Jihye's POV:

I was sick. Like, really ing sick.

My mom grumbled for the thousandth time as she put a cold water towel on my forehead.

"This is why I don't let you anywhere near the kitchen. You're too irresponsible." She scolded me and she checked my temperature. "How many times have I told you not to play in the rain? Honestly, Jihye! You could really afford to listen to me once in a while!"

I wanted to argue with her, but I couldn't. Mainly because I could barely talk, but also because she was right. I was a .

"103 degrees?!" She shrieked. "Heavens, this is too much. I'll be back with some medicine, don't you move a muscle."

Really mom? Because I was thinking of running a ing marathon while you were gone, but looks like that'll have to wait. I chuckled at my internal comeback, but I immediately started to cough violently. 

I cursed my body internally as I stared at the ceiling. My dad had wrapped me a cocoon of blankets to prevent any unnecessary movement on my part, which was killing me. I heard my phone beep in the distance, but I could little except squirm and struggle against the thick blankets.

"Here sweetie, get up." My mom walked in the room with a bottle of some unidentifiable pills. She help me sit upright and handed me a few, and I obediently swallowed them.

"Oh, looks like you have a message...from 'Kookie'? Who's that?" She questioned, looking at my phone. 

"Project school partner friend." I squeaked in an incredibly raspy voice. It was too painful to form full sentences.

"Boy or girl?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Boy." I said, avoiding eye-contact.

"Hmm." She eyed me suspiciously. "You've never told me about this 'Kookie'. What sort of a name is that?"

"Full name, Jeon Jungkook." I coughed. "Friend." 

"Why don't I know about this 'friend'?" She crossed her arms, staring me right in eye. 

I gave her a tired look. "Mom, phone please. Talk later. Go away now."

She handed me my phone and left the room, mumbling about how dating at this age would distract me from studying. "Also," She peeked through my door. "At least clear up a little for your friend. He's coming over right now."

Jungkook's POV:

I stood in front of my mirror as I re-checked my outfit. Decent looking jacket? Check. Ironed trousers? Yep. Respectable shoes? I glanced down at my worn out sneakers. Hopefully her mom won't be too much of a shoe enthusiast. 

Jihye hadn't told me much about her family, except the fact that were pretty conservative when it came to social behavior. I was dressing up to make a good first impression on her parents. Especially because I was barging in without any previous notice, other an unanswered text to Jihye.

"Ready, Jungkook?" My mom walked into my room and sat on my bed. "Wow, you should dress like this more often. You look very handsome."

I rolled my eyes and picked up my guitar. "Yeah, alright mom. I'm leaving now."

"Wait, wait." She got up. "Smooth your hair down a little bit. Also, fix your collar."

"Maaaaa let me leaveeeeee." I whined, as she picked out little inconsistencies in my outfit. 

"You make such a fuss, really. I just want you to look good." She tsked. "You should always look your best when you go to a girl's house."

"She's a friend." I mumbled.

"Doesn't matter." She smiled. "Which reminds me, you should invite her over sometime. I want to meet her."

"She was at the party." I glanced at the clock. Damn, I was going to be late.

"Really? I don't think we were introduced." She tapped her chin. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll bring her home to meet you. Now, can I please go?" I grumbled.

"Fine." She pinched my cheek. "Be back before 4:30, we're heading over to your aunt's place."

I nodded and kissed her on her forehead, before sprinting out of the house.

I was really nervous. What if her parents didn't like me? Would she still hang out with me if they forbade her to? I shook my head and gripped my guitar tightly. They can't possibly hate someone who could sing. 

I hummed the song Jihye had sung a few days ago. I wanted to learn how to play it, but I didn't know what it was called. I had even texted her asking for the name, but she hadn't replied. Thus, I was forced to google the lyrics from memory. It was called Her Morning Elegance, but I didn't know what that meant. Why couldn't she like Korean songs?

I reached their house and knocked on the front door. My hands were shaking and my knees were wobbly, but I put on a poker face as I heard footsteps approaching the door. They would love me. 

"Chubby cheeks, don't fail me now." I muttered to myself, just before a lady in her mid-forties opened the door. That would most likely be her mom. She looked me up and down and her lips flattened into a thin line.

"Are you Jungkook?" She asked me, looking down at my shoes. I nodded.

"Well, come in. Leave your shoes outside." She said nonchalantly.

I promptly removed my shoes and stepped inside. I had never really seen what their house looked from the inside, which was a little ironic, because I had practically snuck Jihye out of here late at night. 

"Her room is the one on the left." She turned to me, looking at me suspiciously. "Why do you have a guitar with you?"

"She had asked me to learn a particular song for her, which I plan to play today." I explained. "I hope you don't mind."

"As long as it's not one of those flashy pop songs. Those are too annoying." She shook her head. 

"It's not." I smiled. 

"And no loud ballads either. She's really sick, so keep the volume down."

"Of course." I smiled again. 

"Well, ok then." She sighed and knocked on Jihye's door. "Go on."

I bowed and entered the room, only to be greeted by a colossal sneeze. Jihye peeked at me through the wrinkles of the blanket. "Sobby."

I pulled up a chair near her bed. "Are you saying sorry?"

She nodded and grinned. "No talk. Throat hurt."

"You sound like a drunk three year old, you know." I chuckled. She reached over and smacked my arm.

"Don't hit me! You're going to get germs on me!" I cried. She smiled deviously and started coughing in my direction. 

