“Oh, you’re home?” Jaehyun asked casually as he stood. He really does like surprises. He did not even call Jangmi to let her know that he’s coming home. She stood there like a pole.

“Are you just going to stand there? Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?” he added before walking towards her. He took the bag from her hand. “Why are you home?” Jangmi questioned before following her brother inside their house. Jaehyun placed the bag on the couch before looking at her.

“Am I not allowed to come home?” he asked in a joking tone. She made a face before fishing her phone from her pocket. “There’s a reason why phones were made. Why did you not even call?” she asked and Jaehyun just shrugged.

“There’s no need to call. It’s not like you moved to another house for me to get lost. And besides, you were on a trip,” he replied before walking back to the couch where Jeno was comfortably sitting.

“I was not in a trip. I was in an Interschool Leadership Conference and Training program,” she corrected and Jaehyun just waved his hand carelessly before sitting down.

“Still the same,” he said and Jangmi rolled her eyes at her brother. “It’s not the same,” she huffed as she walked towards her brothers. She plopped on the seat next to them before looking at the TV screen. They were playing a racing game – like always. Maybe boys bond that way.

“I heard you have a boyfriend,” Jaehyun stated and Jangmi glared at Jeno. He’s the only one who could possibly blab about that – knowing that Jeno likes Kai for her. And before she could even say anything, Jaehyun added a biting remark. “I pity that guy; your boyfriend. He doesn’t know you’re the violent type of girl,” he said casually without even laughing at it like a joke.

“What?” she asked in disbelief.

“I’m just saying the truth.”

There’s a thing with Jaehyun that Jangmi couldn’t understand. He likes pissing her off. Jangmi hurled the pillow towards him and Jaehyun glared at her before returning the pillow to her as strong as she did to him. Jeno just sighed at his immature siblings before he got caught in their pillow fight.

Jangmi has a childish side of her. And so does her brother. And with the two of them, the pillow fight would probably be messy.

Pillow fight – a perfect way to welcome Jaehyun home.

“Your brother came home?” Hyemi asked and Jangmi nodded. They were in the middle of lunch and it’s quiet – abnormally quiet. Kai’s not around. He’s absent and Jangmi wondered if he’s doing fine. The last time he called, he sounded sick.

“So did he come with your brother?”

“Who?”

Hyemi rolled her eyes at her friend’s lack of attention to whatever she was saying. “Your first love,” Hyemi replied and Jangmi sighed. “Please, stop talking about him. I already moved on, okay?” Jangmi pleaded.

“You’re not answering my question.”

Jangmi sighed again and looked at her friend. “No, he did not come. He’s still in Japan.”

Hyemi slowly nodded before coming up with another question. “When you said moved on, you meant you don’t have any feelings for him anymore?”

Jangmi let go of her chopsticks. She felt like she’s going to have indigestion with Hyemi asking things like that. “If that’s what moving on means then yes,” she replied. Her friend smiled. “So that means Kai has a chance?” Hyemi asked.

“What?”

“Does Kai have chance? Did you two make a development while you’re in that trip?”

“It’s not a trip. It’s an Interschool Leadership-”

“Yeah, save it. So, any developments?” Hyemi asked, cutting her. She was expecting a very good answer and that’s basing from the twinkling of her eyes as she leaned forward.

“I guess so. I called him a friend,” Jangmi answered and her friend froze. “A friend? That’s it?” Hyemi asked, visibly disappointed. Jangmi nodded. The former shook her head before folding her arms in front of her chest. “What are you expecting me to say?” Jangmi asked, totally clueless.

“I was expecting some kind of revelation that you like him too,” Hyemi replied and that made Jangmi cough up.

“What?”

“The guy’s been so persistent. He’s a good guy.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s a persistent and good guy but I don’t feel any romantic feelings for him,” Jangmi said in defense. That even made Hyemi roll her eyes. “So you never felt your heart skip a beat while you’re with him? You never felt your cheeks flush whenever he makes a statement? Those little things?” Hyemi asked and Jangmi thought for a moment.

“Well, I might’ve felt those things here and there but those were because of his weird pick-up lines and his close proximity which I find intrusive. I have my personal bubble space and he’s always aggressively welcoming himself to it,” Jangmi replied. He sounded defensive and Hyemi chuckled.

“You like him,” Hyemi stated. Jangmi stared at her and blinked. She shrugged. “Yeah, I like him as a friend. He’s comfortable to be with despite his behavior,” Jangmi said while nodding.

