Ha Neul’s POV

A supermarket! He took me to a supermarket! Kyahahahaha!

For some reason I was feeling all giddy just because we were walking together through the racks and putting vegetables, fruits and wholemeal products into our (shared!!!) basket (that HE was carrying!!!!). When actually all he did was lecturing me about which products mankind should buy and which not…

But since this was the first time ever since he started acting weird that we had a normal interaction, I was just happy that he was talking to me again. I couldn’t stop smiling and contently listened to his beautiful voice. And the amazing thing is that I actually remembered what he said! My mom had tried countless times to teach me at least the basics of the art of cooking but had always failed at the inability of my brain to save that kind of information. Turns out, after all, my brain did have the ability but it was just the wrong teacher…

And I never thought grocery shopping could be so much fun. Whenever my mother asked if someone could go and buy some supplies, I was always the first one to flee the scene. But today, with this dino, I wished it would never end. I would intentionally pick some unhealthy food and throw it into our basket, just so he could go on another lengthy rant/explanation as to why I should put it back into the rack instantly.

I giggled at how he stayed in front of the vegetables and decided for five minutes which one to buy exactly. And when I asked him what he was deciding on for so long he answered that it had to match his nutrient plan for this week...! A nutrient plan! I tell you, the world of KPop idols is a scary one!

I learned a lot about his eating habits in general; like why he chose the products he chose or which flavours he favoured. (A fact I was strangely happy over...?) For example, when we stood in front of the rack with the milk products, I learned that his favourite milk pudding was peach flavoured. Although, I couldn't figure out why he quickly turned away after telling me that. Like he was embarrassed for some reason...?

But the most awkward thing happened on our way back the vegetables and fruits. We had forgotten the cabbage so we had to walk through the entire store again. I was busy listening to his voice once again (this time about the importance of cabbage in a healthy cuisine, I think), when suddenly Jonghyun yanked at my arm. I gasped and before I knew what had happened I had already fallen against his chest.

I felt him shaking his head. "Seriously, I can't take my eyes of you for even a second... Walking at a pillar head-on without a care..." He mumbled in a low voice that sent a not unpleasant shiver down my spine and made my already out of tact beating heart skip another beat.

And yet, I liked it... Liked the secure feeling of being held by his strong arms... Liked how his manly scent was engulfing me completely... Liked this strange excitement that suddenly took over my whole body and sent my heart running like crazy... Honestly, I could have stayed like this forever...

If only the two shop ahjummas hadn't caught sight of us... The moment I heard them gushing to one another about what a cute couple we were, we immediately sprang apart.

"Ahaha... you are mistaken, though, ahjummas..." I quickly hurried to clear up the misunderstanding and twirled a strand of my hair between my fingers, too embarrassed to look anyone directly into the eyes.

But they wouldn't believe me. "Aigoo, no need to be shy!" They both cooed, making me feel even more awkward. I was dying to know what kind of expression Jonghyun had right now but I didn't even dare glance into his direction because I would surely turn red as a tomato. If I wasn't already...

And why wasn't he helping me? Didn't he know that with him not denying it too, the ahjummas would never believe me? They were giving us those creepy yeah-right-glances accompanied with this knowing smile but he didn't say a word...

"No really! He just stopped me from walking into this pillar..." I thus continued fighting alone and pointed at it. "We really are not a c—"

But I got cut off midsentence. And what happened next, I wouldn't have expected it in a million years.

"She's cute, right? Being all shy about it..." Jonghyun suddenly cut in in a fond tone and I could even hear the gentle smile in his voice. What?

But he wasn't done yet. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me so close that my face was resting on the side of his chest once more. Sending my heart racing yet again.

I could faintly hear the excited gushing of the ahjummas through the noise caused by my blood rushing in my ears and my mind reeled. What on earth is that dino doing?! Why did he say that?? This way the ahjummas will misunderstand even mo—!

"You see, she isn't quite used to it yet as we only started a few days ago... Moreover, I'm her first boyfriend, so..." The rest I didn't hear anymore.

The only thing I could hear was his statement that kept ringing through my head. I'm her boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend.

...

GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*spazzzzzz*

My FEELS!!!

Oh my God, BOYFRIEND, he said!!!!

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!!!!

...

Okay, that's it.

That one sentence just did it for me.

I'm officially dead.

He just killed me.

