"I'm telling you, I was fighting for your own good!"

"Yoseob, Wooyoung is harmless! He's just like any average guy at my school!"

"But I'm telling you, he's a gangster!"

"Tch, Yoseob, you're the only gangster in this house. Now seriously, leave me alone!"

"IU, I'm serious! My gosh, why don't you believe me?" Yoseob groaned. 

"Do you have proof?" IU asked, raising an eyebrow. She crossed her arms around her chest, while Yoseob frowned.

"Course not! I'm a gangster, not some detective," Yoseob said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, beacuse of you, I had to skip school again! Umma and Appa are going to wonder why I'm skipping school so much. Ugh, Yoseob! This is all your fault!" IU whined, stomping up the stairs. Yoseob dropped his mouth open, staring at IU stomping up the stairs.

My fault?! How is it all my fault?!

"IU, you're a BABO! A BABO! You don't even know the truth and you're blaming it all on me! BABO!" Yoseob shouted, sticking his tongue out. Everytime Yoseob said, 'babo,' IU's heart shattered into even smaller pieces.

Me? A babo? Puh-lease, he doesn't even know what school is, IU thought coldly.

"Fine! If I'm a babo, get out of this house!" IU ordered.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!" Yoseob shouted, huffing out a puff of angry air. As he made his way to the door, he made an angry fist and punched the wall. "AND NO MATTER WHAT, I'M NOT COMING BACK!"

"FINE!" IU yelled.

"FINE!" Yoseob shouted, slamming the door closed. When he stepped outside, he stared at the ground. He looked up, and heaved a sigh. Where to now? he wondered.

IU was locked in her room, sobbing. She was curled up into a ball, crying on her bed. She suddenly noticed how lonely and quiet the atmosphere was when Yoseob left.

Just like when Umma and Appa left me for their business trip, IU thought.

At her desk, she found a teddy bear next to a single rose. The bear and the rose were the items that Yoseob had stole when IU was in the hospital. The rose had already withered since she had not put it in a vase with water. IU gently picked up the dried rose, while putting the teddy bear on her lap. All she could think about was the night she was in the hospital, where Yoseob had kised her forehead. IU's cheeks slowly turned into a shade of pink.

Andwe, IU! You can't think of him now. Let's focus on sobbing over Yoseob–No, I mean let's focus on homework! Yes, homework! That always cheers me up, IU thought, as a smile pasted on her face. As she opened her math book to a random page, she froze. 

Darn it! I don't even know what my homework is because I was at the hospital…Aish, and it's too late for me to go to school, too, IU thought, checking her clock. She looked out her window. The clouds were grey and gloomy, as if it would be crying any minute now.

Hopefully there won't be lightning or thunder.

"Yo, Seob! What are ya doin' here?" Junghyung asked, chewing gum. He put a card on the table, as Dongwoon focused on the game. Yoseob sighed and rubbed his face.

"It's…complicated," Yoseob mumbled, rubbing his neck. "I got into a fight with IU."

Doojoon dropped the groceries, Kikwang dropped his knife, Junghyung spat his gum out, Dongwoon dropped his cards, and Hyunseung dropped his toy robot. "You what?!"

"I got into a fight with IU! Sheesh, there's no need to repeat it twice," Yoseob said, rolling his eyes. 

"Why? I thought you liked IU," Doojoon asked.

"Well, a guy kissed her, I punched the guy, the guy ran away, and–"

"Do you know who the guy is?" Hyunseung interrupted.

"–then she got angry with me, and then I told her that the guy was a gangster, and then–"

"Could that guy be Wooyoung?" Kikwang asked, raising an eyebrow.

"–You won't believe this part: The guy was Wooyoung!" Yoseob finished, gasping for air. Everyone widened their eyes, except for Hyunseung.

"Isn't…that what Kikwang just said?" Dongwoon questioned, scratching his head.

"Oh, you said that? I didn't hear you," Yoseob said, sheepishly rubbing the nape of his neck. 

"Wait, I don't get it," Hyunesung said, scratching his head. Yoseob heaved a heavy sigh, as he took his time to explain the situation even clearer. When he finally finished talking, he was rewarded with a slap behind his head by Doojoon.

"Ow! Hyung, stop slapping my head! Sheesh, it hurts!" Yoseob wailed.

