When I walk up the stairs, I already see a few customers on the upper floor of this store. So Yoongi-ssi is gonna be busy with customers today? Good, it's more peaceful to sit and connect with that statue when he isn't paying attention. Not like he does though, I just feel like a fool talking to an inanimate object in front of people.

"Hello," a woman bows to me with a smile as soon as I enter. "Are you looking for anything particular, miss?"

Huh? Where did she come from?

"Do you work here?" I ask politely and look around. "Is Min Yoongi-ssi not here?"

She looks taken back but then she very slightly narrows her eyes. Or did I imagine that?

"Oh, are you his friend?" she asks, now smiling fully.

"Uhh...not really, no. I'm kind of acquainted with him and grandpa downstairs. I'm sorry I'm not a customer—"

Before I complete, she leans in to threateningly whisper near me. "Are you Ahn Sooyoung?" She folds her arms dismissively as she sourly looks at me.

What?

"Uhhhmm?...." I sigh and calmly say. "No, there's one statue here I kinda periodically come here to just visit. They don't mind it. So can I? It's that one." I point at the monkey.

"Okay."

I go sit on the stool as she puts the statue on the counter. "How do you know Sooyoung?" I ask. If she did happen to work here, she'd have come across my stalker sister by now.

"Ohh?... Ahh.. I've heard from Yoongi. You know her too?"

"Pretty much," I shrug. "She happens to be my dongsaeng."

"I'm Yoongi's girlfriend!" she blurted out immediately.

Oh, boy! Sooyoung's not gonna take this news well, is she? And this woman's really his girlfriend? How come all this man attracts are the crazies?

"Makes sense," I boredly say. I know she wants to establish that fact because I'm Sooyoung's sister and she wants Sooyoung to know, but can I get some privacy with the statue, miss?

"You can carry on with your work. I'll just do my thing, with the statue, you know." I'm embarrassing myself. "I sometimes talk to it, so don't mind me, please. There's no point denying it, it's kinda weird and you'll judge me, but can you judge me from far away please?"

She chuckles. "Don't worry about it, Yoongi told me it's a special one and some people come here just to see it and sit with it and stuff." And she finally goes to station herself at the end of the counter, busy on her phone as the customers head downstairs.

The golden monkey sits in front of me.

"It's hard," I speak, looking at it. It's been hard. Ever since this statue got involved, everything has been different, life is tougher now.

"But I'm glad." Because I could meet some incredible people, and befriend them. It's crazy how I already knew and considered them friends when I was just their fan, but then everything turned different than I expected when I actually became their friends. As someone who grew up without someone to address as friends, I really don't know if this is how I'm supposed to feel like. They give me the same comfort as family, the same comfort I received from my father when he was alive. But sometimes when I think too much, it feels like it's more special than that. Is that because I was their fan before I met them? I don't really know. There's always high levels of excitement when I meet them. Even when we were in that dream world.

I'm glad I met them as my friends. I'm glad I met some of them as more than friends but...

"I'm conflicted. It's all because of you," I say to it. How dare this stupid statue just smile at me foolishly when I say something serious!

"I'm glad but what the hell did you do to me?"

I came here to clear my mind. It has been dragged too long. If I wait further, I think I'll lose them both. And I can't do that. Wow, the me two years ago would have laughed at this.

How did you manage to bring about this to have me change like this, you stupid statue?

I have to choose between the two. I know who I want but I don't want to hurt the other.

But if I don't do anything, I might lose him too.

After that kiss, Jongho and I never spoke about it. We'd talk and he would be flirty, or extra flirty than before, but that was it. And I love that about him. He was very careful to not ever pressure me about it. But also, since that trip, Seonghwa oppa doesn't contact me often. He'd still be the same around me but he almost never texts me now.

But there's one person who had been kinda pushing me into confessing: Jisoo oppa. And I don't know what happened to him suddenly after that Jeju trip. Were Jongho and I subconsciously been closer to each other? Did everyone notice? Probably that's why Seonghwa oppa isn't as active now. So I'm already hurting him after all.

"How am I supposed to do this, jeez?" But then I have been crafting the dream of being called a girlfriend as well.

"Should I confess or not?" I speak to the lifeless statue.

