Kookie: Are you ready to play soccer?
Mads: Yep, but come to the front door because I want to introduce you to my parents.
Kookie: K
A few minutes later the doorbell rang and Maddy went flying down the stairs to answer it. Jungkook had only been gone for a few hours but she was so ready to see him again. She pulled open the front door and found Jungkook standing there in sweats with a smile on his face. Breathtaking, Maddy thought, he is just so darn good looking. "Come in!" Maddy stepped back so he could enter.
Jungkook took off his shoes and Maddy grabbed his hand and pulled him into the kitchen where her mom was baking. "Eomma, I wanted to introduce you to Jungkook. We are going to practice soccer at the park."
Mrs. Lee looked up from her baking and smiled. She spoke in Korean. "Jungkook, it is so nice to meet you. Madison has told us all about how much you've helped her with her math, we really appreciate that. The tutors we've hired in the past have been hit and miss to say the least. So to have you helping her with so much success is a Godsend."
Jungkook saw that Maddy's mother had the same kind eyes and kind words as Maddy. He felt the weight of the approval she was giving him. It felt like a lot to live up to. He hadn't realized until now that Maddy's mom was American. He wondered if Maddy spoke English. It was one of his only classes he really struggled with. He wouldn't have English until second semester this year though.
Jungkook gave a little bow. "It is nice to meet you Mrs. Lee. I don't mind helping Maddy with math." Jungkook couldn't remember the last time he'd met someone's parents. He hoped he was making an okay first impression.
Maddy snatched Jungkook's hand and pulled him out of the kitchen, "Come meet my dad." She pulled Jungkook into her dad's study. Maddy's dad was sitting at his desk as if to do work but he was really watching a show on a little TV on the wall.
"Appa, I want you to meet Jungkook, a friend from school." Maddy was still holding Jungkook's hand as she introduced him. Jungkook bowed to her father.
Mr. Lee stood up, trying to look stern. "Ah, so this is THE BOY, huh?"
Maddy rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yah, this is THE ONE BOY left in Korea, father. The government has asked us to procreate and restart the population. We plan to work on that right after playing soccer." Maddy shook her head at her father's comment.
Jungkook's eyes opened wide at her teasing her father. It was not typical for Korean children to tease their fathers like this. But much to Jungkook's relief, Maddy's father laughed.
Mr. Lee bowed a bit to Jungkook and said, "It is nice to meet you young man. Maddy has told us only good things about you. We are happy you are her friend."
Approval again. Jungkook didn't know how much of this he could take. It just felt so undeserved on his part. "It is nice to meet you too, sir." Jungkook bowed a couple of times.
"We are going to play soccer, bye Appa!" Maddy was pulling Jungkook to the door then.
They heard her dad call, "And NO procreating! I'm putting my foot down!"
Maddy and Jungkook laughed at that. Maddy put on soccer shoes, Jungkook put on regular athletic shoes and they headed out to the park.
Maddy was delighted because Jungkook was just plain fun to play soccer with. He was funny and lively but he made it a challenging work out. It was clear to Maddy that Jungkook was an incredible soccer player. He might even be better than Juwon. But Jungkook didn't flash it in Maddy's face like Juwon had. Jungkook was just naturally talented. And his footwork was amazing. He had a way of looking like he was moving one way but really moving another. He faked Maddy out multiple times. "Teach me." She insisted.
Jungkook taught Maddy several different ways to make it look like you were going to do one thing, but then really do another. He told her they were called 'feints'. Maddy was a quick learner and she practiced hard. Jungkook was impressed not only with her skill at soccer but at her willingness to practice a move many, many, times until she got it right.
Jungkook kept telling Maddy to bend her knees and lower her center of gravity but she was having difficulty with it. He decided showing her would be better. He told her to dribble the soccer ball around him and make a goal. As she passed him he barely touched her and she fell over and landed on her rear. "Yah!"
Jungkook laughed and helped her up. "Again." He encouraged. Yet again, with a slight touch she was on her rear end sitting on the ground. Each time Jungkook laughed but helped her up. Maddy thought he seemed to be enjoying this more than he should.
After several more attempts she finally asked Jungkook to show her how he was knocking her over. "No," he laughed. "Get around me, then I'll show you." Maddy tried again and again. She was starting to get frustrated.
"Lower your center of gravity, get over your knees, bend your legs." He suggested. She finally took his suggestions to heart and even though he was still knocking her over, he was having to exert a lot more energy than just a tap.
