This was not easy.

Jihyo likes Sundays. Another untouchable day, because they film on Mondays and she liked to rest before she ran around Seoul playing silly games and betraying one another. This Sunday though, she’s almost afraid to step out the door. She’s been lying in this unfamiliar bed for a good fifteen minutes, wide awake and staring at the ceiling, maybe this was deja vu? The last time she was in this position, she scrambled to get out of this bed and out of the house after she realized what she had done. She doesn’t even have her phone — it’s somewhere outside, and judging by the empty room (thank god, she so didn’t want to get another heart attack like two months ago), so was Kim Jongkook.

Which, a little weird, considering that this was his bed.

But also she feels very guilty, because it’s not exactly his fault she’s sleeping in his house. But it is her fault he had to carry her to bed last night – she swears she didn’t mean to fall asleep during the movie they were watching. It’s just that she was tired after dinner (no surprise), and after they did the dishes they didn’t seem to know what to do, so he scrolled through the tv channels and landed on a good movie.

Except she must have fallen asleep, presumingly on the couch. Which would be fine under normal circumstances, but she woke up feeling nauseous in a bed that’s not hers, and deja vu that hits so badly she wants to crawl into a cave and never come out again.

It’s a good thing she’s not hungover this time.

She crawls out from under the sheets (really? He tucked her in too?) and finds herself freshening up in his adjoined bathroom, brushing her teeth with the spare toothbrush he gave the day before,  and takes a good look at herself in the mirror. Then she plays all types of scenarios in her head, like what she’s going to say to him when she leaves this room. Did you carry me to your bed last night? Did you sleep well? Hey, about last night... sorry I dozed off. You should take the bed tomorrow and I’ll take the couch. Should I pay for the new mattress?

“You’re already very pretty, no point staring at yourself in the mirror that long to find out.”

Jihyo jumps up in shock, nearly spitting everywhere. There he was, Kim Jongkook in all his glory, wearing his gym attire and looking like he just ran a full marathon. Quickly, she rinses so she doesn’t get toothpaste on him or his mirror.

“Oppa. You didn’t have to carry me to your bed–“

“No good morning, oppa?” Jongkook teases, leaning against his bathroom door. “Even though it’s noon?”

“You didn’t have to sleep on the couch for me.” Jihyo finishes, folding her arms and feeling self aware. He probably just went to the gym and came back. “Good morning, oppa.” She adds sarcastically.

“I wasn’t going to let you sleep on the couch.” He shrugs. “I’m kidding, by the way. Were you planning on sleeping past lunch again?”

She should have guessed. “I need twice as much sleep now!”

“Sure.” Jongkook shoots her a doubtful look, but she stands on her ground. “You can start by getting dressed, we’re going out for lunch.”

“We are?”

“Yeah.” He starts to gather his toiletries, and she’s suddenly aware of how she has hijacked not only his room, but his bathroom now. “I have to shower – I went to the gym this morning – so give me a few minutes?”

He stretches over to pick up his face wash on the sink where she’s just been using, and she dodges out of the way for him —not before he coincidentally move the same direction and accidentally brushes his arm against her face. That wakes her up immediately as she takes a step back too quickly, nearly falling backwards and landing flat on her head if it wasn’t for Jongkook’s quick acting to reach out to catch her. Then for a strange few moments, she’s in his arms, her heart beating fast from the adrenaline of nearly falling.

She blushes unintentionally; she’s still a little out of it, and his tight gym attire was doing wonders for her, considering how it showcased his bulk and how fast he had steadied her with those arms of his and—

“Yah, Song Jihyo. Are you sure you’re awake?” Jongkook interrupts her train of thoughts, blushing himself. , he’s still holding her?

Jihyo quickly pulls herself out of his hold, muttering a quick apology. “Sorry, oppa. Um, I’ll go get ready in your other toilet. You can use yours.”

Then she’s out of the room before either one of them can utter another word. . Day two, and she doesn’t know how long she can last staying in Kim Jongkook’s house. She was so not ready for this.

