As the others’ voices faded down the hallway, Dongwoon fidgeted nervously, not looking at Da Eun.

“So… Um… Should we go?” He asked.

“Yeah, it’s getting late.” Da Eun start to push aside the blankets when she realized that she was barely dressed. “Uh... Dongwoon-ah? Where are my clothes?” She inquired, plucking at the flimsy gown.

“Omo, I forgot! Mianhaeyo, noona,” he flinched, feeling guilty.

“Ah, drop the formalities. I’m to be your hyung’s housekeeper after all,” she told him as he opened a closet.

Dongwoon chuckled, a surprisingly deep sound. “Did you know, noona, your birthday is exactly a week before mine?”

“A week! And you’re calling me noona?” She exclaimed.

“I’ve always wanted a noona,” he admitted shyly, handing her the clothes.

“Fine, I’m your noona,” she conceded. So cute, even if it did turn out that he was only a week younger than her.

There was an awkward silence.

“Well, aren’t you going to let me change?” She teased.

Dongwoon flamed. “I’ll be waiting outside!” He ran out of the room like dogs were at his heels.

Da Eun shook her head. She was growing fond of this guy, despite her initial hostilities.

***

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Da Eun said, leaving the room. “By the way, the bag that I brought with me, where is it?”

“It’s in my car, downstairs,” he reassured her. “You ready?” She nodded and the pair walked in the direction of the elevators.

Seeing her reflection in the mirrored doors, Da Eun realized how terrible she looked. “I must look pathetic,” she sighed, not meeting Dongwoon’s eyes. “No wonder you felt bad and hired me. I’m nothing but a burden for you.” She was furious at herself for not realizing sooner, and for the tears welling up in her eyes now.

“Noona, no! Hyung really does need a housekeeper,” Dongwoon protested. “Really, you won’t be a burden at all!” He continued. “Plus, Ji Hye noona always said we lot needed a woman to balance us out.” They stepped into the elevator.

Da Eun felt suddenly, inexplicably angry. “I thought you wanted me to be your noona because you don’t have one?” Deceptively calm, she waited for his response.

“No, no, it’s not like that at all. Ji Hye noona, we call her noona but she’s married and she’s the manager lady at the café we go to every week,” he explained in a rush, guessing rightly that he had offended her.

“Ah, I see,” Da Eun smiled, giddily relieved. She told herself that it was just a dislike of being lied to, but she knew that in actuality, it was jealousy that had hit her when he’d mentioned Ji Hye. Jealousy, and protectiveness. He was younger, so she could explain away the protectiveness, but jealousy? She’d only just met him! She shoved away her unruly emotions and concentrated on walking. She couldn’t show how weak she felt and how unsteady she was on her feet. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hide it quite as well as she hoped.

Before long, her legs felt unbearably heavy, like they were going to give under her. A second later, they did.

“Omo!” Dongwoon cried, worried.

“Aigoo, how embarrassing,” Da Eun winced, sitting on the floor.

“Noona,” he looked like he was going to suggest something. “I hope I’m not being too familiar, but do you need me to carry you?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m okay. I can do this,” she said resolutely. “I just need a little help getting up.”

A moment later, they were walking again, Dongwoon following slightly behind, watching her every move. So when Da Eun’s legs gave out a second time, she suddenly discovered herself in his arms. Though she protested feebly that no, she didn’t need to be carried, he ignored her and strode quickly over to a flashy silver convertible. A Ferrari, no less.

He leaned over the side and placed her gently on the front seat, but startled when she teased, “Now, is manhandling any way to treat your noona?”

“Mianhaeyo-“ he hastily began to apologize, only to be interrupted by a peal of giggles.

“I was kidding, Dongwoon-ah,” she laughed, comfortably dropping the formalities. “This is a really nice car.”

Dongwoon normally hated it when noonas spoke familiarly with him at their first meeting, but it felt right. Maybe it was just because Da Eun noona was only a week older. Yeah, that was probably it, he mused, popping open the hood.

“Noona, here’s your bag.” Dongwoon placed the black cloth bag in her lap as he hopped over the side.

“No need for the door, I see,” she remarked as he folded his legs into the driver’s seat.

“Nope.” He grinned, starting the engine. It roared in the empty parking lot and subsided into a purr as they pulled out of the space. “Oh no, noona, I forgot! Kibum hyung told us that you have to eat first, and drink lots of water, or else you’ll faint again,” he remembered, distressed.

“I’m fine. I’m not hungry,” she reassured him, but he wouldn’t take any of it.

“You haven’t eaten for over 24 hours, noona! That’s it, we’re going to a restaurant first,” he decided authoritatively. Da Eun hid a smile; he’d inadvertently dropped the formalities.

***

“Yah! Hyung,” Yoseob whined at Doojoon. “I could’ve returned the diary!”

“Too late now, so why are you complaining?” Doojoon said reasonably. He turned around. “Yah, forgotten how to talk?” He teased Gikwang and Hyunseung.

