Album No. 37
∫Track 01

I was totally pumped for this whole I-ignore-you-you-ignore-me-let’s-see-who-gives-in-first-and-talks-to-the-other-begging-to-be-cool-again battle between Kim Jaejoong and I.

Though he may seem like he’s doing a great job right now, eventually he will talk to me and that is when I, Kwon BoA, shall give him the renowned cold shoulder. Muahaha!

I let out a loud snicker at my plans and everyone in the car, yes even KIM JAEJOONG, turned their attention on me. Once I met with his evil eyes, my smile fell and I turned my head to the side. I was doing well, but then LiYin started to shake me by the shoulder and wouldn’t stop at it either.

“What?” I asked in a hushed tone and shot her a much reasonable glare. Couldn’t she tell that I was in the process of ignoring people?

“Your phone is ringing,” she told me. The tips of my ears turned hot and I scrambled through my bag to answer it.

“H-hello?” I quickly said and quickly regretted picking up the call when I found out that it was my mother. She always has perfect timing and I mean that by total sarcasm.

“BoA, it’s Omma. Where are you now? What are you up to?” she questioned and something was strongly telling me not to tell her that I was in the car returning home from a two-day-one-night ski trip with LiYin, her boyfriend Junsu and oh, KIM JAEJOONG- whom I kissed three times last night but is avoiding me like the big ol’ ugly jerk he is! Wait, I take it back. He’s good-looking, I’ll give him that but still, a big ol’ jerk!

Yeah.. I’ll just leave that unimportant part out.

“Oh, um, hi Omma… Merry Christmas.. I’m in the car, in the backseat with LiYin.. heh heh..” I caught the way LiYin instantly shot me an alarmed look. JaeJoong glanced at me the same way, horrified.

I cleared my throat and forced myself to answer her next question, “Um yeah.. her boyfriend? Oh he is, um… driving, of course...”

Both LiYin and JaeJoong made a deliberate gagging face, while Junsu spun around from the front to look at me and point at himself between his eyes. I knitted my eyebrows together and waved my hand at him signaling at him to back down.

“Huh?” I asked when I heard some very interesting words string together in my mom’s sentence. Work, longer, yourself, home, Parks, stay, Yoochun’s place. Um, something about those choice of words was very strange...

I waited with my heart about to sink to the pit of my stomach for my mother to repeat herself. If the statement is what I’m thinking it is, I might just kill myself.

“I said that your dad and I have to work a few more days here. It’s a little longer than we expected but we’ll be back by New Year’s Eve. In the meantime, we don’t want you to be by yourself at home so the Parks made arrangements for you to stay at their house with Yoochun. Be a good girl while you’re at Yoochun’s place. Ah I’ve got to go, your dad says he loves you too. Bye sweetie!”

Click.

Well.

Goodbye BoA.

It was nice knowing you.

∫Track 02

You know it feels weird, knowing that I was being sent to my doom but at the same time there was that fulfilling feeling that I had watching JaeJoong look utterly bothered from the rearview mirror. Maybe this abrupt change in plans was actually going to do me some good in our IIYYIMLSWGIFATTTOBTBCA war.

“I can’t believe that your mom is doing this to you,” LiYin complained in my stead. “She really lives to torture you with this Yoochun thing doesn’t she?”
I noticed that Junsu gave JaeJoong a hard stare when Yoochun’s name popped up in the conversation but JaeJoong didn’t look his way.

“Actually I never got to tell you about the whole story of how I met Yoochun at the ski lodge,” I said to LiYin in a purposely grand way. “It was a funny coincidence but we had a good time seeing each other again, even having some small talk over hot chocolate. It was so warm and cozy in that cabin. Now that I think back it was the perfect romantic place for couples to meet up. You and Junsu should have went up there.”

LiYin lowered her head and raised her eyebrow at me. “…Really? Well then, you’re okay with Yoochun now?”

“Yeah~” I exclaimed and kicked back, arms stretching out on the width of the seat. “Yoochun’s changed. He’s more cool and relaxed now. But besides that he’s still smart and knows how to treat people with respect and kindness. Like he wouldn’t do something to someone and then claim the very next day that it never happened and just move on like it meant nothing to anybody. You know?”

