[Nayoung’s POV]

I woke up from the sounds of bird’s chirping. My body felt sticky and my clothes were still damp as I remembered where I had fallen asleep again. Without even trying, my cheeks were warming up and a rosy color must have appeared. I moved from my place as Leeteuk, who was leaning slightly against the three and slightly against me, fell to the side.
I stretched my arms and stiffened back and looked at my watch to find out it was only 6 in the morning. But the sun had come up.
I looked back at Leeteuk’s sleeping body and without even fully realizing it; a smile began to spread across my face. His hair was a mess and his eyes and lips were bluish from the cold. I couldn’t help but laugh at THE Park Leeteuk, always so worried about his appearance that looked so careless right now.
The truth was that all of the guys I’ve been meeting lately are like that… I could already picture the others fighting over the bathroom in half an hour.
If we’re fast maybe I’m the first one to use the bathroom this time…
Then I remembered something…
Shoot! Joonho was supposed to come by today! What will he think once he sees this…
I shook Leeteuk’s shoulder wildly. “Get up, it’s morning already!” I hissed.
It took a while before he opened his mouth a few times and mumbled the words “Pepperoni… will ruin your voice…”
I looked at him weirdly and became a little annoyed when he just continued sleeping and ignored me.
I took a few steps back. “IT’S TIME TO GET ON STAGE!” I yelled at him.
He opened his eyes immediately and shot up. Then he heaved a big sigh upon realizing it was just a joke because I started laughing. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands and looked at me with sleepy eyes. I grinned mischievously at his confused look and poked his waist after a silent moment. “We should go…” I stood up but suddenly his hand grabbed mine and pulled me back. I lost balance and fell to the ground on my back. I was in a shock as he was leaning half over me. I started giggling from nervousness. His head was leaning on one arm as his free hand was playing with the fallen leaves on the ground.

“Why are you laughing?!” He teased as he started picking the leaves from the ground and threw them onto my stomach like a childish kid. In return I shoved them away and couldn’t help but laugh more.

“Because, you… look funny...”I tried to keep a straight face but instead a blush appeared on my cheeks.

He sat up straight immediately and ruffled his hair. Then he looked back at me.

“You look funny too, by the way.” He grinned and shoved a hand full of leaves through my hair, then laughed in a high voice and ran away.

“Yah!” I struggled trying to get everything out of my somewhat frizzy hair. Then I got up to get my revenge. When I finally stood on my feet, Leeteuk was leaning against one of the trees with a mischievous look, as if waiting for the disaster that was about to happen to him.
I tightened my grip on the leaves as I stepped forward and grinned but just as I was going to throw it in his shirt his hands pushed me forward which caused me to walk into him.
I froze for a second then coughed slightly as he let go immediately. I turned my head away, hiding the blush.

After an awkward silent moment he spoke. “Why did you wake me this early?”

Eh… what was it again? OH! I mentally hit myself in the face. Right, Joonho was going to pick me up! I had managed to forget something I thought about just five minutes ago.

“Um…” I ticked with my fingers uncomfortably against my leg “Joonho can come any minute…” I tried to get the last leaves out of my hair which was completely unnecessary because they were gone already.

“Oh…”

He started walking back but as he was ahead of me I noticed he walked in the wrong direction. “Yah! It’s this way! Pabo…” I laughed and showed him the way. He didn’t respond but followed me quietly.
I tried to strike a conversation but he only answered with yes and no so I wrecked my brain for funny things but nothing could get him laughing.

“What is long, brown and runs around the garden?” I looked at him expectantly.

“A fence…” He muttered “…I already know that one.”

I sighed inaudible and turned my head away from frustration.

“They are not as funny as mine…” He noted.

I wanted to say something back but knew it would only end in an argument. I sighed again, louder this time.
After a few seconds I could see the house, some were sitting outside in the backyard when Sungmin ran up to me.

“Noona! I WAS WORRIED” He almost cried and hugged my shoulders tightly.

”I’m fine…” I managed to choke out. I explained the whole story in a few seconds as he nodded and smiled a genuine smile.

“Joonho is waiting in front of the house by the way, noona.”

“OH MY…” I grabbed at my head in frustration. “What should I do?!” I panicked as I suddenly heard a loud banging sound; Leeteuk had entered the house without saying anything.

“CHECKMATE!” Kangin yelled. He and Eunhyuk had moved the chessboard outside and apparently Kangin had won for the first time because Eunhyuk knelt down on the ground, his mouth hanging wide open from disbelief. Then he lifted his left hand, rested it on his heart and fell to the side dramatically.

