Life went normally not normal ever since Soojung and Jongin let each other found out about what’s lingering inside their heart thus become a couple. There’s not much time for them to meet due to Jongin’s schedule and even Soojung’s, because she got offered to be an assistant for her professor. It required Soojung to travel overseas nearly as much often as Jongin’s, but when Jongin often toured around Asia–mostly going back and forth to both Japan and China–Soojung would fly across to Europe or the United States. They had no idea how could they keep maintaining their communication despite the distance but at least, Jongin had learned the value of communication for the sake of Soojung and himself.

Jongin was in Osaka and Soojung had just already gone back from Washington DC–she’s there in place of her professor to attend a conference. Jongin called her right away after she landed and refused to hang up even though Soojung had to put him on hold through the immigration and baggage claim. He just missed her that much after not hearing her voice for four days straight.

“I’m going back tomorrow’s evening,” Jongin said, smiling over the phone like a lunatic. On the corner of the room, Baekhyun and Lay made a gagging face.

“Oh? I thought you still have concerts to go to.”

Jongin’s face suddenly fell and he pouted. “So you’re hoping me to stay longer here? Meanie.”

He heard Soojung’s chuckle from across but it sounded rather heavy for him. He just shoved off the negative thoughts and assumed that she was tired. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, whether you go back or not, it won’t really make any difference, right?”

Jongin shot up and formed a curl in between his eyebrows. “Of course it is! That means we will finally be in the same town!”

Even though Jongin was obviously sulking and Soojung knew it well just by hearing his voice, he didn’t fail to draw a thin smile on her lips. “It’s not like you have time to meet me after you come back.”

She was correct though. He didn’t have any spare time in between his overly packed schedule. He paused for seconds before answering her, looking overly doubtful, “W-well, I have time!”

To acknowledge that her random guess was right, she couldn’t lie that it pained her a bit. But it’s not like she hadn’t predicted this way before she decided to confess back to him and become his girlfriend. His job was one of those reasons why she wanted to surrender back then.

“We will find a time,” she forced a smile even though she knew she didn’t need to. It’s just to make her heart feel better.

“I have time for you,” Jongin’s voice suddenly became stern and firm. That whiny, adorable voice could no longer be found anywhere within the phone call.

“Jongin, you don't need to force–“

“Will you stop talking like I’ve never tried finding time for you? You make it sound like I’ve never prioritized you to begin with.”

Soojung had grown used to his mood swings these past months. She knew it’s just his way to express his own resentment and disappointment at himself. As much as she wanted to yell and scream at his childishness, she always tried to remind herself that he was being emotional and sensitive because he couldn’t make her happy. That birthday accident from before was enough to explain how much hurt he is whenever he couldn’t treat her normally due to his profession.

“Fine. I’m sorry, okay? I don’t mean any judgment here,” she tried so hard not to sigh. “If you really have time then when can we meet?”

“I don’t know. I guess I will find time for you,” he suddenly sounded so cold. She knew he was being sarcastic but at the same time, she knew that he really couldn’t find any time at the moment. He even had so little time to sleep, how on earth would he find time to meet her?

She was a bit pissed at his sarcasm and how he didn’t want to admit his situation. But being her usual self, understanding and overly wise, Soojung just showed her annoyance through a long sigh that he could clearly hear. But Jongin was too pissed off to even catch that.

“Look, why don’t you call me again later? My battery is low and–“

“Fine. I will hang up and try to find a time for you on every corner of this room,” he cut off before he hung up the phone. "I'll call you when I finally find that freaking time you're asking for."

Soojung never felt so much like throwing her phone out the window and cursed to the cold air outside. His childishness just started to drive her crazy that she wondered why did she even agree to all of these to begin with. After a few minutes of trying to hold back herself from exploding, her fatigue drove her off to sleep until she reached her apartment almost at midnight.

