☙✨💖✨❧

Monday, July 6th, 2015

“Wake up, Won! It’s time for our morning run!” An energetic voice chirped after ripping the bedroom curtains open, the warm sunlight from outside filled the room and there was a noticeable hiss that came from the bundle of blankets on the bed followed up with a groan as if he had just disturbed a beast of some kind. “Rise and shine, friend of mine!” Not a beast, just a friend. Though, after this whole fiasco, they might not be friends after this. It’s frankly too early to be alive. How in the world was this guy so energetic this early in the morning? He’s Won’s older friend from high school, 19-year-old Kwon Soonyoung. They just graduated from high school around five months ago, he really thought that was the end of waking up early, but he clearly thought wrong.

Why is Soonyoung here you might ask?

Well, for starters, they’re in the same dance class in the city and now that it’s summer break, Soonyoung suggested they stay active over the break to avoid being lazy, they’d be returning in September when the studio opens up again for the last session of the year before moving on to better things, at least for the ones who didn’t plan to do dance as a career. After so many years of it, Won Woo would finally be rid of it, finally. I never want to dance again… at least not without her.

They would be meeting up with their other fellow dance mates in a bit so they could run as a group, sort of like a bonding experience, so he took it upon himself to fetch his sloth friend after the sloth avoided the morning run all last week. “Won Woo, seriously, it’s time to wake up!” The blonde’s tone started to shift from excitement to a scolding one. He stepped over and started to fight with the sleeping beauty and successfully confiscated the blanket. “Yah! Do I have to drag you out of bed?”

“It’s too early for this.” Won Woo growled after sitting up, his hair was a mess and it earned him a laugh from Soonyoung. To which Won Woo glared at him, he doesn’t find this funny at all, not in the slightest. “How’d you get in?”

“The spare key under the potted plant!” He beamed in response and Won Woo only sighed. Of course. He made a mental note to change the hiding spot for the spare key when they’re done later. He did not want another repeat of this rude awakening. “C’mon, get up and get dressed! The weather is great today, perfect for the morning run you keep skipping out on.” His tone was friendly, but it was clear there was a hint of sarcasm in it too.

“So, you’ve noticed?” Won Woo snickered and stood up. “Fine, I’ll get changed, you can wait for me outside.” He gestured to the door, but Soonyoung stayed put by the window and narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“How do I know you’re not going to lock me out once I’m outside?”

“You expect me to change in front of you?” Won Woo blurted out in shock. “ert!”

“I’m not interested in looking, I’ll look out the window!” Soonyoung gave a nervous laugh and turned away to do just that. He was flustered that Won Woo even called him a ert, it’s not even like that, bro! “You don’t have to run, you can walk, just at least get some fresh air and get out, you’ve been hiding in your room since break started. That’s not good!” He scolded again and took notice of his unlocked window above his bed that was cracked open, probably to help cool the room. He thought about closing and locking it since they were going to leave, but he got distracted when his friend spoke again.

“School was so exhausting. Dance is exhausting. Life is exhausting…” Won Woo muttered while he changed out of his pajamas into appropriate athletic wear for this morning exercise. His outfit consisted of shorts (knee length), a black tank top and a dark gray hoodie jacket for later to cover up if he gets cold.

“Jeez, Won.” Soonyoung said with a hint of a chuckle. “If it’s that bad, why don’t you quit dancing? You clearly don’t like it, I don’t get why you keep doing it? Your parents would get mad if you quit early. Is that it?”

“No.” Won Woo simply answered.

“Then I don’t get it?” Soonyoung’s been trying to understand his friend Won Woo for quite some time now, ever since he transferred from Changwon three years ago in the summer. He was a loner and kept to himself, he wasn’t social, he was aloof and always glued to his phone. He had a theory that he was talking to old friends from his hometown and just couldn’t get used to this new one and that’s why he was always on his phone. Soonyoung and his other friends tried to befriend him a couple of times to help with that, but they weren’t so successful the first time around.

It wasn’t until a year passed that Won Woo’s habit of being glued to his phone gradually came to a stop. He was visibly dejected and lonely. Soonyoung couldn’t stand seeing him like that, so he made the second attempt to befriend him. Their friendship started out slow and they struggled with communication at first, but eventually, things started to click and fall into place, they’re not exactly close, but close enough. There were things Soonyoung still doesn’t know that Won Woo wouldn’t open up about and he gets it. He doesn’t want to pry, but it leaves him curious all the time. I’m so curious yeaaaah~! Way to trigger his inner Shawol. It reminded him that his favorite group was due for a comeback in August next month, he can’t wait.

“You don’t have to get it.” Won Woo said a moment later and snapped Soonyoung out of his SHINee moment. “I’m ready, let’s go.” He added on and gestured to the door, so they could leave. Soonyoung nodded and followed him out, but he couldn’t help but think about the situation a little more. There’s clearly something that happened to him before, something in the past… and it troubles him. He thought on the way down the stairs. Whatever it was, he’s bottled up the feelings and built walls around himself. It’s probably why he struggles so much to open up to others let alone, express himself. He was starting to feel bad for Won Woo, he felt like maybe he should just let Won Woo stay home today if that’s what he really wanted, if he really wanted to be alone? “We’re going? We’re not going?” He snapped out of it and saw Won Woo standing at the door with a raised brow and a questionable expression.

