High School Affair

(Namjoon & Yeri)

The music blared from the speakers as the mood became so wild with people getting excited and drunk, dancing in the middle of the dance floor. Not a lot came today, but it still didn’t stop those who are present to enjoy the sick beat of the music and nice accompaniment of alcohol.

Namjoon walked through the crowd with his drink on a glass on hand, dancing slightly as he looks for his friends.

“Joonie!” A group of guys rounding the table shouted as they saw Namjoon among the crowd. Namjoon's face flushed at the way his friends call him that old nickname and walked towards them.

“Oh c'mon, it’s Namjoon!” He said while his face contorted with annoyance but his friends just brush it off while grinning, clearly enjoying Namjoon’s embarrassment. They all stood up and welcomed Namjoon with a manly hug and a slap on the back.

“Yeah, yeah, we get it Joonie. We missed you too!!”

This night is their high school alumni homecoming and the event is held in a resto bar. Their group sat on a round table and didn’t give a damn about the event going on, as if everyone else gives a damn about it, and just chatted among themselves. 

They’ve been friends since high school, obviously, and also notorious because of how their group is so diverse that most people would never expect these seven boys to even be friends with each other. They are also well known not only because of their looks, but also to their amazing dancing and singing skills.

They had participated to multiple school performing events, won a few awards, and even became school icon for years.

Now, looking at the group, they’ve grown so much and already at the peak of their own careers. Namjoon can’t help but smile as he scans the faces of his brothers, all grown up, and professional looking because of their jobs and unbelievably high ranked employments.

He graduated as an engineer and currently working at the largest engineering firm of South Korea. Jin became the CEO of his father’s company. Yoongi debuted as a famous producer under the biggest entertainment company called BigHit.

Hoseok is now a well-known police, Jimin is a doctor, Taehyung worked hard to become one of the famous actor across the globe, and Jungkook pursued photography, now owning a studio of his own and being hired by number one editorial magazines.

They had changed, literally, but their personality didn’t. They’re still the same loud and funny group who loves each other so much. Namjoon’s very own family that helped him survive high school and even college.

The kind of family that he knows will stick to the very end, even when they became old and brittle.

“I heard Yeri’s back.” Jin said that caught their attention most especially Namjoon's. This information brought a couple of “ooohs” within the group, and they turned to look at Namjoon.

“The one Namjoon bullied back then?” Yoongi asked and Namjoon whined not to bring up the past. But of course, no one listened to his pleas.

“Ah, the one Namjoon keeps on annoying by giving side comments when she’s reciting, or bumping her on the hallways, and disturb her when she’s alone reading in the library?” Taehyung supplied and hi-fived Yoongi.

The table erupted with laughter when Namjoon screamed in disbelief, not able to handle his friends’ silliness.

“That was so long ago, you guys! Move on!” he half-shouted, still bringing the boys pits of laughter teasing their friend.

An arm slung on his shoulder and he turned to see Jungkook grinning playfully. “If only you weren't such a girly and just confessed you like her back then, she wouldn't transfer school and left you broken.” Jungkook said as he poked Namjoon’s evident dimples.

Namjoon pushed Jungkook's arm away from him and frustratingly tug his hair. “I didn't like her okay?!”

But his friends, being such a tease, in sync made a sound of disapproval, shaking their hands and wagging their fingers to prove their point.

“Oh, oh! Look, it's her!” it was Namjoon's head that quickly whipped to turn to the direction Hoseok pointed that almost break his neck due to the sudden movement.

But he was only greeted by a group of girls looking at their direction and giggled among themselves when the guys were looking at them, no Yeri in sight. Namjoon still searched for Yeri but as soon as he realized that he was tricked, he slowly turned and without a glance to his grinning friends, he bowed his head and sighed heavily.

“Get lost, y'all.”

And the table was in chaos once again.

“You all .” He said and acting so annoyed but in reality, he can't seem to be mad at them.

They spent the most of the night just talking, teasing and laughing. No intention of joining the rest of the batch to party and catch up. They’re mostly hooked with each other’s stories, and enjoying every one of them. 

During those years, they’re not really apart, as much as possible, if there’s a way, they contact each other and hang out once in a while. But this is the first time they actually got together as a group again.

It’s like going back to high school, in their uniforms and casually hanging out on the school’s cafeteria.

In the middle of their conversation, Jin’s phone blared and they all turned to look at him as he picks up the phone. He smiled before answering.

“Hello, Irene?” he excused himself and turned to the exit so he’ll be able to talk properly to whoever Irene is. They all exchange glances with Jin’s sudden leave.

And they instantly knew what exactly is happening to their brother.

“Gahh, are we not going to discuss about our love lives?” Hoseok leaned back on his chair and put both his arms on either side of Jimin and Yoongi’s chair, confidently scrutinized the eyes of the others and they all turned away. Absolutely avoiding the topic. So as Namjoon.

Before he gets victimized again, he stood and excused himself to go to the bathroom, much to everyone’s dismay but he just laughed and half run to where the bathroom is.

After he did his business and went out to go back to their table, a familiar voice took his attention making him stop on his tracks and turned toward the one who spoke.

“Yeri! I missed you so much!!” said a girl who's hugging the woman he's been waiting for to see.

“Aww, I missed you too, Joy.” She responded after pulling out from the hug.

A familiar thump crept on his chest and he felt his cheeks getting warm when he saw the face of the one he hasn’t seen for years. She looked so beautiful as usual, without her thick rimmed glasses and neat two ears. Well, she still looks gorgeous with those, but now ten times beautiful without.

Heck.

He thought after seconds of staring at her smiling face. She didn't graduate along with others because she transferred school during second half of the year with reasons he didn’t even know, let alone the whole batch. Without the explanations given, he was convinced that he was the reason why Yeri transferred, that’s what his mind tells him so, that’s what his friends let him believe. Where in fact he just like her so much he doesn’t know how to approach her properly. Yes, he’s annoying her, but it didn’t do her that much harm.

Was I that harsh?

He asked himself over and over but it was never answered.

Now, after almost 8 years, she’s here again, more radiant and confident. Namjoon doesn’t know what to say. He can’t even believe that after all those years, after all the relationships he had, this girl still gave her a sweet kick to his heart.

His palms were sweaty and slightly shaking when Yeri's gaze turned towards his direction, she caught him gaping at her. He instantly dropped his gaze on his feet after they catch each other's eyes.

.

He turned away and contemplating going back to the restroom but he stopped himself.

Greet her or just walk away? That's what he asked himself, struggling at his place to whether go to where she is or just go back to his friends.

When he decided just to walk away, her voice resonates his ears, calling his name.

“Namjoon!”

.

In doubt, he looked back and saw her making her way towards him. His heart skipped a beat the way she walks, all smiles and seemed to be so happy.

He reluctantly put a smile on his lips but turns out to be forced making him look like he's in the middle of taking a .

“H-hey, Yeri-sshi.” He said as soon as she's right out in front of him.

“Yeri-sshi?” and she laughed, and it was the most beautiful form of music that he ever heard. Rolling her eyes in a joking manner, she said, “C’mon! As if you never called me nam