"You think IU's a babo? Tch, Yoseob, you're the babo! To say such a thing to a girl, of course IU would argue back and get angry at you. Plus, in her point of view, it was no big deal! It was simply like a parent-to-children kiss in her eyes. Oh, and did you explain to IU who Wooyoung really was? No, you just declared that he was a gangster, which obviously IU wouldn't believe," Doojoon explained in a serious tone. Hearing everything from Doojoon, Yoseob suddenly felt bad. 

"So this whole thing was my fault?" Yoseob asked quietly.

"HA! Seobbie got in trouble!" Hyunseung laughed, pointing at Yoseob. Yoseob shot a cold glare at Hyunseung, which immediately made him stop laughing.

"Anyways, I guess you'll have to go back and clear things up," Kikwang mumbled. Just then, a loud thunder roared in the sky. 

"You better hurry before a storm gets you. Otherwise, it might be too late to apologize," Junghyung pointed out. Yoseob stared at everyone seriously and then nodded his head. He turned around and ran out of the hideout to apologize to IU.

After a couple of minutes, it was pouring cats and dogs. Yoseob was drenched in the rain, but that didn't stop him from making it to IU's house. When he finally reached his destination, he slowly opened the door. The door squeaked like a haunted mansion's door. 

This seems awfully familiar, Yoseob thought, as he stepped into the house. It was as dark as the night. He wondered if IU was sleeping, or if she didn't turn on the late. He made his way up the stairs. Each step squeaked like a mouse, which sometimes alarmed Yoseob. 

Finally, he found himself standing in front of IU's door. He gulped nervously and then knocked on the door.

"IU, it's me. Please open the door," Yoseob pleaded. No answer. 

Try harder, Seob! Yoseob told himself. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door even harder and louder.

"IU, it's Yoseob! Look, I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. You're not a babo, I am. Really, I'm very sorry for ditching you alone and everything…Please come out."

Still no answer. By now, Yoseob was getting angrier and more impatient. 

Just how many times to I have to apologize to her? Yoseob wondered, banging on the door.

"YA, IU! Just open the door already! Sheesh, you expect me to apologize to you more than once? Once is enough–"

Yoseob was cut off when thunder roared. He suddenly heard a small whimper in the room. His eyes softened as he twisted the doorknob. It wasn't locked. He slowly opened the door and found IU on her bed, hiding in her blankets. 

"I…U?" Yoseob called slowly. Lightning flashed and thunder echoed in the lonely room. IU whimpered and teared up once more, curling herself into a smaller and tighter ball. 

She's scared of lightning and thunder? Yoseob thought, staring at IU. Carefully, he approached the big lump beneath the blanket and uncovered it. There was IU, her face streaming with tears. She slowly looked up at Yoseob, who stared at her blankly.

"Y-Yoseob…?" IU whispered.

Yoseob sat on IU's bed and wrapped his arms around IU. "It's okay…I'm here."

IU brushed her tears away with her fragile fingers, feeling warmer and more comfortable in his arm. 

"Look, I'm sorry for calling you a babo. I'm the babo here. I'm really sorry, IU! I really mean it! Please…forgive me?" Yoseob pleaded, staring at IU. IU replied with a soft smile and a couple of quiet snores. Yoseob looked at IU for a moment, and then stared at her lips. Slowly, without waking up IU, he leaned towards the lips, which seemed to beg for a kiss. He closed his eyes ever-so gently, as his lips locked with IU's.

Teehee, I stole your first kiss.

"J-Ji Eun-ah!" 

IU groaned and rubbed her eyes. She slowly looked up, as the two figures blurred. When she blinked a couple more times, her eyes widened with fear.

"U-Umma! A-Appa!" IU exclaimed. 

"Ji Eun, what is the meaning of this? And who is that guy hugging you?" IU's father shouted, his face turning red in anger. Yoseob finally woke up and stretched his arms out. He let out a big yawn and stared at IU's parents.

"Yo dawgs. You guys are…?" Yoseob mumbled, staring cluelessly at IU's parents. IU pressed her lips into a thin line, wishing that she could go back in time.

"Umma, Appa, I can explain…"

"Explain, Ji Eun? Well, you probably broke several rules in this house! Why is there a gangster in our house?!" IU's father shouted. IU stood quiet, glancing at Yoseob. 

Aigoo, how am I supposed to explain?