“You know, if you want to stay home you can. I won’t drag you.” Soonyoung gave him a sheepish chuckle and stepped outside. He turned to face Won Woo who looked confused and honestly annoyed.

“After I just got ready?!” He gawked at him. “After you scolded me about staying home since break started?” Why the change of heart so suddenly? Surely Soonyoung didn't come all the way to his house to waste his time, right?

“I know! I’m sorry!” Soonyoung gave a sorry smile. He did, unintentionally.

“It’s fine.” Won Woo sighed and stepped out to lock the door. Might as well now that he's dressed for the occasion. But he's still pissed at the blonde. “You said it yourself, I need to get out of the house.” After shutting the door and making sure it was locked, it dawned on him… “Did you put the spare key back where you found it?”

“Oh uh, I think I left it on your dresser when I entered your room.”

“Damn it. Now I’m locked out!” Won Woo couldn't believe how easy it was to lock himself out, this is a first. He ruffled his own hair in frustration and Soonyoung gave a sorry laugh when he glared at him. “I didn’t even grab my phone or wallet…”

“Talk about being distracted,” Soonyoung muttered with a light snicker as if he wasn’t distracted earlier when having his SHINee moment.

“And who do I have to thank for that?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy you lunch later!”

“You better.” He couldn’t believe how careless he could be, he always made sure to check that he had everything with him when leaving the house, his phone, his wallet, his key to the house. He doesn’t want to put all the blame on his friend, but if it weren’t for him asking about dance, then maybe his brain wouldn’t have been so scattered with distracting thoughts from the past and present, he wouldn’t have experienced that cliché movie moment as the main protagonist thinking back on everything that led him up to that very moment. “Let’s go, I’ll figure this out later.” Won Woo waved his hand dismissively towards the house and started walking off without Soonyoung. That shall be fun.

“Wait for me!” Soonyoung called after Won Woo who started running away at the speed of light. “How is he that fast?!” He did his best to catch up to his roadrunner friend.

By the time he caught up, Won Woo was already taking a break on the ground after reaching their other friends at the meetup spot, which was the park. There were five of them and they were getting ready to run by stretching appropriately. “What took you so long?!” One of the two girls complained. “You go on and on about Won Woo being late, but here you are! I wonder who the real sloth is this time?” Soonyoung collapsed in defeat.

“Everyone ready? Let’s run!” One of the other guys called out and signaled for them to start. They left both Won Woo and Soonyoung in the dust!

“W-Wait~!” Soonyoung tried to call out but he was too weak and accepted defeat again. Won Woo on the other hand just lied there on the ground and stared up at the clear sky. He watched a few clouds pass and his mind began to clutter with old memories. We’re still under the same sky, right? He began to think those lonely thoughts until Soonyoung’s head popped into sight. “You okay?”

“I’m… fine.” Won Woo muttered, his expression showed something else though.

Soonyoung sighed and took a seat next to him and crossed his legs. He pulled at a few pieces of grass for a moment before he looked up at the blue sky. It hurt his eyes for a few seconds but he quickly adapted and fell back to lie down and cloud gaze as well. “Why is the sky blue again?” He asked curiously and heard Won Woo snicker next to him. “I really can’t remember.” He pouted.

“Because of the Tyndall Effect.”

“And that is?”

“It’s too early for my brain to science.” Won Woo groaned and closed his eyes. “Ask something less complicated.”

“Then… can you tell me what happened back in your hometown three years ago?” Soonyoung asked and waited for Won Woo to respond, but he didn’t. He expected that. “Won, you can talk to me whenever. I won’t judge you and I’ll listen.”

“I know. Thanks.” He knows his friends are all curious about his time back in Changwon. He never talks about it and it must be why people think he’s so mysterious. He believes he doesn’t need to tell them, but after three years, he hasn’t been able to move forward as much as he’s wanted. Something always holds him back when he wants to talk to his friends or open up. He’d like to get closer to his friends, but the heavy weight of his past prevents him from doing it. There was ever only one person who really understood him, but that person is gone now. There might be another person who could understand him too, but he pushes them away every time.

For a moment, Won Woo stole a glance at Soonyoung who was squinting up at the bright blue sky. I’m sorry… Soonyoung noticed in his peripheral that Won Woo was looking at him and he smiled and turned his head to catch him, but that smile vanished when he saw the sad and lonely look in the other’s eyes. Instead of Won Woo looking away and acting like he didn’t get caught, he only stared at Soonyoung with that dejected expression. It nearly left Soonyoung speechless, he didn’t know what to say to him to change it. He felt helpless and it started to make him sad.

“The sky is blue because the molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light…” Won Woo began to explain and returned his gaze back up to the sky. “Think of a prism and how when the light shines through, it reflects all the colors of the rainbow.”

“If it reflects colors, could it be any color? I mean.. When the sun sets, it’s not blue, it’s red and orange.”

“Because the molecules in the air that scatter blue light are farther away from the line of sight during sunsets.”

“Interesting.” Soonyoung looked up at the sky and watched a pair of birds pass by. He saw something small fall from the sky and he quickly rolled over and ran over Won Woo in the process.

“What are you doing?!” Won Woo complained, struggling from the weight of Soonyoung on his chest so suddenly.

