Together | SF9

35

Nari tied her hair up before picking up her bag.

"Nari. You got more friends outside." Her mother said as she put the food she packed for Nari inside a bag.

Nari's plan to sleep at Deokhye's place didn't happen because of the incident.

Her father sighed while putting his arm around his wife's shoulders. "You don't sound happy, my dear."

Closing the zipper of the bag, her mother said "I just feel like they all have an interest on our daughter. Studies first, Nari."

Nari laughed, one that is natural. She thought what her mother said was nonsense. "They are all my friends, mom."

"Besides, there's nothing wrong to enjoy her school life by having a boyfriend."

"I don't want to see her crying because of a boy." Her mother said.

"She'll grew up experiencing things and learning things teachers and us, parents, cannot."

"But it'll just hinder -"

"Honey." Nari's father called his wife lovingly, "You know how good it feels to be loved by the person you also love. Right?"

Nari just shook her head watching her parents have a heart-to-heart talk. She picked up her lunch box. Before heading out the house she told her parents, "I'll be late, mom, dad. Let's talk again alter when I get back. Okay?"

She sprinted out and closed the gate.

"Got everything you need?" Dawon asked.

"Hi!" Rowoon greeted. Hwiyoung and Chani just smiled at her.

"I came along!" Taeyang said. Nari was amazed at how cheerful he is early in the morning.

Behind Rowoon, there was Zuho, standing. He was just looking at her. Nari smiled at him but the tall guy did not smile in return. She kept her smile there as the cool wind passed by them. Her smile soon slowly faded before Dawon spoke.

"Let's go? We'll walk today. No bicycles. Okay?" He said and Nari nodded.

●●●

Hwiyoung stood beside Nari's left and Chani on her right. He noticed she was quiet. He nudged her elbow and asked "Are you alright? You haven't uttered a word since we left your house."

Chani turned his head on his left. "You look... gloomy too. Are you not happy to see all of us? Well... this isn't really everybody but, yeah."

"Taeyang, does he know about -"

"Don't worry. He doesn't. We want you tell him about it yourself." Chani said cutting her off from talking.

They stopped in front of Hwiyoung, Dawon and Rowoon's classroom.

The tall guy turned around and told them, "We'll have lunch all together." Then he ruffled the top of Nari's hair before he continued, "I've prepared lunch for all of us."

"All of us? Did you include Deokhye?" Nari asked with her eyebrows raised.

Rowoon smiled widely before he cupped Nari's cheek. "Yes, I did. I did for you."

She was too happy. Because of that, she failed to control herself and threw herself to Rowoon to hug him. "Thank you!" She exclaimed before loosening her arms around Rowoon's body. "I'll tell her that now."

She tried to run off to their classroom but Chani grabbed her hand to stop her. "We'll go with you. And don't run." He reminded.

She bit her lower lip before smiling. "Sorry."