He Started It by Hitting on Me

Unexpected Revelation

It's been two weeks since visiting Key. During those two weeks, things have been less than awkward but nowhere near normal. I came back to school the day after the funeral and was immediately bombarded by concerned hooligans from the group I hang out with. Onew asked what I had done yesterday to create such a scene, Minho asked where did I go last night, and Taemin was yelling out incoherent Korean.
I answered their questions patiently, giving them details that only I knew of. I told them I fought with that woman, but did not tell them why. I said I remembered drinking last night, but I did not know where I had gone off. After answering their questions, a small sigh escaped from each of their lips.
"Mi Young, you should have been more careful with what you were doing," Minho warned.
"You could have gone to hospital for drinking so much," Onew warned me as well.
"Did someone take the 'v' word away from you? Are you no longer innocent?" Taemin asked as he shook my shoulders.
I agreed with Minho and Onew, and replied to Taemin by saying no. A huge wave of relief came over him as he smiled at me. "Good," he giggled quietly. After hearing about their concerns for me, I was surprised to learn they were actually worried. I didn't know these three guys much, but their worry proved to me that people actually did care. It scared me, yet I came through a feeling of warmth because of that.
Jonghyun came after, a book in his hand as he walked towards us. It was so unusual to see him with a book in his hand, considering I've never seen him with such a thing. But it was only because he had a test to study for. He said hi to all three of them. When he laid eyes on me, a smile appeared over his lips.
"Hey," he greeted me.
I nodded back. "Hi."
Nothing much really happened after that. Well, that is, until Key pushed through the school doors. Everyone shushed to see Key's face. He wasn't staring at anyone but the vast space of air. He swallowed saliva down rather difficultly. At first glance you could tell Key didn't know what to do. He had no idea on how to walk across the hallway without someone by his side. He hasn't been without a girl next to him for at most seven years. It was tough without your loved one there anymore.
When Key found my eyes, I gestured him to walk with one swift hand gesture. "Go ahead," I mouthed to him.
I don't know how Key managed to do it, but he did it. He strutted confidently from the opened doors of the school towards us. His confident aura was chilling, but I was able to see the look on his face that said he thought he wasn't able to do it any longer. I thought otherwise.
Everyone gaped at him in awe. They looked at Key walk farther and farther away from the doors, wondering how in hell he did that.
This didn't only show he was able to walk without his girlfriend by his side, but it also showed he was able to go on with life. He was going to be just fine in the near future. And I'm still keeping onto my hopes.
Once Key got to us, Taemin was the first to jump into Key's arms. He hugged him so tight; I could clearly see the veins wanting to pop out from Key's neck. Nonetheless, Key let Taemin hug him, for he missed him immensely. There were no words spoken as they hugged, and the rest of us didn't say anything either. We kept quiet as we stared at them embrace each other.
I guess you could say this was a moment for reconciling. After their death-experiencing hug, Key talked to the other guys as well. From what I saw, Key was still sad. His eyes still showed the hurt and sorrow from yesterday. His smile was broken and was not the same as before. It will probably be never the same again. No, it will never be the same again. Not now, not later, and not in the future. This damned, retched fact has been stapled to all of our minds and there is no way getting rid of it. We would never be the same. It was simply the ugly truth.
A week later, we had a funeral for Hea Won. We all saw her one last time in a church. I've never been in a church before. Never have I set foot on church property. That is, until Hea Won made me. Hea Won's funeral was quiet. It was literally quiet. No one said anything. No one did anything. We were all like synchronized soulless zombies that wanted to scream, but couldn't.
I knew I wanted to scream. I knew Key wanted to scream too. Key left as soon as she was gone from our sight. I touched Hea Won for the last time. She was cold. Her hand was cold, her face was cold, and her whole body was the Arctic. She was frigid and lifeless. She was going to continue being this way until she's nothing but bones. Ha. At least Hea Won finally gets the size she's wanted: nothing but bones.
When it was time to dig Hea Won in her grave, I couldn't stand to watch. My heart was going to give in if I did look. I would have jumped in that hole and try to bring Hea Won back to life. However, I stayed put next to the other guys and watched the coffin holding her corpse be buried. I held the lump back inside in my throat as I watched her go down in that ditch. They brought her down in the dark dirt and buried her. They buried her right in front of me.
My best friend was buried in front of me. That was scarred into my memory.
We all wanted her to come back, but there was no such thing as supernatural activity in the real world. Right, because the real world we live in sucks. It didn't give you that many possibilities.
Hea Won's parents were devastated. They were sobbing the whole entire time as the funeral went on. They kept crying when Hea Won was buried. Their only daughter was dead. They made themselves feel even worse when they came to the fact that they haven't been spending so much time with her. Honestly, it wasn't their fault; that's how life goes.
Things were practically the same old, same old. Classes were the same, the work was still useless, and life was just how it started out for me in the beginning. My English teacher pretended to forget about what happened and treated me like he always did. It made me feel bad that I yelled at him when he was being nice to me now. The kids were no longer looking at me weirdly. They finally learned to mind their own damn business.
Oh, and have I mentioned Yanna joined along with us? She transferred into the school the same week Hea Won's funeral was held. Ever since she became one of our classmates, Minho has never left her side. Well, aside from his classes he doesn't have with her, Minho is always with Yanna. They are outside during lunch, they are strolling through the hallways to their next class, and they always come and go to school together. This caused for the group to get suspicious. Only Jonghyun and I knew what was going on between them, though, we didn't tell the others. Like I said, I wanted Minho to tell them for himself. He thinks he's not as important as us, but I wanted to prove him wrong. To be proved right, Minho was the only one who can accomplish this goal.
On the fourth day Yanna has been a part of our school, the guys finally decided to confront them. They all asked who she is, and why was he hanging out with her. At first, Minho couldn't respond to them. It was as if he had better things to do, which was absolutely correct. Key poked his stomach multiple times to get him to speak. Once Minho got tired with the multiple pokes, he told them she was his girlfriend. And of course, knowing them, they went overboard.