“A bird almost crapped on me!” Soonyoung complained and pointed at the small drop of bird poop on the grass next to them.

“Did you have to roll over me?” Won Woo tried to push him back over to his original spot but Soonyoung desperately avoided it and they both struggled on the ground together while other people looked at them when passing by on the sidewalk nearby. They supposed they were a pair of friends wrestling each other or something. So much for their group run, they got their exercise another way.

“Hey,” Soonyoung said a moment later after settling down next to Won Woo on the grass. “You don’t have to run every day with us, but at least once or twice a week, okay?”

“Or you’ll come to hunt me down again, won’t you?” Won Woo snicked.

“Maybe.” Soonyoung laughed. He definitely would.

☙✨💖✨❧

“Ji Min!” An older brother by the name of Lee Jaehwan beamed once he landed eyes on his younger sister emerging from the bus station. He rushed over to give her a bone-crushing hug and she painfully laughed. “I missed you so much! You’ve gotten taller and prettier!” He exclaimed, and it was clear he was on the verge of crying. After all, it’s been six years since he left home to pursue a career as a civil lawyer. He was always too busy to visit home; video calls weren’t the same as being in person. It was amazing to see how much she grew up in the past five years, she was only 13 at the time and he was 19. He’s 25 now and she’s 18, going on 19 in September. She’s all grown up and it was bittersweet for her brother. He wished he could have been there to watch her grow, but at least now he has the chance to watch her become an adult in the next few months since today she’s moving in with him and their other brother, 24-year-old Lee Hongbin.

“You’ve gotten stronger.” His sister said after they parted, she squeezed his arms to emphasis and he pouted. He looked down at her and chuckled lightly before he pinched her cheek. “Really though.”

“Okay.” He snickered and rolled his eyes before looking around. Their brother Hongbin was supposed to meet them at the bus station as well since it was their lunch break from work. The plan was to pick their sister up from the bus station, eat with her and drop her off at the house to get settled until they get off work later. If they could take the whole day off, they would, but unfortunately, it has to be this way. At least Ji Min was okay with it. “Hongbin said he’d be here, but I don’t see him.”

“It’s fine. He’s not coming.” She assured him, and her expression shifted. She didn’t seem pleased to hear that name and Jaehwan frowned. He felt bad that his brother and sister don’t have such a great bond with each other lately. “I told him not to come.”

“Why would you do that?” Jaehwan felt hurt, perhaps on the behalf of both siblings.

“He said he was busy and might not have a break today, so…” she shrugged her shoulders, “he doesn’t have to drop work for me, it’s fine.” Jaehwan was disappointed. An hour ago, he had just texted Hongbin about meeting at the bus station for Ji Min and it was to his understanding that he was going to show up, everything seemed fine, he’d be going on break by the time Ji Min arrives since business was kind of slow today because it was a Monday, a day everyone hated. “What is it?” His sister noticed the dejected look on his face.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I guess he’s a busy bean, it can’t be helped.” He forced a smile, and luckily, she didn’t notice anything odd. “It’s just you and me, what do you want to eat for lunch?” He asked after helping her carry her luggage to his car. “No limits, pick whatever you want.”

“I’ll have to think about it!” She laughed. “You’re giving me too much power!”

Once they were in the car, Jaehwan navigated away from the bus station and headed into town while Ji Min thought of what she’d like to eat. She ended up picking pasta for lunch and he took her to an Italian style restaurant, she was happy about it. He thought she was adorable when she took the time to admire the decor and even studied the menu. There were some foreigners seated at the table nearby and she was curious about what they were talking about in English. “Don’t eavesdrop, that’s rude!” He gently scolded her with a small laugh.

“I don’t even understand what they’re saying!” She defended herself with a cute pout.

“They’re talking about how much fun they’re having in Korea.” He explained, he’s been studying English for the last four years, he could understand most of it.

“And you scolded me about eavesdropping!” She narrowed her eyes. “I want to learn English too. I really like western music but it’s hard to understand unless I look up translations!”

“Learning another language isn’t that hard if you’re serious about it. I’m sure you’ll do great.” He encouraged her. “I’ll gather my beginner notes and worksheets you can study from if you’d like?”

“Of course! Thank you~!” He could see how excited she was, and it warmed his heart. He loves to see motivation and inspiration in others, especially if he can help them with it, too. There was a short time when he thought about becoming a teacher instead, but it soon passed since he also wanted to help people through law more.

Their food arrived a moment later and they began eating, Jaehwan didn't really have all the time in the world for lunch, so they ate a bit faster for the sake of having time to drop Ji Min off at the house before his break is over.

When they arrived, he gave her a quick tour and showed her to her room, so she could unpack and get settled. He had to head back to work after that and unfortunately mentioned he might be home a bit late tonight, but she assured him it was fine, and she understood. She even mentioned how often it happened with their parents and so, she's used to being alone. That bothered him, but he didn't have time to talk about it now. He'd remember to talk to her about it another time, for sure. “Here.” He handed her a black credit card. “Buy what you need, don’t worry about prices, but try not to go overboard either.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, I’m not very fond of shopping to begin with.” She assured him with a small chuckle. “But thanks! I’ll repay you later when I make money of my own.”

