☙✨💖✨❧

It was 9pm by the time Ji Min finished rearranging her room. Only an hour or two to go before she could sleep. If she slept now, she’d only wake up too early and she was never an early bird, no way. She plopped onto her bed face first and groaned. “I’m the one who walked away in the first place.” She muttered into her bedsheets and stared at the white beaded bracelet on her wrist, the matching one to Won Woo’s. She sighed before moving it out of her sight. “But he probably would have kicked me out if I stayed.” She rolled over and sighed once again and stared up at the ceiling. 

It felt like time stopped when she started to zone out, her mind wandering back to the moment she arrived in Seoul. The bus ride was long and boring, but she couldn’t sleep like most would when traveling for a long distance. It was too uncomfortable and she was nervous about being by herself, what if someone took advantage and stole her bag, or worse, did something to her. The ride over wasn’t a very pleasant one. When she made it to the bus station and it was finally over, she was relieved and decided she never wants to take the bus again, but she was excited about seeing her brother Jaehwan after six long years, so it was worth it in the end.

He had definitely gotten taller and handsome, she almost couldn’t believe it was really her brother and not some well-known actor in disguise with his big shades on. Everything seemed like it should have gone well, but then Hongbin texted her shortly before she got off the bus about how he was busy and might not be able to make it. She won’t say he ruined her day because the day had many more scenarios waiting for her, she’d long forgotten about it by the time the day was over. And that’s exactly what happened. 

Reuniting with Won Woo had to be the highlight of her week, despite their small quarrels. It’s been so long and while the memories are still there, it was taking time to adapt again. Our fights never lasted long. She thought with a bitter smile. But they still . She was hoping they could get along better now that they’re older and supposedly more mature. If they keep fighting like children, it won’t be good. I can’t just expect it to stop though and not personally make the efforts to not fight with him. It doesn’t work like that. She knew that full well. She’s always wanted them to be honest with each other and keep it real, she recognizes there are better ways to address things and word her questions… and what she should and shouldn't talk to him about. She was learning it the hard way, but you can’t learn if you don’t make mistakes.

It’s not that easy to admit you’re wrong sometimes. It happens. I have to apologize. If she avoided talking about the last two years, he gets to avoid talking about it too. No exceptions. It’s a two-way street, not a one way. 

Suddenly, the sound of her phone buzzing on her nightstand brought her back to reality. She stared at it for a moment before reaching for it. She was expecting it to be her brothers replying to her texts from earlier, but she was surprised to see it was one of Won Woo’s friends, Hoshi. 

Hoshi~☆: Good evening, Ji Min~! 😁

Hope you don’t mind me texting you this late?

Hoshi~☆: Just wanted to check in on you and see how have 

you been doing since we last saw each other? 😀

Ji Min was stunned to see his message, she was not expecting it at all. He sounded so nice in the text and it brought a smile to her face. He’s really sweet. She thought innocently and recalled that moment at his house, how kind he was to her when she was crying. It gave her a warm feeling on the inside like someone actually cared for once. 

Ji Min: Hi~! 😊

It’s no problem, don’t worry!

Thanks for checking up on me, that’s really sweet of you~

Ji Min: I’m doing okay and you? 😁

Hoshi~☆: That’s good, I’m glad! 😄

I’m doing great! Though I seem to be coming down with a pesky summer cold! 😷

Hoshi~☆:

Ji Min: Oh no! Are you okay?! 😲

Ji Min:

Ji Min: You were fine last night? How?!

Hoshi~☆: I'll be fine, don't worry. I got caught in the rain 

the other day while I was out and forgot my umbrella! 😢😭

Ji Min: At least there's no school since it's summer break. 

Consider yourself lucky! 😥

Hoshi~☆: Yeah, thank god!😂

Hoshi~☆: Speaking of school, do you know which 

college you'll be attending this fall?😮

Ji Min: I’ll be applying to a few, so I’m not sure yet.

Where do you attend?😊

Hoshi~☆: I applied to a few as well, so I’m not sure either!

Ji Min: Nice! I suppose there’s a chance we’ll be schoolmates, huh?

That’s exciting. Where do your older friends attend?😀

Hoshi~☆: Yes! They’ve been attending Eau De University. 

It’s a pretty nice one, but my plan was to attend Hanyang University 

and Major in Dance. But it’s such a famous school, I might not be 

able to get in anyway, so my backup is Eau De University. 

Ji Min: It’s good to have a backup plan. 

I want to apply there, but I’m kind of intimidated. 

I know it’d be good for my career as a dancer, 

but I wouldn’t wanna force myself to attend such an

 intense school. I probably wouldn’t fit in at all.😅

Hoshi~☆: Nonsense, don’t say that!😔 

All dancers are welcomed there! 

Mr. Cha even graduated from there, it can’t be that scary.

Ji Min: That’s true. Mr. Cha is amazing!😍

Hoshi~☆: He’s actually teaching most of the Dance Core 

for Eau De University this fall, I might just go there 

so I can be his student again.😆

Ji Min: Really? Then I’d feel more comfortable going to 

Eau De University instead of Hanyang University. 

I’m not too concerned about how well known the school is, 

I’m just happy to dance, that’s all.😊

Hoshi~☆: I feel the same. Besides, I have a lot of experience already and have accomplished a lot in high school alone, Mr. Cha has really helped me get somewhere this year. So I’m not too concerned about which school I go to in the end. I’ll follow Mr. Cha any day!😉

Ji Min: Me too! 😄

Seeing him reply so excitedly made her giggle, he must be looking forward to it all.

Ji Min: Awesome! So, I guess I shouldn’t be

too nervous with so many familiar faces there?😌

Hoshi~☆: Yes, it’ll be fun! I think Won Woo’s planning on Eau De University, too?! Maybe not for Dance, but they have other majors he can do too. He seems to like literature a lot, maybe he’ll become a literature major. Just imagine, him walking around campus like a librarian with his reading glasses and books! 😀

Now that Won Woo was mentioned, her mood started to die down a bit. 

Ji Min: Ah, yeah, that would be nice, I suppose.😐😒😑

Hoshi~☆: What’s wrong?! Did something happen

between you two again?😟

Hoshi~☆:

She snickered at the way he worded his reply. As if we’re a bickering couple who fight all the time. They fight and break up, then kiss and make up. But it’s not even like that.

