“Lauren!” Yoogeun called loudly.

The girl playing with the puppy poodle popped her head up in his direction. She smiled brightly when she saw him across the street. Then she stopped what she was doing, stood up and waved her hands excitedly over her head at him in an arch.

“Hey!” Her voice was loud but yet incredibly sweet.

Yoogeun wondered if all that sugar she ate daily changed her physical characteristics as he didn't remember her always being like that. If he'd paid more attention in his science class, he'd probably know whether that was possible or not. With an easy smile, Yoogeun strolled over towards her, putting the evidence of his hobby away, though Lauren was one of the only people he was okay with knowing about it. He didn't want others to make fun of him for not being manly. His best friend, Lauren, however was incredibly non-judgmental.

“Hey guys! Beautiful morning, isn't it?” came a cheerful voice that was just slightly naisely in a unique, distinctive way.

Yoogeun groaned as he glanced over at the street on his left. There Kyungsan was coming to spoil another morning. He hardly ever got a chance to talk with Lauren alone anymore because this kid had such rotten timing. Not that there was anything special Yoogeun wanted to talk about in particular, but it was just Lauren was the only person he enjoyed having more than a one minute conversation with and loudmouth Kyungsan always manipulated the whole talk so he couldn't even have thirty seconds.

“Noona, you look pretty today! New clothes?” Kyungsan looked her over appreciatively and gave her a sweet, youthful smile as she walked up to him.

They were coming Yoogeun's way because that's where the bus picked them up to take them to their private school every morning. Which was why they could wear whatever they wanted instead of the usual mandatory suit or skirt uniforms.

“Thanks, Kyungsan. It is. You always notice those things.”

“Hello~ Best friend here,” he replied like that was an obvious answer, pointing a long finger at his button nose.

Lauren laughed brightly in this attractive twinkling fashion, her big eyes squinting into a cute eye-smile. “Yoogeun never notices these things, not even if I were to cut my hair short.”

“I would to notice that,” Yoogeun grumbled under his breath though no one heard him, absently flipping pages on his iPhone to not make it obvious he was waiting for them and listening.

“Yoogeunnie hyung isn't interested in girls.....” Kyungsan whispered, leaning in close to her ear.

“How do you know that?” Lauren asked doubtfully and pushed his shoulder.

“Best friends know everything,” he winked and adjusted the straps of his red backpack, straightening up to his full height.

Kyungsan was catching up to Yoogeun a centimeter a month now and both of them were approaching staggering, nose-bleed worthy height.

“Hyung, what's up? Do you have a game or just practice today?” he asked, turning to Yoogeun who they were walking up to with an innocent, overly sweet grin.

“Just practice,” Yoogeun answered curtly, still flipping through his phone without looking at them.

He pulled up a game app and started exploding aliens rapidly with a wide, thick thumb.

“Did you do any of your homework? You look like you slept all day and just woke up.” Lauren asked suspiciously.

When he didn't answer, Lauren came to his side and cocked her head to see him since his was bent down. Her long, chestnut waves fell off her shoulder and grazed his hand with a silky-smooth texture. Her big doe eyes looked ginormous from that angle so close and he couldn't help glance at her. Only because she was invading his space.

He stepped back and kept playing. She giggled in that mischievous, amused way she had and stepped close again. This happened for a few more seconds until Yoogeun gave in. He pocketed his phone with a sigh.

Then he flicked her forehead softly in his habit of years. “You're annoying, Ren. Go bug Kyungsan.”

“What are you saying? She doesn't bug me at all. You just are no fun, you weirdo.”

Kyungsan wrapped an arm around Lauren's shoulders, pulling her away, as she stuck her tongue childishly out at Yoogeun. Kyungsan took out his phone and they made funny faces as he snapped pictures. Then they laughed hysterically as they distorted their own faces into odd shapes. Yoogeun scoffed but couldn’t help but smile as he watched them.

He may not have much in common with them nor have the same idea of what was fun and his personality was opposite from theirs, but after all Lauren and Kyungsan were friends he cherished. They'd played together since before they could even speak properly. Another thing that made them feel united was that their parents were famous, putting them in the same boat in many ways. That didn't always make school life or making friends easy as judgment was often given, people felt distant, and when there were parents that told their kids not to talk to them. There was a stereotype that they were stuck-up or that their parents would use their status for revenge if they didn't get their