Jiyong woke up immediately when he heard something crushing down in the kitchen. He frowned, rubbed his eyes and lazily went out of his room. He saw Dara, who was running crazy around the salon.

“What’s up?” he yawned “Something’s burning?”

“I’m gonna be late!” she answered, flashing for a second in front of his still blurry vision.

“Dee” he called, looking at the clock “It’s 7:15…”

“What?!” she stopped in her spot, hand stretched to take the cup of coffee, her whole body frozen “I thought it’s 7:45 and that Rinnie and Gukkie are waiting for me already!”

“Gukkie?” Jiyong raised his eyebrow “I can live with Rinnie, Kwonnie, Himchannie and Baekkie but Gukkie is just too much” he sat by the table, raising his hand up “Pass me the drink of life, please”

Dara sighed and took out another mug from the cupboard, preparing him a coffee the way he always liked. Black. No milk. No sugar.

“You’re not going to school today?” she asked, while sitting next to him and putting the cup in front of him “Like again?!”

“Nope. I was in school last Thursday!” he shook his head “I feel like drinking coffee that my lovely sister made for me and then watching the whole season of Games of Thrones…But back to the topic, stop with the pet names. It sounds like you have your own Pokemon team”

“And what is wrong with that?” Dara whined “I’ve been always calling everyone that way. It’s cute!”

“Yeah, everyone but Luhan and that weird dude who took the hairstyle from My Little Pony’s Rainbow Dash” Jiyong laughed “What’s his name by the way?”

“Oh Sehun” Dara answered and took a sip of her coffee “And why everyone calls him weird? He’s not!”

“Sis, he’s super weird” Jiyong raised his eyebrow while lighting up a cigarette “He barely moves his face. I wonder does he even blink…Not to mention he has rainbow hair for ’s sake!”

“Looks who’s talking” Dara rolled her eyes “You had everything on your head besides rainbow hair. Maybe you’re just jealous?” with that she grinned and winged her eyebrows. Jiyong scoffed and came back to his coffee so she continued.

“Anyway that rainbow hair of his was my idea”

Jiyong’s eyes widened as he almost chocked on what he was swallowing.

“Excuse me?” he exclaimed “Say what?!”

“Yeah” Dara nodded with a wide smile “On the second day I met him at the roof, he was platinum blonde that time. I joked he should color his hair like a rainbow and he actually did that”

Jiyong just blinked his eyes, not sure how to respond.

“See?” Dara crossed her arms “He’s not weird, he has a sense of humor”

“Sense of humor?” Jiyong repeated after her, still quite shocked at the newest information he just heard. For him it became obvious what was going on. He eyed his sister suspiciously “Dee, are you really that clueless or you’re just pretending?”

“What are you taking about?” Dara looked at him worriedly “What am I clueless about?”

Jiyong shook his head with disbelief.

Of course she was.

He decided to skip the subject, feeling the drama coming already. Somehow he had his eyes on Oh Sehun, Luhan’s best friend, since he discovered why Dara is always late. She told him right away that every morning she’s meeting that boy at the roof for a small talk, what proved her to be clueless again. Jiyong was not concerned about her being late but about those meetings and somehow he could feel that Luhan was far away from knowing about them too.

He sighed, ignoring the strange way his thinking was taking and praying for his sister to have a strength to deal with that when the time will come.

Because it will come, he was sure.

“Nevermind” he finally said, smiling brightly “How are the things with Luhan?”

Every time when that name was coming up she was acting the same – her head dropping, blush growing on her cheeks and ears.

Jiyong smirked and crossed his arms, waiting for the answer he was actually dying to hear.

“All is good…I guess” she answered shyly “But I feel like you guys are pushing me too much…”

“Oh come on!” Jiyong exclaimed “You like him, he totally fell for you, what’s the deal? You two are perfect!”

“Hold up” she raised her eyebrow “Since when you are so supportive?”

“I’m always supportive when the guy is right” he smiled teasingly and Dara sighed.

“Last time you were saying the same…”

And there she goes again. Jiyong face-palmed, knowing exactly what she was pointing out.

Yes it was partly his fault that Dara had a crush on his former, unofficial kick-boxing teacher, who basically introduced the whole world of the illegal boxing and Choi Seunghyun to them, but he apologized to her for that too many times already.

“Of course” he said, giving up “He was my sensei so it’s obvious I thought of him as a good choice. I never predicted it will end up like that but hey, later you met Shou and you were happy. Now Luhan’s here. Just…move on”

“I moved on!” suddenly she fumed “I have no feelings towards Shou or that idiot ex-sensei of yours!”

“I know” Jiyong nodded “Just stop being so insecure and leaving Luhan cliffhanger. He doesn’t deserve it and you know that very well” 

She wanted to answer but instead hang open a little, saying nothing. She looked away from Jiyong, emptying the cup and standing up.

“Dee, don’t be mad…” Jiyong went after her, when she started to put on her shoes.

