Pictures of Worry

Six months Ago

Jessica cracked her neck as she looked through the draft she had in front of her, sipping tea in a cafe. The fact that she got so much done in such a small amount of time really means her personal life is overloaded with problems. It was an awful day with the rain and the small fight with Minjun is not helping. She looked over her phone and sighed as she sees two hour has passed with one pot of chamomile and biscuits with a company of one friend.

The fight with Minjun was clearly a small fight. Over a glitch of what movies to choose on Netflix. But somehow, her ego and his ego matched and they ended up in a big fight. Jessica thought of calling, but her pride won’t let her.

“Later.” She finally decided and looks at her friend who was quietly looking through his camera. “Yah Jaebum-ah, you are really diligent when it comes to photography.”

JB looked up and smiled to Jessica. Jessica saw JB loitering around the house searching for snacks and she decided to end his misery. He could use some sugar in him.

“Trouble in paradise with Minjun-hyung?” JB asked and Jessica whined. “Come on, you are lovebirds. Lovebirds fight to keep the relationship interesting.”

“What do you know?” Jessica asked. “You keep flirting with a lot of girls. You even went for me when you came to work in our gallery. I was surprised the young polite Jaebum could be that flirty.”

“If it wasn’t because I like hyung more than noona, I wouldn’t stop.” JB winked. Jessica smiled. It is true that Minjun surprisingly get along with JB on the first meeting. JB somehow idolized Minjun for his artistic nature. Of course, everyone would. “Noona, would you commit to him?”

“Hmm?” Jessica thought about it. “Well, we are still young, marriage is not really a question yet.”

“I didn’t mean marriage.” JB said. “I mean would you commit to him, for life, not going off to other guys? Forever?”

Jessica thought about it again. “I think I am already committed to him.”

JB smiled widely. “Then you’ll be fine.”

Jessica smiled. JB really knows how to play his words.

“How about you? Don’t you want to commit?” Jessica puts her papers away. “Or you’re too busy choosing from the fish tank?”

“I chose once. And she got away.” JB said in all honesty. “But I can’t imagine being with anyone else, so I’m trying my best to get her back though. Pray for me noona.”

Jessica smiled. “Of course I will. Our Jaebummie will find his love life back.”

The next thing Jessica knows, she sees JB on a ‘date’ with his ‘girlfriend’ and that girl was none other than Oh Seung Ah, her boss’s wife. How small the world is baffles her.

---

Present

Jessica decided that whatever happens in JB’s personal life is his problem. She knew him as an entire other person before so she decided she won’t judge him for that one situation. She began to know JB as a person and outside of the infidelity, JB is a good person. Jessica felt that she doesn’t have any right to judge him.

JB is very good in his job, and her father seemed to like him a lot too. Jessica managed to sweep away JB’s secret affair with Seung Ah. Whenever her boss began talking about his wife, Jessica silence herself. JB had told her he can’t see being with anyone but Seung Ah and tried his best to get her back. In lack of better words, JB is taken.

Jessica doubts Krystal would feel anything for JB since they bicker a lot but it looking at the circumstances now, there is a slight admire on Krystal’s side. Jessica forgets that however despiteful JB must look to Krystal, he is also a very attractive man himself.

Seems like sending Krystal to such person is not a good idea.

Jessica watched as Krystal yet again argues with JB. She thought it was cute that the kids fight all the time but now, it just felt like Jessica has sent Krystal into a lion’s den. Her eyes could be lying though, it might just be Krystal admiring JB’s work ethic, could be platonic.

She watches them closely anyway.

“Yah! Seriously, I should be the one to call in TVXQ!” Krystal argued and JB sighed loudly. Seems like they just got back from the near café.

“You’re just so enamored by Changmin-ssi. Plus you have school. I’m not letting ahjussi get on my just because of you.” JB pushed her at arm’s length and looked at her face. “You got cream on you.” He wiped off the cream near her lower lips. “Go to school.”

“I have free period today.” Krystal pointed out.

