It had been around a week or so since the day at the beach. I had been sulking in my room all day, avoiding any form of social contact. My mom called out to me a few times, telling me to come down for lunch or helping her with the dishes. Besides that, I talked to no one, not even Hyerin.

I was his friend. Someone he trusted, someone he could talk to. I don't know why, but liking him felt like cheating. As if I was betraying that trust. 

"This is so ing stupid." I sighed, feeling irritated. "Get your together brain."

My phone beeped, notifying me of a text.

Jungkook had send me a selfie of him making a really weird face, with the caption "R U ALIVE".

I burst into laughter as I zoomed in on his face and took a screenshot. "Yeah, I'm alive XD"

"oh ok good cause I'm really bored"

"So?"

I rested my head on the desk. I was working on a sketch of some flowers, which I planned to submit to a nearby gallery. Obviously, my parents didn't know about it, since they stopped listening every time I brought up art.

"Wanna go somewhere?"

I thought about it for a while. I could use some fresh air, since my bones were aching from sitting all day. I also figured that I couldn't avoid him for too long, so I needed to it up and deal with it.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"It's a secret. Meet me at that noodle shop near your house, and wear something comfortable."

"Can I bring my sketchbook along?"

"Yep. See u there."

I got up from my chair and stretched. My PJ's were pretty comfortable, but I doubt I could wear them out. I walked over to my closet and threw the door open, giving my clothes a once-over.

"Should I wear shorts again?" I asked myself. I glanced down at my legs and winced. I'm pretty sure I had more hair than my dad, so shorts were out of the question.

I stood there for a while, debunking various outfits because of their comfort level, exposure, or the amount of work required to put them on. Finally, I settled on pale boyfriend jeans and a New York Yankees jersey that my cousin had got me from America.

I examined my disheveled hair in the mirror, before combing through it with my hands and smoothing it down. My hair was wavy and really dark, but not completely black. I wanted to grow it out, but I had to keep it at shoulder length for school. Since I was too lazy to wear my contacts, I put on my glasses and looked at myself once more.

"Damn, I look fine." I snickered and grabbed my sketchbook, before heading out the door.

Jungkook's POV:

I checked my phone to see if she had texted me. Nope. Why was she taking so long?

I grumbled and adjusted my snapback. 

"Waiting on a date?" I heard someone ask behind me. I turned around to see an old lady picking up crates of vegetables. I got up and started to help her.

"Ah, no, not really. She's more of a friend." I smiled politely as I lifted a box of carrots into the shop. "How did you know I was waiting for a girl?"

"You kept tugging at your bangs and checking your phone. Usually that's the sign of a frustrated guy waiting on a girl." She chuckled. "Say, do you know anyone by the name of Choi Jihye? She's about your age and lives in that house yonder."

I blinked in surprise. "Yeah, that's who I'm waiting on."

"Ah, I see." She munched on a piece of celery. "I didn't know that she had such a nice and courteous boyfriend."

Before I could say anything else, Jihye came up from behind me and slung an arm around my neck, startling me.

"What's up Grans~?" She said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear.

"That's not how you talk to elders, Jihye." The lady scolded her. "Be more like your boyfriend, he's so polite."

I looked over at Jihye, who's cheeks turned scarlet red. "Gran, he's no-"

"Speaking of which," She interrupted her. "There's a couples discount today. If you guys feel hungry, you can get your meal for half the price."

"Uh..." I looked at her again. She nodded to me dismissively, before bowing to the lady. "We are actually going somewhere right now. But thanks for the offer."

Jihye pulled me away from there, waving to her.

"I tried to tell her you were a friend, but I don't think she heard me." I explained, feeling a bit flustered.

"She can't hear very well." She mumbled, looking at her hands.

"How do you know her?" I asked. She smiled and looked up, as if remembering a pleasant memory.

"I used to practically live at that shop before I started high school. She used to babysit me when I was a little kid, so I when I became older, I helped around the store to pay her back." She squeezed her sketchbook. "She was the one who got me interested in art."

"I like her. She's adorable." I chuckled, and Jihye grinned.

"When I grow up, I want to own that shop. It would be so nice to work with her." She sighed. I ruffled her hair, earning a punch on my shoulder.

"So, where exactly are we going?" She put a hand above her eyes, shielding them from the sun. I took off my snapback and put it on her head.

"Somewhere I used to go when I was kid." I said, running a hand through my hair. "It's in the middle of the forest."

Her eyes lit up as she skipped in front of me, yelling about how excited she was to see the place. I laughed and put my hands in my pockets, letting her dance and twirl in front of me. She looked nice today, wearing a baggy jersey and jeans. I had never seen her wearing glasses, but they looked good on her, accentuating her brown eyes very well. She stopped hopping around for a minute, and gathered her hair into a bun. Some of the hair escaped and fell around her face, framing her crooked teeth and chubby cheeks. They had gotten chubbier since break started, but I liked that. It meant that she was eating well, like I had told her to.

I told her to close her eyes as we neared the little cottage I used to spend my summers in. My parents had bought another one, leaving this place to animals and the various creeper plants that wrapped around the white exterior. I stopped at the gate and cleared my throat.

"Open your eyes."

I waited to see her reaction. Her eyes widened as she gasped softly, covering with her hands.

"Whoa..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around at the scenery that surrounded us. Tall trees and and green grass, accompanied by the sound of water gushing over rocks and birds chirping. This place seemed even better than I remembered.

"This looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale." She turned to me. "How do you know this place?"

"My grandparents built this cottage after they got married. After they passed away, our family used this house as a summer cabin. But my parents bought another cabin somewhere in Jeju, so I haven't been here in quite some time." I explained, recalling the times I had run around in this very forest.

