At the end of my third year of middle school, all my exams were over and graduation was just around the corner! Because of that, the classroom was bustling and reminiscent of a bustling market from the morning. Ugh, I'm bored. Can't I just not go to school? The movie they put on to kill time was going nowhere, and I was just fiddling with my phone, bored. They should've put on a more recent movie. I'm watching the same thing over and over again! I've lost count of how many times I've watched Love Letter. O-Geng-gi desu-kaa- Watashi-wa-gi desu-yo.
"Yeah, yeah. Judging from the way you're fiddling with your phone, you seem a bit bored."
Eun-ji, who saw me fiddling with my phone with nothing to do, smiled and started talking to me.
"Ah. Why are you coming to school? I don't understand. Really!"
"I totally agree with that! But more than that, I... have something to tell you..."
As I shouted, clutching my head in despair, Eunji, who had been clapped along as if she agreed, began to trail off, slowly glancing at me. "What the heck? Why are you like this again? What did I do to make you twist your body like this?"
"What did you do again to deserve this?"
"That... that guy I told you I'd introduce you to last time! That guy who you said you didn't want to be introduced to a guy, somehow saw you and me walking together, and I guess he liked you. He kept asking for your number all day. So I ended up giving in and giving him your number. Haha."
What? Hey! Why would you give out someone else's number so carelessly? As I stood up and yelled at Eunji, she clasped her hands together and looked at me with a pitiful expression.
"I'm sorry, Cana. That kid said he'd come looking for me if I didn't teach him, so I figured he'd find out anyway!"
Ah... I really can't live like this! If I get involved with those kids again, not only will they be persistent, but if my brother finds out, it'll be my death... I know that saying this now won't make a difference, so I glanced at Eun-ji, who was feeling sorry, sighed deeply, and slumped down in my seat. Eun-ji is still watching me with a pitiful expression. Oh my. What more could I expect from her?
"Okay. Okay. I understand. So, try to relax your expression. It's quite burdensome."
"As expected, it's ㅇㅇ. I'm really sorry! I won't do it again!"
Before I knew it, I looked at Eunji, who was clinging to my arm and smiling brightly, and I couldn't help but laugh. In any case, she's a girl who's hard to hate. Eunji is usually very charming and sociable, so she's my best friend who's popular among her friends. While Eunji and I were playing around, bickering and chatting about trivial things, my phone on my desk started vibrating. I checked the screen and the name that came to mind was 'This damn oppa.' Ugh. It stung. Why are you calling me at this time? Shouldn't you be at school? I answered the phone while checking my watch to see that lunch time was approaching.
[Hey. If your respectable older brother calls, you should answer right away. Why are you answering so late?]
As soon as I picked up the phone, I heard my brother's grumbling voice. "Wow. Why do I have to answer his calls so quickly? Am I your secretary? Or your servant? Anyway, that damned oppa, oppa, even though we're only a year apart. This damn Kim Taehyung! When you go out into society, you're just a friend who was a year older than me, but you're going to eat all my friends?" My eyebrows twitched as soon as I heard my brother's voice, but I also felt guilty today, so I forced myself to calm down and picked up the phone.
"Aren't you at school? Why are you calling me at this hour?"
Today is our school's graduation ceremony. I went for a bit and came back home. But before that, go do some grocery shopping. How is there nothing to eat at home?
Yeah. Then that's right. So the purpose was to run errands. Shouldn't you be the one doing that? I was about to swear at my brother, but then I remembered Eunji's phone number incident from earlier and shut my mouth again. "Ugh. If I get caught, I'll have to cover it up with this. Just this once, I'll give him what he wants."
"Okay. School will be over soon, so just wait."
[Where does it hurt?]
Kim Taehyung asked me worriedly, as if I was strangely saying "okay" unlike usual. "Ana. Even if I said "okay", I'm still dissatisfied!"
"Ouch. Hang up!"
Without even listening to my brother's answer, I just said what I wanted to say and hung up the phone in a irritated manner. I turned my head and saw Eunji's face, watching my brother and I on the phone with interest. Is it fun? Is it fun? Who is it that made me like this? Because of you, I have to run errands for Kim Taehyung without a word! Oh no. I'm going to be the only one who gets hurt again today. Feeling a bit hopeless, I glared at Eunji and then, until the closing ceremony drew near, I collapsed on my desk and tried to sleep.
As soon as school was over, I stopped by the mart to buy some side dishes, carefully selecting only the snacks that Kim Taehyung hates, and paid for them. Then, I came home, whining, with both hands full of large bags. Oh my. That bastard Kim Taehyung. As I entered the house while internally chewing Kim Taehyung, I heard the sound of keyboard tapping through the open crack in my bedroom door. I saw Kim Taehyung's face, engrossed in a computer game. Oh my, just let that bastard go! He's just playing a game while ordering his younger sibling at school to go buy groceries! He really thinks I'm his servant.
"Hey, is your little brother here?"
My brother must have heard me open the front door and come in, because he turned his head toward me and greeted me. He probably greeted the snacks, not me. I want to kill him. Seriously.
"Yeah! Your brother is here too?"
While I was gritting my teeth looking at my brother, the door that had been closed slightly opened wide and Jungkook came running out with a bright face. When he saw the luggage I was holding in both of his hands, his face became very flustered and he trailed off. Soon, Jungkook, whose smile had completely disappeared, approached behind Taehyung, who was diligently playing a game.
"Hey, you little punk. You're the kind of guy who sends his sister on errands and then plays computer games. You're doing a good job."

