Nine

"Why am I so mad at noona this time?"

"Because you have developed feeling for noona and when she didn't take your advise into consideration, you feel like she didn't accept you as part of her life."

Kai turned at Kyungsoo that appeared out of nowhere. He closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. Trying to digest things that Kyungsoo just said about him.

'Do I like noona?'

'No. Junniel noona is just like my other noona. When my noona do reckless things, of course I get mad.'

"You're just in denial, Kai. You are so transparent that everyone can see it. If you like Junniel noona like your other noona, you will treat her just like how Sehun treats Junniel noona." Kyungsoo tried to talk some sense inside his head. He looked at Kai that lay down in silence. His face didn't show any emotion which makes it harder for Kyungsoo to understand him.

"How's noona?" Kai changed the topic. He didn't want Kyungsoo to keep on talking about his feeling that stranger even to him.

"Why don't you look at her yourself?"

"Hyung.."

Kyungsoo ignored his whining. "But you know what Kai, you can forget about all your feelings towards noona because she couldn't afford to like anyone anymore. After all things that happened, she might break into pieces if the one that she loves once again left her."

'With Kai around, noona always feel comfortable. But that's the only limit. Noona cannot give or take more than that, Kyungsoo. The scar never went away and I cannot share that with anyone. It won't be fair for them.'

With that, Kyungsoo left him alone again.

Confused. Stings. That's what he felt at that moment. What did Kyungsoo try to tell him?

Kai reached for his phone. He looked through at his contacts, hesitating whether to call or not to call her. Deep inside, he really wanted to talk to her. But he is too stubborn to call her first.

Just when he's about to put his phone away, he received a text message.

Junniel.

'Noona's craving for ice cream. So, I bought extra. Want to share with me?'

Kai couldn't help but smiled. Suddenly he felt like he understood what Kyungsoo told him just now. He likes Junniel. A lot. He likes Junniel not just as his noona. He likes Junniel as his companion.

Kai packed his bag in hurry. He wanted to see Junniel.

When he was about to pull the door knob, he bumped into Sehun and Luhan at the door. He ignored both of them and quickly ran at the hallway.

"Noona get discharged this morning. She's home if you want to meet her." Sehun shouted out, so that Kai get the message. He had the feeling that Kai is going to see Junniel.

"Thank you, Sehun." He thanked Sehun without looking back.

~~~

"Hyung." Kai bowed a bit when Junsu opened the door for him. "Can I see Junniel noona?"

Junsu looked at him from top to bottom. His face is emotionless. "May I know why do you want to see her? Junniel needs to rest. If it's nothing urgent, then.."

"Oppa." Junniel called him from mid of staircase. She thought she heard Kai's voice from above, so she hurriedly walks downstairs. But she can't move as fast as usual since her ankle hasn't fully recovered yet.

Both Junsu and Kai rushed to her when they saw her trying to walk down the staircase. Now Junsu is on her right while Kai is standing in front of her.

Junsu looked at Kai and then to Junniel. "Is this the boy that made our Junniel study the recipe for gyudon?"

Junniel gasped and pinched Junsu's arm. "Oppa!" How could he blurt her secret just like that?

Upon hearing that, Kai grinned. Happy that even if it's not much, but his presence has some meaning to Junniel.

"What? Did I not get my fact right?" He laughed looking at Junniel's pouted face. Then he turned to Kai, "And you, do I give my permission for you to be here?"

"Oppa! Why are you doing this?" Even though she feels like she needs to hide at this moment, but looking at Junsu now, she really can't leave Kai with Junsu alone.

"Let's sit first." He looked at Kai and he gave signal to help him to walk Junniel to living room. Then he left both of them and went upstairs to get her sweater. Junniel must walked down in her hurry that she left everything upstairs. 

Kai walked beside her and he put his hand at her waist, wanted to support her balance.

Junniel frozen at her position. "I still can walk by myself, Kai. I don't need that much of support."

Kai ignored her complaint and he holds her even tighter. "I know, but I'm afraid you might fall again. Once is enough, noona. The practice room missed you."

Junniel tried to walk faster, but eventually her steps became slower due to her condition and Kai.

"If you are in this much pain, I wonder how you can continue to dance the other day with this condition. Don't you feel pain at all that night?"

"Are you going to nag again? I had it enough with my oppas. So, don't start again."

Once she gets to sit down, she quickly push his hand away from her waist. "Noona thought that you still mad at me. So, why are you here?" Somehow her face became hot. She does not even try to look straight at Kai.

"Someone sent me a message begging me to share ice cream with her. But who told you that I'm mad with you?" He winked at Junniel and that makes her face turned to red.

Junniel fanned her face with her hand. "For a person that didn't eat ice cream, you do come here quite fast. Why?" Somehow she's touched by that. She thought Kai will just ignore her text.

'Because she couldn't afford to like anyone anymore.'

Kai looked straight to her eyes. The more he looked at her, the more Kyungsoo's words kept on replaying in his head. And as much as he tried to ignore his feeling, he now knows what he actually feels for Junniel. Will he hurt her if he decided to like her now?

"Do you want me to take the ice cream for you here? Should be in the fridge right?" Kai shook his head, trying to get his sense back.

'I shouldn't make things harder for her.'

Junniel grabbed his wrist when he stood up. "There's no ice cream. Noona had finished it both." Since Kai doesn't reply her text, she just assumed that Kai won't come here at all.

His heart trembled at her simple touch. Junniel probably didn't realize that even a small gesture from her could brighten his whole day. A day without seeing her, his mood could turn upside down without any reason.

"I think I like you, noona."