I hate my cousin.

He’s nineteen, and a rich . He always goes out to party and considering he’s the only son on my mom’s side, my whole family dotes on him.

And guess what. The real screwy part is the fact that he’s hot. And lives in Korea. He’s really ungrateful, and he takes his family’s love for granted.

We had my seventeenth birthday party last year in Japan, and he was supposed to be the surprise guest, but guess what? He forgot about the party. Great surprise.

So this time when we were to go back to Korea, I focused only on listening to my K-pop music and not thinking about that Cousin of mine.

Rain’s my ultimate k-pop bias; he’s so hot and can sing amazingly. Then it’s Kim Jae Joong. And considering Rain is so in demand, I’ll settle with meeting Kim Jae Joong instead.

“SeongMi, can you get the suitcase?” My mom called out, when we were arriving at the Hotel. I popped my berry flavoured gum and took it from her, heaving up the stairs. I glared at the valet, who was supposed to be helping me, but instead was flirting with a rich girl.

“We’re going to go freshen up and then meet with your cousin. Okay SeongMi?” my dad asked me and I shrugged.

“And spit out that foul gum.” He added, and frowned when I popped it once more, right in front of his face, just to amuse myself.

I hummed Rising Sun on the way up to my private penthouse, and lazily chucked my suitcase on the floor and rummaged through it for a casual tee and jeans.

I slid the door open to the shower and quickly got in, sighing as the water ran down my body, releasing all the stress from travelling from America to Korea in one day.

The loud buzzing of the hairdryer awoke me from my daydreams when I got out, and I pulled my hair into two simple ponytails. CHU! I smacked my lips together in a kissing motion and went out of the bathroom, to see my mom sitting cross legged on the sofa, cleaning out my clothes.

“Tchk, are you really that lazy that you can’t be bothered to clean out your own clothes?” she muttered, closing the cupboard and I replied,

“Mom, I’m saving energy. Not being lazy.” She used her index finger and pushed my head, and I emitted a high giggle.

“Let’s go down now, your cousin’s waiting.” Mom said and my good mood disappeared immediately.

“Do we have to?” I pouted like a little kid and tugged her back into my room.

“Im SeongMi. Do not be rude. Be a lady.” She scolded me and I imitated her in a high falsetto voice.

She just laughed and shoved me into the elevator, and pushed the ground floor button.

It seemed like an eternity when the elevator finally opened its doors. I heaved a huge gush of air into my lungs and my mom laughed at my ridiculousness.

I slouched, shoving my hands into my pockets, and dragged my feet towards the direction which my cousin, aunt, uncle and dad were standing.

“Heya.” I said, raising my right hand and saluting my uncle and auntie. My mom tsk-ed and said,

“Speak Korean!” I sighed and spoke in a loud voice,

“Anneyeong hasayeo.” It’s not that I can’t speak Korean; I just really don’t give a about it. Unless it’s about Jae Joong or Rain of course!

They smiled at me and gushed over how much I’d grown, like all adults did and I looked down at the ground when the conversation started to turn to girls and their puberty years.

“She’s getting pimples all the time!” my mom whispered to her sister and I blushed furiously.

“MOM!” I hissed and hid myself under my hair again when she gave me the glare.

Oh yeah, speak Korean.

I shuffled my feet, watching an ant crawl slowly across the linoleum floor and heard a certain voice cough. I looked up just the slightest bit, just enough to see expensive looking Armani leather shoes come to a stop in front of me.

“Hey.” I nudged my head and saw the annoying smirk on his face that I hated so much. He smiled at me and patted my shoulder.

“Long time no see cuz.” He told me and flashed a smile at me.

Oh right. Did I tell you who my cousin was? He’s Kim Kibum. Yeah, uber hot but what I thought was a total dickhead. I flashed a smile at him and looked away.

“Why don’t you take your cousin outside?” My auntie suggested and Kibum nodded, while I frantically sent telepathical messages of terror to my mom, which she seemed to not get.

“Araso.” He said and led me outside by my elbow.

When we got out, I wrenched my arm from his grasp and he chuckled,

“Never liked me much eh SeongMi?” I snarled back and scowled, cowering into a plant.

“You’ve grown a lot.” He said, looking at me up and down.

