[i. 월요일]

During the fourteen years that Minseo has lived in her neighborhood (so, basically her whole life), she has only seen a moving truck parked on the side of her street a total of two times. 

The first time was when Mr. Song from two door down suddenly packed up his things and left without a trace. Minseo likes to think that he was fleeing from their tiny Gimpo suburb to Jeju after a run in with the Kkangpae or some other international street gang. (Her father informed her that Mr. Song and his wife had settled their divorce papers and the former Mrs. Song received the rights to their house, but whatever. She still thinks her version of the story is the right one.)

The second time was when the forty year old woman, who lived across the street and one house to the left (Minseo never learned her name), ran down the street one afternoon, yelling “You’ll never take me alive!!!” and waving a colander in the air as five men, dressed in finely pressed suits, chased her on foot around the block several times. The next morning, a moving truck was parked in the woman’s driveway and workers were loading boxes and furniture into the back with efficient speed. 

So when Minseo sees an identical truck parked in front of the house across the street, she can’t help but wonder aloud, “Someone’s getting chased by the mob again?”

Her best friend, Heeyoung, doesn’t even bat an eyelash. “I’m not even going to --” She abruptly stops in the middle of the sidewalk, grabbing Minseo by the sleeve of her uniform shirt to halt her walking as well. 

A man, mid-thirties or looking really good for early forties, jumps out of the back of the moving truck. He dusts his hands on his black jeans and pulls down the bottom of his black hoodie. Although his eyes are shaded by black sunglasses and she only got a glimpse of the actual front of his face, he’s obviously quite … handsome. (But, let’s be real, “handsome” doesn’t even do him justice in the slightest.)

Minseo, not usually the one of sentiment or cliches, can feel the red string of fate tugging on her teenaged heart. Or maybe that’s just Heeyoung tugging her by the arm into her house. 

Heeyoung hauls Minseo through the front door, into the living room, and onto the couch beneath a window that faces Minseo’s front yard and the street (and conveniently, the house parallel to hers). They carefully open the curtains and peek over the edge of the couch. 

“Oh, my god, he’s perfect,” Heeyoung whispers as she presses her nose against the window. 

“Like an angel sent down from heaven,” Minseo swoons with a dreamy sigh. 

“Or a demon who rose from hell,” Heeyoung says with a sly smirk. 

Minseo shoots her a questioning look. 

“What?” Heeyoung asks with a hint of unnecessary attitude. 

Minseo simply shakes her head and turns back to gaze (stare) out the window at the new tenant.

He talks to one of the movers for a few minutes (he laughs a few times and oh, my god his smile is like sunshine) before disappearing into the house. 

Heeyoung flops onto her back. “Please tell me he’s our new neighbor and not one of the moving guys.”

“‘Our?’” Minseo raises an eyebrow. “You don’t even live here.” 

Heeyoung sits up and looks her straight in the eye. “If he’s going to be living across the street, I just might move in.” 

Minseo rolls her eyes and hops off the couch, leaving Heeyoung to her gawking. She leaves the living room, kicks off her shoes by the front door (her neatfreak of a dad would kill her if he saw her tracking dirt into the house), and heads down the hall towards the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, she stops short at the doorway. Minseo’s mother, a bright women in her early 40s, is standing next to the kitchen table, using the back of a spoon as a mirror as she fluffs her hair. 

“What are you doing?” Minseo asks. 

Her mother jumps in surprise and fumbles with the spoon in her hands. She quickly places the spoon down and attempts to lean against the counter casually. “Hey honey! I didn’t hear you come home. How was school?” she asks Minseo with a smile. 

Minseo ignores her mother’s small talk as she opens the refrigerator’s door and pulls out a bottle of water. “And what’s with the dress?” Minseo notes the floral sundress her mother’s wearing. “You never wear dresses.”

“Am I not allowed to dress up sometimes?” her mother asks, affronted. 

Minseo simply takes a swig of water. 

Her mother sighs. “Fine. I’m taking over a welcoming gift to our new neighbors and I just wanted to look nice.” 

Minseo almost chokes on the water in . “What? Seriously? A gift? To our new neighbors?” 

