Hayi can’t even remember a time in her life when Mino wasn’t around. There was never an important life event for her that Mino wasn’t present. Mino was there when she first talked; when she first walked; on her first birthday party; on her kindergarten graduation; he was there when she first got her period; he carried her on his back when she accidentally broke her ankle in ballet practice; he was her on her debut party; and even now, at college, the two of them were still stuck in the same major together. (Thank the gods that they only have two classes together, or else Hayi would have gladly shot herself in the head.)

“Hayi! Faster, will you?! Mino’s already here!” Her mother hollered from the first floor as she fixed her make-up inside her room. She rolled her eyes at her mother’s statement but otherwise answered. “A minute!” She responded before checking her face again to touch-up when her room door suddenly opened, revealing an irritated-looking Mino.

“What?” She snarled before grabbing her mascara. She was about to twist it open when Mino yanked her arm up. “Can you be any slower?!” He complained before dragging her out of the room, grabbing her shoulder bag on top of the table on the way out.

“MINOOOO!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her scream was piercing and sounds like she was being butchered, which led to her mother waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. “Hayi! Why are you shouting?! It’s early in the morning!” She scolded.

“Omma, Mino’s dragging me–” Hayi began, but her mother only shushed her off. “Will you two stop being childish? Faster, Mino’s appa’s already waiting for you two!” She reminded before going back to the kitchen as Hayi scowled.

Hayi’s and Mino’s parents had been best friends way back in their college days. They even moved to the same neighborhood and bought houses next to each other. However, their children might not be the same case as them. The two sets of parents had been urging the two to be friends, but it seems like all Hayi and Mino do was bicker. Eventually, their parents got tired of pushing them together and just let them be in their antics.

“Good morning, appa!” Hayi cheerily greeted her father as soon as they reached the dining table; irritation long forgotten. She kissed her father on the cheek just as Mino greeted with a “Good morning, abeoji,” of his own.

Hayi sat down on the chair on her father’s left while Mino sat opposite her. She was still making faces at him and the other continued to back. Hayi, always the first one to be irritated, snapped. “Go away, will you?!” She snarled, venom dripping in her voice. She was usually a level-headed person, but her mood always takes a turn for the worse whenever Mino was within her five-mile radius. She had questioned herself about it tons of time before, but the only logical explanation she had was because she was used to fighting with him.

Mr. Lee made a disapproving noise as he transferred his eyes from Mino to Hayi. “Kids.” He flatly called. “It’s seven in the morning and you’re yammering again. Will you tone down the fighting? You’re college students, for Pete’s sake!” The elder man exclaimed as he waited for either of the two to justify themselves. (Not that there was anything to justify, really. Their fight usually stems from the silliest of things– i.e. why does Mino get more milk for his cocoa puffs, how many yellow tidbits are there in Hayi’s Cap’n Crunch Berries, why Mino’s air conditioner blows colder air than Hayi’s, why Hayi’s bathroom was a square meter larger than Mino’s, etc.)

“It’s his fault!” / “It’s her fault!” The two of them simultaneously responded as they pointed an accusing finger towards each other, glaring. Mr. Lee could only heave a deep sigh before shaking his head.
“Yeobo,” Mr. Lee called Mrs. Lee. “Please send these kids away now. I’m starting to get a headache and I haven’t even begun working.” He deadpanned while Hayi whined and Mino bashfully ate his breakfast.

“We’ll go first, abeoji, eomoni,” Mino respectfully bowed to Hayi’s parents. “Neh,” Mrs. Lee nodded. “Take care and Mino, tell your father to drive safely!”

“Yes, eomoni.” Mino answered before dragging Hayi out of the house to his father’s car. Mr. Song drives them to the university since the school was along the way to his workplace.

“Will you please stop dragging me?!” Hayi growled when Mino ungentlemanly hauled her inside the backseat as the boy made himself comfortable on the passenger seat.

“Fighting again?” Mr. Song amusedly said before driving off.

“Abeoji,” Hayi called out to Mr. Song. “Your son always manhandles me! Does he think I’m a guy?! I’m a gi– woman! WO. MAN!” She stressed.

Mino seemed unaffected though, and he even had the nerve to chuckle loudly. “Woman?! Hah!” He scoffed, giving Hayi a once-over before turning his head back to the road. “Girl, you mean. You don’t even look like you got past puberty yet.” He commented before meaningfully glancing at her chest and laughing to himself.

“YAH–!” Hayi protested before striking him hard with her bag. “Who are you calling a girl, you pretentious bastard!” She yelled as she continued punishing Mino.

“Ah, ah!” Mino reacted while blocking her blows. He turned to his father who was still calmly driving next to him. “Appa, make this crazy girl stop!!!”

Mr. Song only briefly glanced at them before turning up the car’s music. “Turn it down a bit, kids. I don’t want anyone reporting me to the police because they mistook you guys as a kidnap case with all the noise you’re making.” He nonchalantly remarked before nodding his head to the beat.

Mino could only sigh in relief when the car pulled up in front of the university. He instantly opened the passenger door and was about to escape when his father called him. “Mino! Don’t even try to get out of your duty,” the elder sternly reminded while Hayi got out of the backseat with a smug smile covering her face.

“Neh, appa,” he hopelessly answered, his head hanging low. It didn’t take long before Hayi’s shoulder bag was dumped on his arms.

“Abeoji, we’ll go first! Take care!” Hayi cheerfully waved her hand to the older man before turning to Mino. “Yah, let’s go! I’ll be late because of you, tch.” She complained and began walking.

It didn’t take long for him to recover. The next thing Hayi knew, he was already falling into step next to her. A secret smile made its way to her lips when she saw how red Mino was while carrying her girly pink shoulder bag. If she would be honest, she also wasn’t fond of the bag’s style herself since she prefers backpacks and the likes, but it was worth it to see Mino shy.

Ever since they were in kindergarten, she and Mino had been in the same school. Mino’s parents imposed a rul