❝chapter11;
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                                   "You're just that different from any other girls."

 

The next day after school, Min Ae had come over to Ji Hyun’s house since they decided to hang out and study together, and Mrs Kim had been so kind to offer the two girls her freshly baked muffins. The two girls were sitting in the living room chatting and savouring on their muffins.

 

"You what?" Min Ae yelled as she dropped her magazine, blinking furiously at Ji Hyun, “This is such a big deal, Lee Ji Hyun!”

 

Ji Hyun almost choked on her food, she knew her friend was going to have a reaction like this whenever she told her about things regarding herself and Kai. But she wasn’t expecting such a big reaction. “Are you referring to the fight or-”

 

“Both!” Min Ae nudged closer to her friend and slung her arms lazily around her, “Be it Kai saving you from the fight, or you treating his wound, everything going on the both of you is clearly turning into a big deal, Ji.”

  

Clicking her tongue as Ji Hyun furrowed her brows, “You’re thinking too much. Or have you been watching too many dramas?”

 

“Oh honey, trust me. The both of you are improving fast eh?” Min Ae gave Ji Hyun a cheeky look, continuing to mock her, “I approve. You suit him much better than all his other desperate fangirls anyway!”

 

“Yah!” Ji Hyun frowned and shut her friend up immediately, “What are you even talking about? That’s impossible.”

  

Just then, the front door opened and in came Kai who have just came back from school too.

 

“Hi Kai, hope you don’t mind me here,” Turning to Ji Hyun, she flashed her a bright smile, “Ji and I were just talking about-”

 

Ji Hyun widened her eyes and frowned at her friend, mouthing immediately, “Watchwhatyousay.”

  

Kai raised his brows at the two girl as he removed his shoes, “Oh hey Min Ae. Talking about?”

 

Min Ae turned to him and gave him a bright smile instead, “Ji Hyun told me about it. Is your wound okay?”

  

Kai looked up and saw the two girls, he figured that Ji Hyun must have told her best friend about yesterday’s incident. “Hey. Yeah, definitely. there’s an ahjumma nagging at me all the time for me to take good care of it. It’s healing fast.” His eyes flickered over to Ji Hyun and let a small smirk tug at his lips.

  

“Kim Jongin,” Ji Hyun glared at him fiercely, “Who are you calling ahjumma?”

 

“No one in specific.” Kai replied with a tone of sarcasms, as he walked up to his room.

 

Huffing, Ji Hyun rolled her eyes after him.. She turned to face her friend, catching her trying to hold her laughter in, “What’s so funny?”

 

“That,” Min Ae laughed, referring to what she just saw, “So that’s how the two of you bicker everyday? It’s cute!”

 

“Hey!” Ji Hyun hissed at Min Ae, “Are you my friend? You’re supposed to stand with me. And that’s because he is the immature one.”

 

Ignoring her, Min Ae continued with their earlier topic, “Whatever. Let’s just continue where we left off. Listen to me, Lee Ji Hyun. Kai has never done things like that to a girl before.  He has never stepped into another girl’s business, nonetheless even save them from a fight. You’re surely the first and I’m so darn proud of you, Ji!”

 

Rolling her eyes, Ji Hyun heaved a sigh and leaned back in the couch and closed her eyes, “Are we back to this topic again.. Seriously Min Ae?”

 

“Yah, did he have any expression when you were treating his wound? Like were the both of you sitting really close? Did you see him staring at you the whole time? Did you see him leaning closer to-”

 

“Park Min Ae!” Ji Hyun pushed her palm on her friend’s mouth frantically, “Are you crazy?! Yah, nothing of that sort happened! And watch your noise level, Jongin is just upstairs and he might have heard every ridiculous thing that you’ve said. And, I was treating his wounds! Why would I care about that? ”

 

Min Ae groaned, “Come on, Ji Hyun.. I’m just saying! I mean, how did he look when you treated his wound? Did you see that he was staring at you? You didn’t even catch him starring at you, even the teeniest bit?”

 

Ji Hyun hesitated before answering her friend ‘no’ for the nth time. Honestly, when she was tending to Kai’s wound yesterday, she could sense the tension between the two of them. To be very honest, she did catch one or two very, very quick and short glances of Kai staring at her, but did not think much about it. It can’t be, why would he even stare at you, she thought to herself.

 

Seeing Ji Hyun bottle in her own thoughts, as if she could read her friend’s mind, Min Ae let out an excited squeal, "See, Lee Ji Hyun!  Where else would he be looking when you treated him? Where else but on you honey!"

  

“Sheesh,” Ji Hyun rolled her eyes, couldn’t be bothered to argue back.

 

 

“Oh damn girl, you’ve landed yourself in some sort of love game with Kim Jongin. I’m sure.” She shook her head in anticipation, “Which, has more to come. He’s probably starting to have some feeling for you. If not, why would he be doing things like that?” Min Ae smirked, leaning her chin on her friend and raising her brows suggestively.

 

Groaning, Ji Hyun whacked a pillow on Min Ae and letting out a chuckle, “That’s just nonsense!”

