** To be posted on 2016/04/16

** Last checked: 2016/05/07  19:49

** Last checked: 2016/12/26 00:42

^^

Chapter 4: Meeting the Rowdy Brothers

(a.k.a. Introducting GOT7) - Part II

I’m back! ---- for a while. Hehe. Still doing some things and I get to have free time (and get the feels to tweak this story.)

Here's the next chapter. :) I hope that you will all like it.

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Youngji was still quite in awe with how Jackson, the ultimate wild Hong Kong former fencer, planned an impromptu dinner. She just hoped that she wouldn't feel shy or awkward around s. Well.... naaah...she's Heo Youngji: Baby KARA Project Ultimate Winner, former soccer/basketball player, competitive rollerblader, a variety progeny (as some christened her), an actress-in-training, and most of all, a part-timer in her mom's cafe. There was no other training than being amicable and cheerful (sometimes even with a massive headache or PMS-ing) to strangers who walked in and bought stuff in their cafe. Meeting six grownup boys would just be a breeze. That was what she told herself. Now, thinking about this just made her really nervous for some reason.

But did he just say properly introduce? What the hell did that mean?

"So, you're in, right?" Jackson asked imploringly. Youngji snapped out of her reverie. They were walking back to where they should get more briquettes. Youngji was carrying two empty pails that Gookju told her to return. She blinked blankly at Jackson and inclined her head to the side after a while to assess and show that she was thinking about it.

"You will go, right?" Jackson emphasized. He had his brows furrowed, looking serious and not bluff-like, and leaned his head closer to Youngji.

Youngji became flustered, a bit caught off guard with Jackson's insistence. She looked elsewhere, cleared , and uttered, "Well..." Don’t get her wrong; she was not leading him on. She was just truly caught between the anticipation to meet senior idols (by months) (Yes, she's excited because they're GOT7, friends of a friend) and the nervousness that these people were like Jackson's family, second family, and meeting them would be like indirectly asking permission to be a part of Jackson's world...using the word 'life' would be too much of a stretch, wouldn't it? she asked herself rhetorically.

Jackson was still staring and waiting for her answer. "Well.....what? Come on! Don't get all bashful on us; you're far from shy. I know you. That is not like you at all. Don't make me beg because that is seriously really not my style, dude. Nor will it happen. Ever."

Well, now that was an outright lie.

"Are you saying that I can't ever be shy around other people? Are you saying that I'm some kind of an unethical girl?!" Youngji got a bit irritated, unable to mask it from her voice. She didn't even think of making him beg, but she didn't want to let him know that she was totally apprehensive of this setup...one reason was that it could get to his or their (all GOT7 members') fans and followers. Bashers and haters would strike again. Youngji breathed deeply to calm herself.

"I didn't say that! When did I ever say anything like that?!" Jackson raised his voice defensively. He swiped his face with his bare hand (which was thankfully clean) in annoyance because really, how scared was she to be with or around guys? She was friends with a lot of guys. She probably even had more guy friends than girls...which was twistedly disturbing, so meeting friends who were like family should be a piece of cake.

"Okay...you say you're helping out in your parents’ cafe, right?" Jackson asked, grasping for straws, "I'd help out, too---" Youngji's mouth was still kind of twisted. "---for 3 days," Jackson immediately added, voice laced with panic. "No...make that a week! You can even call your mom right now to confirm it...just pl--...just come and eat with us."

Now that made Youngji's ears perk and eyes widen up. She was stunned, yet again, with how desperate Jackson sounded just then.

"Uh, you know... it would be, will be, extra fun if you're there." Jackson was scratching his head. "And besides, I kind of promised my bros that they'll meet my new same-age friend. They're kinda curious, ya know..."

That made Youngji raise an eyebrow. Curious? About her? She was about to open and tell him not to promise anything to anyone, even though they were basically Jackson's brothers, without consulting her...especially about something concerning her. However, she was cut off.

"But DO NOT think that you're that special, huh!" Jackson added with a smirk. Wang Jack was back.

That got a rise out off Youngji again. Her brows immediately met in between, and her nose could have emitted smoke if they were in a cartoon.

"YAAAAH!" The pails made loud clangs as Youngji rounded on Jackson, face painted in a frown, itching to poke this dude on his muscly, fit chest. She shook her head to clear the graphic thought out her mind. "I couldn't even comprehend the situation let alone think that you're getting this...worked up in making me meet your friends because I'm somehow infinitesimally special!" There was an unspoken "to you" that Youngji almost added to punctuate her opinion, but she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from blurting the last two words out.