LiYin gave me the weirdest look and even Junsu stole a glance at me, clearly noting that something was wrong.

“Well isn’t that great, Junsu?” JaeJoong finally spoke and I glared at that smug look on his face. He can look as smug as he wants cos’ I’ve got you now Kim JaeJoong!

“Some people are finally starting to realize that the person that they should be in love with has been right in front of them all along because they’re supposed to be marrying him in a just a few months time and have a big fat expensive wedding after graduation. When the chance comes, I’ll congratulate the future couple and give them my full heartfelt blessings.”

Oh yeah?

“LiYin, isn’t it funny how people think that some people need their approval before doing something? They’re just so jealous about some people’s life choices, thinking that everything needs to be run by them first, as if some people should even care the very least bit about what they think in the first place.”

“But what can I say Junsu? Some people are just doomed to a life as a pabo.”
“Hm, you know LiYin. I have no idea what just said that but I hate to admit that I can’t agree more.”

“Oh look, we’re here~! Yay!” LiYin announced and threw her hands into the air. She laughed nervously and opened the car door, immediately pulling me out.

“LiYin!” I scolded her as she dragged me around to the back to get my stuff. I was just getting to the highlight of the argument!

“Look I don’t know what made you suddenly front on JaeJoong like that but you better stop. He’s not going to stop ignoring you if you so purposely rub Yoochun all over his face like that. I know that I told you he should be the one to start being a man and make the moves but clearly he’s a stubborn idiot so I think that you should let him calm down for a while and let him get over it because what you’re doing now is only adding more oil to the fire,” she voiced in a stern whisper and I patted her back.

“Relax LiYin-ah. It’s all part of our IIYYIMLSWGIFATTTOBTBCA fight. Don't you worry. I know that he’s going to lose first and before you know it, he’ll be on his knees begging for me to take him back,” I stated as I pulled the lid of the trunk open and searched for my luggage.

“Take him back? Hey, what exactly happened? You never had him in the first place,” LiYin deadpanned and I gritted my teeth at this so-called best friend.
“Gosh you know what I mean, LiYin. It’s going to be my win, you’ll see~”

I dropped my bag to the floor and then extended the handy handle so that I could roll it up the snowy road to Yoochun’s house.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’d rather not get involved like last time and make you even more delusional than you are now. So, good luck and beware of Yoochun. He may be the guy-next-door type but you never know. It’s always the quiet, nice ones on the outside who are secretly beasts on the inside thirsting for a young maiden’s love, especially since you know that he’s liked you since the beginning of forever and-“

I covered LiYin’s big mouth with my hand and put a finger on my own lips, quieting her. “It’s okay. I get it. I’ll be fine, LiYin.” I smiled and we gave each other hug.

“Actually, why don’t you call your mom and ask her if you could stay at my place instead? Wouldn’t that be better? Then we’d have all the time in the world for you to rant to me about things,” LiYin offered and I gave it about a two-second thought.

“No, it’s fine. You know my Omma. She won’t pass up a chance for me to get closer to Yoochun,” I explained with a small sigh. “Who knows, maybe this is for the better. After all, it’s making IIYYIMLSW-“

“Okay, yeah forget I ever asked,” LiYin said and then gave me another hug. “Maybe we should meet up on New Year’s. Before school starts again?”
I nodded at her and bid my farewell. “Sounds good, I’ll see you then~”
“Bye~ and remember, keep your eyes peeled for unexpected beasts lurking in the area!”

I chuckled as LiYin hopped back into the car and Junsu waved out of the window as JaeJoong drove away without saying-
“Bye...”

∫Track 03

I waited patiently outside of Yoochun’s house, ringing the doorbell for what seemed to be the fourth time. It was cold as ever and I couldn’t find anything else in my suitcase to throw on to warm me up without looking ridiculous. Did his parents not give him a heads-up that I’d be arriving so he left home to go to some Christmas party instead? Arg…!

I finally gave up on the bell and used my phone to give him a call. After two rings, he thankfully picked up. I cracked my jaw when I opened my mouth to speak. In the long five minutes that I have been waiting, my mouth literally froze.

