Although they fought last night, Jieun was actually pleased when she woke up in the morning. Last night, Myungsoo was mad at her, for real. Jieun was surprised to see him mad, yet she found that side of his to be fascinating. He cutely pouted at her and ignored her for several hours. He wouldn’t listen to any of her explanation and whined each time she grinned at his whiny statements. She was supposed to be upset since they get caught up in another fight, but she was glad they fought. It was fun to fight, to bicker once in a while. She got to know him even better. This felt weird, though.

Jieun pleaded for his understanding, but he wouldn’t listen. He simply shrugged at every statement she gave and ignored her. He would walk pass by her and acted as if she didn’t exist in the first place. Jieun grinned and giggled at his action, while the INFINITE were in the state of shock, why would Jieun kiss Wooyoung? Well, she was having fun teasing her soon-to-be-boyfriend. He was cute, cuter than she ever expect him to be. Of course, she explained that it was fake. Still, he wouldn’t budge.

Because he was very angry, he dragged her to his car and drives her hoom. He gave her a punishment, which didn’t seem like a punishment at all. He forced her to give him a lap pillow. They settled on her couch in her living room. Mrs. Kwon was very surprised to see the two together, the first time in the past ten months or maybe more. She sat on the couch while he lie down, head on her lap, hands in hands.

“Sleep. Don’t go anywhere.” He said with a very dictating tone. So, they slept with her giving him a lap pillow.

When she woke up this morning, she was happy to see him still asleep. He was soundlessly asleep. She, too, had a very good sleep last night. It was past nine o’clock in the morning when she woke up. She ran her hand through his hair, it was fluffy and soft. He looked cute with his messy hair. She was being playfull, messing his hair a lot more, something about her that rarely appear. Although there was this one thing that bothered her, her body hurts, especially her neck.

“You’re awake?” She could feel his hands tigten. His eyes closed, his voice was hoarse yet attractive.

“Mm,” she murmured.

“Are you hurting?” He noticed her uncomforts and ran his hands on her locks, twirling it around. She nodded and he mouthed a sorry. “You should lie down. I will give you a massage?” He quickly stretched his arms and sat up. “Wait a minute! I’m still angry at you! I change my mind. Go get change; I’m preparing breakfast for today.”

Jieun chuckled at his actions, then stood up, stretching her petite body. “Are you sure you can handle it?” He ignored her. “Okay, I’m going upstair to clean myself.”

***

Jieun knew she might have pushed it too much last night. She knew she has to fix things or else he might be mad forever. He cared about her, but he was stubborn enough when it came to her relationships with other. He was obsessive and protective. He easily got jealous. She knew it, still they had to be professional. Now and in the future too, things like this might happen. So, she need to learn to clear up things. She was simply being playful last night, something she rarely shown.

She knew he was mad when she ran downstairs and found him back-facing her, being busy in the kitchen. He was bad at cooking, no matter how good he claimed himself to be. Wooyoung was a better cook and Woohyun was the best among the boys. So, she knew he would need a hand. She wouldn’t want her kitchen to turn upside down, would she? He always ruined her favorite kitchen.

She sneaked up to him and hugged him from behind. She back hugged him. He was warm, he smell so fresh and good. His perfume did not smell too strong, gentle and enough, the way she liked it. He spunned around and pulled her off him gently, while gazing at her then sighed. He finally faced her. She smiled and sneaked her arms around his neck and his against her waist. His arms were firm and strong, it held her so nicely. She had to admit, it was nice to be held.

“Are you still mad at me?” She asked and Myungsoo simply sighed.

“So, you’re still mad at me.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. A bold move that surprised both party, even Jieun had to hold her embarrasement in for a long time. “I didn’t even kiss him. We fake the kiss scene.”

“Really? You two did not kiss at all? He did not kiss you and you did not kiss him?” His eyes soften a bit. His hands pushed her closer.

“He did kiss me… on my nose, though.”

He sighed and leaned closer while pushing their body even closer. She steps forward, urged by the sudden force on her back. “The next time you kiss someone else, I’m going to kiss you.” He held her tight and kissed her nose.

