School began and weeks came and went, the four becoming closer than ever. Though he wasn’t willing to, Jiyong couldn’t help but spend more and more time with his brother and Chae Rin, in result spending more time with Jaebeom. Though he hated to, he had to admit that the kid wasn’t as bad as he thought. He was even nice, at times, though it was rare for Jaebeom looked to him with uttermost rivalry. Quite frankly, he wanted to dislike the kid, find some weird reason to hate him so it could explain the uneasiness he felt in his heart that constantly grew with each passing day.

He really wanted to, but he couldn’t hate someone who made Chae Rin laugh like that. They were all fools for her, maybe his brother, a different kind. But nonetheless, the more time he spent, the more he realized what was really happening to him, what he was feeling and why.

He had always thought of her as his little sister, because that was what everyone had said, how it was supposed to be and yet now... Half the time, he spent controlling himself to not drag her away from the two idiots constantly bickering, to bring her to the school’s rooftop and just mindlessly stare at the sky with her. Fridays were his favorite, because they usually spent it together, walking home or going to the park, just aimlessly talking.

He would look at her, and steal quick glances, only to catch her already looking at him. And for some reason, he felt incredibly happy when it happens.

Chae Rin felt the same way. She tried, as much as she could, to spend her free time with him. For each week that passed, meant that she was all the more close to losing Jiyong. Reality had caught up with her dreams of forgetting him, making her give up on the prospect. How could she, when he was always beside her, constantly feeding the hope that bloomed in her heart.

She had focused so much on him that one day, she eventually forgot that his precious ssaem existed. She was walking with him around for lunch, the other two stuck in detention for forgetting to submit in their project on time.

“Ah, finally,” She heard him muse, relief obvious in his voice.

“Finally what?”

“Finally got you alone.” The Prince whispered before flashing her a cheeky grin, making her heart stop.

“W-what? UH...Uhm..” She stuttered, and how could she not? In her eyes, he genuinely looked happy.

“Those two are always so loud, I usually can’t think properly when they’re around.”

“That’s true, I guess.” She half whispered, one hand clutching itself so hard it had turned white. “But uh.. why alone?”

“Oh. I mean... you know,” the boy abashedly ruffled his own hair and looked away, though she swore she saw red in his cheeks.

“I-I don’t know, actually...” She huffed, trying to search his face for any evidence that would make her heart jubilant.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Do.. you, uh, hate it? I mean.. when it’s just us, because, you know, I could.. Not that I want to!” Jiyong looked at her, flustered as he sincerely tried to explain things. “I could leave you alone. But only if you want me to, okay?”

“I... I don’t want you to!”  She said, so loudly it was almost a half-scream that the other students around them looked at her with surprise.

To him, right at that moment, she reminded him of a tomato. Odd image, yes, but he found it extremely appealing. He laughed loudly at her outburst, only to hold her hand and drag her, finally up to the rooftop.

“I’ve got something to show you.” She remembered him saying excitedly as he ran up the stairs by twos, Chae Rin struggling to keep up.

“But oppa! We’re not allowed to be here!” She whispered, looking around frantically for any signs of teachers.

“Please. You’re not a highschooler if you’ve never been to the roof of it. Everyone does it.” He merely brushed off her worries and on they went upwards, him eventually stopping at the top floor before opening the door wide open, the bright light shining against her eyes, making her squint.

“Welcome. To my place. Right over there is where I bask like a cat in the sun. Over there is where I dangle my feet and take a nap. That, too, is another nap station. Pretty much this whole roof is my nap room.” He said, rubbing his chin as he finally thought about it. Man, did he enjoy sleeping.

Chae Rin laughed before following her in, still aware of the way he held her hand, clutching onto hers tightly. They walked together and sat behind a wall, just in case someone else walked out and saw them. There, they spent their time, knee-to-knee, talking about aimless things.

“Come on. Sai has to be gay.”

“How is he gay? He totally has a thing for Ino. Just you watch.” Chae Rin said,puffing her cheeks to defend the new character.

“And that Yamato dude? He’s totally creepy.”

“In that, oppa, I have to agree. But he’s really funny, you know?” She smiled, chuckling at the memory of when they read the manga together after his birthday. Woobin had gotten it for him as a late gift, as well as the next volume. “Who do you think would end up with Naru?”

“Hinata.”

“Really? But she’s so shy. And he’s totally in love with Sakura.”

“Please. Sakura is hella ugly.”

“What? Well.. yeah, she is.” Chae Rin laughed. “I really don’t like her. With her stupid crush on Sasuke.”

“Don’t you have a stupid crush on me though?” He half-joked as he poked her cheeks, a blush creeped on it immediately from his words.

“Hush! You mean human being that... urgh. I don’t like you.”

“Tha’ts a lie. You totally like me.”

“Urgh!” She said, hiding her face now and covering her cheeks, making the older male laugh.

“Gotcha~”

She looked up at him, glaring and pouting. “You are so mean to me. You see, I don’t think Naruto would end up with Hinata, because I’m the Hinata to you. She’d probably end up with Kiba. Or Neji.”

“Ew. Neji? But they’re cousins.”

“How do you think they’ve kept the Hyuuga line pure?”

“Eurgh. No. Don’t even think about it! That’s like you marrying Ri. That’s just plain disgusting,” he told her, clearly shivering with disgust.

“So, pretty much the same if I end up with you?” She half-whispered, his previous words chilling her heart. That was right. They were pretty much cousins, right? The way they grew up together. What the hell was she doing? Why were they even discussing Naruto to begin with?

“Well, yes. But no! That’s totally different. I’m not disgusting.”

“And Ri is?”

“Yes. He so is.” He nodded jokingly, his head running a hundred miles a minute. In that moment, all he could think of was her pout, and how much he regretted managing to control himself to not kiss her. Or hug her at the least. Yet her laughter woke him up from his dilemna.

“You guys are so mean to each other. I love it!” She smiled widely before leaning her head back and tilting it upwards, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine upon her face.

“You know I was just kidding, right?”

“Of course. I’m not an idiot, oppa.”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

“Hmm?” She said, her head snapping back towards his. She wondered how he could be that close, a seemingly implausible situation merely months ago. Where was the distant Jiyong? The one she watched and adored from afar? Still, she wouldn’t change this for the world.

“Because you believe that Naruto would pick someone like Sakura.”

“But don’t boys like boisterous and self-confident  girls? I read so!”

“Where?”

“In a magazine.”

“Don’t lie to me. You read that in a manhwa, didn’t you?’” He chuckled, his hand automatically reaching out to touch his chest, his heart pumping loudly.

“You’re right.” She mused, smiling again and focusing on the sun.

“I really am. Just you watch.”

“Wait, what are we even talking about now?”

“That Naruto will end up with Hinata. It’s a missile ship.”

“You mean canon?”

“Huh?”

“Canon, you know, because it can sink other ships.”

“Yeah, right. That. But aren’t missiles better?”

“Fine,” She laughed and shook her head. “Missile ship. What an odd term..”

AUTHORS NOTES:

I AM NOT DEAD. I merely have school. So the often updates are now cut to maybe twice a month. Sorry dearies