She

Excuse Me?

It’s 1.45 PM. Fifteen minutes left before the train left Seoul to Busan. Jimin took his bag from his sister’s hand. He said he should enter the station now or he won’t able to catch the train. With a sad expression, Chaeyoung said goodbye to his one and only little brother. She also told him to practice hard so that he would become a champion. Jimin nodded and told her to not worry. She waved to send him off to the entry gate.

Before he entered the gate, he suddenly remembered he forgot something. He turned back to where his sister was. Chaeyoung who saw him turned back getting worried. She was afraid he forgot to bring his ticket or something important.

“Why, what’s wrong? Do you forget something?” Chaeyoung questioned him.

“No, it’s just. I am sorry I can’t be home tomorrow. I hope you can do well on your Suneung,” Jimin felt bad because he couldn’t be with her on her special day.

Chaeyoung felt so touched but she tried to act cool. She patted Jimin’s hair and told him to not worry. When she patted him, she had to raise her arm higher. Jimin had grown a lot yet he was still a cute-baby-boy in her eyes.

“Park Jimin, what are you doing here? Won’t you come in? The train will leave soon. You are the only one who left,” someone was calling him from inside the gate. It’s Namjoon, his Captain. Jimin told him he will be there and asked Namjoon to go first. Namjoon looked at Chaeyoung and Jimin then he decided to leave them after warned Jimin to quickly go to the train.

“I should go. My Captain is scary. Anyway, are you sure you can stay at home alone?” Jimin still worried about leaving his sister.

“Don’t worry. I will be fine. Before you go, come give your big sister a warm hug!” Chaeyoung giant baby.

Jimin chuckled but he did what he told. He hugged his sister then cheered for her once again. Chaeyoung also cheered for his training. She hoped he would improve his skill so that he would be able to bring the Seoul Team to win this National High School Tournament. Unlike before, Chaeyoung now walked him to the entry gate, afraid he would turn back again. Jimin finally entered the gate and for the last time, he waved to his sister.

“Jiminna!!!” Chaeyoung called him before he walked too far from the gate. Jimin stopped and turned back again. He came closer to the entry gate to hear what his sister wanted to say.

“If your senior ordering you or other juniors to do hardcore training, you should ask Namjoon to stop it. But, if Namjoon won’t listen to you, relay my message for him,” the rumor said, sometimes the seniors like to make their junior to practice twice harder than them. Although it’s just groundless rumor, Chaeyoung still worried about it. She couldn’t let her brother go without being armed so she gave him the advice to survive.

“What message?” Jimin was curious.

“Picture. Just say that word to Namjoon and he will understand. Now, you can go. Be careful on your way there! Call me once you arrive. Bye baby!!” Chaeyoung finally could send him off at ease. Jimin still confused but he had not enough time to spend. He waved to her for the last time and then running to the train platform.

On the way from the station to her home, Chaeyoung was busy calling her parents. She informed them she just sent Jimin off and also asked them to pray for her so that she could do well on the exam. After she finished calling her parents, she called her friends, Eunha, Yerin, and Sowon. She also called Yuju to cheer for her and told her to do the best together as Yuju also take the exam. Lastly, she called Jisoo, and Lisa then sent a message to Jennie who now studying in Paris.

It’s still early. Chaeyoung decided to not go back straight to home. It’s better to relax her mind before the great-war tomorrow. She went to Apgujong. She had no thought, she just wanted to walk down this busy area. After walking for an hour she began to felt thirsty and tired. She chose one of her favorite cafés. The café was kind of crowded. Originally she wanted to spend some hours sitting and studying in this café but after seeing the crowd, she decided after buying the coffee she should go straight home and study.

She was waiting on the line while thinking about what she should buy. She had more than one favorite drink and it’s hard to choose one. When she was deep in her thought, she heard someone was calling for her name. She looked around trying to find that person. Her eyes caught some familiar faces. Im Nayeon, Kim Mingyu, Kim Taehyung, and Kim Dokyeom were sitting on the same table. She didn’t hate them, but at this time, she didn’t want to spend her time chit-chatting.

Chaeyoung’s turn finally came. After she ordered and paid, the waitress gave her buzzer and told her to wait and come take the order if the buzzer was vibrating. Chaeyoung took the buzzer then walked towards Nayeon’s table. When she walked there, her eyes met Nayeon’s eyes. At that moment, Naeyong was making a strange expression. She didn’t know what that expression means, but one thing for sure, Nayeon was asking for her help. She looked at the people on the table, what’s on the table and tried to guess what were they doing and what situation they were in.

There were two serving of crepes and drinks on the table. This means, originally, there were only two of them were there before. The other three might have arrived later. Since Nayeon was the one with the strange expression, that’s means, she was one of them. Now, it’s time to guess the other one. One girl came to the café with one boy. But, the girl was seeking for help after two other boys came. They were on the same soccer team, which had a rule to not allowing them to date. So, that means Nayeon was almost caught dating one of them. So, to help her hiding this fact, she should pretend she was originally here with her.

“So boys, say hi to the first rank in my school, Rose, no Chaeyoung, Chaeyoung say hi to them. They are my friends from the soccer team that we cheered for,” Nayeon introduce them to Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung smiled and introduced herself and shaking their hand one by one. She did that to buy some time to figure out who was that one boy. Through the tension on their hands and a look on their eyes, Chaeyoung finally knew that boy.

“Sorry, Nayeon. I think we should end this today. I have to go back because I need something urgent to do. We will continue some other day. And… I think it will be fun if all of you could join us next time,” although she seems to know the boy, she chose to be careful and use ambiguous words to address their activity and the parties involved. After she said that, the relieved expression was seen on Nayeon’s face. She smiled then excused herself to leave first.

Chaeyoung was drinking her milk tea at the bus station while looking at her surroundings. This will be perfect if she added music to this ambiance. She took her earphone out and played music from her phone. After that, she checked on the messages. Suddenly she remembered she forgot something. She sat on the bench, opened her bag, and took out some papers. She put the paper on her lap then took a picture of it. After she finished took the picture of all pages, she opened her phone gallery, choose the pictures then send it through the messenger app. Right after she sent it, her bus came.

Got off from the bus, Chaeyoung was walking at a slow pace to her home. Having no one waiting for her made her unwillingly going back home. She was walking and passing through the convenience store. Maybe it’s just because she was lazy to go out later or just her excuse to buy some time before coming home, she decided to come in. She was standing in front of the snacks shelf, scanning the snack from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner. She was thinking carefully before decided what she would buy.

The vibration from the phone was tickling. She took it out from her jeans pocket and saw the messages. She was smiling while she read it. Her attention now moved from the snack’s shelf to her phone.

“Americano. Since when you love coffee?” said someone who stood beside her. Since she wore earphones, she couldn’t hear it. But, since the sound was still heard because the source was close enough, she loosens the earphone.

“Who is he? That Americano?” Chaeyoung jumped in surprise when she heard it this time. She turned her head and saw the person who talked.

“OPPA!!! ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE IN TOKYO RIGHT NOW??!!” Chaeyoung eyes widened as she saw Jin was standing behind her.

