G.NA - Kiss Me

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Youngji groaned. She opened one of her eyes to look for her alarm clock. She used her fingers to feel for the snooze button. When the sound stopped, a smile of relief plastered on her face and she cuddled with her pillow under her warm blanket.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

'Someone's knocking?' Youngji got up, her eyes only slightly open. She held her pillow in her arms and walked to the door like a zombie. 

“Do I have to go in there?" Jackson mumbled to himself. Since Youngji didn't have a door, he was knocking on the wall next to the doorway.

Suddenly, Youngji walked through the door's beaded curtains.

"Ahjuss-“ Jackson started to talk, but was completely ignored by Youngji.

'I don't even have a door.. How can-' "Ow!" Youngji's face made contact with the wall.

Jackson crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.

Youngji rubbed her forehead, "Oww.." She felt a presence behind her so she turned around.

Jackson already neatly wore his school uniform. His hair was parted lazily. Unfortunately, his longer hair had to be cut and he was currently sporting a short shaggy cut.

Youngji's hair lifelessly fell in front of her face. She blew the hair away from her face, "You're already ready?"

"I have to bring the paperwork to the school so I have to get there early.”

Youngji rubbed her eyes, “Fine.. Give me fifteen minutes."

“We’re leaving.” Youngji and Jackson stood by the front door. Youngji’s dad had left for work half an hour ago and Ms. Wang was left in the house.

Ms. Wang both handed them a lunch box.

“You didn’t have to make me one.” Jackson spoke in Cantonese.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked, almost offended.

“You should just rest. You know you can’t stay standing for long periods of time.” he said in a scolding tone.

“Its also bad for me to stay sitting. Don’t worry, Ka yee."

Even though Youngji couldn’t understand Cantonese, she guessed by Jackson’s actions that he was telling her to rest. When they were at the market, she noticed how Ms. Wang had to depend on the cart for help. Youngji even offered her help by stretching out her arm for her to hold. “Ah!” A thought popped into Youngji’s mind.

The son and mother turned to Youngji.

Quickly taking off her shoes, Youngji ran up the stairs. A few seconds later she was holding a strange machine. She held up the machine with a sheepish smile, “This is a leg massager that I use, but ahjumma can use it too!” 

Youngji pulled Ms. Wang to the couch where she comfortably laid her down. She wrapped the massager around her legs, “Just sit comfortably.” she plug the machine into the nearest socket and turned it on.

Ms. Wang began to chuckle.

Youngji smiled widely, “Its refreshing right?”

Ms. Wang rubbed Youngji’s back to signal she did a good job, “Its very good.”

“Yah, why do you even have one of those?” Jackson asked.

“My legs swell up sometimes from playing too much.”

“Playing what?” Jackson raised an eyebrow. From first look, she didn’t seem like an athletic person. Not with her big glossy eyes, pearly white skin, and twinning ponytails. Jackson looked down. ‘Actually, she does have muscle-y thighs.’

“Soccer, basketball, inline skating. Oh, I play rugby once in awhile.”

“You two will lose time if you keep chatting.”

“Nae.” Youngji put her shoes back on. Giving a ninety degree bow she bid her a goodbye.

Jackson kissed his mom goodbye and followed Youngji out the door.

Youngji and Jackson walked side by side down the street. Youngji looked up at Jackson, “Yah.”

“What?”

“Do you miss your friends?” Youngji suddenly asked. If she was in Jackson’s situation, she’d be experiencing terrible homesickness. 

Jackson looked down at her, “Well, my friends weren’t friends. They were family.”

Youngji tilted her head.

“I did fencing and most of my friends were just the fencing team. So, yes I miss them."

“Fencing? You did fencing?”

“Do you know it?”

“Of course! Our school has a team for fencing. You should join!”

“What about you?”

“Me? I’m not gonna join the fencing team.”

“No. I mean, it must be weird to suddenly live with us.” Jackson and Youngji reached the bus stop and sat on the bench.

Youngji shook her head, “Its not weird at all! I’m glad. When I wake up for school, appa is usually leaving for work already. I would wake up earlier so we can eat breakfast together, but I’m usually ignoring my alarm clock. So, its been awhile since I was so awake in the morning.” She held up her lunch box, “I always ate off my friend’s boxed lunch with the cafeteria food, but now I have my own. Why would that be weird? I love it.” Youngji smiled with her signature opened smile.

Jackson’s shoulders suddenly felt lighter at Youngji’s bittersweet answer, ‘I guess its the same for most one parent children.'  It was only his mom and him ever since he left. He always felt like he was missing out because he didn’t have a “complete” family. Was it the same for her?

“Lets get along, Jackson-ah.” Youngji held out her hand.

Jackson was about to shake her hand when, “Wait, wait. Lets get this straight. When is your birthday?” 

“August 30th.”

Jackson victoriously smiled, “My birthday is March 28th. So that means it should be Jackson-oppa.”

“Eh?” Youngji knitted her eyebrows together, “But we’re the same age. You’re a 94’liner right?”

“I was taught by my Korean teacher that between siblings there has to be one older. Even between twins, the one who came out first is the older one!”

Youngji scratched behind her ear. “Jackson-op…I can’t do it.”

“Why not? Yah, are you going to ignore formalities?” 

“But..” Ever since she found out Jackson was the same age as her, she thought of him as nothing but someone who was equal to her. Oppa meant he had a little bit of authority over her. “Hold on. We’re not even step-siblings yet!” 

“We will be.” Jackson shrugged.

“But we’re not.” Youngji smiled, satisfied at her own reasoning. “So, give me time. Then, when ahjumma and appa get married, I’ll call you that.”

Jackson thought about it for a few seconds, “Fine. But don’t think you can get away with being the maknae.” 

The two continued to chat and the bus came a few minutes later.

“Youngji -yah.” Jackson called out to her who had trouble grabbing on the bus handles.

Jackson pointed to a nearby empty seat and pulled her over, “You can sit down.”

Youngji smiled. Maybe he could earn the ‘oppa’ title.

Youngji and Jackson reached school fairly early so there were very few students on campus.

Jackson followed Youngji onto campus where everything was interesting and new to him.

Youngji glanced behind her a few times to make sure Jackson wasn’t lost. “C’mon, I’ll show you around later.”

They finally reached the main office where Youngji took the initiative to talk for Jackson, “Anneonghasaeyo, my-“ Youngji looked over at Jackson. Was it too soon to call him her brother? “-friend is a transfer student. He has the remaining paperwork.”

Jackson took out a yellow envelope and handed it to the woman. 

“Wang Jackson, right?” the administrator smiled. “I have his class schedules right here.”

“Thank you.” Jackson and Youngji bowed.

“He’ll be in room 2-D.”

Youngji pouted, “Aww, thats down the hall from my classroom.”

“What class are you in?” Jackson asked.

“2-A.”

Jackson made an ‘o’ with his mouth and retrieved his schedule.

Youngji hovered over his schedule, “Hey! We have the sa