NOW

APRIL 2017

                JONGIN pulled the blanket close to himself, coughing cold air as he gently rubbed his aching chest.

                Sehun just came over during lunch break to bring him to the clinic. He had gone down with regular fever when he woke up this morning and the whole day was nevertheless still too cold for him to recover from his sickness. It was 6.32 in the evening and he hasn’t left his bed since 2.00 PM.

                He tossed around in his bed to make his body comfortable so he could get some more sleep despite knowing he would never get some peaceful sleep in this temperature.

                Out of all days, the heater just had to break down today.

                Oh the haunting memory.

                Jongin turned to his right and drew his hand out to reach for his handphone. He went over to the call log and slid his finger over at Sehun’s name.

                NAEUN was already getting inside the escalator when her hand was busy pressing the level 11 button while the other hand was holding her phone against her ear. She has been trying to reach Jongin but it seemed like Jongin was on the phone with someone else because she could not get through the busy line.

                She knew she was gambling her effort and also her time by dropping a visit to see Jongin because she wouldn’t know whether he was home or not but still, she couldn’t help to feel concerned about him. And this was the only way to her concern.

                3 minutes later, the doors to the elevator slid open, revealing an empty hallway. She walked out of it and made her way calmly to the left wing of the building.

                “Yeah my fever is going down, I think,” Jongin said, casually pressing his own palm against his forehead.

                “Remember to stick your Kool-Aid on the back of your neck, not on you forehead. I read online that it is wrong to put it on your forehead because heat lingers in your neck and not your forehead and putting it on your forehead won’t bring down the body temperature.”

                “Yes sir.”

                “Have you eaten your dinner?” Sehun asked again, couldn’t help his worry.

                “I think I’m just gonna order a take-out. Have you?”

                “My family’s having a celebration this evening at Pizza and Pie because my nephew finally scored a solid B+ for his Math. My family and his parents figured his effort should be well appreciated. . Last time I asked him about his exams, he told me he got it under control.”

                “That’s good.”

                “He swapped his papers with someone else.  He ing paid them, that little cunning fox.”

                Jongin laughed a little, feeling amazed at the well-working mind of Sehun’s nephew who was only 9. Sehun always talked about his family when he’s on a good mood, like today, and Jongin was glad for Sehun to still find happiness with his adopted family who took him in when he was 11. Who knew happiness could last this long?

                “Let him have his moment, Sehun. He might end up being a good businessman.”

                “He’s a fraud. My sister – and anyone else in the whole family have zero idea about this. I can’t bear to look into his parents’ eyes when they surprise him with a control helicopter.”

                “Ohh I’ve always wanted one since I was little! That lucky dog.”

                “Right?” Sehun scoffed. “Don’t worry, I promised him that we could fly his helicopter this Sunday at Yeouido Park. Do you wanna come along? We might get a taste of flying the control helicopter.”

                “Yeah, sure. I’d be happy to join you guys.”

                “Cool. We’ll make him sit and enjoy his ice-cream while we take over his ing undeserved toy.”

                “Wow – you’re such a great uncle.”

                “I know right. Wait till I’m a dad. I’d do things even cooler than this.”

                “Hahh-” Jongin forced a laugh to mock Sehun. “Oh God, my heart breaks for you.”

                “Shut up, you sickly twerp.”

                “Hold on-”Jongin paused a moment, pushing his phone back to get a better listen at his surroundings. He felt like someone was at the door. “Dude, I’ll call you back. Think I have a guest.”

                “Sure. Goodbye, Jongin.”

                “Bye.”

                THE bell that rang throughout Jongin’s apartment was unbearable because it won’t stop buzzing nor taking any pause in between. Jongin grunted, ultimately irritated by whoever-this-guest-is’s sudden drop-by. A bit of patience would help.

                Jongin knew he looked pale, but what he felt inside was nothing subtle. He naturally swung the door open, looking unexpected and serious.

                And then his whole feelings inside him ravished and flipped inside out.

                “Naeun?” He was losing the trace of his voice.

                NAEUN thought Jongin didn’t look too welcoming nor friendly at her appearance. But she was distracted by the fact that Jongin was wearing a sweater and he looked terribly white, like some vampire just out all of his blood. She even brought 2 sets of jjajangmyun because she was craving them the moment she left the boutique and was briefly reminded of Jongin’spromise of treating her jjajangmyun. Naeun raised the gaze the moment the door clicked open on her.

