"Hey." An eight-year-old Youngmin looked at me with very serious eyes. "I don't like having to share you with Kwangmin."

 

"What??" Seven-year-old me blushed bright pink.

 

"Let's make a secret sign language. Just for us."

 

So we made a secret sign language.

 

That was almost nine years ago. Now I'm sixteen, and still hanging around with my neighbors, the Jo twins. And I'm sure Youngmin doesn't remember it, but it's always been a memory precious to me.

 

"Good morning!!" Kwangmin oppa jumped in through my kitchen window.

 

"Morning, oppa. Want some breakfast?" I tossed a slice of toast in his direction, which he caught with his mouth.

 

I heard a familiar sigh from the doorway, and my heart skipped a beat.

 

"Can't you guys ever at least act normal? Like, not entering a house through a window or throwing breakfast?" Youngmin oppa was shaking his head, but there was a small (and cute) smile on his face.

 

"Oh, um, good morning, oppa. Didn't see you there," I said awkwardly.

 

He smiled at me, and I hoped my face wasn't red."Good morning."

 

For some reason, lately I've been really nervous around Youngmin. Why?! We've been neighbors since we were little!! But, for some reason, I feel...

 

"Let's get to school," Youngmin said, interrupting my thoughts. "I don't want to be late again, thanks to Kwangmin over there."

 

"Keke." Kwangmin grinned. 

 

We left the house, and walked for about ten minutes, when...

 

Kwangmin's grin disappeared. "Oh no. You guys, I just remembered." He frantically searched his backpack. "Yup, looks like I left  my homework at home."

 

"We are not waiting for you." Youngmin's arm was brushing mine, which caused my heart to beat so hard I was sure he could hear it.

 

"I know, I know. See you later." Kwangmin waved and skipped back toward his house.

 

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. I'm alone with Youngmin. What am I supposed to do?!! I feel so--

 

"Are you okay?" Youngmin stood in front of me and looked me right in the eyes. "You're red. Are you sure you don't have a fever? Do you need to stay home?" He reached out to feel the temperature of my forehead, and--

 

"WAIT!" I felt myself slap his hand away.

 

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!! What did I just do?!

 

I saw the very hurt look in his eyes. Oh no. "Oppa," I started. "I didn't mean to--"

 

"No. It's fine." He took half a step away from me and started walking again.

 

And, suddenly, I missed his closeness. I wished I had let him touch my forehead.

 

Oh no.

 

I'm in love.

 

I'm such an idiot. What am I doing? 

 

 

YOUNGMIN'S POV

 

Ever since she slapped my hand away, she's been acting weird. Even weirder than usual.

 

"Maybe it's loveeee." Kwangmin grinned at me when I told him.

 

"Yeah, right." I wouldn't be that lucky.

 

"Well, then you should just ask her."

 

I shook my head. "You don't understand. She... Well, she doesn't really... Talk to me."

 

Kwangmin was already lost. "What do you mean?"

 

"I mean, whenever we're together she just kind of... Leaves. Like, she always has some kind of excuse to leave." I frowned, remembering what happened just earlier today. 

 

Kwangmin had to run to his after school job (he's saving up for some rare Pikachu doll or something). So, the moment we were alone, she suddenly said she had to go to the store. I offered to go with her, but she told me she'd rather go alone and then just ran off.

 

"She probably hates me." I sighed, upset. I almost wanted to cry at the thought. I can't believe she made me fall this hard. I've loved her since I was a kid.

 

Kwangmin shrugged. "If you don't ask her, you'll never know."

 

He was right. But how can I talk to someone who won't talk to me?

 

 

HEROINE'S POV

 

Ever since I realized I loved him, I've been even more awkward than normal. I have to escape every time we're alone together.

 

I'm such a coward. I sighed unhappily to myself.

 

"What's wrong??" Kwangmin oppa's face appeared in the open window.

 

I almost had a heart attack. "Don't do that!! I almost passed out!!!"

 

"Oh, sorry." He jumped into my kitchen. "Hyung's pretty upset because he thinks you hate him. Do you??"

 

I felt my eyes go wide. "No, not at all!!"

 

"Then what's wrong?" He walked over to the fridge and started looking through it.

 

"I..." I took a deep breath. I should get Kwangmin's advice. He is his twin, after all. "I think I'm in love with Youngmin oppa." 

 

Kwangmin dropped the apple he was about to eat. "Wh-what?!

 

I stared at the ground, suddenly very embarrassed.

 

"WOW! I can't believe it!!" He walked over and patted me on the back. "You picked a very attractive person."

 

"That's enough of the identical twin jokes. What should I do?!" I buried my face in my hands.

 

"Confess!!"

 

I peeked out from between my fingers. "I can't do something like that!! Are you crazy?! I can't even talk to him!!"

 

"Hm..." He picked the apple off the ground and shined it on his shirt. "Well then, find a way to tell him without words." And, with that, he jumped back out the window.

 

YOUNGMIN'S POV

 

I'm going to confess.

 

Even if she hates me, I have to tell her my feelings. Even if she doesn't want to talk to me. 

 

I'll just have to confess without words.

 

 

HEROINE'S POV

 

I took a deep breath. This was it. It was time to tell him how I felt.

 

Kwangmin told me he had everything planned. Youngmin oppa and I were going to be a safe distance from each other, so I wouldn't want to run away. But we would be close enough for us to see each other.

 

Close enough to confess without words.

 

I took another deep breath and looked out my window.

 

Youngmin was looking at me from his.

 

Our second story windows were only separated by about six feet.

 

Let's see if he remembers our code.

 

Hi, I said in our code. Three claps.

 

Kwangmin said you wanted to talk to me, he signed back.

 

Yeah, I signed.

 

Suddenly, I felt my face turn red. What are you doing? He treats you like a sister, and you're going to confess?!

 

No. I'm not going to be a coward. I took a final deep breath and prepared to sign "I love you."

 

But he beat me to it.

 

I saw it in slow motion. I. Two taps to the center of the chest. Love. Arms crossed like you were hugging yourself. You. One tap to the top of the nose.

 

He told me he loved me.

 

He loves me.

 

And suddenly there were tears streaming down my cheeks. Meet me outside, I signed. One of our favorite phrases from when we were little.

 

He nodded.

 

I ran down the stairs and opened the door so fast I thought I tore it off it's hinges. He was out just as fast.

 

We met halfway. I threw my arms around him and cried into his chest in complete and utter happiness. "I love you!!"

 

I felt his arms go around me, hugging me even tighter to him. "I love you too," he whispered into my hair.

 

I pulled back and saw he had let a tear slip. I laughed. "You're so sensitive, oppa!"

 

"I'm sensitive? Look at you!" He laughed and gently wiped away my tears with his sleeve. "I've loved you since we were kids, you know. I love you more and more every day."

 

"No! You're going to make me cry again!!" I smiled up at him through my tears.

 

"Then I'll just have to kiss away your tears." He kissed my cheek.

 

The breeze rustled the trees around us.

 

It sounded a bit like a song without lyrics.