▬「:CHAPTER ⊹ F I V E ▫ ▪

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        sugar and spice . day and night . white and black . sweet and sour . present and absent . hot and cold . shy and bold . love and hate 
              ⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯BITTER && SWEET⋯⋯

“Have fun yesterday?” Ren asked once Yun Hee entered the classroom.

Yun Hee laughed. “Of course… Wait. What do you mean?” Panic suddenly set in. Were they told on? Was she going to get scolded by the principal again?

“You were forced by Em to skip yesterday, right?” he continued. “You could say no to her - she won’t hate you for it… She will, actually, but she’ll forget it in a day.”

“I could… and I will, next time. I just really wanted to spend time with her yesterday, after the whole… revelation,” she answered.

“She didn’t get you into one of her fights, did she?”

---

“That… isn’t very good,” Yun Hee muttered when she saw Em pick up the fallen boy’s wallet.

“What? He was the one that picked a fight with me! I deserve compensation!” she said, opening it and pulling out several bills.

Yun Hee glanced at the unmoving body. “... Wasn’t that enough?”

“Ha. No. Besides, if I do this, they usually come to me next time with friends.”

“... Friends?” she asked, worry in her tone.

“Yup! More victims means more fun and more pilfering!” she said with a grin as she pocketed the money. “Let’s go… we were heading to the riverbank, right? It’s a lovely place to nap.”

---

Ren facepalmed. “... Maybe you should come up with the bonding idea next time.”

“Yeah… maybe you’re right.” She nodded in agreement with a look of uncertainty on her face.

“Maybe?” He rose a brow.

“You’re completely right…” She quickly corrected herself. He gave a light laugh at her nervous face. She was being cute again. "That reminds me, I should find those boys she stole money from and repay it..."

"Are you serious?" Ren looked at her. "No, you won't. Got it?" He warned.

"But-"

"Who says they won't mistake you as Em and you get hurt? Just forget about it this time, alright?" She opened to say something but he stopped her before she could say anything back, "You're a stubborn girl, aren't you?" He laughed.

"I've been told that... numerous times actually." She gave a weak smile. She was always trying to do the right thing, always trying to fix the situation, always trying to make peace.

"You don't want Em to be mad with you, right?" Ren suddenly asked.

"No." She frowned.

"By finding those boys and paying them off for her, it's definitely going to piss her off... so don't do it, okay?" He was sure this was enough to change her mind. What a worrisome girl... he thought to himself as she agreed not to go through with her plan. He was a little relieved now knowing she wouldn't be getting herself into danger. Don't worry me like that...

---

The following few weeks were spent with ideas being shot down on both sides. Em wanted to prank the principal’s house, to which the idea Yun Hee quickly rejected. Yun Hee wanted to go to the park and feed the birds, to which the idea Em threw rice at. Em wanted to assassinate the president. Yun Hee wanted to cure poverty. None of their interests were coinciding.

Ever since the revelation, Em’s dad had been appearing at home less and less, their mother on the other hand, was always meddling in. They had been told by her to get along, but finding something that they could both find agreeable was a lot harder than they thought…

Yun Hee quickly went to the only person that could help her. Aron smiled at her when she took a seat in front of him during one lunch period. Em was off doing who knows what during that time.

“What do I do, Aron? Anything I suggest, she shoots it down with arrows of fire!”

Aron frowned at that. “What? She’s more of a bullets kind of person - grenades, too.”

“Whatever! That’s not what we’re talking about!” Yun Hee lightly slapped him on the arm.

He looked down at the arm that was hit, a bit impressed at such a difference in strength from her sister. “I’d suggest going with her when she beats up some delinquents… but you probably wouldn’t last very long.” He frowned and thought deeply about it. “... Do you like sports?”

“... Uhm.” She bit her bottom lip. “My brother is good at sports!”

“... It’s alright if you at them!” he said with a grin. “Em fails at them too! She always gets a foul and doesn’t even remember a single rule. You both will at it! Why not do that then?”

“I don’t know… last time I played any sport, I had to go to the hospital…” She trailed off.

