❝chapter02;
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                                   "since when were we opening the house to strangers?"

Turning to the house at the last end, Ji Hyun stood infront of the porch as she checked the address once again. "This should be the one.." She mumbled.

Combing her hair with her fingers, she quickly checked her image in the window reflection and made sure she look presentable to meet the Kim family.

"Here goes," Ji Hyun inhaled and took a deep breath, before she pressed the doorbell.

Then the door sprang open immediately, showing a middle aged woman with her hair tied up in a bun, looking elegant. "Ah our Ji Hyun! It's so nice to finally see you! You've grown so much aigoo!" Mrs Kim pulled Ji Hyun into a hug excitedly as she exclaimed with joy. "It's been 10 years since I last saw you omo!"

"Yeobu, Ji Hyun can't breathe if you continue to squeeze her like that!" Mr Kim who just walked out laughed and pat his wife's shoulder.

Chuckling at her two elders, Ji Hyun grinned and bowed, "Hello, I'm Lee Ji Hyun.. Nice to meet you."

"Good to see you, Ji Hyun ah! Your mum was telling me so much about you yesterday on the phone, aigoo~" Mrs Kim flashed her pearly smile and pat Ji Hyun's hands.

"Is Ji Hyun noona here already?! Let me take a look!" A shriek sounded followed by the loud footsteps down the stairs.

It was a boy who looked really young, big and round eyes starring at the noona in front of him curiously, "Annyeong! I'm Kim Jong Kook! And I'm 6 years old. Ji Hyun Noona, you're really pretty!"

Ji Hyun chuckled as she bend down to Jong Kook's height, ruffling his hair, "Annyeong, Jong Kook ah~ Noona will be staying here for the time being, take care of me alright?"

"Ah by the way, where's your hyung? Aish that boy.. He has been in his room since the moment he came back. Not even coming out to greet Ji Hyun?" Mrs Kim clicked her tongue and looked to the stairs, "Yah Kim Jongin! Get down here!"

With curiosity, Ji Hyun turned to look as a teenage boy walked down the stairs and he- Oh wait! He's the guy from earlier! He's the guy who took the picture for me earlier!" Ji Hyun's eyes almost fell out of her sockets.

"You?" Both Jihyun and Kai gasped in unison as the stared at each other.

His looks were too distinctive too be forgotten or mistaken for. She watched him walk down the stairs. "Ah, so this is Kim Jongin.. The Kim's elder son." Ji Hyun thought to herself.

"Hyung! Hyung! This is Ji Hyun noona!" Jong Kook ran to his brother who was coming towards the door. He tugged on Kai's shirt, "She's gonna be living with us!"

"Ah! Do the two of you know each other already?" Mrs Kim exclaimed, clasping her hands together, and pulling Kai over to Ji Hyun, "Yah, you guys should still remember each other right? The both of you used to play with each other when you were 4 years old! That's before you left for the US, Jihyun ah! Come on Jongin ah, greet her!"

He kept quiet as Ji Hyun felt Kai's eyes travelled her from head to toe as he have her a questioning look that looked unfriendly to her. She gulped at that instance. "He does not seem happy at all.." She thought.

Jong Kook grinned and scooted nearer to his brother, “Hyung, noona’s really pretty like how Umma described her! She looks nice too! Right?”

“Hm. Not my taste.” Kai muttered and Ji Hyun strained her eyes at him, not liking how this Kim Jongin guy was giving her a ‘warm’ welcome.

“Did he just.. Ugh, is he like one of those bad kingkas? Seems like it.. Who says something like that on your first meeting?” Ji Hyun thought at the back of her head, repeating his words, “Not my taste”.

"Jongin ah, Ji Hyun would be staying with us for a couple of weeks. She'll be staying in Seoul as she finishes she University Studies," Mrs Kim strained her eyes at her son, pointing a finger at him, "You, better take care of Ji Hyun well arraso? She's two months younger than you."

He did not speak and Ji Hyun then started by taking the initiative. Although it seems like they wouldn’t be getting along well, Ji Hyun did not believe that he would be that rude. Forcing a smile, she bowed at the guy infront of her, "Hello, I'm Lee Ji Hyun. Nice to meet you."

"Hmm."

"Jongin!" His parents hissed and Mrs Kim hit her son's shoulder. "Be polite! Did we not teach you manners?" Mrs Kim smiled sheepishly at Ji Hyun, giving her a look of embarrassment.

"Where will she even be sleeping?" Kai turned to look at his mother, with a flat expression, "Since when were we opening the house to strangers?"

Mrs Kim clicked her tongue, "Yah! Mind your manners!"

"Ji Hyun is no stranger to you, Kim Jongin," Mr Kim chuckled and pat his son’s shoulder, "The both of you played together well when you were kids, like 4 years old?"

Both teenagers looked blankly at each other. Ji Hyun looked at Kai curiously, while Kai raised a brow at her.

"Alright, alright. Enough chatting for today! Ji Hyun, you must be tired from all that travelling right?" Mrs Kim patted Ji Hyun's hair, then turned her attention to Kai, "Yah Jongin, help Ji Hyun carry her luggage up to the guest room. She needs to rest now. Ji Hyun ah, come down for dinner later alright?"