                “Hey,” she smiled, and then the smile turned upside down. A worried look carved across her face. “Why do you look so pale?” Naeun did not even bother to supress the urge to lean forward and touch his face. Jongin flinched in a timid movement, but Naeun did not remove her hand right away. Her big eyes fluttered at him and only then he realized how he has missed the way she held that captivating gaze against him.

                “I, uhm, don’t feel very good today,” he answered her calmly, but still standing in the doorway.

                “Gosh, you’re hot,” she gasped the moment her cold hand moved up to feel his forehead.

                “Huh?” Come again?

                “Your body. It’s burning hot. Is that why you didn’t come to work today?” Naeun chuckled at her foolish question and slapped lightly at the side of her head. “Pardon the obvious question.”

                “Yeah,” Jongin’s lips stretched in an awkward smile. Seeing Naeun looking this normal himself didn’t feel as real. The last they were together Naeun’s face was puffy and red. Or not really. But her brand new hair colour really looked good on her – almost too good he thought.

                “So, have you eaten?” Naeun brought her hands up and showed Jongin the plastic bags containing their spontaneous dinner. “I brought these before you could. You’re taking way too long to fulfil your promise.”

                JONGIN was somehow relieved to have Naeun around that evening. He was feeling a bit lonely and was in need of company, and his mood was not brightened up by the fact that his heater broke down tonight and he had no idea how he would survive the night in that health condition.

                Before he could lay back and enjoy the quiet but unravelling atmosphere that was beginning to be filled with Naeun’s sweet perfume and jjajangmyun sticky sauce scent, Naeun was already coming up to the living room, carrying two plates of jjajangmyun and a glass of warm water for Jongin and Soda for herself.

                “I would have brought something more suitable if I knew you’re this sick. Why didn’t you tell me?”

                “I did not know I was gonna be graced by your visit.”

                “Wow – I’m amazed to witness your sense of wits in this bad health condition of yours. Graced? Please, you don’t actually mean that.”

                Naeun made a face jokingly, and helped mixing up the sauce with the noodle with a pair of unused chopsticks and swirled the noodled around the sticks. Once the noodle and the sauce blended, she pushed the plate towards Jongin, asking him to dig in.

                “Thank you, Naeun,” Jongin said, tired but overwhelmed. He took the plate and stirred some more to let off the steam. He looked down to his noodle and was genuinely amazed at how perfectly blended the noodle was with the sticky sauce. He could never reach this level in mixing jjajangmyun without making a big mess on the table.

                “Wow, you’re good at mixing jjajangmyun. Shame they don’t have some kind of award of Korea’s Best Mixer or something. You’d win it in no time.”

                “Stop being weird, Jongin. Just eat your jjajangmyun,” Naeun muttered, pokerfaced, but she dared not to say it to his face.

                “I feel bad I couldn’t keep my promise to you. What good of a man is if he can’t even stick to his words?”

                “I’ll be generous today. This meal is an exception,” Naeun smiled it off coolly and began tending to her meal. “This one doesn’t count.”

                “This jjajangmyun? Are you fine with that?” His face lit up like a candle in the darkest room.

                “Yeah, but you kinda need to make a new promise.”

                “So, we’d have to overwrite the jjajangmnyun promise?”

                “U-huh,” Naeun raised her brows.

                “Okay. I can do that. What do you want me to promise you?”

                “Pssh, I don’t know,” she let out a dry snicker, taking a big chunk of the noodle into . The sauce slid down the noodle as she slurped some and numbers of tiny dots of the black bean sauce had gotten onto her chin and the left side corner to her lips.

                “I know,” Jongin said, drawing his hand out automatically and wiped the stain off of Naeun’s stain. His thumb was warm and it brushed against his lips.

                “Oh yeah?” Naeun was slightly caught off-guard by his approach but she pulled away and smiled sheepishly. “Yah – don’t just do that. I almost choked on my noodle.”

                “You got some sauce on your face. What did you want me to do?”

                “Tell me, and I wipe if off myself.”

                “It’s just a stain. Why-” Jongin began smirking in victory looking how flustered at red-faced she was by the sudden move. He leant forward, studying her worked-up facial expression. “What - did I make you flustered?”

                “N-no, as if,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes deep while hastily pushing back Jongin to a safe distance. “Now back off.”

                “Okay,” Jongin shrugged, and got back to his jjajangmyun. He swirled his noodle on his plate, hiding a cynical smirk behind his happy face.

                “The promise – you said you - know,” she asked awkwardly. “What is it?”

