Howon arrived at the mansion to find them all looking at him with amused smile, yet with playful one on their face. Except for Sungjong snd Dongwoo..

He looked at them dump fondly..

“What?”

“who’s she?”

“When did you met her?”

“Since when you are two together?”

“why didn’t you tell us?”

They attacked him with endless questions, demanding an answers about the girl she was with him earlier.

Immediately, he looked at the only two who knew about her, but they raised their hand in surrender.

“Don’t look at them, we saw you today…at the café’..” Sungyeol started. “so…who’s she?” He wiggled his eyebrows to him.

Hoya looked at them, desperate op escape the choding unending questions, but gave up anyway.

“Fine, I’ll tell you…”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Bomi reached to the key on her pocket and was about to insert it on the key holder when the door of her neighbor cracked open. She turned around to see him.

“Aish, this stupid old door..” Baekhyun said scrunching his face at the sound.

“Oh, Bomi-yah..Hey..” he said more brightly when he noticed her.

“hey..” she waid waving slightly at him.

“I didn’t see you the whole day. You must be really working hard..”

“Not actually. We closed for the vacation..” She answered grinning.

“Oh!! Lucky you…” He said pouting a little and Bomi couldn’t help but to wonder is he always that cute..

“A-are you going somewhere..?” she asked, noticing his formal clothes.
“Oh, my night shift at the café will start soon…” He looked at his watch

 “ I should be going, I don’t want to be late…Bye Bye Bomi” He said before running off.

She looked at his figure as he ran off, before turning around to enter her apartment.

Bomi slumped down on her bed, tired and ready to sleep, but she couldn’t close an eye.

“Am I really going to their celebration?”

She is still surprised about hersefl. How she accepted to join them. She even have thoughts of how the first meeting will be-based on what Howon told her.

It’s the first tim for her and she prays not to do anything that will impress her in front of them. She just hopped for everything to be as he described for her..

And just like he said, they were truly like that.

Once she stepped a foot on their house or should she say mansion, she was welcomed with the familiar faces of Sungjong and Dongwoo. To which she was relieved to see them first.

After them were standing the kind-hearted couple as Howon mentioned.

“Hello, I’m Sunggyu and this is my wife Seongyeonnie, nice to meet you..” he said smiling widely, his eyes almost disappearing, a hand extanded to her while the other around his wife waist.

“I’m Seongeon, but feel free to call me onnie okay..” she said hugging Bomi that took her by surprised a little. Sister hugs? Now this is a first for her..

“and finally, another girl with me, God really heard my prayers” she whispered before breaking the hug and Bomi giggled to that.

“yah, what did you said to her?” Sunggyu asked ,annoyed.

“Why? You are jealous?” Seongyeon looked at him patting her eyelash while her hand wrapped around his left arm.

Sunggyu looked down at her with a loving eyes.

“I can’t help, even if it’s a gir-“

“Okay…Okay…later guys..”

Howon cut them off by outting his hands on Bomi’s shoulder guiding her away from them.

Bomi smiled to herself at the loely couple and how she wished if she will ever live until that moment on her life.

“Yeol…” Howon voice cut her thought and she looked at the said man.

“Hey, Bomi right!!! I’m Sungyeol, nice to meet you~~” The tallest boy said loudly..Bomi nodded to him.

“ and I’m Myungsoo, Sungyeol’s cousin..nice to meet you…” he smiled at her, showing his sweet dimples.

“Bomi…..nice to meet you too..” she replied.

“one is missing , where is Woohyun?’ Howon asked . and just the, the said man came out of the kitchen, drying his hand by the small white towl and placing it on the table next to the door.

“You must be Bomi, I’m Woohyun,nice to meet you” he said, as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Bomi was taken back by the mesmerizing action. He is sure a lady’s man. As Howon mentioned to her.

Howon who observed the two, quickly grabbed Bomi from him and took her away to set on the single sofa.

*Jaelouse, haa !!*

*shut up Woohyun*

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

They took their seat around the dining table, chatting about different things, and eating different kinds of meals, that Bomi found later that they were cooked by Seongyeon and Woohyun, the two top chef of the group as they claimed.

The gathering was filled with laughter, a jokes were throwing here and there. Along with other pranks pulled by the trouble maker. And she found it easy to smile around them. Not a fake one, but a real, honest one.

Howon glanced at her for a second and he swear he would trade anything-his life if needed- to just keep that smile on her face.

They had finished their dinner and were setting in their large living room, watching TV while chatting, and Bomi thinks that her first time seeing such a noise. Is that weird!!

Seongyeon entered the living room with a tray on her hand.

“Hot Chocolate on your serve..” She announced and the boy start shouting. Each want their own cups. She gave them their drinks and when it was Bomi’s turn she said..

“Hold on a second, I’m taking you out of this mess…” She said placing the tray on the table and holding up the two cup of Hot Chocolate, motioning for Bomi to follow her.

They went to set on the balcony. Bomi was amazed by the size of their balcony, and how it have another set of sofas and coffee table.

“Ah, finally a fresh air…” Seongyeon said as she inhaled deeply. “it’s probably new to you…..I mean the noises they are making….” She started  “but you’ll get used to it by the time.” She smiled to her and Bomi smiled in return.

“here…” she gave Bomi her cup..” let’s have a seat..”

The two girls sat on the balcony’s sofa drinking their hot chocolate on the fresh yet cold night air, away from the noisy living room where the men are seated.

“so, Bomi , Howon told me that you had just moved to this town..”Seongyeon started

“yeah..”

“You are here alone? Or you are here with your family?”

