Instead of thinking about Somin's final warning, Jongkook ignores it. She might think she knows what's best, but he has known Jihyo longer. And if there's anything he can do, it is to protect her from what he thinks is too overwhelming for her mind. Perhaps Somin would agree to disagree, but he will not risk it. He doesn't want to invite her over for the holiday break as originally intended, worried the younger woman will be the one who spills the beans.

So for the first time in years, Jongkook cancels his Christmas and New Year plans with his family.

“It’s not good to be too busy.” His mother nags, sounding a little disappointed after he tells her the unfortunate news. “Why on earth would anyone schedule such an intensive shoot during the holidays?”

“It’s important.” Jongkook lies, apologetic. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see her; it’s just that things are different this year. He cannot leave Jihyo alone in this apartment, but neither can he tell his mother about this. “I’ll make up for this, I promise.” 

“Don’t worry, son.” Hyeseon sighs, ultimately accepting the news. “We will be thinking of you. Don’t overwork yourself! I’ll see you soon.”

“Ye, omma.” He responds, always the polite one. “I’ll call afterwards.”

They hang up, and he puts the phone by his bedside, feeling sorry. Now what? He hadn't planned ahead when he decided to cancel his trip to his mother's house. 

It’s a little late, maybe around twelve in the morning. Usually he’ll be up and out of the house, heading to the gym or for his schedule. It’s Christmas today — he doesn’t have work, but the gym is always open for him. 

“Are you leaving?” A voice calls, startling him out of his thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed that he was walking to the kitchen, where the smell of unmistakable bacon sizzling was overwhelming his senses.

Somin must have rubbed off on Jihyo in many ways — Jongkook never thought he’d see her in an apron, cooking over the stove. 

“No, not today.” He shakes his head. “What are you cooking?”

“Breakfast.” She smiles.

“It’s time for lunch.” He replies, amused. 

“Not if I haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”

Smirking, he can’t argue with that logic. “Do I need to call the fire department?”

“Hey!” She scowls, flipping some bacon. “Somin taught me a lot. I must have been a good cook before.”

Jongkook laughs, thinking about Jihyo’s disastrous cooking attempts on the show. “You must be delusional.”

“Why?”

“You’re horrible at cooking!”

“Huh?”

Her confusion wakes him up a bit, and he looks back at her, stunned. He didn’t mean to let it slip like that — he has to be more careful in the future, he cannot reveal their shared history.  

“I mean, you were probably horrible.” He corrects lamely, his eyes blinking out of nervousness. “It’s a joke.”

“Oh.” Jihyo turns her attention back to the sizzling pan, the teasing mood gone. She pretends to sulk, pouting sadly while her lips begin to tremble. “Well, you’re not really funny. Just mean.”

Jongkook curses internally, taking  it the wrong way and immediately apologizing profusely. “, Jihyo. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You’re the best cook in the world! It’s a stupid joke anyway, I’m the one who’s horrible.”

She looks away, turning her back to him as she transfers the cooked bacon to a waiting plate. . He didn’t mean to disturb her like that; it just slipped out! His mind was starting to forget that this is not the same Jihyo that he has known for years. His comfort with her came her past self, not the one she is now. 

, she’s probably so hurt by his words now. Why did he have to say that? After all the time she’s spent with Somin preparing meals and learning how to cook? She even prepared breakfast without being asked! His heart sinks as he watches her shoulders slump and heave, like she was crying over his words, and—

Wait.

She’s... laughing?

Jihyo gasps, unable to suppress her laughter any further. The giggles escape from as she turns to him, spotting his alarmed expression, and collapses into another round of laughter. “Oh, so funny!” She cries, laughing into her hand. “You looked really scared!”

“Yah.” Jongkook scolds, his cheeks flaming. It’s the humiliation of being caught looking worried that has him feeling hot. “Were you just pretending to be sad? I thought I upset you!”

