doesn't take place in canon chapters

This chapter is just some fluff to prepare for the coming ending :)

"Noona!" (Big) Daniel quickly rushed to Ae-ri's side, seeing her wake up was such a big relief. "What... What happened to Jiho?" Ae-ri asked, the first thing she said as she got up. Daniel turned away. He didn't have the heart to say it.

Ae-ri stared at him, already knowing what he meant. "It's okay. What are you doing here, Daniel?" Daniel flinched slightly, realizing he was in his second body. " Um, I heard you were injured... And Jiho is my classmate." Daniel retorted, a believable excuse, receiving a nod from Ae-ri.

Then she turned to Zack, Vasco and Jay. "I'm fine, I wanna go home." Ae-ri turned back to Daniel. She didn't have the money to stay any longer. "H-Huh? Noona, you haven't recovered!" Daniel spoke, keeping her in bed with his hands by her shoulder.

Zack scoffed, "Noona, how did you get to know Jiho?" He spoke, an expression of tiredness and dullness in his eyes. Ae-ri lowered her head slightly, "He's my cousin..." Their eyes widened altogether. Even Vasco. "Wow... Who is Jiho?" Vasco stated, abruptly silencing the room.

Zack nudged Vasco, scowling at him while Vasco seemed to blink twice and look away. Such bicker made Ae-ri's stomach churn. "I didn't expect Jiho to... Do something like this." She admitted, "But it's not like we were close."

Daniel let out a sigh at her words, her arms aching to pull her into his embrace. But she looked so strong and stood tall. "Sorry for your loss, Daniel." Her words made Daniel flinch slightly. "He reaps what he sows." Vasco retorted on behalf of Daniel, and Daniel seemed to agree.

Ae-ri pushed the blanket off her legs. "Anyways, you guys should go home now." She muttered, making them look confused. "Where are you going?" Zack asked, "Home? Where else?" Ae-ri replied.

Zack furrowed his brows, "You aren't well yet, noona." Ae-ri turned, "Is that your problem? Hospitals are expensive." Daniel turned to Jay, seeing him wave his hands.

"What? This building belongs to the H Company?" Daniel asked, Jay nodding.

"So Ae-ri doesn't need to pay?" Jay had a slight smile, nodding as he scratched his cheek lightly.

Ae-ri's eyes narrowed. "... No, I'll pay..." She remarked, her voice softer than earlier. Before she could get off the bed, there was a knock on the door, a nurse entering. "Hello, I see you're looking better." The nurse spoke politely, bowing with a smile.

"Yeah, I want to go home." Ae-ri hastily spoke, making the nurse look surprised. "Certainly not...! Your arm is broken and you suffered from a concussion!" Ae-ri brows furrowed.

"Now, I would like to confirm with you, what is your last name?" The nurse asked, pulling out a paper clipped against a board.
"Jeong." The nurse scribbled it down, "Jeong Ae-ri?" Ae-ri nodded.

"How old are you?" Ae-ri poked the inside of her cheeks with her tongue. "... 18." The nurse nodded while everyone else turned to her. 'So we've been calling you noona for what? ' was written all over Zack's face.

Ae-ri huffed, her lips curling upward slightly at their reaction. "You're living alone, am I right? With no guardian?" The nurse inquired, making Ae-ri nod. The nurse flashed a look of sympathy before bowing and leaving silently.

"So... You're the same age as us?" Zack spoke up, a forced smile on his face. Ae-ri exhaled from her nose with a smile, a rare and genuine smile. "... Guess so." She admitted. "Then why did you not say anything when we called you noona?" Daniel inquired, a curious look in his round eyes.

Ae-ri glanced at his curious expression, pursing her lips as she cleared her throat. "Well... I am more mature mentally, no?" She teased, somewhat serious. Everyone in the room was quiet before Vasco nodded. "I heard that girls mature faster than boys, so maybe that's why you looked thirty when I first saw you, noona."

Ae-ri shook her head with a twitching smile. "You punk... I hope you slip in the bathroom." She said calmly with a soft smile on her lips. "Anyways... Why don't I need to pay?"

She turned to the sign on the door that clearly stated 'VIP Room.' Jay tucked his hands in his pocket, "What? This was just a spare room you saved in case of emergencies?" Daniel asked as Jay nodded.

Daniel grinned, "Wow, Jay!" He turned back to Ae-ri who had a deadpanned face. "What nonsense..." She muttered, clearing her throat. "I'm really thankful... Thank you." She fixed her position and bowed slightly, though difficult because of her arm.

Jay waved his hands in defense, a sign that she didn't have to do so. Zack scoffed with a light-hearted smile. "You don't have to be thankful... You're our noona, and we're friends."

Ae-ri felt her heart thump at his words, like a needle threading through her heart. "Anyways Ae-ri... How's your brother?" Daniel started small talk. "Noona has a brother?" Vasco mumbled, his memory all jumbled for who knows why.

"... He's sick. I dreamt of him, but I can't seem to remember what it was about." Daniel looked emphatic. "Is he at home?" Ae-ri shook her head.

"He's at a hospital..." Her voice had a sense of vulnerability for a brief moment, everything making sense to Daniel, Zack and Vasco who were there at the summit meeting. "His treatment is expensive, so I should be making money now." Ae-ri spoke honestly.

Jay felt uneasy. Like he had to do something. But he dismissed it for the time-being, hoping the feeling would fade.

"Hey! You look terrible!" Goo barged into the room, Gun silent with his hands in his pocket. "Huh?" Ae-ri brows raised, not expecting another two visitors. Goo clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Taking a short leave from collecting payment...? What an excuse you lazy bum.."
Ae-ri rolled her eyes at Goo's words, glancing at Gun. "Yamazaki- I mean, Gun. Who's in charge of collecting payment now?"

Gun stared at her blankly, his eyes narrowing very slightly. "What? There's no replacement." Ae-ri scowled, realizing that she wasn't the lazy one. Gun wanted to ask something. How she knew he was a Yamazaki. But it was a meaningless question, so he decided against it.

"So what happened to you?" Goo asked, making Ae-ri shrug. "I was hit by a car." A very unbelievable excuse. With her reflexes and rubber like flexibility, she could easily move away. "Hey! Tell me the truth, that's nonsense!" Goo started shouting, annoying as usual.

Ae-ri hummed in reply but didn't say anything else. "Anyways, how is the chairman?" Ae-ri spoke, remembering what Yoojin wanted her to do. "The old geezer? He's fine." Goo shrugged, receiving a sigh from Ae-ri.

Gun and Goo raised a brow, noticing a certain look of uneasiness wavering in her eyes. "What?" Gun stared at her, making her shake her head. "Just tired." She gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her front hair not in hairspray and left disheveled. She didn't even look bad.

"Well, the chairman wanted us to come check on you." Gun walked towards the door. "Since you look fine, I've got no business here now. " Ae-ri nodded, flashing the two a soft smile, rosy tint gracefully tinting her cheeks.

They stared at her for a minute longer before turning away and leaving. As they left, Ae-ri pulled out her phone, texting a certain guy under the contact name: Four-eyes.

She took a deep breath as she read his messages and sent a reply back. "When should I do it?" Her message stated, a ding going off from her phone as her eyes widened.

bonus: Gun and Goo are older than Ae-ri, so it doesn't matter to her if they call her noona or not.

(Mainly kids her age or younger kids)