Prologue

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"Hyun-bin Oppa is so handsome," Hee-soon dreamily said while staring at the television. Her arm rested on the armrest of the sofa, leaning her cheek on her palm, and her legs rested on the man's lap sitting next to her.

"Oppa?" The man snickered making Hee-soon glare at him. "I bet you call every handsome Korean actor Oppa."

"Of course! And I don't care if they are younger than me. If they are handsome then they are Oppa," Hee-soon said, smiling from ear to ear. She sat up, placing her feet on the carpeted floor to get the canned soda placed on the table in front of them. She tried to open the lid but her nails are too short.

"Yah! Come to think of it, I am older than you but you never call me Oppa!" The man scolded Hee-soon. He took the canned soda from her hand, opened it with only one hand, and gave it back to her. She sipped from it and let out a satisfied sigh. She returned to her position on the sofa and the man gently pulled her legs closer to his stomach to make the girl's position more comfortable.

"I never once heard that you called me Oppa! I am a year older than you, you know," the man continued yapping.

"Why will I call you Oppa?" Hee-soon asked with a smile on her face, obviously teasing the man. "Didn't you hear me earlier? Hyun-bin, Song Joong-ki, Lee Min-ho, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Seo-joon, Ji Chang-wook, Gong Yoo..." She unfolds her fingers one by one. "The list goes on forever. Those are the guys who deserve to be called Oppa!" She sipped from her soda again, sneaking a side glance at the man as she waited for his reaction. She loves teasing him because of his reactions.

"Waaaa! You-" The man points his forefinger at her as he tries to search for words to say. She already expected it. She knew he'll be speechless because that's how he always is whenever she teases him with his looks.

It's not that she doesn't find him attractive, he is in fact an Oppa material not just with his unique facial features but also with his gentleman manners. He is one of the guys you will call tsundere. They are already friends since high school and she saw how girls swoon over him. She's been his constant companion in every up and down of his life and she knows some of his secrets. She had seen many girls who cried because of him and maybe that is one of the reasons why she doesn't pursue her feelings. Yes, she has feelings for him but she decided to shrug what she feels because she doesn't want to lose what they have right now -- friendship.

"What?!" She said, raising her chin like she's proud of what she said. The man let out a defeated sigh and focused on the television again.

"Just wait and see," the man said in a serious tone of voice as his eyes are still fixed on the rectangular tube plastered on the wall. "You'll call me Oppa someday."

Hee-soon looks at her and admires his side features. Those sharp jaws and pointed nose that she loves staring at. "Are you mad?" She quietly asked when both of them became quiet. She sat up, her legs still placed on his lap, and tilted her head sideways causing her face to block his view.

"Are you mad?" she asked again and this time, she pouted her lips. She knew that however many tease she gives him, he will never get mad at her. She saw him smile and she knew what he will do next. He will ruffle her hair and she will just let him do it. And that is exactly what he did. That's how they are. That is how comfortable they are with each other.

"I'm serious though," he said as he nonchalantly placed his hands on my legs. "You'll see me on television one day and by then, you will call me Oppa. Scratch that, it will not only be you who will call me Oppa. My female fans will call me Oppa."

"You're that confident, huh?" Hee-soon chuckled.

"Yep!" He said and stared at the television once again.

She chuckled. "Whatever you say, In-youp." They both immersed themselves in the drama they are watching with a little bit of bickering from time to time. Just when they are about to tease each other again, Hee-soon's mother came in holding plastics of groceries. In-youp immediately stood up to help the gracefully aging lady.

"Hey, why are you still here, In-youp? Don't you have your night class today?" The old lady asked as both In-youp and she placed the grocery bags in the kitchen.

"My night classes are canceled for today," he said and gave out his cute smile. He always smiles like that whether he is in front of his parents or my parents. "Are you going to cook Galbi-jjim (Korean short ribs stew)? Can I stay for dinner?" In-youp asked as his eyes scanned the grocery bags.

"You don't have to ask. You know you are always welcome to eat anytime in this house," Hee-soon's mom responded as she lightly pinched his cheek. She is always affectionate towards the tall man standing next to her.

"Yah! Don't you have your own house? Why do you always eat here," Hee-soon said, not leaving the sofa with the same position as she had earlier before In-youp stood up to help her mother. She then smiled widely when her favorite actor appeared on the television. An eggplant flew from across the kitchen to the living room, landing on Hee-soon's head. Bullseye! That made Hee-soon sat up holding her head.

"Ow! Mom!" She whined.

"Will you look at your mess? Also, why are you not in your room studying right now instead of wasting your time watching those non-sense dramas? Don't you have exams next week?" Her mom's voice raised holding another eggplant and pointing it at her as she speaks.

"I'm already done studying," she whined more. "Also, I was not the only one who made this mess. In-youp ate half of what you see on the center table! Why are you always so sweet to that jerk? I am your daughter, you know!" She looks at In-youp who is just watching them while eating a banana. When he saw her looking at him, he just gave her a shrug as if he is teasing her more of the situation then took a bite of the banana again.

"You dare talk back!" Hee-soon's mother is about to throw the eggplant she is holding at her but In-youp is quick to stop the lady.

"Eyyy, eommoni. You are just wasting your energy. I'm sure what Hee-soon is trying to say is that she is now going to clean the mess. Right, Hee-soon?" In-youp looked at her and stuck out his tongue. Hee-soon let out a disbelieving scoff.

"You better start cleaning those mess," Hee-soon's mother said then went back to preparing for dinner with In-youp following her.

"Let me help you, emmoni," In-youp said in a sing-song voice. Hee-soon has no choice but to clean up the mess both she and In-youp made.

In-youp. Hee-soon's long time crush. She told herself she will never reveal how she feels for him and she always reminds herself to be satisfied with the friendship they have right now. For how long can she suppress her feelings for him? 

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