Finally Maddy decided the only way to get by him, was to knock him on his butt first. She had been defensive for so long she hoped he wouldn't expect the attack. She narrowed her eyes, lowered her center of gravity, and dribbled the soccer ball towards him. His eyes sparkled, he was excited to knock her over again. But this time her eyes sparkled back with the same anticipation.
When she was almost to him, she used one of the feint lessons Jungkook had taught her earlier to make it look like she was going one way but she headed the other. Her movement caught him off guard and she used her shoulder to knock him on his butt and head around him to the goal.
It worked perfectly and Maddy was so happy. She put her fists up into the air and laughed and laughed. She had finally gotten the best of him. But as he got up off the ground, she saw a fire in his eyes and it said one word, retaliation. Maddy screamed and ran, she got quite a head start but they both knew Jungkook was faster. Maddy was still laughing and squealing when Jungkook caught up to her and hooked his arms around her middle and spun her around in the air before tossing her to the ground and landing on top of her.
He held her hands above her head with one of his hands. "You think that is funny, do you? Now for your punishment, young lady!" Maddy laughed and squirmed to get away. But Jungkook was stronger. Jungkook reached down and tickled her sides and enjoyed again how ticklish she was. Maddy squirmed so much that she got a hand free and Jungkook had to use his tickling hand to grab it and hold it above her head.
The act of both of his hands holding hers brought their faces together, his face hovering just above hers. They were both smiling and breathing hard as they looked at each other. Their smiles faded a bit as they were drawn into the intensity of each other's gaze. Maddy licked her lips which drew Jungkook's attention. He had been overwhelmingly tempted earlier in the week to hold her hand, to keep hugging her, and to bury his face in her hair. But this was the first time he had thought about kissing her. In their position it would be so easy to lower his lips by just a few centimeters to hers. His head came down slightly, as he glanced at her lips.
"Madison! Time for dinner!" Came her mom's scream from across the street. Jungkook jumped off of Maddy and grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Maddy was horribly disappointed. She was sure he was going to kiss her.
Jungkook was honestly relieved for the interruption. He'd almost kissed Maddy and he had promised himself that he wouldn't. He didn't want to do anything that might risk hurting their friendship.
Maddy waved her arm over her head so her mom saw that she had heard. They gathered their water bottles and phones to head back to Maddy's house. Maddy found several texts from her mom when she looked at her phone.
"Will you eat with us?" Maddy asked Jungkook.
"No, I need to go shower." It was true that they were both very sweaty and dirty after the hours of soccer practice.
"Oh, okay. I had fun today." Maddy smiled as Jungkook threw his things into his car.
Jungkook gently grabbed Maddy's wrists. His thumb drew soft circles on the inside of her wrists. When he looked at her with his intense gaze she had difficulty keeping a clear head. Focus on what he is saying. Focus! "Can I come back in a bit, so we can talk again, like last night?" Jungkook wondered if he was being too bold.
But Maddy's beaming smile told him that he wasn't. "Yes! That would be really nice. Text me." Jungkook released Maddy's wrists and hopped in his car to head home.
Maddy headed inside for dinner. "I'm SO hungry, Eomma!"
Maddy's mom took one look at her and laughed, "Did you leave any dirt at the playground? Go take a shower and change, we will hold dinner for you dear."
---
Maddy had showered, eaten dinner, and was now laying on her bed watching more of her K-Drama on her laptop. But really her main focus was picking up her phone every thirty seconds checking for a text from Jungkook.
If her mother hadn't interrupted, Maddy thought she would have gotten her first kiss tonight. Jungkook's lips were so close to hers. It would be nice to get her first kiss before turning seventeen in a few weeks. Seventeen just seemed too old to be getting your first kiss. Her phone chimed.
Kookie: Is it okay for me to come up?
Mads: Yes!
Her window opened and Jungkook stepped in, as freshly showered and fed as she was. He sat down and removed his shoes and coat on the window seat.
Maddy had already closed and locked her door and turned on music. She had also pulled the shades except for the window Jungkook had come through. She went over and pulled that shade now. "Hopefully we won't have to hide you in the shower tonight." Maddy teased.
Jungkook laid on her bed and picked up her laptop. "Whatcha watchin'?"
"Just a K-Drama. We could watch something else though, if you want." Maddy laid next to Jungkook. They ended up showing each other Youtube videos they liked. Maddy showed Jungkook a curiously satisfying video where someone clears leaves off a flooded storm drain and all the water covering the street goes down the drain. Jungkook showed Maddy a video with near misses, trees falling down, rock slides, even a silo falling over and nearly missing people and buildings. Maddy showed Jungkook one of bottle feeding kittens whose ears wiggled while they ate. They laughed together for a while until they were both yawning more than they were laughing.