Key was his usual motherly self, complaining about why Minho hadn't told Key first. Onew was upset because Minho wasn't single anymore and ruined the whole 'single' thing we had going on. Taemin wasn't there in sight, but I bet that if he found out, he would be up in Yanna's face and be ing at her for a long time. Jonghyun acted surprised so he wouldn't get in any trouble with Key, who wanted to be the first one to know. I stayed quiet. I was busy being proud that I was proven right. All of his friends were all ing at him, but this proved they cared for him. I told him they cared and he was just as important. He was thinking low of himself. I wanted to prove him wrong. And I did.
At one time or another, Minho and my eyes met and I gave him a thumbs-up. He gave me a small smile in return. After the whole ruckus about Yanna and Minho's relationship, it turned out that everyone began to like Yanna. They wanted to kill her at first and see if she was a , but Yanna passed their odd tests. Yanna was so kind to all of them and treated them as if they were her siblings. They immediately had a liking to her.
So, that's all that's happened. It's basically the usual stuff; nothing weird or shocking to happen in those two weeks. Well, for me, that is. The whole 'Minho-has-a-girlfriend' thing shocked mostly everyone. It wasn't that hard for the news to get around school. People never thought Minho would have a girlfriend, for he was never really interested in anyone. They flipped when they found out the new girl was Minho's girlfriend.
Other than that, school has never been so boring. I've been getting back to my studies and such. Though I already got into a college, I don't think there really is a point in studying anymore. Did we have tests anymore? I know the other kids do. You see; I took an early entrance exam to get into college. Other kids are taking the regular entrance exam at the end of the year. Well, good luck to those kids. It's been years of hell of studying for me. Who knows? They might get somewhere in life.
I woke up on another day, my eyes not wanting to open up. I knew I had to get up sooner or later. I grudgingly opened my eyes and immediately closed them after encountering the radiant beams of sunshine attacking my face. I put a hand up to quickly shield my face from the intensely golden color of the sun. Birds were chirping outside my window. I snuck a glance towards my dresser and checked the time. It was 7:06 in the morning. School starts at 8:30. I should get up then.
As I sat up straight in my bed, my neck suddenly felt stiff to me. I moaned silently in annoyance and arched my back to flex my muscles. Though it did nothing to my stiff neck, I felt a bit relaxed from all the tension I've went through recently. I stayed in my sitting position for at least a minute, taking the silence and calm nature in. Who knows? It might be the last time I'll ever get peace or tranquility.
A few minutes passed quickly. I threw the covers off of me and jumped out of bed. I gave out another long yawn as I lazily walked towards the bathroom. After entering the bathroom, I did the usual fixes on myself. I brushed my teeth, took a shower, dried my hair, put on that damned uniform, and I was set to go. I remembered my bag was placed downstairs, so I didn't go search for it in my room.
I jogged down the stairs and made my entrance into the kitchen. Once I set foot onto the tiled floor, I saw a figure in one of the chairs reading the newspaper silently. She looked like her typical self before she goes to work: clean, neat and trimmed. Her long, dark hair was tied into a bun and her glasses were set at the bridge of her nose. When she looked up from the newspaper, both of our eyes met for a moment. She stared at me briefly. The quick look she gave me was none other than a blank stare. However, even if it was expressionless, there seemed to be thousands of words plastered all over her unnerving eyes. The kitchen grew silent and suddenly gave off an eerie feeling.
I looked away the same time she did. Without a word, I walked past her and went for the refrigerator. Pulling it open, I grabbed a carton of whole milk and shut the door. I grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and a box of cereal as well. My back was facing her the whole time while I made my breakfast. I sighed quietly as I leaned my arms against the counter. I could sit there and eat, or I could stay in my position and eat here. But do you really assume I'm going to stand here while eating?
I grabbed my bowl and walked towards the table, placing the cereal bowl across from her. I took a hold of the chair and let it slowly screech under my feet. She barely flinched at the sound. After having enough space for me to sit, I quietly sat down in my chair and picked up the spoon from the bowl. I scooped some of my cereal and milk and dug it into my mouth. As I was eating my breakfast, I never glanced up to look at her. I kept my eyes glued to the soggy cereal and cinnamon swirls in the milk. She didn't look up either.
I left the milk alone and put the spoon in the bowl. I held the bowl in my hands as I pushed the chair back. It screeched against the white, clear tiles of the floor. I looked up from the floor to see her reaction. She was still reading the newspaper, undisturbed by my actions.
I picked myself up from the chair and walked towards the sink. I dumped the cinnamon milk and scrubbed my bowl of any substance. After cleaning the bowl, I put it back in its rightful position and placed the spoon in the drawers. I turned on my heel once turning around. Without glancing at her, I walked away from the table and the kitchen. I entered the living room to retrieve my bag. I pulled it up and threw it over my shoulder. The atmosphere was remained silent.
I walked towards the front door. I stared at a small table by the front door. I stared at the keys taking up some of the space on the flat surface. I stared at the golden keys with a stony expression. I stayed patiently quiet for at most a minute. The only sound I could only hear is that bird from earlier today. I waited for a little more. A few moments later, I grabbed the keys and went out the door. I shut it behind me with my back facing the door. As my hand lingered on the doorknob, I lowered my head.
I knew the fight was unreasonable, but her silence makes it worse.
I sighed and let go of the doorknob. I started to head for school. I walked past through houses and a small school for pre-kindergarten. The morning showed sign of a healthy day. It was one of those mornings where the sun was gleaming over houses and making the tress create cool shadows. It could have been a perfect setting for a picture. Despite the more than realistic scenery, I had a feeling the weather was going to turn 180 degrees. And my assumed guess just may be accurate.
