CONFESSION(gone wrong)►

"Who are you?" A woman in her mid years appeared with the door wide open.

"Kai.. and, you?" I asked her.

"Park Eunhee, Jiyeon's mother."

"Oh." I was shocked to see her and further shocked at how she looked a lot like her daughter. I was a little slow to notice that.

"S-so?"

"Eh?"

"What brings you here?" she asked.

"Actually, I..ah, stay here."

"Here? You mean with Jiyeon?" Her mom quite got surprised.

"Umm. Yeah. I was travelling to Seoul from Jeju and I had nowhere to stay so I asked Jiyeon if I could reside..."

"Oh! I'm sorry, come in come in." 

I smiled. As I entered the house, large boxes filled the sala. I'm guessing that those contained several things for her daughter. She led me to the kitchen and on my initiative, I sat on the chair.

"So you told me you're Jiyeon's friend," she asked.

Actually, I never told her that (that we were friends) but a woman's instinct is truly superb.

"How long have you been here?"

"Umm, around a month?" I answered. "Ahh no, I think more than that. Because I injured myself."

"Oh really?" Jiyeon's mom turned to me while whe was rummaging a box on the kitchen counter. "And you were very fortunate I had a very good Doctor daughter. " she said with a cup of ramen in her hand. She left the counter and handed me the cup.

"Has my daughter fed you well?"

I grinned. I opened the cup and a thermos of hot water was brought by Jiyeon's mom. "Yes she is. She serves the same breakfast meal everyday, and I love it." I slurped down the noodle.

"Where do you sleep?" she asked.

I coughed because the hot water bit my tongue. "Mm, my room is that one," I said pointing to the room adjacent from the sala, "but I sleep on the couch."

"Why?"

"Jiyeon doesn't let me. Your daughter kinda thinks I'm a wild lion."

She made a face and said to herself out loud, "That wench, I shall teach her good manners."

"But I'm okay with it though, Mother." I told her. "But really, I wonder where she took her manners from when you were such a good lady." I smiled and Jiyeon's mom did the same, as if very much flattered by my tiny compliment.

We talked for more than a few minutes and we haven't realized the sun was setting high already. 

"Ah, by the way Mother. Why didn't Jiyeon's father come with you?" I asked as we went to the living room. She slowly unloaded the boxes and I helped a bit. 

"He's a busy businessman." she smiled at me. "And he's not really close with his daughter."

"But I can feel and see that Jiyeon yearns for him at times." I told her.

"Well maybe because she had little memories with him, given that he was busy." She unloaded a large vase from inside a box and laid it on the floor. "It would be better though if they could see each other frequently."

I carried the vase and set it aside where Jiyeon's mom wanted it to be. "Would Jiyeon like this here?" She asked.

I slightly nodded. Just then, I heard a car in front of the house.

"It just worries me that you haven't talked with me for the last two weeks." said Jiyeon's voice.

"I'm sorry." 

"You could at least tell me if I did anything wrong or did I hurt y-"

The two people entered the house and was surprised when they saw us. Jiyeon saw her mother firstly and fell silent. She looked at me and her eyes widened. Chanyeol, stood-still- I can't comprehend how his expressions were.

"Jiyeonnie!" Her mom blurted.

"Eomma,"

Her mom proceeded and hugged her daughter tightly. "I'm so relieved you're doing well. You've grown so much!" Her mom said, almost tearing in joy.

"Mom, its just 6 months. I haven't changed much you know." Jiyeon replied, obviously in a bad mood. She escaped from her mom's embrace.

"Hello, Jiyeon's mother," I watched Chanyeol pay respect to her.

"Omomomo, and you are-?" she guessed. Chanyeol flashed his b smile. "Chanyeollie!!" Jiyeon's mom walked to Chanyeol, thoroughly examining his body features. 

Chanyeol chuckled.

"Wah, you're so tall already! When I last met you, you were just the same height as Jiyeon!"

"Eomma," Jiyeon interfered her mom who was struck in awe.

"What?"

"6 months have passed and you're still noisy." She took her coat off and sat on the couch. The other two followed. I traced her eyes but she refused to look my way.

"Oh by the way, your friend here Kai helped me unload the boxes. You haven't told me you had such a friend..."

Jiyeon didn't speak; Chanyeol did instead. "Ah maybe because our Kai is a really mysterious person."

I threw him a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" Jiyeon's mom asked.

"Because-" Chanyeol went to explain but I cut him off.

"Because I travel and casually stays at a friend's house, such as Jiyeon's." I sat beside Jiyeon, so that she was in between of Chanyeol and I. This time, Jiyeon glared at me. I wasn't sure if her mother saw that.

