I leisurely sip my cold beverage as I wait for the person who promised to pick me up from this train station. My phone died but I’ve mentioned the exact place I will be at, in the donut shop near the second exit, so it should be easy for him to find me.

     I’ve been waiting only for ten minutes but I start to get weary. Is it my mere impatience? Or a sign that I just want to meet this person because I miss him? I bit my lower lip at the realization, and shake my head silently. No, I shouldn’t… But wait… I think I can.

     “Seah!” someone calls from behind, and I immediately turn my body on my seat. As I stand up, I see that someone that I waited for is not coming alone. That’s second in business—I should focus on the one I’ve been waiting for first.

     “Jongin!”

     Kim Jongin catches me in a tight hug after he gave me a chance to see his bright smile, and my face is completely buried on his chest. He ruffles my hair happily after we pull away, and he’s still grinning. “Hi! Long time no see.”

     “Yeah.” I try to breathe again, and smile back. “Thank you for picking me up! I really appreciate this.”

     “It’s nothing, since Baekhyun sunbae told me to… And I can meet a friend again, why not?” Jongin glances at my belongings. “By the way, this is Oh Sehun.”

     The guy behind Jongin steps forward and he bows slightly to me. He’s as tall as Jongin with sheer brown hair, and his eyes are either sleepy or lazy-looking. He has a thin smile on his face, but it fades quickly after he greets me.

     “He was there too in Seoul when we had that dance competition. I wasn’t sure if you could remember him.” Jongin says. He proceeds to lift my biggest suitcase. “Should we go now?”

     We go to my boarding house by taxi, and the guys generously lift my things to my room in the second floor. There are still things to settle like arranging the furniture and such, so Jongin and Sehun will stay to help me for awhile.

     “So how long will you be here, Seah?” Jongin asks as he pushes the table together with me to the left corner of the room.”

     “Two… Three months, at most.” I say. “The internship will only last for two but my final classes won’t start after three. So I think I will just stay for some vacation.”

     “Oh, good.” Jongin responds. “It’s been more than a year since we last met, hasn’t it?”

     “Yeah, I was visiting my uncle’s family last year… I went to Baekhyun oppa’s university and we met again there.” I beam. “Such a coincidence.”

     Lies. I begged Baekhyun oppa to bring me there and make sure Jongin was there so I could meet him again ‘accidentally’. I regret nothing.

     “You could just call if you’re in town, I had told you a long time ago!” Jongin says. “Wow, it’s been two years since our competition there in Seoul… Right, Sehun?”

     Sehun is connecting the cables for my electronics, and he just nods once. “Yep.”

     I’m staring at his back, and trying hard to recall him. He was there? Which one? There were five other guys with Jongin, and one girl, Seulgi. I can even remember Seulgi’s face, but why not his?

     “So what are you going to do in the internship?” Jongin’s next question breaks my thought bubble.

     “Oh—I’m going to do social researches, mostly. Or probably just regular company works, since I’m just an intern.” I laugh.

     “Where is the office?”

     “Yesul Finances, it’s my uncle’s company. Baekhyun’s oppa’s father.”

     “Oh, so you got the internship by connection?” Sehun flatly asks. His tone is unpleasant for me. I frown, and stare at his back for a few seconds. Jongin looks awkward, and silently signals me to move the table for more unnecessary inches, but I don’t flinch.

     “Yes, you could say so.” I answer, just as flatly.

     “Oh, that must be very convenient.” Sehun says, followed with a light laugh. Even if he doesn’t intend anything with this, everything he says becomes a nuisance for me.

     I want him out of my place, now. He makes the atmosphere a bit weird here… I don’t need this for my first day in this city. Since Jongin is here, I try to control my expressions. I take a deep breath, and grab the pile of delivery menus that the landlord gave to me. “You’ve helped me, so I should treat you guys to some food. What do you want to eat?”

     The bright sunlight hits through the window right to my bed, and I feel hot just to imagine the warmth on it. The sun is still strong in this beginning of August, and I wipe a drop of sweat on my neck. Jongin skims through the menus as I approach the air conditioner and turns it on. “Cold noodles would be perfect for this weather.” Jongin suggests. I reach for my phone, and nods.

     “Sure thing. And you, Sehun?”

     “Can we eat meat instead?” Sehun says, he’s now sitting beside the sink, legs swaying back and forth. My shoulders drop. Jongin rolls up the delivery menu papers and hits Sehun’s head playfully with it.

     “Ugh, this man. Just don’t give him anything, Seah.” Jongin’s laugh fills the room. “But maybe you can treat us meat when you get paid?”

     “The only thing I’m going to get paid with from this internship is a single letter from my professor.” I stick my back to the wall and chuckle.

     “Oh right, this is part of your studies.” Jongin nods. “Have we told you we’ve graduated already?”

     “What, you have?” my mouth gapes. “Wow, you guys are fast… Now what do you do?”

     “We’re now dance teachers at a dance academy downtown.” Jongin sounds proud. “We’re also still actively participating in competitions.”

     I let out another ‘whoah’. After awhile I order our food, and thankfully the delivery man could find my place easily. I shouldn’t find problems with ordering in the future. Only slurping sounds are heard in the room as we chow down the cold noodles, and we’re staring at the thin air when we’re finished. I notice the sound of water running from the sink, and I get up to check it.

