10 pm. I’m tending on my homework and pre-thesis work. It’s so stressing. Even the look of my room is stressing. Books are scattered and are sprung open on my blue bed sheet, white bedpost, and white pillow-filled queen sized bed. My study table is full of papers, crumpled and cluttered all over the surface of my wood table.

I’m sitting in front of my table with my desktop full of sticky notes. I’m trying and supposed to research about our homework on the internet but I can’t seem to start on anything.

Since I can’t concentrate, I decided to clean up a bit. I pulled the trash bin from underneath the table and put in unnecessary clutter in.

I organized my bed, stacked all the books in it and carried them to my white bookshelf.

“Clutter done, now…concentration.”

Deep breath and release. Now, hands on the keyboard and eyes on the monitor.

…

NOTHING.

“Urgh!,” I blurted out in frustration.

I hurriedly stoop up, closed-in to my bed and threw myself in. I buried my face on the mattress.

“What to do?”

After a while, I half-heartedly returned to the table.  I dragged the mouse in different direction clicking random spot on the desktop. I’m very frustrated; I’m throwing my tantrum on my innocent computer.

I suddenly clicked on ‘Instant Messaging’.

“Since I can’t think, I’ll chat.”

I logged in.

FRIENDS ONLINE: 0.

“Great, just…great,” I said, almost throwing the mouse on my monitor. I let out a deep breath.

“I need something to drink,” I said as I stood up.

I headed downstairs. Dad is still watching TV with Mom who’s already asleep on the couch.

“Soojin-ah, still up?” Dad asked when he saw me.

“Ummm…yes. I’m doing homework,” I replied quietly.

“Oh, then carry on.”

I went straight to the fridge and took out a bottle of orange juice. I placed the bottle beside the sink to get a glass of the cupboard. I also took a couple of snacks from the other cupboard and went straight to my room.

I sat again in front of the computer. But instead of searching the net, I was eating merrily.

“Eat now, concentrate later,” I said as I bite on a chocolate chip cookie.

DING!

The sudden sound came from the speakers of my computer scared me. My cookie fell on the floor, but I hurriedly reached for it.

“Five-second rule,” I said, followed by a small bite on my cookie. I stared at the monitor and noticed that someone is IM-ing me.

“Who’s this?” I asked myself as I restore the window.

[EastSeaFish86]: Yah! Still up? Go to bed!

Donghae. IT’S DONGHAE!

[JinSoo_86]: Doing my homework.

[EastSeaFish86]: Rest! NOW!

[JinSoo_86]: Then you rest TOO!

[EastSeaFish86]: Yah, whiner-baby, you need to rest. It’s almost midnight.

[JinSoo_86]: 10 pm is not almost midnight. And I’m doing homework. Besides, Dad saw me a while ago.

[EastSeaFish86]: Let me see.

[JinSoo_86]: See what?

[EastSeaFish86]: Homework. Duh, let me see. Turn on your webcam and let me see.

I do as he said. Problem is: I didn’t even start my homework!

Seconds later I can see Donghae’s face on my monitor. He’s wearing a white shirt and a black rimmed eyeglass. I think it was just rim and no glass. Nobody was around him but a poster of himself on the wall behind him. He was wearing his gorgeous smile. He waved and stuck his tongue out.

“Hello there! Can you see me?” he asked, his voice boomed on my speakers.

I flinched at his load voice. I guess I forgot to turn the volume down. I quickly reached for the volume in my speakers and turned the button to minimize the sound.

“You’re so cute when you flinch.”

“Not funny,” I replied, showing him a sarcastic smile.

“Where is it? Homework, let me see,” he said.

WHAT SHOULD I DO! I DIDN’T EVEN START DOING IT!

“It’s here,” I lied, pointing somewhere behind the cam.

“Show it,” he said, his eye getting smaller, as if not satisfied with my words.

“Fine.” I pulled a thick bunch of paper from my desk. It was a random thesis paper that I borrowed from a classmate. This will convince Donghae easily.

“Here,” I said, showing the thick document. I flipped the pages to show the writings inside. He seems pretty much convinced since he was nodding along. “Happy?”

“It’s almost done, right?” he asked.

“Yes,” I lied, “why?”

“Let’s talk.”

“We are talking, dummy.” I smiled.

“No, I mean, how have you been this past weeks. I haven’t called home because I was too busy with work. How’s Mom? Donghwa? You? Mokpo? Uncle? Auntie? The beach? The…”

“Easy…relax! One question at a time, please. You’re so annoying,” I said with a smile, my hand over my ears.

He smiled as well, realizing his mischievousness. “Well?” he asked.

“We’re all fine. Don’t worry. Your Mom visits us once in a while and we visit here as well. She’s doing great. Donghwa, well, I don’t see him much nowadays but according to your Mom, he’s doing a great job at work. Mom and Dad are fine as well, there watching TV downstairs.” I enumerated each detail lazily but Donghae showed interest anyway.

“And you?” he asked, getting a bit closer at the camera.

I imitated him, making me inches in from of the camera. “Not much,” I whispered.

“That’s lame!” Donghae blurted.

“It’s true. College is college. It’s boring but it’s necessary.” I pouted and released a huge sigh. “same old, same old.”

“Nobody shows interest in you?” he asked.

My eyes widened. WHAT?

“So there is! Yah, Soojin, how come I never met this guy. Huh?” he said, irritably. “I was in Mokpo and that guy, whoever he is, he…why didn’t you introduced him?”

“WHAT? There is no him. There is no guy!” I replied, giving him the same irritated face he is wearing.

“Really?” he interrogated.

I raised my right hand. “Really! You’ll be the first to know, if that’s going to make you happy.”

“thatwillnevemakemehap….” He whispered, turning his head in a different direction.

“What?” I asked. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Liar. You’re so bad at lying. You clearly, well, barely, said something. “Wait there, I’m going to pee.”

He suddenly stood up, and now, only the poster of him and the white wall is all I see. I sighed and grabbed the glass of orange juice beside the monitor.

“You clearly said something,” I talked to myself.

As I was randomly clicking icons on my desktop, I heard a voice coming near the computer.

“…your laptop, hyung? I’m just going to check something.”

The camera angle turned, now facing a cute guy with glasses in his eyes. Clearly, his glasses HAVE glasses, unlike Donghae. I immediately recognized him. I put down the glass where I picked it up and tried to act normal. I placed my hands on top of the keyboard and pretended to be typing all this while.

He saw me and blurted out a “Oh! Sorry.” He blushed at the sight of me.

“It’s…okay, Ryeowook. I…guess…yeah.” I put on a smile and pretended to be looking for something on my table.

“Are you talking to Donghae-hyung?” he asked.

“Umm…yes. He went to the bathroom,” I informed.

“Yeah…I saw him went in.” Silence followed. I stared at me for a few seconds and said, “I should…go.”

“I thought you’re looking for something?” I asked.

“Maybe later…ummm…noona?”

“Yeah, Donghae and I are the same age.”

I heard another voice coming nearer. Ryeowook raised his head, looking at someone.

“Who’s that?” a familiar voice said. “Is it a girl?”

“Yes,” Ryeowook answered.

Who is it now? Donghae, where are you?

____________________________________________________________________________

Hello there.

Another long~ update huh? I enjoyed typing this chapter, i didnt notice I'm on the 5th page. Anyway, about the usernames: HAHA! I really don't know what to put on. I cant decide what site DH and SJ should use for IM-ing so i just wrote 'Instant Messaging'. LAME!

But i hope you liked it though.

~Crina