He Started It by Hitting on Me

Sweet Turns to Sour

(Flashback)
"Hana, dul, set!" Hands sprang out in front of five boys, all being paper except one of them. Jonghyun widened his eyes as his mouth enlarged. He blinked twice until snapping his head towards four snickering boys.
"This was fixed!" he yelled out.
"Nothing was fixed. You just chose rock," Key stated. Jonghyun blinked as he tried to search for some words. Minho patted him on the back.
"Nice going, Jonghyun. Go get the ball now," he smiled.
Jonghyun pouted to himself and hesitated before taking a couple of steps away from his friends. He turned his head around and stared at them with a small desperate look on his face. Despite his silent plead, his friends continued to snicker and gestured him to keep moving forward.
Jonghyun gulped down his thick saliva and turned his head back to the front. He started to walk towards his designated area.
He could already hear the faint chanting a few yards away and as he came closer, his heart beat faster. By the time he got there, he already could hear the abrupt giggling held in the voices of girls. His gulped down another blob of saliva.
He hid behind the wall that separated the girls and him. He peeked a bit to target the soccer ball and immediately spotted it. It was resting on top of the bleachers, just several feet away from the spiritual cheerleaders. Jonghyun took a deep breath before making his way towards the field and walked steadily.
No one noticed him as he was walking towards the bleachers. When he reached the bleachers, a sigh was let out and Jonghyun's hands started to reach for the ball and he took it in his hands, feeling accomplished. As he turned around, he bumped into someone that caused him to stumble back. Jonghyun's hip hit the bleachers with a hard thump.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
Jonghyun looked up to find a taller figure with brown, wavy hair and pom poms looking back at him. His heart did a flip inside of him and he tried to hold back his saliva, wanting to come out of his mouth. The girl blinked once as she leaned her head in closer.
"Are you okay?" she repeated.
Jonghyun blinked once. He blinked again and again until his head felt a bit woozy. He shook his head slightly to the dizziness. While he was doing that, the girl mistook his actions and gasped. "I'm so sorry for hurting you! Is there something you need? Ice, a bandage, help-"
"No, I didn't get hurt. I was just shaking my head for no reason, that's all," Jonghyun explained, smiling nervously. The girl fluttered her eyelashes once. Her head soon slowly bobbed up and down.
"Ohh, okay. I'm glad you're not hurt then. Is there a reason why you're here?" she asked.
Jonghyun blinked up at her. "Uh..." He looked down to the soccer ball in his hands. He looked back up as he extended his arms towards the girl. "Ball."
The girl furrowed her eyes. "Um..."
"I-I-I mean, I needed to retrieve this ball because it landed here from being kicked," Jonghyun answered, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. The girl raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly.
"Oh. I see. Oh god! I forgot- my name's Lee Hyun Ae. I'm so sorry for not introducing myself when I asked you about why you were here and I was so rude and I just keep talking..." the girl known as Hyun Ae sighed, shaking her head at herself.
Jonghyun smiled shyly and shook his head. "Aniyo. You weren't rude," he whispered, digging his foot into the grass. Hyun Ae stared at him.
"And your name is...?'' she asked. Jonghyun widened his eyes and stuttered a bit before getting his words together.
"I-I-I-I-I... Me Jonghyun!" Jonghyun replied. He squeezed his eyes shut. Why in the world did I say that? Jonghyun groaned in his head. Hyun Ae smiled. How cute, she thought.
Jonghyun sighed and scratched his head. He looked down at the floor. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that," Jonghyun muttered.
"No, that's okay! Honestly, it doesn't matter. I thought it was so adorable how you introduced yourself!" Hyun Ae giggled. Jonghyun's cheeks burned with humiliation. He scratched his head again.
"W-what I meant to say was... Hi. My name's Kim Jonghyun," Jonghyun formally greeted himself.
Hyun Ae shook her head. "There's no need to be formal. I won't tell anyone," she winked. Jonghyun's face immediately flushed to her minor action. He tried to look away but his attempt failed.
Instead, he smiled nervously and didn't make any eye contact with Hyun Ae. Hyun Ae slightly wrinkled her eyebrows. "Are you ok-"
"Yah, Hyun Ae! You need to practice!" a girl from the group of cheerleaders called out. Hyun Ae turned her head towards them and waved an arm.
"Wait a minute!" she called back. Her head swung back to face Jonghyun. Jonghyun jumped up a bit. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Maybe later we can talk. Is that okay?" she asked him.
Jonghyun nodded quickly yet shyly. "Uh-huh."
Hyun Ae smiled. "Great! I'll see you later Jonghyun!" Hyun Ae waved goodbye as she ran back to the group of chanting girls and went back to practicing her routine. Jonghyun watched her for a moment until coming back to his senses to where he should be. He clutched the ball under his arm and jogged his way back to his friends.
Key slapped Jonghyun's back when Jonghyun gave him the ball. "Yah! What took you so long?" he asked.
Jonghyun blinked. "Um... I-I-I-I-"
"How long does it take you to answer a simple question?" Key asked.
"He's Jonghyun. He's slower than Onew hyung," Minho stated, rolling his eyes.
Onew shrugged. "At least I'm not the slowest one anymore," he grinned, pleased. Taemin tugged at Jonghyun's shirtsleeve.
"What happened, hyung?" he asked quietly. Jonghyun shook his head.
"Nothing," he replied.
Key furrowed his eyes. "Are you sure? You're blushing a whole lot."
Jonghyun nodded. "Nothing happened. My face is naturally red."
"It's naturally the darker shade of yellow," Minho teased.
"Being tan is in my blood!" Jonghyun barked.
"You met a girl, didn't you?" Key smirked. Jonghyun widened his eyes.
"What? A-Aniyo!"
"Ah that's right! He has a crush on someone! Her name is... um..." Onew trailed off.
Jonghyun shook his head furiously. "It's no one! Stop talking and let's play the game!" Jonghyun growled, folding his arms.
"Oh yeah! Lee Hyun Ae! Hyun Ae is the one you like, right?" Onew asked.
"No! I don't like anyone! Let's play the stupid game already!'' Jonghyun yelled. Key and Onew started to dance around.
"Jonghyun likes Hyun Ae, Jonghyun likes Hyun Ae, Jonghyun likes Hyun Ae~" they sang. Jonghyun's face became as red as a tomato. He scrunched up his nose.
"Shut up!" he yelled. Minho and Taemin started to dance around as well.
