I pick up my glass of juice, and then take a small sip of the refreshing liquid.

Himchan's kiss has kept me up all night, but despite me not being able to get much sleep, I feel wide awake, as I pick at my breakfast. I'm restless, and the more my mind lingers around that, the more this strange twinge of worry proceeds to poke at me. This feeling would be more understandable, if this whole thing had been my first kiss of some sort, but...

When I first agreed to help Himchan out, it was to only keep him with me, until he would eventually remember everything, for him to then return to his home.

I didn't think so many things would happen, for us to slowly grow a little closer towards each other, over each passing day.

No matter how distant or awkward you are with someone, (or just detest them to the bones) a strange bond of some sort, will eventually occur over time, if you are forced to see each other every day.

And I'm well aware of that, but I didn't think that it would grow out to become something like...this.

I didn't think that Himchan would become more well-mannered towards me, as he little by little, goes to put in effort with everything that he now helps me out with.

And because of this, I didn't think that I would gradually come to appreciate his helping hand, along with his weird ways, of perking up my life; I mean, he does a great job of keeping me on my toes, so I never know what to really expect from him.

But the one thing that I honestly did not think would happen...is for him to fall for me.

Himchan's use of skin-ship at first was thoughtless, and filled with mockery, which allowed me to easily dismiss them to the side.

His actions were very flirty, and extremely unpleasant, so I always just brushed it away to the side, easily treating it as something minor. But although, as time went by, (I'm not exactly sure when it started to happen, because I've only just noticed it from last night, but) there is now a slight change, in his presence. His touches have become much kinder, and the more I observe, the more I come to slowly notice this strange (and slightly out of place?) look in his eyes, whenever he would be talking to me.

And when I come to discover that glowing quality to be called affection, my mind instantly knows why he is suddenly starting to have that fond look on his face, when he leaned in to kiss me.

Even though the kiss didn't last very long, but the way he delivered it, was like how a person who deeply cares for another, would.

Half of me now oddly sees him in a new light, as I now find myself a little more self-conscious around him, while the other half of me is thinking...

...Of how this isn't supposed to happen.

I didn't think Himchan would end up sincerely caring about me, because this whole thing is wrong.

It's wrong, because once he finds out that I've lied to him...

My mind can't even finish off the rest of that thought, because guilt begins to clog up my throat.

"Hey, what's wrong?" queries the voice, that's making me anxious.

I look up at Himchan, and bit by bit, I then quietly place down my spoon. "Himchan, I think we should..." My sentence breaks for a bit, as he innocently continues to wait for my answer. "Um," I nervously swallow; "...Get you some new hair dye?"

For some reason, I can't bring myself to 'break up' with him.

"Hmm?" hums Himchan, as he then goes to touch his hair. He instantly knows that I'm talking about his regrowth, and so an unamused expression then comes to his face; "Ah, so you finally agree with me, huh?"

I blink a little, before raising an eyebrow. "Agree with you on what, exactly?" I ask.

"Agree with me in wanting to redye me hair!" he enlightens. "I've been telling you about it for so long, but I guess you weren't listening."

I immediately shake my head at him. "Of course I was listening!" I quickly say, attempting to assure him. "Um, I just haven't been able to bring it up, because...there hasn't been time?"

My fib makes Himchan softly laugh. "Yes, yes, I know you were," he coolly says, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I know you won't lie to me, so you don't have to look so panicked."

His comment makes me feel even worst, and the sunny smile on his face, seems to effectively x-mark my guilt.

Oblivious, Himchan then gestures for me to go back to eating, so throughout the rest of our breakfast, I just try to focus my attention on the food, and keeping it in my stomach.

———————————————

"Himchan, can you come over here for a second?" I call out.

The blonde makes his way over to me, and once he sees the two rectangular boxes in my hands, he knows to stand still, for me to compare the colour of his hair to the sample shown on the product.

I purse my lips in thought for a bit, as my eyes flicker back and forth from the dye to his hair. "No," I eventually say, after a couple of more seconds. "They're both not it; this one is too yellow, while the other is too white."

Himchan blinks at me, as I place the two bleaches back onto the shelf. "Are you sure I use to buy my hair dye here?" he wonders, with a raised brow.

"Of course!" I nippily say. "Um...maybe it's just a really popular colour? I mean, Yongguk is blonde, and so were a couple of other people that we saw on the way here, so..."

This makes Himchan click his tongue in discontentment. "Ugh, I knew it," he says, with an exaggerated snobbish flick of his hair. "Everyone just wants to be me."

My eyebrows draw together, as I can imagine a sparkly background, to accompany his posh pose. "Oh my goodness," I say, with a shake of my head. "You're such a vain weirdo, go away."

