Two days pass. The group of disappointed girls is increasing exponentially, or so it seems. Suji and I haven’t really approached Jongin. We’re both too scared of rejection.

Life has been extremely strenuous lately. I am trying to catch up on five weeks worth of schoolwork, while, at the same time, keeping up with the latest assignments. I am determined not to fall behind even more than I already am. It’s overwhelming to see my whole desk littered with an endless amount of papers. It’s going to take an eternity to finish all of it...

My phone rings. I have to sift through a few papers around to find it. Suji is calling me.

“Hello?” I speak into my phone.

“Hey, Sarang! Oh my gosh, I’m at that ramyun shop right now with my family for dinner—and I know it’s really late for dinner—but guess who I just saw! Who do you think I saw? Guess!” she says excitedly over the phone.

“Wait, that ramyun shop we always go to, or a different one?” I ask, not answering her question. “And you know, eating ramyun for dinner isn’t exactly healthy.”

“The one we always go to, and guess.”

I sigh. “I don’t know, just tell me!” But who else would make her so excited than—

“Your little brother!” Wait, what? Didn’t see that one coming! “Yeah, he just walked in, and he looks really cute—you know, not that I like him in that way, but, yeah, he looks really adorable with his glasses on. He has contacts now, doesn’t he? I thought he did. I wish he wore his glasses more often, because—”

Suji rambles on and on about how Haengbok’s simple specs make him seem “so cute” and how he’s such “an adorable little geek”. She has this sort of obsession with my twin wearing glasses. To me, my brother is just a less pretty version of me, and I apparently look pretty with or without glasses on—not that I need glasses. I just tried Haengbok’s on for fun once.

Suji also likes to call Haengbok my “little brother”, because he’s eight minutes and four seconds younger than me. He doesn’t mind, and neither do I. He doesn’t have to call me “noona” or anything, since there’s barely a difference. Even Grandma, who is really serious about respect, doesn’t make him call me anything other than my given name.

“—and anyway, what’s your brother doing here? Your parents are strict about going out late.”

I realize that I was asking the same question in the back of my mind. “I don’t know, but Mom and Dad aren’t home at the moment. I know he wouldn’t sneak out or anything, though. Maybe he had to go to the library, and our grandparents let him?” The community library is just across the street from our favorite ramyun shop. “And, uh, why don’t you talk to him? I’m kinda busy ri—”

“Aw, he just left. Just left, didn’t do anything. Huh.”

“Um, I’ve got to go now. Bye...”

“Oh, fine. Bye, Sarang. Seeya tomorrow!”

“Alright, bye,” I say again. Then I hang up.

Not even a minute later, I get a text from Suji. I open the message and—oh. em. gee.

“Jongin! He’s sitting @ the table right in front of mine. Perfect view of that perfect face!!!!!!!”

A pulse of electricity moves through my veins, but I resist the urge to text Suji back immediately. I should...focus. I need to focus on the tasks at hand. I force myself to work. I get a few more texts from Suji, but I ignore them for now.

Almost an hour later, I’m only done with one assignment. I am so tempted to check my messages. I check the time, instead. I remember that Haengbok was out earlier. I don’t recall hearing him open and close the door. Where is he?

I finally decide to look at my texts. One of them is from Haengbok; five are from Suji. I read the one from Haengbok first.

“If Grandma asks where I am, I’m studying at the library...”

For a few seconds, I believe my brother. Then, I read Suji’s messages.

“Jongin is so cute omg seriously. Oh and your brother just came back?”

“He’s talking with Jongin! Wth? He just sat down next to Jongin.”

“So your twin and Jongin are still here together. They just ordered. Soooo confused.”

“Are they friends? I didn’t know!? and awwww Jongin has the most beautiful smile and pretty teeth!!”

“Oh shoot I think they caught me staring. Good thing we’re leaving right now!”

The last message was sent about twenty minutes ago. I’m...confused. Did Haengbok lie to me? Why was he with Jongin? And how come Suji got to see the Jongin’s “most beautiful smile and pretty teeth” without me? She should have tried to take a picture and sent it to me!

Come to think of it, I don’t think I have ever seen Jongin really smile. I mean a flash of teeth, not just lips curving up slightly. It seems like Jongin doesn’t show a lot of...positive emotion. At the same time, he is not the opposite, either. He’s just neutral, unmoved, or indifferent. He seems relaxed, but at the same time serious. It’s hard to explain... He’s unique.

My brain drifts off and distantly remembers Suji talking about Haengbok’s adorably geeky glasses. Maybe Jongin is like me—cute whether he has glasses on or not, attractive no matter what he wears.

I read the clock again and see it’s getting late. I clean up my desk as best as I can. When I turn off my desk lamp, I can’t see. It’s completely lightless in the house and looking outside, it is somehow darker. I have to squint to make out the only bright star in the cloudy sky tonight.

I make a wish. I whisper to the star, “I wish that Haengbok will be home safely, and I wish that somehow...Jongin will become part of my family, like how Grandma wants.” I know that’s two wishes, but one wish is for the star—the first star of the night. The second wish is for the time—11:11.

a/n: I forgot to say congratulations to Kai for starring in this fic! XD Somehow, Kai became my Exo-K bias, and I never expected it lol. Sorry that this chapter took sooooo long to get posted. I wanted to write this a lot earlier, but there were more important things to do. Summer's coming soon, so hooray!