I didn’t realize it was Monday until it was too late. I woke up at 7:30 and school started an hour and a half before. I quickly got dressed and ate a one second breakfast before bolting out the door at high speed, my backpack flying behind me. The elevator was broke for some dumb reason so I had to take the stairs. Sometimes it really stunk to live in an old building because things like this always happened.

    I rushed down the stairs, jumping over a few went I had the chance and leaping through the door to my apartment building. I mentally cursed at myself for not setting the alarm clock and going to sleep too late the night before. People in the lobby moved out of my way as I jumped through them and soon enough I was finally on the sidewalk. It was warm and there were a lot of people out for that early in the morning.

    When I reached my school, it was almost eight o’clock and I figured I would’ve missed my first period. I walked into the school, got a late pass and walked quickly to my classroom, since the hall monitors would yell if you were running through the hallways—I was not in the mood to be yelled at.

    Lately, I was really not in the mood to do much and I hated being like that. It was depressing and I always felt out of energy, so I decided I’d arrange to do something fun with Hyuk after school (or homework) tonight. I’m sure he’d be able to do that, since he’s free most days after he finishes his school work. 

    I walked quietly into the class and bowed to my teacher, handing her the note I received from the office, scurrying quickly afterwards to my seat next to Hyuk. I sat down with an exasperated sigh and threw my book bag on the desk, pulling out a bag of snacks I kept hidden inside my desk. Hyuk looked at me with an amused look.

    “What?” I whispered urgently, pulling out the papers I needed for the class. 

    “Why were you late today?” he asked quietly. I took out my pencil and started listening to the teacher’s instructions. He was saying that were had to work with the person next to us and finish the worksheet. When I heard that I turned back to Hyuk.

    “I slept in.” I explained. He shook his head, but was still smiling wide.

    “Ah, Hongbin…” he trailed off, almost in disbelief. I knew he was like this because of the missed day last week and the fact that I was usually very punctual. I hit the back of his head lightly and whispered a shut up, before looking at worksheet for the class, trying to get started on it.

    We worked for a couple minutes before getting distracted and talking about something totally unrelated. Hyuk told me about this kid in first period class who ran out crying because he got a message from his girlfriend over the phone that they were breaking up. We burst into laughter, unable to control it.

    “Lee Hongbin and Han Sanghyuk, be quiet.” The teacher yelled at us, and like little kids we just laughed quietly to ourselves. That’s what I liked about Hyuk—he was exactly like me. We had so much in common and more than once we almost thought we were separated brothers, but that was years ago when we were much younger. 

    Suddenly, Hyuk’s face fell and he looked at me seriously. I blinked, getting totally confused.

    “Did you hear?” he asked me. “Hakyeon-hyung asked Leo-hyung out but he said no and Hakyeon didn’t come to school today.” He told me and I suddenly lost all interest in our previous conversation. 

    “Hakyeon-hyung did that?” I gasped, shocked. My friends were really surprising me lately.

    “I think it’s because Leo-hyung has been hanging around with this girl, Lee Hyomi, too much lately.” Hyuk said, looking off to the distance as if he were thinking hard about something. At my cousin’s name, though, I dropped my pencil onto the desk, my face frozen stiff. Is that why she came back? I thought to myself. Leo-hyung? It wouldn’t make sense. How could they know each other outside of school, especially since she just came back yesterday? Hyuk continued on talking, unaware of my expression. 

“I don’t know who she is but apparently she’s from America. A transfer student, you know? Ken-hyung told me that she came here from America two weeks ago and they (her and Leo) met on the soccer field. They became friends because of their common interest in the sport.” Hyuk stopped for a second. “Sounds like a movie made for teenage girls, if you ask me.” He shook his head in disgust.

    “You said Lee Hyomi, didn’t you?” I asked, in absolute horror. 

    “Yeah, that’s her name.” Hyuk said back, quickly.

    “That’s my cousin.” I said meekly, still confused with the whole Hyomi/Leo thing. Hyuk made an exaggerated expression of surprise and looked at me.