Hoshi~☆: Ji Min?😦

Ji Min: Sorry! Don’t feel bad.😞 

He and I just had a small argument earlier, that’s all.

Hoshi~☆: Damn. Sorry to hear that. 😢

Ji Min: It’ll be okay, don’t worry about it. 

I was the one who walked away this time so…😔

Hoshi~☆: Well, it’s better to step away than to stay

and keep fighting.

Ji Min: Exactly! Though things never get resolved that way.

So I’ll have to apologize soon.

Hoshi~☆: Good luck with that!😯 Don’t stress about it too much, okay?

You need your rest so you don't get sick too! If things don’t 

work out, you can always come to talk to me again if you need it!

I’m here! I’ll listen!😊

Ji Min: Thanks, Hoshi. I appreciate that. 

You’re so sweet~ 😁

Hoshi~☆: No problem!😏

Hoshi~☆:

Ji Min: That’s cute~!

I’ll go apologize now, but you rest up, okay? 

I hope you feel better soon!

Goodnight, Hoshi! Sweet dreams! 

Ji Min:

Hoshi~☆: Goodnight, Ji Min~!

Hoshi~☆:

When she was done texting him, she headed down to the front door and stopped for a moment to debate if she should really apologize tonight or tomorrow. The sooner the better, but also, too soon and he might not even want to talk to her? While she was lost in her thoughts, she got a text from Junghwa asking how things were now that time had passed. It was clear she was referring to when they visited and Ji Min told her that she had fought with a friend and it was why she was in a poor mood.

Ji Min: I haven’t apologized yet. 😔

Junghwa: That’s okay, you don’t need to rush with it. 

Do it at your own pace.

Ji Min: But I feel so bad… 

I just want it to be done with.

Junghwa: I understand. Then, good luck with it!
I’m sure if he hears your sincerity, he will understand and forgive you. 😊

Junghwa: Don’t forget to offer him food too, to sweeten the apology!

Ji Min: Thanks, Junghwa. I appreciate it. 

Food always makes things better, I guess! 😂

Junghwa: It really does! And no problem, girl! Let me know how it goes~!

I’ll be here if you need to talk again. 😊 We should meet up again soon if you have time?

Ji Min: Sure! 😵 I’ll keep you updated!

Now she knew she really wanted to apologize tonight, just so he wouldn’t be the only topic they talk about when they meet again, she’d rather not have to talk about it any further. She opened the door and started to make her way down the street, hopeful and fingers crossed that Won Woo would spare her a moment of his time tonight.

☙✨💖✨❧

Won Woo’s mother had returned home tonight, it’s been awhile and he already guessed he probably wouldn’t even get a chance to see her since most likely she ate before coming back and would disappear off into the shower and then to her room to sleep early just so she can wake up and leave all over again. At this rate, he doesn’t really care anymore, so he stopped rushing down to greet his parents when they come home, it seemed they got the memo after the last few times. His relationship with his parents feels like its dying. Almost non-existent at this point. He sighed bitterly and closed his eyes so he could forget about it, but then he heard the doorbell ring.

He thought he just imagined it, so he closed his eyes again and tried to clear his mind, but the doorbell rang again. This time he knew he didn’t imagine it and got up to go answer it. By the time he got out of his room, he heard his mother opened the door and greet someone. It didn’t take long for him to recognize who it was. Did she come back? What for? He wondered before he saw his mother start coming up the stairs, probably to come to get him. “Won Woo, your friend is at the door.” She said with a small smile and gestured for him to go down. He supposed she was pleasantly surprised to see Ji Min after so many years. He knew his mother really liked her back then when they lived in Changwon.

“What does she want?” He remained in his spot and didn’t return that smile. He couldn’t help but still feel upset about earlier.

“She said she needed to apologize to you about something.” His mother replied with a worried expression. He paused when he heard that and suddenly calmed down. “You should go and talk to her, okay? When you’re done, be sure she gets home safely.” She said softly with another smile and walked over to fix his hair a bit, he must have had a few hairs out of place and it looked silly. She gave him a pat on his cheek in that motherly way before gesturing for him to head downstairs again. 

Won Woo felt conflicted just then, it was nice to see his mother for more than three seconds, maybe that’s exaggerating a bit, but it’s been a while since they talked face to face instead of yelling replies to each other from other rooms about what time it was and that his parents were leaving and he understood. Plus, it was nice to see her being motherly towards him as well. He’ll admit he didn’t like how it was happening so suddenly like that, almost like his parents not being home often never happened. But he can’t stay bitter about it forever. His parents work hard and it was all for him… it was all for him.

“Fine.” He muttered out and a hint of a smile appeared before he turned and made his way towards the steps. He went down slowly and went even slower when he got near the bottom since he didn’t know if the door was left open or not. It was shut and hurried to the door and slipped on his shoes and put on his jacket before opened the door and stepped outside. There stood Ji Min admiring the potted plants on either side of the front door. She jumped a little when he came out so fast that she nearly lost her balance and almost fell backwards onto her rear. Luckily, Won Woo reached out to help her regain her balance by grabbing onto her hand and pulling her forward before she could really fall. That would have been the second time he made her fall and he snickered at that thought..

“Why are you rushing?” She asked, confused yet pouting. “Did you think I left or something?”

“No.” He simply said and averted his eyes elsewhere after letting go of her hand. It was clear he seemed guilty about their argument earlier. He also needed to apologize, too. But he wasn’t sure how to go about it now that he was facing her. He always had a difficult time when expressing himself with words. Writer’s block again. To think he might want to be a literature major, too?

“Hey.” She broke the small silence between them a moment later. “I’m sorry. Earlier, I shouldn’t have brought up your past with school like that. I should have known better that it’s not a good topic to talk about with us. I just thought since we’ve grown up and things are different now…”

“It’s fine.” He managed to say when she trailed off and seemed to struggle with what to say next. “I’m sorry for getting mad. I was a jerk.”

“That’s okay. I said a horrible thing.” An apologetic smile formed on her lips. “I’ll try not to provoke you as much in the future or say harsh things.”

“Try?” It was his turn to pout. “Don’t do it at all!” He knew she didn’t mean it in the end.

“I know!” She gave a sheepish laugh. “So, are we good now?” She asked and extended her hand out like she wanted to shake hands, even if it was more of a western thing to do. 

