Chapter 24

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Star, Seomin, Chahyun, Ten and harabeoji are all sitting on a cushiony pillow in front of the low dining table. It's like the traditional style of eating. They are all sitting with legs crossed.

Ten is sitting beside harabeoji meanwhile Star is sitting in front of Ten and Seomin and Chahyun are on her both sides.

Star is just nervously staring at the samgyetang (a chicken stew with Korean ginseng) that harabeoji made. She didn't expect that Ten will really come here. Earlier, she is just reading a magazine on their living room when Seomin and Chahyun arrived with Ten. She was in complete shock and it feels like her fever already left her.

No one is still touching any food. They're all waiting for each other to begin. Harabeoji is just plainly looking at the silent people with him.

"Is there something wrong?" Harabeoji asked.

'Definitely.' Star muttered in her mind. She gritted her teeth and sighed. 'I did not even prepared for this. I should've at least applu powder on my face. Aish. Ten!'

Seomin shook her head, "I'm just waiting for you guys to start."

"Me too. Hahahaha!" Chahyun said.

Ten just smiled and looked worriedly at Star who is still lowering her head. He can't see her face so he thought she's enduring her fever. But actually, Star is enduring embarassment.

"We better start before our soup froze. It's very cold outside." Harabeoji said then looked at Ten, "I'm so glad to meet you."

Ten looked at him and smiled, "Me too."

"Yah, Ten oppa," Seomin started talking while playing her chopsticks, "I don't know you were close with Star."

Star cringed and prayed that Ten will be careful with his words. She's not telling anything about their relationship to anyone yet.

"Ah, yes. I'm just worried about her that's why I visited her. Nothing more and nothing less." Ten answered.

Chahyun began speaking too, "Honestly, if I don't know that Star is not fond of dating, I would think you two were dating."

Star looked at her who's on her left, "What do you mean?"

"You see, I'm always observing you when we're together with our male classmates. Some of them are really handsome! But I never saw you lay your eyes on them. You only glance at them when they talk to you. So I guess you weren't into boys." Star nodded at her but Chahyun leaned to her and whispered to her ear, "Unless you already promised someone that you will only keep your eyes on him." Then she smirked. Star glared at her and hit Chahyun's tummy with her elbow.

"Yah, what are you talking about?" Seomin asked.

"Nothing. Let's just eat." Star said then started slurping her warm soup.

She tried to glance at Ten and she caught him staring at her with his spoon on his mouth. He's staring at her and she can read her mind saying, 'I'll kill you."

She bit her lips and thought of being sorry. Ten just rolled his eyes and continued eating.

'I'm doomed.' She thought.

For the whole supper, she only lowered her head. She feels sick again. She's trying not to meet Ten's eyes. They were talking with him like he's a good friend and she's very thankful that they're not talking deeper about why Ten is visiting her. It's worth the interrogation but they're not doing it.

She finished her food first and waited for them to finish.

"I'll do the dishes. Star, better get some rest." Seomin said.

Star stood and started walking towards the stairs. Ten suddenly spoke that made her froze.

"Can I follow her?" He asked harabeoji.

"Uhm..." Chahyun don't know what to say.

"Ten," harabeoji tapped his shoulder, "I trust you. Okay?"

Ten smiled, "I'll behave! I don't have any intentions unto her."

"But she's going on her room and you're going to follow her." Seomin said while cleaning the table. Star is just listening to then while slowly climbing the stairs.

"And then?" Ten asked, waiting for their next words.

"It's somehow hard to bear knowing you and Star will be alone in a room." Chahyun said.

"Right. Right." Star whispered, "Ask him to go home instead!" She want to say it out loud but it may hurt Ten.

"I promise, we won't do anything unwanted! Perhaps, I know that it may ruin our image and lives. I know what's wrong and what's right. I swear." He raised his right hand for assurance. He seems convincing so they just nodded at him.

"I trust Star too. She can handle herself." Chahyun said meaningfully while laughing.

After hearing those, she hurried upstairs and to her room. When she's about to close it, Ten blocked the doorway and forcefully went inside. He locked the door and pushed Star gently against the wall and locked her up with his hands on her both sides. He leaned close to her with a plain stare.