Aron frowned again. “... Em sent someone to the hospital once during dodgeball… I don’t want her sending you straight to the graveyard…”

“But it’s bonding! If she likes it… then I’ll play. How bad could it be?” Yun Hee laughed nervously.

---

“Oh no! Em, I think you killed her!” Minhyun nearly shouted as he knelt by Yun Hee who was flat on her back lying on the pavement.  

Em looked down at the body. “Her eyes are open. She lives.”

“I’m… fine.” Yun Hee managed to say before slowly sitting up. She had been hit by the basketball when Em tried passing it to JR.

“Maybe we should switch teams,” a worried Baekho spoke up.

Em glared at him. “What? Our teams are fine the way they are! There’s no way I want to be on the same team with someone as short as her!” The first unlucky team that Em was on had JR and Aron, while the other had Yun Hee, Baekho and Minhyun. Ren was referee.

“You’re the same height!”

“I’m taller!” she said. A resounding ‘no’ went through all their minds.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t paying attention was all.” Yun Hee finally stood up.

Ren blew on the whistle. “Foul, Em’s team. Ball goes to Yun Hee’s.”

JR groaned. “We’re going to lose.”

Aron patted him on the back. “Makes you realize that someone who doesn't know how to play,” he glanced at Yun Hee, “is a way better teammate than someone who doesn’t know how, but acts like she does,” this time, he glanced at Em.

“Foul!”

“Foul!”

“Foul!”

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed when Em roughly pushed against Baekho. “Fo-”

“F to the O to the U AND L!” Minhyun suddenly cheered. “Go, Em~!” The ball was constantly going to their side because of it - and they were scoring points a lot more easily. They didn’t apply the time-out rule on her, since the whole point of the game was for bonding with Yun Hee in the first place.

Em took the ball from Yun Hee’s hands and threw it at Minhyun’s face, promptly shutting him up.

Yun Hee let her head fall with a sigh, by now she wasn’t as concerned about Minhyun getting hit in the face anymore, it just simply happened too many times, got used to it sadly. Ren was right, he’s invincible.

“Foul, Yun Hee’s team wins.” Ren blew his whistle again.

“But we weren’t even playing!” Em complained.

“Too many fouls, you were going to lose anyway.”

“Way to go, Em.” JR sighed beyond annoyed, he didn’t like losing.

“Wait!” Yun Hee called out, catching everyone’s attention. “Let’s play again.”

“Are you serious? You want to keep playing?” Ren asked surprised.

“I’m… having fun.” She stuttered.

“You don’t sound so convincing…” JR pointed out with folded arms.

“Come on… weren’t we all having fun? Just a little?” She looked at them with a hint of hope in her eyes. All the guys swallowed hard, they didn’t want to give her the truth.

“Y-Yeah, of course we were having fun!” Minhyun lied.

“You don’t have to lie to her.” Em scowled quietly, she could see Yun Hee’s innocence was a weak spot to them. Pathetic boys.

“How about we just shoot hoops? Simple, right?” Baekho suggested, picking up the ball and heading over to Yun Hee. “I didn’t really get a chance to see you throw the ball, so try it?” He smiled warmly while handing her the ball.

“This is going to be so boring!” Em complained. “I’m out of here. You can all coddle over Yun Hee as long as you like.”

Before she could leave though, Ren quickly said, “Em, will you play if I play?”

Without a second thought, she nodded quickly. “Yes!”

She immediately regretted her words after that though. She was right, it was so totally boring. Sure, it seemed like Yun Hee was actually enjoying herself despite not making a single basket yet… and that some of the guys were having a good time. But by her second turn and throwing a ball into the hole, she felt like sleeping.

“We differ greatly,” she suddenly said. Yun Hee and her were sitting cross-legged on the sidelines, Baekho was shooting the hoops now - Aron jumping around in the middle to annoy the blonde. Minhyun playing the cheerleader nearby.

Yun Hee laughed and nodded in agreement. “I take it you’re not enjoying yourself?”

“Wake me up when it’s over,” she said, lying flat on her back on the hard floor.

Yun Hee stared at their male friends having fun… she suddenly turned to her sister again, an idea forming. The boys were obviously enjoying anything that dealt with sports, she on the other hand, had one common thing with Em. “How about-?”

