“Okay, it’s summer,” she teased. I gulped as I became uncomfortable with our conversation. “Anyway, why is your mom at the hospital?”

“She… she was discovered to have… a brain tumor,” I said as I downcast. She became speechless as she held my hand.

“Minho…”

“No, it’s okay. She’ll be fine soon. I now have the money for her therapy.”

She breathed heavily as I looked at her and smiled. “Yes! Let’s think positively, hm?” I nodded.

I remembered how she always makes me smile and feel better when I’m in these kind of situations before. Whenever I get a low grade in school or have some problems in my family, she’s always on my side and makes me feel that there’s always a person beside me.

I showed her my exaggerated smile with my teeth showing. “Kya! You’re still cute, Harry Potter,” she said as she chuckled. She pinched my cheeks and moved it from left to right. I chuckled and thought to myself, so do you. “Yah, I’m going to take a nap first. Wake me up when we arrive to Busan, okay?”

“Sure, but I won’t wake you up and let you oversleep,” I joked.

“Yah!”

“Just kidding,” I said. She put her black bag on her lap and used it as her pillow. Just minutes after, she already fell asleep as she snored faintly. Her face still stands out despite the hood and the strands of hair covering it. It’s like a glowing piece of diamond that still stands out even if covered by rocks. The sunset coming from the window fits as her background. I laughed on my thoughts as I stayed still on my seat and watched her throughout the trip.

After three hours, the train stopped and the doors opened. The people started standing and getting out of the train. “We’re now in Busan. We’re now in Busan,” the announcer said on the speaker as it echoed through the whole train.

“Sulli,” I whispered as I nudged her arm. She won’t wake up after a few nudges and calls, so I decided to nudge her slightly harder as my face became closer to hers to call her name. “Sul—”

She turned her face as she opened her eyes. She was about to get up when accidentally, her lips touched mine. I widened my eyes as I quickly stood up and carried my bag with me.

“M-M-Mianhaeyo. It was an accident,” I said as my body froze.

She showed a rather mixed expression of anger and shyness as she glared at me. “You.”

“Mianh—”

She stood from her seat as she grabbed her bag with her. Her glare at me is still in her dark brown eyes and it’s continuously piercing me. She walked slowly as I grasped at the seats on my back and started to walk back slowly towards the door.

“I’m certain that it was an accident! You suddenly got up and our lips—”

“Stop! Choi Minho,” she said flatly as she walked towards me slowly. I continued walking back to the door. She looked like a serial killer that trapped me in the train because of her all-black suit. “Since when did you become a ert?”

“Ah, jinja!” I exclaimed. She shook her head slightly. “Sulli, it was an accident,” I emphasized every single word I uttered. I got nearer to the exit door. Few more walks then I can run, I thought.

“Don’t let me get you,” she said. I reached the open exit door and I dashed on the Busan terminal. I ran as fast as I can, even though I know to myself that we still need to be together. I just can’t leave a Hallyu star in Busan alone. I bumped many people as I ran. I kept saying sorry to them. I tried to look back, and she was a few inches far away from me. She’s a fast runner.

After a few rounds of running in the terminal, I turned back and panted heavily. “Stop… let’s stop…” I said as I laughed. She stopped in front of me and I looked at her. She’s smiling and barely showing any signs of tiredness. “H-h-how are you not tired after those run?”

She grabbed my hand and said, “That’s the result of two intensive years of training and six years of nonstop performance in front of people.”

“Please, don’t hurt me,” I pleaded her as I chuckled. I was still panting.

“What should I do with this poor Minho?” she said. She dragged me and we both went out the terminal carrying our own bags. It was already in the evening. “Call a taxi. Where’s the hospital your umma’s staying in?”

“Ne. Haeundae Paik Hospital,” I obeyed. I raised my hand to signal the taxi. A taxi stopped in front of us afterwards and she pushed me to get in. It felt like I was being kidnapped.

“To Haundae Paik Hospital, please,” she said to the driver in a pitch lower than her usual. The taxi started accelerating.

“What are you doing?”

“Since you kissed me a while ago, you’re my slave for this weekend, arasseo?” she whsipered.

“How many times would I tell you that it was an accident?” I said in irritation.

“No, you kissed me intently,” she insisted. I sighed and leaned back on the seat as I looked on the window, watching the street lights, cars and buildings passing by. I thought of it for a while and realized that I might as well take the bait.

“Geurae, I’m your slave for this weekend,” I said.

“Good. So, you’ll do anything I’ll ask from you and you’re required to do it. No excuses,” she said. She raised her right hand and showed me her pinky finger.

I gulped, breathed lightly and showed her a determined face. I interlocked my pinky finger with hers and we both glared at each other. After that, we both leaned back to our seats and remained silent.

The taxi stopped in front of the hospital and we both looked at the fare. “You pay it,” she said. My jaw dropped and she smiled at me as she went out of the taxi.

