~~~~~

“Fine. You win! I give up!” Jiyeon raised both her hands in surrender.

“I always win,” Hongki avowed with a smirk. The girl rolled her eyes before turning to walk away.

“Hey wait, where are you going?” Hongki caught her wrist.

“Home,” she answered acidly. “Didn’t you want me home right now?”

“Well,” he paused; thinking of something snarky for a comeback yet what came out from his mouth was otherwise. “I don’t,” he mumbled. “I’m hungry. Let’s go get some dinner first before going home. I know a good place,” he then nonchalantly draped his arm around her neck dragging her with him.

“Ugh, no,” she wriggled away from him. “Minhwan said they were eating nearby so go find them.”

“I don’t wanna waste my energy finding them. Beside you’re already here. Let’s go,” he resumed his arm around her neck beaming at her like a kid.

Jiyeon moved away from him again, irritated by how comfortable and nonchalant he was to things that she considered intimate. “I swear if you put your arm around me again I will break it into half.”

“Ooooh~ I’m scared,” he faked a whimper.

She bit her lips in rage before storming away from the .

Chortling, he rushed after her, snatching her by the arm, “Alright I’m sorry. I’m sorry okay?”

“Nope I’m going home,” she insisted with conviction as she got her arm back.

“Geez, you’re one tough nerd,” Hongki groaned before swiftly scooping Jiyeon from the ground and started carrying her to the side of the road.

“Ya! What the hell?! Get me down!” she protested flailing her arms here and there, without failing to turn into a giant tomato.

People were already giving them strange looks as Hongki continued to carry her until they reached his motorbike. He put her down sideway on the front part of the seat and sat behind her.

“What are you doing?” Jiyeon stuttered, eyes blazing with red alarm.

Hongki leaned his torso forward bridging the gap between their face as he grabbed the clutches with both hands. “Trapping you so you wouldn’t go running again,” he spoke huskily giving Jiyeon goose bumps. Good goose bumps.

She cleared looking elsewhere but Hongki.

He smirked giving her a leered look, “Well? Aren’t you going to face forward or do you badly want to ogle at my face this close?”

“W—what?! Y—you psychopath! I never said that,” she stuttered defensively. “Now get your hands out of the way so we could exchange seats!”

“I told you you’re trapped,” Hongki shrugged playfully.

“Seriously?” her eyes turned to slits. “This is so lame.”

“Oh I see, so you want to hug me from behind?” he drawled teasingly.

“Aish! You’re so annoying,” Jiyeon cried in exasperation before turning her body forward.

Hongki chuckled as he moved closer to her to turn the clutches on.

She gulped when she felt Hongki’s chest pressing against her back, “Y—ya. You’re too close.”

“I can’t reach the clutch,” he crooned just beside her ear, yet again sending electricity down her spine.

As soon as the bike started moving, Hongki rested his head on top of her shoulder in which in returned made her completely rigid. She wasn’t sure if she was even breathing anymore.

“You’re obscuring the view so if you move even just a bit, we’ll die,” Hongki explained in advance before Jiyeon could ask her what he thinks he was doing, as he tried so hard to suppress the stupid grin that was forming on his face.

To his surprise, she didn’t make an effort to argue and only said, “O—okay.”

It wasn’t a long ride before they finally reaching a family restaurant at the Seochu district, where their former high school was just around the area.

Thank the gods, it wasn’t a long ride because all Jiyeon could think of was Hongki’s body pressed against her back and his head resting on her shoulder. She always knew that he was a flirt but—but these days, his flirting towards her were just so—so over the edge and it was driving her insane. She thought that if he goes any further, it wouldn’t be long when she finds herself combusting into tiny shards of hearts.

“Hongki-ya! It’s been a while since you’ve came,” the owner of the restaurant, an old man of sixties greeted Hongki as soon as the two came in. “Annyeong,” the two bowed their heads at the elderly before sitting down at the corner table.

“I’m sorry ahjussi I haven’t been here in a while, our house was too far from here unfortunately,” Hongki explained in his friendly tone. “And it’s been really a tough month.”