He stared at her hand for a few seconds before nodding and reaching out to hold and shake. Before she could let go, he kept his hold on hers and she was confused until he looked up at her with a hint of a smile. “Thanks. Because of you, my mom actually talked to me for more than three seconds.” Ji Min understood now and returned that smile. 

“That’s good, I’m happy for you.” She said and gave his hand a small squeeze. She covered the back of his hand with her other hand so she was holding his hand in both of hers. Despite Won Woo was the one who held her hand first, he was a bit surprised at how far she took it now, but nonetheless, he liked it. “Here’s to hoping for three whole minutes next time.” He snickered at her comment but appreciated it at the same time. After a moment, their special moment started to turn a bit awkward when he noticed his mother peeking out at them from the living room window with a huge smile plastered on her face. He doesn’t even want to think what his mother might be thinking about what she’s seeing right now...

“I’ll walk you home.” He gestured to her brother’s house and she nodded before letting go. She hadn’t noticed and he was glad. He wasn’t sure what he would have said if she asked why his mother was spying on them. That my mom is nosy whenever I interact with girls. Despite how much time his parents spend away from him, his mother sure finds the time to find his future wife. Even though he knows the future isn’t set in stone, he really wondered what was in store for him? Who would his wife be? Will he have a wife? Will it be someone he truly wants or someone he has to settle with, or an arranged marriage? Or maybe he won’t have any of that? Forever alone? Insert ugly cry meme. Lol.

The two started walking down the street, but slowly as if they wanted to make this encounter last longer. Like they were making up for lost time earlier. “So… your friend Hoshi texted me earlier.” She began to say while shoving her hands into her jean pockets. 

“He did?”

“Yeah, apparently he caught a cold.“ She explained with a frown. “I hope it passes quickly.”

“Me too.” Even if Soonyoung is now a frenemy, he doesn't want him to be sick. 

“We chatted for a bit. I was getting really nervous about college, but it turns out we’re planning on attending the same campus.” 

“Which one?” He asked, curiosity evident in his tone. It made her think about the comment Soonyoung made about Won Woo walking around like a librarian with reading glasses. At the time, she was annoyed that he was mentioned because of their little fight, but now that things were good between them, she couldn’t help but snicker at the sight in her head. 

“Eau De University.” She answered. “A shining star also told me you plan to attend Eau De University, too. Guess we might be destined to be schoolmates, always.”

“I guess so.” He tried to sound annoyed but it didn’t work, he actually sounded happy and she noticed it. 

“I’m less worried about attending school knowing you’ll be there.”

“You weren’t less worried when you knew the annoying star would be there?”

“Apparently everyone I’ve met so far attends Eau De University, so I guess I’m relieved it’s not just you!” She rolled her eyes and pouted at his teasing. He only laughed at her expression. “I won’t bother you at school, don’t worry.” 

“I’m not worried.” He assured her. “But things are different now, we’re older. If you have trouble, you can always go to one of the others, or even me.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” She was happy to hear it from him. They were almost to her brother’s house when she recalled her talk with Hakyeon last night. Something he said stuck out to her… they had been talking about her journey with dance and how she had a partner she worked really well with until he moved. Soonyoung seemed dumbfounded and didn't realize she was referring to Won Woo, because she hadn't said his name the entire time. 

Hakyeon began to tell the challenging stories about Won Woo and his ability to avoid dancing while staying in the dance program. After hearing how Won Woo stuck to dance despite having a choice to quit got him thinking and was grinning from ear to ear a moment later. “Trust me… I think you two were born to be partners for life.” He had mentioned. “Something tells me he kept going to practice because of you.” She was honestly confused until the older explained it with a little more detail. “Maybe he was waiting for you to return to his side and dance with him again?” 

She thought about bringing it up that odd conversation to Won Woo to see what he thought about that and why the adult even brought that up, but that would mean he’d know she talked about him with the dance teacher and he might get irritated. Best not to… but maybe she could bring it up to Soonyoung? He had been distracted at the time because of his older sister asking a favor from him, he hadn't heard Hakyeon’s words about Won Woo, so that meant she got the opportunity to talk to Hakyeon one on one. Her new fellow dancing friend said she could talk to him anytime.

Just when they reached the front of Jaehwan’s house, the two noticed a car pull up. They were nearly blinded by the headlights. Won Woo instantly covered his eyes but Ji Min only squinted and he stepped over to stand in front of her to block the light for her. He guessed she wanted to see who it was but wasn’t using her brain at the moment. “Sorry!” They heard a young woman’s voice call out through the driver side window. 

“Thanks for the ride, goodnight!” Then Hongbin’s voice was heard after he got out and shut the door. He gestured for the woman to drive off already, Won Woo saw that and narrowed his eyes, he supposed it was maybe the girl her brother was seeing or wanted to start seeing.

“Who was that?” Ji Min asked instantly once her brother got near. “Was that one of the girls from the gathering last night?”

“Uh, who?” Hongbin asked and tried to play dumb before he noticed Won Woo and greeted him. “Just getting home?”

“I just made a short visit to his house, that’s all.” Ji Min explained with half a sigh, why she even thought she could hold a conversation with him, who knows. She figured her brother would avoid the question. 

“Thanks for walking her home~!” Hongbin smiled and gestured for his sister to follow him inside. She could see how fake it was and it started to irritate her. He doesn't need to hide anything.

“See you around.” She said to her friend with a small wave and headed inside. Won Woo managed a small wave before she turned away from him and he let out a quiet sigh of his own. He felt bad for her. I don’t see why he needs to avoid the question? He wondered why her brother was acting like that? Unless he’s dating someone his sister wouldn’t approve of? Maybe that was it. After he saw the front door shut, he returned home and prepared for bed. 

On the other hand…

“Were you on a date or something?” Hongbin asked while putting his stuff away by the door. This could be the longest the two have talked since her arrival in Seoul.

“No!” Ji Min blurted out, almost like she was offended. She didn’t like how casual he was trying to be, especially when things aren’t great between them. Maybe he was trying to make things less tense by trying to talk normally to her, but it wasn’t sitting well with her. 

“No need to shout!” He frowned. “I was just asking a question.”

“Yet you didn’t answer mine earlier when I asked who was dropping you off?” She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. “Why are you being so shady about it? If that was Nami from the gathering last night, wasn’t it the perfect time to introduce me to her if you're dating?” 