"Jonghyun likes Hyun Ae, Jonghyun likes Hyun Ae Jonghyun likes Hyun Ae~" they sang along. Jonghyun growled in frustration and plopped down in the middle of the circle his friends created as they danced and sang around him.
Annoying jerks, Jonghyun thought as he rested his forehead against his palm. Though somewhere in Jonghyun's cloudy mind, there was an image of Hyun Ae's amusing smile twinkling over and over again. His heart warmed with contentment.
He desired to meet her again.
It wasn't until three days later that Hyun Ae and Jonghyun came across each other again. Jonghyun, Onew and Taemin were walking to lunch from their classes.
"Banana milk is better than strawberry milk," Taemin stated.
"Isn't that your philosophy?" Onew asked.
Taemin smiled proudly. "Always will be."
"Chicken is better than both," Onew replied.
"I don't think so."
"You're creating your death sentence."
Jonghyun groaned. "Can you guys shut up already? This has been going on since-OOMPH."
Jonghyun's body collided with another body, both stumbling back to the movement. Jonghyun rubbed his chest. There was a slight sting his touch had made. "Ow, that hurts. Um, are you okay?" he asked, now noticing the one he had bumped into. The figure was a girl, taller than Jonghyun by a couple of inches and her back was hunched slightly. Her wavy hair was covering half her face so the three boys weren't able to get a good look. Nonetheless, her voice gave it away.
"Yeah, I'm-Jonghyun?" Hyun Ae's melodic voice rang in Jonghyun's ears and his heart started to beat.
Hyun Ae stared at him closely. "Omo, it is you! How are you?" she asked, a grin spreading across her face.
Jonghyun blinked. "I'm uh, er, uh..."
"You're..." Hyun Ae trailed off, gesturing him to go on.
"I'm..." Jonghyun trailed off, trying to take that gesture.
"He's..." Onew and Taemin trailed off, enjoying what they are seeing.
"I'm great! Just great. Now that uh, that I saw you," Jonghyun flirted a tiny bit. He smacked himself mentally at his corny line.
Hyun Ae smiled. "Aw, how sweet. Are these your friends?" she asked, referring to two gaping idiots who were talking about food earlier.
"What friends?" Jonghyun asked absentmindedly.
Onew's eyes blazed with fury. "That babo forgets who we are? Imma beat him." Onew rolled up his uniform sleeves and started to charge towards Jonghyun, who was oblivious a crazy boy was going to bash him. Fortunately, Taemin grabbed his hyung's shirt and pulled him back.
"Hyung! No violence! Think about chicken!" Taemin instructed. Suddenly, Onew's frustrated glare turned 180 degrees into a dreamy, high gaze.
"Chicken~" he giggled to himself. Taemin quietly excused himself and Onew as they walked into the cafeteria. By the time the doors closed, Jonghyun and Hyun Ae were alone in the hallway. Jonghyun scratched his head awkwardly.
"So..." he started off.
"Uh, yeah. Anything new happening with you?'' Hyun Ae asked.
Jonghyun shook his head. "No. You?" he asked.
Hyun Ae bit her lip slightly. "Actually, I have cheerleading practice right now, but I was wondering if you'd like to come with me and maybe see our routine-"
"Yeah, sure! I'd love to!" Jonghyun blurted out, covering his mouth after with a slight tinge of crimson seeking out to his cheeks. Hyun Ae giggled momentarily.
"Aw, so sweet~ Come on then," she said as she took a hold of Jonghyun's arm and started to lead him towards the field outside. A couple of other girls were there dressed in shorts and plain T-shirts with pom poms thrusting up in the air. They were chanting a school song while doing flexible moves and rolling around on the green grass. Hyun Ae sat Jonghyun down on the bleachers and patted his shoulder. "Wait here and let me practice a bit, okay?"
Jonghyun nodded in response. She smiled at him one more time and then jogged off to the cheerleading squad to practice her moves.
As she was practicing, Jonghyun constantly kept staring at her, gazing and smiling at her movements. He admired how the sun was hitting her perfectly and only her, making him think this was God's way of telling him she was matchless and couldn't be compared to any other girl. Jonghyun rested his cheek on his fist as he kept observing her, that dreamy smile still smothered on his face. It had been fifteen minutes until Hyun Ae was done practicing and she jogged back to where Jonghyun was sitting.
She took a deep sigh and her hands rested on her hips. "So, how was it?" she asked.
"Beautiful," he murmured dreamily.
"Huh?"
"Great, it was great," he covered up, his face feeling a bit sour. Hyun Ae stared at Jonghyun with a blank expression.
"Thanks," she replied, taking a seat next to Jonghyun. After sitting down, Jonghyun and Hyun Ae didn't make much eye contact and looked around the field, no statement from either of them. Jonghyun pleaded silently for Hyun Ae to at least speak or do something that could break this deathly silence. He wasn't sure how to start off a conversation with a girl like her.
"How's school, Jonghyun?" she finally asked. Jonghyun's insides skipped a bit. He looked down.
"It's okay; I'm doing better here than in grade school," he admitted.
Hyun Ae raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? That's great! What's your favorite class?"
"Oh, uhm... Music."
"Oh really? You like music?" Hyun Ae asked.
"I love music."
To Hyun Ae or to someone else, it would be a class that's more favored by others, but to Jonghyun it's his passion. It was his only getaway to the world where problems would dwindle and be made into melodic art of the voice and strings. The feeling when he touches the resplendent piano is a touch he cannot describe. Every key that generates a sound soothes his mind and his head clears. Music wasn't just a class; it was his imaginary living.
Hyun Ae nodded slowly. "How long have you been practicing?" she questioned.
Jonghyun looked up. "Uhm... about seven years," he answered.
Hyun Ae reduced her mouth into a little 'o'. "You must be really good, huh?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. How about you? You like music?" he asked.
"Yeah I do. I think it's really cool with you know, all chords and keys and strings and stuff... but I can't really play it," Hyun Ae sighed. Jonghyun's eyebrows rose.
"Do you want me to teach you? I-it's just a suggestion, so if you want to..." Jonghyun trailed off.
Hyun Ae beamed. "I would love it if you taught me!" she exclaimed.
She grabbed Jonghyun's arm and ran inside of the school, running up the seemingly endless stairs until making it to the music room, where all kinds of instruments were held. There were several percussion instruments, drums, guitars, violins, basses and most importantly, a grand piano in the center of it all. Hyun Ae let go of Jonghyun's arm, much to Jonghyun's disappointment but hid it by giving a shy smile.