She pushed open the gate, which nearly broke due to the rust collected on its hinges. We didn't really need the gate though, since the rotten picket fence that encircled the house was quite short. She observed the house quietly as we walked to the front door.

I unlocked the door and opened it with quite difficulty. My face fell when I saw what this beautiful memory of my childhood had become. Mold covered the once white walls, and the dark hardwood floors lay rotten due to the rain. Water dripped from the ceiling and unruly plants sprouted from random corners. Thankfully, there wasn't any furniture left, or else that might've been ruined too.

She walked around, touching the cracked walls and exploring the rooms. I followed her, amazed that she didn't seem the least bit disgusted by the current state of this place. I bit my lip as her eyes fell on my old guitar, lying forgotten in a corner.

"Do you play?" She asked, picking it up and dusting it. I nodded and took it from her hands.

"My dad taught me." I grinned, picking at the rusty strings to bring it back into tune. "Any requests?"

She tapped her chin in thought. "I do, but I'm not sure you know that song. It's in English, but it's one of my favorites."

"Why don't you sing, and then I can figure out the chords based on the melody?" I suggested.

"Oh no, I can't sing." She looked down shyly. "I sound like a broken trumpet."

"Just sing, I don't care if it's out of tune." I chuckled and tapped the wood on my guitar expectantly.

"Don't blame me for any hearing damage." She laughed, clearing . And then she started to sing.

"Sun been down for days, a pretty flower in a vase, a slipper by the fireplace; a cello lying in it's case."

I was stunned by her voice for a minute. It was really quiet and I could barely understand what she was saying, but the tune was clear and unwavering, as was her accent.

"Soon, she's down the stairs; Her morning elegance she wears; the sound of water makes her dream, awoken by a cloud of steam; she pours a daydream in a cup, a spoon of sugar sweetens up.."

I played along, striking accompanying chords here and there. It seemed like a nice song, and she seemed very passionate about singing it.

"...And she fights for her life as she puts on her coat, and she fights for her life on the train; she looks at the rain as it pours; And she fights for her life as she goes in the store, with a thought she has caught by the thread; she pays for the bread and she goes, nobody knows..."

I played as she sung for a few more minutes, awestruck by her singing. Her voice wasn't loud and powerful, she lacked vibrato and she sung from her lungs, not stomach. But there was something in the simplicity of it all that completely entranced me. 

I looked up from my guitar to see her staring at me with a wistful expression.

"Hey, you ok? You seem a bit sad." I questioned, feeling surprised. She looked away, closing her eyes. 

"Why did you bring me here, Jungkook?" Her head hung low, hair covering her face.

"Well.." I began, caught off guard by the question. "I was bored and I thought it would be fun to visit this place again. Plus, you really like old houses and architecture, so that was a bonus."

"But why me? You could have come here with anyone else." She said quietly.

"I don't know, Jihye." I ran a hand through my hair. "Maybe because we've been friends for a while, and I trust you enough to show you a beloved childhood memory?" I snapped, rather angrily. Why did she need to question every small gesture I made towards her?

"Friends." She scoffed. "That's what I thought."

She got up suddenly. "I'm really hungry. Let's go back to the noodle shop and grab some food." She announced, before brushing past me and walking out of the house.

She was silent the entire walk back. I pointed out a few interesting things to her, but she just nodded without a word. Why was she acting so strange?

"Ah, you guys are back already? How was the date?" The old lady asked as we entered the store.

"It wasn't a date." Jihye said sternly. "And he isn't my boyfriend."

Both of us stared at her with open mouths. I, for one, could not believe she could talk to an elder in an informal tone. The lady simply looked at her and sighed.

"I see. I already have your food ready, so you're all set." She handed Jihye a Styrofoam container, who bowed and left the store, muttering a small "See you later" to me.

"I made a little something for you too." She smiled at me and placed a porcelain bowl filled with hot noodles on the counter. I thanked her and sat down, devouring the spicy deliciousness.

"Our Jihye is a person of very strong likes and dislikes." The lady chuckled. "Things that seem insignificant to us can bother her a lot. Keep that in mind whenever she loses her temper."

I nodded politely as I finished off the noodles. I reached in my pocket to pull out my wallet, but she stopped me.

"No need of paying, dear. Any friend of Jihye is a friend of mine." She patted my head affectionately. "I didn't catch your name, though."

"Oh, my name's Jeon Jungkook. Thanks again for the meal." I bowed, walking out into the hot sun. I instinctively reached for my snapback to guard me from the blinding rays, but ended up grasping at air.

"Right." I sighed audibly, realizing that Jihye had walked off with it. 

She didn't seem like her normal self today. Earlier, she would joke around and tease me every chance she had, but now she just seemed quiet and cut-off, as if she was uncomfortable around me. Was it something I had said? 

I took out my phone and took a selfie with me pouting. I send it to her with the caption "Are you still mad? :("

"Nah. Sorry for acting so strange lol. I was in a weird mood." She replied, almost instantly.

"That's ok. But you do realize that you still have my snapback right?"

She didn't respond after that, so I shoved my phone in my pocket and began walking home. It beeped again a few minutes later. It was a picture of her wearing my snapback, which covered her eyes. Her lips were curled into a devilish smile and she held up her fingers in a peace sign.

"I'm gonna keep this for myself. Say goodbye to your precious cap kukukuku~"

I smiled and took another selfie of me pretending to cry. I received a few odd glances from people walking on the street, but I didn't care. I was just happy that she was back to her old self again.

I reached home and checked my phone again. She had send me another text.

"P.S. you smell nice."

I felt my cheeks grow hot as I read that text. Wait, , why was I blushing? This was a totally normal compliment between friends, right?

Right.

--

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

This is the song Jihye sings, you guys should listen to it :)