Jin didn’t respond to her question. He was still staring at her with a suspicious glare. Chaeyoung who finally managed to calm down purposely avoid his stare. She took some of the snacks then moved to the beverages shelf and took some of it into her basket. She quickly put everything she wanted to buy and went straight to the cashier. When she was waiting for the cashier to process her purchase, she saw Jin was already waiting for her outside. She wondered since when he was getting out of the store? Once she got out, Jin told her to sit on the chair using his eyes. Chaeyoug did what his eyes told and awkwardly took a seat.

While waiting for Jin to speak, she was observing Jin’s belonging. He brought one big backpack and a cabin suitcase. His appearance also looked so neat. He might be on his way to the airport.

“Who?” Jin asked.

“Who?” Chaeyoung asked him back.

“The one who makes you all smiley while reading the messages. You looked so happy. Who is this Americano?” Jin explained his question specifically.

“It’s Jaehyun,” Chaeyoung answered shortly while opened her bag and took out her tumbler. She suddenly felt thirsty and need some water.

“So, you guys become official now since the dating ban was lifted?” Jin folded his arms and staring at Chaeyoung with a sharp stare.

“W…what?” Chaeyoung was confused at Jin’s question while wiping the water that spilled on the edge of her lips. Jin could read the confusion on Chaeyoung’s face so he told her about the news he heard from his high school soccer team’s group chat. The news said the Captain made a revolution by lifting the dating ban. It caused big chaos among the seniors. Especially the one who made that rules. But, in the end, they accept it.

“But, how do you know Jaehyun is…,”

“Of course I know. He is known as the next Kim Seokjin, the legendary handsome goalkeeper,” Jin answered proudly. Chaeyoung was looking at him in disbelief. He might be so proud of his face. Well, he deserved it though. Jin suddenly stood up and told Chaeyoung he should go. Just like what Jimin did before he left, Jin apologized for not being able to accompany her tomorrow. He cheered for her then quickly running towards the main street to catch a taxi. Chaeyoung sent him off with a smile.

Chaeyoung opened her apartment door. It’s quiet. Although she used to enter the house when no one was home, this time it felt different. Perhaps usually even if it’s empty, Chaeyoung knew they will come later so she won’t be alone. She took off her shoes and coat then went to the kitchen to wash her hands. She looked at the stove and saw a pot of Kimchi Jjigae. Jin was the best Oppa indeed. He cooked her favorite dish before he left to attend the conference.

“Drrrtt… drrrttt…,” Chaeyoung was startled at the sound of the phone’s vibration. Had to stay alone at home made her more sensitive to the sound. She quickly grabbed her phone that she put on the dinner table. Jisoo was calling.

“Chaeng, are you okay to stay alone at home? I heard Jimin went to soccer training in Busan and Jin left for a conference in Tokyo. Want me to sleepover at your place?” Jisoo sounds so worried.

“It’s okay Unnie. It’s not my first time to stay alone at home. You don’t have to come. I am fine. Really,” Chaeyoung tried to not making Jisoo be over worry.

“Glad to hear that. But, remember if you need something, just call me, okay? Right, since tomorrow is a big day for you, don’t stay up late. Eat dinner then quickly back to sleep. Don’t forget to set your alarm. Ah, right, just in case you overslept, I will call you in the morning. Don’t put your phone in silent mode, okay? Now, have a good rest. I wish everything going smoothly tomorrow. Don’t forget to pray before you are going to sleep. Bye baby!” hearing Jisoo’s messages made Chaeyoung giggling. In some way, she and Jin resembled each other. It’s such a pity they were broke up because she loved them a lot.

After eating dinner, took a warm shower, set the alarm, and put all the exam’s needs on her bag, Chaeyoung sat on her bed. She prayed so that she would do her best tomorrow. The desk in front of her was catching her attention right after she finished her prayers. Her anxiety came again. She wanted to go to her desk and study. Some parts of her told her to sleep, but some parts told her to study because she wasn’t studying enough. She stomped her feet, hesitate. Should she study for only one hour? At least it could get rid of the guilt. But, what if she ended up couldn’t sleep because she was too focused and end up lacking sleep?

“Drrrt…,” the vibration of the phone snatched Chaeyoung’s attention. Chaeyoung looked at the phone screen and saw the popped up messages. It’s from the 97’s group chat that consists of her, Lisa, and Jaehyun. She took her phone and read the message.

“My <3 Lisa: Right now, your desk might tempt you to continue to study. Just ignore it guys,”

“Americano: How d u know? It’s calling for me rite now,”

Chaeyoung was laughing. It seems like she was not the only one who struggles.

“Good night all. Have a nice dream. ZZzzzZZZ…” she sent the message. She put her phone on the desk, turned the light off, and lied down on the bed.

It’s around 2 AM while Chaeyoung woke up from her sleep. With half-closed eyes, she walked towards the bathroom to empty her bladder. She quickly went back to her bed while the sleepiness was still hanging on her eyes. She lied down and got ready to continue her sleep. Before she was fully asleep, her ears hear something. The sounds of knocking. She thought it was just her imagination and continued to sleep. Sadly, her brain couldn’t simply follow her will. Although her eyes were closed, her mind and ears were in normal mode.

“Knock knock knock…,” the sounds vaguely heard. As her consciousness slowly returned, the sounds were getting clearer. She couldn’t ignore it again. She sat down and opened her eyes. She wondered, who was the one who knocked in the middle of the night? Her heart was beating so fast. She was freaking scared but she refused to ignore the sound. Slowly she opened her bedroom door. The sound was clearer when she got out of the bedroom. Now, her ears could find the source of the sounds. It’s from the front door. Chaeyoung all the light and sneakily walked to the front door. She peeped through the door’s hole but she saw no one was there.

Chaeyoung waited for a few seconds and the knocking sound was stopping. Suddenly, the hair on her body was stood up. She got a chill. What if… what if… it was a ghost? Chaeyoung was trembling with her thought. She was too afraid to stand in front of the door and decided to go back to her room. Before she walked on her fifth step, she heard the knocking sounds again. This time, it was accompanied by the sound of a girl crying. Her legged got weakened that made her froze. She looked at the door again and thinking so hard. Should she check it or not? When she hesitated to decide, she heard the crying sound was getting clearer this time. With all the strength left, she braved herself and walked towards the door.

“God, please give me strength,” she prayed as she grabbed the door’s handle. She was gulping, took a deep breath then lift down the door handle, and pull it.

***

The cool winter breeze was caressing the face of the woman who just got out of the taxi. She held her cheeks with both of her palms to warm it up. It's still early winter yet she felt really cold. Maybe it was because she wasn’t used to this weather again after spending two years in a tropical country. She stood in front of the gate of the treatment center and felt nostalgic. But that nostalgic time didn’t last long as the cool breeze was blowing and made her shiver. With quick steps, she came inside the building. After asking the information on the receptionist, the woman was looking for an elevator. She pressed the third button on the elevator then went straight to the multipurpose hall as the sign that hanged on the ceiling told her.

It’s not taking long for the woman to found that place. Not only had she got help from the sign but also because of the vague memory of this place on her head. She opened the door slowly as it was unexpectedly heavy. Through the space between the door and its frame, she was peeking to make sure if she arrived at the right place. It’s relieved after she saw one of the familiar faces was there. The woman sneakingly came inside the room. She walked to the corner of the room and stood beside the boy who was taking a picture with his camera.

She took some distance from the boy so that she didn’t attract his attention.