He gestured for her to come forward with one hand and Hyun Ae did so, intrigued by his gentlemen-like motion. She sat down on the bench and Jonghyun sat down too, his body close to hers. He tried to ignore how close they were so Hyun Ae didn't catch a glimpse at how skittish he was. He cleared his throat and looked at her. "So, uh... how should I play for you?" he asked.
Hyun Ae shrugged. "I'm not one who's playing, am I? Come on, do whatever you're best at," Hyun Ae urged him, nudging his arm. Jonghyun gave an awkward smile and looked down to the keys, all anticipating his fingers to make a sound. He closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath and placed his hands on the keys. And he started playing.
He started off at a low, gentle note, which went onto a higher note. The high note slowly came back down to rest on a deep yet soothing melody and then it quickened its pace to a fast, high note again. Jonghyun kept quiet as his fingers pressed on each key and the sound vibrated over the walls. He forgot Hyun Ae was right next to him, who was awing in admiration at how amazing Jonghyun was at piano. After a few minutes of a low, soft melody, Jonghyun's fingers rested on the keys and his eyes fluttered open.
He turned his head to Hyun Ae. "How was it?" he asked. Hyun Ae had her mouth opened and she kept blinking at Jonghyun. She blinked once more until coming back to reality.
"That was... amazing," Hyun Ae choked out.
Jonghyun smiled in satisfaction. "Did you like it?"
"Like it? I loved it! You're a pro! How were you able to pull such music like that? And at such a young age too!" Hyun Ae gushed. Jonghyun blushed. He waved a hand.
"Naw. But I learned how to play from a pianist when I was younger. She helped a lot, so credit should be given out to her," he replied, his blush getting deeper by the second.
"Did I hear her play?" Hyun Ae asked.
Jonghyun blinked. "Well, no-"
"Then to me, you're the best. If I didn't hear her play, then my mind will keep saying you're the one who was able to come up with this genius. God Jonghyun. I really am jealous," she sighed, pulling her head back. Jonghyun looked down with a small smile on his face. He couldn't have asked God for a better girl to share his love of music with.
"So tell me Jonghyun- what other things are you interested in?" Hyun Ae asked. Jonghyun's eyes directed at Hyun Ae's face.
"Um... well... I like to watch movies and write lyrics..." And Jonghyun kept talking about the things he liked, smiling at the fun things he included and making a funny face at the things he thought Hyun Ae might find embarrassing.
"...And I like dogs. What are your favorite things?" Jonghyun asked.
Hyun Ae looked up and tapped her chin with her pointer. "Hm. Well let's see... I like rainbows and cookies and unicorns..." she trailed off.
Jonghyun's mouth opened.I LIKE A GIRL WHO LIKES UNICORNS, he thought incredulously. Hyun Ae snuck a glance at him. After seeing his expression, Hyun Ae giggled. Jonghyun furrowed his eyes. What the-
"I was kidding! I don't really like those things. Well, I do but... you know what I mean. Anyway, it was so hilarious when you thought I was being real! So funny!" Hyun Ae said in between laughs. She held onto her stomach as she kept laughing and Jonghyun only became more flustered as a laugh escaped her mouth.
"I-I-I-I'm..." Hyun Ae's laughter calmed down slowly as she held onto the bench. "I'm... ha... sorry... I'm sorry... ha... I just wanted to see your expression. It was very priceless," Hyun Ae smiled, removing a lock of hair away from her face.
Jonghyun shook his head. "It's okay. I understand if you liked unicorns. They're... cool."
"OH MY GOD, I LOVE THEM."
It's official. The first girl I ever liked and she's a unicorn lover. My life is amazing, I swear, Jonghyun thought.
Hyun Ae nudged him. "Kidding~" she giggled. Jonghyun laughed weakly.
"I knew that," he muttered as he scratched his head.
Hyun Ae laughed heartily and Jonghyun smiled at her, thinking how beautiful her laugh is and wondering when this girl would ever stop laughing.
(Flashback end)
-------------
"For a couple of months, Jonghyun and Hyun Ae were very good friends. They were always hanging around each other and they'd always be in the music room, during lunch or after school. Hyun Ae introduced Jonghyun to new people such as cheerleaders and jocks. Strange thing is, Jonghyun never left us alone. At that time, Key was thinking Jonghyun was smart to know we wouldn't even dare look at him when he comes crawling back to us if his new friends left him. As that time passed by, Jonghyun found himself falling more in love with her. It was getting a little nerve-wracking for Jonghyun because he wasn't able to show his love since she was so popular and all and surrounded by many people. But then things changed for him when it was a simple, cold day in January. They were both in the music room, playing music when Jonghyun decided to..."
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(Flashback)
"Do re mi fa so la ti do~." Hyun Ae kept her high note on the last note, having Jonghyun press countless times on the highest key. Jonghyun, pretending to be annoyed by what Hyun Ae was doing, gave her a soft yet firm kick on her calf. Hyun Ae croaked from the kick.
"Yah!" Hyun Ae rubbed her leg and kicked Jonghyun back. "That wasn't necessary!"
Jonghyun smirked back in response. "I'll do it even harder when you still want to keep going on that high note."
Hyun Ae glowered at him, folding her arms. "Yah. Kim Jonghyun... you're making me angry."
He stuck his tongue out at her, chuckling at the pout she gave after. Hyun Ae thumped him on the head. "Better be nice to me or I'll go all cheerleader on you."
Jonghyun brought his hands up to his chest and mocked an expression of horror. "A cheerleader is going to hit me? Wow, that sure is going to hurt a lot." Hyun Ae scowled at him.
"You're a pabo," Hyun Ae muttered, flicking him on the forehead. He closed his eyes for a second at the slight sting and by the time he opened his eyes, he found Hyun Ae right in front of him with a smile spread across her lips.
She was giggling silently, teasing Jonghyun while waggling her finger at him. Jonghyun constantly stared at her dreamily, his face moving closer. She wasn't attentive as she kept waggling her finger at him, making funny faces to make him mad however; she started to see Jonghyun was nowhere near angry.
Jonghyun slowly removed the waggling finger away from his face. He cupped Hyun Ae's chin with one hand and brought her closer to him. And suddenly, almost too suddenly, Jonghyun brushed his lips against hers, making it light and sweet as it can be. It was soft and tender, and Hyun Ae's lips were sweet to his own.
