“Seunghee! Hyun Seunghee!” I shouted her name from outside of her house. I looked around since it looked quite empty. Wait? She isn’t moving away, right? There is always a scene in a drama like this! “No no! Seunghee! Hyun Seunghee!” I screamed loudly before shaking her gate in panic. The door opened as a lady came out from the house.

“Oh Hanseol.” Mrs Hyun was the one who came out as I opened the gate and ran to her.

I looked behind her, thinking that Seunghee was hiding behind her mother. “Aunt Hyun, where is Seunghee?” I asked puzzled.

She snickered softly and I felt it was so elegant! I haven’t met Aunt Hyun for quite a long time. Her attitude resembled a lot like my mother since they were best friends since we moved to the neighbourhood. “Seunghee is in her room. She’s not feeling really well. I thought-” as Aunt Hyun was about to continue, I barged into the house and straightly went to her room.

I opened the door to see Seunghee was watching drama through her laptop while munching potato chips. She jumped in surprise once she saw me. Her narrowed eyes turned into ball golf made her almost choke her chip. “H-Hanseol…?”

I stomped towards her before knocking her head. “Auch! What was that?” she grieved in hurt as she rubbed her head in hurt.

“Ya! How could you eat chips now when we have a thing to settle?” I scolded her and without knowing, I burst into tears and made Seunghee astonished.

She pulled me to her before wrapped me in her arms. “Hanseol ah… Why are you crying?” she patted my back lightly as I cried on her shoulder.

“You stupid girl! I come here for you. Don’t you feel anything?” I sobbed before hitting her back.

Seunghee sighed. “I was about to go to your house today but my mum asked me to take medicine first then go to your house.” she told me as we broke our hug. I bombard a cold glare at her as she shook in nervousness. Seunghee pulled me into a hug again immediately to avoid my scary eyes. “So you want to hear my explanation?” she asked as I nodded slowly.

I let Seunghee fix her position first before I sat next to her in comfort. “Okay, first of all, I am really sorry that I rejected and lied to you when you invited me to go shopping.” she apologized.

“Why did you do that?”

She faced me. “Hyungwon met me early in the morning that time and invited me to go with him to the mall. I did ask him to go with you but he said he had something to tell me. You are my friend and he is also my friend. I thought he probably had something urgent, that was the reason why I agreed.” she briefed.

I sighed. “Then?”

Seunghee her dry lips. “Then, at the mall, he told me he was confused.” she said.

I eyed on her. “Confuse? About what?” I asked in curiosity.

She held my hand and made me dumbfounded. “He…” she took a deep breath and seemed like she was gathering some encouragement to tell me something. “He was confused whether he likes you or… me.”

I was speechless. So he really did like me? “I think I know.” I butted in to make Seunghee glanced at me quickly.

“You know?! H-How-”

“He likes me but he is more comfortable with you because you are easy going and when he is with me, he felt nervous and shy. Am I right?” I guessed and yeah, these kinds of things will happen when you watch too much drama! Because drama and reality are just the same and cliche things always happen. Well, I can label myself as a genius or probably, directors can hire me to make creative scripts so dramas won’t sound normal.

Seunghee blankly looked at me. “How did you know?” she asked like she was lost in words. Totally!

Told ya.

I leaned back restlessly. “It was obvious though.” I murmured. “He was always looking for you when there were only the two of us. But every time when you were with us, he would stay at my side until the end. So what does that mean?” I questioned her back and made Seunghee frown her forehead in puzzlement. I heaved a sigh, thought that she got it in a second but she was still the same blank Seunghee like the first time I met her.

“I don’t know. I can feel it from him. He always mentions us as his friends and I don’t want to be selfish just because of my feelings towards him, all of us fighting.” I told Seunghee as she hugged me tightly.

“You know, Hanseol. You are the greatest friend that I have ever had!” she cheered as I hugged her back. Both of us laughed simultaneously before the door opened and Mrs Hyun appeared with a tray of drinks. She put the drinks on the table beside Seunghee’s bed. “Aigoo… You guys have met at school and are still hugging here?” she teasingly said as both of us hugged even tighter.

As she left us, me and Seunghee took a sip of drinks that Mrs Hyun brought in. “So now, how about you and Hyungwon?” Seunghee asked.

I gulped the drinks slowly. “I don’t know. We are still good for now.” I said calmly.

“But I think he really does like you because when we went to the mall last time, he told me that he does have feelings for you. He just doesn't know how to start with. He brought me out with him because he wanted to make sure that either he likes me or not.” Seunghee briefed as her voice sounded guilty. Well, tell me what a human that will be happy when her own friend is liked by someone that you like? Got me?

I curved into a smile before leaning on Seunghee in pamper. “Seunghee ah, if he really does like you, why not you just accept him?” I suggested as she glared at me.

“Ya! He is yours, remember?”

I giggled as I calmed her down with my hug. “Aishh… we are not officially dating. He can take any one of us to be his girlfriend.” I teasingly said but deep in my heart, I felt a bit aching because I had been liking him since I was 15 years old and now it was almost 4 years. Woahhh… this we can call it as #crushgoal.