And for a fraction of a second, I feel the statue glimmering. Holy Shi—

And at the same time, my phone on the counter rings flashing its light on the screen. Did the statue reflect the light from the phone? But when I look at the statue again, there's absolutely no glimmer on it like I had just seen. It's reflecting the light from the screen, but that glimmer a second ago was definitely different than this. Wait—

The caller ID. It's Jongho.

What!

I pick it up immediately. And I know what to do.

His sweet voice can be heard. "Annyeo—"

"I want to meet you," I say immediately. "Somewhere private. Oh! Come to my house in the evening!"

"Today?" he asks.

"Oh, right! Are you free today?"

"Totally," I hear him chuckling. "I'm free the whole day. Did you know? You must have heard from one of the hyungs?"

No. Not at all. He's always busy, they're all always busy. How come today he isn't when I decided to confess on impulse.

"No, I didn't know. But I'm glad you're free, I have something important to tell you."

"Oh..." he says and takes a pause. "I guess you're lucky then. Nice coincidence."

I'm not sure about that anymore.

"You sound nervous, sweetie," I calmly say, ignoring my racing heart and the fact that I saw something weird half a minute ago. "If it's about the meeting, don't be."

"Should I be happy instead?" he asks flirtatiously.

"I don't know, come find out," I say. "I'm hanging up, bye."

"Byeee."

Shit, now I definitely gotta confess. I look at the statue once again, and feeling creeped out as I get goosebumps, I back away from it and rush the hell out of the store.

One job's done!

But I really got another call to make now. And it's for sure taking longer. And more mental preparedness.

I internally sigh at the thoughts of him and our situation as I walk.

.

.

.

"You good, Jongho? You've been sitting still for a while now," Yeosang says.

Jongho shakes his head. "I'm nervous, hyung."

Yeosang pulls out his earphones. "Why? What happened? Weren't you on a call with Soojin earlier?"

The younger nods. "She said she needed to meet me today. She has something serious to say to me."

"Ohh.."

"It didn't sound negative per se. But it wasn't so lively or cheery either. She was very neutral in her tone, and it sounded serious. I don't know what to believe. But my heart says it's positive news."

"So you think she wants to confess to you or something?"

"It's a possibility," Jongho says. "Isn't it?"

"So you think it is."

"Maybe."

Yeosang blinks in confusion. "Then why are you nervous?"

"Because...."

"Because?"

"Seonghwa hyung!"

"Ahh..." Yeosang says and immediately suggests. "You guys should sit and have a talk."

"What talk?"

"I don't know..... Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" He sounds clueless.

"You are not helping, hyung."

"Maybe you should ask Hongjoong hyung."

"He's not even here."

"Guys! The food is here!" Seonghwa yells from the living room. And then a knock is heard on the door of the roommates' room. "Come on out and get your food," Seonghwa says from outside their door.

"Hyung!" Yeosang says.

"Yeah," Seonghwa opens the door looks in.

"Jongho has to talk to you!" Yeosang says and points at the maknae.

"Hyung..." whines Jongho.

"That's the only help anyone of us can do for you, Jongho. You need to do the rest. You'll thank me later. Now go talk!" Yeosang says and re-enters his earphones into his ears.

"Come on, let's talk while eating, I'm hungry," Seonghwa innocently says.

"Yeah," Jongho mutters.

"So what did you want to say?" Seonghwa says a while later when he's slurping on his soba noodles.

Seonghwa is way too chill, and that makes Jongho nervous.

"You shouldn't be nervous, Jongho. You can tell me anything," the hyung says.

"Right," Jongho says. "Right." He didn't need to be nervous in front of his hyung, his older friend that he considered family.

"Hyung," Jongho starts. "Hypothetically speaking, what would be your first reaction if you see me dating Soojin noona?"

Seonghwa has a small smile on his face as he hears it. "It's okay, Jongho. You don't have to worry about me."

"Hyung..." Jongho says taken-aback. Indeed, there's a smile on Seonghwa's face, there is. He's comforting and welcome about the situation, he's passive, calm, composed. But Jongho can see that his hyung is trying too hard, he can see that even though Seonghwa's welcoming aura is genuine, the smile is fake. He can tell that it is hurting his hyung. He can also see selflessness. Very, very vividly.

