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A thin layer of sweat covered Soyeon’s body as she rested in the strangest position on her bed, wrapped in what looked like the cosiest yet most inappropriate blanket for her current state. She was cold yet she was so hot, she was comfortable on one side but totally uneasy on the other; mother nature had paid her monthly visit once again and this time, she brought wrath along with her as Soyeon was visibly is great pain. Her cramps were usually tolerable but not today. The constricting agitation that resonated through her lower stomach was enough to immobilise her for the past hour. She was out of painkillers and in no state to get out in the world to get some at the local pharmacy.

Struggling at the smallest movement she would make, she grabbed her phone to look at the time; 14h, her roommate, Laura, wouldn’t be home for another three hours. Sighing to herself, she tossed and turned restlessly, trying to keep her mind off the pain with some music in the background but it did not work. Finally finding a position that kept her off the sharp pain, she laid like a corpse on her belly, limbs spread out like a star with no care in the world. That was until she heard her front door beep. ‘Who would visit at such a time?’ she thought. No one knew that she was off work that day except for her roommate and well, Laura could just pin in the passcode if it was her.  ‘Might as well pretend that no one’s home.’ She thought once again but whoever was at the door seemed to have read her mind and harassed the doorbell even more.

Soyeon debated for a good fifteen minutes if she should get up or not and you would think that by then, the visitor would have left, how wrong. The ringing wouldn’t stop, and it eventually drew Soyeon even crazier and more annoyed than she already was. Getting up with the most effort, paying no regards to her attire nor her look, she went straight to the door, with pain at each step, not bothering to look at the front door camera. She opened the door briskly with the coldest expression to her face only to be greeted with a familiar face, the one person she did not expect seeing nor did she want to.

“Took you long enough, ice princess.” The perpetuator exclaimed as he invited himself in without any other word.

“What are you doing here Johnny?” Soyeon asked with utter annoyance to her voice as she locked the door behind him.

“Didn’t Laura tell you that I’d be coming to stay over for three days?” He asked with that stupid smirk of his drawn upon his lips whilst he eyed Soyeon over.

Soyeon didn’t need to think long about it as she recalled a vague conversation, she had with Laura the week prior about her brother being in town for a few days. She grimaced upon realisation and simply waved her hand lazily to dismiss the topic. Thinking that she might as well double check if there really were no painkillers lying around, she went to the kitchen and served herself a warm cup of water as she grabbed the medicine box from the designated first aid cabinet Laura and her had set there. Johnny followed her every move with an attentive gaze as he settled his duffle bag next to his feet whilst he grabbed a seat at the kitchen’s isle. Alas, Soyeon was in no luck and Johnny’s devoted attention unnerved her even more than the absence of painkillers.

“Stop staring at me like that will you?”

“Calm down princess, this is no way to treat a guest.”

“You’re Laura’s guest, not mine and guest my , you know this apartment like the back of your hand.” Soyeon only served him with a sharp tone as she gulped down her drink. She filled up her cup once again before heading to her room with her cup.

Johnny his seat to see her sauntering away from him. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I came so early?”

“Like I care. Laura most probably told you that I was home duh.”

“Bingo! Damn you are smarter than you look, princess.”

Soyeon settled her cup on her nightstand as she deeply sighed. “Stop calling me that giant. I’m in no mood for your pesters today.”

“When were you ever in the mood princess.” Johnny retorted with the most innocent expression to his face to contrast his sarcastic reply.

Soyeon only spared him an unamused look before slamming her bedroom door.

Johnny chuckled to himself before springing his duffle bag over his shoulder as he headed to the guest room to settle his stuffs. Soyeon on the other hand, threw her heavy body to her bed once again as she relentlessly tried to find that sweet position again. Johnny could hear her subtle grunts from his room and only sighed as he texted his sister.

Text to: LauRat the pest
Yo what’s the meds that Soyeon takes on her mens?

Soyeon on the other hand could hear Johnny ruffling around. The fact that the guest room was right next to hers was not very helpful and being on high alert for any sound due to the massive headache that was cultivating in her, she could only curse at Johnny under her breath since he didn’t do anything wrong, except exist. See, Soyeon and Laura got along perfectly, they were best friends and the whole world knew it too but Soyeon and Johnny, well that’s another story.

You would think that something must have happened between them for both to be so petty towards each other but really nothing occurred. Johnny simply made a point to show his disdain for Soyeon by annoying the hell out of her at any opportunity he had and well Soyeon stopped trying to be cordial eventually and fought back with her wit. They made the bare minimum efforts to get along in front of Laura, though she was very much aware of their tensed relationship.

Upon receiving a reply from his sister, Johnny grabbed his wallet and headed out with an avalanche of ruckus. Soyeon was only glad to hear him leave; even if he was in a different room, she could feel the tension between them and honestly it didn’t help ease her pain at all. However, she soon realised that him leaving the apartment meant that she would eventually have to get out of the bed to let him in again. Soyeon deeply sighed as she grabbed her phone to text her nemesis.

Text to: Seo Johnny (Laura’s bro)
Door keycode 39650127
Minimise the noise.

Johnny smiled as he saw her text and typed in a swift reply as he waited for the pharmacist to be back with Soyeon’s pills. Soyeon looked at her phone lazily as she heard it pin in with a new notification.

Text from: Seo Johnny (Laura’s bro)
Be back soon, don’t miss me too much ice princess.

Soyeon cringed heavily at this message and contemplated deeply on why Johnny and her never got along. She had noticed he would act in such a narcissistic and unnerving way only in her presence, but she also never bothered to bring it up. But she was very much curious about it because she never struggled to get along with guys in the past. Soyeon was a rather unproblematic woman, unbothered by looks and glitters and rather into video games and parties yet very mature and composed. She knew for a fact that Johnny was very funny and caring; she saw how he would take care of Laura despite the usual siblings’ quarrel. Truly, she was curious, but her ego would never allow her to speak up her mind. Why you ask? Well it’s simple, because Johnny made a point to show that she was no where near worthy of being his friend, or so she thought.

Less than twenty minutes later, Johnny was back with a bag filled with pills and another with chocolates, sweets and crisps. Of course, he would obliviously make countless noises in the kitchen while setting a platter with his recent purchases. Soyeon could only sigh as her headache was amplifying by the second. Grabbing a spare pillow, she muffled her head in it to minimise the sounds getting to her ears, in vain.

Johnny lightly knocked to her door, with the platter in hand.

“Go away.” She managed to interject.

“You’ll regret saying that.” Johnny said as he opened the door swiftly. Soyeon sighed before throwing her spare pillow at his feet, as her eyes remained closed. “Careful, I nearly dropped these.”

Curiosity caught her up and she finally opened her eyes to look at Johnny, mentally prepared to curse at him, but she was rather left speechless. Johnny genuinely smiled as he noticed her expression softened up.

“Can I come in or are you going to spring another pillow at me?”

Soyeon shot him an unamused look but nodded anyway as she was in no position to reject her unexpected knight in shining armour.

“How did you know?” she simply asked as Johnny settled the platter on her nightstand. She didn’t hesitate to take the pill immediately, wanting the pain to subside sooner than later.

“Let’s say that I’ve seen Laura in the same state a fair share of times and well, your attire screamed ‘mother nature came’.” Soyeon looked down at her outfit, she was wearing shorts and an oversized hoodie with knee high socks. “Shouldn’t your perfect boyfriend be next to you right now? Oh let me guess, he is on a business trip again.”

“We broke up.” Soyeon said simply and immediately regret washed over Johnny’s face. “No need to give me that pity look Seo Johnny, I’m fine. I turned the page.” She a