The smile on Mark’s face completely fell away.

“Cousins?” Hani looked at the both of them, to and fro completely aware of the tension between them. If she were to get in the middle, she’d probably get suffocated.

“I didn’t know you guys were cousins, that’s so cool,” she gave a nervous chuckle.

They both ignored her.

“I’m surprised you didn’t melt,” Mark snickered.

Jin only raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. Hani would have shrank by the way he was looking down at Mark but Mark only met his gaze, unfazed by his lack of response.

“What are you doing here anyway?” He snapped.

“Business,” Jin answered evasively.

Mark rolled his eyes and turned to Hani’s direction, his face turning friendly and animated.

“This is the you told me about? The one who left you in the elevator?” He jutted his thumb at Jin. Hani snuck a look at Jin, unsure of what to do so she slowly nodded her head.

“It’s all the better, you’d have a amore fascinating conversation with a brick wall, even with Helen Keller,” Mark laughed rather harshly.

She had never seen this side of Mark before, it was scary.

“This coming from a boy whose fiancé killed herself off, I’d say she’d be better off talking to a brick wall like me.”

Hani gasped. A dead fiancé? Mark? Mark curled his hands into a fist and grabbed Jin’s collar, ready to throw a punch. Until Hani jumped in the middle of it and blocked Mark’s hand.

“Stop it! Both of you!” She snapped.

Mark’s hands were shaking in anger as he reluctantly lowered them down. Jin’s hands were also in a fist, ready to strike when Mark was. Hani wedged herself between them and placed her hand on their chests.

“You-” She pointed to Mark “-oppa, just call off,” Hani pleaded to Mark’s taut face. His eyes shifted to hers and his face immediately softened.

“I’m sorry for this,” he whispered.

“It’s okay,” Hani smiled.

Mark turned his heel, that was before he flipped Jin the finger.

“Oppa-!” Hani growled.

She felt Jin tense under her touch, she automatically panicked.

“Don’t- Don’t even think about it, just let it go, do you want me to sing that damn song? Because I will,” Hani warned.

Jin threw daggers down at her before storming in the other direction. Hani breathed a sigh of relief and followed him closely from behind. When they got into the elevator, Jin literally punched the buttons causing Hani to fly to the opposite side of the elevator.

She slid a look at his direction, he was still furious, his gaze might just melt the elevator doors.

“You shouldn’t go making friends with the wrong sort,” he finally spoke, his tone deep and low.

“Wrong sort?”

“That Mark isn’t who you think he is.”

This time Hani raised her eyebrows at him.

“And you think you know who he really is?”

“We’re family after all,” a bitter smile found his lips.

“Besides, enemies never lie, they will tell you the truth to cut you down and they show their truer form, dark,” he added, looking straight at her.

“You’re wrong.”

“And how am I wrong?” He shook his head, implying subtly that she was naïve as a stone.

“That’s what people sometimes fail to see, the other side. If there is darkness, there is light, there would b no darkness if there was no light right? Just because he shows you his darker side doesn’t completely expel the fact that he another side to him, you’re so one sided in your hate that you can’t put yourself in the other person’s shoes to empathize,” Hani scolded, her tone disapproving.

Jin looked at the cross girl in front of him, looking small but commanding in with her crossing of the arms and demeanor.

“Big words for a little girl,” the tips of his lips curling up.

“I resent that,” Hani glared but secretly pleased that he was no longer mad.

“You’re right,” he admitted.

Hani gripped the bars on the side for support, “Jin, I don’t mean to alarm you but I can’t feel my legs.”

Jin snapped to attention.

“What? What’s wrong?”

The panic was slowly creeping up on Hani. She couldn’t feel her legs, normally she would walk around in an elevator to shake off the claustrophobic feeling, but when she tried to walk, she couldn’t. She just couldn’t. Her breaths started to come up short now.

“Jin,” she whispered, tearing up.

Jin watched as her knuckles turned white around the handle bars. His heart suddenly tightened as he told himself not to panic. They would be in the room in no time.

“Did you bring a bag? Medicine? Defibulator?” Jin stammered.

Through white lips, Hani managed a weak smile.

