The streets were buzzing with life, full with the day to day festivities in the area. A typical sight for a city as diverse and as lively as Seoul. It was gladly cloudy today and there was no grouchy sun peeking out to irritate.

Reaching our stop, we hopped down the bus. Most of my friends were curiously staring around them as students from small and huge, public and private schools and academies floated down the road, as men and women also rushed to the pedestrian in their crisp suits, as their eyes took in the sight of high rise buildings, the colorful shops, led displays, shiny cars and rich sense of modernness, culture and elegance.

“I thought the places we’ve been to are so good, but this area is something more,” Baekhyun gushed out, grinning as he blinked at the new surrounding.

Joonmyeon nodded, looking around in awe. “I’ve never been to this part of Seoul,” He was the only one who had a brief history with Seoul. Once per year, whenever he joined his father in business trips.

“This is awesome!” Seol unnie chirped, jumping up and down. She gave Luhan a big hug and squealed next to him in excitement. Luhan looked close to annoyed at his prancing girlfriend, but held himself back from saying any biting remark just to not spoil her fun. “We should make the best out of this day to explore! Mijoo you better bring us to the places you’ve been to and the foooood! Let’s hope for good foooood along the way!”

Seol unnie’s chirpy mood made everyone laugh. She was very excited she almost seemed like an entirely different person due to how jolly she was acting. Normally, she was snappy at Luhan and was often serious in school due to her position in the student council. Mostly, to us, she was a friend who listened more than talked. This side of her was surely a pleasant surprise to me.

“We’ll surely have fun,” I promised. “This is the part of Seoul where most of the students hang out so there’s no doubt.”

We were near the Yonsei University campus. It was somewhere around Itaewon were Yoongi used to bring Yoonji and I back in the old days. He’d treat us to all the good stuff just so his sister wouldn’t tattle-tale on him that he ditched us for his friends afterwards. It was a normal routine in the past. Back when we were younger. And to make sure we wouldn’t get caught, he would come for us in the afternoon and would go home with us so that it would appear like we were together the entire day.

“Do you often this place before?” Jongdae asked from behind, his question an innocently curious one.

I pressed my lips together in thought and said, dragging my words, “Not really. But Yoongi would bring us here often.”

“Who’s Yoongi?” Jongin asked curiously beside me, quirking his eyebrow at me.

Someone chuckled behind us and I knew from the deep tone that rumbled from his chest that it was Chanyeol. I ignored him as much as possible, knowing him and his teasing tendencies, but didn’t miss it when he said, “way to be subtle Kim Jongin. You’re so smooth. How’s the jealousy going?”

Jongin glared at him and playfully punched his shoulder, making Chanyeol yelp and hide behind a shorter Baekhyun. “Guilty as hell, Jongin?!” he called out and I could imagine him with a huge grin on his face. They couldn’t just stop the banter.

“Stop it Yeol or else…” Jongin said, huffing out in annoyance as he fell back in pace with me. “As I was saying,” he breathed out, turning his attention to me again. Jongin wouldn’t just let go the subject. “Who’s Yoonggi again?”

“Yoonji’s older brother,” I answered.

He nodded. “And Yoonji’s your best friend, isn’t it?” he asked for affirmation.

Sehun was at the front, but slowed down to walk beside us too. “Isn’t it already a given? She has gushed about her this morning, so why are you even asking Kim? Have nothing else to talk about?” he asked. His voice seemed mocking and spiteful but I assumed he was just being his natural grumpy self around Jongin

“Isn’t like that,” Jongin defended, shaking his head. “Anyway, before that Oh took the liberty to in, as I wanted to ask from you, how many years have you been friends with them?”

I smiled at the question. No one had asked about these things before so I was more than willing to strike a conversation. “Yoonji’s my best friend and practically my sister since I can’t remember.” I giggled. “Yoonggi and I aren’t that close but we get along. I met him because Yoonji often invited me over to their house all those years.”

“Is Yoongi cute?” Seol unnie asked out of the blue, wriggling her eyebrows at me.

I inwardly cringed, knowing that she was trying to get out something from teasing me about Yoonji’s brother. With a straight face, I did my best to look disinterested as I answered. “He’s…oooookay, I guess,”

I would rather die than pine for Yoongi. He was just like a brother, just like Yoonji was a sister to me. Just thinking about anything changing between us other than being friends made me want to throw up.

Ooooh. Terrible, terrible combination, we are.

“Ooooooh,“ Seol unnie teased. I shifted uncomfortably in front of her, hoping she just wouldn’t push it. But knowing her, she won’t be able to stop . “Have you ever had a crush on him?”

That’s it! She’s officially crazy! “I would never ever,” I uttered, awkwardly laughing.

I was so amused that it took me by surprise and shut me up when my gaze landed on Sehun and realized he was staring at me intently. I looked away trying to pretend that I just didn’t notice him.

