[Author's Note: A longer update this time! Rainy day, no classes, hoping for inspiration to start writing chapter 28. Enjoy! ]

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“You know, one of these days, I’m just gonna snap.” Yunji stated, lying down on her couch, her head resting on Kikwang’s lap as the idol sat comfortably on her couch. “I swear. One day, I’m just gonna randomly slap someone.”

“So why don’t you?” Kikwang took the pint of cookie dough ice cream from Yunji’s hands and scooped a spoonful, then stuffing it in his mouth.

“Because I don’t want to be affected by this stupid rumor. I told you to clear it up.” She grabbed the ice cream back. “This is your fault. You shouldn’t have come to the school.”

“Technically,” Kikwang said, looking down over at her. “It was Dongwoonie’s fault, since he left his wallet and made me bring it to him. But, okay fine.” He stammered a little. “I’m sorry for getting you dragged in a scandal with me.” He put his hand on Yunji’s forehead and ruffled her bangs. She crinkled her nose and pouted.

She looked up at Kikwang and poked his chin. “Thanks, though. I really needed this right now.”

“A friend?”

“No. Ice cream.” Yunji blinked innocently.

Kikwang’s small smile disappeared as quickly as it came, and he nodded slowly. “Well it’s a good thing I brought ice cream.”

Yunji couldn’t help but laugh. “Babo. Yes, I meant a friend. Feels great to be around someone who doesn’t want to slap the life out of me.” Yunji looked up to see her friend smiling again, his eyes turning into little slits. “How many fingers am I holding up?” She asked, grinning, and holding up two fingers.

“Yah!” Kikwang scoffed, waving her hand away.

“How can you even see? Your eyes are practically gone!” She giggled, continuing waving her two fingers in front of Kikwang’s face.

“It’s not like I close my eyes!” Kikwang whined and grabbed Yunji’s fingers and pretended to bite them.

“Yah! Disgusting!” She hit his chest with her other hand, until he let go. She laughed and scooped up some ice cream, then held the spoon to Kikwang’s face, shifting her head more comfortably on his lap.

He opened his mouth and ate the ice cream she fed him. “So, what about Dongwoonie? Don’t you two hang out?”

“Hanging out with Dongwoon only complicates things.”

“What do you mean?” He puts his hand on Yunji’s head and casually ran her fingers through her hair. Yunji admitted, the feeling felt somewhat comforting.

“Because he’s so nice. He defends me when the girls in class are off being violent towards me. He makes sure I’m okay, and he’s just… I think I’m…” She shook her head. “Nevermind. Don’t want to explain it to you. You might not get it, since you’re a babo.” She said with a grin and reached up to pat Kikwang’s cheek lightly.

“Yah. You…-“ He stopped in mid sentence when the doorbell rang, just as Yunji’s phone began vibrating  “You expecting anyone?”

Yunji shook her head and reached for her phone, pressing a button and holding it up against her ear. “Hello? Oh, hey.” She nodded a couple of times. “Really? Sure, the door’s open. Let yourself in.” She ended the call and placed her phone on her stomach. “It’s Dongwoon. He’s outside.”

“Really?” Kikwang turned his head towards the door as it opened. Dongwoon walked in, paper bag in hand.

“Yunji ah, I…-“ He stopped in the middle of taking his shoes off when he saw Kikwang seated on the couch. “Hyung?”

“Dongwoonie!” Kikwang smiled, bowing his head. “What you got there?”

“Is Yunji around…?”

Yunji sat up form her position and straightened her hair with her fingers. “Hey, what brings you here?” She took the ice cream from Kikwang and continued eating.

“Jaeni said you were feeling a little blue. And, well, after that incident at school earlier, I would’ve bet. So I…” He held up the paper bag in his hand. “Got you some ice cream, actually.”

“Oh right, this morning.”

“What happened this morning?” Kikwang suddenly asked, poking Yunji’s shoulder with his spoon. “The one with the thing and the girl and the… What happened again?”

“Babo! The one I told you about getting slapped again. Were you even listening, or just mindlessly eating ice cream? Speaking of Jaeni.” Yunji looked at Dongwoon. “So you’ve seen her? Is she okay? She hasn’t been replying to my texts. She just kind of left a couple of hours ago.”

“She’s fine. We saw her at the subway station. She was with Hyunseung hyung before I left.”

“Hyunseung?” There was panic in Yunji’s voice. “Does Junhyung know?”

“I’m not so sure about that.” The maknae scratched his head.

Yunji quickly hopped off the couch, grabbing her phone from the coffee table. “Excuse me, you two, I gotta make a phone call.” With that, she retreated to her room.

Kikwang picked up the pint of ice cream and dug his spoon into it. “You got her ice cream too? Our maknae is so caring.” He said, smiling, as Dongwoon sat himself on the couch across Kikwang.

“Why are you here, hyung?” Dongwoon asked.

“Because,” Kikwang scooped some ice cream, “Like you said, Jaeni said Jiji was sad so I thought I could bring her some ice cream to cheer her up.”

“So you left Hyunseung hyung and I to spend some one-on-one time with Yunji?”

Kikwang nodded silently. “Is Jaeni feeling better now?”

“Do you like her?”

Kikwang blinked, surprised at the abruptness of the younger’s question. “Jaeni? I don’t like her! I’m not even close to her. And she likes Hyunseung hyung, right? And you know, I got a feeling he's starting to grow real fond of her. Just a hunch.”

“I didn’t mean Jaeni.” Dongwoon stated. “I meant Yunji. Do you like her?” He looked at the ice cream in Kikwang’s hand, then at him.

“Of course I like her!” Kikwang replied innocently, smiling and nodding. “Jiji and I have been friends for a long time and even if we were separated for a couple of years it feels like it was just yesterday that we were little kids running around.”

Dongwoon’s expression fell. “So you like her.” He repeated, slightly frowning.

“Back.” Yunji came out from her room and plopped down on the couch, beside Kikwang.” Just got off the phone with Junhyung oppa. He’s with Jaeni and Hyunseung.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “And he’s not mad, good.”

“Why would he be mad?” He held up a spoonful in front of Yunji’s face. She took a bite before replying.

“Nothing, nothing.” She answered, shaking her head. “What were you two talking about?” She propped up her knees and hugged them, leaning her head on Kikwang’s shoulder.

“I was saying that I was just about to go.” Dongwoon said blankly, putting the paper bag on the table. “There’s ice cream in there.” He stood up and made his way through the door.

“Leaving so soon?” Yunji sat upright. “But you just got here.”

“Obviously, I was interrupting some quality time here.” He looked at Yunji, then motioned to his hyung. “And obviously, you’re not clearing up this rumor because you don’t want it to be cleared.” He added, looking at Kikwang with a slight glare.

“What are you talking about?” Kikwang asked with a straight face, not liking the way Dongwoon’s statement sounded.

“You… Don’t need to go.” Yunji said with a small voice. “It would be great to have more company.”

“You have company here.” Dongwoon looked at her with a blank expression. “Besides, you told me to stay away from you, remember?”