That morning, Jung Eunji found herself in the couch of Chanyeol’s boarding house seated in front of her three dongsaengs namely, Oh Sehun, Cha Eunwoo and Park Jinyoung who skipped his class that day.

 

Park Chanyeol was seated beside her and the three guys had been staring at both of them back and forth. They were on the floor. Only the exchanges of their heavy breathing could be heard in the room. 

 

It was until Chanyeol’s stomach started grumbling out of hunger that he spoke breaking the silence of the small crowd.

 

“Guys, I’m really hungry. Can we eat first?”

 

The three boys shoot him a glare. 

 

He cringed at the sight of their death glares. “Yah, don’t look at me like that. Fine!” He announced clapping his hand to get their attention. “Let’s get this thing done. Go ahead and ask your questions.”

 

The three raised their hands in unison. 

 

“Okay, I choose...” Chanyeol deliberated which one to select since Eunwoo looked a little scarier than the guys beside him he opted for his name “Eunwoo, hurry ask your question.” He uttered impatiently.

 

“Are you guys together? Like are you two going out officially?”

 

“NO.” Both uttered the word loudly that the boys were taken aback on their seats. 

 

“Then Hyung!” Sehun raised his hand.

 

“Yes, Sehun-ie?” Chanyeol addressed him.

 

“Why are you two very close?” He finally asked. “Before, I thought it was because you were of the same age that’s why you get a long quite well. But whenever I see you two walkout of our Lit Class together... God forbid.” He hesitated.

 

“Yes! And the skinship...” Eunwoo seconded. 

 

“SKINSHIP?” Jinyoung asked, eyes widening in disbelief.

 

“What skinship?” Eunji asked.

 

“There’s no skinship, you morons.” Chanyeol defended.

 

Sehun scoffed, “We’re not blind, hyung... You’re always poking and pinching noona’s cheeks and even her arms.”

 

“Do I?” Chanyeol turned to ask Eunji. The latter shrugged. Chanyeol scratched his jaw nodding a little, “Yeah, I do that out of habit.”

 

“Out of habit?” Eunwoo repeated. “Then that means you have known each other for quite some time now to develop such habit, right?” His eyes squinting at them.

 

“Did you not tell them?” Chanyeol inquired.

 

Eunji shook her head. “It’s not my freaking business to tell them.”

 

“Tell us what?!” Sehun squealed.

 

“We’re classmates in high school. She’s my best friend.” The tall guy mumbled breaking away from staring at the youngsters. 

 

Best friend. She repeated in her head. Oh right, we’re best friends. 

 

Somehow, the Chanyeol’s explanation did not register quite well to Jinyoung.

 

“What? You dated in high school?!” Park Jinyoung screamed, he even stood up from sitting. 

 

“Calm down, Jinyoung-ah.” Eunji tried to soothe his emotions. “Take your seat.” She sounded like a pre-school teacher trying to tame her pupils who were throwing tantrums.

 

“I don’t want to.” Jinyoung said firmly stomping his feet.

 

“Yah! Park Jinyoung, do you have a problem with your hearing? Did I say we dated? I said we were classmates back in high school.” Chanyeol started that made Jinyoung take his seat again.

 

 “Why are you guys making a big deal out of this anyway?” He whispered in a low voice, sounding defeated already at trying to make them understand what really was going on.

 

“My turn!” Sehun raised his hand politely.

 

“Are we still taking questions?” Eunji asked. 

 

“I’ll be rephrasing Jinyoung-ie’s question. When you were in high school...” Sehun began, using his hands to gesture the time frame. “Did you two ever date?”

 

Chanyeol sighed submissively getting tired of their questions that had been running circles. 

 

Eunji took the opportunity to answer their dreaded question. “We didn’t. We were best friends. Why would we date each other?” 

 

Chanyeol just nodded his head in agreement. Somehow, it pained Eunji to look at him agreeing. Well, truth always hurt, right?

 

“Seriously?!” Jinyoung asked. 

 

Both shook their heads.

 

At this point, Sehun could no longer contain his disappointment. He stood up towering over them. “Hyung, how could you?” The poor boy asked, eyes glaring at him.

 

Chanyeol shuddered. “H-how could I what?” Their glares had been creeping him out.

 

“How could you not date Eunji noona?!” Eunwoo finally asked standing up. 

 

“Yes! Yes!” Jinyoung seconded, raising to his feet as well. “What’s wrong with our noona?”

 

Eunji had to smile at her defenders. 

 

Chanyeol looked terrified at the sight of his angry dongsaengs but he remembered that he was older than them and tried to impose authority. “YAH! WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME?”

 

“Kids, take your seats!” Eunji ordered at once and by her word the three bent down to take their seats again. “He had a girlfriend back then.” She answered in a low voice enough for them to hear.

