Days passed and things seemed to go alright. Appa was continuing to stay well and at home.

 Even though Taeyeon still wasn’t back at work she was feeling much better and was steadily gaining weight. You still weren’t sure if Yoseob had told her yet, you’d have to talk to Gikwang about it. Gikwang, your boyfriend. Since you became “official” you had gone on a few dates and spent more time together and you couldn’t help but feel like he was the perfect match for you. Yet there was a small detail always bugging your relationship…

“~~~~~-ah!” Jonghyun said with a wide smile. You smiled back and waved at him.

“I’ll be right there.” Lately you had started to feel real comfortable during these, almost daily, meetings with Jonghyun. Sometimes he was still the conceited bastard who forced you to have dinners with him, but recently he had begun to show another side of himself. A side that was kind and caring and that you enjoyed hanging out with. This day was one of his better ones.

“How is Taeyeon? Is she getting better?” Jonghyun asked as he dug in on his meal.

“Yes, if things keep on in this rate she will be back at work next week,” you answered.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Jonghyun said with a smile. ”And your father?”

“He has been a little tired lately but otherwise he’s just fine.”

“And you?” Jonghyun gave you a warm smile.

“I’m fine,” you said.

“That was a short answer,” Jonghyun stated. How observant of him.

“I don’t have anything to add,” you said with a shrug.

“Fine. I was just trying to be nice.” Jonghyun pouted. He looked a little like Yoseob under that yellow bangs.

“You succeeded.”

“Aren’t you going to ask how I have been?” Jonghyun asked with an eager smile.

“Jonghyun, we met each other less than twenty four hours ago, how big can the difference be?”

“Much can happen in twenty four hours…” Jonghyun made a small pause. Yeah, you should know how much can happen all of a sudden… “Since you’re not asking I’m just going to tell you anyway. This morning I actually had a real conversation with the house keeper. She was in fact really nice,” he said thoughtfully. You rolled your eyes at him.

“Why wouldn’t she be nice?” There are very few people who acts unpleasant if you talk nicely to them.”

“I don’t know… I guess you’re right.” That was a first.

“I even learned her name,” Jonghyun said with a proud smile.

“Really?” You almost felt a little proud of him. Maybe you had made some impact on him…

“Yeah, and then I forgot it again.” You glared at him. “I’ll ask her again tomorrow.”

“I’m glad that you’re at least taking some interest in the people around you,” you said.

“Well, what can I say? It’s just who I am,” Jonghyun said with a charming smile.

“No, it’s not.” You glared at him. “It’s who you want to be.”

“Aren’t I doing it? Then isn’t that who I am?” Jonghyun asked in an offended tone. You sighed.

“It has to come naturally, it’s not supposed to be seen as a achievement to talk to someone.” You glanced at him. “Not even if they have less money than you.”

“I’m talking to you.” Jonghyun shrugged. You snapped your head in his direction. “I’m just saying that it comes naturally,” he said holding his hands up in front of him like a shield. You grunted. He looked at you as you kept eating your food.

“What?” you asked waving your fork a little.

“I just… Don’t laugh at me now. I can’t believe that I, the exquisite Kim Jonghyun, am going to say something that is such a cliché as this. “He looked at you with serious eyes. “You have changed me ~~~~~-ah.”

“I don’t think so,” you said slowly and slightly hesitating.

“Maybe not changed, as in past form, but… you have made me want to change. The way I am, what I’m doing with my life. I want to become more like you.”

“You don’t want to become like me, trust me, I know. Always stressed, irritable, always busy and…”

“Kind, caring and sweet. Everything you do, you do it for someone else, very unlike me… We are opposites.”

“You think too high of me.”

“According to you I also think too high of myself, and because I know that you’re wrong about that I’ll just ignore what you just said. Just take it as a compliment.” He smiled sweetly at you. At that moment you felt very bad. Was this wrong? Wrong towards Gikwang? Jonghyun was just a friend. An incredibly hot, attractive friend, but still just a friend. Right?

You followed Jonghyun out the door.

“Thank you for tonight, I had a lovely time,” he said with a smile.

“Will you be back tomorrow?” you asked.

“Tomorrow? Yes, why wouldn’t i?” He teasingly lifted an eyebrow.

“I look forward to it,” you said with an honest smile. Jonghyun didn’t return it. Instead he put on a serious face.

“Really?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” you asked with a teasing smile.

The hug came out of nowhere. You were trapped in Jonghyun’s embrace. Both of you stood absolutely still.

“This feels so good,” Jonghyun whispered and his breath tickled your ear. You couldn’t answer. Your heart was beating like a drum and your breaths got stuck in your throat.

“~~~~~?”