"Aren't you already dating though?" Seonghwa asks.

"W-What?" And then the maknae immediately shakes his head. "No. I don't even know for sure if she likes me."

Seonghwa's smile disappears. "But I thought you guys were.... Ahhh! I'm sorry, it's my fault for assuming."

"Assuming? Hyung, why did you even.... Is that why you were distant from noona?"

"Distant?" Seonghwa fake chuckles. "I don't think that's the correct word for it, Jongho. I only limited the unnecessary calls and texts, they were always flirty from my part, so I decided it needed to be stopped. I still am the same way towards her when we meet. Well, not the same, more friendly and platonic—"

"Hyung!" Jongho stops him. "I..I...Wow, I don't even know what to say now. Why?"

"What why?" Seonghwa asks. Jongho stays silent.

"Did I go too far?" He continues. "Did she think I was ignoring her?.... Ahhh! She still might consider me a very good friend and might have been worrying. I am sorry to her for not being a good friend. I just need some time, that is it. I have no problem with you two being together. Ever since I saw you two intimate on the day of the trip, I have been preparing myself."

"You saw us that day!"

"Uhh...yeah."

Jongho has his hands clasped together in his front. He looks sad, serious, clueless and there are a bunch of other undecipherable and ambiguous facial expressions and body language. He curses Yeosang in his mind for being the reason to bring this event that he definitely wasn't prepared for yet this fast.

"Hyung! I don't know if she considers you a friend or more than a friend, I don't really know. I don't even know what I mean to her. I don't know who she chose or will choose. I'm going to find out today, at least I'm guessing that's why she called me to talk about. We never talked about what happened that day, so I don't know."

"It doesn't matter," Seonghwa mutters silently.

"What?"

"I know the answer already, Jongho. I can tell what it's gonna be. I didn't give up because I was being pessimistic, I did because I knew it was my time to. It was my time to accept the fact and be a gentleman about it."

"Hyung, why?" the boy says and the older only looks at him, waiting for him to continue. "Why do you have to be so selfless?" He looks like he would cry any minute.

Seonghwa immediately drops his chopsticks and scoots to him. He silently engulfs the younger in a side hug as he pats his shoulders.

"You're too kind," Jongho continues. "Almost too kind that I should be willingly backing away for you to steal her from me, you're the good guy, you know, the perfect person to be in a serious relationship with. But I can only wish I would do that, hyung. I don't want to back away. Because I happen to be the opposite of you, I am selfish."

"Oh, shut up, Jongho."

"No, I am. And you're selfless! Why do you have to be like that?"

"Jongho, don't say it like that. It's not some object we were after, it's a person. Soojin's choice matters here, whoever she doesn't choose backs away. That's just the civil and right way, it's not about selflessness. You say you're selfish but would you force yourself on her if she rejects you? No."

The younger weekly nods in understanding. "You are still a very nice person," Jongho smiles.

"Yah! Would you rather want us to have bad blood because of her?" Seonghwa chuckles, this time genuine as he holds his dongsaeng in his arms.

"Yeah," Jongho smiles. "Like in the dramas. The two male leads become sour and then they realize and become friends again."

Seonghwa playfully scoffs. "This is real life."

"I know."

"In real life, people either are calm like you and me are now, or they really hate each other for years to come, there's barely times when it's somewhere in between."

"Oh, hyung!" Jongho acts amused. "What's up with you saying wise things today?"

Seonghwa looks offended but then keeps his calm face again as a smile is brought to his face. "Hongjoong told me that. And taught me a lot of wise things that I just told you. I wasn't this calm when I found out, you know."

"I know," Jongho says. "You still aren't. I know it's hurting you."

Seonghwa hums. "But I'm better now. He helped me a lot. Hongjoong and San helped me have a perspective on this, I was very jealous and sad and kind of angry when I saw you two kiss but Hongjoong really helped me. I'm really thankful to him and San. And Wooyoung too. He comforted me whenever I was feeling down. You know his hugs, they are the best."

"Ahhh! Yeosang hyung and I knew there was something up with Wooyoung hyung, he was very secretive these past few weeks."

"Joong threatened him into not parading about you guys' kiss or the fact that I found out."