I only got resurrected when I felt myself being dragged away. But it still took my mind a few racks to catch up with my current situation. And when it finally did, I stopped dead. Jonghyun, who had still been leading me by the hand, also stopped and turned around giving me a questioning look.

I, on the other hand, just stared at him wide-eyed until I finally managed to get my mouth moving. "W-what... how... w-why...?" Though it looked like I still couldn't form any coherent sentence.

At first he had this unfathomable look in his eyes but then he looked away and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, they wouldn't have believed us anyway, so it was easier to just let them think whatever they wanted..." And with a mischievous grin he added: "Why, you didn't like it? The heart-throb of every girl in this country calling himself your boyfriend...?"

This.Dino.

Didn't like it? Didn't LIKE it?!!

I almost DIED from giddiness overload!!! You stupid...! Arrrghhh!

"I'll go get the cabbage..." I eventually said to avoid the danger of answering his question truthfully and embarrassing myself to the bones. I freed my hand from his and disappeared behind the next rack as quickly as possible without making it look like I was running away.

"Sure!" I heard him shouting after me but I had already turned around the next rack. I glanced back once more, making sure that he really was out of sight, and collapsed against the side of the rack.

Oh. My. God.

What the hell was that?!

When did the peaceful shopping-together turn into... into this I'm-your-boyfriend-situation?!!

Absentmindedly, I pushed myself off the rack, headed over to the cabbage stand, and picked a piece at random.

And what is with my reaction?! Getting all embarrassed and flustered and EXCITED by it?!!!

He's my roommate! Landlord even! What’s with me acting like a crazy fangirl all of a sudden?! Am I--

My unsettling train of thoughts got cut short when a familiar voice called out to me.

"Ha Neul? Is that you?"

I looked up and my eyes caught sight of the girl who just came walking into the store.

Oh, ! What the hell is Hyo Rin doing at a supermarket in Gangnam?!? And why-oh-why did it have to coincide with the only time that Jonghyun and I went grocery shopping together?! And were in such an awkward situation, on top of it?!

I tried to act as if I didn't hear her and attempted to make a bolt for it but I was too late. "It really is you! When did you start grocery shopping at supermarkets in Gangnam?" She asked and dashed towards me, successfully stepping in my way and forcing me to halt. I smiled awkwardly. "Hi Hyo Rin..."

And of course, that made her suspicious immediately. "What's wrong? Why are you behaving so weirdly?" She frowned.

"Uhh, it's nothing..." I tried to lie but obviously failed brilliantly...

"Don't lie to me when you know you can't."

"Well, it's just that... I'm a little in a hurry..." That was at least somewhat true.

"In a hurry? Why?"

Why? WHY?! Because that Alien Terrorist is just a shelf away and might start looking for me if I don't return soon! And if you aren't gone until then, then you'll find out and he will have my head!!! That's why!

"Just because?" I looked at her pitifully. Please, please just let it go once! Just this once!! To save your poor best friend's sorry as—

"Yah, Ghosty, how long can it possibly take to select some cabbage?! Are you trying to confirm the Golden Ratio Theory or someth—" Jonghyun stopped dead when he saw Hyo Rin staring at him with wide eyes and agape. "Errr... hi Hyo Rin?" He then greeted her awkwardly, scratched his head and threw me a what-the-hell-have-you-done-now side glance.

My dear best friend just blinked. Finally she collected her jaw from the floor and swallowed. "G-Ghosty...?" Was the only thing she could manage though. But it was more than enough to make me look to the side embarrassedly. (Somehow, I'm doing that a lot lately...) Still, I gave a quick nod; what use was it now to lie anyway?

"Kim Jonghyun has a nickname for you and calls you 'Ghosty'?!" Hyo Rin repeated a little louder and with incredulity written all over her face. Then her eyes fell on the basket in Jonghyun's and the cabbage in my hand. "And you two are grocery shopping together in Gangnam?!?"

And when Jonghyun confirmed her assumption, her eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets. "Yah, Hwang Ha Neul! What is going on here?!?"

--------

"Okay, let me just recap the facts real quick! First. You guys have nicknames for each other. Second. He drives you to university every day. Third. He cooks for you! Fourth. You live in the same apartment as him!! And fifth. You sleep in the same bed as him?! Hugging him?!!"

"Ye... Although lately—"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!"

"Everything alright with you guys?" Jonghyun put his head through the door of my room.