“So I heard, I’m sorry about your brother,” the old man lowered his head sincerely.

Hongki just smiled.

“Oh, and who might this be?” the old man asked referring to Jiyeon. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you brought a girl here before ever since you were in high school. I’m guessing she’s your girlfriend?”

“Aniyo,” Jiyeon denied vehemently. Simultaneously, Hongki said, “Maybe she is, maybe she’s not.”

“Ya! What are you even saying,” she snapped in horror, yet her ears were flushing.

The ahjussi smiled as if understanding what had Hongki meant, “Alright then, what could I get the both of you?”

“The usual,” Hongki beamed. 

“And you?”

“I’ll have what he’s having,” Jiyeon answered.

“Alright then, samgyetang it is.”

“Common I’ll lift you up,” Hongki said bending his knees, positioned himself right next to the bricked fence of their former school and offered his hands as a stepping pad.

Jiyeon stared at him in mixture of disbelief and horror, “Nope I will not be arrested for trespassing.”

“Oh common, I’ve done this a few times but my wasn’t throw to jail yet. No one’s gonna see us I assure you.”

“What about the guard?” she cocked her eyebrow up while folding her arms.

“It’s already pass midnight I’m sure he’s already sleeping, besides he rarely checks the place we will go to.”

“And where are we going exactly?”

“You’ll know if you come,” he smiled meaningfully.

Jiyeon thought for a second, tempted for a moment there to break a rule for the first time. But her better judgment told her not to, “Let’s just go home, Hongki. Minsoo’s waiting for us.”

Hongki sighed at her lack of enthusiasm, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. “I’m sure Minsoo can wait for another hour, besides you told me, Yoona’s mom is the best when it comes to toddlers, right?”

“Yes but it doesn’t mean—“

“Oh common, when was the last time you actually made something reckless and crazy? Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone?”

“I’m not very fund of placing myself in a very uncomfortable position, thank you very much,” Jiyeon retorted.    

Hongki rolled his eyes “If I give you a reason to come with me, will you come?”

“Only if it’s valid.”

“Alright, you see, with Minsoo in our life now, we need to mature fast, think about the future and how will we able to raise him well, so you need to grab every chance of having fun and feeling young and reckless while you still can. Who knows when you or even I will ever do something like this again,” he paused observing the change in her expression. He could feel she was this close to being convinced. “Besides it’s your first night out, the least I could do as your companion for the night is to make you remember it.”

She sighed after a brief thinking. “Fine, but if we get caught—“

“Hush,” he grinned. “We won’t. Common, I’ll give you a boost up.”

After Jiyeon’s struggle to go over the wall, Hongki followed suit, jumping over it without breaking a sweat.

The couple silently made their way inside the nearest building.

“So rooftop huh? So we’re here to count stars or something? Is this what you call crazy? I was expecting more, Hongki, I’m disappointed in you,” Jiyeon taunted shaking her head in a fake dissatisfaction.

Hongki smirked confidently, as he fumbled with the lock of the door that separated them from the dim staircase and the rooftop. “Oh, you just wait, geek.”

As soon as there was a click from the lock, he straightened up and gave back Jiyeon’s bobby pin. “Are you ready to do something crazy?” he grinned as he held onto the door handle.

The girl rolled her eyes with a sarcastic, “Sure.”

The moment he opened the door, the night summer breeze and the black sparkling water as it reflect the light from the full moon and the stars, welcomed them.

Jiyeon gawked. 

“Let me close them up for you,” Hongki chuckled pushing her jaw back up.

“When did— How—“

“They made this just a few months ago. It’s still off limits with the students except for the swimming team. And I knew about this because two little birds told me,” he explained. “So are you just gonna stand there? The pool’s waiting for us,” he winked and stepped out to the open while taking off his shirt.

“Whoa! Whoa! What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!” Jiyeon immediately turned around feeling her ear turn red as soon as she saw him taking off his pants. “Pull your pants back up you psychopath!”

