Suzy’s first boyfriend was Baekhyun. Eunji’s older brother. She was fifteen when he asked her out, and he was two years older than her. She still recalled the day he walked over to her, as quiet as a mouse, his ears completely red. He would mumble some jargon that she did not comprehend. And then he leaned forward to plant a clumsy kiss on her lips. He was also her first kiss.

Her first reaction was plain aggressive. She remembered her fist connecting with his nose. When he bled profusively, kneeling on the floor in tears, she accepted his request out of pity. Eunji was super delighted to know that her best friend was dating her older brother. But Suzy was not too sure about Baekhyun as her boyfriend.

The boy was still misty with dreams, hoping to conquer the gaming world one day. He spent his days and nights playing on the playstation. His hair was mousy. She was but half an inch shorter than him. He repulsed at the idea of hitting the gym. As she loved shopping, science and taking morning jogs, he would prefer strolling the gamestore, anime workshops and transforming into a couch potato.

Their first date occurred inside the games workshop. Suzy was surprised, being the only girl to enter among a world of nerds. They stopped to stare at her with spectacles on their noses, or braces over their protruding upper teeth. They were dressed in black shirts with the name of metal bands she never knew existed. Some had a moment where they salivated when she walked by. Over all, the date was not as enjoyable. (Not like her the time when Myungsoo bought her ice-cream, or Jongin took her to see one of his dance shows, or Hongbin and the cinema).

In any case, Suzy was uncertain why she was dating Baekhyun.

She was confronted by Myungsoo in school about it one day. He was breathless, still texting someone on the phone, with his backpack slung over one shoulder. Suzy shut her locker, hoping to evade him, but he blocked her way.

    “Wait a second,” he said, in a voice that demanded obedience.

Myungsoo was now in his final year. He was hoping to get into medical school the following year. Suzy and the rest rarely saw him, as he spent most of his days living in the library like a hermit.

    It was strange that Myungsoo was the most affected when the orphanage broke down. Suzy and her friends took to the streets to protest in front of the mayor, but no one helped, and that was the end of the orphanage. The boys were assigned foster homes, where they would rotate around until they reached eighteen, and deemed as adults.

Jongin found it difficult to adjust with any of the families. He would often switch foster homes after starting a fight with the foster family. Hongbin stayed with an old, frail man who lived far out in town. Suzy rarely saw Hongbin as well. So, she spent most of her days with either Naeun and the girls, or just herself and Jongin.

“What’s the matter?” Suzy gathered her books for her next class. Her long hair fell over her shoulder. She flung it back.

        “Why did you agree to be Baekhyun’s girlfriend?” Myungsoo’s lips curled into a grimace. “You can do better than that, Suzy.”

The idea that he should rule her life caused an uneasy feeling in her chest. It was a tightness that choked her with livid anger.

    “Excuse me, Myungsoo? I can date who I want.” She aimed to jostle him, but he took a step to block her way.

“I’m telling you this because Baekhyun’s bad influence.”

    Suzy snorted. “He just loves the playstation. He isn’t exactly a bad influence, Myungsoo. Just like you’re addicted to studying, he’s addicting to gaming.”

Myungsoo flinched. “But he has no ambitions! How could you say that?”

    “And who are you to decide who I can date?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. “S’pose so. But I can’t help think you can do better.”

    Her eyebrows furrowed. “Like who?”

She did not expect his eyes to become as wide as saucers. He coughed into his fist, and loosened his tie. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “Dunno. But there’s a lot of nice guys out there. And they’d be more your type.”

    “And what makes you think you know my type?”

“I know Baekhyun isn’t your type!”

    “Oh, shut up, Myungsoo!” She whacked her book on his arm. “It’s so degrading having you boss me around. I’m late for class.”

    Suzy hurried onwards, ignoring him when he called for her.

The three boys gathered around the old oak tree. The orphanage was deathly quiet. It had been two years since it was shut down. The gardens resembled a wild, alienated space. It was hectic trying to push through the tall foliage to climb the hill. Hongbin clipped at the weeds next to Mr. Kitty-’s grave. There were violets growing over the mound. Myungsoo stared at his friend for a few seconds, noting the nostalgic gleam in the tall boy’s eyes.

    Jongin crossed his arms. He was as tall as Myungsoo now, and his face was leaner. There was also more hair around his chin than before. Myungsoo wanted to tell him to shave it, but decided not to boil his temper. Jongin