In the room, there were kids around 5 to 10 years stood in a circle. In the middle of the circle, there was a girl with long hair dancing and singing to the children's song. The girl wasn’t alone, she had three assistants that stood outside the circle and helped the children who hardly got the dance move right. After she finished repeating the song and dance, she scanned the circle to find the kid who still confused. While she was scanning, the tail of her eyes caught something that attracted her attention. Her eyes then focused on the woman who stood in the corner. She finally figured out the woman was someone she knew. She quickly walked to her assistant and asked them to take charge for a second because she had to greet her guest.

“You come!! It’s been so long!!” the girl came and hugged the woman.

“Of course I come! Why there are only a few people here?” asked the woman who was curious since the beginning. The girl said it’s because they had to divide their job. Some were helping in the kitchen to prepare the food and some were preparing for the equipment for the next event. The woman was feeling uneasy because she just stood there and watched. She wanted to help but she didn’t know what she should do. The girl then suggested her to help bring the equipment from the storage for the next event.

“Okay, now, you should go back to the kids. It seems like your assistants can’t handle them alone. Don’t mind me. Hurry go!” the woman felt bad because she disturbed her during her job.

“Okay, okay. Haechan! Could you please show the way to the storage room to Dara unnie?” the girl still felt bad so she asked a favor to the boy who held the camera. He agreed then let the way to the storage. On their way, the woman introduced herself so that the boy won’t think she just a clueless guest. The woman also asked the boy about the current situation of this volunteer community. From the boy, she knew the community hasn’t changed except for the number of members that increase.

“Hey little boy!” someone called the boy with the camera. It’s the nurse. The nurse asked him to take some pictures for the patients. The boy looked hesitant. He looked at the woman asking for her opinion. The woman said he should help the nurse because they were here to help them. As for her, she can go alone and he only needed to tell the way. After the boy told her the way, he excused himself and left her. It’s relieved since the storage room was still in the same location since 5 years ago.

The woman was walking through the hallway passing some wards. She didn’t remember clearly but she was kept on walking following the boy’s direction. Finally, she arrived at the back of the treatment center. The storage room was most likely in here. She remembered the small fish pond and the frog statue. Although it was located in the back, the ambiance here was as great as the front side. There was a small park equipped with a wood outdoor bench and table. Sometimes, the workers had their lunch here. There were several doors and the woman didn’t know which one was the right room so she peeking through the glass window on the door. The first three doors were storage rooms but she saw no one was there. Finally, she arrived at the fourth door. She heard people were talking inside. She was peeking inside the room to make sure. It seems like she was right since she saw the girl she knew. She held the doorknob then rotated it. Once the door was opened, she could hear the girl and the boy were talking.

“Honey, you are not supposed to put it there. Look, if you do that it will lose its balance and definitely will fall!” the woman was hesitated to came in. She stood in front of the door and kept listening.

“No, look. If I put it here it won’t fall since it gets the support from the side. Beib, you should trust me this time. Okay?” this time the boy was speaking. The woman was in an awkward situation. This couple seems to have a small fight. It will be awkward if she suddenly came in.

“Are you confident? We don’t have enough time to redo it. Fine, since you are confident. Just do as you say,” from what she heard, the girl and the boy finally reached an agreement. The woman was observing them through the small glass window. She decided to come in after the boy finished built the tower made from the paper.

The boy put the last piece of paper to build the tower and the girl looked anxious. He put away his hand from the paper and walked away. They both counted to five and the tower didn’t fall. They seemed so happy and hi-fiving to celebrate their success. For the woman, it was the right time to come in. She knocked on the door and it made them looked at the door. The girl observed her before screaming and running towards her.

“DARA UNNIE!!! IT’S BEEN SO LONG!!” the girl was screaming the woman’s name then hugged her tightly. The woman’s eyes met the boy’s eyes and it made the boy bowed. The woman bowed back with her head while still hugging the girl.

“Oh, unnie, he is Jaehyun. Our new member. Jaehyun, she is Dara unnie, the founder of this community,” the girl introduced the woman and the boy once she released her hug. The woman then explained why she was coming to the storage room. The boy quickly lifted the box in the corner of the room.

“Don’t you still have something to do? I can bring it myself. It’s not heavy, right?” the woman felt bad because the boy wanted to bring the box to the multipurpose hall. She knew they still have something to finish since she eavesdropped their conversation before.

The boy insisted he supposed to bring the box but the woman quickly snatched the box from his hands then ensure them she will be okay. She wanted to help too. Before they started whining, the woman decided to left quickly. That way, they could felt less guilty and able to return to their job.

The woman was walking down the hallway with a box on her hands. She was walking with a wide smile on her face. While she was walking, someone suddenly catches her up and walking beside her.

“Oh, Josh! Oh My God! It’s been so long!” said the woman. The boy named Joshua greeted her then took away the box. Joshua was happy to see her after 5 years. He was glad because she wanted to pay a visit despite her busy schedule and a short visit.

“Anyway noona, are you that happy for coming back here so that you are smiling widely like that?” asked Joshua.

“No, that’s… I’m just so happy to see those lovebirds. It’s been so long since I saw such a lovely couple. They are so cute together. It reminds me of the old days,” said the woman.

“Lovebirds? Ah, you mean Chaeyoung and Jaehyun? Hahaha as for me, they are more like old married couples,” Joshua was laughing after hearing how she saw them.

When Joshua and Dara arrived at the multipurpose hall, the event was almost finished. They will take a lunch break before continuing with the next event. Since it’s winter and the weather was cold, they couldn’t hold an event outdoor afraid it will affect the patients’ health. They were only able to hold it in the multipurpose hall which had limited space and capacity so they divided the event into two groups. The next event will be for the kids around 11 to 15 years old. The first event finally over and the kids were left to their ward. Half of the volunteers then left the multipurpose hall and some of them were staying for clean up.

The first-event team was heading to the park together to have their lunch. Although it was cold it was still bearable for them to have lunch outdoor. When they arrived, there was already another team who waits. It’s the team that will handle the next event. They already had their break earlier than the first-event team because they had to prepare for the next event. Meanwhile, the kitchen team will come a bit later because lunchtime was the busiest time for them.

Haechan -the boy with a camera- was coming to the park with two big plastic bags on his hands. He put the plastic bags on the table then distributed the lunch boxes to the first-event team. After he finished, he took his bag and put out his laptop then began to do his job. He was responsible for the media of this community. He started to move the picture from his camera to his laptop. Once it was finished, he was selecting the picture he will use for their bulletin board.

“They are so lovely aren’t they?” said Dara who was sitting next to Haechan. She was eating her lunch while looking at the picture that displayed on Haechan’s laptop.

“Yes, they are. It’s so lovely if you see them in the picture only. Once you see them in real life, they are just a bickering machine,” Haechan response to her comment.

“Isn’t that a normal thing for a couple on their age? It’s not bickering. It’s just the lovers’ quarrel another form of love. And… I think it’s cute,” Dara was not agreed with Haechan.

“It might be cute at first, but if you see them frequently, trust me, it’s tiresome,” Haechan looked at Dara with a sad and tired face. Dara just laughed at his expression.

Before eating his lunch, Joshua, the head of this volunteer community gathered both teams to have a brief meeting. He asked the leader of the next-event team about their preparation and what could the first-event team need to help. Jaehyun, the leader was explaining that the preparation was almost complete. Not only him, but his team member also replied with their progress.

