“This move is well-known as high kick, which is rather difficult. You’ve to watch carefully.” I raise my right leg above my head, straight, and kick the side of the mannequin’s head slowly. “It technically functions to get your opponents mind into dizzy state. So, it’s easy to get your opponents down.” Explaining simply, I kick once again in normal mode. “Who want to try?” I ask, observing them, from Ren to Hyun Seung and Hyun Seung to Ren.

Ren walks towards my direction with his confident face, slightly clamping his lips into a thin, firm line. I can tell he did well in past moves and I hope he will do better on this one. Motioning him, I ask to do it to me first before on the mannequin. It seems like the mannequin is higher in difficulty.

“Just raise your leg, at least, pass my head.” He nods as his face lit up, showing his impatient and excitement. He starts to stand on one leg, trying so hard to balance himself. It makes me worried as he groggy a few countable times. Will he be okay? I hope.

Without warning, Hyun Seung chides, “watch below, Ren. You’re going to fall from this stair,” and at the same moment, he dodges Ren’s back forward. No...Doom.

I tilt at Ren as he bellows in a really unstable stand. “WO-AH!” He tries to descend his leg but it is too late when his body begins to close the space between our upper bodies. He does. It is the unfortunate moment when he starts to crash upon me. We are like the domino’s pieces being flicked and fall like....THUD!

Oh, “Darn it!” An automatic curse spats out from my mouth. I land right on my and it is hurt, so. Gasping, I look upwards to his face that confronts me. Through his squinted eyes under his blonde hair, I can see the sign of confuse and shock. His body is like hanging until I recognize a pair of manly hands on either side of his arms. I shift my eyes even higher.

“Nam Hi, you’re okay?” I regret describing Dong Woon hands as manly or I just don’t realize? He holds Ren from colliding with me. Putting the major serious face of him, I furrowed. Since when he had been here? I thought the doom is coming. And then, “hey, you okay?” his voice rings again as Ren has already on his stand.

Okay? How come he thinks like that? I’ve got pain on my . It stinks so much. When I said like ‘thud’, isn’t it ridiculous? He is the one who about to fall but I’m the one who got the consequence. What have I done to deserve this? I think today isn’t my lucky day.

“Fine.” I blurt out, half-whispering, and get up by myself. Dusting my pants, I head to the balcony as fast as I can bear. Hyun Seung on other side is squishing his cheeks while giving a look of pity and guilty at me, the way his brows cringe into care. I can feel he is going to apologize to either Ren or me. I send him away from my view and pull out. “Excuse me.”

“Master Hi, I’m sorry.” I think so. He does apologize. I don’t mean to be sensitive although I am, but can’t you understand my situation right now?

And I keep walking into the house.

Poke. Someone poke my side. What a nuisance. I shift to other side of the bed and face to face with Dong Woon who is sitting beside me. His face cracks brighter as a grin appeared with a little crinkle on his eyes. “You’re awake?” He assumes and continues poking my waist with his index finger.

“What do you want?” I wag his hands away and attempt to sit. He stares at me again.

“Are you charging your energy?” His lilt, his eyes are really, as if he is mocking me.

“I’m just taking a nap. What’s the matter?” I ask again while brushing a few strands of the white hair from getting into my eyes. At the same time, my messy bedhead hair is fixed.

“A...and you just leave them like that?” He skips my question again with a poke visited on my left rib. What is he talking about? I don’t leave anybody or I’m being forgetful right now. Rubbing my heavy eyes, I look back at him.

“What?” A palm clamps over my mouth as a yawn escaped.

“The boys.”

“What boys?” I yawn again without shutting my mouth.

“The bishounens!” He snaps as an automatic slap land on my nape. Ouch! That hurts. Serves you right, Nam Hi. I blink a normal blinks for a few times as my mind refreshes itself for the past memories. A limp of saliva slides down my throat.

“So, what did you do to them?” Open my eyelids as wide as it can manage, I shakes his arm vigorously.

“I ask them to go home early and come again tomorrow.”  It isn’t that bad. Hyun Seung managed to apologize although half of the incident was his fault, or I could say it was entirely. What about Rean? But, I’ve left like a childish sulker. I’m not, to be exact.

“What’s wrong with you? Hey, does your still hurt?” He guesses between logic and sloppy. I shake my head as I my eyelids blink again. What I’m thinking about right now? That simple matter just needs to throw aside.

“Good. Let’s go.” He pulls my wrist, dragging me out of my heavenly bed. 

“Wait, where to?” I stumble a few times as he keeps pulling me in his big lopes. It’s hard to reach that as if I can be flying behind him.

“Market. Get on your speed, Nam Hi.” We put on our shoes and stride to the gate. “The market is gonna close, about an hour from now.”

So, we are doing an errand right now. And we? He woke me up merely to ask me coming with him. I wouldn’t just accompany him but I’ll be his slave--prepared to be ordered around. This is my brother, the most annoying person that I’ve ever met.

“So, here’s the list...,” With the brightest beam that is rarely being seen on his face, he gives me a piece of note book’s paper with a medium list of groceries written messily on the middle of it. The size of the font is variety and there are these letters which are written right on the horizontal line. He begins fumbling at the back of his jean and takes out a dark wallet.  

“...and take this extra money in case Grandma’s isn’t enough.” He withdraws a few notes of cash and hands them to me. All of the papers stuffed inside my grasp. I at him since it seems like he has something more to be told.

