“Oppa?” Mimi sweetly calls out to KiKwang as soon as she saw his eyes twitch.

KiKwang heard her and open his eyes terrified. A stranger was inches away from his face staring right into his eyes. He leans back and clinches onto the blanket. He wanted to say something but his mind couldn’t find the words.

“Mimi” JiHyun stood in the door way looking in. “What are you doing? Don’t you have to get ready for school? Uncle’s going to kick your behind if you’re late for school again.” JiHyun walked into the room and grab her bag on the floor. She looks at KiKwang.

KiKwang points to her. “Y-y-you!”

“What about me?” JiHyun ask trying to act like they never met before.

“You, you said-“

“What did I say?” JiHyun cuts him off. She grabs some books from the shelves and turn back to KiKwang and Mimi. Mimi was in KiKwang’s face drooling over him. “Mimi why are you still here?” JiHyun looks at KiKwang. “If you’re feeling better you can get up breakfast is on the table already.” She walks over to Mimi and grabs her by the ear. “Did you even hear what I said to you?”

“Owwwwww Unnie please let go.” Mimi held onto JiHyun’s hand trying to lessen the pain. “Please Unnie…you’re embarrassing me!”

“Oh really? Like you weren’t already doing it yourself.” JiHyun took her out of the room and into the kitchen.

----

“Oppa I’m leaving.” Mimi waves to KiKwang and he waves back. Mimi giggles and ran out skipping. She turns back in to see only KiKwang looking at her and blew him a kiss. KiKwang’s eyes grew in horror and looked away.

“I’m leaving.” JiHyun stood up from the table.

“Wait JiHyun.” Uncle stops her. JiHyun sat back down. “I just want to clear the air between you two since KiKwang will be staying here for a while. Yesterday…it must have been a misunderstanding. KiKwang isn’t that type of person.”

“What type of person?” KiKwang stops eating and asks with a mouth full of rice.

JiHyun looks at him disgusted. “ert”

“ERT!” KiKwang yells and ends up coking.

Uncle hands him some water and started patting his back. “It was a misunderstanding. JiHyun, KiKwang isn’t a ert okay. And KiKwang I’ll apologize on JiHyun’s half for lying to you yesterday about the address and not helping you to get here sooner causing you to be stuck in the rain.”

JiHyun stands up. “Is that all you wanted to say? I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry. Because of someone I don’t have my bike anymore.”

JiHyun stood up and left the room.

Uncle gave KiKwang some more water. “I hope you don’t mind her. She’s not usually like this. She’s a kind girl.”

“It’s okay. I’m not right either. I’ll go look for a new bike for her.” KiKwang chugs down the water.

“No it’s okay I’ll go look for a used one for her. Besides where are you going to get the money for a new bike?” Uncle hands KiKwang some more food. “Eat up you must be starving.”

“I’m already really full.” KiKwang takes the food and sat it back down.

“So, I haven’t heard from you in so long. The last time I saw you, you were ten and now you’re twenty five. I was in shock when the mini mart owner told me you called to look for me.”

“I called the old house number but it was disconnected and the only number I remember from here was the mini mart’s number. I use to prank call them all the time so it was implanted in my head. I’m surprised they haven’t even change numbers yet.” KiKwang and Uncle laughs remembering the past.

“How’s your mother?” Uncle asks.

KiKwangs expression drastically changes from smiling to hurt/serious. “I haven’t seen her since I was ten.” KiKwang never told Uncle his mother traded him in for money after she came and got him.

“What? How did you survive? Where are you living now?”

“Once you live on the streets you learn how to survive. I live from place to place.” KiKwang was lying. He wanted to keep his rich identity away from Uncle so he wouldn’t have to treat KiKwang any different from his other family member. Plus DooJoon would get really mad if KiKwang told people his real identity, people might just be using their friendship as a way to get money.

“Oh gosh KiKwang. Why didn’t you come back then?”

“I don’t know. If my mom didn’t want me why would some stranger?”

Uncle pats KiKwang’s head. “We aren’t strangers. Even though we aren’t blood related I see you as a son. I’ve known you since you were born even though we’re just neighbors I still treated you like my own how could you say we’re strangers?”