 

 Chanyeol remained quiet and just stared at the boys pretending not to hear what she had said. “Okay. No more questions at this point.”

 

“Says who noona?” Jinyoung asked. “I skipped my class for this interrogation so I still have a question!” He threw a hand up in the air. He cleared his throat. “It has been cleared that you’re not dating right now and you’ve been classmates in high school. My question is...”

 

Eunji and Chanyeol found themselves holding their breath in anticipation of Jinyoung’s question. Eunji could even hear drum roll behind her ear.

 

“Were you together last night? And how come you ended up sleeping here, Noona?” Jinyoung finished his question proudly, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Eunji actually had the same question. She did not know exactly how she came ended up being in this place. 

 

“She got drunk in your acquaintance dinner yesternight.” Chanyeol explained calmly. “She called me saying she’s drunk and knowing what a loser drinker she is, I decided to just pick her up.” He was careful not to let a word out about Eunji’s predicament and encounter with Kyungsoo.

“Bringing her back home would have been easy if she hadn’t passed out after crying while hugging an electric post when she finished barfing over her own clothes.”

 

The three stared at Eunji in a mixture of shock and disgust. They couldn’t believe that their highly reputed senior would have done such act but Chanyeol could just be bluffing. They wouldn’t know.

 

Eunji, on the other hand, stared at him. She did not remember passing out, or crying while embracing an electric post, or even how she vomited over her own clothes. But somehow, they all made sense as to how she ended up being at Chanyeol’s place. 

 

-- 

 

Chanyeol and Eunji was able to eat their breakfast at noontime. The three had finally gone tired in interrogating them. Jinyoung chose to just stay in the house because he was already absent from his class. 

 

When they were done eating, Chanyeol washed the dishes while Sehun and Eunwoo played some video games.

 

Eunji headed to Jinyoung’s room. He still was upset about this whole thing. 

 

She knocked by her door softly, “Jinyoung-ah?”

 

“Hmm..”

 

“Can I come in?”

 

“No.”

 

“Are you still mad at me?” With that question, his door sprang open.

 

“Noona, I can’t believe you  betrayed me.” Jinyoung said turning back at her and running to his bed.

 

“What? When? How?” She asked nonstop as she entered his room.

 

“Have you not thought of Kyungsoo-hyung?” He inquired.

 

AHH Jinyoung-ah. What a loyal supporter you are. Eunji thought as she thought of a nice way to make Jinyoung understand. 

 

“Jinyoung-ie, you see... Kyungsoo and I are not together. Sure, you guys like to tease us a lot but it doesn’t mean that we will just fall in love and be together, right?”

 

Jinyoung pouted.

 

“So you have to understand that people have preferences... And who knows, Kyungsoo does not even like me?”

 

The boy sighed and nodded, finally realization had dawned over him. 

 

“Do you understand, Jinyoung-ah?”

 

“Yes, noona. I’m sorry for expecting too much.”

 

“It’s okay. Are we good now?”

 

“Yes.” He muttered, nodding his head.

 

“Can you pick me up some clothes from the dorm?”

 

“No.” He said quickly and shook his head.

 

Eunji defeatedly went out of his room and made his way back to the guys.

 

The team worked all afternoon for the analyses of the literary pieces that were given as their assigned readings from Professor Kwon.

 

 It was almost sundown when they finished writing their respective analyses. Somehow, despite the lazy afternoon they were able to complete a good portion of their project. Sehun and Eunwoo bade good and Eunji stayed behind as she still had to wait for Jinyoung to get her clothes back from the dorm. 

 

The latter still refused to get her belongings but Chanyeol threatened him about not lending his video game consoles. Jinyoung submissively followed his command to get clothes for Eunji.

 

---

 

The weekend ended quickly for Eunji and somehow she found herself again in the lecture hall of her Department’s Building on Monday.

 

It was the same class she’s taking with Kyungsoo. Eunji changed seats that day and thought of ways how she could be invisible. Of course, it did not happen because her classmates kept on congratulating her for the success of the event. 

 

Soon after, Kyungsoo arrived in the classroom. Thankfully, he joined the rest of the boys at the back of the room. For the first time since the class started, they were not seatmates.

 

Eunji could only imagine how she survived her practical test with Kyungsoo as her lab partner in the second subject of the day. They barely talked but just worked casually. Kyungsoo did not talk much and Eunji was also too embarrassed to look at him. 

 

After the practical exam in the laboratory. Eunji changed into her clothes and when she went out of the ladies’ room she found Kyungsoo just outside, waiting for her.

 

“Eunji,”

 

“K-Kyungsoo-yah...” She stuttered.

 

“Would you go out to lunch with me?” He asked nonchalantly. “Please...”

 

For the countless time he had asked, it was the only time she had the courage to face this. She straightened her back and swung the bag on her back. “Where shall we eat?”