“Okay,” She avoided his gaze and turned red. He simply chuckled and held her even closer, staring at her eyes. His gaze was sweet. It followed her around very closely. She suddenly feel self-conscious. This was bad, worse than high school. She was twenty, yet she couldn’t even control her own heart-beat. He smirked and she swore her heart beats faster than it already was. He was very attractive. “Can you please let go?”

“Why?”

“This is embarrassing!”

“Why? No one is watching us.”

“Myungsoo!”

“Okay. Okay.” He let go, but held her by the wrist before she could fly away. “I love you. I want to say that again and again.”

“I love you, too.”

The gaze was sweet.

***

And for the next three months, they knew they wouldn’t be able to see each other. Jieun would be busy with her schedules and dramas. She would have to work on her upcoming schedules and her variety shows await her. She was dead-tired of course. Her manager was keeping an eye on her, she has less space to move around. The company scolded her when they found out she stroll along the street in the middle of the night, alone, to empty her mind. So, her manager followed her almost everywhere. Her manager was friendly, but strict to an extreme measure.

Myungsoo explained everything on why they couldn’t meet each other for the next three months. He knew Jieun didn’t need an explanation, but it would be good to have one. The INFINITE were trying hard to gain a triplecrown or at least their first official win. They needed it in exchange of a better dorm. Jieun understood how inconvenient their dorm was. It was open, small, and suffocating with the constantly broken airconditioner. It would be summer soon, so it would be even more uncomfortable.

The INFINITE would try to create a reputation of their own. Myungsoo told her how they planned on signing up on CF deals and MVs, also starting their own variety shows. They secured a few of them. She often saw Sungjong on TV nowadays and Myungsoo as cover models in various brands. Once they managed to create a reputation and – of course – gained popularity, they would start working on their upcoming album. They would practice more and danced more. Morever, their manager would start coming back to the dorm. It added more reason of why the two shouldn’t meet first.

Although Myungsoo was upset at first, since the two couldn’t see each other for a very long time, he was excited about the upcoming variety shows the group would be joining. Ever since Luna passed away, the thought of having another little sister gave him goosebumps. So when the chance came around, it gave him a mixed feeling. He was happy yet anxious. It would be very great to have another sister, but what if he failed to protect her again? It has been so long since he became a brother, would he do well? He was worried.

Lee Ji Eun knew how worried he was. He wanted to see Luna with her and she agreed. They often sneaked out together nowadays. Although sneaking out sounded risky at first, they have gone used to it. On a Saturday morning, before they wouldn’t be able to meet each other for the next three month, Myungsoo take her out on their first official day out together. He arrived on her front door, dressed in all black with sunglasses covering his eyes, while she dressed in another all black clothing and an umbrella. Hopefully, they remain unnoticeable.

The vast land was covered in green. Everything looked fresh and peaceful with the color green. It was a place of where the death rest and the living grieve. Hands in hands, they searched for the only name, carved on the tombstone, Kim Luna. Myungsoo, as always, was on the edge of breaking down. Jieun knew he wanted to run away and avoided this place. However, it needed to stop. His gripped on her grew tighter. His eyes reflected hidden pain and sadness.

“This is my first time going back here after years,” he said. She stood tall beside him.

“I know.”

“I missed her,”

“I know,”

“Luna-ah, your oppa is here. How are you feeling? Are you resting well?” Myungsoo squatted down. “It’s summer so it’s hot. You need to take care.”

Jieun stared down at Myungsoo. She knew the pain of losing a loved one. She almost lost her sister back then. It was terrifying. It felt as if you were dying yet couldn’t die, trapped between living and dying. So, she knew how it felt like. He was hurting. She knew the pain wouldn’t disappear. Each time he went back, he would still hurting. There wasn’t any way to stop the pain. We grieved and grieved until it stopped. All he could do was to bear with it. All her life, she has been bearing so much hidden pain.

“I’m going to have another little sister. I’m going to take a very good care of her and maybe I will introduce her to you later on. I hope you will help me too. I bet she is as sweet as you were. Just don’t fight with her, okay? Don’t get jealous when I love her.”

Jieun could only chuckle, listening to his statements. Why would we found solace in such a place? Each time she talked to her, she wouldn’t know whether Luna was listening or not. She knew Luna wouldn’t respond either. She knew, yet there were times she couldn’t help but to share fragments of her mind, to ask questions, as if she was expecting answer. Between the silence and the waiting, then the realization that she wouldn’t be receiving any answer, she found her peace. It felt so calming and good. Was it a human instinct?

