𝐖𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 || ᵇ.ᵏᵃᵗˢᵘᵏᶦ

LXXXVIII

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"Have I ever told you that you're the best sister in the entire world?" Hyunjin said, admiring the album she'd gifted him on Christmas morning, the member's signatures scrawled across the first page of the photo book.

"Two days ago you told me you'd trade me for a singular doughnut," Aeri replied, rolling her eyes.

"I was mad because you got to see Twice and I didn't, but you're definitely worth at least 5 doughnuts to me now," Hyunjin said, checking the photocards he got for the millionth time.

"I'll take the album back if you don't shut up." Aeri scoffed, standing up to give her dad the present she got him. He thanked her and started the whole conversation about how she shouldn't have bought him anything before all three of his kids groaned and told him to shut up. Even Eri and Hyoseop shook their heads at him.

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Aeri tapped her foot impatiently as she waited at the gate in the airport, mask and baseball cap concealing her face so she wouldn't be swarmed by people who recognised her.

Her popularity only increased tenfold after people posted videos of her swinging a fire extinguisher at a man's head on the internet, and then idols began telling the story on social media a few days after it happened which only further pushed her into the spotlight.

Right now, all she wanted was to pick her boyfriend up from the airport and spend all day in bed to make up for lost time—she didn't want to have people rushing up to her for photos right now.

Aeri smiled at the familiar head of ash blonde hair that poked around the corner, his face grumpy as he dragged his suitcase behind him, eyes flicking around to try and spot her amongst the people going about their days.

Aeri ran towards him and Bakugou braced himself, opening his arms for the inevitable hug he'd be tackled with—not that he was complaining. Aeri slammed into him, almost knocking him to the floor, and wrapped her arms around him securely.

"I missed you so much," she said into his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of his cologne.

"Missed you too," Bakugou replied, holding her close.

They pulled back a few moments later and Aeri took a second to look at him. "Did you get taller? We were only apart for two weeks..."

"It's half an inch how the fuck did you even notice?" Bakugou scoffed, though a small smile graced his features, his usual frown washing away.

"I notice everything about you," Aeri said playfully. She took his hand and began leading him to the exit, through the snow and towards the car where Jinyoung was waiting in the driver's seat, Hyunjin beside him in the passenger's seat.

"Hello Bakugou." Jinyoung greeted stiffly, starting up the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

"Hey..." Bakugou replied awkwardly. He cleared his throat and began talking again. "Thanks for letting me come, and use your plane."

"I'm still mad that Tamaki couldn't come. Can you believe his mom thinks we spend too much time together? That's literally how relationships work." Hyunjin began to ramble, breaking the awkward silence.

"She probably means that she doesn't get to spend a lot of time with her own son, it's nothing against you, you know she loves you," Aeri said reassuringly, her hand absentmindedly playing with Bakugou's fingers.

"Still annoying." Hyunjin huffed.

"You two are sleeping in different rooms. I don't trust you in the same room under my roof." Jinyoung glared suspiciously at the couple through the rear-view mirror and Aeri rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say,"

"I'm serious. Don't even bother trying to sneak into each other's rooms."

"Dad lets them sleep in the same room, what's the harm?" Hyunjin said, not really seeing why he was making such a big deal out of it.

"He still hasn't fully accepted that I'm grown up. He'll get over it eventually." Aeri stifled a laugh. She didn't really mind that he wasn't letting them sleep in the same room. It was his house and if he wasn't comfortable with it then she wouldn't push it.

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"You wanna go out or stay in?" Aeri asked after helping Bakugou unpack his suitcase into the drawers of Jinyoung and Hyoseop's spare room.

"Go out. I feel like your brother is watching me..." Bakugou said, turning his head to the open door that Jinyoung had refused to let them close.

"It won't be any better on the streets, the press and the public have been up my ass recently because of the MAMA awards incident," Aeri warned him.

"At least we'll be able to fuckin' hold hands without bein' glared at. He's got me feelin' like I'm doing something wrong." Bakugou said, his voice low so the brother in question wouldn't hear him.

Aeri chuckled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Put your coat on then, let's go get lunch."

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The public did, in fact, recognise Aeri out on the streets, and they recognised Bakugou too. She was stopped for pictures a few times which irked Bakugou because it meant he had to let go of her hand but ultimately, they made it to the café without any major delays.

"My turn to pay," Aeri said firmly as they walked up to the counter, pulling her card out of her pocket. "What do you want?"

"What I usually get and no the fuck you're not, I'm paying," Bakugou replied, just as forcefully.

"Do we really need to have this argument every time? You don't speak the language and the system is different here. Have you even contacted your bank to allow overseas payments? Just let me pay whilst we're in Korea."

"I'm paying," Bakugou said causing Aeri to do a double take.

"What the fuck... have you been studying Korean behind my back?" Aeri asked, stunned. Bakugou gave her a smug look and nodded. "That doesn't change a thing. I'm still paying." Aeri said just as they reached the front of the line. Bakugou fished his card out and held it as if he was going to scan it as soon as she stopped talking.

To win the little competition they had going on, Aeri slyly positioned her card right over the reader so that when the barista finished placing their order, she could pay before her boyfriend did.

Bakugou gave her a blank look when she won and she stuck her tongue out at him, much to the barista's amusement. She'd been watching their interactions since they entered the shop having recognised them.

"The button will ring when your order is ready, please take a seat and thank you for visiting our café!" The barista said politely, handing them the button.

Aeri thanked her and led Bakugou over to a free table by the window so they could people-watch whilst they waited.

"You're so fucking annoying." Bakugou shook his head in disbelief.

"I feel like you've said that before." Aeri laughed, remembering him saying that exact sentence after she got out of her first coma.

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