Before Jonghyun could get any farther, reality slapped him in the face and he opened his eyes. Hyun Ae was staring directly at him, her expression blank. Suddenly, Jonghyun broke the kiss, letting go of her chin and bringing that hand to his mouth. A dark blush crept over his face and his head began to feel woozy.
"I-I'm sorry," he muttered quickly, bowing down shortly and began to get up. Before his feet could go any farther than the bench, Hyun Ae grabbed his wrist. Jonghyun turned his head back, confused and panicky.
What was she going to do? Slap him? Insult him? Make his life a living hell? All because of one mere kiss? Was Hyun Ae even that kind of person? Hyun Ae stared up at him, the blank expression still there, not giving Jonghyun any help to what she was thinking.
It was his first kiss so he knew this kiss wasn't the best Hyun Ae had. However, to Jonghyun it was an amazing kiss. The touch of their lips together made a tingly feeling in his stomach, sending butterflies everywhere and he enjoyed that feeling. His first kiss was great. It maybe his last as well.
Hyun Ae blinked at him and started to pull his arm down, causing Jonghyun to sit next to her. His heart started to beat rapidly with what was going on and a thick wad of saliva was refusing to go down his throat. Hyun Ae kept gazing in thought, leaving Jonghyun utterly confused. What was she thinking? He thought.
There was no need for answers when Hyun Ae interlocked her lips with his. Jonghyun widened his eyes and his heart did a hundred flips in a second, a feeling that made him want to jump. She placed her hands on his face and brought him closer, their kiss becoming deeper. Jonghyun could feel the sudden fireworks and butterflies in his stomach again and let it go on as he started to close his eyes and enjoy the kiss.
(Flashback end)
-------------
"That day soon made a chain of events for Jonghyun. Eventually, Hyun Ae and Jonghyun became a couple and many of us were surprised. Despite that, we rooted for Jjong and Hyun Ae. They were always together now, either it was study hall or the music room... He was a happy guy. Even though Jonghyun felt as if he was the luckiest guy in the world, his study life became more of a nuisance to him. He didn't pay attention in class, he stopped doing homework, he failed in almost all his subjects and his family was worried. They'd ask him what was bothering him but he would push them away, saying nothing was wrong. We were all worried. He was still the same Jonghyun but he was changing bit by bit. And finally, the day came. The day where everything changed for Jonghyun..."
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(Flashback)
"Jonghyun. Jonghyun. Kim Jonghyun-"
"Huh? What?" Jonghyun got out of his trance and looked around the room. His eyes traveled up to the teacher, who looked displeased and impatient.
"Kim Jonghyun. I don't expect you to keep daydreaming in my class. With your grades, I expect you to be attentive. Understand?" the teacher asked, raising an eyebrow. Jonghyun looked down, flustered. He nodded.
"Good. Now please get this test signed. And I expect it to be signed by a real guardian," the teacher warned, reminding Jonghyun about what happened a few weeks earlier when Jonghyun got a low score on one of his exams and forged his mother's signature. A small prick of pain stung him in the chest. He remembered his mother's expression of hurt and disappointment.
Jonghyun nodded and took the paper from his teacher's hands, mindlessly shoving it into his backpack. The bell rang shortly after and kids started to exit the class and run down to the cafeteria. Key, Onew, Minho and Taemin were waiting outside of the classroom for Jonghyun.
"I thrust my hips when I dance. It goes something like this-" Taemin started to push his hips forward and back, causing the girls who were passing them in the hallway to stare. Key used his body as a shield.
"There's nothing to see. Keep movin'," he instructed and they power-walked away from them. Minho patted Key's shoulder.
"Nice safekeeping," he complimented. Key waved his hand as if he got that a lot.
"Where's Jonghyun?" Onew asked.
"I'm here." Jonghyun walked out of the open door of his classroom and walked along with his fellow childhood friends.
"What took you so long?" Onew asked.
"I got a test back from Mr. Kwon. And this time, umma has to sign it," Jonghyun sighed.
"You should have never forged. That's a big crime in the children's world," Onew replied.
"I thought peeing in the girls' bathroom was the biggest crime in the children's world," Taemin said.
Minho patted him on the shoulder. "Only for you, Taemin. Only for you," he sighed.
"Anyway, is the movie still on at my house? I have Paranormal Activity 2 and Mean Girls if anyone wants to see that again," Key announced.
"What's Paranormal Activity 2 and Mean Girls?" Taemin asked.
"Don't worry Taemin. We got a special movie for you-Curious George," Minho replied.
Taemin squealed. "I love monkeys and men in yellow hats!" Taemin exclaimed.
Jonghyun chuckled. "A movie night sounds fun. I'll be there at 8-"
"Jonghyun!" Jonghyun's eyes landed on Hyun Ae, who was running towards him. Jonghyun's mouth broke out in a wide grin.
"Hyun Ae noona," he said, as she stopped running. She was panting slightly and was smiling brightly. She waved to the four boys behind Jonghyun.
"Hello~" she chirped to all Jonghyun's friends. They waved back meekly. She smiled again and then turned her attention towards Jonghyun. "Jonghyun, I was wondering if you'd like to come over my house today. I want to show you something. Unless you're busy..." she trailed off, glancing at the four gaping boys.
Jonghyun scratched his head uncomfortably. "Well... I was going to watch a movie with my friends-"
"Go."
"What?" Jonghyun asked as he turned around to face his friends. Key sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"Go with Hyun Ae noona. You'll have fun there. Go, okay? We'll see you later." Jonghyun grinned and ran over to them to give them a big hug.
"Ahh you guys are the best!" he whispered.
Key rolled his eyes. "Like we didn't know that," he muttered.
"Hyung. I'm dying," Taemin gasped under Jonghyun's grasp. Jonghyun immediately let go and smiled embarrassingly.
"Is that a yes then?" Hyun Ae asked. Jonghyun turned around and nodded.
"Yeah. When should I get there?"
"Around 7:30. I'll see you then, okay? I have to go to cheerleading practice," Hyun Ae gave a light peck on Jonghyun's cheek and waved goodbye to the four boys who were still gaping at her. Jonghyun gingerly touched his cheek. She's so cute, he sighed in his head.
"Yah! You alive, babo?" Jonghyun jumped up at Key's voice.