“Y-Yoochun,” I said into the phone as my teeth chattered a little. I clenched my jaw and kept it together. “Where are you now? I-I’m at your house.”

“Eh? BoA? Why are you at my house?” he asked, clearly confirming my suspicions that his parents have yet to break the news to him.

“Oh, um I’m really sorry. I thought that your parents might have told you that I will be staying at your house for the next few days because my parents are still stuck wherever they are working…” I said and prayed that he was in a 0.5mile radius so that he could hurry back and open the door.

“…”
“Um, Yoochun?”
“Yes. Ahem, s-sorry. I was just surprised,” he replied. “Sure no problem but I’m still on the bus with the Elite class. We’re on our way from the ski lodge… you got back really soon.”

Oh that’s right! He was there too! Damn it, now I had to wait! This was embarrassing… showing up to the homeowner’s house before he did. Aish… if JaeJoong was here he’d mark pabo all over this.

“Ah, I forgot about that… It’s okay, I’ll wait but um, do you know how long it’ll take?” I asked, crossing my fingers that his answer sounded something like, ‘a few minutes.’

“About that, I think it’ll take at least half an hour. We didn’t leave too long ago,” Yoochun responded and my shoulders sunk in disappointment.

“Oh… all right…” I said and weakly smiled. “I think I could find a store or a coffee shop to go to in the meantime…” I gazed around the neighborhood and could only spot houses, rows and rows of houses, perhaps a tree or two but no other places that I could kill time at.

“Are you sure? I don’t know if you can find a-“
“I’ll be fine!” I snapped, shutting my eyes and pursing my lips at my misfortune. “Sorry Yoochun. My hands are getting cold so I’m going to hang up now…”
He breathed out with a worried undertone and agreed. “Stay warm. I’ll let you know when I’m going to be home soon.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you.”

I looked at my surroundings and kicked my boots on the Parks’ doorstep. So far, this isn’t how I was imagining my plan to be proceeding. Stupid Kim JaeJoong, I blame him for all this happening, even though it’s not his fault at all, he should be punished!

I began to walk away from the house, pulling my carrier along with me. I didn’t know where I was going but it was better than staying in one spot and waiting to be turned into a human block of ice.

“Pa-Bo-A… Pa-Bo-A… is always Pa-Bo-A…♩”
I widened my eyes and stopped short when I caught myself singing that.
What in the world. I just- those lyrics- I- ugh, stupid Kim JaeJoong!

I shook the melody out of my head and tried to sing something else when I saw an SUV driving backwards down the road. I decided to ignore it and walked faster.

I relaxed for a moment when the car passed by me but then the next second I realized that it was shifted gears, driving forwards next to me, matching my pace. It honked and I didn’t dare to look. What if it was a kidnapper!?

“Ahem!” a certain airy voice coughed aloud and without even looking I instantly knew that it was the devil. I shifted my gaze to the corner of my eyes and saw a giant Hello Kitty plush hanging outside of the SUV’s window. Darn, I forgot my poor Hello Kitty in the car!

“Some people are really so forgetful~” JaeJoong taunted and I wanted to shoot a glare at him so badly but refused to look in his direction. I went over a little closer to the car and snatched Hello Kitty away by the arm.

I then started to march down the sidewalk faster but he only drove at a faster speed to keep up.
“You know, it’d really be great if people didn’t follow other people like the creepy stalkers that they are,” I announced to the world and the world scoffed.
“It’s funny how some people think that they’re so pretty that people would actually stalk them.”

I stopped in my tracks and yelled, “Then why are people still following some people when clearly some people do not want to be followed?!” I groaned with frustration and my heel to walk the other way. I didn’t hear the SUV back up so this time I was sure that he wasn’t following.

Suddenly footsteps approached from behind and I felt my dear Hello Kitty slip out from under my arm. “Yah!” I screamed, spinning around to see JaeJoong running back to the car with MY plush toy!

“Some people should get into people’s car if they ever want to see their precious doll alive!” he shouted.
“Dolls are not living things! They can’t be alive!” I yelled after his back.
“So I guess some people don’t care if people just drive away then~” he sang and then I was at a loss of words when he the engine roared to life.

Should I run after it or let it go?

