How long did they stand there like that together, with Seunghyun embracing her somewhat awkwardly and Bom curled up in his hold? 5...maybe 10 minutes, perhaps? It didn't matter, because for them it felt like forever.

As he held her his mind was going crazy. 'I can't believe this is happening' and 'Is this real?' among other incredulous reactions flurried in his mind. However his main objective was protecting Bom. There was no way in hell he was letting some lunatic touch her again. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but notice how well her petite figure fit in his arms and the faint sweet scent that wafted from her.

Bom was having a bit of a tizzy herself. She was a bit frightened a moment ago, but suddenly she didn't feel so. Sure, the feelings of excitement and anxiousness still lingered, but they were for entirely different reasons. 'Aigoo...how did I get myself into this predicament...', she inwardly chastised herself, '...is this feeling because of Seunghyun? N-no, of course not!'. She knew he was helping her, but she felt so weird about it. With his strong arms surrounding her body and her face against his broad chest, she wouldn't mind staying like this for a little while longer...

Suddenly a rush of cold air met with the steaming hotness that flourished on her cheeks as Seunghyun broke their embrace.

“He's gone.”, Seunghyun announced, breathing sighs of relief.

“Ehh?”, replied Bom, still feeling slightly disoriented.

Seunghyun turned to her and patted her on the head, flashing her a charming smile which made her flutter inside. “You're safe now, Bommie-noona. You're welcome”

Realization came crashing down on Bom. She suddenly became frustrated on herself for being dependent on someone else, and being a burden. She was a part of 2ne1, dammit! They were the poster children of female empowerment and independence. How could she be a damsel in distress?

This sudden enlightenment reverted Bom back to her normal, stubborn self. She let out a huff. She turned to Seunghyun and thanked him, “Th-thank you for your help...get home safe; I'll be going now.”

He was confused though. “Wait, noona”, he called to her as he took her hand, “Why don't we just walk back to YG Headquarters together? You'll be safer that way.”

Bom tore her hand away from him. When she looked back at him she saw a pang of hurt on his face and realized she was taking her frustration out on him. “I'm sorry”, she apologized, “I'm not going back to headquarters just yet, okay? I have to check on something.”, Bom explained.

He raised his infamous eyebrow, “What? You still want to go somewhere? After what just happened?”

“Yah! No one asked you, I feel fine.”

Seunghyun shook his head, 'This woman', he sighed, 'What kind of breed is she?'

“Fine”, he said, “But I still want to go with you.”

Bom folded her arms and huffed, “If it'll make you feel better. But don't slow me down, arasseo?”. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a plastic bag lying on the ground. She remembered Seunghyun was holding one before she crashed into him, 'Ah, he must have dropped it', she realized, 'I'll get it for him'.

Seunghyun noticed in time that Bom was picking up the plastic bag. 'Aish!', he thought.

“Bom-noona, it's oka--”, he began. But it was too late, she already had the bag in tow and was bringing it to him.

“Hey, you dropped this...this umm...”, Bom looked into the bag and pulled out the cigarettes, her eyes wide with surprise.

“EH!?”

“Noona, listen...”

“Cigarettes?!”, Bom stared at him with the cigarettes in her hand, and eyes forming a perfect 'O'. “You're in the music business! How can you smoke? It's bad for your health and your voice!”

He stared at her, speechless. How can he smoke? He really didn't know.

Bom pouted and tucked the cigarettes in her pocket, “This is confiscated!”. She began walking away in a huff, with Seunghyun staring after her.

She suddenly paused and turned around. “So? Are you coming?”

“Wh-what?”. She still wanted him to come?

“Hul!”, she groaned. She walked up to him and grabbed his wrist and stomped off, him following clumsily behind her.

“Listen”, she grumbled,”I didn't mean to reprimand you or anything. Like, I know I'm older than you but I'm not your mother. I just...care...okay?”, she admitted.

Seunghyun grinned and chuckled, “Eh? You're confessing to me and holding my hand?? When did Bom-noona become so bold?!”

Bom blushed, letting go of his hand and stomping off, “Shut up! Who's confessing!?”. Seunghyun took careful note of her blush and continued teasing her, “Noona~ Don't leave me alone!”

