My very first memory of him was of him tapping away, making “pew-pew” sounds at his computer as my best friend and I focused on our Barbie game.

            “Hey, why is your brother so weird?” I whispered to her.

            She didn’t even spare him a backwards glance. “Mental disabilities.”

            Then I believed her because who in their right mind would be yelling and hunched over the keyboard and so I always treated Youngjae with a sense of delicacy. When he came home with academic awards, I asked her again. “What type of mental disabilities would allow him to be number one in our school?”

            I think that was the tipping point because she laughed out loud at me and slapped my shoulder. “Oh my heart. I was joking when I said that! I just meant that he was a little crazy.” She made the whirling motion by her temples and then I got it. It had been just friendly sibling teasing.

            Every time I went over to her house, he was always there but he never once talked to us. She would bother him once in a while and ask him questions but he would just grunt and answer in one word, short responses.

            “Rude,” she huffed before completely ignoring him.

            But once in a while, Youngjae would play with us. When we got older, he would sit with us around the kitchen table and help us with our homework, sneering a little at his sister but always semi-kind to me. When the family took us out on trips, he would join in our games.

            “Hey, are you ready to head out?” I stood in front of my best friend’s bedroom and watched her apply eyeliner. “We’re just going out with your brother and some of his friends. Why are you getting so dressed up?”

            She grinned. “Hands off because he’s mine, but have you seen Daehyun? That boy is fiiine,” and she whistled. I rolled my eyes. Fast forward eight years and now Youngjae was more willing to hang out with us.

            She adjusted her miniskirt and I laughed. “I think your brother is going to have a heart attack.”

            She shrugged. “Good. But he shouldn’t be the one looking. This isn’t for him.” Her eyes darkened when she saw my outfit and she tugged me into the room. “Unacceptable! You’re hanging out with older guys, you are not to wear just jeans and a cardigan.”

            She flipped around in her closet and kicked the door shut. I sat on her bed and watched. I knew somehow that this would happen. She came out with a tight blue dress and threw it to me. “Wear that. You’re going to look amazing and then you can have your choice of any guys you want.” I made no comment. I highly doubted my choice would make her happy.

            When I zipped up the dress, I had to fight to breathe. “This is so tight.”

            She rolled her eyes and sat me by the dresser and handed me a, thank goodness, low heeled shoe. “Close your eyes and let me do your makeup.” And I surrendered. Right as she was spritzing perfume, there was a knock on the door.

            “Are you two done? I swear you’ve been in there since forever?”

            My heart skipped a few beats at the familiar voice. She sighed. “Give us a second! Why don’t you go downstairs and stop bothering us?”

            “Whatever, you crazy alien!” he called and then there was the thump thump as his feet went down the steps. She pulled me up and spun me to face the mirror. “Gorgeous!”

            I winced. Somehow she had turned the awkward me into someone worth looking at. She laughed and pulled us out of the room. Youngjae was waiting for us at the door and his eyes widened when he saw us.

            “What the hell are you wearing? Go change!” he pointed at her skirt. “That thing doesn’t even go past your fingertips. If you can’t wear this to school, what makes you think I’m going to let you wear it outside?”

            I stayed behind her so he wouldn’t comment. She stomped her foot. “This isn’t for you, mister. And why don’t you just take your skateboard, turn around and start walking.”

            “Fine,” he said flatly. “But Daehyun already has a girlfriend.”

            I felt her stiffen next to me and hugged her a little. “He’s just bitter.”

            Youngjae must have heard me because he turned his head and shot me a lopsided grin. “Bitter, eh? Maybe so. But I don’t know how I would feel if my sister started going out with my best friend. That would be really weird.”

            I bit my lip. So he was against the whole best friend of siblings dating thing. She shot me a look and I quickly composed myself. “Come on. Let’s go and grab Daehyun’s heart.” She brightened and tapped Youngjae.

            “Walk faster, dear old brother,” she said sweetly.

            The whole time we were walking, I found myself staring at the back of Youngjae’s head as we walked. Somehow, he had gotten taller, and definitely handsomer through the years. We walked to the skate park and I felt ridiculously overdressed.

            There was a gaggle of boys and immediately, my best friend flipped her hair and started to walk differently. I followed her as she made it to the group. We nodded at one another, having met previously and I saw Daehyun staring at her appreciatively. Target snared.

            Some of the boys went off to skateboard and she was occupied so I went to sit by the ramps. Youngjae walked over and my heart started pounding. “Hey, need company?”

            I smiled at him. “She’s ridiculous, your sister is. If she hadn’t gotten to me, I may be able to skate with you guys.”

            I watched him observe her and he shook his head. “Yeah but sometimes, I gotta love her.” There was a silence and then he looked at me. “Hey, would you like to go get some ice cream or something? Everyone else seems pretty occupied and I guess, I’d like to have some time with you, you know. Now since you were normally always around my sister before.”

            I stared at him and he scratched his head. “If you want to, I mean.”

            I gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.” He held out his hand for me to take and didn’t let it go. And it led me to wonder, just how we went from awkward little kids to this. When we passed by her and Daehyun, I could have sworn I saw her wink at me and give me a thumb’s up. I looked back at Youngjae who was waiting for me to keep walking and simultaneously, a large grin spread over our faces. 

every time one of you say "you and your Daehyun" or something of the like, my heart hurts omg

 akdgajgha ♥

ANYWAY. YOUNGJAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE