{ THE YIN & THE YANG }

“Mar..jeo…” her eyelids bat twice but the words are still alien to her, “Holy cow this is seriously pissing me off!”

“It’s marjoram, noona.”

A hand appears behind her prior to a response that she swallows back when he snatches the pack of whatever-the-heck-that-thing is and gently lays it inside the cart along with other groceries.
“So what are we looking for next?” Kyungsoo gives her a brief look and flashes the genuineness and Yoona really cannot thank him enough for being the sweetheart he always is when this shouldn’t be something of his concern. Though Kai is however, Kyungsoo’s close friend and it’s going to take Yoona a long time to look back into this, figuring out some incomprehensible reasons as to how those two can even befriend each other.
Because Kai is certainly a devil and angelic is no doubt the best way to describe Dokyungs.

“Parmesan cheese. Chilli paste.” Yoona goes through the list with an endless sigh counting the ones that aren’t in the cart yet and while she’s at it, why not count all the sins she has ever done to Mrs. Geum to have her being emotionally harassed like this.  “Grapes, mushroom, oatmeal and cotton…underwear?” She gasps in disbelief and Kyungsoo can’t say he feels the same. It is Kai after all so it still makes sense even if Elmo hat was jotted down on that list. He intuitively takes the usual position being at the side, arms and feet at rest while Yoona begins her transformation into YoonZilla roaring like she owns the place and all these little words underage kids shouldn’t get accustomed to, “Noona.” He finally calls out meekly soon after giving her one whole minute to curse Kim Jongin and his future seven generations but it’s not going to be that easy cooling down a turbulent blaze.

“Who does he think he is? What?? He ordered me to buy grocery food for him and now he even wants me to buy something to wrap –his –balls??” 
It could’ve been less provocative if only Yoona didn’t gesture a pair of circles in the air with her bare hands thus earning some really intense glares from these housewives.
 “Noona, maybe you can lower down your voice a bit because we don’t want to disturb the public and – hmph.” Kyungsoo heaves with pity over the legendary haplessness of flowery skirt and of white blouse as she nose-dives into the half empty cart, indifferent towards the stuffs she’s weighing down on. Yoona’s not going to move now because she believes she’s dead from the first step she took inside this mart even guardian angel Do Kyungsoo can’t save her. Although he seems quite persistent showering her with uplifting words, that too doesn’t last long. Thus in the end, Kyungsoo picks up a pack of healthy black current drink and tears it open for Yoona to consume who knows if this can help her settle down.
 “Seriously, Dokyungs. Am I really that gullible? I mean, I’m like five years older than him! Why would he do that to me? Do I remind him of his hateful ex-girlfriend or something?”

“Firstly, noona. You’re only three years older than him.” The cart stops and Yoona takes the pack of mushroom Kyungsoo hands her, putting it onto her laps, “...Second is, no. You don’t look Caucasian at all.”
The answer makes her gawks up at him, “He dated a Westerner?” She’s really going to wail if Kyungsoo nods –he nods –and Yoona wails aloud,
“Mothernature! What in the world did she see in him?! Seriously? I mean, come onnnn!”
“He’s been living overseas for quite some time already perhaps he practised the right pickup lines I don’t know.”

“The things in this world we can never fathom.” And to have her saying that as if that’s really a big issue requiring critical thinking, “…by the way, why would he come back here for? I mean, duh just live there forever then happy ever after would've been mine.”
“So you could get the second floor, noona?” It’s a tricky question plus that mischievous boyish smirk when Yoona falls for it and repeats almost the whole sentence. Almost.
“Very cheeky, Kyungsoo.” He chuckles which Yoona pelts with a slap of a bag of chips over his face.

“You don’t have to be so mean, noona.” Kyungsoo’s statement has the older girl giving him the look, “…I mean, about Kai. Not me, I’m already well-adapted to your violence.” She waits for his further explanation as he begins with the once upon a time fairy tale of a man named Kim Jongin who came back home with a holy mission to retrace the trails left by someone; an old friend as Kyungsoo mentions it but Yoona thinks that kid is still butthurt over being rejected by a first lover more or less like that.

“I won’t agree it's about him seeking for his first love again so I guess I’ll stick to believing him when he says she was someone who kinda, I don't know, shaped him into who he is today?”

Wow. Yoona thought, just wow.
Because whoever that poor soul is, she must’ve been a legendary witch during the golden age to be able to shape Kai into something so…dark...

