3PM Sunday 23 April 2017

I was inside Classroom 607, searching for lesson resources when the door was quite violently pushed open. A red-faced Heechul stalked into the room. But he was not alone. A sullen Kyuhyun trailed behind him. Heechul pulled him towards my desk, the younger standing in front older man, both wearing obstinate frowns. I looked at Heechul first and we exchanged a look of understanding.

“Heechul Hyung wants me to apologize…”

“Yah, if you’re not going to do this properly, we’re going to Manager Kim’s office next and I’m putting all the blame on you.”

Kyuhyun looked up at me and took in a deep breath.

“I’m here to apologize for my behaviour these past weeks.”

Behind him, Heechul did not look appeased and prodded Kyuhyun’s shoulder.

“I also want to apologize for my outburst.”

Heechul tapped his shoulder again.

“And for missing classes. Even though it wasn’t my fault Manager Kim didn’t tell you I was going to be away.”

“Yah, jerk. When you apologize, there’s no but’s!”

I resisted the urge to give in to laughter. Heechul was slyly grinning behind the Maknae while Kyuhyun looked so ready to be swallowed alive.

“The two of you need to talk, without me here.” Heechul nodded at me and turned to his younger member, “I’ll be outside. Do this right.”

We heard the door close and I worked my eyes to look up at the man now in front of me. His eyes was focused on the whiteboard behind me, avoiding my gaze. I have not seen him since the argument. Nervous apprehension engulfed me and I felt myself shake, my mouth dry.

“Look-”

“I know it was my fault. I was impulsive and should have not gotten angry when I found out that you did not reciprocate my feelings. I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable.”

Kyuhyun paused before turning his gaze to the floor. The silence that filled the room was just so long and awkward. I had many things I wanted to say, to ask, but my mouth and my brain were just not working together. There was a loud knock and Heechul’s impatient face appeared by the door.

“Look, I'm sure the both of you can discuss this as adults. If you're just going to stare at each other and not say anything, I'm coming back inside right now.”

He looked at the both of us expectantly and Kyuhyun swore loudly.

“I’m going to do it right. So please, get out and stand faraway. No, get out of this floor. We don't need you eavesdropping.”

Heechul kept the smile on his face and closed the door. We heard his footsteps get softer. Kyuhyun then sighed.

“So, I guess I was rather impulsive that day. I shouldn't have done what I did. On hindsight, I know what I did was insane and you're right. I was being an idiot.”

Biting my lower lip, I still could not bring myself to say anything in response and looked down at the table, focusing on the little scratch marks on one of the corners.

“It's funny you brought up that interview in Star King.”

I brought my hands to my face as I felt my face heat up. Oh gosh. Was everyone going to bring this up?

“Even though on that episode I said I stopped believing in love at first sight, I don't think I ever did though. Well I thought I did, but I felt something that night when I first met you at lift lobby with Leeteuk Hyung and Heechul Hyung. It was as though the earth stopped moving and there wasn't anything else for me to look at but you. I told myself that I was being an idiot and Heechul Hyung told me to get a grip. But the feeling got stronger as I saw you each day. It's a new feeling, unexplainable and it was driving me mad.”

I kept my eyes on the table, embarrassment still running in my veins. Kyuhyun took my silence as a sign to continue.

“I know. You said that it’s crazy. That falling in love without knowing someone does not exist. And I can accept that. I will try to accept that.” He kept his voice was low and steady. “But I believe in destiny. And I also believe that it's fate that brought you to work here.”

Kyuhyun then took a couple of steps towards me. He was so close but he stopped when he was about an arm's length away. I kept my head down, focusing my eyes on the black shiny leather of his shoes. Perhaps now would be a good time to faint?

“It's not that I planned this. I was here minding my own business, preparing to enlist and focusing on my music and the next thing I knew, you waltzed out of that lift and into my life…. Ever since that day, you're all I can think of. And I told myself, I had to do something. I couldn't lose you.”

Kyuhyun’s voice then became quiet. “That's why I did what I did. I just didn't want to lose my chance again.”

I felt the walls of heart closing in. This was too much to take. I could feel the tears gathering at the back of my eyes and tried to blink them away. My breathing had become shaky and my neck started to ache from looking down for too long. Beads of sweat were dripping from my nape and were trickling down my back and the first thing I thought of was the possibility of my foundation caking on my face. I did not want to look like a clown.