Minseo’s mother gives her a strange look and glances down at the ceramic dish sitting on the table at her side. “Um, yeah. I just whipped up something quick and --” 

At the thought of being able not only look at the male model across the street, but actually talk to him (in person), Minseo throws her water bottle onto the counter and storms over to her mother. “I’ll take it over for you.”

The older woman stares down at her daughter, slightly shocked. “No, it’s okay, honey. I can --”

“But I want to,” Minseo insists and takes the dish into her hands. 

“Well, okay, if you insist…” her mother replies. 

There’s a hint of disappointment in her mother’s voice, but Minseo’s already halfway to the front door before she can really think about it. 

“Where are you going?” Heeyoung calls, still glued to her spot on the couch, “You’re missing everything!” 

“Just across the street,” Minseo mumbles as she slips on her shoes.

“What was that?” 

“Across the street to give my new neighbors something my mom made,” Minseo says louder. “I’ll be right back.” 

As Minseo walks out of the front door and down the pathway towards the sidewalk, she counts slowly in her head. 

‘3, 2, 1.’

Right on cue, a piercing scream followed by loud stomping and a crash of something falling to the floor echos from her house. Her front door flies open and quicker than lightning, Heeyoung falls into the step with her.

“You’re going to clean whatever you knocked over up, right?” Minseo asks as they cross the street.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Heeyoung says as she quickly runs her fingers through her hair. 

They step onto the sidewalk and walk up the cement driveway, past the movers and around the furniture waiting to be carried into the house. 

When Heeyoung clutches her arm and begins to breathe heavily in her ear, Minseo mumbles a “Calm down,” under her breath despite her own rapidly rising heart rate and tight grip on the breakable dish in her hands. 

They step onto the porch and scuttle to the side when a couple of movers exit through the open front door. Heeyoung instinctively reaches out and presses the doorbell.

“Why did you do that?” Minseo asks in a rushed whisper. “The door is already open!”

“What? Did you just want to waltz into another person’s house?!” Heeyoung whispers yells. “I didn’t think so!” 

“Oh, my god, you’re being ridiculous. Now, he’s going to think we’re stupid or something.”

“I’m being ridiculous?! You --”

“Excuse me.” 

The two girls’ voices die when they look up to see Minseo’s new neighbor standing in the doorway. They stare in shock, mouths hanging open and eyes comically wide. As if he couldn’t look more inhumanly amazing, he’s now standing before them, black hoodie off, and sunglasses hanging from the neck of his loose white t-shirt. He leans against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, and glances between the two of them with his eyes (those eyes!!!!!!!) and an awkward smile playing on his lips. 

“Who’s at the door?” 

Another man carrying a small white puppy emerges from deeper within the house. He’s much shorter and has a much wider smile than the angel Heeyoung and Minseo have been idolizing in their heads for the past 20 minutes. But he’s still nonetheless very handsome with his jawline and sharp eyes. 

“I have no idea,” Angel Man replies. “Are you two lost or --?”

“We’re not lost!” Heeyoung blurts out. 

The two older men flinch in surprise at her outburst and stare at her in shock. 

“We -- I mean, I live across the street,” Minseo says quickly. She shakes Heeyoung’s grip from her arm and holds out the dish. “This is from my mom. It’s ...” She lifts the lid and furrows her eyebrows in confusion. “...kimchi jjigae?” 

Minseo expects an equally confused reaction from Angel Man, but, instead, his eyes light up. (And Minseo melts.) 

“Really?” he asks with an eager smile as he takes the pot from her and checks the contents himself. 

The man holding the dog laughs loudly. “We really lucked out with neighbors! I wonder how she knew that kimchi jjigae’s your favorite.” 

“Yeah I wonder,” Angel Man muses before turning back to Minseo and Heeyoung. “Tell your mom I said thank you. I’m Myungsoo, by the way. And this is Dongwoo.” He motions to the man standing at his side.

“And this is Chunsa!” Dongwoo says with a smile, holding up the puppy in his arms. 

Myungsoo laughs as he scratches between the puppy’s ears and Minseo is pretty sure that his laugh is the beautiful sound she has ever heard in her entire life. 

“I’m Minseo,” she says, hoping her voice is void of any dream sighs. 

“And I’m Heeyoung!” Heeyoung announces loudly. 

Myungsoo nods his head slowly and gives Heeyoung a grin. “It’s was nice meeting you two and thank you for bringing this over.” 

