“Wow.”

“Just….wow.”

“You said it….wow.”

You forced yourself to pull yourself together. You picked up your head and what remained of your obliterated reputation and decomposed dignity. No, you did not just yell in despair. You did not just whimper like some baby.

You stood up on wobbly legs and turned away from the witnesses of your public defeat, Nunji’s annoying wink now clicking into place. Of course with the way her obscure mind worked, she thought she was doing you a favor by abandoning and humiliating you. You slowly started walking to the bus stop.

There was a reason you recognized the despair and unfairness in poor Hyuk’s eyes. You’ve had that look for as long as you had that…that…That as a sister.

“Mikyung noona?” Hyuk walked up next to you. It was only now you noticed the rest of them following you. You frowned at him and looked into the eyes that mirrored yours. Suddenly you were pulled into his arms, away from the arms that had remained around you since That had left. “NOONAAAAAA! We’re the same! I’m SOOOOO SOOORRRYYYYY~!”

Sadly, you knew what he was sorry for.

You patted his back in consolation while standing feet away from the bus stop.

“Wow.”

You felt hands on your shoulders trying to pry you from the clinging maknae. Hyuk only held onto you more.

“Now, now Hyukie, let go of your Mikyung noona,” you heard N say soothingly. The hands that were trying to pull you from the boy became more insistent.

“Yah, let her go!” Ravi’s voice sounded like it was struggling.

“Make him let her go!” Hongbin shouted.

“Noona noona noona,” Hyuk mumbled.

N was trying to extract the young boy’s arms from around you. “Hyukie? Listen to your N-hyung and move away from her.”

You only stood immobile letting Hyuk get out all of his emotions.

“Argh!” The yell was slowly processing in your mind.

“My grip is slipping!” Hongbin’s voice registered.

Ravi yelled back, “Don’t let go!”

“Don’t let him go!” Ken ordered the both of them. His voice was from directly behind you. He was the one that was trying to pull you from Hyuk’s death grip which was slowly getting tighter and tighter.

Hyuk was turning the both of you away from the hands that were trying to separate the two of you. It was as he was spinning you away that you saw Hongbin and Ravi straining to hold Taekwoon in place. Taekwoon was glaring at you and Hyuk and then you met his eyes.

At that moment, Hyuk squeezed you more and the pain made you wince.

“Noooo!” Hongbin lost his grip as Taekwoon lunged forward. Ravi gritted his teeth and locked his arms around the older boy but he couldn’t hold him anymore.

“Han Sanghyuk! If you value your life, let go!”

The grip successfully pulled you from the boy and everything moved fast as you were quickly spun around and pushed into Taekwoon’s charging body.

Neither you nor Taekwoon expected this development and you grabbed onto his sweater so you wouldn’t fall over as your bodies collided. Taekwoon secured his arms around you.

“Wow.”

N pushed the youngest boy to the gaping Hongbin “Get Hyukie away from here!  Stat! You live the closest to him!”

Hongbin blinked and nodded once.  And…disappeared.

All was right in the world as more familiar arms tightened around you.

“Just wow.”

You were in a daze as you took a step further into the warmth the cradle his arms provided. A moment later, he stepped away from you, taking that warmth with him and you pouted at him.

You stared into each other’s eyes.

“Awwww, aren’t they the cutest thing!” Ken had his phone out and a flash engulfed you and Taekwoon.

You blinked and the moment was gone. You both looked away from each other at the same time and you felt your face heating up.

“Leo-hyung is blushing?” Ravi took a step closer to get a better look.

“Yah, don’t you see the line they’ve drawn? Leave them alone,” N was beaming though.

You fixed your bag that was hanging lopsided on your back just to have something to do with your arms. You snuck a peek at what Taekwoon was doing and caught his eyes again. Once again, you both looked away just in time to see a bus drive down the road toward you all.

“What bus number is that?”

“It’s mine! Nooo! I want to see more of the Leo-hyung and Mikyungie show!” Ken was in despair. He gripped onto N’s arm, “Tomorrow, you must tell me about what happened, okay?” He didn’t wait for an answer and got on the bus as soon as the bus door opened. “Ahjussi! You just missed the most beautiful sight!” The bus driver just closed the door with an immune face. He must be used to him already.

It was quiet as the bus pulled away and you and Taekwoon stood next to each other.

N spoke up, “So,” he smiled, “Are we all going to the supermarket together? I don’t have to be home for a while since my little brother has cram school and my parents are working.”

“I have time,” Ravi nodded.

You were shocked and N smiled wider at you.

“Of course we’ll go with you Mikyungie. I think your sister probably doesn’t want you to go by yourself and trusts us with you.”

Her wink popped up in your mind.

You only nodded when you got over your shock.

“I can’t.” The reply came from next to you and the shock came back. He was staring down at his shoes and mumbled something.

“What Taekwoon-ah?” N leaned closer to him.

Ravi did the same, “Can you repeat yourself hyung?”

For a while he didn’t say anything and you leaned over while ducking your head so you could look at his face. He turned away from you and mumbled to N and Ravi.

“She called you?” Ravi said it without thinking. N pushed him.