Jieun

The drive going to Jieun’s apartment was a bit awkward. Somehow it still bugged her that Jihoon might not be telling the entire truth about her drunken misadventures and about what he’d seen or didn’t see at her parents’ house.

“Don’t forget the side dishes, they’re at the trunk.” Jihoon reminded, as he pulled into the driveway.

“Yeah.”

“Thank your mother again for the food. I really appreciate it..her radish kimchi actually reminds me of my eomma.”

Jieun looked at Jihoon’s somber face and knew what he was thinking of. As his fan for so many years, she knew that he lost his mom to diabetes before he debuted because his family didn’t have the money for her treatment. It somehow made her feel guilty for thinking that he was trying to act charming towards her mother earlier; it might just be Jihoon hungering for a motherly presence in his life.

“Sure, I’ll tell her about it.”

Jieun was playing with the hem of her shirt, not wanting to look at Jihoon.She's too tough on him most of the time, and it makes it harder for her to lower her pride and thank him. Her mother will probably scold her if she finds out she didn’t thank Jihoon for his unexpected kindness these past few days. She can already hear her mother’s “I didn’t raise you to be rude..” speech.

“Oh, and by the way, I think I never properly thanked you for taking me home last night.” Her voice was a little soft, the embarrassment clearly showing. “I know I always pick a fight with you, but I do appreciate what you do, and how you’ve helped me with my dancing so far.”

She expected him to for it, but he just smiled warmly.

“Don’t mention it. I’d do the same for anyone in my team.”

 “Well, I promise I’d do the same for you too. If you ever find yourself in a sticky situation, I’ll pull you out of it.” She said with a smile.

Jihoon chuckled. ‘You’ll carry me to my house if I get dead drunk?”

She pretended to measure his body and  compare it to hers, which got Jihoon laughing.

“I think it’s impossible, Oppa, but I’ll give it a try.”

Jihoon looked startled, which she didn’t immediately understand why, until he asked, “Oppa?”

‘Did I say that?” She said with a quizzical look on her face.

Jihoon laughed and said yes, she did. They were both laughing hard, thinking how she never even wanted to use honorifics in the first place.

“Aish.I guess you’re an Oppa.” Jieun said with a hesitant smile.

“Maybe that’s why you didn’t want to call me Sunbae afterall.” He teased.

“Please. Don’t be too full of yourself. But would Oppa be better than Sunbaenim?”

“I’d be okay with anything. You’ve used so many names on me throughout the years that I’ve lost count, to be honest.”

“My favorite is still caveman, but, fine since you’ve been so nice to me, I’ll call you Oppa.”

Jieun felt relieved. Instead of things being awkward between them, it turned out well. However, Jihoon’s words also bothered her. A part of her didn’t want to be just “someone from his team”. Maybe Jihoon is right, she does have the Princess Syndrome.

Jieun, what’s wrong with you lately??

She brushed off her weird thoughts and the sudden sinking feeling in her stomach by saying her goodbyes as she turned to open the door. Just as she was about to get out of the car and walk straight to door, Jihoon grabbed her hand. When she turned to face face him, his mouth was moving, but her brain seemed to have short-circuited. Jihoon’s sudden grip on her wrist brought back a memory she wanted to forget as soon as it entered her mind.

It was a memory from last night.

She was standing on something which made Jihoon look smaller, but he was clutching her hand, telling her to stop whatever she was doing. And she immediately understood why he had an agitated look on his face in this specific memory.

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