They fall into an awkward silence with Myungsoo staring down at the lid of the pot, Minseo gnawing at her lip as she glances around, Heeyoung staring at Myungsoo with a wide smile plastered on her face, and Dongwoo too preoccupied with his dog to notice the uncomfortable situation. 

“Well, we should let you get back to unpacking!” Minseo speaks up.

“Yeah,” Myungsoo nods, “Thanks again.” 

Minseo flashes Myungsoo and Dongwoo a grin before grabbing Heeyoung by the arm and dragging her down the porch steps. 

“Bye!” Heeyoung yells over her shoulder as they cross the street. 

Dongwoo and Myungsoo give them a small wave before disappearing back into their house. 

When they’re back in Minseo’s house, the two girls lean back against the front door and let out a sigh. 

Heeyoung suddenly turns to Minseo. “I think he likes me.” 

[ii. 화요일]

“So here’s the problem with my movie date idea,” Heeyoung says.

The two girls are doing homework in Minseo’s living room. Well, Minseo is doing homework. Heeyoung is perched on the couch, staring at the house across the street longingly. 

Minseo glances up from her textbook (trigonometry, gross) questioningly. 

“Well,” Heeyoung starts off with a dramatic sigh. “Since Myungsoo-oppa’s so much taller and obviously older than I am, the people at the movie theater might try to sell me a child’s ticket and that might give people the wrong idea. And it might be even more awkward that I’m not even allowed to buy my own ticket to a Rated R movie.”

“But he can buy it for you.” Minseo points out. 

“Min-ah! That’s even worse!” Heeyoung pouts and turns back to the window.

Minseo shrugs and turns back to her homework. And by homework, she means her own list of “Potential Date Ideas with Myungsoo Oppa aka the angel across the street” she had written in her math notebook. She slowly crosses off “5. Movies.” 

“Myungsoo-oppa’s so mature and gentlemanly and cool,” Heeyoung mumbles. “He’s probably drinks his coffee black.”

“And opens doors for girls,” Minseo adds as she absentmindedly draws hearts around Myungsoo’s name. 

“And wears watches. The not digital kind; the kind with a leather strap and the numbers in roman numerals.”

“And kisses only on the cheek after the first date.”

“And doesn’t add any filters to his Instagram posts!” Heeyoung cries with a whine. “Ughhhhh why can’t he just love me?” 

Minseo sighs and rests her chin on the top of the table. 

She never really thought that anything would come out of her crush on Myungsoo. She’s heard stories about the older girls in her school and their college boyfriends. They made it seem so romantic, with their boyfriends being so much more mature and experienced and how safe they felt with them. And they said that the made their relationship more endearing. So if her and Myungsoo ever got together, their relationship would be the most charming of all, right? 

“...-seo. Minseo. MINSEO!” 

“Huh?” Minseo’s suddenly pulled out of her thoughts and quickly looks at Heeyoung.

“Someone’s at the door,” her friend informs her as she hangs her head upside down off the edge of the couch. 

Minseo scrambles to her feet and rushes down the hall. After she undoes the deadbolt and throws open the door, she’s met face to face with a petite woman. Well, not really face to face with the woman since she’s much shorter than Minseo but you get the point. 

“Oh,” the woman gasps and glances around, confused.

“Can I help you?” Minseo asks her slowly. 

“Umm, I was just …” The woman’s voice fades as she quickly takes out her phone and scrolls through it. 

“Soojung-ah!” 

Minseo looks over the woman’s head (seriously, she’s really tiny) and almost yelps when she sees Myungsoo standing on the sidewalk in front of her house. 

“Myungsoo!” the woman, Soojung, quickly runs towards him.

“You got the wrong house,” Myungsoo laughs and turns towards Minseo. “Sorry, she’s horrible with directions.” 

“I-It’s okay.” Minseo laughs nervously before giving a little wave and quickly closing the door. 

When the door is completely shut, she sprints into the living room and throws herself on the couch at Heeyoung’s side, who she’s sure has been watching the whole time. 

“Who is she?” Heeyoung narrows her eyes. 

Minseo shakes her head, completely lost. “I have no idea.” 

The two girls watch Myungsoo and Soojung with intense stares, gasping and whining when Myungsoo knocks Soojung lightly on the head with a laugh or Soojung playfully shoves Myungsoo’s shoulder. 

