Hello, my lovelees!!!! Merry Christmas! I hope you guys will have a wonderful time with your families! I love you all, happy holidays!❄️ Sorry for not updating this last night, I slept ><

Chapter 7

"My, my, my, what do we have here?" Jaehyun said, entering his sister's room, only to see Eunmi huddled up in her blankets.

He sighed, pushing the curtains aside, and letting sunlight in. "Eunmi-yah." He alled his sister.

"You've got explaining to do. Why were you with Mark last night?" He asked.

The latter wasn't responding. Her eyes were still closed and wasn't showing any interest. "Yah, Jung Eunmi." Jaehyun threw a pillow at her, and it hit her face.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her brother, "W-What time is it, oppa?" She asked.

"It's 6 in the morning. So get up, Taeyong-hyung cooked breakfast, and we've already eaten... so get going." Jaehyun said, lightly tapping his sister's cheek. "Oh— wait, what?" He gently caressed his sister's forehead, only to know that she was burning.

"Eunmi-yah, you're sick! Is this the side effect of Mark taking you home?" Jaehyun said, raising a brow. "I mean, what the heck happened? He just took you home and... and... now, you're sick!"

Eunmi rolled her eyes and turned around, her back facing Jaehyun. "Oh please, oppa. Give me some slack." She sighed.

"But seriously, though. You can't go to school." Jaehyun said, rushing towards her medicine cabinet.

He handed her a medicine for fever. "Here. Drink it after you, eat, okay? I'll go home early later so that I could take care of you." He pressed his lips on a thin line.

Eunmi looked at him, "You don't need to. I can handle myself, I-I'm fine..."

"Alright."

Jaehyun went downstairs and Taeyong and Mark were waiting for him.

Mark looked like he was looking for someone.

Taeyong laughed at his brother's reaction.

"She ain't going to school, if you're looking for her." Jaehyun sighed.

"Huh? I wasn't looking for Eunmi." Mark tried to defend himself.

"And who told you that I was referring to my sister? But yeah, Eunmi isn't going to school." Jaehyun said.

"Why? What happened to her?" Mark aksed, trying to sound like he doesn't care.

"Fever." Jaehyun shrugged. He turned around to look at Mark, then he gave the younger a stern look. "Mark, I'm warning you. You and my sister can't be that close."

"But hyung, we're just friends." Mark said. "...and only just friends."

"I don't want my sister to be hurt, Mark. It's not that I don't trust you, I just don't want her to get hurt." Jaehyun warned.

"But hyung—"

"Mark, stop it." Taeyong cut him off. "You know exactly what Jaehyun si talking about, and I do too." He said calmly.

Mark sighed irritatedly, "I don't get your point!"

"But Jaehyun-ah, if Eunmi's sick, who's gonna take care of her?" Taeyong asked.

"I can't just skip school, hyung. I have a pending report on statistics later." Jaehyun said.

The two looked at Mark who was fiddling with his phone. "You mean me? I'm the music club president, I have errands to do. And even if I want to, you guys won't let me anyways." Mark said, whispering the last part so that his brother won't hear him.

***

The three left.

Eunmi heard the sound of the engine fading out, which means that her brother, together with Mark and Taeyong, already left.

She sighed and stood up slowly. Her vision was still blurry but she could somehow manage to walk. It's better than lying on the bed all day.

She went downstairs, holding on to the railings for dear life. She went to the dining room and there was a note on the table left by his brother.

Eunmi-yah, don't forget to eat breakfast before drinking medicine, okay? I'll be back soon ^^ —Jaehyun

She chuckled at her brother's childishness. No wonder why the others were calling her childish, because her brother himself is also childish.

She was about to throw the note away when she noticed a footnote at the end.

P.S. Get well soon —L.MH

She smiled unknowingly, as she reached at the countertop to get some citruses.

***

It was lunch time and Mark was fidgeting. He had no idea why.

"Mark, are you alright? You seem tensed." Irene said, noticing one of her dongsaeng's worried face.

Mark looked at Irene, "Yes, noona... I think? I also don't know..." He looked down.

"Oh, Jaehyun-oppa, where is Eunmi? She didn't attend any of our classes today." Yeri said, worry evident on her face.

"She's unfortunately sick." Jaehyun answered. "When I woke her up this morning, she wasn't moving, and it took her some minutes to open her eyes." He sighed.

"Eh? Is she okay now?" Yeri asked.

Jaehyun shrugged, "I don't know, she isn't responding to any of my texts. She isn't picking up my calls either."

"Hyung, can we visit her later? When school ends?" Jeno asked.

"Maybe not now, Jeno-yah. She's sick... like... really sick." Jaehyun said. "Maybe tomorrow, though. It's friday, our dismissal times are earlier, and I'm not letting her go to school tomorrow either."

"So that explains why Mark is gloomy..." Seulgi whispered, but Wendy's ears were too quick to hear it.

She chuckled and whispered back, "Aish, these two. They've got the love syndrome." Seulgi laughed.

***

"Eunmi-yah.." Jaehyun knocked on the door. He was standing outside Eunmi's room, a tray in his hands.

Not getting any response, he decided to open the door, only to see his sister sleeping soundly.

"Eunmi-yah..." He patted his sister's shoulder lightly.

She opened her eyes and slowly sat down. "Oh, oppa, you're here."

Jaehyun smiled, "I told you I'll be back early." He said. "Sit properly, I made soup for you."

"Thanks." She said, grunting when she couldn't sit properly.

"How are you feeling?" Jaehyun asked.