"Yup, everything’s fine..." I assured him with an apologetic smile. "That's her usual self..."

"Oh, okay, if you say so..." He shrugged and disappeared again.

"Bling Bling Jonghyun just put his head through the door of your bedroom...” Hyo Rin awed and I quietly anticipated the continuation of her squealing saga. “BLING BLING JONGHYUN JUST PUT HIS HEAD THOUGH THE DOOR OF YOUR BEDROOM!!!!!! KYAAAAAAAAAAAA—"

"Okay, I get it," I interrupted her. "You're excited. I got it."

"Excited? EXCITED?!? I'm ing freaking out here!!!! I mean Kim Jonghyun is your ROOMMATE!!! Every girl in this country (A/N: And not only there! ^^) would sell all their organs to get what you have!!! Which country did you save in your previous live, huh? Tell me!"

"Don't exaggerate..." I tried to calm her down but it had the exact opposite effect.

"'Don't exaggerate'?!" She exclaimed. "What the hell makes you think I'm exaggerating?! Fine! Let me show you!" She whipped out her cell phone, probably intending to show me some fan café but I cut her off. "Arasso-arasso! I get it! I believe you! I'm the most fortunate girl on earth..."

"Damn right!" For a moment Hyo Rin just looked at me until she remembered something. “But yah, what are you going to do when Sungjong returns in a few days?!"

"What about it?" I didn't understand her sudden unrest. Sure, my oppa's dongsaeng and a good friend of mine was returning to Seoul after his exchange year abroad in about two days. But it wasn't like he was going to live in 'my' apartment or something... So I couldn't understand why Hyo Rin found this so worrying...

But Hyo Rin just looked at me incredulously. "What, have you already forgotten?! Gathering all kinds of information is his hobby! And being your oppa's dongsaeng, Woohyun surely gave him orders to look after you and finally figure out where you live! Especially after that stupid incident!" She looked at me apologetically. "God, I am so sorry! Had I known that... things were like this, I would have never even dreamed of calling your oppa!"

I thought for a second. What Hyo Rin just said was probably not far from reality, unfortunately. But it wasn't her fault. "You're not the one to blame," I thus replied and added grumbling. "You weren't the one who had the crazy idea to make my oppa misunderstand...!"

"Misunderstand?"

Oh, curse you, you stupid mouth! "Ahaha... it's nothing..."

"Hwang Ha Neul~!"

Jonghyun’s POV

I don’t get myself anymore.

First. I kiss Ha Neul.

Seriously, why did I do that?? No, actually I know why…

The excuse of her working her Ghosty Powers on me is just rubbish… There was no need denying it. I had wanted to kiss her. That’s why I did it. As simple as that…

Am I CRAZY?!

Why would I want to kiss that Ghosty?! I should go and meet up with some girls again… Thinking about it, I haven’t done that in quite a while…

Anyway! Next!

Yes, next, I acted as if nothing happened. Teased and argued with her like I always did… as if we had never kissed…

Because I didn’t want to find out the real reason why I kissed her…? I’m really talented when it comes to running away from something…

And then, she just had to go and crumble my resolve. My resolve to act as if everything was perfectly fine… Just with simply grabbing onto my sleeve… Sigh…

And then, that dream… What the hell was up with that dream?! That flowery and peaceful atmosphere! That fluffy feeling! Those lovey-dovey actions! Why on earth did I have a dream like that?! Moreover, with her!

I had decided right then and there, that things couldn’t continue like that. It needed to stop. And the only way to achieve that seemed to be by keeping my distance from her, since she was obviously the cause for all this.

And I thought I was doing a fairly good job at it… at avoiding her… Although I had to sacrifice my sacred meals and my bed for it… (I have no idea why I can’t tell her to go and sleep in her own room again… but I just can’t…) Although I had to endure my member’s teasing remarks whenever I fell asleep during work… But I could accept that.

If it made that stirring in my guts disappear… If it stopped my heart from racing and kept my throat from going dry at the mere sight of her… If it meant that I would no longer worry about her endlessly when she was late and would no longer be all nervous when she was present… If that was the case, then I was more than willing to accept these little sacrifices…!

So.

SO!!

What in the world was I thinking when I dragged her to the supermarket?!

