Jaerim and Soeun are not the type to talk every hour, or even every day, but the first time they don’t talk for more than a week was not on purpose; between photo shoots, filming, and interviews, they didn’t really have the time. The lack of contact surprised her though and left her feeling a little, just a little, disappointed—Valentines’ day had passed.

It’s not like she was planning on doing something grand for him, maybe for his birthday instead, but that’s in two days and she still hasn’t heard from him; and no, she won’t contact him first, she’s feeling a tiny bit vindictive on top of everything.

-

“You look busy. Staring at your phone, that is.”

Kangjun shows up in the company café, after his rehearsal with 5urprise, watching Soeun as she stares at her phone, unmoving.

“You know, I doubt you even noticed that I’ve been sitting next to you for the past—“ taking a sip of his Americano while checking his watch, “hmm, five minutes or so.”

“I did, you were noisy as ever,” Soeun replies, punching him in the arm for that jibe.

Laughing at her, Kangjun in a teasing manner, asks, “Are you waiting for a message? From who? Jaerim-hyung? Speaking of, did you poison him with handmade chocolates for Valentines’ day?”

“No. Although that does sound promising,” standing up, Soeun gets ready to leave the café, “I’ll catch up with you some other time, Kangjun, bye.”

-

She’d bake him a cake but, honestly, her cooking skills are limited to grilling, frying and acceptable-because-Jaerim-adores-her kimchi jjigae. So, Soeun’s not entirely confident that she’d be able to make one that doesn’t put him in the hospital.

Instead, she plans: Jaerim-oppa’s Birthday. Soeun plans little things that she can do for Jaerim when they film WGM the day after his actual birthday. A gift, obviously, cake and seaweed soup, because really, it’s not a birthday if he doesn’t have those, and maybe something extra—a kiss? Just on the cheek, probably, the poor guy might have a heart attack if she gives him a peck on the lips.

-

There is no bakery or specialty cake shop around. What am I gonna do?

Soeun sneakily ambles along the supermarket aisles grabbing strawberries, yogurt, choco pie, and candles for a makeshift cake, hoping that Jaerim would at least appreciate the effort—oh who is she kidding, of course he would appreciate it, it’s from her.

“Oppa, go grab the vegetables that we need for the stew,” Soeun orders, making sure that Jaerim isn’t looking when she grabs the seaweed for the soup.

“Soeun-ah, do you think this much is enough?” Jaerim turns to look at her all wide-eyed and wanting to know her opinion about the onions, leeks, and whatever else it is that he’s holding.

“That should be okay, I guess. Nampyeon, let’s pass by the meat section.”

-

“Thank you. You know you didn’t have to do all,” waving his hands over the table, “this. A greeting from you was all I wanted, jagi. Still, thank you so much. Especially for the boots, they’re perfect.”

“It’s no big deal, oppa. Birthdays should be celebrated, especially by ajusshis like you,” Soeun teases, laughing at her own joke.

-

She wussed out. There is still one thing uncrossed on her list—the kiss, on the cheek, that is. Soeun figures, it’s time to bite the bullet, not that kissing Jaerim (on the cheek!) is any hardship.

Hearing the announcement, Soeun faces Jaerim, “Oppa, that’s my flight, I have a schedule in Busan. You’re heading back to Seoul, right?”

“Yeah, I am. I’ll call you some time, don’t miss me too much,” Jaerim laughingly replies.

“As if. Bye, I’ll see you next filming,” Soeun, hesitating a little, leans toward Jaerim and kisses him on the cheek, by the corner of his lips, and runs off towards her gate.

-

Weird. Soeun feels weird, well not really, just weirder than usual, and not in a bad way, but in the butterflies-in-my-stomach-but-heavier type of way.

The butterflies are nothing new, they are always present, after all, he does the sweetest and, admittedly, cheesiest things for her all the time. Really, the only thing different is the heaviness that she feels deep in her, maybe because of the kiss? Or maybe, because it’s only been five minutes and she already misses him. A little.