The two girls eventually slide off the couch and onto the floor after Myungsoo and Soojung get into the car parked next to the curb and drive off. 

Minseo lets out a long, dejected breath and lets her head fall back against the couch. She rolls her head to the side to look at Heeyoung. She’s surprised to find her best friend’s eyes full of fire and determination. 

“Are you okay?” Minseo asks with a bit of concern. 

“I thought our only competition was going to be each other,” Heeyoung says through clenched teeth. “We need to start planning, Min-ah.”

Usually, Minseo knows exactly (or, at least a general idea) of what her best friend is always thinking. But right now, she has no idea. “Planning what exactly?”

“How we’re going to make Myungsoo-oppa ours, of course!” 

[iii. 수요일]

“This is getting a little ridiculous.” 

Heeyoung pulls her binoculars away from her eyes and shoots Minseo a sharp look over her shoulder. 

"Minseo," Heeyoung sighs and shakes her head in mild amusement, "I know ridiculous and this," She waves her binoculars around. "is not ridiculous, trust me. This is research." 

"I'm not talking about slightly creepy peeping because I honestly expect that much from you. I'm talking about the fact that you're sleeping over at my house --"

“But I always sleep over,” Heeyoung interjects. 

“-- on a Tuesday night,” Minseo finishes. 

“Oh whatever.” Heeyoung rolls her eyes and looks out the window again. “It’s not like your parents care.” 

Minseo knows she can’t deny that, thinking about her parents who are already tucked in bed and watching late night reruns in their bedroom like they do every night. She sometimes wonders if that’s what marriage eventually succumbs to; turning in early, watching television side by side, and making small comments that you’re both sure the other doesn’t really hear. She wonders if that’s what her and Myungsoo would be like too after years of being together. 

Realizing how ridiculous she sounds in her own head, Minseo blinks away the thought. 

“And it’s a good thing that I’m here,” Heeyoung hums. “because it looks like our future husband and his roommate are having a little get together. A co-ed one.” 

Minseo hops onto the couch next to her best friend and glances out the curtain. 

Sure enough, a few unfamiliar cars are parked in front of the house across the street and a group of people walking up to the front door with Myungsoo and Dongwoo (and Chunsa) waiting on the porch. Minseo counts four guys walk into the house and smiles in endearment when Myungsoo hugs each one of them. (And he’s giving them real hugs, not one of the lame bro one armed, two pats on the back hugs.) 

As for the girls, Minseo doesn’t count but there’s already too many of them. 

She imagines would it would be like to be invited to a dinner party at Myungsoo’s. There would probably be jazz music playing the background and wine and he would cook dinner while everyone would be laughing. And conversation would be light but still meaningful and everything would be perfect because Myungsoo is perfect and --

“I see her!” Heeyoung exclaims. “The one that knocked on your door yesterday!” 

Minseo holds the curtain a little more open as she quickly scans the group filing into the house. She finds the tiny woman at the back of the group and grips the edge of the curtain a little too tightly when she jumps onto her toes to give Myungsoo a hug and he keeps his arm around her shoulder as he guides her into the house. 

“I need to get a closer look,” Heeyoung says, jumping off the couch. 

“Where are you going?!” Minseo follows Heeyoung and finds her slipping on her shoes and opening the front door. 

“To get a closer look.” Heeyoung gives her a look that literally has “duh” written across her face. 

Before Minseo can stop her, Heeyoung flies out the front door and begins to run towards the sidewalk. 

“Oh my god, get back here!” Minseo yells in a whisper. 

“Don’t worry! I’m wearing a black hoodie. They won’t see me!” Heeyoung calls back to her and crouches into the shadows as she runs across the street. 

Minseo hesitates to follow her but decides that she really would rather not be on the neighborhood watch’s list of offenders for being a peeping tom. Plus, Heeyoung can take care of herself and if she does get caught, it’s not like she lives in this neighborhood. 

So she quietly goes back into the house and locks the front door since she’s well aware that Heeyoung knows where they keep the spare key (regardless of how many times her parents try to change the secret hiding spot). 

She walks back into the living room and sits on the couch, drawing her knees up to her chest as she stares back out the window, hoping to every celestial being known to mankind that Heeyoung doesn’t get caught for voyeurism. 