The rest of the walk, I introduced them to some street food and delicaies that I’d grown up enjoying as a middle-schooler. They ate the best-selling fish cakes near Yonsei, had a cup of latte at Mouse Rabbit café, tried the rabokki and tteukbokki at the stands near the old hagwon I used to go to, and we bought drinks at this bubble tea shop I always see Yoonji gush about (because apparently EXO’s youngest member loved the chocolate bubble tea there) since Sehun had the same tastebuds as that alleged EXO member.

They were so engrossed in fun conversation about how the employee at the bubble tea shop behind the counter laughed at Chanyeol for trying so hard to remove his heavy, southern accent and failed miserably upon ordering, that they didn’t notice we already reached our destination.

At the distance I saw Yoongi and his band about to finish setting up their instruments. It was around twelve in the afternoon and people might be out for lunch that they took it as the perfect time to perform a live. I was waiting for everyone to notice I’d already stopped when Yoonji brightly waived at me. A grin immediately occupied my face and I’d waived back. Jin, who was carrying a bass guitar soon became aware of my presence that when he looked at our general direction, he also waved in greeting, but was soon jumped at by Yoonji who probably asked for his permission to leave before running towards me.

Oh, love. My heart warmed at the affection they openly showed for each other. I thought of this while watching Yoonji excitedly bound towards me. She was the same bubbly girl I knew, just that I wasn’t used to her having a boyfriend.

“Mijoo!” she practically squealed next to my ear as she jumped me too and hugged so tightly I felt like air was knocked out of my chest.

I laughed breathily, pushing her away to get some oxygen back in my lungs and live. “You’re too excited to see me, huh.”

She lightly punched on my shoulder and hugged me again. “Of course! You’ve only been here last year! Calling each other shouldn’t even count! That doesn’t amount to us seeing each other in flesh, you know!”

“I know,” I uttered, all smiles as I hugged her back, suddenly feeling like I really missed her as much as she did to me.

When we pulled away we had a bunch of spectators watching us, smiles etched on their lips—the kind that was not teasing but warm. I smiled back to them and only gazed back at Yoonji when she nudged my side, telling me to introduce her to everyone.

“Your friends are all good looking. Tell me all the names in your harem and make sure to let me know who Sehun is so that I can congratulate him,” she teasingly mumbled next to me and laughed when I elbowed her back.

“Let’s get everyone acquainted. Stop fooling around, Ji!” I scowled at her and smiled back at my friends when they weirdly looked at us. “We’re just fooling around,” I assured them, slapping my arm harshly on Yoonji’s shoulder to warn her to shut her trap and not say anything stupid.

“That hurts, you know,” Yoonji said, keeping a smile, not to give away about our private conversation. “You’ll pay later.”

“You deserve it best friend,” I laughed at her, unable to hide the amusement when I saw her frown at me.

“Whatever,” she hissed at me. But when she turned her attention back to the gang her well practiced smile came back. “Follow me everyone.”

We followed her towards the heart of the plaza where the band was set up already. Many people had already gathered at the sides, mostly girls. Gladly, the band wasn’t yet hogged despite it being composed—admittedly—of seven flower boys (including Yoonji’s brother who had mysteriously transformed into a cool person after his scrawny kid days). That we managed to get upclose with them. Greetings and introductions were exchanged between people that came from opposite ends.

Jin, aside from Yoongi, was the next best thing to a close friend to me in the bunch that he flashed me a welcoming grin and opened his arms to me to offer a hug while everybody else were stuck in random conversations. I padded towards him and willingly accepted the hug, despite it being the first time seeing him after months.

“I feel like you haven’t been away because Yoonji always gushes about you,” he told me as he and I pulled away from each other.

“Really? That girl is sometimes so embarrassing. But thanks. I feel like the occasional video conferences I had with you, her and the others didn’t make me much of a stranger, at least, in person.” I told him, earning me a chuckle and a ruffle of my hair. Jin was a very sweet guy that I couldn’t help but feel the butterflies in my stomach attack me.

The moment was interrupted by someone tackling me into another hug. “Look who’s back!” I discovered it was Yoongi after drowning in his arms.

He looked brighter than the last time I saw him that, though I was annoyed at him knocking the air out of my lungs too the feeling became only short-lived, I couldn’t help but return it with a well-deserved hug. I honestly missed this guy, too. He was next to being a real older brother to me ever since we became closer in the last months—video conferences were surely a big help to build relationships just like this.

“The last time I was here you couldn’t even stand being in the same room as me and your sister,” I teased, nudging his arm.

He slung an arm on my shoulders and grinned at me. “Well, that was in the past. I discovered how cool of a person you are that’s why I don’t understand why I didn’t know this sooner. I think I love you more than my sister!” he exclaimed, shaking with lau