapades. For once, he was with someone because he genuinely cared about her.

I always notice the small, affectionate glint in his eyes whenever he spoke of Mia and Deen. A tiny hint of jealousy crept inside my heart but I bottled it up. The last thing, I would ever want, is to hurt our unity. I cannot lose another brother. Not again.