Kyuhyun groaned as he tried to pull out the hem of his jacket that got caught with his car’s door when he closed the damn thing earlier. He grumbled something about it being hard enough with him running between schedules, and now this had to happen when he had to drop by the dorm to get a change of clothes since he got himself all sweaty during his musical rehearsal. Finally. Kyuhyun sighed and rolled his eyes as he eventually managed to get himself completely off the car and turned to walk to the apartment building. He then came to a halt with a smile plastered on his face when his eyes came into contact with a certain girl who was darting her way into the parking lot.

“Hey, where –”

“Hey. I’m running late now. Talk to you later.” Hyerin didn’t bother to look up at Kyuhyun as she continued to rummage her backpack looking for something. She then stopped walking as she passed by him about a meter, having found that thing she was looking for which was obviously her cellphone.

She turned to the Super Junior’s magnae, who was now looking at her with curiosity, not feeling in the least offended by the way she almost ignored him earlier. Typical, absentminded Hyerin…when late for something.

“By the way, I’m having a late night schedule today, so would you –”

“Take Oscar in and feed him? I know. Don’t worry.” Kyuhyun cut in with a knowing tone and smile as he saw Hyerin nodded and mumbled a thank you at him.

He liked it that way the way things were. The way they acted and behaved around each other. It felt like they have known and understood each other for decades. As if they were a sweet old couple, and it made them feel close and warm without even having to get physically intimate. And he could tell that somehow he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Although Kyuhyun would love it if they could actually get intimate.

Hyerin returned his smile before proceeding to walk on, but not after a few steps, she turned around again to find that Kyuhyun already had his back turned to her.

“Umm,… one more thing…” Hesitantly, she trailed off in a low tone, but managed to grab Kyuhyun’s attention nonetheless.

“Hmm?”

“Er, how do I look?” Kyuhyun felt his eyebrows shot up to his hairline, surprised at the sudden question. He immediately checked her out carefully and saw that she was wearing a loose T-shirt, her favorite blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers. In other words, her usual style.

Kyuhyun couldn’t comprehend as to why the girl wanted his opinion on her usual trend so out of the blue, but all of a sudden, he felt the urge to a little. So with that playful thought, his lips pulled up into a smirk as he answered her.

“Why, let’s see. You look…manly, like usual?” And at that, Hyerin scrunched her nose in frustration. She never pouted. And Kyuhyun always wondered what it would be like if she actually pouted. Not that it mattered, though.

“No. Not about my outfit.”

“Hmm? Then what is it about?” Confused, Kyuhyun frowned a little.

“Umm, Y-you said before…that I had to be ready…right?” And without Hyerin having to elaborate any more, Kyuhyun’s eyes widened in realization as he understood exactly what she was talking about.

His memories flashed back to the last few months. The words he told her, and the conditions he put on her before she could go meet a certain someone. She remembered it all. And a small smile crept up his lips at that thought.

“Well, do you feel ready?” Hyerin remained still for a moment before looking up into his eyes and nodded with confidence making Kyuhyun smile again.

“Then yes, you look ready, idiot.” He ruffled her hair before turning to walk away and shouted “Fighting” as he walked on. Hyerin let out a big grin and answered him from behind loudly.

“I will, oppa.”

“Ya, don’t call me that!” Kyuhyun snapped back and shot an irritating glare at her but Hyerin just shrugged mischievously and headed toward her own car. She chuckled as she imagined how pissed Kyuhyun would be right now knowing how he always hated it whenever she called him that.

……………………………………

Hyerin inhaled deeply as she came to a stop in front of a café one block down from the city’s largest hospital. Right, she’s meeting with her eonni today. She reminded herself how she got to stand in front of this café ready to meet her eonni again after all these years, and Hyerin remember herself sending the older woman a message a few days after the incident in Busan.

“I remember saying that if we were to meet again one day, we’d greet and talk like old friends. But, you see, someone told me I couldn’t do just that unless I am ready to meet you. So eonni, when I’m sure I’m ready, can we please meet up and talk for once?”

