2:17pm Sent from Jongnight:

yoo, we getting smooth juices today?

2:19pm Sent from Yiju:

No, I have a history test Friday.

2:20pm Sent from Jongnight:

Laaaaaaame. I’ll buy it for u tho :D

2:21pm Sent from Yiju:

No, I’m good.

Jongdae frowned. Something was off. Normally, Yuji playfully texts with emojis, all lowercase letters or all uppercase letters. He’ll ask about it later.

6:48pm

Jongdae sighed, putting his phone down after trying to call Yuji. The first time he could tell she rejected the call; the second time, Yuji must have turned off the phone, considering the call didn’t even ring. Something had to be wrong. She seemed fine during lunch today… or did she. She was a bit more fidgety than usual, he realized. He ordered a smoothie for Yuji as he headed over to her house, dropping his finished cup into the trash.

Right as Jongdae rang the doorbell, his phone beeped with a new message.

7:22pm Sent from Yiju:

Why are you here.

Jongdae gaped.

7:23pm Sent from Jongnight:

how did u kno I was here? :O

7:23pm Sent from Yiju:

I heard your car pull up.

Oh. He noted that for any surprise, he shouldn’t use his car. The door opened before him, revealing a blotchy faced crying Yuji. He gasped.

“Oh my god, Yuji, what happened?” Jongdae moved in to hug her in a tight embrace. He closed the door behind him as Yuji wailed into his sweater. Jongdae silently patted her hair, trying not to think about the possibility to Yuji getting wet mascara marks on his sorta new sweater.

After her crying subsided for a bit, she replied, “I’m so stressed out.” She glanced up at him, and then continued sobbing.

“Oh, no. What’s going on?” He gently nudged her up the stairs, checking to see if her mom was home. “Did your mom come back from work?” He closed the door behind him when he entered her room.

“She just l-left before you c-came to get some groceries,” Yuji stuttered, wiping snot from her nose with a tissue.

Jongdae surveyed the situation; papers, notebooks, and textbooks spread all over the desk, bed, and carpet.

“I’ve got math homework, an essay, and two tests coming up real soon and there’s so much to do and I don’t know where to begin and I don’t understand anything and I just-“

“Okay, slow down, slow down. Let’s tackle this one at a time.” Jongdae attempted to soothe her again by placing her hand on her shoulders to keep her in place. She was starting to pace and ramble – two signs for another breakdown. “Give me due dates.”

“Math due tomorrow, paper due Wednesday, Biology test Thursday, and the big history test on Friday.”

“Alright. Let’s organize this. Let’s start with the math homework. How many problems do you have left?” She held up 5 fingers. “Okay, good. Since it’s due tomorrow, let’s get that done with first. After that, you can rotate an hour between the paper and the tests. I’ll stay here and help with anything I can, plus I’ll study with you for Bio, okay?”

Yuji nodded, walking over to her desk to finish her math problems. Jongdae settled on the floor next to her bed, sifting through his backpack when he found something.

“Oh, almost forgot, I got you a smoothie from JJ’s before I came. It’s your favorite, blueberry blast.”

Yuji turned towards Jongdae sitting behind her and holding the drink in her direction. She took it, tearing up again. “You are a blessing from the heavens, Kim Jongdae.”

Jongdae snatched an eraser on the floor and flung it at Yuji. "Shut up, you dork, and start working."

Yuji scrunched her nose when it hit her forehead, but did what she was told nonetheless.

Three hours later, the hours were spent through ferocious scribbling and frantic page turning. Jongdae had to periodically tell her she was doing great and to pace herself, while answering questions she spouted randomly during the study session.

"What's 47 plus 6?"

"53."

"What the cell type of fungi, eukaryotic?"

"Yes."

"When did Columbus travel to North America?"

"In ____, Columbus sailed the ocean blue~" Jongdae sang the last part longer and cheered for himself afterwards.

"1492! How did I forget...”

The door chimed, and Jongdae jogged downstairs to greet Yuji’s mother.

“Hello, Mrs. Kwon! Let me help you with those.” Jongdae grabbed some of the grocery bags from her hands and brought them over to the kitchen counter.

“Oh, isn’t it my sweet son, thank you so much!” Mrs. Kwon ruffled his brown hair. “Where is my troublemaker?” She placed the rest of the groceries onto the counter and began sorting them.

“She’s studying right now. I helped her and finished my homework as well.”

“So responsible! If you feel the mood, you can help me prepare some dinner if you’re bored.”

“Gladly, Mrs. Kwon! I’ll just check in with Yuji and I’ll be right down.”

