the headaches and blackouts she had the past weeks had continue to bother her, she was debating within herself wether she should go for a check-up or not, it was her health that was on stake this time.
days kept on passing and she felt her body weakened every time she would wake up, everything was happening at once and she wasn't liking it, she and jaehyun were drifting apart and that was what worried her the most.
going down from her room, she went to the kitchen where she was greeted by an eating jaehyun, "morning jaehyunie." she greeted with a smile but was only to be returned by a forced smile.
"you're really focused on your cereal there, aren't you?" she jokingly asked, trying to get the attention of her younger cousin, but she completely failed as the young boy just nodded before finishing his food.
"can you drop me off at minhee-noona's today? we're gonna go to the mall as we planned later." jaehyun said, hyerin completely uttered in shock as it was the first time jaehyun requested such a thing from her.
"don't you want to hang out with me? i excused myself from work today, i thought i could use a day off and hang out with my cousin." she smiled, "what do you say we go to that theme park you've been dying to go to?"
jaehyun stared at her, "we already went there, minhee-noona took me there for my birthday, you were too busy that day to go out with me, remember?" sarcasm was filled in his voice as he went out of his chair, placing quickly his bowl in the sink before going upstairs.
the young boy was now 6, and as he grew, he had already seemed to drift apart from his once favorite cousin in the world, in a young age he managed to feel some kind of hatred to hyerin because of her shortcomings to him.
it was wrong, but what did the young boy knew? he simply knew that hyerin just kept on coming home late, only able to greet him before they parted ways again, one going to bed and one going to eat her late night dinner.
downstairs, hyerin was seated on their couch, her mind blank from thinking of what she might have done wrong for them to drift apart, they were the closest, but now, what really happened to them?
she noticed how they have changed, jaehyun kept on hanging with minhee, always drawing a picture of him and her together, inviting her over to play with her even if hyerin was present at home.
she saw as the pictures of her and jaehyun was slowly covered with the drawn pictures of her younger cousin and minhee, she was trying to not feel jealous, cause then again it was her at fault, if only she did something, they wouldn't drift this far apart.
her phone suddenly rung, answering it, she was greeted by seven loud voices on the other line, "hyerin-noona! come watch our practice —— yah! i'm the one who called her, — oh c'mon jimin-hyung, learn to share—" they continued to bicker on the background, making hyerin laugh in amusement.
"just put it on speaker, jimin." hyerin said, causing the boys to stop.
"jiminie-pabo." she heard jungkook said, making jimin groan in annoyance.
they continued to talk, all seven taking turns in greeting her as she greeted back, they ask each other's day and jimin asked her if she could come over to watch their practice, "later? i guess i'll go, there's nothing to do anyways. can i bring my cousin over?" she asked, remembering that jaehyun was a fan.
"of course you can, i haven't seen that little guy in ages." jimin exclaimed in excitement.
saying their goodbyes to each other, hyerin headed upstairs, ecstatic that she could do something nice for her cousin, "jaehyun." she opened the door to see jaehyun quietly playing with his toys.
jaehyun looked up and watched as hyerin entered the room, closing it as well.
walking towards the bed, she sat down by the edge, "wanna come with me? i'm going somewhere and i thought you would want to go there." she smiled.
"noona, me and minhee-noona are going to the mall today." he continued to play with his toys, not making any eye contact with hyerin, "you can go, and don't worry i won't wait anymore." he spat out.
hyerin sat in shock from the words that came out from his mouth, was she really hearing the right words? was her cousin really saying those things to her?
hyerin slightly smiled before nodding, "remember the day, when a friend of mine bought you the lollipop i couldn't buy you?" she started off, jaehyun groaned.
"and?" jaehyun said.
"well, i never introduced him to you properly, didn't i? are you not curious of who he is?" she continued, glancing at the bts poster that was posted at the wall at the top of his bed, "he's one of those guys." she pointed at the poster.
"you're lying, noona." he slightly looked up, "if you want to hang out with me, using bts won't work, okay?" his eyebrows were furrowed, looking down as he tried to stop his tears that were threatening to fall.
"i'm not, i really personally know them." hyerin was about to place a hand on his shoulder when he suddenly flinch before jumping out of bed and rushing downstairs, slamming the door on the way.
she didn't know how to exactly feel, was she supposed to feel sad or angry that jaehyun acted and responded that way, she never expected that from him, he wasn't like that.
was she the reason for it? was she really at fault?
hyerin was lost at thoughts when a doorbell was heard from downstairs, shaking away her thoughts, she went down and saw minhee and jaehyun smiling and laughing together, that's supposed to be my job, isn't?
"minhee, you're here." she greeted with a slight smile, "he's been waiting for me, have fun today." she looked at jaehyun who immediately looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with his older cousin.
"i got him, don't worry." minhee grabbed jaehyun's hand and both exited the house, with smiles both in their faces.
hyerin then went to her room, not wanting to think negatively, maybe he's just really not in the mood, she kept on reminding herself. wearing some jeans and shirt, she exited the house and took a bus to bighit.
plugging her earphones, she watched the streets as the bus drove away.
"everything will turn out fine, hyerin." she whispered to herself.