“If you’re going to ask me to help you feed the homeless, then no.”

“... Window shopping?”

Em sat up and stared at her. “What?”

“Well… sure we have no common interests at all, but we’re both girls, right? We should go and try out some clothes… check out a few accessories-”

“Do I look like the kind of girl that’d go shopping?” Em drawled out.

Yun Hee smiled brightly at her. “Yes!”

Em frowned… but then grinned back. No one had ever associated her with anything girly. “You’re earning points, Shin Hye.”

“... Not enough to get my name right though,” Yun Hee muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Let’s go while they’re busy,” Yun Hee said, standing up and glancing at all of them tackling Baekho for some reason.

Em glanced at them briefly… she could harass- bond with Ren tomorrow. “Okay then!”

---

“Boo!”

Yun Hee shrieked and went down on her knees, closing her eyes and covering her ears.

Em lowered down the zombie mask. “... How am I related to such a scaredy cat? This isn’t terrifying at all,” she said, pointing at the bloody mask.

A nearby kid glanced at them and screamed as well when he caught sight of the mask.

Em frowned. “... Don’t be such a kid- Stand up, will you?”

Yun Hee got up slowly, keeping eye contact with Em so as not to glance at the scary face gear. “I’m good. I’m fine. I’m alive-”

Em shoved a creepy porcelain doll into her face.

“Kyaaa! EM!”

The self-proclaimed taller twin laughed. “Oh, I can get used to this. It’s almost Halloween! Don’t tell me you’ll be screaming left and right once that day comes?”

“I-I won’t!” she quickly denied as they left the stall and headed to another one. “I-I’ll be pretty terrifying myself!”

The laugh she got in reply was mocking. “Riiiight. Don’t scream when you see a mirror now. So, what you gonna be?”

Yun Hee glanced around, seeing the several Halloween-themed stores. “Something scary,” she merely said. “Not sure what yet… you?”

“I’ll do what I do every year. Wear one of those black masks and rob kids’ candy,” Em said.

“... That’s not very nice.”

“Trick or treat, sis, trick or treat… I like getting both.”

They went to a clothing shop next, browsing through the clothes. As they were going through the racks, Em suddenly asked, “Did you ask your mom about the most important thing between twins?”

Yun Hee placed the dress she was holding back in the rack. “Hm?... Most important?”

“Who’s older between us?”

“Uhhh… I have no idea.” She shook her head, looking clueless. “I did ask my mom… but she didn’t know either.”

Em scoffed. “Stupid woman. Doesn’t even know which of us came out of her stomach first…”

Yun Hee was busy looking at a skirt. She turned to Em. “What was that?”

“Nothing, anyway, I dub myself as the older one! I’m taller anyway.” Well, it was her ponytail that made her taller… but…

“Okay, I’m fine with that, I’ve always been a little sister, I’m used to it.”

“Good, that means you have to listen to the older sister, right?” Em said, narrowing her eyes briefly at Yun Hee. “I am only going to say this once… Don’t get close with Ren - he’s mine,” she said, her voice threateningly low.

Yun Hee’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know he was yours! I’m sorry!” she said, earnest.

Em was struck speechless for a moment at her response… but then she grinned. “He is! And as long as you don’t get all friendly with him - it’s fine! So, what did you have to say, dear lovely sister of mine?”

“Just a second, I can’t be friends with him?”

Em’s happy face turned stern. “No.”

Yun Hee let out a small smile to appease her sister. “... okay,” she said, hiding the disappointment in her voice. How is that possible? Everyone befriended me already...

---

“It’s the celebration of the year, Aron! I’ve been preparing for this ever since last year!” Em said in an excited voice. “The highlight of the year - the day we’ve all been waiting for!”

Aron looked up from his textbook. “... The day you’ve been waiting for…” He sighed. “Ren’s birthday-”

“Yes! He rejected my birthday gift last year, but I’ve prepared for this year!”

Aron grimaced. “Please don’t remind me of last year’s gift. So what do you have planned this year?”

Em placed a finger to her lips. “Secret~!”

He blinked. “... You looked surprisingly cute when you did that.”

“Did you have to add that surprisingly?”

