His sudden phrase just left me with the image of Jaejoong's lips on Hana's. Just how many girls did he want to kiss in a day? I felt myself heating up. He had no right to toy with girls like that. None at all.

            "I'm sorry, Jaejoong." I declined, hung up on the phone and made up an excuse. "You didn't say the magic word."

            "Can I kiss you please?" Jaejoong asked immediately.

            I gave him a look and pursed my lips together. "I just told you what to do." I added. "You have to be able to use your manners on your own."

            Jaejoong sighed. "You're so hard to please sometimes, do you know that?" He dropped his phone back into his pocket and looked me deep in the eyes. "What's wrong Minni? You're not yourself today." 

            "There's nothing wrong with me. There's something wrong with you." I rebutted. "Why do you care?"

            "Because you're my friend!" Jaejoong bursted. "You're probably the one who understands me the most too."

            I turned away from him and walked back to the cupboard and began to pack again. "I bet Hana is much more than a friend to you." I muttered, sounding a little discontent. 

            "So is that why you're upset?" Before I knew it, Jaejoong was talking right by my ear. I jolted back and my back hit his chest. His hands grabbed my shoulders and steadied me before I could lose balance and fall. "Are you feeling jealous, Minni?" He teased.

            I didn't dare look at him. What if my face was as red as a tomato? Was I really jealous? I shook the thought of it away. "I just don't like the idea of you doing something like that to Hana. Hana deserves to be kissed by someone she loves who loves her back.” And I could tell that Jaejoong didn’t love her, yet.

            Jaejoong coughed. "I think you're forgetting the fact that your sister's life was in jeopardy and CPR was necessary to keep her alive. Changmin didn't seem to be in the right sense at the time and I think you were too concerned to think properly."

            I took in Jaejoong's reasoning. He had a point, I had to admit. 

            "And if she died that day, I just couldn't imagine how miserable you would be." Jaejoong added. "I was simply doing you a favour."

            This time, I tilted my head back to look at him. Jaejoong's actions were purely out of morality. He just saved a life. Why was I so hung up about the 'kiss'? Hana could have died if it wasn't for him. I managed to slowly give him a small grin while I mentally hit myself for being so stupid and unreasonable.

            Jaejoong chuckled a little. "Please, you were jealous."  

            "I was n-." I was cut off as he leaned in and sealed our lips. I was startled at first, but his kiss was so gentle. I smiled at its tenderness, smiled at Jaejoong's golden heart. He pulled away. His kiss was short and sweet. "I said please." He exhaled. 

            I smiled at Jaejoong. "Are you happy now?" I asked. 

            "Very." He beamed at me, satisfied.

            "Good." I couldn't help but feel a little joyful inside. "You should say it more often." His 'please' were like music to my ears. Jaejoong was becoming more of a gentleman now. Who wouldn't smile at that?

            "A gift for you." Jaejoong hovered his hand in front of my face and opened it. Inside his fist was a phone charm that would fit in a headphone socket. Dangling at the end was a silver snowflake. "You said that I reminded you of snow right? Well now you'll always think of me." Jaejoong cocked his head and boasted.

            "You have enough girls thinking about you, I don't think adding one more to your collection would make much of a difference." I .

            "That's why I have a friend like you here." Jaejoong slung his arm around my shoulder, like he usually does. "You can put that on your phone now." He instructed.

            I looked to the smartphone in my hand. "Wait, is this my phone?"

            "Yes." Jaejoong spoke like he was stating the obvious. "You're birthday present?"

            "You didn't have to spend that much."

            "Of course I had to." Jaejoong retorted. "You're my 'girlfriend'." He pulled out another phone charm. This one had a snowman instead of a snowflake. "And this will always remind me of you." He snapped it into place on his phone. "The girls at school will see how real this fake relationship is."

            I did the same with my new phone. "And I thought your birthday gift for me was just a kiss."

            "Sadly no.” Jaejoong shook his head. "The kiss was a gift for myself. I miss our morning kisses."

            I shook my head and tried to give him a look of disapproval. This guy never abandons his erted actions. “Too bad, you won’t be getting them for a while.”

            “What do you mean?” He asked.

            “I mean that we had an agreement.” I began. “We’re a fake couple. We shouldn’t go overboard with our actions.” Jaejoong pouted and I tried hard to restrain myself from giving in. “That type of kiss is only reserved for two people who love each other with all their hearts.” I looked him in the eye while advising him. “Save it for the right one.”

            “Then how do we pretend to be a couple when we can’t kiss each other on the lips?” Jaejoong asked slyly, obviously trying to find a fault in me.

            “I can assure that two lovers don’t just spend their entire time together kissing.” I noted. “They have fun with each other but at the same time, they care for each other.”