 

The cafeteria was in chaos since it was lunch time. Kyungsoo asked if they could eat outside the university.

 

Eunji would probably be late but she felt that this had to be addressed already. She had been dragging her issues quite too long and avoiding Kyungsoo again after the incident she caused in the weekend would not solve her problem.

 

They went to a noodle house few blocks from the University’s gate. It wasn’t too crowded, luckily, so they were able to find a nice seat inside. Kyungsoo ordered the food on the counter as Eunji waited on their table. Her toes and fingers started to feel cold, she was feeling very nervous. 

 

“15 minutes.” Kyungsoo muttered before sitting. “The noodles will take about 15 minutes.”

 

“Oh,” Eunji nodded as he took the seat across hers. 

 

They remained quiet for a while. Both unsure of what to say and where to start. 

 

“Kyungsoo-yah,”

 

“Eunji,”

 

They said both at the same time that had them staring at each other but immediately looked away. 

 

“You go first,” Kyungsoo said.

 

“I’m sorry about last Saturday.” She said. “For saying those things to you...”

 

“Do you mean them, Eunji-yah?” Kyungsoo asked that took her by surprise.

 

“I did, when I was spitting them. But after my reflection, I would just probably admit to half of it.” She admitted. 

 

She spent the whole night thinking and reflecting on her real feelings towards Kyungsoo and somehow she had reached the understanding that things would not go her way anymore from henceforth.

 

“I’m sorry for making you feel that way.” Kyungsoo said sincerely. “I have no intention—“

 

“It’s okay, Kyungsoo.” Eunji interrupted. “I understand.”

 

“No, there is definitely a misunderstanding, Eunji.” 
Kyungsoo confirmed. “Especially about the girlfriend part.” He scratched his thick eyebrows. “How do I explain this?” He seemed to be searching for the right words to tell her. 

 

Eunji bit her lip and anticipated.

 

“I’m not talking to a girlfriend contrary to what you believe.” Kyungsoo confessed. “I’m talking to my little sister... She’s quite a nagger.”

 

She was a bit shocked on this revelation. “I didn’t know you have a little sister.” She had met his family several times before and the sibling he had that she knew was his older brother. There was never a sister, no one ever mentioned her. 

 

“I just recently met her too.” Kyungsoo said shyly.

 

“How?” Eunji probed.

 

Kyungsoo explained that his little sister was his father’s child to another woman. The woman died recently and so his father took her in. His mother was angry upon knowing her existence.

 

Eunji was surprised that Mrs. Do was capable of getting mad because she was a woman of calm demeanour. Kyungsoo said that he was surprised too to see his mother getting extremely furious.

 

However, as soon as the she saw the pitiful state of the child when she was brought at their home, she eventually showed her motherly side taking care of the youngling. She was 6 just years old. Kyungsoo said that his father was so regretful on this mistake. Somehow the couple were able to reconcile.

 

“So this little sister...”

 

“We had grown close during the break so she was really about me... Mom lets her call me from time to time.” Kyungsoo mumbled.

 

Eunji stared blankly. In her head she could hear the words he said when she first overheard him talking in the phone.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t call back right away. I left my phone in my room.”

 

“I’m heading back to the group now. I’ll call you again, later. I love you.” 

 

“Have you eaten? Oh, I am just about to.”

 

She shut her eyes and recalled the phone conversation she heard last weekend.

 

“I’m fine, I didn’t drink... I promise.”

 

“I will go home after this.”

 

“You should sleep. I’ll see you the soonest.”

 

Kyungsoo fished his phone from his bag and scrolled. 

“Here she is...” He placed his phone in front of Eunji and played a video of a young child that resembled Kyungsoo a lot. Mr. Do’s blood must be really strong. Eunji marvelled. Her cheeks were squishy as that of Kyungsoo and they happened to share the same round eyes. 

Eunji tapped the play button and the child began speaking.

 

“Hello, Eunji eonnie. I’m Hyanggi, Kungsoo oppa’s little sister! Nice meeting you.”

 

“OMO!” Eunji exclaimed. “She even talks just like you.”

 

“She’s quite fond of me.” He uttered shyly.

 

So he was talking to his sister all this time? And here I am, thinking that it was a girlfriend, stressing myself for quite a time now. Eunji wanted to slap her face. What a waste of time. She shook her head feeling pathetic of herself.

 

Kyungsoo reached for his phone again. “I don’t have a girlfriend.” 

 

Eunji nodded her head. “It’s clear as ice.” She agreed, shaking lightly the glass of water with ice cubes in front of her.

 

“And I don’t think I will have a girlfriend anytime soon.”

Eunji shifted her gaze from the glass to Kyungsoo’s face who was already looking at her. 

 

“Why?” She made sure that her tone did not sound so needy for his answer. But deep inside, she was already screaming. 