But Himchan chuckles at my comment, and then playfully drapes an arm over me, to purposely bring our bodies closer together. "Bzzt!" he buzzes, with a cheeky wink. "No can do babe, because I'm stuck to you like a rabbit and its carrot."

"...Are you calling me a carrot?" I ask, in a deadpanned voice.

Himchan beams at me, with a happy nod of his head. "I sure am!" he chirps. "Since I'm the cuddlier one between us, I think it's more suitable for me to be the bunny."

"But..." I mumble, with an unamused expression; "...I don't want to be a carrot."

The blonde seems to be rather surprised at my disapproval. "But you will be the prettiest carrot, in the world!" he animatedly says. "And your hair colour is closer to a carrot than mine, so yeah."

"Himchan, carrots are orange," I dully state.

This makes him shrug a shoulder at me; "Yeah, and?"

I flatten my eyes at him. "My hair is brown!" I point out, and then add; "I'm not sure what kind of carrots you've been eating, but if they've been brown, then—"

Himchan frowns with a huff. "Fine, fine," he says, in an uninterested manner. "You can be a chili instead. Happy?"

But all this does is makes me give him a queer eye; "Why the heck am I a chili?"

"Because!" he exclaims. "You always yell at every single thing that I do, and since red is an angry colour, then you get to be the 'angry' looking vegetable...like Yongguk; you guys can both be angry chilies together."

But as soon as those words leave his mouth, a look of surprise-horror registers on his face, as he now begins to hastily shake his head. "No wait!" he panicky begins. "I take that back; you two can't be angry chilies together! Well, you can be chilies, but not together, okay?! Actually, how about I just change you back to a carrot, like the original plan?"

I honestly have no idea what to say to his weirdness, except continue to oddly stare at him.

"Oh, and by the way," pipes up Himchan, on a lighter note. "Are chillies considered to be a vegetable, or a fruit? Because they have seeds, and you know how they say that if there’s a seed, then it's a fruit, so...?"

His voicing trailing off, signals for me to speak. "Um," I voice out, after a second or so. "To be honest...I've kind of always seen a chili as a vegetable, but now that you've reminded me about that seed theory, I'm...not so very sure?"

Himchan lets out a sigh, which is then followed up by a small pout. "Honestly, it's one of the things that keep me up all night," he dramatically announces.

So the two of us have come here with the intention of buying hair dye, and yet here we are, standing in the middle of the shop, wondering whether a chili is a vegetable or a fruit.

...How did this even happen?

I accidentally mumble that last thought out, because Himchan's voice suddenly pops up. "How did this happen?" he eagerly echoes, with a slight tilt of his head. "Well, you told me to go away, and so I was all, "Nuh-uh, I'm sticking to you like a rabbit does with a carrot", but then you got grumpy at being the carrot, and so I—"

"Himchan!" I interject, before he can ramble on. "It was a rhetorical question; I didn't actually want an explanation."

Staring at me for a bit, an expression of displeasure now crosses over his face. "Geez, I didn't think calling you a vegetable-fruit thing would make you so angry," he grumbles. "Aren't you happy that I want to eat you?"

I'm about to open my mouth to reply, but then I realise the double-meaning in his sentence.

Does he mean that in the most innocent way, or...?

I shake the thought away, and just assume that his air of innocence is of pretence. "Let’s just go back to looking for your hair dye..." I slowly say. "How about you search in that row over there, while I'll go and ask a worker, over here?"

Himchan responds with a small grunt, just before making his way to where I was pointing at, as I turn the other way.

I go to scan the place for a bit, just before finally spotting a woman not too far away, stacking some shampoo bottles together. My feet make their way over to her in no time, and as soon as she notices me, she then gives me her full attention.

"Hello," I say, and then return her kind smile with my own. "Do you happen to have—" My eyes go to locate for Himchan, and when I spot him occupied with a shelf, I then make sure for her to see him as well; "—that guy's hair colour dye in stock?"

She looks at him for a bit, and then bobs her head once, after taking in the blonde of Himchan's hair. "Yes, we sure do!" she confirms. "Please follow me."

The woman takes me to another section of hair tints, and I realise that it's a little pricey over here.

"If you want to get that kind of colour," she begins, while reaching out for a box. "Then you should get this," she advises, and then grabs another product, "And this."

I begin to examine the two items that she's just given me, as she then goes to explain how I would have to strip out the colour of my hair, for it to work.

The high price of these two objects makes my eye itch, and before I can tell her that it's not actually for me, she then drags me over to another section, to place a couple of more bottles into my arms. Since bleaching your hair really damages it, the things that she's just given me, are apparently 'really good' treatment shampoos to use. I can't seem to cut off this woman's speech, and because she seems too hyped up about it, I just let her talk.

