Kikwang slammed his hands on the table. “Arrgh! I can’t take this anymore!” He shouted.

“Kikwang, it’s not that hard,” Hyosung frowned. “You’re overreacting,”

“Numbers.. so many numbers.. make em’ stop.. please!” Kikwang clutched his head, and started muttering.

Hyosung pouted her lips. “You’re not taking this seriously..,”

Seohyun giggled, seeing Kikwang’s excessive antics. “Maybe we should take a break?” she suggested.

“Yeah, we’ve been going at this for nearly two hours now. Let’s take a breather,” Yonghwa agreed.

Hyosung considered it for a moment, before relenting. “Fine, I guess it’s pointless to force the issue,”

Kikwang stood up quickly. “Yahoo!” he cheered. “I mean.. sure, if ‘you’ guys can’t take anymore studying, I guess I’ll take a break too, for you guys,” Kikwang said casually.

Seohyun chuckled slightly. She then stood up, and held out an imaginary notebook. “Okay then, I’ll go and buy us some drinks, my treat. Now, may I take your order, sir?” Seohyun continued, and pretended to take orders.

Yonghwa chuckled slightly, before playing along. “I’ll have a Caffè macchiatos, please,” Yonghwa said.

“Excuse me, but don’t you have something like a menu for us to refer to?” Kikwang asked.

“Oh, sorry sir, we’re fresh out of menus,” Seohyun said quickly.

“You’re out of menus?!” exclaimed Kikwang. “Ceh, cheap joint,” Kikwang frowned. “Fine I’ll have whatever it is he’s having, and make it quick,” Kikwang snapped his fingers.

Seohyun pretended to be sorry. “And you, miss?” she asked Hyosung.

Hyosung shook her head. “You guys and your silly games. Fine, I’ll have a.. latte,”

Seohyun jotted their order in her imaginary notebook. “Okay. Would you like to add anything to that order?”

“Oh? You’re pretty good at this,” Kikwang remarked.

“Thank you sir,”

“Let’s see, I’ll have some of that winter scones please,” Kikwang added.

“One moment sir,” Seohyun checked her wallet first, before resuming. “Okay, so three cups of Caffè macchiatos, and one latte,”

“Two cups of macchiatos,” Hyosung corrected her. Seohyun pointed at herself. “Oh right, there’s 4 of us,”

“Wait a minute, where’s my winter scones?!” questioned Kikwang.

Seohyun ignored him. “All right, your order will arrive momentarily,” she continued before bowing out and headed for the counter.

“What about my scones?” Kikwang exclaimed.

“Dude, forget it,” Yonghwa said.

***

“Hey, you guys wanna hear a riddle?” offered Kikwang.

“Hmm? Okay, shoot,” Yonghwa said, leaning back to relax and taking a sip from his mug.

“We’ll start with something simple, ‘why are fish so smart?’,”

Seohyun thought for a moment. “Because they have brains?”

“Nope,”

“Because they live in the sea?” suggested Yonghwa.

“What does that have anything to do with ‘being smart’?”

“Because they study at home?” Hyosung answered.

“Nope,” Kikwang said smugly.

“Because they go to school?” suggested Yonghwa.

“Oh, I know. Because they ‘live in schools’, right?” Seohyun said excitedly.

“Correct!” Kikwang announced. “Next one, ‘I have a long neck, and one big mouth, though I only have six hair, I sing quite well,’, what am I?”

“A bald girl,” Hyosung answered.

“Hehe, not quite,”

“A gossip girl who’s experiencing hair loss,” suggested Seohyun.

“Close, but no,” Kikwang smiled happily.

“I know this one, a guitar,” Yonghwa answered.

“Ah, should’ve known it was too easy for you. Correct,” announced Kikwang. “Okay, next riddle :

            If 1=5,

               2=25

               3=2525

               4=25325

               5= ?

“Wait, is this a math question?” asked Yonghwa.

“Nope, it’s a riddle,” Kikwang smiled smugly.

“Uhm.., 25425?” suggested Seohyun.

“Nope,”

“2543425” Hyosung guessed.

“Ooh, close, but no,”

“252525” Yonghwa tried, and still Kikwang shook his head.

“255255”-“Nope”

“50350”-“Nope”

“12345”-“Nope”

“2554525”-“Nope”

“That’s it we give up, what’s the answer?” Hyosung relented.

“Giving up?” Kikwang asked his friends. “The answers, 1,”

“What?”

“1=5, so 5=1, see, easy as pie,” Kikwang chuckled.

“Ah! why didn’t I see that?!” Yonghwa said, frustrated.

Seohyun laughed. “That’s pretty smart,”

“Thank you, thank you” Kikwang bowed his head, and smiled smugly.

“Ah, can’t believe we lost to you,” Hyosung shook her head slightly.

“Well, what can I say, I’m good,” gloated Kikwang.

“Oh, yeah?! Fine, I’ve got a riddle for you,” Yonghwa challenged him.

“Fine, bring it on,” Kikwang said confidently.

***

“All right, I think we’re done for today,” Hyosung closed her book.

Kikwang leaned back in relief. “Ah, thank goodness. Another minute of that and I think my heads gonna explode,”

“Yeah, I guess it is getting late,” Yonghwa said as he looked out the window. “We should be getting home now,”

“Okay, I’ll go and pay the bill,” Seohyun said, as she started to stand up, and walked towards the counter.

Hyosung was still sitting and packing up her books. “Oh? A book’s missing,” Hyosung realized, as she counted her books.

“Really?” Kikwang asked. “Try looking around under the table,” Kikwang suggested.

