Moments #1

The sound of helicopters flying around can be heard. 

"Take one out when the others are not looking."

Silent gunshot.

'He's down.'

'Good night.'

'Move.'

Instead of finding a corpse, she found him in his bedroom with his fingers working on the game console. Her entrance was greeted by repititive firing of gunshots sounds coming from the surround sound system.

"It's midnight. Your hat is still on your head."

"Well someone is feeling like a ball of sunshine." 

"I hope your eyes rot."

She was hinting at how he was gaming with his bedroom lights off. 

"Says the pot who is calling the kettle black."

"I leave the bedside table lamp on at the very least."

"Is it the time of the month or is it the time of the month?" He purposesly repeated the option on why he thinks she is in a foul mood. Then he momentarily remembered her menstrual cycle ended a fortnight ago. "Oh wait. It must be your face." 

He did not need to look. He knew he would be dead by now if looks could kill. Just like how he is killing the enemy off in the game now.

This was one of their typical nights in in their 7 years of friendship. Kim Han Bin and Kim Jennie first met in the after school academy when they were 13 and they never liked each other for 2 years. He hated her face that seems like it was configured to look like she is perpetually disgusted with the mere existence of any human beings. She just hated anything that walks on two legs-- including Micky Mouse and Friends.

Then one day, he accidentally came across her slaying the game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He decided she was friend-worthy and boy did he tried winning her friendship over. Flattery, compliments and even food. Of course, those did not take him far. He did not know she does not like nice. She likes her friends evil. Baffled, he got so upset one day that he scoffed at her for being bad at taking aims. Once he saw her eyebrows twitched, he knew he caught her softspot. After a month of teasing her at how bad she plays, she finally lets him sit beside her and watch her slay in the single-player shooting game. It has been seven years since then.

He proceeded to yield his console to her which she accepted without any pretense of 'Oh, I should not. It's your game afterall.' Both of them do not do pretense.

Jennie proceeded to ramble and complained about one of her best friends, Chae Young and her rash decision to get married. He had received a text that evening. True to Jennie's style, her text message is a series of ramblings and emotions she feels right there and then. She does not even have the courtesy to provide him with a backstory and she expects him to reply her text. Girls.

'Can you believe her? Signing her life away like that! He does not even have a girlfriend before! No girlfriend, just like you! Weird, just like you!' When he received that stream of texts from her, he had zero idea of what she meant.

'Geez. He .' He replied as best as he could. He saw her typing and two seconds later, her reply arrives.

'Just like you!' Han Bin threw his phone on his bed as he rolled his eyes. 

He had no idea why he was pulled into the same category as the subject of her anger. She does this so often that he became used to it. Five seconds later, he reached out for his phone again and typed his best response, 'Yes your highness. This stupid slave of yours beg for you to forgive whatever 'he' did to 'her.'"

He saw she went offline.

Seven hours later, he finds her conveniently in his bedroom, snatching (he gave in unwillingly) his console and snacks away from him. Oh, and not forgetting throwing in an insult to his fashion sense. With their shoulders touching, his eyes on the screen and her attention half on the game and half on the event that happened that day, Kim Han Bin and Kim Jennie passed their typical night away.

He listened attentively, adding in his words to support her proclamation of how lunatic her best friend's decision to marry in a whim is. He does not necessarily agree with her, though. He apologised profusely when she later on raged about Han Bin and his decision to not date any girls. Her anger then burned to girls who does not even try to be smart and prefer the easy way out by being dumb. Her thoughts are a train wreck, no directions and often running off course. She would have many lost in her ramblings by now, but not him.

Like everyone says, only Han Bin understands Jennie.

"Go to the guestroom. This is my bed." Han Bin hugged his bolster, his eyes looking at Jennie who had conveniently climbed into bed with him. 

"Stop being a baby and I am tired. If you are afraid I will eat you alive, maybe you should go to the guestroom instead." She snuggled into the warm covers and closes her eyes. He turned his back on her, not forgetting to roll his eyes. 

He has gotten used to her sleeping next to him, irregardless of how hard he tried to break her habit. Of course, his manliness took a hit when he first realised how easily she sleeps even with him by her side. When she started helping herself to his shirts and boxers to serve as her pajamas, he threw in the towel and since then, only making a half-hearted effort to chase her away. 

Her boldness started when he moved to his own place when they entered varsity. Back when he lived with his parents, she would still remember that she is a girl and he is a boy. With his living alone now, she completely ignored decency and would stay over at his place at least four times a month-- that is once a week. Some of the time, she would be sleeping in the guestroom. Most of the time, she thinks that his place, food, clothes and bed are hers and makes herself right at home. Today was most of the time.