Bom shook her head, “Aish, these younger men...do not understand them at all!”

-Alittlelater

“M-my cake...” Bom sobbed. Bom had lead them to her spot of origin in hopes of salvaging her cake, however, upon immediately reentering the site she knew it was futile. She sat on her knees hovering over the vanquished debris of her fallen cakes. She silently cursed the lunatic while tenderly purring, “You delicious baked goods...you only wanted to be eaten...”

“Noona”, Seunghyun quirked an eyebrow.

“Omo!”, due to her overwhelming grief, Bom forgot he was there. She rigidly turned around to face him, 'My image! My image is ruined!'.

“Why are we mourning for cake?”, he questioned, showing her a confused yet bemused facial expression.

Bom stared. 'If he didn't look kind of cute like that I'd yell at him again- Aish!', she quickly turned away and hiccuped.”I came out today just to buy these cakes, and I bought them with my own money...yet that loon knocked them over carelessly!”

“Why did you decide to buy these cakes so late...?”

“I-I...”

“Noona...”

'I knew it! My image is ruined!' “I had the midnight munchies that only cakes would satisfy, okay?!”, Bom confessed. But inside she sobbed, 'He will forever remember me as the crazy noona who will walk to the ends of the earth for food!'

As Bom turned away from him and continued poking the remnants of her treats, Seunghyun couldn't withhold a smile. He had no idea she was so cute and simple minded. 'She wants cake, she immediately go gets it, huh?', he mused, 'She's so straightforward, maybe if she wanted me she'd—WAIT WAIT NO. WHAT? Bom-noona would never...how...and why would I...'. Seunghyun began a viscous argument in his head, all the while making very odd conflicting facial expressions.

“What's wrong with your face?”, Bom asked, pursing her lips and raising a brow.

Seunghyun flustered but quickly recovered, “What's wrong with your face, noona?”

“My face is perfect.”, she quickly answered.

“So is mine.”, he retorted.

“...”, Silence passed between them as an indication of mutual understanding and agreement with each other's statements. Seunghyun coughed then noticed something off to the side. He reached forward and picked it up and grinned at his findings.

“Noona, look! It's one of the cakes, and it's almost in one piece.”

“Eh?!”, her voice surged with hope as she grabbed the box and opened it, “Omo! You're right! You're right! I can't wait to get home and grab a fork and-”

“You're going to eat it?!”, he gasped in surprise.

“Y...yes?”

“But it was on the floor!”

“IN THE PACKAGING! IT WAS IN THE PACKAGING!”, she hopelessly argued.

“Ahh, you really are an alien, noona. I knew it wasn't me.”

“Aigoo...”, she whined. Bom knew he had some reasoning, but she was really looking forward to eating them...,”Okay...never mind then...”, she pouted and stood up. “Let's go then...”, she stated.

Seunghyun couldn't help but feel like he crashed her hoped and dreams, even if it was just for cake. He thought her pout-y face was cute, but he didn't want to make her feel bad. He quickly caught up to her and put his arm around her, trying to comfort her.

“Noona, I'm sorry”, he gently whispered, “I'll buy you all the cakes you want, okay?”

Bom felt her face heat up and she gently punched him on the shoulder, “You better...”

He smiled. He didn't know why he was so happy when she accepted his apology. Seunghyun also felt really good with his arm around her.

Bom was still fighting the red tinge that appeared on her cheeks like some sort of disease, but it was so hard to do with the way he whispered to her and his arm around her again. 'Why do I feel this way...? I need a vaccine!'

As they both walked down the street contemplating their newly discovered feelings, they anxiously stole glances at one another. At one point, their gazes met and a jolt of electricity went through them. Their faces steamed with embarrassment and they quickly turned away.

Like great minds sometimes do with one another*, they both thought simultaneously:

'Eotteoke**...How can I handle this person?'

-

[Chapter 3, everybody! Thank you to all my viewers and subscribers and commenters, it means a lot, really. I hope you don't mind that things are going a bit slow. I really want to make it realistic and build up the tension for them. The interactions before they become a couple are really the parts you can have fun with, yes? See you next update!]

*A play on words with the phrase, 'Great minds think alike'.

**Means, 'What should I do?'