A/N: Sorry it's been a while, I had writer's block again. Anyway, song by Panic! At the Disco.

Chapter 7: Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off

// You know it will always just be me. //

That morning, Nina reluctantly opened her eyes and crawled out of bed, cursing the phone's incessant ringing for interrupting her sleep. She hadn't been having the best of days. Her promiscuous sister had hooked up with her roommate, but for some reason she knew they weren't the cause of her foul mood.

It had been three days, and every day she'd woken up feeling like crap. It wasn't just that her sister had hooked up with her roommate -- although that certainly didn't help -- but she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd lost something. Lee, to be specific. And he hadn't shown the slightest hint of sadness when she said she was leaving him. The way he smiled was all she thought about ever since, because while he could easily drop her and move on, she, in truth, had been agonizing over this decision for quite a while. She knew that it was ultimately for the best that she disassociated from this philanderer before he broke her heart, and yet he had made her so happy in the short time they were together.

She didn't understand it at all. She thought she'd put up a convincing enough façade as a frigid bitch, heartless towards him at every turn, and yet he was incredibly kind to her.

The phone continued to ring. Her hand was shaking as she reached to pick it up. What if it was Lee? What would she say?

"Hello?" she answered. "Oh...hi, Hwoarang."

The sunlight was an unwelcome contrast to Nina's mood as she stepped out to poolside to face her opponent. He opened his mouth to speak, but she charged at him, only to have him swiftly dodge her attack.

"Nina, please," he sighed. "No hard feelings."

At that moment her boot connected with his midsection, forcing him to fall backwards with a grunt. "Yeah. Whatever."

He swung his legs around and caused her to trip. Their melee continued on the floor with a vicious exchange of blows. Raven struggled to get away from her. He felt his forehead, and pulled his hand away to find a viscous red substance on it.

Then, he felt a hard slap right across his face. Fine, he thought. She had a right to be angry, indeed, but unlike her, Raven did not allow his emotions to control him in the battle arena. A swift, well-timed kick right across Nina's jaw earned Raven the victory.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, bending down beside her body.

She blinked up at the sunlight, defeated. His hand was outstretched, but she merely glared at it, causing him to slowly pull it back. She got up on her own and they walked in silence away from the poolside.

"Nina, there are things you have to understand..."

"Well, I'm listening." She crossed her arms and looked ahead as they continued walking.

"I'm in love with your sister."

"You don't know that."

"Come on," he spat. "Do you seriously think I'm that naïve? I may not always show it, but I know what love is."

A small tear formed at the corner of her eye. She turned her head the other way before Raven could see it and defiantly rubbed it away. Nina was definitely not going to let anyone see her cry.

"You okay, Nina?"

"Yeah, just having a bad day," she choked. "Look, Anna's a hot girl, I'll give her that. But she has the tendency to love 'em and leave 'em. I don't want to see that happen to you. You're my best friend."

He placed an arm around her and they continued on walking. "Don't worry about me. Your sister is incredibly sweet," he told her, "and if she ever hurts me, I'll be fine. I recover quickly -- you of all people should know that."

"Okay, okay," she replied. "One thing, though?"

"Hmm?"

"If things go belly-up, I get the right to say 'I told you so.'"

Of course, just because she gave them her blessing didn't mean she was happy. The sunlight was a little intrusive that morning, in her opinion. The birds were too chirpy, the coffee smelled too perfect. She was sitting at the table across from the new couple, giggling and making disgusting googly eyes at each other. It wasn't that Nina was just being grumpy that morning (although it did look that way), but seeing the happy twosome just being so...happy...made her feel an odd sort of emptiness inside. Maybe she was just having an off day. Who knows?

Why would she feel empty, anyway? Hwoarang was everything she needed: sweet, protective, maybe a little bit predictable, but a safe choice. He surely wouldn't break her heart, as opposed to Lee, who was handsome, charming and witty, but also insatiable. She had made the right decision in picking Hwoarang over Lee.

But why did she keep comparing her boyfriend to her ex? Ex-fuck buddy, she silently corrects herself.

Does she love Hwoarang? She wants to, with all her heart, but why wasn't she feeling all that much for him?

"Aw, Nina," Anna giggles, yanking her sister out of her stupor. "Raven's just full of surprises."

Surprises, Nina thinks. Maybe Hwoarang and I could use a little...spontaneity. She decided to drop by his dojo a little early for a nice -- well, naughty -- surprise. And doughnuts. This would definitely put a little spark back into their three-week relationship. Nina gets up and kisses her sister on the cheek. "Thanks, Anna!" she says, and hurries out the doorway, taking her car keys with her.

A gruff, balding man in full tae kwon do uniform is sitting nearest the dojo entrance as she goes in. "Sir, have you seen Hwoarang?"

"He's in the sauna room with a student," he replies, pointing across to a door. She heads there, but hears him ask, "Who are you?"

"His girlfriend," she calls out behind her.

The old man's eyes widen. "Girlfriend? Oh shit, wai--" He runs to catch up to her but it's too late; she's already opened the door.

"HWOARANG?"