"Yeah, I'm alive. Let's eat," Jonghyun grinned and walked with his friends into the cafeteria. Even as they were eating and talking, Jonghyun's mind was somewhere else. He was impatient to get to Hyun Ae's house and see what surprise she had for him.
The day went by quickly when Jonghyun was in front of Hyun Ae's door, clearing his throat. The house looked comforting and white, lights on upstairs and the one right by Jonghyun. Jonghyun scratched his head. There was a hint of guilt in his heart, for lying to his mother about going over to Key's house to watch a movie when it was really Hyun Ae's house.
His mother knew he had a girlfriend but she would disapprove of him going to a girl's house at the age of 14. His mother was a bit overprotective... Jonghyun shook his head to take away the thought. He sucked in air and pressed the doorbell.
In just a few seconds, Hyun Ae appeared at the door, wearing a plain tee and blue shorts. Her hair was in a ponytail and once she saw Jonghyun, an enthusiastic smile played on her lips. "Jonghyun!~" she exclaimed as she squeezed him with her arms. His eyes almost bulged out of his sockets but he smiled at her overload of cuteness.
"Noona," he laughed breathlessly, patting her back. Hyun Ae let go and looked at him from head to toe. She furrowed her eyes.
"Why do you have a sleeping bag?" she asked, pointing to the bag in his hands.
Jonghyun scratched his head. "Uh... I wanted to sleepover?" he tried, too embarrassed to tell her about what really happened.
Hyun Ae nodded and smiled. "That's cool. My parents aren't home so you could sleepover!" she replied, holding his hand and leading him into the den. Jonghyun stared at the back of her head.
"T-t-they're not h-h-home?" he stuttered.
"Yeah, they're not home? Is that a problem?" she asked, turning her head to face him.
He shook his head almost too quickly. "It's fine," he weakly responded.
"Great! Now, I said I had something to show you..."
"Mhm?" he asked.
"...And it's in my bedroom. Would you like to see it?" she asked. Jonghyun blinked twice and furrowed his eyes slowly.
"Um... okay..." he answered. She giggled to his response. Hyun Ae kept on holding Jonghyun's hand as she led him up the stairs. Both of them walked in the hallway to a door nearby. Hyun Ae turned the knob and they both stepped in her room, pink and blue and different whites surrounding the atmosphere. Jonghyun took in this new dimension he was in and raised his eyebrows.
Not even his sister's room was this girly. And his sister was ten. Jonghyun scanned the room and saw multiples pictures of Hyun Ae at football games in her cheerleading costumes and some with her friends. She did cute and funny poses her friends took of her and then there were three pictures of her and Jonghyun together.
Jonghyun smiled as he remembered these pictures. They went to the mall once back in February, which was about three months ago and they went to a photo booth. They made weird faces, cute faces, funny faces, and angry faces and there was one where Hyun Ae kissed him on the cheek. The one where she kissed him was in the middle of the three pictures he was included in. His heart felt warm just seeing that.
Jonghyun's eyes traveled down and he gave out a small gasp when he saw what was in front of him. In the center of Hyun Ae's room was a piano. It wasn't a grand piano like most houses would have, but it was an upright piano. It was sleek, black and shiny. It looked like it was in mint condition and it urged Jonghyun to play it.
"Nice, isn't it? I bought it to play." Jonghyun turned his head towards Hyun Ae. His eyebrows rose.
"You bought it?" he asked.
"Yeah. My dad got this piano so I could learn more. With the help from you, I was able to play a little. I decided to get a small piano for myself so I would be able to practice more. I wanted you to see it because I know how much you like pianos," Hyun Ae smiled awkwardly, removing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Jonghyun smiled back.
"It's beautiful. Just like you," he whispered. She nudged him.
"Oh be quiet. You're making me blush."
Jonghyun chuckled and sat down on the bench. He looked over the shiny keys and they were waiting for him to touch them. "You got it from Yamaha, didn't you?" he asked. Hyun Ae widened her eyes in surprise.
"How did you know?" she asked. Jonghyun smiled to himself. He played a medium-pitched note.
"I just know," he replied.
Hyun Ae sat next to him as he started to play, the music filling the room's silent mood. He went from low to high, from high to low. He went from cheery to moody. Jonghyun played with what his passion had to offer and Hyun Ae was staring in admiration at her lover's talents. After a few minutes of playing the piano, Jonghyun ended it off with a light, slow tone.
"Yay!" Hyun Ae exclaimed, clapping her hands countless times. Jonghyun smiled and bowed his head shyly. "Aww Jonghyun is so amazing~. My boyfriend is so cool," Hyun Ae cooed, hugging Jonghyun tightly. Jonghyun choked but covered it with a laugh. It was always nice to be around her. Her presence helped him calm down about anything that made him restless.
Hyun Ae rested her head on Jonghyun's shoulder. She twirled her finger on Jonghyun's chest. "What do you wanna do now, Jonghyun?" she asked quietly.
Honestly, Jonghyun didn't know what to do. He was so excited to come to her house that he didn't have anything planned. Usually, he was the one who wanted the dates to be perfect and it always came out perfect. Now what was he going to do?
He furrowed his eyes. "Um... well... we could..." Jonghyun was busy thinking and was looking straight ahead to realize Hyun Ae bringing her head up to Jonghyun. He cocked his head a little to the left. "We could..." His image of the white wall was interfered when Hyun Ae's face was brought up. Jonghyun widened his eyes. "Noona?..."
Hyun Ae brought her lips up to Jonghyun's and embraced them. Jonghyun's heart flipped over once and looked at Hyun Ae, who was very likely into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Jonghyun's neck, bringing him closer. Her tongue unraveled into Jonghyun's cavern. Jonghyun widened his eyes. Jonghyun was certainly not expecting this. He knew they were going to kiss, but he didn't know there was going to be any tongue action. Well, it has been a few months, hasn't it? They have just did lip action and nothing more. So why not?
Jonghyun wrapped his arms around Hyun Ae's waist and brought her closer to him. She moaned silently and they both started to entwine their tongues together-
(Flashback interruption)
-------------
"Well, obviously I wouldn't know what Jonghyun and Hyun Ae were doing in there. And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to hear about it, Mi Young. Well, anyway, Jonghyun and Hyun Ae had and all that crap. Jonghyun was happy. He was happy because Hyun Ae and him were still together even though they had . He was a man at the age of fourteen and I find that pretty weird. Nobody cares what I think. Anyway, Hyun Ae and Jonghyun were still the same. Nothing really changed between them. It's weird because when Jonghyun told us he and her had it, we thought she would have left him as soon as she got into his pants. Our intentions were wrong and we thought wrong about this girl. Or so we thought for a second. A few weeks later, Hyun Ae started to act weird. She didn't pay much attention to Jonghyun. Jonghyun was getting anxious..."
