Cautiously, I tiptoed across the off-white carpet, trying my best to not make a sound. I glanced around, eyeing the all too familiar setting. The beige walls were messily decorated with posters of boy bands, which had an occasional heart over the head of one of the members, a few Polaroid pictures, and newspaper clippings. The queen sized bed lay in the middle of the room up against the wall furthest from the stairs from which I had just come up. To my left, I noticed the white regal dresser with necklaces, bracelets and earrings scattered across the top, glittering from the shine of the sun coming from the window on the opposite wall. On the right, there was a neat mahogany worktable with a laptop decorated with a Hello Kitty and Coexist sticker on the lid.

            My attention now turned to the sleeping beauty in front of me as she lay peacefully on her bed, arms and legs sprawled everywhere. A soft groan escaped from her rosy lips before she suddenly turned over to lie on her side. Taking the opportunity, I carefully laid myself on the unoccupied side of the bed, throwing my arm over her waist and cuddling into her back. I buried my face into her long black hair and inhaled deeply, taking in her sweet scent that reminded me of honey and peaches. I felt her stir under my touch and decided it was time to wake her up. Lightly, I placed a kiss on the back of her neck and slowly made my way up to her ear.

            “Morning,” I whispered lovingly before snuggling my face into the crook of her neck. She let out a light purr while turning herself around, allowing her to face me. Her arms s around my middle and pulled me closer into her so she could lay her head against my chest.

            “Good morning, Youngminnie,” she cooed as she nuzzled her face against me. I smiled at the cutesy nickname that she has always called me since we were kids. I lightly kissed the top of her head white I combed my hand through her silky hair.

            “Youngmin!” Yuri called for me as she sat on a swing, kicking her legs back and forth. “Push me!”

            “Yuri, you can swing by yourself,” I grumbled while rolling my eyes at her. Instead of complying with her request, I plopped myself down on the empty swing next to her. I tried to focus my attention on my dusty grey Converses, but a few glances were snuck onto the pouting girl next to me. She stared at the small chalky pebbles on the ground underneath us, occasionally kicking them up. One hand lazily held onto one of the chains on the swing while the other fiddled with the hem of her dress. She twisted around the frilly pink material along the edge of her strawberry printed dress, mumbling incoherent complaints. Her semi-long black hair curtained her flushed face, but the occasion breeze gave me a glimpse of her pretty face.

            “You are already six, you know,” I reminded her with a shrug that she couldn’t even see. “You should be able to swing by yourself.”

            “B-but… I like it when Y-youngminnie pushes me,” she reasoned, now giving me her full attention and allowing me to see her pleading face. My heart began to race as I fisted the denim fabric over my thighs. Swallowing my pride, I jumped off of my seat and maneuvered past my swing and behind hers.

            “Hang on tight,” I mumbled before pulling her swing back.

            “Did you sleep well?” I softly questioned as I smiled, reminiscing in the old memory. A nostalgic feeling brushed over me while I continued to gently fiddle with her silky locks. Her head nodded against my chest as she let out a “mhmm”.

            “Why don’t you wake up then and I’ll take you out?” I suggested as I tried to keep my voice steady and heart from racing. She didn’t respond immediately and every second suddenly felt like hours. I began to mentally curse myself for being stupid and worrying that she might realize that I was asking her out on a date.

            “Now?” she suddenly asked as she pried herself off of me, looking directly into my eyes. I hesitated for second, but nodded nevertheless. She gave me her signature sweet smile before letting out a small laugh. Sliding her arm out from under me, she used it to prop herself up and sit nicely.

            Suddenly, the bedside table beside me began to vibrate. I glanced over to see that the small baby blue flip phone adjacent from the alarm clock, labeled 11:32, was vibrating. Yuri immediately threw her left leg over my waist, allowing herself to straddle me. I felt my face begin to heat up, especially when she laid on top of me to reach for her phone. She quickly flipped open the phone and began to speak.

            “Hello?” she said as she listened closely for the person’s voice. I was really uneasy, trying to get comfortable since she only sat herself up, still on me. Her face suddenly lit up when the person spoke.

            “Hey Taemin,” she cheered while a shy, love struck smile. My heart sank at the mere mention of that cursed boy’s name. My blood boiled as I felt this overwhelming feeling of hatred, sadness, and guilt.

            “Hey…” Yuri suddenly said in the middle of the movie. I turned to look at her and waited for her to say something. She opened and closed repeatedly, occasionally shaking her head. I let out a sigh and grabbed her hand, gently rubbing the back with my thumb.

            “Just say it,” I urged her.

            “I have a boyfriend,” she shyly explained, letting a small smile emerge from her lips at the end. At that moment, I felt like my heart had just been torn apart, stepped on and set on fire. It wasn’t that she was dating somebody that irked me; it was that soft smile filled with joy and love that only came because she was with somebody who wasn’t me.

            “Congrats,” I hissed through my teeth, but tried not to make it too obvious. This has happened countless of times, but I’ve always hated having to do this. It was just cruel to have to congratulate her when I was helplessly in love with her. However, she didn’t seem to notice the disdain that was fully hinted in my voice. Perhaps she was just dazed by her newfound love.

            “His name is Taemin,” she laughed just at the sound of his name. “He is so nice, you know? A sweetie.”

            “Is that so?” I grumbled before turning my attention back to the movie.

            “Now?” she asked Taemin, the question snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked towards her and tilted my head to the side cutely. She gave me a small smile with a hint of sadness in it. My brows furrowed in confusion as I mouthed out ‘what?’ to her. She held up a finger as she nodded.

            “Then I’ll see you soon,” she continued to converse with Taemin. Just then, I realized what was going on; she was ditching me for a date with her boyfriend. That sad smile was actually an apologetic smile.

            “Yes; I love you too,” she laughed. “Bye.”

            “Ditching me, huh?” I pouted while crossing my arms across my chest. She solemnly nodded, but I knew that underneath it all, she was really excited. Once again, she leaned onto me. This time, she placed a soft kiss onto my cheek before throwing her phone back onto the bedside table.

            “Sorry,” she sincerely apologized which caused me sigh. I nodded and waved my hand lazily, reassuring her that it was okay. She shot me a smile before jumping off of me and the bed. She quickly scurried off to her closet, sloppily kicking off her pajamas onto the floor. Through the small crack of the barely closed door, I watched her silhouette gracefully but hurriedly put on some outing clothes. Eventually, the door flew open, and out stepped Yuri wearing a simple navy blue dress that complimented her curves nicely. She combed the last of her tangled hair before placing her comb on top of her dresser.

            “Look good?” she questioned as she held out her arms and spun around. Being sassy, she ended her turn by placing her hand onto her hip. I let out a small laugh at her weirdness but nodded. Satisfied with my reassurance, she let out a happy jump and made her way to the stairs.

            “Thanks. I love you! Lock up before you leave,” she said in a hurry before disappearing from my sight. Once I heard the sound of the front door closing, a groan slipped out of my mouth.

            “I really hate you, Lee Taemin.”