“Hi! What’s happening this year?” Yun Hee suddenly said, approaching their table. “I could hear Em from the line!” she said with a laugh.

Aron frowned. “Nothing-”

“Ren’s birthday!” Em announced, too excited to care about her words or who she was talking to.

Aron slapped a hand to his face and groaned. Nice going, Em. Go and tell your rival.

"It's Ren's birthday soon?" Yun Hee asked a little surprised.

“Yes, three days after Halloween!” Em said with a smug grin. “Halloween is the day all those delinquents do stupid stuff - catching them off guard and stealing their money-”

“I thought you said you were prepared?” Aron asked with a frown. If there was one thing he’s been trying to correct about Em’s behavior - it was her petty thefts.

“I will be!”

Aron rolled his eyes at that, and then glanced at Yun Hee’s contemplating face. “I’m guessing you plan on doing something?”

She smiled. “Of course, he’s one of my first friends here in Seoul.”

Em suddenly glared at her. “Don’t.”

“But-”

“No buts. Give him a gift and I won’t speak to you ever again.”

“But-”

“I said no! Are you deaf or something?!” Em was starting to get irritated again.

“Em, can’t you be a little more reasonable? It’s just a harmless present. This is precisely why Ren isn’t nice to y-” Aron pointed out, but quickly stopped when he received Em’s harsh glare.

Aron figured Em was just being jealous at the moment, but to demand her sister to avoid giving the Birthday Boy a present was a bit much. He was right anyway - this was why Ren didn’t like Em, despite how nice she was to him. It just didn’t seem to register in her mind, or more like she didn’t want to even acknowledge it.

“I-It’s fine. I won’t get him anything… I mean I don’t know you guys that well yet anyway… I wouldn’t want to get him something he didn’t like.” Yun Hee looked down, fiddling with her fingers while trying her best not to show how hurt she was that her own sister would boss her around to this extreme.

For those past few weeks, Em and Yun Hee had been trying to bond while at school. Their parents agreed maybe they should get comfortable with each other first before they do anything as family such as dinners and sleep overs. Excited about gaining a sister, Yun Hee just went with the flow when Em told her to obey the older sister’s wishes. She saw just how bossy she could be now. She understood Em had an obsession- strong love for Ren, though she didn’t understand why she almost has to be banned from doing anything relating to the blonde boy.

School was over by now as Yun Hee sat at the bench near the entrance of the school, someone quietly sat next to her. It took a few seconds for her to realize it, then she jumped startled. “Omo! Don’t sneak up on me like this, I’m not your enemy!” She lightly punched Baekho on the arm with a small smile.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.” He laughed in response. Once the laughter quieted down he could sense something was bothering her again. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” She sighed, failing to hide it.

“It’s nothing, followed by a dejected sigh sounds like it’s something.” He frowned. Is she having problems with her sister again? He wondered to himself.

“I don’t know, it’s complicated.” She sighed once again, this time a frustrated sigh.

“Well, I won’t pry, I’m just worried about you is all.” He gave her a small pat on her shoulder.

“I know, thanks Baekho. It’s about Em… yet again. To sum it all up, we get along okay, but when it comes to your blonde friend, it’s like we’re enemies…”

“Well, that girl is obsessed with the guy after all…” He mumbled, looking around hoping no one in particular heard that.

“I figured that much, but what I don’t understand is… I’ve done nothing to pose a threat to her. Ren talks to me on his own, I don’t really initiate conversations to him in the first place… oh…!” It looked like the lightbulb in her head finally flickered on.

“You get it now?” Baekho laughed at her face of realization.

“...Oh? No, I just remembered I forgot my lunch box in my locker. Get what now?” He just stared at her for a few seconds before shaking his head.

“You totally went squirrel mode on me just now.” He had to laugh. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough, just don’t let it get you down, alright?” He gave her another pat on the back before getting up. “See you tomorrow!”

“Okay, bye, get home safely.” She smiled with a small wave. When she faced forward, she was met with a familiar face.

“May I sit here?” He asked. She recalled him playing basketball with her and the others the other day... but no one, including himself, bothered to properly introduce him.

“Sure, no problem.” Yun Hee nodded, removing her bag from the spot next to her into her lap.

