On the day of Jongin’s arrival, Suzy noticed a change in Hongbin. The young man was making sure that the whole house was in order. Taekwoon came early in the morning to cook traditional Korean food. The enthusiasm, the energy, none of that was present when she had arrived. She hated to admit that it hurt her. However, it was refreshing to see Hongbin in a lighter mood.

    Since he asked Hakyeon to dress him in a casual sweater and some jeans, she too decided to uphold the honour of the Earth’s arrival with a semi-casual dress. It was an ombre colour, that fitted her curves and settled just below her knees. To avoid winter’s chill, she wore dark, woollen tights. Her hair was left hanging over her waist, curled at the ends. When she stepped out to help Taekwoon, all the men in the house paused. Their mouths were wide open.

    “Is there something on my face?” She tapped her cheeks. They were warm to the touch.

    Taekwoon gave a grunt before he returned to the kitchen. There was the rattling of dishes and pans. Hakyeon cleared his throat but Hongbin beat him to it. “Why are you wearing a dress?”

She had not expected the suspicion in his voice

    Hakyeon glared at the young man. “What he means to say, Suzy, is that you look pretty in that dress.”

    Suzy did not hear Hakyeon’s words. She watched Hongbin, trying to understand what he hid behind his stern eyes. She waited for Hakyeon to leave before she sat next to him on the couch. “You’ve your appointment today. Let me come with you.”

    He inhaled a sharp breath. “No. Don’t come with me.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. She could not trace through memories of Hongbin refusing her, but there were times. Back when they were twelve, he refused to let her bully him when he agreed to be Naeun’s date to the prom. But a few days after, he asked her out to the cinema, which ultimately became her first date.

    “But I’ll come to give you some support. Jongin too.” She smiled, hoping it reached him, but he hardly blinked. “Please, Hongbin.”

    He perked a brow. His lips stretched upwards, revealing his dimples. “I’d never thought I’d hear the day you’ll say ‘please’.”

When he laughed, she jabbed at his arm. “Oh shut up!” However, his enlightened action came as relief for her. She was glad he did not start the day with the same acrid mood as few days back.

    “Could I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

    His eyes bore into hers. “Did you and Jongin...did you ever…”

It took her a few seconds to understand what he was trying to say. Heat suffused across her face. “No.”

She hoped her voice demanded finality on the topic. How was she meant to tell him the reason she stopped liking Jongin? It was because of him. Her feelings festered inside her, and she was suddenly confused. She wondered if she still adored Hongbin as she used to, back when she was seventeen. But it was hard to accept someone who had become so bitter and hateful of life.

    That was never meant to be Hongbin. There were so many people in the world who hated life. But Hongbin should have never been one of them.

    “Sorry,” he said, breaking their stare. “I never meant to ask you like this. That’s back in the past. People change.”

Suzy was glad when Taekwoon stomped into the living area. He looked a bit ridiculous in his apron, his hair wet from excess steam, and his face etched in concentration. “Food is ready.”

    It was the first time she ever heard him say anything! For his grumpy appearance, she expected a deep, gravelly voice to accompany him. However, he sounded like a mewling kitten.

“Great.” Hongbin flashed him a grin. “Jongin loves spicy ramen the most. Right, Suzy?”

She blinked a few times, still growing accustomed to Taekwoon’s mellow voice. “Of course. He’d dance for spicy ramen if he had to.”

Taekwoon blinked her, like a freaking gargoyle. He marched back into the kitchen. The initial silence from earlier settled over them.

“I wish I could walk again,” Hongbin said. He was looking at her again, she noticed from the corner of her eyes. “I wish I really could, Suzy. I’ve tried so hard