Playing: Blue - Big Bang (2012)

As it turns out, I was still on break even when I got discharged.

Jinseok oppa informed me as soon as I crossed our apartment’s threshold that since I had been in the hospital, my schedules were pushed back to next week. I had three more days of freedom, much more than what I would have liked.

My brother grinned smugly at this; of course he had a hand in the whole thing.

“Eomma brought some food up from home for you; so eat up,” he chided as I sat on a stool in our kitchen, pouting.

“You told mom??” I gasped, my eyes widened.

“I had to; it was serious!”

“I don’t tell on you when you get sick,” I groaned, collapsing on the counter. It was our agreement when we both started working that we will never say or do anything to upset our mom. She already worries enough with us living apart from her.

I peeked around him as he placed groceries in our once free refrigerator. This was a perfect example of upsetting; Mom had sent stacks and stacks of side dishes in those huge lunchbox sets and currently filled our fridge to the brim.

“What else did she say?”

“She told me that you better obey me next time, or she’ll beat me up if this happens again.” He said, playing up the guilt card.

“No, she didn’t,” I curled my lip, and he smiled in mischief.

“Nope,” he admitted. “But she did tell me you have to finish the food here.”

He took out several boxes and laid out some of the contents on plates. I watched as he piled egg rolls, stir-fry beef and japchae, bean sprouts, and other whatnot on the dishes he set out.

“She was worried, though. She thought you had been overworked.” He said quietly, moving the food around.

“It wasn’t that bad,” I whispered.

“I know, kid. But don’t do that again,” He reached out a hand and ruffled my hair.

“I know it’s important for you to do well, and I like seeing you up there, setting your own name. But what’s the sense in that if you get sick and die?”

“But I didn’t die,” I mumbled. He fixed a serious gaze at me, and I looked away.

After a beat, he continued speaking. “We’ll eat in a few minutes; why don’t you call and check back on her so she’d know you’re home?” Seunghyun oppa held out my phone in his hand.

I smiled up at him and took the device, and he shooed me away to work on our meal.

After eating, Seunghyun oppa had to go back to work. I was alone in our apartment, again, and it’s only been a few hours since I got back.

I’m terribly bored.

I texted Bom eonni to ask if she’s home, but after two hours, she still hadn’t replied. I asked Hayi and Suhyun and the other girls what they were doing, but they all had schedules and couldn’t hang out after.

I blew my hair away from my face in boredom as I lay on the couch, the noise of the TV creating my background music. The afternoon had already faded into early evening. I wasn’t expecting my brother to be back until late tonight.

“I don’t even have a single book to read,” I moaned, rolling side to side on the couch.

“Should I sneak out?” I wondered aloud.

There was a manhwa store two blocks from the apartment, and it was near enough that I can run back home as soon as my brother gets on his way.

I decided to have fun while I was at it, and ran to my room to prepare.

Jeans, check.

Wallet, check.

Cash, check.

Hoodie, check.

Mask, check.

I bit my lip in anticipation as I plotted the heist in my head. I would get several comic books at the manhwa store, and walk back around by way of the YG practice rooms, which was also on the same block. That would take me around the two blocks; I’d buy a tub of ice cream at the corner store and make sherbet at home, plus some potato chips since I haven’t eaten anything salty for days.

My brother wouldn’t be home for a few more hours; he’ll never know.

I make sure to bring my keys with me, lock the apartment, and started on my adventure.

It was getting dark out, so it was easy to blend in the crowd unnoticed. I trekked up the street in the two blocks to the manhwa store...except that it was a total of four blocks and I totally miscalculated.

Oh man.

I was sweating profusely when I arrived at the store, and I felt a chill in my body. I could have sworn I only had a slight fever when I got out of hospital this morning, but the walk had made me tired and overworked.

Still, I couldn’t give up now that I was here. I browsed the shelves for some of the titles, and settled on a new one that I had wanted to read, stocked up on a couple more that I was following, and bought two novels. The woman at the counter handed me my bag. It was heavier than I expected.

This is going to be a long walk.

Because I had miscalculated my journey, I had to go back two blocks to go around the corner store near the practice rooms. My package had been getting heavier with each step, and since the wind was still chilly even if it was slightly warmer than in Uijeong-bu, the short trek exhausted me a lot than it should have.

Finally, I arrived at the corner store; after peeking in the windows to make sure that no random trainee was inside, I stalked up inside and grabbed two bags of chips and a tub of ice cream.

I nearly cackle in glee at my success as I paid for my purchase. The guy handed me the bag and sent me off with a thank you, and I was off. I giggled like a child, stepping out onto the street on my way home.

“Noona??”

My eyes widened and debated whether to turn around at the familiar voice. Of course somebody was bound to catch me; after all, I was so close to the practice rooms.

A tall figure walked around from behind me to block my way. He levelled his face with mine.

“I knew it!” Seungyoon exclaimed, Busan accent slipping in his surprise. “I’d know you anywhere. You’re free, noona! We were so worried!”

“Shh,” I slap a hand on his mouth. One of my bags dangled from my arm and hit him hard on the chest, making him "oof". I was glad that they were the books.

“Be quiet, you didn’t see me,” I said in a warning tone.

“Were you sneaking out?” he mumbled from behind my palm. I nodded, fixing a serious gaze on him.

“I just got out of the hospital today and I was bored. I went to get some stuff. Now, don’t tell anybody about this,” I glared at him, and he nodded. I took back my hand, which was starting to hurt. Those books were really heavy.

“But noona,” Seungyoon starts in a lower tone, staring almost alarmingly at me. “Your hand is still warm.”

“Eh?”

“You’re still sick,” he says firmly, placing a hand on my forehead, then slipping it around my hoodie to feel my neck. “You’re awfully warm.”

He glanced at the bags I carried and let out a snort, seeing the manhwa and junk food peeking from inside. “Really, noona, you could have waited until you were better.”

“I was really bored,” I reasoned. “Please, just pretend you didn’t see me.”

“Now I’m starting to see why Seunghyun hyung has to guard you 24/7,” he chuckled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I gave him the stink-eye.

“Now I kind of wonder what I should do with you,” he jerked his head sideways, watching me. “Surely, Hyung won’t let me off easy if he finds out that I just let you go home like this.”

“That’s why all you have to do is to be quiet and pretend you never saw me.”

“How can I be sure that you can get home? I’ll follow you,” he said, now walking towards my apartment building, a couple of blocks away.

“I can do it, Seungyoon. It’s the last two blocks.”

“You expect me to just let you walk alone with these things, when you’re supposed to be sick?” He effortlessly lifted the bags in one hand and shifted his knapsack on his shoulders.

I narrowed my eyes. “There better be no blackmailing after this.”

“I may be naggy, noona, but I’m not that devious!”

We walked in companionable silence, Seungyoon and I. He was wearing his usual practice clothes and his shoulders slumped forward like he was really tired, which he probably was.

“So, how’s the show?”

He brightened up immediately. “We won the last challenge! We lost with the judges, but we won in audience votes. You know, the one where we had Taeyang-sunbae?”

Youngbae. “Oooh, that’s great to hear! How was he with you guys?”

He grinned widely. “Like a mom.”

He burst out laughing and he sounded so cheerful that I joined him in.

“Oh, and TOP-sunbae gave us really good feedback. I heard he voted for us,” he smiled sheepishly. “I heard that he was one of the two who voted for us. We were really grateful.”

“Also, it was the first time that I talked to him in the cafeteria, so I thought I made a bad impression. I was wor