Age 6

Jeongyeol meets Eunji when she moves onto his street. She moves into the house across the street and three doors over, but he’s the only other child on the street so they become fast friends. 

“You’re my best friend,” Eunji tells him in a hushed voice, hunched over their game of monopoly. “I didn’t have anyone where I used to live, but now I have you. Is that okay?” 

Jeongyeol doesn’t know if he’s ever been anyone’s best friend, but he likes the thought of it. He grins toothily and says, “You’re my best friend too.” 

Age 10

Eunji runs to find him during recess and squints suspiciously at him. She puts her hands on her hips and asks, “Are you going to stop being my friend one day because someone tells you I have cooties?”

“No?” Jeongyeol replies, confused by the sudden question. He taps his pencil against the notebook he’d been doodling in and tilts his head at her. “Cooties like germs?” Jeongyeol asks, more curious than anything else.

“I don’t know!” Eunji huffs. She plops down on the bench next to him and says, “Girl cooties, whatever those are. Eunkwang said he wouldn’t play with me anymore because I have them. I think he’s stupid.” She eyes Jeongyeol and asks, “Are you gonna be stupid?”

Jeongyeol smiles and shakes his head. “No, I don’t plan on it.”

“Good,” Eunji nods. She scoots closer peers over his shoulder to see his notebook. She kicks her legs absently as she says, “That’s a pretty drawing.”

“Thanks, it’s not done yet though.”

“That’s okay,” Eunji shrugs. She looks out to the playground where all of the other kids are playing. Some days she’s out running around with them, but today she seems happy to be sitting with him. “Hey, Jeongyeol?”

“Yeah?”

“Still best friends?”

“Still best friends.”

Age 12

Jeongyeol has a crush on Eunji when they’re in middle school. 

It happens when she runs up to him, where he’s sitting in the bleachers, after volleyball try-outs. She’s sweating slightly but beaming brightly as she sits close and rambles about how she thinks she didn’t play her best but still has a shot at making it onto the team. This isn’t anything new for Jeongyeol, who’s been supporting Eunji and her sports since they were young, but he does notice for the first time that she’s really pretty when she’s smiling at him. 

After that, Jeongyeol doesn’t know how to act around her. He turns all red and doesn’t know how to speak, but Eunji just goes with it. She still smiles at him and holds his hand on the way to the bus stop and hangs out with him almost every day after school. 

He has a crush on her, until one day, they’re up in Eunji’s room and she whispers shyly, “There’s this girl in my math class. She has really shiny hair and helps me with homework. I think I like her.”

Jeongyeol doesn’t say anything, just swallows nervously. He chooses his words carefully then replies, “You should tell her.”

“No way,” Eunji giggles. “It’s just a crush.” She rolls over onto her stomach to look at him and asks, “Do you like anyone?”

Jeongyeol smiles sadly and shakes his head. “No, not really.”

“Don’t worry,” Eunji tells him with a conspiratorial smile. “One day you’ll find someone who makes your stomach do funny flips and makes your heart beat really fast.”

“I hope so,” Jeongyeol replies softly. 

His crush fades quickly after that, but he isn’t really upset with the way it turns out. He actually moves on from it easily because Eunji still smiles at him and holds his hand, still calls him her best friend. That’s all he really needs. 

Age 15

Jeongyeol is in the middle of talking to a classmate about a homework assignment when someone suddenly hugs him from behind, tucking her head on his shoulder. He holds back a sigh as Eunji greets him happily, “Hi, Jeongyeol! Hi, Jihyun! What are you guys still doing? Classes are over. Are you ready to leave? Can we stop for ice cream on the way home?” Eunji says this all in a rush then smiles at him expectantly. 

Jihyun’s eyes flick between him and the way Eunji practically hangs off him. He can practically already see what she’s thinking. Jihyun smiles at Eunji and explains, “I was just talking to Jeongyeol about some homework before track practice, but I’ll just text him later.” Her words just confirm his fear. Jihyun eyes him curiously then says, “Have fun, Jeongyeol.”

Jeongyeol waits until Jihyun is out of earshot before he pushes Eunji away from him and scolds her, “I told you to stop that!”

“I don’t see why,” Eunji huffs. “You’re my best friend.”

Jeongyeol sighed, “You’re my best friend too, but you know how it looks to other people.”

“That’s heteronormative,” Eunji replies seriously, and Jeongyeol can only roll his eyes, having had this conversation a million times with her. “Come on,” Eunji says, shaking his arm childishly. “Why should I change the way I act around you because people want to assume things?”