“Oops, I forgot, you’re a ,” Hongki teased chuckling. “Don’t worry I’ll be gentle.”

“YA! Seriously!” Is it her, or is it becoming hot in here? “I AM NOT skinny dipping with you!”

“Who said we’re skinny dipping? I still have my boxers on,” he informed with a chuckle. “Aeyyyyy~ what a .”

“Hey, I’m n—“ Jiyeon spun around to face him but stopped in the mid of her sentence as she ogled at the half- *cough*y *cough*hot *cough cough* man by the pool.

He cocked his brow up smirking, “What were you saying?”

“N—nothing. Never mind,” she immediately darted her eyes to the floor, fumbling her fingers and embarrassed by the fact that the ‘S’ word grazed her oh so innocent mind.

Hongki just shook his head before jumping into the pool. When his silver head surfaced from the water, he frowned at Jiyeon, who was still standing at the door. “Well? Aren’t you coming in?”

The girl blinked a few times as if she just woke up from her trance. She mentally whacked her head for thinking how y Hongki was with his wet hair and all. “Uhmmmm, I’m fine. I’ll just wait for you here,” she whispered meekly.

Hongki sighed. “Fine. But at least come by the pool so we could count the star or something,” he rolled his eyes.

“Tch. Are you making fun of me?” she puckered her brows finally approaching the side of the pool. She took off her shoes and folded her pants just below her knees.

“Well, no. Just ironically quoting your remark earlier,” he stated swimming his way to her, who had just sat by the poolside dangling her feet under the water.

“You asked me earlier if I ever stepped out of my comfort zone,” she started after a while, absentmindedly watching the tiny waves on the surface of the water.

The man pulled his glistening torso above the water and folded his arms on the poolside just beside Jiyeon. “Yeah?” he looked up at her.

“I did…when I gave you that letter years ago in this school,” she almost whispered. Hongki went silent. “But it didn’t pay off, so why step out of my comfort zone again?”

“About that,” he bit his lower lip in guilt. “I think I’ve never apologized to you formally. I’m really sorry, I really am. It was a really insensitive of me, I—“

“It’s okay, Hongki. I’ve already moved on. Besides it was just a little crush,” she smiled half-sincerely. True, she has already moved on. But it wasn’t just a little crush.

“Hey Jiyeon,” Hongki started moving just in front of her.

“Mmmm?”

“If it was to happen now and not then, I’ll definitely NOT turn you down.”

Jiyeon blinked a few times processing what he just said but before she could respond, a curse came from Hongki.

“, I think someone’s coming.” In a flash Hongki was out of the water, gathering his clothes.

“What?!” her eyes widened. She looked back just as soon as a beam of light reflected the wall inside the staircase. “There’s no place to hide in here!” she hissed.

Hongki snapped his fingers, “How long can you hold your breath underwater?”

“Not that long really—wait are you saying—“

“Yes, we don’t have a choice, do we?” he said in urgency.

Without wasting another second, he dragged her by the pool, helped her submerged down without making a noise and followed suit afterwards. Holding their breaths, they immersed their body completely until their feet were touching the tiled floor.

Looking up, they could see the reflection of the moon and a beam of light moving from one place to another. The guard must’ve been scanning the area. After a minute, the light was gone, ahjussi must’ve been convinced that no one was there. The two waited for about half a minute before resurfacing with a gasp.

“Are you okay?” Hongki asked in concern as he helped Jiyeon up from the pool.

“You told me he doesn’t come here!” she exclaimed in a low tone.

“I guess you’re okay,” he concluded. “Well, I just assumed he doesn’t since he never really comes here when I’m alone. He must have heard us or something.”

“Aish! I knew it, I shouldn’t have trusted you,” Jiyeon grated.

“Fine, fine, let’s get out of here then,” Hongki waved his hand carelessly as he sauntered to the door. “,” he whispered giving his companion a we-are-so-in-a-deep- look.

“No,” she whispered back in disbelief.

“Yes,” he nodded slowly.

“Here use my bobby pin again!”

“I can’t. The lock’s on the other side of the door.”