7:09 p.m. I've been thinking about Dae Hyun's message for the last four hours or so. Did he really mean what he said or was he just trying to see if I would forgive him or not ? If I just go back to him right away, he will think he can hurt me anytime he wants and I'll keep running back to him, but, honestly, I miss him already. What should I do ? Why do I keep wondering about things because of you, Jung Dae Hyun ? I've never been the philosophical type, you know ?

   After some more thinking, I decided to text him back. I thought a lot about what to write. Should I say I forgive him ? Should I say I need more time to think ? I ended up sending a brief message.

   I changed my clothes and walked to the park. Dae Hyun was already there.

   "You were fast." I said while sitting next to him, but leaving the biggest possible gap between us.

   "Look, please, just give me a chance to explain. I'll tell you everything you want to know, I'll do everything you want me to, I'll..." I interrupted him.

   "You have already explained." I wasn't mad. I was just... disappointed ?

   "Are you still mad with me ?" He asked in a low tone.

   "No."

   "Then why won't you look at me ? Why won't you talk to me ?" He moved closer to me and lightly touched my hair.

   "I don't know. I just... I don't know what to say." I felt water filling my eyes, so I looked away.

   "Then let me do the talking, but at least look at me. Please don't ignore me, Rika." He slowly turned my face to him and noticed my tearful eyes. He was frozen for a moment, but soon hugged me. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Please don't cry."

   Once again, my hormones got the best of me. I couldn't help crying hopelessly. I guess I have forgiven him by now. He apologized non-stop and I wanted him to give it a break, but couldn't say it. My voice wouldn't come out because of my crying. Damn you, hormones.

   When I calmed down a little, I stepped away.

   "I'm sorry. I really am." He touched my cheek, wiping away a lonely tear and I lowered my eyes for a moment.

   A storm of feelings washed my insides and I started crying again. "Don't you dare make me cry again, Jung Dae Hyun." I lightly punched his chest. He pulled me back into a hug and I collapsed in his arms once again.

   "I won't. Never again. I promise." He hugged me tighter, while carressing my hair.

   I kept on hitting his chest. "I hate you. I hate you so much."

   "I know, I know." For some reason, every time I listened to his voice I would cry harder. "That's right. Let it all out."

   "Shut up." I hit his chest a lot harder this time. If he didn't stop talking, I would never be able to stop crying.

   "Ouch, that hurt." He flinched a little, but didn't let go of me and I giggled. "Feeling better ?" He lifted my head to look at him.

   "No." I pouted and snuggled back in his chest.

   He chuckled and rested his chin on top of my head. We stayed like that until we got startled by Dae Hyun's ringtone. After a few monosyllabic answers, he pushed me gently and handed me the cellphone. It was Zelo.

   "Hello ?"

   "Rika, how could you go out without telling me ? And even worse, how could you not take your phone with you ? Do you know how worried I was when I got home and you weren't here ? Do you have any idea of how many things that could have happened to you crossed my mind ?"

   "You were at the market and my phone was out of battery, what did you want me to do ? Blame your cherry tomatoes." I mumbled the last sentence and Dae Hyun chuckled.

   He was in silence for a couple seconds. "Doesn't matter. Are you and hyung in good terms now ?"

   "Yep."

   "Good. I'll get your stuff downstairs."

   "Are you kicking me out ?"

   "Yeah."

   "Idiot."

   "I know you want it, bestie."

   "What if I say I want to stay ?"

   "Why would you say that ?"

   "I don't know, but what if I did ?"

   "I would kick you out."

   "Meanie."

   "Hey, give hyung some attention. He might be feeling left out." I turned my head to Dae Hyun and he looked at me inquisitively. I just giggled.

   "I guess so. Bye, ma baby." I hung up and, as I turned to Dae Hyun to give his cellphone back, he pecked my lips. "What...?" I got a little disorientated for a second.

