The weather was perfect for a midday barbeque event, though it was a little on the windy and breezy side. But it was nothing compared to the fiery heat they would feel that comes with the barbecuing process itself. Once they walked out to the outdoor barbeque place and were greeted with a very, very peculiar sight, they had to stop their tracks and absorb its weirdness.   “Fireee~” The others were all singing along to the latest K-Pop hit song. Some were even so inspired by it they began dancing around the grill set like a weird cult worshipping the almighty barbeque god. And with ‘some’ it meant Woo Hyun doing an overly stupid dance as Myung Soo shyly followed along. Hoya was at the side joining along, but with all the legit and cool-looking popping and the locking.   “I’m surprised you didn’t join,” Yerin told Hyun Mi who was watching her boyfriend with half embarrassment and half amusement. Though the girl had an image to keep, she claimed, she’d usually be down for weird stuff like these.   The girl grinned in response. “We need to take turns being crazy. Or else people might think we’re both crazy,” she answered in a way that made it sound so wise, though her words did not make that much sense.   “Let me be crazy on your behalf then!” Maerin suddenly released her bag of already mashed potatoes to become mashed-er, if that was even possible. She joined the guys in their frantic dance session, and soon took over the entire dance floor by doing a move so outrageous they could only gape at her wide-eyed: twerking.   “Maerin, no!!!!” Hyun Mi yelled in horror like a concerned mother watching her daughter sin on so many levels. She gave Tae Min a horrified look, and he knew what to do.   He danced along with her.   Yerin laughed in response when Hyun Mi continued protesting while Woo Hyun held her by the waist to stop her mental breakdown. This provoked Maerin and Tae Min more who attempted a twerking collaboration, before it got too weird, and both stopped.   Yerin placed the plastic bag on the table, seeing the other bags, courtesy of Chan Yeol and Hee-Jin, already placed there.   “Where are Chan Yeol and Hee-Jin?” She tried asking as casual as possible, not to let Bi Ah notice a slight stutter in her voice. And with this girl she wasn’t so familiar with, she thought she’d be safe.   “They’re chasing each other like a newborn couple~” Bi Ah responded, looking towards the two who were over at the other side.   Yerin followed the trail of her gaze and watched as the two were indeed still running after each other in an endless tag game. Hee-Jin was no longer carrying that plastic bag, so he would have no reason to run after her, giggling all giddily like elementary kids. How old did they think they were?   “You should join too~” Bi Ah suddenly suggested, probably seeing the way Yerin had unconsciously stared at them so longingly.   “No, let the kids play,” Yerin muttered, finally shifting her gaze away from them. She had to emphasize their age difference, making sure she herself knew she was way more mature and wiser than that dumb giant would ever be. He couldn’t match her.   Although she knew in the deepest corner of her heart, she had always preferred the dumb ones over the smart geniuses.   “Hey! Are you guys actually grilling meat?” Seul Yi’s loud voice asked as she lowered her oversized sunglasses to make direct eye contact with her boyfriend. The girl thought sunbathing was possible during a breezy afternoon and had all the equipments she saw those Hollywood ladies use at the beach ready at her disposal.   “No, we’re still playing with fire,” Myung Soo answered with a crazy giggle. He tried to do the fire dance and began singing it by himself, but after realizing the others were no longer joining him, he stopped in embarrassment.   “I’m getting hungry already,” Seul Yi pouted and left her seat. She began searching through the plastic bags for some snacks while humming a song to herself.   “Here.” Myung Soo presented a pepero stick the others had bought earlier. He placed one stick in his mouth and offered the newly opened box to Seul Yi.   But the snack was always extra sweeter when she tasted him with it. So after a quick scan and making sure the coast was clear, she quickly tiptoed to take a bite from the pepero bar halfway in his mouth, teasingly brushing her lips against his on purpose.   Myung Soo was perplexed when she pulled away, feeling his cheek fluster. He had a love hate relationship to how aggressive Seul Yi could be sometimes. He loved her for it, but he hated how shy she made him feel.   “Kyaaaa! My eyes!” Hana had began yelling in embarrassment, placing a hand in front of her eyes, leaving obvious holes in between her fingers to still get a good peek.   “It’s okay, when I was your age, I already learned a lot,” Seul Yi said wisely, making the younger girl blush even more furiously.   “Please, we don’t need to be as corrupted as you are,” Maerin told the other as she stood in front of Hana to shield her eyes from Seul Yi and Myung Soo’s skinship. “It’s okay, aegi, everything’s safe now.”   Hana was seemingly still traumatized, shaking a little when Maerin gently placed her hand on hers. “I’m still scared,” she whispered softly.   “Why?” The concern rose in Maerin’s voice, until she heard the answer.   “You were twerking…”   And that was when Maerin realized, the world was not ready for her fabulous twerking yet. She had to keep it hidden for now. One day when everyone was ready, she’ll bedazzle them all. For now, she picked up the mashed potato bag and scooped it on a plate for everyone.   