A short reply came shortly after, making Hyerin all nervous but determined at the same time.

“Whenever you’re ready, brat.”

And so here she was, about a month later, after doing her best to stay happy, healthy and positive, she was ready to face her eonni again, to face her past that she always feared. Whatever came out of this particular meeting, she was ready to accept it as it was. But before that, she was going to try her best to get her bestest friend back.

Hyerin smiled at her own resolution before stepping into the shop looking for her eonni. There, at the innermost part of the shop, at a table next to the window, sat her eonni in all her elegance. She was always that cool and beautiful. Exactly how Hyerin remembered her to be. Hyerin adjusted her sunglasses as he neared the said table. It’s typical of her eonni to be so thoughtful as to pick a table quite isolated from the rest where they could have enough privacy, a place where people wouldn’t walk by too often and recognized Hyerin all too soon, before they could even start talking, that is.

“Still late on a daily basis, I see?” As Hyerin got to the table and settled down, Hyojin looked up from her magazine and with a warm smile.

There it was. That smile was all Hyerin could ask for. That alone was enough to assure her that everything was gonna be alright. Those kind eyes that looked at her were still the same.

“On occasion only.” The younger girl protested with a smile of her own. The moment she said it, her eonni let out a loud chuckle, and all butterflies that were jerking inside her stomach earlier flew away along with her nervousness. She had expected it to be tough to gain her eonni’s friendship back, just like dealing with Suri. But only now she realized something. Eonni may have left, but the friendship they shared was always there. As strong as ever.

Hyerin sniggered at her own foolishness, remembering all the heartfelt lines she thought up just to convince her eonni. As it turned out, she didn’t need any of that. Silly me. There’s no need no re-bonding of any sort now. Because in all honesty, they’ve never been broken to begin with. Apart, but not necessarily broken. Anyhow, she sat up straight and looked at her eonni. There’s still some catching up to do, after all. They’re gonna need lots of time for it, and she made sure not to waste any minute.

And so the catching up they did. They talked on and on about everything, shared every little bit of information they missed out on each other all these years. When it came to the sad parts, they assured each other that it was now in the past, and when it came to the happy parts, they laughed and cheered together. Their moods switched up and down and up again throughout the whole lunchtime. There were all the teasing, scolding, laughing in between. Just like that. Just like old times. It was as if they only had a fight yesterday, and as if there was no 6 years span of absence. The only things to prove the time gap were the events that have happened and the new people they have met along the way.

“But then Heechul oppa complained that Ryeowook oppa made the same food all the time, so Ryeowook oppa took on the challenge and started feeding us all these weird dishes until Kyuhyun oppa couldn’t stand it anymore and threatened him that he’d never eat at the dorm again. And…what?” Hyerin snapped with a frown when she caught Hyojin gave her that knowing smile again.

“Hmm? Nothing. Go on. I’m still waiting for that part.”

“What part?”

“You know, the Kyuhyun part.” Hyerin’s eyebrows perked up in suspicion. She knew Kyuhyun and Hyojin had been in contact for quite a while now, but she was not sure how much of his personal feelings had Kyuhyun let out on her eonni. One thing she knew for sure, though, was that her eonni was quick to pick up on things, she always was. So she doubted it if her best friend didn’t know anything at all. Hyerin cleared and tried to talk nonchalantly, anyway.

“Didn’t we already talk about him a moment ago? What else is there to talk about?”

“Well, lots. Especially the part where he confessed and you shot him down right away?”

“Eonniiiiiiii!” And by now, Hyerin’s face was successfully painted red making Hyojin burst into a fit of laughter. Not long after, though, the older woman pulled herself together and put on a serious face as she spoke.

“All jokes aside, Hyerin-ah, I hope you’ll treasure him just as he deserves. You never know how much he’d done for us.”

“Eonni?”

