“Are you feeling okay?” Lu Han asked as I sipped the cup of Chrysanthemum tea he had prepared for me.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I’m fine. I just… feel a little sore. Tired, guess.”
Lu Han had skipped afternoon classes for today to be with me. Which is really nice of him, but not needed. We had talked the afternoon away, a nice, friendly chat sprinkled with laughter, small smiles, and snacks here and there.
I learned about how he wanted to be in the computer or psychology fields. He wanted to improve technology or help people improve. Mathematics and stuff “came easily to him.” I slightly smiled at that, considering how there was an immense sparkle in his eye as he told me about his dream.
I told him about how I wanted to be a scientist, or a botanist. Maybe a painter. A quiet, peaceful profession. He laughed when I said that, the sides of his eyes crinkling as he told me it was just like me. “As expected of Cha An-ssi, a quiet life.”
The sound of the door unlocking and shoes scuffling signalled the arrival of the Kingkas.
“Hyung?” a husky male voice called out.
“Chan Yeol-ah? Here,” Lu Han called out as my eyes widened. He turned back to me. “I’m going to introduce you to my friends.”
“Where’s Cha An-ssi… Oh.” I turned around to see a tall, handsome man. His light brown, auburnish hair fell across his face in soft locks and he had mesmerizing dark brown eyes. He was so model-like it was almost regal. I suddenly felt self-conscious just looking at this boy.
“Hello,” I said, bowing my head slightly. “Nice to meet you.”
This caused his mouth to drop open. “D-did you just… What?” Another figure walked in.
“Chan Yeol, what are y- Oh.” I made eye contact with the Casanova of the Kingkas. Standing in a burgundy sweater, khakis, and Sperry Top Siders, his tan-skinned highness, Kai. I’ve seen Kai before, I think. Was it a school dinner? Yes, I think so.
“Hello, Kai-ssi,” I said in greeting. His mouth also dropped open. What is with the mouth-dropping? Oh yeah.
I don’t talk. Forgot about that.
So basically, I said hi. I knew Su Ho, Xiu Min, Kai, and Lu Han. Possibly Baek Hyun as well. A vague memory went through my mind as I saw his face. Besides him, everyone else was pretty new. then someone unexpected walked in.
“Yixing?” I questoned in surprise. Everyone else instantly stopped chattering amongst themselves as they turned to stare at us. They seemed pretty shocked. Then the voices began.
“You guys know each other?” Lu Han asked, which was what everyone else was probably thinking.
“Yeah, I met him in the forest but,” I turned back to him. “You’re friends with Lu Han?”
“I should ask the same with you,” Kris directed towards me.
“You did WHAT in the forest??” Su Ho questioned.
“She’s talking? As in… moving you mouth talking? TALKING?” Chan Yeol and Kai were still stuck on this “absurd” thought.
“Did you enjoy my bun?” Xiu Min asked as he reclined on the couch, magazine in hand.
“Hyung! You gave her one of your buns?” Chen asked.
“Well, wouldn’t you appreciate it if a girl you bumped into did not scream her head off in your face?” his hyung asked, fine eyebrow raised. Jong Dae shut his mouth and sat down with a newspaper.
“Do you like wushu?” Tao asked out of nowhere, wielding a stick as tall as I was.
“Yeah, I am,” Yixing replied. “By the way, my name is Lay. My real name is Yixing.” Oh. No wonder I never thought he was a Kingka. I’ve only heard of Lay.
He turned back to the others. “She pulled me up from a mountain yesterday. I almost died.”
I flushed a deep red. “Lay,” I said embarrassed.
“Are you a noona?” Se Hun questioned. “Umma, can you make me kimchi ramyun? I’m hungry.” Hold up. Did he just call me UMMA? I looked at him, slightly irked.
But all confusions were cleared up as D.O facepalmed. “Please don't call me 'umma' all the time. Not when there are guests around, Se Hun,” he muttered. “Especially girls.”
“Do D.O,” Baek Hyun chided, eyes forming happy crescents.
I spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know these fellow male students. I don’t know why, but I felt so happy, so content, so energized.
So carefree.
Something I haven’t felt in a long time. I’ve never been so… accepted. They just let me into the conversation as if I was fellow Kingka. They made sure I felt comfortable, and were really nice people. I never knew what real friends were like until now. Until I watched Tao diss Su Ho’s socks.
Until I watched Chan Yeol burst out laughing, comparing Kris to different scary animals.
Until I watched Xiu Min and Chen’s high note battle.
Until we played Chubby Bunny, with Se Hun as the unexpected winner.
Until I saw them all shooting me happy smiles.
Occasionally, Lu Han would shoot me a reassuring smile, as if to say, “Feel comfortable. My friends are your’s.”
And at that moment, where all the mushy marshmallows were swallowed down, where the sun was beginning to set, where shadows danced across the white walls as the automatic lights turned on,
I felt like I was.
