FLASHBACK
THE FIRST TIME Yeonwoo was properly introduced to her brother's friends was at her house. She had just returned from a disappointing cello class—her teacher had scolded her for not being able to play her the last five bars of her recital piece smoothly.
"I'm home," Yeonwoo called out softly, slumping into the house.
She stopped when she caught sight of Lee Suho and Han Seojun, the two undisputed hotties of their school, on her living room floor. Playing video games. Seyeon was crouched on the couch like a panther, head stuck out and eyes riveted upon the moving screen.
"You're home." Usually, Seyeon would look at her, smile sweetly and ask: How was your day? But at that moment, he was concentrating intently on the screen, and barely noticed his sister's mood.
"Go, go, go!" He suddenly screamed, standing up.
"Move, move, move!" Suho yelled.
"No way!" Seojun screamed back.
The words GAME OVER flashed on the TV in yellow letters. WINNER IS SEOJUN! LOSER IS SUHO!
"You suck!" Suho jumped onto Seojun, and the two began rolling on the floor, wrestling with each other. Seyeon screeched with laughter, and in between his giggles, "You're—home—Yeonwoo—how—was—your—day?"
"Mmm." Yeonwoo was distracted by the sight of the two hottest boys in her school wrestling on the floor. Suho was trying to peel off Seojun's top, while Seojun fought to do the same to him.
They had been hanging out with her brother for the past few weeks. Their friendship happened because Yeonwoo had stayed home sick. The bullies always seemed to target them, but they never dared to hit them when Yeonwoo was with Seyeon. It was only when it was him alone that they brandished their fists.
While she had been home sick, unable to accompany Seyeon, Seojun and Suho had fought them off. Seyeon came home ecstatic at having found friends in them, and she was pleased. The twins had always found it hard to make friends with others. But recently, Yeonwoo had started hanging out with Kang Sujin, a girl in her class. So it all fit in perfectly when Seojun and Suho entered the picture.
Yeonwoo barely knew the boys. She only knew them for a distance—Suho for his brains, Seojun for his captivating, bad boy aura.
Seyeon kicked the wriggling pile, having recovered from his laughing fit. "This is my twin, Yeonwoo. I told you guys about her."
They stood hastily, straightening their clothes and smoothing their hair. Suho was the first to bow and say politely, "Nice to meet you."
Seojun, however, just stood and stared at Yeonwoo. He had seen her a few times around school but they had never been in the same class. She was quiet and unassuming, that was most of what he knew. He also knew she was nice. And pretty. The girl who was brave enough to pull Sujin back whenever she tried to fight someone. She always volunteered for events at the preschool and elementary school.
"Nice to meet you. I'm in class one. You two are in class five, aren't you?" She turned towards Suho. "You're Sujin's friend. She's always been telling me that you're very studious."
"I know you too. You sometimes beat me in the rankings."
Yeonwoo then looked at them both, her gaze lingering on Suho's for a tad longer necessary. "Thank you for doing that for my brother. I've never been able to express my gratitude, so I'll do it now." She bowed 90 degrees. "Thanks to you, they haven't been bothering me or my brother recently."
"They've been bullying you too?" Seojun questioned, exiting his stupor.
"Only asking for money, teasing, stupid stuff like that. But thank you all the same."
After taking a shower, she padded out of her room. Her hair, damp with water, hung down her back like a curtain.
"Do it for me please? It always turns out so nice when you do it." She handed Seyeon an old shirt.
She sat on the floor next to Seojun while Seyeon, on the couch, dried her hair and twisted it into a knot at the top of her head.
Seojun had never been tongue-tied in front of girls. It was usually the other way around. But this time, he was hyperaware of Yeonwoo, who was humming as Seyeon did her hair. His tongue caught in his throat, and the smell of her soap, clean laundry and soap, swathed around him like a dream.
Even after Seyeon finished, she watched the boys play video games. Seojun, flustered with her next to him, kept messing up the game.
"What's wrong with you?" Suho threw his controller down in disgust when they lost for the third time because of him. He said to Yeonwoo, "He's a horrible video game player, isn't he?" The brunette merely giggled.
"S-Sorry." Seojun gulped.
At the sound of rain outside, the four turned towards the window. A thin silver mist hung over the city, a gentle drizzle that brought a cool wind into the house. Yeonwoo stood up to open the window wider.
"I like the rain. It'll help me relax, after the day I've had." She said matter-of-factly. She turned towards the boys. "You don't mind, don't you?"
"It is nice and cold," Suho said, while Seojun just shook his head rapidly.
"My name means misty rain. My mother said that when she was pregnant with us, we would kick her stomach whenever it rained." She rested her elbow upon the window sill, her chin on her palm. She removed the shirt from her hair, allowing her hair to wave like a flag in the wind.
And as the world turned and the rain poured down in gentle sheets, Seojun decided that he was, in fact, crushing hard on Jeong Yeonwoo.
—
Long after Seojun and Suho left their house, Yeonwoo sat across from her brother and, with as much aegyo she could muster, said, "Oppa."
Seyeon looked at her suspiciously. "What do you want?"
"When will you be inviting your friends over again?"
He grinned knowingly. "You have a crush, don't you?"
Yeonwoo smiled shyly. She had never been able to hide anything from Seyeon.
"Since when have you liked him?"
"I've always thought he was so cool. He's so handsome, don't you think? And all the girls love him."
"Gross! Please don't, I'll never be able to look at him the same way ever again."
"Please don't tell him! I'm begging you, Seyeonnie."
"Fine, fine. But you owe me one. Buy me ice cream?"
"Cool."
—
a/n: peep the moon embracing the sun reference hehe. it's one of my favourite kdramas, which I have rewatched over a million times.
who does she have a crush on tho 🤔 i'll never tell!
stay safe xx duchess