The conference didn’t last for more than half an hour, which was remarkable since Soojin is 18 and yet she knows how to handle the press and what answers to give them. I was watching from the front row and I was surprised at how calm she was.

We’re in the van on our way home. She sighs and takes off her shoes, then puts her head on my lap.

“How was I today?”

I pinch her cheek affectionately. “You were great. I’m sorry I underestimated you.”

“See? I told you I’m not a baby anymore.”

“You’re still a baby.”

“No!”

“Yes, you are. You’re my baby.”

She rolls her eyes and pouts. How cute. “Yeah, yeah.”

“You blushed when they asked you if you were in a relationship with Eli.”

Her eyes widen and I snort. “Did I?”

“Well, are you?”

“You know I’m not.”

“Maybe you’re not telling me everything.”

“Yah, you’re always the first to know when something happens to me!”

“Right...”

Soojin tugs on my sleeve. “Really, I’m not with Eli.”

“Not yet...?”

She laughs and punches me playfully. I laugh along with her, but I’m still wondering if they’re going to. Ah, maybe, maybe not.

∞

The next morning, I run into Soojin eating an apple on her way upstairs and holding an orange in her other hand. She sees me eyeing the orange questioningly and she frowns.

“You don’t eat oranges.”

“It’s not for me.”

“Who is it for, then?”

“Eli.”

I smirk and point at the fruit. “I see you still remember that. What’s his favorite fruit?”

“Dragon fruit,” she answers automatically and covers . She scowls and slaps my shoulder. “Stop it.”

I start singing the chorus of Obsession and she rolls her eyes and goes to Eli’s room. Have I mentioned that teasing her about her ‘obsession’ is my hobby?

∞

I overhear Soojin talking to Kiseop as I pass by the practice room. “Who is this?”

“Uh, that’s...” Kiseop takes a long time to answer and so I enter the room. Eli’s laptop is on the table and Soojin is squinting at a photo on the screen.

“That’s Rainbow,” I answer.

“What—is that a girl group?” Kiseop discreetly makes a slitting-throat gesture at me and I frown, confused.

“Obviously.”

She scoffs and nudges Kiseop’s knee. “Oppa, is this the group where Jaekyung is from?”

“Yeah...why do you ask?”

Her squinting turns into glaring. “Who among these girls is Jaekyung?”

Kiseop gulps and points shakily where Kim Jaekyung was. Oh, I get it. To save the screen from burning up, I yell, “Why is Eli’s laptop with you? Did you even ask permission from him?”

“This is Jaekyung?”

I snort and Kiseop looks at me. “Do you know?” he whispers.

I nod and smirk. “She’s jealous, isn’t she?”

The uljjang rolls his eyes and drags me to a corner of the room, far away from Soojin. “She’s been asking me for hours as to who Jaekyung is. I had a feeling it was about her being Eli’s ideal type, and when I saw her bring Eli’s laptop here, I knew it.” He pulls up the sleeve of his sweater to show me his forearm, which was covered with red marks. “I didn’t want to tell her, so this is what she did to me.”

I click my tongue and look back at Soojin. We jump when she raises her voice. “She’s not even that pretty!”

“You’re prettier than her, baby,” I call out.

“Yeah,” Kiseop agrees. He turns back to me, frustrated. “Why do women have to be like this?” he asks in a loud whisper.

I nod and sigh. “That’s why I haven’t gotten a girlfriend yet. Soojin’s already too dramatic that I don’t even want to get one anymore.”

He laughs and pats my back. “Hyung, just wait until she has a boyfriend, then you can get a girlfriend.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He’s implying something.

Kiseop shrugs. “Ah, let’s just wait and see. Oh, and by the way, I lied to Eli about you guys not being here when Soojin got home from the hospital.”

I don’t see how that relates to our conversation.

∞

I follow Soojin as she enters Eli’s room again. She picks up the orange on his side table and threatens to hurl it at him. “I hate you,” she mutters, then sits down on a chair and peels the orange.

“You...,” she says, glaring at Eli, who was still sound asleep. “...have bad taste in women.”

She puts a piece of the fruit in . “Of all the women in South Korea, you choose her as your ideal girl?”

She switches to what I think is Portuguese, and when she’s already speaking French, I leave her to practice cursing in different languages.

Poor Eli. Good thing he’s asleep.