“In the suite, my mother left it there I think,” she whispered.

Jin nodded his head.

“Hani?”

Hani looked up, despite the inability to feel her legs and her quickly tightening chest, she couldn’t help but realize that this was the first time he had called her name. It rolled out his tongue perfectly.

“I’m going to carry you, now I want to know if it’s okay for me to carry you or will I disturb something or cause something else?” he asked tentatively.

“You can,” she nodded her head.

In one swift motion, his arm was tucked underneath her legs and her arms automatically circled his neck. He was surprisingly strong, but Hani pushed that thought aside for another day as she struggled to breathe through . They were ogled by people, remarks of ‘what a lovely couple’ to ‘excited for the honeymoon much’ passed their way but Hani had better things to worry about… like living.

Jin burst into the suit and walked Hani around the room so she could find her bag. She weakly pointed at a little nook of a window at the edge of the room. Jin strode there in long strides before gently putting her down onto the sofa.

“What am I supposed to be looking for here?” He brought the bag to her side and turned the bag over so the medicine cluttered on the table.

“Injection, there,” she pointed at a marker.

“It’s a marker,” Jin frowned, worrying now.

“No, no, open it, give it to me,” Hani reached for it.

Jin gave it to her and she opened it. A sharp needle came into view and Hani raised her skirt – Jin promptly looked away – and stabbed herself with it. A sharp gasp of relief came out of , there were already beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Are you alright?” Jin frowned.

Hani lolled her head and smiled at him. “Yeah, I ate a truck load of ice cream earlier, too much blood sugar, body ain’t what it used to.”

“Do you make a habit of this? Dying and ?”

“Technically I wasn’t dying, worst case scenario I would have crashed into a coma.”

“Is there a difference?” Jin snapped and threw himself at the nearest couch.

He took off his jacket and slammed in onto the ground in frustration. Hani didn’t even wince at his frustrated actions, he had seemed actually concerned.

“Hey, thanks,” she offered a smile.

But Jin only grunted, although he was calm all throughout the process, he had been secretly panicking inside. He had even fought off the urge to whip her off in an ambulance. The sudden impulse came so suddenly to him that it even surprised him, why did he feel so concerned for this little sick girl he barely knew?

It annoys the hell out of him.

“This is the second time you saved me,” Hani pointed out.

“Huh?” Jin turned his attention back to her and then realized what she was talking about.

“That wasn’t me last time, it was V,” he waved himself dismissively.

“V? You mean the guy with orange hair?” Hani asked, propping herself up.

Jin nodded and stood up. Hani looked at his empty seat in wonder. V rescued her last time? All this time her gratefulness was misdirected. He even brought her cell phone back to her, but Suga could have given her that herself though. Still. And she treated him so badly last time.

“Here drink.”

A tall glass of water appeared right in front of her handed by the slightly embarrassed looking Jin. She realized how thirsty she was, she accepted the drink gratefully.

“Are you feeling okay now?”

Jin shuffled his feet. It almost made Hani choke on her water. He was concerned! And he was embarrassed by it like a little kid.

Before Hani could answer, a knock came from the door and it opened. A man in a suit bowed.

“A lady is here to see you Sir,” he said in a stiff and polite tone.

“Mom-”

Jin placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back down on the couch. “It’s not your mother,” he said, his tone resuming back to normal.

He crossed the room in long strides, just as he got out, the doors flew open again.

“Hani!”

Then Hani remembered, her mom wasn’t the silent and polite type when it was about Hani. The older woman threw herself to Hani’s side, hugging her, squeezing her and poking her in places to check for any damage.

“Mooom, I’m ffiinnneee,” Hani couldn’t help.

“Don’t be silly, you should rest now,” Hani’s father stepped in, even Dong Yul nodded.

Hani rolled her eyes, knowing she couldn’t excuse herself from the pampering. The Chois quickly excused themselves, with her mother’s arm around her for support Hani exited the suite. In the corner of her eye, she caught something.

“Ah Jin, I have to thank him-”

“Maybe next time dear, he’s talking to someone, it might just be her,” Hee young muttered.

Jin had his hand placed on the girl’s shoulder. She was tall but not too tall because she only came up to his ear. Her hair was straight and long to her waist.