“You've made your stand clear. And I know this isn't the right time for me to pursue a relationship. It’ll just be unfair for both parties...”

The news of his enlistment was released earlier today and my heart ached at the thought of it. As a fan, sending an Oppa away for two years was difficult. But to an ELF, Kyuhyun was the last member to go in and this news was still quite a big deal for us.

“But I hope you can forgive me for that moment of impulsive childishness. And we can start over, as friends?”

Kyuhyun then bent towards me, tipping my chin up so that I had no choice but to look at him. His brown eyes were troubled, and yet it was so hard to look away. He lowered his hands onto my shoulders, putting enough pressure so that I would stop shaking.

“Will you give me a chance to start over? I’d like for us to get to know each other as friends.”

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten mentally like how Mom taught me when I was younger when I needed to calm down. I then felt Kyuhyun let go of my shoulders and when I opened my eyes, he gave me a nervous smile.

“Well, you've done nothing but compliment me for the last five minutes. The least I can do is to accept your offer of friendship, right?” I raised my right hand towards him and returned the smile. “I’m Jung Mina, it's a pleasure to meet you. And I’m sorry that my waltzing out of that lift gave you such a hard time. I’ll start taking the stairs from now on.”

Looking relieved and amused at the same time, Kyuhyun chuckled as he shook his head and reached out to shake my hand.

“Cho Kyuhyun. The pleasure is all mine.”

I felt myself relax slightly, but my heart was still beating as though it was finishing laps in the Grand Prix. Kyuhyun let go of my hand and returned to his side of the table.

“Well, I’m glad this is sorted. All of them Hyungs were giving me a hard time. They blamed me for making classes with you awkward. I didn't return to the dorm for days.”

Settling down on the chair, I rolled my eyes at Kyuhyun.

“Well, that wasn't my doing.”

Kyuhyun sat on his chair, visibly relaxed. His smile was back and a thought hit me. I missed seeing the way his eyes would crease when he smiles. It wasn't the eye-smile Taeyang or Tiffany were famous for but it was adorable in its own right. He gave me a wide grin and I felt myself grin back, before returning my attention to the work I had earlier abandoned. A peaceful silence fell over us as Kyuhyun sat in his seat, deep in thought.

“What’s your favorite colour?”

I gave him a curious look.

“That's rather random. But to answer your question, I like navy blue.”

“Not pearl sapphire blue, huh?” He gave me a grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. “Heechul Hyung said that he knows your favorite coffee. I can tell him now that I know your favorite colour.”

Looking pleased with himself, he rested his chin on his hand.

“Now that I am starting to get to know you, can I start falling in love with you again?”

4PM Friday 28 April 2017

“Are you sure you’re feeling better? We can always postpone this class.” I glanced at Heechul’s bandaged wrist.

The news of the accident yesterday gave all of us a rude scare. I was in the middle of class with Leeteuk when his phone rang. We stayed in the classroom as Shindong, Yesung and a couple of managers came to wait for Manager Kim. I could remember Leeteuk’s heartfelt sigh of relief when he received Heechul’s first message after the accident. Don’t worry, I’m not dead yet.

“Look, I’m already here. I told you I’m fine and I got you your coffee.” The lanky firecracker of a man in front of me was in one of his moods again.

I raised my eyebrows and he grinned, “So teach me, please?”

Rolling my eyes, I then started to quiz him on his tenses.

He did not miss any today, and I was impressed. I was not expecting Heechul to be the studious one out of this group.

“Today, we will be doing a different group of tenses...”

Both of us looked up as we heard the doorknob click, signaling the opening of the classroom door. In walked Kyuhyun, his hair freshly styled as though he just came from the makeup room, his bag hanging off his shoulder as he carried two coffee cups in his hands.

“What are you doing here?” Heechul seemed to be offended that his lesson was interrupted and looked from his younger member to me accusingly. “No one told me this was going to be a shared session.”

Kyuhyun ignored his Hyung and continued walking towards our table, placing the coffee cup in his left hand on my desk, next to the cup Heechul earlier got for me. He then sauntered towards the table in the middle of the seat and placed his bag smugly the chair beside him.

‘Yah, what are you doing here? You don’t even have a lesson today.” Heechul turned to Kyuhyun, agitated that he was being ignored.

Kyuhyun looked at his hyung calmly. “I’m just going to sit here and study. Don’t mind me.” He then focused his attention on his bag and took out his iPad.