“For a whole day?” JB asked, not believing her.

“Yah, Changmin-ssi said he is free today.” Krystal almost pouted. “Plus, he said it’s cool if we come by a little later.”

“Well we have to reschedule because I have a date today.” JB walked pass her and didn’t want to hear anymore from her.

“Tch.” Krystal eyed him as he walked into the gallery. She touches her lips, near where he did. “Seriously.” Her face flushed.

Jessica sees this. She is very worried.

Krystal took her bag and sighed. Today is school day and she really didn’t want to go. Although she did made some new nice friends, she does have free period today while her new friends is stuck in class. What she would do is roam around the halls and be bored with it.

“Soojung-ah.” She hears her sister calling her. “Going to school?”

“Yup. I don’t have a job today and seems like the polarizing womanizer have a date, so that leaves me to school.” Krystal sees her sister smiling. “I know you want me to have a normal school life. Listen, I am trying but if you push it too much I’ll definitely rebel against you.”

Jessica hugs her sister. “Let’s walk together. I’m taking the bus near your school anyway.”

“Minjun-oppa is not picking you for work?” Krystal asked.

“He worked all night on a song, he needs his sleep.” Jessica smiled. “You, you are of age. No boyfriends I should worry about?” Jessica press the boyfriend part.

“Not really.” Krystal sincerely said.

“No one cute in school?” Jessica looked for a clue in Krystal’s face.

“No.” Krystal didn’t need to think twice.

“Come on. At least one of the male models must have hit on you.” Now she sounds desperate. Anyone would do for now.

“Well, there is one cute guy in this one shoot.” Krystal’s words made Jessica hopeful. “He’s an though.”

“Seriously, do you even like anyone?” Jessica looked at her sister. “Anyone I know?”

“Nah.” Krystal said without doubt. Jessica sees the school’s front gate. They have arrived. “Unnie. Seriously, if I liked someone, you would be the first person to know.” Krystal kissed her sister’s cheeks. “Bye!”

Jessica looks at Krystal walking into the school compound. She sighed. Krystal never had a boyfriend, her inner shyness and outward chicness always drove the boys away. Jessica realized that JB is the only person Krystal wasn’t shy to and probably threw away her image around him. She wonders if that is what made Krystal slowly engage to him. Jessica shakes her head. “Surely it can be just a small crush that meant nothing.”

“Sooyeon-ssi?” Jessica looked back to the see third party that messes her head. Oh Seung Ah stood before her. “Ah, I thought it was you. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, ahhhh… I dropped my sister off here. And going to wait for the bus.” Jessica waved her hand probably too evidently. “It’s been a long time Seung Ah unnie!”

“Yes. You have been very good to my husband and I am sorry for his lacking.” Seung Ah smiled warmly. Seriously, how can anyone hate her? “Please, do have lunch with us some times. My husband must have pushed you too hard. He told me about your engagement.”

Somehow, Oh Seung Ah didn’t look like someone who is unhappily married. Plus, Jessica’s boss too didn’t show any sign of being thrown off by her. What if JB is really the homewrecker here and it lingers that Krystal is crushing on him just makes Jessica’s head hurt.

“Ah yes. My engagement.” Jessica slowly smiled. “I like working with him, so I promise you, I’m still going to be around for a long time.”

“That is good to hear.” Seung Ah seemed very full with gratitude. The bell rings and the teacher bowed as she left.

Jessica started to panic. She have decided that she needs to do something. Quick. She calls someone. “Oppa!”

---

JB looked around in the gallery and sees the new bunch of boxes around him. Weird, he wasn’t informed of new packages. Then he sees Chang Woo checking all the boxes. He seems pretty confused too.

“You have any idea what this is?” Chang Woo asked as JB approached him.

“No.” JB looks at the tag. “It says Krystal.”

“Oh, Soojungie?” Chang Woo looked around. “Who could have sent her so many things?”

JB looked around and sees the sender’s address.

