Past Sent a Reader. Choi Soobin|Choi Yeonjun|Choi Beomgyu|Park Sunghoon

Neighborhood

She was working on an assignment. Suddenly, she got a call from Soobin. She was surprised and muttered,

"What the hell... Soobin sunbae..."

She gulped, then received,

"Mira, where are you?"

"At...at home."

"You're not at home. Don't lie. Wherever you are, just leave the place right now."

"How did you know?"

"Just leave."

"OK"

Mira wondered again. She hurriedly left the place. She went home, she was alone that time, because her uncle was in the restaurant. After one hour passed, someone knocked on the main door. Mira thought it was Jong Shin, her uncle. But it was Soobin with a bunch of books which were in the old house. Mira was thundered.

"How did you know I went there?"

Soobin ignored her question and said,

"Can you move please? So I can enter"

"Dae. Sorry." She stepped back.

Soobin put the books on a couch. Then he looked at Mira. Mira's eyes were straight on his. She said,

"Don't tell me you're a vampire."

"Am I?" He smiled crookedly.

"How do you know everything? And why did you want me to leave that place?"

"Mira, does Sunghoon work in your restaurant part-time?" He totally ignored her questions.

"You know that too."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Did Sunghoon tell you that?"

"No."

"Then how..."

"Mira, let me protect you this time. And I'm not a vampire or something."

"What does that mean?"

"Mira, I have to go."

He left without answering any questions Mira asked him.

Next day, Mira took her lunch and found an empty table, then sat there. She was scrolling through her phone. That time an unknown voice called by her name,

"Shin Mira, can we sit here?"

She looked up and found two boys.

"Seat is not mine." She muttered.

"Okay then." Said one of them.

She was minding her own business and continued to feed herself. One of them said,

"I'm Choi Yeonjun."

Other one said,

"I'm Choi Beomgyu."

Mira nodded and looked at them properly.

"And we are your seniors." Beomgyu said proudly.

"Sorry. I didn't know that." For the first time Mira stood up and bowed to them as Sunghoon taught her some activities and cultures in Korean at their restaurant whenever they were free from the work. Yeonjun said,

"I heard you're working with Soobin. He's our best friend. I guess you're comfortable with each other."

"Not that much. We only talk for our group. But not that close."

"Ah... Mira, we can casually talk. Right?"

"Huh?"

"I meant as a senior-junior. We will treat you well, I promise."

She just nodded.

"We saw you today." Beomgyu said.

"Where?"

"Actually, we three are your new neighborhood."

"HUH???"

"We just moved in the morning. Our managers are still working in our apartment for us."

"We have decided to live together." Yeonjun added.

"Oh. I see."

Beomgyu let out a little sigh and said,

"Mira, I want to say something. Can I?"

"Yes, Sunbae."

Yeonjun gave him a bad expression and told him,

"Beomgyu, it's our first day of talking to her. Give her a break."

"Yeonjun, please let me tell her."

Yeonjun sighed.

"Mira, hang out with us from now on."

"Dae?"

Somehow Yeonjun was relieved. Maybe, Beomgyu didn't say what Yeonjun thought he would say. Mira was confused to think why they were so good to her. Mira was a little afraid too. Mira smiled and nodded. They were talking about random stuff in the cafe. When the break time was about to end Mira got up and bowed and said good-bye to them. Mira went to the class and found out Sunghoon was not in the class, he was in the class before break time. She wanted to call him. But she didn't at last. Teacher Min Hyun asked about Sunghoon to everyone,

"Isn't he coming back? I saw him going to the fifth floor."

The 5th floor was the top floor. Mira gave an excuse to go to the washroom, then ran to 5th floor. The 6th floor was the rooftop. Sunghoon told her once that he would go to the rooftop when he gets angry or upset. Mira was grasping for running too fast. She opened the door and found Sunghoon sitting at the corner. He wrapped his arms around his knees like a baby. Mira came towards him and saw him crying. Mira muttered,

"Sunghoon, are you alright?"

He looked up with tears in his eyes. He got up quickly and hugged Mira tightly out of the blue. He started to cry like a baby girl.

(Written on 4 November 2022)