My whole walk to school was outright boring. Besides the whole setting, I had nothing to do but to walk. I shrugged to myself and sighed quietly. It'll be better by the time I get to school.
At least, I hope so.
By the time I do get to school, kids were scattered around the whole yard. School was going to start soon. I walked through the black gates of the school and entered the school grounds. I jogged up the stairs to go inside the school. After entering the school, I instantly heard kids' silent mumbles around me. Most of the students here were just doing some last minute studying before first period or in vacant rooms of the school. Yes, my school is still a whorehouse to this day.
I walked straight and then took a left to get to my locker. A clock was present in my time of need on the wall to my right. It was 8:20. Yes, class was going to start in ten minutes. Homeroom is in five minutes. I opened my locker to take some books out and put some books in. As I was doing my work, I heard people coming in the school. It was getting louder and more crowded. I sighed. It's going to get deafening soon.
I put the books I need in my bag and slung my bag over my shoulder as I shut the locker. As soon as I close the door, a voice speaks out. "Hey, Mi Young."
"Hi," I greeted Key, turning sideways to face him. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder.
"What's up?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I just came to school," I replied.
He slightly parted his mouth. He nodded. "Ah," he whispered. He held out a bag. "I brought lunch for you~" he smiled.
"What is it this time?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Why don't you find out at lunch?"
"I'd rather know what I'm eating than surprising myself," I told him.
He put his hands to his waist. "Yah, do you think my food will taste horrible? Has my cooking ever tasted bad?" he asked, his eyes piercing through mine. I sighed.
"No," I answered for both questions.
Key smiled, satisfied. "Good. Then eat it at lunch. I made a lot," he informed me.
"Oh, that's great," I commented, eyeing the bag. He wasn't lying when he said he made a lot.
"Better be," he muttered. I rolled my eyes but smiled. If I said something about his cooking, he'd go on and on about not appreciating the effort and love he's put into it and how long he's cooked this and blah, blah, blah. You know how sensitive Key can be about his cooking. At the corner of my eye, I saw Onew slowly creeping behind Key. When he saw me, he put a finger up to his lips. Getting his message, I started a conversation with Key.
"So, Key; what do you have first period?" I asked, distracting him.
Key looked up. "I think... History? Probably. You?" he asked.
"Um, I think English. When do we have math? Do you know?" I asked him, glancing at Onew inching closer towards Key. His smile was so creepy; I would have laughed if it weren't for me to keep Key company.
"Err, sixth period. Hey, did you do that worksheet on permutations-"
"BOO!"
"AHH!" Key jumped forward to grab me by the shoulders as his breath became unevenly sharp. His look of bewilderment was replaced with a scowl. He turned his head towards Onew. "Yah! What the hell was that? You scared me!" he spat.
Onew was all smiles when he stared at Key. "That was the point," he replied.
" that scared me!" Key exclaimed.
Onew rolled his eyes. "That was the whole point," he repeated.
"Pabo, you want me to do that to you?" Key growled.
"I bet you won't even scare me," Onew scoffed, folding his arms. Key glowered at him.
"We'll see about that..." Key trailed off, seeming scarier as his glare deepened into Onew's eyes. Seeing on how awkward this moment is, I tell Key to take his hands off of me. He stares at his hands on my shoulders and scoffs. "Why? Are my hands too beautiful for your shoulders?" he asked, his ego getting bigger by the second. I poked his head rather firmly.
"Take them off," I rolled my eyes.
Key took his hands down from my shoulders and scoffed. "I bet they are too beautiful for you, huh?" he asked.
"Yes, your bony hands of fury," I replied sarcastically. He ignored my sarcastic tone and smirked, flipping his hair in the process.
"I know they're beautiful. Just look at how creamy and slender they are; I mean, I have the hands that are right to play the piano," Key blabbered on.
"Key, your hands are ugly," Onew remarked.
Key put up a hand in front of Onew's face, threatening him. "Yah, you want me to hit you?" he asked rather loudly. Onew put his hands up.
"I'm okay, thank you," Onew responded, backing away. I smiled slightly at their pointless fight. It's these kinds of moments I've been missing for a while now. As they bickered, 'the couple' joined us as well. Minho and Yanna were hand in hand as they walked towards us.
"Hey guys," Minho greeted us.
"Hi!" Yanna smiled, waving her hand.
"Oh, hey," Onew smiled.
"Omo, Yanna- look, look! I brought you food~" Key smiled, giving her a container. "And you too, Minho." He handed Minho a container as well. I don't think I've mentioned Key has been making our lunches for a while now. We haven't eaten cafeteria food for a few weeks.
Minho eyed the container. "What did you do to this one?" he mumbled.
"I did nothing! Pfft, Minho. Do you actually think I would put poison in my cooking?" Key gasped.
"The most likely possibility you would do is putting a drug in there."
"I wish," Key grumbled. Minho rolled his eyes.
"Hi Yanna," I greeted.
"Hey, Mi Young. How are you?" she asked.
I shrugged. "All right."
"I'm glad to hear that," she smiled. I smiled back. It was good to have at least another girl in the group. I was glad I wasn't going to be the only girl because Minho confirmed his relationship with Yanna. Things were so far, okay.
Jonghyun had one hand on his bag strap as he casually nodded his head towards Minho's direction. "Hey," he greeted.
He gave a polite hi to Yanna, and waved at Onew and Key. He looked at me and nodded his head. "Hey," he greeted.
"Hi," I replied back.
"How are you?" he asked. This was the same question for me everyday. He never seemed to stop asking this. Ever since he took me in from the drunken stage I was at two weeks ago, he's been very... protective. Well, friends do that for each other, right?
"I'm fine," I replied.
He smiled. "Good."
Suddenly, Key coughed. "Confess," he said in between coughs. I furrowed my eyes.
"What?" I asked.
Jonghyun widened his eyes. "He said... caress," he said. I raised an eyebrow.