“Kwanghee?” He sees all the sender is from Kwanghee. Suddenly the door burst open and both of them see Krystal’s manager, Victoria panting. “Ah, noona.”

“I’m very sorry!” Victoria bowed.

“Victoria-ssi. Do you know anything about these boxes?” Chang Woo asked kindly.

“Ah…” Victoria scratched her neck. “It is from Krystal’s fan.”

“As in one fan.” JB asked. “I see no other names than Kwanghee here.”

“Ah, he’s an oppa fan.” Victoria looked around. “He is really fond of Krystal so…”

“Doesn’t he know she’s underage?” Somehow this Kwanghee guy irks JB more than it should. “How could he send so many stuff around here? We are running a gallery, not a store. What If we have events for the day, should these stuff be here?”

Chang Woo looked at JB, frowning. “Yah, you punk. It is not Victoria’s fault.” Chang Woo looked at Victoria. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep the stuff in our house for a while and let Soojung know about it.”

“Ahjussi. You can’t fit all these in your house.” JB is calm but strict. His true colors is showing. “This guy is weird. He sends in all these gifts in bulk for God knows what reason.”

“He is a fan. When you have fans they will give you gifts.” Chang Woo reasoned.

“Ah, it is okay. I’ll just ask the delivery guy to send it back.” Victoria said.

“No Victoria ssi, these are Soojung’s gift.”

“She shouldn’t take a weird guy’s gift.” JB rolled his eyes. Chang Woo glared at him. “I’m just saying there could be some dangerous stuff in there. Fans are quite pushy at times.”

“No it is okay, Chang Woo abonim. I’m going to send it all back. In fact these are already rejected by Krystal herself.” Both men looked at her. “Ah yes. Kwanghee ssi sends a few to our company but Krystal rejected every gift from him, and he sends it back every time. I just knew that he send all his gifts from the last 3 month to your gallery and quickly ran here. I am so sorry for such inconvenience.”

“I told you, the guy is weird.” JB stated again. The news made him relieved.

“Ah, is that so. Well, if Soojungie didn’t want any of it, we should give it back.” Chang Woo agreed. Victoria bowed as she excused herself to contact the delivery men. Chang Woo looked at JB who raised his brows back. “You seem different.”

“What?” JB looked back.

“The usual you would probably mock how could anyone like someone like Soojung.” Chang Woo had known JB’s antics for a year and he sees a difference.

“Ah… N-no. I mean seriously, that fan is creepy. I am just creeped out. That’s all.” JB explained.

“Ah.” Chang Woo smiled as if he had discovered something.

“What?”

“No. Nothing.” Chang Woo continued to smile as he walked away. “Today is a good day.”

He scratched his head. The old man had lost his sense. Suddenly his phone buzzed and he looks at the text. “Oh, Hyejong?”

---

“Someone for a blind date?” Minjun frowned as he talks to Jessica on the phone. “For Soojungie?”

“Oppa, seriously, she could be falling for someone bad. I need to prevent that, so we’ll just find someone for her. She’s 19, she should date.” Jessica said. “So anyone?”

“No one.” Minjun said as he looked at his computer screen. “Seriously calm down. Why the sudden panic? Have you asked Krystal if she likes anyone?”

“I did.”

“And?” Minjun skipped a few notes on his track.

“She said she’s into no one at the time being.” Jessica said. “I know her, she doesn’t even know she has a crush on Johnny Depp when we watch ‘Crybaby’. So unless someone tells her…”

“She’s almost an adult, give it a break.” Minjun sighed. “I’m sure she’ll find someone.”

“Oppa, this is important!” Jessica whined. “I think she has a crush on someone who is not good for her.”

“Okay, I need you to calm down.” Minjun said. “Try to relax okay Sooyeon. Think it through. A crush is good for her age. You were the one who wanted her to have a normal life.”

“But the guy is…”

“Having an unrequited crush is normal.” Minjun said. “Going through these process is normal. I know you have been her mother all her life, but for once, be her sister. What would you say as a sister to a girl who is having a crush? Regardless who the guy is.”