Jongkook brings her to a cafe for lunch, and she lowers her cap as they are seated, afraid of being recognized. It’s enough that she’s pregnant, but if someone saw her alone with Kim Jongkook... the press will never shut up. She doesn’t need to land a scandal before the actual scandal came out.

He doesn’t clean up too badly himself – at least he put on a good shirt, even if it’s nearly ripping at the seams at his ridiculously large arms. Arms that seemed to have saved her this morning from falling, she notes in her head as she scans the menu, itching to get a cup of Americano. No coffee for now, but she’ll deal.

She’s on page four of the menu – steak for lunch was awfully tempting – when she kind of backtracks. Wait, was this like a date? He brings her to a fancy cafe that’s a little pricey for lunch (steak, for crying out loud!) and he’s bothered to put on a buttoned up shirt. Looking down, she’s subconsciously dressed better too, despite the lack of make up and her cap, opting to go with a long skirt. Oh god, was this even allowed? She said not to fall in love with her, but never said not to take her out on a date! What the hell was this? And why lunch?

“Yah, are you that interested in pasta?” Jongkook calls from his side, and she puts the menu down, realizing he has already closed his. “If you want, you should get the carbonara. It’s really good, I’ve had it a couple of times.”

“I’ll have the bacon aglio olio.” Jihyo shrugs, her heart pounding.

He nods, oblivious. “Stay here.” And then he’s gone up to order. He’s paying too? Oh god, he’s totally taking her out on a date! This was against the rules!

She considers texting her brother – and promptly remembers he doesn’t know a thing about this arrangement. Why does it have to be so hard? Already?

Jongkook comes back, and she tries her hardest not to stare at him weirdly. Instead, she tries to make small talk. “Oppa, you didn’t have to pay.”

“There’s always the next time.” He shrugs. Next time? She bites down on her lip to keep herself from commenting any further.

There’s a long period of silence and he tries to think of something to say. The whole point of lunch was to let Jihyo know that they didn’t have to stay awkward. Just because she’s moved into his house and they are completely in a platonic relationship whilst having a baby, it didn’t meant that they had to be so tensed up. He kind of messed up last night – maybe he should have woken her up instead of carrying her to his bed? Even this morning’s gym session didn’t do anything to clear his mind!

“Say something, oppa.” Jihyo orders, tired of the silence.

“What do I say?” Jongkook frowns, slightly tensed. “Ah, I didn’t think we’d go back to being so...”

“Awkward?”

“... You said that, I didn’t.”

“It’s almost like we’re back to the first few episodes of Running Man.” She chuckles softly. “Remember when you gave me your album and spoke to me formally?”

“I also remember when you asked if you could call me ‘hyung’ because you didn’t feel comfortable with ‘oppa’.” He joins her in laughter, watching her cringe a little. “It did take you some time to warm up to us.”

“Don’t take it personally – I do that to everyone.” She rolls her eyes, smiling anyway. She’s not proud of her early days with the cast. If it wasn’t for Kwangsoo, she might have just quit and watched from afar as another pretty actress took over her spot, and maybe made a love line with Jongkook since Gary was forever tied to her... or so he claimed. That man never even sent her a text about his marriage or baby! There was nothing between them, but she would have appreciated a text at the very least.

“Then I’m glad we’re friends now.” Jongkook says lightly, like he’s trying to remember what they were. Friends sounded a lot better than colleagues, or god forbid, co-parents.

Someone interrupts them with two glasses of something green and brown and for a horrifying moment, Jihyo thinks he might have ordered them some vegetable milkshake or something equally terrifying. She squints, eyeing the drink like it might explode on her.

“It’s iced chocolate matcha. I’m not going to poison you.” Jongkook’s already sipping on his.

“Chocolate?” She questions, tilting her head in disbelief. She shuts her eyes as her lips touch the straw, and to her utter relief, it tastes like heaven, the matcha complimenting the dark chocolate so beautifully she nearly inhales the whole drink in seconds. Lately, if she wasn’t feeling like she might puke her entire stomach, she was famished — this baby was ruining her appetite!