Dara who saw them working passionately although they weren’t gets paid for all these jobs was moved. She wanted to do something for those kids to appreciate their hard work. While she was thinking about what she could do to appreciate them, Joshua introduced her before the meeting ended.

“I am so grateful because you want to do and continued this community that I built with my friends. I hope your good deeds will come back to you someday. So, since I am so grateful, I would like to treat you good meal after we wrap this event,” the volunteer members were screaming in joy after they hear that good news.

There were 30 minutes left before the next event began. The next-event team was busy bringing all the equipment they need to the multipurpose hall. When they left, the first-event team that in charge of cleaned up the first event was coming to the park. Dara waved to one of the girls. The girl who realized it was Dara then running towards her.

“LISAAA IT’S BEEN SO LONG!! I MISS YOU!!” Dara hugged Lisa tightly. After a warm reunion, Lisa began to eat her lunch while having a chat with Dara. Dara told their plan to have a meal together and Lisa was so excited.

“Anyway, I think it’s too short if we only have a meal together. How about we tighten our teamwork with something more exciting like… karaoke?” Dara gave suggestions because she felt to treat them for the meal wasn’t enough.

“NO!!!” Joshua, Lisa, and Haechan were shouting to show their disagreement. It made Dara surprised.

“O…okay… So, how about bowling?” she changed the plan and carefully asked them.

“ABSOLUTELY NO!” this time, Jisoo -the girl who teach the kid- disagreed.

Since the team wasn’t looked like they agreed with this kind of activity, Dara decided to only stick to the previous plan. She then asked them what they want to eat so that she could make a reservation. They all said it’s up to her. They were fine with anything.

“Want to eat barbeque?” she asked them because she was sure no one would reject meat.

“No, Noona. I think it’s best to only eat in the restaurant or café or someplace that they cooked for us,” Jinyoung, one of Jisoo’s assistants gave an opinion that made all of them nodded in agreement.

Dara could sense there was something behind their weird reaction. She was curious so she asked them about it. Nobody was talking and it made Dara even more curious. She asked them again then looking at their eyes one by one so that she could make them speak. All the eyes then moved to Joshua. Joshua was flustered and refused to do it but they force them to speak since he was the head of this community. Although it had nothing to do with his title he gave up and began to tell the behind story.

First, Joshua relayed his apology for rejecting Dara’s offer. It’s not like they didn’t want to do it, but they just choose to not do it. That’s because they want to avoid an unwanted event. Dara was listening to Joshua’s story carefully. This sounds so interesting.

“It begins when the fire nation attack. Which around one year ago? That fire nation called Jung Jaehyun. He started a war with our air bender called Roseanne Park. We as villager are affected by their war,” Joshua started the story uniquely.

“Cut it short Joshua, the event about to begin. We should be prepared too! So, umm… What Joshua wants to say is those two are soooo competitive. They always compete with each other. Whenever, wherever. I know everyone thinks they are so lovey-dovey, but that’s not true. They are LITERALLY COMPETING,” Jisoo explained it calmly at first but slowly she raised her voice as she got more spirited.

“You might be confused, right? What do those two have to do with those activities? YES, THEY HAVE. It started when we hang out after volunteering. We went to the bowling alley. Rose and Jaehyun said it was their first time going to the bowling alley. We are playing for fun at first so did those two. But since they were getting a hang of it, they were slowly getting better. As time goes by, they were scoring more and more perfect scores. The session finally up, we decided to move to another place, but Jaehyun asked us to stay for a half-hour more. That’s his treat. Since it’s Jaehyun’s treat so we have no choice but to stay and play. It must be impolite to reject him. We were so exhausted and we end up watching them compete with each other. Do you know how long we stay on that bowling alley? FIVE HOURS. If Joshua didn’t stop them then, I don’t know how long we will stay there,” Jisoo finished the story that supposed to be told by Joshua.

“It also happened when we went to Karaoke or arcade! They won’t stop competing! And what even worse they create an evil cycle. The first cycle: If one of them kept on losing to the other: I win! No, I just let you win for once. Let’s try again. I just get the feeling. Alright, no matter how many times you try, you won’t win against me. Next cycle: if one of them finally wins over the other: I told you! No, it’s just a coincidence. Let’s have a rematch! Fine, it’s okay for me though. Then the last cycle: They will repeat the game again and again with the first and second cycle,” Lisa couldn’t stay silent and spilling more tea.

“I don’t know about Jaehyun but… Rose? Does she the type who has strong competitiveness? When we had a game back then, she was one of the people who didn’t care whether she was winning or losing,” Dara seemed to not believe what she just heard. As far she knew Chaeyoung was far from what they were describing.

“No, Unnie you were wrong. That’s the real Rose. She seems like she has no competitiveness but actually, it just sleeping. Once she finds someone who can equally compete with her or someone who without any reason be able to awaken her competitiveness from a long sleep, she won’t stop until she wins,” Lisa ensured Dara she didn’t hear it wrong.

“And, yes, they are competing with everything. Even for cooking. Once we went to a barbeque restaurant and they compete who was the best in cooking the meat. They asked us to vote. That’s why I say it’s tiresome,” this time Haechan also helps to pour the tea so it overflowing.

“If it’s tiresome for you, then what about me? Since I am of the same age as them, we sometimes hang out together. Being stuck between those two is indescribable. I feel like my life span is shortened by five years,” Lisa let out her frustration over her close friends.

Those friends were continued eating their lunch again. Dara who heard still had a hard time believing. She still thought that’s just a form of how they show their interest with each other. Joshua who saw Dara’s wondering face couldn’t help but smile. It’s understandable because everyone who saw them might think the same way as Dara.

“They are very shippable that makes you hard to believe it, right? Don’t worry Noona, you are not the only one. We were also their faithful shipper at first. But, as time goes by, we all give up. Anyway, enough with the gossip, I think you should witnessing it yourself. Let’s head to the multipurpose hall! Come on!” Joshua ended the gossip session while cleaning up the table after finished her lunch. Showing proof will be more effective than only gossiping.

The first-team was going to the multipurpose hall to help the team in charge. The more the merrier. The more the easier. The more the faster. This session was for kids around 10 to 15 years. Unlike the previous session where they were having fun dancing and singing, this session they were focused on the game that involved teamwork and creativity. The first game was guessing the drawing. One person had to draw a picture on the mini whiteboard and let the team guess it. The difficulty was hard because they should draw while holding the mini whiteboard above their head.

To make the kids understand how the game was played as well as its rule, the two mentors asked for the first team to join them demonstrated. The team consists of Jisoo and Joshua and Chaeyoung as the leader and the other team consists of Haechan and Lisa with Jaehyun as the leader. The rest of the mentors was spreading and mixed with the kids.

The game started with the classic rock-paper-scissors game to decide who was going first. Jaehyun won the game and let Chaeyoung’s team go first. They were given 2 minutes to guess as much as they can. They scored 3 questions right. Next was Jaehyun’s team turn. Unexpectedly their team was doing better than Chaeyoung’s team. They already answered 4 questions yet they still have 30 seconds left.

Chaeyoung not only watched the opponent team play. She carefully observed the way they play the game. After observing, Chaeyoung noticed there was something that didn’t seem right from the way Jaehyun drew the question. He didn’t only draw the object he supposed to draw, but he also drew something other than an object. It’s some kind of symbol, triangle, square, or circle. Most likely he drew it to show what category that object it was. Whether it was fruit, animal, or thing.

