The groups were chatting excitedly about their upcoming Byunghun’s and year-end birthday party when Yuri came running. She didn’t usually come late, but lately she’s been coming late for their gathering. She seemed to be doing something in secret since Sina and Yoomi weren’t notified about her reason.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she put down her bad and slumped to the couch.

They were grabbing their brunch in a new coffee shop in Itaewon and it was an antique looking coffee shop owned by two Frenchmen.

The groups noticed more to a girl standing next to Yuri. Yuri signaled her to sit down in a nearby couch next to her. Yuri didn’t seem to notice the groups were looking at the girl since she didn’t say anything, and raised her hand to order something instead.

“Noona, who is she?” Jonghyun finally asked.

Yuri put down her menu and looked at Jonghyun then to the girl. “Oh! I forget to introduce her. She’s my neighbor. Her mother told me to take her along. Her name is Choi Chaagu. She’s your age, Changhyun, Jonghyun.”

Chaagu nodded her head to the others.

“Wah! Nice to meet you, chingu!” Changhyun retorted happily.

Yuri introduced them one by one to Chaagu. Minsoo, Chanhee, Byunghun, and Niel told her to informally call them oppa, instead of using formal form—which she did happily.

 “You’re cute,” suddenly Byunghun said, smiling. He seemed to be in happy mood that day.

The others looked at Byunghun in disbelief, especially Yuri. She looked at Byunghun and to Chaagu—who flushed red while muttering ‘thank you, oppa’. Yoomi and Sina looked at each other, then looked at Yuri with horrified look.

Chanhee—who was sensing something—quickly said, “Yes, you’re cute. Isn’t she, guys?”

Changhyun and Jonghyun put up their thumbs in agreement, making Chaagu blushed more.

Niel looked at Sina, “Can I say that too, noona?”

Sina chuckled, and said in serious tone. “Nope.”

“Okay. You’re so-so, Chaagu,” he said, laughing.

“Isn’t that a bit rude, Niel ah?” Byunghun said.

They laughed, quickly forgetting what Byunghun said as they were immersed in the party planning again. But Yuri grew uneasy. She kept glancing Chaagu whom she caught staring at Byunghun.

                Since that day forth, Chaagu joined their gathering, since she’s befriending Changhyun and Jonghyun. She’s easy to befriend too, so she didn’t have any problem interacting with them. She seemed to be paying more attention to Byunghun—who still acted indifferently and treated her like a younger sister.

This put Yuri on alert every time and she grew more anxious than ever. She’s already on hard position winning Byunghun’s heart over a girl she never met whom lived in America, now she had to face another one? Her main problem was that Byunghun was somewhat too friendly (to anyone) and she’s scared that Chaagu might misinterpret his action.

That day Byunghun was in high festive mood since it’s his birthday and everyone gathered in his house, celebrating his birthday by throwing small birthday party. He seemed to be very happy since he talked and joked a lot. What made him happy probably his friends’ effort to spend his birthday together, all of them, with Chaagu as well.

After feast time, they decided to play some games since Minsoo just bought a new video game. A fighting game, the newest one, the one he spent so much money on.

“YESS!! I WIN! AGAIN!” Sina screamed happily while jumping around, Changhyun jumped around with her.

Jonghyun clapped his hands, amazed. “Waah!! Noona daebak! Noona wins four times in a row!”

Niel leaned on his hands while nodding, tutting Minsoo who groaned in annoyance. “Hyung, you just got beaten by a girl. Four times.”

Minsoo growled at Niel, threatening him with his fist. He turned to Sina, who’s still doing her victory jump with Changhyun. “Ya! You cheat! How can you play game by mashing all the buttons like that!? You didn’t use any technique! You cheat!”

Sina stopped and placed her hands on her hips. “Who cares about the technique? The most important thing is that I win, and that’s all.” She scoffed. “Minsoo, be a man and admit your lose.”

Minsoo blinked couple of times. Talk about sarcasm, he would never win against Sina.

Niel laughed hard at his girlfriend’s words. That day everything sounded funny for him.

Niel’s laugh only made Minsoo get angrier. “Fine! One more round! I bet on my fortune this time!”

Jonghyun whistled. “Oho… hyung, you’ll lose everything.”

Chanhee looked up from his book, interested in the turn of event just now. Fortune? They were betting their fortune for playing games.

Sina shook her head. “I’m not interested with your fortune. Buy me a basket of pastries from Café Noir. CALL?”

Changhyun reacted first. “CALL!!” he shouted.

That pastries cost more than they could imagine. And eating those delicacies for free was his dream come true—well, Sina’s too. One pastries cost more than 5,000 won and a basket… would be… let’s just imagined that it cost more than they could afford.

“YA! MWORAGO?!” Minsoo shouted at Changhyun, kicking him.

“Hyung! Why should you do that!?” he wailed, spreading aegyo everywhere.

Sina stood between them two. “Okay, take it or leave it?” she asked, challenging Minsoo in such a tone that he really hated.

He inhaled. “CALL!”

Sina grabbed her joystick and get ready with her character.

Chaagu, who were watching them, sitting side by side with Chanhee—who was reading while crossing his legs, said, “Oppa, aren’t you bored playing that game?”