            “Fun as in ‘in the bedroom’ fun?” Jaejoong smirked.

            I rolled my eyes. Rummaging through my things, I found the bag of cookies Junsu had given me earlier. I pulled one out and put it before his mouth. “Would you like a cookie?” I asked. I knew exactly what he was going to do next. Ordinary people mutter a ‘thank you’, take the cookie from you hand and just eat it. Jaejoong on the other hand, decides to take a bite while you’re still hanging on to the delicacy. I took the cookie back before he could take a bite and bit into it myself. “You’re way of having fun makes me want to gag sometimes.” I chewed.

            Jaejoong shot me a glare, which I ignored. He then snatched my bag of biscuits. “No more for you.”

            I lunged for it. “Give it back to me. It’s mine.”

            “But I made it.” Jaejoong argued pulling the bag away from me.

            I dropped the bitten cookie and used two hands. “But I like choc chip cookies.”

            “No. Do you want to be fat or something?” Jaejoong teased. “I wouldn’t want an obese girlfriend.”

            “I’ll use all the energy up anyways.” I rebutted and leaned in a little further.

            Jaejoong lifted an eyebrow. “Actually you won’t. These types of foods contain a lot of sucrose, also known as sugar. Sugar is made up of glucose and fructose. Now the usual glucose you take in, that is in vegies and meats, is used in the respiratory system and is used up straight away. Fructose on the other hand, gets converted into fat and is stored around the body.” Jaejoong pointed a finger at me. “And I’m sure you know how hard it is to get rid of fat.”

            I took in the information that Jaejoong had said. “Is that true?” I asked, suddenly feeling stunned. “What you just said now? Is that true?”

            “Wow, did I sound too smart?”

            “So it was true?”

            “No.” Jaejoong stated simply. “I just took some random words used in biology and just made up something that sounds quite logical. Did you get fooled?” He scoffed.

            Seeing how arrogant he was, I immediately grabbed the bag of cookies back and kept it out of his reach. I stuck out a tongue at him.

            “Ms. Gu is really starting to rub off on you.” Jaejoong commented.

            “It’s a good thing.”

            Jaejoong sighed in defeat. “May I have one cookie please?” He asked. He knew. He knew I was going to give in to him.

            And I did. “Of course.” I took out a cookie. “But what else?”

            “Thank you?” Jaejoong added. Content, I gave him the cookie. He took it this time with his hands. “Is this your way of having fun?”

            “To me, having fun is like becoming a child again.” I explained. While doing that, within me I hoped that Jaejoong would continue to use his manners from now onwards.

            Jaejoong nodded and finished his biscuit. “Let’s quickly pack and leave this place.” He checked his watch. “We have about just over an hour.”

            “Let’s help each other pack.” I suggested. Let’s have Jaejoong learn how to help others.

            Jaejoong sighed and nodded again.

                        “Ladies first.” Jaejoong gestured with a hand, leading Minni on to enter the mini bus. As he had anticipated, Kimmi had already saved a seat for her best friend already. Minni saw it too and eyed Jaejoong as if asking for his approval. Jaejoong nodded encouragingly. He melted as she smiled back and took her place next to Kimmi.

            Jaejoong however had already planned to sit next to Yunho for the trip back to Ms. Gu’s town. He took his phone out right after he sat down right behind Minni. His phone screen displayed that he had received a text message. He unlocked the phone and read it.

            It was from Yunho. “What did you get out of him?” It read.

            Jaejoong looked to Yunho and gave him a grim expression. “He was a stubborn idiot.” He wrote.

            Yunho typed on his phone and showed it to Jaejoong. “What did he say?”

            “That git said that the more I threaten him to stop, the more he wants to hunt her down.”

            “So he didn’t accept any money from you?”

            Jaejoong shook his head in response.

            “What are we going to do now?” Yunho typed.

            This is when Jaejoong smirked and began to write. “I tied him tightly to a high branch. It would take some time before he can break free.” Jaejoong looked at the gap between the seats. Minni was showing her usual smile to Kimmi as the girls chatted away. “I knocked him unconscious just then so she should have a safe trip back at the very least.”

            “And when is your father coming back?” Yunho continued his interrogation via message.

            “I’m going to go see him in a weeks time.” Jaejoong typed. Yunho nodded and ended their silent conversation by staring out the window. Jaejoong his bottom lip. It has been three years since he had last seen his father. He wondered what their first encounter after all this time was going to be like.

                        I trudged back to the Han Haeyoung’s room with the clear image of his doodle plastered in my brain. Remembering my father’s words, I shook the thought out and knocked politely at the door and entered. My basket of freshly baked cookies was still on the floor in front of the bathroom. Luckily I put them in some plastic bags for some of them were cracked from the impact it had with the floor.