“WAIT! I think they don’t follow the rule,” Chaeyoung stopped the game before the time was ended. Everyone's attention was on her now. Jaehyun’s team looked so confused because they were stopped in the middle of the game. As the captain, Jaehyun was demanding an explanation. Chaeyoung pointed at the strange shape that not the part of the object his team should draw. In her opinion, he was cheating.

“I am not cheating. I am just using a strategy. It’s not breaking the rule,” Jaehyun was protesting because he didn’t think it was a foul play.

“It wasn’t stated on the rule, but it’s not fair. You should abide by the purpose of this game,” Chaeyoung insisted it’s not fair for her. The bicker between those two successfully drew everyone’s attention. The kids looked so confused and the other mentors looked scared. Nobody wanted to separate them. They were just quietly watching them bickering.

Dara who sat on the corner of the room suddenly came forward to the middle front. Her sense could smell a danger if they continued to bicker. She had to solve this problem

“SOOO EVERYONE!!! That’s the very first rule in this game. Do not fight with each other. Thank you Chaeyoung-ssaem and Jaehyun-ssaem for the simulation. Their acting was so good that made everyone fall for them. So, everyone please gives applause for them,” Dara had to lie about this situation because it was the only way she could think of.

After the clap was ended, Dara continued her speech. She said if they were caught fighting while playing the game, they would receive a punishment. The punishment was to sing a Barney Song. She turned her head to Chaeyoung and Jaehyun consecutively then smiled. She then looked at the kids again and said Chaeyoung and Jaehyun will demonstrate the song. They whose name got mentioned were panicked. They looked at each other and talked using their eyes.

“What is the Barney song?” Jaehyun whispered.

“I don’t know. I think that purple dinosaur’s song. You know that kids show,” Chaeyoung was unsure about her answer.

“Ah, that I love you, you love me?” Jaehyun asked her again quickly because the kids’ eyes were all on them now. Dara also pleased them to step to the middle.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Chaeyoung answered while smiling to hide her worry.

After they went to the middle, Dara gave the cue for them to start by counting on three.

I love you. You love me. We are happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won’t you say you love me too. I love you. You love me. We’re best friends like friends should be. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won’t you say you love me too.

They were singing while clapping their hands looking like kindergarten teachers. Since the kids didn’t know about the lyrics well, Dara asked one of the mentors to write it on the whiteboard so that they would sing along.

“After ssaem finished writing the lyrics, let’s we sing together to practice. Ah, right!! The punishment will be not fun if the one who got punished only singing right? Don’t worry, Chaeyoung and Jaehyun ssaem would demonstrate how to dance to this song. So, whoever fights during the game had to sing and dance with the one they fight with, Are you all agree?” Dara asked the audience and they agreed with replying excitedly.

Jaehyun and Chaeyoung’s eyes got widened. They were panic. They didn’t have any memories regarding the dance move. Chaeyoung suddenly remembered something. Maybe the previous team knew about the dance since they teach younger kids! Chaeyoung said to Dara she wanted to drink water first and Dara allowed her. In a quick move, Chaeyoung came to the corner of the stage and took a water bottle.

“What’s the dance?” Chaeyung secretly asked Lisa who stood next to the table on the corner.

“Just follow the lyrics,” Lisa answered with a whisper so that the kids won’t hear them. Chaeyoung exchanged gaze with Lisa and Lisa confidently ensure her she gave the right answer. Chaeyoung then left the table and back to her place. While she passed through Jaehyun’s back she whispered to tell him the dance move.

“What will they do?” Josh asked Lisa after Chaeyoung’s left. Back then when Chaeyoung asked Lisa, he heard Lisa’s answer. It made him curious about what will they do.

“Oh… I am curious about the kiss. Hihihihi…,” Haechan also joined them and his comment made the naughty smile bloomed on their lips. They also couldn’t wait for the show to begin.

The song was started by Chaeyoung. She made a finger heart to Jaehyun and Jaehyun also did the same for I love you and you love me lyrics. Then they made the smile gesture using both of their hands to express the lyrics of happy family.

“Here it comes! Here it comes!” Lisa was smiling while shaking her fists excitedly as the lyrics were about to come.

The couple was giving a smooch to their own hand and then did the hi-five at the “a kiss from me to you” lyric. Lisa, Haechan, and Joshua were disappointed with what they just saw.

“What are you all expecting? A kissing scene in front of those kids?” Jisoo suddenly appeared behind them and nagged. The three of them were smiling shyly. They didn’t know what kind of scene they were expecting but somehow what the couple was doing made them disappointed.

Chaeyoung and Jaehyun finished the song with a big heart above their head made from their arms. The kids were giving applause for their cute performance.

“I bet you guys don’t want to do the punishment right? So, please don’t fight, okay?” Dara closed the punishment session.

“YESSS!!!” they kids were answering energetically.

Dara then gave the MC position to Chaeyoung again. Chaeyoung took the microphone and still standing in the middle. Instead, begin the game Chaeyoung was starting a discussion session. She asked the kids to raise their hands if they thought she was the one who did wrong on the previous skit. Then, she asked the kids who thought Jaehyun was wrong. Lastly, Chaeyoung asked who thought they both wrong.

“So, can one of you who raised your hands to vote I was the wrong one stand up and state the reason?” Jaehyun asked the kids. They looked scared but Chaeyoung ensured them it was okay to say the reason. They won’t get scolded. A boy who sat on the back shyly raised his hand. Jaehyun pointed him and asked him to stand up and said his name and the reason.

“My name is Hyungjoon. I think Jaehyun ssaem was wrong because he didn’t discuss it with Chaeyoung ssaem beforehand. It wasn’t on the rule but it’s better to tell her and discussed if it is okay to make a strategy,” said the kid. Chaeyoung and Jaehyun thanked him and asked the kids to give him applause to appreciate his braveness. Next, they asked two more kids who had a different opinion. After hearing all the reasons, they conclude that communication was very important. So, in the future, outside of the game, they should talk and having a discussion to avoid any quarrel. They then continued the game after that incidental life talk lesson.

Two hours had passed. The kids were back to their ward and the volunteers were busy cleaning up the multipurpose hall. Today’s event was a success. The kids looked so happy but also sad when they said they will meet again the next month. The kitchen team also joined them on the multipurpose hall to help. After they finished, Joshua did a closing speech then thanked them for their hard work. Before he officially closed the event, the head of the Treatment Center came and greeted them. She thanked all the volunteers for their contribution and kind heart. She hoped the volunteers will continue to spreading happiness and hope to the patients. It means a lot to them.

After the event end, as promised, Dara took the volunteers for a meal. They choose the popular Italian restaurant near the treatment center. Unfortunately, not all of them were able to join. Some already had their schedule and it made Dara sad. For exchange, she treated them coffees from the café in front of the treatment center. They were so happy and thanked her for her kindness.

“Our sincere apologies to you all! I promise we won’t do it again,” Chaeyoung and Jaehyun did a big bow to the members once they sat at the restaurant. They were all laughed and said they forgive them. Although the members thought it was not a big deal since they both handled it well, Dara and Joshua were still upset. They took a turn to scold them. Dara was disappointed because they should be the ones who gave a good example to the kids yet they were showing the opposite. They both felt guilty and once again apologize.

