Hongki’s POV:

I like her.

I just confirmed that I like her. There’s no denying anymore.

I kissed her because I like her.

But I don’t understand why she reacted that way. I just showed her how much I like her. Why did she kick me out? Why was she so mad?

And then this morning when I woke up, ahjussi told me she was already gone. Turns out she woke up early and told them she had an important appointment with her dean and that they didn’t need to wake me up.

Of course I needed to be woken up.

Unless… she wanted to avoid me.

And I confirmed my theory when she started to back away and dart on the opposite direction when we bumped into each other in the hallway this morning. That happened THRICE. And at lunch, she and Yoona weren’t at the usual table.

Ghad?! Why?! Why?! I just kissed her! I just confessed what I felt for her! And she’s avoiding me!

Unless…unless…she doesn’t like me back.

OH MY GHAD OF COURSE! She likes Jonghun!!!

Ghad, I’m stupid! I’m so stupid!

I disheveled my hair in frustration and then dropped my head on my desk with a thud.

“Are we disturbing you from something, Mr. Lee?”

I shoot my head up. , I forgot I was in class. The professor was looking straight at me including well—everyone. I caught a sight of Jonghun looking at me in concern.

“No no, I’m sorry, please continue,” I said feeling a bit embarrassed. I must have looked like a total moron.

After the class, Jonghun immediately approached me, “Hey, what’s eating you?”

“Nothing,” I said with a shrug as I continued walking.

“I heard you stole Jiyeon’s first kiss.”

That made me halt and turn to my best friend in shock, “Who told y—wait, did you say first kiss?”

“Yoona told me, and yes I said first kiss,” he had one brow raised. “So it’s true huh?”

“Yeah but I didn’t know it was her first kiss,” I defended vehemently. So that was why she was so mad? Well of course, that because she didn’t want her first kiss to be me. Of course, of course, because I’m not Jonghun. Ghad! Why must it be my best friend?!

“Why did you kiss her anyway?” Jonghun asked without a hint of emotion on his face.

“Spur of moment?” I said not wanting to admit how I really felt. I don’t know, must have been my manly pride or something.

“Right,” he sighed. “Ya Lee Hongki, don’t lead her on. I haven’t seen you with a girl lately and if you’re planning to toy with her—“

“I am NOT planning to toy with her,” I corrected him sternly. Dude, I know how I ing feel. And I know that I’ve never felt a strong attraction to a girl before—well, not in a ual way for that matter.

Jonghun blinked at me seemingly surprise, “Well I’m just saying because I know your pattern. You kiss a girl in a way of saying you like her, toy with her a little and then dump her if you’re bored.”

“Yeah, well I’m not planning on doing that to her,” I was in rage.

Unfazed, he asked, “What do you plan on doing with her then?”

That made me stop for a second. Well, I’m certainly not going to confess to her now, my pride won’t let me because I’m sure my is going to be dumped the second I open my mouth. And I’m definitely not going to ask for forgiveness because I’m not sorry I kissed her, because I’m not sorry I like her. So what am I gonna do now?