"Caress what?" I asked.
Jonghyun slightly parted his lips. "U-uh, I d-don't know. He said it!" he stuttered. He looked at Key hopelessly. "That's what you said, right?" he asked, his tone dark compared to his look.
Key merely shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Whatever suits you," he replied lazily.
I shrugged. "Alright," I muttered. I didn't really want to know what was going on between then right now.
Suddenly, the bell rang to inform us it was time to go to first period. We all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Homeroom was just around the corner.
I walked in the classroom, being one of the few people to make it there. I sat in my regular seat by the window and took out my books on the desk in front of me for next period. I wonder why Taemin wasn't there. I knew Taemin has been busying himself for exams and was never in sight anymore.
I leaned my cheek against my palm and circled the flat surface of my desk with my finger. I hope school can pass by quickly. Nowadays, it seems like I can only get one or two hours of relaxation. With the end of the year coming and people becoming more and more restless, things seem slow and even more boring. I can't even think right. I don't even know what I'm saying now. So, let's just skip this whole day. First period class was English, which was the same. We did work and paid attention to the teacher. History was the same as English. Gym was useless. Lunch was the best time for me; Key's lunch was too good to decline. I had English again and after that, it was math.
In Math, Onew, Key and I have been talking to each other more frequently. Minho skipped class to be with Yanna. Key and Onew's little contest to see who would scare whom better was still taking turns for the worst. Key would try to scare Onew from time to time, but it didn't work because Onew would always find Key in the position before scaring him. It was such ironic bad luck.
Ms. Kim disappeared from the class and this gave us almost a whole free period to do anything. We didn't do anything, really. We said things that didn't make any sense. We said things that were out of the blue. We said things that didn't mean anything at all. Basically, we were being friends. You could say Math was really fun today. I knew it was better than being stuck inside a coop of insensitive es that show no sign of wanting an education.
In science, Professor Cheung was surprisingly absent. I had no idea why he was absent, for he is one of the teachers to have a perfect attendance record in this school. But this meant no work and a whole free period. Jonghyun, Onew, and I played, "Would You Rather..." and "Truth or Dare". Onew picked dares, and made a complete fool out of himself. He was chosen to insult a , slap a jock, and grind against a desk near the substitute's desk. I swear I heard a small yelp by there.
Onew has been slapped, been punched in the gut, and was embarrassed. I can't blame the guy that wanted to be adventurous. Onew groaned in his seat. He rubbed his stomach. "It hurts," he mumbled.
Jonghyun pointed a finger at him. "You picked dares all the time. It isn't our fault."
"Well, next time, choose less painful dares! I'm going to die soon if you keep doing this," Onew wailed. Jonghyun rolled his eyes.
"Fine. To be nice, I'll leave you alone. But it's your turn now," Jonghyun averted his attention to me. I was sitting next to him, but our chairs were turned towards the seats behind us because Onew was in one of them. Tiny Loud Mouth wasn't here today either. Onew compared this miracle to being better than chicken in the body of a woman.
I folded my arms and raised my eyebrows. "Go," I told him. He slightly parted his mouth.
"We're going to play Would You Rather. So, let's start. Would you rather... eat a whole bottle of lube in one go, or get ed in the by two guys at once?" Jonghyun asked, waggling his eyebrows in a disgusting manner.
"Holy , my ears are dying," Onew almost exclaimed, bringing his hands to cover his ears. Jonghyun smirked at Onew but looked back at me.
"Well?" he asked.
My arms were still folded as my deadpan expression shot him in the face. "I'd rather grind against the teacher's desk than choose one of those suggestions," I replied rather frankly.
Jonghyun shrugged. "You have to choose one of those. Just choose one and it'll all be over. But of course, your pride will be hurt just a weensy bit," he leaned back in his chair, smiling. I rolled my eyes. Of course a kind Jonghyun wouldn't last for long; he's got that damn ego to make him the jackass he is.
"Why don't you pick one? I've already got in mind what you're going to pick," I smirked slightly, the corners of my lips turning up. Jonghyun smirked back, his expression interested in my reply.
"I'd like to, but unfortunately, it's your turn. Now go," he pressed, silently gesturing with his eyes. Knowing Jonghyun would keep on urging me to pick one; I gave out a tired sigh.
"Eat a whole bottle of lube," I answered, closing my eyes for a long moment. As I did close my eyes, Jonghyun's haughty laughter rang in my ears.
"I knew you weren't going to pick the other. You'd die of two ing you in the -, "
"Again, my ears are dying. Damn it, I'm older and yet you talk dirtier than I ever will. I've been such a bad role model," Onew pouted, his hands still attached to his ears. Jonghyun waved his hand carelessly in front of Onew's face.
"Yeah, yeah. It's your turn, so go," Jonghyun muttered, his eyes trailing to the floor. Onew grinned.
"Yay, it's my turn! Okay, let's see..." Onew tapped his chin with his pointer as he drowned himself in his thoughts. His eyes brightened up once he got an idea. "Let's go with Truth or Dare," he announced. Jonghyun gestured him to go on with his hand.
"Okay... Mi Young, this is for you. Truth or Dare?" he asked.
"Truth," I answered back shortly after he asked.
Onew nodded. "Okay. Who do you think is the handsomest one out of our group?" he asked.
"I don't think anyone is handsome in the group," I replied shortly after his question. Onew widened his eyes.
"Not even me?" he squeaked, pointing at himself. Jonghyun snickered under his breath, seeming somewhat satisfied. I frowned inside my head.
I divided my lips to say something, but stopped halfway. I hesitated to say what I wanted to say as my head tilted to the side a little. I furrowed my eyes. "You know what? No, I do think someone is the handsomest one in our group," I commented. After hearing this, both Jonghyun and Onew perked up to hear my opinion. I still had that hesitant look on my face as I took quick glances at the two anticipated boys in front of me. Both Onew and Jonghyun were leaning in forward to hear my response. One of my eyes twitched slightly before I answered.
