"I broke up with my girlfriend." I hear him lift his body from his bed as he walks toward me.
Despite it, I keep my back turned.
"And, if I'm honest, I think I'm in love with you."
in a world where you're shielded by your older brothers, who knows...
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chapter fourteen: have my sister
"SO WHAT YOU'RE telling me is, you're dating my little sister?" Johnny asks, glancing in between us both.
He forced us to explain in front of everyone at the dining table after 'kindly' (forcing) asking Ten to stay between harshly clenched teeth.
"Yes."
"And you want me to accept it?"
Hesitantly, he answers, "Yes."
Johnny hysterically laughs to himself in response and violently stabs his steak with his fork afterwards, only just catching everyone but Jaemin by surprise as he too was engaged with his meal.
"You guys are way too funny."
"Are we now?" Ten mutters sarcastically, lowering his head to eat his own food, only looking up after hearing a pin-drop silence.
Everyone, including myself, stares at him in shock and horror while Johnny glares, eyes narrowed.
"Why don't Johnny and I have a little talk?" Jeno chuckles nervously, standing up and dragging a seething Johnny along with him.
"Why would you do that? Are you out of your damn mind?!" I whisper-yell, slapping his thigh.
He shrugs his shoulders, continuing his meal. I swat his fork out of his grip and he whines.
"Hey!"
"Don't, 'Hey', me! Johnny hates when people talk back to him and you of all people should know and respect that!"
He narrows his eyes and opens his mouth again to refer to another snarky remark when I elbow him and he shuts up.
I watch as both Johnny and Jeno walk back into the room again, Johnny, with an annoyed look on his face and Jeno with a worried smile showing that he was obviously panicking on the inside and trying to hold it all together.
We ate the rest of the meal in perfect silence with everyone with Ten and Jaemin being able to cut through the tension between us all with a knife.
But, as everyone should know, all good things must come to an end.
Soon enough comes the sound of cutlery clanking loudly as it hits the plate, Johnny resting both hands on the table while startling all of us. Yes, this time, Ten and especially Jaemin included.
"You can have my sister, Lee." He mutters, his conscience obviously not agreeing with the words leaving his mouth.
Ten perks up immediately, a small smile on his face.
"Only if, and I say again... ONLY IF-" He exaggerates, eyes widening every time he said the word 'If' for effect. "-You make sure to treat her right. Because, Lee, if you so much as hurt a single hair on her head, just let me get my hands on your tin-"
Jeno pats his shoulder and he calms down.
He exhales audibly. "Just keep her out of trouble."
But before Ten can agree, I butt in, a ludicrous expression on my face.
"Stop talking like I'm not here. It's cheesy and gross. I'm not running away."
Jaemin bursts out laughing, hitting the table and all like it's the funniest thing he's ever heard.
Everyone gives him a look of both concern and surprise, except for Johnny who just glares at him.
"Funny." He sighs, humourlessly. "That's not what you told Dad, is it, Johnny?"
"Leave the table." He commands, his eyes still on Jaemin.
"Wha-"
"Go upstairs. Now."
-
"Thanks for taking me out again, Ten."
It has been about four weeks since Johnny and Jaemin had their weird argument. It was like an inside joke, except this one didn't happen to be funny.
It has troubled me since then, especially the way they both started treating each other afterwards. It's clear they want to hide it away from the rest of us but are currently doing a horrible job of it.
The next morning, Johnny was his bright, cheery, jittery self again, awake before the rest of us and making breakfast.
He gave us all breakfast except for Jaemin, who acted like he didn't care and would much rather starve instead at first, but ended up making a bowl of cereal for himself, eating it alone since we'd all finished by then.
Johnny muttered that he should've thrown it all out.
Then, when Johnny told him he was on sweeping duty, Jaemin broke the unspoken rule.
He talked back.
"Like hell, I will."
We all collectively gasped as they stared each other down for minutes on end.
It was stopped when Johnny snatched his phone. Jaemin went berserk and chased him to the park five blocks away from the penthouse.
Fortunately, Ten has been kind enough to take me out to get my mind off of things.
Not just the Johnny and Jaemin issue, but also my academics. Mocks are coming up.
Since I've been avoiding Taemin (pretty well, actually) for the past six weeks, Ten and I have been studying together after school. Sure, it is a little different, especially since we're dating now, but we try. We get at least twenty-five to thirty minutes out of two hours generously done.
This time around, instead of amusement parks, cafes and ice cream dates, both casual and expensive dining, we're at Fei's house.
Yesterday was her birthday, but since it was on a Friday, she deemed it best to throw the party today.
Ten is wearing a plain, white t-shirt inside of a denim jacket and black skinny jeans while I put on a sky blue sweater tucked into a white tennis skirt in an effort to match with him.
We walk indoors, his arm wrapped around my shoulder while guiding me around till we find Fei in the kitchen. She herself looks stunning, wearing a pair of black, shiny leather jeans with a black, chiffon top tucked into it, golden jewellery on her neck, ears and wrist. She struts over to us to say 'Hi' in the red bottoms Felix, the boy she met at Bora Bora, sent as a birthday gift.
Even Ten seems jealous as he stares at them longingly.
They start chatting while I take it upon myself to have some fun and go exploring.
I leave no corners nor rooms untouched, even visiting Lucas' room for fun only to see him with some blondie whose fingernails were tracing the tattoos on his side. I dry heaved afterwards.
What I didn't expect to see was Bam Bam, with a calm expression seated all alone in the parlour.
When he notices me approaching, he looks up, a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Areum! Long time, no see." He sips out of his solo cup. "You look amazing."
"Thanks. So do you. Who's your friend?" I ask.
"Him? That's Yugyeom, my best friend after Lucas."
However, said best friend doesn't respond, as he's obviously occupied, too busy blowing smoke out of his nostrils and mouth with his head on the chair's seat.
Both of us laugh and talk some more. Unfortunately, it was when I was deep in conversation that my eyes trail behind my companion and meet with familiar ones, its wielder with his arms around an annoying brat's waist.
