The next day, Hara woke up earlier than the boys. She decided to make them breakfast again.

When they went to the market yesterday, she took some easy to cook pancake mix. She began to pull out bowls from the cabinet. Then someone stood right before her. It was U-Kwon who had just woke up from sleep. He was wearing a yellow hoodie with a knee length shorts. He squinted his eyes to adjust vision, then spoke “You’re cooking again?” he said as he took a pitcher from the fridge.

“Youngmaster Kwon. Ne.” she bowed and answered.

“Sorry if I keep on invading your kitchen without permission” she apologized without looking at him.

“Aiyo. Why do you always have to be formal towards us?” he patted her head. She looked up to see a genuinely smile coming from him.

“It’s because I should, right? You’re youngmaster Woo’s friends, it means I have to respect you as much as I respect him.” she kept still. U-Kwon took the seat beside her and asked, “Who said so?”

“No one.” she replied.

“See? No one. I suggest you stop being so formal in front of us and start loosin’ up. Life’s short you know.” he shrugged then pour himself a glass of water.

Hara took a short look at the two floating spirits in front of her. She knew he was right.

“Yeah. You’re right.” she nodded.

“Thank you for being kind to me youngmaster Kwo-“
“Call me oppa.” he cutted in. Hara’s mind became dazed for a second. She remembered what happened back at Zico’s room.

“Call me oppa.” Zico unintendedly spoke. Hara blinked her eyes a couple of times and then softened at his peacefully sleeping sight.

*He might’ve been dreaming about Sulli* she shook her head when he spoke again.

“Hara.” “Youngmaster?” she answered when she thought he was awake. “Call me oppa.” Zico continued still in deep sleep.

Zico’s sleeping face also registered on her head. She felt a short tickle on her stomach. Her thoughts were cutted when U-Kwon called.

“Hara?” U-Kwon tried to catch her attention. She blinked for a few times then asked,

“Why do you guys want me to call you oppa? Is it that of a big deal?” she took 2 eggs from the fridge.

“It is too much to ask?” U-Kwon asked back with a teasing look. Hara saw this and a smirk came on her face.

“Sulli-ah. This U-Kwon is getting on our way.” Daniel worriedly whispered. “Ehh. Don’t panic. U-Kwon oppa is just that kind.” She tried to assure, more like she tried to convince herself.

“Aniyo. It’s just that, I think it’s a loss of manners to not call you guys ‘youngmasters’.” She cracked an egg and pour it onto a bowl.

“What’s lack of manners is when you don’t call older guys ‘op-pa’.” he acted like teaching a 2 year old how to pronounce.

Hara sighed and looked at him, “Arra.” She beated the two eggs. She then took the pitcher and poured a cup full on the bowl.

“Jinjja?” “Ne.” “Then call me oppa. Kwonnie oppa” he excitedly went beside her and was waiting like a seal waiting to be fed. She added the pancake mix powder, with the eggs and water and started to give it a mix.

“Yah. I would just call you guys oppa when I want. You can’t force me.” She sneered. “Aiyo. You’re no fun.” He sticked out his tongue and then took the whisk and bowl from Hara. “But at least I can see you loosen up.”

“Yah!” she protested. “There you go again.” He accusingly pointed at her and laughed. She just shot him a look then took the bowl and whisk back to her. He held it back and they had a short game of tag-of-war. Soon after the batter spilled. “Look at what you did.” They both said at the same time then both let out a chuckle.

“Oh my gosh. They’re really bonding. There’s no hope” Sulli dramatically fell on the ground and ‘stabbed’ her chest.

“You wasted the batter.” Hara hissed.

“I’ll just make another.” U-Kwon shrugged.

“No. You clean this mess. I’ll make another batter.” She ordered.

“That’s it.” U-Kwon teasingly nodded with a clap.

“You said to loosen up.” She nudged.

“Arra. I’ll clean right away ma’am.” He saluted then took a cloth and went cleaning the spilled batter.

“Oppa?” she said more of a statement than a question. Zico’s subconscious mind heard her a smile came up on his smile. Hara saw this and she smiled at his innocent sleeping sight.

Zico’s face kept on flashing on her mind.

___________________________________________________

After their breakfast, Zico and Hara drove back the mansion again to change clothes. Hara finished faster so she went to Zico’s room. She knocked at his door a couple of times but no one answered. She took the key and went in. The shower can be heard meaning he hadn’t finished taking a bath yet so she just stayed there and waited.

She took the time to stroll around. Then she saw Sulli staring at a picture. It was the one Hara saw on her first day.

“Are you okay?” she started asking as soon as she saw Sulli’s sad face.

Sulli managed to lift a smile and nodded. “You miss him, don’t you?” Daniel butted in. Sulli nodded once again and heavied a sigh. Just then Zico came out the showers, drying his hair with a towel and saw Hara looking at his and Sulli’s picture.

“She’s Sulli.” Hara heard Zico said so she turned her head towards him.

“She passed away two years ago.” He continued as he picked the picture up. He traced his fingers on the frame and his facial expression instantly softened. Hara was just staring at him in sympathy. She knows how hard it is to lose someone important. She started to notice tears welling up Zico’s eyes and started to panic. Hara has the lowest tolerance to boys crying.

“Y-youngmaster, don’t cr-“ she hasn’t even finished her sentence when he breathed heavily with a slight lump on his throat. He’ll burst in tears if Hara won’t take action.

She finally took his hand and clasped it in between hers. Zico took a look on her then she started,

“Oppa, I know you miss her. I know how you feel. I lost my boyfriend four years ago and I still miss how we were before. But you see, there’s nothing we can do. Think of this, if she will see you sad because of her, would she be happy? No, isn’t it?

I know she misses you too but she wouldn’t like to see you upset. So cheer up, ne?”

This was the longest sentence she have said ever since she walked in the mansion. What made Zico more dazzled was when she accidentally called him oppa, and not to mention, the skinship Hara herself first initialized. But he hadn’t paid attention to it. Instead, he absorbed her words and searched for her eyes behind the dark specs Hara was wearing all the time.

Daniel and Sulli watched the scene then slung each other arms on the other.

Hara and Zico gazed at each other, words at lost, when Zico’s phone suddenly rang. They both freed each others’ hands. Zico answered his phone with a bit pissed tone.

“Wae?!”

“Hyung! U-Kwon and Kyung hyung are both in your homeroom. They said you have a surprise exam on Statistics! Where are you now?” P.O’s deep voice can be heard in the other line.

“What?! Aish! That instructor doesn’t do any good in my life!” he hurriedly took his bag and slung it on his back. “Let’s go to the school. Pali!” Zico mouthed Hara then both of them hurriedly went to the car.

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 Hey dear readers! Sorry if I haven't posted updates for a while. School already started so I became a little busy. 

 Hope this chapter can make up for not updating for a long time. Keke~