“I don’t know. At that time it just felt that way.”

----

“Where did KiKwang go?” GaYoon asks.

DooJoon and their Father looked at each other to see if either of them knew where he was.

Their father sighs “I told him to take a break.”

“Appa-” Their father stops DooJoon.

“It’s okay DooJoon. KiKwang has been working hard so I let him go on a mini break. He will be back once he is relieved of stress.”

“Stress? What is he stressed about?” GaYoon asks confused. If KiKwang was in any trouble or stress she would have known. He tells her everything. They were best friend.

----

“I’m home.” JiHyun walked into the house and saw no one. “Hello?”

KiKwang came out of her room half asleep. “They’re not home.”

JiHyun gave a small nod and headed for Mimi’s room. KiKwang followed her into the room.

“You two share a room?” KiKwang asks.

“Usually no but because of someone now we do.” JiHyun answers without looking at him.

She continues to walk around the house without talking or looking at him but KiKwang kept following her. JiHyun tries to lose him but he kept up with her. She stops and turns to glare at him. Neither of them moved or said a word.

“You must really hate me. I ripped your shirt, made you lose your bike and chicken, and I took your room.” KiKwang joked and laugh trying to get rid of the quietness and awkwardness between them.

“How is that funny?” JiHyun asks annoyed.

“Oh” KiKwang stops laughing and closed his mouth.

“OPPA!” Mimi ran in. “I’m home.” She ran over to him and grabs one of his arms.

“Oh…okay” He kindly pats her head. It was awkward for him.

“Are you hungry?” Mimi asks with aegyo.

JiHyun did a gagging movement and left.

“W-w-where are you going?” KiKwang asks terrified to be left alone with Mimi. He pulls his arm away from Mimi. “Sorry, I have to go help your Unnie for a moment okay.” He pats her head and ran out after JiHyun.

KiKwang caught up to JiHyun and looked back to see if Mimi was following them. He didn’t see a sign of her and sigh in relief. JiHyun suddenly stops walking and turns to him.

“Why do you keep following me?”JiHyun hiss at KiKwang.

KiKwang took a step back. “Sorry, I just want to see where you were going.”

JiHyun sighs and continue walking down the hill to the spot where they met yesterday. She climbs back down to the waters. KiKwang follows her down and stops behind her.

“Are you looking for your bike?” KiKwang ask looking around.

“Why else would I come down here?” JiHyun started taking off her shoes.

“How deep is the water?” KiKwang looks down.

“I don’t know. Deep. I can’t seem to locate my bike. If it wasn’t deep I would be able to see it.” JiHyun put one of her leg into the water.

“I don’t think it’s safe to go in. We don’t know how deep it is.”KiKwang steps back.

“You stAYYYY” JiHyun slips right into the water.

“JiHyun?” KiKwang steps forward to look. He didn’t see JiHyun. “You can swim right?” KiKwang calls down.

A foot away JiHyun’s arms poke out waving like she was asking for help.

“JiHyun?”

KiKwang jumps into the water and saw her struggling to get up to the surface. If she didn’t know how to swim why was she getting into the water? KiKwang swim over to her and wrap his arm around her waist helping her swim to the surface. As their head poke out of the water JiHyun started coughing.

“How dumb can you be? Going into the water without knowing how to swim.” KiKwang scolds JiHyun.

“I wasn’t planning to get it. I was just testing the water.” JiHyun yells.

They were both holding onto the edge trying to catch their breath. JiHyun put her hands on the edge to try and pull herself up but she slipped back into the water. She tried again and again but it wasn’t working for her. The waves suddenly got stronger and KiKwang panicked. They could be in danger if they didn’t hurry out. He looked up and saw that the sky had gotten darker. He pulls himself up and onto the edge out of the water with ease. He offers JiHyun a hand but she slaps his hand away.

“No thank you.” JiHyun swallows some water and choked.

“This isn’t the time to act all strong and stubborn.” KiKwang grabs her wrists and starts pulling her out of the water.