“Her who?”

“His first love.”

First love?

“Are they still together?”

Hee Young looked down at her daughter, “don’t you want to know who she is?”

Hani caught herself and blushed, “of course!” I don’t know why I wanted to know if he was single. It shouldn’t be my business at all.

But she couldn’t help but crane her neck to see just a glimpse of her face as her mother led her down the hall, away from them.

First love.

Somehow, Hani couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

*              *                   *                 *

Hani was sent to bed when she arrived at the house. She was completely bedridden, so she opened her laptop and did the only thing she could think of: Facebook.

Anyway, she still had to add J-Hope. Hani bit her lip, should she look up Jin too? No, that would be weird, it would be like she was admitting to something. But her hands were twitching her to do so. She shook her head and typed J-Hope’s name and added him. There wasn’t much on his wall, just some crude videos he shared, typical guy. She messaged him.

Hey??

She left it at that and surfed the web some more. Facebook didn’t seem very interesting, the Saturday didn’t seem interesting at all and it had such a promising start. She closed her laptop and leaned back against her pillows. At times like these she would usually get out and about with Se Mi and the others, but she was confined in her room for now.

By the time afternoon came, she was lounging on the couch watching Master’s Sun. They were so cute together, it was ridiculous. She stuffed some chips to her face when her phone blared. She reached out for it without looking at the ID.

“Yellow.”

“Banana.”

Hani frowned, pulled from the trance the tv held.

“Who is this?”

“Forgotten me already pigtails? I’m hurt,” the voice feigned hurt tone.

“S-suga?”

“Now how many times have we discussed this? I want you to call me oppa, and not just oppa, but ooppppaaaaa~ <3” his voice took an abnormally high tone and ended it with a sickening giggle.

“One: Are you mentally retarded? Two: We have only discussed this like twice!”

“Well, I’m flattered that you’re counting pigtails,” he chuckled.

Has his voice always been this deep?

“Stop calling me that!” Hani snapped.

“Don’t! You even put down the phone!” Suga exclaimed just as Hani was lowering her hand.

She looked at the phone, dumbfounded. How was it that he always knew she was going to do even before she realized she was going to do it? It was just bizarre! She slowly raised it back to her ears again.

“Why? I’m busy.”

Suga snorted “Oh really? Then why do I hear Gong shil screaming in the background?”

Hani’s jaw slacked, “you know Master’s sun?!”

“How can I not? My mom literally glues me on the couch to watch it with her!”

A smile formed on Hani’s lips, isn’t that cute? He watches chick flicks with his mother, albeit forced. Still proof that by sheer force and will, the scary Suga can be forced down to suffer through a romantic comedy series. She leaned back against the pillows when she heard the awkward silence at the other end.

“… Breathe a word of it to anyone and I will end you.”

The threat would have been threatening if it wasn’t for the hint of embarrassment in his voice. Hani threw her head and laughed. Suga just bristled at the other end.

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“Are you watching the new episode right now?” Hani asked.

There was a long pause at the other end “……yes.”

Hani stifled her laughter and resigned to just smiling at herself in the comfortable silence. The two watched the scene unfold silently. It was the scene where Gong shil found the other pair of shoes and the ghost was limping towards her. She clutched the shoes and shut her eyes in fear as Joong won drove away.

“EEEPPPPPPP, she’s right behind her! WHY WON’T SHE RUN?!” Hani squealed, goose bumps crawling up her skin.

“Ooooww goddamn woman, and yet, I am strangely immune because of my mother,” Suga muttered sadly to himself.

“Joong won you bastard!”

Suga laughed, “are you always like this?”

“Like what?” Hani replied absentmindedly.

Joong won saw Gong from his side mirror, he paused, Hani gripped the phone close to her ear, even Suga wasn’t speaking. Turn around, turn around, turn around! When the car reversed, Hani gasped. He roughly got out of the car and turned to the girl, ready for a tirade when she threw herself at him. Then the world went into slow motion as the ghost disappeared.

“Dddddddaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,” Hani sighed happily.

“That was completely obvious,” Suga scoffed.

