CHAPTER 33: The Day We Felt The Distance

"Alright, let's live a happy life together, Jihyo ya.. You shouldnt be worried anymore.. I'll be next to you, always. I would never leave you.. So, just smile everyday, okay?

Jihyo was smiling by herself when she remembered the time Jaebum tell that words to her. Moreover when he planted a soft kiss on top of her head. She was giggling in happiness.

That was when Jinyoung came and asked, "What's wrong with you, Jihyo ya? Smiling from ear to ear by yourself like that.. Did something happened? Tell me.."

 Jihyo tried to hide her happiness and said, "Nothing.."

Jinyoung chuckled. "Don't lie.. I'm your oppa, I know you so well.."

Jihyo was nervous, but she kept trying to convince her oppa. "R-really.. nothing happened.."

Before Jinyoung could reply, there was a voice from the front door. "Good morning, Jihyo ya.."

With that, Jihyo was jumping from the bed. "Omo!" She looked so confuse. "Aaah, I haven't taking bath.." 

She went to the front door, opened it a bit, and told Jaebum softly. "Please wait for a minute, Jaebum ssi.." 

Before Jaebum could reply, Jihyo closed the door again and rushed to the bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Then, she went to her room and brushed her hair. With only two steps forward, she came back to spray a perfume on her body.

She ran to the door and opened it slowly. "You can come in.."

Jaebum smiled as he went inside the house. "I bring you breakfast.."

Jihyo couldn't help but smile, she loved how Jaebum take care of her.

"Have you ever tried this?" Jaebum put the plate of the breakfast he made for Jihyo on dinner table.

"What's this?" Jihyo asked as she stole glance at Jaebum. 

"This is called Cheesy Spinach Eggs." Jaebum answered. "Just try it."

Jihyo took a spoon of the rounded egg and tasted it. "Umm.. This is tasty." Jihyo said softly.

"Do you like it?" Asked Jaebum.

Jihyo nodded without looking at Jaebum. She didn't have courage to look at him in the eyes, because it made her blushing.

Knowing that situation, Jaebum . "Aah, you just nod to please me, right? You don't say it while looking at my eyes means that you don't really mean it. It tastes bad, uhm?"

That surprised Jihyo. She shook her hands and said, "No.. It's really tasty, really.." She said that and then looked down again, avoiding Jaebum's eyes.

Her action made Jaebum laughing. Softly he lifted up Jihyo's chin and said, "I know.. I just want you to look at my eyes comfortably.."

With that Jihyo looked at Jaebum and their eyes met.

"Yeah, just like this.. I want to look at my girlfriend's pretty face."

Jaebum's words made Jihyo blushing. Her cheeks turned into cherry tomatoes.

Jaebum smiled brightly as he pinched Jihyo's cheeks softly. "You're so cute.."

Then Jaebum started to eat his breakfast, while Jihyo was still on cloud nine reminiscing the sweet moment she spent with Jaebum.

#bgm: Baek Ahyeon - A lot like love

-00-

Jihyo didn't even notice that the entire time, there was certain someone who observed her and Jaebum.

"My girlfriend's pretty face?!" Jinyoung chuckled. He complained, "So they start dating? Jaebum hyung didn't even ask my permission! Heol." 

"You're dead." Scheduler reminded Jinyoung.

"At least he went to the crematorium." Jinyoung insisted .

Scheduler rolled his eyes. He took Jinyoung's arm and dragged him out.

"Where will you take me? I want to stay here.." Jinyoung resisted.

"Follow me. You just become a nuisance for them."

"Hyungnim, I need to stay here.. What if Jaebum Hyung did something to Jihyo?" Jinyoung blurted out anything just for him to stay.

"Just let them."

"Hyungniiim.."

In a blink of an eye, Jinyoung was brought to different place. 

"Where are we now?" Jinyoung asked as he landed his feet on a garden in front of the building. "Orphanage?" Jinyoung asked as he read the word carved in the building. "What are we doing here?" Jinyoung asked as he looked at Scheduler.

But Scheduler had a long face, he took a deep breath before answering, "I have to pick up someone."

"There will be someone who die here?" Jinyoung asked curiously.

"No.. he's already being a ghost.. It's his time to go up." Scheduler answered as he looked at a young boy who sit on a bench few meters from them.

Jinyoung also looked at the boy and then gave comment. "Aah.. It must be difficult for you too.. Since you know him as him being ghost, it feels like you lose friend, right?"

Scheduler shook his head softly. "No, I don't really know him personally, he's not that friendly as you.."

Jinyoung sighed. "So what's with your face?? You look like someone who lose 1 million won."

"It's because he'll go wihout knowing the truth, why he was here in the orphanage, who his real parents was. He died without knowing all of that. What makes me sad, I know it but I can't tell him." Scheduler looked down, having difficulty to face that ghost.