 

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“So let's dance, just shake it let's dance!” Ji Hun hummed on Sistar’s song as she organized her wardrobe, and danced around a little in her room.

 

“What are you doing?” A voice said behind the left ajar door.

 

Startled, Ji Hyun jumped back slightly and turned to the door to see Kai standing there. Her cheeks started turning pink in embarrassment upon Kai watching her, “Yah, what are you doing? Are you peeking in right now?!”

  

Kai scoffed and opened the door and walked in. He was actually laughing in his head, Lee Ji Hyun singing and humming to songs was quite an interesting sight huh, he thought at the back of his head.

 

“There’s nothing much to see on you anyway.” Kai smirked and mocked her, “What were you doing in here? Sounded like you were slaughtering a chicken.” He commented flatly as he folded his arms and leaned on door.

  

“Was not!” Ji Hyun gave him a ‘are-you-kidding-me’ look. The nerve of this guy! Did he just say I sounded like a chicken? “You did not knock, Kim Jongin. And whatsmore, this is a girl’s room.” She crossed her arms at him and shot him a glare.

 

“And this is my house remember?” Kai grinned, always using this tactic to make excuses for everything Ji Hyun does in this house, which annoyed her, a lot. He walked casually over to where Ji Hyun was and scanned his eyes around her room.

  

Raising a brow at Kai, Ji Hyun distanced from the guy and looked at him suspiciously, “What’s with you? Always sounding so cocky aish..” She mumbled as she then continued packing her clothes.

 

“I heard that.” Kai strained her eyes at her, “Better be grateful when I’m being nice, Lee Ji Hyun.”

  

“If you could be ‘nice-kim-jongin’ all the time, I guess I wouldn’t hate you that much.” Ji Hyun continued and shrugged nonchalantly.

 

“Are you serious with this?”

 

“What?” Ji Hyun looked over her shoulder, “Why are you laughing?”

 

He didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. Ji Hyun could see. “That’s my ‘special box’!” She said defensively, snatching it away from Kai’s hands, “You didn’t even ask if you could touch it!”

 

“What’s that anyway?” He asked out of curiosity, seeing Ji Hyun being so protective of it.

 

“A box of special things I keep, obviously,” She rolled her eyes. “Things that you hold closely to your heart.”

 

“Special things like writing instruments that tell you how special you are?” A smirk tugged at Kai’s lips. He was holding a small ‘pencil bouquet’ that was given by Ji Hyun’s second grade teacher back in America. The six pencils were of a different colour, each with a labeling, “Ms Anne thinks you’re special!”

 

“I was in second grade! And, that was when I was in America!” Ji Hyun cried out and quickly grabbed the bouquet back from Kai’s hands, “Stop teasing me, Kim Jongin.”

  

“Maybe not. It’s fun to tease you.” Kai shrugged and watched her annoyed face as she looking through her special box. It’s different.” Since you’re the only one who has something against me, it’s interesting, he thought.

 

Ji Hyun removed her gaze from another object she found in the box,, not managing to catch his words earlier, “Sorry, what were you saying again?”

  

Kai let out a small chuckle, “Nevermind. You won’t-”

  

“Hyung!” Jongkook barged into Ji Hyun’s room all of a sudden, “Bring me to eat pizza, please? I’m hungry and I’m craving for it!” The boy flashed a toothy grin at the older boy as he looked up to him cutely.

 

Kai sighed and ruffled his brother’s hair, “At a time like this? It’s already late, Jongkook ah.. Another day?”

 

“Pleaseeeee.” The younger boy sang sadly and nudged his older brother, then turning to look at Ji Hyun, “Noona, please ask hyung to bring me! Or noona, could you bring me instead?”

 

Ji Hyun couldn’t help but smile in amusement at the two brothers. She ‘d love seeing how Kai was affectionate and caring towards his younger brother, a side he never showed to anyone else.

 

Walking over to Jongkook and bending down to his level, Ji Hyun smiled, “Well, you have to get your brother’s permission if you want to eat pizza, Jong Kook. Then, have you finished all your homework? Have you packed your bag for tomorrow’s classes?”

  

Giving Ji Hyun a big thumbs up, Jongkook grinned, “Done that, and done that too! Pleaseee hyung?”

 

“Alright, alright.” Kai finally gave in, after seeing the pleading look in his brother’s eyes.

 

“Yes! Hyung let’s go now!” Jongkook exclaimed with glee.

 

Ji Hyun then watched as Kai whispered something in Jongkook’s ears, before looking up at Ji Hyun with a sly grin.

 

“Ji Hyun noona, come along with us please! I’ll show you which shop has the best pizza in our neighbourhood!” Jongkook suddenly grabbed onto Ji Hyun’s palm and fit his small hands in hers, with a large smile.

 

So that was what he was whispering to Jong Kook about? Aish, acting all secretive, Kim Jongin really.. But why would Kim Jongin want me to come along? Tell me about PMS and mood swings in a guy, maybe. Doesn’t he used to complain that I’m annoying and bratty? He’s strange, just strange, Ji Hyun thought.