Jessica stayed silent until she said. “Go for it.”

---

JB waited till the last box is taken by the delivery guys and closes the door. He should watch out on any packages that is sent from Kwanghee. Then he realized he was being ridiculous. He shakes his head, “Must be the creepy factor.”

JB took his phone and called up a few girls. He needs a girl today, it is important.

“Hello?” Somehow, fate tells him that all the girls in his phone is either busy or out of town. Even the all available Yura is somehow not around. JB sighed. “Why today out of all days?” JB looked out and sees Jinyoung coming in, looking at all the boxes being sent out.

“Busy day, hyung?” The younger kid asked.

“Not so much.” JB looked through his phone.

“What are you doing?” Jinyoung peeked.

“I am looking for a date. Hyejong bailed on me today.” JB sighed as he kept scrolling.

“Ah, today is that day?” Jinyoung clapped his hands. He sees JB struggling. “Don’t tell me the famous Im Jaebum is having a problem finding girls?”

“I can’t exactly bring a stranger into this kind of situation can I?” JB rolled his eyes, feeling a bit hurt.

“What about Krystal-ssi?” Jinyoung suggested.

“Tch. No way. Not in a million years.” JB shrugged his fried off and kept scrolling. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Ah.” Jinyoung opens his bag and handed JB a paper. It was a pamphlet for a showcase tonight. “Jackson and Mark made it!”

“Ah. They are debuting?” JB took the pamphlet, seeing the two Chinese friend’s faces on it. “Yah, it’s about time.”

“Mark hyung said you have to be there.” Jinyoung said. “And Jackson specifically said no cameras. He wants you to see him with your own eyes.”

“Ah I understand.” JB said smiling. He knew the two guys have left their home town just to be an artist in Korea. He had met them during his short stint in JYP and stayed friends. He looks to Jinyoung. “You could just called for this, why are you…” Then he sees the big luggage outside of the gallery. “Yah, what have you done?”

“Hyung.” Jinyoung started softly. “I left my sister’s house.”

“What?”

Park Jinyoung left Jinhae when he is 15, as he stayed with his sister in Seoul for the time being. His dream is to become an actor, and he thinks he can do it while being in Seoul. Producers thinks he’s too young to play lead roles or too old to be a child actor. There is always causes everywhere that made him lose the job. Her sister was recently married and he feels like the third wheel in their house all the time.

“Noona’s husband is uncomfortable. I can feel it. I know it. I told her I’ll find somewhere else to stay.” Jinyoung said as he took his luggage in. “So I guess I’ll crash in your place for the time being.”

“Yah!” JB said. “You can’t just crash my place, and why the hell do you bring your stuff here? This is not my house!”

“Oh these? No, these are dried fish. Chang Woo ahjussi said before that he liked them a lot so I brought it along when I went back to Jinhae.” Jinyoung smiled brightly. “My stuff is already in your place. Key is in the vase, don’t worry.”

“Yah, Park Jinyoung.” JB warned him.

“Come on. Only a few weeks. I’m gearing for a new drama audition and it seems positive.” Jinyoung said. “Now, where is ahjussi?”

“Yah, Jinyoung ah. Does your parents even know?” JB pulled him.

“Ah, they still think I’m with noona. But no worries, noona knows I’m with you.” Jinyoung tried to go to the office but JB pulled him again which he suddenly cringe.

JB sees this. “Yah, what’s wrong with your arm?”

“Nothing, I sprained it bringing all my stuff to your place.” Jinyoung quickly left him to find Chang Woo. JB looks at Jinyoung. If there is one person who is worse than him in expressing, it is Jinyoung.

JB shakes his head. He had other problems and will deal with Jinyoung later.

---

School starts, school ends and Krystal sighed. Today was pleasant since Sulli is not around to antagonize her and she actually had a good lunch with Luna. Luna was panicking over her secret boyfriend that her company didn’t know off and she’s pretty scared if they would ask her to break up. Eventually, Krystal had to snap her back to reality and Luna calmed down.

