"Noona..." a voice called out to Minah. She felt a hand shake her.

"Noona!" the voice called again; this time in a more abrupt manner. She opened her eyes to see little Taemin's panicked face.

"Mmm...What's wrong?" she rubbed her eyes.

"It's Jiyong hyung! I think there's something wrong with him."

Minah quickly sat up and looked over to his side. He was balled up and heavily breathing.

"I was going to ask mom, but she's already at work." little Taemin explained as Minah carefuly examined Jiyong. His back faced her until she moved him to see his face better. His face was pained with his eyebrows furrowed and his nose crinkled. Minah gasped. She immediately swiped his hair away from his face. Then placed her hand on his forehead; he had a fever.

"He's burning up." Minah told littleTaemin.

She dashed to the kitchen and found a clean cloth. She ran it under cold water, and came back to Jiyong. Taemin followed behind her with a small tub of cold water. Minah wiped away his sweat, and then put the cold cloth on his forehead. His body was already shivering from the fever, the cold water on his head made him softly cry out, "Cold." His teeth chattered as his arm tried to find a blanket. Minah pulled it farther away from him.

"Taemin, do not let Jiyong hyung use this blanket alright.' she sternly told him. He nodded obediently. "I'll be back soon." she quickly put on a coat and grabbed an umbrella. She rushed out the door with a slam behind her. 

Jiyong's leg moved around in search of the blanket, then his other leg, then his arms. He curled himself into a ball to keep himself warm. The cold towel slipped off his head. The towel was plunged into the tub of water, and placed on top his forehead once again. He felt his body suddenly turn hot. He panted from heat. He slowly opened his eyes.for a moment he didn't see anything. Everything was still black and dark in his eyes. The sound of his heavy panting was all he could hear. Another cooling feeling washed over his forehead.

"I think he's awake now." a small voice said. "Hyung, are you ok?"

Jiyong squinted his eyes in trying to make sense of everything. He tried to sit up, but collapsed back down to the ground.

"Where...who..." he trailed off. He held his face with one hand and felt the towel on his head. He felt something pressed against his bottom lip, and pouring into his mouth. He willingly, but confusingly swallowed it. He made a sour face from the bitter taste.

"Ugh," was all he could sound out.

"How are you feeling, hyung?" little Taemin asked him another time.

"I'm-" he stopped, tasting the lingering bitter taste of the medicine. "Ugh," he sounded again.

"My sister says that if it tastes bitter, it's going to work." little Taemin said happily. "You'll be better in no time."

He lay there in a daze. He wasn't exactly sure of where he was or how he got there. He was too exhausted to think. Minah came in with a hot bowl of steaming porridge. She set the bowl down beside him, then took the damp towel off Jiyong's forehead. She dipped it in the pale of water, wrung it dry and then placed it back onto his forehead.

"Hey, do you have anyone I can call to take you home?" Minah asked him.

"Noona~ Can't he stay here?" little Taemin pouted. "I like playing with hyung."

"No. He needs to get home and rest properly. Once he leaves, I have to go to." she stated firmly. "I made you some porridge if you want to come out and eat." Minah said then left to go change out of her wet clothes.

"Is your sister always that firm?" Jiyong joked.

Jiyong's cell phone rang for the umphteenth time that day. Each time it rang, he glanced at the caller ID and put it back down.

"Hyung aren't you going to answer it?" Taemin asked confused.

"Eventually." he smiled and ruffled the top of little Taemin's hair.

On Minah's end, she was talking on the phone to a so-called 'representative of the Kwons residence'.

"Yes, well I can't leave yet. I have a..." she glanced back at Jiyong who was happily taking his time playing with little Taemin,"an unexpected guest. I'll call back as soon as I can." The other person gave you the number to you driver and hung up. Minah scoffed. "Snooty pants."

"Who was that?" Jiyong walked over to put his bowl into the sink.

"Work."

“What do you mean she can’t come back? She’s already spent the night there!” Mr. Kwon angrily pounded his fist onto the counter.

“She has an unexpected visitor she has to attend to until then,” the messenger replied calmly.

“You know our son isn’t even home yet. It’s fine, dear.” Mrs. Kwon excused the messenger.

"God damnit! If he keeps messing around like this I'll---"

"You'll what? Throw him out on the street? He's practically living like that already! Look at the way you're always treating him! I wouldn't even want to live with you if I were him!" Mrs. Kwon shouted back before leaving the room in haste.

"Damn that man! So stubborn." she mumbled to herself.

Minah consecutively tapped her fingers impatiently, waiting for Jiyong to leave. She didn’t want to be rude or anything, but having an ‘acquaintance’ stay for the night AND get a fever all at the same time, it felt like it might be time for him to go home. However, it seemed like he was doing everything in his power to not go home. He played with little Taemin, he offered to take you grocery shopping, clean the house, fix the lights, anything really.

“Jiyong, don’t you have plans today?” Minah asked eagerly. “Don’t you think you should go home? You’re fever still isn’t gone.”

“Well there’s no one at home right now, so I would be lonely. It’s much more fun here.” he answered with his eyes remaining focused on changing the light bulbs.

Her mom wasn’t much help either. She wanted Jiyong to go home and rest too, but she couldn’t resist having “such a strong young man” as company.

“Plus he seems perfectly fine. If he wants to stay, let him play!” her mom happily said.

“But mom,” Minah said in a low voice, “He’s not even my friend. Isn’t that a little weird?”

“Nonsense!” she snapped. “He seems so kind, especially to Taemin. Oh! Isn’t he happy!” she smiled watching her son laughing carelessly on Jiyong’s back.

Minah calmed her nerves, clenched her fists, and went head on to talk to Jiyong.

“Jiyong-sshi. I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but I kind of need you to go home so I can go to work.”

“What? And leave little Tae to play by himself?” he laughed  as he continued to tickled little Taemin’s tummy.

I tried. I tried and I fail. I failed, and now he won’t go home. Perfect. She rolled her eyes. She trudged back into the kitchen and leaned her elbow onto the counter, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand. She let out a deep sigh. She felt this guy to be way too comfortable in her home.

She watched and said to him, “Where did all this energy come from? Didn’t you have a really high fever just now?” Her tone of voice noted him that she was clearly frustrated and annoyed.

“There’s no time to be sick if this little guy wants to play with me.” Jiyong ruffled little Taemin’s hair. He huffed and breathed deeply before continuing to play. Minah began to notice little trickling beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Minah quickly called out to Taemin, “Taemin why don’t you color for a little bit.” She handed him his small crayon box and some old collected flyers. She flipped them over to the back side and let him have a party with his crayons.

She sat next to Jiyong and said in a low quiet voice to avoid Taemin overhearing. “You’re still really sick aren’t you? You should get home. Your parents are probably really worried about you.”

“Nah.” He refuted playfully. “They’re too busy with work to notice. I’ll be fine. Don’t sweat it.”

“I think you shouldn’t sweat it.” She handed him a tissue to wipe his sweat.”

He took it and laughed, “So you do have some humor!” He pat her on the shoulder and said, “I’ll go home now. I think Taemin’s had his fun for the day.”

Minah’s mom was definitely in a state of depression when Jiyong left, but don’t mind her. She always gets like this when company leaves.

“You’re leaving too?” she asked her daughter.

“I have to mom. They’re picking my up right now.” She gave her mom a hug before departing down the stairs of the apartment complex.

“You should invite that fellow back sometime! He seems very nice!” she yelled out to Minah as her last words.

“Sure mom!” she yelled back. “Sure...” She said sarcastically to herself.

(8/29/13)

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry if the pace seems a little slow! I'll be sure to update soon! Look forward to it! <3