I entered the apartment during the afternoon after having spent time with Chen. Kai who was sitting in the living room, immediately got up when I closed the front door.

”Where were you?”

“At Chen’s”, I answered while getting out of my shoes. Kai’s eyes turned icy for a few seconds there. “We broke things off, officially.”

”Really?” He was now wearing the biggest smile ever. ”So… no more Chen?”

”We’re friends”, I walked pass him and sat on the sofa in the living room. ”We always will be so you better start accepting that he is going to be in my life.” Kai took his time but he sat next to me. He reached for my hands but I pulled away.

”Are you angry?” He asked softly.

“Of course I am”, I answered. “I’m furious that you hit him. You’ve always been so nasty to him when he’s never done anything to you.”

“Only when I saw him as a threat to my relationship with you”, Kai  answered. “So, no. Not always.”

“Aha”, I turned to him. “Now you’re admitting you were jealous of him.”

“I was”, He said as he looked around the room uncomfortably. He then looked at me. “I still am. I don’t want him around you.”

“I’m sorry”, I began. “ But just because I chose you doesn’t meant I’m going to abandon him. And if this is going to be an issue, then maybe this thing we’re doing should stop.” I paused. “I’m not going to end my friendships for your sake.” Kai looked at me for a while before nodding.

“I know”, he answered. “I’m sorry if you felt thats what I was asking of you, it really wasn’t.” He shyly took my hand and played with it. “I’m sorry that I hit him.”

“Not to me, Jong In”, I shook my head. “To Chen.” Kai closed his eyes and sighed.

“Okay”, he eventually said. “I will apologise.”

“Promise?” I asked.

“Promise”, he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. I admired his handsome face with a racing heart and when he pulled me closer to his side, I felt at ease. “The house really feels empty when you’re not around.” I looked up at him.

“Are you confessing that you missed me?” I asked with a smile I couldn’t hide. He nodded. “How much?” Kai shook his head. I could clearly see how embarrassed he was. “Tell me, how much you missed me.” I held his head so he’d face me. “Right now, or get out.” Instead of answering, he kissed me. I pulled away. “You’re not getting out of this tha-“ He kissed me again and I gave up. I let him kiss me until my lips grew tired. 

4 hours later

Kai had left due to some appointment he had a while ago. I was left in the apartment with my dad and packing our belongings. There wasn’t much left to do. We had put almost everything we needed in the back of my dad’s car. All that was left to do was was go to the Kim’s. 

“How was your birthday yesterday?” He asked when we got in the car. “Did the date with Chen go well?”

“Chen and I broke up”, I announced. 

“What?” My dad stopped at a red light. “Why?”

“Dad”, I began. “You let Jong In into the apartment. How could the date end well?”

“Did they fight?” He asked with pure guilt on his face. “Did I end your first relationship?”

“No dad”, I shook my head. “You didn’t. It was bound to end sooner or later.”

“But”, dad drove again. “I don’t understand.”

“Jong In said he liked me”, I confessed. My dad accidentally pressed the break pedal at the news. Thankfully no one was behind us.

“He did?” He asked with the biggest smile. 

“Yes”, I nodded. “I had to chose between them so Chen and I broke up.”

“Poor Chen”, my dad sighed. “He was such a good boy for you.” I looked at my dad. It hadn’t been clear to me before but right now it all made sense. 

“You don’t like Kai”, I said. 

“Oh no”, my dad immediately shook his head. “Jong In is like a son to me.”

“But”, I inquired. My father was reluctant to answer but he did.

“But I also think Chen was maybe the better match for you”, my dad explained. “I never once saw you sad over Chen to the point you get about Jong In. As your dad of course all I want is to see you happy.” He was right in one way but I could honestly say the difference is that Chen and I liked each other from the beginning whereas with Kai, it was one sided from me at first and thus I suffered more. 

“Dad”, I began. “Jong In is the one I love.”

“I know”, he smiled. “And I approve of him. I have already told him that.”

“Told him?” I asked. 

“Jong In came to the restaurant and apologised to me when we moved out”, he told me. “For always making you sad and acting the way he did towards you. He said it was because he liked you.” I did a double take to let all of this information sink in. So Kai knew he liked me for so long but instead of coming to me, he’d gone to my father and let me walk around for months feeling like as I was trying to get over him when I shouldn’t even have been from the get go? “So I gave him my blessings.”

