√ mask off | lee haechan

3

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Jisung peeked over at you who is busy typing on the laptop, trying to finish the assignment before summer break. His hands holding tight the application form, he is picked to go to the summer dance camp in Los Angeles as the best student. He took a breath before walking over to you in the living room.

"Noona," he called out, making you nod to respond to him. He notices how your forehead creases into a frown, focusing on the assignment but he didn't know when he'd be encouraged to tell you this later.

"You know, I am the best student at my school right?" He gulps, continues after noticing you nod at him. "The school is sponsoring me to the summer camp in LA, can I go?"

You snap your head to look at him. Jisung felt his goosebumps rise when he saw how you look at him, "What?" you asked him again as if you didn't listen to him for the first time.

"Can I go to LA this summer?" Jisung flashed his puppy eyes, hoping you would approve but what you said next dissatisfy him.

"No. You are not going"

"But I want to go! I can learn more there and I might be cast for a competition and I-" Jisung stopped when he heard you sigh, palms rubbing your face.

"Jisung, please. I said no, it's too risky for you to go alone and you are going far away from me," You are tired, tired from the assignment, and now you have to put up with Jisung's whining.

"Noona, I am a big boy already and you can't hold me back just because of that reason. Plus, who said I am going there alone? The school will send 10 of us there"

"Jisung, I said stop. No is a no, understand?" You tried to keep calm, not wanting to yell at him.

"Mum said you will agree! That you will support my dream-" Jisung stopped when he realized what he just said. Your eyes snap back at him, "Mum? You visited the jail alone?" Jisung swore he saw your neck veins popped to suppress how angry you are.

"I just had to, I want someone to support my dream," Jisung said in a small voice, realizing he was at fault for not telling you he visited their mother alone earlier.

You had made it clear that you don't want him to go there alone because you are scared Jisung will be traumatized after what had happened. The woman he trusted betrayed him in the end.

"And you think I won't support you?" You raised your voice a bit, feeling offended. "Well, you made it clear you won't support me because you are not allowing me to go!" You saw the tears in his eyes and immediately guilt wash over you.

"Jisung, I-" Before you could finish what you were saying, the boy had stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

You sigh, hands ruffling your hair. Haechan had come out from his room, he had been listening to both of you when he heard you yelling. He sits on the sofa behind you, he understands that you are stressed out ever since you started doing your load work of assignment.

You relax when he starts massaging your shoulder. You sigh, "What do I do now, Haechan," You cupped your face in your palms. Haechan didn't stop giving you massages as he carefully advised you.

"Do you remember when he said he wants to catch the ones who almost kill you? He was dead determined to protect you and proved himself he is already growing up. His big passion has helped the police so much.

Yoojin, I think you shouldn't let your emotions take over when you talk to him. You know he had been going through a lot and he just wanted someone supporting his dreams,"

"I am supporting him and protecting him,"

"Yes, I know but holding him back from what he wants to do, is not protecting him. You might spoil him too much when you get in his way. Who knows what he'll do just because you won't allow him to go. That boy has a big passion and he's not going to let anyone stop him from doing what he likes.

Haechan stops massaging as he wraps his arms around your neck, "Trusting him is the best you can do to support him as his sister," you felt him smile, trying to convince you. You sigh, hating to admit that Haechan is probably right. It is time to trust Jisung's decision.

You knocked on Jisung's door, peeking in to see that boy playing games on the computer. His way to distract himself.

Jisung saw you at his door but averted his eyes back to the game, sulking. Slowly, you walk to him, placing your palms on his shoulder then taking off his headphones, "Let's discuss this back, tell me why you want to go so bad and I'll consider," You said.

Jisung immediately pauses his game, pulling you to sit on his bed, "Are you sure?" Jisung raises a brow, afraid he'll get rejected for the second time but you nodded. You are trying your best to understand him and you know how much discussion is important to reach each other's agreement.

"As I told you, I just want to go there to increase my skills, I get to learn and I want to be independent. I want to train myself too to make decisions myself. I've been relying on you a lot," Jisung eyes you see that you are listening to him attentively.

"And then, I want to enter the competition and if I win, I get money as a reward and I want to share it with you as a token of appreciation since you have been there for me my whole life. You know I treasure you so much right?" Jisung plays with your fingers as he talks while pouting. Probably embarrassed to confess how he feels.

You are taken aback at how much Jisung had planned his life and to include you in it, making you realize he really wants to do it for you to be proud of him. You slowly caressing his hair, "Alright, go then,"

Jisung immediately raises his head to look at you in the eyes and you can see the excitement written all over his face. "Really? Thank you!" He engulfs you in a tight hug.

You chuckle as you patted his back, "But let's make some deal,"

Jisung pulls back, nodding aggressively. "What is it?"

"You have to report back to me what you did, what you learned, and how much fun you are having every night before you sleep," You said, raising a pinkie finger between both of you.

Jisung grinned at your request and linked his pinkie with yours, "Deal"

That night, you stand at the balcony with a glass of ice water in your hand. You had just finished one of your assignments at 2 am and you decided to take some night air before sleeping to calm yourself. Your head was throbbing from looking at the laptop for a few hours.

Suddenly, a pair of arms crept around your waist and rested on your stomach. You felt Haechan resting his chin on your head, gazing at the sky.

"The night lights are beautiful from here," Haechan said softly. You nodded, leaning against his chest. You love it like this, calm and relaxing as you could feel his steady heartbeats. It was silent after that but it was not awkward, just enjoying each other's warmth.

"Thank you, Haechan," you said, you heard Haechan humming in question as he turned you around to face you. You see him frowning.

"You always calm me down, bringing me back to the right state of my mind and I now know how important it is to calmly discuss and trust that boy," You smile, making Haechan smile.

He kissed your forehead then crouched down to match your eyes, "You shouldn't let your small brain stressed over such a matter, try to calmly think over it, okay?" Haechan said, caressing your cheeks and slowly squishing it, making your lips turn into a pout resulting him to chuckle.

"Let's go to bed, you have classes in the morning," Haechan said as he bent down and lifted you upon his shoulder, carrying you back to your bed.

🌻🌻

hey :) nice day?

I hope you can pick up what I am trying to deliver and hope it will somehow help you 😊

and I have a plan for a big twist in this book!

stay hydrated and healthy :)