Her sister had asked her about boyfriends this morning. Really, she never thought of it. It’s not like she is a celibate or anything, she just never seem to be fond towards a guy nowadays. She remembers that small crush she had on her elementary classmate, Jongin. And that is pretty much 10 years ago. Krystal looks around and sees a few couples on her way. Sure it would be nice to have a partner but she wasn’t exactly desperate to have one.

“Yo.” She heard his voice and looks up. There he is with his smirk. Krystal rolls her eyes as JB walked towards her. “You know ‘Hey oppa’ is actually a good greeting.”

“Not a chance.” Krystal shrugged him off. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a date?” That came out more bitter than she thought.

JB sighs. He had no other choice. Krystal is his last option. He better get on it quick. “Well, the girl I am supposed to bring to meet the other girl in my date bailed and I need someone to replace her, care to join me?” JB said it quickly and sees Krystal looking at him. “So?”

“You know a date implies a guy and a girl, not two.” Krystal said. “Is this some of your weird harem thing?”

JB scratches his head. “No. This girl is special. She likes it if I brought a girl whenever I meet her.” He sees a confused Krystal. “She’s my grandmother.”

“Oh?” Krystal looks at him.

“Well, every month I visit her in Cheongdam after her salon fix and well, I always brought a girl with me just to…” JB sighed. This is not the secret he wanted to tell Krystal, or anybody.

“Just to?”

“She’s an old woman and I am the only grandson she has. She likes it if I am with someone.” JB tries hard to explain it but he sees Krystal still confused. “She saw that movie No Regret, and well, let’s just say she’s worried ever since.”

(A/N: No Regret is about a Gay Couple)

Krystal controls herself from laughing as she sees JB’s warning face. “Okay, am not laughing.”

“Seriously, just go right ahead.” JB sighs and the chuckle that Krystal holds in came out to a big laugh. “It’s not me, alright, it’s the movie and my grandmother is pretty impressionable. I’m not really close to girls during high school so…” He sees Krystal glaring him. “I was pretty committed to a girl back then so I wasn’t exactly flirting around like high school boys. Halmeoni thought that it was because I liked guys. I mean I don’t have a problem with people and their ual preferences, but I am straight as a stick.”

“It is really hard to see you as someone committed.” Krystal watched him.

“Well, you’d be surprised.” JB laughed bitterly. “Anyway, you in?”

“What’s in it for me?” Krystal stared at him, smirking and kind of making an Im Jaebum’s smirk impression.

“For you?” JB is confused.

“You know. Dong Bang Shin Ki.” Krystal smiled widely.

Then he realized. “Ah, for you… aish. Fine, I’ll call up Changmin-ssi for tomorrow morning.”

Krystal smiled happily. Somehow meeting Changmin is not the only thing that makes her happy. Somehow.

They head home so Krystal can change off her uniform. Krystal laughs again as she intentionally spoke about the movie “No Regret” and JB just sighed loudly.

“Seriously, I never watch it but this makes me want to watch it.” Krystal nodded.

“Whatever.” JB said. He knows he can’t do anything. It was last minute and he actually needed her. When they arrived, they saw a familiar car in front. Minjun is here. They see him leaning beside the car talking to the phone. He waved to Krystal who waved back and nodded to JB. “Busy guy.”

“Unnie said he is finally catching his big break with some producers.” Krystal opens the door. She stopped when JB stopped following her. “You’re not coming up to munch our food?”

“Nah, I think I’m gonna hang around Minjun-hyung.” JB turned around. “Be quick. Halmeoni is not that patient.”

“I just need 10 minutes.” Krystal ran up to her home. She sees her sister putting on makeup, probably getting ready for a date with Minjun. Jessica always takes an hour minimum to get ready and it baffles Krystal that Minjun was okay with it. “Heading out?”

“Ah, you’re back?” Jessica puts on an eyeliner. “Yeah, there is this party Minjun’s boss is hosting. Sounds very glamorous.” Jessica looks around. “This doesn’t look like I’m cheap right?”