“It’s not so easy to make me cry, oppa.” She grins, handling him the plate she was holding. “Come on, let’s have breakfast. Then you can see if I’m really a horrible cook like you claimed I am.”

She grabs her own plate by the counter, leaving him with his jaw slightly dropped in the kitchen. This girl... He thought he has ruined their relationship in seconds! 

Jihyo was an actress, after all. Nothing about her has changed, and yet how different it is. He reminds himself she is not the same woman he met ten years ago — he cannot continue to be so comfortable with her. It will become more difficult to keep up his little charade, but he has to try harder. 

He shakes his head, trailing behind after her, hoping her cooking truly has improved and he’s not about to taste burnt bacon. 

After breakfast, Jongkook wonders if he should go out with Jihyo.

Considering the fact that she’s living in his house, he hasn’t spent as much time as he would have liked with her. Work was always hectic before the holidays, so Somin would help fill her time. Other than that, Jihyo enjoyed reading — something he didn’t expect. He was almost relieved she asked for books instead of a phone or laptop, considering how hard is was to hide her from the outside world. 

“No work today?” Jihyo asks as they are doing the dishes. He’s washing while she dries, a compromise since she had cooked. 

“No... Um, the gym is closed.” It’s getting easier to lie about his schedule.

“Really?” She looks doubtful, scanning his bulky arms. “You’re okay with one day without lifting weights?”

He scoffs, rolling his eyes playfully. “One day won’t hurt.”

”Do you really go to work everyday though? No girlfriend or family?” 

Jongkook pauses, surprised that she’s asking this. She’s been here for three weeks now, but she’s never made an attempt to ask about his life. “No.” He answers lightly. “I see my family a few times a month. We just don’t celebrate Christmas.” 

Another lie. He’s done nothing but sprout lies since she arrived.

Jihyo hums, nodding. “You should get a life.”

“What?” He can barely believe her words. 

“All you do is go to the gym to work!” She snorts, returning a newly dried dish to the rack. “Do you even have friends?”

“Somin’s my friend. And I think you’re stealing her away from me.” He protests defensively. 

“Do you have friends outside of work?” She corrects, waiting for a reply. Of course he does, but he hasn't seen Shorry and the gang for a while now, always returning home to check on Jihyo. 
 

So the reply doesn’t come, and she makes a cute face, almost like a cross between a smug grin and a sympathetic glance. “I thought so. See, you don’t really have a life. Ha, and I’m one to say so!”

“It’s not like that.” Despite her teasing, Jongkook can’t help but smile when he sees her face. He can’t say much about his life to her without explaining about his celebrity status and line of work. 

“So why are you still single?”

“I guess I’m just waiting for the right person.” He shrugs, focusing on rinsing the plate he’s holding. 

Jihyo nods; she can understand that. It’s just weird seeing a man his age living alone. “Do you believe in fate? That one day you’ll meet someone and she completely changes your life?”

“Yeah.” Jongkook whispers, his voice low as he meets her eyes. “I absolutely do.”

For some reason, his piercing stare has her breaking away first and avoiding his eyes. Behind those brown orbs were something so sorrowful and heartbreaking, she cannot bear to look into them any longer. 

Someone or something has hurt him badly before, but she doesn’t want to dig deeper. Like him, she has a lot of pain that she does not want to unload. They do not know each other long enough to be at that stage of overindulging yet. She picks up the plate he has just washed, drying it thoroughly with the rag even as she feels his eyes rest on her.

“Me too.” It comes out soft, barely a whisper. But she wants him to know that he’s not alone, that she feels the same way. Whatever man that will sweep her off her feet, she will let him do it. She’s wasted too much time in her life to be experimenting with love. Perhaps fate will bring someone to her to change her life. 

If only Jihyo had looked up to find the one man‘s gentle gaze on her, maybe she wouldn’t have to hope for more. 

