[f i v e]

♤Chapter 4♤

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"I'm here for you Ji-Rae.. Always have, always will"

"What will I do without you, Koma..."

I tightened my hug, trying to contain the words that I wanted to tell Ji-Rae so badly.. She loosened her hug and I took that as a sign to let go. I tried to let go but I couldn't. It was as if I had frozen on the spot.

I needed to let go.. but I couldn't. I didn't want to.

"Koma?" She patted my shoulder, bringing me out of my state. That eventually helped me get rid of my arms around her and retreat to my sides. Because I got a little startled. "Are you alright? You seem.. worried.. and tense"

I shuffled in my place.

.....

'Should I tell her?'

'Is now even the right time?'

'But she has a lot on her mind right now...'

'Wouldn't it be better to tell her now though?'

"Koma?" I saw Ji-Rae's hand waving in front of my face. I was pulled out of my thoughts.

I looked to the side, debating whether I should say it now or never again.

"It's nothing, Ji-Rae" I sighed.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" I turned my head to face her and smiled.

"You're such a puppy, I knew Koma suits you"

"Hey, I'm still not a pet you know!"

"But you're so cuteeee!" Ji-Rae held my face and pinched my cheeks gently. She's so cute.

"Tch, okay..." I pouted.

"You're cheeks are so chubby, yet you're so thin! Do a cute face please!!" She squealed, pushing both my cheeks together.

I chuckled and pulled off the funniest face I could do instead. Ji-rae burst out laughing and let go of my face. I laughed along with her.

"That wasn't a cute face, dummy!" She laughed out.

"I wanted to make you laugh! Also, why did you let go of my face? Your hands were really warm" I giggled and played with her hands.

"Sorry" she smiled. She pulled her hands away from mine and pinched my cheeks again. I smiled, but it disappeared when I felt her pinch harder.

"Ow!" I pulled away from her warm hands and caressed my red cheeks in pain. "Jiji that hurt!" I cried out.

"Sorry Koma, you were too cute to resist!"

"It still hurts!" I huffed out, "Your pinch was really strong too..." I frowned.

"You're such a baby.. Here, I'll kiss it better!" She moved in closer to me.

My eyes widened, I've never been kissed by a girl before and I don't think I would be alright if Ji-Rae did that. I flailed my hands to stop her from kissing both my cheeks. "W-what Nononononono DON'T" I panicked.

"Oooooooh! You're getting shyyyy!! Your face is so red!" She teased.

"I'm just not used to girls kissing me.."

"Don't you get kissed by your mom?"

"I do, but I always get flustered when she does. So I never got used to it" I looked down in embarrasment.

"Well you should get used to it now. Since girls might kiss your cheek when you grow up!"

"I don't really like that thought Ji-Rae" I laughed awkwardly.

"Whatever you say Koma" she played with the flower crown I gave her.

After that, we were silent. Ji-Rae staring at the sky while I stared at her, being deep in thought.

"Hey, Koma" she called my attention while she stared down at her lap like it was the most interesting thing she has seen.

"Yeah?"

"Will you stay with me forever?"

"What?"

"It's just that.. my mom promised me she would stay with us, but she left us... and she was really important to me, because I wasn't that close to my dad.."

I scooted closer to her, wanting to know what she meant.

"You're the only one left that I really care about aside from my brothers. There might be other more kids out there that are friendly and nice to me, but I only really care about YOU. I don't wanna be friends with anyone except for you because you're the only one that's really been with me almost all my life and you were always here when I'm at my lowest point, and you were the first person to actually earn my full trust."

I was shocked. I really did that? I earned her full trust? Was it hard for anyone to earn her trust? Oh right, it was hard for her to trust anyone ever since her mom left. Ji-Rae trusted her so much that she wouldn't leave her without an explanation but her mom did it anyway. Not only that but she had friends before me and they broke her trust as well, and the way they broke it wasn't pretty.

Ever since that, she's never trusted anyone. That is, until I came. How do I know this you ask? Well, she would tell me all her secrets and talk to me about absolutely everything, and I did the same. When she knew I didn't judge her or tell anyone about her most deepest secrets I ended up earning her trust. The thing that everyone aside from her brothers couldn't earn from her.

"I'm scared that you might vanish and leave me just like mom did... and I don't want that.. I don't think I could imagine waking up every day with you not here anymore." I could see her eyes getting glossed over. She was holding back her tears again.

I stared at her. Am I really that important to her that she's scared of me leaving her? I felt my heart go warm at the thought. But it disappeared when a thought came in my head. I didn't want to think about it right now so I pushed it in the darkest corner of my mind.

I knew what to say to her, but I hesitated. I breathed in deeply before letting it out.

"Don't worry Ji-Rae." I turned my body to face her and turned her head to look at me. I saw her biting her lip to keep her from crying again. This girl, didn't I tell her that bottling up her tears wasn't good for her?

"I'm not going anywhere Jiji" I held out my arms so she could hug me because I knew that she would want one, and like I predicted, she immediately crashed into me and hugged me tightly. I returned the hug and rubbed her back to comfort her.

"I promise, I'll stay with you forever. I'm here, alright? Don't cry"

"Don't leave me" she whispered.

"I won't Jiji, I'm here"

A few minutes passed and she had calmed down now.

"Feeling better?" I asked her, . I felt her nod.

She pulled away from the hug and thanked me.

"It's nothing Jiji" I smiled at her.

"Come on~ Smile! I don't like it when you're sad" I put my fingers on the corners of her mouth and slightly lifted them up, making a smile. She suddenly chuckled and smiled, the corners of her mouth rose up slightly more than how I lifted them earlier.

"Okay, I'm smiling now"

"Great! Now you look like a monkey!" I joked

"KOMAAA!" She squealed, hitting my thigh.

"Ow! I was joking Jiji!" I laughed out.

"You were so nice earlier and now you're making fun of me! You're always like this!" She kept hitting me. I held her wrists to stop her and moved closer to her, teasing her more.

"And I know you love it~" I poked my tongue out at Ji-Rae and laughed while she groaned.

Our laughter suddenly stopped when we heard a phone ring. Ji-Rae took a phone out of her pocket.

"It's big brother Seongjun"

"You have a phone?"

"This is big brother Man Weol's phone" Ji-Rae replied before answering the call and putting it on speaker.

"Big brother?"

"Ji-rae, come home now. We're having lunch now and you still aren't here. Didn't Man Weol tell you that you should be back before lunch? You're worrying me" The voice on the phone said.

"Ah! Sorry brother! I was having fun that I didn't notice the time! Forgive me, I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay I guess.. Just please come home now, kultaseni. Before you worry me even more"

"I will!"

"Also, BE CAREFUL. I heard a kid almost got hit by a speeding bicycle in the streets. Come home as fast as you can. Seriously why do we even trust Man Weol with looking after you..."

"Will do big brother, minä rakastan sinua"

"M-minäkin rakastan si-sinua" I heard him stutter before hanging up.

"Your brother sure is shy huh?" I chuckled.

"Only brother Seongjun is like that. He kinda has trouble with showing people affection so he prefers not to show anyone at all. And for some reason I'm an exception" Ji-Rae giggled.

"You should go. Your brothers must be really worried. Stay safe Jiji" I smiled.

"Thanks Koma, you too"

And we both bid eachother farewell.