“..Yah!” I cried and dashed over to JaeJoong’s SUV as quick as I could. “Kim JaeJoong! Give me back my Hello Kitty!”
“You didn’t even want it, leaving poor Hello Kitty in my car all by herself. She felt so abandoned, but you wouldn’t know that of course. Aish, some people are just so oblivious,” he claimed smugly but he wasn’t so tough when I smacked his car door.
“Yah, speak for yourself!” I pointed at him and urged for him to open the door.

“This one isn’t going to open no matter how hard you try, pabo. Other side might though,” he teased and I huffed into the icy air as I stomped around the hood of the car. I opened the door to where Hello Kitty was riding shotgun. Just as I pulled her out, JaeJoong grabbed my wrist and hauled me in.

“Kya!” I screamed and then he secured the seatbelt on me despite how much I fought to get off. “Stop! Didn’t I tell you that I’m staying at Yoochun’s house! He’ll be back any minute, Kim JaeJoong. Get off!”

Without answering he locked the doors with a button and drove down the road.

Ironic. Seemed like I was kidnapped after all.

∫Track 04

I decided to switch on my cold shoulder mode again, realizing that none of my cries were the least bit effective in bringing me back to where I was supposed to be. Times like these where I needed a pair of shiny red heels. There’s no place like home, no place like home. And I mean, it’s not like I actually wanted to be at Yoochun’s house or that I regarded his house as my own for that matter but for the sake of this war, I had to be there.

So far it seems as though the IIYYIMLSWGIFATTTOBTBCA mission really wasn’t going as planned. Hm… maybe if I stopped naming all of my plans with acronyms, they’d work out a little better.

I was so absorbed into thinking and keeping my eyes away from looking at JaeJoong that I hadn’t even realized that we had pulled up to a small parking lot of a pancake house. Yeah, it was like 4 something in the late afternoon by now and we were at a pancake house. I wonder what goes on in that guy’s mind sometimes. Or rather all the time. it would make my life so much simpler if I knew…

I sensed JaeJoong getting out of the car and so I planned ahead to refuse him when he told me to. I planted my into the seat and cuddled my poor Hello Kitty in my arms, deciding to just wait until he comes back. He’s got to come back eventually, and he’s going to have to drive me back to Yoochun’s eventually too. I will win this round, JaeJoong! Just you watch…

“Are some people just going to sit in the car by themselves for an hour while people dine?” JaeJoong said as he stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and looked up at the sky. I could see him leaning on my side of the car outside through the mirror.

Pft, an hour? He better get me back in ten minutes! At the most!

“Other people should mind their own business,” I stated and turned my head away from the window. He had left mine completely open, probably on purpose, to make me freeze in the car alone. How evil!

“Some people have to be less foolish,” JaeJoong claimed and I rolled my eyes. “Come on, some people. People are getting hungry.” He was about to open my door when I locked it from the inside. He was so shocked that he dropped his jaw.
“Some people don’t care about other people. That’s how the universe works, apparently,” I retorted and then my phone started ringing.

I put Hello Kitty down by knees for a moment and answered the call. “Hey, Yoochun?”
I knew it was him from the caller ID and I smiled brightly hoping to piss JaeJoong off.

“Hi BoA. I’m sorry but it looks like there’s heavy traffic over here. I think I might be stuck for another good hour, are you okay?” Aigoo… this is just my luck…
“… I’m okay,” I answered. “Oh look, it seems like I’ve stumbled across a pancake house…” I said glumly, glaring into the mirror’s reflection when I saw JaeJoong throw his head back with a grin. I bet he had something to do with this. Grr!

“That’s good. I’ll try to get the driver to rush back as fast as possible. Eat well and stay warm,” he advised and I nodded.
“Mhm. Okay.. bye.”

“So are some people ready to eat?” JaeJoong questioned loudly and I sighed. If I didn’t follow him inside the hot pancake house I was going to be stuck out here on my own without a way to stay warm with this window all wide and open.

“People just don’t give some people a choice, do they?” I said aloud, and JaeJoong thought that he had won. “However some people believe in what they stand for and will not bend to other people’s demands.”