Yerin laughed again at the way her friends never failed to entertain her. That was until someone suddenly bumped against her. She lost her balance from the small encounter and landed with her on the ground before she managed to hold the footrest of the chair. As for the culprit, it was Hee-Jin who got caught as soon as she fell backwards.   “Gotcha now!” Chan Yeol grinned, arms all around Hee-Jin’s waist. She was playfully trying to break free, but he kept holding on even tighter to display more affectionate skinship. The two were entangled in jolly laughter, as Bi Ah had described it perfectly, resembling a newborn couple.   She had no idea what was more painful; the fact the fall actually did hurt her physically, or the way Chan Yeol did not notice her even once.   “Unnie, are you alright?” Maerin tried to lend a hand since she was closest to the fall. But since her hands were filled with potatoes, she quickly looked at Tae Min who immediately aided the girl, being the gentleman he was.   “You okay?” He asked her.   “Yeah,” Yerin lied, quickly turning away to continue her work. She did not want to lock eyes with Chan Yeol. Or else she might have to conform the root of her pain as an emotional one.   “You should be more careful,” Tae Min then told the other two. He then walked over to Maerin who secretly fed him some of the potatoes. He, in return, took a scoop and fed it to her as well.   “Sorry, we got carried away,” Hee-Jin laughed, scratching the back of her head hesitantly.   Chan Yeol uttered a quick apology too and let his eyes trail after Yerin. He quickly let go of Hee-Jin in that short moment of being too playful. But she probably saw everything already. And somehow, he wished she hadn’t.   Everyone was soon starting to prepare the food; some were marinating, some were grilling, some were cooking the rice, some were setting the outdoor table. It was the perfect teamwork.   “Isn’t that too much water?” Chan Yeol suddenly questioned, looking over Yerin’s shoulder as she measured the right proportions for the rice.   “No, Mr. Know-It-All, this is the right measurement,” Yerin told him with some displease in her voice. She wasn’t even sure why she felt so annoyed at him. Maybe because he was being the stupid giant he was who couldn’t even put his big eyes to good use for the earlier incident.   Chan Yeol scoffed in response, eyeing her teasingly. “You must assume I can’t cook,” he declared what he thought was the root of her problem.   “Seeing how you made a mess in the kitchen last time-”   “Not being able to bake does not mean I can’t cook,” Chan Yeol told her, this time a little more defensively. He placed his hand on the rice cooker and tried to pull it closer to him. “You need to reduce some water.”   “No, I got this.” Yerin flashed him a fake grin, using her strength to pull the pot back to her side.   “Man, for a sec I forgot about your she-Hulk power,” Chan Yeol and laughed. He must’ve thought he was so funny, but she just rolled her eyes, too busy to even slap his arms.   “Why don’t you just go and continue playing tag with that girlfriend of yours?” Yerin asked him, feeling twitch bitterly as she said those words. He didn’t deny, and the frustration continued to boil in her.   “I’m worried about the rice.” He insisted.   In the end, Yerin let out a frustrated yell and did as he asked for by draining the water out until he said stop. She gave him a death glare, trying her best to maintain her anger when he flashed that adorable happy smile of his. Oh how she despised him for making her want to smile along despite wanting to kill him at the same time.   He did as she requested and walked away to help whoever needed help. But since everyone was pretty much busy dating while cooking, he went over to the other single person in the house who welcomed his presence, Hee-Jin.   Yerin tried her best not to steal glances, but she failed miserably. She had no idea why her eyes even kept wandering to them, even after she had mentally commanded her eyes to look at anything but him. Even the fake plants ambiguously planted in real soil was a far more interesting subject. But no, her eyes wanted to keep watching, and so the frustration never left her. Even when all the food preparation was done, she still coped with that tight uncomfortable feeling in her chest.   “Are we eating stone?”   Hoya’s remark made Yerin look up from her untouched bowl of rice. She noted the way he was chewing with a face that expressed all his confusion and discomfort.   “Don’t say that, oppa. It still tastes very nice~” Bi Ah gave him a small gentle push, but she was too nice to admit the truth anyway.   “Is the rice too hard?” Yerin asked, looking at the others who all had similar trouble munching down the rice. She then flashed a look towards Chan Yeol who was seated besides her. Her looked flustered by all the complaints.   “I think you lack water. It’s still kinda hard,” Woo Hyun spoke, before suddenly turning to Hyun Mi and poked her arms. “But if you feed me, everything will taste a hundred times better~”   Hyun Mi was silenced, watching the others stare at her indignantly. They were practically pleading her not to give in to him. “You’re not a child. You can eat by yourself,” she told him with a smile and patted his head. But when she was about to retract her hand, he grabbed it and began swinging it side to side while throwing a fake tantrum with big eyes, pouty lips, and puffed up cheeks.   “Noooo~ Woohyunnie ish ownly thlee yeals owld~” the guy had a change of voice as he gave it his all to do his baby aegyo, cutely holding three fingers against his cheek..   As every sane human being proceeded to gag at the disgusting sight, Hyun Mi was the only one squealing in delight while pinching his cheek in adoration. Yup, she fell for it again, like always. What were they thinking placing their hopes in her anyway?   “Fine. But remember you shouldn’t do this in public next time,” she told him with half embarrassment though enjoying every single bit of his antics. She soon gave in to his request and fed him a spoonful of rice and meat.   “If this is what you two do in private, I am totally not worried about you keeping your door locked sometimes,” Yerin commented, making Hyun Mi blush as Woo Hyun just laughed in his normal voice and pitch.   And despite everything, there was one person who was completely focused on the food and kept eating non stop, even throughout the cringeworthy intermezzo.   “Oppa, you should slow down eating. Isn’t the rice too hard for you?” Seul Yi asked worriedly at how fast Myung Soo was eating.   “No, this is delicious!” He breathed out; his hands constantly moving to take some meat and rice to shove in his mouth. Nothing could stop him from devouring the food, and they knew they had to be quick to fight for their own share.   “I’m sorry,” Chan Yeol suddenly whispered. He was pursing his lips out in guilt. “I guess you were right.”   “Among the two of us, I am always right, Chan Yeol,” Yerin said wisely, abusing her noona status once again to make sure Chan Yeol knew who the boss was.   “I know, noona is always right,” he played along. He then took a piece of meat and offered it to her.   “Another token of apology? I see you’ve upgraded from the usual McDonald’s meal,” Yerin told him, unable to coat the playfulness in her tone.   “Well, it’s fancy just for tonight. Next time we’re back to cheap french fries, hamburgers, and twenty pieces mcnuggets for the price of one,” Chan Yeol laughed, motioning his hand to remind her the meat was still waiting to be eaten.   Yerin couldn’t help but laugh, then noticing how her plate was still full with the meat she had taken before. She began to pout, and looked up at him with the biggest life crisis. “There’s no space,” she whined.   Chan Yeol was taken off guard by her sudden behavioral change, mentally reminding himself she was older than him. It was still okay for him to think she looked adorable like that, right? He tried to brush it off with a rather awkward smile instead.   “Just eat it then.” He placed the meat in front of her face so her lips was practically already tasting it, and her nose had no other smell to inhale but that mouthwatering grilled beef aroma.   Yerin did not say a word and took a bite off his chopsticks.   “Yes!!! She did it!!!” Maerin suddenly jumped off her seat in victory as if their country scored a goal during the world cup.   “We’ve been waiting for this since day one!” Seul Yi was dramatically wiping a fake tear from her eyes.   “It’s the most beautiful indirect kiss I have ever seen.” Hyun Mi was staring in awe like watching some drama unfold.   Yerin knew then she had just made a mistake, forgetting those girls were still the biggest ‘ChanRin’ shipper, as they coined it. She buried her forehead against her hand and continued eating without the disturbance of any human contact.   As for Chan Yeol? He was just happily laughing and chatting again with the others, mainly with Hee-Jin.   Suddenly, that annoyance was back.     It had been nearly three months after the new tenants moved in, but it felt like they had been around for ages. In fact, Chan Yeol and Hee-Jin clicked so well together, her friends had now began teasing them too. Not that she was upset about it, not at all. The others just liked teasing two single people together, though she would’ve expected some loyalty.   “Katsu Katsu Tonkatsu…” Yerin was unconsciously humming an impromptu melody on the spot as she was petting the cat. Like usual, the cat had zero care for her and only focused on clean the can of cat food.   When others had classes, it used to be her and Chan Yeol who so coincidentally had a free hour at the same time. But lately he wasn’t there. He always had to go off who knows where. He never told her, and she never asked. Sometimes she saw him walking with Hee-Jin, so she thought she didn’t have the right to demand his presence at all times. Who was she to him anyway?   “I don’t think Tonkatsu enjoys your singing that much.”   Yerin flattened her eyes, wondering why he had to appear just as she was thinking of him. At least say something nice.   She clenched her hand into a fist and stood up to meet him face to face. But after miscalculating their distance, she realized she was too close to him; their nose almost touching. Her breath got caught in the back of , and she suddenly felt anxious being so close to him. He didn’t move, and neither did she.   “J- Just so you know, I’m a pretty decent singer. Not the best, but not that bad either,” she defended herself. She didn’t realize how hard it was for her to keep her eyes on his. His gaze was too inviting and she was scared to drown in them if she looked a second longer. But if she looked elsewhere, let’s say his soft lips, she was afraid she was going to think of… certain things.   