“I’m not some kind of health nut.” He reminds her, chuckling at her change in heart.

“I think you are, oppa.” Jihyo frowns, unconvinced. It’s a treat in itself to be able to drink something so sweet and delicious, but to see someone like Kim Jongkook enjoying a nice sugary beverage? The man hates sugar for a living. “It’s really, really good. How did you even find this place?”

“My mother loves to bring my nieces and nephews here whenever they visit.” He shrugs, smiling. “We could come back sometime again.”

She thinks about her date theory, wondering if he’s playing her. First, he pays for lunch and says there’s always next time. Then, he calls her his friend. Somewhere along the way, he orders a nice, sugary drink for her without asking. And now he’s hinting that they could do this again?

“I’d like that.” Jihyo says instead, sipping on her drink.

“I think I want to add clause six on our agreement.” Jongkook adds casually, taking his phone out. “Lunch every Sunday?”

“Mmhmm.” She agrees. “Are you paying for them all?”

“Yah, Song Jihyo. Are you leeching off me?”

“Hmph, oppa. I knew you were every bit the miser Kwangsoo paints you to be.”

He finishes typing on his phone, and her phone buzzes almost instantly. She checks it on habit, seeing the notification of a message from Kim Jongkook: Six – I pay for lunch every Sunday.

“Oppa, I was kidding! You seriously can’t be paying for everything, I’m already staying at your apartment and remember rule number one? I’m taking all of eomeonim’s food!” Jihyo tries to reach over to take his phone, but he cleverly keeps it away from her grasp.

“That’s what you get for calling me a miser.” He pouts, acting like a child. “I hope your guilt eats you alive!”

Their food arrives before she gets the chance to retort back – probably for the better, because she doesn’t quite know what to say to his generous offer. Jongkook’s always been the one to pay for their meals when they go out drinking too, but once in a while she can’t help but feel bad.

On the other hand, even if she was kidding, Jongkook’s not. He’ll pay for all her meals, and her things, if she let him. This lunch was kind of an opportunity to find something for them to do after he realized the tension between them last night, so he suggested they watch that movie... except she fell asleep and he carried her to his bed, and now they had gone back to that same tensed, awkward relationship again.

They both dig in, and the conversation turns to silence as they focus on their food. The aglio olio’s fantastic, but the oil and too much chocolate and sugar might be upsetting her stomach. Nothing stays down anymore, but she’s had enough of ginger tea and all that nonsense she’s read online that can calm her morning sickness down. As far as she’s concerned, the only solution was to take a nice, long nap.

Her phone vibrates on the table, but she ignores it – it’s a Sunday, whoever’s calling could wait.

“Are you feeling queasy?” Jongkook asks, a little worried. He’s probably heard her phone, but he doesn’t press.

“A little.” Jihyo admits, upset. This was the worst! She gets to eat a nice meal and her body won’t let her enjoy a few bites more? Now she’s the one pouting.

“We can pack it up to go.” He suggests, and then frowns at his own phone that’s vibrating next to her’s. Both their screens are facing down, and maybe they are both waiting to see who’s going to pick it up first to see. She nearly gives into the temptation, but then Jongkook jokes, “I think we should add under rule number six that we‘ll switch our phones off when we go out for lunch.”

“Only if I’m paying for next week’s, right?”

“Nice try.” He shakes his head, tapping his phone, that’s finally stopped vibrating. “But I’ve already texted you the details, and it clearly states that I’m buying lunch.”

“You’re so suffocating, you know that?” Jihyo narrows her eyes, and beside her, her phone buzzes again. “God, it’s Sunday!“

She flips her phone and the screen lights up, only for her to see the six messages and two missed calls all from Somin, Donghoon and Kwangsoo. God, what was this? A sudden mission? It’s barely two, meaning the show wasn’t even broadcasting on tv yet. But they’d usually warn them in advance if they needed to catch the broadcast — otherwise she’s not going to lie, she might