I turned to Jonghun trying to put my poker face on, “Well, certainly, it’s none of your business.”

~~~~~

It had been a week ever since the kiss incident. Oh wait, let me correct that. It had been the most awkward week ever since the kiss incident.

Well actually, Jiyeon, was the awkward one. Mainly because she was still confused and didn’t know what to say or how to act around Hongki. It even got to the point where she would skip dinner just so not to come face-to-face with him. She would go down at midnight to eat though. And in the morning, she would wake up really early to go to school (and in cases where Hongki was the first to go to school, she would pretend to be sound asleep). If conversation were inevitable, especially when they were in the same room and when Minsoo starts bawling or needs to be taken care of, she would always stutter in front of him and ends up running elsewhere. A dialogue with him was impossible without making a fool of herself. That, because she was too nervous and her heart was pounding so fast.

Hongki, at first, tried to act as if nothing happened so he would still talk to her occasionally. Only now, he didn’t tease or make fun of her. But when he noticed how awkward she was around him, he started to become awkward himself. He would even try not to collide with her as much as possible, but they were living in the same house for chirst’s sake so it was inevitable.

It was then when Jiyeon called for Hongki on a Saturday night, in a very frightened voice, when things started to fall back in its place.

“HONGKI!”

He immediately shot up from his bed when he heard her voice. Normally, he wouldn’t even try to move from his bed knowing it was her schedule to take care of Minsoo in the middle of the night when he starts crying. But hearing her for the first time after a week of awkwardness, utter his name in a very desperate manner and without hesitation, he was out of the bed in a second.

As soon as he stepped out of his room, he came colliding with her. He staggered back a step or two while she was immediately sent to the floor, first.

“Oh I’m sorry,” he bended down to help her, in which in his surprise, she took his hand without reluctance.

As soon as she was on her feet, he could see the panic in her eyes. And is that tears?

“Minsoo! Minsoo’s burning,” she shrieked. “What do we do?! What do we do? I tried to lower his temperature but it doesn’t seem to work.”

“He’s running a fever? Since when?”

“Since this dinner I think,” she lowered her gaze to the floor.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” he widened his eyes in horror.

“Because…because…I didn’t think it would go as high as 40^o!” she bit her lip in guilt. “Oh my god, I’m so stupid we should’ve brought him as soon I felt him warm!” she could feel tears forming on her eyes.

Hongki softened. “Hey, it’s fine,” he squeezed her arms in reassurance, “let’s just get him to the hospital. Go get Minsoo, I’ll call the doctor.”

In the hospital, Jiyeon was pacing back and forth in front of the emergency unit while biting her nails. When Hongki noticed this, he got up from his seat and tapped her shoulder, “Sit down.”

“I don’t want to,” she continued on biting her nail. She was too nervous and too scared to sit down. If something happens to Minsoo because of her stupidity, she will not forgive herself forever.

“Calm down. He’s going to be alright,” Hongki assured her with a gentle voice she rarely hears.

“Yeah well, I can’t calm down. This is my fault.”

He snatched her hands in frustration. It always bothers him when he sees people biting their nails. He immediately softened when he noticed her hands were trembling, “It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault he caught a fever.”

“But I could’ve prevented it sooner,” she argued, tears forming from her eyes.

Hongki held her by the arms, he wanted to hug her so bad, but he held himself back just like when he held himself back from kissing her at the rooftop that night. But then he realized, he wasn’t really good at holding back because it was that same night when he actually kissed her.

Not caring about its effect any longer, he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. “Hey, stop crying,” he whispered painfully as he rested his chin on top of her head.

Jiyeon froze while her tears halted. Her mind was immediately overwhelmed with many thoughts—confusing thoughts—at once, but she knew that in midst of the doubt and muddled views, there was the feeling of comfort with each of his touch.

“Uhm, excuse me but are you Lee Minsoo’s siblings?”

A voice slashed through her thoughts.

Hongki pulled away from her gently, in which she suddenly felt incomplete. “No, actually we’re his parents,” he corrected.

“Oh,” the nurse was taken aback. They could tell from her eyes that she was thinking along the lines of ‘but you two look so young to be parents’.

Jiyeon looked over at Hongki just as surprised as the nurse did. As long as she remembered, he wasn’t particularly keen on proclaiming he’s a parent with every stranger they met, especially when it comes to girls as pretty as the nurse in front of them.

“Oh I’m sorry but we need both of you inside for your child, please,” the nurse said motioning her hand to the door of the emergency unit.

The three went home at past five in the morning, when Minsoo’s pediatrician assured them that his fever finally went down and that they could continue taking care of him at home.

Hongki threw himself beside Jiyeon on the couch with a deep breath as soon as Minsoo finally fell into a peaceful sleep. They were in Minsoo’s room.

“You go sleep, I’ll watch over him,” Jiyeon said while hugging her knees to her chest.

Hongki glanced at her sideways. She looked really tired. “No, you go to sleep.”

“I’m fine, you rest first,” she stated stubbornly as she watched Minsoos's chest heave up and down from his crib.

“Go when I’m still asking you or do you want me to carry you over my shoulder to your room?” a playful smile tugged on Hongki’s lips.

“Or maybe I could carry your dead body in a sack and throw it to Han river,” she pointed out bluntly.

“Aaaaand she finally found her sharp tongue back,” he mused with a smirk. “I must be crazy to miss those witty remarks. Though it was really nice to have you stutter in my account.”

“I—I—“Jiyeon flushed putting her legs down ready to get her out of the room any minute now. She totally forgot about the whole awkwardness thingy.

“O—o—oops you’re stuttering again,” he taunted as he quickly lied down and placed his head on her lap. He shut his eyes close and crossed his arms.

She blinked at him rapidly, “Y—ya what do you think you’re doing?”

“Sleeping,” he peeked with one eye and closed it again, “like you told me to.”

“I didn’t mean on my lap!” she protested.

“Shhhh, you’re gonna wake up Minsoo. Now let me have my sleep,” he said faking a snore.

“No,” she hissed. “Move your head or I’m going to stand up and throw you off to the floor.”

“Please, I’m tired,” he murmured softly draping one arm over his eyes.

Jiyeon softened. True, it had been a long day and they both needed some sleep. Though it doesn’t really make sense why Hongki was now sleeping on her lap, she stopped wriggling and let him be. It may be the least she could do for all the times he comforted her and been with her every time she needed him.

It didn’t occur to her that she has been watching him for a while now until his lips started to move again, “Stop staring or I’m going to melt.” He took his arm away from his face and smirked up at her.

Her eyes grew wide in panic and she immediately stood up. Hongki yelped as he fell on the floor with a loud thud. By instinct, they simultaneously looked over at Minsoo. Thankfully, the baby was unfazed.

The relief on Jiyeon’s face immediately disappeared and transformed into a scowl when she faced Hongki. “Stop with that, Hongki, stop teasing me, or—or—“ she paused her face clearly showing her debating thoughts. Should she tell it or not? But in the end, she followed what her mind was telling her to do. She shook her head. “I’m going to my room, you watch over him.” And with that, she was gone.

Hongki stood up sighing. With a sad smile, he looked over at the door where Jiyeon has disappeared, “I’m being serious though. I feel like I was going to melt whenever you stare at me like that.”

In her room, Jiyeon leaned her back on the door as she struggled to calm her racing pulse down.

He really needs to stop doing those things. He needs to stop teasing her like that. He needs to stop giving her false hope. Or—or— she might start falling in love with him…

…all over again.

An update for my lovely readers before I resume school tomorrow <3