“Thanks.” He simply said before sitting down. “You waiting for someone?”

“My brother, what about you?”

“My dad- well would you look at that, he’s on time for once.” He smirked before getting up. “You have a phone or something?” He then looked down at her.

“Yes, I do.” She nodded.

“Here, if your brother’s a no show and you need a ride home…” He handed her a piece of paper with a number on it. “See you around… ?” She realized she never properly introduced herself to him either.

“Yun Hee.” She smiled.

“JR.” He pointed to himself. He had heard about Em’s twin from his friends, so he figured it’d be good to meet her, despite the basketball game the other day.  “Later squirt.” He waved before taking off. She giggled quietly. Well he isn’t as scary as he looks after all...

When she faced forward again, she noticed someone sitting right beside her… again. “Aish! Don’t do this to me!” She whined, placing a hand over her startled heart as Minhyun chuckled.

“You’re so cute when you’re scared!”

“My fear amuses you, how mean.” She pouted.

“It’s not like that, come on, I was just playing.” He nudged her. “So what’re you doing just sitting here?”

“My brother said he was coming to pick me up today, he wanted to take me out for Pizza.” She smiled a bit excited.

“Sounds fun, can I come?” He grinned, loving every time she smiled, it made him happy when everyone smiled.

“Oh? Well..” She hesitated, wondering if her brother would mind.

“Maybe next time, have fun.” He pinched her cheek before getting up and walking out of the exit, leaving her confused. “What just-?” She turned forwards again to see yet another person, though he was standing near her instead of sitting.

“Is that guy bothering you again?” Ren asked, sounding annoyed.

“No…” She shook her head quickly.

“If he does, just let me know, alright?”

“Sure.”

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“My brother.”

“How long have you been waiting?”

“About 20 minutes.”

“Caught up in traffic or something?”

“Maybe…”

“If you need, I can walk you home?”

“No, I’m okay.”

“Yun Hee…”

“What?”

“Why won’t you face me when I’m speaking to you?” He sounded a little confused. She slowly looked over to him.

“Oh, sorry… just tired I guess.” She held her neck trying to feign fatigue. Suddenly a car horn interrupted them. She recognized it as Leo’s car. “Looks like he’s here, I shall be going now. See you tomorrow.” She rushed her sentence out as she stood up.

“Do you need help to the car?”

“Why?”

“You said you were tired.” He got closer to her.

“The car horn woke me up, I’m fine. Don’t worry! I’ll see you tomorrow!” She forced a smile before sprinting off over to her brother’s car with a surprise guests inside.

“Why is she acting so weird?” Ren mumbled to himself, watching her jump into the car.

“I wonder that too…” Aron said suddenly to Ren’s right.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Ren shoved him.

“Yeah, Aron. At least announce your presence first,” Em chimed in suddenly by Ren’s left.

Ren quickly took a few steps forward then turned around to face the two. “The both of you, don’t sneak up on me! One of your faces’ is terrifying enough!”

They pointed at each other. “Hers, right?” “His, right?” they chorused.

“What do you two want?” he asked instead.

“You want to come with us to the mall?” Em quickly invited with a huge smile. “They’re gonna cover the outside walls with some new… wall stuff or something to make it look newer!”

“... And that’s interesting?” he asked with a raised brow.

Aron held up a bag. “We got spraypaint to permanently put our mark on the old wall before they cover it!”

“It takes little to amuse you two, huh?”

“When they tear that thing down in 7,382 years, they’ll be seeing our names and art on it! That’s what’s awesome!” Em said. Ren’s eyes widened slightly at the comment. The two noticed. “You wanna come? I’m sure you do! It’ll be fun! Please, please, please~!” she pleaded to Ren, clasping her hands in front of her chest and pouting.

It was slightly interesting, and it was quite surprising to see that Em can actually pull of a cute look if she tried… Ren nodded. “Sure.”

Em suddenly grabbed Aron by the shoulders. “Mark this day, Aron! It’s the day a miracle happened!”

“Don’t be so blatantly happy about it! What did I say about acting nonchalant and hard-to-get?” he said with narrowed eyes.