“Nonsense, you don’t need to pay any of it back. You’re my sister… I’m sorry I wasn’t there these past few years. I know money can’t possibly make up for that, but…”

“Don’t worry about it.” She gave him a small smile. “You should go before you’re late.” She gestured for him to leave and he agreed. With that, he was out the door and down the road moments later after a quick hug to his sister.

Even though she was used to being alone, being alone in an unfamiliar house and city was different. She wasn't sure what she was going to do for the next several hours, but one idea came to mind, she should take a walk and get familiar with the neighborhood. She can't rely on her brother to drive her everywhere, so it meant she'd have to walk to and from the house from now on. It's best she studies the area as much as she can before college starts after the summer break. She'll start out small first and look around the neighborhood today.

She grabbed her phone and wallet along with her new copy of the house key to take with since she can't leave the house unlocked while she's out. What if someone tried to break in? She can't have that happening on her first day in Seoul! Once she had everything she needed, she stepped outside and locked the front door and was on her way to explore.

She went to the left first and noticed it was more of a cul de sac on that side, she believed this made it a bit easier to remember which way is out when she leaves for school or the city. There was a total of eleven houses around there and she tried to mentally note that. She wasn't sure if she'd be walking down this way often but at least she knows what it looks like. She started her way back up to her brother's house and then started down the right side, the side that would lead her out of the neighborhood. She walked up the sidewalk and made sure to take in the scenery around her while doing so. She wanted to recognize the houses and counted how many houses there were until the end of the street.

There were five on each side. She didn't realize how long the street was until now when she looked down to the cul de sac in the distance. Well, at least there aren't a bunch of turns to do on this street. Unlike her street back in Changwon. That was the worst.

On her way back to her brother’s house, she noticed something odd happening at one of the houses across the street. There was a person acting suspicious, they were looking into the windows like they were trying to find a way in. A burglar? She froze for a second, feeling nervous. She thought to confront them and tell them to leave but there was no telling if the person was dangerous.

She pulled her phone out in case she needed to dial the police and crossed the street to get a better look at what she could tell was a guy. Just like in the movies, don’t run from danger, run to it, right? The closer she got, she could make out the person to be male. He had the hood of his hoodie on and it concealed his face and made him even more suspicious, he seemed to be around her age possibly and her fear started to slowly vanish. Was it some high schooler trying to mess around? “Yah! I wouldn't think twice about breaking into that house, I'll call the police!” She blurted out and caught the guy’s attention. He turned quickly, he was startled.

“It's not what it looks like, I live here!” He defended in a deep voice.

“How do I know you're not lying?” She questioned and narrowed her eyes. “Do you have your ID to prove it?”

“... no.” He said in defeat. Just his luck, right? How else do you prove you live there without any form of identification?

“I'm calling the police!” Since he didn’t have proof, she decided he really was some high schooler trying to mess around and break into one of the nicer homes on the street. He probably planned to steal any valuables and pawn it off in the city for some quick cash. With her oldest brother being a lawyer, she could not just stand there and let that happen, justice shall prevail. She held up her phone and began to dial the number.

“Wait!” The guy shouted and dashed towards her. She stepped back out of reflex and fell off the sidewalk onto the road when her right foot missed the curb. At least there were no cars driving up the road at the time. “Are you okay?!”

“No!” She pouted up at him, annoyed, he seriously charged at her and made her fall, that’s not okay. “Why did you do that so suddenly?!” She demanded but he only just stood there and stared down at her. She was confused and felt nervous, she wondered if he was going to do something to her now since he still looked suspicious with his hoodie over his head and the fact she threatened to call the police on him and he charged at her. She was about to scoot back on the asphalt when she heard him say her name.

“Ji Min?” He asked, his tone seemed shocked yet familiar like he knew her.

“How do you know my name?” She felt spooked. Why would he know her name? She's new to the city and has only met her brother so far since arriving from the bus station. Besides her brothers and their friends, she doesn't know anyone else in Seoul. That was until the guy removed his hood and revealed his familiar face. There is one person she'd know in Seoul, actually… her former dance partner who moved away three years ago, Jeon Won Woo.

“Oh my god.” She muttered, shock evident on her face. “Won Woo?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” He said while helping her up from the ground. “What are you doing here?” He was pleasantly surprised, she was the last person he thought he'd bump into, ever. He honestly thought he was never going to see her again. You're here. You're alive. Thank god.

“I, uh, just moved to Seoul today. My brother’s house is down the street. I was getting familiar with the area until I saw you trying to break into that house.” Her expression turned into a scolding one and she slapped him on the arm. “What’s wrong with you, breaking and entering is a serious crime!” She scolded. “And why did you charge at me?! That hurt, you know!”

“For the last time, I live here!” He gently pushed her shoulder in response, his pleasant mood soured from her accusation. “I left my key inside when I left this morning. I’m not committing a crime!” She only narrowed her eyes at him, like she didn’t believe him, and he felt defeated once again. “I only ran towards you to stop you from calling the police, I’m not a bad guy!”

“Okay, okay!” She rolled her eyes and looked around the area for any witnesses. “I guess we can catch up later since your in weird situation. Do you need any help?”

“No, no I don’t actually. I’ll just sit in the sun all day and slowly melt into a puddle until my parents get home and unlock the door.” He muttered and turned to walk back towards the house.