The victorious glint in JaeJoong’s eyes changed and he creased his eyebrows. “Yah, some people better get out of the car when they’re told to or people will make them.”

“Hmph. Why are people so concerned about some people sitting alone in a cold car outdoors when people can be warm inside a pancake house eating delicious food? Why are people so bossy and telling some people to do this and that when they themselves do this and that and don't even own up to their actions? Why is it that when people order some people around, some people necessarily have to listen to them?”

“Ugh, fine. Stay! Stay in the car all by yourself,” JaeJoong yelled and rushed off towards the restaurant.

“Yessss~!” I cheered and pumped my fist into the air. Round two belongs to Kwon BoA!
I then sat back and tried to make myself comfortable with the chill. It was difficult but if the cold wasn’t going to agree with me, the least I could do was try to agree with it.

∫Track 05

Only ten minutes passed and I already found myself on a continuous spree of glancing back almost every eight seconds to check if JaeJoong got out of that place yet. Luckily I wasn’t hungry because of the fill I got from the resort’s buffet. However, as much as I tried to put up with it, the cold was honestly too much of a rival.

“K-Kim J-Jae-J-J-oong!” my teeth chattered like no other and I was hugging Hello Kitty the tightest that I had ever hugged anything so that the plush could block away the wind chill.

Surprisingly at that moment I spotted him sprinting out of the pancake house towards the car and I turned around facing forward as he returned.

“Sorry the line was long,” he apologized and the smell of buttermilk pancakes and syrup filled my nostrils. I blinked widely at him as he hopped into the driver’s seat so casually and put on his seatbelt too. Wow, did he forget about our battle so soon? Anyway, I guess that it was pretty considerate of him to come back in less than the hour that he claimed that he was going to take.

JaeJoong then managed to catch a glimpse of me in my extra bundled-up state and laughed in my face. “Haha, you’re freezing aren’t you?” he asked, which he totally didn’t have to because I’m sure he could tell. “I tell ya, some people should have just listened.”

I lowly growled as he turned the keys, starting the engine. We got out of the parking lot and hit the road again, this time with the windows rolled up. Thank the lord.

“I think some people suffered enough. Where do you want to go?” JaeJoong said, with a faint smirk hanging at the edge of his lips.

“Home! Ah-choo!” I exclaimed and then let out a super loud sneeze, all over the dashboard. I quickly sniffled and pulled five tissues out of the tissue box to cover my nose. This wasn’t happening. I can’t be sick already! This is seriously all your fault now, Kim JaeJoong!

“Yah, yah, pabo-yah, you didn’t catch something did you?” JaeJoong asked and I blew my nose extra strongly.
“Huh, I wonder whose fault it is,” I stated and noticed that my voice already turned nasally. Oh boy, this was not good.

“Ugh! How can this happen? And on vacation?!” I complained and kicked my legs at little compartment thing. I felt another sneeze coming on and put the tissues at my nose, ready for it.

I sneezed about three more times consecutively before I could breathe, through my mouth. This was getting serious and fast.

“You want to go to the doctor? Or the pharmacy to pick up some medicine? Or even the hospital, this is the same route.” Well look who’s Mr. Caring now.

From the corner of my eye, JaeJoong kept glancing over at me. “Can you keep your eyes on the road? I don’t want people to get some people involved in a car accident,” I stated and then started to cough. Ugh, this doesn’t stop! “Ah-choo!”

“Aish…” he muttered under his breath and then abruptly made a sweeping U-turn. My body completely shifted to the right and I almost knocked my head on the window. Thank goodness Hello Kitty was here to protect me from damaging my skull. Somehow I felt like I was gradually losing energy, so much so that I couldn’t even yell at Kim JaeJoong for that uncalled-for one-eighty. If I’m not mistaken, I believe that we were in the middle of the street too. I’m not sure. I can’t really see… my eyes were getting heavy… so tired… so uncomfortable… ugh..

∫Track 06

When I woke up again, I was apparently in a room that I’ve never been to before. It was big to say the least and decorated prettily with a cream-color theme all over the walls. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I was not at home. Maybe I was in Yoochun’s house in a guest room or something, but wherever it was I felt safe.