“Oh shut up, if you knew what was going to happen, how come you were so quiet?”

“… Didn’t want to ruin the moment.”

Hani scoffed but then it turned to a squeal when his hands slowly went up to her in comfort.

“They’re so perfect, I can’t even!”

“You girls always make a simple situation so dramatic,” Hani could literally feel the eye roll Suga gave from the other line.

“If you guys weren’t so macho about your feelings, there wouldn’t be a need for us to be dramatic,” Hani quipped.

“It’s not about macho about our feelings, clearly the girl has boundary issues, I mean she can’t get her hands off the guy!”

“Bbbeeccaauuusseee he is her escape, I mean if I had powers like hers and I found a guy like that, I would probably have stuffed him in my closet by now.”

“Is there any chance…”

“Chance of what?”

“You being sensitive?”

“Hell no, I can’t even tell my left foot from the other!”

“….Damn.”

Hani blinked and quickly caught up, instead of snapping at him, the light flirtatious undertone made her laugh. If anything, it sounded sad, sad but cute. They resigned to the comfortable silence once again, Hani didn’t even mind the growing hotness of the phone against her ears and Suga forgot the growing ache in his arm.

“Aren’t you supposed to be watching with your mother?”

“Work, she’s asking me to record it.”

“Record it? Heelloo 21^st century to stone age, there is such a thing as downloading you know.”

“Can’t be bothered,” Suga shrugged.

Hani found that even through the phone, Suga exuded a masculine aura  even with the romantic comedy. Even the horror parts weren’t as hair raising as when she was alone. Strange from just a single phone call. Suga didn’t talk much unless if it was about punching, Hani quotes, “thesumova” down or some crude remark about Gong shil.

“Hey, don’t talk about her like that!”

“What? She is a sorry excuse of a girl, look at those eye bags, that hair! And she even walks around in the janitor’s uniform as if it’s nothing!”

Hani rolled her eyes, rich people.

“Fine,” she heaved a sigh, “she is… shabby looking…”

“Try hobo.”

“Shhtt! But you know, stress ain’t that easy to deal with, it’s not just the physical appearance you know, why are boys always just after that?”

“Honestly, tell me, if given a chance would you date a boiled covered achne ridden four eyes? Honestly, don’t even lie.”

Hani tapped her point finger on her chin and tried to paint herself a picture. Immediately her face scrunched up and she shook her head. Good thing Suga wouldn’t be able to see that.

“You just shook your head didn’t you?”

“Wha-!” Hani gasped.

“How do you do that?!” she hissed.

“Do what?” he asked, confused.

“That! Knowing what I was just doing, you didn’t bug me did you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself them cupcake,” he laughed but Hani fumed, embarrassed.

“I just do, call it a connection if you will,” the smugness was so evident in his voice Hani rolled her eyes, even that she knew that he knew she had rolled her eyes.

“Connection my ,” Hani muttered.

Suga opened his mouth to say something but Hani placed a finger on the phone, “DON’T even say it.”

He smiled knowingly. It was that that caught his attention. Knowing. Just knowing about thing pertaining about her, it was unnerving but completely interesting at the same time. Hani on the other hand was confused. It was both freeing and unsettling. One, she would save herself the trouble of making him understand or  misunderstandings, and two because it felt like her space was being invaded.

“Think of it what you will pigtails, you know some girls would call this romantic.”

“Romantic? Creepy is more like it.”

“As much as I would love to help you broaden the definition of this connection, I have to go cupcake.”

“Wait! The episode hasn’t even ended-”

Dial tone.

“-yet.”

Hani looked at her phone, for some odd reason, she was disappointed. Yet again for the 2^nd time today. She pursed her lips and stared at her phone trying to process what exactly just happened  when it suddenly lit up again causing her jump.

The episode already ended pigtails. Don’t miss me too much –S

“What?”

Hani turned back to the screen and it just turned to commercial. She blinked at it. What happened? What happened to the shoes? What happened when she fell to the floor? Hani looked at the tv dumbly, she just missed half of the episode she was waiting for because of what? Because she was talking to a guy on her phone.

“Wow, I’m totally having attention span issues,” she laughed nervously.

Her hand gripping the phone.