“Fine, okay, don’t say I didn’t offer any help! Bye!” She frowned and was about to head back to her brother’s house, but Won Woo rushed over and stopped her by her wrist.

“I was being sarcastic, idiot! Of course, I need your help!” He said and dragged her over to the side of the house.

“Don’t pull on my arm so hard!” She whined, and he quickly let go. “You don’t even know your own strength?”

“Sorry.” He muttered before he looked around for a way to get up the side of the house to his unlocked bedroom window. He could clearly remember it was left unlocked, it was just a matter of getting up there. The window wasn't too far up, but not low enough to access on his own. “Do you think if I lifted you up, you could crawl into that window?” He pointed.

“Are you insane?” She deadpanned. “Of course not.”

“Tch, thanks, you were so helpful.” He snickered and thought about it again. “Can you lift me up-”

“Hell no.” She blurted out. “We’ll definitely break something if it’s me lifting you up there!”

“What the hell am I supposed to do while I’m locked out of the house all damn day?” He sighed and ruffled his hair in frustration. “My phone and wallet are inside, otherwise I'd go waste away in town.” He could just go stay with a friend, but you know, gotta have a little drama in your life sometimes.

“Dramatic much?” She snickered at him. “You didn’t make any friends here after three years that you can play with until the day is over?” She added and he glared at her. She snickered again and looked up at the window. “Are you sure it’s unlocked?”

“I’m sure.” He nodded.

“Irresponsible!” She hit him on the arm and sighed. “At least in this situation, it’s a good thing. If you promise not to drop me, I’ll try to climb through the window.”

“Dropping you wouldn’t benefit either of us.” He pointed out. “I'd gain nothing if I dropped you.” Why would I even? “Unless you're asking to be dropped, like when you dropped off the face of the earth for the last two years?” Now it was her turn to glare at him. There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

“No, but you gotta treat me to food after this, cause it’s definitely going to drain all of my energy when we're done.” She sighed and started to prepare for her trip up. She emptied her pockets, so nothing would fall out while being lifted.

“You haven’t changed.” He said with a hint of a smile when she wasn’t looking. He recalled the many times they would eat out together, she had a big appetite due to being a dancer and she was always thinking about food and asking for it. She's still as cute as ever...

“You either.” She pouted up at him. “Well, you’ve gotten freakishly taller, but your attitude is still the same.” She scoffed and tied her long hair back, so it wouldn’t get in the way. “Wow, never thought my first day in Seoul would consist of me breaking into an old dance partner’s house. What a reunion, wouldn’t you say?”

“I'll be sure to call the police.” He joked, referring to when she threatened to call when she spotted him during her walk. The tables turned.

“I don't think I want to help you anymore!” She huffed while crossing her arms over her chest. She was still so easy to tease, and he just laughed. “Why would you call the police when you're the one who suggested this idea in the first place?”

“Shut up and just let me lift you up already!” He complained and gestured for her to turn around. “Be careful, luckily my bed is right below the window.” He explained before he went into a squat position and put his hands out for her to put her foot on. On a count of three, she stepped up and he struggled with lifting her up to the window only a little bit, naturally. It’s not every day he lifts another human being up into a window, so the first few seconds were definitely a struggle. He was sure it would have been a lot harder, but he was shocked to find it somewhat easy, maybe he really doesn't know his own strength as she mentioned before.

Things were going smoothly once he lifted her up, she reached the window and pushed it open, so she could crawl in, but halfway there, her arm gave out and she collapsed halfway in. Her lower half was just hanging out and Won Woo facepalmed. What a sight to see for the neighbors passing by, two teenagers breaking into a house, or at least trying to since one of them just had their lower half hanging out the damn window. The other, regretting his life decisions down below, face in his palm, facepalming.

“Ow!” She complained while trying to wiggle her way in, it was not the most comfortable way of crawling into the window when gravity was against her. This is honestly the worst time to have noodle arms and no upper body strength, Ji Min was honestly screwed if she doesn’t figure something out quick, her poor organs might not survive much longer in that position. Won Woo thought of a way to help her and grabbed one of the gardening tools by the back gate, a shovel, and tried to somehow poke at her foot to give her leverage, but all she did was kick and squirm, shouting for him to knock it off. “I’m trying to help you!” He defended.

“Well, it’s not helping!” She shouted back. It was really all up to her now. After a moment of wiggling her way in, she successfully fell onto Won Woo’s bed, mission complete. At this point, she was exhausted from all that movement and took a moment to rest. She couldn’t imagine if she had fallen from the window? She was sure Won Woo would have tried to catch her, but there was no way they wouldn’t have gotten severely hurt in the process. Broken bones most likely. How reckless! She thought with a snicker.

But she won’t lie, she got a small rush of adrenaline in her system now, something she hadn’t experienced for a while now, she felt like she was living again after such a long time of living a boring life back in Changwon. There was no excitement or adventure after Won Woo moved away, nothing was the same and eventually, things like dancing and eating out were no longer fun, because he wasn’t there. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the doorbell a moment later and quickly got up and started to find her way down to the front door. She was confused when she exited his bedroom and saw two exits to the hallway. She went left first which turned out to be a dead end, much like the cul de sac down the street, and hurried back the other way and found the staircase.

