이름없는 기억

ALL THREE IN THE PICTURE

“So do you think they’re together or something?” Eli asked the other five behind him as they continued to walk, forgetting that they were just supposed to go to the garden.

Kiseop shrugged in response. “Who the hell knows.”

“I knew there was something fishy about those two,” AJ remarked, catching up to Eli. “You remember Kev’s birthday, right?”

“Who doesn’t?” Dong Ho mumbled.

“Lexi was quick to accept,” AJ said. “And then quick to go when Eli said something about Ye Jeun.”

“Maybe you should stop with those assumptions, ne?” Hoon muttered. “And ask someone.”

“You said that already!”

Hoon shrugged and continued walking.

“Who do we ask?” Soohyun said, a curious look washing over his face.

“Oh, so now you’re interested,” Eli mocked.

Soohyun retaliated at once. “I’m interested! I just don’t behave like a stalker. Unlike some people I know.” He looked at him then at Kiseop pointedly.

“Maybe you should just ask Lexi and Kevin,” Dong Ho put in, looking up from his PSP, which he recovered from Eli. “I mean, you’re talking about them, so ask them.”

“Sh. Tone it down, maknae,” Kiseop hissed.

“And we can’t talk to them,” AJ added. “Kevin will probably faint, and Lexi –well, we’d probably get to see a supernova firsthand.”

They nodded in agreement.

Hoon shook his head. “Sometimes you do live up to the word idiot.” He dialed something on his phone, all the while looking at the five people before him distastefully. “Hello, Xander-ssi? Yeah, it’s Hoon. Some dweebs want to ask you something.”

They were silent for a while as Hoon listened to something Xander was saying.

“Okay, I’ll put you on speaker.”

“It’s about Lexi, isn’t it?” Xander’s voice crackled no the speaker as soon as Hoon gave him the go.

“Well- wait, how did you know?”

Xander chuckled. “It’s only a matter of time I think. They’re probably more obvious that failed ninjas.”

Everyone spoke at once.

“You should see -”

“Do you have any idea how -”

“Hyung, you should -”

“Ho!” they could almost imagine him holding the phone away from his ear. “Hold your horses. One at a time.”

“Who is Lexi?” Dong Ho asked. “I mean, W-H-O.”

“Oh, so it’s not noona anymore, huh?” Xander teased.

“Hyung,” Dong Ho complained.

Xander laughed. “Okay, okay. Her real name is Alexses Jung. You call her Eun Byul? I guess Kevin told you that, but it’s her Korean name anyway. Pure Korean. Name’s a novelty, grey eyes are a DNA quirk. At least that’s what she thinks. Family is in Danville. One brother.”

“You sound like a PI,” Dong Ho muttered.

“Well, do I have to use full sentences?”

Eli interrupted. “Wait, Danville? As in US? Isn’t that where Kevin is from?”