            “Haeyoung, I’m sorry that I walked in when you were changing. I really didn’t know.” I started off with a high-pitched voice and picked up the basket, heading towards the bed. Haeyoung was nowhere in sight but I was pretty sure he had heard me because I had spoken loud enough. I placed the cookies on the bedside table and walked around again. The door to the balcony slammed open and a familiar short boy stood before me. His cheeks reddened when he saw that I was in the room but his face remained stern and angry.

            “Haeyoung.” I tried again. “I’m so sorry for everything. I made you some cookies.”

             Haeyoung looked from me to my cookies lying neatly on the table. He walked up to it and examined it with amusement. “You made these?” He asked.

            I nodded, feeling a little lighter since he was interested in them. “I plan to share it with everyone in the hospital. My mum is going to bring more. I thought I would give some to you and Jungwoo first.” I beamed at him. “I thought Jungwoo would be with you.” I grabbed a bag with a large cookie with a lot of choc chips and handed it to him. Haeyoung snatched it roughly from me and eyed it. “Taste it. It’s delicious.” I urged him eagerly.

            He glared at me and I shivered again. “Don’t tell me what to do.” He sneered. Afraid, I took a step back and looked away but the sound of crinkling plastic made me turn to the homemade gift that was in his hand. His hand clasped the biscuit, balling into a fist. The cookie crumbled before the horrified me. “I don’t want your stupid cookie.” He spat at me.

            My eyes welled up. Instead of being grateful, he showed displeasure. “I already said I was sorry.” I cried, my eyes watered and my tears found their way out. “I put my heart into making those cookies to give to you.” And now, seeing it broken broke my heart. “What do you want me to do?”

            “I want you to kill yourself.” Haeyoung growled at me.

            I sniffled at his response. Hot tears still spilt down my cheeks but I was taken over by another emotion. Anger. My fury gave me courage to advance towards him and shove him on the bed. “Why are you so mean?” I yelled at him. “What did I ever do to you?” My eyes pierced him. “I only broke your truck and saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. That’s all.” My eyebrows furrowed. “And you want me to kill myself? That’s not fair!”

            “Life is never fair. Even if I tell you to kill yourself, you won’t.” Haeyoung’s breath was short. “See. I don’t get what I want either.” He was breathing faster but I was blinded from it.

            “You’re so stupid, Haeyoung.” I scolded at him. “Why do you want to kill someone when you can save them? When you kill someone, you go to jail. When you save someone you become a hero!” I lectured him. “That’s why I’m going to be a doctor just like my father.”

            Haeyoung was practically hyperventilating now. “I…” Breath in. “Don’t…” Breath out. “Want to…” Breath in. “Be like…” Breath out. “Your…” Breath in. “Father.” Breath out. Haeyoung seemed to shake on the spot and not only that, the machine nearby was beeping dangerously. Immediately, I pushed the button near the bed head.

            “Haeyoung wake up!” I cried, now fearing that he was going to die.

            Footsteps hurried to me. “What happened?” Jungwoo was by my side.

            “He started breathing fast and then he became like this.” I rushed an explanation. “I need to get father.”

            “No I’ll get him. I’m faster.” Jungwoo protested. “You stay here and look after him.” And he dashed off.

            I turned back to Haeyoung. “Haeyoung. Don’t die. I’m sorry that I can’t kill myself for you. Don’t die okay?” I quivered a bit. “I don’t want you to die. I want you to live. I’ll stay away from you so it will be like I’m dead.” I said, now crying because a life might be vanishing before my very eyes. “Just wake up and you won’t see me anymore.” I clasped my hands together. By this time, Haeyoung seemed to be sleeping but who knows what might be happening to him. “Please let him live.” I begged.

                        “Minni why are you crying?” Kimmi shook me awake. “Did you have a nightmare?”

            I felt the wetness on my cheeks and wiped them away hurriedly. “It’s just a bad dream, Kimmi.” I assured her trying to wipe the worry from her face. “No matter what I’ll wake up from them.”

            Kimmi nodded still a little unsure. “You’ll wake up to us; your friends and family.” She wrapped her arm around my arm and placed her head on my shoulder surprising me.

            “What’s wrong?” I asked.

            “Nothing.” She said blankly.

            “I can tell that something is wrong.” I whispered to her. “You won’t act like this if something weren’t wrong.”

            Kimmi pursed her lips and gave me a serious look. “Yoochun said that he likes me.”

            I wasn’t a bit surprised. “When did he confess?”

            “Just after I finished packing.” Kimmi tried to keep her voice low since we were still in the mini bus. “He helped me carry my bags and then he kind of blurted it out.” Kimmi said shyly.

            “And then?” I giggled a little.