“Do you know why he had to keep in touch with me when you’re the one he cares about?” And seeing Hyerin shaking her head, she continued. “Because just like you, I needed help convincing myself to face the past, to face you. You see I’ve always thought I was the root cause of your changes. I’ve been afraid of being a bad influence on you again, so I never mustered up the courage to come and see you no matter how much I wanted to. And one part of me was afraid that you may already be hating me so much you wouldn’t wanna see me anymore. Well, I thought all of that until Kyuhyun came in and changed things. He made sure I knew that you still cared, and little by little, he helped me built up the confidence. Good grief, he never stopped talking about you.”

“He told on me?” Hyerin joked in an attempt to hide her shyness, but the blush on her face gave her away.

“Yep, lots, and he was naïve enough to think I didn’t know about his little crush after all that talk.” And the both of them broke into laughter together as they thought about Kyuhyun.

………………………………

“Hyerin-ah, d’you have a minute?” The said girl turned around and smiled as she saw Heechul running to catch up with her.

“I’m about to head out to lunch. But what’s the matter, oppa?” Upon hearing where the girl was going to, Heechul made a face with a silent oh as if he was hit with a certain realization.

“Yeah, it’s D-Day, huh? The so-called lunch date that brings hell into the dorm…”

“Huh? What happened?”

“Kyuhyun happens. He’s been acting like a girl on period since the morning. Nasty little thing.” The Super Junior’s Diva suddenly winced as he was reminded of how much tantrum the magnae had thrown for the day, to which Hyerin found really funny.

“Hahahaha, it sounds serious. Maybe I should give him a call?”

“Yeah, you’d better, before he goes off ing anybody else outside the dorm.”

…………………………..

“You’re calling to say that you’re not going to lunch with that Jang Keunsuk guy?” was the first question that greeted Hyerin the moment the line was connected. She smiled into the phone, amused at the fact Kyuhyun didn’t even bother to make it less obvious at all.

“Oh, hello to you, too, oppa. What are you doing?”

“Sulking.”

“And?”

“Torturing some giant fish while I’m at it.” Having hung around the SJ dorm ever so often now, Hyerin was now accustomed to them calling each other names, and thus knew exactly who it was Kyuhyun was talking about. She chuckled as she tried to picture what torturing method the magnae was using this time.

“Hahahaha. Now. Now. Go easy on Donghae oppa. Ok?”

“Hyerin-ah, help me. This monster has gone berserk.” Donghae sounded as if he was struggling against something as he shouted into the phone asking for help.

“Hmm, what does he want, Donghae oppa?”

“For you to not eating out today, maybe?” Donghae exclaimed ever so hopefully, finally seeing an angelic light dawning on him. Hyerin, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow in a playful manner, smirking a little as she spoke.

“Hmm…I see. Then should I invite Geunsuk oppa to my place?”

“DON’T YOU DARE!!!” Kyuhyun bellowed at the top of his lung, and Hyerin could already imagine him venting it on some pitiful fish right now.

“Argh, argh, Kyu! She’s kidding. She’s kidding. Right, Hyerin-ah? You can’t joke about something like that, though, you know?”

“Kyuhyun oppa!” Hyerin said in a slightly reprimanding voice and almost chuckled having heard the poor Donghae whining something about “the evil duo” in the background.

“Fine. I’ll go a little easy on him. On one condition.” Kyuhyun then answered after a clear of his throat, not forgetting to stress on the word a little meaning that he wasn’t planning to let his hyung go anytime soon. It was one of those occasions that Kyuhyun felt the need to live up to his name as the evil magnae, after all.

“Which is?”

“Dinner with me this Sunday.”

“Don’t we usually eat together, though?”

“This is – This is different. Whatever. Just do as I said. Make the whole Sunday free.” Kyuhyun stuttered a little before continuing in a magnae-ish manner which screamed something similar to the I-get-what-I-said-I-want feeling. Hyerin doubted if he could possibly be blushing, although he didn’t seem like the type to blush so easily.

“But we’re only having dinner –” In any cases, she continued to feign ignorance making Kyuhyun shouted out in frustration.

“Ya!!”

“Haha. Ok, have fun, you two. I’m off to lunch now.” And by then, Donghae and the other members, who were playing audience for the torturing event while trying to keep a safe distance for themselves, officially agreed that their sweet little Hyerin was the female version of Kyuhyun in terms evilness when she wanted to. And against her, their magnae wass as good as tamed.

