Jongdo arrived in front of SM building once again. He wondered how did end up visiting this place often for reasons that are mostly unpredictable. Once it was to pick up something or to have a quick meet with Jongin, but this time it was because the EXO members asked him to come over. He knew his brother too well to predict this kind of behavior he’s showing, but as much as understanding the members were, they must’ve had their own boundaries. If he weren’t a brother from the same womb, maybe he would already beat him to death and leave him to rot on the street. But then again, he’s a brother he needed to take care of no matter how old they’ve grown up into different persons.

“Where is he?” he was already on the elevator with Chen, the one who called him over to come.

Chen glanced at him. "Upstairs. Sulking. Keep messing around and throwing at us.”

Jongdo sighed out of care. “Did he say something? Soojung maybe?”

“No words but we know it’s her. It’s absolutely her,” he countered, leading him out toward the practice room. “He went to see her this morning.”

“This morning?” Jongdo was aghast, abruptly stopped walking. “I was with her the whole day and she didn’t say a thing.”

Chen turned around and gave him a smile. “Then maybe Jongin is not someone important for her to worry about? If I were here, I would've kicked him from the very first start. It's about time she knows her line. She should save herself."

Jongdo didn't answer with words but expressions on his face that shows much vexation but with worries in it. As he walked in behind Jongdo, Jongin was curled on the practic room's couch, sealed on his headphones, but the music still blasted out through the thick material. The members were practicing in front of the mirror and they seemed heedless about Jongin’s existence. Chen joined the sweats and racing breath on the other side of the room trying to perfect the already-perfect group’s performance, leaving Jongdo alone on his own.

He said nothing and shoved off Jongin’s feet on the couch. He plopped down and stared at him nonchalantly. “What kind of stupidity you did again today?”

Jongin spared only a glance for a reaction. His eyes were cold and lifeless. “What are you doing here?”

“Be nice. I came all the way here from Songdo and it's not even close for God's sake,” he leaned back. “So, you met her today?”

“None of your business,” Jongin grimaced in disparage.

Jongdo sneered and crossed his arms. “Of course it is. It’s my business since I found out about it from Jongdae and not from someone who’s with me the whole day.”

Jongin didn’t do anything but his eyes showed that he’s stoned at his words. He tried to appear cool but he was a total mess from head to toe.

“You want to know something? You can leave if you don’t want to hear it,” he paused, glancing at Jongin whose face tried really hard to hide his curiosity and it drew a sly smile on Jongdo's face knowing that the opposition had welcomed the bait. 

“Soojung is complicated as a person. Neither speaking out her feelings nor her life is her interest unless she feels it’s urgently necessary. I might be a close person but even I still have to palpate my way to her. It has to be a really, really wise man to approach her. Not being there on her birthday, from what I know, will never be a problem for her. Being treated with such gentleness and delicacy without any certainty is her type of problem. Being indirectly convinced that she is special and loved but left uncertain after is her problem. I don’t know what did you talk about or what happened this morning in between you two but Soojung is a master at hiding her feelings. If you acted like this out of writhe from whatever she said to you, I hope you’ll understand that Soojung was a human shelled by an iron wall. None of her outcomes equals anything inside her. Or might I say, she’s a smart liar when it comes to her feelings.”

Jongdo patted Jongin’s lap twice and stood up, shoving his hands onto the pocket while walking toward the exit. “I’m going home! Good luck!” he shouted to the others before slipping out of the room.

The members exchanged meaningful stares when Jongin stormed out of the room behind Jongdo. There weren’t any tumultuous, or scream, or even an audible voice, but they’re sure whatever Jongdo said must’ve slapped Jongin on the face.

Jongdo pretended like he didn’t know anything until Jongin ran past him to the fire staircase instead of the elevator. He just smiled thinly and shook his head, wondering when would Jongin ever grow up and understand that life is more than a matter of trivial things.

He waited for the elevator while looking around the floor. It’s funny how deserted that place was whenever he came to visit. Whether it’s night or day, he would rarely find anyone walking around. He wondered if the operational office was really there or the people were working too much in silence.

The elevator dinged and he stopped when he saw a familiar figure in front of him. Someone he had never encountered again from the very first time he saw her. Yeri was smiling at him and bowed low. Her smile was still as bright as he remembered from before, only she became more composed and neat, maybe because it’s evening that she had just gone back from the schedule. And in his eyes, she looks prettier.

“Aren’t you going in, Sunbae?” Jongdo didn’t know how long had he stayed still that Yeri had to ask him. He even had just realized that she once again mistook him as Jongin. He nodded quickly with a calm face and walked inside the elevator.

Yeri stood in his front with her back facing him and he could feel that she was uncomfortable. Maybe it was his expression or could be that she was never close with Jongin so saying nothing was the best choice she had, but he had been wondering about a chance to meet her. She’s in front of him now, so he should at least talk with her.

“I’m not Jongin, by the way,” he said calmly, trying to match his racing heart with his calm utterance but failed on its process when Yeri turned around in round big eyes. He found it so cute and he unconsciously put on a thin smile he rarely wears.

“I still can’t believe how identical you two are,” she shook her head slowly. “Are you here to visit him?”

He hummed in response and walked behind her outside the elevator. “Are you going home?”

Yeri shook her head. “I’m going to the convenience store.”

“About time!” he suddenly shouted in awkwardness. Seeing her shocked reaction, he scratched his head unknowingly–not knowing what to do. “Uh… I mean… I’m going there too.”