Krystal chuckled as she took a few dresses out. “No.” Krystal looks at her sister, all dolled up. “You do know Minjun-oppa wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between putting in mascara or not.”

“I put this on for me. I want to look good.” Jessica pointed out. “I haven’t put on makeup for oppa since forever. But those elites in that party, I won’t let them look at me in rags.” That is Jessica’s confidence that Krystal admired. Sometimes she feels so shy she feels like bursting into flames and disappear.

“Well, show em what you’re made of.” Krystal laughs and puts on her dress.

Jessica sees her younger sister change. She stops herself from saying anything about JB, even if she wanted to. “You going out?”

“Yeap.” Short sentence.

“With Victoria?”

“No, with Jaebum oppa.” Krystal froze. She looks at Jessica who somehow looks at her with a frown. “Don’t tell him that. Anyway, we’re just having a quick dinner.” Krystal took her small clutch. “Bye.”

Jessica holds the lipstick in one hand, the other is just let loose. “.”

-

JB walked towards Minjun and sees him looking down to his phone, somehow frowning. “Rough day?” He asked. Minjun, the upbeat older hyung just forced a smile.

“Well, the music industry is not exactly the friendly arena. Sometime, you just feel like killing someone.” Minjun chuckled. “Being a music composer isn’t exactly fun at times when there is a block of zero ideas in your head with a mobster of elite brokers in front of you. They want cash art, not just strings of good melodies.” Minjun looked at JB who stared at him. He took JB’s shoulder. “Sorry, I’m pretty stressed out.”

“No. All good.” JB said.

“So, how is your work?” Minjun had taken a liking to JB when they first met. Somehow the kid reminded him of an old Kim Junsu, the young days where composer Jun.K still thinks of becoming a pop star. They have a dream, they push for it, but leisurely take their time a bit too much. JB pushed harder than he does so that is a plus.

“Same old same old. Soojung is giving me rainbows though.” JB said sarcastically.

“Ah, since you’re here, it reminds me…” Minjun straighten up. “Do you have any young friends that might be interested in Soojung?”

JB laughed a bit. “That’s a bit random.”

“Well, Sooyeon called this afternoon and she asked if there was any of my guy friends who would be interested in a blind date with Soojung.” Minjun sighed. “Honestly, those guys are the reason why I never bring Sooyeon to my workplace. You’re around Soojung’s age, you must have good friends that you can introduce Soojung to.”

“Well, your friends might be the problem but on my side, Soojung is the problem.” JB didn’t intend for it to be a joke but Minjun laughed anyway.

“You’re single.” Minjun said.

“And?” JB is confused.

“Well, she’s single. You guys are close enough…”

“We barely have decent conversation.” JB said. “It’s not going to happen. Never going to happen.” He wonders why he flustered about it.

“Alright, alright.” Minjun laughed. “Well then introduce your friend to her, see what happens.”

JB thought about it. “We’ll see.”

“Yah, are you ready?” Both men turned to see Krystal all dressed up in a denim dress with a simple belt.

“You guys going somewhere?” Minjun asked.

“Well, JB here is…” Krystal was about to blabber when JB pulled her arm.

“We’re just off to meet some clients.” JB waved to Minjun and forced Krystal to leave with him. He ignored her laugh.

Minjun watched this scenario. His smile has its own meaning. He’s definitely afraid how similar JB is to him.

“Oppa!” Jessica whined when Minjun sees her running out of her house, panicking. It only means two things if Jessica is panicking; him or Family Matters. Minjun didn’t feel like anything had gone wrong between them so it’s the family. Minjun stands straight, ready to take it all in.

“And what did Krystal do this time?” He lets his arm around her, trying to calm her down.

“It’s not what Krystal did, it’s what I did.” Jessica leaned against him and he sighed. Jessica has this trait to blame everything on herself and Minjun tries hard to shake her out of it from time to time.