My father continued to speak but I was elsewhere as my mind was trying to put two and two together.

Finally the car stopped in front of the Kim's mansion and standing there, I was reminded of the first time I had come to their house. The only difference from then was that I wasn't nervous and I was the one waiting while my father was parking his car. I pressed the bell and soon someone answered;

"Who?" Of course hearing the short and unfriendly question, everyone who knew the Kim's would know it was none other than Kai who had answered.

"It's me", I said. We waited for what seemed like forever until the main door finally opened, revealing Kai who was standing there.

"Is your mom here?" I asked.

"You come home and the first one you look for is my mom?" He asked and looked down on my suitcases.

"Jong In", my father finally joined me. Kai immediately went down 90 degrees.

"Good evening father", Kai bowed. "I didn't know you we-“

"Help us with her things would you", my father interrupted Kai and checked his cellphone. Kai immediately went to my dad’s aid. I took one of my suitcases and continued into the house.

"Mrs. Kim?" I called once inside. I saw her head peeking out from the doorway in the kitchen and smiled. "I’m officially back." Her eyes located my suitcase quickly and she smiled.

"Finally!" She said. "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry", I bowed. "I had a long day."

"It's okay", Mrs. Kim hugged me. "Why don't you go up and fix your things? Then come down so we can have movie hour as a family again."

Happiness spread through my body when she used the word family. Honestly, the only people I called my family were my father and my friends but ever since I moved with the Kim's I learned how it's like to live with a an actual large family. I received the love of a mother from Mrs. Kim and the love of a little brother from Min Ho. What more could I wish for?

Listening to Mrs. Kim, I walked the stairs with my suitcase and stood at my room's doorway. I was admiring how it still looked the same although I had just slept over the night before.

"Move", Kai said behind me. I turned around and regretted doing it. Kai was standing so close to me I froze for a second there. "You're not moving?" I lifted my head up to look at him knowing pretty well I was blushing. Kai who was already looking at me, was indifferent. It was as if our closeness didn't affect him. "You're blocking the way", he said. "I n-"

"Noona!" Min Ho yelled from the staircase. He was dressed in his soccer clothes. He ran to us, pushed Kai away and hugged me.

"My little Min Ho", I called. Min Ho's face was as colorful as a rainbow when he ran back out.

“I wanted to ask you something," Kai said. When I saw how nervous he was, I was sure about the question he wanted to ask. "Can I eh... borrow your korean book?" But then reality hit me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"I can't find mine", he said. Feeling wronged in so many ways, I took my korean school book from my backpack and gave it to him. "Then-" I slammed the door in his face and gritted my teeth. 

Kim Jong In POV

The door slammed in front of my face. I probably deserved that. The look on her face had showed she was expecting another question. When I entered my room, my brother laughed at me.

"Can I borrow your korean book?" He said.

"You were listening? " I asked and put down the book Ji Eun gave me on my desk next to my very own korean school book.

"Hyung", Min Ho said. "Why are you always so nervous next to noona?"

I ignored his question and sat in front of my computer. I was actually going to ask Ji Eun if I could take her to  this new year eve party, but somehow ended up on a different subject.

"Chen hyung wouldn't have backed out that easily", Min Ho said. "He would have asked her what he really wanted."

"Don't compare me to him", I retorted. "It's enough that Ji Eun and mom do it."

When Min Ho didn't reply, I sunk in my chair in defeat. When I first met Chen, I had no problem whatsoever with him but when I realised Just how much Chen meant to Ji Eun I started having a complex towards him. I sometimes felt inferior to Chen in regards to my societal relationship and it was not like me to feel inferior to anyone at all.

I had to get over him!

Go Ji Eun

We were watching a movie but there was literally no watching being done. We were all having a discussion about what we were doing on new years eve instead.

”We should watch fireworks" Mr. Kim suggested.

”Mom”, Min Ho complained. ”We should just light up our own fireworks instead. In the backyard.”

”No, Min Ho”, Mrs. Kim refused. ”That’s too dangerous.”

”But-” Min Ho began but he gave up as quickly. There was never any raging or arguing  with Mrs. Kim. What she said was what went.

”Or we should have a party”, Mrs. Kim said. ”Invite the entire neighbourhood?”

”Honey”, Mr. Kim shook his head. ”No. There’s not enough time.”

”Speaking of parties”, I began. ”I won’t be here during new years eve. I’ve been invited to this party.”