So as the lady continues on to explain the steps to me, and how long I should wait in between the two products and such, I start to mentally calculate everything together.

And when I realise that I would have to be paying at least 70,000 won, it makes me cringe.

This is almost triple of what I pay, to dye my own hair!

Thankfully, the sales woman is finished speaking now, and so I then use the chance to ask her, if she has any idea of how much it would cost, to get this colour done at the hair salon.

"Hmm, it depends on where you go," she says, after a thought or two. "But if you want it exactly like that guy's hair, then it's around...oh, maybe 120,000 won or so?"

"120,000 won?!" I splutter. "W-Why is it so expensive?"

The woman laughs a little at my shocked reaction. "Well, this colour is a little hard to work with, since you need to know the right timing to get it perfect," she explains. "Toners and such get added into the process, and since that guy's hair colour is spot on, I'm certain he got his professionally done."

Allowing for that to sink in, I then eventually give her a weak nod. "Oh, I see..." I softly say. "Thank you for helping me; I can take it from here."

She gives me a smile, and with that, then steadily makes her way back to her original task, with the shampoos.

A sigh automatically falls out of me, as soon as I'm alone with the hair products.

What am I going to do?

The thought of spending 70,000 won on some hair dye, makes me want to shrivel up.

I don't think the item is worth this much money, and so because of that, I have to find an alternative, and fast.

"Going for blonde, huh?" questions an amused voice.

My head turns towards the source, to see a male standing on my right. The sides of his dark head are shaved, leaving the middle section to be styled upwards. His eyes are hidden by a pair of sunglasses, and even though this blocks me from seeing his whole face, he looks like someone that I've seen before. Perhaps someone from an underground club, but I'm not too sure, so I shrug it off, and return my attention back to the items in my hands.

"Not really," I reply, while putting the dyes back into their spots. "It's too expensive."

The male chuckles at my frown, as he also returns an item back onto the shelf. "I agree," he says, with a nod. "And I don't think the blonde is necessary for you, as your hair looks fine the way it is."

I blink at him a little, and then politely tell him my thank you, but it comes out more like a question.

Another small laugh voices out from him. "I really do mean it though," he says, with an entertained smile. "But if you insist on dying your hair, then maybe you could go for red? Red's a pretty y colour, but so is black. So if you want to take the easy option, you can just revert back to your natural hair colour, and—"

That's it!

Just as quick as the realisation clicks in my head, I discard the multiple different coloured dyes before me, and start to search for a natural black. It's in another section, and when I pick up the box to inspect the price, a sigh of relief escapes from me. It's a much saner looking label than the posh brand, from the blonde bleach from earlier on.

And I'm so concentrated on the dye, that I would have completely forgotten about the stranger, if he didn't suddenly speak up.

"So you're going back to black?" he probes.

I look up at him and nod. "Yeah, it seems like the best option," I say, smiling a little. "I just hope he won't mind..."

This makes the sunglasses-male tilt his head faintly, to show me his puzzlement. "What was that?" he asks.

With a secretive smirk, I then shake my head at him. "It's nothing," I lie, chortling a bit. "Anyway, thank you for the suggestion."

His lips now curve upwards, looking pleased. "My pleasure," he says.

I'm about to head off, when he suddenly stops me, by opening his mouth to speak again.

"So noona," he starts off, which catches me off guard.

I'm not sure if I should feel shocked or offended; shocked, because I thought he was older than me, or offended, because he thinks that I...well, look old.

The male snickers to himself, looking thoroughly amused by my widen eyes. "My name is Namjoon, and I'm twenty," he calmly says.

And then as if to prove his point, he then lifts up his sunglasses a little, to show me his youthful eye-smile.

I slowly nod a little, (so he's just two years younger than me?) to show him that I'm listening, to his out-of-nowhere introduction.

Namjoon sets back his sunglasses, and then smirks at me. "But you might know me as Rap Monster, of the Bangtan underground club," he says. "Anyway, I've been recommended to you by someone, who says you're quite the singer."

My eyebrows find themselves rising up once more, as I then go to ask him who it is, that's told him about me. I also warily ask him how he has managed to find me here, but I guess the suspicious look on my face is a little too obvious, as he suddenly bursts out laughing, to assure me that he's indeed, not a stalker of any sorts. Namjoon then continues on talking, and when he finally tells me the name of the mystery person, I'm shell-shocked.

"Kyungwook sunbae...?" I murmur, in surprise. "Are we talking about the same Park Kyungwook, here?"

Namjoon shrugs a shoulder, and then begins to throw out some things. "He's head of the Matos company, appears to be in his late twenties, hmm..." he pauses for a bit, to think some more; "Ah, he's also known for giving Kyunghee University the high reputation that it now has."