“No, it’s not there,” Hyosung frowned.

“It’s not with me,” Yonghwa said.

“Maybe it’s with Seohyun,” suggested Kikwang. “or maybe, it’s in her bag,” Kikwang said as he reached for her bag.

“Is it there?” Hyosung asked.

“Uhm.. wait.. Aha! Found it,” Kikwang said triumphantly, taking out Hyosung’s book from the bag. “I guess she accidentally put it in her bag,” Kikwang said as he was closing the bag. “Oh? Hold on.. what’s this?” Kikwang said as he took out a pile of music sheet from her bag. “Hmm? ‘Gomawoyo’?”

Seohyun was already going back to the table. “Ahh! You can’t see this!” Seohyun yelled as she snatches the music sheet from his hands.

“Are you writing a song?” Yonghwa asked, amused.

Seohyun sighed. “It was supposed to be a secret..,” Seohyun said slowly. “But, I might as well say it now, yup, I’m writing a song,” confessed Seohyun.

“Can I see that?” Yonghwa asked again.

Seohyun hesitated for a moment. “Sure,” she handed him the sheets.

“Wah, Seohyun’s writing a song.. is it finished yet?” asked Kikwang.

“No, I’m still trying to figure out the lyrics, but I think I got the gist of the melody down already,” Seohyun said, contented.

“It’s pretty good,” admitted Yonghwa. “And I suppose you’re trying to say ‘thank you’ with this song?”

“Haha, well, I’d think that much was obvious from the title,” laughed Seohyun.

“Who’re you writing this too? Your parents?” asked Hyosung.

Seohyun giggled hearing the question. “No, silly, it’s for you guys,” Seohyun said casually.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“…”

“That’s why I said..,” she took the music sheets from their hands. “..you guys, aren’t supposed to see this,”

“You’re writing a song.., for us?!” Kikwang asked in disbelief.

“Hehe, yeah,” giggled Seohyun. “I owe you guys a lot, I’m thankful to you, because you’re the one who brought me into your group..,” Seohyun said to Kikwang softly. “..and I’m also thankful to you guys for accepting me, and being such great friends to me. I’ve had so much fun with you guys, and you’re always there to help me when I need you,”

“You know, a normal person would’ve just went with a simple thank you, or maybe, the more special ones, would’ve sent us a thank you card,” mused Yonghwa. “But, you had to go for a brand new song. You’re really something,”

“Wow,” Hyosung thought for a moment. “Can’t wait to hear it, I bet it’s gonna be great,” Hyosung beamed at her.

Seohyun blushed slightly. “Thanks,”

“Then I guess we’ll have to increase your learning sessions then,” Yonghwa said simply.

“Why’s that?”

“So you can finish writing the song faster,”

“Well, this night sure turned out to be pretty great, eh?” Hyosung said. “Kikwang, can you move a bit? I want to go and wash my hands,”

“Sure,” Kikwang said, moving aside to make way for her.

“You know, it’d be faster if I help you with it,” Yonghwa commented.

“No!” Seohyun said hurriedly. “I mean, yeah, but, I’d like to write this on my own. It has more meaning that way,”

Yonghwa thought for a moment. “Fine, if that’s what you want,” Yonghwa nodded his head in agreement.

Kikwang sat there thinking for a moment. “Hmm, you know what, now that I think about it, you’re different than when I first met you,” Kikwang said to her.

“Hmm? How so?” Seohyun wondered.

Kikwang studied her closely. “You seem more upbeat, open, and ‘brighter’, can I use brighter?”

“Brighter?” Seohyun giggled. “Maybe it’s because I’m wearing make up?” suggested Seohyun.

Kikwang thought for a moment. “No, I don’t know how to explain it, but you’re different,”

“Is different bad?” Seohyun asked.

“No, I think I like the new you better,” Kikwang said, smiling.

“Really?” Seohyun asked back.

“Well, I think it doesn’t matter if it’s the new you, or the old you,” Yonghwa added. “as long as you’re Seohyun, I like all of em’,”

Seohyun blushed slightly. “T-thanks,”

Hyosung was slowly coming back from washing her hands. “Oh, Hyosung’s here,” Kikwang said.

When Hyosung was near their table, suddenly one of the waiters serving drinks, slipped. The hot drinks he was carrying was spilling towards Hyosung.

Quick as a flash, Kikwang rushed out of his seat and pulled Hyosung behind him. The boiling hot drinks drenched his shirt, making him fall and burning his skin.

“Kikwang! Are you okay?” Yonghwa rushed over to him. Seohyun looked at Kikwang from behind him, with worried eyes.

“Sir! I’m sorry sir! I’m terribly, terribly sorry!” apologized the waiter, wiping the boiling water from his shirt.

Hyosung was slow to get a grasp on the situation. When she eventually did understand, she rushed over to him. “Kikwang, are you hurt?”

Kikwang looked up at her, smiling, “Nah, it’s fine,” he assured her.

Hyosung’s eyes wandered onto the back of his hands, and saw that the burned skin was starting to bulge. “You’re burnt!”

Kikwang looked at his hands. “Ah, this? It’s okay, only my hands got burned,” Kikwang said simply. “Though, I think I’ll have to take off my shirt though, can’t go home all smelling like coffee, now can I?” Kikwang joked.

“Are you burned anywhere else?! Your clothes! They’re still hot!” Hyosung panicked.

Kikwang chuckled slightly. “Well, even if I have ‘burns’ on my body, I doubt it can get any ‘hotter’, get it? ‘hotter’?” Kikwang continued to chuckle.