“Stop following me.”

“But we’re going the same way and I don’t want you to fall and get hurt.”

Si Woo rolled his eyes. “I said I am fine. I don’t need some elementary schooler making sure I’m okay.”

“I’m in middle school, I told you,” the boy responded and his footsteps increased until he was walking beside Si Woo. “I just started this month.”

“Did I ask?” Si Woo replied, not bothering to look at him.

“Where’s your bag, hyung?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you going home?”

“I don’t know.”

“I have to go pick up my sister.”

Si Woo rolled his eyes. “I didn’t ask.”

“Hyung,” said the boy, unfazed. “Do you want to come with me?”

Si Woo scoffed, not bothering to look at him as he tried to increase his steps. He wanted to get away. He didn’t want to be around this boy who lied. “No, I’m busy.”

“It’s right there,” said the boy and he pointed to the corner.

Despite himself, Si Woo looked up. Several yards before them was the open gate of Happy Days Elementary school. Children ran amok all around it, their brightly colored backpacks swaying in all directions.

Si Woo groaned.

“Chae Ji Soo, your brother is here,” a woman yelled and Si Woo watched as a girl with a bright yellow backpack paused in chasing her friends.

“Okay!” she yelled and began to run forward.

“Chae Ji Soo, don’t just leave!” the teacher yelled back. “You have to say your farewell greetings.”

The little girl laughed and turned but did not stop running even as she yelled. “Bye saeng! See you tomorrow!”

The woman sighed loudly. “It’s seonsaengnim!”

But the girl just giggled as she ran forward and stopped in front of Si Woo and the boy.

“Who’s this?” the girl suddenly asked, staring up at Si Woo. “Is he your friend?” She then turned to Si Woo without waiting for an answer. “Are you his friend?”

“Hey,” the boy said to his sister. “What did mom tell you about manners?”

The girl shrugged. “He’s not an adult.”

Si Woo arched a brow. The girl was much younger than the boy. “I’m an adult to you.”

The girl made a face. “No, you’re not. You’re not even as big as my mom and she’s shorter than Eun-chan oppa, who just started high school.”

Si Woo looked at her for a moment before tsking and started to walk again. “Whatever.”

“Hyung, wait,” said the boy and Si Woo could hear him chiding his sister as he grabbed the backpack from her. “I told you to stop drawing on your backpack.”

“But class was boring!”

“I don’t care, mom can’t buy you a new one.”

“Urg.”

He then heard the fast pattering of feet as the children ran to catch up to him. 

He didn’t know why but his pace slowed down marginally.

“Hey, so where did you two meet? Are you guys friends? Oppa barely has friends, he’s always studying.”

“Stop talking, Ji Soo!” the boy hissed but she ignored him.

“Some of the kids say he’s boring but he’s not boring,” she continued, chattering away. “He’s just busy helping mom and–”

“Don’t you ever stop talking?” Si Woo asked the girl.

She didn’t skip a beat. “Nope. Anyways, like I said, he’s always studying and helping our mom so he never gets to play. So the kids in our neighborhood think he’s boring.”

“I never asked,” he grumbled.

The girl suddenly stopped in her tracks and grabbed Si Woo by his shirt.

His eyes widened as he paused, staring at the girl whose face was scrunched up as if in pain. “Wha–”

“I’m hungry,” the girl said. “Ugh, I’m starving.”

Si Woo stared at her in bewilderment.

She turned to her brother. “Oppa, I’m ssssssssooooo hunnnnngry.”

The boy sighed then met Si Woo’s eyes. “Sorry, hyung,” he said, his expression apologetic.

Si Woo continued to stare at them, baffled.

“Can’t you wait till we get home? I’ll make you some rice balls and there’s soup from last night.”

“But,” said the girl, the face brightening up, “I want pocho chips. They have the new pokemonster toy inside.”

The boy shook his head and when he replied, his voice was marginally softer. “I don’t have enough money.”

Si Woo watched them curiously.

“But I saw mom give you some this morning.”

“It was for school,” the boy whispered. “And it wasn’t enough, I have to ask for more.” He looked up and met Si Woo’s eyes with a startled expression. An embarrassed blush flooded his cheeks and he grabbed his sister’s backpack again. “Come on, we can eat at home.”

The girl watched her brother begin to walk again then let out a long sigh. “I wish we had more money,” she grumbled softly then began to follow her brother, her steps slow at first before speeding up until they were almost at a run. She launched herself at the boy and began to laugh when after a sigh, her brother lifted her onto his back and began to run.

Si Woo watched them for a long moment. He wasn’t sure if he should have witnessed any of that. He put his hand in his pocket and fumbled with his wallet.

He didn’t know why he suddenly felt bad.

“Hurry up, hyung!”

Startled, Si Woo looked up. The boy had stopped in his steps several yards ahead of them, his sister still on his back, his backpack and his sister’s dangling from his arms.

He had never promised to walk with them. They were not friends. He didn’t even know the boy’s name. So why did he keep–

“What the hell?” Si Woo whispered and removed his hand from his pocket. A 5000 won bill was clutched in his palm. He had been about to give the kid and his sister some cash.

He paused. But they weren’t even friends, they were strangers. He didn’t want to get to know them, he didn’t need annoying kids and annoying kid sisters around him.

Si Woo turned, not saying a word.

“Hyung, where are you going?” the boy’s voice came trailing behind him.

“Where is your friend going? Isn’t he going to come home to eat with us?” the girl asked.

Si Woo didn’t look back. He didn’t want to get to know him. He wasn’t going to give them money for their pokemonster snacks. He had no plans to visit their home. He didn’t need any friends.

Especially friends like him.

He didn’t want to be around this boy who lied.