Caratland [Seventeen FF]

-36-

I didn't sleep well that night. I actually didn't sleep at all. I was still concerned because of Jihoon and nothing seemed to make me feel better. The night was short anyway.

It was 8AM when I decided to check on him. He was still asleep, balled in a small circle and his hoodie half hiding his face. I guess I'll wait until he's up. How could he even sleep without a blanket?

He said that my sister need some hearty breakfast so I decided to make some eggs. It was the first time since 3 month that I cooked something. It freed my mind a little.

After half an hour Jihoon also woke up. He walked into the kitchen, curious of what I was making.
"Are you cooking eggs?", he asked sleepy, rubbing his eyes softly.
"Yup", I smiled.
"Do you have nuts?", he asked.
"Yes, in the right compartment", I explained to him. He walked over to the white one, taking out the walnut, which were already cracked. He took the nuts with the tableware and already prepared the table. He was so sleepy, but still thought of helping me.
"How was the day yesterday?", I asked him and plated the eggs for each one of us. I decided to pretend that nothing happened yesterday and to ask him when we are only the two of us again.
"Funnier than I would expect. I didn't know your school was so cool and now I can understand the others when they talk about these films that everyone already watched", he said, while nodding.
"Okay good, because I planned more things for today, making it more interesting for you", I thought aloud. Jihoon sat down on one of the three chairs. Meanwhile I went to wake up my sister.

I knocked on her door, but then just bursted in, without waiting for response.
"Food is ready", I said, while looking down on her. She hid her face with the blanket, moaning annoyed. I walked over to her and pulled the blanket away, resulting in her just complaining louder and roll into a ball. "Wake up and show your good side. We have a guest here, if I need to remind you", I rolled my eyes. She immediately looked up.
"Who?", she asked.
"A friend of mine. So get your bottom moving!", I told her and pulled her by the foot, so she sits at least.
"But the hangover is burning my head off", she sulked, making puppy eyes.
"That's your fault. Now come eating", I let go of her and the blanket and closed the door after me.

Back at the dining table, Jihoon's eyes already fell back shut, which made me giggle a little.
"Eat or sleep. Choose one, not both", I laughed, while shaking him. He opened his eyes again and sat up straight, trying hard to not fall back asleep.

After a while my sister also woke up, taking a seat next to Jihoon in front of me.
"I didn't know you had normal friends, baby tiger", she attacked me.
"Says the one with the hangover", I retaliated. Jihoon switched looks with me and her.
"What's your name?", Minkyung asked, but hissed quietly, holding her head.
"Know your limits!", I judged her.
"I'm Jihoon", Jihoon responded murmuring, quickly shoving food into his mouth.
"I know my limits!", she complained, "Don't give him the false impression."
"Give up. He saw you drunk", I shook my head. Jihoon chuckled for himself, but I noticed it so I had to giggle too.
"What? Did I do something wrong yesterday?", she asked shocked.
"Maybe", I replied, taking a sip of water. She didn't, but leaving her thinking she did was funny. Her cheeks turned pink.
"Whatever I did, I'm a nice person", she defended herself.
"Eat your nuts", I shook my head again.
"I'm just trying to save my reputation!"

After the breakfast we bid goodbye to my sister, who slowly sobered up from her hangover. Jihoon was still awkward, but my sister seemed to not notice.

We took the subway to halt at a shopping mall near the city's centre. The mall was big. There were many shops and a food court. In front of the mall was a big marketplace for fruits and vegetables.
"So, you never went shopping before so I thought that you'll maybe enjoy the overwhelming amount of shops", I joked. He just nodded like always so we entered it.

In it, it felt like Jihoon already knew where he wanted to go. He started walking as if his goal was clear, making me surprised and follow him with quick steps.

He went into a shop for sunglasses.
"I didn't know you were interested in sunglasses", I thought aloud, also looking through the shop.
"It's not for me, it's for Minghao", he said and looked in another corner.
"Is he interested in sunglasses?", I asked surprised.
"He's interested in fashion", he replied, looking at one pair more focused.
"But why sunglasses? It's basically winter now", I asked him confused.
"I don't know. Just needed a present. Today is his birthday after all", he shrugged his shoulders.
"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?", I complained.
"You didn't ask."
"What the hell? What am I supposed to ask? 'Oh is today perhaps Minghao's birthday'?"
He just simply shrugged his shoulders again. Jihoon found a good pair and went to the cashier to pay it.

We walked around the mall, finding another present for Minghao and went out again. At the market we baught some tangerines and strawberries and sat down in a park to eat these.
"But Jihoon", I started after some silence. He looked up, signaling me to keep talking. "What was in your mind yesterday? When you played the piano you also spaced out like that", I asked him. He firstly looked away. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again.
"I just got triggered, but I knew this would happen once I go back to the city, so it's not your fault", he sighed.
"What do you mean by 'triggered'?"
"Thrown back to bad memories."
"Oh, sorry", I apologized and looked down.
"Like I said, it's not your fault so don't let your three brain cells die from exhaustion yet. We still need them", he consoled, but  dissed me at the same time.
"That was smooth", I commented him, judging him from head to toe, making him laugh.

After eating a bunch of tangerines we baught some candies and went back to the harbour to arrive at time.
"I forgot that we need to pay for our food here", Jihoon said, when we sat down at a bench.
"Me too. It's weird when the strange things become normal and you need to get used to the normal things again", I agreed. He nodded. "I almost forgot that the portal even exists", I noticed.
"Our world is a little weird. We're like special outsiders", he commented.
"Oh, no!", I exclaimed so sudden that I startled Jihoon. "You didn't get to play the piano even though we build it up for two hours straight", I pouted.
"There's always a next time", Jihoon tried to stay optimistic.
"So you're saying there's a next time?", I grinned joyfully. He just nodded, not looking at me. "You promised now", I grinned wider.
"I never-", he started, but then sighed. "Fine, I promised."

The ship anchored and we slowly marched in with the others on it.
"It wasn't that bad actually", Jihoon said. I stopped and turned around to listen to him properly.
"You thought it would be bad?"
"I was actually more afraid of the triggers than the city itself, but it wasn't that bad. Maybe because I wasn't in a bad situation", he kept going. If I was a cartoon character, some question marks would be flying around my head.
"What?", I murmured. Then Jihoon looked up and boxed me on my shoulder. "What was that for?", I complained and followed him quickly on the ship.
"You don't need to know or understand everything, baby tiger", he joked.
"Don't call me that!", I shouted after him and also went on the ship.

And that's how my official nickname became 'baby tiger'.