Heechul then turned to me, his accusing glare not faltering.

“Well, if he’s going to be quiet and not disturb us….I don’t see why he can’t stay here. The classroom has space for all of us.”

It was Heechul’s turn to roll his eyes and he began to snicker.

“Yah, you’re already going soft. I thought you weren’t going to fall for him yet.”

“I’m not!”

Behind him, I could see Kyuhyun with a small smirk painted on his face. He knew that I knew he was listening in.

I cleared my throat and looked at Heechul, “Okay, Heechul Oppa, back to tenses. So today we will learn the present perfect and past perfect tenses…”

Half an hour passed quickly and Kyuhyun was still seated rather comfortably, leaning his back against the chair with his right leg resting on his left. I gave Heechul an essay to complete in class and was going through my lesson plan on my laptop as I waited. Suddenly, Kyuhyun got up and walked towards the door. He reached out for the remote control of the air conditioner and I knew what he was going to do.

“Yah! Don’t you dare. It’s already freezing in here!”

I heard a couple of beeps from the machine and sighed. Kyuhyun then returned the remote to the wall holder and leaned lazily against the wall, his eyes twinkling mischievously and he gave me an impish grin.

“Want a hug?”

Flirtatious Kyuhyun strikes again. Fighting the urge to grin, I tried to act nonchalant and beckoned him to return to his seat.

“I can still chase you out of this room.”

He continued watching us from where he was standing before returning to his chair, focusing on his iPad again.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t like that. Your face is as bright as the sun right now.” Heechul’s murmur was soft but audible. “Career over lovelife, what a lie.”

At 5PM, Heechul handed me his completed essay while Kyuhyun came up behind him and playfully shoved his shoulder.

“You jerk. You could have gotten me a drink instead of just wasting your time here.”

Kyuhyun pointed to the now empty cup next to Heechul’s bag. “You already had one and the doctor already told you, one Americano a day.”

“Don’t worry about my health. Worry instead about your girlfriend’s health.”

“Yah, Heechul Oppa!”

Heechul ignored my protests and pointed at the two coffee cups on my side of the table.

“She can always throw yours away. ” Kyuhyun said simply as he went to collect his bag.

Heechul swore at Kyuhyun and gave me a rather vicious glare. Was this really necessary for just coffee? Kyuhyun was beside me almost immediately and took my laptop bag from my hand, refusing my shrieks of protest.

“Yah, Cho Kyuhyun. Don’t you think you’re trying too hard?”

Once again, the younger member paid no heed to the older male and walked out of the classroom. I picked up both coffee cups and finished the lighter one in one gulp before discarding it in the bin.

“It is kind of your fault for telling him that I only drink Toffee Nut Lattes right?”

Heechul raised a finger at me, “I bought you coffee and now it’s my fault. Why is Kim Heechul always the bad person no matter what I do?”

Of course, our Space Big Star always has to go on the dramatics.

“You’re one of my favourite Oppas, is that not enough?” I never thought I would ever have to say this about Heechul.

“No, I have to be the favourite.” Ruffling my hair, he nudged at me, gesturing at the waiting Kyuhyun.

I joined Kyuhyun, who was waiting outside the classroom and we bade farewell to Heechul who had a taping to go to.

Turning to Kyuhyun, I raised an eyebrow. “So what was today about? You bully your Hyungs too much.”

When we reached the teacher’s office, Kyuhyun refused to return my bag.

“Join me for dinner? I know you don’t have any more classes and Hyein told me you will be eating alone tonight.”

“You know my schedule better than I do?”

He shrugged sheepishly, his right hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at me expectantly.

“I have some photocopies to make for tomorrow morning’s lessons and I need to have a short chat with Miyami Unnie regarding Shinee’s schedules.” I glanced down at my watch. “Give me fifteen minutes?”

Kyuhyun’s face broke into a grin and I felt my insides warm up. That smile was indeed knee-weakening.

“Our reservation isn’t until 6.30 anyway.”

“You already made a reservation? What if I said no then?”

He threw a mocking smile in my direction, and my breath caught in my throat. Would I never get used to his perfection?

“Not backing out, are we? I knew you were going to say yes. Could you resist me?”

Kyuhyun placed both hands on my shoulders and opened the door for me, pushing me inside. “Quickly finish your list of things to do, I’ll wait here for you.”