“He’s my brother, so what does it matter?”
Despite Jungkook oppa's criticism, Taehyung oppa acts shamelessly as if his face is covered with a sheet of metal. Jungkook oppa mercilessly hits the back of Taehyung oppa's head with the palm of his hand. Thanks to this, Taehyung oppa loses the game in an instant. Wow. Oppa, you hate it when people touch you when you play games the most? I feel goosebumps all over my spine, but Jungkook oppa glances at the two bags in my hands as if he still isn't satisfied.
“Gyaaaa ...
“You should have listened to me when I said something nice. You little punk.”
Taehyung, who had been blasting out high-frequency messages after seeing the game results on the screen, slumped to the ground with a blank expression, as if he had no more energy left to retaliate against Jungkook. As I watched Taehyung with anxious eyes, as if looking at a time bomb that could explode at any moment, Jungkook snatched the luggage from my hands.

"Hey, don't live with that guy. Live with me!"
Taehyung, who has lost his mind, doesn't seem to be afraid of his older brother, as he smiles brightly at me. "Oh my, if Jungkook oppa takes me, I'll follow him even if it's hell. But that crazy dog oppa won't leave me alone."
"Hey. If someone saw you, they'd think you were my little brother, not yours."
Taehyung oppa seems to feel like he's been stolen by Jungkook oppa's actions of calling him pretty, and he looks wary of Jungkook oppa. You should be nicer in real life! This handsome oppa who came into our house so naturally is my oppa's best friend, Jeon Jungkook oppa. Whenever they're together, they growl as if they're going to eat each other, but they never leave each other, it's a love-hate relationship, you know?
"Well, don't worry, I have no intention of taking you as my sister."
Jungkook oppa treats Taehyung oppa with a leisurely smile, and even though Jungkook oppa said he has no intention of taking him as a younger sister, Taehyung oppa continues to be wary of Jungkook oppa. They say you get sharp over useless things. When I tossed a bag of chips to Taehyung oppa as if I was throwing food, Taehyung oppa reflexively caught the bag and quickly rummaged through the contents with a gentle face. He said that he was worse than a goldfish. This was not the time. I had to run to Jungkook oppa! After throwing the bag, I immediately ran over to Jungkook oppa who was sitting on the living room sofa and sat down next to him.
"Huh? What's going on? ㅇㅇ came and sat next to me on his own. Do you have something to say?"
Jungkook oppa looks back at me and smiles brightly, as if he's pleased with my actions as I sidle up to him and sit down next to him. Just wait. You'll find out soon enough.
"Ana! ㅇㅇㅇ, where did this go? This thing cleverly bought me a bunch of things I hate!"

