❝Stares And Brushes❞

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8:46 pm

Weekend. 

The second weekend of July had knocked on the lives of the people; the balcony door was opened of the familiar apartment to let in the fresh breeze, and the smell of soil inside the living room. 

The footfalls of the owner echoed in the living room as Inha walked in the kitchen, attired in a blue floral crinkled wrap dress; her hair in a bun behind her nape leaving the few strands of hair either side of her temple, the formal yet casual attire for her housewarming party, the one that was postponed a few weeks back, and with the happenings around didn't let them have it, but now Inha was having a housewarming party at last. 

"Are you done wiping the plates?" 

She asked, entering the kitchen to find Si-woo standing by the counter as he placed another plate over the layer of others as he nodded. "Yes, you're done with your hair now?" 

Inha stood beside him with a grumble. "Don't even ask." 

A while earlier, Inha was running around the place to get ready, and the moment she was done with her makeup, the guest of her friends began to come which didn't give her the time to fix her hair to leave it open but her hair kept bothering her while working so she had left to tie it up before letting Si-woo in, who, in the moment was helping her out with cleaning the plates as apart from him, and her friends, she had invited Ah-Young and Mingyu too but both of them were too busy to come. 

"I am going on a blind date tomorrow." 

Si-woo uttered, cleaning the plate with a sheepish press of his lips as he looked at Inha only to find her gaped face and he chuckled. "What?" 

"You're serious?" 

"I don't joke about this thing, don't I?" 

His forehead creased, as he reminded her of the moment when he had confessed, and he had stopped the blind date suggestions from his mother because he wanted to show his feelings to her one more time for the chance he had been given, but it wasn't enough, and it wasn't that bad either because maybe, he just wasn't for her, maybe she wasn't for him, maybe they were always meant to stay great friends. 

And he was happy to be her friend, like before, like now. 

Inha stared at him for a moment and smiled, a smile for his moving on phase, a smile for being grateful for him, a smile for being her great friend. "I'm really glad you did." 

"Yeah?"

"Definitely," Inha nodded. "And I have a feeling that it might be a once in a lifetime thing for you." 

"A good one, right?" He frowned, suddenly suspicious and Inha let out a laugh. "Of course, it's a good one." 

Yeah, they were meant to be the greatest friends. 

The front door opened, and Inha was quick to go out to find the trio of her friends walking inside, back from visiting her neighbor's place that was right across from hers, and the neighbor of hers was entering behind the couple in his rolled-up sleeve blue button-down tucked in his jeans, his hair in a soft ruffle on his forehead as though it wasn't like she was looking at him for the first time because he was the first guest of hers as being close to her but for some reason, Inha couldn't help but stare at him. 

And stare was all she could do; without any reason but there was a huge reason and just for her to realize again. 

Sehun's eyes locked with hers and they slightly rounded for a second, as if blown off by something leaving Inha with nothing but a wave of nervousness as she blinked a couple of times at his unwavering gaze. 

Yet, it did the moment he found Si-woo walking out of the kitchen as he greeted them with a smile. "Hi." 

Jinsoo and Yoojung were quick to greet him while Sehun gave him a nod, a gentle one though he couldn't shoo away the unpleasant feeling in his heart by watching her with him, knowing he was a friend of hers, he still couldn't because there was a part of him not liking the fact of not being with her longer than he has been, and maybe, he was more closer to her than he was, and is right now. 

And that feeling wasn't a good one, he didn't know if he should blame the timing, or the fact he came to know about his depth for her too late, or the fact that he couldn't utter it to her. 

Whatever it was, it didn't leave him with a warm feeling because it was bitter and he was feeling that unpleasantness again by the sight of them, the moment he had listened to her laughter with him, not a first time but this time he had come to know this feeling of bitterness. 

It was jealousy; and he couldn't stop it, he just couldn't. 

"Goofball, were you scammed?" 

Jinsoo asked, as he walked in with a genuine baffled look and Inha frowned. "What?" 

"He has city lights," He pointed at Sehun who was walking in at the moment before looking back at her. "Why do you have a theme park?" 

Yoojung shrugged. "Theme parks are not bad." 

"That's because you love running a marathon, honey." Jinsoo remarked, watching Yoojung taking a place on the couch comfortably and he pointed at Inha. "And she hates running." 