Em’s own eyes widened at the reminder and quickly let go of him and glanced at Ren with a blank face. “Oh? Like, you wanna come? Sure, we don’t mind. Not like it matters or anything. Let’s go.”

“You two are idiots.”

“And now you are too!” Aron placed an arm around both his friends and quickly began leading the way.

---

“What is that supposed to be?”

“... A dog.”

“... A small circle with a smiley face and a large circle with four sticks under it, is not a dog,” Em deadpanned at her friend.

Aron frowned and glanced at his preschool-level drawing. “... Really?... Ren’s looks a lot like mine.”

“... It’s a cat, actually. See the extra six lines on the small circle. Those are the whiskers,” Ren clarified.

“Totally looks like a cat!” Em said with a thumbs up.

“You biased...!”

They were by the side of the wall that had yet to be worked on, all the construction workers, machinery and materials were on the opposite side. They wouldn’t bother cleaning up their grafitti, since it was going to be covered away, so the three high schoolers were taking advantage of it.

Unfortunately though, that side so happened to be the nearest to the parking lot. Several people caught sight of them, but didn’t bother reporting them, thinking they were maybe artists because-

“... Why are you so good at this?” Ren asked when he saw Em’s graffiti.

She had several different colors on her school uniform and hands, even some on her face. “Because you’re here to inspire me!” she said before returning to her work. It was lettering of all three of their names that looked quite good and artistic - for a vandalizer.

“Experience,” Aron answered properly for her.

“All-you-can-eat buffet?” a person from a group approaching the entrance doors said. There were several other people coming in through those doors, so they were ignored by the three students.

“Sure, if you’re paying,” a female voice replied.

“Can’t we have you two lovebirds pay for us? Yun Hee and I will be your kids! Discount, right?” the first voice asked.

The tallest male of them grinned. “There’s a height requirement for that… oh, yeah. I’m sure you two qualify- OW!”

Yun Hee laughed at her older friends’ behavior… but then it died down and her feet came to a halt when she saw three familiar students wearing the same uniform as her by the entrance doors, especially the blonde haired boy… spray painting on the walls.

“What… are you three doing?” She wandered off over to the three from her little group consisting of her brother Leo, his girlfriend Hana and best friend Hakyeon.

Hearing the familiar voice, Ren, Aron and Em turned to her.

Aron grinned at her. “Making art!”

Em also smiled widely at her sister. “Making history!”

Ren was the only one to panic. His two friends were completely used to getting in trouble - he swore they got high on it - but he wasn’t. He figured joining them this one time wouldn’t be too bad. They were his friends, and it was for a pretty cool reason. Heck, if any other of his classmates caught him here, he’d probably be asunaffected as the two…

… So why does he feel so bad when it was Yun Hee that caught sight of him breaking the rules? Because she was such a goody two shoes?... Why would that matter anyway? It wasn’t like he was trying to impress her or anything!... right?

“Yah! What do you think you high schoolers are doing!?” Hakyeon scolded, standing beside Yun Hee.

Em frowned at him. “What’s a middle schooler doing scolding us?”

“Middle schooler?!” Hakyeon repeated looking offended, glaring at Em. The several splotches of color on her were more noticeable than her oddly similar face to Yun Hee. “I am not that short, you elementary student!”

“You asking for a fight?!” she exclaimed.

Aron quickly grabbed onto Em’s arms to hold her back. “Easy there, killer!”

“Guys, calm down.” Yun Hee spoke up. “Why don’t you guys head in, I’ll catch up.”

“Are you sure?” Her older friend Hana asked a bit worried.

Em glared at her sister. “No, she isn’t! Go with them!”

“Yun Hee…” Suddenly her brother spoke. “Are they your friends?” He didn’t sound too thrilled.

“No! Leave,” Em quickly said.

“Yeah, this girl doesn't look like the kind of person to associate with us!” Aron quickly said, catching onto Em’s plan.

Ren frowned. Em’s words made sense, but Aron’s… Was this a plan of theirs - of Em’s, so that Yun Hee wouldn’t get in trouble with them? He didn’t know she had it in her to defend her nicer sister. “Yeah. Same uniform doesn’t really mean we know each other.”