   "Just felt like doing it." He shrugged cutely. "Are you getting mad again ?"

   "Nope." He smiled and took my hand, leading me to Zelo's house.

   We knocked on the door and Zelo didn't even say hi. He just pushed my stuff outside, winked and shut the door on our faces. Dae Hyun and I stared blankly at the closed door.

   "Now that I think of it, we are not by car." Dae Hyun looked at me, tilting his head. I also tilted my head, taking in the information.

   "Choi Jun Hong !" I screamed, banging the door.

   "What ?" Zelo screamed back, opening the door.

   I giggled, but soon got serious again. "We can't take my stuff home on foot." I pushed him aside, entering the house.

   Dae Hyun pushed my things back in. "I'll go get the car."

   I was already lyring on the sofa when Zelo came to me. "Why didn't you go with him ?"

   "It's dark outside. I can't walk at night, it's dangerous." I said, while flicking through the channels.

   "And you let him go all by himself ?"

   "Think about it, Zelo." I sat up. "Some guys, men, male elders on the streets just want to play with girls passing by, right ?" He nodded. "So if he's by himself, no one will bother him, but if we are together and someone messes with me, he might even start a fight and it would not end well."

   "Got it." He nodded slowly. "But anyway. What happened there ?" He moved closer to my face and I almost fell backwards.

   "Sometimes I forget you are a boy, you know ?"

   "What ?" He sat back.

   "You love gossip."

   "No, I don't." He crossed his arms, pouting. Cutie.

   "What about your question just now ?" I raised a brow, smirking.

   "As you hardly ever get along well with girls, I'm taking the role of your best girl friend as well. Don't complain." He flicked my forehead.

   "I know, bestie." I threw him to the floor.

   "Can't you act like a girl ?" He sat back on the sofa, rubbing his back.

   "Can't you treat me like a girl ?"

   "But I do." He furrowed his brows.

   "No, you don't. Not even close." I also furrowed my brows.

   "You don't walk with girls because you think they are too helpless, why do you want to be treated like one ?"

   "Look at me, I am helpless anyway." He chuckled.

   "I take enough care of you when I need to." I glared at him playfully, shaking my head and he rolled his eyes.

   "Good enough for me." I shrugged, lied back on the sofa and kicked him, so that he would lie to the opposite side.

   After about ten minutes, Dae Hyun arrived and we went home. He had brought our suitcases back from the airport, so I had all my stuff there. As I was about to go upstairs, he stopped me.

   "Rika ?" I turned around. "Do you want to visit your mom ?"

   "What ?" I tilted my head.

   "Do you want to go to Hokkaido ?" I was speechless for a moment. "It's still the 23rd. We can be there by tomorrow, spend Christmas next to your mom and be back by the morning of the 26th. There's a flight departing in five hours." He showed me two plane tickets.

   "Did you know I would forgive you ?"

   "I expected you to."

   "What if I didn't ?"

   "I would take Zelo with me."

   "Am I that replaceable ?" I raised a brow.

   "No, silly." He flicked my forehead. "But money doesn't grow on trees, you know ?" I pouted.

   "Why do people like hitting my forehead so much ?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.

   "Because it's wide." He sang the last word.

   "Shut up." I hit his arm, half offended, half... not offended.

   "I won't say it was a lie, because it wasn't." I raised a brow. "But I will say that besides hittable, your forehead is totally kissable." He kissed my forehead and I smiled slightly.

   "I have to learn to be mad at you for a longer time." I said seriously.

   "You wouldn't be able to. You love me too much." He smirked and I scoffed, turning my back to him. "Where are you going ?"

   "Up." I pointed up.

   "Are you really leaving me just like that ?" He put his hands on his waist.

   "Yep." I giggled. "I need a shower. We have a plane to board." I smiled and went upstairs.

   "I also need a shower, you know ?" He screamed from downstairs.

   "That's not my problem. Door locked !" I closed the door giggling and turned the shower on.