"I don't hate it," Inha interrupted, her arms to herself with a confident look. "And for your information, I participated in the relay race too." 

Yoojung nodded with a smile. "And we won it too." 

"And she got hurt too." Sehun intruded, as he stood beside Inha who turned to him with a narrowed look. "That wasn't needed." 

He shoved his hands into his pockets with a shrug. "I thought we were reminiscing." 

"Oh, I remember," Jinsoo said, raising his arm as he attempted to say further only to burst out laughing before even sharing the apparent joke of his leaving the others to just stare at him without any reaction, too used to his actions as he took a deep breath while calming down. "That time of the relay race," He paused, only to laugh again as Sehun was quick to punch his arm to have him wince with some giggles. "Okay, okay." 

"Yoojung was standing like this," He trailed off, posing in an alerted position of hers like she had stood for the relay race with a chuckle, and Yoojung rolled her eyes as he continued further. "And Inha was like, Yoojung, you got this!" He imitated her voice with his arms in the air as he laughed, holding his stomach. 

Inha scoffed. "Stop exaggerating!" 

"And when Yoojung won, she went like, yay my Yoojung won!" 

"How dare you-" 

Inha had pulled him in a headlock as he yelped with a laugh and Yoojung exchanged a look with Sehun who shook his head at them. 

"Oh, do you remember the time we pranked Si-woo?" 

Yoojung looked at him who was standing with a smile at the scene but it dropped when the topic was averted to him as everyone looked at him and Si-woo shrugged. "That was totally not my fault." 

Jinsoo started laughing again. "Please, it was so funny seeing your confused face when Inha told you the other way." 

"I was angry." Inha's lips puckered, letting go of Jinsoo with a smack on his back and Sehun nodded; his eyes staring at Inha with an amazement. "And a handful." 

Inha squinted her eyes at him. "Thank you for the non-needed information." 

He smiled back. "You're always welcome." 

"Okay, but thanks to Sehun, I went to get him back." Jinsoo nodded, and Si-woo frowned. "But I watched you running away." 

Yoojung let out a chuckle. "His scaredy ran off!"

"And he made us!" Sehun shook his head in disbelief yet a laugh escaped his lips at the memory as he imitated Jinsoo's running self. "He was like, run he's coming here!" 

"Exactly!" 

Inha laughed along, as both of them had high-fived together with their laughter emerging together while Jinsoo was left pouting as Yoojung cooed at him with her smile and Si-woo smiled at them; the squad was still the same. 

Soon enough, the dinner was ready which was done by Yoojung and Si-woo along with Sehun leaving Inha to roam around them as not being the usual of good companion to the kitchen, and Jinsoo was cleaning the glasses for the wine they were going to have with the meal before Yoojung had found herself back to the couch, leaving the two not in a conversation category men alone inside. 

Inha had walked in to find them silent; so them, as she sighed to stand between them. "I have to cook a dish, so you both can go out now." 

Sehun instantly glanced at her with a frown; a frown of have you lost it again, as his head shook. "This is enough for the night, doc-lady." 

"And you don't know how to cook." Si-woo stated, as both men exchanged an agreement look with each other as he walked outside and Inha huffed; since when do they get along. "I know how to cook, it just burns, and it's not my fault but it's an easy recipe!" 

Sehun shook his head, slowly with a sarcastic smile. "Still a no." 

"This is my kitchen, Oh Sehun." Inha gave him her threatening rounded eyes and Sehun nodded, meeting her gaze. "And I want us to live for a little longer than your passion for cooking." 

Inha crossed her arms over her chest with her eyes sharp. "I can still throw you out of the kitchen, Sehun." 

She watched his head tilted down for a second as he let out a chuckle to immediately face her with his hand resting on the counter as his eyes met hers. "Make me, Inha." 

Inha's heart thud behind her chest with rapid beats because of the way he was staring at her; different it was, too different and something else that left her in a wave of warmth as she felt her cheeks heating up, making her lips parted with his eyes flickering to her lips at her sudden actions leaving her flushed, and flustered. 