She even leaves a toothbrush at his place.

 

Moments #2

It was October 22nd, his birthday. On this date, and also January 16th of each year, both of them would celebrate with each other, together with the family members of the birthday boy or girl, depending on the date. This habit started purely out of convenience for her. They had only became friends for two weeks and she invited him to the family-only affair because she couldn't wait another day to show off to him her newly discovered rachet slaying skills in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfar 3.

Her parents were surprised to see him and he was equally dumbfounded when the cake was carted in by the waitress. Ten months later, he invited her to his birthday and made sure she did not buy a present because he did not. The rest were history.

It was during his eighteenth birthday where their weird tradition started. Puberty had visited him and all of a sudden, Han Bin became Mr Hot. He had been trying to devise a plan to ward off girls and the genius plan came when dinner was almost over. It had been a private affaird with just both of them. She had celebrated his birthday with his parents earlier but because he told her he will be pigging out alone on his actual birthday, she decided to bring him out for dinner.

"Where is my present, Kim Jennie."

"Don't be a pig." 

"Stooge. I have been getting you gifts for your past 2 birthdays! You, none!"

"You didn't on my sixteenth."

"I did on your seventeenth and eighteenth."

"Fine. Sue me."

"Rather than troubling the judge and wasting taxpayers money, how about a picture."

She never lets her guard up whenever he is around. She had expected their normal selfie, their face close to each other but never touching. She naively nodded in agreement. 

"I need this picture to ward off bad luck. Can you look at me and pretend to pout so that it looks like you are going to kiss me?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him her lamest look. 

"Hey, it's either a fake one or a real one, your pick. I am the birthday boy and my wish is your command today."

"You are such a prick. Just date someone already!"

"You know it will be faster to get this over and done with if you just pout a little while looking my way."

She surrendered. She closed her eyes and pouted, leaving him to adjust himself into the intended angle he wanted to fake the kissing picture. He had counted to three and she was sure it will be over with quickly. When 'three' ended, she felt her lips touched his skin. He had inched his face higher at the very last minute.

"You pig!"

He had smiled gleefully. Since then, it has been their weird little tradition that she would give him a kiss on the cheek during his birthday-- for picture sake to ward off bad luck. It was worth mentioning that each year, their pose got a little bit more intimate. Of course, it was not done in front of his parents. On times where his parents did have dinner with him on his actual birthday, they would go elsewhere with just both of them after dinner. A walk in the park, a stroll up Namsan tower or chilling out at Han River.

This year, she brought both of them to a quaint little cafe. The cafe was brightly lit with orange lights and the decorations were Instagram worthy. They were attempting to take a selfie with her going in for the kiss (her arms were draping across his neck) when the waiter kindly offered to assist them to take the picture instead. 

After handing the waiter Han Bin's phone, she took her position by standing behind him while he was sitting. Her arms circled his shoulders as she pressed her chest against his back. Softly, she kissed him on his cheek. The waiter counted to three before clicking away. Jennie noticed the wide grin Han Bin had when he reviewed the picture. 

"Can't believe you are still using this to ward off bad luck."

"Hey, I am single and not ready to mingle. This is the very least that I can do."

"I am single and ready to mingle. You are ruining my market."

"Please, it's your face doing the ruining. And the market you are referring to, they walk on two legs. So don't kid yourself by blaming this innocent selfie."

"Eat your cake." She stabbed the fork through the cake, wishing it was him instead.

 

Moments #3

He first realised something was wrong when he woke up one winter afternoon.

"I hate this world!" Han Bin was jolted awake when he heard his door open. He was a light sleeper and she knew. Later, he felt her sink into his bed again. He instinctively reached for his bolster.

"Please, the world was here first. With all due respect, it should be the one doing the hating, not you."

"Can you not?"

"I cannot, not. So can you not?"

"Urgh!" She grabbed the nearest thing-- which conveniently was the bolster he was hugging- and screamed into it.

"I am beat. Get out before you regret it." He muttered, his sleepiness came back on and without hearing a response, he drifted back to sleep.

Both of them had always fought over the thermostat when it comes to winter. She loves sleeping in the cold while he prefers somewhere warmer. It was perhaps because he had stayed up straight for 48 hours before finally catching up on some sleep when she barged in proclaiming her hatred towards the world that knocked him out cold. Never once did he wake up to adjust the thermostat. But that does not mean his body is unresponsive towards the coldness of the room.

That day, he woked up sometime during noon with his arms wrapped around her tiny waist and his nose buried in her neck. Both their legs were tangled together. He should have pulled away instinctively, apologise and kneel down to beg for her forgiveness. He should have done all those but instead, he pulled her in closer to him and planted a kiss at the spot her neck and shoulders meet while relishing in the smell of her skin. 

