When she woke up, seeing her roof meant trouble. She sat up, realizing how relieved she felt compared to days before. Leaving her bed and room, she heard a clearly animated discussion. The night was in its beginning, so she guess she fainted for a couple of hours at least. She stepped in the room where her parents, Dambi, Taemin, Jongin, and the grandpa Kim were eating. The strange part was that someone else was there and she couldn’t see him until she stepped closer.

“Oh. I am glad you woke up.” Dambi exclaimed, making the people in the table glance over her. She nodded and took a seat to notice Jin Ki by her side. He had cut his hair, shorter than the usual middle long hair. He didn’t look at her, until she got served.

Taemin managed to break the silence as he smiled to Hye Jin. “How do you feel?” She didn’t talk first but her eyes shone.

“I’m better. Not fully forgiving myself, but I’m hopeful that one day, Kim Jun Myun will really forgive me, like you did, Grandpa.” The old man smiled and patted her head.

“I know he would; the only thing Jun Myun wouldn’t forgive you for is if you hurt someone for fun, or for pleasure. I know it was an accident, while you tried to save someone’s honor and life.” The man soothed, with a smile. “He won’t blame you for this. It was an accident and meant to be.” Hye Jin sighed and nodded, forcing a smile.

“I agree with Mr. Kim. Darling, you can’t change someone’s fate.” Siwon spoke, offering a consoling smile to his daughter who nodded. “Anyway, eat. You were too weak from the lack of food.” They served her a salad, and Taemin, Jin Ki, Jongin, and the Grandpa Kim were shocked by how few food she did eat. Hye Jin noticed so as she looked up.

“I can’t eat neither drink everything.” She looked down, holding herself from twisting the fork. “The doctor said it may interfere with my medicines, so I stick with this.”

Jongin leaned closer. “But Noona… it’s unhealthy to eat one kind of food.” She laughed and shook her head, eating still, while he blushed, flustered; Jin Ki in other hand was observing her, quietly. The atmosphere was stiff and awkward when the old man excused himself.

“I can’t stay away from my Jun Myunnie.” The smile in the man’s face made Hye Jin look down, sighing. She felt still guilty about him. Suddenly a hand held hers and she looked at Jin Ki who smiled to her. His smile was enough encouraging pulling off her own. She bowed to the old man who patted her back. “Come to see me when you can, Hye Jin ah.”

She smiled wider and nodded. “I’d love to.” They waved to the man who Siwon himself drove to his small house. Hye Jin and Jin Ki stood there, with Jongin and Taemin in front of them. They faced Hye Jin suddenly and she sighed deeply. “What?”

Taemin hesitated a little before speaking. “Something strange happened when you fainted.” He looked over Jin Ki who pulled her arm up, and she noticed her wrist band showing statics.

“It kept ringing alarms, and spoke about generators and systems.” Jin Ki spoke calmly. “We need to understand what it is.” Hye Jin chuckled to that and took off her wrist band.

“This is connected to sensors in my heart level.” The lie was calculated but Jin Ki just stood, anger written in his face.

“Stop it! Ok? Stop it, Noona. Something is up with you and you refuse to tell me, why?” He looked at her, pissed before bursting. “WHY?” Taemin and Jongin stood to calm Jin Ki when Sung Rin showed up, glaring at Jin Ki who looked away, trying to contain himself. They stood in silence for a moment when he bowed. “Thank you for your hospitality, Madam.  We will be leaving.” Jin Ki pulled the awkward and bowing couple in his toes while Hye Jin stood to observe him leaving, with a shocked look.

The tears that showed up by then were painful, and she sat up, hiding her sobs behind her hands. Sung Rin sat next to her and pulled her to a hug, which fueled her sadness and she cried harder. “Hye Jin…” her mother’s call made her look up. “You have to stop it.” She frowned. “Drop out of that school and go study somewhere else, it will make you forget and perhaps, it would be less painful.”

Hye Jin stood up, shocked. “Mom!” Hye Jin looked away, before sighing shakingly. “I can’t… I can’t live away from him.” Sung Rin stood up, outraged that Hye Jin went against her, when the last looked at her. “It already hurts to live unable to love openly, don’t make me leave the man I love behind.”

The shock was a slap in her mother’s face. “Love?” The woman sat, tears showing up. “Love?” Hye Jin couldn’t bear with her mother’s reaction, as if it was a catastrophe and she ran to her room where she locked herself up. In the gate, Jin Ki stood there, shedding tears while Taemin and Jongin shared helpless expression.

“Why does it hurt? I try to avoid this kind of pains but it still hurts.” Jin Ki dried his tears, and looked away when a hand on his made him look at a sad Taemin.

“Won’t you stop hurting if you just, you and Noona, stop pushing each other away?” the question left Jongin’s lips before the kid could hold it in, and he stepped back in horror as soon as Jin Ki glared at him.

“He’s right. You did push her away and it hurts, so what if you don’t? What if it won’t hurt that way?” Jin Ki looked at his brother how leaned to kiss his cheek. “I love you, Hyung, and I love Noona too. It hurts to see you like this.”

“You think I should… make it easier?” Jin Ki mumbled through sniffs, as Jongin and Taemin nodded. Taemin suddenly handed him his phone.

