A simple 4-word message that even a young kid can understand. But as for Soojin, it was the other way around. She was staring at the text, having hard time absorbing the message. She re-read and re-read until she can finally understand the message, but failed to grasp its message.

"What does he mean by his text message?" Her thought.

She started hitting letters but the message isn’t for Hoseok, but for Harin.

Soojin: Hariiiin!! OMGEEEE! What is this?! What to do? Omgee omgeee omgeeee >.<

The anxiety, confusion in her message was exploding but her face remained calm. Until Taehyung called her from the door. “Noona?’

Soojin’s heart jumped. “You scared me! Why?”

“You’re weird. Did Hoseok hyung say something?” Taehyung smirked and wriggled his eyebrows. “By the way, mommy asked me to buy some detergent soap and bread for tomorrow’s breakfast. May you please buy it for me since you are still outside the door.” Taehyung brought his puppy eyes closer to his older sister.

“We are just inches far from each other. Go and buy it for yourself,” she said.

“Please my lovely noona! My noona is so pretty, smart, y, kind, and uhm… ah that’s why Hoseok hyung –“

Soojin did not let him finish his blabbering. “Fine! I’ll buy everything now. Just stop bringing that horse here. Daddy might hear you!!!”

“Thanks!” Taehyung said. He really knows her sister from head to toe. He knows how to make her follow him. “Ah~ noona, don’t forget my jjajangmyeon and cola! If no jjajangmyeon –“

“Okay okay! Burger if no jjajangmyeon. No burger, then chips.”

Taehyung nodded happily then did a heart sign using his hands. “Take care! I love you so much, noona! Annyeong!”

Taehyung’s sweetness toward her is kind of unusual. He would usually threaten her just to get whatever he wanted. Especially now that Taehyung has the biggest blackmail which is about the work of Soojin, but Taehyung chose to be the sweetest brother now.

Soojin was following the street lights along the street. As she walks to the convenience store, her mnd was clouded by the text message of Hoseok. She didn’t reply to him as she was waiting for Harin’s advice, but it was taking forever.

The smell of mixed ramyeon, coffee and variety of food-to-go of a convenience stop greeted her. After getting all the things her mother asked, she went to the refrigerator where cans of iced coffee can be found. She grabbed a can of iced coffee. She needs this so she can think properly, or perhaps return to her normal state.

As she closed the door of the refrigerator, she almost bumped a tall guy. He was holding 3 cans of beer.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Soojin bowed.

“It’s okay,” he said. Soojin knew that sweet voice. She quickly took a glance at him and she’s right.

“Kim Seokjin!” she waved her hand but the things in her arm fell. Seokjin helped her to get them and got a basket. As she stood up, she noticed the beer again. “Beer? Again?”

Seokjin rubbed his nape and flashed a shy smile.

“it’s okay. If that’s what your body wants. It is your body anyway,” she said, putting the thing in the basket.

Seokjin put the cans back to it shelf. “You are making me feel guilty.”

She felt a couple of vibration again. Her heart was beating fast again, reminding her the text message of Hoseok. The stress of what to reply is too strong this time.

She put the coffee back, and took the beers instead. Seokjin was just watching her. “Coffee again? We’ve been smelling coffee for almost 24 hours.”

“That’s why I got these.” She lifted the basket with the cans of beer. “Let’s drink! It is too lonely to drink alone, Mr. Kim Seokjin.”

Seokjin’s eyebrows raised for two reasons. First is when she invited him to drink. Second, the way she called him using his full name. He chuckled. ‘Why do you still call me so formally?”

“Because you’re my boss?”

He smiled. “Call me comfortably.”

“Hi comfortably!” she joked.

 

They were walking to find a place to drink the beer. But Soojin took another way when she remembered Taehyung’s request.

“My brother loves four things,” Soojin raised her hand with 4 fingers. “Jjajangmyeon, burger, cola and me.”

“So are you a thing now?” Seokjin said, forcing not to smile. Soojin was dumbfounded with it.

When the jjajangmyeon was ready, they went to the coffee shop to have the drinks there.

Soojin opened a can and took a sip. “Ah~ I really don’t understand why people drink beer. It doesn’t taste good.” She said, forming a not-so amazed expression on her face.

“then why are you drinking it?”

She did not answer him. Rather, she went to the counter and observed the cake pantry. “This needs to be filled with delicious pastry.”

“Speaking of, can you really bake? I mean, are you willing to bake for me?” Seokjin was nervously waiting for her answer. It felt like he was asking a girl for a date. 

Without any doubt, Soojin quickly approved. “Although I am not so sure if you’ll like my cakes, I will try to share my baking skills here. So that... you would stop with your beer addiction.”

The tip of Seokjin’s lips was already touching the can of beer but he removed it hastily as soon as she mocked him. “I am not! It is just a stress-reliever,” he said.

“What are you stressing about?” Soojin asked. She noticed the deep sigh of Seokjin which she thought it was a sign that he doesn’t want to talk about. She regretted asking it and quickly apologized to him. “I-I’m sorry. Sometimes this mouth can’t be controlled, asking too many questions to anyone even to my boss. I –”

 “No! It’s okay,” Seokjin cut whatever she was about to say. “I actually don’t want any boundaries between us. Besides, your friends are also my friends, then I hope that makes us friends as well.”

Soojin was so speechless. She was glad about it, realy glad. But the Seokjin she knew is the one who was rude to her.

“Uhm…” Seokjin broke the silence as he felt some awkwardness. “the stress.. yes! My father is the real owner of this coffee shop. He was the one who funded this at first that’s why I owe him so much.”