His sharp hyung’s eyes didn’t miss a thing. Not the shock that Gikwang still felt, not the hurt that Hyunseung unexpectedly was hit by. But he knew when to stay silent, and when not to.

“Kwangie, snap out of it,” he began, but stopped when Yoseob interjected.

“Hyung, I told Ji Hye noona we were going today!” He said, suddenly remembering.

“I was just going to say, as we didn’t go do the usual stuff today, how bout the four of us drop by the café and get some drinks for the rest?” Doojoon said, exasperated at the interruption.

“Oh.”

“So, how about it?”

Gikwang didn’t answer and Hyunseung shrugged.

Doojoon waited a second and then turned. “I’ll assume you both said yes. Let’s go, then!”

***

“Da Eun, what do you want?” Dongwoon inquired. As it was getting late, they had come to a drive-through instead of a sit-down restaurant.

“I told you, I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat!” A thought struck him. “If it’s because you don’t have cash, we’re responsible for food and board, remember?”

“You didn’t hire me, Gi… Gi… Um…” She trailed off. “Anyways, he’s not here.”

“Gikwang,” he filled in. “But the six of us are so close, we’re like family. It’s going to be like we… Er… Hired you, though officially it’s Kwangie hyung,” he explained, stuttering over the word. It didn’t feel right, saying that she was employed. She was too… Dongwoon seized his runaway thoughts. No way was he going to go there.

“But Gikwang isn’t here…” She repeated feebly. “Oh yeah and I’m not hungry,” she grabbed onto her lifeline of denial.

“Who are you kidding? I saw you eyeing the chicken wrap on the advertisement when we drove up,” he accused, only a little playfully.

Da Eun drooped. She didn’t like to have others paying for her food, especially when they were younger, even if only by a week. But she knew she had to eat.

“So, what do you like?” Dongwoon asked. He could tell she’d given up by her expression.

“The chicken wrap…”

***

“Ji Hye noona! Ji Hye noona!” Yoseob called over the tumult. The café was busy, like on all Friday nights.

“Oh! You guys are here! But where are Junhyung and Dongwoon?” Ji Hye greeted them, barely raising her voice. The sound level had dropped drastically at the four’s entrance.

“A slight issue came up today,” Doojoon began, but stopped. “It’s a long story. Yoseob, you explain.” He turned towards the tables. “I need to up my morale.”

“No way. We have no time to chat up girls. Grabbing drinks to go, remember?” Yoseob grabbed his hyung’s shirt. Gikwang, who had showed an interest at ‘girls’, reverted to his comatose state.

“Right.” Doojoon sighed. “The usual, Ji Hye noona, but to go this time. We’ll have to explain next week when we can stay longer,” he apologized.

“No problem,” she reassured him.

“Wait, hyung! We should get one for Da Eun too.”

“But we don’t know what she wants… Call Woonie.”

“’Kay.”

***

“Omo, I ate too much!” Da Eun patted her stomach.

Dongwoon chuckled. “Considering you haven’t eaten for over a day…”

“That’s true,” she agreed drowsily.

“What? Sleepy again?” He teased. They’d dropped the formalities entirely now, and their comfortable banter seemed like the conversation of old friends rather than new acquaintances. Dongwoon didn’t really have any friends his age, so it felt rather nice to be able to talk like this.

“Mmhmm,” she nodded, then shivered slightly. The wind had felt cool and refreshing when they’d first left the hospital, but now it was a little cold.

Dongwoon noticed the action and immediately found a place to pull over on the highway. “Here.” He took off his chic leather jacket and placed it over Da Eun, white t-shirt fluttering in the breeze. “I’m not cold,” he reassured her as she tried to hand it back.

A moment later, he felt a tap on his shoulder.  “Dongwoon-ah…”

“Hm?”

“Your phone’s ringing,” she told him.

“Can you answer it? Tell whoever it is that I’m driving,” he replied.

She nodded sleepily. “Yeobosayo?”

“Woonie-“ Yoseob’s voice blared abruptly, making her wince and hold the phone farther away before interrupting.

“Dongwoon is driving.”

“Oh, Da Eun?” Yoseob’s voice immediately underwent drastic changes. Subdued now, he tentatively asked: “We’re at a café, now, so we were wondering what you’d like to have?”

“Don’t get me anything, there’s really no need,” she began to protest, but was caught by Dongwoon’s glance.

“They’re at the café?”

Warily, she gave the affirmative.

“What do you like? Hot, right? Because you’re cold now. How about a hot mint chocolate?”

She couldn’t stop herself from biting her lip. Oh no, was he going to tell them? Sure enough, Dongwoon turned his head slightly, keeping his eyes on the road, and said loudly: “Da Eun wants a hot mint chocolate!”

She groaned. Really, this boy was too much; she couldn’t keep on depending on them. She was Gikwang’s housekeeper, for goodness’ sake! Distracted by the familiar sight of a building near her apartment, she got Dongwoon’s attention. “My apartment’s around that corner.”

As the Ferrari purred to a stop in front of the shabby looking building, Da Eun was surprised by a figure hurrying out to meet them.

“Oh! Annyeonghaseyo, Tony!”