"I think Onew is the best looking," I nonchalantly answered. Onew's little 'o'-shaped mouth spread into a wide grin. His smile was so wide; his eyes were barely there.
"Well, it's so obvious," he boasted, flipping his hair with his hand. I rolled my eyes but smiled. I wanted to see Onew's reaction. I knew he would do or say something ridiculous. "So you really think I'm good looking?" he asked.
I nodded. "Very," I answered, smiling a little.
In all honesty, Onew wasn't that ugly. He wasn't y, but he wasn't one ugly duckling. He was all right for his age. So, yeah, I thought he was okay for looks. I didn't think Onew was the best looking in the group. Actually, I didn't find any of them attractive. Okay, they're all attractive in their own way, but I had no attraction towards any of them. Key was my best guy friend, Minho had a girlfriend, Taemin was busy obsessing over me that I didn't have to find him attractive, Onew's all right for a chicken-lover, and Jonghyun.
...
I honestly don't have any words to say for this guy. I mean, he's ugly, what else is there to say? I've always thought he was ugly, right from the start. He's got such huge nostrils along with those damn suffocating orbs that represent needing pity. He's not even that tall and good looking, so I don't know why girls lust over him. His hair is nice, but that's as much as a compliment as I'll ever give him.
Speaking of the distorted dinosaur, he's giving Onew one hell of a deathly glare. His face was slightly tinted with crimson and the dark brow on top of his forehead was furrowed in the scary way. I raised my eyebrows slightly to Jonghyun's face. "Are you okay?" I asked slowly.
Jonghyun's face was still red, but his skin tone turned to a light pink. He took a deep breath. His eyebrows relaxed.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, his tone rather sharp. I didn't say anything back. The atmosphere was quiet, besides the other kids around us doing their own thing. I stared at Jonghyun regaining his composure as Onew bit his lip slightly while looking at the floor. We all were quiet for a while, all of us not sure of what to do or say. Suddenly, Jonghyun exhaled loudly. "Well, who's going next? -"
"Mi Young, am I y enough to date?" Onew asked out of the blue, leaning towards me. Jonghyun slammed his fists against the desk.
"God damn it, can you shut up? Who cares if she thinks you're hot? I don't know why she would think you're good looking when there are many other people. God, you guys are always freaking flirting. Whenever you guys are together, there is always some kind of conversation that has to include a smile or touching or whatever. Don't you have the decency to stop it if you don't like one another?!" Jonghyun spat, his fists flying in the air. I widened my eyes. Holy damn.
"Okay, calm down. We were never flirting in the first place. I don't know what you mean by flirting when this is a friendly conversation between us two. Jonghyun, you know I wouldn't flirt with Mi Young. It's just... not right," Onew scrunched his face in repugnance.
Okay, am I supposed to feel offended by this? First Minho, and now this guy- am I really that bad? Even Onew doesn't want to flirt with me. Flirt! That's just a small step in this whole lovey-dovey world. I mean, I could care less about all this, but knowing how many guys would rather e to their voice than go out with me is just... sad. Even for me.
Jonghyun wasn't done just yet. "Then stop being so friendly! Every time you guys have a 'friendly conversation', it just pisses me off," Jonghyun growled.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why would it piss you off?" I asked, finally speaking up after Jonghyun's outburst. And the dinosaur's rage silently plummets. Jonghyun's eyes widened and his mouth hung a bit open.
"H-huh?" he asked, his loud voice simmering to a squeak.
"Why do you get so angry if I 'flirt' with one of the guys? Why does it matter to you?" I asked, folding my arms. Honestly, why did it matter to him so much? He's just a friend of mine, no more, no less. What would he possibly be angry about? It's not as if we're dating or anything, so why the sudden outbursts every time a guy and I communicate? It just doesn't fit right.
Jonghyun gulped down a thick was of saliva. "I don't get angry, I get-,"
"Pissed off, I heard. But why? Why do you get so mad about one simple meaningless thing?" I asked.
Jonghyun blinked a couple of times as his mouth stayed halfway opened. His mouth was moving a bit to inform me he was going to give me an answer, but he suddenly shook his head. "Aish, it doesn't matter. This doesn't matter, okay? I was just being stupid," Jonghyun mumbled, a light blush creeping to his cheeks.
I frowned. "But-,"
"Ah, Mi Young. Let him be. He's just a kid who's confused with his self. Just let him be," Onew sighed, shaking his head slightly.
I furrowed my eyes.
"What?" I asked, not fully understanding what Onew just said.
"Don't listen to Onew, he's a half-baked who doesn't know what he's saying," Jonghyun growled, glaring at Onew. Onew smiled in response.
"I love you too, baby~" Onew cooed, patting Jonghyun's head. I slowly leaned back in my chair. I'd rather just stay quiet than stir up more consequences. A few seconds later, the bell rang to notify us we were done for the day. Everyone got up from their seats and quickly exited the classroom, ignoring the substitute. Yeah, no one cares about substitutes- it was just a fact and a rule in our school. Follow it or be a teacher's slave forever. Just kidding, but seriously, no one cares about substitutes.
All three of us went together to the exit out from school, where Key, Minho and Yanna were waiting. Key was ing at Minho and Yanna again, telling them how close they were physically and exaggerating why Minho's hand was touching Yanna in places where girls shouldn't be touched in public.
"... And please Minho; please tell me you are still a ."
"Oh god, Key, what's wrong with you? That sounds as if you're gay for me," Minho said in utter disgust. Key put his hands on his hips.
"Gay? Really? Do I appear anywhere near homoual to you, Minho?" he asked, his glare piercing through Minho's skull.
Minho shrugged suggestively. "Well-,"
"Minho." If looks could kill, Key's dark orbs could have murdered Minho by now. Minho sighed.