“Didn’t you already meet her at the gathering last night?” He asked. “Why do I need to introduce you a second time?”

“I barely met her, I only learned her name, we didn’t even talk… so you should have introduced us properly, right?”

“It’s so sudden, she had to get home. Next time.”

“I don’t understand.” She sighed.

“Because you’re young.” He pointed out. “Trust me.” He could tell his reply confused her, but he knew she could probably figure it out in time. 

He’d admit, maybe he was being too vague and avoiding the topic, but he does have his reasons. It’s been hard for him to get close with anyone, for the fear of everyone taking pity on him and his “issues.” Most say they understand, but he doesn’t think they truly do, not until he met his small group of friends after moving to Seoul. He kept to himself a lot, and his friends never pushed him to open up and he liked that. But slowly he started to trust a little and started to open up a bit here and there. Then he met Nami who managed to help him open up a lot more. He’s still scared of getting close, but he doesn’t want to keep running away when things get real. It leaves him conflicted most of the time. His main worry has to be getting too close and having to close himself off again, should he and Nami break up for whatever reason.

Nami properly meeting Ji Min, there’s really no harm in that, but something about it just doesn’t make him feel comfortable at this time and he doesn’t want to be too honest and say it to his sister’s face, she might take it the wrong way and he wants to avoid that. He feels like there are other reasons he wants to put it off for now, those reasons are unknown but he plans to figure it out as well, too. His relationship with his sister isn’t where he wants it to be, he should work on that first before anything else. 

“Fine.” Her voice snapped him out of it and he watched her folded arms drop to her sides. It had been silent between them for a few minutes before she decided to agree to disagree. Maybe he actually does have a point and she’ll find out what it means in time. “As long as you're not doing anything bad or illegal… our brother is a lawyer, remember.” Speaking of lawyers, he just walked in at that moment, but he wasn't alone. A beautiful woman followed close behind him. 

“Who's doing illegal things?” Jaehwan asked and glanced between his brother and sister. He could see Ji Min's curious expression and realized his co-worker was behind him. “Oh, right!” He gave a sheepish laugh and stepped aside so he wasn't just blocking her from view. “This is my co-worker, Hani. You met at the gathering last night.”

“Hi, nice to see you again so soon.” The woman waved to Ji Min, she was already familiar with Hongbin from the few times he came to the office. Ji Min quietly waved back, curiosity on her expression.

“Uhm, the internet went down at the office so we came to finish up our work here. You don't mind, do you?” Jaehwan asked his siblings.

“Not at all.” Hongbin shrugged, indifferent about it. Jaehwan looked to Ji Min for her answer.

“Doesn't really matter what I say, it's your house.” She muttered and headed for the kitchen to escape. 

“Uh, don't mind her!” Jaehwan gave a mix of an awkward and embarrassed laugh. “You know… teenagers.” She’s still 18, currently. Technically a teenager still.

“It's okay.” Hani chuckled, but she couldn't help but feel the need to talk with his younger sister. Jaehwan has talked with her about Ji Min a lot at the office, it was kind of sweet how he worries about the girl and expresses how he wishes he could do more for her if he wasn’t so busy with work, but if he wants to maintain keeping a house and a steady income, he’d have to tough through it for now. He’s even mentioned the rocky relationship between Ji Min and Hongbin, too. Seeing as she would be living in a home with just her busy brothers… there lacked a female role and Hani couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl. But maybe it was too soon for her to offer any advice, so she decided to stay quiet for now.

“Have a seat while I go make us some tea.” Jaehwan gestured to the living room couch. He passed his brother and warned him not to do anything stupid while he's in the kitchen, stupid like asking Hani 20 questions and alluding to if there's anything going on between her and his brother.

When he made it to the kitchen, he could see his sister already started preparing the tea. Perhaps it was her way of making up for her rude behavior moments ago…

“Hey…” he called out to her.

“Hey.” She said back in a soft tone. He could tell she was upset.

“If you're not comfortable with my co-worker being here, I can find another place to do our work.” He explained. Even if it was his house, he wanted to be considerate of his siblings’ feelings. Especially for Ji Min, given she's lonely most of the time in the house and to suddenly have other people over might be overwhelming. 

“It's not that.” She avoided eye contact when replying. “I'm just tired, that's all.” It wasn't a total lie, it's been a long day after all. 

“It's getting late, you should head to bed, I'll take over.” He stepped over and gave her a gentle touch to her shoulder. It startled her and she turned to face him, she looked troubled. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” She forced a small smile. “Okay, I’ll go to bed now. Goodnight.” She muttered and started to leave. Before she could exit the kitchen, he stopped her again.

“I know I've been busy lately, I'm sorry. I'm really trying to get everything done so I can be home more often…” it was hard for him because they used to be so close with each other when they were younger, now it was like they all drifted apart.

“It's okay. You don't have to worry about me, I'm used to being alone.” He could hear it in her tone. He recalled it also to be the reason she left Changwon because their parents were hardly ever home and so busy that it was getting hard to properly take care of her. That was supposed to change but here they are, the same scenario all over again. Jaehwan didn't really know what to say at that moment and Ji Min took her leave.

She kept her head low when she exited the kitchen and headed for the stairs. She had to walk through the living room to do that and she didn't feel like getting into a conversation with Hongbin and Jaehwan’s co-worker. By doing that, she missed a step when using the stairs and fell forward, drawing attention to herself. She hit her left knee on the step and cursed. 

“Are you okay?” Hongbin asked after he hurried over to help, despite their rocky relationship, he was still her older brother and still cares for her. He could see she was holding onto her knee and he frowned. He was worried now if she irritated her previous injury. He had to do something, so he helped her to the top of the stairs. “Can you walk on your own?” 

“Yeah, thanks.” She nodded and started limping to her room without another word.

“Not good.” He said quietly to himself. He just hoped she would be walking better in the morning.

“Everything okay?” He heard Hani call up to him from the bottom of the staircase. She looked more concerned than a stranger should be. 

“I think so.” He replied and made his way down. “She hit her knee on the step, that’s all.” 

“Oh no, was it her bad knee?”

“You know about that?” Hongbin was surprised. 