“You must be grateful Dara Noona was there. She cleverly thought about that skit idea. I want to give your punishment, but I think you already got your punishment. It’s humiliating, right?” Joshua talked about the Barney Song they sang earlier. They both nodded and got red. They knew kids that age hate doing and seeing something cute because they thought it was so childish. Had to dance and sing kids song in front of teenagers was a big humiliation.

Lucky for the two people who got scolded, the food came and save them. Dara secretly smiling when she saw their relieved face once the waitresses came and served their food. She didn’t mad at them. They were just got carried away by their high competitive spirit. That’s what’s good for being young, still high spirited. Although the order was out, the volunteer members hadn’t started eating. Their eyes were all now in Dara. Dara was confused by the sudden attention but then she remembered she was the oldest there and the one who treats them. She then pleased them to eat and it made them smiling happily.

“I think the Aglio olio is better than the carbonara,” said Chaeyoung after she tasted the Aglio olio spaghetti. Chaeyoung, Lisa, and Jaehyun ordered three kinds of spaghetti and shared it. They also ordered more food to be shared.

During the past year, those three became closer. It’s because they were the only one who was born in 1997. They also got closer as they all took the Suneung test together. That’s why they often hanging out together every Saturday to study. Not only for studying they also went to try a new café. Because they loved to try new food too, they usually order one or two serving and shared it instead order one meal one person. That way they could taste more food without getting too full.

“No, I think the carbonara is a lot better. Lisa, what do you think?” Jaehyun disagreed.

Lisa looked confused. She ate all of it again to decide her choice. She then said they both just the same. But, her answer seems didn’t make them give up. This time, their target was Haechan. They asked Haechan to taste the spaghetti and decide which one was better. Haechan chose Aglio Olio and it made Chaeyoung satisfied.

“No, there is something that missing on this Aglio olio. I have tried something better than this. Let’s ask Joshua about this. I bet he will understand what I mean,” Jaehyun took the smaller plate and put a small amount of each spaghetti on it. Without they realized, Dara who sat in front of them was busy observing their action.

“You two seem to can’t stop competing even for a minute. That makes me want to make you sign a peace pact. Well, since, you loved competition, should we play a game to make you two to get closer and give up on competing?” watching their small bickering made Dara thought of a brilliant idea how to stop them.

“What game?” they both asked at the same time. Dara was smiling. She successfully triggered their competitiveness.

“It’s a popular game on the variety show when I was young. It’s proofed to successfully make the one who played it get closer and stopped fighting. But, I warn you, it’s difficult to play and to see. Are you still want to take this challenge?” Dara’s way of explaining the game not only made Chaeyoung and Jaehyun curious but also all the people who sat on that table.

The challengers said they will decide once Dara told them about the game. Dara was smiling mysteriously. Her hand moved to the middle of the table and took the wafer roll from the ice cream bowl that Haechan ordered. She held the wafer roll with her thumb and index finger and showed it to the challengers. They both were gulping. They took a glance at each other with a confused and scared expression. No one was willing to speak first.

“DON’T!!!” the girls were screaming from the edge of the table. Everyone was curious then looking at the one who screamed.

“Oh, well… since Wonyoung and Yujin strongly refuse this idea, so I guess I won’t do it. I don’t want to get bashed from Jaehyun’s fans. Wonyoung, Yujin, it’s okay, Unnie won’t do it. You can relax,” Chaeyoung breathed in relief because of Wonyoung and Yujin. Thanks to her she was able to find the reason to reject the challenge. Jaehyun tilted his head to look at the girls and gave them a thumb up to thank them.

Thanks to Chaeyoung and Jaehyun’s ability to catch the situation quickly. They then made a promise to not bickering to ease Dara’s feeling. They even changed their seat so they won’t sit next to each other to avoid any unwanted event.

After the wafer roll challenge accident, they finally able to finished their early dinner in peace. Since no one was able to eat again, Dara decided to end this small gathering and paid the bill. Everyone thanked her then they said goodbye to each other.

The group was separated when they got out of the restaurants. Some were taking a subway and some were taking the bus. Since Jisoo and Joshua were bringing their car, they followed the group who was heading to the bus station to send them off. After all the younger members got on the bus, the only passengers left were Chaeyoung, Lisa, Jaehyun, Dara, Jisoo, and Joshua.

“Ah, right, I heard the Suneung announcement is tomorrow. Is that true?” Joshua asked Chaeyoung, Lisa, and Jaehyun who were taking the exam after he saw the cram school advertisement on the bus’ body. The three of them were nodded. Lisa said she was so nervous so did Jaehyun.

“God, please let the three of them receive good news tomorrow. They studied so hard so please tomorrow…” Jisoo began to pray out of nowhere.

“Unnie,” Chaeyoung interrupted Jisoo’s pray.

“Honestly, I didn’t do well on my exam. It’s not like I am giving up, but I know what I did. So, since I already know the result, I decided to retake the exam next year. So… could you please change the pray?” the sudden interruption and the abrupt reason made them shocked in disbelief. They were shocked because for someone like Chaeyoung who worked very hard was suddenly declaring her despair sounded unreal.

“Sweetie, the result hasn’t out yet, why are you giving up? You still have a chance,” Dara felt sad because as long as she knew, Chaeyoung was the girl full of hope and positivity. She won’t give up until the very end.

Chaeyoung said on the exam day she was sick and couldn’t answer all the questions. She also couldn’t concentrate well so she wasn’t sure about her answers. She didn’t give up. She just wanted to start a new and forgot what already done. That’s why she wanted Jisoo to change the pray.

“We know we could only work hard to achieve what we think the best for us, but the final decision is on God’s hand. Whatever the result might turn out, we know it is the best scenario God has chosen for each of you. So, don’t give up and pray for the best,” Dara added a little speech to cheer her younger friends.

Jisoo looked at Chaeyoung, Lisa, and Jaehyun’s eyes. She was smiling then put her hands together to start the pray.

“God, please let Lisa and Jaehyun receive good news tomorrow. God, please let Chaeyoung receive good news too even if it’s no tomorrow. Amen,” after Jisoo finished the prayer, the older one patted the shoulder of the three to encourage them.

Finally, Chaeyoung’s bus was coming. They said goodbye to each other and waved to her until she rode on the bus. Chaeyoung opened the window although it was cold. She looked at her friends until she couldn’t saw them again. After they vanished from her sight, she closed the window. The weather was cold today, but she felt so warm. No matter how cold the reality was as long as she was surrounded by kind and sincere people what she felt was only warmness.

“Hey Lis, do you know about it?” Jaehyun asked Lisa after Chaeyoung left.

“Why? Are you really that shocked?” Lisa asked Jaehyun back.

“I don’t have any idea how could she fail the test? No, it’s not important. More importantly, how the hell she looked so fine on the last month when she knew she won’t make it?” Jaehyun couldn’t believe what he just heard and what he saw in the past month.

“That’s what Chaeyoung is. Full of surprise. The more you know her, the more you will adore and admire her. Well, it’s getting really cold. I should go. Bye! Hope to see the good news tomorrow,” Lisa waved to Jaehyun then got on the taxi she just stopped.