“You are?” she friendlily responded. He was expecting her to say things like “so what?” because he was being weird in a sudden but it reversed his expectation. “Should we go together then?”

Jongdo was ashamed as he should’ve been the one who asked her to go together but even though he was shy and clueless, he didn’t want to say no. He was never good at approaching or interacting. He felt bad for talking that way about Soojung when he himself was also no good at expressing his feeling. He watched Yeri waiting for his answer with an amiable look. Never he’s encountered someone as bright as her. “Sure.”

“So, you’re staying at the office again?” Jongdo said as he walked along with her toward a convenience store inside SM building area. A few years back, the company decided to expand their office area with primary facilities for their artists and staff to avoid being crowded over by fans. 

Yeri nodded. “Like I told you before, I still have a long way to catch up with the members.”

“Ah!” Jongdo gasped. “Congratulations on your debut.”

She grinned at him and giggled. “Thank you, Jongdo-nim.”

Jongdo felt his cheeks unknowingly heated when she mentioned his name. He thought she wouldn’t remember his name and would remember him only as Kai-sunbaenim’s twin brother so it slightly surprised him. “You remember my name.”

“Of course,” she said. “Why wouldn’t I?”

They arrived in front of the convenience store and Jongdo hastened his step to open the door for her. She was surprised at his sudden measure and smiled at him before saying thank you. After they get inside, they proceeded to choose some meals while continuing the conversation. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because people often acknowledge me only as Jongin’s twin,” he responded to her words from before after they’ve done picking ramen flavors from the shelf.

“What?” Yeri couldn’t catch what he’s saying suddenly and blinked in confusion.

Jongdo flared in pinkish red. “Uh… You asked why would you forget my name before.”

“Ah! Sorry,” she finally caught it. “I think maybe it’s because you never show up in public? I mean, I’ve never seen you introduced yourself in front of public officially.”

Jongdo couldn’t agree more with her assumption. He had never wanted any public declaration about his identity and wanted people to know him only as Jongin’s brother. He didn’t want his name published or what he does for life just because Jongin’s crazy fans had done so much even without him drawing his face all over the place.

They walked toward the cashier and he pulled out his wallet. “It’s on me.”

Yeri startled. “No. It’s okay. I brought my wallet.”

Jongdo smiled and gave out his card to the cashier. “Let’s say it’s to celebrate your debut.”

“Thank you…”

“I just chose to hide behind the bush. Even with my identity hidden, there are still fans trying to get on my pants every night and day. Tons if I may say,” he shared while they made their way back to the building.

“There are fans following you?” she sounded rather confused. “Did they misunderstand you as Kai-sunbae?”

“Some of them did but some of them just wanted to see me. I look too much like him so they thought meeting me wouldn’t make much different than meeting Jongin,” he sighed, bringing back his mind to the worst day of his life where he found a fan hiding inside his car’s trunk.

Yeri’s jaw dropped. “I never know it was that bad… I mean, I heard often about EXO-sunbaenim’s- Uh…”

“Crazy? Mad, abnormal fans?” Jongdo completed the sentence for her and she went red in a sudden.

“I didn’t say a thing,” she covered . “I mean… It’s a public secret, right?”

“You don’t want to know,” he said, shaking his head in desperation of consecutively gets run after. “How long was your training period?”

“I’m a five years trainee here. I’m in my last year in high school now. I can’t wait to graduate so that I can focus only on Red Velvet,” she said as they made their way inside the building.

Jongdo gasped in silence. His eyes explained all the shock. “You’re still in high school?”

“Hmm,” she nodded. “Anyway, are you going upstairs?”

“Your call,” he answered unconsciously. "I mean... Can I go with you? I kinda have no one to eat with now, since Jongin's out of the office."

"Sure!" Yeri smiled. 

"Thank you," he said. “Is it hard? Working while you’re still in high school?”

“Exhausted,” she exhaled heavily. “But this is what I want so I’m happy.”

They entered a practice room on the ground floor and sat against the wall. Jongdo took over the cup and opened it for her. “You remind me of young Jongin back then, only that he debuted after he’s graduated from school.”

There was silence as Yeri stoned with no words while watching him serving the food for her–everything looks automatic and instinctively. He was so gentle and polite even though he was upright about anything he did. He got up to a small kitchen shelf on the corner of the room to get hot water. "How much water do you want for your noodle cup? Is half enough? 

Yeri broke out of her reverie and blinked her eyes. There was awkward nervousness on her as her cheeks rose pink. “Thank you. Uh… I mean… I like less broth.”

"We're similar then, Jongdo smiled as he poured down the water onto her cup and his portion before walking back to Yeri who was scanning every move he made in surprise. 

They spent the hour talking about Yeri’s life. There’s nothing he said about his life and he was quite fond to listen to Yeri’s story. It’s good that she found him comfortable to share her story with. She even stopped eating several times to thoroughly explain the events that had happened in her life–how tough her life was as a trainee, how her friends expected so much from her it actually burdened her to death, how the company put her through so much at a young age, how her family opposed her decision back then thinking she was too young to decide her life path, and how all the fame almost brought her to insanity because people just kept talking and talking about her.

“I mean, is it even my fault to dream? I would’ve chosen to debut with a new group if I could. I know how talented the members are and how much lacking I am compared to them. Do those people even know? They said I have no chemistry whatsoever with the members. I love them so much to the point I sacrificed myself to more sleepless nights only to put their hopes up the ground. I don’t want to be the one who messes up the whole thing we’ve been killing ourselves for all these times. I know how much important Red Velvet is for the members and how much important it is for me. I just