-------------
(Flashback)
"I wanna eat anchovies," Taemin announced while walking with his hyungs. Key scrunched his nose in disgust.
"Are you kidding me? Why would you want to eat anchovies from all things?" Key asked.
"They look good on TV!" Taemin countered.
"Chicken looks good in cartoon form. One example: Tom & Jerry," Onew grinned, nodding.
"Do you guys only talk about food?" Minho asked, sighing.
"Food is good," Taemin and Onew retorted.
"Why isn't Hyun Ae noona speaking to me?" Jonghyun whined quietly as he dragged himself towards his next class.
"Who knows? She probably found someone better," Minho joked.
Jonghyun shot him a dagger. "Minho, if that happens you're dead, araso?"
Minho gave out a low whistle. "I was only kidding. Take a damn joke, god," Minho rolled his eyes.
Taemin furrowed his eyes. "Damn...?"
"Ani Taemin! Don't say that! It's bad! Bad! Be a good boy! Minho, you shut your dirty mouth!" Key spat.
Taemin giggled. "Damn damn damn!" he happily squealed. Key gasped.
"Stop that right now! I command you!" he yelled.
"Who says that nowadays?" Onew asked.
"Damn damn damn~" Taemin sang.
While Key and Taemin had their moment, Jonghyun was off sulking. Minho and Onew stood beside him while they watched his hollow face become even paler by the second. Jonghyun has been wondering when his girlfriend would speak to him again. Why wasn't she making any contact with him in couple of weeks? What had he done wrong?
Speaking of Hyun Ae, she was coming around the hallway, rushing with papers in front of her face and her bag slung over her shoulder. As soon as Jonghyun looked up, a smile spread across his face. "Hyun Ae noona!" he called out, waving at her. Hyun Ae looked up from the papers she held in her hand and gave Jonghyun a hurried smile.
"Hey sweetie. How are you? I can't seem to talk right now but I'll talk later, okay?'' she quickly said in one breath as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hurried off in another direction.
Jonghyun's smile fell and his shoulders slumped. When will later ever be?
Hyun Ae never spoke to him after that day. Not in the following week, not after that and not even during the weekends. Jonghyun has been growing angrier and angrier as the days passed by? His girlfriend hasn't been speaking to him at all. What was her reason? Is she doing this on purpose? What if she found another guy? Anxiety started to take control over Jonghyun until one day, a miracle decided to pop in Jonghyun's life. Hyun Ae texted him, saying to meet her after cheerleading practice.
Jonghyun did not question her sudden command as he waited for her. He loitered around the front of the school and kept checking the time on his phone, wondering when cheerleading practice would be over. His heart kept dancing in his chest. Hyun Ae was finally going to talk to him and this way; they'll be able to solve their problems.
Minutes later, Jonghyun spotted Hyun Ae walking from inside the school to the steps towards him. A grin spread across his face as he awaited his loved one and offered a hug to her. "Hyun Ae noona~" he cooed, leaning in to give her a hug. He gave her a hug, but she didn't hug back. He frowned at this, considering Hyun Ae always gave him a tighter hug back but this time, she wasn't responding.
He let go of her and stared at her. "Noona?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
Hyun Ae was not staring at him. She was avoiding eye contact so she wouldn't break down as soon as she stared into Jonghyun's big brown eyes. Jonghyun tilted his head to the side.
"Noona?" he whispered. Seconds passed by until it turned into minutes. Hyun Ae lowered her head and opened her mouth slightly.
"I... don't know h-how to tell you this Jonghyun, but I'm... m-m-moving," she quivered.
Suddenly, Jonghyun's heart dropped down to his stomach, his whole stomach twisting his heart with great force. He furrowed his eyes slightly. "What?"
Hyun Ae's lower lip trembled. "I'm moving," she whispered.
"To where?" he asked slowly.
"London. My dad got transferred because of his job."
"Why can't you stay?" Jonghyun asked.
"I-I... I have no choice. They won't let me stay," Hyun Ae answered quietly. Jonghyun stared at her in disbelief.
"B-b-b-but... we're together," he squeaked. Hyun Ae looked at him. She tried her best not to cry and so far, she was succeeding.
Jonghyun's face fell even more. "No. Don't say it, Hyun Ae noona. Please. Don't," Jonghyun shivered with sadness. Hyun Ae gulped a painful was of saliva.
"Jonghyun-ah, you are amazing, really, but-"
"No! I said don't say it!" Jonghyun exclaimed, trembling with fear.
"-but I'm afraid we have to go our separate ways-"
"Noona! It's not fair! I like you so much and more than anyone yet you keep fading away from me! Why are you fading away, Noona? Why do you keep fading away from me? And after we made love too?" Jonghyun asked.
Hyun Ae closed her eyes and gave out a shaky sigh. "Jonghyun... " she trailed off. Jonghyun's trembling face grew.
"Were you just using me? Is that what it was? You were using me? For ?" he asked.
She rubbed her temples with her hands. "Jonghyun, I really don't-"
"You were using me, weren't you? This was all just a plan to get me into bed? You could have chosen anyone else but you chose me. Why me, Hyun Ae noona? Why me?"
Hyun Ae walked forward and touched Jonghyun's shoulder. "Jonghyun, if you could just let me explain-"
"I was letting you try to explain the whole freaking time! You never spoke once to me over the last few weeks and now you tell me you're moving and you're breaking up with me? What kind of a girlfriend does that? What kind of a girl are you?" he asked, anger now rising in his voice.
"Jonghyun, just listen to me!" Hyun Ae cried.
"I did listen to you! I listened to you for a good ing seven months! Because I listened to you, I let down my family, friends, grades and my whole damn life! I thought you were my whole life and now I realize I was wrong. You... you..." he trailed off, trying to find something to say.
Hyun Ae leaned into Jonghyun. "Jonghyun, please..." Jonghyun pushed her back lightly.
"You disgust me." Jonghyun started to run away from her ignoring her calls and ran somewhere he thought no one could ever find him. He ran into a place with trees and benches surrounding him. He panted as he jogged his way to random bench and sat down, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
That girl. I gave her everything a good boyfriend would give. I treated her nice. I gave her my first kiss. I taught her piano. I spent all my time with her. She was my first love. She took away my ity.