                “Oh, right,” he looked up again, flashing a wickedly charming smile again at her, and this time, Naeun couldn’t help but to raise her brows again in curiosity.

                “What is it?”

                “I –promise you – that,” he drawled, wanting to stall time so Naeun would grow agitate by his wait.

                “Promise me that…?”

                “That-”

                “U-huh, that…”

                “That I will cook you dinner by the time I get better.”

                “Heol,” Naeun gasped, her smiled faded like water washing out fire.  “I thought it’d be something great and mind-blowing and epic.”

                “Heol – you did not just criticize something I kindly offer to do.”

                “It’s not like I’m disappointed or anything, but the way you said it – I thought it was gonna be something that would go heol daebak jjirit jjirit.”

                “What was that? Did you just curse at me?”

               “Did you not watch Infinity Challenge? There’s this caption that goes heol or daebak or jjirit jjirit every time something incredible or awesome comes up.”

                “O-kay,” he said, lowering his head and continued to finish his noodle.

                “Yah, don’t o-kay me.”

                He nodded without even looking.

                “Yah,” Naeun called, looking somehow dissatisfied. “Don’t ignore me.”

                Jongin put down his plate, all emptied out and and put on his most impassive and exhausted look at Naeun and propped his head in his hand, elbow sticking up on his knees.

                “Okay. Is this fine? I did not say o-kay, and I am definitely not ignoring you right now.” His gaze was not cold or fed-up, but there was something icy about the way he looked at her either. It was something loud but almost very serene, like a smooth evening wave before a nasty storm strikes out by nightfall.

                Naeun got up suddenly, ignoring Jongin and picked up her plate to the kitchen. She could not fathom Jongin’s fluctuating mood swings and she most certainly could not stand another second being under his microscope with the way he held his gaze calmly yet firmly on her.

                Dammit  - he looked good staring down at me like that.

                “I’M telling you – I’m very good at Go-Stop,” Naeun was already shuffling the cards in his hand before distributing the 10 pieces to Jongin and herself and placed the rest on the carpet. She flipped another 14 cards beloged to each players and stacked the rest into a pile and immediately registered the images that came up right away.

                January – yul, tti and kwang.

                March – kwang.

                July – yul, tti, pi.

                December - kwang

                Jongin’s eyes were also glancing nervously on the cards scattered in front of them and began scanning his own. A smile came up to his lips.

                 “Then I hope you don’t just talk the talk.”

                “You’re gonna regret even thinking of this game.”

                “Quit bragging and start playing, please.”

                “Tctch,” she clicked her tongue, and looked through the collection of cards that were on her hands. “Okay, I’m starting now.” And then her hand moved forward to put down a card from her own set, pi of March.

                Naeun smiled, placing the card on the pile of the rest of March cards. She later turned up a card from the pile and placed it on the carpet. It was also a March - yul.

                And then her smile died.

                Jongin was already laughing, putting out his March card – tti, and carefully but confidently gathered the set of March card that were scattered and placed it into his captured card.

                Road to victory should be easy breezy.

              “THIS is so sad,” Jongin was laughing hysterically looking at the set of kwangs and ttis and yuls that he have managed to collect so far from different months. Naeun was still fretting in her seat, freezing upon seeing the turned-up card that couldn’t be matched with hers at all.

                “You better not play any trick,” Naeun pouted, half-pissed.

                “I do not do such immature thing.”

                “That’s what they all say before they got caught.”

                “This is fun,” Jongin smiled, going through his captured cards that have been assigned into their respective groups. So far he had exactly 1 set of 5 kwang cards equivalent to 15 points, godori cards of yul equivalent to 3 points, and lastly 1 set of tti cards with blue ribbons equivalent to, also, 3 points. He had a total of 21 points and from what he could see, Naeun only manage to capture 1 set of 10 junk cards and that only gave her 1 point.

                “Just say the word,” Naeun interrupted the moment she realised Jongin has out down his final card. He put down his pi card, and it did not match the turn up card which was a yul. He looked around, and realized that here was no yul card anymore in the centre layout, so he put the card in a separate layout and clasped his hand together.

                “Stop,” he shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Naeun, I won.”

                “Dang it,” Naeun spat out, furious, as she threw her cards away and reshuffled every pieces on the carpet into a big mess and then compiled them all back together.

                “Second round?” She asked.

                “I don’t know. I’m kinda sleepy. And you owe me 17 points times 1000 won, which is 17 grand or something.”

