Meori Apeuda

Chapter 30

Finally everybody had calmed down enough to continue. I leaned with my back against Hyunjin, while Chan had hoisted up my legs, to put them on his lap. Absentmindedly he stroked my calf with his thumb, while he watched Seungmin and Han walk up front for the next song.

It was a quite innocent gesture, but I had been literally on edge for the whole evening now, so every touch caused a spark to shoot through my body. Honestly man, how should I survive this party??

The monitor lit up and showed the title: "Congratulations - Day 6". Upbeat music started playing and then Seungmin started singing. I saw Jin-Ju's face light up and she clapped her hands in excitement. When our eyes met she gave me two thumbs up and grinned. I replied to her smile and also held my thumb up.

That moment Han also started singing and the refrain started. Their voices harmonised so perfectly, creating such a crescendo that a shiver ran down my spine. Hyunjin gently stroked my upper arm and I let my head fall against his shoulder, just listening to the wonderful melodies and voices of his brothers.

I didn't understand a word they sang, but it touched something inside of me. I suddenly wished Cara would've been here to hear it too. The song made me somehow miss home and threw up questions about how I wanted to go on.

I looked at Chan, who stared at his members with a proud smile, soaking in every moment of their performance. They would go back to Seoul eventually, sooner or later. And I would stay behind.

My throat constricted and I took a sip from my drink, to get rid of it. It didn't work. I let my head fall back against Hyunjin's shoulder and sighed.

"Kaylee, are you sad?" I turned my head and looked at the stunningly handsome dancer. He reached for my face and wiped away a tear from my cheek, that I hadn't even noticed. I shrugged. "A little bit. I miss home, you know?" He nodded understandingly.

Sighing, I looked at Seungmin and Han again and Hyunjin started rubbing my shoulder gently. "Home is important. And it's okay to miss home. I miss home too, every time when we go to Tour. Then I miss my parents and Kkami." He murmured comfortingly.

I looked at him again. "Who's Kkami?" He smiled and pulled out his phone. After a few seconds of searching he showed me a picture of a black and white Chihuahua. "Oh my god, how adorable!" I gushed and carefully took the phone from him to take a closer look. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"He's a boy." Hyunjin answered, his voice full of affection and adoration for his pet. I smiled and handed him his phone back. "He is absolutely beautiful." Jinnie nodded eagerly and I chuckled.

The song ended and everybody started cheering and clapping. Han and Seungmin bowed, grinning proudly and put the mics back into their holders. Chan pinched my calf lightly to catch my attention. When I looked at him, he jerked his head towards the front. I raised my eyebrow in question and he pointed at me, at himself and again to the front.

I sat up and scooted closer. "I should sing with you? But...which song??" He smiled and shrugged shyly. "You told me you liked "The Greatest Showman" so much, and...there's this duett...? You don't have to, but...I'd feel honoured." He smiled and I knew I was lost.

Who could say no to that face? I sighed and nodded. "Ok, let's do this..." I mumbled and grinned when he beamed at me. He jumped to his feet and held his hand out to me. After a second I took it and he pulled me towards the Karaoke machine so eagerly, that I nearly stumbled. Giggling, I tried to keep up with him.

He handed me a microphone and I took it with trembling hands. I knew that these were my friends, that nobody would scold me, but I couldn't quite shake off my past. The voices of my classmates returned, making fun of me, calling me names, making me trip between classes, spilling Orange juice all over me in the cafeteria...