When Myungsoo stood up, Jieun snapped out her thoughts quickly. He took her hands back in his grasp and stared at his sister’s grave. Jieun reached out to him, her hands roaming against his back in an up and down motion, trying to comfort him. He sighed, his body slightly trembled. Jieun stared at him and he stared back. He looked so sad. She wrapped her tiny hands around him and hugged him. He simply put all his weight on her.

“I miss her,”

“I know. I know.”

***

Yoo Ji Ae was her name. She was an eighteen years old senior in high school. She was not that tall, but definitely taller than Jieun. Sh had fairly pale skin. She was young so she looked fresh. The thing about being young: they always looked so fresh and happy, impulsive and temperament, moody. She was one moody lady.

Of course, they were enthusiastic about her, although much was worried over some matters. To put it simple, they were idols, many rooted to lead a relationship with them. What if their sister was a crazy fans or someone who didn’t know them at all? How heartbreaking would it be? However, the misunderstanding was soon cleared up. She was normal, a normal teenager with its perks. A lonely child who seeked for a brother. The thing was… Myungsoo was the only one who has had a sister before. So tell them, how were they supposed to look after her?

They were pleased to see how normal she acted towards them. She acted as how a teenager would, as how a sister would toward her brother. She was hot-tempered. Myungsoo would say she looked a lot like Luna, in terms of appearances and personality. If Luna was alive, she would grow up to be a Jiae-like teenager. Of course, minus the often hot-headed action that requires patience to deal with.

She was more of a replacement in his heart. Not that it was bad, but she would be hurt for sure if she knew. All Lee Ji Eun could say, she was happy to welcome Jiae as a family. Myungsoo was all cheered up thanks to her. He worked harder and happier.

For someone who has the power to brink his world up, she has the power to bring it down. The same goes for Jieun. As how sibling would, they often fight. Jieun rarely fought with Pil Suk, but it was something inevitable. Fighting with a teenager doubled everything; it doubled the anger and energy, the disappointment and sadness. It simply doubled everything, often frustrating. Of course the boys fought a lot with her and Myungsoo was often frustrated. He would run to Jieun for advices, although she was often too busy to answer his calls. He was often depressed after fights. He was a good brother that rarely fought with her sister. Well, Luna wasn’t a teenager yet, was she?

Aside from fights and bickers, what could hurt a brother heart the most would be seeing his sister getting hurt. Of course, being a sister of someone popular has its perks, but also loss. A couple of days ago, when the boys were practicing, a bunch of girls came up to her and bullied her. She was not someone who was impulsive, so she barked back. It was bad. It was bad knowing she was bullied yet he couldn’t do a thing about it. It hurt knowing she barked back and being barked back even harder. It hurt knowing she must be hurt. She simply wouldn’t open up. When they cheered her up, she smiled with hint of bitterness. Then, she started sobbing. It hurt, consoling her hurt even more. When he thought about what he had done to Pil Suk, he regretted it more and more. Jieun must have felt like dying.

He wanted to apologize. He has been apologizing for days, and he knew he should stop soon. Still, he felt so bad about it. So, when he was sure there won’t be any filming and their staffs are out of their house, he invited her to sneak in and meet for the first time in two and a half months. It was a very long time, which he swore he might have broken a few bones. Their upcoming single and tighter schedules almost broke him to pieces. He wondered how Jieun keep up with her life. He saw her almost everywhere nowadays.

So, she gladly came. Jieun was happy about it. She wanted to see their little sister, but it would be awkward. After months and months of non-stop activity and unfinished drama, she could finally sneak out to see Myungsoo. As much as sneaking out seemed bad and it fueled guilt inside her, the thought of it exhilarates her heartbeat. Silently, she liked the idea, a bit too much. She sneaked out.

***

“Oh my! No one told me she would be here today!” Jieun literally screamed out. She was there, sitting on the couch, watching her drama, and eating popcorn.

“Who are you?! IU eonni?!” Jiae screamed for a bit, then she recognized the singer tiny proportion. The singer looked so small.