He was swirling the can of beer as he told the story. He took a sip as he continues, “But he gave me deadline for that and I think it is very impossible to meet the deadline. If I can’t, then this coffee shop will be put down and I will get a master’s degree abroad so that I can grant my father’s wish to have an Electrical Engineer son.”

He faked a smile trying to cover the agony but it was written all over his face. He never liked the idea of studying an electrical degree and worse is that it is abroad. But he was already hopeless that he can pay his father. That’s why faking a smile is a better option than sulking. However, Soojin can feel the agony from his smile. She somehow knows what he’s feeling, doing something that they don’t really like and just for the sake of going on with life.

“Don’t worry! We still have time to work for it. I got your back!” Soojin tried to cheer him up. She put her fist high for a “fighting” sign.

His smile turned genuine. “I know a person who is as positive as you.” He said.

“Who?”

“Hoseok. Is that why you are dating him?”

Soojin wasn’t sure of what to say. Sure, Hoseok is nice, funny, and a ray of sunshine. She enjoyed all the time they were together. She even felt comfortable by his stares. He would totally be a good boyfriend, or a pefect boyfriend for her. But, Hoseok isn’t her boyfriend. Lying is the least thing she wanted to do. And this whole Hoseok-relationship thing is a lie.

Seokjin cleared his throat as he felt the uneasiness of Soojin who was looking at the floor.

“I know,” he said. Soojin instantly turned to him. “I know that you and Hoseok are not really dating.”

“u-u-uh … h-how-“ Soojin was stuttering crazily. She wasn’t sure what to say. She was just really speechless.

Seokjin laughed from the adorableness of her stuttering. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I will not tell it anyone until you two will admit it to us, if you will admit it.”

“Waaah~” Soojin covered her face in embarrassment. “Sorry! I’m really sorry for lying. But we will really admit but…”

Seokjin removed Sooin’s hands from her face. Soojin was looking as she was still embarrassed. He pulled her chin to face him. She was welcomed with a smile Seokjin.

“Why apologize to me? There’s no need for that! You should apologize to Yoongi and Taehyung though.”

“I know,” she was disheartened upon realizing that she had been lying too much to her brother. But her eyes suddenly looked deeply into Seokjin’s “but how did you know? Did that horse –“

“No. You two are too obvious,” he ruffled Soojin’s hair as he stood up. Suddenly, an unusual growling of stomach was heard. Soojin tried to keep herself relaxed and not to laugh but another growl was heard.

“You are drinking beer in an empty stomach? That’s not good!” she said. She paused when another growl was heard, and this wasn’t from Seokjin. It was Soojin’s stomach.

“Whose stomach is talking now?” Seokjin teased. He was laughing really hard that sounded like the wiper of a car. Soojin offered the jjajangmyeon that they bought for Taehyung. “How about your brother?”

“He’s probably asleep now,” Soojin was too focused in opening the jjajangmyeon. She was happily mixing the noodles. Food is her life. Same for Seokjin.

They were in the middle of munching the jjajangmyeon when the bell on the door rang. They were in synched as they turned their head to the door.

“Annyeong!” Jungkook greeted. He quickly sat to eat the noodles too. “Why you didn’t tell me that you are having party here? Is Hoseok and Namjoon hyung here?” he said while his mouth was too busy with the noodles, looking at Soojin.

“aish! This pig! That’s my jjajangmyeon!” Seokjin joked. “They are not here. It’s just the two of us here.”

“Wah! Why?” He grabbed the can of beer and drank. “Ah! Stupid!”

Seokjin and Soojin were both shocked with sudden reaction of Jungkook.

“I was with Hoseok hyung a few minutes ago.”

“Really?” Soojin stopped eating when she remembered the text message of Hoseok. She checked her phone and there’s a message from him.

Hoseok: D-2 kyaaaaaah T_T I hope you had a great time today! But I am really sorry! >.< Because of me, you lied to your brother. Sorry! I’ll make it up to you~~ whatever you like!

"Is that it? How about that 'let’s make it real’ message?” Soojin was a bit disappointed. She was expecting more. His last message was like the usual countdown and the “let’s make it real” message was nothing.

“Noona?” Jungkook tapped her shoulder. Soojin switched her attention to him, mumbling “yes?”

“Are you okay, noona? You were spacing out. Is there something wrong with you and Hoseok hyung?”

Seokjin took the can away from Jungkook’s hand. “You are watching too much IU’s drama. Let’s go now. It is getting late.”

“Soojin, where do you live?” Seokjin asked. Soojin pointed the at the street on the right. “We will walk you home.”

Soojin quickly rejected his offer. “Thanks but I live near here. There’s no need for that!” She bowed to say her goodbye.

“Bye, Noona! Good night!” Jungkook said delightedly. He walked to the opposite street but Seokjin remained.

“Uhm, Soojin,” she wasn’t far enough when Seokjin called her name. “Uhm.. I’m really really… like veryyy sorry for being rude.”

Seokjin was too shy and regretted his actions toward her before. Soojin felt the sincerity of Seokjin.

“it Is okay. I understand,” she said as she pointed to the street telling Seokjin that she would go. He nodded and waved a goodbye to her.

 

Soojin finally reached her home. All the lights were already off.

Ha after asking me to buy his precious jjajngmyeon, Taetae is already sleeping. Nice. She thought sarcastically. She went to bathroom to take a shower and change into pajamas. She was too tired to do something else. She went straight to her bed after taking shower.

Without her knowing, Taehyung sneakily went to Soojin’s room.

“I’m sorry. Noona,” he muttered, brushing her sisters hair.

“Taehyung-ah, I am too tired,” Soojin said groggily, half-asleep. She then pulled her brother to her bed and hugged him. Taehyung couldn’t escape and just fell to his sister’s trap.

They were both sleeping when her phone vibrated.

Hoseok: Let’s meet tomorrow please.