“Uh, well… Jaehwan and I talk at work and he’s talked about her a lot.” She gave a worried smile, she didn’t want to say too much or say that Jaehwan has also talked about Hongbin before. “He seems to care for her, he’s always expressing how he wished he had more days off and shorter hours so he can come home and spend time with her. I’ve offered to take the load of cases off of him before but he refused… I guess he’s worried that if he did, it would affect his income greatly. He does it all so she doesn’t have to worry about working a part-time job like other kids her age because she’s so passionate about her dancing, you know? He wants her to focus on her dreams and wants to support her with everything he’s got. It’s just unfortunate how this world runs on money most of the time, so he wants to be able to give her anything she needs and I think that’s just the sweetest thing ever, he’s so nice. I never thought I’d meet such a kind and responsible man like that. Every day when I come into work, I looked forward to hearing what he has to say each day, whether that be his complaints, maybe I can help, or that be his troubles, I can sympathize. I’ve grown to admire and respect him so much, your brother is so cool.” Her comments ended with her smiling and tugging on one of the ends of a curl in her hair, like she was daydreaming about something, about someone. 

“Wow.” Hongbin was shocked to hear her suddenly say all of that. 

“I’m glad you think I’m cool.” Jaehwan blurted out behind her and she jumped in her spot before turning around and clutched her startled heart. 

“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent.”

“It’s fine,” Jaehwan assured her. “It’s not like I was trying to keep it a secret.” He added and Hongbin narrowed his eyes at him. “What is it?”

“What do you mean by keeping it a secret?” He sounded provoked.

“Nothing? I was just letting her know that I didn’t mind her speaking about it.” Jaehwan was confused by his brother’s sudden attitude, even Hani was confused and then she noticed Ji Min peeking down at them from the top of the stairs, she most likely heard everything. 

“Whatever,” Hongbin muttered and headed off in the other direction. “I’ll tidy up the study.” He informed and disappeared.

“Sorry, do you mind if I go speak to him for a moment?” Jaehwan gave his co-worker an apologetic smile.

“I don’t mind, go right ahead! I’ll wait here.” She gave him a bright smile. Jaehwan was flustered for a second before hurrying off to the study so he could talk to Hongbin and get to the bottom of the attitude he was giving.

☙✨💖✨❧

“What is your problem?” Jaehwan asked his brother after shutting the door to the study. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Acting like what?” Hongbin simply muttered and avoided eye contact while he moved a few things around, he really wasn’t tidying up the place like he said he would, he just needed a chance to get away. 

“Like a jerk.” He stopped and glanced across the room, a bit stunned but not pleased. “I don’t understand. Ever since our sister moved in, you’ve been avoiding this place and obviously avoiding her too. I get you didn’t like it when our parents suddenly pushed the responsibility of taking care of Ji Min onto you when I first left all those years ago. I get it. It was hard and frustrating. But things have changed. She’s not a child anymore, she doesn’t need to be taken care of anymore, she’s not your responsibility anymore, but she’s still your sister. Why must you avoid her the way you do? Can’t you see it hurts her?”

Hongbin remained silent because he wasn’t sure what to say. No matter how many times he thought about it, he just didn’t know what to say and it pissed him off. Why can’t he express himself better? Why must everything he says come out the wrong way?

“Hongbin.”

“I’m not sure what to say.” He admitted. “I really don’t know what to say… and I don’t know how to deal with it either.”

“You can deal with it by talking to her and letting her know how you feel,” Jaehwan suggested. It reminded Hongbin of his talk with Nami before, how he opened up about his situation and how hard it’s been for him to make peace with it. It hurts him too. He doesn’t want to dislike his sister, he doesn’t want to hate her. Something’s been holding him back from moving on from the past. He often wondered if it had anything to do with his parents? How much they praised Jaehwan for pursuing his goals and career. Becoming a civil lawyer was something they could be proud to talk about with their co-workers. 

There was also how they praised Ji Min for starting her dreams at such a young age. It was around the same time he was starting to pursue his own dreams, but it was overshadowed by Jaehwan’s perfect studies and Ji Min’s incredible talents. His parents didn’t seem as impressed with is goals as they were with his siblings. As if Photography wasn’t worth praising about, but he still got praise, he just didn’t believe it was as genuine as the praise they gave to his brother and sister. Lawyers can have a well-paying job and career for many years to come, and so can dancers, most become famous and well known. But Photographers? It’s just as great as being a lawyer or a dancer. Someone’s gotta take the photos of well-known models, well-known KPOP groups, family portraits, special events. It seemed like most don’t appreciate the person behind the camera sometimes. Only the photos matter.

What would the world be like if Photographers never existed? If cameras never existed? If Art never existed? Or if he never existed? Sometimes those dark thoughts cloud his mind, but it’s never enough to push him to do stupid things, he knows he has a lot to be grateful for and a lot to be looking forward to. He knows he can be selfish and irrational about it, it’s the reason why he struggles to move on about it. 

It’s made him think horrible things, like if Jaehwan got fired and couldn’t be a lawyer anymore, then his parents wouldn’t think so highly of him anymore, would they? If Ji Min had to quit dancing, they wouldn’t think so highly of her either, right? If he continued to succeed at being a photographer, perhaps… they’d think more highly of him? It doesn’t make sense. Why did it need to be that way? If they don’t think highly of him now, what makes him think they’d think highly of him then if his siblings were out of the competition? Out of the… picture. How ironic.

And so he can have those days when everything just seems so… monochrome and monotonous for him. Dull and dead. Numb. Pointless. A waste. A disgrace. How can he be so greedy? How can he be so selfish? Maybe this was why he doesn’t get the praise he wants from his parents? Maybe they’re smart and see right through him and his bitter self? Who’d want to praise someone with that kind of mindset? His brother and sister don’t need someone like him… he’s better off just pushing them away, right? Save them the trouble of growing to hate him or despise him, they’re too kind for such things. 

“Hongbin?” Jaehwan snapped him out of it when he noticed him staring off into some invisible void. Like he was breaking down on the inside and didn’t know what to do or how to function. “Hongbin!” He grabbed him by his shoulder and shook him. “Snap out of it.” 

When he came too, he glanced around and blinked in confusion before shrugging his brother’s hold off. He stumbled over to take a seat and caved in on himself, covering his face with his shaking hands. The emotions were a lot at the moment and he was just trying to calm down and fight it off. His brother seemed to understand he was going through something and simply knelt down before him. He reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder like he wanted to comfort him. 