Hyemi had a satisfied and motherly smile on her face while looking at Jangmi. She leaned forward and held her friend’s hand. “Jangmi, I’m so happy for you,” she said and Jangmi’s brows bristled in confusion.

She didn’t like how Hyemi said that. She was like saying something else. Weird.

Jangmi didn’t know why but she was standing in front of Kai’s house – his grandma’s house to be precise. She sighed and looked at the handouts that she was holding. No, she knows why she’s there but she couldn’t understand how she was convinced, more of forced, by Teacher Choi to bring Kai those handouts. Sure, Kai missed the classes but he can just copy from their classmates when he comes back but Teacher Choi insisted. He said it’s a part of being a class president and being neighbors.

“Oh, Jangmi? What brought you here?”

She lifted her face and saw Kai’s grandma coming out. She smiled and stood straight. She showed the handouts to the old lady. “I came to give Kai his handouts,” she replied and the old lady smiled back at her.

“Jongin’s in his room. He’s been there for the whole day and I barely saw him eating. You can go upstairs and give him that,” the old lady said.

Jangmi was expecting the old lady to give the handouts to him; not her giving it to him. “Umm, I was hoping for you to give it to him since I need to go back – if that’s okay with you,” Jangmi said. The old lady smiled at her. “I’m sorry dear but I have somewhere to go too and I need to go now. You can just put it inside. You can check on him too if you want to,” the old lady said and Jangmi had no choice.

She knew better than disrespect her elders. Jangmi nodded and the old lady hailed a taxi, leaving her there. She sighed to herself. If her visit was done before what Hyemi just said to her, it would’ve been okay but after what Hyemi blabbed about – that she likes him too, it’s hard to keep her head straight.

What if Hyemi’s right?

Jangmi shook her head. It’s not the time to think about such things. She pushed the gate and she walked straight inside. Now that she noticed, there were some changes in the paintings on the wall. Some pictures were added and if she could take a guess, Kai was the little boy who was holding a trophy in one of the pictures. She stared at it for some time.

Why does he look familiar? Did I meet him when I was a kid? She asked herself but quickly shook those thoughts off. She’s there for another reason – to give the handouts – and not for a house tour.

Recalling that the old lady said that he’s upstairs, she walked up the stairs and stopped when she came to the second floor. She didn’t know what room he’s in. Lucky enough she heard someone coughing up. She followed where that came from and she knocked on the door.

“Come in,” came the reply. It’s a positive. Kai’s inside and he sounded like he caught a cold. She opened the door, expecting to see him covered up by his blanket but there he was, sitting on his bed, his head covered by the blanket while playing a racing game by himself. There must be something about racing games that makes them so addicted to it.

“You look mighty fine to me,” she commented and he quickly looked at her. He looked shocked. “What are you doing here?” he asked. She held the handouts and showed them to him. There was suddenly a crashing sound coming from the screen. His car just crashed and he’s out of the game.

She looked around. His room’s not even near Jaehyun’s messy room when he’s home. It’s rather neat and organized. Trophies were organized in a shelf. Books were also stacked in order. His desk looked decent. She looked back at him and she bit her tongue from saying a sarcastic remark but she did anyway. “Great taste in clothes,” she commented before grinning.

Opposite his clothes when he’s out of the house, he looked rather cute in his current outfit. Kai sighed before laughing. He pulled the blanket off his head and wrapped it around his shoulders. He was wearing a Mickey Mouse red blue sweater, plain black jogging pants and polka dots socks. He only needed a ribbon as headband and he’d be perfect to go to an amusement park.

“Grandma insisted that I should wear these to keep warm. My other clothes were still in the laundry,” he replied before setting console before him.

“Those suit you very well,” she added, walking towards him. Kai started coughing up again. He grabbed his glass of water and downed it. She noticed the medicine on his side table. “I’m sorry,” she said and Kai looked at her.

“For what?”

“You probably got sick because you were out on the rain for a long time,” she replied pertaining to the rescue. Kai smiled. “No need to apologize. It’s actually okay to get sick now and then. I get some time to play and rest,” he commented.

Jangmi kept quiet. “Hey, if it’s bothering you, you can make up for it,” he said.

“How?”

“I suddenly felt hungry so I…I want to eat,” he said before smiling at her. Impossible. No. Jangmi’s not going to cook.

Whatever.

She found herself stirring and serving a hot bowl o