I protectively covered my body and spat at him,

“Are you ing on me?” he laughed and winked,

“Never Mimi.” I narrowed my eyes at him and turned away.

“Hey, I told my friend about you, I think you’ll be really happy to see him. He’s at the hotel also.” I looked back and said,

“Who?” my curiosity getting the better of me.

He just smiled and grated my nerves more by simply shrugging his shoulders. I let out a frustrated breath of air and picked at my nails.

“Let’s just say, it’s a happy birthday present.” He smiled and I huffed,

“A little late.”

“Let’s go back.” I said and jogged in before he could even say anything.

“Ah, we were just going to retire back into our rooms, SeongMi. I hope you and Kibum had a nice chat.” My mom said and I stared at her, since when did my mom turning royal and start saying ‘retire’ and ‘nice chat’?

I nodded my head absently and went upstairs, waving at my family, who were still happily chatting away.

“So much for going back.” I said and sprinted to my room, locking the door and flicking on the TV.

After a while though, I got bored and so I grabbed my I-pod from my purse and decided to hang out on the balcony. Just as I sat down, I had an ingenious thought and I opened the fridge and took out a small tub of cookies and cream ice cream.

I love to indulge in sweet things. I’m not chubby, but I’m not a stick. I hate every sport except for running, which is why I do that a lot.

I placed both ear buds into my ears and scrolled down my playlist until I got to Wish by DBSK. I sang along, in my real voice, but I melted into falsetto just in case someone heard me, recorded it and posted it onto YouTube the next day.

I have an okay voice I guess, I can reach as high as Zhang Li Yin, but I’ve never really had any lessons. I guess it’s from practicing in the shower!

I was actually getting into it, and when it finished, I just sat there, waiting for the next song to come on when I heard a pair of hands clap and a voice say,

“You’re actually really good.”

I ripped out the ear buds, and whizzed around to see a figure standing in the shadows of the balcony to the right of me.

Squinting, I tried to decipher who it was until he stepped into the light.

Oh dear god.

It was Kim Jae Joong. The hottest nineteen almost twenty year old boy of DBSK was standing right in front of me, and here I am, in a pair of tattered old sweats, a Pingu shirt and looking like I’m a fat pig.

“Can I have some of that?” he asked me, and I jumped when I heard him speak. He pointed to the ice cream and I willingly gave it to him.

“It’s not good for your voice.” I told him and he laughed.

“But obviously it hasn’t affected yours.” He winked at me and I turned back around, heaving in deep breaths and fanning myself.

When I turned back around, I let out a little scream, because he was right in front of me, staring at me intently. I looked behind him and studied the gap between my balcony and his.

It was actually quite wide, and I was going to mention it to him when,

“You’re really pretty.” He said and BAM! I went red. I shuffled my feet and muttered thanks.

“Kibum told me a lot about you. He says your kind and really pretty, which I don’t doubt and very talented.” He smiled at me and for a moment I was furious. HOW COULD HE TALK ABOUT ME BEHINGD MY BACK?

But the moment was replaced by euphoria at the fact that Kim Jae Joong thought I was pretty and talented! In one combo! I smiled a little and brushed my hair back.

“Why don’t we have a seat?” he asked me and held out the chair for me to sit on. I did, and so did he.

For the next hour we talked and talked, sharing things about each other, and laughing together. I told him about California and he told me about Korea.

I think, I might actually make him my number one bias now, sorry Rain.

“Do you wanna go out some time tomorrow?” he asked me, shyly scratching his head.

“Are you asking me out?” I replied, laughing at his expression and he nodded and confidently said,

“Y-yeah.” I was baffled for a moment, as to why someone like Kim Jae Joong would ask me out, and then it hit me.

It was all Kim Kibum. When I was small, he was my favourite playmate, all until he became famous and moved away, and we went to California.

One day, my ex-best friend moved to Korea and started to date Kibum, she cheated on him eventually with some guy named Donghae, and I guess he’s been blaming me ever since. Mom did say he was devastated.

When my dad told him that I like Rain and Kim Jae Joong I didn’t think he cared. Now, I get it, he got Kim Jae Joong to meet me, as a late happy birthday present. It’s his way of asking for forgiveness.

Jae Joong and I said our goodnights, and I lay on my bed, smiling wildly. I had just one thought before I fell asleep,

I love my cousin.