“I have a problem.” Jonghyun stated as he flopped face first on his sister's bed a few days after his little epiphany at the office. “A big problem.” He finished, his voice slightly muffled by the thick duvet.

Sodam looked up from her computer screen confused. Her brother wasn't due to visit home – where she still lived with their parents – until the following weekend, yet, for some reason, he was here… and he was complaining.

Swivelling around in her seat she looked at the pathetic picture the blonde male made. He hadn't moved from the position he had landed and, on closer inspection, it appeared he hadn't even taken off his coat when he arrived. Absently, she noticed his roots also needed to be touched up, the natural black starting to show through the platinum blonde locks that he had been sporting for a while now. She had been a little sad to see his three-toned hair go, but, in his first year of school when the roots had grown out to the point that they couldn’t be ignored any longer, the boy had bleached the whole lot. He claimed it was because it was easier to maintain, and the girl could see that, but she had been very proud of her idea and thought it looked good.

“What's the issue, Jjong?” she asked, leaning forwards in her swivel chair. She wasn’t sure she particularly wanted to play therapist today but she guessed she owed it to the boy. He had helped her out a few months ago when her scumbag ex-boyfriend – boyfriend at the time – had broken up with her because she was ‘controlling and annoying’. The blonde had patiently allowed her to scoff down ice cream and cry on his sofa; much to the chagrin of Jiwoong who didn’t know how to handle crying women at all, although he had, at one point, patted her on the shoulder gently and murmured ‘there there’. The blonde had helped her immensely by talking through her issues and ing about her ex-boyfriend to a cathartic degree. So, she supposed she should listen to his issues now.

Rolling over onto his back, the composer flung one arm over his eyes dramatically. “I like someone I can't like.”

“If you're talking about Jinki, just know I called it.” she said, looking at her brother and raising one eyebrow in a mocking manner.

Ever since she had found out about this friendship her brother was starting with the idol she had known this day was coming. Honestly, she wasn't sure how her brother didn't see it himself. He had had a crush on the singer for years, far longer than he had known him personally. Yet, somehow, he hadn't predicted that these feelings would develop and grow. Then again, her brother could be a little dense at times, so maybe it made perfect sense. This was the man who hadn’t realised her best friend in high school had had a massive crush on him. More than once, Sodam had walked into the room to see Sohee with her shirt ed far further than was considered socially acceptable and practically sitting in her brother’s lap, as she asked him eagerly about anything and everything she could think of. Honestly, the girl was pathetically devoted to her brother and would listen to him talk for hours if she could, even if the topic was something incredibly mundane.

Jonghyun just groaned in response to her words, rolling around on her bed. He completely rumpled the duvet and one of her pillows made a dramatic escape, falling to the floor with a soft thump. Sighing, she realised she would probably have to clean her room after the male left and she would definitely have to remake her bed.

The girl did find his actions a little amusing however and found herself unable to resist smiling at his childishness. She decided to get right to the heart of the matter; the sooner she talked some sense into her sibling the sooner she could get back to work on her English assignment. She had received the project two weeks ago and it was due in three days. She hadn’t started yet and she really needed to.

“So why is this an issue?”

Jonghyun stopped rolling and looked at her like she was the one being completely obtuse. “How is this an issue? Of course it's an issue! He's him and I'm me.”

“And you have as much chance as the next person,” she said, finishing the sentence the male hadn't thought to be unfinished.

Jonghyun actually sat up at her words and looked his sister dead in the eyes as he spoke, “Which is no chance because he's an idol and idols can't date.”

Sodam rolled her eyes, rotating her chair back around a little to look at the papers on her desk. The movement also allowed her to avoid Jonghyun's eyes. He was staring so intensely at her that it was actually a little awkward. “As if anyone follows that rule. Don't be ridiculous.”

Noting that she actually did have the vocab sheet from the lecture yesterday, Sodam moved it to the top of the document pile as she was sure she would need it for her assignment. Continuing to sort through the pile of paper, vowing to get around to filing them properly at some point, the girl searched for anything else that would be useful for her work.

Jonghyun made a noise of frustration behind her, which she ignored. If the boy wasn't going to use his words, she wasn't going to help him with his ridiculous problem. He just needed get it over with and ask the guy out. She may not have spoken to the idol or met him in person but, from what she had heard, Jinki wouldn't make fun of her brother for his feelings. There was even a chance he would reciprocate. However, until her brother finally got around to it she would have to put up with this awkward wreck that was currently into her pillows. That was something she really didn’t relish.

“What do I do, Sodam?” Jonghyun whined, sounding remarkably like a young child.

Sighing, the girl turned around in her seat once more and almost laughed aloud at the sight that greeted her. She didn't give in to the impulse, as her brother likely wouldn't appreciate it. However, it was difficult. The male was lead down once more, one of her stuffed animals – a cat an old boyfriend had won her at a fair – clutched in his arms and a pout on his face.

“You are such a child,” she murmured, not loud enough for the male to hear. Louder she spoke directly to her brother, “Just ask him.”

“I can't do that!” the male protested, “don't be insane.”

“Ok,” she acquiesced. “Then leave it, do nothing.”

“I can't! It's so awkward being around him like this. I think he’s getting suspicious.” Her brother protested again, hugging the toy cat tighter. She was sure if the cat were alive it would have clawed her brother and run off long ago, he was clutching it so tight. As it was, the poor stuffed animal was bent strangely, its head at a right angle from its body and its legs pointing in all directions, the stuffing squashed almost flat in places.

“Then tell him,” she said, leaning back in her chair and giving up on any facade of continuing to work on her assignment.

