"RIN!!!!!!" the tranquil voice that I was used to hearing all of a sudden called out so thunderous, "RIN RIN RIN RIN RIN!!"

 

"What what what what?!?!?!" I responded in panic, swinging my front door open.

 

"Look!" He said, instantly quieting down. I followed Seunghyun's gaze and my eyes landed on a slimy, squirming creature sliding across his palm.

 

"It's a snail..." I stated the obvious.

 

"Yeah... I found it on the pavement! I almost stepped on it! But I didn't. I think I'm gonna keep it!" He proudly announced. I looked up at him, wide eyed.

 

"W-why? You don't like it?"

 

"It's ugly!!" I cried, earning a shocked look of anger from Seunghyun. He immediately held it away, as if it would understand what I said and have it's feelings hurt.

 

"YA! It's my friend!" He retorted.

 

My eyes softened upon hearing that. And then all of a sudden I felt bad for being so rude, even if it was to an ugly snail.

 

"Then don't bring it over." I hastily said, getting inside and shutting the door behind me. Even so, I stood there for the next ten minutes, unsure of what to do

since I wasn't going to have Seunghyun with me that afternoon. But I guess I was wrong. Because ten minutes later, I heard a knock on my window. So I went over and drew the curtains and there on the other side of the glass was that creature sliding across my window. I looked up and Seunghyun was holding up a note against the glass saying 'Come on, yo, be nice to our new pet! (; '

 

That week, we spent every afternoon hanging around our new pet. Until Seunghyun lost it...somewhere in his room.

 

 

-

 

 

"Hey, cutie, doing fine?" Seunghyun suddenly said as he came up behind me, startling me.

 

"I'm fine...I'll be fine." I tried my hardest not to stammer. I expected him to nod and leave, but he didn't. Instead, he just continued standing behind me, a little

too close, watching my every move.

 

"If you keep watching me, I might screw up..." I mumbled, glancing back, but not meeting his eyes.

 

"Why, Haerin-ssi?" he teased, "Am I making you nervous?"

 

The nature of his voice made his words feel like whispers by my ear. I quickly distanced myself from him, leaving the pan on the stove.

 

"Will you do it, then?" I politely requested, looking him in the eyes this time.

 

"No." He replied cutely, "I find that I like watching you mess up."

 

I kept silent, not looking away from his eyes. Those pair of eyes that displayed nothing but flirtation.

 

"Do you also like watching me helpless?" I muttered. And for a moment there, I thought I caught his gaze faltering.

 

"Haerin, do you need help?" Taeyang courteously asked, perfectly on time. Before I could reply, Seunghyun cut in.

 

"Aish, Taeyang, let the lady do her thing." he said, whining jokingly, "I want my breakfast made by Haerin-ssi, not you."

 

I gave Taeyang a smile, "I'll be fine, thanks, Taeyang oppa."

 

He nodded and left, leaving Seunghyun and I alone in the kitchen once more. It was weird...the fact that I've never hated being around someone as much as I hated being around Seunghyun ever since I returned. It was funny. Really funny, considering he was easily the most important person to me in this entire world, only he never knew.

 

"Come to think of it, Haerin-ssi, I haven't heard you address me once since you came back." He voiced.

 

"Ahhh, really?" I blinked, "What should I call you then?"

 

He was right. I haven't directly addressed him so far. I wasn't sure how I should address him, what he wanted me to call him. Was I to call him by the unfamiliar nickname everyone addressed him by? Or was I to stick by those two words that still linger at the tip of my tongue ever so sweetly?

 

"You can call me Top, like everyone does. But I would really love to hear you call me oppa." He proposed, looking down at me with anticipating eyes.

 

"T-Top oppa." I muttered.

 

For some reason, it just didn't sound right. It sounded disgusting. So disgusting that I felt my insides twist, and my chest tighten, making it harder to breathe.

 

 

-

 

 

"Seunghyun, why do I call you by name? You're older than me. You should be my oppa, but I'm always speaking informally to you..." I queried, bringing up this subject of age all of a sudden.

 

"I don't know, Rin. I can't even remember when it started. But it doesn't matter." He brushed it off.

 

"Why doesn't it matter? It's disrespectful... Don't guys all like being called 'oppa'?"

 

He looked up from his book one last time before leaving me to tend with the silence for the rest of the day.

 

"I love the way you say my name." he mumbled.

 

 

-

 

 

"How is it?" I nervously asked. All of them fidgeted with their utensils with weird expressions on their faces. All but Seunghyun. I raised one brow. He looked up at the other four as they watched him gobble up the horrible breakfast I made.

 

"What?" Seunghyun asked, as if they were the ones acting strange.

 

I picked up a fork and daringly tried the eggs. And almost instantly, I spat it out. I quickly grabbed Seunghyun's plate away from him.

 

"Ya! Wae?! It's good!" He barked. "It's awfully salty! This isn't even edible!" I yelled.

 

He was quiet for awhile before he spoke.

 

"As long as you're the one who made it, it'll taste like heaven, Haerin cutie." He smiled. Not the usual smirk I've been seeing so far, but an actual smile.

Confident, charming and obviously flirty. Though nothing like the old Seunghyun, it still made my heart race...with a slight sting.

 

"Stop flirting with Haerin noona, hyung!" Daesung grumbled, not able to take the cheesiness.

 

"What's with you, Top?" Jiyong questioned, lightly hitting Seunghyun's arm.

 

"Seungri ya, don't say that to any girl, alright? You might get slapped in the face." Taeyang warned the maknae.

 

Amongst the whole commotion, I kept silent.

And so did Seunghyun.

 

 

-

 

 

"Are you gonna eat that?" Seunghyun popped up behind me, pointing to the little pack of homemade cookies I had just received from a classmate.

 

"Of course not! It looks burnt! Do you want it?"

 

"No thanks." Seunghyun rejected.

 

On the way home, he was really quiet, as if in deep thought. At times like these, I didn't dare speak. So we just strolled down the street, listening to the calming sounds of our footsteps and the constant clicking of the key chain on my backpack. And then all of a sudden he said something so random, so cheesy, yet it managed to make my heart tingle with a certain sort of warmth.

 

"Rin, if ever you make me food, no matter how burnt, no matter how messed up, I'll eat it. I may die of food poisoning later, but I'll still eat it."

 

"Really?" I searched his eyes for a silent promise.

 

"Really."