[iv. 목요일]

Minseo wakes up to find Heeyoung staring into space in daze. 

“What time did you get back?” she mumbles, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and checking to see how much time she has to get ready for school. An hour, not too bad. 

“I didn’t stay out too late, don’t worry,” Heeyoung replies emotionless. 

As Minseo stretches her legs out with a sigh, she notes Heeyoung uncharacteristically quiet behavior. “You looked like you’ve seen a ghost or something. You didn’t get caught, did you?” 

Heeyoung shakes her head. 

“Then … what’s wrong?” 

Heeyoung opens to reply but then closes it again. And then opens it to reply again. And then closes it again. She finally lets out a sigh and shakes her head. 

“Tell me.”

“It’s nothing.” Heeyoung shakes her head. 

“Seriously, tell me,” Minseo presses. 

“I just saw things. Nothing bad, I promise! Let’s just get ready for school, okay?” 

Heeyoung gives her a smile, but Minseo is one hundred and twenty percent unconvinced. But it’s way too early in the morning and they still need to get ready for school so she drops it and heads up the stairs to her room to get changed. 
 

“Myungsoo-oppa probably likes shorter girls, right?” Minseo asks as she takes a notebook out of her locker. “I mean he’s always with that Soojung lady so he must like girls who are shorter than he is.”

“I guess,” Heeyoung replies, sounding a bit wary. 

“And by the way he interacts with her, he’s probably a romantic.”

“Sure.” 

Minseo closes her locker and turns towards her friend. “Is something wrong?”

“What do you mean?” Heeyoung blinks in faux confusion. 

Minseo simply raises her eyebrows. 

“I don’t know,” Heeyoung shrugs. “We don’t really know him, you know? Like, what if he doesn’t like to date younger girls or something? I think we should just give up now while we’re ahead.”

Minseo knits her eyebrows together. “Why are you being like this?”

The warning bell signaling the start of their next period echos throughout the halls. Heeyoung loops her arm through Minseo’s and begins to walk in the direction of their classroom. But Minseo cements her feet to the ground. Heeyoung tries to tug her along, but she refuses to budge. 

“We’re going to be late,” Heeyoung informs her. 

“Why are you being like this?” Minseo repeats. 

Heeyoung groans. “Min-ah, I’m just saying. He may already be with someone and he’s so much older than us --”

“I don’t care if Oppa is 15 years older than me. I’m in love with him!” Minseo yells, indignant. 

Heeyoung’s eyes widen at Minseo’s bold declaration. “Okay, fine. You do what you have to do. But don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”

“I won’t,” Minseo says stubbornly. “But since you’re don’t really like Myungsoo-oppa anymore, do you think …”

“Think … ?” Heeyoung prompts. 

“Ummm ...” Minseo presses her lips into a firm line as she tries to figure out how to word what she’s thinking. 

“Just spit it out already!” 

“You could help me with … advancing my relationship with Myungsoo-oppa?” Minseo asks in a small voice. “I mean, you’re the best at coming up with plans out of the two of us and …”

“Yeah, sure, fine. Can we just go to class now?” Heeyoung pleads, tugging Minseo down the hall. “I don’t want to be given ‘The Look’ again by Mrs. Park. You know that woman scares me.” 

[v. 금요일]

Minseo is a few blocks away from her house when she sees a white ball of fluff rolling around in a flower bed next to a mailbox. She walks over and finds a familiar white puppy cuddling with pansies. 

“Chunsa,” she coos as she takes the puppy into her arms, “what are you doing here? Dongwoo-oppa and Myungsoo-oppa will be so worried about you.” 

The puppy just blinks at her before trying to wriggle out of her hold and back into the dirt. Minseo secures her hold on the hyperactive puppy and begins to make her way back to her house. 

“Chunsa!” 

Minseo looks up to see Myungsoo in her direction. 

“Thank you so much for finding her,” Myungsoo sighs in relief and clips a leash to her collar. “Dongwoo would cry if she ever got lost.”

“How did she get out in the first place?” Minseo asks as she places the puppy down the on sidewalk at their feet. 

“I left the side gate open again.” Myungsoo laughs and rubs the back of his neck embarrassed. “I’ve lived in apartment buildings in the city for so long that I forget what it’s like to have a yard and how easily escapable they are.” 