            “He kind of froze on the spot for a second and then he just ran off.” Kimmi was finding this totally absurd. “Is he trying to play with me at the moment? I swear I’m going to punch him when I see him again.” I could hear her cracking her knuckles.

            I shook my head and chuckled a little louder. “I don’t think he would joke around about this kind of stuff.”

            “But he knows that I don’t like him in that way.” Kimmi hissed at me. “Why would you fall in love with someone who doesn’t love you?”

            “Love can’t be forced.” I told her.

            Kimmi released me and crossed her arms looking a little frustrated. “What a stupid idiot.”

            “It’s not his fault.”  I told her.

            Kimmi puffed out a breath of air, feeling annoyed. “I don’t know who to blame so I’ll just have to blame him for the time being.”

            “But.”

            “So how are you and Yunho?”

            My eyes widened. “Me and Yunho?” It was always me and Jaejoong. Me and Yunho sounded completely novel.

            Kimmi gave me a face that read ‘really?’. “Before Jaejoong came in, I think almost everyone in the school knows that Yunho has been in love with you for so long.” Kimmi sighed a little. “The two of you would be a perfect couple. You’re literally the smartest people in the school and plus, the both of you are good people.” Kimmi crept close and kept her voice low because we both knew that the two boys were behind us. “I’m so sorry that I got you into this mess with Jaejoong. If I hadn’t blurted out such rubbish, you and Yunho could have had been together by now.”

            “No it wouldn’t be like that.” I told her. “From what I see I think that Yunho, being the gentleman he was, would ask me out after we graduate.” I thought about last night. He wouldn’t have confessed if Jaejoong and I were never together. “If it’s true that he has waited that long for me, he would keep on waiting.”

            “Why wait?” Kimmi tried a smile and lifted her eyebrows.

            I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just get the feeling it was going to be that way.”

            “See.” Kimmi continued. “You don’t even know yourself.”

            I looked through the gap between our seats and stared at the two boys behind us. Yunho looked out the window staring into the distance so I didn’t catch his eye. Jaejoong was looking at his phone but feeling a little strange, he then looked up. Not knowing what to do, I just smiled at him warmly. A sly grin spread on his face and all of sudden I felt this novel vibration coming from my pocket.

            I took the phone out of my pocket read the text message. “Stop staring at me.” It read. I silently scoffed. How did he know I was looking at him before he even turned my way?

            “You got a mobile now?” Kimmi exasperated, pulling out hers. “Give me your number.”

            “I don’t know what my number is.” I responded sadly. “Jaejoong bought it for me for my birthday.”

            “Jaejoong?” Kimmi gave me a look and then him a look and then she looked back at me. “Okay.” She breathed in. “Give me your phone. I’ll text myself and grab your number.”

            “Okay.” I handed her my phone and she fiddled with it.

            I felt my seat being prodded from behind and knew instantly that Jaejoong was trying to amuse himself. It was only until the poking became unbearable that I turned around and stared into the seat gap. “What do you want?” I asked.

            His eyes fixated on me but I felt a poke on my shoulder. Then he jabbed my waist making me twitch a little. How was he able to hit all my sensitive areas without even looking properly at the target? How could he even reach me when he was right behind me separated by a leather chair? When he poked my belly, I grew impatient. “Jaejoong, stop it.” I snapped at him.

            “Or what?” The side of his lip curled up. I ignored him and faced the front. Jaejoong was always unstoppable. “Aww, you’re so cute when you’re angry.” Jaejoong crooned and stopped his poking game.

            “And you’re so cheesy it sounds fake.” Kimmi scoffed at him.

            “Maybe it is fake.” Jaejoong said.

            Kimmi turned to give him a frustrated facial expression. “Well, the things that are fake can never surpass the real deal.”

            “This is real, Kimmi.” I heard Jaejoong stand up from behind me and looked up. In the moving bus, he leaned over my seat and towered over me. “This is reality.” Jaejoong leaned in and pecked my forehead. I felt his hair tickle my nose, lips, cheek and chin. “Don’t be mad at me, please.” He mumbled only for me to hear.

            “Jaejoong!” Ms. Oh warned from the front seat. “I must remind you that this is still a school trip that is designated for educational purposes only. Please behave properly.”

            “Yes ma’am.” Jaejoong couldn’t wipe away his smile as he sat back down.

            Kimmi still looked unsatisfied about Jaejoong’s actions. But all I could think about was what did he really mean when he said ‘This is reality.’?

AN:

20th chapter yay!

thank you for all the comments, subscriptions and upvotes. but most of all, thank you for reading.

i love yous <3

... and yes the plot is getting more complicated:

there seems to be a deep connection between jaejoong and yunho

jaejoong's past is quite sad

minni's past with haeyoung and jungwoo is quite dramatic

but stay tuned. whitedreamm