She had turned and hugged him back, a soft moan escaped her lips as she buried her face in his arms.

He pulled away right there and then and bolted right up from bed before making a run out his bedroom.

 

Moments #4

So when she came in to his room and sat beside him on the floor today, he instictively pulled away to put a distance between both of them. He had made an excuse of being thirsty before making a run to the kitchen.

"But there is iced tea here." She had pointed it out.

"I am craving for a softdrink."

That night, she tried crawling into his bed again. She had devised a plan to sneak in while he is asleep. You see, it has been two months since that incident and each time she wanted to crawl into his bed, he would volunteer to sleep in the guestroom instead. 

He heard the door creak and waited. He hoped she came in to pick up something she had accidentally left behind. He knew he was wrong when he felt his bed sink. Han Bin contemplated his two possible reaction, get up and sleep in the guestroom or he can forecefully drag her out of his room. 

Jennie thought her plan worked when Han Bin did not move. Her bliss lasted for ten seconds before she felt his side of the bed lighten up and his footsteps heading towards the door. 

Unable to hold it in anymore, she asked with an extremely quiet voice, "Are you seeing someone?"

He stopped in his track, a little taken aback.

"It's alright. Come back to bed. I am going back to my place." She lifted the covers and walked towards the bathroom to change. 

"Jennie--" Han Bin wanted to explain himself when the bathroom door opens but she would not let him.

"Hey, we're cool. I know, girlfriends huh." She rolled her eyes and then smiled. "'Us. It is a very difficult concept to explain to anyone. We're cool. Goodnight."

Han Bin watched her leave. He wanted to run after her, tell her that she had misunderstood and that he was not seeing anyone. However, this time, after hearing her wish him goodnight, he had not any ounce of confidence that he could calm this particular raging storm. So he let her go.

Except that it wasn't a raging storm that she felt.

She noticed him changing the past couple of months. She noticed how subtly he pulled away from her to put unnecessary gaps between them, it was as if she was some infectious desease. She noticed the change in his text messages. Her usual rants were not answered and even if he did answer, it was with a simple 'I hope you feel better soon.' He had stiffen up when she walked into his room and she finds herself taking dinner alone more frequently than ever.

She had tried convincing herself that he could have been tied down with studies and finals. When semester break started last week and his being distant continued, she could not conjure anymore reasons to calm her pounding head. She had told herself that today would be the final try. If she could just sneak in to his bed and sleep tonight, she would blame everything on her over developed sensitivity. Things will get back to normal.

Except she did not.

Jennie understood very well that she is an emotional train wreck and she had bullied herself into believing that nobody loves her, save for her parents and her three girls. When a certain annoying Kim Han Bin from a nearby school pestered her for months relentlessly, she managed to convince herself that maybe he will be different too.

He proved that her judgement was right. He was indeed different from the rest. He took her jabs in stride and she enjoyed their friendly banter back and forth. He kept up with her very well and their thinking and values matches. She tells him things she would not tell anyone else and he in return, did not pass any judgement on her. He understands her in a way no one else did and he says the right things at the right time. 

Except for the times she kept telling him to start dating. 

He did not understand that she wanted him to reply, "Let's date then."

It had started with his stupid picture request. The first time she kissed him, her face had burnt up and for the first time, she felt shy. She blamed infatuation and hormones for the sudden butterflies flying in her stomach. Since then, she became extremely concious of how she felt when he was around. 

Safe. She noticed it when she first fell asleep with him by herside.

Calm. She noticed it when he speaks to her when she goes off in a rant.

Happy. She noticed it when he smiles at her.

Contented. She noticed it when he first rubbed her head in praise when she made her first fried egg. She was afterall, a spoiled brat.

Warmth. She noticed it when he kissed her on that winter noon.

Love. She noticed it when she buried herself in his arms while pretending to be asleep during that particular winter noon.

Unrequited love. She noticed it when he left the bed tonight.

'Who are you kidding, Kim Jennie. He is out of your league.'

'Why would Mr Cotton Candy Sunshine like sour grapes like you?'

That night for the first time in seven years, Jennie cried herself to sleep.

 

Moments #5

 

January 15.

'Dinner as usual tomorrow? 7.30 p.m.?'

'Can't. Parents out of town. The girls is booking my time.'

She saw his incoming call and purposely missed it. She hadn't heard his voice or seen him for 2 weeks and she missed him quite terribly. 

'Pick up the phone.'

'Sorry, in class.' It was a blatant lie and she knew he knew. 

Three hours later, she found another 3 missed calls and a text message which read, 'Pick up the phone, Kim Jennie.'

