A/N - New chapter, new chapter~ Glad to see comments from buenaxoxo and crazzy_mistake. Here's your update and some more IUxThunder moments. So cute~ And as for the IU mystery, we'll find out later~ For now it's fluff time! 

Chapter 15 – Guiltily I dare to smile

Joon POV

Cheondoong Observation Update #3:

Morning – Dance practice with the group.

Lunch – Skipped lunch again.

Afternoon – "Afternoon Jog".

This was becoming Cheondoong’s daily routine. He would always go out for a jog, usually for an hour or so, but lately it had become two hours and even three sometimes. Was he trying to avoid us that much? 

I put down the heavy weight I had been lifting with to look at Mir who sat in the corner. He looked increasingly depressed these days, sad by the lack of attention he was used to receiving as the maknae. It wasn’t that he was attention-seeking or spoilt, but that he, like many other younger brothers, enjoyed the feeling of being part of the family.

“Mir-ah.” I called out to him. He raised his head hopefully with the same forlorn expression of a puppy. “Want to go jogging with me?” He bolted up straight with gleaming eyes.

Normally Mir hated exercise. To see him so excited over a jog was a little unnerving, but at the same time I understood his feelings. Then I thought of something else.

“Why don’t we ask Cheondoong to go with us.” I suggested. Mir’s eyes practically lit up. I smiled. “You go get changed, I’ll ask Cheondoong.”

Mir scampered off and I replaced the weights before searching for Cheondoong. Instead I found Seungho fixing the television.

“Seungho.” I called out of him. He grunted his reply. “Have you seen Cheondoong. Mir and I are planning to go out for a jog and we were thinking of inviting him.”

Seungho lifted his head up and wiped away the sweat that coated him. “I think he left already on his afternoon jog.”

I felt my heart deflate. Too late.

Mir heard as well as he came down the hallway with a droop to his steps.

“Don’t be sad.” I nudged him. “If we’re fast enough, maybe we’ll catch up to him.”

Mir brightened and I laughed. Grabbing a bottle of water, we headed out to search for our brother.

Mir POV

WHY!!!! Why had I accepted the offer of a jog? I HATE exercise and yet here I was jogging beside Joon. I could feel the sun burning a hole through my back and sweat dripping everywhere.

How both Cheondoongie-hyung or Joonie-hyung found this fun, I couldn’t imagine.

“Hyuuuuunnng.” I complained for the fifth time since we had left. He slowed down fractionally to match my slower pace and turned to talk to me, annoying sweat-free somehow. “Break!!!”

“Mir-ah.” He chortled. “We only just started running.”

“That was half an hour ago!” I yelled.

“This is good exercise for you.” He smiled. “Just like dancing, but along a street.”

I groaned. “Pleeaasseeee.” I wheedled.

“Fine,” Joon gave in. “There’s a park over there I think.” He nodded towards a sidestreet where indeed a tiny park was located. I was surprised. I had never noticed it before. Then again, I never went jogging.

We both slowed down to a trot and turned around the corner, discovering ourselves in this tiny green haven. I walked forwards blindly, just eager to sit down. However, Joon, one step ahead of me, suddenly stopped and pushed me back.

“Hyung!” I said muffled against the back of his shirt.

“Shhh…” he hushed me. Then he motioned for me to look around the corner and I did so, rubbing my squashed nose and then my mouth fell open.

Because in the park was our missing Cheondoong. Sitting with IU.

Cheondoong POV

I had left earlier than usual for my jog that day because Ji-eun had an afternoon schedule. Despite that, we managed to squeeze in some talk time. I smiled the entire way there, knowing she would enjoy the surprise I brought for her today.

“Sanghyun-ah!” Ji-eun waved from her spot on the swings as always. She had her guitar with her but this time it came with a bright, excited smile that I had learned meant something was up. “Oppa, hurry up!”

I laughed and jogged over. Ji-eun always switched between Sanghyun and Oppa, depending on the situation. Sanghyun was for general speech and oppa when she was being serious, over-excited or embarrassed.

“What’s the rush, Ji-eunnie?” I chuckled as I gave her the customary hugand head-ruffle we always exchanged and then sat down in the swing next to her. Ji-eun rocked herself back and forth.

“Oppa,” she began. “I’ve got a new song coming up. It’s a christmas-sy one.”

“Yeah?”

“I need a male rapper to feature in it.”

“And you want me?” I grinned, understanding her thoughts immediately. Ji-eun stuck out her tongue and nodded.

“Will you?”

“Of course.” I agreed immediately. “Anything for my best friend.”

Ji-eun blushed at that and grinned widely. “It’s going to be called ‘merry christmas in advance’ and I get to write the whole thing, so...will you help me write it?”

