Chapter 2

The first time we went to the summer house with Sehun and the others, it was not in summer. It was in spring. We happened to decide on a roadtrip after the end of school year and Kyungsoo suggested we could stay in the summer house. Of course, the idea delighted them; the summer house became an infamous place to our group since Minjee and Hana kept bragging about it to them. Chanyeol used to beg Kyungsoo to go there when we were still first years in college, sadly Kyung never caved in to him.

That day, it was sunny and bright. The thought of coming to the summer house in spring never came before, that even us who were home to the place looked forward to it. We wondered how it would be like to be there other than in summer. But as soon as we hit the sand, we realized it wasn't as nice. Being with them brought new fun and stories, but the four of us still thought, it would have been an amazing trip to the sea had there been Jongin. Sadly, there wasn't.

And it was my entire fault.

After that last trip to the summer house, we only travelled to the place with the four of us alone. We did the trips in summer. Secretly. Or maybe not so secretly since I could tell that Sehun saw through me every time I tried reasoning that I was just going back home for a week. It was a secret I never told him about, and although that was a form of dishonesty, I didn't think it was wrong. It was our only time to be us, to go back to a common place we were so familiar with along with the hope of seeing Jongin again. But he never once appeared in summer. 

He was like a ghost that one day disappeared and never came back. I didn't have any idea where he was. But that was because I never dared to ask the others when they knew. It was a reoccuring thought to know his whereabouts, but I didn't want to look so desperate into seeing him that I always held back. In my mind it was like, if we get to see each other again, I wanted it to be some kind of fate. I want it to happen naturally. I knew it was just a lame excuse not to see him yet, but that could also work, right?

"Soo, can you put this out in the dining table?" Kyungsoo was preparing sandwiches at the kitchen island while I was still adjusting from a sudden trance. 

It took me a delayed time to answer that he looked back at me with wondering eyes asking if I was okay, but I just shook my head and smiled before grabbing the plate of sandwiches and placing it on the dining table. 

Passing by me was Luhan who was inflating a pink balloon with a pump. I raised a brow at him when he noticed me, but he only shrugged and chuckled maniacally before giving me a side hug. "Didn't like who you saw?"

Nudging his side, I freed myself from his grasp and crinkled my nose. "Not like that. I was just wondering why you and Kyungsoo are the only guys working." He snorted, then pointed upstairs.

"Ask Chanyeol and Sehun why. They've been playing video games since waking up this morning."

"What?!" I screamed, annoyed they even had the guts to play while we were struggling to set the house for a party atmosphere. "Those brats."

In a haste, I forgot about Luhan and ran towards thr stairs. The second floor was nothing but rooms and rooms, but I knew that at the end of the hallway was the only room they could be in since it was our playroom. Kyungsoo's father helped set it up when we were still in middle school.

Banging loudly on the door, I threatened, "open the door or you'll never get to play that thing because I'll really throw it away!" Groans echoed from inside, and before I knew it, I was face to face with an irked Sehun.

"What do you want?" He was mad, but I knew he was also trying his best to stay calm because it was me. 

Crossing my arms over my chest, I sighed. How can a single game console turn my fiance to this kind of guy? "We want you to help downstairs. It's not enough that only two guys and four girls are working for the party you know?" I said. He gave me the pleading look, but he knew better than to act cute in front of me, so he lazily grabbed Chanyeol by the collar and turned off the game console.

"Wait, what about my game?! I didn't even get to save it you mutt!" Chanyeol tried to break away from Sehun's hold but he won't budge.

"My queen has asked for my presence so you better come with me my subordinate." Sehun said dryly, giving him a look. Chanyeol tried to wrestle his way out but Sehun was quick to whack his head. "Let's get this done."

"But seriously, why the heck are you dragging me into this?" Chanyeol tried to talk his way out to Sehun, but he only received a hiss from the latter. "What the—" He looked back at me to ask for saving but I only gave him a sheepish smile. "Fine! Fine! You better give me something nice to do or else I'm going back to my game!" He pushed away from Sehun and reluctantly stomped down the stairs. 

Being left behind, Sehun swooped in for a quick kiss on my cheek before escaping. "See ya later, Love." He winked at me and excitedly got down, following Chanyeol.

I closed the door to the playroom and got down. Kyungsoo was still preparing most of the food we were going to feast on tonight. Hana and Minjee were going on and on with the decorations, squabbling about what colors to use, what lights to hang. Chanyeol was pushing the couches in the living room to the side so there can be more space to play or dance in later on. Sehun and Jinah were nowhere inside the summer house, so I walked out of the front door and there I found them grilling meat outside for later.

I leaned on the doorframe as I watched them casually shoving each other, with Jinah occasionally falling off balance and landing on her on the sand. Sehun would help her up and they'd  repeat the same sequence over and over again. And it was like I was looking at their younger version whenever I'd see them like this. Youthful. Playful. Childish. Especially when no one's looking. It was a side to them I revisit like this, and envy at the same time. Because I get that they have that certain connection only them have; and it's probably something I would never achieve with Sehun. That guy, he only shows her that carefree side of him. I could make him laugh, but it wasn't always the same with Jinah. With her, Sehun could pull off a lame joke and she would laugh, he would be able to tell her the things he could never talk about with me, he would be able to have someone to wrestle with without feeling awkward, he could just be him.

I envy how comfortable they are like that with each other. But still, I respect the friendship they have because I know that it's just the kind I have with my long time friends. 

It was a connection that would never be severed.

I was still watching them when Hana stood beside me, a knowing smile was on her lips. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that Sehun's going out with Jinah instead of you." She had teased me about the same thing so many times that I could only breathe out a smile and nudge her side. The thought would cross my mind a lot but it never stuck at the least no matter how much she pushed it.

"You're crazy Hana." I chuckled.

"Not really." She shrugged. "I just state what I see. You think that wasn't flirting she was doing?" She pointed casually at Jinah and Sehun who were still fooling around as usual. Sehun's arms were around her as he spun her around in the air like she was just the weight of paper.

"You think that's flirting?" I asked, giving her a funny look. "We've seen them like this before and I don't see anything wrong with them like that." I looked back at them and tried my best to smile while my stomach did ugly flips. 

Shaking her head, she patted my shoulder and said, "You're too nice to see it. If I were you, I better keep my eyes open for her."

"Why are you being suspicious Hana? Jinah would never do anything that will hurt any of us. Besides, why are you like this? She's your friend too." I reminded her, raising a brow.

She snorted and held up her hands. "I have been acting civil towards her because she's your friend, but never mine." She pointed out. And yes, it was a truth to us that besides me, Kyungsoo, Minjee and Jongin, Hana never trusted anyone else. She was friendly towards Sehun and the rest but that was all we could get out of her. "Plus, trust me, that girl is weird and too good to be true. I don't get why you don't see how there is something wrong with her."

"Because there isn't." I tilted my head and frowned at her.

Giving me a smirk, she said, "want me to prove a theory right now?" I was confused of what she was meaning to do, but then she called out to Sehun. The two of them immediately twisting around in our direction. "Hun, you don't mind helping Soori bring out some of the dishes, right?" She showed him her sickeningly sweet smile while