Eight years ago — 2012, August

Jongkook is slightly pissed. Only slightly, because he can’t stay mad at her for long. Nevertheless, he doesn’t believe that after two years of being friends, Jihyo couldn’t even bother to tell him she was dating.

Not just dating anyone, no. But her CEO. He’s pretty sure that’s a scandal on it’s own, never mind it being a dating one.

“Oppa...” The woman in question hesitates, knowing how Jongkook held grudges easily. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Maybe.” He pretends to be hurt, looking away coldly. “So you don’t tell us anything now?”

“It’s not like that!” Jihyo protests, running childishly in front of him so he has no choice but to face her. “I didn’t want you guys to be nosy. You know how the oppas are!”

“A text would have been good.” He chastises, shaking his head. “So we don’t have to read about it online! Think about poor Kang Gary — he’s probably sending your agency an apology as we speak.”

“Gary oppa knew.” She winces, watching his eyes grow big. “Just because I told him to dial back on the Monday Couple references! I didn’t mean to hide it from everyone else, I promise!”

“You told Kang Gary? What am I, chopped liver?” Jongkook scoffs, even more hurt now. “You always say you’re busy, were you really just busy dating your CEO?”

“Oppa!” Now Jihyo’s the one feeling hurt, her face a mixture of discomfort and shock. “I’m really sorry, okay? Can I buy you a meal to apologize?”

“What would your boyfriend say?” He shakes his head almost immediately, turning her down. “No thanks, Song Jihyo. Keep your love life to yourself!”

“Are you already holding a grudge?” She scowls, making her mind up to stop apologizing. She sniffs haughtily, making it a point to stand right in his direct sight. “Oppa, you can’t ignore me forever.”

“Watch me.” Jongkook folds his arms childishly, trying to pay no attention to her.  

Easier said than done. A beat passes and  he sighs as she pouts, still standing in front of him and refusing to move. This girl... He can’t bear to ignore her, not even to prove his point. 

Ultimately, he groans, acknowledging her presence with a begrudging nod. “You’re such an annoying woman, you know?”

“I know.” Jihyo nods furiously, deciding to accept the olive branch he is so graciously offering. 

“But does he treat you well?” 

“I think he does.” 

“That’s not an answer.” He frowns, ready to hunt down this man who’s taken their Mongji’s heart. 

“Oppa!” He watches as Song Jihyo blushes, a look he seldom witnesses. “He does, okay? I’m happy.”

She sure looks like she is. They say you look prettier when you’re in love, and he believes it — she’s practically glowing every time they meet for filming. 

Jongkook softens, a strange tightness in his chest. He’s grown fond of their only female member, perhaps in a way different from his other dongsaengs. She always had the upper hand on him, a type of weakness he had on women like her.

 “Then I’m happy for you too.” He smiles warmly, patting her on the back. 

The smile she returns is so breathtakingly beautiful, he forgets all about his little argument with her.

Now — 2020, December

After breakfast, Jongkook lies about work and retreats to his room, leaving Jihyo with the new drama box set Somin got her for Christmas. 

It’s sweet how Somin looks out for Jihyo, even on the day she can’t be around. With the DVD player, they wouldn’t have to worry about any accidental surprises on tv. He might have to buy the younger woman a gift, maybe a new air fryer with all the experimenting in the kitchen she’s been doing.

He heads straight for his closet, digging through a few black shirts until he finally finds the item he’s looking for. There’s a box of things Jongkook has kept since she went missing, tucked safely away from any cameras if the cast came over for shooting. For some inexplicable reason, he wants to open it up today.  

At first, he planned on giving it to her parents. Then later after the funeral, he planned on mailing it to them. But the box grew and grew, until he couldn’t bear to part with it, so here it was.

It’s dangerous, with her in the house. If she caught sight of it, she would have so many questions. But after living with her for a few weeks, she doesn’t seem to have a single recollection of her time with them. Not even Ha Ha’s surprise visit has ignited any sparks.

Sighing, his eyes land on an old photo buried under tons of other momentous. The seven of