Vibrations of the mobile phone roused Jessie. She squinted in the darkness and sat up. She shook Naj’s shoulder and reached across the floor to wake Gina.

“What time is it?” Naj yawned and Jessie shushed her. They both glanced at the small sleeping form on the bed. Naj mouthed Sorry and gently patted Caryn’s hip who was curled up next to the form. Gina flopped to the side, refusing to wake up.

“Unnie, wake up.” Naj whispered. Caryn was stirring and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. Slowly, the members of Starfire crept out of the room, careful not to step on the rest of 9starrybyeol  scattered across the room.

They washed up and went downstairs where their manager waited to take them to their fansign. They stopped for doughnuts and ate them in the van.

“You think she’ll be okay?” Gina fretted.

Caryn nodded. “She’s torn up pretty bad, worse than when it was over with Geun Suk but I think she’ll be okay.”

“I wonder if Nashi managed to push her schedule to another day.” Naj said, her face in worried lines.

Jessie looked at her phone, seeing Taehun’s smile. She wondered if she and Taehun will be like that one day. She leaned back on the seat, remembering what happened last night.

“Are you trying to say that all 9 of us are dating ZE:A boys?” Nashi gaped. Mia nodded. “That’s impossible! Siwan had a girlfriend who still writes him letters!”

Jaymee pointed out to Kyra who was currently stuffing a thick letter into an enveloped. “What?” She asked, looking up.

Nashi crossed her arms. “And, who are you dating, Jaymee?”

“Me? The prince of ZE:A.”

“Shikkie? Well, that kinda makes sense.” She rubbed her chin. Gina smiled up at her. “Let me guess. Heechul?”

“How do you know?!”

“You’ve always had a thing for rappers. Taehun doesn’t seem like your type.” At the sound of the name, Jessie sighed and Nashi pinpointed her as Taehun’s.

“Guess mine, guess mine!” Mia clapped her hands.

“Kevin.”

“That was anticlimatic.” Mia pouted. Nashi patted her hand.

“You’re always whispering in english and Kevin made sense.”

“Since obviously Joon can’t speak english at that speed.” Naj poured hot water into the hot chocolate mixture.

“So, I’m left with Moon and Minwoo. Moon is obviously Naj’s. Minwoo is with Caryn then.” Nashi sighed. The bathroom door opened and all of them got up from their seats in the kitchen to Nura’s room where they spent the night with her.

****

“Annyeong hasaeyo, Starfire imnida!” The four of them bowed and they were blinded by the flashing lights for a while. The fans were screaming and holding up posters and banners. They sat down at the long table and the fans came up in a row.

Naj struggled to keep a smile on her face when a teenager grasped her hand in his sweaty palm and looked at her in a way that totally creeped her out. As soon as he left to stare at Gina in the same way, she rubbed her hands on her jeans. Gina had the similar look on her face as her a few moments ago. Hse loked to her left where Jessie was trying to get her own free from an ahjusshi. He was trying to kiss it!

The security forcefully made him release her hand, picking him up by his elbows, lifting him away from the place with him shouting his love for her. She noticed the usual crowd of stalking fansand she saw they were talking in hushed tones, pointing to that man.

 Uh-oh, she thought, ahjusshi’s in trouble.

“Unnie!”

Naj turned to the fan before her. “Annyeong~”

“Unnie, this is for you!” The red-faced fan gave her a huge paper bag. “I didn’t eat for 3 days to buy this for you!”

“Oh, no! You didn’t need to do that! I’m happy that you love us enough to show up for this fansign!” Naj smiled.

The fan shook her head, a goofy smile on her face. “I think you will like it!”

Naj signed the album extra nice and addded a smiley face before the staff moved it to Gina,

“Hello!” Gina grinned.

“Hi, unnie! Can you write my name? Yaeji!”

“Sure, no problem. Thank you.”

“Starfire, hwaiting!” She beamed then hurried down to her friends.

Nice fans like that make me happy, Gina mused.

After the fansign, they walked back to the van amidst the fans. Caryn looked up when she heard her name being called out in unison. The group of fanboys ranging from 15-18 waved. She smiled at him, recognizing them. One of them managed to squeeze his arm through the security and handed her a gift.

“Oppa thought of you when I saw this.” The tall, slim boy said, flashing a charming smile at her, his left dimple denting his cheek. The security pushed him back and Caryn bowed her head in thanks and climbed into the van after Gina.

“I remember being able to move when we got in this morning.” Jessie said, from behind a couple of bags. Naj squished some behind her and jerked forward so she can talk.

“Me too. I wonder what I got.”

“Every fanmeet is like Christmas!” Gina sighed happily, taking out a pair of branded headphones. “Ooh, nice.”

Caryn tucked the stuffed, white bunny that she got from the quite cute fan beside her and called Nura.

Hello, this is Nura’s phone.”

“Dani unnie?” Caryn gaped. Dani was Nura’s cordi.

“Oh, Caryn. Hello.”

“Where’s Nura?”

“She’s fiming. It’s her last shot.”

“Oh. Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. A little tired looking but okay. Why?”

“No, nothing. Tell her to take care and call me later when she’s free.”

“Okay, don’t worry. Jaymee and Mia is here. They’ll look after her. Nashi and Kyra just left.”

Caryn bit her lip. “Oh, they’re there? Okay, then. Bye.”

“Bye.”

*******