JongUp

I know I left it till the last minute but hey, what else am I meant to do?

I walk up to YongGuk hyung, who is reading a novel on the couch. He is the oldest in our house and he acts so much older than he really is. I tap his shoulder gently.

“What?” he turns around, his voice low and husky, just like always. He sounds mad at me, but I know he isn’t, he is just enjoying a serious novel.

“You know how JiEun is coming to move in with us…?” I start and YongGuk nods and smiles, showing his teeth and gums.

“Yeah! I am so excited!”

I laugh and sit on the couch’s arm. “Well… I was wondering… If maybe… We could through a house welcoming party…?”

At the mention of party HimChan pokes his head round through the kitchen. “We need food, streamers, balloons and a banner.” He lists, moving out slowly.

I nod shyly. “I don’t think we need that much Hyung…”

“No. No. No. It’s a party. We need all of that... DaeHyun! YoungJae!” he calls up the stairs, “JunHong!”

YongGuk laughs and stands, hugging HimChan’s waist. “We don’t need to go over the top. JongUp knows what his friend likes. Right JongUp?”

I nod… “I would assume her taste hasn’t changed much…”

DaeHyun pushes past YoungJae on the stairs and races down, “What did you want~!”

Quickly YongGuk covers HimChan’s mouth with his hand, and he smiles more, “We will wait until everyone is here so he doesn’t get too carried away.”

DaeHyun nods, and sits on the back of the couch; HimChan frowns at him and instantly slides down to sit on the seat, sulking to himself.

YoungJae finally makes it to the room and leans in the door way, arms folded across his chest. His eyes are red and from the way his eyelids hang heavy, I can tell that he has been studying in his room for hours.

We sit silently for a few moments as we wait for JunHong to walk in from his room across the hall, he is carrying a comic book and walking slowly as he reads the last pages, he makes his way into the room and sits on the floor in front of DaeHyun before closing the book.

YongGuk finally let’s go of HimChan and steps back, arms across his chest in a triumphant smile as HimChan tones back his plans.

***

At four o’clock we are all sleepily moving towards the van, climbing in and leaning on each other trying to stay awake for the trip to the airport.

I lean on YoungJae in the back seat, JunHong and DaeHyun behind us while the two elders are driving. HimChan hums along to the radio and prods YongGuk side every now and again, making sure he is concentrating.

Slowly we arrive at Incheon International Airport. Driving up to the international arrivals gate. There is no one around aside from the few taxi’s that sit in their ranks.

Outside gate number 3 we park and I climb out, rubbing my eyes and stretching. YoungJae just falls and jolts awake.

“You go get her and we will wait here?” YongGuk says, smiling and waving me off. I nod and walk down through the gate and notice that there is no one even inside the airport, I walk down past gate four and see a girl sitting atop her suitcases, fiddling with her watch.

Her hair is down just past her shoulders and curls slightly at the ends; I walk up and find her muttering to herself, her voice just as sweet and dreamy as ever. I remember the last time I said goodbye to her, when her hair was cut just below her ears.

‘It’s grown quite a bit.’

She looks at her watch, and sets her hand back down before she jolts and fixes the time.

“Of course you would forget to do that.” I mutter and she jumps.

“Oppa!” she says after a while, I smile widely as she hugs me. It doesn’t last long and she pulls away pouting.

“It was better when you were squishier.” She mutters.

“Hello to you too then.” I sigh and reach for a strand of her hair. “It’s grown out a fair amount.”

She nods and laughs, before she smiles, “So… Where to first? Breakfast?”

I take two of her bigger bags, and nod. She follows behind me as I lead her to the van at gate three

 “Oppa…?” she calls from behind me.

“Yeah Lululu?” I smile to myself; it’s so nice to finally call her that again.

“Where do you live now…? I know that you were looking for some place to stay a while back but during the exams I lost track of everything… So… Did you find somewhere…?”

I nod, and push her bags in up against the back end of the van. “I did… You remember JunHong?”

She nods and frowns to herself

“You moved in with him?”

I nods, and move round to pull open the passenger door slowly.

“And these guys.” I laugh, as they fall out of the van.

JunHong

We all waited for JongUp and JiEun to come back to the van, HimChan had moved us all in to the passenger-cargo part of the van ready to open up the banner that says ‘Welcome JiEun’. I sit back and lean against the window. It’s cold against my skin.

“Do you really think we can buy more meat when she moves in?” DaeHyun asks YongGuk, who nods and his gummy smile widens.

“Yeah, I think we can buy good meat with her at home. Your rent should also go down…” HimChan adds.

YoungJae nods and DaeHyun fidgets in his seat next to me.

“JunHong?” YongGuk asks and I sit up looking at him, “You know the rules right?”

I nod, and sigh, leaning back against the window. Gukkie Hyung was always so worried that I would let someone know or that I would get caught out.

DaeHyun wraps his arm around my shoulder; I flinch and sit up slightly. “It will be alright. Just no walking around shirtless, no freaky fast talking and don’t charge in front of her.”

I can feel my cheeks redden at the thought of walking around shirtless and shove DaeHyun off me slightly. “I won’t do that Hyung.”  

YoungJae twists his head around to look at me, “And don’t eat all the tomatoes… Some of us also like them.” He smiles sweetly.

The sliding door clicks and we all move closer to help whoever is opening it, be it JongUp or JiEun.

“And these guys.” JongUp laughs and we all fall out of the van, HimChan and YongGuk underneath YoungJae and DaeHyun, I slip and fall on top of all of them, and they groan.

“Welcome to Seoul…” HimChan mutters pushing out the banner from underneath him as I try to get up and trip falling backwards into the van.

JiEun giggles, not a high pitched girly thing, but a sweet slightly deeper than it should be giggle. Rather cute if I must say. My cheeks grow hot and my stomach twists as her laugh rises through the van.

DaeHyun pushes YoungJae down as he gets up and stands on HimChan, who groans, twisting his head to the side. YongGukkie Hyung just lies there, laughing and grunting as YoungJae moves off him. Slowly we all stand as JongUp slaps his forehead with his palm.

HimChan finally pulls the banner up and shows it to JiEun.

“Oh my!” She gasps and hugs JongUp’s arm, “Did you make them do this for me? Oppa~! It’s a bit much!”

JongUp looks away, muttering under his breath and HimChan scratches the back of his head, a blush spreading up his neck and across his cheek bones.

“Oh!” She says and quickly wraps her arms around HimChan’s shoulders, who stands bolt upright as stiffening at her touch. “Thank you. It is very sweet of you.”

She stands back and bows at all of us. “Thank you all for welcoming me to Seoul. I am JiEun.”

She stands again, and looks at JongUp, nudging his side with her elbow, mouthing ‘introduce them’.

JongUp blushes, “This is HimChan hyung, he has organised everything for you. He is a mother at heart.”

HimChan bows and scowls at JongUp who quickly moves on to Gukkie hyung, who smiles and bows before shaking JiEun’s hand. DaeHyun and YoungJae are next.

“And this,” JongUp pulls me out of the van, I tower over him. “This is JunHong; he’s only a little younger than you JiEun.”

She nods and smiles widely, “Wow your tall!”

I nod, I feel shy around her. I always feel shy around new people…

Gukkie Hyung notices and picks up one of her suitcases, “Come on, everyone in, and let’s go get JiEun settled in at home.”