.  However, Yeo Dan oppa didn’t look displeased at all.

  “When it was your thirteenth birthday……”


  “Oh,” I nodded. That was why it wasn’t in my memories. I wasn’t in this universe when I was thirteen, so Ham Donnie back then and now were utterly different people.

  Thinking to that extent, I suddenly felt very strange.

  In his memories, the two would be the same people, which was truly not. Ham Donnie at that time and Ham Donnie now should be considered as completely different individuals.

  While I was absorbed in thought, Yeo Dan oppa’s remark continued at a slow pace.

  “You used it to tie your hair only once, which was the day I gave it to you. You never used it afterward, so I thought you might have lost it or so. You also had strangely avoided me later on, which made me think that you were feeling too sorry to even talk to me.”


  “Ah……” I smiled awkwardly.

  I never knew that the time that I avoided him for a moment had been adapted to something that way.

  At first, I didn’t like both Yeo Dan oppa and Ban Yeo Ryung. Of course, I was since my original world and the next-door neighbors were gone, and these two had replaced those spots.

  Thirteen was a way younger age than it sounded; thus, I even suffered some silly daydreams about aliens kidnapping my next-door neighbors, and the Bans taking that place instead.

  I kept thinking that way even after I was aware that this universe was resembling the world in a web novel so much. Thinking that I had studied the earth wrongly through novels, I was trembling with fear of maybe I were the only one, who wasn’t under the control of memories, and someone else would discover the fact.

  However, why would someone throw me those people to me as my new, next-door neighbors? Wouldn’t it be an angel or a devil playing tricks on me? Besides, the Bans were too fabulous and perfect to believe that those people were existing in front of me.

  I dropped my gaze to the table. Anyway, it was engraved in his memories that, back then, I had avoided him for a while since I lost the hair tie he had given to me.

  As if he read my thoughts, Yeo Dan oppa continued, “But one day in the summer, you suddenly showed up with that hair tie, which made me a little surprised.”


  “Really?”


  “So, I thought you found it back since you began to talk to me a lot afterward.”


  I retraced my memories again.

  If it happened during summer, it would be around the time when the incident with Baek Yeo Min had occurred less than a month ago and, at the same time, I started to get used to adapting myself to this new universe. Above all, it was the time I began to have a crush on…… Yeo Dan oppa.

  Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I turned my face away from him and looked outside the café.

  ‘Argh! Myself in the past had made those shameful moments, but why is it me, who must feel ashamed of them? Yes, of course, since those two are the same people, but still……’ I stopped thinking for a moment.

  The thirteen-year-old girl, who didn’t dare to use the hair tie she got as a gift from Yeo Dan oppa and just stored it carefully in the drawer, wasn’t me. I was very aware of the fact. And I could now guess why she could only react that way. Resting my chin on my palm, I let out a shallow sigh and murmured to myself.

  ‘So, this tedious history of unanswered love was already ongoing at that time, huh?’ Rolling my eyes, I threw a glance at Yeo Dan oppa and kept thinking, ‘Well, having this handsome guy living next-doors, no one can help but fall in love with him.’


  I felt like I was now in a slightly subdued mood.

  Meeting the Four Heavenly Kings, I didn’t have to split and think about the part of me they knew and didn’t know. That was because they were those whom I befriended once I entered this universe.

  Yeo Dan oppa and Yeo Ryung were, however, different. And this fact even made me think about something like this––Which did they prefer? Me before thirteen or after thirteen?

  That was when I suddenly heard Yeo Dan oppa’s voice in the silent air where only the sound of putting the teacup back on the saucer had come through. I raised my head.

  “When I was young……” Speaking that way, his eyes were on the outside of the café, just like I did earlier. However, I could tell that he wasn’t actually looking at the sight outside. His glance was wandering somewhere in the past.

  The hot, sunlight pouring apartment hallway, where wet laundries were hanging on the balustrade and bikes with training wheels were still left in front of the doors…… the summertime, a few years ago……

  ‘How long has it been?’ While I wondered that way, Yeo Dan oppa continued to speak. My eyes widened at his remark.

  “I once wished that you were my little sister.”


  Funnily enough, he had the same wish as mine. Turning his head slightly away from me, he concluded, “Because I felt a little disappointed to return home without you.”


  “Oh……” Being lost in thought for a second, I soon asked, “From when?”


  “Huh?”


  “From and until when?”


  I wanted to know that whom he wanted to have as his sibling was me ‘before thirteen’ or ‘after thirteen.’ The former person was ‘me before the actual me’ while the latter was ‘me who was the actual me.’


  Regardless of my question, which would sound even absurd at some point, Yeo Dan oppa didn’t ask me why. Tilting his head a little, he rubbed the teacup and replied, “Ever since I got to know you.”


  I flung another question.

  “What about now?”


  “Well……”


  He wasn’t making rough answers. His eyes looked submerged as deeply as mine.

  The moment when a long silence was hanging between us, the café door suddenly opened. Turning my head to look in that direction without many thoughts, I opened my eyes wide when some familiar faces came into view.

  They were Yi Ruda and a few of my classmates. ‘Right……’ I murmured surprisingly.

  Yi Ruda didn’t have to live as a recluse ever since he was set free from Yi Jenny, the successor position, and the endless chase. He was now a free man, who could hang out with classmates in the PC room or karaoke whenever he wanted to do so.

  I heard that everyone was so excited to have Yi Ruda back on the street and brought him everywhere they could. And it was here, today. While I had those thoughts in mind, Ruda directed his eyes on this side. Trying to wave my hand at him thoughtlessly, I quickly came up with my appearance right now and blushed in embarrassment.

  “Ah……”


  ‘How old I am to have an apple hair, geez……’ I murmured to myself while releasing my hair from the hair tie. ‘He wouldn’t have already noticed my hairstyle, would he? Ah, please!’ While I uttered a prayer in my thoughts, Ruda walked toward us.

  Those who saw Ban Yeo Dan tried to stop him, saying, ‘They’re dating,’ however, Ruda didn’t mind. He was indeed the only person, for now, who knew that Yeo Dan oppa and I were having a fake relationship.

  Slowly coming to a stop in front of me, Ruda glanced at Yeo Dan oppa and slightly lowered his head.

  “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard that Donnie has been helping you for a while.”


  I was startled to hear what he had just said since I expected something like, ‘Sorry that Donnie is owing you a lot,’ escaping from his mouth. ‘Ah, that’s true,’ I thought. As Yi Ruda said, it was certainly me who was lending a hand to Yeo Dan oppa right now.

  “Yeah,” replied Yeo Dan oppa.

  For some reason, his brows were meeting in the middle. He didn’t even tell his name to Ruda. I mean, it wasn’t that strange when regarding the characteristic of the female main character’s oppa, who usually behaved indifferently to others except for his sister. ‘But still, he’s my friend……’ That was when I scratched my head in wonder.

  Ruda suddenly turned to look at me, so we had direct eye contact. My hair was very messed up since it was hard to loosen up my disheveled hair. Imagining my appearance that would come into Ruda’s sight, I reddened my face. However, Ruda flung a question as if he had some lingering feelings.

  “Why did you untie your apple hair? Why?”


  “Why? I mean, of course, it’s because……”


  ‘It’s because I look so silly.’ I tried to respond that way; however, Ruda intervened in my words with a grin.

  “You looked cute.”


  “.……”


  Ruda’s sense of beauty…… was it working well? Would it be okay to continue this way?