"Why?" Ten asked.

"Why... what?" She asked looking innocent.

"Why did you not tell me about your fever earlier? Do you know how worried I was?" He looked very sincere with his shaking eyes and knotted forehead. Star gulped before speaking.

"Can you please move backward first? You're invading my space." She said with a low voice. But Ten leaned more to her, leaving an inch between their nose. "Yah..." she said while pushing him but he can't be moved.

Ten touched her forehead. She's still hot but not as hot as she were when she woke up. She's doing fine.

Ten looked directly to her eyes with a worried expression, "Please don't do that again."

"Which one?" She asked innocently.

"Not telling me about your fever."

"I wanted to tell you but they confiscated my gadgets for the sake of being well. They hid it from me and I still don't have it!" She said.

Ten narrowed his eyes, judging her answer.

"Yah. Don't look at me like that. I'm not lying. And please," she pushed him a bit, "don't go near me. You might catch my fever."

Ten removed her hand from him that made her surprised. "D-don't you believe me?" Her thoughts are rumbling again in her mind. 'Omo. Is he mad? Will he break up with me now? No! Eotteohke...'

"I do." Then he pulled her and enveloped her in his arms, "I'm just so worried."

Star smiled and hugged him back. "I'm sorry."

"Did I scare you?" He asked.

"You excellently do."

"Well then I'm sorry too."

"I understand."

They stayed hugging for a while. When Ten pulled out from the hug, he wandered around her room.

"So your room looks like this, huh." He sat on her bed and hugged her pillow.

"Are your friends not looking for you? Do they know you're here? Won't they suspect you or something?"

Ten laughed, "I acted not in the good mood earlier. Uhm, actually I wasn't really, because of you." Star frowned, "So when we finished practicing, I told them I want to unwind alone somewhere. And they allowed me."

"You're a good liar." She crossed her arms while leaning on the wall.

"I just made a good alibi."

"What if you lied to me as well?"

Ten's eyes widened and shook his head, "I promise I will be a truthful, honest and trustworthy boyfriend to you." Then he raised his hand.

Star's eyes widened and hushed, "Ssh! This is not a sound proof room. They might here us." Then she went to her door and opened it to check if someone's listening from the outside. She found none. She closed the door and faced him again who is just grinning at her.

"What's with that smile?"

Ten tapped the space beside him, asking her to sit beside her.

"I don't like. I don't trust you." Star said half jokingly. She believes that Ten is a good and a well-behaving person.

"Yah. I promised your friends and myself that I won't do anything unto you." He pouted. "I promised even to you."

"You didn't say anything to me like that."

He held his chest, "I promised it to you in my heart."

Star just smiled while shaking her head. She walked towards him and sat besidd him. She snaked her arms around his waist and looked at him, "I missed you."

He smiled sweetly at her, "Me too."

"Are you not going home yet? It's getting late and it will be colder later."

"I want to sleep here." He said then pouted.

"Yah. Stop that." Then she slapped his mouth weakly.

"Why? Are you seduced by my cuteness?"

"You're really full of yourself."

"Pfft. Later. Just a bit more." He said pertaining to when he will go home.

"They might be worried. Text them."

Ten grabbed his phone from his pocket and texted them. Star just watched him.

"Yah, I think I have to go." Ten said.

"Then go. I can't bring you home." She said.

"Don't forget your medicine okay? You can just also skip the trainings tomorrow. Please get well."

"Okay." She nodded and smiled.

"Kiss me goodbye." Star was taken aback so she fastly moved back away from him.

"Y-yah..." she felt her cheeks burning and her heart beating fastly. 'Here I go again!"

"Hehe. Just kidding." He stood and walked towards the door with her. Before going out she hugged him tightly.

"Take care. Be home safely." She said.

Ten moved his head back a bit but they're still hugging. "I will." Then he kissed her in her forehead before going out.

Star smiled like crazy while holding her forehead.

"I think my fever went up again."

***

AN: Hi! Do you have any suggestion, comments, requests or things that you want to see from this story? Please let me know. And I'll see if I can do it. #1MonthWithNCTU