Kai rolled his eyes and groaned, knowing he can't win his mother, he picked up Ji Hyun's luggage effortlessly and stuffed another hand in his pocket, looking at her without an expression. "Let's go." He mumbled in his deep voice and travelled up the stairs without any effort taken.

"Then, I'll get going to my room." Ji Hyun quickly bowed, "Thank you once again! Mr and Mrs Kim!" She smiled and hurried up the stairs behind Kai as she peeked at his figure curiously. Why did she not have any memories of playing with a boy like him?

Thud.

“Wow.. Mrs Kim really decorated this room really well..” Ji Hyun stepped into a room with walls washed with a vanilla colour, just like how she liked it. There were already many things arranged in the room for her, like school books, a study table.. Gasping at how pretty the room looked, Ji Hyun’s lips curled into a smile and she felt touched at the fact that the Kims were already treating her like family. Oh right, except him.

“Ahem.”

Kai let out a cough as he rest his figure along the edge of her room door, “So Lee Ji Hyun.”

“Y-Yeah..?” Ji Hyun focused her attention back on him. The way he mentioned her name sent jitters down her spine, just like how intimidating he looked to Ji Hyun.

“Have we..met before? You look familiar.” He crossed his arms and strained his eyes at the girl before him.

“Technically, yeah? The fact that we played together when we were 4 years old. Besides that, we met earlier just now around the neighbourhood? You took a picture for me and-”

Kai rolled his eyes, “So you were the one? You really like Seoul, huh? Or did you just want a handsome guy to take a photo of you huh?” He smirked.

Ji Hyun could not believe her ears as she almost choked. “What?! NO!” She shot him a glare fiercely. “Are you kidding me right now? You’re calling yourself handsome? That’s just.. so.. self obsessive..” She muttered under her breath and escaped his gaze, although she had to admit Kai was hot and charming, which was a plus point. But, who praises themselves like that? He was starting to get on her nerves. His cocky attitude towards her, rather.

“Really?” Kai raised a brow at her, watching her pack her thighs around her room, “Because most girls do that. Tch.”

Groaning under her breath, Ji Hyun glared at him, “Hey, apparently I don’t fall under what you call the “most girls” category then. Are you done? I would like to pack now.” This Kim Jongin was definitely not turning out to be a nice one, unlike what her parents had told her of.

Kai shrugged his shoulders, saying, “Just to let you know, I have no idea where you come from, and how long you are intending to put up at my house. It’s already strange enough for me to be talking to a stranger like you here, but it’s just for the sake of my parents. But just don’t get in my way. If not, I won’t be nice.”

“Aish, I won’t, Kai-ssi.” Ji Hyun scowled and scrunched her face at him, tapping her foot impatiently against the wooden floor. “And as if you’re nice, even now.”

“Yah, I heard that. And drop the formal terms. You don’t suit that at all.” Kai gave her a smirk and left the room, shutting the door, leaving Ji Hyun making a face at the guy.

The Kim family and Ji Hyun have just finished their dinner and have gathered around the living room.

“So Ji Hyun, you're going to Seoul University starting tomorrow right? Kai can take you there since both of you are doing the same course. Kim Jongin, you better take good care of Ji Hyun, arraso?" Mrs Kim instructed her son who was busy with his phone.

“Me?” Kai gave his mother a look and plopped another fruit into his mouth.

“Yah, if not you, who else? Me?” Mrs Kim smacked her son’s shoulder as she glared at him lightly, “Take Ji Hyun with you to school tomorrow. She’s not familiar with her surroundings yet. If she gets lost, will you be held responsible?”

Ji Hyun quickly cut in, “It’s alright, Mrs Kim. I’ll find my way, Kai probably has his own plans.”

“See, she’s not a small kid. She can find her own way around school.” Kai commented nonchalantly as he continued looking at his phone.

“No, Ji Hyun, let Kai take you. It’s safer this way too. Kai can introduce the places near here to you too, it’s also for your convenience.” Mr Kim smiled at the girl as he closed his newspapers.

Kai sighed in defeat as he eyed Ji Hyun, “You’d better not ruin my morning to school.” He mouthed.

“Aish, rude dude.” Ji Hyun stuck her tongue out at him as she lowered her gaze.

“Noona, how is the US? Umma and Appa have always said they will take me and hyung there when I grow older. What is it like there?” Jong Kook grinned at Ji Hyun.

“Yeah, Ji Hyun dear, why don’t you tell us more about life in the US?” Mrs Kim smiled.

Ji Hyun started, “Well, US is a really really big country, and-”

“Of course it’s big. Who doesn’t know that?” Kai commented under his breath and kept his eyes down on his phone as he mumbled.

“Ay hyung! Stop interrupting noona.” Jongkook shot his brother a look as everyone laughed except for Kai who immediately messed his brother’s hair.

 chapter 2 for you guys :) pls upvote, subscribe and comment for more, thank you for reading. hope its okay so far!~ 

xx

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