She tossed her phone on the table and crawled into bed. She saw her phone light up and she knew he was calling her again. When the line dropped, she dropped him three messages.

'Later. I'm tired. Goodnight.' It was the truth this time. She had barely slept a wink since the day she left his place and she was constantly feeling exhausted. She almost convinced her mind to sleep before being rudely disturbed by the doorbell. 

"You do not just up and leave and lose contact for two weeks just like that, Kim Jennie!" Han Bin barged in to her living room the moment he saw her front door swing open.

His sudden presence and bursting rage caught her off guard as she stood there dumfounded. Seeing him standing right in front of her, she noticed how terribly she missed him.

"You are overreacting, Kim Han Bin." She turned her back on him as she closed the front door. 

"No text message from you for fourteen days and you are saying I am overreacting?!"

"You could have texted me first you know." She retorted quietly.Jennie finally turned around. Her bloodshot eyes met his. 

"Please, you refused to pick up my calls!" He saw her flinched a little at the volume of his voice. "I was worried sick."

"Well, I am alive and kicking so, no worries. Run along now, my dear child. Your girlfriend is waiting for you at the other side." She wanted to kick herself for playing it cool. She should have admitted she missed him a lot.

"Do not try to be smart with me, you--!" His words trailed as he sensed her aloof atitude.

She faked a yawn and started heading towards her bedroom, "I am really tired. Let's talk later. You wouldn't mind seeing yourself out, would you?"

As she neared him, he took a furious step forward and caged her between the wall and himself. She was startled, her heart beat quickened.

"Let me go." She glared at him.

"No." His hands were placed firmly against the wall. "You do not just enter a guy's place at your whim and fancy and shares a bed with him and innocently expect him to just let you go."

"Please, you are at my place now."

"If you need me to proof my point so badly, I can just drag you to my place right now."

 "I'll call the police then." 

Han Bin did not know what to do anymore. Blinded by anger, he grabbed her neck and kissed her. He needed her to keep quiet.

He pulled away after three seconds when neither moved their lips since the initial meeting of their lips.

"Why are you doing this to me?" His voice was weak. He felt guilty for violating her that way. He looked at her as she looked at the ground. He had missed her terribly. He was at the crossroad himself since that winter morning. He had kissed the spot where her neck and shoulders joined out of pure love for her. It wasn't love between friends, it was that kind of love between a man and a woman.

He had thought it was lust at first. However, when she cut herself off from his world, he was sure it was love that he felt. Lust would not have sent jolts of pain coursing through his system each time she rejected his call. Lust would not have him feeling so worried and despair that he genuinely felt that the sun will not shine anymore. His world waas suddenly so bleak, dark and hopeless.

He had at first questioned himself on whether he should confess to her. He was afraid he would lose her as a friend and hence, he tried keeping his distance from her. When his plan to hide his feelings worked better than what he had expected (her ignoring him in return for his keeping himself in a distance), he realised that he had bargained for more than he could handle. He had lost her completely in the past 2 weeks. 

Figuring he has nothing to lose anymore since he lost her, he closed the remaining gap between their lips and kissed her good. He will worry about jailtime later.

Imagine his surprise when she kissed him back as fervently as he did. Her hands were tangled in his hair and his grip around her waist tightened considerably, refusing to let her go. Their years of passion, love and lust towards each other were translated into that kiss they shared which quickly turned into a small lip biting session.

"This is why you should never share a bed with a guy." He said in between breathes.

"This is why you should never lie about a girlfriend." She retorted.

"You assumed!"

"You could have explained!"

"I know and I'm sorry." He had caught her off guard as she looked up to meet his eyes. She finally noticed his eyes were as bloodshot are hers.

"Somebody has been sleeping well, I see." She drawled, deflecting a response to his apology.

"I know right." Han Bin stole another quick kiss and if ever he was trying to hide his grin, he was not trying hard enough.

He heard her giggled. He lifted her chin up so that their eyes meet again. Then, he went in for the kill.

"I love you so much, you insecure human being." It was sealed with his kiss.

Her heart swelled up at those words. She rested her head against his chest as she hears his heart pounding at a speed as fast as her own. A gentle smile broke across her usually sour face. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she nuzzled lovingly against his chest.

And as easy as it is to breathe again, she said it back.

"I love you too."

********

Author's Note: This plot bunny has been hanging around my head for a few hours today and I couldn't seem to get it out of my head. I was thinking if I should incorporate it into my other fan fiction but figured it wouldn't jive well and hence, the one shot. I did make a small reference in here though. I hope you were entertained thoughtout this one-shot! Till we meet again when the next idea bunny pops up!