He couldn't help it, he couldn't help but stare at her from the moment he had seen her dressed up, not that he haven't before, and he'd find himself blown away by it but something was different, it was the dress or the way her hair were tied up that he had been seeing for the first time with the strands of her hair brushing her cheeks from her parted lips that caught his eyes on his own as his heart hammered behind his chest to meet her eyes; and something different it was in her eyes. 

Warm, but flustered; like her rosy cheeks. 

He flinched by the thought, as his eyes slightly widened to see her blinking a couple of times as if he was caught staring at her to feel his ears heating up with her taking a step back. 

"I'll just go out." 

He hummed, but couldn't ignore the colored flush of her cheeks because it was a first, and something alluring to see as he his lips turning away with his own flustered state unknown of the fact that his flustered self was known by her too with a question in their minds of confusion. 

Did they see it right? Or their eyes were betraying them to find one another being flustered? The reason was questionable, one knew it and another one didn't want to know about it for themselves but what about for the other one? 

Unknown but to be known and this time much differently. 

Inha let out a deep breath, her heart was still sped up to look at the couple of her best friends seated on the couch, cuddled up again as Inha smiled at them, so beautiful they looked right now as she walked to them with her mischievous self standing over them enough to take their attention. 

"I'm third-wheeling." 

She made a gesture with her hand to make a place for her between them which they did, as Inha was quick to settle down with a sigh. "I was kicked out of my kitchen." 

Jinsoo snickered, his arm around her neck like he used to do back then. "Sehun kicked you out?" 

"He wouldn't take a tiny bit of risk of letting me cook." Inha reasoned out with a huff. "And it's my freaking kitchen and I'm supposed to be the host tonight yet I'm being kicked out of my own kitchen!" 

"And you listened to him without you two being chaotic?" Yoojung raised her eyebrows with a knowing look. "So not you, Inha." 

"I did, but I just thought of letting him be since I have matured enough now." Inha smiled, and Jinsoo gave her a funny look. "That's the most unfunniest thing I have ever heard from you, goofball." 

"Quiet it down, Jinsoo!" 

Inha rolled her eyes, nudging his side for him to let go which he did with a choke, where Inha leaned her head on Yoojung's shoulder to look at Si-woo by the balcony having a conversation on his phone but the way his face looked, he seemed disturbed as the next minute, he was already in front of them as well as Sehun who walked out of the kitchen. 

"I'm sorry, Inha." Si-woo said, and Inha immediately sat up with a confused look. "Why?" 

"I'm afraid, I'll have to go." 

"Is everything okay?" Yoojung asked, and he nodded. "Yeah, it's just, my mom suddenly arrived and she doesn't know the password of my place so I'll have to leave." 

"But the dinner-" 

"That's fine, and I like your place though." He smiled. "Give me some suggestions sometimes." 

Inha stood up with a nod as she walked him out leaving the trio behind as Sehun watched them with a not so warm feeling until he listened to the conversation of Yoojung and Jinsoo. 

"I wonder if Inha had gone for Si-woo only to find herself trapped with his mother." Jinsoo stated, and Yoojung frowned. "Don't say trapped, that sounds awful." 

"Come on, don't you remember the reason Inha let Si-woo go the wrong way only because of how his mother badmouthed uncle Daewon and I don't think Inha can tolerate anyone saying things about her parents." 

Yoojung couldn't help but agree as after that incident that was long ago, Inha still briefed them about how his mother still isn't very fond of her father that always infuriates her but Si-woo was a good man, so Inha never pushed him away from her but sometimes she was straightforward with him about this topic, well, that speaks her nature but liking came with a different feeling; it was a feeling Inha couldn't reciprocate so not wanting to hurt his friend more, she had to be straightforward with him again. 

Sehun was attentive, well, when it comes to Inha, he always had been but listening to this news was much surprising to him, somewhere he had expected this, and expected much more because that's how he had misunderstood that night, but Inha had cleared it, and now that he had come to know about this, he couldn't help but feel giddy, a wave of bliss in his heart. 

But should he keep feeling like that? Can he take the risk of crossing his lane, and the bond of theirs? 

In the moment, Inha had walked in with a confused look as she found him standing still, in a lost trance of a pondering look as she glanced at the couple to find them walking towards the dining table where he was standing until Inha was standing in front of him with a tilt of her head; her eyes rounded with confusion.

"Celeb." 

He snapped out, and his blank eyes met her confused ones. "Huh?" 