Minsoo and Sina didn’t reply since they were already immersed in their game. Jonghyun grabbed his phone and started recording their gameplay, while Changhyun stuck close to Sina, cheering on her to win—this annoyed Minsoo. Niel turned to Chaagu.

“It’s fun watching them like this.”

Chaagu leaned back on the couch, watching someone playing game was definitely not in the definition of ‘fun’ for her. She looked around and noticed that Byunghun was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Byunghun oppa?” she asked.

The others didn’t seem to listen, since they were seriously watching Minsoo vs. Sina.

“SINA! Stop playing games and help us clean up!” Yuri screamed from the kitchen.

Sina didn’t even look up from her game. “JUST ONE GAME!”

Yuri sighed and put the plates on another. She walked to the sink, where Yoomi diligently washed the dishes they used.

“That kid, she is always like that whenever they’re playing game,” Yuri said. “I don’t understand what’s so interesting on those games.”

Yoomi only laughed. “And Minsoo is no different.”

“They’re betting on everything, Yoomi. Minsoo might get broke and you get nothing.”

Yoomi laughed again, while putting a dry plate in the shelves. “Ahahahaha. His love is enough for me.”

Yuri flinched. “Eww… talk about cheesy, Yoomi.”

Yoomi laughed. “You will never know until you feel it yourself, Yuri.”

Yuri raised one eyebrow. “Sina doesn’t look like that. She’s still as childish and clueless as ever.”

Just then they heard Sina’s scream followed by the trio’s cheering. Then, Minsoo shouted in annoyance.

“Listen to her,” Yuri whined.

They paused when they heard a piano sound. They looked at each other. That piano. The only person who could play it only Byunghun. Yuri always loved Byunghun’s piano playing, so she stopped and listened.

“Hey, go to him,” Yoomi whispered.

Yuri blushed. “What?? How can I do that?! It will be awkward!”

Yoomi pushed Yuri out from the kitchen. “No, it won’t. Just go there! Come on! I will get Sina and Chaagu to help me with these. GO ON!”

Yuri hesitated, but she nodded and walked to the piano room. The piano sound grew stronger and she paused in front of the slightly opened door for a couple of seconds before walking in.

Byunghun’s hands kept moving in the piano keys as he looked up when Yuri walked in. He smiled, not minding her presence in the room. Yuri had to struggle to keep herself from fainting. The orange color from the sunset behind him and the transparent curtain swayed gave him miraculous light effect, as if he wasn’t real. As if he’s too beautiful to be real.

Yuri dragged herself to walk closer and stopped next to the piano, watching Byunghun playing in silent. She didn’t know why she did it. She just did, as if in trance, as if she didn’t realize it and the next moment she was there.

“Want to sing a song?” Byunghun said, waking her up from her trance.

“Uhh… what song?”

He played some tunes, and she realized it. It was one of her favorite songs. She listened to it a lot, in karaoke booth, in her ipod. She hummed it, a lot. She just didn’t think Byunghun would remember it, let alone knowing it her favorite song.

As Yuri froze, Byunghun looked up again. “Why? Isn’t this your favorite song? It’s not?” he asked.

Yuri blushed. He remembered! He knew! “This is my favorite song…” she whispered.

“Then, sing it.”

They used to be in the same musical school club, and Yuri was pretty good in singing. Although she had loud voice, whenever she sung, she changed into someone else. Well, she had gentle and soft voice. And in that voice, she sung, accompanied by Byunghun’s piano tunes. Yuri casually sat next to Byunghun’s in the piano seat, and kept on singing. Yuri smiled a bit when she saw Byunghun’s lips curled up into smile.

They didn’t know that Chaagu was watching from outside the door. She could feel a pang in her heart. Her heart pained so much. She had fallen in love with Byunghun, but seeing them like that, she couldn’t help but feeling lost. She sensed it. She roughly guessed Yuri’s crush, but she opted to ignore it. She liked Byunghun, and she’s willing to play fair to get his love. But now?

“Are you okay?”

Chaagu turned in surprise and quickly wiped away her tears, finding Chanhee standing next to her. “Oh, oppa….”

Chanhee glanced into the room and casually said, “Yuri likes Byunghun.”

Although she already knew, the truth still pained her. “Yuri eonni?”

She’s broken-hearted.

Chanhee nodded and gave her a caring stare. He patted her shoulders. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She felt like crying and Chanhee’s sweet voice helped comforting her. She couldn’t walk in to the living room looking like this. They would start asking questions. Chaagu hung her head low and nodded. Chanhee agreed and took her to the breezy balcony.

When they finished their song, the doorbell rang. Yuri stood up quickly and offered to open the door. But Byunghun insisted that he’s the host, so he should do it. Yuri still tagged along behind Byunghun as he walked to the front door.

The cold breeze whooshed into the house as Byunghun opened the door. He froze when he saw a girl standing just outside his door. Yuri, who was behind him, wondered why he didn’t say anything, but when she looked at his expression, she could roughly guess who this girl was.

“Hello, Byunghun-ah. Long time no see,” the girl said, smiling sweetly.

Byunghun said nothing, then in a very low voice. “You’re here, Ahreum…”