She could be blind, but she used to it anyway. She could be anything, but she wasn’t. She’s still here, being Park Gyuri the entertainment world loved, facing too many camera flashes that she thought it could be blinding her. They were never exhausted, like hungry predators inspecting their only prey—herself.

“So, who is she? The late Mr. Wang’s fiancée?”

“What is your relationship with her?”

“Some say you two are sisters?”

Words, questions, curiosity; Gyuri wondered if someday they all took her to death, like how that monstrous truck took the kindest soul away from this world. Yes, Gyuri was still bitter about Jackson’s death, and so did everybody.

He was such an angel (is that why he should watch her over from nirvana?).

“If you hate the noise so much, pick up your phone.” Her manager—Han Seungyeon—who walked by her side after the press conference snapped her dazed thought. Gyuri was clueless for a while before realizing her phone was ringing (loudly) and some staffs they passed by seemed bothered by it.

“Hello?”

“Come to the basement. I’ll drive you home.”

She was tired (always) and didn’t want another series of heated debate between them, as Gyuri turned her head to the manager.

“I’m going home.”

Home.

Yoon Doojoon suddenly became her home. Maybe it’s because of his firm voice that left no space for argument, or her weak heart that needed someone special to mend it, or it’s because fate had decided to make him her home.

Whatever it was, once her eyes caught his tall figure wrapped nicely in a long coat—standing still beside the black shiny car, Gyuri couldn’t control her stride’s speed as in no time she’s already in his embrace.

So warm. So secured. So homy.

It’s when he squeezed her a bit then she realized—she’s too eager to meet him. A shade of pink deliciously painted her face as she slowly forced her body to be separated from his.

Doojoon held her still, both of his hands on her shoulders. He coughed.

“You’re nothing but skin and bone.” His deep, husky voice filled the empty basement. He gave a light squeeze on her shoulder. “Let’s fatten you up.”

__

Doojoon drove his car quite far but Gyuri didn’t have energy left to put up her guard. She slept soundly beside him and missed a sincere smile that hung onto his lips for quite a while. When she’s awake, a familiar restaurant’s name was on her sight. She didn’t casually acknowledge that as her favorite restaurant, but their sashimi was definitely the best. Gyuri was craving beef too, but living as an actress needed some sacrifice—and she’s still fine with that.

What wasn’t fine was, how come he knew her favoritism toward this place? Once again, behold of Yoon Doojoon’s magic, people.

“I think you like how they serve the sashimi here? Why didn’t you eat?”

Gyuri didn’t even know she’s still in dazed zone. She looked up and made a scowl face, staring back at Doojoon.

“You think?” She pouted, unconscious about how adorable she looked that way. She caught his shocked expression slightly before his face was back to his usual collected self. “You must have taken ages to research about what you think I might like.” She sneered then took her own chopsticks, without looking back at him anymore.

However his reply got her return her attention to him.

“You can say it like that.” The way Doojoon carelessly threw those words gave some strange feeling that could make her stomach flip in such pleasant way. It’s like he really had studied her—for a long time—to know her even better than her own self.

Gyuri’s right hand quickly reached a glass of water before the fillet stayed stuck in and forced her to choke, upon realizing oh my God, did I really think like that?!

“Careful.” Doojoon looked worried, while Gyuri scolded him mentally. I should be in front of you. Really.

For the rest of the lunch they kept the silence between them, it felt comforting and without knowing Gyuri finished almost for two served people lunch. Thus resulting in unnecessary worry as she fussed so much on the car about gaining weight if she fell asleep right with the full stomach.

“Talk to me.” She demanded, fighting off the yawn as fidgeting in her seat. “Or I’ll get sleepy then bloated face later isn’t quite charming.” She added through murmur.

Doojoon furrowed one eyebrow, eyeing the girl in question but Gyuri missed his glance. She’s too busy making movement in order to stay awake during the ride.

“Just sleep.” He said softly. “Who cares about bloated face anyway?”

“Well, people who always watch over me? My manager? The director? The filming staff? You?”

“If you’re worried about me will worry about you gaining weight, then you shouldn’t worry, Gyuri-ah.”

Her brain might be already too lazy to process what he meant, but Gyuri still blushed anyway. She let out an annoyed sigh to mask her sudden increasing heartbeat. “Yeah, yeah,” She said nonchalantly. Of course. “Keep talking to me, please.”

Doojoon smirked. “Well, I can’t. I need to focus on my driving.”

“Yoon Doojoon, you are an .” Gyuri gritted her teeth, mumbling the words under her breath. But apparently the one behind the wheel could perfectly hear her as he began laughing.

It’s a rare phenomenon for strict Yoon to let people see his carefree laughter. Gyuri tempted to snap a picture of him, but remembering how easily Doojoon made conclusion on his own, she decided not to.

“Fine,” He told her when the laughter stopped. “I think Café Terrior can be back to normal no more than three days, but last time I visited Youngji said she would open it the following week.”

“Yeah, she texted me not to worry because the reporters didn’t come as frequent as before.” She replied, making a mental note to visit her sister later.

She’s thankful to Doojoon, really. The man didn’t just take care of herself but also her step sibling. He’s the one who was capable of many thing and lately Gyuri was afraid of his other capability to make her fall for him.

The silence followed the remaining time of the ride as Park Gyuri had been asleep despite her resistance, and left Yoon Doojoon to pull off the car. He took his long coat from the backseat and gently covered her body with it. He resumed the ride while humming soft tune.

It became the most comforting lullaby she heard in her dream.

__

Something left for Gyuri to feel like Wang Jackson was still there (by her side) was her lovely step sister, Heo Youngji. Whenever she visited the café and found the younger girl beaming a bright smile at her, an image of Jackson with his friendly smile automatically came up. And she automatically let her warm smile out too, a rush of old feeling surrounded her in instant.

But then she woke up and saw it’s Heo Youngji who stood there—her figure came clearer as Jackson’s image slowly faded in the background. Gyuri lost her breath for a short moment, tears pricked her eyes forcing her to bawl.

It became repetitive; how they exchanged the same smile every time they saw each other, then suddenly Gyuri’s face turned sour, smile’s gone, before she replaced it with her forced smile. They would stand facing each other awkwardly for a short moment before Gyuri could pull herself together and brought herself to hug her sister.

It’s hard to erase that particular ghost, apparently (at least not to feel suffocated when she realized he wasn’t there with her anymore).

“It’s a new month.” Gyuri stated the obvious, since the first week of March already welcomed them. Youngji nodded with smile still plastered on her face, but the dead light in her eyes couldn’t fool her older sister. Gyuri took her hands and gave them a light squeeze.

We can go through this together.

Gyuri almost jumped from her spot and screamed her lung out when suddenly a pair of cold hands landed on both of her shoulders, only to find Yoon Doojoon came in and joined the two sisters in the café. Youngji stretched out her lips, grinning teasingly while Gyuri still busily glared at the intruder who could walk in without a single sound.

“What?” He furrowed his eyebrows to demand explanation, which Gyuri gladly gave him through her glare and scoff while freeing herself from his grasp.

Good morning, Doojoon oppa. Youngji bowed.

Good morning, Youngji-ya.

Standing still on her spot, Gyuri watched the two sent each other greeting, stunned at how Doojoon’s attempt to converse with Youngji with hand language. At that moment, her heartbeat quickened again and in the same time a warm feeling filled in her heart all at once.

But she hated that feeling.