It was already 7pm, when we three had been talking for almost an hour now, so we decided to prepare dinner together.

I was just being a helping hand for namesake and even Ryujin wasn’t of much help, but she did chopped some of the veggies nicely for that what matters.

Well, better than me, who was waiting to follow noona's orders.

We didn’t wanted to leave noona alone, so we were giving her company till eomma returns, but there was no sign of that happening yet.

I did wanted to talk to Ryujin, as we were busy with noona since she came back, and now it was already dinner time.

Eomma was still stuck in her meeting with her mini club with her ex-colleagues. They had such small get-togethers often throughout the year. But she had promised that she would be home for dinner as Ryujin was visiting today.

Apparently, in my house, Ryujin’s visit was an important event. Preparation of special feast and movie nights were obvious, as she loved these warm dinners followed by movie nights. 

It was unbelievable sometimes how all three of us, felt so connected to her.

“Okay! You guys can leave now!” noona commanded, making us look at her in surprise.

“Why?” Ryujin was distracted from chopping the last piece of green-onion on the chopping board.

“All the preparations are done, so there’s no need of assistants anymore” noona looked between me & Ryujin dusting her apron, “You are off work, kids.” she announced, blinking her eyes at me, as I sent back a wide smile appreciating her efforts.

I love you so much. I wanted to tell her with those sparkling eyes of mine, as she grinned at me knowingly.

'Thank You' I mouthed, making her smirk back, reaching for Ryujin's hand, “Let’s get some snacks and beer for the movie-night then” 

“We’re having a movie-night?” she looked at me with surprise, her excitement building up now.

“Hmm" "You said you were craving for ‘The Inception’?” I was waiting for her to get up from her seat, her eyes were busy staring at the knife in her hand, recollecting, her lips pouting cutely, “ I said so?” 

Why is she being so adorable today, seriously?

Is today anything special or just I'm on cloud nine to find her cute every now & then?

“Okay!" she finally realized I was waiting for her, as she looked at me to answer, "Does eonni need anything else from store?” she asked, getting up from her chair,

“The usual” noona kept it short, moving around the kitchen busy in her own task now.

We left when Ryujin was ready, after removing the apron & fixing her clothes.

---------------

“This” “This” “And this” Ryujin had picked everyone’s favourite snacks from the racks of the department store.

“I got the beer” I said finding her.

“Let’s go then" "I have got the snacks.” She was filled with enthusiasm, lifting the packets of snacks in her hand, as I found myself laughing now, “Why are you so happy about movie night?” I teased, watching her sheepish grin turn into a shy one.

“I’m just very happy”  She blushed, moving ahead with quick steps to the payment counter, as I followed her with the sheepish grin on my lips now, as if it was that contagious.

----------

“Can you walk along with me?” I was smiling watching her walk ahead of me, to avoid me after we left the store.

“Huh?” she turned to give me those fake confused eyes, executing her bad acting skills again.

“I said walk with me!” I shouted, stressing on my words, smirking at her poor efforts to hide her blushed face.

“Hmm" she hummed straightening her face, pacing down finally, as I closed the distance, taking few long steps, till I was walking beside her, “Are you being shy all of a sudden now?” I mapped her face to get the track of her expressions.

She was already blushing hard to not notice, when I was still far from starting a real conversation.

“Why would I be shy with oppa?” her eyes blinked frantically, clearly overreacting, as I couldn't help myself from smiling more. I had rarely seen Ryujin act childish like this after we had entered our adult-life, but it was fun now to , seeing her react like this.

Otherwise she was very profound in controlling her expressions.

“I don’t know" "You’re shy" "You would know better.” I turned to walk facing her, taking my steps in reverse. I needed a proper view of all the events happening on that face right now.

There was a defined crimson tinge on her cheeks which were slightly lifting up as she was struggling between showing and hiding her smile now, when she was busy interpreting my words in her head.

She ended up giggling watching me observe her, as my head was tilted to one side in the action, with me walking backwards in small steps. 

She pushed my shoulder making me turn to walk straight again, as my lips were curved into a soft smile soon memorizing her blushing face I witnessed a minute ago.

I was trying to imprint that expression to remember it for a long time ahead, as yet another memory of this day, to add to the million beautiful ones, we had & were going to make in the future.

She took a glance at me, only to look away immediately, her eyes wandering over the street to focus on the lamp in our left, “Since when oppa had feelings for me?”

I kept watching her silently, as she blushed then, probably feeling my gaze over her.

I couldn't help but smile at her being a cheeky person, “I think it’s been 5 years now” I replied, scratching the back of my neck, as the memories came back from the days when she was on my phone's wallpaper for quite few months.

It was an unusual picture of her, standing with her back to the camera, against the sunset in background, with her hands on the railing of the bridge, captured on my camera. 

I took it when she was enjoying the sunset we had watched together at a cultural heritage point we had found after a long drive out of the city, oblivious to the existence of that picture till date.

Nobody could have recognised it was Ryujin, with her mere silhouette visible against the sunset, so I kept it for a long time after finding it in my gallery one random day. 

When I had a tour, me being in Japan, I was really missing her & so I felt fine looking at that picture whenever I wished, so I had it on my phone until Taeminnie noticed it.

He was really desperate to discuss it with others if I had not ask him to keep it a secret at the cost of my precious sneakers. 

He probably didn't knew it was Ryujin for a while too & thought it was just some other girl I was secretly dating then.

“5 years?” I was called back by Ryujin's surprised voice.

She had stopped walking as she turned to me stunned by my answer, making me walk past her now embarrassed myself to agree how idiotic I was to have such a long crush on my closest friend.

“Hmm” I nodded smiling to myself,

“Why didn’t you tell me for so long?” I could hear her complaining voice behind me now, giving me reason to keep looking ahead, “I needed time to be sure with you" I added, explaining myself finally,

"And then I was scared as you were, after I recognised my feelings for you" 

"I also, didn’t wanted to lose you, hurt you, get our friendship suffer because of it” I confessed it all, finally turning to look at her, with the numerous flashbacks of our time together, running in my head.

All the times I had thought of telling her my feelings, were coming back to me in that moment.

The moments I halted at her apartment and came back without visiting her were still fresh in my head.

“What if I would have not realized my feelings for you ever?" she walked to me, not letting me look anywhere else, as I found myself thinking on her words,

My eyes were softened watching her figure getting clearer as she walked closer, “We had been together for so many seasons now, Ryujin-ah" 

"I don't know" I chuckled at my own flow of thoughts now, "Somehow I was just hoping that it would be great if you considered me in your future as I did”

I did considered her in all of my future since a long time, not as my partner in particular, but I needed her to be by my side for future too, this thought was way older than my realization of love for her.

She walked forward till she was right in front of me looking at me with stunned expression, "Of course I didn't wanted to get rejected by you" I added, smirking at her, as I saw her forehead wrinkling, "But I wouldn't have