“I’m sorry,” Jaehwan said softly. “I don’t know what you're going through, because you won’t talk to me about it. But just know… I’m here for you. I’ll try to understand, so, please. Don’t push us away.” He shifted so he could cover his brother in a hug. Hongbin could hear how genuine he was and feeling his arms wrap around him pushed him to tears. What do I do? He thought. I don’t know what to do... 

☙✨💖✨❧

When Jaehwan and Hongbin left, Hani was alone by the staircase and she started to quietly hum to herself until she noticed Ji Min peeking down at her again. She turned and locked eyes with her. “Hello, again!” 

Ji Min hid quickly before slowly peeking down to her again. She’s so friendly, who would have thought she was a lawyer? Maybe because that was a stereotype. As if lawyers were all older and serious and NO F.U.N. “I don’t bite!” Hani giggled and Ji Min managed a small giggle in reply before stepping out. “Hello~!” Hani greeted again. 

“Hi.” Ji Min managed to reply and started to make her way down the stairs so she could talk to the older adult properly. She was cautious of her knee and she could tell Hani was worried about it. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?! You didn’t have to walk down to speak to me!” Hani looked guilty now. “Don’t worry, I can carry you back up! I’m strong!” 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Ji Min assured her with a small laugh. “I just… wanted to say thanks for speaking your mind earlier. Had you not, I would have gone on believing my brother didn’t care about me.”

“He cares for you a lot, Ji Min. A whole lot! It’s so heartwarming and sweet, he’s doing his best!” Hani explained with an adoring smile. “Your brother is a good man.”

“Thank you.” Ji Min managed a genuine smile. She’s glad she talked to Hani. 

“You know… when I first met my step-sister after the marriage, it was hard. We didn’t get along at all. But after some time, we grew to like each other and adore one another now. I know every situation is different, but just look on the bright side, okay? Things will get better in time.”

“Does my brother talk about Hongbin and I at work?” Ji Min wasn’t angry, but curious. Hani simply nodded and it was clear she wasn’t supposed to admit that. Ji Min would be sure to keep it a secret. “I think my brother Hongbin… he just has a hard time expressing himself. He’s misunderstood. It’s hard to understand him and the things he does, but I try and I only get frustrated in the end when I don’t mean to. It’s just been hard. We used to be so close when we were younger, but we’ve grown apart over the years. Sometimes I worry we won’t be able to fill the gap if it’s too big.”

“I see.” Hani felt sad for the girl. “Not every relationship is a solid one, sometimes you have to build a bridge to reach each other, does that make sense? Instead of spending so much time filling the canyon, build a bridge?”

“How in the world do you build a bridge across a large canyon?” Ji Min asked with a sad laugh. “I need a helicopter, don’t I?” 

“Or a hot air balloon!” The older grinned. 

“I’m scared of heights.” She whimpered. “I don’t think I could do it.”

“Never say you can’t do anything!” Hani blurted out and gently grabbed her by her shoulders. She lowered herself to be eye level with Ji Min and gave her a warm smile. “Never say you can’t do anything.” She repeated. 

Ji Min stared into Hani’s eyes and suddenly felt moved and motivated. Never say I can’t do anything. She repeated in her head. Even if I had to cross the canyon, I would do it for Hongbin… because she can imagine her brother must feel the same like her, lonely. He just hides it better. I can do it, I just have to keep trying. She must look on the bright side. 

Before they could say anything more, they were interrupted by Jaehwan who came out of the study. Ji Min avoided eye contact only because she felt embarrassed and guilty for reacting the way she did earlier in the kitchen, she definitely hurt his feelings when she walked away like that. 

“You know, I think it’s okay if we just pick up on the case early tomorrow morning,” Hani spoke up with a kind smile. “It’s been a long day, we need our rest, we can’t risk any errors, so I’ll go home. It was nice seeing your younger sister again, Jaehwan. She’s absolutely adorable!”

“Thanks.” Jaehwan managed a smile and made his way over to open the door for his co-worker. “Then I will see you early tomorrow morning, thank you, Hani.” He added. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight~!” Hani chimed and gave Ji Min a friendly wave before leaving through the front door. Luckily, Hani followed Jaehwan in her own car, so she didn’t need to be driven home, unlike their brother Hongbin. Ji Min watched Hani’s car drive off down the road through the living room window. 

“Ji Min?” Jaehwan’s voice snapped her out of it a moment later. 

“I’m sorry for earlier.” She turned to face him, though she was nervous to do so. “I… was rude and thinking selfishly. I never considered that you were working hard to help me achieve my own dreams. I just thought maybe work was more important all the time and that I didn’t matter.”

“Is that how you feel about mom and dad?” Her brother asked in a gentle tone. 

“Sometimes.” She nodded. “I really thought things would be different when I moved to Seoul, but they weren’t. I was still alone.” She turned away and glanced out the living room window a second time and her eyes landed on a house a little way down the street, there was a single light on up on the second floor, she assumed it was Won Woo’s bedroom light. Still up? She quietly snickered to herself. 

“Was?” Jaehwan repeated in a questionable tone. “That’s past tense.”

“Yeah.” She managed a small smile and turned to face him. “Now I know I’m not alone.” She’s referring to having Won Woo by her side, but there’s room for her brother too now that she heard the little story from Hani about Jaehwan working hard to provide for her. “I’ll work hard and won’t let your efforts go to waste. I promise.” 

“I’m rooting for you.” Her brother gave her a supportive smile and held up two fists before saying “fighting!” 

“Since you need to be at work early, you should get to bed!” Ji Min gestured for him to leave and he chuckled. He pointed out she also needs to head to bed as well and she assured him she would. He gave her a quick hug before heading upstairs first and that left her at the bottom of the staircase by herself looking up. Her knee felt a bit better since that minor fall, but she was a bit nervous to walk up the stairs on her own. 

“What are you doing down here again?” Her other brother’s voice nearly startled her and she frowned and avoided eye contact with him. He was glad because she didn’t notice his red puffy eyes from crying earlier. “Do you need help up the stairs again?” 