“Call her.” Taemin offered as he stepped back, he surrounded Jongin’s shoulders. “Let’s go ahead.” Surprised by the sudden skin ship Jongin nodded as he looked down to his feet. Meanwhile, Jin Ki dealed Hye Jin’s number with shaking hands.

“I’m not in the mood for talking, Taemin ah.” Hye Jin’s voice answered. “Let’s talk later.” Jin Ki sniffed and it seemed to freeze her before she could end the call.

“Noona.” Jin Ki’s whimpered as he crotched down. “Can we talk, please?” The silence in the other side made Jin Ki look at his phone. “Noona?”

“What is it?” he jumped in fear, landing on his . He didn’t hear her coming and she was there faster than he thought. Her expression was filled with worry. “What happened?” Jin Ki stood, awkward, and scratched his neck.

“I’m… I want to apologize. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.” He avoided her eyes, blushing madly until he heard a sigh. Looking at her, he noticed that she had already falling tears.

“It’s not your fault.” Hye Jin was about to step away when he held her hand. She almost pushed him when he pulled her to a hug.

“It is.” Jin Ki mumbled, sadly. “I’ve been pushing your buttons despite the fact I knew so well that you didn’t want us to know.” Hye Jin didn’t know what to say as the hug was overwhelming. “I am sorry for hurting you, Noona. I’m just …” he pushed her away and forced smile. “Can I make it up to you?”

“What?” She seemed confused but in honest words, her brain wasn’t working at all. She was burning all over her body.

“Can we be friends?” Jin Ki explained himself, blushing madder. “I want us to learn how trust each other. I want to prove you that I’ll accept you even with your secrets, and I want you to stop pushing me away.” He offered his hand with a smile. “Can we?” she held his hand and shook it before being pulled in a hug. “See you tomorrow, Noona.”

He stepped back, waving shyly to her, while she stood there dumbfounded, waving dumbly. As soon as Jin Ki was nowhere to be seen, she knelt in shock. “What?” her heart was beating so fast, so loudly, and so hard that the internal computer let out the alarms. Soon enough her parents showed up to hold her up, with the servants. She was led to her bed, only to mumble few incoherent words and her system shut down by her mother, manually.

Meeting up with Jin Ki in the next day was nerve wrecking. Refusing to explain her behavior to her parents, she managed to be in the Lee mansion’s gate in time before Jin Ki and Taemin give up waiting for her. “Wait up!” she ran to them, and Jin Ki’s smile widened making her blush. “Sorry, I woke up late today.” Hye Jin chuckled timidly when Jin Ki held her hand.

“Let’s go, Noona.” He pulled her, and Taemin. “We are late for the bus.” They ran, all smiles to the bus which was about to move but luckily they managed to get in. Sitting in the seat as the back of the bus, Hye Jin made her spot between the brothers, holding on Taemin’s both hands dearly, when she sensed Jin Ki surrounding her shoulder and she stiffened blushing madly. “So, how was your night, Noona?” she looked up to meet his eyes and they both kept looking at each other without a word.

“Hey, lovebirds, you can’t just ignore me like this.” Taemin teased, earning chuckles from the people around, while Jin Ki blushed chuckling as well Hye Jin gave Taemin light slaps in the arms. “Aw! Oh! Stop! I’m sorry.” Hye Jin pouted to him, and he just patted on her hands. “I’m just happy you are friends now.”

She blushed and glanced to a smiling Jin Ki who winked to her. “Well, I’m glad we are friends now too.” He nodded to her, smiling as well.  The school day started brighter for the first time since she started studying in high school, and ended even brighter as they all went downtown to celebrate Hye Jin’s return to their friend circle. Key didn’t leave her side, happy to see her that close. When it was time for them to head home, a sad expression broke Jongin’s face, as he was about to head to the bus.

It made Hye Jin pout to Jin Ki who just shuddered. “Jongin ah!” the kid froze and looked back as Hye Jin rushed to his side. “Why don’t you sleep over my place?” Jongin looked confused for a moment. “Please?”  A sudden realization fell upon his face and he frowned.

“I’m fine, Noona. I’ve been alone for a long time now.” It made her feel guilty but she didn’t give up, holding his hand. “Noona.”

“Just for tonight, please? It’s the happiest day I ever had. I want it to last a little bit, can we?” She pleaded him and he blinked for a moment before nodding, smiling to her as he hugged her. Taemin, Jongin, Jin Ki and Hye Jin headed to the Lee mansion first. “Woah… you live here?” Jongin looked at Taemin who just looked at him and sighed nodding, forcing a smile as he leaned to kiss Hye Jin’s cheek.

“Good night, Noona.” He just waved to Jongin who shyly waved back, ignoring the couple who isolated themselves. Jin Ki leaned to capture her lips in a fast chaste kiss.

“Good night, Noona.” A smile crept in his lips as he stepped back, their hearts beating fast and steadily. “See you tomorrow.” She nodded, blushing, before looking at Jongin who looked at them both with a curious manner. She offered him her hand and they walked hand by hand until they reached home.

It wasn’t hard to convince her parents about Jongin sleeping over but to convince her to sleep in her bedroom. In fear of being exposed, she preferred sleeping with Jongin in the same bed. At first, Jongin was rather shy and confused but as she slept and pulled him closer, he loosened up, sleeping in her embrace.

It was almost the only night he slept smiling after the accident.