                “I’ll pay you,” Naeun frowned. “Second round?”

                “That’s only 17 000 won. That’s cheap.”

                “Second round for double point?”

                “Okay,” he mused, eyes locked up on her, and then agreed right away.

                AND then, Jongin could hear another sigh being heard from his opponent. Naeun could not move her eyes away when Jongin was counting points from his sets of cards. She was waiting for the score aka money announcement.

                “That was 40 point, I think.”

                “You need to be certain. Do not hesitate. We’re talking about scores here,” Naeun was half-yelling, half-fire-breathing at Jongin. She frowned, hands reached over at Jongin’s stacked cards.

                “Where are you touching? It’s definitely 40. You can do the counting if you don’t trust me.”

                “God,” Naeun sighed again, putting down her cards hopelessly. She gestured her hands behind her head to tie up her loose hair up into a knot. Jongin automatically looked on,  never once did he  peel his eyes off.

                Naeun pulled back a strand of hair that fell to the side of her head and gathered back all in her hand.  “Am I losing my touch?”

                “Huh?”

                “I ask, am I losing my touch, Jongin?” She was fidgeting behind her head before finishing tying her blonde hair.

                “I don’t know. This is our first time of playing Go Stop together.”

                “Geez,” Naeun’s voice was low and disappointed. She flapped her palm, fanning herself because the air turned warm around her suddenly.

                “Are you hot?” Jongin asked, smiling. “I was really playing my best though. You’re a good opponent.”

                “I used to win countless times in high school. I was like, the master, and I hardly lost. Damn. .”

                “Yeah,” Jongin nodded kindly. He reached forward to grab Naeun’s cards and combine it with his own. He stacked them into one pile and placed it on the table beside them.  “Well, it was a good play.”

                “Congrats on your consecutive wins, sifu-nim. The last point was a double. You’re filthy rich now.”

                Jongin nodded, looking excited and offered a fist bump to Naeun. “Gotta bump the victor, hon.”

                “Don’t be annoying.”

                “Bump it. Don’t leave me hanging.”

                “You’re crazy,” Naeun squinted her eyes. “And the fire in your eyes scares the life out of me.”

                “C’mon, Naeun. It’s a just a bump.”

                Naeun shook her head, indifferent, and bumped Jongin’s fist anyway only to keep him satisfied.

                “Happy?” She asked, tilting her head sideway. “You ungentleman.”

                “Of course I’d be happy. And what do you mean by ungentleman; like,  that’s not even a word.”

                “Shut up. You’ve already won the first round. Would it hurt your man pride to just let this pass and let me win instead?”

                “You wanted me to go easy on you on purpose? Are you serious? If I actually did that – you’d karate chop the outta me. You and your so-called female pride.”

                “But losing .”

                “You’ll be fine,” Jongin said comfortingly, leaning forward to squeeze Naeun’s shoulder. “Now cough up 97,000 KRW, boss-nim.”

`               “What the- yah, don’t go around consoling people if you have ulterior motive hidden behind your twisted smile, you savage,” Naeun shoved Jongin’s hand that was resting on her shoulder and got up to her feet.

                “It was no ulterior motive. Don’t play the victim card. It was a fair and square game. Besides, you asked for a second round, okay? Please coolly accept that you lost.”

                Naeun made a face at Jongin; flaring up her nostrils in ignorance as she turned her back on him. She walked over towards where her purse was. Her hands shook the moment her skin grazed againt the leather skin of her Givenchy purse– that was just how much she loathed losing to Jongin.

                “I’m going to bed,” Jongin said, also getting up to his feet.

                Naeun turned to look at him, and smiled again, sending an indirect message how he should not go to bed, yet.

                “What elseeeeeeee nowwwwwww?"

                “OKAY,” Jongin pulled his blanket to cover his knees, with Naeun was sitting beautifully on his bed, facing him, as he took out a hand to play Cham Cham Cham game. “Last one – you promised.”

                “This is the last game, I promise.”

                “I’m getting annoyed now. You better stop forcing me to play more games with you after this, or I will lock you in the bathroom. I mean it. I’m not kidding a bit.”

                “I got it,” Naeun spat out, slapping Jongin’s knee. “I even agreed to play on your bed. Don’t you see how desperate I am to win?  One win for 10,000 KRW.”

                “Why are you so competitive, for ’s sake? They’re just games. They’re for fun. You’re supposed to have fun-”

                “Rock paper scissors-” Ignoring completely the talking Jongin, Naeun went on first to do the rock-paper-scissors because she couldn’t stand anymore of his nagging.

