[Yoon Mi’s POV]

  “Hello? Lily…?” I tossed and my bed and finally pressed the dial button, which my finger has been hovering above for quite a long time.

  I didn’t want to deal with my past. But I have to.

  “Who are y-… YOON MI?!” I swear my eardrums have burst, and they are buzzing now.

  “Mmhm… Oh god… It feels so good to be talking in English again…” I laughed.

  “Yoon Mi ah! I haven’t heard your laughter in so long… so, how’s Korea?” She questioned.

  “Was y at first, but it turns out to be great now!”

  “What? Do you have a boy friend or something?” I could hear her smirk.

  “So Hey! How’s the Weather like?” My brains racked of something else to say.

  “Idiot. Don’t try to change the topic.”

  “Heh. You know me well. Well… yeah. I’ve indeed like this guy… and he was my step-cousin-“

  Before I could finish my sentence, my eardrums burst once again.

  “WHAT?! ARE YOU DATING YOUR EFFING COUSIN? C-O-U-S-I-N?”

  “Chill! I know how to spell cousin. He WAS my step-cousin, but not anymore… It’s a long story. I’ll tell you again when you come here alright?”

  “Girl, you better spill the beans then. I’ve got to go, see you soon. Very soon, in fact!” With that, the ‘beep’ sound was on the line.

  Sighing, I got up of my bed and threw my phone back to my bed, watching it bounce yet worried that it will fall off my bed. Once my phone has landed safely on my bed, I proceeded to brush my teeth.

  What a nice start to a morning with Lily…

  I really miss her… My best friend in Singapore…

~_*_~

  Oompfh! I was rushing out of my toilet door when I bumped into a person with rather hard abs and biceps.

  A smile formed on my face immediately.

  “How’s your morning?!” I chirped, punching him in the shoulder, like I always do with people I am comfortable being around with.

  He feigned an injury and pulled his shoulder away.

  Rolling my eyes, I walked toward my wardrobe where I took my uniform off their hangers.

  Another school day…

  “The long weekend is over… School’s here… At least there’s Nam Joon and Eun Ji to look forward to~” I sung, rather off tune.

  Jung Kook gave an obvious scowl. What?

  “You were never that happy to see me.”

  “That’s because you always gave me that idiotic want-to-get-punched face.” I reasoned it out.

  Jung Kook gave a ‘fair enough’ look and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Oh Yeah! Who were you talking to just now? I could hear your laughter from my room!”

  I gulped. He could hear my laughter? Did he… heard the contents?

  Trying to act nonchalant, I mimicked his shrugging of shoulders and walked out of my room.

  Jung Kook’s fingers encircled my wrist, pulling me back.

  “Do you not want to tell me… Or shall I just force the truth out of you?” He whispered dangerously into my ear, sending chills up my body.

  “Try me.” I whispered back.

  I struggled to get out of his grip, determined not to fall into his trap. But somehow, he knew my weakness – tickles.

  “Ah! Ah! It hurts! Stop! HAHAHA! STOP! JEON! JUNG! KOOK! STOP!” I was out of breath, trying to wriggle my way out but everything was just too ticklish.

  Curse that guy.

  “Not unless you tell me who it is!” He exclaimed, tickling my ribs even harder.

  “O-Okay! It was… Ah stop! It was my… My friend from Sing… Singapore!” I breathed out loud.

  “Girl or guy?” The tickles were too much for me to handle.

  “Girl! Girl! Girl!” I shouted.

  Finally, the tickling stop. I toppled onto the floor.

  “You aren’t the only smart one you know.” Jung Kook left me with a wink.

  Curse that bastard again.

~_*_~

  The aroma of oatmeal topped with strawberries whiffed into my nose. Inhaling it as much as possible, I walked towards the source while trying to tie my hair.

  “Smells good. Thank you, Auntie!”

  Auntie gave me and Jung Kook (who was sitting beside me) a weird look.

 “Omma. What’s wrong with your eyes?” Jung Kook cocked his head to the side.

  I kicked his ankle and he flinched.

  “Ow…”

  Auntie looked under the table and saw that I was kicking him, she laughed.

  “You youngsters… What were you guys doing in Yoon Mi’s room just now? I heard some… really inappropriate screams…” Auntie coughed to hide her awkwardness.

  Damn. Thinking back, the sounds I made were really inappropriate…

  “OMMA! Don’t think too much!” Jung Kook exclaimed.

  I nodded frantically along with him, adding in “He was being a bastard and tickling me!”

  Jung Kook nodded too “Yeah I was tickling her and I was a bast- HEY! I’M NOT A BASTARD!” He gave me a fierce glare.

  “Whatever you say.” I mimicked him shrugging his shoulders again and dug into my oatmeal.

  “Stop mimicking me…” he mumbled under his breath, audible enough for me to hear.

  “Yah! You two! Just because I gave you guys permission to… do your thing… please be reminded that there’s 2 adults here who took care of you!” Uncle suddenly entered the room, making a grand entrance with that lovely speech of his.

~_*_~

[Flashback to the previous day]

  “Girl…friend?” Auntie stammered and exchanged looks with Uncle.

  Uncle cleared his throat and excused himself to take a cup of water. Auntie was still staring at me and Jung Kook.

  I shifted on the leather sofa uncomfortably.

  Why must Jung Kook say it?

  “Stop moving.” Jung Kook mumbled and squeezed my hand. Immediately, I listened to him, not wanting to make a bad impression on Auntie or Uncle.

 “Uh Auntie… Sorry if this comes out as a shock…” I started to say, but was cut off my her putting her hand up.

  “Yoon Mi… Jung Kook… You all are not related so sure, you all have the freedom to do so.”

  Jung Kook and I visibly sat upright.

  “But. It may seem inappropriate to those who have the impression that you guys are related.”

  We slumped back into our seat.

  “But.” Auntie started again, and we sat upright again.

  “We approve.” Uncle has a talent for saying the appropriate words at the right time, making yet another grand entrance.

~_*_~

  I was walking down the hallway with Jung Kook, making sure that we had at least 50cm of space in between us.

  We have discussed about it and decided that there should be no rumours until the school is clear that we are not cousins anymore. However, it is hard to admit that. I mean, who admits that they are orphans?

  No One.

  Out of the blue, an arm slung over my shoulder and a really deep voice greeted me.

  “Yo, Yoon Mi. Missed me?” Nam Joon smirked, while skipping with his heavy lead-like arm draped over my shoulder.

  “Uh Okay.” I answered monotonously on purpose.

  “I’m hurt.” Nam Joon placed his free hand on his chest and massaged it.

  “Yah! Don’t you know you are going to make Yoon Mi even shorter with you 100kg hand?” Oops, I forgot Jung Kook was beside me.

  “Jung Kook! Oh Wow, since when have you started to acknowledge Yoon Mi as your cousin?” Nam Joon laughed.

  Though, he stopped when he sensed the awkwardness.

  “Okay… Oops, teacher’s here! Bye guys!” Nam Joon hopped to his classroom.

  “Yah! Nam Joon! I still cannot tolerate her, I really cannot!” Jung Kook made a show of pushing me aside.

  I glared at him. “Sorry” he mouthed.

  Totally unsuspicious, Jung Kook. Totally unsuspicious.

  “You can’t tolerate me, but can’t wait to kiss me?” I whispered into his ear, dangerously like what he did to me earlier in the day.

  Once again, I left him stunned.