“YAH! Pyeontae! What do you think you’re doing?!” I hissed as Suho’s limp body fell on top of me. It was hard to believe that just moments before I had been staring into his inviting brown eyes – enchanted both by the fact that he could look so inhumanely beautiful despite running a fever AND because in those warm brown eyes I saw the glimmer of an emotion I had not yet seen in Suho. It was something between pity and regret; I had felt my face glow hotter than Suho’s fever as I stared deeper into his eyes trying to fish out what they were trying to tell me. His eyes seemed to be doing the same thing to mine. Sympathy?! That’s it! No sooner had I attributed a redeeming quality to this sly kingka than he had fallen. On. Top. Of. Me. For the second time that day!!

            Luckily, this time, Suho’s body crashing into mine didn’t knock me flat on my in front of a giggling audience of my classmates. All it did was back me into the counter…causing a container of powdered sugar to crash to the floor. Crap! Just another thing to deal with later I guess I huffed internally But first let’s get this stupid jerk well enough to get out of my house – AND MY LIFE. I pushed Suho off of me as a sweet cloud of sugar enveloped the two of us. He still seemed a bit woozy and wobbled on his feet sheepishly, so I pushed him down into a chair. He looked up at me dreamily and I couldn’t help but think about how cute he looked as powdered sugar settled into his hair and eyelashes like snow. With his fevered blush and glittering eyes he looked remarkably like a child staring up in wonder at the first snow of winter. I suddenly wanted nothing more than to hug him. Him! The arrogant guy who had ruined my entire day and my big plans to tell my parents about baking school! Get a grip, Hong Eunmi!

“Hey, Eu-Eunmi-ssi?” Suho spoke suddenly with a thick and husky voice. My heart skipped a beat and I suddenly felt very self-conscious – without even thinking I found myself trying to smooth out my hair. Aish! Eunmi, this is getting WAY out of hand.

“N-n-ne, Suho-ssi?” I stumbled over my words, my heart beating a mile a minute as Suho’s mouth slowly moved into a crooked smirk.  I watched, wide-eyed as he lifted a finger, brought it up to my face, and beckoned me to lean in. Like a hypnotized idiot – I did.

“Eunmi-ssi,” the sound of Suho’s breathy voice so close to me set the hairs on the back of my neck on end. He smiled at me and suddenly his eyes glistened with a dark edge, “I don’t think even you are enough of an imbecile to conclude that dousing a patient in sugar is a means of eliminating a fever.”

I blinked a few times, stunned, was this pabo being for real? Suho stared at me, steely-eyed, any  hint of the warmth that had been in those eyes earlier had evaporated. Ok, no more Missus-Nice-Eunmi!! This is war!

“BWOH?! You’re a total psycho, you know that? I was just trying to be nice, trying to help with your fever…and…and…It was YOUR fault that the powdered sugar got knocked over anyway!” I surprised myself with a serious, scathing voice – usually when I got mad I screeched and squealed like a furious hamster. Evidently it surprised Suho too because his eyes suddenly went wide and flashed a brief display of confusion. He huffed a few times, stubbornly and finally stood.

“I- I’m not sure what you’re talking about. But I’m not going to stick around here to find out the ways your ineptitude is going to put my life in danger,” Suho scoffed at me haughtily and elegantly dusted the powdered sugar from his shoulders. It upset me that he was leaving like this, but why should it? The sooner he was out of my life the better. Right? And yet as I stared motionless through the disappointed stare he gave me as he slid into his sugarcoated blazer – I couldn’t help but feel a lump of guilt building in the back of my throat. Not because I felt like I let Suho down…but because…well, I had found myself kind of wanting to get to know him a little bit better throughout the chaos of this afternoon. Because….well…maybe I was starting to feel like underneath that slick, frigid exterior there might be a pretty decent guy in there somewhere. Thinking about it that way almost made me feel sorry for Suho – why did he have to put on a show? Why couldn’t he just be who he really was?

“So sorry to disturb your daydreaming, Eunmi-ssi. But could you maybe stop drooling over me and get out of my way?” Suho hissed and I was snapped back to reality.

Tch, who was I kidding, anyway?!? This guy was definitely jerk through and through – nothing else in there! 

Taking a deep breath to bottle up the insults that were burning up my tongue, I smirked coldly at Suho and stepped to the side, using my arms to indicate the path to the door.

“Tch, you wish I was using my wasting my time daydreaming about the likes of you. And as far as leaving goes, be my guest – I trust you remember the way out?” Nice, Eunmi! That actually sounded kind of put-together and mature. I huffed my bangs out of my face and used my head to indicate the door once more, hoping to convey impatience.

Suho’s eyes went golf-ball wide for a moment. Either he was taken aback by my sudden composure or he was shocked that a female was rejecting him – I found myself hoping it was a combination of both. He raked his fingers through his hair once more, regaining his princely poise, and headed toward the door.

But he never made it to the door. He took one step and place one hand on my shoulder, looking hazily into my eyes.

I rolled my eyes.

“Yah, pyeontae, did you not here me properly? I don’t spend my time daydreaming about you – I spend my time daydreaming about you getting out of my house,” I sneered.