Jungkook got up and turned off the lights and music then climbed under the weighted blanket and pulled Maddy to his chest. They both felt contentment. It just felt right for them to be together, like they had known each other for a lot longer than a week. Maddy thought this must be what it is like to meet your soulmate, if that was a thing. She took a deep breath of his vanilla sandalwood smell.
Maddy's hand came up and smacked Jungkook's chest "My butt is so sore after how many times you shoved me over today. I would say you are a good practice partner, but your tactics are a little violent." Maddy complained.
Jungkook quietly laughed at that. "Hey, you are supposed to be the queen of compliments. You aren't supposed to be criticizing my methods." He whispered, so his voice wasn't heard downstairs.
"I'm just being honest. Besides, you seem to be good at everything. I need to criticize you on the rare occasions when you don't do something perfectly." Maddy smiled in the dark.
"Well, I finally got you to lower your center of gravity, so my method worked in the end." He was rubbing up and down on her upper arm while they talked. "Did you always go around encouraging everyone like you do, or was that after your surgery?"
"Definitely after my surgery. I'll tell you the story sometime."
"Tell me now, I want to know"
"Oh, hmmm. It's not the happiest. We don't need serious story time again tonight. I already dumped enough on you last night. Maybe you should tell me about growing up with your brothers." Maddy encouraged.
"I will, but I want to hear your story first." He had been trying to put together the Maddy puzzle all week. He wanted to get another piece while he had the chance.
"Are you sure?" He hummed in affirmation. Maddy rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. "Alright. Well, I told you yesterday that when I was given only a few weeks to live, and my parents tried to give me lots of nice experiences. One of those, was that they took me to see Hajodae beach on the Sea of Japan. It was a hot day so I didn't want to wear my hat or my wig and I was in a wheel chair. My parents were wheeling me through the city towards the beach and I was loving seeing everyone so happy, in the sun. There were lots of bright beach towels and sundresses. But I started to notice that when people saw me they looked away quickly. Some people looked like they were sad or scared when they saw me. Sometimes it was kids, but many were adults. I started to feel really bad. I didn't feel bad for me, I was happy to be at the beach. I felt bad for them. It was supposed to be a nice time for them, most of them were on vacation, and I was making them feel sad or scared. So I tried to stop looking at people so they wouldn't feel bad. I just looked down at my hands so I wouldn't scare them." Jungkook had started hugging Maddy tighter, he pulled her to him so her back was against his chest.
"But there was one woman who caught my eye. She was just so beautiful, her make-up was done perfectly. She had on a beautiful bright sundress and she was smiling so big. I knew when she saw me she would be sad, but I just couldn't look away. To my surprise, when she saw me her smile got even bigger and she walked right over to me and kneeled down. She looked me right in the eye, smiling so big, and she told me I had the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. She said that getting to see my beautiful eyes was the highlight of her day and she thanked me for making her day so nice. Then she wished us a lovely time at the beach and she was gone. The thing was, I could tell she meant what she said. She wasn't just trying to be nice, she really meant it. I knew, in that moment, that if by some miracle I were to live, I would want to make people feel just like how she made me feel. I knew that I wouldn't live long, but I thought that if I did, I would want to spread joy to people like that beautiful lady. So at ten years old, I was labeled NED, no evidence of disease. I focused on learning how to encourage people better. I don't always do it perfectly, but I try to make people happy and look for someone who needs encouragement."
Maddy felt something wet drip onto her neck. "Goodness, are you crying back there?" Jungkook sniffled and chuckled at the same time. Maddy flipped over and in the dark and could barely make out a few shiny tears on his cheeks. She rubbed her thumbs across his cheeks. "Alright, I don't get to tell stories any more. From now on, you are the night time story teller."
Jungkook took a deep breath. "You are an amazing person Maddy. And you make people happy just like that woman at the beach. You spread sunshine wherever you go." Jungkook thought about how remarkable it was that Maddy took all the pain and heartache from being sick and transformed herself into someone who gave love and kindness to those around her. No wonder he couldn't fight being her friend. She was an expert. And no wonder he wanted to spend every waking moment with her. She was an incredible human being.
"Thanks Jungkook, YOU make me happy." Then she laughed. "Except you are a bed hog. Do you realize how little bed I have over here?" She really was almost falling off the bed.
Jungkook sighed and scooted back and pulled her to the middle of the bed. "That is because you keep scooting over. Just come over here to the middle of the bed and stay there so I don't have to chase you down." They both giggled at their bickering.