“You’re never going to find a boyfriend or girlfriend if everyone thinks you’re dating me,” Jeongyeol points out. 

Eunji hesitates for a moment but then she shrugs. “Then I’ll just wait until there’s someone smart enough not to make assumptions.”

“You’re impossible,” Jeongyeol tells her fondly. 

“I know,” Eunji beams. “Can we get ice cream now?” 

“No, I have homework.”

Eunji narrows her eyes and playfully says, “You’re lying.”

“I was just talking to Jihyun about homework we have!” Jeongyeol replies, laughing at Eunji’s doubt. “How about we do homework and then ice cream?”

Eunji sighs but still links arms with him. As they start walking out of the school, she says, “Fine, but you’re buying.”

Jeongyeol just shakes his head, smiling to himself, “Yeah, sure.”

Age 16

Jeongyeol is assigned a much dreaded group project for biology, involving a model of a cell and an unnecessarily long essay. It because Eunji isn’t in the class, but it’s even worse that the partners are assigned. Jeongyeol waits, full expecting to be put with someone who will make him do all the work. However, the opposite happens, and the teacher calls out his name along with Park Chorong’s. She’s in the top ten students of their class and close friends with the valedictorian. At least he won’t be doing it all himself. 

After the teacher passes out the rubric for the project, Jeongyeol hesitantly walks over and sits beside Chorong. “Hi, nice to meet you,” Jeongyeol says, holding out his hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Chorong replies with a polite smile as she takes his hand. “Okay, so we have about three weeks to do this, but I’d like to start as soon as possible. When are you free?

Jeongyeol quickly learns that Chorong is very nice but also kind of scary. She irons out a strict work schedule for them, and even if she laughs at his attempts to lighten the mood, she goes right back to their work. Jeongyeol can’t really complain though because she really does seem like a good partner and a nice enough person.

After agreeing to meet after school, Jeongyeol heads to lunch where Eunji joins him with loud complaints about her history class. She steals his chips, and he takes her apple, and they pass lunch just like they usually do. As lunch comes to an end, Eunji says, “Can we go to the music store after school? I want to see if they have this new album I want.”

Without really thinking, Jeongyeol replies, “I can’t. I have to meet Chorong.”

“Chorong?” Eunji repeats, pausing with a chip halfway to . She blinks at him slowly, as if to make sure she heard him correctly. “As in, Park Chorong?” 

This time it’s Jeongyeol blinking at her. He didn’t realize Eunji paid much attention to the top students of their class. She’s usually much more interested in the music clubs and sports. “Yeah,” Jeongyeol nods, eyeing his best friend suspiciously. “How do you know her?”

“I don’t,” Eunji replies, but her tone is too casual. It’s forced, and this just makes Jeongyeol more curious. It must show on his face too because, to his immense amusement, Eunji’s cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink as she says, “I’ve just heard about her. Bomi is good friends with her.”

Bomi is Eunji’s partner-in-crime when Jeongyeol can’t be bothered. She’s a cute girl, kind of loud, but with a heart of gold.

“That’s it?” Jeongyeol teases playfully. He doesn’t expect much of a response because Eunji’s always been much cooler about liking people than he has. The exact opposite happens though, and Jeongyeol almost falls out of his chair when Eunji chokes on her water and sends it spewing in his direction. “Eunji, what’s wrong with you?” Jeongyeol yelps as he hastily scoots his chair away.

Eunji just turns red and shakes her head as she tries not to spit out the rest of her water. After she manages to swallow her water, she stares at him incredulously and asks, “What, are you afraid I’ll hit on your girl?”

“What?” Jeongyeol replies blankly. “My girl? Chorong?”

The bell rings and signals the end of lunch before he gets an answer. Eunji almost angrily grabs her backpack and says, “I can't believe you think I would do that.” Then she’s off, and Jeongyeol can only stare after her with complete and utter confusion. He doesn’t have time to think on it though because he has to get to his class, but his focus is shot for the next two classes until Eunji texts him.

From Eunji: I’m sorry about lunch… You can date whoever you want, and I know you don't think I would do that.

To Eunji: I’m not dating anyone

From Eunji: Oh right because you’re just meeting Park Chorong for fun? 

Jeongyeol squints at his phone. If he didn’t know any better, he would say Eunji sounds jealous. There’s no way… Unless? Jeongyeol can’t reply to find out though because the teacher warns him to put up his phone, so he’ll just have to wait until later. 

He doesn’t get a chance though because Chorong finds him right after class lets out, and when he reaches for his phone, she gives him a glare that’s scarier than one any teacher has given him. 