Suho actually looked…embarrassed for a moment and lowered his eyes. He stared at his shoes as he spoke,

“I…I…um…don’tknowifIcanleaveyet?” He mumbled faintly. Tch, this pabo is too arrogant for his own good.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you. Could you repeat that?” I gloated – I had earned it, right?

Suho raised his voice but not his eyes.

“Look, I want out of here as bad as you want me out of here…but I honestly don’t know if I have the strength to get out here right now. I’m…uh…sorry for insulting your medical skills…but…do you think I could maybe stay here for a few more minutes? I’m not really sure what’s going on right now…” Wow, so the jerk is capable of a decent apology.

I tried to act indifferent, but I just couldn’t hold it up – as the daughter of a doctor, I naturally feel tense and responsible toward people in poor health.

“Well….” I drawled “….I’m not going to pretend like it’s convenient for me…but…I can’t just let you walk out of here to go die on the streets. Think of what the medical journals would say.”

Suho’s eyes looked up into mine with suspicion and confusion.

“Thank you?” He muttered. I had to laugh a little at this guy’s ridiculous arrogance.

“Whatever. Just go sit down and let me take your temperature.”

“No, no, no…I’m not letting a ditz like you put any medical equipment near my fa---“ I popped a thermometer into Suho’s mouth as he babbled on at me. He snarled at me but kept the thermometer in nonetheless – mission accomplished. I left Suho with the thermometer in his mouth and scurried off to make some tea, savoring the silence of Suho being shut up while his temperature was taken. I decided to let him suffer for a few more minutes as I tidied up the kitchen, deftly sweeping the powdered sugar into a single, snowy mound. After a few moments I strolled over to Suho and took the thermometer from his mouth.

“Huh? What the heck?!” I breathed in disbelief as I looked at the thermometer.

Suho grabbed my wrist and looked up at me, his eyes wild with concern, “What is it? What’s going on Eunmi?!”

I doubled over in laughter at the sight of him in such a tizzy, what a dummy!

“AHAHA HAHA HA. Your temperature is only 97! You’re not even running a fever you little weakling!” I wiped the tears from my eyes and saw Suho looking away sullenly.

“Well, sorry to disappoint you.” He huffed like a pouty toddler.

“Ayy. Don’t be a baby! At least it’s not something as serious as a fever.” I chuckled and suddenly I remembered Suho’s hungry eyes from earlier, “Hey, pyeontae, when was the last time you ate anyway?” I asked.

“What?! Why are you asking me such a random question at a time like this, you spaz?”

I rolled my eyes, this guy!

“Just answer the question, pabo.” Suho scrunched up his face in a sneer as he thought for a moment.

“Ummm…. Let’s see…. I didn’t have time to eat today. I was at cram school from 3pm to 11pm yesterday….so…it must’ve been. Breakfast? Yesterday?” Suho replied casually.

“BWOH?!? What the heck?! How can you go that long without thinking about food?” I shrieked? The tea kettle whistled at the exact same moment.

“Probably because some of us have loftier goals to aspire to than what we’re going to have for our next meal.” I heard Suho say as I poured him a steaming glass of my special-recipe Honey Ginger tea and fixed him a plate of the butterscotch pretzel cookies he had been eyeing so greedily earlier. Not exactly a balanced meal, but it would have to do for now.

“Well, lofty or not, food is important. It may not seem like much, maybe you view it as voluntary fuel, but it is a way of feeding your soul too. Eating is a way of showing yourself a little love…not to mention keeping your blood sugar stable.” I muttered as I arranged the tea and cookies before Suho.

Suho was staring at me with narrowed eyes.

“What is it now, pyeontae?” I sighed.

“You are a really strange person, Eunmi. You know that? I mean…why go through all of this trouble for someone you professedly hate?” Suho asked with a voice as smooth as silk.

I thought about it for a moment, why was I doing this?

“I guess I just really hate the idea of someone not caring about themselves enough to treat themselves to a little treat every now and then. Plus…uhh…the sooner you get your blood sugar stable, the sooner you get out of my house, right?”

Suho cocked his head at me and sighed. He seemed nervous, and even shy as he looked at the plate of butterscotch pretzel cookies. His fingers slowly inched toward one of the cookies and Suho avoided my gaze entirely as he lifted the cookie off the plate and popped the whole thing into his mouth. Instantly his eyes shot up at me, I was sure I saw a flash of respect in there…so I smirked and put my hands on my hips.

“So? How is it?” I asked, smiling.

Suho swallowed with a loud gulp and used his normal icy stare as he simply stated,

“Pretty decent.”

Pretty. Decent?! I was about to blow a fuse but Suho lifted another cookie from the plate, inspected it, broke off a bite, and closed his eyes as he chewed. The reverent way he polished off the remaining two cookies reminded me of a little kid trying to figure out a magician’s trick. I felt my heart swell with pride. So, Hong Eunmi, your baking can melt even the ice prince, Suho.

From a far corner of the house a voice suddenly rang out, clear as a bell

“Eunmi? Oh, Eunmiiiiii? I’m hoooooome” my mother singsong-ed from the other room.  

Suho and eye stared at each other in shocked silence. Great, how was I going to explain my way out of this one?