    “Are you serious?” he said, much louder than he meant and our teacher came storming over to us, his eyebrows furrowed. We both shut our mouths, but it was too late.

    “Han Sanghyuk, finish your work outside.” Our teacher, Mr. Roh, pointed to the door. When he was mad, he could get scary, so Hyuk got up with his work and left without a word. Mr. Roh glared at me. “If you two disrupt the class again, I will move your seat.” He spat and went back to the front. I couldn’t help but laugh a bit. Soon though, I thought about what my friend had said about Hyomi and Leo.

    I decided to forget about my plans I thought about with Hyuk and quickly sent a text to Hyomi to meet me, after school, at Star X. I sent her the directions and she soon shot me a message back.

Sure, Oppa. I’ll see you there. I’m glad to know that you aren’t mad at me anymore. I was really stressing about that whole thing last night. See you there, anyway!

    I sighed. She’d better have a good excuse for being friends with Leo, because knowing her, those two would not go well together at all. Hyomi was too loud and Leo-hyung was just the opposite, so they would be like a bug and bug spray, repelling each other left and right.

---

    As I approached the Star X later that day, I noticed a red sign in the window that read “help wanted.” I smiled, as I did need a job and this would be a perfect opportunity to get some money, since my bank account was running low. I walked in, got an application and stuffed it in my backpack (but not after ordering some coffee).

    Hyomi arrived soon after me. Her hair up in a high ponytail and her shirt cut low, as usual. She had dark eye make-up on and she looked at bit like a Barbie doll. I pretended like I didn’t see her until she noticed me first. She came running over, arms wide open, ready for a hug. She gave me one, but I didn’t return the gesture. She plopped down in the seat in front of me.

    “Aigoo, school here is hard!” she exclaimed. I forgot that she hadn’t been in Korea for years and even when she was in Korea; it was only when she was a little kid.

    “You’ll get used to it.” I muttered, sipping the hot drink in my hand. She looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

    “Why’d you call me here?” she looked around the café, seemingly disgusted by it. I didn’t care, since I didn’t need her opinion on its décor.

    “You know Jung Taekwoon, right?” I asked her, calling my hyung by his Korean name. Her eyes lit up at his name and she nodded quickly.

    “Ah, Leo-oppa! Yes, I know him. We play soccer together. He’s teaching me how to play. He said he knows you and I think he’s really sweet, although he doesn’t talk much. I think he should talk more. He’s funny when he talks! I don’t mean that he sounds funny, but he makes jokes. He’s so serious about his jokes, though; sometimes I don’t know if he’s actually kidding or not, but I laugh anyway. Doesn’t he sit with you at lunch? I should come over to your table one day…” she started blabbing on about my friend. I cut her off since I didn’t want to hear any more of it.

    “Yes, he sits with me, but I don’t think we want a girl to sit with us at our table.” I lied, just because I really didn’t want to hear my cousin talking the whole time I ate lunch.

    “Oh, come on. You’re no fun.” She pouted her lips because she got rejected. I shrugged, nonchalantly, not really caring too much about the whole deal. Ever since she was little, she had gotten on my nerves even though we hung out a lot. She would talk non-stop and I would just sit there in awe. I never knew someone could talk so much… then I met Hakyeon and Ken.

    “Wait, but didn’t you say that Leo-hyung is teaching you how to play soccer?” I asked, remembering what she had said a minute or two before. 

    “Oh yeah. He told me his friend asked him out the other day but I told him not to go out with him because I liked him. I may have gotten a little jealous of the two but--” I cut` her off again, totally shocked about what I just heard.

    “You told him that?” I asked, my eyes wide.

    “Yeah, why?” she responded, confused. I stood up, a bit angry. I needed to go find Hakyeon because I knew that poor hyung was probably heartbroken or at least acting as though he was.

    “You were just jealous, weren’t you? You don’t even like him.” I snapped.

    “Not like that, but I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t want him to be with someone else.” She explained, an almost pleading look in her eyes. I groaned loudly, grabbed my drink, and walked out of the store, even more annoyed than I was yesterday. I should’ve expected this from her. She had always thought everything was hers when she was little and now she’s doing it again, just with people.