“S-S-Seungcheol sunbae?!!”

“Mari?”

She was totally dumbfounded. Mari looked at Vernon and his friends one by one. And she knew very well one of them. He’s Choi Seungcheol. Someone she likes was here. In Vernon’s room. And he was one of the witnesses to her folly.

Rest in peace her elegance at school.

The guy who was fell because of her stood up and staring at her. He was totally dumbfounded, too.

She could feel her face turned red. She couldn’t face anyone in the room. She could feel all eyes were on her. She slowly walked backwards out of the room and slowly closed the door.

“A….AHJUMMAAAA!”

Vernon suddenly laughed. He could hear Mari was running down to the stairs and probably she was hiding behind his mother.

His friends were looked at each other and then turned to Vernon who couldn’t stop laughing.

“Who’s that, Vernon?” Someone asked. Vernon paused then turned to his friends, “My bestfriend. The girl next door.”

Mari was sitting in the kitchen in silence. She couldn’t believe what has she done. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“I wanted to stop you but then you just ran to his room,” Mrs. Chwe blinked. Mari turned to her and sighed again, “Ahjumma…”

Mrs. Chwe chuckled, “They will forget this, take it easy.”

Mari looked at her in frustration. How could she not know about Vernon’s friends? This is the first time she met with his friends and got a bad first impression. Moreover, Seungcheol was there.

“Good afternoon, Agashi!” Someone shouted. Mari stared at him as he walked into the kitchen and greeted Vernon’s mother.

“Soonyoung, I am old. Stop calling me like that,” Mrs. Chwe patted Hoshi’s head, he’s one of Vernon’s friends. The only friend of him that Mari know. “But, Ahjumma… You’re so beautiful. That’s why I call you like that.” Hoshi grinned.

Hoshi turned to see Mari was sitting as she stared at him, “Oh, hi the real agashi!”

Mari glared at him angrily as she said, “Get lost.”

Mrs. Chwe chuckled while Hoshi was confused. He turned to Mrs. Chwe, asking for explanation but Mrs. Chwe told him to go to Vernon’s room and said that everyone was there.

Hoshi turned to Mari who was still in her bad mood and she kept sighing. Shrugging, Hoshi walked up the stairs to Vernon’s room. He opened the door and saw Vernon and the others.

“Yah, What’s wrong with Mari? She looks so depressed.” Hoshi said as he put his bag on the bed.

Vernon turned to him and blinked, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Hoshi nodded, “She even told me to get lost. She is grumpier than ever today,”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you have a beautiful friend?” Joshua asked as he looked at a picture of Vernon and Mari on the table.

“Hyung,” Vernon rolled his eyes, “That picture is always there and you just realize it now?”

“But, I’ve never seen her before.” Mingyu, the guy who fell because of Mari said.

“Don’t you remember? I’ve told you guys that I had a friend since childhood,” Vernon said.

Wonwoo, who has been playing with Vernon’s game player with Woozi stopped playing and turned to him in surprise, “That was her?! I thought you’re referring to a guy.”

“And she is our junior in the school.” Jeonghan added without looking at his friends. He was busy reading a book.

“Mari is your junior, hyung?” Vernon asked. This time, Jeonghan stopped reading and nodded as he smiled, “Hmm, She was always watching us playing basketball with her friend. I’m familiar to her face.”

“Huh? Really?” Joshua asked. Jeonghan rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Vernon was silent. Somehow, he became uneasy. He turned to Seungcheol and realized that he had been silent. He then forced a laugh, “Come on guys, Why are we talking about her?”

“Because she’s beautiful,” Joshua said.

“That’s right. Mari is beautiful,” Hoshi added.

“But, how did you know her?” Mingyu asked to Hoshi, “Oh, I don’t know. But she was always  here when I came. So she knows me,” Hoshi answered.

***

“Oh, so Seungcheol is your senior in school and you like him?”

Mari nodded. She just told everything to Mrs. Chwe.

“That’s why…” Mari mumbled, “I don’t know that they are friends and I acted poorly in front of him. What should I do?”

Mrs. Chwe smiled. She lovingly patted Mari’s head, “It’s okay, Mari. Do you think Seungcheol is someone who would avoid you just because you accidentally acted in a poor manner in front of him and I don’t think he will hate you,”

“Ah, I’m so embarrassed. How can I meet him?” Mari ruffled her hair in frustration.

“Ehm… Ahjumma,” Someone said. Mari gasped in surprise. She knows very well whose voice it was. She didn’t dare to lift her face and kept her eyes down.

“Oh, What is it?” Mrs. Chwe smiled to Seungcheol as she occasionally glanced at Mari.

Mari closed her eyes tightly and afraid if Seungcheol said something again. She was afraid if Seungcheol was overhead her conversation with Vernon’s mother about him.

Seungcheol glanced at Mari and slightly smiled. Even though he didn’t understand what had happened.

“Can I have more Juice?” Seungcheol asked, pointing an empty juice box. Mrs. Chwe chuckled, “Do you want some cookies too?”

Seungcheol nodded, “Thank you, Ahjumma.”

Mrs. Chwe left to the kitched to prepare some cookies and juices for her son’s friends. She left Mari and Seungcheol there in awkward situation.