Jonghyun's blood boiled but his heart ached. His head was cloudy but his stomach was dropping countless times. He was furious yet he was heartbroken. That's how a good boyfriend would feel.
She was so nice. She was so beautiful. She was extremely helpful. She was caring. Jonghyun's thoughts went on and on about Hyun Ae's perfect being.
But she hurt you in the end. She played with your heart. She only wanted to get in your pants. You were a . She probably wasn't. She wanted your attention. She doesn't like you at all. She didn't even love you. You were in her game. She's heartless.
Jonghyun's moist eyes suddenly darkened. She was using you. She was using you all along. She wanted and you gave her . It's your entire fault. You gave in to her. It's all her fault. She made you give into her. If only you hadn't that she was pretty, if only you didn't love her, this would have never happened. You would have been doing better at school. You would have been making your parents proud. It's your entire fault, Jonghyun. It's your entire freaking fault. You would have had been smart and teachers would like you. But it's too late. You took this path. You became Hyun Ae's boyfriend and everything fell apart.
I hate Hyun Ae.
I hate Hyun Ae.
I hate girls.
They only use you. They don't love you. They think you're like a tissue. You seem fragile so they go at it, they blow on you and then they throw you away like you're nothing.
I hate girls.
I hate girls.
I hate girls.
Jonghyun's face turned stony and he stayed put with that, ignoring everything around him. Girls only used boys. Why couldn't it be the other way around?
Hyun Ae left the day after. She never made contact with Jonghyun after the fight they had and news started to go around the school that Jonghyun and Hyun Ae were broken up. Jonghyun isolated himself from everyone, his friends included. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone and even the people who were close to him could not cheer him up.
As much as they tried, he would avoid them and think, keeping all his thoughts to himself.
As Jonghyun was walking to his next class one day, he heard his name in the voices of whispering second-year girls. He hid behind a wall separating him and the girls.
".... And then I heard this: Hyun Ae and Jonghyun broke up. It was so sudden and I was so surprised. They seemed like they liked each other a lot!"
"Mhm. They sure did. It looks like Hyun Ae knew she was pulling her standards down and decided to break it off with Jonghyun."
"But I heard he broke up with him. Which one is it?"
"Well, Jonghyun was obviously in love with this girl and she was popular too. Of course she broke up with him. It's so obvious."
"Ohh. You're probably right. He wasn't that good looking anyways."
"Exactly."
Hearing this conversation made Jonghyun ball his hands into fists and his nostrils were flaring. He stomped the other way, not giving a damn if he wasn't there on time to class. His life was half over anyway.
It wasn't until everyone advanced to the next grade when Jonghyun wowed everyone. He came back to school with a makeover. He was taller, a bit more built and better, defined looks. Every girl fell head over heels for him. In the first week of school, a few asked him out and he would respond with a smirk and a twinkle in his eye.
"Sure," would always be his answer. He never said no to a girl who asked him out. However, the definition Jonghyun had in mind of going out was something a tad different than what other people had in mind.
Every time he would go out with a girl, her ity would be gone. That girl would no longer be a and she would live to tell the tale. You'd think girls would call Jonghyun a bastard, right? Just because he'd only bang them and not give another date? Wrong.
Jonghyun has his ways; he was able to charm them and they'd agree to his one nightstand, just to get him.
Jonghyun has been a player since then. He banged one girl and went on to the other. He had no reason to worry if there were no more to girls to bang; therealways was a girl. His friends were worried, wondering what Jonghyun was getting him into and if this would cause something dreadful in the future. They tried talking to him, but that wouldn't work. They tried to beat some sense into him but that didn't work as well. After months of trying to get Jonghyun to stop, Jonghyun only would increase his player ways so they decided to give up. They never stopped worrying, though.
Not only was Jonghyun a player, but a slacker as well. He did not pay any attention to the work he was assigned and failed all his classes, yet passed at the same time to advance to high school. In high school he was no better. He didn't do work, banged countless girls and skipped classes some of the time. It was amazing how this information did not pass on to his parents.
Jonghyun didn't seem to care about any of this. He only had the urge to bang girls and never be done with it. That may be, however Jonghyun always had a small image at the back of his mind, replaying over and over in his head again.
The sweet smile of his first beloved noona. His girlfriend, Hyun Ae.
(Flashback end)
-------------
"And now you know why Jonghyun was a player. I think it was a stupid reason, in my opinion. But it seemed to hurt Jonghyun a lot. We tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't. What were we supposed to do? I was scared this might be worse, which it was. In my point of view, Jonghyun seemed obsessed playing with girls. He wasn't able to control himself. You might have thought Jonghyun didn't care about the girls he banged. Let me prove you wrong. I thought the same thing. I thought he didn't care about them and just used them. But I was proven wrong. I found out from many girls that Jonghyun always uses condoms and would go easy on girls. After he finished his business, he would give her clothes back and bid goodbye with a smirk. That was the nicest Jonghyun ever got in his player days. Jonghyun seemed to have gotten over Hyun Ae a long time ago because he had shown no sign of emotion towards her. We never brought her up because we were afraid he would explode. Aaaaaand now we are here, the last year of high school. Yeah, I'm done."
Onew took a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair. "I talked a lot," he muttered.
I barely blinked as I inhaled all this information. You have to agree, that was a ton of information. I almost lost everything by the time Onew got up to the part of where they were best friends. That's how much information was falling into my brain.
Fortunately, I got a hold of everything and put them together to fix a hole in the information-holding part of my brain. Jonghyun was madly in love with girl. They went out together and he lost his ity in the process. She said she had to leave after a few weeks and he started to go crazy. He banged girls because of her. The end.
Very cliché. Very cliché indeed. I thought cliché events happened in books and movies but it looks like it happened in the real world too. That girl wasn't evil though. Was she? Eh, who cares?
And now let me get on another topic. Hea Won and I were in the same grade school as Key. Key, Jonghyun, Onew, Minho and Taemin were in the same grade school as Key. We were all in the same grade school. With all of us being together, how come we have never met? Why were we separated? I should get back to this with Key.
And now middle school. Since Key wasn't in the same middle school as us, he was in the same middle school as those four. But middle school was also during the time Hea Won and Key got together.
Why the hell is this so messed up?
