Kyungsoo hyung woke us instantly with his infamous trick. Opening our room doors wide and then cooking breakfast so our noses would wake us up. But no matter how good it smelled and no matter how Joonmyun hyung had been climbing my tiny ladder to shake me awake, my eyes were still good as shut. Some extra five minutes of sleep would be lovely.

As we got outside our dorm, our manager Seungwon hyung made us march into the van and hereby announce that we are going to the tailor for some costume fitting. I guess they’re filling us a whole dresser with cool jackets and leggings. I don’t think that stuff really work for me but eventually, when I look in the mirror, I look good in them! I don’t think I should protest anyone for anything.

We got there after a while and got off the van. Jongin joined me, asking, “Did you know that the coffee shop have a new variety of donuts? I saw it on the way.”

Like I have enough unoccupied minds running to realize that.

“Really?” I responded. “They research a lot.”

“Dude I swear we have to go there as soon as possible. I’ll just have King Manager buy five dozens for all of us.”

“Stupid,” I replied, chuckling. We laughed together. Our eyes had to adjust to the neon-lighted hallway, so dark compared to the atmosphere outside.

We got inside the right room then our Seungwon hyung introduced the stylish ajumma to his herd of precious sheep.

We took turns bowing and smiling then we were taking turns being called, I guess by size because Kris and Chanyeol hyungs were the ones who got called first.

I decided to sit beside Jongin the whole time because I just felt like it. I would just stare at him from the side and turn my head when my mental alarms say that it’s enough. “I heard that Manager has a few new songs in his pockets,” I started.

“Like we’re going to be so cramped about it.” He laughed, showing his neat teeth and healthy pink lips again. He’s right though. Make us record 100 songs and the two of us will only get so many simple lines it won’t make us explode.

I turned to the singers and whispered. “They’ll be the ones taking time for that.” We giggled in our dirty little gossip and we know that it’s bad.

“Oh!” My mind popped to me in a second. “I downloaded a new game and it’s awesome!”

“Oh Sehun,” the nuna called me next, doctor style.

“Oh damn,” I mumbled. I threw my phone to Jongin. “Just hold that for a while, thanks.”

“Hello,” I bowed slightly to everyone. I then examined the rows of bling-filled hangers. These stuff are awesome. Although a few are weird from even a distance, eventually only select people can wear that.

“Hi, Sehun. You’re such a tall, handsome boy,” the designer ajumma greeted me warmly and turned my shoulders a few times to examine me. “I have some of these for you. Just jackets, so you don’t have to hide in the change room.”

She handed me some jackets, some of them with the EXO hexagons engraved all over. Makes a cool effect if light pass through it. I tried all of them, and some other jackets that were a bit too blingy to me.

“Are any too small? Or too big?” Designer Ajumma asked.

“No, I guess.” I smiled. “I’m okay with all of them.”

“Okay then, thank you, Sehun.” The ajumma said, and then nodded to me. I bowed sincerely in return. Everyone here had been so nice.

I came back to Jongin and then it was his turn for god’s sake.

It was his turn throwing his phone to me then.

I unlocked the phone and was randomly pushing buttons, weighing whether I should open Jongin’s stuff or not. See whether she was pretty or not. See how sweet she was to be with Jongin.

And after an eternity of careful consideration, I decided to open the inbox. It was part a pain and part a killing curiosity. I just hope that it won’t kill the cat.

The senders were mom, mom, mom, manager, nuna, nuna, mom…

Hwang Chara <3.

I clicked back in fear and locked the phone as if nothing happened. I decided to just play the game on my phone I was about to show to him.

As if the name Hwang Chara <3 gave me a clue.

Even though we have known each other for so long, even though we go to the same school, the mention of that name, or even ‘my girlfriend’ never came out from Jongin’s mouth.

I took out my phone and played with my new game, failing to jump on the same spot every time. I’ve been spacing out too much. Tao hyung and Jongin joined me, making my sides dark of their shadows.

“I’ve passed that level many times. Here, I do that better than you.” Tao hyung scoffed as I failed, again. I passed the phone to him, and he made me pass more levels than what I can achieve in three nights. You haven’t seen Baekhyun hyung with his Need For Speed.

“Woohoo! That was tight!” Jongin was so caught up watching Tao hyung. He exclaimed, eyes glued to the rather tiny screen. “You should just hand him your phone or something!”

“He has it in his phone, stupid.” I said, dead flat.

Tao hyung decided that he was done playing, offering my phone to either Jongin or me. Jongin immediately snatched it and started playing. The light from my screen was reflected in his face, in his eager, pitch black eyes. Beautiful.

I ignored my mental alarm of staring until he gave up and gave my phone back to me. He shot into my dumbfounded eyes, smiling so satisfied. My want of breaking into those eyes only grew cracks in my own heart.

Jongin offered a hand. “Come on, let’s go to the others.” I took his hand and he helped me stand up. On our way to the hyungs, I really wanted to ask about Hwang Chara but I believe he didn’t know that I know. Or at least that I care.

They haven’t been together for so long, though. I guess it was about last fall that Jongin started to act so… bright and secretive. Any moron would find out soon enough, but the hyungs and I decided not to put our noses into it.

It was noon when we got out of the tailor, and now our car trunk is filled with a ton of shiny clothes. We bowed goodbye to everyone like knuckles inside a playing piano, then got into the van. Seungwon hyung stopped by and bought everyone Subway. He was actually so young, having only graduated college couple of years ago. But for a young man that age, he’s very stingy. He should live with Chanyeol hyung for a while.

As I bit into my sandwich and as the van rolled back to the streets, Jongin stopped eating and scrambled around his pockets. He found his phone and quickly responded, smiling secretly in hope that no one would see. But I did.

“Ahem,” I pretended to clear my throat, smiling, the sandwich still in my mouth. Jongin looked at me and just laughed lightly and hid his phone back as if nothing happened. He did not mind me finding out, I guess. I’m his best friend after all… sort of.

Acting indifferent was so easy I should get casted in some drama soon.

The van stopped in front of the company so I guess fitting is the only thing we have for today. The hyungs that have college dashed right away, while the ones doing nothing decided to go practice. I was so not into practice so I wanted to come over to the M dorm and ask Luhan hyung for some bubble tea, but then I realized that he had college too, so I went on my own. Jongin was also out of sight, and the other hyungs were either practicing or missing too.

The tea shop was still two buildings away from where I stand. The café Jongin talked about was right on my left, and there I saw the donut banners Jongin was talking about. It took awhile for me to decide whether I should buy bubble tea or donuts but the donuts looked so good they made me go into the café.

The cashier boy greeted me. “Hi. Welcome to Café Anabel. What would you like to have?”

I was staring at the lightboard up there, weighing choices.

“We have a new brand of donuts, Ultimate Chocolate. It has chocolate bread, chocolate cream, and a topping you can choose,” the guy said after I’ve been thinking for a bit too long.

“I’ll just have a dozen of everything.” I said, unable to decide. I have to somehow repay the hyungs’ kindness anyway.

I paid and brought back the box of donuts along. I got outside the café then tried to peek what was inside the box. Before I turn right and go back to the dorm, I turned my head left out of habit to see Kim Jongin slowly tucking hair behind a girl’s ear, kissing her softly at the near end of the street. He pulled away with a peaceful smile and waved her goodbye as she crossed the street.

Kim Jongin turned around to see me, baffled.