“We did it!” She cheered after opening the front door to let him inside. She felt accomplished.

“Are you okay?” That was the first thing on his mind more than anything else. He was worried when he heard her yelp in pain, it looked painful when it happened.

“Well, I feel like I got punched in the stomach but that was my fault, stupid weak arms…” she said while rubbing her stomach with a small laugh. Most the pain had gone away, but she was sure she’d feel it again tomorrow.

“Anything else? What about your knee?” He gestured down to her legs.

“It’s fine.” She assured him. “Now, about that food you promised me?”

“Right.” He snickered, amused by how quick she was to change the topic. “Just let me go change and get my wallet. Wait here.”

“Okay, be quick!” She chuckled and shooed him away. She took a seat on the couch after he left, she checked out her left knee and rubbed it lightly. It wasn't hurting at least and looked fine from what she could see. Looking at her legs, she regretted not wearing skinny jeans today despite it being Summer. Even though she is a dancer, she never liked her legs, but it was Summer and well, she was only taking a walk through the neighborhood. Not like anyone would pay attention to my legs in the first place. She was more concerned about a few scars, but of course what was most likely nothing to others was everything to her.

Meanwhile, Won Woo was upstairs getting dressed. He changed into skinny jeans and a simple t-shirt and slipped on another hoodie jacket. He fixed his hair a bit in the mirror atop of his dresser and noticed something. The spare key Soonyoung claimed to have left on his dresser wasn’t there? He looked down and scanned the floor for it, but it was nowhere to be found. He heard his phone buzz on his nightstand suddenly and he walked over to check it out. It was a notification for social media, nothing too important at the moment, but he immediately saw the missed text messages from a certain someone.

Soonyoung:

Soonyoung: Won! The spare key was in my pocket the whole time!

Won Woo could feel his right eye twitch while reading the message.

Soonyoung: Oh, wait, you won’t see this message because you’re locked out, I forgot!

Won Woo:

Won Woo: Kwon Soonyoung, you’re dead the next time I see you.

Soonyoung:

Soonyoung:

Soonyoung: Wait! How’d you get inside?!

Won Woo: Forget it. Hold onto the key until the next time we meet.

Soonyoung: Tomorrow morning?

Won Woo:

Won Woo: Don’t come to me, I’ll come to you. Be prepared…

Soonyoung:

Soonyoung: I’m scared.

Won Woo: Good. See you then.

Won Woo couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, it was funny to see Soonyoung react like that whenever he speaks that way. He isn’t really going to hurt Soonyoung, maybe a friendly punch to the face, or the arm, but nothing too extreme, he’s still annoyed about when the blonde rolled over on him earlier at the park. Now that he was changed and ready to go, he returned downstairs where Ji Min was patiently waiting for him. Seeing her sitting there and quietly humming to herself put a smile on his lips. To think he had been thinking about her this morning during his little protagonist movie moment, and how he wished to see her again someday… what does he call this? Wish granted? Fate? Destiny? Despite how their reunion started off, he really missed her. I’m not sure what happened in the last two years, but I’m glad she’s okay. He thought while approaching her on the couch. I’m glad we’re together again.

“I’m ready, let’s go.” He blurted out and startled her. He laughed when she pouted up at him while clutching her startled heart.

“Jerk!” She sighed and got up to follow him to the door. “Don't sneak up on me like that!”

“Don't zone out like that then.” He chuckled and opened the door for her. “What are you even zoning out about?” He asked but immediately stopped her from answering. “Never mind, I know. Food.”

“Exactly.” She snickered. “All day every day. It's so delicious how can you not think about it?”

“Some of us like to think of other things.” He pointed out.

“Other things?” She turned and tilted her head, suddenly interested. “Like what?” It's been a long time since they talked, she felt like she missed a lot.

“Like…” he trailed off and watched her anticipate his next words. “Not telling.” He simply said and passed her with a teasing grin on his lips.

“Why not?!” She frowned and hurried after him. He kept his mouth shut and continued to with his silence. Because it's you...

She quickly gave up on figuring out what he was referring to due to her growling stomach and endless thoughts of food. She can't focus. For now, she must follow Won Woo without falling behind or getting lost.

☙✨💖✨❧

“We’re almost out of fries.” Ji Min mumbled with her gaze locked onto the pile of food, it was decreasing at a fast pace in front of her in the center of the table. Well, it was between two people, of course, it would go down faster, especially if those two were dancers with a bigger appetite.

“Go get more then.” Won Woo said with his mouth full, his eyes were locked on his cheeseburger in front of him. No table manners whatsoever.

“Or you can stop stuffing your face, that works too.” She chuckled when he stuffed more fries into his mouth. He just gave her that look, the ‘shut up’ look.

“Says the one who’s on her second cheeseburger.” He said after chewing his food and swallowed, then he grabbed his soda to take a drink. Oh, how she missed these types of outings with Won Woo… not really.

“I’m a dancer, of course, I have a larger appetite than a normal girl.” She scoffed and sat her half-eaten cheeseburger down in response. A second later a slightly guilty expression washed over her face. She didn’t mean to be affected by his words, but it happened anyway. Even if it was true that her appetite is bigger than the average girl’s, she didn’t like to eat too much around other people... but since it was Won Woo, she didn’t care. So, she thought.

