“Aigoo, why didn’t you tell me that you is bringing him home?” Mrs. Lee hits Jihyo’s arms softly and laughs. “Here, I had bought something for you.” Gary says as he gives Mrs Lee the plastic bags. “Aigoo why do you troubles yourself? Let’s get inside son.” Mrs. Lee says to Gary and pulls him inside the house. “Yeobo! Look who is here. Yeobo! Make yourself at home, son.” Mrs. Lee says as she makes her way to the living rooms.

                “Why does uncle comes home early today?” Jihyo asks as she know that Mr. Lee always comes home late because he wants to make sure that all the things at his furniture factory is done. She signals to Gary to sits at the living room. "He had stomach ache this morning that way he’s home early.” Mrs Lee says. Jihyo nods and heads to her room.

                Mr. Lee comes out from his room and walks to the living room. Gary stands as he sees Mr. Lee and bows. “Annyeonghaesayo. I’m Kang Gary.” Gary says and reaches out his hand. Mr Lee shakes his hand and nods. “Ohh, Kang Gary, Jihyo namjachi..” Mr Lee couldn’t finish his word when Jihyo cover his mouth.

                “Eyy, uncle what are you talking about? I had told you right?” Jihyo says and ties her hair into ponytail. She walks to the kitchen and approaches her aunt. “Eyy, why are you here? You had never wants to come to the kitchen when I’m cooking. You always find a hundred, no, a million excuses to not helping me at the kitchen.” Mrs. Lee says as she feels it is weird to see Jihyo comes to the kitchen.

                Jihyo glares at her aunt and her uncle laughs at her. She turns to look at her uncle and see that Gary is smiling at her. Her heart skips a beat when she meets his eyes. “Aunt, why do you say that?” Jihyo says to Mrs. Lee almost at her whisper voice.

                “Just talk normally, you uncle had took him to the garden.” Mrs. Lee says to Jihyo and Jihyo turns once again to make sure that the living room is empty. “Aunty, you shouldn’t talks about me like that? I’m embarrassed.” Jihyo takes a knife and start cutting the vegetables.

 “Why shouldn’t I? He is just your sunbae right? Nothing more than that, so why do you need to be embarrassed?” Mrs. Lee smiles and looks at her niece. She actually knows what’s Jihyo feels. “I’m home!” Kwangsoo says as he enters the house.

“Omma, isn’t Gary’s hyung car park outside?” Kwangsoo asks as he walks to the kitchen. “It is Gary’s, Kwangsoo. He’ll dinner with us.” Mrs Lee smiles at his son. “Chincha! Whoaa! Where is him?” Kwangsoo asks as his head keeps on turn to the left and right, looking for Gary.

“He’s with uncle at the garden.” Jihyo says. “Oooh, noona, you was there? Why do you suddenly help omma at the kitchen?” Kwangsoo says and covers his mouth, smiling to Jihyo. “Do you want to get a hit?” Jihyo says and fists her hand. Mrs. Lee smiles, looks at their childish side.

***

“Ohh, you have a beautiful garden. It matches perfectly with your landscape.” Gary says as they walk to the garden. It just a small garden with a swing and tea table. “Thank you, son.” Mr. Lee says to Gary. They sit at the tea table breath in the fresh air.

“How long have you knows uri Jihyo?” Mr. Lee breaks the silent. “It is not that long Mr. Lee. There an accident that met us together and at some point, we get to each other. Then, we becomes friend.” Gary answers Mr Lee question and sit straight. “You don’t need to call me Mr, just call me uncle.” Mr Lee says and smiles at Gary. He starts to ask Gary about his family and background. From the conversation, he feels that Gary is a humble and kind boy.

“Appa, annyeonghaesayo.” Kwangsoo bows to Mr Lee he then bows to Gary. “Hyung, annyeong.” “Ohh, Kwangsoo-ah, you had arrived?” Mr. Lee asks Kwangsoo. “Nae appa. Omma calls you.” Kwangsoo tells his father. Mr Lee gets up and walks into the house.

“Hyung, why do you come to our house?” Kwangsoo start his ‘investigation’. “Why? Can’t I?” Gary asks Kwangsoo instead answers his question. “Ani, of course you can. I like having you around.” Kwangsoo says to Gary as he really loves having Gary at his house. “Hyung, do you like uri noona?” Kwangsoo says in a serious tone. Gary was about to answer when Jihyo comes.

“Come, dinner is ready.” Jihyo says and walks to the dining room.

Gary sits beside Jihyo at the dining table. Mr and Mrs Lee keep on add the foods to Gary plate. “Aunt, stop adding the food to sunbae plate. You gonna make his stomach burst.” Jihyo complain at Mr and Mrs. Lee.

“Aigoo, it is ok isn’t son?” Mrs. Lee asks Gary, Gary nods at Mrs. Lee. “It makes me feels like at home.” Gary says and he suddenly misses his parent. Jihyo remembers about Gary’s dream that he said that he misses his omma.

