It was the summer before my first year in high school. My mom recently got remarried to a widowed man. His wife died years ago, leaving him with identical twin boys named Seung Wook (Ethan) and Seung Jook (Clark). They’re two years older than me, automatically making them my oppas.

“Boys, go check out your room upstairs. I have a surprise for you!” My mom told my stepbrothers.

“Thanks mom!” They said simultaneously. They bowed before racing upstairs.

I walked towards my stepdad while looking up at the huge chandelier. “Wah, it’s so big here!”

“Do you like it?” He asked me.

I nodded and he ruffled my hair in return.

“Aigoo, such a kid! Oh, I forgot to mention. Our neighbor Chanyeol…”

“Who?”

He leaned towards my ear. “He’s single.”

I moved away. “Dad! I’m not that desperate!!”

He laughed at me. “Nah, just kidding. He’s my workmate’s son. You should go flirt with him sometime.” He said with a wink.

“Dad!”

Yep, that’s my playful stepdad alright. He even showed me a picture of this guy.

One look and I immediately told myself, “Aniya, he can’t be single! Not with those looks!”

Later that afternoon, I decided to explore the neighborhood on my bicycle. I didn’t bother asking permission since my mom and dad trust me. I’m already heading to high school, after all.

I took my bike out of the garage and rode to my heart’s content. Ah, it feels good to be young and free! I’ll definitely be missing this when I go to college. But hey, what am I saying? I’m still young and I have plenty of time to think about it.

“Hey!” I heard a faint voice calling.

Maybe it was calling someone else.

“Stop! Your tire is flat!” The voice said.

I pulled on the break. I looked behind me and realized that my back wheel was flat. I got off my bike, placed it on its stand, and examined the wheel. It didn’t seem punctured.

I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked up to see who was shading me from the afternoon sun.

My eyes widened. Wow… he’s handsome.

“Need help?” He asked. I didn’t answer.

He sat down beside me so I was able to see his face better. He had really pretty eyes. His skin was perfect. His hair looked so fluffy I just want to touch it right now. His lips… wow, they’re really plump. I don’t know why but his radiance made my heart beat.

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Kevin. Kevin Woo.” He said, extending his hand forward.

I swallowed. “I’m Kimi. I – Really? It’s weird…”

“Huh? My name is weird? Well, my Korean name is Seung-hyun if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, not that! We have the same surname – Woo!”

“Really? Oh wow! What a coincidence!”

We both smiled. “You know… my fortune teller told me that I’ll be meeting someone with the same initials as I do.”

“Huh? Oh wait… Kevin Woo and Kimi Woo. Yeah you’re right!”

“Wah! This is so cool.”

Kevin and I started talking about ourselves. It turns out that he attends this exclusive all-boys school near the shopping district in Gangnam. We had a lot in common – the love for music, our religion, our favorite school subjects, and more.

But unfortunately, the sun had to set so we had to depart.

Kevin walked me home that night. It’s cool how we instantly clicked and got along. Oh, I do hope we’ll see each other again!

My wish didn’t come true, unfortunately. The next time I saw him was during the start of the school year. We ran across each other one day and we finally established our friendship.

For two years, he was my best friend. Whenever I had a problem, he always made sure he was there to help me fix it. He didn’t simply comfort me. He gave me pieces of advice and constructive criticism. I didn’t realize it but I was slowly falling in love with him.

Day by day, he would show me romantic gestures like handing me a rose or complementing me out of nowhere. He even invited me to his prom during our junior year. That was when everything changed.

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This one is for yo u, @rurujjangiru ;)

xoxo, jennyisbeef