Page 40 of GR8VITY

"Okay," he warns, "five seconds."

We all get into place looking down at ourselves as he hits the button and stands back up in his spot. It takes a rapid set of photos. I already know this will be one of my favorites. All of my members and our girl, plus her favorite jellies in the background.

Dav En snatches his phone up off the floor. I go to throw an arm around Liz's shoulders, but find Yeon's already there. He must've put it there for the picture and not realized it. The way that she fits into our group like our little puzzle piece we didn't notice was missing is crazy. Yeon is normally extremely standoffish with new people as far as skinship and hugs go. The fact that he's practically hugging her to his side is a sight to behold.

His head cuts my way when he sees my arm come up. A look of surprise flits across his face before he quickly lets his arm drop back down to his side. One corner of his lips turns up in a half smile right before he steps away, going to stand next to Seong Su, purposely avoiding my gaze.

YEON

My heart is thudding in my chest so hard that I'm surprised that no one around me can hear it. I honestly can't believe what is even happening right now. How is this our life? A question that I've not asked myself in a really long time. Not since we first became idols and debuted. Not since our very first show where we had more people show up than we ever could've imagined.

One second, we're preparing for a comeback due in a few months. The next we're standing here with a girl that not only fits into the craziness of our lives, but feels as though she's been there all along.

I can't look at Kyung, because I know he saw my arm wrapped across her shoulders. I don't even remember putting it there. It just felt so natural. I'm worried that he will see what I'm thinking, considering I tend to wear my emotions on my face as my members so kindly like to remind me. I shouldn't feel so attached so early like this. The only way I’d know how to explain it is through something I once read about: the red string theory. That there is a thread that ties fated people together. No matter distance or obstacles, when the timing is right, they will find each other, and it's unbreakable. In the years that I've been with these men that I consider family, I could swear that we're all connected by that single string. Even when times have gotten tough and we've all taken hits mentally and emotionally, we've been there for each other so that we don't give up.

It's strange that since the very first moment of meeting Lizzy, that theory is all I've been able to think about. Might have something to do with the fact that I had a dream about it the first night we met her. Ever since, I've not been able to stop from wondering. Is she tied to Kyung? Or him and Dav En both? Was I wrong that the eight of us were tied together? Are we supposed to be nine and she is just now finding her way to us?

It's a conversation that I've started to have with Seong Su in the past couple days, but no matter how hard I try, there's not really been a good way to bring it up without risking sounding crazy. What other kind of explanation is there for the way that she fits with us so easily? Or the fact that she just so easily accepted Yoon Ji's proposal. I've not been in a relationship since before we debuted, so I don't have a whole lot of experience as it is. I don't clearly see how this is going to work. I'm simply going to run with my red string theory and Kyung's word of advice when I spoke with him about it yesterday to not stress the fine details and let things fall as they may.

"Okay," she says, her voice bringing me out of my head as she presses her hands together in a praying motion. "Are we ready to keep going?"

"I don't know," Yoon Ji states. "I think I could stay here forever."

She smiles softly at him. "So could I."

I think they might mean two different versions of staying here forever, the room and the moment, but neither clarifies.

"We've still got a lot to see," she tells him, looping her arm through his at the elbow.

He allows her to gently pull him out in front to lead us out of the room. It's no surprise, honestly. Out of all of us, he's the biggest pushover. We're often having to step in for him to make sure he doesn't get run over by people. To be fair, though, she could've picked any eight of us at this point, and we all would've allowed it. Even Minsul and Seong Su, who are both interested, yet the most reserved thus far.

We follow them down a hallway that slightly inclines as we go before finally opening into another large space. Where the first room we came to was similar in size, this one has only one wall of aquarium on it. The fish in here are smaller and brighter in color.

I'm admiring a cute little school of yellow fish when I hear her tell Yoon Ji, "I have a surprise for you. This might be a hard ask this soon, but do you trust me?"

Glancing over to where they're standing, Dav En close on their heels, I see when Yoon Ji smirks down at her. "Is my girlfriend...our girlfriend asking if I trust her?"

"Yes," she grins back up at him.

"I can't answer you unless you ask it like that," he teases, making Dav En snort softly before covering his mouth to try to hide it.

I don't know if they realize it or not, probably don't care, but they've got all of our attention.

Her expression softens even further as she looks up at him. "Do you trust your girlfriend?"

"Yes," he tells her this time with no hesitation.

She takes his hand this time and leads him to the other side of the room, us following along. When we reach an exit door, she turns to face him, saying, "Okay, I want you to close your eyes. No matter what you hear, keep them closed."

"Okay," he agrees.

I'm assuming he complies because she looks to the rest of us and presses a finger to her lips in a be quiet motion. Taking his hand again, she begins to slowly pull him toward the door, telling him, "No matter what."

He murmurs something that I can't hear, because we've had to practically single file through the door, and I've ended up in the back. By the time that I'm on the other side, they're almost in front of the big glass wall where she's leading him. When she stops him, she moves to his side so that she's facing his left arm and looks around for the rest of us to make sure we're all here.

Seeing that I'm the last, the smile that she sends me does something to my brain, because all I can do is stare at her. I can see why they say that men went to war for beauty. She is seriously one of the prettiest human beings I've ever seen in my twenty-eight years of life. Sort of ironic at the same time since that's what many of our fans say about me in our group.

Her eyes break away from mine to look back to Yoon Ji. I maneuver around to his right side so that I can see both of their faces at once. I try my best to go out of my way to take care of all our members and make sure that they all feel cared for in their own ways. Yoon Ji is always more difficult than the rest. Some of them, like In Se or Dav En, it's as simple as a hug, or a kind compliment for Seong Su or Minsul. Yoon Ji is different. He doesn't respond well to affection, and actions have always spoken louder than words for him, I've noticed.