Soon after, Taehyung comes running into the living room like an angry dog, holding a bag of snacks, trying to catch me.
"Eww! Jungkook oppa! Taehyung oppa is trying to kill me."
As I hid behind Jungkook oppa, screaming to avoid my brother who was approaching me with a scary attitude, Jungkook oppa laughed in vain as if he finally understood why I was next to him, and then wrapped one arm around me as if protecting me who was behind him.
"Hey. Stop it. It was wrong to ask you to do the shopping in the first place."
"Ah! Just do that. Jeon Jungkook, because you keep protecting him, he takes revenge while carefully timing it!"
"What are you talking about? You're just cute."
Despite Taehyung's outburst, Jungkook oppa turns his head and glances at me behind him, looking at me with eyes full of affection. Hahaha! How is it? Kim Taehyung. Are you burning inside? I am that famous carcinogen. Now I finally understand a little bit of that absurd line from a certain drama where they said cancer cells are also alive.
"Ha. That's enough. That's enough. What else can I say to you? Just go to Jeon Jungkook. You're dead!"
Taehyung glared at me fiercely and ground his teeth. I'm dead now. As I endured Taehyung's glares with a frightened face, as if counting down the days until my death, Jungkook's large hand came up on my head. Jungkook's hand gently stroked my hair as if to reassure me.
"If Taehyung bullies you, tell me. I'll hit Taehyung for you. Got it?"
When I nodded, my face brightening in relief at Jungkook oppa's words, Jungkook oppa looked at me quietly, smiling repeatedly as if I was cute. While I was thinking that Jungkook oppa was truly an angel, the vibration notifying me of a message went off. Who is it? Is it Eunji? Since I was a poor person with no one to contact, I thought it was Eunji and took out my phone to check the text.
[You said "ㅇㅇ", right? My name is Hoseok. I really liked you, so I pestered Jung Eunji for your number. Do you have a minute?]
Ah. It's come to pass. But she's Eunji's friend, so I can't ignore her. What should I do? As I was feeling alone and embarrassed, Jungkook oppa's sharp eyes quickly scanned my phone screen. Huh? Wait a minute, no, Jungkook oppa. If you find out, I'll die. I looked at Jungkook oppa with sorrowful eyes, but he snatched my phone away with a very firm expression.
"Give it to me."
“Jungkook oppa, just a moment.”
I really can't let Taehyung find out. Next to Jungkook, there's Taehyung, who's trying to overcome his sadness of not being able to eat snacks by opening a can of tuna and munching on it. Even when I keep telling Jungkook to hand over his phone, he doesn't move at all and just stares at the screen until he kicks Taehyung's leg sitting next to him.
"Hey. Take care of your little sister. There are some dark men hanging around. What a dangerous world these days."
Oh my god! No, if there was a god in the first place, this wouldn't be happening. At Jungkook's words, Taehyung's even teeth, which were chewing tuna, all stopped at once. It was meant to be. Why did I call Jungkook an angel? That was too presumptuous. Jungkook showed Taehyung my phone screen in front of his eyes, as if adding fuel to the fire. At the same time, Taehyung's face visibly hardened.
“Hey, ㅇㅇㅇ.”
“Oppa, so this is my friend’s number somehow..”
Taehyung oppa looks at me with eyes as if he's about to devour me. I stutter and start making excuses to him like someone who hasn't learned to speak properly. Taehyung oppa growls as if he's about to charge at me, and Jungkook oppa holds out his palm as if he's training a puppy, facing Taehyung oppa with a determined expression.

“Wait, Kim Taehyung. I’ll take care of it.”

At Jungkook's words, Taehyung stops and looks at Jungkook like a dog that listens to its owner well, and Jungkook starts calling the number he just called on his phone.
“Oppa, that kid is Eunji’s friend..”
"Oh, you're Eunji's friend. I don't have much time, so I'll just get to the point. Don't contact ㅇㅇ."
[Who are you, telling me to contact ㅇㅇ?]
Hoseok's voice, suddenly angry, comes through the phone. I shake my head from side to side, begging Jungkook to stop, but he just runs his fingers through my hair and gives me a faint smile.
“Are you curious about who I am? Then let me tell you.”
Jungkook oppa, who had been speaking confidently over the phone, gestures for me to cover my ears with my hands. No, what are you trying to do? As I stared at Jungkook oppa with anxious eyes, not listening to what he said, Jungkook oppa put the phone on his shoulder as if he had no choice but to tilt his head slightly to the side to secure the phone, then cover my ears with both hands and smile brightly at me. Jungkook oppa's lips moved quickly in an instant, and his hands fell away. However, even though he covered both of my ears, I could clearly hear what Jungkook oppa said.

“Good job. You waited well. Our Tae-Tae.”
Jungkook oppa ends the call with a victorious smile, and Taehyung, who had remained silent until then, pats his head. Taehyung glares at him, perhaps displeased with Jungkook oppa's attitude. But right now, even if Taehyung were to strip naked and dance, I wouldn't notice.
‘내가 ㅇㅇ이 남자친구다. 개새끼야.’
Jungkook oppa's words from the previous call kept ringing in my ears, and from that moment on, all I could see was Jungkook oppa. The sweet feeling I'd been nurturing little by little without anyone knowing had already swelled to a gigantic ball of cotton candy. It had become too long for me to savor it alone.