I slowly sat up feeling a sharp pain at the side of my head. I grasped onto the spot and rubbed it with my palm. Next to me, I saw Hello Kitty and a small smile spread on my face.

Soon a towel dropped from out of the sky and landed on the blanket covering my lap. It was damp and I picked up, feeling its warmth. I then touched my forehead, which was moister than usual. It must have fell off of me then.

I weakly tossed the towel onto the drawer beside the bed and tried to pick up the pillow so that I could sit up comfortably. I had to pull my hands out of the long sleeves so that I could grab the pillow and it was then that I realized I wasn’t even in my own clothes anymore! What exactly happened?!

“BoA dear, you’re awake~”

I turned my head at the door and saw Mrs. Kim walking in with a tray in her hands. It looked like hot soup from the waves of steam floating out of the bowl. A person dressed up like a maid, who was probably a maid, was following her, making sure that she was all right with carrying the food.

“How are you feeling? Oh, JaeJoong’s pajamas are absolutely adorable on you~ I hope you don’t mind me having given you a change of clothes. Let me check if you still have that fever,” she stated and placed the tray on the nearby table. She sat down on the edge of the bed and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. Then she did the same at my neck. I see where JaeJoong gets his techniques from.

“Still a little warm but much better than before,” Mrs. Kim remarked and my cheek with a smile. “Ah, are you hungry dear? I’ve got this chicken soup that JaeJoong-”

“Ommeoni, why did you bring it up here so fast? I didn’t add enough salt yet-“
I looked over to the door and saw JaeJoong stopping midway in his loudly whispered sentence, and an apron over his neck. He quickly threw the whole thing off and shut the door as fast as lightning. Pft, silly JaeJoong. As if I didn’t catch him already ~

“Tsk, what is that kid being so shy for?” Mrs. Kim said and then picked up the spoon, swirling it in the soup. “You know BoA dear, he made this right after he brought you home. He said that it was his fault you got sick so he had to make it up to you. JaeJoongie told me not to say anything but oh well~!”

She smiled mischievously, and I smiled too, feeling all tingly inside. However, as soon as she touched my cheek, her expression quickly fell. “BoA dear, you’re heating up again!”
“Ah, Ommeoni- no that’s- that’s not the fever- it’s because-I mean-“
“Oh~ you’re being shy,” she remarked and touched my hair fondly. “Both my kids are being so shy. It’s too cute. Doesn’t that mean you have good feelings for each other?” Mrs. Kim laughed happily and I could only smile softly in response. How I wish.

“Here, open wide~” she suggested and fed me a spoonful of soup. I scrunched up my fast and covered my mouth as I choked on the taste. “Eh? What happened dear? Is it too bland?”
I waved my hand and coughed some more. “N-No.. it’s too- too salty rather!”
“Really? But JaeJoong said he was going to add more..” she mumbled and took a sip for herself. It was kind of hilarious seeing a wealthy woman stick out her tongue like she was going to gag. “Oh my god, what was he thinking? Did he pour the entire can of salt in here?”

“Inyoung-ssi, please fetch us some water and tell JaeJoongie to come in here,” Mrs. Kim ordered the maid, and the lady quickly dashed out.

She returned two minutes later with our glasses of water and both Mrs. Kim and I downed them in seconds. JaeJoong then appeared with a changed set of clothes than from earlier.

“What happened Omma?” he asked as he entered but didn’t even give me a glance. Embarrassed, was he?
“JaeJoongie-ah, I’d like to ask you the same question. What happened to the soup? It’s extremely overdosed with salt, and you wanted to add more?”

“I didn’t know that you were going to drink it,” he said and I widened my eyes. “It was for BoA.” So he meant to torture only me with this? His eyes wandered over at me for a second and then quickly darted away.

“So you mean to tell me that you were going to make the poor pretty sweet girl suffer even more after you got her sick like this?” Mrs. Kim began to scold and he looked aghast. He walked over closer and pointed at me.
“Yah, BoA. Did you try it?” JaeJoong asked and Mrs. Kim cut in for me.
“Of course BoA did, Kim JaeJoong. And it was so salty that she couldn’t stand it,” she replied and he rubbed the back of his neck with a confused face.