“Okay, what do you think you did?” Minjun offers.

“I think I just let her fall for the wrong guy.” Jessica looked very worried. “I mean out of all the guys, it had to be him. And really he had only one problem, one big problem, the rest of him is pretty decent.”

“Okay, do we know this guy?” Minjun leaned back to look at his fiancée.

“It’s Jaebum!” Jessica whines and she lets her head fall on the table.

“I thought we like Jaebum.” Minjun is confused.

“We do! But not as someone Krystal dates!” Jessica looks up. “Were you even listening?”

“Calm down, Sooyeon-ah. Take a deep breath and you can start explaining, what exactly happened.” He rubs her arm. “Breathe.”

“Okay. Huh.” Jessica breathe in. “For the past year, Jaebum has been a real sweetheart. Appa likes him. I like him. Even you like him. It was only Krystal who can’t stand him.” Jessica sighed. “And I had wished that Krystal would at least see what appa and I see in Jaebum. Now that she does, I’m afraid she might be falling for him instead.”

Minjun is definitely confused. “And that is bad why?”

“Because he’s having affair with my boss’s wife!” Jessica shakes her head, feeling everything is her fault. Minjun forgot that part. He is so used to JB being just the guy that works in Jung’s gallery, not the guy who is committing adultery with a married woman. “I even sent her to him, I had her work with him on a project and now, she’s going to get her heart broken! He’s still head over heels on Oh Seung Ah!”

Minjun knows little things about JB and Krystal, but he do know Jessica better than anybody else. She likes it if everything is under her control and she would control her sister from anything that is outside deemed harmful.

“You know, I think you should let it be.” Minjun hold onto Jessica’s hand.

“What?” Jessica looks up. “Oppa, don’t you get it? Soojung could get hurt.”

“The events that leads to today showed that he saved Soojung from getting hurt.” Minjun reminded her. “I don’t know if he would reciprocate or if this could mean a good thing, but Sooyeon-ah, Soojung needs to learn her own mistake. And I believe Jaebum is a good guy.”

That didn’t work because Jessica pushed him away. She is obviously hard to penetrate at times like this.

“Yah, Jung Sooyeon. If a guy like me miraculously sweep you off your feet, miracles can happen to Soojung as well. They are both young and heartbreak is something Soojung must face herself. Jaebummie have been great around here, I’m sure if he didn’t reciprocate he would make sure Soojung is not hurt because that hurts you and your dad. He appreciates you and your dad, even I can see that. So just relax, and let it be, okay.” Minjun hugged her, thinking that was enough to calm her down.

It didn’t.

-

They took a bus in Cheongdam and Krystal sees JB sleeping beside him. One thing she noticed about him is that he sleeps basically everywhere. Whenever she arrived back in the gallery, there is JB laying on a few chairs in the store sleeping like it was Egyptian cotton.

“Seriously, you sleep like a damn log.” Krystal poked his cheeks. Then she realizes the two moles on his left eye. She remembered when she first met him, she almost couldn’t stand looking at him straight in the eyes since he had such a strong stare. Though she does remember that the younger JB seems more timid than he is nowadays.

He squirmed a bit and she quickly looked away. He looked around and sees that they are almost there. He looked at his phone and realized that they were a bit late. He sighed. This monthly meeting with his grandmother is the most tiring day of the month. She asks too much, and probes too much. Hyejong fits the bill and his grandmother loves her very much. Too bad she bailed today.

“Yah, whatever halmeoni say, just nod and answer simply. She’s nice but sometimes she push it too far.” JB sighed.

“How?” Krystal asked.

“By being nosy in everything that had happened in your life.” JB stood up and he automatically takes her hand, which she is surprised. “Why are you so surprised? Play your part Soojung ah. We need to look affectionate.”

Krystal blushed. He said he’d bring her on a date to see his grandmother. He never said anything about showing affection. Her heart almost burst as they walked hand in hand into the restaurant.

Krystal has a boyfriend for the day.

To Be Continued