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>>HA RIN'S POV<<

Airports.

I hated airports. I rarely went to any airports but I avoided them for a good reason. Either you had to leave a loved one behind or pick someone up. In my case, my mother asked me this morning to pick someone up at the airport because my parents were working and couldn't go. Sure, I had nothing better to do than going right there after school. At least it's better than studying.

"Ha Rin-ah, are you listening?" Chanyeol snapped his fingers in front of my face and flicked my forehead. I was too deep in my thoughts about the airport that I didn't listen to what my friends were talking about.

"What were you thinking about?" Dong Hyuk wanted to know as we sat outside during our break. 

"Nothing, I need to leave quickly later after school. Sadly no self-study today." I responded and sipped the strawberry flavoured milk I bought earlier. "It's my job now that my parents are at work. Lucky me. I don't want to go to the airport. Dong Hyuk-ah, can't you come with me?" 

"To the airport? Who is it? A relative? A family friend?" Dong Hyuk questioned me curiously and I just let out a sigh. I didn't ask Chanyeol on purpose because I figured he would shower me with questions, but Dong Hyuk wasn't any better. "It must be someone you don't want to meet when you react in this way."

I exhaled deeply. "Exactly. You'll find out anyway."

After school, I walked to the station with the boys, but didn't go the usual way to our neighbourhood. I waved Dong Hyuk goodbye and turned to purchase my ticket. It'd take about an hour and a half until my arrival in Incheon so it was probably night by the time I'd return home. Sadly, Dong Hyuk couldn't accompany me as he attended his academy today. It's the only academy he goes to so it's alright.

Chanyeol, though, hesitated before following Dong Hyuk. "You're going to Incheon? Alone?"

"Why? Are you tagging along?" Honestly, I wanted to avoid having Chanyeol accompany me instead which was why I didn't ask him earlier. Sitting in a train with Chanyeol for longer than I had to plus those never ending questions about why we were going to the airport. I will neither give him an answer nor reveal anything for his own good. "What about training? Just go, don't feel forced to go with me."

"I can manage. I'll just take the class on a different day, that's no problem." Chanyeol responded, causing me to have no other excuses left. I rolled my eyes and walked ahead without him. Chanyeol quickly said goodbye to our friend Dong Hyuk before buying his ticket and looking for the right platform with me. I rarely go outside of Seoul, let's view it as a little trip to stay positive. "By the way, about the gift you received. Did you find out who sent it to you?"

Surprised over the unexpected question, I just shook my head. "I don't bother finding out on my own. He was brave to send me these, but if he doesn't have the courage to tell me directly or at least tell me his name, why would I go out all the way to find his identity?" Especially since I wasn't actively looking for a relationship either. All in good time, if it happens, it does. No rushing. "What about you? You haven't mentioned Jo Dasom lately." If talking about Chanyeol prevented him from asking me anything further, I'd do that.

"We see each other once or twice a week for academy but apart from that, we are caught up in our respective schedules. It's hard to meet." Chanyeol explained, sounding not particularly sad about it. I wondered if something had happened between them because my friend appeared less interested than expected. 

"Yeol-ah, you might as well get out at the next exit, you don't need to do this." I repeated in hopes that he would change his mind. Chanyeol could be really stubborn, it wasn't easy to convince him.

"What if I want to?" Chanyeol questioned me back, his expression suddenly turning more serious. "You will only get lost once you are there, trust me. You will be thankful for having me with you. But Ha Rin, why did you ask Dong Hyuk to come and not me? You even tried to send me away.""

Yeah, right. I just hope the flight gets delayed or something. But then again, my trip to Incheon will be a waste of time.

"You'll see I have my reasons." I answered, but Chanyeol, stubborn as he was, his curious mode and showered me with questions.

"Male or female? Do I know the person? Are you close?" Chanyeol wanted to know for the fifth time. I glanced at my watch. We're almost there. Let's be patient, Seong Ha Rin.

We had changed trains and finally arrived at the Incheon Airport Terminal. We entered the airport from there and I was overwhelmed by the space despite it not being my first time being there.

"See? You don't even know where to go." Chanyeol teased me and walked ahead confidently. "Is the person your friend? When will he or she land in Incheon?"

"We aren't friends." I rolled my eyes and let out another mental sigh. "But he is male, in fact."

Chanyeol gasped, looking shocked. "Then are you dating?"