“I got it.” She said quietly and did her best to take a step up. He watched her struggle a bit to get up the stairs but she managed to make it all the way up without his help. He stood there feeling bittersweet about it, there’s nothing more that he wanted than for her to be strong and independent on her own, but at the same time, he feels guilty… for in a way forcing that on her when he left so soon after graduating. Because of a knee injury she sustained a few years ago, there was a chance it could become a problem in the future. He regretted that selfish thought of Ji Min having to quit dancing before. He really didn’t want that to become a reality, ever. 

He felt awful when Hani went on about how much Jaehwan cares for Ji Min and wants to spend time with her yet, here Hongbin was, trying to avoid it this whole week. He’s been conflicted about the situation for a long time. He supposed those feelings would never change until they talk it out and share their feelings on it, but that was something he’s been avoiding a lot. He just doesn’t know what to say, the words seem to never form when he thinks about it. How is he supposed to talk it out with her if he can’t even think of what to say? How does someone just simply understand you without words?

He knows that will burden their relationship as siblings and he hopes to someday be able to sit down and chat with her. For now, he’s too weak to do it. He’s afraid he’d be too emotional about it and if he could come up with words, then he’ll say all the wrong things and react in all the wrong ways. He really is selfish but he doesn’t want someone saying it to his face. 

The negative thoughts started to become overwhelming until he snapped himself out of it again and made his way to the front door. He opened the door and headed out into the night with one thing in mind, that he’d do his best to let his little sister know that he does care, he cares just as much as Jaehwan does, even if he doesn't express it clearly and struggles with it. He was headed to the nearest pharmacy to buy her a knee support sleeve to wear until her knee feels better. He’s worried about her walking around on it without the support and making it worse, he feels like the sleeve would help out a lot and as far as he knew, she doesn’t have one currently after moving in.

When he returned back to the house, it was safe to assume his siblings were asleep by now since he took his sweet time to get to the pharmacy and back, he did it on purpose so he could avoid running into his brother and be questioned on where he went and why so late. He fetched a notepad so he could leave a note for Ji Min to read in the morning since he planned to go to his studio early in the morning. Another somewhat selfish choice he’d feel guilty over later. After leaving a note on the kitchen counter along with the newly bought knee sleeve, he quietly snuck his way up to his room and went to sleep. 

☙✨💖✨❧

Sunday, July 12th, 2015

Ji Min found Hongbin’s note the next morning when she came down to the kitchen after washing up. She was confused until she recognized the item. It made her feel sad for a moment. Here she used to think the same thing about Hongbin, that he doesn't care. Of course, he cares. He really just doesn't express it well. She could honestly understand that. She knows someone just like that. I was wrong. It doesn't excuse her brother’s choice to avoid and ditch her, but she can at least admit she shouldn't be so quick to pass final judgment next time.

She opened the little box for the knee sleeve and slipped it on. Already she felt the support and her knee felt more stable. I hope I didn't mess it up again. She had her fingers crossed that it wasn't anything serious and would be fine in a few more days. Typically when her knee starts to bother her, she’d go see her Orthopedic doctor and see what was up, but since she moved recently, she doesn’t have a doctor yet. She’d have to work on getting one, especially if she wants to continue dancing. 

Shortly after, she made herself a small breakfast and ate alone. She thought about things for a bit until her conversation with Soonyoung came to mind. She frowned and grabbed her phone to make a text. It was around 10 am and she felt he'd be awake by now.

Ji Min: Hey, morning. 😁 I want to go visit Hoshi~☆

And check if his cold is doing any better?

Won Woo: Can't you just text him? 

She had to laugh, he most likely just woke up judging from his blunt reply.

Ji Min: That's so lame, I'd rather see him in person! 😡

Won Woo: Be my guest, I'm not stopping you.

Ji Min: I don't know the way there! 😬

Won Woo: Too bad.

Ji Min: Yaaaah~! 😠

Won Woo: What if you get sick?

Ji Min: I won't get sick!

He's your friend! C'mon! 😦

Won Woo: Fine… I'll be over in 10 minutes. 

Get ready.

She smiled when he agreed, success. She hurried upstairs, carefully, and got dressed. She picked a simple and comfy outfit for a nice hot summer day and soon realized… the knee sleeve was dark blue and throwing her whole outfit off. The one time she decided not to wear just black and white. Damn! She thought and looked through her closet for a pair of black skinny jeans. I don't want it to show too much. She wanted to avoid being asked questions. At least with the skinny jeans, it wouldn't show too much since they weren't skin tight and black hides just about everything… almost. 

The doorbell rang a moment later and she made her way down to answer it. There stood a grumpy Won Woo, he honestly didn't look too good and she worried if he was catching a cold as well? “Are you feeling okay?” She asked and stepped aside so he could come in. “You're not catching a cold just like Hoshi?”

“... I hope not.” He muttered and plopped himself onto the couch nearby. “We're not going to be there long are we?” 

“Depends.” She stepped over to check him for a fever. He was a bit warm. “I mean… we don't have to go if you're not feeling well. I won't make you go.” 

“I'd rather not go.” He snickered. 

“Sorry for making you walk all the way here.” She apologized and was sincere about it. He assured her it was fine with a dismissive wave. “I still would like to go check on him, so I'll text someone else to take me.” She said while pulling her phone out.

“You're that eager to go and catch a cold?” He scoffed and stood up. “Whatever, do what you want.” He said a bit harsh and left out the front door. She was surprised by his sudden mood change. He must really not be feeling well. She'd make sure to check on him when she gets back. He was most likely going back home to sleep. He needs his rest.

Once she saw him make it back home through the living room window, she decided Junhui would be the chosen one today and composed a text to him.

Ji Min: Hi Jun, morning! It's me, Ji Min! 😊

Jun: Hi! Morning! 😁

Ji Min: I know this is sudden, but I heard Hoshi caught a cold 😵. 

I wanted to go visit him but I don't know the way. 

Would you be able to help me? 😔

Jun: Sure! 😄 No problem, though I don't know where you are. 

Do you wanna meet up somewhere first?

Ji Min: That's okay, you can come to get me at my brother's house. 

I'll text you the address! 😁

Now that she had help, she waited patiently for Junhui to show up. It took some time but she considered maybe he lives on the other side of town or something, it made sense when he showed up on foot instead of a car. Thinking about her knee, she worried if she should have troubled Mingyu instead, he could borrow his father's car again, and she could get her stuff back too. But when Junhui showed up and greeted her a good morning she decided to stick with him. She’d feel bad after he came all the way over. He asked if she ate and she answered that she ate something small.

