CHAPTER SIX 

Being the sociable gentlemen that they were, the boys helped Sehun entertain his guests, who were mostly his relatives. Some of which were their acquaintances as well, so it wasn’t really hard for them to mingle in the crowd. However, Jongin had his eyes on the other side of the room at a certain girl, seemingly upset that she wasn’t looking at him back. But unknowing to him, Soojung does take some chances to steal glances at him whenever he looks away.

When she was finally left by those who were talking to her, Jongin slowly and quietly makes heads her way, leaving his glass of wine at a nearby table. Soojung seemed to notice him as her lips curve into a small smile and also started to walk towards him. However, she was stopped by a squealing Seulgi and Seungwan, whom she hasn’t seen in so long. Because of the interruption, Jongin turns back to where he came from, bitting his lower lip and sighing in regret without knowing that Junmyeon was just behind him. So when he suddenly put his arm around him, he got startled.

“Where the did you came from?”

“You have two weeks, Jongin.” Junmyeon says, ignoring the question he has asked. “I heard Soojung talk about it.”

“Two weeks of what, hyung?”

“Two week until she goes back to the States for her graduation, two weeks until you win her back again, two weeks until-”

“Wait, hold up- two weeks to win her back again?” His eyebrow furrowing, not knowing if what he heard was right. “D-Do you… Do you think that she doesn’t… you know?”

With the panicked expression that he was having, it was quite obvious that Jongin was worried. While the boy was freaking out on the inside, Junmyeon just calmly shrugs. Maybe he shouldn’t have used that word because he doesn’t even have an idea on how she was feeling towards him, but it was too late now. Jongin could only glance at Soojung once again, who had literally had her eyes on him just a second ago.

Back in high school, whenever the clique gathers, the table would immediately be very noisy but fast forward four years later, Jongin, Chanyeol, Sehun, Jinri and Soojung sat together, forcefully if I may add, in one table surrounded by a quiet and awkward atmosphere. Jongin had never thought that this kind of scene would ever happen and it just shows how much has changed in four years. While Jinri glared at the unaffected Chanyeol and an obviously uncomfortable Soojung played with her food, Sehun, for whatever reason, was sulking as he looked around the table.

“I hate you all.” He exclaims, causing all of his friends to get taken aback and stare at him.

“What did we ever do to you?” Offended, Jongin asks.

“Back in our high school graduation four years ago, you all promised me that nothing will ever change between the five of us, but look at us now!” The boy dramatically cries.

“Well we’re sorry that we’ve matured the past years.” Jinri mumbles.

“Matured? That’s funny of you to say, miss Choi, considering you’re the one who has been acting very immaturely between the five of us by pretending that we didn’t exist!” Embarrassed, Jinri tried to defend herself but was cut off by Sehun. “New flash, just because you starred in a movie with Kim Soohyun doesn’t mean you’re the ! I mean, I guess he’s kind of cool, but that doesn’t mean you’re some A-lister now!”

“Wait, who’s Kim Soohyun?” A clueless Soojung asks, earning looks from the rest of the group. Jinri didn’t look too happy when she heard her question.

“I thought you watched all of my movies?”

“Oh… He’s… your co-star…”

“Don’t worry Soojung. You’re not the only one who would rather waste their time and watch her movies.” Chanyeol tells her, and was obviously referring on how he has never seen any of her movies. He thought that he’d get insulted by Jinri, but it was Sehun who had something to say.

“And you, Park Chanyeol. Just because you’ve broken up with Jinri doesn’t mean that you have to treat her differently! Look at how Jongin treats basically all of his ex-girlfriends. He doesn’t give any cents about them, but it’s not like he’s rude to them either!”

Because of the subtle compliment about how matured he was, Jongin smiles softly, but even he wasn’t safe from Sehun’s ranting.

“If you’re thinking that I’m going to praise you, then you’re wrong, Jongin.” He starts off before continuing, “Sure I’ve been with you most of the times, but you’re equally idiotic as the rest of the people who are sitting in this table. How dare you make Soojung wait for so long? I feel so bad for her that she had to fall in love with someone who refuses to contact her!”

Jongin felt his cheeks heating up. He couldn’t even look at Soojung at this point, but he was almost sure she was as embarrassed as him because if not, she would have spoken up. She keeps quiet while Jongin gestures Sehun to shut up before he kills him. However, it didn’t stop him from pointing out her flaws.

“Ah, and my dearest Soojung. You’re the one that I missed the most.” He looks at her sadly from across the table. “Surprisingly, you seem like the most normal between the five of us now.”