“Oh… I thought you liked your foods extra salty, like last time when you made that fried rice and-“ I shot up from the bed and covered his mouth. Mrs. Kim gave us a look, surprised at first but then amused.

“Ah so there’s some history to this I see,” she stated and then got up off the bed. She put a hand over as she laughed elegantly. “Well, well I’ll leave you two kids alone. Come along, Inyoung-ssi. I must prepare for bed.” The maid followed her out.

After the bedroom door was closed, I freed JaeJoong and sat back down on the bed with a huff. “You didn’t have to bring that up, Kim JaeJoong. I told you that the rice was too salty that time and that you shouldn’t eat it…”
“But I remember eating that whole box,” JaeJoong answered and I pushed him at his abdomen.
“That’s because you’re a dummy and thought that it actually tasted good!” I responded and he gazed at me innocently.
“It did taste good. Just because it’s salty doesn’t mean it was terrible,” JaeJoong said and I face-palmed.
“Only you could think that, Kim JaeJoong,” I sighed and then laid down against the headboard.

I shut my eyes, feeling woozy again but then jolted when I realized that I wasn’t supposed to be here. “Ah, I have to call Yoochun!” I reached over to get my phone from the drawer but JaeJoong stopped me. He held my hand and then pressed me back by the shoulder to sit down.

“Don’t worry about it. I asked LiYin to make a fake call and say that you were going to stay with her for one night,” he said and when I stared at his hand over mine, he let go.
Wait… that meant that I was going to stay here for a night, in his house, again. I can’t determine whether this was good or bad.

“Huh, you asked LiYin?” I wondered out loud. I didn’t think that he’d ever make a request from her, ever since that incident of his abrupt awakening.
“Well I called Junsu to ask LiYin, okay? Do you always have to be so specific?” he questioned and I bravely came up with the answer.

“Yes,” I argued and my voice cracked a little from the cold. “Because some people would like people to be straightforward with them so that some people don’t have to keep guessing about what people are thinking, like when people kiss some people and act like it’s nothing and ignore some people the next day even though to some people it means a lot!”

I was proud of myself that I actually got that off my chest but the effect of my statement soon faded when I started coughing up a whole lot. JaeJoong sighed at me and brought a glass of water to my lips. I drank it, but only because I wanted to stop coughing.

“You’re sick like this and you still want to talk about people?” he lectured and then placed the glass back on the top of the drawer.

“See..! You never answer anything I say directly, always changing the subject and bringing something else up to distract me. Ugh, you piss me off, people!” I yelled and then hid myself under the covers.

“Okay, okay, fine, fine, fine. I give up, you win, just stop it with the people thing and I’ll answer you. BUT, only one question,” JaeJoong claimed and I pulled the blanket off over my head and sat up again.

I stared at him intensely. “Do you promise?” I asked, and recalling the last time we went through this, “No backing out this time! You MUST answer.”
“Yeah, yeah I promise..” he muttered and then I folded my hands together, putting them under my chin. I bit the inside of my cheek and made a thinking face.

“So… that day… when I kissed you…why did you kiss me again?”

JaeJoong opened his mouth and then closed it again, turning his head to the side. I watched as he probably used the time to think about how he should answer.

“Is it because you like me?”

My heart was thumping in my ears. My palms were getting sweaty. My mouth was getting dry. Answer already!

“…You,” JaeJoong began and I stared into his eyes as he looked down at me.

“You tempted me.”

WHAT.

“Why do you look so shocked?” he asked and I was speechless. My heart did flutter a bit but this was not the romantic response I was expecting! “You’re the one who tried to seduce me that night and I was this close to falling for it. Luckily I have pretty good self-control. If it was some deadbeat guy, who would have known what would have happened to you.”

“You kissed me first!” I accused him, standing up on the bed. Sadly it only made me a slightly taller than him, who was standing up on the floor.

“That’s because you weren’t being quiet when I told you to! We were going to get into trouble because of you and my hands were occupied at the time,” Kim JaeJoong casually explained.
“Liar,” I pointed at him and he put his arms up in surrender.

“Fine then, think whatever you want. You can say I kissed you because I like you, I won’t deny it but if you ask me whether or not I like you, I’m not going to say I do.”
“But you’re not saying that you don’t, are you?” I asked and he started to walk away.