“Aish,” I mumbled as I grabbed my brown leather wallet from my pocket. I opened it and grabbed the exact money, and paid the driver afterwards. I got out of the taxi and closed its door. I saw Sulli waiting at me in front of the entrance. I walked towards her and whispered, “I’m going to kill you once this weekend ends.” I continued walking to the hospital, not minding her.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and called appa. “Appa, where’s umma’s room?”

“It’s room 503,” he said. I ended the call and I proceeded to the elevator with Sulli. When the elevator reached the fifth floor, we got off and walked on the hallway. We saw the room immediately and I knocked on the door. I twisted the doorknob and pulled the white door slowly.

I saw umma lying on the bed, talking to appa. They looked at me and umma got up from her bed. “Umma!” I exclaimed. I ran towards her and hugged her tightly. I can’t stop but cry to see her this weak and at the hospital bed.

“Minho, I’m okay, son,” she said as she rubbed my back.

“Is your head okay? Does it hurt? Do you need—”

“Minho, don’t worry. I’m fine,” she said. I released my hug and stood by her side.

“Ahnyeonghaseyo,” Sulli said as she walked slowly and bowed to umma and appa.

“Sulli-yah!” umma and appa said in chorus. Sulli greeted them with a big smile, while carrying her bag and a plastic bag full of fruits.

“It’s been years, Sulli! Yah, you look really beautiful now!” appa complimented her.

“Gomawo-yo,” she said softly. She walked towards umma and offered her the plastic bag. “Mrs. Choi, here are some fruits for you. I hope you’ll enjoy eating them.”

Appa handled the plastic bag and placed it on the table.

“Gomawo, Sulli-yah! I’ll surely enjoy eating them because they’re from an idol,” umma said lightheartedly.

“Minho-yah! You don’t have anything for your umma?” appa said. I suddenly remembered the check, so I placed my bag on the chair and opened it. I grabbed the check and hid it from umma.

“Umma, you’re going to have the radiation therapy soon,” I said as I showed her the check.

“Wow,” Sulli and appa said as they both clapped and smiled at umma. Umma’s eyes watered as she tried to smile while looking at the check.

“Minho…” she mumbled. She embraced me and said, “Thank you so much, son. Really, thank you,” she said hoarsely as she cried.

“I’ll just go pay the therapy,” I said. She nodded as I walked out of the room. Sulli tagged along with me. “Where’d you get the fruits?”

“I had them in my bag,” she replied radiantly. We took the elevator and went to the ground floor to pay umma’s radiation therapy.

The doctor said that they’ll perform the therapy on Monday and made sure that it will go well. We spent hours on the room talking about the most random things. Sulli also updated us with what happened to her in the past eight years. Because of this, we haven’t noticed that it’s already past 11PM.

“I need to rest,” umma said.

“We’ll just sleep here,” I said.

“Ani, ani,” appa said. “You two go to our house and sleep there. We’ll be fine here.”

“But…”

“No ‘buts’. Here’s the key and go to the house. You’re both tired from that long trip,” appa said as he gave me the key.

“Why does Sulli have to sleep in our house?” I asked.

“Umma and appa are still in Japan, enjoying the vacation I gave them as a gift for their anniversary,” Sulli explained.

I sighed and said, “Okay.”

We arrived in front of the bungalow and I walked towards the door to unlock it. When I opened the door, I switched on the lights and removed my shoes. I went towards my room and tried to open the door. It’s locked.

“What’s the problem?” Sulli asked.

“My room’s locked,” I said. We searched the whole house for the key and unfortunately, we haven’t found it. I called appa and he said that the door was accidentally locked with the key inside the room a few days back.

“So…” Sulli said as she looked at the room of umma and appa.

“I’ll go sleep there and you sleep at here at the sofa,” I said as I grabbed my bag and walked towards the room. When I opened it, Sulli got a hold of my hand. I turned back and saw her glaring at me.

“We made a promise. You’re my slave for the weekend and you’ll do anything I ask,” she said.

I gulped, hoping that she’ll not command me to sleep at the sofa.

“You’ll go sleep at the sofa and I’ll sleep here,” she commanded me. I downcast and walked slowly towards the living area while dragging my rucksack.

“Please, not here,” I said. “Can we just… sleep together?”

“Yah!” she yelled as she threw something quite hard on my back and I winced. “ert!” She slammed the door as I heard the door being locked. After a while, I heard things hitting the door, probably a chair and some heavy things she found on umma and appa’s room.

I laughed as I placed my bag near the sofa. I went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I found some fish crackers and a beer, so I grabbed them and went back to the living area. I lied down on the sofa, grabbed the remote and opened the television.

“Ah! It’s much better here! I have fish crackers, a beer and an HD television in front of me!” I yelled so that she could hear.

“Yah, Minho-ert! Be quiet! It’s better here! I have fruits and it’s much peaceful here!” she yelled. I laughed quietly as I continued munching fish crackers, drinking the beer and watching TV.

After an hour, my eyes felt tired and it slowly closed as the things I hear slowly becomes a blur. It’s just the start of the weekend and a lot of things happened already. What more would it be on the next day? Whatever it may be, I can’t wait already.