“It’s good then. Eat a lot son.” Mr Lee says to Gary. “Appa, I’m your son too.” Kwangsoo complains at Mr Lee. They laugh at Kwangsoo for sulking. Kwangsoo suddenly stands up and runs to his room. He comes back to the dining table holding a polaroid. “noona, hyung smile.” Gary and Jihyo looks at Kwangsoo. Gary puts his hand around Jihyo’s shoulder and her eyes open widely and Kwangsoo takes the picture.

“Hahahahah! Noona’s face is so funny.” Kwangsoo laughs at their picture. Gary looks at the picture. “She’s cute.” Gary says and they laugh. Someone cannot swallow the food in the way it suppose to be.

***

Gary takes a long shower after arrived home. He smiles when he thought of what Mr and Mrs. Lee say when they send him out.

“Don’t feel shy to come again son. We love having you around.” Mrs Lee says and pats his shoulder softly. “Feel free to come son.” Mr Lee says and Gary nods at them. “Hyung, make sure you come again, when you come only we can see noona at the kitch..” Jihyo hits Kwangsoo’s head.

“Noona, it is hurt.” Kwangsoo complains to Jihyo. Gary laughs at them and he feels like they have know each other for a long time. “Then I’ll take my leave.” Gary bows at them and steps into his car. He waves before drives away.

He reaches for his white T-shirt and short pants. He reaches for his phone and dials Jihyo’s number. He wipes his wet hair, waiting for the call to be answer. “Oo sunbae. Wae?” Jihyo answers the call. She is laying on her bed.

“Wae? It is a routine for me to call you every night yet you still asks me why I call?” Gary complains at Jihyo. “Ani, it just, you just come back from uri house, the whole day I spend with you. The only I didn’t spend with you is when I go to the class. Other than that, all with you, is there anything else that I need to tell you?” Jihyo says, but Gary didn’t says anything.

“Sunbae?” Jihyo calls his name. “Thank you Jihyo-ah, you make me feels like I’m with my own family. It had been so long that I eat with my family. If I not mistaken, last summer was the last time we eat together.” Gary says with his husky voice.

“Ooh, chincha? Why? Are your relationship not in good term?” Jihyo asks with her concern voice. She is hugging close her teddy trying to comfort herself. “We’re in good relationship, It just they stay in Canada, so, I have to fly to Canada if I want to meet them.”

“Why are they in Canada?” “For some business. At first, it just for a couple of months then the business become stable and my father choose to stay.” “Why didn’t you follow them sunbae? Stay at Canada?” Jihyo heart feels hurt after the question. “I like uri country more. If I go I’ll never meet you Jihyo-ah.” Jihyo’s heart skips a beat when she hears Gary’s confession.

“A crazy girl that break the window panel just to safe her cousin.” “Sunbae. You shouldn’t calls a girl as a crazy girl.” Jihyo is upset when Gary calls her crazy.

“Nae, I got it ahjumma. Sleep tight, good night.” Gary ends the call.

***

‘Sunbae, odiyo? I haad arrived at your class.’ Jihyo sends the message to Gary. After a few minutes waiting for Gary’s reply, Jihyo decides to start clean the class.

The door open and a there is someone claps hands. It is Gary. “What a good slave I have here.” Gary says and enters the class. He sits on the table and observes Jihyo doing the cleaning. Jihyo feels like someone is staring at her that make she stops from sweeping the floor.

Gary’s eyes travel at her body. “You know what..” “Yah! Sunbae!” Jihyo holds up the broom. “What? I just thought of buying you a drink. What are you thinking?” Gary jumps off from the table and pinches her cheek softly.

“What wrong with that sunbae?” Jihyo says then continue to clean the class. Gary comes back to the class right after Jihyo finish cleans the class. “Here, it’s on me.” Gary hands her a can of coke. “Don’t worry, I didn’t shake it, it will not burst.” Jihyo takes the drinks and opens it. But, the water burst.

“Sunbae! How could you?” Jihyo wipes the water with her hands and whining at Gary. She doesn’t know where she finds the braveness to whine at Gary. Gary laughs and takes a towel from his bag. “Aigoo, jihyo-ah. I’m sorry, you look funny. Mianhe Jihyo-ah.” Gary says and pulls her chin up to face him. Jihyo lets him to wipe her face, she likes to be pamper by Gary.

“It leaves a week more, sunbae.” Jihyo suddenly says with a low voice. “What a week?” Gary asks, as if he doesn’t know anything. “My time to be your slave, then, I’ll be free.” Jihyo says and Gary stops from wiping her face. Jihyo opens her eyes and looks at Gary. He gets his bag and walks away.

“You must like it so much to stop from being my slave right? Good then.” Gary says before he gets out from the class and leaves Jihyo alone.