“I can't. It's too difficult.”

“We're going in circles.” Sodam said, looking straight at her brother for the first time that visit. Staring at the blonde until he met her eyes, she spoke, her voice serious. ”Those are your two options. You either tell him, he either accepts or rejects you and your friendship carries on with this new knowledge. Or you don't tell him, he never finds out and you try to act as you normally do. But you need to make a choice and stick to it. You can't keep changing your mind. Jinki considers you a friend and if you've been acting this awkward around your other friends – I do talk to Jiwoong, you know.” She said, as Jonghyun sent her a strange look from his horizontal position. “I don't want to imagine what you've been like around Jinki. He isn't to blame for this. You can't keep doing this to him, it's not fair.”

Jonghyun looked away from Sodam and released his death grip on the poor stuffed cat, placing it back next to the pillow as he sat up slowly. Sighing and looking down at his knees, the blonde shifted uncomfortably on the spot “I know,” he sighed, running one hand through his hair, “I'm going to have to tell him, aren't I?” he asked, looking up at his sister, his voice resigned. It was clear he already knew the answer.

“Probably,” his sister answered anyway, “you're a terrible actor.”

He really was, there was no way he would be able to act like normal with this bothering him. Heck, it was already incredibly obvious something was wrong and he had clearly only discovered his feelings for his friend recently. She wouldn't be surprised if everyone who knew the man, knew something was bothering him. Especially Onew, who spent so much time talking to her brother.

“What if he hates me?” Jonghyun asked voice vulnerable and eyes wide. He looked like the damn stuffed cat toy he had just put down.

Sodam was a little jealous she hadn't received those imploring eyes from their mother, like Jonghyun had. It was a trait that certainly came in handy, especially when the siblings was younger. She distinctly remembered Jonghyun being given extra ice cream from the local corner shop on more than one occasion when she, the younger and arguably cuter sibling, had to make do with her single scoop. Her mother was also known to use the skill, often managing to get the best cuts of meat at the local butchers and the finest flowers at the florist just by flashing her puppy dog eyes.

“He's your friend,” she said, looking at her brother meaningfully, “does he seem capable of hating you?”

“Well no,” Jonghyun began before beginning to question himself, “but what if-”

“What if nothing.” Sodam cut him off. “You have to trust him. From what I've seen, he wouldn't hate you, not for this. It'll be hard and will probably still be difficult, even when you’ve told him. But surely it's worth it. Not only to stop you from being so awkward, but what if he says he feels the same?”

“He won't,” Jonghyun said, looking certain of himself. Certain but sad. “There's no way he could like someone like me.”

“He likes you well enough to be your friend.” Sodam said, trying to cheer her brother up. She really didn't know if the singer would return her brother's feelings. However, she had a good feeling that a confession wouldn't be the end of their friendship. She had gleaned enough about the idol, from TV and Jonghyun himself, to be pretty certain that the elder male treasured the closeness they had. “That's got to count for something.”

Jonghyun stood up from the bed and gently hugged his sister. She was shocked for a second before smiling softly and reciprocating. The male, despite being very touchy and often touching others in a friendly manner, didn’t often hug her like this. His hugs were usually enthusiastic and a little painful; quick ones as a greeting or a goodbye. However, this was different. It was more tender than usual and it conveyed all the male’s feelings that he was apparently unable to convey through words.

“Thank you.” The composer murmured, pulling away slowly. ”I guess I already knew what I had to do but ...” he trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck absently. Looking past his sister to her desk he saw the pile of papers stacked there, “So what are you working on?”

The subject change was obvious but Sodam went along with it. She was pretty sure she had gotten through to her brother and pushing him any further was likely to make him snap at her. A grumpy Jonghyun was even worse to deal with than a pensive Jonghyun.

“Nothing, now you're here.”

“Sorry,” the blonde apologised, catching the true meaning of her words and knowing he'd caught her in the middle of something.

She waved a hand at him absently, “Doesn't matter. So did you just come here to talk to me?” she asked, feeling a little touched that he trusted her enough to come to her with his deepest problems. Not that she'd ever admit that to his face, of course. The teasing that would subject her to would be unbearable.

“Pretty much.” The composer laughed, “But since I'm here, what do you want to do?”

“Well,” the girl mused, “since I helped you out and all… You owe me one. You’re taking me out to dinner.”

“Do I look like I'm made of money?” Jonghyun asked his sister's retreating back. The girl having grabbed her jacket and headed out of the room the second she had made her decision.

“Yes you do, Mr. SM.” The girl called behind her as she descended the stairs.

Jonghyun groaned in aggravation. He wasn't sure how, but he always ended up paying when he and his sister went out anywhere. Every time. The girl didn't order cheap food or eat like a bird like all the girls he’d known in high school, either.

“Aggravating woman,” he grumbled, toeing on his shoes – which were in a heap next to his sister’s bed where he’d dropped them during his rolling – and heading out the door after the girl who had already left.

She may be irritating but it was days like today that she really proved her love. Without her, Jonghyun knew he wouldn't have had half the life experiences he had had. She was the one to persuade him to take risks and, most of the time, they had payed off too.

Didn't stop her from being expensive and annoying the hell out of him the rest of the time, however.

 

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CHAPTER NOTES: I spelt Sungkyu as ‘Sunggyu’ pretty much every single time I typed it this chapter. I’m pretty sure my sister (who did the 2^nd round of proof-reading for me) hates me now because she had to fix them all.

I have to go to the Korean Consulate to apply for a visa tomorrow. I hope I didn't need an appointment because their website had no information and the woman on the phone barely spoke English :/