“I thought you said you’ll only be there for a week and come back home.” Aerin rolled on the bed, talking to Jongin on the phone. She pouted when she heard that the older brother wouldn’t be home until the next two weeks, and it’s actually been a month since the last time she saw him. And that also meant she would go to the presentation by herself.

Jongin smiled to himself as he could clearly see the pout on his face although they were not on a video call. “I know, I’m really sorry I’ve been delaying for quite a long time.” He sighed. “It was just… there are really a lot of things I need to take care before I could leave again for a longer time. You don’t mind if I ask to endure for just a little bit more for me to stay longer, hm?”

She sighed. “But you really have to stay for a long time, okay? And please come home before my graduation because I want you to be there.” She said with her small voice. “And then maybe I could go with you when you’re going back to London. Can I stay there on my holiday?”

“Sure, we can arrange it if you really want. Um…” He stopped, not really sure if it was okay to ask her. “Will you really be okay staying with me?” Jongin asked carefully.

The sister fell silent.

She didn’t know. She still didn’t know and she wasn’t sure if she would be okay being around him. But all she could promise him was that she would try her hardest. It was already really good for her to even be able to talk to Jongin like this when she usually collapsed only because she wrote a letter for him. Aerin remembered about how happy doctor Park Yoora was, when the older knew that Aerin could meet Jongin without having her scene. And in one of their sessions, she told her that meeting him and being around him could be one of the best cures, or it could be the worst for her trauma. Aerin really couldn’t hide how happy she was, knowing that in the end, Jongin actually cared.

“Um… I mean… I’m worried if it would hurt you, well, me being around.” Jongin quickly added as he was afraid that it might hurt her feelings.

Aerin smiled. She noticed the sadness in his voice although he tried to speak as casual as he could, and she really hoped she could chase the sadness away. “I’m still not sure, honestly.” She started. “Because there was one time, when even just writing a letter for you could trigger the scene.” Jongin remained silent, listening to her. “Doctor Park said being around you could be the best cure, or the worst possible. But I just know it will be the best because look at what we are doing right now.”

“I really hope we could stay this way forever,”

There was warmth spreading inside their hearts, and Aerin wouldn’t ask for more. He was all she had, and she couldn’t be happier with the circumstances they were in right at the moment. Because no matter how, after all those useless and disappointing wait, the rain finally came down to end the drought.

“Oppa, why don’t you sleep?” She asked bluntly as she realised that it was already midnight there.

“I want to talk to you though,” Jongin answered with a pout, and Aerin couldn’t hide her laugh. She totally could see the pout through his voice as he continued talking.

“Ah right, can I go out with Chanyeol today after school?”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know, just want to hang out. I’ve been staying home even after school this whole week to study for the presentation. Can I get a reward for that?”

“Of course you can.”

“But I want to go without Sehun.”

“No, Sehun has to be with you. Why wouldn’t you go with Sehun?”

“Well, it’s… Chanyeol seemed uncomfortable when I hang out with him but Sehun has to follow us everywhere, and Sehun looks like he was ready to eat Chanyeol but he can’t do anything about it.”

“Oh my god, my princess is clearly being fought for by two men.” Jongin chuckled at his own words while Aerin only rolled her eyes and whined. “I thought you said that you like how you feel safe whenever Sehun was around?”

“What? When did I say that? Was I drunk that time?”

Aerin literally went red from his teasing, but she didn’t dwell on it as she knew that no matter how, Jongin and Junmyeon would never let her go outside without Sehun for now. Sehun even got a room in their manor so that he would be available all the time when she needed even just to go to a minimarket. Well, she rarely needed to go to minimarket anyway. Both of the brothers knew how she used to sneak out from the house just to wander around aimlessly, and according to them, it was dangerous for her around this time.

“Okay then.” She sighed. “I guess I’m just going to stay home and study for the presentation.”

“Sweetheart… I’m really sorry,”

“It’s okay, I understand.” She answered. “But why people are targeting me actually? What are they going to do with me, Oppa?”

“I honestly don’t know, Aerin. But I’m sure you’ll be safe with Sehun around you. Stick with him whenever you go out from the house. Junmyeon always made sure to hire the best personnel, and I believe this time too, he didn’t choose Sehun for nothing.”

“Alright,” She got up from the bed to open her windows. “Oppa, go to sleep. I need to get ready for school.”

“Ah, right, you’re going to school. Stay safe and have a nice day, little one.”

“I will. Good night, Oppa.”

“You frowned a lot these past days, Aerin.” Sehun broke the silence when they were going home from school that day. He had been observing her as they only exchanged a word or two along their way home from school. When they got home, Aerin usually only said thanks to him before going inside the house and didn’t come out until the next morning. Sehun was bored. It has been a month since he started working, and it turned out not as good as he thought working with her would be. Maybe it was because she had to attend the extra lessons Junmyeon prepared for her for an event next week—he didn’t really know what it was about, Junmyeon only told him to go straight home after school for that. The girl clearly looked unhappy these days, and he didn’t like that.

Aerin who was staring out of the windows turned her head towards the source of the voice. She caught Sehun’s eyes which were looking right at her through the rear view mirror and she smiled.

“I don’t know. I was just bored I guess.”

“Do you want to go somewhere? You can just tell me, though.”

“Can I?”

Sehun chuckled, “Of course you can, Agassi.” He peeked into the mirror and met her eyes again. There’s a little spark on her eyes, something he didn’t see these past days. “Mr. Kim told me that your teacher won’t come tonight. So I guess we can go somewhere you want as long as you don’t come home so late? But yeah, you have to keep your mouth shut and don’t tell anyone.”

Aerin made a gesture of locking her lips and threw the key away before grinning, “I really want to eat ice cream, Sehun.”

“Off we go then,” And the girl squealed at that.

“Oy, Sehun.”

Sehun high-fived the person behind the cashier as soon as he reached the counter—with Aerin following closely behind. It was a good thing that the café wasn’t that crowded. He chatted with the man wearing the apron before turning his head, finding the girl who was looking around the café in amazement.

“Choose the flavour you want,” Sehun said to her in a small voice, earning a nod and a smile from the girl. She jumped closer to the display and pointed to some of the colourful flavours that caught her eyes. Sehun couldn’t help but smiled at how her face suddenly radiating happiness at the mere sight of ice cream in front of her.

“Which one do you want, Sehun?” The girl asked as she turned her head towards him.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Come on, you have to eat too, I’m going to pick for