"Me shick, you shick too." She coughed. I covered my mouth and glared at her.

"How did you become sick in the first place?" I asked her. "You were fine when I saw you last, and that was like, two days ago."

She looked at me sheepishly before pointing to a notebook and pencil that lay on her desk. I got up and handed it to her, after which she began scribbling furiously. I looked over at what she was writing.

"You were out in the rain?" I scratched the back of my head. "Why?"

She began writing again. "You were...in front...of my house? Why didn't you come in?"

"It woubbe rude." She sniffed. "Plus, inapopiate clodes."

"You mean inappropriate clothes?" I laughed. "My parents don't really care much for appearance. It would've been nice though, my mom really wants to meet you."

Her cheeks colored as she looked down. Was she feeling feverish? I held up a hand to her forehead, which made her become even redder.

"Stop." She fumbled uncomfortably and tried to push my hand away. I saw her glance at my guitar, and her eyes lit up immediately. "Guitar? Why?"

"Oh yeah." I picked it up and placed it on my knees. "I learned that song you sang. It was a pain in the to find it since I didn't know what the you were saying, but I managed to learn it all the same."

She wriggled her hands out of her blanket and propped herself up, looking at me expectantly. "You sing English words?"

"Yep." I looked up the song lyrics that I saved on my phone. "I've been working on the accent for some time now."

"Fun." She grinned. "Be ready for teasing."

I rolled my eyes and cleared my throat. I started picking on the strings to play the intro, before I launched into the first verse. I'm pretty sure I sounded really weird and made a lot of mistakes, but I kept playing regardless. I had worked hard to memorize this song, and she was going to hear it even if it made her ears bleed. She bobbed her head along to the beat, trying to sing occasionally, which only ended in her coughing her lungs out. I gave up eventually and just stared at her in dismay.

"I'll just play it when you get better..." My voice trailed off as I gazed at my guitar wistfully.        

She was quiet for a minute. "Your English acshent ish good."

I perked up. "Huh? Really?"

"Yeah." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Play more English songs."

"I don't know many English artists, so you might have to help me out in that area." I tapped the pale wood of my guitar.

"Deal." She coughed. "Um, can you hand me cough shyrup? It's on desk."

I fetched her the bottle and poured the liquid into the little cup, following the directions. She took it out of my hand and drank it in a single gulp, scrunching her face up at the seemingly bad-tasting medicine.

"This says it's going to make you drowsy." I looked at the label. "Shouldn't you have this at night or something?"

"Relax." She yawned. "It ish tradition to fall ashleep."

I glanced at my watch. It was already four in the evening. "I might have to leave soon."

"Mmm..." She closed her eyes. "Do me favor. Get my hairbrush."

I picked up the brush from her vanity and gave it to her. She nodded approvingly and smiled.

"Change cold towel on my head." She ordered. "Also, draw the curtains."

"What am I, your servant?" I grumbled as I ran around her room doing her bidding. Her requests finally died down as she started to drift off to sleep. 

"Jungkookie, come here." She beckoned me closer. I didn't say anything about the new nickname.

"Yes, your highness?" I bowed mockingly.

"I'm cold." She mumbled, sniffling.

"You want me to get you more blankets?" I offered. 

She shook her head. "Gimme your jacket."

I stared at her, half-amused. "What? No." I wrapped my arms around myself protectively.

"Pleaseee~" She whined, tugging at my sleeve. "Please please please please pleaseeeeee~"

"No! Wear your own damn clothes!" I cried, trying to swat her hand away.

She pouted and looked at me with a puppy-dog expression. "Please Jungkookie, I promise to gibbit back."

I sighed as she continued to plead. This was one of my most treasured jackets, something I had won as a prize in an online game tournament. I looked at her again, only to see her glaring daggers at me.

"You need to chill."

"I'm really ing cold, ." She gritted her teeth. "Blankets aren't helping."

"Fine, fine." I relented after a while. "Don't bother giving it back, I don't want to take the chance of your germs transferring to me."

She snatched the jacket away from me and put it on, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Wasn't going to give back anyway."

I rolled my eyes and got up, taking my guitar with me. "I'm going to leave now. Enjoy your stolen jacket, miss."

She stuck out her tongue at me and snuggled into her blankets even more, a peaceful expression flashing across her face. "Thanks for coming, Jungkookie." She muttered, half-asleep. I grunted in reply, looking at my jacket sorrowfully, recalling the late nights and painful hours I had put in to win it. 

"Is it your goal to steal all of my clothes?" I complained, reaching over and brushing her hair away from her face. She frowned and started to mumble in her sleep, before turning away from me.

"What the hell." I huffed. "What am I even doing?"

I walked to the door quietly, hoping to not disturb her slumber. It was weird, but I actually didn't mind her taking away my beloved jacket. She looked good in it. She looked good in everything.

I glanced at her one last time. Her hair was all over her face again and her lips were slightly parted, and sounds of her steady breathing filled the now silent room. Her arms were wrapped around a pillow tightly, and I could see the black fabric of my abducted snapback peeking from a corner of the bed. I sighed and closed the door.

Only one thought occupied my mind as I walked back home. Amongst all the screams and shouts of children playing, the horns of the cars whizzing past me, and the idle chatter of the people on the sidewalks, I only thought about one thing.

Had she always looked so pretty?

--

Sorry for the late update guys!

I might not be updating as frequently since school's about to start, but I'll try to get one chapter up per week. Hope that's ok XD