”Ji Eun”, my father began. ”You’ve been doing a lot of partying lately. How about we focus on your studies more?”

”But dad”, I whined. ”It’s the party of the year. Everyone is going.” I had received the Facebook invite three weeks ago and had planned for it. I was supposed to go with Chen but after everything, I didn’t know if he even wanted to go still.

”What party?”, Kai revealed his face from behind the book he was reading.

”Chang Wook’s", I answered. Kai should know which party I meant since it was one of his classmates who was holding it.”

”Ah”, he nodded. ”That party.”

”Are you going too?” Mrs. Kim asked. Kai turned to me.

”I don’t know”, he said. ”Am I going?” I averted my eyes, not knowing what to answer. Chen and I were supposed to go. Even if we weren’t dating anymore, I couldn’t just ditch him for Kai.

”If you want to”, I quickly answered. ”I’m just gonna take a shower”, I excused myself. ”Enjoy the rest of the movie.” I quickly escaped upstairs.

To my surprise though, when I opened the door to my room after having taken my shower, I found Kai standing in front of the window arms crossed.

"What are you doing here?" I closed the door behind me.

"I found my book", Kai said. "Yours is on your desk.” I looked at the desk quickly.

"Thanks." I removed the towel I had around my head and let my wet hair free. He was looking at me as if waiting for me to ask him something. "Is there something else?"

”Why don’t you want me at the party?”, he immediately asked. I walked up to him next to the window.

”I was supposed to go with Chen”, I explained. Kai’s face stiffened.

”I want to go with you”, he said. 

”I planned this with Chen long ago”, I sighed. ”It’s not fair to just ditch him because of what happened.” Kai shook his head.

”Fine”, he ended up saying. ”You go with him.”

”Thank you”, I smiled and wrapped my arms around him.

”But”, he lift my chin up towards him. ”I’ll be by your side all night.”

”No”, I shook my head. ”You’ll be with your friends. I don’t want to ruin Chens’ evening by rubbing you in his face.” Kai scoffed and let me go.

”So he gets to take you to the party, hang out with you all night and let everyone who doesn’t already think so, think you’re together and I’m supposed to just watch it all happen?” He asked. ”It sounds like you care more about his feelings than mine.”  Hearing his side of things made me feel bad.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t win with both Chen and Kai. If I did something with one, the other got hurt and vice versa.

”Is it important for you that people don’t assume I’m with Chen?” I asked.

”It’s important for me that people know it’s you and me now”, he answered.

”And they will”, I said. ”Eventually. But just, please bare with this? At least until I’m one hundred he’s okay with us?” He did not look happy. ”Jong In?”

"I'm realising I’m not good at this whole... thing we have going on." 

"It's a thing?" My smile was so wide, my jaw started hurting.

”I want it to be more than a thing", he smiled back. ”Of course, that is if you want to too.” I tiptoed and kissed him. ”I’ll take that as a yes?” When I nodded, he kissed me back and slid his hands in mine. ”Alright, you and Chen go together then. I’ll go with Hyun Ah.” I pulled away from the kiss.

”Wait, what?” I asked. Hyun Ah was one of Kai’s classmates and friends. They hung out together a lot during school and back in the days, it was rumoured that they’d been dating. ”What do you mean you’re going with Hyun Ah?”

”She asked me to be her date”, he explained, ”but I said no. But since you’re going with Chen I guess I can go with her. She’ll be really happy to have me as a date.” Kai leaned forward to kiss me again but I turned so he’d fail. I was honestly too stunned at what had just happened. Kai had turned the entire situation in a game. He was literally saying since you’re okay with people thinking you’re with Chen, I guess I’ll do the same. ”What’s that face expression? You don’t look happy.” He paused. ”Could it be that it’s important for you that people don’t assume I’m with Hyun Ah?” Baffled I let out a scoff and then another one.

”Alright”, I finally said. ”Point taken.”

”What point?” He asked obliviously. ”I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

”You know exactly”, I retorted. ”And it’s not the same thing.” He pecked my lips quickly before walking away.

”You better not go with her”, I said but he continued towards the door. ”Kai!” He opened the door, turned around, waved and left.

A/N:

Hi guys! It's been a while since the last update. So sorry it took so long, I was busy with work and had no time at all. An additional chapter will follow this one. Hope you enjoyed it!