“This happened before?” Minseo questions. 

“Twice actually.” Myungsoo stares down at the puppy who’s trying to tug the man in the direction of their home. “But this is the farthest she’s gotten. I promise I’ll remember eventually.” 

The two begin to walk towards their houses, Chunsa leading the way. 

“So, what made you leave the city?” Minseo asks to fill the silence. 

“It just seemed like the right decision.” Myungsoo shrugs. “Dongwoo’s opening a dance studio in the area and I’m a photographer and often come out here for shoots. And Soojung lives nearby so that’s a plus too. You actually remind me a lot of her when we were your age.” 

Minseo bites the inside of her bottom lip. She knows his comment is meant to be a compliment, or an observation at the least. But the comparison doesn’t seem to sit right with her for some reason. “You’ve known each other for a long time, huh?” 

“For practically ever,” he smiles fondly. 

Minseo tries to stop herself from asking, but she just has to know. She has to know what this girl means to him. “When did you two get together?”

“What?” Myungsoo looks down at her. 

“When did you and Soojung start dating? It couldn’t have been so long ago that you forget, right?” She tries to laugh lightly, but it comes out as an airy, forced chuckle. 

“Me and Soojung are not dating.” Myungsoo shakes his head and waves his hands in denial vigorously. 

“Oh, but you like her right?” Minseo presses. 

“What? No!” A shudder wracks through Myungsoo’s body. “That would just be weird on so many levels.”

Now Minseo is just confused. “Then why is she at your house all the time?”

“Uhhhh because she’s Dongwoo’s girlfriend?” Myungsoo answers as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“What?”

“Yeah, she and Dongwoo-hyung have been dating for years,” he states matter-of-factly.

“Oh…” Minseo stares down at her feet as they walk closer and closer to her house. 

“Wait, you thought we were a couple?” Myungsoo asks, a glint of amusement in his eyes. 

Minseo shrugs, ignoring the embarrassed warmth creeping up her neck and flooding her cheeks. “I just assumed since … you know ... ”

“No, we’re not dating. I love her, but she’s like a sister to me,” he says.

Minseo fails to fight down the smile that’s taking over her face and she has to fake a yawn just to cover with her hands. 

“And besides …” Myungsoo’s voice trails off as they come to a stop in front of Minseo’s driveway. 

“I like someone else.” 

Minseo might just be imagining it but she swears Myungsoo gives her a wink before crossing the street and walking up his driveway. 

She slowly turns around and walks into her house. Once the front door is closed and locked, she screams all the way down the hall, up the stairs, and into her bedroom until her face is buried in her pillow

[vi. 토요일]

“So I’ve figured out the perfect date with Myungsoo-oppa,” Minseo states, resting her elbows on the table in her kitchen.

Heeyoung glances up from her bowl of ice cream and raises an eyebrow. 

“First, it would have to be in winter because all dates are cuter in winter.” 

“Are they really?” Heeyoung mumbles as she shoves another spoonful of ice cream into . 

“Then, he would drive us to a small cafe where we would have coffee. And the coffee would have a dog and a cat drawn onto the foam with choclate and and we would fight over who gets to have the dog because we both love dogs. But he would give me the dog because that’s just the type of guy he is.”

“Very gentlemanly,” Heeyoung comments. 

“And after we’re done with coffee, we’ll walk around and look in shops and he’ll get bored of shopping but won’t say anything. And we’ll get couple keychains because that’s more mature than shirts or beanies.”

Heeyoung nods. “I’m sure they are.” 

“Then we’ll drive home and he’ll walk me to the door where he’ll give me a kiss on the forehead and that’s it!” Minseo ends with a dreamy sigh.

“Fascinating,” Heeyoung says with boredom in her eyes.

“Hey! It’s the perfect date.” Minseo pouts.

Heeyoung shakes her head. “Yeah, for you.” 

Minseo opens to make a retort when the doorbell cuts her off. 

Heeyoung springs out of her chair, abandoning her half eaten bowl of ice cream, to answer the door. Minseo follows her. 

Heeyoung throws the door open to reveal Myungsoo and a very tall, very handsome man holding a vase of flowers standing on her porch. 

“Delivery!” the man s the vase of flowers into Heeyoung’s face.