"Whatever," he muttered through his teeth. Key rolled his eyes and turned his attention towards us. His face suddenly brightened.
"Omo, it's you guys!" Key exclaimed, waving his hands slightly in the air. I gave him a thin smile. Onew said hi, and Jonghyun mumbled a "hey". Key instantly found something was wrong in the air, so he just put up a smile. "Uh, let's walk home together. Taemin's busy again, so he won't be coming with us."
Aw. That sucks. I was hoping for someone to break the awkward tension. And who else than Taemin the Obsessed Stalker? I shrugged. "Fine. Let's move, then."
We started to walk out of the exit, walking at the same pace. Minho and Yanna were behind; they were discussing about something I shouldn't be involved in. Don't worry- it was nothing ual. Key was blabbering on and on about some sale at the mall and how he was just completely infatuated with this white halter neck top that's "just freaking adorable".
By the time we were long gone from school and had been isolated from the whores and jerks, we decided to part. Key was going to drag Onew to the mall today, for he needs a supervisor so he wouldn't spend all his money on the "amazingly amazing" clothes he sees. They said goodbye to us as they started to walk away. Minho and Yanna were going to go to Yanna's house and study there.
"Mi Young, you want to stay at my place for a while? I'd love to have you over. And since you're right next door, it wouldn't be a problem, right?" Yanna asked.
Before I could respond, Jonghyun cleared his throat. I glanced over at him and found him staring back at me, an eyebrow raised. I raised an eyebrow as well. "What?" I mumbled; quiet enough for only him to hear.
"Tutoring," he mumbled the same quiet level in his tone.
"Can't we do it another day?" I mumbled back.
"Don't you want tutoring to be over with this week?" he mumbled back, leaning in a little. He glanced at the floor, but looked back at me again. I gave out a small sigh. I looked back at Minho and Yanna.
"Maybe another time would be good. This bastard over here can't get enough of me," I joked, rolling my eyes.
I heard Jonghyun stomp his foot. "Yah!" he barked, "shut up!" I shook my head. Minho smirked while Yanna giggled momentarily.
"Jjong and his lust for women. Oh well. See you later, Mi Young," Minho waved at me as so did Yanna.
"Bye!" she called out when they were almost out of sight. I waved back for a while. I heard heavy footsteps stomping away from me. I rolled my eyes.
"You know, if you keep walking away like that I won't tutor you," I called out. The clearly audible stomps stopped shortly. I smirked to myself. "You listened for once today," I commented, making my way over to him.
Jonghyun scoffed as he folded his arms. "Just hurry up so we could stop wasting time," he groused. I waved my hand carelessly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just keep walking."
So we walked to Jonghyun's walk, insulting each other to waste time. We did the basics: bastard, , dinosaur, short , and the usual. I don't think we've really said anything besides those few words. Sometimes we'd speak gibberish if we forgot what we were going to say, but of course, that's Jonghyun most of the time.
After a while of walking and insulting, the day took a turn for a change. "So, bastard- want to tell me why you got so pissed off at science today?" I asked. Jonghyun stiffened a bit.
"No reason. Why do you want to know?" he asked.
"Well, because it's been happening for a while now," I replied.
He stayed stiff. "What do you mean?" he asked, his gaze focused in front of him.
I opened my mouth. "Well, for a few months you've been having outbursts whenever a guy and I have the slightest communication," I explained.
"That's because those guys can do anything to you anytime."
"You do know the only guys who have ever communicated with me are your friends, right? And you get mad when they do or say something that's nothing to get mad about," I pointed out. Jonghyun shrugged.
"They can be ually deprived maniacs for all I know," Jonghyun shrugged.
"Idiot, you've known them for years and you say that?" I asked, rolling my eyes. Jonghyun raised an eyebrow.
"How would you know how long I've known them?" he asked suspiciously.
Ah, . I shrugged. "It's obvious, duh," I scoffed.
Jonghyun bobbed his head up and down slowly. "Right..." he trailed off.
"Anyway, why do you get mad when I make contact with a guy? Is there a reason?" I asked.
Jonghyun scratched the back of his head. "It's not really reasonable," he answered. I sucked in my cheeks. What is it that this bastard does not want to tell me? Is it that difficult to say? What can his reason be anyway? Not that reasonable. Psh. He is probably right.
"Why do you get so mad...?" I mumbled to myself. Thankfully, he didn't hear it and kept on walking. And then I thought about it. Jonghyun has been acting pretty strange ever since his birthday party. He acted paranoid and nervous and stupid. I thought he acted pretty ridiculous. Then Jonghyun started to become shy yet stupid. If he says something to me or if we share eye contact, he gets flustered. He gets embarrassed. He wasn't cocky or rude or bastardly as much as before. He was much different. It bothered me a bit.
"I want to know the reason," I told him, skidding to a halt. Jonghyun walked a few steps farther until turning around to face me. His expression showed a look of annoyance as his brow slightly furrowed.
"I told you it's unreasonable," he replied.
"You've said other things that made absolutely no sense. What difference does it make if you say another thing?" I asked, folding my arms. Jonghyun's clearly annoyed face still stayed in contact with my unreadable, stubborn expression.
"Look, it's not really important."
"Humor me."
Jonghyun scowled at me. "Listen-,"
"There's a reason why you get mad. You don't act like this with any of your other friends. It's just me. You get jealous when other guys make contact with me, you act differently than from the day I met you, you're more caring nowadays, you don't insult me as much, and you don't pull pranks- just what is going on?" I asked, throwing my arms in the air.
"It's nothing. Let's just leave it at that," Jonghyun growled his voice dangerously low and different from what I've heard. Thunder boomed in the sky as the sunshine started to fade away. I stared at Jonghyun.
"No, we can't. I want to know why you're acting so strange. You've never acted like this before. You've changed," I admitted.
"People change all the time, okay? Seriously, it's nothing. Can we just go home now?-" I interrupted him before he could start another sentence.
