Winter Tangerines (IU x SUGA)

Thirty-three

"Bacons!"

Jieun immediately got up from her bed the moment she smelled her favorite breakfast. It was a bit late for her to notice the pounding headache she was experiencing.

She ran downstairs to get some painkillers in the medicine cabinet. The bacon caught her attention once again, so she headed straight to the kitchen. She stopped her steps when she saw a familiar man busy flipping pancakes.

"Min Yoongi?"

Yoongi got startled when Jieun called his name. He was so focused on cooking that even her softest voice surprised him.

"Jieun-ssi." He opened the fridge to get something. He then approached Jieun and offered the tumbler he took from the fridge. "Hangover cure. Drink it."

Jieun watched as he reached out the drink to her. She slowly took it, still in doubt if she should take it or not. She gave in, grabbed the tumbler and drank its contents.

"It will take effect in half an hour." Yoongi went back to the stove and continued cooking the remaining pancakes.

"Why...why are you here?" Jieun was so confused. Apparently, she couldn't remember anything the other night. All she knew was that she was at a bar with Yoongi, Suran and Jungkook.

"Beomgyu asked me to stay here last night when I took you home."

"You took me home?!"

"Yeah. You got drunk."

Jieun felt so embarassed. She knew her drunk self well and she guessed that she went a bit crazy again.

"Suran had to stay at the bar with Jungkook so I had to drive you home. Don't worry. Everything's okay. They called this morning and told me they're both fine."

Jieun just nodded. She was too shy to ask him if she did or said something stupid on their way home.

"Where's Beomgyu?" She was secretly wishing that the man would just leave her alone, but looking at him, she knew he had no plan of going home soon.

Yoongi placed the last pancake on the plate. He placed some berries and drizzled them with maple syrup. "He went to work. Yijoung needed someone to assist him with the recording so he called Beomgyu to go there early." He placed the plate on the table. "Let's eat, Jieun-ssi."

She couldn't resist bacons, so she joined Yoongi at the table. The breakfast was a feast—with bacons, eggs, pancakes, fruits and coffee, she felt like it's her birthday. Not long after they started eating she already felt full. She was also surprised that her headache was gone.

"Thank you." She shyly broke the silence.

"For what, Jieun-ssi?"

"For taking me home safely. For the hangover cure. For cooking me breakfast." She felt like she needed to be honest. "I know I've been nothing but a bitch, but still, you've been so patient and understanding. I'm such a terrible person."

"No, you're not." Yoongi's voice was so gentle, almost like whispering softly in her ears. "I've known you for years now. Although so many things happened and we grew apart, I don't think you're a terrible person. You're still the same sweet but stubborn girl I used to know."

"Cut it out." Jieun felt her cheeks turning red. She avoided looking at Yoongi who was already wearing a comforting smile. "I'm not a good person. You know that."

"I beg to disagree. If there's someone who's terrible here, it's me." The smile in his face faded. There was already sadness in his eyes. "I hurt you so many times Jieun. And I've been regretting everything since I left."

Jieun suddenly felt tears filling her eyes, but she tried so hard to stop them from falling. She paused for a while to calm herself down.

Yoongi noticed how his words changed Jieun's mood. He hated himself for saying things that always upset her.

"Jieun..." He was about to say something very important when his phone rang. He had no choice but to pick up the call. Jieun secretly thanked whoever that caller was.

"Are you okay?" Jieun saw how worried Yoongi's face was when he returned to the table after the call.  She knew that moment that the call was something serious.

"Jieun-ssi. I need to leave. Holly...Holly is in the clinic. Something happened to him. Hyung said he was hurt. I need to go to Daegu."

"Are you sure you're okay? Daegu is too far from here. I think you should just take the train." Jieun suddenly got worried. She was worried about Holly, even more worried with Yoongi.

"I'm alright, Jieun-ssi. I'll just take the car. It's only a three-hour drive."

Yoongi bid his goodbye to Jieun once again. She led him to the door and followed him to his car.

Suddenly, Jieun thought of something. "Yoongi-ssi, you wait here. Give me three minutes."

Yoongi was left inside the car, unable to ask Jieun the reason why. He had no other option but to wait for her to return.

Exactly three minutes after Jieun ran back to her apartment, she went out of the door wearing jeans and her leather jacket. She opened the door of Yoongi's car and sat at the passenger's seat. Yoongi looked so confused.

"Let's go." Jieun tied her hair into a ponytail.

"Huh?" Yoongisp was still confused.

"I'll go with you. Let's go see Holly."