"Why are you standing like that without any soul?" She questioned, biting her lip as if almost holding back her smile and he stared at her for a moment, realizing the familiar words as he scoffed behind a chuckle. "Because I'm hungry." 

"The food is here though," Her eyes squinted. "And you didn't even let me cook the new recipe." 

"And let myself at risk of losing my handsome face? Never happening." 

"I have practiced, you cheapster!" 

"I have one life, doc-lady!"

"Jerk." 

"Proudly." 

"The food is getting cold, you little bantering brats!" 

Both of them flinched, and found Jinsoo glaring at them as Yoojung was already having a feast of her own while watching the sight with an interest, an interest of something she had seen before, and an interest of something she had been seeing nowadays; it was familiar and similar but her heart just hoped for a different happening this time. 

Let it be different; it was meant to be like that. 

Not long before, the squad was settled on the couch after the full of feast with Jinsoo being the whipped one praising Yoojung's cooking who was blushing at it while the other pair, Inha and Sehun had to groan at them, grimacing together with them continuing; best friends for every reason. 

Jinsoo and Inha were in her room to get their high school yearbook as Inha had asked him to get it from the drawer of her study table but him being the bratty one had to cause a drama like a child as Yoojung almost got him but Sehun was on his rescue as always, while Inha had helped Jinsoo as she showed him the yearbook close to his eyes. 

"See, this is how a yearbook looks like, understand, dumb ceo?" Inha tilted her head with a sarcastic smile, and Jinsoo shrugged. "I'm not dumb, I was just too lazy to do it." 

Inha rolled her eyes until Jinsoo picked up the covered album of Chen with a nod. "Sehun has it too." 

Inha's forehead creased. "He has?" 

"Yeah, and it's a signed one." 

"He has Chen's album, and signed one?" 

"That's exactly what I said, goofball." 

"He's so dead!" 

The next thing Jinsoo watched Inha storming outside the room leaving him dumbfounded until he heard her roar like yell. "Oh Sehun, you're such a jerk!" 

He sighed, deeply. "Oh goodness." 

Yoojung and Sehun were settled with a startled face on the couch, as if Inha had interrupted their conversation and indeed, she had by her sudden yell as he blinked. "What did I do?" 

Inha huffed. "You have a freaking Chen's signed album, and you didn't tell me?!" 

"Oh." 

"Oh?" 

He shrugged. "You didn't ask." 

"I told you the very first day we met that I'm his huge fan and you didn't care to tell me that you have met him before to have his signed album even after I have been at your place twice!" 

"Twice?" Yoojung looked at the two of them with a curious glint as Jinsoo, who was standing by the frame of the room, rounded his eyes as well. "You have been at Sehun's place twice, goofball?" 

Inha looked at them with sudden nervousness to meet Sehun's eyes for a moment as she nodded. "Yeah, it just happened." 

It was his place, and they were neighbors and friends, so it was common but why did they feel nervous-wrecked? Strange. 

"Anyway, that's not the point," She trailed off, crossing the space as she sat beside Yoojung by the corner where Sehun was seated on the one-seated sofa to look at him with an authoritative eyes. "You're going to get me his signed album, anyhow." 

His brows knitted. "What?" 

Inha's eyes softened. "Can't you do that for me?" 

He blinked, as his heart fluttered to have his own eyes softened. "No, I will do that for you." 

His words thud behind her chest like a warmth, and her lips graced in a smile likewise his eyes glinted along with. 

"If your umpteenth time of married banter is finished, can we look at the yearbook now?" 

Jinsoo uttered, as he's been watching the sight with lots of hints, hints of something he couldn't see back then but as if his mind had matured, or the way things had turned out these years, or if it was him being in love had given him the hints of happening the same thing in the room, between the two people who had their unsaid words left back there years ago but it was happening again in front of his eyes; and he couldn't help but hope, for them to look at this from his eyes that how much things were different now. 

And he wanted this difference to be in their lives by speaking their own unsaid words. 

He couldn't help but root for them because that's how it looked; beautiful. 

Inha and Sehun met each other's eyes with a flinch of nervousness yet awkwardness to look away with a warmth behind, a warmth of blush erupting through the bloom of theirs. 

"What the hell is this?!" 