"How can you know?" Jinyoung asked.

"I always got a data of a person who I will inform the death. So I know the things that he himself don't even know." Scheduler looked up and asked, "Doesn't it sad?"

Jinyoung was silent. He absorbed what Scheduler was saying.

"But this is my job, no matter what happened, I need to assist him to go up." Scheduler took a deep breath and said, "I'll leave you now.. Just go anywhere, don't intrude your sister and her new boyfriend."

"Araseo.." Jinyoung shortly answered.

Jinyoung looked at Scheduler approaching the ghost he talked about. Somehow, Jinyoung felt like his heart aches. Yeah, it is sad..

Then Jinyoung tried to erase the thought with saying, "Aaah, I should go now.. but where should I go?"

-00-

Back to the house, Jihyo and Jaebum have finished their breakfast. 

Suddenly Jaebum asked, "Jihyo ya, do you have agenda this morning?"

Jihyo shook her head softly.

"Then, would you like to do jogging in the central park with me?"

Jihyo suddenly remembered the scene in the drama she watched, when the male lead did jogging with the female lead and then they biked together. Jihyo smiled and nodded.

"Great! Youngjae must be happy too..." Jaebum responded.

Jihyo tilted her head. "Y-youngjae?"

"Yeah, we have routine schedule to do sport every Saturday morning. But today is special, because you join us.." Jaebum explained.

"Aah.." Jihyo smiled as she tried to hide her disappointment.

-00-

Youngjae was doing stretching when Jaebum came and waved his hand at him. He waved his hand back at Jaebum but then got surprised to see someone next to him.

As they approaching, Jaebum hid Jihyo behind him, and said, "Guess, who comes with me? Tada! Our special guest, Jihyo." Jaebum then shifted to let Youngjae see Jihyo.

Youngjae chuckled. "I already saw her."

"Aaah.." Jaebum laughed.

"Good morning.." Youngjae greeted Jihyo.

"Good morning.." Jihyo greeted back as she looked down, felt uneasy to face Youngjae when she was with Jaebum.

"But why'd you out of nowhere join us here?" Youngjae asked Jihyo simply.

"I'm.. I'm.." Jihyo was stuttered, didn't know how to explain to Youngjae.

"I invited her, you punk! Don't you happy that she's here?" Jaebum helped Jihyo to answer Youngjae's question.

Youngjae laughed. "Yeah, absolutely. Since she's really good at sports, she'll be a good rival for us in running race."

Youngjae's statement was a new information for Jaebum. He asked in disbelief, "Jihyo is good at sports? I just know it."

"Yeah, She's really good at futsal. She even made a score for our team.." Youngjae told Jaebum simply.

Jaebum opened his eyes widely. Really??"

But that made Jihyo panic. She shook her hands signing that it was not true. "No.. I'm not.."

Seeing Jihyo denied it, Youngjae laughed. "Let's just do a warm up, Hyung. I can't wait to compete with her." Youngjae said it and then sent a teasing smile to Jihyo.

Jihyo pouted, meanwhile Jaebum clapped his hands excitedly, and said, "Okay !"

They did a warming up for 10 minutes and then they went to the starting line for running.

"Jihyo ya, we usually run from this point, run around in the outer line of the park, and reach this point again." Jaebum explained." Is it okay with you?"

"Oh? Y-yes.." Jihyo nodded.

"We're not directly doing race. We'll going to jog in the first lap and then sprint in the second lap." Jaebum explained more.

"Y-yes.." Jihyo just obeyed everything Jaebum said.

"So let's just start to jog." Jaebum led the way.

The three of them started to jog together, with Jihyo in the middle.

"If I know that you like sports, I should have asked you to join us since the beginning.." Jaebum told Jihyo .  

Youngjae responded, "She doesn't have the time, Hyung.. Remember, she had agenda with Chef Mark every weekend."

"Aah, that's right." Jaebum nodded and then chuckled.

"Why are you chuckling?" Youngjae asked Jaebum.

"Nothing.. It's just.. She won't have that agenda with Chef Mark anymore.." Jaebum answered as he stole glance to Jihyo and smiled.

Jihyo noticed what Jaebum meant and suddenly blushing. The picture of them spending every weekend together were flashing in Jihyo's mind.

Youngjae observed both of them in suspicious, but he stayed silent.

Nearly  finishing one lap of jogging, they were ready to start the race. 

With that, Youngjae said, "I won't be easy for you, Jihyo.. You better give your  best." 

Jihyo threw a smirk to Youngjae, before Jaebum said, "Okay, We will start to run after the countdown to-three."

The three of them were ready in their position.

"3, 2, 1!" 

They started running. 

As expected, Youngjae and Jaebum were leading. They compete for the first position. Youngjae didn't want to lose this race beca