“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” Donghae screamed in annoyance.

“Don’t yell at me, Lee Donghae!” His mother said in a soft yet stern voice.

“But… But… That’s absurd. Haa. Unbelievable. That can’t be possible. Never.” He said, more like explaining, with no words escaping aside from those short sentences. His mother called him at the middle of the night, saying that she has an important matter to discuss with him, which is showing some of his childhood pictures – with me and Jessica.

“Well, I thought that it is also ‘impossible’. But, look at this photo.” His mother showed him a photo of him and Jessica at a sandbox, with Jessica holding a shovel and a pail, widely grinning while he has his own pair with sand on it, smiling down at her. They were about 5-6 years old at that time, and Donghae can remember that he felt something ticklish inside him while looking at Jessica’s playfulness so he smiled. ‘It was just the sand that’s why I felt something tickled me.’ He thought.

“What about it?” He asked his mom in a neutral, not-caring voice.

“You’re looking at her, full of adoration. Can’t you see?” His mother sing-sang. And it tickled once again. He shrugged off the feeling and looked around his mother’s room, not noticing that his mother has showed him another photo.

“This can also prove that you like her, even before anyone else!” His mother beamed that made him look at the photo. They were around 12-13years old at that photo. He clearly remembers this because he was actually pulling up his pants when Jessica barged in to his room, grabbed his joysticks and played random games there. He was supposed to scold her for not knocking on the door and grabbing his things without his permission when he saw her wiped her cheeks harshly. He noticed that she was crying so he let her be and continued on dressing up himself before he went back ‘glaring’ at her.

“Mom! I never remembered you followed Jessica that time?” He asked in an unbelievable tone. How did she managed to capture that scene without me noticing?

“Oh, gosh. I never thought that my son is this stupid.” His mother said in a dramatic way. “Son, I’ve been telling you since an hour ago that you like her. You like Jessica and not Dara.”

And that statement didn’t stop the tickles until that night. Donghae can’t sleep but think of the conversation that he had with his mother. He got out of his room and made his way to the living room while talking to himself.  ‘No way I am liking Jessica. I like Dara, or even love her. Not that blonde admirer of mine. Never.’

BLAAAAAAG!

He heard something crashed from his right, where the bathroom is, and saw Jessica picking up the broken pieces of the ceramic plates, tears clearly seen on her cheeks. He immediately moved to help her only to be pushed away by a hand.

“Don’t touch it.” Jessica said in a cracking voice.

“You should do that. Stop picking it up with your bare hands.” Donghae said while trying to hold her hand for her to avoid her current action. “Have you forgotten what Mom told us? Don’t hurt yourself. I’ll go get the broom.” He stood up when Jessica stopped herself from collecting the pieces, and was about to move when he heard a bitter laugh from her.

“’Don’t hurt yourself’, huh? Ridiculous.” She whispered.

“What do you mean?” he asked in a soft voice, his back facing Jessica.

“Simple. I am already hurt, so why would I avoid the pain, anyway?” She explained in the most sarcastic way she can. And Donghae turned around her, just to see her hands full of blood. His eyes widened in shock. Only God and him, knows that Jessica is scared of blood, that she actually passed out when she saw it after he went home bruised, and they are the only persons in the house. He immediately rummaged the bathroom for the first-aid kit and sat beside Jessica, shoving all the broken pieces away from the both of them. He held her wrist and immediately did his job, constantly blowing onto the wound as he applies the medication. Afterwards, he put a bandage on it.

“I told you not to pick it up with your bare hands, didn’t I?!” he scolded looking at her eyes. Tears escaped once again from her eyes, driving him into panic, just like the time when Jessica passed out in his arms and he didn’t know what to do.

“What? Does it still hurt? Where? Yah, Jung Jessica!” he talked frantically while holding her hands with utmost care. He saw Jessica shook her head and smiled bitterly.

“At one time, I never thought that you’d care about me this much. I never felt it, even when we were young. I only dreamed about it, of you taking care of me, back then. I was sleeping and I saw you humming that tune that Daddy always does to lull me to sleep. You were also caressing my head and we actually slept together, side by side. I don’t know how I saw you in my dream while I am sleeping, because for goodness sake, I am sleeping! But, there, I saw that your eyes were looking at me full of worries and concern. Just like now. Oppa, am I dreaming? If I am, can’t I not wake up again?” She told him looking down, only to turn her gaze at the questions. Donghae was taken aback. That ‘dream’ she’s talking about was actually what he did when she passed out. And since he was in his panic mode, he mimicked what Jessica’s father does whenever she’s in a bad mood. Questions flooded his mind. How? When? Why? He can’t seem to digest all the things that Jessica said, that he didn’t notice that Jessica has already recovered and cleaned up the mess she did. He only moved when he felt something nudged his side.

“Stand up.” Jessica ordered which he followed at once. He was about to go inside the bathroom when he heard Jessica said in her soft yet teasing voice.

“A piece of advice. I know I am better than Dara unni in some ways. And I clearly know that you like her, or even love her. But, next time you try to debate with yourself, keep it in your mind. It is not healthy for others to know what thoughts are running into your mind.” Then, she went upstairs.

Donghae’s original plan was to clear up his mind when he went downstairs. But he never expected that this night is going to be the longest night he’ll have in his entire life.“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” Donghae screamed in annoyance.

