To Kiss An Idol

“Oh shit! I don’t have my purse. How will I pay my bill?” said Nivritti.

“Don’t worry about that, it’s done,” replied Jae-Geun. Nivritti stared at him with squinted eyes and gritted her teeth at him. “You can pay me back later, chill!” But Nivritti didn’t stop staring at him. “You didn’t have any money, your purse, your phone, how would you have paid? You need to pay all the bills to leave the hospital. So, I just loaned you the amount. Pay me after you get your things.”

“And how am I getting my things?” asked Nivritti.

“Um… they are bringing to your home,” said Jae-Hwa. Nivritti looked at her and understood who was bringing her things. She avoided saying their names in front of the doctor.

The doctor signalled a nurse to bring a wheelchair and Jae-Geun helped her to shift from the bed to the wheelchair.

“I will follow you in my car,” Jae-Geun said to Jae-Hwa.

“I can take her,” protested Jae-Hwa.

“And will carry her to her floor in your arms?” teased Jae-Geun.

.....

“Right!”

The brother and sister went near their respective cars and the nurse helped put Nivritti in Jae-Hwa’s car. Nivritti slid into the back seat and the nurse helped her to shift her foot on the seat.

“Are you comfortable?” asked Jae-Hwa.

“Yes, thank you for coming with me and staying here,” smiled Nivritti.

“Shut up!” scolded Jae-Hwa and dumped the things in her hand on the passenger seat. Both girls thanked the nurse and Jae-Hwa started her engine. She drove slowly and avoided all the roads with bumps and jerks. Finally, they reached Nivritti’s building. Jae-Geun was right behind them, and he parked the car next to his sister’s.

Jae-Geun opened the back door and asked Nivritti to wrap her arms around his neck. Before Nivritti could protest, he scolded, “don’t tell me you are going to walk all the way up.”

“No,” sulked Nivritti. She moved one of her arms around his neck and he placed his hands under her thighs and behind her back and lifted her in his arms. Nivritti felt embarrassed while Jae-Geun kept walking with her in his arms. She was cursing K&Q for giving her an apartment that didn’t have any lifts.

Jae-Geun made Jae-Hwa walk before them so that she could easily open the door. He was slowly walking upstairs taking care of her leg, making sure it didn’t hit any walls or railings. Slowly and steadily, she started feeling heavy, but he didn’t mind that at all.

She was finally in his arms, and he was going to enjoy that moment. He could feel the warmth emanating from her body. He could feel her fast heartbeat. He was enjoying her sweet lavender smell.

“Tell me the code,” said Jae-Hwa after they reached her apartment. Nivritti told her the code and Jae-Hwa punched in. The door beeped and she opened the door. Jae-Geun moved in and placed Nivritti softly on her couch. He helped her move her leg and placed a cushion under her foot.

Both brother and sister sat in front of her on the single chair of the sofa set and let their head fall on the headrest.

“You guys should leave. You too need some rest,” said Nivritti.

Jae-Hwa immediately lifted her head and shouted at Nivritti, “you are joking, right?” she then looked at her brother and asked, “she is joking, tell me she is joking.” She then stood up and walked toward Nivritti. “Did you hurt your leg or your brain?”

“What!?” Nivritti shrugged her shoulder.

“You are not allowed to walk for four days, FOUR DAYS and you want us to leave you alone so that you can keep walking and break your toe altogether,” yelled Jae-Hwa. “It’s a good thing you have a cast. God knows what you would have done!!”

“Okay! Calm down! Sorry, I said anything,” said Nivritti. “So, you must want to stay here the whole week?”

“What do you think, genius?” shouted Jae-Hwa.

“Fine! Then let me order some food for you two,” said Nivritti. But the next moment, she facepalmed after realising that she didn’t have her phone.

“Don’t worry I will cook something,” said Jae-Hwa.

“Um… I don’t have things in my pantry. I was supposed to go shopping today or maybe tomorrow,” replied Nivritti.

“Great!” Jae-Hwa sarcastically smiled at her.

“Don’t get snarky. It happens, Jaehwa. I will order food, what do you guys want?” asked Jae-Geun and took out his phone.

“Let’s have a pizza party,” shouted Jae-Hwa.

“Ignore her. What do you want, Ritti?” asked Jae-Geun.