"Still bad, but better." Eunmi answered.

***

"Let's go." Jaehyun said, picking his backpack up, and calling the other two.

"Eunmi still won't attend school?" Taeyong asked.

Jaehyun shook his head, "No. I told her to stay here and rest." He said.

The three boarded the car.

Eunmi, on the other hand, still feels bad, but better than yesterday.

Taeyong was the one who drove the car. Jaehyun was seated at the shotgun seat, and Mark was seated at the back.

"Hyung, hyung, hyung, stop the car!" Mark exclaimed out of the blue.

Taeyong pressed on the breaks hard that Mark bumped his head at the back of Jaehyun's seat.

"What is it now, Mark?!" Taeyong asked irritatedly.

"I forgot something, hyung." He said, removing his seatbelt. He opened the door snd stepped out, taking his bag with him.

The car started moving, and Mark didn't know how Jaehyun and Taeyong were observant. Instead of going to the Lee residences, he went inside Jaehyun and Eunmi's shared house.

Mark rang the doorbell, surprised when Eunmi didn't open the gate for him.

Stupid, Minhyung-ah! She's sick, how could she open the gate for you!

He face palmed then opening the gate.

He saw Eunmi standing on the staircase with wide eyes. "M-Mark? Why are you here?!" She said, surprised.

Mark sighed and placed his bag on one of the couch. "I'll be your nurse for today since I couldn't yesterday." He smiled.

Eunmi could make her fever as an excuse for blushing. Becasue right now, she's pretty sure that she's red as a tomato.

"Go to your room and rest for a while, I'll make soup." Mark said, showing a pure— but uncertain smile.

"Do you even know how to cook?" She asked.

"One thing's for sure: I'm not the best cook." Mark said.

Eunmi surrendered.

***

"Here. It's not poison, I swear." Mark said, handing her a bowl of soup. "It's edible, I promise."

Eunmi looked at the bow with an 'are you kidding me?' type of look.

"Yah? Why are you like this?" He whined. "I swear, it's not poison."

Eunmi sighed.

She slowly lifted the spoon up, as Mark was watching her. "Can you not s-stare at me while eating?" She said, looking away.

Mark chuckled, "Alright, alright..."

Once Eunmi was done eating, she looked at Mark, who was seating on the couch inside her room.

"What's with you, Mark...?" Eunmi asked out of the blue. "What's gotten into you?"

"Me? What do you mean?" Mark asked.

The girl sighed, "At one moment, you'll be like this... caring and making me feel things I shouldn't.... then another moment, you tend to forget about my whole existence..." She looked down and played with her fingers.

"I'm sorry..." Mark started. "If by chance I say something hurtful, please keep in mind that I don't mean it." He said, standing up, and sitting beside her.

thump thump

"Can you please make your actions clear? I'm starting to get confused..." She said, hugging her knees in the process.

"Confused?" Mark asked.

She shook her head and buried her head on her knees, "N-Nothing... just... don't mind me..."

***

"Wow, and you said you forgot something." Taeyong said, smirking when he saw Mark inside the Jung residence.

The younger rolled his eyes, "Why are you here, hyung?"

"I'm here to visit Eunmi, of course." It was Taeyong's turn to roll his eyes.

"Wow, so that's why you were absent earlier..."

The two looked at the person who entered the house.

"What in the world are you doing here?" Mark asked, turning his back towards Yeri who just entered the house.

Yeri pretended to be shocked, "Why, is it bad to visit my bestfriend?" She said. "Let me ask you too, Mark. Why are you here?" She crossed her arms.

Mark was caught off guard.

Why is he too concerned? Why does he care so much? Of all reasons... why?

"None of your business." He rolled his eyes.

"Woah, why is Mark-hyung here? This is new..." Jisung said, shocked when he saw his hyung seated in front of the television, chilling, as if he eas the owner of the house.

Mark scoffed, "She's in her room, sleeping." He rolled her eyes. "Just go to her instead of pestering me."

***

"Eunmi-yah!" Yeri opened the door, which created a loud 'thud' when the back of the door hit the wall.

The latter's eyes shot open when she heard the loud thud, but then closed her eyes once again when she saw who entered her room. "Ah, Yeri-yah, could you please give me some rest? I'm tired, okay?"

Yeri sat on her bed and shook her arm lightly, "You were tired? You didn't come to school, though. In fact, you didn't do anything." She smirked at the girl who was now blushing.

"What, did you do something? Hm? Did you and Mark do something?" Yeri whispered the last part so that only Eunmi could hear it.

Eunmi's eyes widened and Yeri earned a slap from the younger, "Yah! You and your polluted mind!" She slapped Yeri's arm continuously, whih made her laugh. "What the heck were you thinking?!"

Yeri laughed, "What? I didn't even say anything." She said, trying to defend herself.

Eunmi stopped and rested her back on the head rest of her bed.

"You must be tited running inside Mark's mind." Yeri grinned sheepishly.

"W-What?"

"Oh! Speaking of Mark..." Yeri stood up to get her phone from ger bag that was on the couch. Once her phone was already in her hand, she opened her gallery and showed a video to Eunmi.

"What's that?" Eunmi asked.

Yeri looked at her, "Remember that report about dreams that Mr. Chan made us do?"

Eunmi nodded.

"Yesterday was the oresentation of it, but don't worry, you're excused anyways." Yeri said. "But anyways, back to the topic! Yesterday was the presentation and he chose Mark to present his group's report."

"And...?"

"Just watch how he talked about you." Yeri smiled.

—tbc.