Why did he have to go and say that? Now she felt more conscious about their surroundings. Sure, she doesn't exactly care what jealous girls thought of about her and Won Woo in the past, but when it came to just her, herself… and food, it was different.

He noticed her watching other ‘normal’ girls eat smaller servings of food with their friends or dates before switching her attention to their tray piled with food, her expression almost implied like it wasn’t normal, and it was bad. “Since when do you care about how much you eat?” He spoke up with the tip of his straw resting on his bottom lip. He could tell that’s what she was thinking judging by the look on her face.

“I don’t know, since high school.” She said sarcastically. “You are what you eat. I’m a pig.” She admitted and pushed her burger away.

“More like a cow.” He laughed since they were eating hamburgers, but her offended face quickly killed the joke. “Were girls bullying you back in Changwon?” He sighed after realizing why she reacted that way. It’s been two years since they talked, and he was so curious about what happened during that time? What made her stop talking to him? What happened? He wanted to know but he can’t suddenly throw a million questions at her right now, he’d have to figure it out slowly. At the lack of response, it was clear. “You’re not a pig or a cow. You’re healthy.” He sat back in his seat and took another sip of his soda.

Ji Min looked over at him and was surprised at his attempt of kind words, usually, he didn't always say things like that, sometimes he'd only said nice things before a performance, outside of that it was kind of rare back then. “Ah… thanks. Then I suppose you’re fizzy and sweet.” She pointed at his drink. He nearly choked, and she went into a fit of laughter.

Won Woo sat there with a pout on his face, he obviously didn’t like that he was being laughed at, but at some point, he smiled. Seeing her laugh so hard that she nearly had tears in her eyes was assuring to him, it reminded him of the times they’d eat together after practice and talk about how it went. Sometimes something funny or embarrassing would happen, and they’d talk about it and laugh just like she was laughing right now. For a second he thought she looked cute, but almost immediately he snapped out of it and tried to hide the blush that was rising to his cheeks.

It was that weird and strange feeling, something he used to feel before they lost contact with each other, he thought it was strange before, but it was clear now after reuniting with her. He had to remind himself that they’ve gotten older, they’re no longer kids and puberty started a while ago, they’re done with high school and will be starting their next round of schooling, college. They’ve grown up a lot. Naturally, they were going to experience feelings… he just wondered why it had to be her? Not that he'd have it any other way, but it seemed so cliché to crush on your friend of many years. Was his life really going to become a cliché plot in a romance novel now that he's reunited with his dance partner? Or more like a comedy romance movie?

“Are your parents still busy after moving?” Ji Min asked to break the small silence that occurred between them after she calmed down from her laughing fit, she noticed he had been staring at her in a strange way and wanted to make him stop, it made her feel strange herself. They were about finished eating and would be leaving in a few minutes since they couldn’t just sit in the restaurant and take up space.

“Yeah. No change, doctor.” He sighed and messed with the salt and pepper shakers on the table. “What about you? Why did you move here?” He was curious. Did the same thing happen like his parents, better jobs in Seoul?

“No change, nurse.” She grinned at the glare he gave her. “They’re still busy as ever. They stayed behind. I figured I’d have more opportunities in Seoul, so I asked to move here. Don’t you remember that time back then… I said I’d move to Seoul after graduating? Here I am. I moved in with my brothers for now and… I think they might have workaholic syndrome, too. Must run in the family.” She added with her eyes locked on Won Woo sliding the shakers back and forth between his hands. It was almost hypnotizing after a while.

“You said your brother’s name was Jaehwan before, right?” He asked and she simply nodded. “And the other was Hongbin?” She nodded again. He hadn’t been so sure back then when he happened to meet a co-worker of his mother’s by the name Lee Jaehwan. He wanted to ask because if it really was her brother, he wondered if they were still in contact at the time. He could have asked how she was, but he was too shy to really ask and it was hard to meet up with him anyway, he was just as busy as his own mother. “You moved in with them despite they’re workaholics?”

“Well, where else was I supposed to go?” She shrugged.

“True.” He figured she really didn’t have anywhere else to go that was convenient. “What if we turn out like them?” He wondered just as the pepper shaker fell over on its side. “.”

“Hey!” She reached over and pinched his cheek. “No swearing!” She scolded, and he smacked her hand away immediately. He rubbed the sore spot on his cheek and pouted. Well, he supposes he won’t have such a hard time to hide his blushing cheeks this way, he could blame his red cheeks on her.

“I’m sure you say it at times, too.” He defended. Who doesn’t say '' when something goes wrong these days?

“Definitely not in front of other people.” She snickered in reply and he rolled his eyes, he doesn't believe her.

“Whatever, let’s go.” He said after getting up from his seat and picked up their tray of trash. She got up and followed him to throw away her empty fountain drink and then they were on their way out of the restaurant. It was still mid-afternoon and neither of them was sure of what to do until Ji Min suggested he show her around the city? “Right now?” He frowned.

“Why not?” She also frowned.

“I can show you around tomorrow.” He simply said and picked a path to walk on. “Let’s just take it easy today. How about something sweet to eat now?”

“Fine.” She agreed. “Tomorrow it is then!” She figured maybe it was for the best, especially after that drama earlier with crawling into his unlocked window. She spent a lot of energy on that situation alone, running around the city might not be the best course of action right now. So she followed him to a cafe titled Carat Cafe close by and when they entered, someone called out to them.