“I promised one question only, right? So it looks like my work here is done,” JaeJoong stated and I had half a mind to jump on him from behind.

“YAH!” I shouted and I was breathing extra heavily, from the sickness, from the anger, from the tears coming up, all mixed together. JaeJoong stopped in his tracks and I yelled at his back. “Why are you always like this, Kim JaeJoong? Don’t you understand what I’m trying to say to you?”

I saw him lift his head a little and I yelled out my heart’s secrets, “I LIKE YOU. I like you, I like you, I like you! Kim JaeJoong, I like you!”

He didn’t turn around but his head moved slightly. “…You mustn’t be thinking straight from all the medicine gone to your head, pabo. Go take a rest.”

Maybe he was right. Maybe that was where I got all this courage from to say this to him, but all the words that came out of my mouth were true. I like him. I really like him.

I fell onto my knees on the bed and the tears were spilling left and right. This is what I get for finally confessing to him. Disbelief. Saying that I was confused. Yeah, I wonder now what I ever saw in him. I AM really confused.

He never makes me feel sure about myself. He always teases me and calls me a pabo whenever he has the chance. He never gives me a direct response when I ask him sincere and serious questions. He always says things that make me think one way giving me hope but destroys it all layer because what he really means turns out to be the complete opposite. Why do I even like him? JaeJoong, why?

I rubbed my eyes and glanced over, seeing that he was still standing relatively close to the door, not moving but not turning around either. That jerk.

I sniffled loudly and breathed out pressured air that I had been holding in. In the most forceful tone I could manage under my condition I voiced out, “I don’t want to stay here. I want to go home. I want to go to Yoochun’s house.”

“… Fine. I’m not going to stop you from leaving, but how do you plan to go?” he asked in a serious tone. “And with how sick you are, I don’t think you should be up and about. Just it up for one night. I won’t be in here to make you mad so you should be fine.”

“I don’t want to rely on you,” I stated and inhaled, keeping my tears in my eyes. “I’ll get myself a taxi.. and I’ll pay you back for everything it cost to take care of me.” I slipped out from under the covers but the dizziness got to me and I stumbled back into bed.

“BoA,” JaeJoong said and came over to help me up. When he held me, I wanted badly to shake him off but I realized that I was too weak, in body and soul. “Stop it, just listen to me one last time and stay.”

“No,” I replied as I closed my eyes to shut out the pain. “You don’t even like me so why should you care?”
He paused for a second. “..You’re a friend, BoA,” JaeJoong claimed and I scoffed at the idea.
“But I don’t see you as one,” I told him and he took his hands off at last.

I found my bags and things on a chair in the corner of the room and put on my coat. I pulled out my cellular from the purse and dialed the taxi’s number. They told me that they would be here in ten minutes so I made sure that I had everything with me.

JaeJoong gave in and helped me carry my things down the stairs quietly. I was to sneak out before Ommeoni found out or else my escape would be ruined. We waited at the front door in an awkward silence as I bundled up with a scarf that I found in my suitcase.

“Oh wait, your Hello Kitty,” JaeJoong remembered, but I had purposely left it there.
“It’s okay. I don’t need it,” I told him and it actually looked like he was hurt, but It couldn’t compare to how I was feeling.

The taxi soon pulled up to the block and the driver honked. I tried to pull my bag out by the handle but I wasn’t strong enough to keep it rolling for more than three seconds.

“I got it,” JaeJoong said in a low voice and he picked it up for me as we walked towards the taxi. He placed my things in the trunk and then paid the driver in advance.
“You don’t need to pay for me. I-“
“It’s all right,” he advised and then opened the door for me. I went in reluctantly and felt like tearing up again, despite the fact that leaving was my decision.

JaeJoong closed the door gently and said, “Goodbye, BoA.”
The driver started the car and we were on our way to Yoochun’s house.

Goodbye JaeJoong.
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AN: despite what happened, I actually kinda like this chapter. call me crazy. and your thoughts? ^^ *flies into hiding* thanks for the support guys! still can't believe we're at album 37. never expected the story to be this long! hope you liked the update!!! ♡