When she walked into her apartment, she almost went all mental and stabbed a knife on Jongdo’s back just because he looked too much like Jongin. Speaking about Jongdo, he was visiting her place to play PlayStation with her brother, just around the same time she's arriving. Jongdo turned confused and puzzled at the way she glared at him sharply. He made a fake frightened face and even without any words from her, he knew Jongin must’ve screwed over her once again.

“Wow, looking so friendly and cheerful over there, Ms. Jung,” he cooed. “So what kind of adorable surprise Jongin gave you this time?”

“Stop playing sarcastic on me or I will kick your off this floor,” she threatened. “I never know both of you were born sarcastic.”

Jongdo chuckled and went over to her. He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her for a hug onto his chest. “Welcome home, Jung Soojung.”

She let out a really long sigh as if she was letting go of all the tiredness that took over her. Being in Jongdo’s arms was always the best remedy for her. She was never a good talker and she’d rather be on the most complicated international debate rather than speaking out her feelings so to have a close friend like Jongdo who understands her without any words needed, she couldn’t be more grateful for what God had given her.

Soojung spoke no words and stayed in his embrace for a while. Jongdo didn’t let go of his arms off her and just kept her back. He knew she must be so exhausted after her DC trip but he knew that Jongin must’ve tired her more.

“Are you okay?” he asked even though he knew the answer already. But what’s funny about Soojung was that no matter how wrecked she is, she had only one absolute answer to that question and that is the classic "I'm okay", or sometimes she would paraphrase it into "I'm good", "Nothing", or "Shut up". 

But this time, she unwillingly put down her guard.

“No. I’m not okay,” her voice began to tremble but no tears came out of her eyes. She must’ve tried so hard not to break down and cry. “But I will be okay.”

Jongdo felt slightly relieved but his heart was heavy at the same time. He’s glad that Soojung at least had the courage to admit that she wasn’t okay after all this time thinking that she’s some kind of Iron Man.“You know? It’s completely okay to break down sometimes. Life is never one long smooth ride.”

After she managed to hold back her tears even though her eyes were already teary and red, she once again heaved a long sigh that sounded as heavy as what she showed Jongin earlier. The only difference was that Jongdo understands the meaning behind it while Jongin’s too busy being mad at himself to even understand.

“He’s crazy,” she said and she let go of him finally. “He’s crazy and selfish and senseless and apathetic and– Gosh, I hate him so much!”

It was his first time seeing her rambling over something like boys and he found it quite funny. After he spent the past years thinking Soojung could’ve possibly ended up as a spinster after rejecting boy after boy, he finally saw her being mad over something called love. “So my brother is crazy and selfish and senseless and Gosh you hate him?”

“Completely.”

Jongdo nodded slowly. “And yet you decide to deal with it.”

Soojung suddenly turned pinkish and her eyes began to wander up the ceiling. “Well–“

“And you know who and how he is from the beginning.”

“Uh…”

“Not only from what I told you, but you found it out yourself, and you’re bearing with it.”

"Okay...?"

"And you're dating him! Wow!"

“I don’t know what’s the point of your talking–“

Jongdo suddenly turned her around and slung his arm over her shoulder to bring her to the dining table. “My point is that you love him, you chose him despite every lacking he always shows you, you’re willing to deal with it, aaand you’re hungry!”

There were Chinese take-outs lying on the table and most of it was her favorite. She had been eating expensive food during her visit to DC in the place of her professor and was treated with luxury and high-class service but nothing beats the warmth and pleasant feeling of Chinese take-outs that needed no manner to be eaten.

“Sweet and sour pork!!!” she immediately went to grab the chopstick and dug in. “You know me too much, Kim Jongdo. I’m starting to get scared of you.”

“Close your mouth when you’re eating,” he smiled as he opened his long-left black bean noodles. They began eating while leaving Soojung's brother alone in the living room because he had already gotten his portion before Soojung arrives. “Still mad about Jongin?”

“I hate him but now I’m happy with this,” she pointed around the boxes. “And these food are more important than that Asia’s childish icon.”

“Asia’s childish icon. Cool one," he nodded in approval.

“Tha