“Tell him I’m coming!” I called to Sungmin as I ran into the house and upstairs to the bathroom which was locked. As I heard the sound of water flowing and clattering in the shower cabin, I felt anger raging inside of me. I ran to my bedroom and opened the door to find out that he wasn’t in my room. Leeteuk you bastard! Quickly I gathered some clothes out of my closet and started putting them on when I had finished I hurried to the stairs but then and idea slipped in my mind. I stopped halfway and started grinning mischievously. Leeteuk, I hope you took all your clothes with you to the bathroom… I turned around, walked back and took the key from the bedside table. I locked the room behind me, put it in my pocket and slid down the stairs hurriedly.

Joonho sat in his car and was impatiently checking the marble clock on the dashboard. His car shone brighter than the sun itself. I walked around it and waved shyly. I was taken aback a little because he wore expensive and beautiful clothes, and I didn’t think longer than a second about what I would wear today; suddenly I felt a little embarrassed.

“Don’t feel ashamed to talk to me,” he said as if he could read my mind, “Sit down…”
I followed his order hesitantly, while he started to run the motor. “Where are we going?” I asked.
He smiled, “we’re going to town for a day, I want to show you my work place, the things I do and my apartment.”
I nodded and made a soft ‘O’ sound.
“Aren’t you excited?” He asked while looking at me hopefully.
“Yeah…” I let out slowly and not really convincing, I just couldn’t bring myself to show my confidence that wasn’t really there.
“Don’t worry, it’ll come!” Joonho told me reassuringly.
“Do you like the country side?” I asked bluntly, it was the first thing I could think of.
“Hmm… it’s okay, but you know it’s not really my thing.” He grinned a little and concentrated back on the road. That was the end of a conversation that didn’t last longer than 20 seconds.
I didn’t know what to ask him. There were so many things I wasn’t interested in that he liked and so many things I liked that he didn’t. It has been so many years that we had to start all over, I knew that. Things were a lot easier when we were children, because our interests, which was playing, was the same. Children are that simple. Before I knew I sighed out loud.

“What are you worrying about?” He asked and laughed a little.

“Nothing just, when we were younger it was all so different, don’t you think?” I asked.

“Yeah but I still see you as the girl I used to like and… I still like you, Nayoung.”

But I don’t see you like that, everything about you has changed. I fell silent because of the awkwardness.

“But don’t worry; I am willing to understand if you don’t feel comfortable with me, not yet.”

This is why I’ve always known Joonho was a good guy. His words did touch me.
Along the way we called up memories of our childhood while passing the familiar places we played together and went to together. But every time we talked about a particular thing the conversation quickly changed into how much he has changed and how different the place is where he’s living now.

“…And that’s how the big amount of money still ended up in my hands… Nayoung?” I looked up. Somewhere along his monologue I started spacing out, he was talking about money and his business, which I couldn’t follow because of the difficult words.
“Great!” I nodded and smiled.
After a few minutes he parked his car in a public garage somewhere in the middle of the metropolis. I started looking around and studied the large buildings in the surrounding. One tall building in particular caught my attention. It was just a dull gray colored building but it consisted merely out of windows which gave it a sky blue look as the sky itself reflected in the windows.
At the entrance, four men in expensive suits and dark shades were exiting the building. Anyone who worked there would have made it in this world. I waited for Joonho to throw some money in the parking lot and when he was done, I was shocked to see he headed straight to that particular building. My eyes almost popped out.

“Y-you work there?”

He nodded and then started laughing; his voice broke and shot up an octave. “You should have seen the look on your face.”

I laughed nervously and swallowed the big lump when he didn’t look. As we entered the building a girl in a red skirt and white blouse with high heels and tied up hair walked up to us and bowed to Joonho. “Good afternoon, boss.”
Joonho gave her a small nod and gestured that I should follow him. I walked carefully, afraid to ruin the shiny and reflective marble floor. I could see myself in it and felt embarrassed the moment I noticed the state of my hair.
“Would you wait outside for a moment, I’m back soon…” We reached a door; I assumed the door to his office. I nodded and watched him disappear. Then I sat down on one of the dark red colored suede chairs and waited for him to come out. I heard the sound of papers sliding and drawers getting opened when I heard a telephone ring and Joonho talking in a low and fast voice. I couldn’t make out the words but suddenly he was talking about some issue because he started raising his voice.
I looked at my watch; one minute, two minutes, five minutes… ten minutes…twenty minutes… I felt my eyelids getting heavy.