“What? What?! What happen?! Jiae-ah, are you okay?!” Sungjong came scrambling on his feet and landed perfectly on his .

“Sungjongie, are you okay?” Jieun worriedly asked.

“Sungjongie?”

“I’m fine, noona.”

“Noona?!”

“Can you get up?”

“What is happening?!”

“Oh, it’s just Jieunnie,” Hoya grinned as the other quickly ran to the living room after being deafened by the high pitch voices.

“Jieunnie?!”

“Can everybody just calm down and explain to me why she is here? No one told me they are filming today!”

“We are not!”

They need to stop screaming and yelling. Really. Like really.

***

“Eonni, I’m sorry I screamed at you.” Jiae sat back on the couch. She was all shy to meet the singer.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I shocked you. And everything I just said, I don’t mean it to be that way. It’s just Myungsoo told me there won’t be anyone beside them today.” Jieun answered after calming down, pointing at the innocent-looking boys.

“Myungsoo?” Jiae laughs, “L oppa, she called you Myungsoo!” She was laughing so hard that the INFINITE started to feel bad.

“Well, she always call me Myungsoo.”

“I’m sorry but what?!”

“We all know each other since high school. I think we might want to keep it a secret.”

“I thought L oppa has always been called L?”

“He does.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“No, we are not!” Jieun and Myungsoo exclaimed, almost at the same time. They earn seven pairs of confused eyes, which six exploded to laughters, while the other one remains confused.

“They are not dating, but they like each other.” Dongwoo explained.

“It makes lesser sense.”

“Our L likes Jieun and our Jieun likes L.” Sungyeol tried to put it simpler, but only to confused the youngest.

“Then, why don’t they date?”

“Circumstances.” They all chorused. Jieun and L simply grinned and shrugged at their comments. It was circumstances.

“Circumstances.” Myungsoo repeated, “Can you keep it a secret for us?” Jiae nodded.

“Jiae-ssi, it’s nice to meet you! Hello, I’m IU, the singer.” She sweetly greeted the shy younger sister. “How is it being the boys’ sister? They can be a headache and childish at times, it must have been hard. Myungsoo is especially bad, isn’t he?” She joked which earn a laugh from the latter.

“L oppa is a very bad brother. Eonni, they went through my luggange and literally mess up with it! I was so angry and embarrassed. I was so mad. They all turn their back against me, saying they did nothing wrong. All they want is to help and I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it.”

“He deserved to be… I heard you are quite strong.” Jieun grinned and Jiae immediately liked her.

“And they at almost everything! They tried to cheer me up but failed!”

Myungsoo was glad the two get along very well.

***

He had been staring at her with the same pairs of eyes over the past hours. She couldn’t help but to notice his stares. It was apologetic. She knew he would keep on saying sorry, once they had sometime alone. She was right. Before she could walk back home, he grabbed her by the wrist and brought her something rather private. He was about to say another sorry when she decided he should stop feeling guilty. She kissed his cheek, close to the corner of his lips. He was too tall, she couldn’t lean in anymore.

“It’s okay.”

“But Jieun –“

“I love you,” she stared so deeply at him, “you love me and Pil Suk approved.” She held his hands and smiled. “That’s all I need.”

“I love you, too.”

“I should get going right now. Take care of Jiae, okay? She’s very sweet.”

Jieun waved a goodbye and walked back home. When Myungsoo finally disappeared from her sight, she rummaged through her bags and pulled out her phone. Quickly, she unlocked it while pressing some randoms number. Of course, it was not any randoms number, but someone specials. When the constant beeping stopped and replaced by the sweet voice of a girl, the corner of her lips form a beautiful smile. A genuine smile, a happy smile.

“Hello, Pil Sukkie? I miss you.”

***

They won. They won. Three months later, after what feels like a disaster and broken bones, they won. Jieun couldn’t believe her own eyes when their names appeared on the big screen, a big announcement of their first win. She was smiling so widely that she was afraid the broadcasting station might find her rude. She was simply happy about it. The boys quickly hugged each other while crying on stage. Jieun looked at them from a far. It paid off.

Author Note

A bit of filler chapter wouldn't hurt right? Another trial of fluff (?) Thanks for the comments! I really appreciates them!