"He threatened him?" Jongho laughs.

"Yeah," Seonghwa smiles.

"Well..." Jongho says, growing serious again. "I'm glad you're doing better. I'm glad you have Hongjoong hyung and others. If you wish to talk to me about anything, hyung, you can, okay? Don't think it'd be awkward or anything. I knew you and the guys way before I knew Soojin noona and the same goes for you. I can't see any one of you sad, you are my hyungs."

"And it's weird to say these because we don't even know her answer yet," Jongho continues. "You could be jumping the gun."

"Nah, I think I'm sure. And don't worry about me. I'll do better soon. I have you and Hongjoong and Wooyoung and everyone else and Atiny. That's a lot of people. I know you will all try to cheer me up if I was to be sad. I'm thankful to you guys."

"And Soojin noona too. Don't forget about her, she's your friend and well-wisher too." Jongho rubs on the back of Seonghwa's palm assuringly.

"Yeah," Seonghwa says with a pleasing face, his face twinkling in kindness and calm. "And Soojin too. I think I'm almost there. Once I'll see you both officially dating each other, it'll be a final closure for me. Soojin and I's relationship will be completely mended sooner than I expected, hopefully. I'll be perfectly fine soon."

"And there's no lie in this?" Jongho asks.

"Not at all. I believe in me."

"We all believe in you too, hyung."

Seonghwa hums. "So... You're going to meet her today, right?" he asks.

Jongho nods.

"Fighting!" Seonghwa cheers for his maknae with a grin.

.

.

.

Soojin runs to answer the door as soon as the bell rings. She has been waiting, but she has been really anxious as well. There is excitement but there is uncertainty as well. She spent the previous minutes waiting in jumpiness reminding herself that she had done this before, that she has had the courage to confess feelings before. But then that had been Daisy, this is Soojin who knows she has insecurities and fears. But then again, this is Soojin who came far from the version of herself before she became Daisy. In my opinion, only this newer Soojin can confess feelings to a person, the older her had never once tried the stuff even when she has had crushes in the past and I can tell she'd have never had even if the circumstances had been in favour. Am I proud of this girl?

Soojin opens the door and greets the young man with a small smile. "Come in!"

"You don't seem as happy to see me, noona. Your smile isn't as bright as usual," Jongho says as he comes in.

"I don't smile that often? And bright smile and me?"

"No, you don't smile that much. Usually, you don't. But you always greet me with a bright smile. Didn't you realize?" Jongho pauses to think if he should speak out the next sentence in his mind, but he goes for the risk. "Yunho hyung says you resemble someone who's in love."

Not getting a reply from the girl but just an awkward smile, Jongho immediately regrets his words. But it saddens him more that there was no reaction. He hides his emotions well, though, he is a good actor, after all. "But you know hyung, he says a lot of silly things," Jongho adds.

"Your smile was nervous too, sweetie. Why is that? I can ask that too," Soojin says completely dodging the topic.

"Really?" Jongho feigns cluelessness. "You probably imagined it. Are the others not home today?"

"Jongho, you know why they aren't home right now. You know the routine of my whole family. We have half an hour before I leave for the restaurant too."

"You called me Jongho," he mutters.

"Huh?"

"You used my name."

"Ohh... Sorry, sweetie, I didn't realize."

"This is why I was nervous, noona. You called me to talk suddenly and didn't mention what it was gonna be about. And now you addressed me formally."

"You are so cute right now, sweetie," Soojin coos and gives him a side hug, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Stop deviating from the topic. Let me be serious and sad and nervous." And he himself says that with a playful chuckle and pout.

"But you don't have to be sad and nervous, baby," Soojin takes his hand in hers and kisses the back of his palm.

Jongho inaudibly gasps in shock. "You just kissed my palm, you've never done that before! You're so flirty! I kinda believe now that I don't have to be sad or nervous. So you called me because you were just missing me?" Jongho put on an expectant smile.

"No, I do have something important to tell. And a sweet hand kiss is cute and all, but you know, nothing compares kissing you on the lips."

"Wah! Where is the real Soojin noona? What happened to her?" Jongho tries to hide the fact that he is flustered but his red face, stiff muscles, the heat of the blood flow and vocal cords betrays him; His words only come out in a stutter.