That’s how Jeongyeol finds himself in the library trying to work on the project with Chorong when Eunji slides into the seat across from his with a wide grin. Chorong looks up in alarm, eyes flickering over Eunji with something like panic. Jeongyeol just sighs, a smile tugging at his lips despite his exasperation. 

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Eunji asks, not sounding apologetic in the least. She’s got a curious look in her eye. She still doesn’t seem completely back to herself, a weird kind of bitterness tinging her words, but she seems genuine nonetheless. “I don’t think we’ve met before,” Eunji says to Chorong, holding out her hands with a bright smile. “I’m Jeong Eunji.”

Chorong looks at her shyly and shakes her hand with a soft-spoken, “Park Chorong.”

Jeongyeol looks at Chorong questioningly because she’s acting a lot differently than she had during class, less authoritative and more girlish. Then his eyes find Eunji, who’s wearing that flirty little smile she gets when she finds someone attractive. Oh. Ooooooh. This suddenly makes a lot more sense to Jeongyeol.

“I didn’t mean to crash your and Jeongyeol’s study date,” Eunji shrugs with a well-practiced, sheepish grin. “We just usually hang out after school, so I was a little lost without him.”

Chorong smiles, but it’s kind of tinged with confusion now. Her eyebrows furrow slightly and she replies, “Well, you can join us if you want. We’re just working on something together for our biology class.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Eunji says slowly, eyes wandering over to where Jeongyeol sits and watches them with a lost expression. “Is it okay if I join, Jeongyeol?” Her voice is almost sickeningly sweet, almost teasing.

“I don’t mind,” Jeongyeol tells her. He watches Eunji as she goes around the table and sits beside him and across from Chorong. He waits for her to be annoying, but she just quietly takes out her own homework. 

When Eunji senses his stare, she looks at him with a winning smile and whispers, “Don’t worry. I’m not after your girl. It’s just some harmless flirting.”

Jeongyeol almost snaps his pencil in half, but then Chorong is asking him his opinion on his project before he can tell Eunji that Chorong isn’t his girl. In fact, he doesn’t get a chance to tell her at all that day because Eunji has to leave for volleyball practice before he and Chorong leave, and there’s no way Jeongyeol is going to tell her that in front of Chorong. So he sits there and tells himself he’ll tell her later tonight. 

Except like an idiot, he lets his phone die, so it’s the next morning when he corners Eunji by her locker that he tells her, “I’m not interested in Chorong.”

Eunji pauses in the middle of grabbing a textbook from her locket and raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Really?” Eunji asks, voice heavy with doubt. “You aren’t?”

“I’m not!” Jeongyeol insists. “We’re just partners for our biology project. I didn’t even choose her to be my partner. We were assigned to work together.”

“Okay, I believe you,” Eunji laughs. She shuts her locker and looks at him curiously. “So, you aren’t into Chorong. Why feel the need to prove it to me?”

Jeongyeol isn’t sure whether to bang his hand against her locker or shake her by her shoulders. He does neither though, settling for staring at his best friend incredulously. When she only stares back, Jeongyeol sighs and says, “Really?”

“What?” Eunji asks.

For a moment, Jeongyeol thinks she’s just being a little like she’s prone to being, but he takes one look at her eyes and realizes with a jolt of disbelief that she’s not being contrary just to be annoying. She’s embarrassed. Years of reading Eunji’s facial expressions have trained him well enough to see that not only is she embarrassed but she’s also uncharacteristically shy and skirting around the subject.

Jeongyeol blinks and makes a decision. “Nothing,” he says flatly. “I just wanted to be sure there wasn’t any communication between us.” 

“Aw, that’s so cute of you,” Eunji grins, reaching up to playfully ruffle his hair. He bats her hand away, but she dodges him and messes up his hair even more. “So, if you don’t like her, do you really have to ditch me after school so often?”

“The project is worth fifteen percent of our grade.”

Both Jeongyeol and Eunji jump at Chorong’s voice, but Jeongyeol notes that Eunji’s face also goes bright red. Then again, she also just got caught complaining about Jeongyeol working on the project, so that could also be it.

“Morning, Chorong!” Eunji says brightly, and Jeongyeol just knows she’s trying to overcompensate for getting caught. 

Chorong quirks an eyebrow but smiles nonetheless. “Good morning, Eunji, Jeongyeol.” She adjusts her backpack and tells them, “You’re always welcome to join us when we work in the afternoon, as long as you let us work on our project.”

“Oh,” is all Eunji says, eyes wide. 

Jeongyeol gently elbows her and says, “That’s nice of you, Chorong. Thanks for letting her join. She’s kind of a nuisance though.”