Before she could reply, the doorbell rang. Jae-Hwa’s heart skipped a beat and faintly she gasped. Nivritti noted and started smiling. She realised that Jae-Hwa would make such an expression only before Jeong-Eun and it would mean that she was expecting him. “It must be them. Open the door,” she winked at Jae-Hwa.

Jae-Hwa stuck her tongue out at Nivritti and walked up to the door. She knew Thae was coming, and she was praying for Jeong-Eun to come as he was the one who went to get their things from Chung-Ho. She looked through the peephole. Immediately a smile flashed over her face.

She opened the door and looked at Jeong-Eun. They both stood at the door smiling at each other, but Thae was furious, “get in, both of you. Why are you wasting time here?”

He barged in and ran towards Nivritti, “are you okay? Does this hurt?”

“TK! I am fine. It’s just a hairline fracture,” replied Nivritti. She didn’t realise but suddenly she was sad as she didn’t see Kyung-Soo. She thought he would come to see her, but he was not there. Why did she want him there? She had no idea.

“Everyone was concerned for you. All wanted to come but first, we had to be there for Seong-ssi’s presentation, then Hu-ssi wanted to ask a few things from Kyungsoona Hyung. All others have said sorry that they couldn’t come. Even Hu-ssi sent his regards to you,” said Jeong-Eun and placed the bags on the table.

“Is everything alright?” asked Nivritti.

“What do you mean?” asked Jeong-Eun.

“Others are in the office for so late,” said Nivritti.

“Oh no! Everything is fine. We just have to be prepared for the live we are supposed to do on Sunday,” replied Thae.

“Ohh!”

“Yeah, we are going to have live sessions with our premium fans. And they can ask any questions they want. So, we were getting the list of things we are not supposed to speak about,” replied Jeong-Eun.

“Like the news about NK reading the scripts?” said Nivritti.

“Exactly that!” smiled Jeong-Eun.

“Sit, eat with us and then leave,” suggested Jae-Hwa. “Oppa! Get something for them too.” Jeong-Eun’s eyes widened, and he looked at the man sitting on the couch. He clenched his fists in anger.

“Why is she calling him Oppa? Who is he? Oh no! Is he, her boyfriend?” thought Jeong-Eun.

Nivritti pursed her lips, hid her mouth with her palm and looked at Jeong-Eun and signalled, “her brother!”

“What?” mouthed Jeong-Eun.

“Give me my phone!” shouted Nivritti.

Jeong-Eun ran and grabbed her phone from her bag and gave it to her. She opened the messaging app and messaged him, “he is her brother, relax. He is not your competition.”

“What??” shouted Jeong-Eun. He was taken aback when she called him his competition.

“What? What?” asked Jae-Hwa.

“Nothing!” shouted Jeong-Eun.

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Thae.

“Nothing!” replied Jeong-Eun and Nivritti, together.

“We cannot stay for the food. We have a lot to discuss. Tomorrow, we have to practice what we will answer if we get any questions regarding the Rencontre leak,” said Jeong-Eun.

“Will you be, okay?” asked Thae.

“I will be fine, Jae is staying with me,” replied Nirvitti.

“And he is? Will he be staying as well?” asked Thae.

Before Jae-Geun could reply, Nivritti shouted, “no, he is not. No boys are allowed to stay at my house. My house rules. And he is Jae’s brother, Jae-Geun.”

“Wow! Nice way to throw me out of the house,” smiled Jae-Geun but his heart was aching. He never thought that Nivritti would show such a reaction to him staying at her house. He felt that he was not welcome at all and that hurt him. He didn’t know why she made such a rule or what she endured a few years back.

“I am not throwing you out. For years I have been living alone. I have accepted that Jae will always keep barging in. But I cannot allow any men inside, I am sorry,” said Nivritti.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s okay. As you said, your house, your rules. I am fine. I will leave and will come by in the morning with her clothes,” said Jae-Geun.

“Good! So, order pizza, and I will go and change into something comfortable. TK! Help me,” requested Nirvitti.

Thae lifted her and took her to her bedroom while Jeong-Eun kept staring at both brother and sister alternatively. He cursed himself for not seeing the resemblance sooner. Thae came out and closed the door behind himself.