When I already decided to keep my distance from her?! (Not that I wasn’t enjoying myself… Going grocery shopping with her, I mean…) I know, she was threatening to wreck my kitchen. (And the argument that I wanted to teach her at least the basics about cooking for the time when I’d be in Japan was rather weak…) But hadn’t I just said that that was a sacrifice I was willing to make?!

…

It turns out I just can’t keep my resolve when it comes to her…

Not even a little bit…

She breaks it without even trying to…

Ha.ha.ha…

…

And then! The best of it all! I called myself her boyfriend! BOYFRIEND!!!

I know I later gave the lame excuse that it was just easier agreeing with the ahjummas than trying to get them convinced of the opposite, but at that very moment I didn’t even think of that! The words just slipped out of my mouth before I even realised what I was saying!!

I am well aware of the fact that I tend to talk a lot and that I sometimes talk before thinking. But since I’ve become an idol I’ve learned how to choose my words wisely! I’ve become a lot more cautious about what I say!

So, why did I throw all that over board and called us a couple?!

What if those ahjummas recognised me?! God, I don’t even dare think about it!

I heaved another huge sigh and leaned back on my couch, covering my eyes with my arm.

And now, Hyo Rin even found out about Ghosty living in my apartment…

I glanced over to her room, wondering what disaster she was cooking up now…

Seriously, ever since she fell into my arms that day in the little park outside, my life has been thrown into chaos… sigh… So much about her not disrupting my pace…

Suddenly, the door opened and Hyo Rin stepped out, followed by my personal master of disaster.

“Hyo Rin is leaving…” She informed without looking at me.

“Oh, okay”, I answered and stood up avoiding direct eye contact as well. “Take care. Will you find your way home?” I then turned to Hyo Rin. At least to her I could talk comfortably.

I followed them to the door to see Hyo Rin out.

“You have everything?” Ghosty asked Hyo Rin when the later was all set and Hyo Rin nodded. “Yup, I think I have.”

“Do you want me to accompany you until the bus station?” Ghosty asked again but Hyo Rin shook her head.

“No, thank you. I’ll find it on my own. You stay here and…” She didn’t finish her sentence though. Instead she grinned at Ghosty meaningfully and threw me a side-glance that made me think of the things I had just banned from my mind.

“Okay, I’ll be going then!” Hyo Rin said and turned to leave. “Byebye!” She waved and walked towards the elevator.

“Bye!” Ghosty waved back with a smile and we both watched Hyo Rin stepping into the elevator. But then Hyo Rin turned back once more and shouted: “And Ha Neul-ah! I won’t forget to ask you how it went with Hae!”

And then she was finally gone. Ghosty closed the door and to my surprise she was blushing madly! Huh? Why was she suddenly blushing like that?? Because of Hyo Rin’s last remark? And who was that ‘Hae’ anyway?

“Who is Hae?” My mouth had asked before I could stop it. But it looked like I had hit a sensible topic. Because now she was darting her eyes everywhere but me and her cheeks were growing even redder.

Damn, now I was really curious!!

“Err… uhh…” She stuttered and for some reason I felt my temper rise the longer she didn’t say it.

“He…”

He?! So it was a guy?!! Grrrrr~! Aisht! What bastard has she gotten entangled with now?!

“He is a very good childhood friend of mine…” She then finally managed to say and I felt my heart sink at her explanation. Man, why was this effecting me so much??

“A childhood friend?” I somehow managed to say.

“Yeah, we used to meet during summer holidays… But then our contact broke off… And only recently I met him again… So, next week we decided to have a little get-together to catch up with each other… Oh, you actually know him! He…”

Wait…

So, she met that bastard from back then again?! That boy who was the reason why she had such a hard time during junior high?!

And what?! She is having a little get-together with him?! Are you kidding me?!

And his name was Hae?! Che, already the name is repulsive...!

“Jonghyun?” She looked at me questioningly and I realised that I had been so caught up with my own thoughts that I hadn’t even heard what she had said. Stupid me…

“Ah, yes…” I thus just said, hoping that it was a fitting answer. And apparently it was.

“Yeah… I guess you do hahaha…” She laughed awkwardly and bit her lip. (And my throat went dry once more…)

Awkward silence… dot.dot.dot…

“I’ll go to bed then…” She finally excused herself and I watched her walk to her room with a weird feeling in my chest.

God, Jonghyun. What is happening to you?

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Looong chapter~ ^^

Hope you liked it... hehe, I love the jealous jjong..!!
Hmm, somehow I haven't got much to say...?