SEVENTH HEAVEN

Noonas

Hyun-Seok:

"Dinner, Hyun-Seok!" my foster mom's voice echoed as I emerged from my room. The sight of the table adorned with a feast made my anticipation evident. "Wow, this looks delicious! Thank you, ma'am. I'll enjoy this," I expressed, ready to savor every bite. As I delved into the meal, my foster brother Seun-gi joined me at the table, his demeanor carrying an air of hesitation. "Hey, Hyung..." he began, prompting my attention. "Hmm?" I responded, curious.

"You know, I have a crush on one of your friends," Seun-gi confessed, playing with his rice. Intrigued, I paused, "Those are your older friends. Which one?" I inquired, fully engaged now. "Sin Jihye," he admitted. My reaction was immediate – I spat out my rice in surprise. "She's older than you! And she's taken," I chided, playfully smacking his head. "I know, but I heard she's having problems with her boyfriend," Seun-gi said with a sly grin.

"Hmm, what did Bon-Hwa do?" I wondered aloud, scratching my head.

Sin Jihye:

"I'm sorry, please come out," Bon-Hwa pleaded, bearing a bouquet of flowers. A scoff escaped my lips. "Are you genuinely sorry, or are you just trying to regain your status at school?" I retorted. Bon-Hwa ascended to my balcony, his expression earnest. "I am sincerely sorry. I won't do it again," he promised, kneeling before me. "I know I've been busy and haven't been giving you enough attention, but I'm still in love with the prettiest girl in the entire world." He handed me a ring, and I examined it. "What's this?" I asked, puzzled.

"It's a promise ring. We'll be together forever," Bon-Hwa declared, placing a kiss on my cheek before flying away. Charmed by his gesture, I couldn't help but smile. "If I catch you acting foolish again, I won't come back to you," I warned as he departed. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, grinning.

I sat on my bed, admiring the ring, when a friend request notification popped up on my phone. "Hmm? Lee Seun-gi? Hyun-Seok's little brother?" I added him back without much thought. A text from Bon-Hwa reminded me to get a good night's sleep, and just as I was about to turn off my phone, another message arrived, this time from Lee Seun-gi.

"Hello sorry for texting you so late," he wrote, looking concerned. I found it cute and replied, "You're fine. You should be asleep." Yawning, I continued, "Random text to me?" I added a shrug emoji. "You were the only one online after I added you. Sorry if I'm bothering you," he replied with a sad face.

"No, you're fine," I assured him. "I'm actually pretty tired. How about we chat in person tomorrow?" I suggested, ending my message with a heart emoji. Seun-gi eagerly agreed, adding a salute emoji. "How funny, he's just like Bon-Hwa," I mused before drifting off to sleep.

The Next Morning:

"Wow, your boyfriend is so sweet!" "I wish I had a boyfriend like that!" School buzzed with whispers as everyone pointed towards something. "Unnie, come see this quickly!" Yeosin urged me, pulling me towards the balcony at the head of the school mall area. A grand display unfolded – signs, balloons, and music. "Did you do this?" I asked Bon-Hwa, smiling.

"Of course I did. I wanted to show you more attention," Bon-Hwa replied, wrapping his arm around me and kissing my head.

Lee Seun-gi:

I observed as he embraced her, a tinge of jealousy creeping in. He was with the most beautiful girl in the school – he shouldn't even be with her. "Seung-Gi?" Hyun-Seok's voice brought me back to reality. "Huh?" I mumbled, snapping out of my thoughts. "Wow, you're really into her, huh?" Hyun-Seok remarked, eyeing them. I muttered, "He ignored her like she was nothing. He doesn't deserve her. I would give her all the attention."

"Well, give her attention right now because she's coming this way," Hyun-Seok advised, giving me a small slap on the shoulder. "Hey, Hyun-Seok and Seung-Gi," she greeted, holding her books. "Hey, I have to go. See you later," Hyun-Seok said, smiling as he walked away. She turned her attention to me. "Did you sleep well?" she asked, touching my shoulder, and butterflies fluttered throughout my body.

"Yeah, and you?" I responded, wiping my sweaty palms. "Great. How are your finals going?" she inquired, struggling to carry her books. "Pretty well, a little busy right now, but it's getting there," I replied, offering to help with her books. "Thank you. I hope these aren't too heavy?" she said, concerned. "Heavy? No, I carry heavy computers up to the fourth floor," I boasted, flexing my muscles playfully. She laughed, "You're funny. How's the competition going?" she asked as we walked together.

"Oh, you know about that?" I said, slightly surprised. "I pay attention. I know who you are," she replied, touching my shoulder again. I couldn't believe it – she knew who I was, someone who cared about my geeky interests. "Thank you, Noona, for noticing. No one ever pays attention to it," I said, scratching my head. "Of course, you're an interesting guy. Hey, you don't have to speak to me so formally; casual is fine," she said, kissing me on the cheek and then grabbing her books to head to the senior hall. I rushed back to my junior class, jumping with joy, and she had kissed me.

Yeosin:

"Unnie, did I just see you kiss Seun-gi?" I asked, scooting my seat closer to hers. "It was just on the cheek, nothing else," she replied, opening her books. "Seun-gi is mortal, remember that," I reminded her, biting my pencil. "Nothing is going on between us; he's just a friend. Besides, look at this, Bon-Hwa got me this," I exclaimed, proudly displaying my ring. "Wow, it's gorgeous! It must be worth a fortune," I commented, admiring it. "I don't really care about the money; I cherish what it symbolizes – our love," I added, taking out my pencil bag.

A hush fell over us, and I noticed Agma walking through the door. "So, have you made plans to take the new girl out yet?" I whispered to him. "Not yet. Why don't you just give her some space? I don't think she and Hyun-Seok will become anything," he replied casually.

"Really?" I questioned, gesturing towards them as they walked into class together. "It's not my problem. Leave me alone for now," he responded, putting on his headphones and resting his head on his desk.

"Hyun-Seok," I said, perching on his desk. "Yeah," he replied, shifting slightly. "How about we grab some rice cakes after school?" I suggested, a note of pleading in my voice. "Sure, I'll let our friends know. Hee-Jin, would you like to join us?" he asked, giving her some attention. "Yeah, sure," she replied, burying herself in her book as the class began.

"Nice job," Agma commented before lying back down. I needed to act quickly – Hyun-Seok was the one I wanted.