“Hey, Won Woo!” Someone shouted a few feet away. He turned to see a few of his other friends at a table nearby and he paused.

“Are you with a girl?!” Another gasped and was clearly shocked at the sight.

“Let’s go.” Won Woo quickly grabbed Ji Min by the wrist and pulled her out of the cafe as fast as he could. The voices of his friends calling after him as they left were heard and they sounded so confused, just like Ji Min.

“What?! Wait?! What are you doing?!” She exclaimed and tried to keep up, she nearly dropped her phone in the process. “Why are we running away?!” He didn’t say anything and continued to drag her away.

Once they came across a different cafe called Moonlight Cafe, they finally sat down at a table to settle down from their sudden flee at the other cafe. Ji Min sat there and glared at her former dance partner for obvious reasons.

“What do you want to order?” Won Woo asked once he caught his breath.

“Why did we run away?” She asked instead. She needed an answer.

“Cake?” He ignored her question and looked around this cafe to confirm where they were.

“Weren’t they your friends?” Ji Min frowned when he avoided answering her questions.

“Ice cream then?” Won Woo sighed at her ignoring his questions, yet he was doing the same!

“Yah, I get we didn’t exactly get along all the time in the past, but to flee the moment your friends spot you with me is kind of rude, wouldn’t you say?” She pointed out and crossed her arms over her chest. That was going a little too far and it kind of hurt.

“I’m getting an iced tea.” He avoided her questions again and got up to head to the counter. “You want one?” He asked after standing.

“So, you don’t want to be seen with me, yet you’ll buy me tea?!” She stared up at him, her irritation was increasing by the second. What is his problem?

“Who said I was buying yours. I already bought your food earlier.” He scoffed and left to the counter.

“... keep calm… keep calm.” Ji Min muttered to herself and she took deep breaths to calm herself. “He was a jerk, he is a jerk, he will always be a jerk… it’s okay.” She continued to say quietly until she finally felt somewhat better. Then someone tapped her shoulder. “What now?!” She nearly shouted and lost her cool. She froze when she saw a taller guy looking down at her quite shocked by her outburst.

“S-Sorry, I just was wanting to know if this seat was taken?” He stuttered out and gestured to the chair on the other side of the small table for two.

“Oh! Uh, Yea-” she was about to answer when she saw him pointing to Won Woo’s seat. “I mean, no. It’s free! Take it!” She smiled brightly and even pulled it closer for him to take.

“Thank you.” He gave her a charming smile in response, his teeth almost reminded her of a dog… or a vampire. It was quite nice, and her smile widened in response. He was pretty good looking with his chestnut colored hair and tan skin, model material for sure!

“No, no, thank you!” She chuckled at him when his expression turned into confusion.

He didn’t question anything further and proceeded to drag the chair to the table next to hers and Won Woo’s. A rather attractive guy was already seated at the stranger’s table and Ji Min almost had to do a double take. Wah, that guy sort of looks like B1A4’s Gongchan! … or is it Gongchan?!

“Where the hell did my chair go?” Suddenly, Won Woo’s bitter voice snapped her out of it.

“Oh?!” She looked up at him before an evil grin spread across her lips. “I don’t know, I think it just up and walked away.” Her eyes traveled to the stranger sitting in Won Woo’s chair nearby.

“Won Woo?” The Gongchan look-alike asked when he noticed the two looking at their table.

“Won Woo?” The charming stranger turned in his seat and looked surprised.

“I’m not running again! You can forget it!” Ji Min exclaimed and hugged the back of her chair for dear life. “If you really hate being seen with me, just leave me here.” She mumbled behind the chair. Spare her the agony of running again when she's near empty on her energy tank. For the love of Choco Pies, just ditch her.

Won Woo just groaned, there was no use in running away now, was there? He was hoping he wouldn’t run into his friends to spare him the task of introducing his former dance partner, but for what reasons? “Who is this?” The charming stranger asked, he was curious after the way Ji Min just spoke, the word hate was used in her sentence and that worried him a bit.

“An old friend of mine from Changwon.” Won Woo explained. “That’s all.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you!” The charming stranger from before flashed her a cute smile. Ji Min suddenly seemed flustered and Won Woo noticed that. He cleared his throat to interrupt.

“Don’t worry about it.” He assured his friends and stepped back over to Ji Min. “Get up.”

“Why?” She asked with a pout.

“Just do it.” He said impatiently.

When she stood up, he took the chair she was sitting on and dragged it over to his friends' table. “Thanks.”

“I should have seen that coming.” Ji Min sighed in defeat. She expected this after knowing he was in a bad mood, but it still stung just a little to be ignored like that. “Whatever, I’ll be over there,” she pointed to the other side of the cafe. Won Woo looked in the direction she pointed at and she took the opportunity to hit him over the head when she passed by. Take that.

“What was that?” His friends asked once she was far enough.

“Just forget about it.” Won Woo shook his head and snickered. She hit him in front of the two, and that probably just made everything seem even more suspicious now, but he wasn’t going to let her defeat him, he’d get her back for that later.

Chapter One~!

Won Woo: I’ll get her back for this…

LOL good luck with that!