I leaned back and laughed. “Do you even need to ask? Of course I will.”

Ji-eun twisted her swing around as she always did and I slipped my arm around her. It was such a familiar act I didn’t even need to think to do it.

Then I said nonchalantly, “It really is a fitting title for right now.”

“Hmm?” Ji-eun looked up at me curiously. “How so?”

“Well maybe I’d have to change the title slightly.” I mused and then pulled out a small box from the pocket of my loose windbreaker. “Something like…happy birthday in advance.”

Ji-eun squealed as she saw the bright wrapping paper. “You didn’t!” she gasped.

“Well,” I shrugged and turned away. “It is someone’s birthday this Saturday and…”

“But I never told you when my birthday was!” Ji-eun complained. “How did you find out?”

I burst out laughed. “Ji-eun, your birthday is all over google!”

It was Ji-eun’s turn to look away as she flushed, embarrassed. “Oppa!” She slapped me lightly on the arm.

“And you said you were busy this Saturday with a schedule.” I grinned. “So I thought I better get you your present early. At least present number 1. It’s not every day someone becomes 20.”

Ji-eun turned around to look at me, pleased. “You better tell me your birthday as well!” she retorted, but took the present with a large smile on her face.

“October 7^th.” I told her with a smile. She closed her eyes and nodded as if making a mental note of it. Then she looked at her present with indecision written on her face. “Open it!” I pushed her, knowing she was thinking about whether to wait until her actual birthday or not, but knowing she was absolutely curious to find out its contents. With pursed lips, she ripped open the present. And screamed with delight.

“Oppa!” she screamed gleefully. “How did you know I love Hello Kitty!?”

I smiled, but it was tinged with faint regrets and chains from the past. “Another thing that can be found on google.” I lied with a fake smile.

She pulled out a tiny Hello Kitty key chain, big enough to hang off her phone but not too big for it to be cumbersome. I pulled out my phone which had the exact same key chain on it.

“It’s called Soonja.” I grinned at her.

“Soonja?” she raised an eyebrow at me.

“It’s the name of my backpack.” I answered honestly and she broke out in a fit of giggles.

“You…name…your backpack?!” she asked between mirthful laughs.

I pretended to look affronted. I wouldn’t tell her who actually named that backpack or who bought it for me in the first place.

“Anyway, now we have a matching pair of Soonja.” I smiled satisfied as she tied the keychain onto her pink phone.

She leaned in and gave me a huge hug. “Thanks oppa.” She breathed. “I love it. Every time I take out my phone now, I’ll think of you!”

“That was the point.” I said cheekily and she swatted me good-naturedly. Then her phone suddenly beeped, a reminder of her schedule, and she stood up with a regretful glance.

“Thanks for the birthday present, Sanghyun.” She smiled at me. “I’ll contact you about the rapping thing, okay.”

I nodded and watch her pack away her guitar as she always did. Then I stood up to give her one last goodbye hug as we always did, but then she suddenly did something different. She put her hands around my neck instead of my waist and leaned up on her toes to kiss my cheek.

Then she dashed away, giving me one tiny look.

“That was present number 2, for the record.” She gave me a pointed look and then ran away.

All I could was grin in anticipation for what she would ask for as present number 20.

Joon POV

It was about 3pm now and both Mir and I were back at the dorms. What we had saw had shocked us. Cheondoong meeting up with IU, the two of them sharing secretive hugs and even kisses on the cheek and then Cheondoong giving her presents!

The two were close beyond imagination. But at the same time they didn’t seem like a couple. Not yet at least.

I leaned back against the cold shower tiles, letting hot water run over my head and trying to forget that sweet scene I had seen in the park.

I loved Cheondoong, he was my brother.

So why at this moment did I hate him so much?

G.O POV

Mir told us everything. The reason behind Cheondoong’s frequent ‘afternoon jogs’, his meeting with IU and how close they seemed. He also mentioned how for once, Cheondoong seemed to smile. Honestly smile. Genuinely smile.

What could I say? The kid had been so down in the dumps for weeks that I didn’t have the heart to tell him to stop them. If it was making him happy, then we couldn’t deny him that peace. Even if I secretly wanted to lock him in his bedroom and rattle him till his brains spilled out for hiding secrets and running away, I wouldn’t.

“What are we going to do?” Mir asked me.

“For now,” I patted his head to give him some reassurance. “We leave him alone.”

“Even though he’s keeping secrets?”

“Even though.” I admitted though I myself did not like it. “If it brings him smiles, how can we deny it?”

Especially when smiles were the one thing we were sorely lacking these days.

A/N - Sorry for the overly long chapter, but hope the fluff made up for it >< So cute those two. Next chapter: a little slower, but the plot is building!!!