Mirae is sitting in Dr. Yoon’s waiting room. Although she is dreading her upcoming appointment as usual, the events of the last Saturday have been occupying most of Mirae’s thoughts. They at least provide some distraction from the painful ordeal she is about to undergo. Plus, Mirae sort of wants to talk about it to someone else. She’s sure Dr. Yoon would not mind listening to what happened.

Mirae rests her chin on her hand, deep in thought. Would she and Suyeon be ready for the bet?

“Ah, I see you’re here again!” an irritatingly familiar voice cheers. Mirae turns just the slightest. The annoying man from her last session has taken a seat right next to her- the one who blabbed nonstop to her while they were in the waiting room. Mirae forces a smile.

“Hi,” she says.

“Hello! How are you?” the man grins. “Here for another appointment, eh? Dr. Yoon really is wonderful. I enjoyed my first session with him. We talked about funny animals! What’s your favorite animal? Wait, what’s your name? I didn’t even ask!”

“Mirae,” she responds monotonously. “I like... dogs.”

Mirae glances at the clock on the wall. How much more time until her session begins and she can get away from this man?

“Hello, Mirae! My name is Jaesun.” The man vigorously pumps Mirae’s hand up and down in a passionate handshake. “I like dogs too! I have a lot of dogs. Well, not a lot. My wife’s a cat lover and she doesn’t want too many dogs. Do you have dogs at home?”

Mirae shakes her head. “No. My dad doesn’t like them. Sometimes I wish I did, though,” she admits. “I’m an only child. It can get lonely.”

Mirae does not mention how she is afraid of having any pets. What if they turn out to be a trigger for her OCD? She will have to live with the abomination. Mirae shudders at the thought.

A young nurse steps into the waiting room. “Hwang Mirae?” she calls. Mirae picks up her bag.

“Bye, Jaesun,” she says, and he waves.

“I see you’ve made friends with Jaesun, hm?” The nurse smiles. “He’s a kind man. Very talkative and sweet.”

“Sure, I guess,” Mirae shrugs. She walks into the familiar, cozy room, where Dr. Yoon sits on his usual comfy chair.

“Hello, Mirae!” he greets. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” Mirae smiles. “Dr. Yoon, if you don’t mind... can I tell you about something?”

“Why, of course.”

Mirae scratches her head. “I need your advice on something. You see, last week, Suyeon and I got into a little... altercation.” Mirae relates the events of last Saturday's basketball game, the Daegu Tutoring Group’s faceoff with the Sunset Tutoring Group, and the final outcome of their spat.

“Then how about a bet?” Sehun sneered.

“Depends on the terms,” Mirae said, her eyes narrowed.

“How about this,” Jongin said, his lips. “Whichever group tutors the most people in a week wins. But since we know that you’re going to lose, let’s focus on the penalties.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Suyeon retaliated. “If we win- which we will- then you two have to disband your tutoring group. Do something else for your community service.”

“Also, Suyeon and I get to party in one of your mansions,” Mirae added, a mischievous look on her features. When Suyeon shoots her a look, she held up her hands defensively. “Hey! I want to pretend like I’m rich for a day!”  

Jongin and Sehun glance at each other, rolling their eyes. “Fine.” Sehun said. “Then if we win, you have to publicly admit that Sehun and I are better than you in a 3-5 minutes prepared speech.”

“And buy us coffee whenever we tell you to.” Kai says.

“Okay! Fine.” Mirae stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

    Kai grasped her hand, crushing Mirae’s fingers beneath his iron-like grip. “Deal.”

“Wow,” Dr. Yoon says, his mouth slightly agape. “Well, Mirae, you have certainly had an eventful week.”

“Definitely. Dr. Yoon, you need to meet these boys.” Mirae shakes her head. “Are all rich people like this? Seriously. Everyone that goes to Daewon Prep is so snooty.”

“So what are you and Suyeon going to do to win?”

“We’re going to work our tails off,” Mirae says firmly. “Suyeon and I thought of a bunch of new strategies and stuff. We’ll use those and definitely get the most customers.”

“So what are we going to do to win?” Sehun asks Jongin. The two are seated in deck chairs by the massive pool in Kai’s backyard, pina coladas in hand. The September sun beats down on their sculpted bodies. Sehun can see a few of Jongin’s maids ogling at them through the filmy curtains of his massive French windows. He smirks, tipping back in his chair.

Jongin shrugs. “We’ll just do the usual. It’s already working.”

“Are you stupid?” Sehun scoffs. “Those girls are going to up their game. So we need to as well. By the way, I looked up the ‘Daegu Tutoring Group’. Their names are Lee Suyeon and Hwang Mirae.”

“Which one screwed up my shot?” Kai growls.

“Mirae.”

Kai angrily takes a gulp of his Pina Colada. “We’re going to crush her, Sehun.”

Suddenly, a long-haired maid emerges from inside the mansion. She strides up to to boys.

“Master Jongin, your father is home,” she says.

Jongin immediately bolts up. His drink spills all over his shorts.

“F-Father?” he stutters. “I- oh... Sehun, I think I have to go. Can we... can we talk about this later?”

“Alright,” Sehun says slowly, standing up. He looks at Jongin warily. Why does the topic of his father always unsettle his best friend?

As Sehun hurries out of the Kim estate, questions fly through his mind. Sehun has met Mr. Kim once, and he was one of the friendliest, goofiest men Sehun has ever known. True, Mr. Kim is quite loquacious. But Mr. Kim is as scary as a teddy bear.

However, Jongin is always so antsy around his father, so nervous, so scared.

    Perhaps Mr. Kim acts differently at home, Sehun shrugs.

Jongin throws a tshirt on, and dumps his pina colada in the pool. The pool cleaner will take care of that, he dismisses. Jongin’s only priority right now is getting to his room before Father sees him-

“Jongin!” a warm voice greets.

Jongin freezes.

A tall, black-haired man affectionately claps Jongin on the back. “How was your day, son? Did you have fun? Oh, did you have to tutor more people? I’m sorry that you have to do that, but I guess you have to fulfill your community service. That’s what you get for drinking all my Pinot Noir, huh?” The man chuckles. “That was my favorite.”

Jongin jerks away from his father’s touch, uneasily looking down at the floor. “I- It was fine, Father. I... have to go work now.”

There is a pause. Jongin finally looks up at his father’s eyes. Mr. Kim is wearing a kind look, but after a period of strained, awkward silence, hints of other emotions enter his expression.

Sadness. Regret. And, as always... guilt.

“Well, I suppose that can’t be helped,” Mr. Kim laughs, attempting to bring some levity into this tense situation. “Go do what you need to, alright? And... Jongin.”

“Yes, Father?”

Mr. Kim feels a pang of sorrow hit his heart at the sound of his son’s stiff, formal speech. “Feel free to talk to me any time, alright?” he says softly.

“Alright, Father.” Jongin responds quietly.

A/N: I felt so sad writing Jongin talk with his dad... like seriously I can't say why now but just... ugh. :(