Page 24 of GR8VITY

The house smells like the food Seong ordered a little while ago, but I can't even bring myself to think about eating. Even when I haven't had anything other than a protein shake earlier.

There's a beep from the security system saying that the front gate has been opened, and I don't think I've ever seen all of us move so fast as we stand. Thankfully, we keep some decorum as we move slower toward the front door and not stampeding it.

We've barely made it when the door starts to ease open and then stops.

"Wait," a girl's soft voice says. "Oh my god, Kyung. I don't think I can do this."

Thankfully, we can see where they're standing on the camera just above the door. Her small form seemingly gets eaten by Kyung's taller one as he turns away, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Dav En takes a step forward, but Seong grabs his elbow and pulls him back.

"Why?" Kyung asks her. "What's wrong?"

She lets out a short humorless laugh. "I don't think I've ever been this nervous for anything in my entire life."

I give him credit, Kyung doesn't laugh at her like he would one of us before offering comfort. "Just think of them like regular people like me and Dav. Don't be nervous."

"You really think I'm nervous because they're celebrities?" she scoffs softly. "When have I ever treated you or Dav En like that? They're your family. I don't want to do anything to embarrass you."

Pride surges in my chest for Kyung. If she checks out, to have found someone who doesn't care about his status as an idol and puts his family first is as lucky as lucky can get for us.

Apparently, we're on the same brain wave, because he wraps her up in his arms as he says, "Only you would be worried about something like that. I promise you that one of them will embarrass me in front of you before vice versa."

She lets out a soft laugh and stretches up to kiss the bottom of his chin. When he lets go of her and turns back for the door, I stand straight, hoping I won’t be the one to embarrass him tonight. Kyung walks in first, not surprised to see us all waiting. He steps to the side, and I swear to the gods I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. She's got the same wavy dark-brown hair as the photos, but they don't do her justice.

In Se nudges my arm and not so quietly whispers, "She's beautiful."

She lets out a small huff of a laugh, having clearly heard him. Kyung shakes his head with a smile. I'm just glad I wasn't the first one to embarrass him. He goes around introducing all of us. She bows to all of us, expressing that she's got some background in our culture. Then her vivid green eyes land on me as Kyung says my name, and I forget that I exist in the world.

In Se nudges me again, and I return her bow. "Nice to meet you." So much for me not embarrassing him.

She does a little hand wave with both hands as she looks at all of us again.

Kyung slips his shoes off, and apologizes, "We don't have a pair of slippers that would fit you, but you can wear mine if you'd like."

I can't help but admire the way she looks as she slips her shoes off beside his. The light pair of blue jeans is snug around her thighs and hips, flaring out a bit at the bottom. It looks really nice with the black wide neck elbow sleeve top that she's wearing. There's a slight twinkling from her neck as whatever she's wearing catches the light when she moves.

"I'm okay," she replies. "I'm fine in my socks, if that's okay?"

"Sure," he tells her, motioning with his hand to go first.

"Lizzy!" Dav En says, finally stepping forward and reaching for her.

He wraps her up in his arms and lifts her off her feet, making her laugh. A spike of jealousy spears through me that he's so familiar with her. It's swallowed whole by the expression on Kyung's face as he looks at them. If happiness were a living, breathing thing, it would be him right now. Shame weighs my stomach down. I am happier than I have ever been for my members and will not have that tainted.

"Are you hungry?" Seong asks her as Dav En puts her down and steps to the side.

"Starving," she tells him with a heart-stopping smile.

TRACK 07

OPEN DOOR

LIZ

I absolutely am not lying as I look Kyung dead in the face and tell him that I'm more nervous right now than I have ever been in my life. Truly, he can't fathom what that means. I've competed in sports. I've been on stages for school plays. I've danced in competitions in front of hundreds of people. I packed my life into a storage unit and left everything I've ever known to travel to places I've never been. Yet, somehow, meeting the people who mean the most to the man standing in front of me, has me feeling like I'm having an anxiety attack for the first time in a long time.

Then he has to go and say something crazy. I wish just once that he could see inside my brain so that he could understand that I don't care if they're idols. When I look at him, that's not what I see. When I tell him as much and he pulls me into a hug, it's like he absorbs all of my nervous energy into himself, and I return to normal. One of the many ways he affects me.