Jackson was partly amused and partly mortified: amused because he got a heated reaction from an uncharacteristically speechless Youngji, and mortified because he didn't mean to sound...well, mean and insensitive. Of course, you are special, he thought, almost aghast. Very, in fact.

Jackson laughed it off (his embarrassment and joke) and tried to mollify her outrage. He could imagine steam coming out her ears. Her cheeks were puffed out and red. He’s enjoying this!

"Yah," his voice cracked; he had to clear his throat before continuing. "I didn't mean...well, I mean you are special," Jackson pacified her, and Youngji huffed, still mildly insulted, "which is why I am insisting that you join us for dinner."

Youngji glanced at his apologetic face before scoffing and rolling her eyes. The moment was getting longer than necessary. They were supposed to be helping everyone here but got distracted with this odd turn of events. Besides, they kind of both knew Youngji would give in...eventually.

"Alright..." Jackson beamed immediately after hearing the word from Youngji, and he hissed a yes, "...but just don't embarrass me or anything." Youngji had a finger wagging in front of Jackson's face.

"Who said anything about doing something embarrassing?" Jackson acted incredulous,feigning innocence. Honestly, someone would really do, and again, they both knew who that would be.

Youngji just snorted unprettily and rolled her eyes again. Grabbing the handle of the pail that she put down on the ground when she had an outburst, she continued walking back to where Dong Wook and Seho were. Jackson followed her retreating form with his eyes, smiling widely and proudly for persuading Youngji (Well, more like wearing her out) before walking again. He was whistling (poorly) to the tune of "Mamma Mia," and Youngji slowly smiled and looked back at him.

"Making our own background music?" Jackson answered an unspoken question. Youngji just laughed at him, of course mutely. She tried whistling to the tune of GOT7’s song, "A," and switching to "Stop Stop It" before she gave up entirely and gestured for him to continue whistling to "Mamma Mia."

Jackson laughed at her attempt and continued whistling happily. He successfully grabbed one pail from Youngji, who was too surprised to protest, and trudged ahead of the girl. He would definitely skip...if not for the extremely dangerous, slippery ground.

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Kang Joon just went in Jackson's stead for his turn to deliver briquettes. Dong Wook and Seho had a piece of tissue stuffed up one of their nostrils. They couldn't wear a mask because they were filming. Had to make sacrifices for vanity. Duh.

Youngji was helping arrange the briquettes and keeping count on them. So far, they were 1/3 through with the third house. And there was still no GOT7 members in sight.

Jackson kept checking his phone with his bare hand. He actually didn't have his personal phone back yet. Something to do with a promise with JYP PD-nim. The one he was using was  borrowed, well...more like forcibly taken.

[#FLASHBACK#]

When they were all going near the third house in their itinerary...

Jackson: "Please, Hyung. I am waiting for the members' reply. I need this with me. Please?!"

Noyoung: "You can just leave it wi---"

Jackson: "NO, Hyung. It'll be best for me to have it. At least for now. Just after their reply, I'll give it back. I promise."

And then, Manager Noyoung relented, raising his arms as a form of surrender as he rolled his eyes and shook his head in bemusement.

[#End of FLASHBACK#]

As mentioned, the phone was from their manager, Noyoung, who arrived at the location 10 minutes before the Roommates finished the delivery to the second house. He went by the Share House, using a JYP-issued compact car. He bumped into Youngji's managers, who brought a van, when they went to the Share House to collect some things that Youngji packed for her group's Japanese promotion. They decided to go to the location together.

Upon the arrival of Kang Joon, which prompted Jackson to check on his phone for the third time, the male idol saw three blinking notifications: all in one registered number. He immediately took off the other glove on his right hand to properly hold the phone and open the messages.

"We're almost there. Seunghoon-hyung just needs to find a parking space." The latest message was sent by Jinyoung along with a photo of the whole group.

"Hyuuuung~ ♥ Let me meet Gookju-noona~ng! ♥" This one was from Bambam, which caught Jackson's eyes. The heart emoticons did it for him. He also saw a message from Jaebum and another one from Jinyoung. He read the eomma's first. It said: "Don't be too giddy or you might pee in your pants. H