“If you want, we can eat lunch after visiting the sickly star?”

“Sure, sounds fun!” She smiled and locked the front door behind her. 

“Do you like Chinese food?” He asked with a curious smile.

“Yes!” She beamed. 

“Authentic Chinese food?” He chuckled at her sudden hesitation. “It's okay, I know a place!”

“Okay, I'm excited!” She was a bit nervous about not liking it since she was so used to the non-authentic Chinese takeout, but if anything, it should be much better than takeout. She was looking forward to it now that her stomach was already growling.

Junhui noticed and she gave him an embarrassed smile. “Want to grab a snack before we head over?” He asked with a small laugh. “I'm worried that you won't make it.”

“Yeah, maybe we should.” She gave a defeated sigh.

“It's okay, I eat a lot too.” He assured her and she looked up at him with a cute smile. He succeeded in making her feel better, but for some reason, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy, like someone was watching him just now and staring daggers into his head. He took a quick glance around the neighborhood but didn't see anyone standing outside. Maybe because they were indoors and on the second floor… in a bedroom.

Junhui shook the feeling off and continued walking with Ji Min to the nearest convenience store. No time to waste. When they arrived, they got the old classic cup of ramen to eat. He was a gentleman and prepared both of their cups while she waited outside. 

As she waited, she checked her phone and noticed she had a few missed texts from some of the girls.

Soo Min: Morning! 😁 I hope you got a good rest last night, and your little feline friend wasn't too upset with you when you got home?

Ji Min: He was fine, don't worry! 😂

Thank you for your concern.

Though she wonders how he's doing now? She frowned at the thought of him being home alone, sick. I probably shouldn't stay out too long…

Mei Yi: Hey girl! I hope you had fun yesterday? 

I'm sorry if you were overwhelmed and that's why you left in a hurry! 

😢😭 We'll tone it down next time, so don't be scared!

Ji Min: Thank you, I appreciate you checking up on me. 😊 

Don't worry, I'm fine. It was just a long day that's all. 

I look forward to hanging out with you girls again. 😁

Maybe not all the time, but sometimes wouldn't hurt. She's more afraid of not fitting in or keeping up with them. The last thing she wants is to be ignored or the quiet one.

Junghwa: Morning! 😄

Junghwa: How did things go with your friend? 

Are you feeling better?

Ji Min: Things are good now! 😁 I apologized. 

I feel good now, thanks for checking up on me.

Junhui returned to the table before she could respond to the others. She would do it later since she finds it rude to use her phone while in the company of others.

“Thank you.” She smiled after he placed her cup of noodles in front of her.

“You're welcome.” He replied kindly and took his seat at the opposite side of the table.

They began to eat and Junhui was the first to make small talk. Back on Tuesday when they bumped into each other, they didn’t really get to talk about themselves much and get to know each other since Soonyoung was chatting up a storm about trivial things like the weather and things he saw while out and about with Junhui. Ji Min learned Junhui liked fashion and is close to being a part-time model. He just hasn’t had the time to get some good headshots for his portfolio, it's been hard to find a good studio to get them taken at that wasn't ridiculously pricey or rated poorly by past customers. She supposed the same goes for Bo-Young as well. I wonder if Hongbin could help them? But does she really want to face her brother now? Maybe she could if it’s for her new friends. She made a mental note to send a text to her brother later. 

Talking about their future careers, it made her think of how Bo-Young has the same aspiration. She could see those two succeeding, they were too beautiful for anyone to turn them down. When she mentioned her talk with the girls, he was pleasantly surprised to hear she was a dancer. He went on and on about how passionate Soonyoung is about it and their friend Chan as well. She thought it was nice. Junhui admitted he’s not as crazy about it as his friends are, even Minghao who likes to B-Boy dance, he’s more into photography these days. 

That got her thinking. Could I ever stop having interest in dance? She can’t imagine herself never dancing again or even losing interest. It’s all she’s ever known the majority of her life. Despite having a small break this past year from dance, she still thought about it. Could she really get into other things besides dance? She wondered… Art seems like fun. Would she be any good at it? I should have a backup plan in case dance isn’t the answer…

She kind of dreads the day she’ll have to decide something like that and decided maybe she shouldn’t think those thoughts until it’s time. It only puts her mood down and makes her worried. Junhui definitely noticed her expressions but kept quiet about it. He was really curious on why, but he knew not to pry. When they were done eating their noodles, they were on their way to Soonyoung’s place like planned.

☙✨💖✨❧

Won Woo lied in his bed and stared up at the ceiling with a scowl on his face. He was irritated knowing Ji Min went to see Soonyoung with Junhui. He saw them leave the area together. He didn't like the way his friend was smiling at her and making her smile too. His jealousy definitely jumped out, but he wasn't about to go and stop it. Even if he wanted to, he didn't feel well enough to walk all the way out there. Instead, he had just turned and fell onto his bed face first and groaned in response.

He regretted not going with only because he wanted to make sure those idiots don't say anything idiotic to her about him. And to also make sure they didn't pull any moves on her either. They're still strangers… right? He thought and sighed. He was starting to get a headache and decided he should try to rest more. But it wasn't easy and he could never fall asleep. 

He patiently waited to hear from her the entire day… like a sick puppy waiting for his master to return home, though he couldn't be so sure she'd want to visit after he left so rudely before. Damn. What's wrong with me? He'd have to apologize later. He was sure having a hard time controlling his feelings these days. At this rate, Ji Min might not be so forgiving if it keeps up. 

He sighed and turned to his side. He felt lonely now. “Hurry back…” he'd wait for her like that.

Chapter Seven~!

Poor Won Woo ><

Jun: Don’t worry, she’s in good hands, my dear friend.

Won Woo: You better not do anything funny to her.

Jun: Other than telling amazing jokes? LOL

Won Woo: I’m going to be very honest with you. No.

Jun: Fine, okay then, damn.LOL

No wonder why she named your contact Jerk Face.

Won Woo: … I’m unfriending your .

Junhui: … well I guess my needs a new friend.

Who wants to be friends with my ?!

Minghao: I swear… I don’t know a Wen Junhui.

What ? LOL *Savage but can’t keep a straight face*

What in the...

Junhui’s has friends.

Ravi naming his dog , LMFAO

I’m trying to get back into posting more often, please be patient with me OTL