CH 28: December 23, 2013

“Does the agency have parties for, like, everything?” I asked Amber in English.

“Honestly, it feels like that sometimes,” she laughed. “Especially right now, with SMTown Week and everything.”

“Mmm,” I hummed, crossing my legs, Indian-style. The lobby of the building was made into a sort of winter wonderland for the end-of-year party. All of the year’s SM hits were playing.

“Are you gonna perform anything?” She asked me.

I snorted. “Hell no.” She laughed at my quick retort.

“Why not?” Amber snickered.

I looked at her, the type of looks that my mom would give me when she thought I asked something dumb. “Be-cause, I've literally been practicing for this ing festival for, like, so long. I’m tired.”

“Tsk, tsk,” Amber tutted, “language, Lani, what would your mother say?”

I smiled ironically, almost laughing. “She wouldn't say anything-- she'd just beat my ing !” The two of us burst into ugly laughter.

“Please shut up,” someone from behind us mused. “I don't think I've actually heard anything so ugly.” I twisted, still grinning, to Jongdae, Baekhyun and Chanyeol. “I mean Lani, of course, Amber-sshi, please continue.” Jongdae made a ‘carry-on’ gesture. I rolled my eyes.

“Shut up, rat boy.” I tried to reach over the couch to hit him, but alas, my lazy was incapable of moving more than those couple of inches.

Baekhyun imitated me, making his voice high pitched, and adopting a correlating expression. “Shut up!” He copied.

“Yah!” I tried to reach over to hit him too, but was met with the same failure as with Chen. Chanyeol and Jongdae laughed. “Amber,” I turned to her, “they're bullying me!”

“Stop bullying her,” she tried to be serious, but laughed anyway.

I pouted. “I hate all of you.”

Chanyeol laughed again, lightly. “Love you, too.”

I stilled slightly at his words. We had been practicing for our joint performance for quite a time now. I had forced myself to ignore the Chanyeol that supposedly had feelings for me, instead focusing on the Chanyeol that I saw as a friend. Hyerin, who had apparently known about his feelings, had told me off for that.

“You know about his feelings,” she had berated. “You're giving him hope that obviously won't lead anywhere.” Hyerin was protective of Chanyeol; the two were as close as Jongdae and I. I shook her off; I knew Chanyeol wasn't ignorant. He wasn't the type of guy that hung to a friend in hopes that they would one day fall in love with them or something. Probably.

But as Chanyeol said the said “love”, I couldn’t help but feel defensive, if that makes sense. My eyebrows raised as an almost automatic reaction, and Jongdae’s grin dropped as my expression rose. I regained my countenance quickly, but not quick enough for the other two boys not to notice. I cleared my throat.