Mari still closed her eyes and looked down. While Seungcheol kept staring at her with a smile on his face. He found her cute and it made him smiled more. He took out a chair and sat in front of her. Mari’s heart seemed about to explode. She didn’t know what to do until she heard Seungcheol cleared his throat.

“I don’t know that you were Vernon’s friend,” Seungcheol suddenly said, makes Mari looked up to him.

“I don’t know that you’re friends with him too,” Mari softly replied, “It surprised me..”

Seungcheol gave Mari a smile and he chuckled, “Me too,”

Mari slowly smiled at him and then both of them were laughed together. “This is very strange, Isn’t it?” Seungcheol asked.

Mari nodded, “I’ve never seen you come to this house before. Then today… I hope you forget it soon, Sunbae.” Mari said with a sigh. Thinking about what had happened a few minutes ago made her wants to punch something.

“What’s wrong?” Seungcheol blinked, “I think it’s not a shameful thing,”

“But… For me, It is.” Mari stated.

Seungcheol suddenly stood up and stared at Mari, “I think you’re very cute today,” Seungcheol smiled at her and gave her a wink and then he approached the maid as he took the cookies and juices. Before he walked towards Vernon’s room, he turned to see Mari who was still on her spot and grinned, “It’s an adorable thing,” He said with a smile and left.

Mari, who was once again became a statue because of him suddenly stood up of her chair and she jumped around in happiness. Mrs. Chwe who saw her shook her head with a smile on her face.

And without her knowing, Vernon was watching her suspiciously from the second floor. He had never seen her so happy as today and it made him feel strange. He was somehow uneasy.

In the middle of noon, Mari was watching tv in the Vernon’s house with his mother. It has became a habit for Mari when there was nobody in her home. Unlike Vernon’s mother who is a housewife, Mari’s mother is a designer and sometimes she spent her times in her own boutique.

Mari stopped eating cookies when she heard some noises from the stairs. It seems to be Vernon’s friends and they looked like they were going to go home. Mari turned towards the stairs and suddenly met eyes with one of Vernon’s friends who fell before. She gasped in surprise and blushed.

Mari stood up and bravely approached them.

“H-Hansol…” She called Vernon softly.

They stopped talking and turned to Mari. Mari looked at them one by one and blushed. She became uneasy and felt embarrassed. Vernon was waiting for her to say something again but then Mari came to Vernon and whispered something to him. Vernon smirked to her and turned to Mingyu who fell before because of Mari.

“Mingyu, She wants to say something.” Vernon said.

Mari nodded in understanding, So his name is Mingyu.

She looked to Mingyu and tried to smile while Mingyu slowly smiled to her, too. “Mingyu, Isn’t it? I want to apologize.”

“Ah, That’s okay. I’m fine, No worries.” Mingyu said with a smile.

I didn’t know that Vernon has so many cute friends. Why did he never told before? Mari replied with smile as she said, “Thank you,”

Before Mari excuse herself, Mari awkwardly waved to the others and smiled to Seungcheol and then she walked away.

“Heol, she looks weird today. What has happened?” Hoshi turned to his friends. They just chuckled and leaving Hoshi dumbfounded. “Yaaah!”

After his friends left, Vernon took out something from freezer. He took a soft drink, took a sip of it and walked towards his room. He saw Mari was in his room, reading a book on his bed.

Mari looked up and brightened, “Hansol, come here.”

Vernon stared at her suspiciously. Suddenly he felt an uneasy feeling came over to him again. Vernon put his soft drink on the table and sat onto his bed. He turned to Mari, “What’s wrong?”

“I want to tell you something.” Mari doubtfully said. “And I want you to help me,”

“Help you what?” Vernon raised an eyebrow.

“To stop making me angry. Especially in front of Seungcheol sunbae, I don’t want to look like a fool in front of him.”

“….Why?” Vernon looked down.

“Because I like Seungcheol sunbae.” Mari replied, “Since the first time I saw him at the school and it was a year ago.”

Vernon looked up and stared at Mari. He knew something was wrong when he saw Mari and Seungcheol. The way Mari looked at him was not the same like the way Mari looked at him. Mari was really pretty in front of Seungcheol.

“So, Please… Hansol,” Mari took Vernon’s hand and then she looked to Vernon, “I really like him. When I know that you’re his friend, I became so happy. But I’m afraid, too.”

“Why?” Vernon softly asked.

“I’m afraid if you will annoy me in front of him and… you know what I mean! What happened today, It was so embarrassing. I don’t want that to happen again.”

“That was your fault,” Vernon stated.

“I know! That’s why, I need to tell you this. Because we always share secrets, isn’t it?” Mari smiled.

Vernon softened. He looked down as he chuckled. He then looked up and saw Mari was smiling to him, “Okay, but I’m still your morning devil.”

“Thank you, Hansol!” Mari suddenly hugged Vernon as she giggled.

It was the same habit. But today, it was odd for Vernon. Today was the first time Mari told him that she likes someone. Vernon didn’t know what to do. Wheter he happy or not. He felt like he would lose her. Vernon slowly wrapped his arms around Mari and hugged her tightly. He suddenly felt so scared.