***

“Woah it’s cold!!!” Taehyung sat down on the sofa while rubbing his hands together. He took off his coat then grabbed a glass of hot beverage on the table. He didn’t care who the owner was, he only cares about how to make his hands warm. He observed his friends’ faces and glad he didn’t late.

There were three laptops on that table operated by Jaehyun, Dokyeom, and Jungkook. If other people saw this view, maybe they thought those three were having an online game battle. But they were waiting to see the Suneung announcement. Jaehyun asked them all to meet on Mr. Coffee, the café near their school they frequently visit, to accompany him looking for his test result. From that group of friends, he was the only one who took the test that year. Without even thinking, they were all agreed.

“5 more minutes. Oh, damn it! I am so nervous. It feels like I am the one who took the test,” Jungkook was rubbing his hands to ease his nervousness.

It’s so unusual for that group. When they were gathered, there was almost no time of silence, but this time, they spent 5 minutes straight sitting without uttering a single word. One minute left. Mingyu and Taehyung moved their sitting position so that they could saw the laptop screen. Those three entered Jaehyun’s student ID number and get ready to click on the result bottom when it hit the right time.

“TAK!!” the three aggressively click the mouse pad then anxiously waiting for the website to loading the data. Their eyes were glued on the screen and they almost didn’t blink. Jaehyun even held his breath unconsciously.

“YOU DID IT. JUNG JAEHYUN YOU MADE IT!!!!! WOAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!” Jungkook was screaming as he saw Jaehyun’s result on his laptop’s screen. Those friends were jumping in joy and hugged Jaehyun tightly. Their action made the costumers in the café was watching them.

“EVERYONE!!! MY FRIEND PASSED SUNEUNG!!! HE IS A SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT NOW!!! AAAKKK CONGRATULATIONS BRO!!!” Dokyeom was screaming and at the same time, he was crying out of joy.

Their happiness also infected all the costumers in that café. They all knew that passing the Suneung and entered the prestigious university was one big achievement on someone’s life. They knew how hard students must going through to be able to pass that test. They gave applause to Jaehyun and congratulated him although they didn’t know him personally. Jaehyun was so happy and touched so that he bowed to all directions to thank the costumers.

Due to a sudden commotion in his café, the owner got curious and got out of his office. He asked his employee and felt happy with that group. He might not know them, but he remembered those faces since they were regular. Moreover, he also graduated from the same high school as them although it was a long time ago. He felt so proud as their alumnus so he decided to give them a little congratulation gift.

“Sorry, but we didn’t order it,” said Mingyu after a waitress come and give a cheesecake to their table.

“It’s a gift from the café’s owner. He wants to congratulate the student who passed the Suneung. Please accept it,” said the waitress. They were all so happy and thank the waitress.

Jaehyun who felt grateful and happy asked the waitress if he could thank the owner, and she said yes. Jaehyun followed her to the owner's office and said his proper gratitude and also an apology for making such a commotion. The owner said it was nothing to be apologized about. The happy news was supposed to be shared. Passing the Suneung also something that deserved to be celebrated. Once again Jaehyun thank him before he excuses himself. The owner then looked towards his table and saw the other was also bowing to thank him.

“BOSS, THANKS FOR THE CAKE!! WE LOVE YOU!!” Taehyung shouted after he gave the owner a big bow. The owner was laughing, waved to them then went back to his room.

Jaehyun couldn’t stop smiling today. He sat on the sofa then took his phone. He saw lots of messages were flooding his messenger app. The messages were coming from his friends and family. Not only Jaehyun who was buys, his friends who sat there together with him also glued to their phone. They might not the ones who passed the test, but they were as happy as him so that they were spreading the good news to everyone. Now, the moment of silence began again.

The silence broke when Jaehyun excused himself to make a phone call. He went outside the café so that he could avoid the noise when he was on call. After spreading the news, that group of friends was continued eating their food. Taehyung read the message on the cake and smiled. He took a picture and sent it to their group chat. The owner of this café was so kind and thoughtful, he should repay him by promoting this café.

“Hey, who do you think on the call with Jaehyun right now? He looks so happy and shy. It’s unusual to see him like that,” Mingyu commented on Jaehyun’s gesture while watching him through the windows of the café. His comment made all of them also staring outside, looking at Jaehyun.

“Yeah, it’s very suspicious. Thinking about it again, Jaehyun seemed to fall in love with his phone lately. I often caught him smiling dearly to his phone screen. Does he have someone he likes?” Jungkook recalled his memory.

“Oh, you are right! He unusually smiles a lot these days. Even when he takes a picture of his practice exam, he is smiling from ear to ear. That’s very suspicious,” Taehyung also recalled how Jaehyun suddenly became all smiley. Those friends then agreed to investigate this case once Jaehyun finished the phone call. They couldn’t let this slip.

Without knowing his friends were talking behind his back, Jaehyun casually went to their table then drank his ice Americano. His left hand was holding the glass and right hand holding the phone. His eyes were still staring at his phone while his mouth was busy drinking the coffee. Jaehyun didn’t know that now his friends’ eyes were staring at him. He kept doing it after he felt an uncomfortable feeling that seemed like someone was observing him. He took his eyes off of the screen and realized it was his friends who were staring at him with an uncomfortable gaze. He gulped down the coffee on his mouth, put the glass on the table, and put down his phone.

“What? Why are you guys staring at me like that?” Jaehyun’s eyes were shaking. He didn’t know what happened to his friends while he left for the phone call.

“Who was the one on the call?” Taehyung asked directly.

“My Grandma. She was curious about my score. She threatened me to call her as soon as I see the result. She is so happy and excited that he told me to bring you all to my home for dinner. Sorry, it took so long because I have to speak with my parents too,” Jaehyun was glad because it’s just his feeling that thought his friends were suspecting something. They were just wanted to know why it took so long for him to make a phone call. But, even after he explained, their gazes didn’t change. It made him anxious again.

“You are not hiding something from us, right?” Mingyu started the interrogation again.

“Hiding what?” Jaehyun had no idea.

“Jaehyuna, it’s okay. Now, the rule is lifted. You can tell us freely about the one who makes you smile a lot while staring at your phone,” Jungkook persuade Jaehyun to talk.

Jaehyun needs a few seconds to digest what was the meaning of their questions. After he realized it, he was laughing. He then said he didn’t have anything like that. They were just so overreacting. Taehyung couldn’t believe him so he spat out the fact that he witnessed him smiling while taking picture of his practice exam’s paper. Taehyung guessed Jaehyun had a crush on his cram school. Once again Jaehyun was laughing. He said he was smiling because he successfully finished the practice without getting even one number wrong. It might be hard to understand, but once they were preparing for the exam, they will know the feeling. Although they were still suspicious, they gave up and stopped asked him about that matter.

Fulfilling the invitation from Jaehyun’s grandma, those boys were moving from the café to Jaehyun’s home. The dinner hasn’t ready yet so they were waiting on Jaehyun’s room playing the game. At first, they want to help but Jaehyun’s grandma and mom refuse it. They said they were guests and they weren’t supposed to help them. The host has to make their guest comfortable. Besides, they want to thank them for supporting Jaehyun during his high school day.

“Son, could you please come here for a second?!” Jaehyun’s Mom called him from downstairs. It seems like she needed some help from his son.

“Yes Mom, wait a sec!!” Jaehyun gave the game console to Taehyung and quickly got out of the bed.