“Don’t yell at me, Lee Donghae!” His mother said in a soft yet stern voice.

“But… But… That’s absurd. Haa. Unbelievable. That can’t be possible. Never.” He said, more like explaining, with no words escaping aside from those short sentences. His mother called him at the middle of the night, saying that she has an important matter to discuss with him, which is showing some of his childhood pictures – with me and Jessica.

“Well, I thought that it is also ‘impossible’. But, look at this photo.” His mother showed him a photo of him and Jessica at a sandbox, with Jessica holding a shovel and a pail, widely grinning while he has his own pair with sand on it, smiling down at her. They were about 5-6 years old at that time, and Donghae can remember that he felt something ticklish inside him while looking at Jessica’s playfulness so he smiled. ‘It was just the sand that’s why I felt something tickled me.’ He thought.

“What about it?” He asked his mom in a neutral, not-caring voice.

“You’re looking at her, full of adoration. Can’t you see?” His mother sing-sang. And it tickled once again. He shrugged off the feeling and looked around his mother’s room, not noticing that his mother has showed him another photo.

“This can also prove that you like her, even before anyone else!” His mother beamed that made him look at the photo. They were around 14-15 years old at that photo. He clearly remembers this because he was actually pulling up his pants when Jessica barged in to his room, grabbed his joysticks and played random games there. He was supposed to scold her for not knocking on the door and grabbing his things without his permission when he saw her wiped her cheeks harshly. He noticed that she was crying so he let her be and continued on dressing up himself before he went back ‘glaring’ at her.

“Mom! I never remembered you followed Jessica that time?” He asked in an unbelievable tone. How did she managed to capture that scene without me noticing?

“Oh, gosh. I never thought that my son is this stupid.” His mother said in a dramatic way. “Son, I’ve been telling you since an hour ago that you like her. You like Jessica and not Dara.”

And that statement didn’t stop the tickles until that night. Donghae can’t sleep but think of the conversation that he had with his mother. He got out of his room and made his way to the living room while talking to himself.  ‘No way I am liking Jessica. I like Dara, or even love her. Not that blonde admirer of mine. Never.’

BLAAAAAAG!

He heard something crashed from his right, where the bathroom is, and saw Jessica picking up the broken pieces of the ceramic plates, tears clearly seen on her cheeks. He immediately moved to help her only to be pushed away by a hand.

“Don’t touch it.” Jessica said in a cracking voice.

“You should do that. Stop picking it up with your bare hands.” Donghae said while trying to hold her hand for her to avoid her current action. “Have you forgotten what Mom told us? Don’t hurt yourself. I’ll go get the broom.” He stood up when Jessica stopped herself from collecting the pieces, and was about to move when he heard a bitter laugh from her.

“’Don’t hurt yourself’, huh? Ridiculous.” She whispered.

“What do you mean?” he asked in a soft voice, his back facing Jessica.

“Simple. I am already hurt, so why would I avoid the pain, anyway?” She explained in the most sarcastic way she can. And Donghae turned around her, just to see her hands full of blood. His eyes widened in shock. Only God and him, knows that Jessica is scared of blood, that she actually passed out when she saw it after he went home bruised, and they are the only persons in the house. He immediately rummaged the bathroom for the first-aid kit and sat beside Jessica, shoving all the broken pieces away from the both of them. He held her wrist and immediately did his job, constantly blowing onto the wound as he applies the medication. Afterwards, he put a bandage on it.

“I told you not to pick it up with your bare hands, didn’t I?!” he scolded looking at her eyes. Tears escaped once again from her eyes, driving him into panic, just like the time when Jessica passed out in his arms and he didn’t know what to do.

“What? Does it still hurt? Where? Yah, Jung Jessica!” he talked frantically while holding her hands with utmost care. He saw Jessica shook her head and smiled bitterly.

“At one time, I never thought that you’d care about me this much. I never felt it, even when we were young. I only dreamed about it, of you taking care of me, back then. I was sleeping and I saw you humming that tune that Daddy always does to lull me to sleep. You were also caressing my head and we actually slept together, side by side. I don’t know how I saw you in my dream while I am sleeping, because for goodness sake, I am sleeping! But, there, I saw that your eyes were looking at me full of worries and concern. Just like now. Oppa, am I dreaming? If I am, can’t I not wake up again?” She told him looking down, only to turn her gaze at the questions. Donghae was taken aback. That ‘dream’ she’s talking about was actually what he did when she passed out. And since he was in his panic mode, he mimicked what Jessica’s father does whenever she’s in a bad mood. Questions flooded his mind. How? When? Why? He can’t seem to digest all the things that Jessica said, that he didn’t notice that Jessica has already recovered and cleaned up the mess she did. He only moved when he felt something nudged his side.

“Stand up.” Jessica ordered which he followed at once. He was about to go inside the bathroom when he heard Jessica said in her soft yet teasing voice.

“A piece of advice. I know I am better than Dara unni in some ways. And I clearly know that you like her, or even love her. But, next time you try to debate with yourself, keep it in your mind. It is not healthy for others to know what thoughts are running into your mind.” Then, she went upstairs.

Donghae’s original plan was to clear up his mind when he went downstairs. But he never expected that this night is going to be the longest night he’ll have in his entire life.