“Uhm, thank you?” Not sure if she should be glad by what he said, Soojung had a very confused expression on her face.

“Actually, no. I just realized something.” He quickly takes it back. “You haven’t fought with Jongin, and you seem very awkward with him. You can’t even look at him right now! Where’s the crazy Soojung that I once knew?”

“We’re totally not awkward!” She insists as she casually glanced at him without knowing that he was looking at her too. Because of their sudden exchanging of looks, the two blushes and looks away.

“Totally not awkward.” Their friends say sarcastically.

“We get that we’ve changed over the past year, but what can we do? It’s not like we can just pretend like everything’s back to normal. happens.” Jongin immediately changes the topic, not wanting to be teased even more. He successfully does it, but with the look on Sehun’s face, he had a feeling that he’s not gonna like whatever it is that he was going to say.

“Let’s go on a vacation.” He suggests, and just like he expected, everybody complains even when he just literally said it.

“I can’t. I’m too busy to go on a vacation.” Jinri exclaims.

“Aren’t you in a hiatus because of a scandal you caused a month ago?”

“Wow, thank you so much for reminding me, Chanyeol. I totally love hearing that I was falsely accused of having a y attitude over again.”

“We don’t have to go overseas to go on a vacation. My mother has a villa in Busan right next to the beach that we could go to, that you may not remember because we only been there once when we were younger.” He explains, but his friends still don’t seem like they’re into it so he proceeds on telling them, “What is it that you want to do anyways? It’s on me. I’ll buy you guys anything.”

“I want to go to a karaoke bar.” Chanyeol exclaims, with Soojung backing him up as she also wanted to go to one. Because of their odd and super simple request, Sehun couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, but promises to bring them to one anyways.

“I want to go to a road trip, since it’s something one of my characters has done but I haven’t.” Jinri tells everyone. Another rather simple thing to do, but Sehun just says okay.

“How about you Jongin?”

“I want to go snowboarding.”

Sehun had been expecting a weird request and he finally had one with Jongin. “What- where the can we even go snowboarding in Korea, Jongin? It’s summer.” Jongin just shrugs, not knowing what else to say. “Okay, so we could go to Busan all together in a car, and that could be our own road trip. We could also go to a karaoke bar in-”

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I want to do?” Soojung asks.

“Didn’t you already say that you want to go to a karaoke bar?”

“I did, but I just agreed on what Chanyeol said. I didn’t say anything about what I exactly want to do.”

“Okay then, what do you want to do, Soojung?”

Thinking that she already had something on her mind, the group of childhood friends looked at her as they wait for her to say something but she ended up saying something rather simple, “I just want to spend some time with you guys.” The girl smiles.

“I thought that you’d say that you want to go clubbing.” Her bestfriend says.

“Eh? Why would Soojung say that when I bet she’d sick of partying in Boston?” Chanyeol asks, laughing a bit.

“My girl hasn’t been too a club or a party in years because according to her, she needs to be formal, now that she’s graduating from Harvard.”

“Jinri!”

“What? He asked, so I answered.”

“But college students throw the best parties!” Sehun exclaims. He can’t just seem to believe a reason that stupid.

“Well then, I want to go to a club.” Jongin suddenly says, earning the attention of everyone once again. “Let’s go to a club.”

“Great! We could do that after our trip in Busan!”

Grinning, Sehun clasps his hands. It seems like they’re up to the trip afterall. With Chanyeol wanting to go singing in a karaoke bar, Jinri dreaming of an actual road trip, Soojung hoping that she could spend more time with her friends and Jongin’s second request of going to a club that had something to do with Soojung, he was sure, Sehun mentally vows that they’re going to have one of the best trips of their lives.

Who knew that after four years, the only one in the group who has a decent relationship is Oh Sehun? The person who kept on having flings with different women back when they were in highschool and call it ‘just flirting’, was now dancing with Seulgi happily, his now girlfriend. It took him so long to steal her heart, but in the end it was all worth it for Sehun. He has wanted a serious relation and he was glad to have a woman as magnificent as her.

Chanyeol, Jongin, Soojung and Jinri were sitting at the same table, watching Sehun dance the night away while they were stuck in their seats with no one to dance with. They were almost sure that Sehun was purposely dancing with Seulgi near their table to make them jealous for having no partners, but it doesn’t really work. They just watched them with no expression on their faces, except for Soojung who looked genuinely happy for the two, flashing them a two thumbs up.