 

He brushed his palm on his knees, looking nervous again.

Ohmygod. Is he coming out to me? Eunji stared. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest.

 

“I don’t have any interest among women...”
Eunji stared, mouth agaped.

 

“The same way I have no interest among men. I am not attracted to any of both es. But don’t get me wrong, I like you a lot, Eunji... as a fellow human being. You’re my favourite person.” He looked uneasy, unsure if it was correct to disclose this thing about himself. 

 

“Oh,” Eunji uttered. A wave of realization hit her right in the face. Kyungsoo has been aual all this time. He was not interested in neither man nor woman. 

 

She had known him as a kind person having been raised by his parents well. It was his character to be caring of people around him. Kyungsoo was not giving her special treatment or extra attention, he was just treating her the way he knew he should. 

 

She fixed her gaze to him looking relieved to be able to eventually share this thing to another person. Looking at him was like knowing him again for the first time.

 

His revelation spoke so much about how he trusted her and in the best possible way, it did not hurt Eunji to finally know that he would never really look at her the way she wanted to. For now, being his favourite person was enough already. 

 

“Thank you for telling me this, Kyungsoo.” She said sincerely and surprisingly, with no grudges in her heart.

 

“I couldn’t think of a better person to tell this.” He said with a small smile. “I’m sorry if their teasing about us bothered you a lot.”

 

Eunji flustered as she recalled the stupid things she told him that night. It seemed like Kyungsoo had not realized what she had implied with her outburst. “N-no, it’s fine.” She assured. “I’m not bothered anymore. Hahaha!” She laughed out loud. Right then, their order arrived and they began eating.

 

That afternoon, Eunji did not come to her Korean Lit class.

 

Her absence in the class bored the hell out of Chanyeol so he ended up sleeping the whole period. After all, he was so tired from the morning activities he had. When the class ended, the younger boys asked him to play at the internet cafe outside the school.

 

“Ugh. I can’t. I still have to go to Chem Department.” He told the guys.

 

“Why hyung?” Eunwoo asked.

 

“To find Eunji. Why else?” He asked raising an eyebrow.

 

Sehun and Eunwoo shared a meaningful gaze and slowly a malicious smile started to form on their lips. Chanyeol saw this from his peripheral view so he immediately lifted his gaze back to his dongsaengs. “What? I’m just going to look for her. Can’t I?”

 

Sehun smirked, “Why do you sound so defensive, hyung?”

 

“Am not!” He snapped. “I’m just explaining so that you won’t misunderstand. You guys always tend to get the wrong ideas.” He wore his bag, “I’m heading now. See you both around.” He turned his back right away so the guys won’t have to more.

 

After class, he went to the Chemistry Department building to look for Eunji. She had not been looking at the group chat. He stayed by the stairs to wait for her like he did last time. 

 

Few moments as he did, he saw Eunji walking back to the building with the Kyungsoo guy last time. They were walking close to each other and were laughing about something. Her eyesmile looked vivid from where he sat. 

 

Ahh. So that’s why everybody here teases them so much. Chanyeol muttered to himself agreeing of the chemistry between the two. But why are they together?

 

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the two separated ways. The guy heads to the Students’ Affairs office while Eunji faced the building where her gaze landed to Chanyeol who was giving her what seemed to be a begrudging look. 

 

 “Oh Chanyeol!” She said, still feeling elated, as she waved her arms and ran to where he was.

 

“I’m Park Chanyeol not Oh Chanyeol.” He said nonchalantly.

 

“Is that a joke?” She asked sitting beside him. 

 

“Isn’t it funny?” He grinned.

 

Eunji glared at his failed attempt, “Try harder.”

 

He clapped his hand together, “A girl who just got dumped skipped her class to go out with the same guy who dumped her. Hahaha! What a masochist.”

 

Eunji did not waste time and hit his back. 

 

Chanyeol cried in pain, “And a sadist too! Yah, Eunji how high is your tolerance with pain really? How can you skip class to go out with that guy?”

 

“First of all, I was not dumped.” She explained. “Secondly, I had to skip class because I needed to settle things with him.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, “So did you get dumped officially?”

 

 Eunji shot him a glare. “We talked about what happened and conceded that we’re better off as friends. I think that’s for the better too.”

 

“Oh so he friendzoned you?”

 

“ you.”

 

He laughed hysterically at her curse. 

 

“What are you doing here anyway?” Eunji asked looking at him.

 

Chanyeol paused momentarily. “Right, I’m looking for you.”

 

“You have found me.” Eunji said. “What now?”

 

“That’s it. I just felt like looking for you.” He mumbled which made Eunji’s insides somersault. She broke away from staring at him. 

 

“You’re weird.” She told him, unsure of what else to say. 

 

“I am.” Chanyeol just beamed, a dimple flashing on his cheek.