before & after ‣ 엔하이픈

028 ; present

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AERI

"You go to our school?!" Aeri gasps when she finds out that Yeji, Sunghoon's sister, actually goes to the same school as them and the only reason the two of them don't see each other is because those in middle school are separated from the high school students. 

When Yeji had caught Aeri outside their house, she was quickly invited inside. His parents weren't home yet so for now she was safe from the scrutinizing questions about how her life had been for the past four years they spent away from the country. But, if she were to be honest for once, she did actually want to have a talk with them for old time's sake in the spirit of seeing one another after so long. In some twisted way, they were at one point her second parents when her own was nowhere to be seen. 

"Yeah, but even separated, they really look up to you! One of the reasons why I'm so popular there is because I grew up with the one and only!" Yeji squealed excitedly, to which Sunghoon rolled his eyes at. "However, they also do put Sunghoon on the same pedestal as you, so there's another reason why I'm popular." 

"Why'd you make it sound like that's such a bad thing? I'm good looking and I play a sport." Sunghoon says, all too proudly, which even Aeri herself could not help but laugh at. 

"I'm just saying! I like being popular because of Aeri." The younger girl says. "You know you're that popular because of her." 

Sunghoon leaned on the couch and crossed her arms. "Well, that's good you like it, because the source of our popularity hates it." He tells his sister as he gazed over to Aeri, who quickly slapped him in the arm for saying that. "Ouch! What was that for?" 

As interesting as a topic that was, Aeri wasn't really up to explaining to Yeji the entire backstory of how she came to hate her popularity. So, with her ability to sway topics, she tried her best to keep the younger's attention on stories of her life in her adjustment to her new school after spending four years outside their home country. Sunghoon must've picked up the reason why she had hit him, so his interjections were now solely directed to his sister. 

Aeri did eventually relax because sitting in that living room brought her back to her childhood; sitting in the couch with Yeji as she and Sunghoon fought for Aeri's attention but in the end three of them did eventually play games together until one of them got tired or when she thought it was time for her to go home. The innocence of their youth was nothing more but a memory to her now, but the present momentarily made her feel like she was finally having her last chance of carefreeness before she's back in the clutches of reality.

Their conversation was eventually disturbed by the opening of the front door where quickly they are greeted by Sunghoon's parents. Aeri did eventually tense up again as she watched Yeji walk to her parents in order to greet them. On the other hand, Sunghoon remained by her side as the two of them stood by the couch while they waited for his parents to notice that they had a visitor that day. 

"Calm down, Aeri. They're not going to eat you alive." Sunghoon whispered. Despite his intention of comfort, he did earn a glare from her instead of a look of gratitude. 

When his parents were done greeting their daughter, it was his father who quickly noticed the girl standing beside Sunghoon. "Do my eyes deceive me or am I actually seeing Aeri?" 

His mother, hearing what her husband just said, look to where he was looking at until both of them were now staring at the girl that had turned shy. "It is Aeri! It's been so long!" She says, running over to Aeri and engulfing the girl in a very tight hug until the younger struggled to breathe and Sunghoon had to tell his mother to let go of their neighbor. "Why did you visit just now? We've all missed you around here."