Jinsoo's laugh had echoed throughout the living room, as he stared at their pictures of high school, the one of their batches in a profile size before taking a sip of his red wine which he brought with him. "Why do I look like that?" 

Inha nodded with a face. "And at that time you used to think of yourself as such a charming prince." 

"Come on, he looks adorable." Yoojung interrupted, with a smile and Jinsoo leaned into her side with a blushy smile. "I can only believe my Yoojung." 

"Give me a break." Sehun pretended to grimace as he sipped his wine until he heard the familiarly soft but loud laugh of Inha to look at her to find her looking at the particular picture which, apparently was his picture as he frowned. "What?" 

"You look like a smashed potato, Sehun." Inha leaned back between her laughter and he chuckled, rolling his eyes. "You don't look less than a potato yourself, Inha." 

"I look better than you." 

"Because of your hair." 

"Shut up." 

"Oh my goodness, look at my Yoo, she's so cute." Jinsoo cooed, pinching her cheek as she smiled and Inha nodded. "Yes, Yoojung was the prettiest of all." 

"Oh, our group picture." Yoojung beamed, looking at the picture of their sports festival to look at the relay race one where she was standing in the alerted position and Jinsoo giggled. "I told you she stood like this, see I remember correctly!" 

"Oh, it's Sehun." 

Inha traced his face that stood in the line with the participants of the swimming pool competition until she felt him leaning in, his forefinger tracing his picture while unconsciously brushing hers making them to look at each other to immediately look away but their touch didn't; it stayed like that, like it should. 

"It was when I lost the competition." He uttered, remembering it and Jinsoo nodded. "And you were all gloomy like a soulless boy." 

Yoojung chuckled. "And we asked Minho brother to talk to you since he stopped us but he went ahead with his lecture and Inha sneaked behind him to talk to you." 

Sehun turned to Inha. "You did that?" 

Inha shrugged, meeting his eyes. "I had to." 

"And there it is, our school festival picture!" 

"Wow, I look so handsome." Jinsoo smirked. "No wonder girls were swooning over me." 

"Is that so?" Yoojung gave him a side-eye and Jinsoo coughed to immediately hug her. "Just kidding, it was Sehun who almost collected the money since girls were lining up for him." 

Sehun threw the cushion towards him. "You traitor!" 

Yoojung laughed. "And he screamed just like this!" 

Inha stared at him, getting reminded of that moment, the moment of them seated in the empty classroom and listening to the music but in that moment Inha had admitted him being the good-looking, and in that moment Inha had felt the emotion of jealousy which she didn't know that time but now she had come to know about it. 

"Right," She nodded. "Do you remember Soo-min asking him out?" 

"And he brutally rejected her, cold punk." Jinsoo shook his head, and Sehun scoffed. "I am just a straightforward man." 

"And don't you remember before that?" He turned to Inha as she shrugged with confusion, making him continue. "You went like Yoojung is angry with me, I hurt her-" 

"Don't you dare continue." 

"And how do I apologize-" 

This time he was interrupted by a cushion on his face by Inha. "Shut up, Oh Sehun." 

"Just this?" Jinsoo scoffed. "Do you know how Yoojung whined?" 

"Jinsoo, I swear to God-" 

"I have hurt Inha so much, and now she's never going to be friends with me again." He imitated Yoojung with a crying face where instead of getting angry, Yoojung had laughed out loud at him making Inha do the same as she looked at her. "You did like that?" 

"And in the end, both of them were like I love you~" 

"And Sorry~" 

Sehun imitated them joining Jinsoo as both of them laughed along while high-fiving as Inha and Yoojung scoffed; they were drunk.

"Speak for yourself, I didn't sign up for this." Inha imitated him and Sehun nodded. "I did not and I turned to Jinsoo to see him crying dramatically." 

"Oh, I remember!" 

"Oh my goodness, my stomach!"

The squad was already a laughing mess as their laughter emerged together in the place, something never changing, something never meant to be changing, something so warm for a change. 

It was half past ten, and the housewarming party was over with the empty glasses of wine scattered on the table along with the closed yearbook in the middle of it, behind the traces of the moments happened a few moments ago with the warm laughters, and the bicker. 

"Drive safe, and text me when you get home." 