“Don’t forget to complete the list. I’m going to stroll around, here. We’ll meet back here on...,” he brings the watch that tied fitly on his left wrist to his view and resumes, “...about, thirty minutes later?” His lilt is like asking since he is ordering me around.

“You’re not coming with me?” I protest. What if I unfortunately encounter with problem? Problems come and go easily. Maybe his help is needed?

“Oh, come on! It isn’t that hard. Get a trolley, pick the groceries and pay on the counter.” He replied as his hands move here and there, acting like his mouth. His tongue speaks so clear when comes to ditch me. He is the problem actually.

“...Okay.” I give in with a sigh. There’s no need wasting times that I should wisely spend.

“I know you would. Have fun!” He pats my head and disappears to the crowd, still with his happily-ever-after-ordering’s grin. How annoying, he goes easily.

Pushing the door open, I keep the notes inside my pocket since his sudden and impatient forgets me to bring along my purse. After getting a plastic basket since the goods aren’t much, I walk through the row of groceries sections while examining the list. I’m lucky, it isn’t a long list and the content is free from fish. Not like I hate fishes, I just dislike them.

Pick up a packet of breads with a bottle of jam, I move to another section. There are a few to come; four cartons of milk, a box of cereals, a set of eggs, a soap and lastly, a bottle of detergent. I lope to the kitchen section, and the detergent is used to wash the dishes right? There are a lot, for sure, but written here is a bottle. That’s mean; I have to reach out my hand to that high shelf. But, it’s too high. I don’t think my arm could seize for that. I wish I could try.

Hopping slightly, I still can’t. The bound refuses to let my hand grasps the long green bottle. It’s quite risky. See, Dong Woon is needed. I need those tall legs of him. Should I try once again? Still with my spread arm, suddenly there is a hand almost like mine but it’s bigger, extending the bound and take the detergent as if a small effort just used. I turn aside and receive his giving. “Thank you.”

“Master Hi?” He calls me? I look up and land my eyes on him.

“Oh, Ren?!” Excited air slides upon my face. I hope he doesn’t see that.

“What are you doing here?” He asks as his smile reaches his eyes.

“I...shop for groceries.” I hold out the basket that is hanging on my arm. Slightly swinging it, I throw the green bottle inside. “And...you?”

“Me? Well, me too. I’m actually buying some foodstuff for tomorrow’s festival at my school.” He replies while pulling a trolley handle to his side. I peer inside and discover a lot of stuff inside, especially snacks. “General festival, I mean. Parents, siblings, relatives can come as well.” He adds keenly.

“Um, really?” I rub my nape as I avert his shining gaze. The nervous takes over as the incident replays in my mind.

“Yeah, to celebrate the ending of autumn, I think.” He smiles again. “You can go too, if you want.” He remarks as his push and pull the trolley back and forth.

“Um, I’m no one to be there.” So kind of him to care about this. I’m really no one.

“No! It’s general, remember?” He reminds firmly when soon to be a chuckle. General, yes. How careless not to be alert. I nod, simply as he murmurs, “So...” I should apologize now. It is the time.

“I’m sorry.” He looks downwards, at me, out of sudden. His eyes, his gaze is within soft and stern. I can’t read that. Feeling empty, I duck to the shining tile floor.

“What?” He lightly asks. It is vivid. He forgets already? Or, I’m the only one who thinks about that too much?

“Um...the practice and incident, you...know,” remind me slowly. I feel bad again.

“Oh,” he holds out his index finger, pointing at me recklessly. “I...,” he taps his chest and continues, “...apologize too.” His tone seems so sincere. Plus, his face becomes brighter again as if it is nothing to be worried about. He is totally right. “Huh, about tomorrow practice, I’m sorry. I can’t make it. My group needs to stay back until evening.” He informs, changing the awkward topic as well as getting rid of the unwanted atmosphere.  

“Hyun Seung, too?” He shakes with hesitant expression and squinted eyes.

“I’m quite unfamiliar with his schedule. We’re placed separated in school. Not that I’m distant with him, he’s just older than me.” So, Hyun Seung might be older than me too. What about him, then?

Ren lets out his phone as a loud ‘beep’ buzzed in the air. It takes about half a minute for him to look back at me. “Well, Master Hi, I need to go soon. About the, um...if you’d like to take my offer to the festival, should I pick you up? In the morning, maybe?” He lets no space for me to talk back.

“Wait, maybe you’ve school. Since the festival lasts past afternoon, probably I can drop by on the usual time for practicing?” He eagerly waits for my answer with his penetrating stare. I would gladly declare that his stare is biting back my tongue and light up a fire all over my face. I duck even lower, quietly rolling the bit fabric of the hem of my loose jacket.

“Well, um...I...um...Okay.” I mutter, softly. I don’t want to make him waiting longer and I hope I will not regret on my decision later. Another chuckle from him raises confusion inside my head until he adds again.

“Great. Okay, see you tomorrow then. I’m about to go to the cashier.” He pulls the trolley and pushes it to the opposite direction.

“Hm.” I mumble of agreement and wave goodbye in my mind. It’s good he doesn’t notice, sure. I lower the basket onto my grasp and I’m going to the counter too. But, unexpectedly, he turns around and faces me. The gap doesn’t big though and I assume he just walks a few steps from here.

“Cute.” He presses a delicate thin line on his lips and back to his track.

It is something insane that my ears have caught or his word that takes my breath away?