“Unnie…you okay?” 

Krystal watched Jessica limping to her chair at the dining hall.  She had been wearing a cast for a couple of days now as per the advice of the doctor.  She didn’t go to work also but now, she decided to go before Donghae starts to throw tantrums at her.

“Yeah—though it throbs at times.”  She noticed that she was wearing her uniform.  “You have no practice today?”

“Ne—our home economics teacher requested Coach Kim to excuse us from the training.  She said that we have to bake—”

“You’re gonna cook?” she .

“Unnie!” she pursed her lips.  “I’m better than you in the kitchen.”

“Don’t underestimate my cooking skills, ‘Stal.”

“Oh yeah—you can only make tuna sandwich.”

“Manners, girls!” Mrs. Jung stopped their petty quarrel.  “By the way Jessica, Jihyun called to say that you need not go to the office for a week.”

Her brows met in an instant.  “Nugu-ya (Who)?”

“Sunny’s secretary?”

“Ah—oh—right,” she said as she remembered who she was.  “What else did she tell you, Mom?”

“Nothing much—just that it’s your boss’ order.”

Donghae’s?  Why?  Did he hit his head or something?  He particularly hates it when she leaves her works undone.  Why did he instruct her to take a leave suddenly?

Her mom spoke again, “stay at home and rest if you have nothing to do.”

No.  That’s totally boring.  “What am I going to do here?” she said in an exaggerated manner.

“Be a bum.”

“Shut up, ‘Stal.”

The younger Jung pouted and sulked on her seat.

“Why don’t you go to your Sungmin-oppa’s studio and check if everyone’s doing fine there?”

∞

Mrs. Jung drove her daughters to their destinations.  They dropped off Jessica first and because of that, Krystal was late for class.  Her face was scrunched while walking at the hallway where she met Kai.

“What’s with the long face?” he asked after greeting her good morning.

“Look at the time—I’m already late because Unnie is such a slowpoke.”

Kai chuckled at her childish response.  Somehow that took away the bad feeling she had on her chest.  It enlightened her mood.  “But I guess it’s alright because I won’t be the only one scolded by the