Sehun looked at Yoojung who nodded, her hand in the grasp of Jinsoo who wasn't much drunk but wouldn't be able to drive because of the intoxication hitting him hard, and Yoojung hadn't drunk much to drive them home safely. 

He watched their backs retreating to the elevator from the hallway with a wave of his hand to walk inside again, and found Inha taking the yearbook inside her room where he paced in further to grab the two empty glasses as he walked away in the kitchen. 

Inha walked out to find only two glasses on the table to hear the sound from the kitchen as she frowned, pacing to the kitchen only to almost bump into Sehun, a subtle gasp left her lips with her hands in the air in front of her that almost etched on his chest while his arms were in the air either side of her waist. 

Inha let out a sigh; her hands dropping to her sides. "You didn't leave yet." 

He hummed, doing the same. "I didn't." 

"Why?" 

"Should I leave?" 

"No." Inha blurted out, and his forehead creased as she blinked. "I mean, I thought you would have left, that's why I asked." 

He smiled. "Okay." 

She turned around, taking the utensils from the dining table to feel him around her as he helped her out with it, with their eyes meeting each other behind the little smiles of theirs as the only sound beaming was the emerging footfalls of theirs, and the clinking utensils in their hands. 

Yet, somehow it felt comfortable for some reason. 

Inha stood by the sink to wash the dishes as she wore the apron, and gloves with a smile of determination. "You can do it!"

"Are you going to war?" 

She rolled her eyes at his always expected remark as he stood beside her with a smirk. "Then again, you're not really a good buddy of the kitchen." 

Inha couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm trying to be." 

He nodded. "I'll help you with it." 

The next thing she watched him sliding his already rolled up sleeves a bit more where Inha couldn't help but look at his arms for a moment, to immediately look away. "You can just help me by cleaning with the cloth." 

He hummed. "I saw it." 

Her heart skipped a beat. "Saw what?" 

Inha found his arm extending in front of her to find a smirk on his lips. "You're still wilding over my veins." 

"I'm not." 

"Come on!"

"It's just I wanted to have them too." 

He let out an amused chuckle. "What?" 

Inha giggled, continuing her task while blowing away her strands. "I used to see dad boxing and all so I saw it once and he looked so cool with it, so I wanted to have them too," She trailed off, her lips puckering as she showed her arm, clear. "But I didn't get any." 

"Is that why you learned boxing?" He questioned, cleaning the plates with the cloth that she was washing and Inha pressed her lips in a sheepish grin. "One of the reasons." 

He nodded. "So you always had a wild mind." 

Inha giggled, nudging him away. "That's not true!" 

He couldn't help but smile, her giggles seemed to soften his heart to find her lips still in a grace of smile to notice the strands of her hair bothering her. "Can I help you with that?" 

Inha met his eyes to find him gesturing to her hair as she nodded slowly and the next moment, he had reached out, his fingers tucking the strands behind her ear with his fingers softly grazing her skin sending a wave of tingles inside her system as her eyes stared at him with his focused self to meet his eyes; blank, but it turned intent, his fingers still behind her ear as their eyes bored for a moment. 

A kind of intent gaze but so much more. 

The next second, Inha felt a wave of splash on her face because of the spoon in the sink that had her gasp with a flinch along with him as both of them stared at the sink, surprised where she scoffed. "Yeah, not really a good buddy indeed." 

He let out a laugh, and Inha threw the bubble of the soap towards him. "Stop laughing!" 

And like always, he wasn't the one to back out as Inha had felt the bubble on her forehead to squeal. "Yah, Oh Sehun!" 

"What, Baek Inha!" 

He was a laughing mess and Inha had joined him in the mess; the mess they created, the mess that was theirs, the mess that was always for them to be in it; just them. 

The time struck eleven fifteen, and Sehun found himself in the balcony of her place, the night was still going on with the fresh air like the world was still awake with him leaning against the railing as his eyes stared at the world down his sight while waiting for Inha to join him in his alone time, though he adored his alone time but with her, it felt like he could adore much more than being alone. 

As if his thoughts of a wish was fulfilled, he heard her footsteps approaching him, the familiar and unflinching at this point as the next minute, she was standing beside him and his head tilted towards her to find her still in her attired dress except for her hair that had been opened, and now waving with the breeze on her shoulders like a soft