Yun Hee frowned at their words. She wasn’t sure why they were being like this, she had to admit it kind of hurt her feelings for them to deny their friendship just like that.

“Oh… sorry, I was mistaken. Though you three really shouldn’t be doing this kind of thing…” She tried to hide her disappointed face. “Let’s go.” She turned around to head inside.

Once they left, Aron turned to his two friends. Ren was frowning and Em continued with her art. “... She didn’t catch on to your plan, huh, Em?” he said.

Em didn’t look away from her work. “What plan? I just wanted her to leave. Her puny friend was pissing me off and disrupting my artistic vision.”

“... Both of you are so goddamn slow,” Aron said with a groan. “... Ren?” he asked, noticing how his blonde friend looked a bit down.

Ren stared at the can of spraypaint in his hands for a moment before throwing it into the bag. “I’ll be back… wait, no. I have to go,” he said, heading towards the entrance doors.

Aron frowned. “Are you going to catch up to her…?” But he was already inside the mall before Aron could finish. He turned to Em who was still focused on her spray paint. “... Em, pay attention for a few seconds.”

“Shut up for a second… almost… There! Done!” She said with a grin, standing up straight and admiring her work. “Ren, look-... Where is he?”

He went after Yun Hee.

“... His mom called, needed to do something at home,” Aron said… His eyes widened when he saw his friend’s work.

They had thought she was just spraying their names, but they were wrong.

Happy Birthday, CHOI MINKI ~ Love SEOH EUN MI and KWAK AARON was sprayed onto the wall in a creative manner. It didn’t look like random graffiti at all. It was worked on meticulously and carefully - beautifully.

“... Is he coming back?” she whispered.

“... I don’t think so.”

“They’re going to cover this up soon, right?”

“... Yes.”

Em looked down and didn’t say anything.

Aron gulped and quickly patted her on the back. “His birthday is still in like… five days. I’m sure you can come up with something in that time!”

“... okay.”

Aron let out a small smile and placed a hand atop his friends head… and pushed down. She yelped and almost fell down. “Don’t look so down. There’s a crepe shop that opened nearby. Want me to treat you?”

She swatted his hand away and grinned at him. “Yes!”

She was so simple… Aron didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing.

“HEY! What are you two kids doing?!” a guard suddenly screamed out.

Aron took hold of the bag in one hand and grabbed Em’s hand with the other. “First, we run!”

---

“How’s school?” Hana asked as her and Yun Hee were window shopping. Hakyeon and Leo were still back at the food court eating and catching up on stuff.

“Eugh…” Yun Hee sighed, dropping her head. “I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“Don’t tell me you’re already having drama?”

“I seriously don’t want to talk about it…” Yun Hee looked up at her a stern look, she really didn’t want to talk about.

“Yun Hee!” She could hear her name being called by a familiar voice. Now what? They both turned around to see the blonde boy sprinting up to them.

“Wah, how is a boy this gorgeous?” Hana mumbled, watching Ren walk up to them.

“Hana, you’re taken. Stop thinking like that.” Yun Hee laughed at her friend’s gawking face.

“Fine, I’ll leave you two alone then.” She winked before turning around to head back to her boyfriend, who was still stuffing his face with food.

“It’s not like that!” Yun Hee shouted after her a bit embarrassed.

“Like what?” Ren asked, finally standing in front of her.

“Nothing. What is it?” She shook her head.

Ren hesitated for a moment. “I just… Earlier, we didn’t mean what we said. We just didn’t want you to get in trouble alongside us.”

“... Is this an apology?”

He frowned. “... No. I’m just explaining our words earlier… We’re not sorry for trying to help you.”... But then he quickly berated himself. Stupid pride, why couldn’t he just let out a simple ‘sorry’?!

“Oh, okay then. Not like your words of denial hurt my feelings or anything.. I get it. Thanks for EXPLAINING yourself. Adding fuel to the fire.” She mumbled at the end.

Ren narrowed his eyes slightly. “... What? We weren’t trying to hurt your feelings. Are you feelings so sensitive that obvious lies are enough to hurt it? You think we meant what we said?”

He wasn’t used to this. Em was practically immune to his verbal abuse, yet his words that weren’t even actual insults was affecting Yun Hee this much…?