I ignored Chanyeol this time and checked my phone for any messages. "Where are you? I'm waiting." Chanyeol tried to look over my shoulder but I turned it off and headed towards the hopefully correct spot. We had arranged to meet at a certain place but he wasn't present. It was a busy place every day. Passengers arriving and people leaving here and there, planes landing and taking off.

"Seong Ha Rin, Park Chanyeol!" A voice called us, but I almost missed it due to the noise around us. He waved his arm with a huge smile. Chanyeol turned his head, only to break out into a wide grin. He dashed off towards him before I had the chance to say something. I followed Chanyeol slowly, not rushing, and greeted the person I was supposed to fetch today.

"Ha Neul." I greeted my brother and half-smiled at him. Chanyeol embraced my brother tightly as if he was gone for years.

"Hey, Seong Ha Rin. Is this how you greet your older brother?" Ha Neul questioned me sternly but his serious expression was replaced with his usual grin again. "Chanyeol-ah, you've grown so much since the last time I saw you. And my dear sister, you are still at the same height."

"It's only been a month." I rolled my eyes and internally wished my brother would've stayed abroad for a few more months. Or forever. If my brother was half as good to me as Yoo Ra was, I wouldn't complain. 

"Ha Neul, I am so happy to see you. Ha Rin didn't tell me we were going to pick you up today. You should've called me!" Chanyeol pouted and took the suitcase for my brother. "Let's go, we can talk on the way!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise, but I assumed Ha Rin wouldn't be able to keep a secret." Ha Neul explained, earning a glare from me. My only reason for not telling Chanyeol was my friend's extreme reaction to my brother's arrival. "How have you been doing? How is high school life?"

Again, it's only been a month that Ha Neul was gone. He was the same age as Yoo Ra, thus he also graduated this year and was admitted to university. Not any university, though. A prestigious university in Seoul which most students can only dream of going to. But I wouldn't, it wasn't realistic for me to go there.

I attempted to fall asleep during the ride home, but Chanyeol and Ha Neul wouldn't stop talking. It was past dinner time when we got home and my parents were also back from work. 

"Seong Ha Neul!" My mother embraced my brother and welcomed him home. The pride of our family, I know, I know. Ha Neul and I were polar opposites. "I'm sorry we had to send Ha Rin to pick you up. We would've come instead."

"It's alright. Chanyeol and I had a lot to catch up on." Ha Neul smiled and stored his suitcase and other things in his bedroom first before we ate dinner together. We'd go over to the Parks after the feast so Ha Neul could greet them as well. Those two together were a horrible duo. I was able to deal with my friend, but with my brother, they were unbearable. Maybe that's how Chanyeol feels about Yoo Ra and I.

"Did you resolve the problem with the university, Ha Neul?" My father wanted to know as we sat at the dining table. "You missed the first three weeks because you were abroad. I'm worried that it will affect you negatively."

After his graduation from high school, Ha Neul went to the United States for the short winter break to 'refresh' his English skills and was supposed to be back in March. He was an exchange student in his first or second year of high school and went there for a few months, but Ha Neul couldn't make it before the first day of university due to some complications. That's why he arrived in Korea today and I was the lucky one to fetch him.

"I contacted them and explained my situation. I'm a few weeks late for university, but I studied a lot while I was abroad, so it shouldn't be a problem for me." Ha Neul said nonchalantly. Some people were simply made for studying. And in the case of my brother, he was an exemplary student. Great in school, excelling at both sports and every subject, ranked among the top students and accepted into one of the most prestigious universities in Seoul. Ha Neul could've become everything. A physician, a lawyer, a professor, he would've mastered almost every academic course and yet, Ha Neul chose to study and become a judge. 

I might not be as smart as him, but I was definitely the better-looking sibling. By now, our parents accepted that I wouldn't be the same as my older brother. It's enough for one of us to do the job. We don't get compared as much but random people would sometimes speak to me about Ha Neul.

"Chanyeol-ah, does my sister cause you any trouble? Does she annoy you?" Ha Neul asked my friend after dinner and going over to our neighbours. We took a seat in the living room, having finished a conversation with the rest.

"Apart from oversleeping in the first week of school, not much." Chanyeol grinned and they soon ignored my existence anew. I decided to just leave them alone, return to my bedroom and get some sleep. I'm way too exhausted from all the walking and train rides. 

>>CHANYEOL'S POV<<

My sister and I both grew