FIFTEEN

“I could just stay at home, you know.” I wring my hands in my lap, a blasted quirk when I’m both extremely nervous and equally very terrified. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Sooyoung snorts behind me. The band, along with me and Sooyoung, are jammed inside Yunho’s truck. I’m currently sitting in between Yunho and Donghae in driver bench seat while the other four humans occupying the back seat, Soo on her man’s lap. My legs bend at odd angle to adjust the stick.And for the last fifteen minutes, Yunho has been sending Donghae a damning glare for his occasional glance at my legs even though I’ve been pressed against Yunho from shoulder to thigh. The fact that I’m wearing a dress seems to darken his already gloomy mood.I would have appreciated his jealousy if I haven’t been so troubledthe whole time.

“Be quiet.” He presses a kiss on my head before glaring for the tenth time at his friend over my head. “And you, keep your eyes on the road.”

Donghae protests that he is not the driver, thus he can keep his eyes everywhere he likes and then promptly do as he told when Yunho threats him bodily harm. I sigh at the immature bickering before leaning fully against Yunho’s warm, hard body. It’s been clear to anyone that Donghae has no interest whatsoever in me other than friendly affection. He just wants to toy with Yunho, especially knowing that Yunho is known for his saintly patience. But lately, he has the mood of a teething grizzly bear.

Withone arm drapes around me, hedrives with the other one.I tilt my head aside to kiss the back of his hand on my shoulder. Such a strong and beautiful hand.His outwardly calm demeanor is betrayed by the tension coiled in his body. I put my hand over his heart, hoping that I can ease some of the stiffness. No a luck. He is still as stiff as a bark tree. Eventually, everyone falls into silence for the rest of the drive knowing Yunho is not in the mood for jokes. Even Brett and his unimaginative jests keep his mouth shut. It’s an indication of how serious the situation is.

Approximately thirty hours, forty and so minutes before,Yunho has told me the whole story of the text and weekend incidentthat has caused the unnecessary argument between Yunho and I. The band is invited to perform at private party. What surprised me the most is that the party is hosted by Yunho’sparents.And I really have no idea that he still has parents, which obviously only forty minutes drive away. What kind of girlfriend would that makes me?ty couldn’t even describe what I felt that day. Then Yunho had locked us in my bedroom for the night before proceeding to kiss me unconscious so that I wouldn’t get into my temper fit again. We might have fooled around to second base that night, if only I could remember what happened.

My heartbeat increases when Yunho turns the car in what I would call with ‘the wealthy wonderland’. Rows of big, luxurious mansions with vast expense of yards and towering gates adorn on either sides of the straight, flat road. In spite of its beauty, it feels very intimidating. I can already imagine what kind of people who live in here. And to think that Yunho used to be one of those people is almost absurd. It makes no sense at all. The clothes he usually wore scream of freedom and self-reliance, not wealth and superiority.

The closer we are to our destination, the more tension rolls out of Yunho’s body. The total silence inside the car is enough answer for me to say thatI’m not the only one who feels that too. Mentally, I prepare myself for a war that will surely coming my way because I can t