“How was I suppose to know you were lying…? I’m sorry I didn’t take the hint. Oh, now I’m the one apologizing now… apologizing for being weak little Yun Hee who can’t even take a fake insult without getting hurt. Aron was right, I’m not the kind of girl to associate with people like you.” She bit her lip, fighting back the tears that were rising. If she let them fall then it’d make the situation worse.

Seeing her teary eyes made him freeze. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This was Yun Hee - she was probably the most kind person he had met. So of course she’d take their words seriously.

She wasn’t like Em that could handle any insult, or like Baekho that couldn’t understand an insult, or even Aron who was a total masochist. She didn’t get sarcasm and lies because she was too nice to think they were lying.

“... I’m sorry,” he muttered, looking down. “I didn’t mean… No… I… I messed up… Sorry…” He hardly apologized to anyone - how do you do it properly, damn it?! “Yun Hee… I....” His mind was a mess so he quickly went with his instinct.

Ren pulled her into a hug.

“Forgive me,” he whispered.

Yun Hee froze at the contact. He’s… hugging me? She remembered her first day of school, when she had given him a hug he didn’t seem to like it that much, but then again he thought she was someone else at the time too. In the end she didn’t really see him as a hugging kind of person, this was new to her.

She felt conflicted on whether she should hug him back or not, worried she’d be making yet another mistake again.

“You’re forgiven.”

Ren pulled away slightly, his arms still around her though, and pouted. “... Why aren’t you hugging me back then?”

“Uh, oh.. uh.” She stuttered before raising her arms to wrap around him. This is… so awkward for me!

He proceeded to give her tight hug, remaining like this for a couple of minutes, getting carried away. He didn’t know whether it was because she was so small… or because it was just her, but it seemed so easy to hug her. She just seemed to fit in his arms like they were meant to hold her… he frowned at his own thoughts… until he noticed something else.

“... You smell good,” he mumbled.

Yun Hee flushed bright red at that. It took her a second to calm down before she pulled away and laughed lightly. “Creeper status..” she noted with an amused grin.

They both broke out into a fit of laughter.

“So, I did good, huh?” he said with a smile.

“Good?”

“You’re laughing!” Seeing her tear up reminded him of her first day at lunch, and just like back then, he did not like it at all. But seeing her giggle was a sight he’d be willing to welcome anytime.

“I am, thank you.” She smiled.

Shortly after, they took a walk and made some small talk. Eventually they ended up outside where he along with the other two were doing their graffiti. Both Em and Aron were nowhere in sight. They must've gone home... he thought to himself before catching glimpse of Em’s work. His eyes widened for a second... That's what she was working on all this time?

"Wow..." Yun Hee sounded surprised. "You guys are way better in art than I am!" She complimented as she moved on to Aron’s work, then Ren's. “Awh, it’s so cute. A cat right?" She looked at him for an answer. He blushed embarrassed before nodding. "Can I take a picture?" She held up her phone. He nodded once more with a small smile. She liked his art enough to take a picture of it...

After taking a decent picture of his art, she turned back to Em's art.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHOI MINKI ~ LOVE SEOH EUN MI AND KWAK AARON

"I'll get going now then. See you at school." Ren broke her train of thoughts.

"Oh, alright. Though didn't you want to take a picture of this?" She pointed to the giant words on the wall that were meant for him.

Ren stared at the wall with the greeting it contained for a few seconds… He turned to Yun Hee with a small smile. “I’m good. I don’t need a picture to remember this,” he said before turning to leave.

Yun Hee frowned watching him leave. Why would he ignore this? I'm sure Em worked so hard on it, too! She sighed turning back to the wall. She held up her phone and snapped a picture of it. If he ever changes his mind…

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◞* ✄ — END CHAPTER ⋮F I V E 

 Preview:  Chapter 6 

“Halloween parties?”

“Oh, this is my friend from school, Ren. This is my… friend from my school in Busan, Hongbin.”

“Halt there, foul fiend! What do you think you are doing to the Sugarplum Princess?!”

“Thanks, Ren…”
“You don’t need to thank me for doing this...”

“... Thanks for saving the day, stupid hero.”
“Anything for the princess!”