He went downstairs and not long after he was back with a tray full of drink and snacks. Behind him, the middle-aged lady who was his house helper followed him with another tray full of traditional cake and side dishes. Mingyu and Dokyeom who were waiting for their turn to play the game immediately come to help them bring the tray. While Jungkook and Taehyung were playing, Mingyu and Dokyeom were busy snacking. Jungkook was losing to Taehyung so he passed the console to Mingyu. He was walking towards the snack area and ate a fried dumpling. He was so amazed by the taste so that he ate two more pieces.

“Nah, since you already eat the food, you should come down and help me. The rest of you all just keep eating and playing. I’ll be right back. Kook, come!” Jungkook protested because he hadn’t finished eating his dumpling but Jaehyun didn’t care and dragged him out of the room by pulling his wrist.

With a pouted face, Jungkook followed Jaehyun from behind. He thought Jaehyun’s Mom needs help but he was surprised because Jaehyun walked pass the kitchen and went to the front door instead. He took Jungkook and his coat from the hanger near the door and passed it to him.

“Are we going somewhere?” Jungkook asked after wearing his coat and shoes outside of the house. Jaehyun looked at him and nodded. It seems like Jaehyun forgot something that he was back inside. Jungkook was walking to the front gate then waited for him outside.

The black car was coming out of the garage. The car then waited in front of Jungkook who was waiting in front of Jaehyun’s home front gate. Jungkook was surprised after he saw Jaehyun was in the car. Jaehyun told him to come in and even he was confused he did what he told.

“You can drive a car? Do you have a license?” Jungkook worried because he never heard about Jaehyun’s driving skill. Moreover, they were not in the age to get a license.

“Of course I can and of course, I don’t have a license. But, don’t worry I can drive safely. Put your seatbelt on,” Jaehyun warned Jungkook.

Without asking, Jungkook put the seatbelt and hold on to the roof handle. Seeing Jungkook freaking out made Jaehyun laughing. He then ensured him they were just going to the local store located inside the cluster area. Although he didn’t have a license yet, he already enrolled in driving school and passed the test. He only needed to wait for his birthday next year to be able to get the license.

“I never thought Jung Jaehyun will break the rule. I am so amazed,” this was so unexpected from Jaehyun who was known as the model student. Jaehyun was smiling and told Jungkook that’s why he asked Jungkook to accompany him since Jungkook was good at keeping a secret.

Finally, they arrived at the local store. Although it was small, they had all the ingredients that Jaehyun’s Mom need. They only need around 10 minutes to get all the ingredients. There was a quite long line on the cashier. Since the place was small, Jungkook decided to wait for Jaehyun somewhere quite far from the cashier so he won’t crowd the area.

Just like any other kids, those two couldn’t be separated from their phones. They were waiting while staring at their phone. Jungkook took off his eyes from the screen to check if it’s finally Jaehyun’s turn. The customer in front of him was almost done. She was now handing the card to the cashier. Jungkook put his phone on his coat pocket and waiting for Jaehyun’s turn. He had to help him brought the shopping bag so he was on standby.

While Jungkook was waiting for Jaehyun to finish the buying process, he caught something was off on Jaehyun’s face. He looked a bit sad although Jungkook wasn’t sure. Finally, he finished the payment. Jungkook walked towards the cashier and swiftly took the shopping bag and heading to the car. He opened the passenger cars and put the groceries on it.

“Is there something wrong?” asked Jungkook after he fastened his seat belt.

Jaehyun didn’t answer as he was concentrating on parking out his car. Once they were on the main street, Jaehyun finally able to answer.

“No. Why? Is there something wrong?” Jaehyun asked him back as he didn’t know what Jungkook thought what was wrong.

“You looked sad back on the cashier. Well, I mean you were so happy all day long but suddenly making that sad face… I think it’s a bit… off?” Jungkook explained the wrong part that he means.

Jaehyun was surprised because Jungkook was able to notice it. He then said it was because he got news his friend didn’t pass the test. Jungkook nodded and didn’t ask further questions.

“Aren’t you curious?” asked Jaehyun.

“About what?” this time it was Jaehyun who made Jungkook confused.

“Just a few hours ago you guys interrogating me. Won’t you get curious about this friend too?” Jaehyun reminded him about their interrogation.

“Why should I? Since you said there is nothing, then it is nothing. Besides, if there is something, you might tell us about it. Well, even if you choose not to tell us, I won’t force you to speak. Hey, we are buddy but we are allowed to have a secret we don’t want to tell, right?” Jungkook was laughing.

“As expected, Jeon Jungkook is the coolest person I ever met,” Jaehyun was satisfied with Jungkook’s answer.

Jaehyun and Jungkook opened the passengers’ door to take their groceries. When they were walking from the garage to the home, Jungkook asked Jaehyun whether he already called his friend. Jaehyun said he hasn’t called.

“Just call your friend now. What your friend needs this time is some supports. I don’t know what kind of person is your friend but, a little support won’t hurt. It’s embarrassing but, back when I couldn’t win the AFC, you guys phone call cheer me up. I felt disappointed and kind of devastated, but, hearing some supporting words is warm my heart,” Jungkook took the shopping bag from Jaehyun’s hand then walked inside the home first. He felt embarrassed after he said it. He was also afraid Jaehyun would see his blushing face. Saying something sweet and unusual was harder for close friends. It’s even more embarrassing than saying it to another person.

Jaehyun was standing outside the house hesitate about what he should do. Should he follow what Jungkook said to him? He took his phone from his coat pocket and saw one new message from Jungkook.

“I know that friend is a “she”. Don’t hesitate and just call her. Those brats, I’ll take care of them. Take your time to cheer your friend,”

Jaehyun was smiling after he read Jungkook’s message. He replied and said thank you to him then dialed the number of that friend.

 

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yummyrolls
Hi, I am finally back!!!
Sorry for taking so long to update. I've been so busy nowadays.

Comments

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hakimmj #1
Chapter 40: Finally! Really happy with the update;)))
Anxious to know the answer and now I'm rooting for them.
I think something happen between jae and chae. Hopefully Jungkook will man up and protect his feeling to chae;)))
Can't wait to know more
Lorylory #2
the love triangle is kiling me, I hope she and jk end up together
thank you so much for updating and for your work
hakimmj #3
Chapter 39: Really miss the story and happy for the update! Really want to know what actually happen between chaeyoung, jaehyun and Jungkook.
Thank you very much for the update and can't wait to read more!!
hakimmj #4
Chapter 39: Really miss the story and happy for the update! Really want to know what actually happen between chaeyoung, jaehyun and Jungkook.
Thank you very much for the update and can't wait to read more!!
chatelking #5
Chapter 38: hi authornim, hope you're doing ok. just wanna say i miss this story so much. wish u all the best
Lorylory #6
Hi, I hope everything is okay and you are doing well.
I am still coming here waiting for an update as I love this story so much.
Hope to hear from you soon
RK_real
#7
Chapter 38: thank you for your update!never thought I can read a new chapter!o(* ̄3 ̄)o
hakimmj #8
Chapter 38: Oh my god, Jungkook and chaeyoung so cutee!!! Really love their moments. Can't wait to know more about them. Thanks for the updates ;;)))
Lorylory #9
I am really curious about the next chapter!
RK_real
#10
Chapter 37: thank you for updating!!now I love jungkook more!↖(^ω^)↗