Jihyo-ya. Could you wake up for a moment love?

"Eo." Jihyo wakes up with a jerk. If not for that muscular arm circling her waist, her smooth forehead would have kissed the marble flooring. She blinks rapidly as she takes in her surrounding, her disoriented expression transforming Jongkook's solemn face to an amused one in a heartbeat. 

Why did he wake her up? A twinge of annoyance passes through her. Jihyo's face scrunches up to form a pout as her head starts its pounding again.

He helps her to straighten her blouse and sweeps her messy hair away from her face. His handsome profile leans in close, training his whiskey brown eyes fully on her.

A little embarrassed by his attentiveness, Jihyo averts her eyes.

Well, at least his pretty face is something worth waking up for. (And considering her constant need for sleep, that's saying a lot.)

"How are you feeling? Better?" 

"Yeah... " Yawning lazily, she presses her cheek against his shoulder. 

"Jihyo-ssi, it's good to see you again."

Her spine straightens. "Oh Jong- In- Insung-ssi." She didn't notice the lanky man who is standing awkwardly at the corner of the room, thumbs tucked into the pockets of his jeans.

How long has he been standing there? Did they start talking before she woke? Judging from their awkward faces and demeanor, it sure doesn't seem like it. 

A pregnant silence hangs in the air.

Where is Kwangsoo when you need him? At this point, his skill of filling up blank spaces with chattering will finally be welcomed like water in a desert. But the tall man is nowhere to be found.

The room is so silent that Jihyo can hear the sound of her heart thumping. Or is it Jongkook's heart that is making that wild thumping in her ears? She sneaks a peak.

Next to her, her usually-brave boyfriend is frozen.

She resists the urge to chew on her lip and instead threads her fingers into Jongkook's hands. Since she's the one who caused all of this, she should be brave, right? His thick and long fingers tighten around hers almost reflexively.

"Insung-ssi. Meet my boyfriend, Kim Jongkook." 

When you don't know where to start, maybe starting from scratch will be the easiest.

Jongkook gives her an almost imperceptible squeeze and she smiles at him. He blinks rapidly, as he always does when he is trying the darnest to think of something. He turns to his brother. "Hyung. Could you please help us?"

Jo Insung raises an eyebrow, wrinkling the area below his hairline. Clearly, he did not expect that question. 

"Hyung. Noona is being... threatened by Eomonim." Kwangsoo finally steps in with another Hite six pack from the kitchen. He sets it down and opens a new can before passing it to the bewildered Jo Insung. "she got someone to take photos of Noona and Joongki last night." 

"She doesn't like me very much." Jihyo states as Jongkook brushes his thumb against her knuckles. 

"Oh, and why is that?" He drops into the seat adjacent to them as he takes a swig of beer, taking in the weak smile that she is flashing him. 

Kwangsoo steps in. "Well, they dated before and Noona kinda dumped him to pursue her studies." Kwangsoo notices Jihyo's wince and adds, "Of course, she still loved him but didn't want him to wait. The red thread binding them together didn't break. So when she returned, they simply got drawn back to each other."

Kwangsoo smiles at his date and he settles next to him. "Sweet huh?"

Obviously, Insung has been out of Jongkook's life long enough to not know about the friendship between Kwangsoo and Jongkook till today. Nor does he understand how important Jihyo is to his younger brother since he was never around. 

And now, they have come together again. Life sure works in mysterious ways. 

"Yeah, that is sweet." He gives a delayed response to Kwangsoo's presence, his forehead unwrinkling itself into a friendly and sincere smile at her. "Well, what do you need me to do?" 

"Could you tell Eomma that you were there too?" Jongkook asks hesitantly. His eyes made fleeting contact with his brother's before looking down at 

"I've not spoken to Eomma in awhile." Insung shrugs, as if he doesn't care. "I don't think my word will make any difference."

"Then I'm going to show her the selfie that you guys took last night. I mean, it's obvious that you guys were together. At least that will show Eomma that she's misunderstanding the situation."

Insung pushes himself upright. "Selfie?" Kwangsoo passes him the phone on cue and his eyes widen at the proximity between him and Kwangsoo. "No. You can't show Eomma that." 

"What are you afraid of?" Jongkook asks unflinchingly.  

Jihyo was wondering how long it will take for Insung to realise that his younger brother now knows about his uality.

"You- You know?" Insung asks, his eyes widen with disbelief as his baritone voice wavers.

Glancing between the two older men, Kwangsoo slips his slim fingers into his hand and says in a soft voice. "Yeah, Hyung knows. I told him about me, and about us." 

Insung gapes at the situation. His dark features are awash with disbelief and wariness. "A- And you're fine