I looked at Onew who was busy staring at his feet. "Onew," I called out. He looked up.
"Yes?" he asked.
"... Was Key and Jonghyun gay when they were little?" I asked. I was curious.
"Sadly no. Don't worry, I thought so too." Onew nodded his head goofily. "You got other questions?" he asked.
"Yeah. How old are you exactly?" I asked, anticipating his answer.
"I'm 19."
"What? Aren't you supposed to be 18?"
He shook his head. "I got left back."
"Why?" I asked.
He smiled sadly. "Because of Eun Mi. I was so in love with her, I got left back because I wanted to be in the same grade as her," he replied.
I immediately looked down. "I didn't mean to bring that up..." I trailed off.
"Don't worry, I knew you didn't. Buuuuut... to apologize, you could call me oppa from now on..."
"Never."
Onew sighed in defeat. "I should have never asked," he sighed, shaking his head.
I smiled at his goofy response. ''How old is Jonghyun?" I asked.
"18. Surprisingly, he didn't get left back. Amazing, eh?" Onew asked.
I nodded in agreement. "Amazing indeed. I've got another question to ask about him..."
"Go ahead," Onew urged.
"In the end when you were finishing talking, you said 'in his player days'. Are you saying that he's not a player anymore?" I asked.
Onew's eyes widened followed by a nervous smile. "I talk too much. Let's keep it at that," he laughed weakly, rubbing his head.
I nodded slowly. "Now your chicken obsession..." I trailed off.
Onew's eyes lit up in delight at the topic we were going to talk about now. "Yeah?" he asked eagerly.
"Why do you eat chicken? I don't seem to understand," I admitted.
"I'm not going to lie. And don't laugh. My reason is really stupid to some people like Key. I eat chicken to get rid of any sad feelings. Chicken in my comfort food," Onew answered.
I shook my head. "That's not a laughing matter at all," I stated. Onew smiled at my reply.
"Thanks Mi Young."
"You're welcome."
Onew stretched his arms over his head. "How much time is left?" he asked, grunting. I snuck a peek at the clock above on the wall.
"About five minutes," I answered, surprised.
Onew's eyes bulged out of his sockets. "Wow, almost two hours already passed? My goodness that must have been a long story!"
Oh you have no idea. Listening to it was agony.
I shrugged. "I guess we have to get ready to leave. Ms. Kim should be coming around right..."
"Okay kids, you're good to go. You can leave now," Ms. Kim sighed as she made her way to the door. Her tight bun was hanging loosely from the top of her head and her lipstick was slightly smeared and appeared fresh. I did not argue that there was five more minutes left. Both Onew and I grabbed our bags and went out the exit, bowing down to Ms. Kim before leaving.
"I hope you guys learned your lesson," she said as we passed her. We nodded in response and didn't turn back when we were out of her way.
"So, you're going home now?" Onew asked to break the silence.
I nodded. "Yup. I have to explain all this to my mom," I sighed.
Onew nodded. "Ah... sucks."
"What about you? Where are you going?" I asked.
Onew shrugged. "Probably home or a restaurant. I'm hungry," he answered.
I raised an eyebrow. "Chicken?" I guessed. Onew grinned at me.
"You know me so well," he joked, nudging my shoulder.
I laughed breathlessly as I shook my head. We both pushed open the doors to the cool, humid air of May and found someone unexpected. Sitting on the steps a few feet away, a particular brown-haired boy was fumbling with his hands, looking frustrated and confused.
"Yah! Jonghyun-ah! What are you doing here?" Onew asked loudly. Jonghyun jumped at the sound of his voice and laid cold eyes on Onew.
"I was waiting for you. You were taking way too long," he said between teeth. Onew grinned.
"You sure I wasn't the only one you were waiting for?" he asked teasingly.
Jonghyun took a glance at me and he suddenly grew pink. "Yes."
I tilted my head to the side and raised my eyebrows. "You actually wasted two hours of your life sitting on the steps for Onew?" I asked.
Jonghyun stiffened up. "Yes,'' he answered.
I scoffed and opened my mouth to say something, but I found my eyes staring at his eyes. The first thing I found was the color brown. A deep, rich brown. I studied his eyes with great concentration. Surprisingly, I found a faint mien of loneliness in his brown orbs. His eyes told me he was sad. He was still broken somewhere inside. He just wouldn't show it. Or maybe he didn't even know. I was looking longingly at his eyes that his whole face resembled the word 'lonely'. He looked lonely. Lost. Sad.
I was staring at him for so long that something started to rise in my heart. Something was coming over my chest and it didn't feel so good. But it was feeling a little lighthearted. I automatically knew what this feeling was. This feeling was nothing new. It was the feeling of pity. I pitied the boy. I felt bad for all that he has been through. It may not seem much, but for him it must have been a lot. Heis an emotional boy from what I could understand.
I cussed under my breath. Curse that boy for making me feel this way. "Hey, why don't we go somewhere?" I asked.
Jonghyun raised an eyebrow. "Like where?" he asked slowly.
"A restaurant. Let's go eat. Onew and I are both hungry," I said, taking the lead while we started walked.
"Are you inviting me?" Jonghyun asked behind me.
"Did I ever say no?" I replied.
He never spoke a word after I said that. We walked away from the entrance of the school and passed the heavy gates that secured the area. We walked down the street, making our way down to the traffic light.
"What are we going to eat?" Jonghyun asked.
"Hm... I was thinking chicken," I answered.
"YEAH! CHICKEN!" Onew howled.
I smiled at his silliness. I looked back at the traffic light and spotted it was the light for pedestrians to walk. Suddenly, I grabbed both Jonghyun and Onew's hands. I felt Jonghyun jump at my sudden action. "W-w-why are you h-h-holding my hand?" he stuttered.
Without looking back at him, I answered, "We're crossing the streets. I don't know if you might cross the street without looking both ways."
"A-a-are you holding h-h-hyung's hand?" he asked quietly. I showed him my hand entangled with Onew's hand. Onew's head popped up to wave at Jonghyun.
Jonghyun lowered his head and cleared his throat. "Oh." I let out a soft sigh and started to cross the street while holding onto two grown boys. Everyone stared at us, making faces as we crossed the street. I ignored them completely, not giving a damn if they stared. Suddenly, I started to speak.
"Oh, and don't worry-" I turned my head back to face both the boys but I was really staring at Jonghyun.
I smiled at him. "I'll never leave you behind."