"Excuse me, I'll change first." Jiyeon said as she exited. Chanyeol was about to follow her when Jiyeon's mom called him."Chanyeollie, tell me how Jiyeon was for the last 6 months."

I took chance of that moment to escape and see Jiyeon. I knocked at her door and she opened it, thinking it wasn't me.

"Jiyeon,"

She listened. 

"Are you mad at me?"

She shook her head no. "I'm just mad at the situation." She reaches to close the door; I pushed it open.

"What did I do wrong?" I asked her with a stiff face. 

"I'm confused." she muttered.

"I'm trying to protect you," I told her and whispered to myself, "yet Chanyeol isn't helping."

"Protect me from what? I don't even know you completely and I guess it'd be appropriate if I say I'll protect myself from you."

"You don't mean that, do you?" I asked her, more like begging.

"Jiyeon ah! Come here! I've got lots of presents for you!" Her mom yelled from the living room. Jiyeon came out of her room and slightly brushed her shoulders against mine. I looked to her, only knowing that Chanyeol was there, staring right through me.

-

"So how does it feel like living with Jiyeon for months?" 

We were out in the shade of the little yard beside the house. Chanyeol was talking to me, but my thoughts ran off somewhere.

"Chanyeol," I spoke. "We shouldn't be arguing about Jiyeon this time."

"Why not?"

"Something's coming our way." I told him and he was frightened for a second.

"Tell me."

"Trust me Chanyeol, please." I walked away but he caught after me.

"I'm going to trust you but that doesn't mean I'm trusting you with Jiyeon."

I entered the house.

-

I smelled the aroma of the burning meat from the kitchen. I forgot it was lunch and we haven't eaten one.

"I heard from Kai that you give him the same meal every morning?" 

I unintentionally eavesdropped the mom and daughter's conversation. Jiyeon's mom was the one cooking and the girl herself was beside her, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"But he loves it anyway."

"Still you don't have to." The mother turned the stove off and lifted the meat strips to a square plate. "Now call them and we're ready to eat."

I heard Jiyeon's footsteps heading toward my direction so I stepped out of the divider that separated me from the dining room. We ended up standing in front of each other, a few inches apart.

"Let's eat." She weakly said. Chanyeol came from behind. "Wah- the smell is so good! I miss your cooking, Mother." He casually said and sat on the chair across the dining table. I followed him thereafter.

The table was a long rounded one, and had six chairs surrounding it. Chanyeol was beside Jiyeon and opposite of them, I was sitting beside Jiyeon's mom. She served me a few sizzling strips of meat. I dipped those in chili pepper sauce. There was a bowl of rice situated on the corner of the mat, and I shoved a chopstickful into my mouth. Chanyeol on the other hand, took care of Jiyeon's food.

"By the way, I'm going to grocery later so tell your friends to have dinner here Jiyeon." 

I noticed Jiyeon about to retaliate. 

"I'll tell Qri about it." Chanyeol added.

"Can I call over a few friends too?" I asked. Miraculously, Jiyeon gave me a look.

"Yeah. And for that I'd be cooking a lot." Jiyeon's mother replied, winking. 

Just like that, we had lunch in a seemingly harmonious manner.

--

-Author's POV-

The stranger, after an afternoon's nap, went to see his friend Jonghyun. The latter was living in a rented apartment just few blocks from Jiyeon's house.

"Jonghyun ah!" Myungsoo, the stranger, called upon his friend.

A familiar brown-haired figure came out of the door. "Hey hyung!" It was Jonghyun.

"You free tonight?" 

The young man thought for a while. "Yeah, why?"

"Let's have dinner."

"Sure! Is it your treat?"

His hyung answered, "Hmm, actually...."

--

A while later, it was 5 pm, Myungsoo and Jonghyun stood in front of someone's house. The older pressed the doorbell for 3 times.

A girl opened the door and a conversation began. 

"Hey," Myungsoo muttered, awkwardly.

"Oh hey, stranger!" Krystal said. 

Myungsoo flashed a smile. "Hi, and uhm, would you like to have dinner?"

"You mean us?" 

"There's a lot actually, including me, so yeah- us." Jonghyun added. 

Krystal's face showed a speck of disappointment, but it does not seem to be noticed by the two guys. "Ah. Sure!"

Myungsoo was happy to hear her answer. "We'd be waiting here." 

"Oh. Yeah. Right. I'll be out in a minute!" Krystal responded as she hurried to the house. When inside, she picked her cellphone from an antique table and sent a message to her brother. 

"I'm going somewhere with Myungsoo tonight. I'll text you the details soon." The message said.

Upon entering her room, she opened her huge wardrobe and put on a dress. She was now ready to go out.