"You're nothing like before. You don't really act like you hate me anymore," I said. Thunder boomed across the sky again as water droplets started to fall from the sky. The whole day just got gray and cloudy in a matter of minutes. The day wasn't the only thing that changed character. Jonghyun's annoyed yet tired expression changed to downright furious. He was fuming with anger.
"I don't hate you anymore. Do you not understand that? I think you already know that," he growled again, his voice slightly uneven. I knew he was going to lose it, but that was what I was going for. I wanted him to blurt out what his reason was.
"Is this your way of telling me that you want to be nice to each other from now on? Because if it is-,"
"Damn it, how stupid can you get? No, of course that's not the reason!" Jonghyun yelled as the rain started to fall heavily. An audible sound of thunder rang against my ears again, but it wasn't as loud as the other times.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Then what-,"
"I've been acting like a damn for a long time now. Did you not realize that? I wasn't acting like my cocky self because of a stupid reason. Well, it may be stupid to you, but it's painfully important to me!" Jonghyun yelled again, his anger lost in control. I let him talk more as I waited to hear his anticipated reason. And boy, did I hear it.
***
"Ah, noona will love these!" Taemin smiled to himself as he gave a multi-colored bouquet a look of satisfaction. He was walking down the road from the small flower shop where he had gotten the flowers. Since his final exams were taking a turn for the better, he decided to celebrate by giving his beloved noona flowers.
He examined the flowers once more. There were three yellow carnations, two white daisies, one pink tulip, and a beautiful rose in the center of it all. Taemin bit his lip impatiently as he tried to hold back a smile. Gosh, I hope noona loves them. Then I'll know she loves me back! Taemin thought giddily to himself as he crossed the street to get to his noona's house. He walked a bit quicker to get to the house, for he was an impatient young man. Once he found it in sight, he almost ran to get to the doorbell.
He pressed the doorbell with a finger and waited for the door to open so he could jump into his noona's arms. He patiently waited by the door as a few minutes went by. He heard thunder explode in the sky. Taemin widened his eyes. Uh-oh, it's almost going to rain. When is noona going to open the door? He thought as he bit his lip lightly. He rang the doorbell again.
A few moments later, a door to a house opened up. Out came a girl in a ponytail. She was going to go get her mail when she saw Taemin loitering around her neighbor's front door. She furrowed her eyes. "Hey," she called out to him. Taemin immediately turned around.
"Deh?" he asked, not forgetting to be polite. He knew he should have bowed down but it was too late now.
The girl pointed at him. "Are you waiting for somebody?" she asked. He nodded. The girl stared at him for a little while. "For Mi Young?" she tried, hoping she got it right. Before she saw the face of the unknown man she was talking to, her eyes were averted to the bright colors of the flowers. She had thought it was for Mi Young, since the boy seemed to be young.
Taemin's mouth broke out into a smile and he nodded. "Deh, I'm looking for Mi Young noona. Mind telling me where she might be, uh, noona?" he asked, thinking she was probably older than him. Most people he knew were older than him.
The girl nodded. "Ah, yes. She's with Jonghyun. If you know where his house his, then you'll be fine," the girl responded.
"Yah, Yanna! Get your back in here, I'm not done with you in the game yet!" a voice called out from her house.
The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm coming, fool! Shut up!" she yelled back. She turned back to Taemin. "I'm sorry, my boyfriend is a nut case," she apologized.
Taemin smiled and shook his head. "No, it's fine. He sounds a bit competitive, though." Sounds like one of my hyungs.
Yanna laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he sure is. Ooh, I better get the mail before it rains. I'll see you later, probably?" she asked, smiling. Taemin couldn't help but to smile back. He nodded and then bowed.
Anyo, noona! And thank you~!" he waved as he walked away from Mi Young's door. Yanna waved back.
That kid is so cute, Yanna thought.
Taemin started to walk towards Jonghyun's house as he felt a bit of water tap him on forehead. A thought brushed past his head as the rain began to fall quicker. Why would noona be at hyung's house?
***
"A month ago, I found out something I hated. I loathed it so much; it almost drove me to insanity. I think I was insane. I kept regretting it for a long time. It wasn't until a little later I decided to stop denying the truth. I stopped banging girls because of that reason!" Jonghyun yelled. The whole day turned dark in a short while as rain started to pour down onto our bodies. I was already wet; my bangs were matted to my forehead. After hearing the last sentence, I furrowed my brow once again.
"Why would you do that?" I asked.
Jonghyun gave me an incredulous look as his eye twitched uncomfortably. "Are you kidding me? You asked why I did this or that and I gave you more of an explanation to it, yet you still don't understand?" Jonghyun asked, obviously surprised.
I nodded slowly, unsure of what to do or say at the moment. "Are you going to tell me or-,"
"You idiot, I like you!"
The whole world stopped rotating on its axis. My eyes were widened to the point where my eyeballs began to hurt. All I could see was his face from the darkness of the rainy day. My heart stopped for a second as well.
"What?" I asked, completely surprised with what just came out of his mouth. I had to hear it again to make sure I wasn't having one of those Jonghyun dreams that appear out of the blue. Remember the one where he kissed me while I was throwing knives at him? Yup. Weird dream.
Thunder made its appearance again as the sky flashed. Water droplets hit the back of my neck, creating a cold sensation. Jonghyun groaned. "God, I like you. Can't you hear me? I like you. I always did like you! You're just too dense to see it and I was too damn scared to tell you. I wanted to tell you later or sooner or whatever but I couldn't find the right time. I like you," he confessed, a blush creeping over to his face. His anger ruined the whole embarrassment thing.
I stared at him, obviously shocked. I stood there in front of him with my mouth opened and my eyes widened as if I'd just been the victim who's been shot in the face. Though my face was much more horrid.