“You’re so kind, Jongdae. Unlike somebody, you help me around the house!” Mrs. Kwon received a faint, fake retching noise in return from her daughter.

Jongdae chuckled as he jogged back up the stairs, smirking when he entered the room again. “I think I’ve just become the favorite child.”

“Stop up to my mom, you loser. You’re just her wish fulfillment for a son!”

Jongdae stuck his tongue out. “Either way I’ll get the affection of two moms, so ha! Call me when you need me, I’ll be downstairs!" Jongdae slided aross the kitchen tiles and stopped right in from of Yuji's mom. "Here I am, Mrs. Kwon! I’d like to warn you that I have zero experience in professional cooking other than boiling water.”

“Any help is alright, dear, you can just chop up some vegetables for me and that would be great. I’ve just set it up over there near the sink for you, so chop up the carrots, mushrooms, and cucumbers, please. For the carrots, just chop them an inch wide, and for the cucumbers, make them half an inch wide, ok?”

“Yes ma’am!” He playfully saluted her and marched to his station. Jongdae started working, chopping slowly to make sure he made clean cuts.

5 minutes later, Mrs. Kwon went in to check up on him and gasped.

“Jongdae! I guess I forgot to tell you to peel them first!”

“Huh?” Jongdae glanced back towards his hands holding his third carrot. “Oh.”

“Not a problem, not a problem. Just use this peeler,” she grabbed the peeler that was previously set in front of Jongdae, “and peel the smaller pieces you’ve cut.”

Jongdae sighed. He’s managed to make his work two times slower.

15 minutes later, Yuji stepped into the kitchen, watching her mom and friend bustle around with food.

“Are you done with your work, sweetie?” Mrs. Kwon turned around to talk to her as she mixed a pot of soup.

“Nope, I’m taking an ice cream break.” Yuji sifted through the refrigerator for her favorite tub of ice cream.

“Jongdae, you can stop right now and join Yuji. You’ve done so much, thank you!” Mrs. Kwon turned off the stove and took control over Jongdae’s work.

“Thanks, Mrs. Kwon! I – ” Jongdae stopped in his tracks at Yuji’s squeal.

Yuji slowly held up her spoon she tried to scoop ice cream with, and the spoon was bent at a 90 degree angle. “Whoops.”

Mrs. Kwon lowered her head and closed her eyes. “We do have an ice cream scooper for a reason, Yuji.”

“I don’t even know where it is.” Yuji pouted.

Jongdae walked over the second drawer on the left of the sink and pulled out the ice cream scooper, handing it to Yuji.

“Yuji… Even Jongdae has been here long enough to know where it is. I’m starting to feel more and more embarrassed.” If she wasn’t preparing the dinner, Mrs. Kwon would have facepalmed.

Jongdae smacked Yuji on the back of the head when Mrs. Kwon wasn’t looking. “Idiot.”

Yuji dramatically gasped, holding the back of her head and staggered to the ground. “Mom! Help! I’ve been attacked by the devious boy!”

“Jongdae, will you be joining us for dinner today?” Mrs. Kwon asked, completely ignoring her flailing daughter on the ground.

“Not tonight, I believe my dad is home early today so I’ll eat dinner at home.” He had to raise his voice a little louder for Mrs. Kwon to hear him over Yuji wailing.

“Oh! I haven’t seen your parents in a while. I need to make a note to have lunch with them sometime.” Mrs. Kwon smiled. "Let me pack some food for you to take home with you."

Mrs. Kwon sat at the dinner table, eating with her husband and Yuji. "Yuji, I feel so happy knowing that you have Jongdae now."

"Jongdae? The brown haired boy, right?" Mr. Kwon wiped his mouth after slurping some soup. "You aren't dating him, are you?"

Yuji scrunched her nose. "Yes, him. And no, I am not. Why do you feel so happy, mom?"

"It's just been so long since you've had a friend over Yuji. I was afraid that you wouldn't make any friends, but I feel less worried with Jongdae around."

Yuji scowled. "You make it sound like no one wants to be my friend. Just because I don't like to talk to a lot of people it doesn't mean I'm having a hard time, okay?"

Mr. Kwon intervened, "That's not what your mom was trying to say, Yuji, please -"

"I think I'm done with dinner. I'm going to continue studying. Good night." Yuji stood from the table, taking her dishes to the sink and quickly running up the stairs.

Mrs. Kwon flinched at the sound of a door slamming and bit her lip. "Did I go to far today?"

Mr. Kwon set down his chopsticks. "It's okay, honey, she's just really sensitive at this age. She'll blow over this."

Mrs. Kwon casted a glance towards the staircase. "I do hope so. She just seemed so sad last year, and that was when she stayed home most of the time."