Two.

“No, baby, I was in a game. I didn’t realize you called. I’m sorry, okay?”

You were only semi-engrossed in the game in front of you. You couldn’t help but listen on Dongwoo’s conversation.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Okay, we’ll talk tomorrow.” He hung up, tossed his phone back on the table and got back to the game.

“What happened?” you asked curiously. You had never seen Dongwoo and his girlfriend together before. But every time he was on the phone with her, it seemed like they were quarreling.

“Nothing, she’s just pissed I didn’t reply her messages or pick up her call. And when I returned it, she told she’s going to bed,” Dongwoo answered, his eyes fixated on the screen. A second later, he nudged Woohyun in his side. “Why did you just friendly-fire me?!”

You cast Woohyun a sympathetic look and looked back at your screen, trying to get back into the game without thinking too much. Unfortunately, all you could keep thinking of was how unhappy he seemed to be in this relationship… And how you wished you could do something to make things right.

“Hoya!”

You froze. Wait, what!? You were supposed to meet him in a week. Not at the PC café. Not like this, in your geeky glasses and your oversized hoodie. You hadn’t really bothered to dress up for dinner with the guys, since it was near your place.

Sungyeol got up from his seat and looked around at the other seats in the café. It was a weekend and the café was pretty packed. The whole group of you was seated in a row; the only available seat was…the one opposite you.

“Oh, you can sit there.”

You sank into your chair and tried to avoid Hoya’s gaze as he settled in opposite you. Focus, focus, focus. And focus, you didn’t. You ended up accidentally walking into the enemy’s line of fire. Dongwoo turned to you for a second with a confused look on his face. You weren’t the type to make such simple mistakes. You shrugged and got right back into the game.

For the rest of the time at the café, you couldn’t help but notice how Hoya kept sneaking glances at you, thinking you were too engrossed in the game to realize. You kept your eyes on the screen, but you couldn’t help but grin to yourself every now and then. You were starting to look forward to the play date already.

***

No gaming session was complete without a round of drinks and snacks at your favourite HOF along the main street outside your place. Sungyeol had asked Hoya to join out of courtesy, but he declined, saying that he had to be up early the next day for a presentation at school. You were very much impressed by his discipline.

The group of you settled into a booth for four as the place didn’t have any other vacant seats. You slid yourself into the corner first and the guys began clamoring to sit next to you, knowing that since you were more petite than any of them, they would have more space if they sat with you, rather than with two other guys.

After much debating and several rounds of rock, paper, scissors, Woohyun sat next to you, followed by Sunggyu. Opposite you sat Myungsoo, Sungyeol and Dongwoo.

“You were off-form today…” Woohyun eyed you suspiciously. “Did it happen to have something to do with a certain person?”

You knew he was referring to Hoya, but your eyes immediately darted to Dongwoo. He usually talked a lot during games. But after he got off the call, he barely said anything. The only time he spoke was to snap at Woohyun for not following the team. He was staring at his phone screen, not taking in a word of what Woohyun had said.

“I noticed too,” Sungyeol added. “He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, but really, how could he have been checking her out when she was in her geeky glasses and this?” Woohyun pointed to your red hoodie.

You glared at him. “Hey! This is my favourite hoodie.”

Sunggyu reached over and grabbed Woohyun under his arm. “Ignore him, you look adorable with your geeky glasses,” he said and patted you on the head. The rest around the table nodded in agreement.

You smiled appreciatively in return. “Well, in return for hooking me up with Hoya, drinks are on me tonight!”

***

"So which one of them is your boyfriend?" your father asked as you waved goodbye to the five guys. You jumped. You weren't expecting your parents to be awake at such a time.

"None."

Your father laughed. "You expect me to believe you?"

You laughed along with him. The boys usually took turns walking you home, but it was later than usual today and they wanted to spend more time as a group so all of them ended up walking you home.

"All of them then."

"I'm serious, my dear girl."

You sat down on the couch next to him. "Dad, seriously, none of them are. They're all my good buddies and they all have girlfriends."

Your father looked straight into your eyes. "You like one of them don't you?"

You were shocked. The boys hardly came over. And usually when they did, it was only your mother at home. Your father was out almost everyday. Working. Maybe that was why you wanted an older brother so badly. You lacked a dependable male role model right from childhood.

"How did you..."

He smiled, his wrinkles showing at the side of his eyes. "I've seen the way you act around the boys. You treat one of them different. You smile a lot more too, when talking to him."

" I-"

"Just be careful alright. I worry for you."

Your shoulders dropped a little. You knew what he was talking about. You've hung out with the boys so long that all they'll ever see you as, is a younger sister. Or a brother. Either way, both definitions were definitely not in the girlfriend category.

"Okay, dad." You jumped off the couch and walked towards the stairs. "I'll go to bed first okay? I'm really tired."

He nodded and gestured for you to carry on as he continued reading his devotional by the small light in the sitting room.

As you went up, you realized how much he'd aged over the past few years. You hadn't had a proper conversation with him for ages. What just transpired was easily your longest conversation in years.

You thought hard about his words, about the fact that your feelings for that one person might never be returned. You made up your mind ages ago to hide those feelings. You thought they had gone away. But you couldn’t help but wonder why it bothered you so much when saw his troubled face.

A long, deep sigh left your lips as you got ready for bed.

*HOF: A Korean-style bar/pub that serves alcoholic drinks and food. The streets of Korea are lined with HOFs. And people usually hang out here after a meal as the second/third round.

A/N: Hoya appears! Maknae will appear soon, I think. I know this and the first chapter is kinda long and it might seem a little boring and slow, but I promise things should getting a little faster and more interesting by the fourth chapter. Comments are always welcome!