"I don't girls anymore because it would have been wrong to do it while I liked you. I get protective over you because I like you. I don't know how to explain my feelings in words because everything is too complicated and I just can't..." Jonghyun trailed off, closing his eyes in the process.
One of my eyes twitched unnoticeably for five seconds. I couldn't think of anything or say anything or do anything. My whole mind was messed up and jumbled with several thoughts of confusion. Jonghyun said he likes me. Me. Me, Park Mi Young, the only girl who ever picked on him and started fights. I, Park Mi Young, the girl who he thought was ugly and an atrocious . Me, Park Mi Young, the girl he was rejected by. Me, Park Mi Young... the girl he liked. Jonghyun liked me. It was just too surreal to believe. How could he like... me? He said he would have never liked me! And for what reason does he like me? That's an answer I'd like to hear. God, why me?
I seemed to be lost in some kind of random thought because Jonghyun was gingerly cupping my face with his hands when I came back to reality. I thought I would have jumped back to the touch of a boy, but I stayed in place. I was too shocked to process anything right now.
While his whole body was wet, his hands were dry and warm. "I've wanted to tell you for some time now, but I couldn't find the time. I was scared about what you were going to say," he admitted quietly, looking straight at me. I stared back at him, but avoided his dark orbs. I was looking around at his sclera or something.
He leaned his face in closer, his breath hot and heavy against my face. It smelled of mint. "All I wanted to do was just tell you. I like you so, so much," he almost whispered. His whisper was as quiet as a ghost yet so loud to my ears.
I stared at him, my expression probably flabbergasted. I was absolutely lost. My world was messed up. The weather was the epitome of my world right now.
Jonghyun's wet hair touched my forehead and more water droplets contacted with my skin. These droplets created a shiver down my spine. He kept staring into my eyes and I had no other choice but to stare at his. There it was again: the lonely look. I had to pity him once again. But for what? I don't know. I can't think straight. Again, I was lost, completely lost.
I stared into his eyes as my mouth slightly parted. I didn't know what to say. What was I going to say? I knew that if I did say something, I would be stuttering to substitute for my lack of words. There was nothing going on for me in my mind. As my mouth parted, Jonghyun was patiently waiting for me to speak. He waited and waited as his eyes never faltered from their position. They stayed right on mine.
His presence (and his body very close to mine) was making me feel uncomfortable. It was almost like a small hell since I had no idea what to do. It was like torture. It was torture. I was suffocating under those dark orbs and those very big yet warm hands gently holding my face.
I felt... weird.
I glanced behind Jonghyun to see if I could get rid of his uncomfortable gaze, but it led to even more trouble. A few yards away behind Jonghyun with a wet bouquet of flowers in hands, was Taemin. His blonde hair was wet against his forehead and his lips were quivering. His whole body was trembling. I widened my eyes. Oh no.
"T-t-taemin," I stuttered. Jonghyun turned his head to see Taemin, who was right on the verge of spilling wet, salty tears. Jonghyun suddenly let go of my face and his arms fell to his side.
After hearing his name, Taemin ran away from us. He was running fast and he was beginning to fade away from my sight before I could do anything. I said his name again. "Taemin!" I yelled, trying to get his attention. But it was no use. He was almost gone. I almost began to run when I realized what position I was in. Jonghyun was still there. He was staring at me now, a blank look spread across his face. I took in some air. Uh-oh. Difficult decision.
I kept glancing at the fading Taemin in the distance and then at an awaiting Jonghyun. Shall I do "Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe"? Is that stupid in this case? Yes, I think it is, Mi Young. "Uh..." I mumbled, not knowing what to do. If I stay with Jonghyun, Taemin will be off somewhere, either crying or committing suicide. If I go after Taemin, Jonghyun will be... heartbroken. I guess you could say that.
Thunder rumbled again. Rain was pouring even more than before. I closed my eyes. Fine, I'll choose something. "I have to go," I muttered to Jonghyun. And then I ran.
I began to run after Taemin, still hoping to see if he was there. There was a very distant figure many yards away, but I am keeping my hopes high to catch up to him. I kept running and running, my legs pumping faster and the adrenaline rushing through my body. I knew whenever I stopped running; I was going to be panting for a long, long time.
And I also knew I left a very disappointed guy behind.
***
Well. This is a sad way of getting rejected.
I watched Mi Young run after Taemin, who was almost already gone. After seeing Taemin's doleful expression, I knew I just became the worst hyung ever to him. I felt like the worst hyung. I knew Taemin had serious feelings for Mi Young, yet I went and confessed to her.
She was scared. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know this was coming, and I didn't either. It just had to come out, you know? It just had to.
A part of me is relieved I confessed. A load has been just taken off from my shoulders. It feels pretty good. But I knew I messed up. I told Mi Young I liked her and I get hurt in the end.
And I was supposed to be the one who hated her. Weird how things turn out, huh? Life is messed up, no matter what you do. It always has to mess you up in some kind of ed up way. My life is pretty ed up. Oh yes, yes it is. I confess my feelings to a girl I knew was different, yet she was the one who ran away. Well, she had to, didn't she? Taemin needs more comfort than me at the moment.
Of course I'm heartbroken. Why wouldn't I be? I'm crushed. This is one of the dumbest things I've done. I just knew today wasn't the right to confess, I just knew it. But Mi Young drove me into doing it. She was getting me mad, so I had to do it. I was going to do it sooner or later.
I gave out a sigh as I took a seat on the wet sidewalk. Rain poured down on me. I didn't care. I was going to get sick but I didn't care. No, not at this moment. I looked up to the dark sky. Clouds were hanging over the once beautiful sky and it was almost as dark as the nighttime. Patches of blue appeared in my vision as well. I parted my lips.
"Well, I did it, Hea Won. I told her. I promised you and I kept my word. Am I ever going to benefit from this? If so, just send me a sign. I don't know whether to keep chasing her or not, "I called out to the sky.
In response, a huge rumble of thunder rang in my ears.