--

Jiyeon's house was filled with the aroma of high grade meat. It was evening and the moon was full. Chanyeol was busy grilling the meat outside the house and Jiyeon set up the tables by the command of her mom. However, it was evident that she still hasn't been alright.

A few minutes later, four people altogether came in. Qri was still on her lab gown; she came escorted by Jonghyun. Krystal was chic; Myungsoo was with a distance from her. 

"Wah- the smell is so good! I AM SO READY TO PARTY-!" Qri shouted, as she was on the hyperactive mode. Jiyeon's mother came out to greet her daughter's friends. "Omo-" Qri muttered. "Hello Mother~~" Her tone changed.

"Boys, please get the chairs inside and uh, set them here." Jonghyun did so.

--

The next time, the group started eating and later finished. There were a lot of side dishes but the meat's flavor prevailed. The night was getting deeper, so does the spring breeze. 

"Thank you for the food Mother~"

"Jiyeonnie, you can manage right? Ah, I'm so tired- I'm going to sleep first." 

Jiyeon dropped her lower jaw in uncertainty. 

"Sure, mother. We'll take care of everything." Chanyeol replied.

The moment Jiyeon's mother disappeared into the house, we started wrapping up. "Why don't we move inside?" Qri shivered. "It's getting really cold."

"Shall I buy some soju?" Jonghyun offered.

"I'll go with you," Krystal said. 

The real Myungsoo went in, together with Chanyeol and Jiyeon. Qri had a change of mood and the reason was undetermined. 

And so out to the convenience store were Jonghyun and Krystal, and into the house were the three left.

"We'll be drinking, are you on?" Chanyeo asked Jiyeon when they washed the dishes.

Qri and Myungsoo sat on their laps across the table. "Why did Krystal ssi go with Jonghyun?" Qri asked.

"I don't know. She must like it."

"Like him? Ha!"

"The thought of it. Not him."

"That would be the same." 

Myungsoo had done nothing but to keep silent. Yet his looks signal that from a thought he knew there was something. "You like my friend?"

"OF COURSE NOT! Are you even serious?"

"I was just asking though."

"We're back!" Jonghyun entered. He was smiling as if something good has happened. But, Krystal had this poker face. They laid the three bottles of soju on the table, and Chanyeol, being aware of their presence dragged Jiyeon with him to sit.

Chanyeol opened a bottle and filled his glass full. But then, Jiyeon snatched this away and drank everything. The people were amazed by her behavior.

"Yah!" Chanyeol blurted. Jonghyun chuckled and filled his glass also. Next came Qri, with a bit of roughness. Last and with the same timing, Chanyeol held the body of the bottle while Myungsoo took hold of the neck; with a little push and pull, Chanyeol owned the bottle. Myungsoo was a little irritated but later filled his and drank. 

The group went for a few rounds, just as how the night circulated into the place. The reek of alcohol filled the house for no more than an hour. They were talking and blabbering almost the same things.

Then suddenly, Qri, who was wobbling because of drunkenness, took hold of Jonghyun's face- squeezing it red. "Ya- do you know that I like you?" 

Jonghyun did not react as he was a bit drunk also.

"Ya~" Qri murmured. "For the first time I saw you, I wonder why I had like you so much. Why am I being like this?" she wailed.

Jonghyun looked at her and dropped her hand. "Ya-" He smiled. "You're drunk."

Qri heaved a sigh, and fell asleep on the table. Jonghyun lifted her head and placed it to his shoulders. 

Chanyeol spoke next. "I too, have something to say." He was sober. "Everyone here, you are witnesses." He said to everyone- everyone which were not really their own selves. "I like Jiyeon- and it has been a couple of years that I do."

Jiyeon looked at him with blood shot eyes. 

"Jiyeon, listen to me." But Jiyeon smiled like a fool. 

"Yes, Yeollie?" That was the first in 10 years that she called him that. 

"Jiyeon ah---"

Jiyeon turned to look at the other way. 

"I ah...." It was Myungsoo who was blushing. Jiyeon, once seeing him, ceased to smile. 

"I like you- I mean, I love you." 

However, when he said those 3 word phrase, Jiyeon fell to sleep. Chanyeol also collapsed, and Jonghyun closed his eyes with Qri on his shoulders. The stranger, Myungsoo, seemed disappointed for he was the only one awake. Rather, he drank another glass and it was so strong that he also fell to slumber.

Everything of this happened- everything of this has been witnessed by the one who has only drank a cup of alcohol. Krystal's face is skeptical, and she wondered if she would tell everything to her brother.

PS: I am so frustrated that this update was long overdued so I ask everyone of you to get mad at me. <3