“Wait, what?” Jihyun was flabbergasted. Why would her sister suddenly want to go live with their dad? Was the fact that Sungyeol liked Jihyun too much for her to handle that she thought the best way to deal with it was to run away?

Sungjong bit his bottom lip. “It’s not what you think it is, noona,” he said quietly. “She didn’t do it because she wanted to run away from this.”

She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. Sungyeol was still trying to process the fact that Hyunyoung liked him and was only half-listening. “Oh? Then tell me, what was it supposed to be?”

“To be very honest, your dad had actually asked Hyunyoung to come live with him when you came,” he confessed. “Your mother was reluctant, but Hyunyoung wanted to go since it’s been a long time since she’s seen your dad. In the end, your mother gave in and, well, your sister discussed it with me.” He rubbed the back of his nape sheepishly. “I kinda told her not to go until after the play because I wanted her to be here to witness the first play I’ve ever scripted and directed. I didn’t think she’d mean it quite literally.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?” Jihyun demanded to know, frowning deeply. She was hurt that she was kept in the dark, but it shouldn’t come as a shock, considering that she didn’t know that her sister had been infatuated with Sungyeol. “Why did you all keep it from me? I mean, I can understand why Hyunyoung wouldn’t tell me about liking Sungyeol, but why would she keep this from me?”

“You were excited to be living with them,” he said in a small voice. “They didn’t really want to ruin that piece of happiness you had.”

“But they could’ve told me so I would’ve appreciated the time spent with my sister,” she argued back. “Or, at least, would’ve spent more time with her. I hardly got to hang out with her since I’ve been back because of the play but I didn’t think much of it since I thought I’d be able to spend more time with her once the play was over.” She could feel anger rising in her, but it was aimed more toward herself. She regretted neglecting her sister. One of the main reasons she even came to live with her mother and sister was to become close to her sister once again, and she had failed to do that.

Sungyeol finally looked up. “Hyunyoung likes me?” He turned to Jihyun, who nodded gravely. “And all this time, she knew yet she still helped me with my lines?” His eyes flickered to Sungjong, who nodded solemnly. His face paled when he realized what a jerk he was toward Hyunyoung. But then he whirled around to turn to Sungjong, his brows furrowed. “Wait, but I thought you two like each other!”

The younger boy coughed slightly, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “Um, what? No. That’s not possible.” Sungjong looked down, having a sudden interest to a bug crawling over his shoe.

“Why not? You two are so close.”

He shrugged. “We are close. But I don’t see her that way.”

Sungyeol raised an eyebrow. Somehow, he had a feeling there was more than what Sungjong was actually saying. “Mmhmm. And why is that so?” He glanced over at Jihyun, who was watching the two of them with interest.

A cough and a clear of a throat followed before Sungjong admitted somewhat sheepishly and with a tinge of embarrassment, “I’m, uh . . . gay.”

Sungyeol blanched. “What?!” He had not seen that coming. He saw that Jihyun had no reaction toward the news. “Wait, you knew about it, too?”

She nodded. “I’ve always known.”

Sungjong shrugged. “I pretty much grew up with the Nam sisters, so they know almost all there is to know about me,” he added.

Sungyeol just shook his head, trying to get his mind around this piece of information.

Just then, there was this slight knock on the door before it opened slightly and a guy with small eyes peeped his head in. “Hey,” he said a little timidly, glancing around the room and smiled brightly when he spotted Jihyun. “Can I come inside the room? Or am I interrupting anything here?”

Jihyun smiled warmly at him, shaking her head, extending a hand toward him to indicate that he could come in. “Not at all,” she said in a soft tone, which made Sungyeol guessed that this guy was her boyfriend. His guess was correct when she walked over to the stranger and hugged him, pecking his cheek.

He could feel his heart dying, watching the two of them being all lovey-dovey with one another. Like how Hyunyoung’s heart must’ve died when I confessed to her on stage. That thought came across his mind and he felt the guilt rippling his heart further apart. If his heart was broken now, Hyunyoung’s was a million times worse.

Jihyun turned back to Sungjong and Sungyeol. “This is my boyfriend, Lee Sunggyu,” she told them, snaking an arm around his. “Sunggyu, this is Sungjong, my sister’s best friend. He’s the one who wrote everything and directed the whole play. That’s Sungyeol, the main actor, my co-star.”

Sunggyu smiled warmly at them, bowing in respect. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Sunggyu, as Jihyun had introduced me as,” he said cheerfully.

He looks like a hamster, Sungyeol thought bitterly as he and Sungjong bowed, greeting him as well. But he kept that thought to himself because he didn’t want Jihyun to think he was being petty over the fact that he liked her but she was already in a relationship with another man. He was not that low.

 “How did you guys meet?” Sungjong wanted to know.

“Ah, I’m her sunbae from her school in Chungcheong,” Sunggyu explained, pecking Jihyun’s temple between words. “We met each other in the Drama Club — surprise, surprise — and well, things happened.” He smiled warmly at his girlfriend, who was blushing madly. “I realized how crazy in love I was with this girl here, and confessed to her during a play, like this.” He chuckled, her cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m just glad she said yes. I think I would’ve died in embarrassment if she had said no.”

Oh. Awkward.

Sungyeol had no idea where to look but he already hated Jihyun’s boyfriend, when Sunggyu didn’t even know what he was doing wrong.

If Sungjong looked awkward in front of Jihyun’s boyfriend, he didn’t show it. Instead, he nodded and smiled genuinely. “Well, that’s a really sweet confession. Jihyun noona is one lucky girl.”

Jihyun rolled her eyes but she was smiling. However, her smiled waver slightly when she glanced over to Sungyeol and saw that he looked uncomfortable. She didn’t know what to say and she didn’t want to say anything in front of her boyfriend so she kept quiet, burying her face at the crook of Sunggyu’s neck, taking in the familiar, husky scent of his cologne she missed so much.

Sunggyu was complimenting Sungjong for the wonderful play before he turned to him and smiled. “You’re a really good actor,” he said, his voice filled with admiration and respect. “For a moment, I was convinced that you truly love my Jihyun.” It was probably a good thing he was unaware of the tension that rose in the room.

Sungyeol only nodded stiffly, unable to speak but he managed to force a thin smile. His eyes were fixed on his hands that were wrapped around Jihyun’s waist and could not help but think that it should be his arms.

Sungjong coughed a little.

Finally he got the words, “thank you,” out but barely. From the corners of his eyes, he could see Jihyun flashing a grateful smile toward his direction and eased a little. As long as Jihyun was happy, that was all that mattered, right? Speaking of happiness . . . Hyunyoung . . . Sungyeol could not shake off a naggy feeling burning inside of him.

“Oh, by the way,” Sunggyu suddenly spoke up, add