“I’m not” she looked up at him, smiling lightly “Just…I still think it’s too early. I’m getting there but you’re not helping with mocking me, you know. First Himchan, later Chaerin, now you”

“I know” he grimaced “I’m sorry”

“I like Luhan and I’m serious about him but I still need some time to be ready” with that she reached for her jacket before turning around to face him again “I don’t want to rush it. If I do I’ll most likely destroy it. And I don’t want to lose him”

They both smiled before hugging each other.

“I love you, Dee” Jiyong kissed the top of her head “And keep on fighting for the Deer!”

Dara laughed against his shoulder.

“Love you too Ji” she said while pulling back “And I hope you will finally find someone!”

With that she grinned widely and Jiyong rolled his eyes.

“Then make your hopes die, I’m not planning to” he said “Say hi to everyone and I’ll see you later at the match”

Dara nodded, remembering that today was the 3rd time when Jongin will be fighting in the ring. Finally she left, waving at Jiyong on her way to the doors. He smiled and came back to the kitchen, thinking about another cup of coffee and the thing his sister just said.

Jiyong was nowhere near the typical romantic protagonist, if he was a protagonist at all. He just did not have some exact feelings or desires and it was not like he wanted to have them. He was happy with his life, kick-boxing and dividing his sympathy between his friends and sister. That was enough.

Of course he adored girls and he liked to get laid from time to time but he never developed a stronger emotion within himself than a physical affection.

He never felt like he found someone interesting anyway.

On the other hand he was not really thinking about it – he was still young and the time for falling in love will come later. Eventually.

Just then he heard the knocking on the doors.

Jiyong looked lazily at it, smiling to himself and thinking about what Dara forgot today. He could bet on the phone.

“Suit yourself, you have keys!” he exclaimed.

Another knocking.

He thought that maybe instead of phone she forgot the keys. He rushed to the doors, opening it and then his jaw dropped.

“Chicken?” he coughed, covering his mouth and trying to not choke himself to death for the second time today “What the hell?”

There she was standing - Taeyeon, dressed in the school uniform, with raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

“You’re skipping school. Again” she said “Last time I saw you on Thursday. Today is Monday”

“Oh my” Jiyong grinned mischievously “Are you counting the days when you see me? We’re practically neighbors, you know. If you miss me you can always step by!”

She rolled her eyes and shoved past him, getting inside. He looked after her, smirking and closing the doors behind.

“I met Dara, Chaerin and Yongguk-sshi outside” she spoke, turning to face him “They told me you’re out again. Do you want to be expelled or what?”

“No” he shook his head “It’s like what, 5th week of school? Nothing’s gonna happen. I was out for 2 weeks maybe anyway” he lit up another cigarette and pointed at the kitchen “Coffee?”

“Actually yes, please” she nodded and his eyes widened.

“My, my, Chicken” Jiyong laughed “You’re gonna be late!”

“I’m one of the top students, without even one day missed” she crossed her arms “I’ll drink the coffee and in the meantime you will get dressed”

The truth to be told she did not have any classes today, at least not the basic ones. She was supposed to have the almost whole day practice for 'The Beauty and the Beast' that was starting at 10 am. But there was no need for Jiyong to know that.

“Get dressed?” he raised his eyebrows “Where are we going? On a date?”

Taeyeon face-palmed, not believing his teasing and ironic manners.

“No, you jerk” she scoffed, rubbing her temples “We’re going to school”

“I’m not moving a finger” he stated, going to the kitchen “But you can always stay, you know. I’ll be honored to be the reason why you skipped classes for the first time ever!” he was out of the sight so he screamed from the other area “Black coffee?”

“With milk and sugar!” she answered and then smirked, waiting for him to come back. Finally the time had come - their roles in the teasing game were about to be switched.

Jiyong came with another mug, handing it to her. Taeyeon bowed lightly and took a sip, raising an eyebrow.

“Actually what is going on with your parents?” she asked, this time serious. She was really curious as she knew from Dara that they lived alone.

“Not much” he shrugged his shoulders “They’re in Japan”

“And they’re not, you know, checking your results or something? They’re not worried that you skip school?”

Jiyong chuckled.

“It’s not like they care” he took another sip, observing her puzzled expression “My father and Dara’s mother got married because of the business matters. They’re successful and super busy lawyers. Back then they decided to have a wedding to get their companies together so the paperwork and the whole tax ery would be easier. And then, you know, it just stayed like that. They were super happy when it happened that we were accepted in St. John’s in Seoul, so we’re not around anymore”

“Oh my God” Taeyeon covered “I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to-“

“Nah, it’s cool, Chicken” Jiyong grinned and waved his hand “We’re mature enough now to not care”

She still looked like she was about to cry, truly touched by everything he just said.

Jiyong felt awkward.

He did not have any problem to share his family story with her because for him it was not a big deal. Together with Dara they figured it out way earlier that the only people who cared about them were, yes, themselves. And sometimes the nannies that Mrs. Kwon (ex-Park) was hiring.

Of course their parents were cool, wealthy and supportive but they missed this parental vibe for the whole time, being occupied with the business. That was why the siblings got so close - they were the ones to raise themselves. It also helped them to grow up on good people, without that whole 'rich but lonely child' syndrome.

“Yah, Chicken,