mian, for the loooooonggg wait *bows 90 deg*

note: Jake, Karin and Jin are speaking in English, that's why their speaking lines are italicized.

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Putting her phone down, then reading the message once again, Karin started to panic. Without even looking at the mirror, she rushed out of her apartment barefoot. Karin almost woke the other residents up, banging Jin’s door, calling out his name. A sleepy Jin opened the door and let her in without complaining.

“Jin, what should I do? Fishy sent me a message early this morning asking if I’m free on Saturday.” Her mere voice filled with worry was enough to wake him up. With eyes opened wide, he let out a loud, “What?!” Hyung must not know about Jacob, or else, it will drive him crazy. “Don’t tell him about Jacob,” it was more like an order when Jin said it. Karin nodded, completely understanding what he meant. “Aish, this is crazy! You should be spending your Saturday with hyung… and not with this Jacob, whoever he is,” Jin ranted as he went to the kitchen. “I’ll make us breakfast,” he said and Karin could hear the banging sound of metal. Karin followed him somehow relieved.

It was lunchtime and Donghae checked his phone. Sadly, there weren’t any messages from her.

Karin was staring at her phone. She was too focused in rehearsing the words in her mind that she didn’t notice Jin calling out to her. “Karin,” Jin tapped her shoulder, “relax,” he said taking the seat across her. “Call hyung, now. I’m just here.”

With one deep breath, Karin searched for his name in her contacts and pressed the call button. Her heart raced when she heard it ringing. An excited Donghae immediately reached for his phone and answered the call, “Karin!”

“Ye-yes, it’s me,” she gulped. “How are you?” he asked, leaning against the wall in the hallway. “Fine. I’m fine. You?” Jin patted her hand seeing how nervous she is. “Just finished a photo shoot,” he replied. Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun passed by and saw him smiling widely. The two knew it was Karin he was talking to. 

“I know you’ll look handsome in your photos,” she said making him red in the face and ears. “Thank you Karin. About… about my message earlier… are you free on Saturday?”

“About that… I really wanted to go with you but… but we have something to do that day. It was planned yesterday.” Her voice was mellow and Jin could see remorse written all over her face. “Oh.” Donghae was saddened to hear her reply. “Can I tag along with you? Just like before?” he asked, hoping that she would still say yes. But to his disappointment, she said “I’m sorry Fishy.”

“Ohhh.” It wasn’t what he expected. “I guess I’ll take my chances some other time then.” Karin faintly smiled knowing he was just trying to sound as if it was ok with him. “Mianhae~” Her heart sank as she said that word. She was always the one saying ‘sorry.’ “It’s ok Karin. No need to be sorry. I know it is something important.” And Donghae was always kind and understanding towards her.

Something important…  His words echoed in her head. It’s not important! She would like to scream knowing that she was only forced to do it. “Thanks for understanding, Fishy.”  Jin helplessly listened to every word she said. It was the first time he saw that expression in Karin’s face. It was guilt and remorse. She was refusing to go with him to be with a complete stranger.

“Take care of yourself, ok?” he managed to say, covering up his sadness. “You too,” she tried to liven up her voice.

“I’ll… I’m hanging up now. Manager is calling,” he said as he heard their manager’s voice calling them for lunch but he wasn’t interested at all. “Sure, sure. Go ahead.”

“Jin!! I hate this! I really don’t like this feeling! It’s like I did something awful,” she cried burying her face in the palms of her hands. “How long shall we keep it from him?” she said facing him. Jin moved to the seat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “You can tell him, if it burdens you this much,” he said comfortingly. Karin rested her head on his shoulder, “our plan better work Jin.”

Despite his busy schedule that week, Karin filled his thoughts. He was badly missing her. Knowing that he’ll not be able to see her on Saturday adds more to his agony. Karin spent the week with Jin planning for Saturday and they both finished all their assignments.

Saturday came and Jin was inside Karin’s room very early that morning. “No. Next!” He was dissatisfied, looking at her from head to toe.  “Ah! Jin! Not again. Why do you have to be strict about what I wear?” she complained. “You might be forgetting something. You should not look anything close to pretty,” he reminded. “Yah, I don’t look so beautiful that guys would go falling madly in love with me at first sight,” she argued. “Then tell me how a kpop superstar fell in love with you,” he replied turning her around to face her cabinet. She whined, “but my clothes have the same style.”

They were already at the waiting area of Incheon International airport when Jin asked, “how do we know it’s him?” “Dad said he’ll find us,” she replied dryly. Jin’s eyes widened looking at Karin, “how will he recognize you when you look like… that?” Karin was wearing Jin’s white jersey shirt with a black number 23 at the back and baggy khaki shorts with her blue snickers. Black rimmed, round glasses and her long hair covered most of her face making her, unrecognizable.  She quickly turned her head to him, and said “and whose idea is it?”

“Karin.” The two turned to their side and saw a guy smiling at them. Around the same height as hyung Jin was studying him from head to toe. He has short-textured black hair, showing off his masculine jaw line. “How did you know it was me?” she asked pushing her glasses.

“I can easily find your pretty face even if you hide it with those glasses,” he replied giving her a smile that would make girls swoon.  Karin fell dumbfounded and looked at Jin incredulously.