Jihyo didn’t know that halfway through their conversation, Jongkook had already noticed them being left behind. He pedaled a bit slower, just enough to still keep up with the maknaes and maintain a bit of distance from Jihyo and Donghoon. 

He wouldn’t have been suspicious; Jihyo and Donghoon were like brother and sister, and this wouldn’t have been the first time he’s seen them hang back to talk to each other. But he had overheard words like love and Hyeong, and that was enough to make him curious about what exactly they were talking about. He didn’t want Jihyo to be caught in the trap of marriage questions again, specially since they just resolved to take things in stride as they navigated their careers and their relationship. 

Eventually, Donghoon called after the maknaes, and Jongkook knew that it was his window to hang back with Jihyo to check up on her. Unfortunately, as he tried to move back, he forgot that they were currently pedaling on an uphill road. He had underestimated the pull of gravity when he tried to pedal back to Jihyo’s place, and found himself swiftly going back down the road. 

Jihyo saw him, and tried to support him back, but he was too heavy for her, and she couldn’t stop the speed of the bicycle either. “Oppa,” she cried out, prompting the rest of their group to stop their bicycles to look back and witness Jongkook finally lose his balance and fall on the ground. That’s exactly how Jongkook found his back hurting, and his limbs bruised from the harshness of his fall. 

After returning the rented bicycles (and paying for the damages on Jongkook’s bike), they went back to the hotel. Donghoon had excused himself already, heading back to the airport as his family was coming to join him for the rest of the week. Somin, being fond of Donghoon’s kids, joined him to fetch Goeun and the children. 

Jongkook’s arms were hanging from Sechan and Kwangsoo’s shoulders. “Yah Kwangsoo, can you scoot down a bit? You’re too tall for Sechan!” he nagged.

Kwangsoo bowed a bit lower to be more accessible to his hyeong. At the side, Jihyo was huffing, annoyed that Jongkook had injured himself yet again.

They eventually reached Jongkook’s room, and Kwangsoo and Sechan promptly deposited their Hyeong on the bed. “Hyeong, make sure to get painkillers okay? And absolutely no working out in the meantime!” Sechan reminded him, before tugging on Kwangsoo’s arm so they could leave. 

When they were finally alone, Jihyo shrugged off her cardigan, leaving her in her tank top, and laid back on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, before turning her head to see Jongkook looking at her. Jongkook was also lying down, facing the bed, but his head was turned in her direction. His dongsaengs felt this position would put pressure off of his back. 

“So much for your promises this morning. We are alone now, but you’re injured. How will you be useful now Oppa?” Jihyo . 

Jongkook struggled, but he was able to turn sideways to look at Jihyo. He winced at the slight pain from his movement, but he tried to keep an annoyed face, “Yah! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jihyo turned her head to the side, keeping a blank face. “Geunyang, how am I supposed to sleep on your chest if you can’t even lie on your back?” she asked him, keeping a nonchalant look on her face.

Jongkook rested his head on his hand, as he maintained his position, “Aren’t you being too clingy? I’m not really used to you being like this.”

“Wae? Don’t you like it?”

Jongkook scoffed, “Of course I do. It’s just… what’s bringing all of this up?”

Jihyo gave it a bit of thought. She realized that, for the entire day, save for the conversation with Donghoon while they rode around Jeju, she had been second guessing herself and all her actions less. Her naturally introverted self always had an instinct to overthink her words and actions around other people, and, while she felt relatively more relaxed around the Runningman members because of how close they have become, they weren’t necessarily an exception every time. Today had been different though, and it was likely because, as cheesy as it may have sounded, she had just successfully pulled through with following her heart instead of trying to rationalize everything. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Jongkook tapped the tip of her nose. “Mongji, you’re zoning out again,” Jongkook chuckled as he used her old nickname. 

She shoved his shoulder, pushing him on his back and causing Jongkook to cry out in pain. Jihyo realized her mistake, and immediately went after him, trying to massage his back. “Mianhae, Oppa! Jinjja, I swear I forgot!” she cried out as she closed the distance and tried to reach his back.

Jongkook couldn’t help but notice and desire Jihyo’s proximity, so he ignored the pain and wrapped his right arm around her, drawing her near. Jihyo fell on top of Jongkook, and, in her attempt to keep herself steady, she landed her hands on his chest, her face inches away from his. 

He stared at her deeply, wanting to memorize the features of her face. Her face was still blank, albeit a bit surprised at how forward Jongkook was being, but Jongkook basked in her beauty. She felt run dry, so she swallowed and her lips to bring in some moisture. That didn’t help, because her movements prompted Jongkook to stare at her lips, and his gaze darkened when he alternated between her eyes and her lips. He started to rub circles, as his left hand held her waist, while the other one cradled her back, and she felt herself begin to falter, as her hands started to feel the hard planes of his chest through his shirt, as if they were moving out of their own volition.

But, it was Jihyo who first pulled away, unable to take the tension from his gaze and the heat from the touches that they started to share. She sat up, and her hands moved to brush her hair behind her ear. “Um… I forgot you… that you were injured… your back… I’m sorry,” she stuttered, her mind still reeling from what just happened.

Jongkook sat up beside her, flinching a bit from the exertion. Jihyo immediately put her hand on his back, gently massaging his lower back. But, he was still trying to compose himself from the heat of their contact, so her gentle touches were not helping him in his quest. He reached out and took Jihyo’s hand in his. “Gwenchana, Sooyeon-ah,” he reassured her with a smile. “So, will you tell me now?”

“Tell you what?” Jihyo asked with questioning eyes.

“What you and that punk, Donghoon, were talking about.”

Jihyo blushed a faint shade of pink, “It wasn’t a big deal, Oppa.”

Jongkook simply stared at her, and, not wanting to push it further, he settled for some form of reassurance, “It wasn’t anything bad, was it? I know he can be meddlesome sometimes, and you and I just talked about slowing things down.”

Jihyo looked up at him. “Aniya Oppa. Donghoon-oppa wasn’t being…” she tried to search for a better term.

“...annoying?” Jongkook supplied.

“I was going for ‘too much.’ He wasn’t being too much,” Jihyo finally settled. “He just gave me good advice.”

“Okay, arasseo. That’s good to hear,” Jongkook concluded for both of them. “Now, as for that cuddle you wanted…” he began to say, pulling Jihyo in for an embrace and laying back with her on the bed. Jihyo settled herself against Jongkook’s chest, tucking in her head beneath his chin. She kept hold of Jongkook’s hand, and playfully checked how much bigger his hand was compared to hers, before finally interlocking their fingers together.

“Ah, this feels very cozy,” Jihyo called out. “You sure this doesn’t feel painful for you?” she asked out of concern.

“Ani. This feels very right,” he answered, sneaking a kiss on Jihyo’s bare shoulder and silently thanking the heavens that she had chosen to take off her cardigan. He pulled her in closer, drowning himself in the smell that was distinctively hers.

There was a bit of silence, and Jihyo started to look at their interlocked hands, lost in her own thoughts. She started to say, “I miss going to our fan meetings abroad.”

“Gapjagi?” he remarked, genuinely surprised at the randomness of her statement.

“Don’t you?” she asked softly.

“Of course I do. But I miss traveling in general. I think this is the longest I’ve gone without visiting LA,” he said. And then, he immediately added, “When this is all over, I should take you with me. It would be easier for us to go around there.”

“That sounds ex