                Jongin, being naturally born with wits and quick senses, took out paper in a jolt, and smiled when he saw the rock that she confidently pulled out.

                 “Dammnnnn,” Naeun gritted her teeth, knocking her head with the rock that she made. “Fool. Okay. Go,” she nodded, commanding Jongin to start his Cham Cham Cham move first.

                “Get ready,” Jongin was getting into spirit now. He even pulled Naeun to sit closely in front of him. “Do not hesitate or turn your head halfway. Or I will explode. I’m really sleepy right now.”

                “I got iTTT JESUS CHRIst -  just start, please.”

           “You’re losing it,” Jongin said expressionlessly, and began holding a firmed palm to the side and started moving to the right. At one blow only, Naeun succumbed to the image of Jongin’s palm moving to her left and lost the game in a blink of an eye.

                “K YEAH,” Jongin made a yes-fist pump and quickly pulled a blanket over his head. He was lying still on his bed and then got up again only to remind Naeun of his total money prize. “You owe me 107, 000 KRW, baby. I also accept check, if you don’t have the cash right now.”

                “YAHHH” Naeun’s mind was working slow that  night after so many consecutive loses that she only got the hang of the situation after seeing Jongin’s irritating I-win-you-lose smirk plastered across his cocky face. Jongin patted Naeun’s head and naturally fell backward on his back and covered himself with the cozy comforter. His night couldn’t get any cozier than this.

                “Let's have a rematch– that one was too quick.”

                “No.”

                “Yahhh~” Naeun was tugging at the comforter as she leaned it and grabbed a fistful at it. “Let’s play one more time. Yahhh~ we’re supposed to practice first before playing this game. Don’t you know that? That’s like basic.”

                “Noooo”

                “Yahhhhhh”

                “I said noooo. Stop bothering me, Jesussss”

                “Yahhhhh that was supposed to be a practice.”

                “There’s no such thing as practice. You play. And you lose or win. The end.”

                “Yahhhhhh~ Jongin-ah, I’m literally begging you. Pretty pleaseee~”

                Naeun was exceptionally good at saying ‘yah’ in such an adorable manner Jongin wondered maybe this was the trick that got him into agreeing to play Cham Cham Cham in the first place. If it was true, then she was good at hypnotizing people to get what she wanted.

                “I said no-” Jongin was losing patience. He got up in a bolt, wrapping Naeun with his comforter to keep her movement minimum and threw his arms around the human burrito and locked his feet by pinning them with his own. Naeun was silent; clearly taken back by Jongin’s sudden takedown and realised how she shouldn’t have pushed her luck.

                “Yah-" Naeun’s face was covered and her voice was groggy and muffled. “Yah! Yah! What are you doing?!”

                “Restoring peace and establishing dominance.”

                “Yah! I’m not your freaking pet!”

                “Sssshh,” Jongin pulled the wrap closer to him and laid his head on the pillow. “I’m really sleepy. Please, let me sleep.”

                “Alright. Just. Let. Me. Go.”

                “I can’t,” Jongin was persistant. “If I let you go, you’d kill me for tackling you. I can’t have that. At least not tonight. I’m sorry though.”

                “What are you saying? Jongin, I’m getting hot. Let me outttt” Naeun was wriggling her body loose from the wrap but the blanket was thick and Jongin’s embrace was not getting looser any time soon.

                “I’ll take off 7,000,” he said in a whispering voice as he brought his face close to Naeun – and their distance was only the blanket.

                “Huh?” Naeun was panting from trying to break free, but her heart was pounding like crazy for another reason.

                “I’ll take off 7,000 from the prize money you owe me, and in return, keep quiet, and keep me company.”

***

First of all, I'm sorry. I have been busy with personal problems and I just couldn't make time to write this story. So, from now own

.

.

.

.

Each update after this will be uploaded a bit later - or very much (prolly a month apart for each chapter)

I'm sorry. I really wish I could be on track with everything but I can't. I totally understand if you guys begin to lose interest in this story or just had enough with my attitude of giving you guys late update, and wanted to bail out, but, if anything, you guys should know that I won't ever set this story on hiatus or leave this story hanging, so until then, kindly (and generously) wait for me to finish up. :)

I feel bad for keeping you guys on hold for so long, that is why I guess I should tell you all this :(

There  isn't much left, but everything will be answered, don't worry. I can at least do that for you wonderful readers. <33333