“Hey.” Before Hyerin could hung up, though, Kyuhyun called out again in a calmer voice.

“Yeah?”

“Enjoy your lunch.”

“Hmm?” Hyerin sounded a little surprised, but deep down she knew that he meant it.

“Really. Enjoy your lunch.”

“Umm, thank you.” Hearing him confirmed what she thought, Hyerin smiled before hanging up.

………………………………….

So the lunch date went by quietly. Keunsuk had taken Hyerin to a high class restaurant where many other celebrities frequented on friendly or formal occasions, so they could avoid unwanted rumors. There was no need to be stealthy. Not just yet, or so Keunsuk thought as he planned to use this opportunity to take another step into their relationship.

Upon making sure that the girl has finally finished her lunch, Keunsuk cleared his throat to dismiss his pent up nervousness before addressing her.

“Umm, Hyerin-ah?”

“Yeah?”

“I, umm, I like you.” There was always a more romantic way to confess, but when it came to Hyerin, Keunsuk decided that being straightforward was always the best. Not so surprisingly, though, Hyerin just nodded in acknowledgement with a stoic face at his declaration.

“I get it that you saw this coming?”

“Can’t deny that I did.” Hyerin responded with a small smile on her face.

“I see. It’s either you’re too observant or I’m too obvious.” And with that, Keunsuk knew he was right to not hitting around the bush, or he would have made a fool out of himself. “Anyhow, what do you say then? Do I have the honor?”

“Keunsuk oppa…” With an apologetic look, Hyerin trailed off, trying to find the right words to reject him without having to hurt him too much. After all, he was a good man. But Keunsuk knew that look all too well, his face fell, and all hope was gone.

“I see. So this lunch date is not to give me a chance but to use it as an opportunity to turn me down officially?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re so cold, Hyerin-ah.” Keunsuk said with a hurtful smile, but Hyerin didn’t flinch knowing that he didn’t really mean it in a bad way.

“I guess I’m a bad person now?” She joked, though with a guilty smile clearly apparent. But Keunsuk was quick to correct himself, afraid that she would misunderstand.

“No. No. Not like that. I’m saying that I can see that you’re feeling bad through youreyes. But I can also see that you don’t feel anything for me at all. And that still hurts.”

“Oppa is one of my good friends.”

“That’s not enough, Hyerin-ah.”

“I’m sorry I can’t give you more than that.”

“Say, do you already have someone you like?” Not expecting this question, Hyerin became rigid for a moment, before slowly nodding. For all that she knew, Keunsuk was a trusted friend to her.

“Do I know him?” Hyerin chose to remain still this time, and Keunsuk sniggered at his obvious question. I should have known.

“Somehow, I have a feeling I already have an answer to my own question, and here I am refusing to give up.”

“Thank you, oppa.” After some short moments of silence, Hyerin finally looked him in the eyes and thanked him with a tender expression.

“Hmm?”

“Someone taught me to say thank you more often than sorry. So thank you for liking me. I appreciate your feelings.”

“But you can’t return them?”

“No.”

“You’re so straightforward.” Chuckling, Keunsuk teased, still finding her cute with all this seriousness.

“It’s better than leading you on, and hurting you even more. It’s best for the both of us.”

“I see. So…will you be alright? With him, I mean.”

“I’m sure I’ll be alright. That person have fought for me long enough. It’s high time I stood by him now.” Hyerin replied with so much certainty that Keunsuk couldn’t help wishing that he was the guy in question. You damn lucky thing, Cho Kyuhyun.

“I won’t say anything if you’re happy now. But do tell that person that if he does so much as to make you sad, I’m coming for him.”

“I’ll deliver every single word. I’m counting on you to have my back then?” Hyerin joked with a bright smile that Keunsuk always loved to see. He knew then that he’d never regret having known her, even if a good friend was all he could be.

“You have my word.”

………………………………

All available Super Junior members have been gathered at the 11th floor’s dorm again a