“Look at that smug face on his face. He’s totally doing this on purpose.” The girls hear Chanyeol mumble to Jongin. “Is he trying to make us jealous because we’re not dancing?”

“Who cares? I’m not in the mood to dance anyways.” Jongin answers, though when he did, he looked at Soojung’s way.

“Oh my god, Soojung!” Jinri suddenly squeals as she grabbed her best friend’s hand. “Don’t look, but there’s this guy who’s looking at us!” She purposely says out loud, knowing that Chanyeol and Jongin might be listening to them, which they were. They didn’t speak but they did exchange looks.

“What?! Where?!” Much contrary to the excitement of Jinri, Soojung has started freaking out. “I didn’t do anything, I swear! What does he want?!”

“, he’s approaching us!” Jinri whispered. She then quickly fixes her hair and points to her face, “Love, is my makeup still fine? Do I look okay?”

“What kind of question that? You always look good, Jinri.”

“Aw, thank you Soojung!” She thanks her, making her voice a little higher than usual. She even smiles at her with her eyes, something that she only does when she’s in front of the camera.

“Why are you suddenly acting all cute?”

Her question doesn’t even need an answer after noticing a tall guy stopping in front of them. She had never seen this person before, nor did she see him at the church before, but maybe that’s because she didn’t look around the place since she was getting emotional even though she wasn’t even related to the couple who got married. She tried asking Jinri if she knew who he was, but the latter was too busy admiring him, which she doesn’t really blame her. He was really attractive, with his pale skin, high nose and tall height, Soojung was almost sure that he’s a model.

“Good evening.” He flashes them a big smile, looking at the girls first and then the boys, before continuing, “May I sit down?” Jongin was about to refuse, only to be cut off by the quicker Jinri.

“Of course!” Jinri nods enthusiastically. “By the way, I’m Choi-”

“Choi Jinri, an actress and a model. I think everybody here knows who you are, love.” He winks at her, taking her hand and kisses the back of it, causing her to giggle. Thinking  how overreacting she was, Chanyeol rolls his eyes. Jaehyun then glances to where Soojung was, “You must be a model too?”

“Oh, no. I am not.” She laughs. “My name is Jung Soojung, and I’m just a student.”

“That makes the two of us then. I am one of Sooyoung’s cousins, Ahn Jaehyun, a Yale alumni-”

Suddenly, Jinri gasps dramatically. “Oh my god. I love Yale! Best university ever.”

Confused, Soojung looks at her best friend with an eyebrow raised. “You never told that to me-”

“Actually, my girlie here’s attending an Ivy league as well. Guess what school she’s attending.”

Jaehyun wasn’t able to show his surprise after hearing what she said. “Hmm, you’re beautiful, and smart… Let me guess, you’re from Harvard?”

Surprised, she was about to ask him how she knew, but was more confused by the fact that he called her smart. “How would you even know if I’m smart when you nothing about me at all?”

“Beautiful girls tend to have beautiful minds as well.” He winks, and she could only laugh awkwardly.

“Is this er flirting with her?” Jongin thought to himself, his eyebrows furrowing and his fingers curling into a fist without him even knowing. The fact that this boy suddenly came to their table to ignore him and Chanyeol, and on top of that, flirt with the girl that he loved right in front of his face was absolutely offending. If he wasn’t in a wedding, especially his friend’s father’s wedding, he would have done something scandalous. Chanyeol kept on looking at him all throughout their conversation and couldn’t help but to chuckle after seeing his expressions.

While Jinri continued talking to Jaehyun, with him casually asking Soojung so she could join in the conversation. But she just couldn’t care less about him and she low-key hoped he’d just leave them alone. That was until the boy suddenly stood up and asked for her hand to dance, which was really, really bad because she thought that it was quite obvious that her best friend was interested in him.

“Err…” Soojung blinks at him, whose hands were still reaching for hers. She doesn’t even dare glance to Jinri because she knows that she’ll be hurt, but she does proceeds to wrap her arm around her best friend and say, “Actually, Jinri’s my girlfriend and I don’t think she’ll appreciate me dancing with a man so-”

“Soojung, what are you talking about?” Jinri asked. She wasn’t smiling nor did she looked sad, but she looked rather concerned. “I mean, I love you and all, but… we’re not dating.” She then looks up to Jaehyun. “I like boys. Tall boys who are very mature and are studying abroad- I mean, in Ivy Leagues like Yale.”

Sighing silently, S