Heeyoung stares at the tall man with wide, almost horrified eyes. She stiffly walks backwards further into the hallway. 

“That’s not her, Yeol,” Myungsoo mutters under his breath and whacks the guy on his shoulder. 

“Oh, uh,” the man turns to Minseo and s the flowers into her face with a laugh, “Delivery!” 

“A-Are these for me?” Minseo asks, glancing between the mystery flower delivery man and Myungsoo. 

Myungsoo nods. “And for your mom. A thank you for all the gifts she sent over.” 

“Gifts…?” she asks, confused. 

“Yeah, you can tell her that she doesn’t have to give us so many ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ gifts. Don’t get me wrong! It’s really nice of her and we appreciate them, but we’re starting to feel a little bad.” Myungsoo gives her a guilty smile that still somehow makes her heart flutter. 

“Okay I will,” she responds a bit breathlessly. 

“I picked out the bow.” The man gives her a gummy smile. 

“This is Sungyeol,” Myungsoo motions to the man at his side. “my --”

“Model.” Sungyeol interjects with a lazy smile. “We’re doing a photoshoot tomorrow night in the park and Myungsoo was gracious enough to let me stay at his place so I wouldn’t have to battle traffic tomorrow morning. Plus, I’ve done him a lot of favors in the past so he owes me one.”

“Nice to meet you.” 

Myungsoo rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “We better get going. Tell your mom I said thank you for everything.” 

Minseo nods and clutches the vase to her chest as she watches Myungsoo and Sungyeol (but mostly Myungsoo) walk back to his house. 

“So they’re friends?” Minseo asks absentmindedly as she admires the floral arrangement.

Heeyoung snorts. “Yeah, you could say that.”

[vii. 일요일]

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Heeyoung asks as she tries to keep up with Minseo’s quick steps. 

“I told you. I’m sure,” Minseo replies as she navigates around the play structure in their neighborhood park. “And you made up this plan, remember?” She motions to the dozen silver heart-shaped balloons floating over their heads. 

In the distance, she sees a few lights on stands and a small group of people. 

“I know. But what if he rejects you?” Heeyoung asks nervously. 

“Then he rejects me and at least I tried. But I don’t think he will.” Minseo grips the ribbons tied to the balloons tightly. 

“How do you know he won’t?” 

“I got a sign from him and I know what it meant. Trust me.” She gives Heeyoung a wink, plunging the girl into silence. 

They stand behind a tree, out of sight but close enough to the photoshoot site to make people’s faces out. 

“And while we’re here, I think you should confess to the model guy.” Minseo whispers to Heeyoung as she scans the makeup artists and other assistants in search for Myungsoo. “I saw you staring at him yesterday.”

“Yeah, but I was not staring at him for that reason,” Heeyoung mutters under her breath.

But her comment goes unheard as Minseo continues to search for Myungsoo. “Everyone’s cleaning up the equipment so the photoshoot must be over, right? Why I can’t find him? Do you see him?”

“Oh, I see him alright,” Heeyoung replies.

“Where?” Minseo tries to crane her neck. “Where’s my Myungsoo-oppa?”

Heeyoung simply takes Minseo by the shoulder, turns her ninty degrees to the right, and points. 

Minseo strains her eyes to make out of the figures in the shadows. She doesn’t see it at first, but when she sees it, she sees it. 

Sungyeol has Myungsoo pressed up against the trunk of a large tree, arms tightly around his waist and lips glued to the latter’s as Myungsoo fists the front of the model’s jacket. If Minseo didn’t know any better, she would have thought Sungyeol was trying to eat Myungsoo’s face. (But he actually kinda is in a metaphorical sense.) 

“That’s what I saw that night,” Heeyoung says. “Same exact position except your Myungsoo-oppa was pressed up against the side of a car.” 

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry.” Heeyoung puts a hand on Minseo’s shoulder.

“It’s okay.” Minseo sighs and stares up at the balloons dejectedly. 

“So …” Heeyoung rocks back on her heels. “Can we go home now? We have school tomorrow.” 

Minseo nods. “Yeah, let’s go.” 

Heeyoung throws her arm around Minseo’s shoulders as they leave the park. “This is actually not that bad when you think about it.”

“How so?”

“At least you lost to a male model.” 

Minseo pauses for a moment and looks at her best friend. “Very true.”