Seunghee thinned her lips as her eyes changed to me. “Hanseol, I am really sorry.” she apologized again. “But I really hope for you and Hyungwon’s happiness because both of you are the only friends that I have.” added her.

She almost touched my weak heart before I wrapped her in my arms. “Aigoo Hyun Seunghee~ Why are you so cute?” I palmed my cheek on her cheek as well. “Do you like Hyungwon too? Is he making your heart beat fast as mine?” I questioned.

Seunghee shook her head. “I don’t feel anything yet.”

“Is it because of me?” I faced her.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps but please, I rather see you with him than other girls including me.” she uttered as I giggled over her cuteness.

Both of us laughed as I spent my whole evening with Seunghee. I felt I haven’t met her for 10 years because we were talking like unstoppable. We stopped from chit chatting before Mrs Hyun called us for teatime. While Mrs Hyun was talking with some neighbours at her compound house, me and Seunghee continued our gossip on the dining table. “Oh ya Hanseol, who is that tall guy?”

I froze. “Y-Yes?”

“The one that is with you at the mall. Hyungwon was curious about him because he said he met that guy with you before at the mall. Is he Aunt Mijoo’s friend from Japan?” Seunghee attacked me with her curiosity and made me gulp in nervousness.

I bit my lower lips while thinking of any excuse that I could give to her. “He…” I pondered. “Someone that me and Aunt Mijoo know.” I replied generally.

Seunghee eyed me and seemed like she was still suspicious about it. “Ohh… I usually know people around you but this guy is not familiar to me.”

I sighed. “Not everyone you know. Aishh… forget about him. So when are you going to come back to school?” I changed the topic as Seunghee enlightened a bit.

“Tomorrow~”

Both of us cheered happily and I will no longer be lonely at school. We can be friends like usual with Hyungwon too. The evening got darker as I excused myself to go back home. I entered the house as Aunt Mijoo was sleeping on the couch and Chanyeol was sleeping beside the couch on the floor. I smiled before I came closer to him slowly. “Chanyeol…” I shook him softly to make him move a bit.

Chanyeol looked up at me with his eyes half asleep. “Noona?”

I giggled before holding his hand. “Come.” I pulled him before he followed me sleepily.

I brought him to his room as I sat him down on the bed. I palmed his nape while slowly laid him on the bed. He fixed himself on the bed before I caressed his curly black hair gently. He eyed on me and just leaned his head on me sleepily. “Noona, where did you go just now?” he asked, I patted him on his back lightly.

“I met my friend.”

He looked up at me with one eye open. “Friend? I want to meet my friend too.” he said in his pamper sleepy voice.

I giggled. “The one that you met at the park?”

He nodded slowly.

“Next time, we meet them okay. Now, sleep. You must be tired from the hospital. Later, I woke you up.” I told him and in a second, he closed his eyes.

I smiled before walking out of the room. “He's asleep?” a voice asked me as I jumped in shock and spun around to see Aunt Mijoo was peeking on me. I narrowed my eyes to her and Aunt Mijoo was still blank and just faced me in puzzlement. “What? I’m just asking.” she whined as I dragged my aunt away from Chanyeol’s room. I pulled her before we sat on the couch instantly.

“So, how was the check up?” I asked since I was curious about this from the time I went back home.

Aunt Mijoo sighed. “Well, nothing can change him though. He is still 8 years old.” she sadly said.

I felt guilty towards Chanyeol. By his real age, he should have a job and probably hang out with his friends like other people did. Unfortunately, he had to repeat those childhood phases twice. “Is there no cure for him?” I questioned in worry.

Aunt Mijoo shook her head. “His parents are still in America. Finding any therapy for Chanyeol.” she explained but then, suddenly she carved into a smile. “But the doctor said he had a lot of progress. From the analysis, Chanyeol's mental age has improved from 8 years old to almost 9 to 10 years old. Maybe because you taught him, Hanseol.” she added.

I can help but smile. “Really? What did I do?” I was curious.

“The doctor said that he started to well behaved a bit compared to the previous check up. He also didn’t stutter and shy like before. His emotion also was quite balanced since he usually cried and threw a tantrum when he came to the hospital.” Aunt Mijoo briefed long. “And the doctor asked if there was anyone that Chanyeol always played or talked with or did I send him into expert childcare. But I just answered that he was at home the whole time and played with my niece.” she added.

The story got interesting as I came closer to Aunt Mijoo. “And then?” I asked excitedly.

“Then, the doctor said probably Chanyeol comfort or consider as he likes you so that’s why he is getting better.” Aunt Mijoo told me.

I looked at her with a smile. “He likes me? Impossible. I always scold him, remember?” I giggled.

Aunt Mijoo shrugged her shoulder. “I don’t know. He just likes you a lot. I hope you don’t mind that he had that kind of feeling.”

I leaned back on the couch happily. “Don’t worry, Immo. I like him too.” I said as I remembered how Chanyeol would always smile whenever I came back from school. And of course, when he cried along with me I was sad.

“Thank you Hanseol. Thank you for accepting him.” Aunt Mijoo held my hand tenderly before both of us hugged each other.

I tilted my head on Aunt Mijoo’s chest. “You are welcome.” I looked up at her. “And thank you for bringing him here. He is such a great companion.”

We both smiled at each other as we tightened our hug.