Why don't you be you
And I'll be me

-- James Bay, "Let it Go"

I have never liked change and with Sehun, it was no different.

So what if he only bought drinks for pretty girls? He gave me a freaking latte which is basically a downgrade from an actual alcoholic drink, and then he expects me to crack his little code?

for him cause I was in no mood to. I had classes to tend to, laundry to worry about, and I needed to remember to not let him get to me. Oh Sehun, after all, was just as manipulative as I was, and could not be fully trusted. The idea of him ever having any type of romantic feelings for me was too preposterous to be true.      

            Besides, this was what he wanted. If he really needed me in his life, and if he really cared, he’d be making the effort to show it. Not texting or calling me for example, was not showing effort. Sehun wanted us to be this way, and who was I to argue? Not like I actually enjoyed having him around anyways.

But like I said, I hated change. The change from going to life with Sehun around 24/7, to going to life without him at all was more difficult than I thought it would be. The void in me was still there, open and wounded and bleeding as bright as day. I tried not to show it and hid it to the best of my ability, but there were moments at night where I would be itching to run over to the Exo building just to eat Chinese food and drink whiskey with a stupid boy who obviously didn’t want me anymore.

            It was now nearing towards the end of March, which was practically mid-semester. It appalled me how boring this semester was in comparison to last semester. It bugged me even more to know that last semester was only fun because I’d met Oh Sehun.

            I really needed to stop thinking about him.

            Anyways, I was thinking instead about adding some spice to my life. Perhaps join a club. I was looking at the school bulletin board in the quad when my eyes landed on a certain flyer:

Join PAWS FOR PUPS at our volunteering event next week at the local animal shelter! For details, contact club president Kim Jongin at 825-394-4738.

            I had no idea Jongin was president of Paws for Pups, although I should’ve guessed. The guy loved and adored animals like no other. The event sounded interesting, not to mention it would be good bonding time for Jongin and me. I doubt Krystal Jung would even step foot into an animal shelter.

His number was still the same. Even after we broke up I never had the heart do delete his number off of my phone, so since then according to my contacts list he was dubbed as “Stranger”.

            I called this “Stranger” later that week to ask him about the volunteering event. I was genuinely interested, despite what people like Sehun would’ve thought.

            “Joy?” Jongin said.

            “Jongin? How’d you know it was me?”

            “Because I still have your number saved on my phone,” he said with what I knew was a shy chuckle. “Anyways, what’s up? Wow we haven’t talked on the phone like this in a while.”

            “Feels like centuries,” I added. “And um, I was just wondering about the Paws for Pups thing. What is it, exactly?”

            “A group of us are just going to be helping out at the animal shelter, cleaning out cages and grooming the pets and stuff. Maybe even help with the promotional pictures to help them find homes.” It was clear how passionate Jongin was about the cause. Just hearing him talk about it made me remember how much I liked him that night he took me to the animal shelter for the first time.

            “The animal shelter is located a couple of blocks from SMU. If you need a ride I can take you,” Jongin offered.

            My eyes practically lit up. “Really? You would?”

            “Of course.”

            I tried hesitating a bit to, you know, not make myself sound so eager. Still, I sounded a bit too excited as I said, “That would be awesome. See you then!”

            I got a call from “Stranger” that following weekend afternoon.

“Hello?”

“Hey. I’m outside.”

“Okay coming!”

I checked one more time to make sure my hair looked good before grabbing my purse and scurrying outside to where Jongin was waiting. It was interesting to see him wait outside of my dorm room. Since my first semester it’s only been Sehun doing that kind of stuff.

            Anyways, the two of us sped off to the animal shelter. But the ride was actually rather slow and calming, very different from my usual car rides with Sehun.

            “So what made you decide to suddenly join Paws for Pups?” Jongin asked as he drove.

            To make up for the lack of Oh Sehun in life. But of course, I didn’t say that as I replied, “I wanted to get involved with something and I saw the flyer. Having you as the president just made things even better.”

            I should’ve enjoyed the alone time that I had with Jongin while it lasted, because once we got to the animal shelter he was bombarded by all of the other volunteers. A lot of them were his friends from the Exo dorm.
            “Hi there,” this one guy said. He was on the shorter end, a bit hyper looking. “I’m Baekhyun! And you’re Joy Park?”

            “Yeah,” I said slowly. “How’d you know?”

            “Oh, word just gets around hehe,” was all he said. Apparently, some of the Exo guys had a thing for Red Velvet girls. Interesting.

            Mino was there also, and it was nice to catch up with him on stuff as the two of us cleaned some animal cages. It was disgusting, I admit. But having a good friend there made it all the more better. Mino  told me about how he and Irene were doing great, although they do have issues because he gets so shy around her. I found it adorable to see one of my best guy friends so frazzled over someone he really liked. I looked over at Jongin, and hoped that he would end up feeling the same someday. Hopefully soon.

            “Jongin this guy won’t stop whimpering!” Baekhyun suddenly said, bringing to Jongin a smaller puppy. His leg was bandaged. “Apparently this little guy had been abandoned by his mother? Poor thing. Almost got run over too.”

            For once, Jongin seemed to be in a predicament as he failed to stop the puppy’s whimpering. Its eyes looked so sad, so lost and lonely.

            “Here let me take him,” I said. I cradled the puppy in my arms, holding it close to my chest for warmth. “Shhh it’s okay.” And before I knew it, he’d stopped whimpering.

            “Whoa that was like magic!” Baekhyun exclaimed.

            “Yeah,” Jongin said, stunned. “Joy that was amazing.”

            I shrugged. “Maternal instincts. No biggie.”

            After the volunteering event, we all decided to go get dinner.

            “Where are we going?” I asked as Jongin drove.

            “A really good burrito place,” Jongin answered. “Cheap fast food. Good, too. I don’t think you’ve been to it yet.”

            But as Jongin pulled into the parking lot, I realized that I have. It was the same burrito place that Sehun had taken me to that one night after the library.

            “You haven’t been here yet, right?” Jongin asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

            “What? Oh, nope. Not at all.”

            Jongin smiled. “See? I still know you all too well. You wouldn’t even step foot into a burrito place. But don’t worry, these are really good.”

            “Yeah,” I said absentmindedly. “I’m sure they are.”

            I didn’t want to think about Oh Sehun and his stupid burritos. I wanted to forget about him, make new memories in a place that had already been so heavily tainted by him. I tried my hardest to talk to Jongin, to have a good time and talk to Baekhyun about random things and forget about that stupid prick.

            But even as I ate my burrito, munching on it slowly, I thought about what Jongin had said: “See? I still know you all too well. You wouldn’t even step foot into a burrito place.” And he was right. I wouldn’t, not ever. Not unless someone made me.

            And I guess in this case, that someone had been Oh Sehun.