     “Ah, what is this…” the tap is closed well, but water won’t stop coming out. Jongin gets up too, and stands behind me to check. I suddenly feel nervous, feeling his tall figure towering over me.

     “That’s strange.” Jongin comments. “Why is there always a problem with water every time we meet, hm, Seah?”

     Water. Images start popping out inside my head, and my face feels hot. Right, that time, two years ago, just after we knew each other… An incident with water happens. I close my eyes to manage my feelings.

     Jongin laughs behind me, and he tries to fix the problem. The current starts slowing down, but it still drips a bit. “You should tell someone about this...”

     “Yeah, just contact Mr. Jang the landlord downstairs.” Sehun chirps in. The landlord… Right. Wait, why does Sehun know the name? Did the landlord introduce himself when we came inside a few hours ago? But I didn’t hear him saying his name… I must have missed it, I guess.

     I put a bowl under the tap to collect the water drips for the time being, and I move on with cleaning up the remains of our dishes. Jongin is setting the heater in the bathroom when his phone rings.

     “I’m at a friend’s house… Yes? Right now?” Jongin gets out from the bathroom, and I have a feeling he needs to go. “Well, give me fifteen minutes… Tell him not to leave first. Okay. Good.” his face turns serious, and he grabs his jacket.

     “What’s wrong?” I ask.

     “I have someone to meet in the academy.” Jongin looks for his phone, and takes it from the table nearby. “I need to rush—Seah, call me if you need something, okay? I need to go now. Thanks for the food.”

     “No, no, thank you.” I approach him, and raise both my palms. He smiles, high-fives me, and intertwines our fingers tightly.

     “See you soon. Sehun, what about you? Are you leaving too?”

     I turn to Sehun, and my mind screams ‘Just go, just go, just go.’ towards him.

     “I’ll stay for a bit, I won’t go to the academy anyway.” Sehun leisurely drinks from his glass, and waves a hand to Jongin. Jongin just nods, and shouts his last goodbye. I soullessly wave to Jongin’s back, and he disappears from my sight.

     “Why is this kid not leaving too?” I mutter to myself. I turn my head, and Sehun is looking at the kitchen set. He slowly tests the stove, and nods when it turns on with no difficulty.

     “So you’re Baekhyun sunbae’s cousin, right?” he asks.

     I pull one of my suitcases, and start to unpack it. “Yes.”

     “But where is he now? I heard he’s in Seoul?”

     “Yes, he’s now a trainee in an entertainment agency.”

     “Wow.” Sehun exclaims. “You were the one who came to our practice that time, right? And also in the competition?”

     “Yes.” I impatiently sort out my bathing equipments.

     “You look different.”

     What is he even implying? “Well, I don’t even remember you.” I inaudibly whisper. “Oh, I should call Baekhyun oppa.”

     I dial his number, and it takes a long time until he finally picks up. “Seah?”

     “Oppa.” I cheerfully smile. “Are you busy?”

     “No, I just finished a practice. Where are you?”

     “I’ve arrived. I’m now tidying up my room.”

     “Oh, good. Call my mother, she must be waiting for news from you.”

     “Yes, I will. Thanks for sending Jongin, by the way.”

     Baekhyun lets out a comical laugh from the other end of the phone, but then he clears his throat. “You still like him? Amazing. Well, just because… I’m not there, you know. Thankfully that kid is always ready to help. Is he still with you there?”

     “He just left… But uh… Oh Sehun is still here.”

     “Oh Sehun?” Baekhyun sounds genuinely puzzled. “Oh! Him, yeah yeah. I know him too, he’s a nice kid.”

     Nice? I look at the person in my room who’s sniffing a flower vase near the door. I take some time before answering Baekhyun. “Um… Yeah, he helped me too.”

     “Okay, I’ll call you later, I need to practice again. Bye!”

     “Bye…” I warily hang up. I put down my phone, and take turn looking at Sehun and the sky outside. “Uh… It’s getting late soon, are you not going home?”

     Sehun is now looking at the sink, and observe the tap. “I live nearby, no worries.”

     I exhale, and go to the bathroom to put my stuff. I take my time to avoid spending time with Sehun outside.

     “Seah, I think I’ll go now.”

     I go out from the bathroom in an instant, and form a smile. “Really? Oh… Okay.”

     “Thanks for the food.”

     “Yes… Thanks for helping.”

     Sehun walks to the door, and wears his shoes. I stand up facing him, waiting for the moment until he’s finally out of my sight. He’s all set, stands up straight, and looks at me. “You won’t walk me out?”

     I stare at him blankly, and look at the floor. “Okay.”

     We exit the room, and I want to walk faster but Sehun walks like a princess. I’m folding my arms on my chest anxiously, feeling sleepy. I should call my aunt first, then get some rest…

     “Don’t forget to tell Mr. Jang about your water tap. He’s watering the the plants outside at this hour.”

     How can he know that? Did he peek from the window before? “Uh… Well, I can meet him as we go out now.”

     “I don’t think I can go with you to him.”

     I frown. What is Sehun talking about? I’ll walk him to the gate and meet Mr. Jang if he’s outside anyway. Does he mean he would have to stay as I talk about the tap to the landlord? Oh please—

     Sehun stops walking before we even reach the stairs, and he takes something from his pocket. Keys. We’re standing right in front the door of the room next to me, and I’m staring blankly at the keys as realization hits me.

     “Hello, neighbor.”