At the mention of the university, I just know that it's him.

My mind begins to wonder how he is, but when I think of Namjoon's comment on him being in charge of a company of some sort, I assume that he's doing extremely well.

I'm about to ask about what Kyungwook's work revolves around, when a nagging voice, approaches the two of us from out of the blue.

"There you are!" thunders the voice.

We both look over, to see a fuming blonde male stomping his way over to us, making me secretly sigh.

Himchan begins his complaining as soon as he's in speaking range, and I inwardly groan to myself. "The section that you told me to look at, doesn't have the dye," he grumpily starts off, with a huff. "And why does it take you twenty billion years to ask the worker if they have my colour in stock?"

With my free hand, I then place it onto my temple, to give it a light massage. "Himchan, I have a change of plans," I say, as calmly as possible. "Instead of bleaching your hair, how about we take the blonde out, and have your natural hair colour, in its place?"

But Himchan frowns at my suggestion, which then turns into a tiny pout. "Wait, what?" he says, in disappointment. "But I like my blonde hair."

"Yeah, I do too," I quietly admit. "But the lady told me that if you don't have the correct treatment, then you'll go bald."

Unfortunately, Himchan doesn’t buy my semi-lie, as he lets out a scoff. "Psh, easy," he smugly says. "Then we'll just get the treatment."

I flatten my eyes at him, with a frown. "It's not that easy, you know," I mumble. "The things that I’ve just been told to buy to maintain your hair, cost triple of what I use, to dye my own hair."

But Himchan doesn't seem to want his dark hair, as he now starts to tug on the sleeve of my cardigan, with his whiney voice.

His whining and my exasperated sounds fuse into a giant ball of gibberish, and when another voice somehow inserts themselves into the mess, it's only then, that there's peace.

"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, but..." Namjoon looks a little amused, as he tries to bite back his smile; "...so how about the offer, noona?"

"Offer?" perks up Himchan, automatically. He then turns his nosey self towards me; "What offer?"

I dismiss him to the side, and clear out my throat; "I'll—"

"Yejinnie!" wails Himchan, cutting me off. "What business do you have, with this—" The blonde then whips his head back towards the other male, with his judging eyes; "—weirdo punk with sunglasses, huh?!"

Himchan's dramatic self, is making me feel embarrassed, as I begin to nudge him a little to the side. "Please ignore him," I inform Namjoon, now taking out my phone. "And about the offer, I'll take it."

Pleased, the younger male bobs his head, as he now starts to type in his contact number, while I do the same with his own mobile.

We finish in a matter of seconds, and then return the devices back to each other. "Thanks," says Namjoon. "I feel like today's my lucky day, since I hear you're kind of busy. So I guess I'll see you around, noona Jin?" He then stops for a bit, as though he's thinking over what he has just said. ", noona Jin sounds weird, since I have a friend named Jin," he mumbles. "But I guess since hyung is a rather pretty flower boy, then...oh well, it’s nice meeting you."

I laugh a little at his mumbling, but then give him a small wave, as he returns the motion with a salute.

And then, sticking his hands back into his pocket, Namjoon then cooly saunters off, leaving Himchan and I behind.

"So, do you want to tell me what the heck that was all about?" mandates Himchan, while crossing his arms together. "I feel like I just caught my lover in bed with another guy!"

I can't help but laugh, at the blonde’s melodramatic comment. "Himchan, I can assure you that it's nowhere near that," I say, with an amused shake of my head. "He just wants to perform with me, that's all."

"Yeah..." grumbles Himchan. "He wants to perform with you...in bed!"

The sudden volume increase of his voice makes me jump. "Oh my goodness, it's not like that!" I retort, while giving his arm a whack.

"Yes it is!" pouts Himchan, with fake tears. "I bet he was secretly undressing you with his eyes, underneath his stupid sunglasses."

And because there happened to be a few people walking by at the time, who just so happened to only hear Himchan's comment, they are now giving us bizarre (yet curious) looks.

I force myself to calmly breathe in and out, to hold back the urge of possibly saying something stupid.

So after a couple of more seconds, I then grab a hold of Himchan's wrist, and begin to drag him along with me, for us to finally pay for the hair dyes that we (sort of?) came here for.

———————————————

A/N: Hey guys! ^^ Thank you so much for all the love, I couldn’t stop giggling at all of your reactions to the kiss, hahaha, they were (and are) hilarious LOL. Anyway, I know Rap Monster (seriously, whoever came up with his stage name makes me face palm into infinity and beyond because it’s so ????) is a little out of nowhere, but it’ll add up later. This is the only time you will see him, so I don’t expect you guys to remember him all the way, since the story revolves around Himchan’s stupidly cute face and Yejin so yeah LOL :’D