Chorong laughs while Eunji stares at him, jaw dropped in playful outrage.

“I’ll have you know I am only a nuisance, like, once a week,” Eunji retorts, but she’s grinning. 

“As long as that once a week isn’t when you join Jeongyeol and me, then that’s fine,” Chorong says.

And that’s how it starts.

Two and half very long weeks where Jeongyeol has to sit there for two hours while Chorong and Eunji flirt with each other without seeming like they’re flirting. Jeongyeol asks himself after the second day what he did in a past life to deserve this. 

It starts harmlessly enough with Eunji sitting next to Chorong (even though it would’ve made a lot more sense for Jeongyeol, her actual project partner, to sit there), but then Jeongyeol had to watch his best friend as she starts talking more to Chorong and, in turn, touching her. All seemingly harmless but still nausea-inducing to him. Eunji starts simply enough with a casual touch on her shoulder here, brushing hands with there, but then she gets bold enough to start playing with Chorong’s hair and holding her hand, and Jeongyeol just wants to be blind. Well, he already kind of is, but he can't just take off his glasses without someone asking him why.

Besides, he still has to hear all the flirting anyways, and he isn’t bold enough to cut off his ears too.

“I’m sure a girl like you has loads of people asking her out,” Eunji says one day, playfully flirtatious but also somewhat nervous if you know her well enough. “What is it, like three people who ask you out each week?”

Chorong turns deep red and shakes her head. “No, you’re being ridiculous. Hardly anyone ever asks me out.”

“Why not?” Eunji asks, suddenly all soft and sincere, and Jeongyeol would’ve found it sweet if her change in voice also hadn’t made Chorong look at her like she wants to kiss her. 

That’s just the tip of the iceberg though. Jeongyeol will never forget when Eunji surprises Chorong by wrapping her arm around her shoulders and pressing their cheeks together. “How’s my favorite girl?” Eunji asks with a happy giggle. She’s in a particularly good mood because she passed her physics exam and her extra volleyball practice got canceled. 

“Your favorite girl?” Chorong repeats, voice barely above a whisper as she stares at Jeongyeol with wide eyes that are either asking him for help or asking him to leave. However, they’re in the middle of working on their project, so he’s assuming she’s asking for help. Too bad he’s not much help in this case. 

“Of course,” Eunji laughs, sitting down in her usual seat beside her. Then proceeds to play with Chorong’s hair and ask her how her day had been so far. 

Jeongyeol almost feels sorry for Chorong, who looks like she has no idea how to react.

It’s not only when they’re together after school though. Jeongyeol hears about it all from Eunji, who gets over her reluctance to talk about her crush. She gushes and rants at him every time they’re alone now. Eunji walks Chorong home every day, sometimes straight home and other times they stop by for food somewhere. Jeongyeol learns that sometimes on the weekend they’ll hang out, go to the mall or whatever, which sounds great for Eunji. Except for the part where Eunji pitifully tells him every time that Chorong still shows no interest in her beyond being flustered.

“Does she even like me?” Eunji whines into his pillow one night after she comes over to his house for dinner. “I couldn’t be more obvious than if I got a plane to spell it out.” A pause. “Should I do that?”

This is where Jeongyeol has to step in and say, “Eunji, no.”

Then he commits to his best friend duties and comforts her and reassures her that Chorong doesn’t actually hate her guts and that she still has a chance, even though he’s beginning to doubt it himself. It doesn’t make sense though. He has been forced to watch them interact almost every day. Chorong definitely likes Eunji, so why doesn’t she say anything about it?

The answer comes to him close to the end of the project. On a day that Eunji doesn’t come because her younger brother has a school play, Chorong asks him tentatively, “Is Eunji always so… touchy with people?”

“If she likes them,” Jeongyeol replies with an easy shrug.

Chorong’s eyebrows almost fly off her face as she asks, “That doesn’t bother you at all?”

“No,” Jeongyeol says slowly, lowering the paintbrush he’d been using to paint their cell model. “Why should it? She’s allowed to do whatever she wants.”

“Oh, I was just, um, surprised,” Chorong says with her voice two octaves higher than usual, suddenly very focused on her laptop. “Because usually, you know, boyfriends don’t like it when their girlfriends are super touchy with other people.”

Jeongyeol is suddenly very glad that he isn’t holding the paintbrush anymore because he definitely would’ve dropped it and gotten paint all over his clothes. He openly gapes at Chorong, unable to keep his mouth closed, because he can’t believe what he’s hearing. Jeongyeol always knew this would get them into trouble, and he was right!

“Chorong, uh, Eunji isn’t my girlfriend,” Jeongyeol says, watching her reaction closely. 