Bomi’s face became blank at the mention of her family. Mixed emotion engulfed her at once; pain, hurt, anger, remembering the accident, and how they all died in front of her eyes, leaving her alone on this cruel world. Leaving her alone to no one.

But just like every time someone ask her about them, swallowing the lump that she didn’t know when it formed and put her painful memory aside.

“No, my family are dead..I am here alone.” She said with a dry smile.

Seongyeon looked at her shocked, not knowing what to do. She also lost her family, they are not dead, no, but it was their choice to leave her.

“I-Im sorry.” She said, not knowing what he right words to say to her in that moment.

“you don’t have to apologize, it was a long time ago. I’m fine now, really” Bomi said, looking down at her lap.

But Seongyeon know better , she know she is lying, she know she is not right. She know she is fighting with her own emotion. While on the outside she act as if she is OK. Because Seongyeon can see that clearly. Because she, too, can read the mind.

“my family abandoned me…” She said, gaining Bomi attention. “it was just because of a different opinions, likes, and beliefs…….But just like that…. They choose the power over me, over their own daughter…” she smiled bitterly.

Bomi’s heart sunk to the ground after hearing that. And here she thought she had the most painful story on the world!!  But no, here she is listening to SEongyeon story, her heart hurting for her.  Her family died on accident , it wasn’t their choice, but poor Seongyeonnie, her family is alive out they abandoned her for something, although she didn’t get what she meant by power. She understand her, too.

“so, I think we share something on common..” she sighed and looked at Bomi.

“yeah, I guess.” Bomi answered weakly.

“you know, all of us here are having our own different story” Seongyeon said, looking back at the 7 men on the living room.

Bomi looked at the same direction as Seongyeon, seeing them all laughing and chatting happily while watching some sort of programs.

‘did they have a painful memory …..Did they went through that kind of heartache on their life……Did he too?’

And her eyes glued at a certain someone. Seeing him sipping his drink while he smile along with his friends, showing his canine teeth. He is handsome like that, with that smile, and she can’t imagine him with other than that.

“Oh, I just ruined the mood” Seongyeon exclaimed “ We are here to celebrate, not to shed some tears….. Oh let me tell you about that day we all went out together…..”

She start telling Bomi a stories about them. While Bomi paid a full attention to her. Laughing along with her. Unknowingly to the many time she smiled that day while being with her.

And not aware to the pair of eyes watching her all the time through the balcony glass, as she smile or laugh. Turning her chocolate-like eyes to a crimson one. His heart skips a beat. Her beauty can’t be denied.

So he decided to join them….

“…….and he end up laying on that sofa the whole day…..” Seongyeon finished off, laughing hardly.

“and who’s that you are talking about?’ He walked to the, taking his seat next to Bomi.

“I just told her about the prank Sungyeol pulled on our maknae Sungjongie last week..” She said still laughing.

“Oh, that… my poor brother….” He said as he shook his head.

“Ah, let me go and check on my husband..” Seongyeon excused herself  to go to Sunggyu, and giving them some time alone.

Hoya looked at Bomi, her side profile was facing him. The smile still lingering on her beautiful face, while fuddling with her dress. As innocent as child. And so, he observed her closely, her eyes, her nose, and finally her lips. She is perfectly beautiful.

“..are you enjoying your time here?” he said, cutting off the silence between them, and catching her attention.

“yeah , I am..” she said looking directly at his eyes.

“thank you, Oppa..”. she said softly, darting her eyes from him and back to her lap.

Oppa ..?

Did he hear it right?

Did she just called him oppa?

His heart is beating in an unusual pace. A smile plastered on his face but deep down he is screaming crazily , like he got the happiness of the world. His eyes never leaving her as he looked at her closely.

“Come with me,  I’ll show you something”

He said, extending his hand for her to take it.

Bomi looked at him questioningly, but nevertheless, she took his hand.

“Beautiful….”

The word slipped out of unconsciously.

He had taken her out of the balcony, climbing few stairs, and to the rooftop of their mansion.

The vies was mesmerizing for her. The light from the town looked like a twinkling stars, right from where she stand. Everything looks so small, so small as if she owned it all.

Despite the cold breezy weather, she stood by the brink looking at all these lights with an amused smile, like a little kid.

“I know right..” Hoya answered back “ I come here to clear my mind whenever there is something bothering me….it’s quite and it calmed me here….”

She hummed in response before the silence engulfed the two of them.

“How about we keep it as our hanging place?” He questioned her , looking at her.

Bomi looked at him with a smile, acceptance evidently clear. And that what amused her the most . How she can’t say no to him, and to him only . It’s as if he has some kind of special power over her, whenever they are together.

Howon looked at her as she rubbed her arms up and down to warm herself. He can tell she was freezing . and he don’t blame her, she can’t stand the cold like them.

So he take off his dark blue jacket and put it on her shoulder, taking her by surprise as he turned her body to face him fully. Tightening the jacket protectively around her petite body.  Using his right hand to brush the strand of her hair away from her face.

“I don’t want you to catch a cold” He whispered, a little bit above the normal. His eyes is pouring down on her with many emotions she can’t even tell.

His face is too close to her. Too close that his breath is hitting her face softly. Too close that her breath become uneven . Too close that her heart beat is acting weird. Too close that her stomach twisted but in a funny way.

“GUYS………….  We are going to count now”

They heard Sungjong voice, breaking them out of their moment . calling out for them to come down, because they will start counting down for the new year.

Howon looked at Bomi with a warm smile. Taking her hand.

 “ Let’s go..”