 

“Yah Jongkook, did your brother just asked you to drag me along too?” Ji Hyun pinched his nose cutely.

 

“Ah? No..No! Hyung wanted- I mean, I wanted noona to come along!” He gave the older girl another toothy grin.

 

Ji Hyun rolled her eyes at the two brothers and chuckled, then turning to face Kai, raising her brows at him, “Seriously Kim Jongin, you’re teaching your brother to lie at such a young age?”

 

Kai gave her a sly grin in return, and shrugged nonchalantly, “Now where did you hear that from, Lee Ji Hyun?”

 

Kai figured it would be fun to ask Ji Hyun along. These days, he was looking forward to seeing Ji Hyun. He had no idea why, but he would tell himself that it was just because teasing her and seeing her reaction was fun, and he was starting to find her kind of cute. He didn’t know if it was after the day when she tended to his wounds, and the weird feeling he got made him want to be around her more often. You’re reading too much into things, Kim Jongin, he would always tell himself that.

  

“Last to leave the house would pay for pizza! Come on let’s go!” Jongkook broke the silence and yelled excitedly as he ran out of the room.

 

---

 

“Hyung hates olives. A lot.” Jong Kook was going on and on about his brother’s embarrassing moments, and oh boy, Ji Hyun was having a whale of a time listening to him as she couldn’t stop laughing.

 

“And then?” She grinned at Jong Kook, and ignored Kai’s sharp glare at the both of them.

 

“Then there was once when hyung was younger, when we ordered a pizza, Eomma and Appa tricked hyung saying that the olives were just small weirdly shaped mushrooms and hyung actually believed it! He took a bite and-”

  

“Kim Jong Kook!” Kai groaned angrily and placed his brother in a headlock, preventing him from speaking anymore. Why was his younger brother even sharing with Ji Hyun about his embarrassing childhood stories?

  

“N..Noona! Save m-me!” Jongkook yelped dramatically and reached his hands out.

 

Ji Hyun slapped Kai’s arms, and ‘saved’ the poor younger boy out, laughing, “You almost killed your younger brother, Jongin!”

 

“Aish, I should have known better when bringing the two of you troublemakers out..” Kai hissed as he settled in his seat, shooting the two of them a glare.

 

“Kim Jongkook, enough.” He strained his eyes at his younger brother.

 

Then turning to face Ji Hyun, “Yah Lee Ji Hyun, quit laughing too!”

 

The two giggled and high-fived one another. Upon watching the scene infront of them, Kai couldn’t help but smile.

  

How can these two click so well together? He was impressed at how they were having such a strong relationship. He knew how Ji Hyun treated Jongkook as if he was her own brother.

 

She was just that amiable, something that he was starting to learn about her. He continued watching them with the smile never leaving his face – Ji Hyun was slicing up the pizza for Jongkook, and Jongkook was feeding Ji Hyun a slice carefully.

 

 Strangely, it gave him a sense of satisfaction. Seeing his younger brother and Ji Hyun have so much fun together, today’s trip to the pizza made him see a different side of Lee Ji Hyun again.

 

Kai snapped out of his daze when he saw Ji Hyun poured a whole lot of cheese onto her pizza, and by a whole lot, it was really a whole lot.

  

“Are you serious?” Kai stared at the girl like she was mad, “You’re going to go fat at this rate, Lee Ji Hyun!” His jaw dropped as he watched her ignore him.

 

“I don’t care,” She looked away and shot him a look, “Are you trying to stop my love towards my pizzas right now?”

 

Kai chuckled inwardly, as he stared in disbelief at Ji Hyun.

 

This was the first time he had seen a girl eat like that infront of him. Whenever girls ate infront of him, he had gotten use to their constant whining of how much calories and fats are in their meals, and he would hate how they purposely try to eat skinny infront of him just to impress him, which, never worked on Kai.

 

But this one girl infront of him now, wow. She just amazes him too much. Kai shook his head in amusement.

  

“Don’t all girls go on some sort of diets and give crap about being too fat and all?” Kai folded his arms and continued watching her munch happily on the pizza, the corner of his lips turning into a smile.

 

Ji Hyun turned to him and shrugged, smiling, “Sorry to burst your bubble then. I’d rather not give up my ‘babies’.” She took another bite, “You should try some Jongin! Mmm it’s really delicious.”

  

“Well said noona, very well said!” Jongkook gave her a thumbs up as he continued picking up slice after slice.

 

Kai continued watching Ji Hyun and smirked, thinking to himself, Lee Ji Hyun.. You’re really interesting.

 

If there was any one girl that would stand out in a whole crowd, he would gladly say it would be no one else, other than Lee Ji Hyun.

 

“You’re just that different from every other girl”, he shook his head, smiling. 

 

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a/n : heyy ^^ new chapter, phew this was a reaaaally long one. hope you enjoyed it!! pls upvote, subscribe, and comment if you enjoyed it :) i would love some feedback too!! x

thank you for reading :)   

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