Chorong freezes, like every part of her body just stops moving like she’s glitching. She actually might be. She stares at her laptop for a long moment before slowly raising her eyes to meet Jeongyeol’s. After an extremely awkward and tense silence, she whispers, “What?”

“Eunji isn’t my girlfriend,” Jeongyeol repeats for good measure. When Chorong just keeps staring at him, he elaborates, “We’ve been best friends since we were kids, which is why she’s pretty touchy with me, but no, we aren’t dating.” He wrinkles his nose a bit and adds, “Definitely no.”

Chorong doesn’t say anything for a long time, and Jeongyeol genuinely fears she might’ve just snapped, but no, she doesn’t quite snap until she shouts at him, “Are you kidding me?”

“Excuse me?” is all Jeongyeol can think to say as he leans back in surprise.

Chorong flushes a familiar shade of red and spits out hurriedly, “I thought this entire time you and Eunji were dating, and I was so confused because Eunji kept touching and flirting with me and you just sat there like nothing was wrong. I felt so horrible because you were so nice and I had a crush on your girlfriend, but she isn’t even your girlfriend!”

“Um,” Jeongyeol mumbles as his eyes grow wide at who's entering the library. “Chorong…”

“No, don’t Chorong me! How could you let me think that for so long? Not that you knew that I thought that, but seriously? Eunji isn’t with us all of the time. It didn’t ever occur to you to make small talk and ask what I think of her? Because let me tell you, if you let me, I would’ve just blurted it out right then and there. God, I thought I was the worst person ever because I like Eunji, but it turns out she’s single! Wait, she is single, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Jeongyeol presses his lips together, torn between laughing and sympathizing, because he has to watch as the blood quickly drains from Chorong’s face. With a terrified expression, she turns to look at Eunji who is now standing behind her. 

“Oh my god,” Jeongyeol hears Chorong whisper.

Eunji just smiles down at her knowingly. “Can we talk?” Eunji asks.

“Your brother’s play,” Chorong says, and it isn’t a sentence, or really a coherent thought, but Eunji understands easily enough.

“I got the dates wrong,” Eunji explains with a small laugh. “It’s tomorrow, so when I found out, I walked back hoping to catch you before you left.”

“Well, you caught me,” Chorong mutters, and the double meaning is not lost on anyone.

“I know,” Eunji says with a wide grin. “Now, can we talk?”

Chorong sends Jeonyeol a nervous look at the same time Eunji waggles her eyebrows at him, and Jeongyeol really just wants to turn in this stupid biology project and take a nap. But no, he has to sit there and watch as Eunji takes Chorong’s hand and walks her over to a more secluded corner of the library. He can still see them though. Jeongyeol thinks about looking away, but honestly, he hasn’t suffered this much not to see how this turns out. If they get more than PG, then he’ll look away. 

Eunji holds Chorong’s hand and stands way closer than a friend usually does, seemingly saying something to her. In return, Chorong turns a spectacular shade of red Jeongyeol’s never seen before and huffily replies. This makes Eunji laugh and pull Chorong into a hug that the other girl reluctantly returns. The hug is longer than a friendly hug but shorter than something awkward, and when Eunji pulls away, she presses a quick kiss to Chorong’s cheek. Eunji says something, and Chorong glares at her before stomping back over to where Jeongyeol is still sitting, not bothering to act like he wasn’t watching.

“Is everything okay?” Jeongyeol asks carefully, eyes flicking between Eunji practically skipping out of the library to Chorong who’s not quite fuming in her seat. 

“She heard everything,” Chorong bites out, which yeah, Jeongyeol knew already. She sighs and pouts at him. “It’s not fair,” she tells him. “That wasn’t how she was supposed to find out, but she didn’t even care and was all stupid and nice and smooth.”

Jeongyeol can’t help but chuckle at the accurate description of Eunji and ask, “What did she say?”

Chorong hesitates before murmuring shyly, “Be with me.”

“That’s it?”

“No, that wasn’t it!” Chorong rolls her eyes then sighs again. “Sorry, I just… What do I do?”

Jeongyeol really laughs this time because for such a smart girl Chorong can be dso ense sometimes. Playfully poking her forehead, Jeongyeol waits until she looks up at him to reply cheekily, “Then be with her.”

Chorong frowns for a moment, but then she’s quickly packing up her things and leaving without another word.

Later that night, Jeongyeol gets an excited phone call from Eunji and gets to hear all about how Chorong and her are going on a date this Saturday. He listens to all of her ramblings with a smile and shakes his head. What are best friends for?