The guy laughed, a soft blow of breath tickling her forehead. He was so tall her forehead probably reached up to his nose. And that warm sensation against her skin confirmed how fast her heart was racing at this moment, right in front of him.   “I said Tonkatsu doesn’t seem to enjoy your singing, but I love it,” he smiled, causing her breath to hitch to a stop once again. “Like if you were to enter a worldwide competition to stand on stage and perform as a K-Pop idols, I have no doubt you’ll go far.”   “Don’t overexaggerate,” she laughed, giving his chest a small push.   “I’m being serious though.” He took her hands in his to stop her movements.   It felt so natural as if her hand belonged right there in his grip. And when she once again saw the red strings glow so bright like a visual representation of the way her heart echoed against her chest, she turned nervous. This beautiful sight was what she had always enjoyed; the river-like twister moving in as a serene flow that would always put her heart at ease. But lately, it did the exact opposite of putting her at ease.   “W- Where’s Hee-Jin?” She tried to change the topic, quickly pulling her hand away from him. The beating of her heart did not subdue even a single bit, and neither did the majestic glow between their fated string. It kept dancing rhythmically in accordance to her racing heart.   Chan Yeol raised an eyebrow, almost as if finding the question so absurd. And a part of her was hoping it was, indeed, absurd. Maybe he wasn’t with her at all. Maybe he didn’t know about her constant whereabouts. Maybe this was just her wishful thinking.   “She is tutoring Japanese to someone at the campus today. She used to study in Japan, remember?,” Chan Yeol spoke.   So he did know.   “Is that why you came back early today? Because she was busy?” She asked, trying to remain as casual as possible. Again, she was hoping for an answer in her favor. He could say no. Prove that his free time was not spend on Hee-Jin.   “Yeah, she told me to go ahead and start heating the oven,” Chan Yeol spoke.   So he did spend so much time with her.   “Right, cause you two always bake together.” The words lazily slurred off from her lips, and suddenly, she had no interest whatsoever to carry out a conversation anymore. Everything would revolve around Hee-Jin anyway, even though it was her fault for asking first.   She was ready to make her leave when Chan Yeol suddenly got a phone call. As soon as he said “hello” into the phone, Yerin purposely slowed down her movements. It was probably wrong, but she was slightly curious knowing Hee-Jin had called him.   “Oh, you can’t make it? That’s okay. I’ll be with Yerin,” Chan Yeol spoke casually.   Yerin turned around with a frown as Chan Yeol tugged his phone back to his pocket. “Excuse me? Don’t I get a say in this? What if I’m busy? What if I already made plans? You can’t easily schedule yourself in my hectic time table like that.”   “Are you busy?”   “Well, n- no…”   “Great!” He grinned and grabbed her by the hand. “Let’s kidnap Tonkatsu and go somewhere!”   Yerin had no idea how he always managed to drag her along his stupid plans and ideas. Why did she end up being the one to carry Tonkatsu as they walked through the building to the outdoor space where they would usually barbecued at once a month? Why was she slightly happy as she got to spend some time with him again?   Because that was how things had always been and were supposed to be.   “How are your parents doing?” Yerin had tried asking him, looking at Tonkatsu who was purring and sleeping on her lap now. She used the cat as a distraction to look away from Chan Yeol.   He stared at her with his mouth forming a slight circle, and soon looked away again. “They’re doing fine,” he said silently.   Yerin recognized the lack of conviction in his tone. She knew whenever he was lying, because he always managed to see through her lies too. “You can tell me,” she told him calmly.   “Yes, they are doing fine,” he gave her the same reply.   He gulped down some saliva, fidgeting his hand as he turned away. It was enough for Yerin to understand he was lying to avoid the topic. So she stopped insisting and started another topic.   Though she kept replying him and occasionally laughed at the things he said, her mind was elsewhere. She wondered how his parents were doing. Did they fix the problems or had it grown worse? Were they still together? Many questions swirled in her head and she had no answer for it.   “We haven’t done this in a long time,” Chan Yeol suddenly said. They were now sitting at a bench, watching the stars start to appear as the day grew darker by the hour. Both lost track of time and just sat there chatting over all sorts of random stuff. Tonkatsu was already gone by this time, bored to stay in their presence a second longer.   “You were always busy with your girlfriend,” Yerin uttered, which came accross more jealous than she intended to. Again, he did not deny the way she always referred to Hee-Jin as his girlfriend. Were they perhaps already dating?   “First, she is not my girlfriend,” Chan Yeol corrected her, turning to look at her from so up close.   Yerin was not used to that calmer expression of his. When his eyes peered over her exerting such a manly sternness instead of those playful goofy glint, her breathing staggered. When his