“…And evil.”

“Noona, please. I can hear you.”

The cart stops again and Yoona’s pout is necessary to put in silence for a while though her mind is still thinking about any rationality into enslaving herself to Mrs. Geum’s nephew. Of course, he owns the authority to do so but that ahjumma herself, how could she betray this kind human being (excluding the delusional part)?
“Mrs. Geum used to be so kind do you think Kai’s the one who influenced her because lemme just be honest with you, Dokyungs I think that dude is spreading some wicked aura ever since he came into our lives.”

Kyungsoo purposely shrugs it off to cut things short though he can just go on mentioning some really good deeds Kai had ever done and his rare positive traits but the shelf is too high and these not-so-long arms are having trouble reaching for the oatmeal,
“Kai –uh, isn’t that –hmph, bad actually –ugh!” He whimpers with both palms now planted on his hips as he gazes up at what seems like a skyscraper because why are they so insensitive, building such tall shelves it can cause extreme damage to short people’s pride.
“Do you want me to help?” Yoona stands from inside the cart and Kyungsoo’s heart almost flips upside down when the wheels move forward before he can get a stable grip of it, "Noona!” He squeaks, wide-eyed and begins nagging at the girl who is currently focusing on getting that box (and only that), “Here!”

He puts the box into arrangement neatly next to the other stuffs, a total opposite to Yoona who’ll just toss everything into a huge dump,
“And noona, please don’t do that again. It was dangerous.” Kyungsoo wipes the absent sweats over the side of his head and waits for Yoona to park herself safely inside the trolley before he pushes ahead,  “...And you only managed to get the oatmeal because you’re standing on a cart, noona so no need with the vain victorious grin.”
She chokes on her own spit: How did he know that does he have rear view eyes?! and now it’s Kyungsoo’s turn to break a satisfied smile on his pretty, pretty face.

Apart from a total wastage of fifty two minutes of time and an insignificant technical malfunction –Yoona got the hem of her skirt caught at the counter thanks to her genius idea to fool around and slides along with the other stuffs before security interferes, they’d still call it a day well spent.
Kyungsoo can deem this a wonderful outing although they’re indirectly serving as slaves to Lord Kai somehow so this darkening expression across his façade is only for a sole reason –the thought of riding on the same car back home as Im Yoona.

“Uh I think I’ll just take the subway.” A minuscule glimpse of terror sparks in his eyes the moment she blocks him simply with a slide of foot over the ground he’s about to step on, “Just get inside, Dokyungs.” He shakes his head timidly and Yoona rolls her eyes, “Now.”  

And with that, begins the detrimental journey of a victimized soul by the name Do Kyungsoo, a heart he carries on his sleeves that is probably dissolving along with the echoes and screams while the fancy little red car races through the crammed street of Seoul city.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
 

Nowadays, things aren’t just about surviving work, it’s just totally different. This studio down the corner of Rosy Street used to be her haven on Earth but misery in the form of a 'rockstar' (note the sarcasm), just had to walk into her life and all over her like it’s his inborn talent to be such jerk. To go upstairs and provide free lecture to young boys isn’t really a good idea after all especially when it involves the overrated you-should-start-thinking-about-your-future kind of talk only outdated parents would give. Besides, Yoona’s had enough of being tortured by Kai’s dictatorship thinking he’s more superior to her just because he came from the womb of a woman who happens to be Mrs. Geum’s sister. 

“Lightning crashes! A new mother cries! Her placenta falls to the flooor!!”

Juice leakage alert and that’s just total primal response. Yoona straight-faced, hands over the tissue box to Choi Sooyoung who is still acclimatizing to the outrageous lyrics and faulty songs that never fail to reach their hearings as if the music itself has some kind of a soul creeping into the poor lives of the first floor residents.
“Did I heard the lyrics right or –” Yoona’s accurate repetition of the same exact lines puts Choi Sooyoung into state of paralysis or should she call it empathy now because this confirms the infinite menace her pitiful friend is forced to go through. “…You even memorized them already! Oh sweetie, I feel so sorry for you!”

The little shrug from Yoona and Yuri’s you haven’t yet heard that song about microwave and I’mma crush you like caterpillar verse, validate the idea that these two are slowly losing their grip and purposes in life. Well, it’s not like Sooyoung hasn’t been bombarded with complaints and daily rants about the second floor creatures but this is, after a second thought, her first time experiencing this real life encounter.
Should all Kai’s fortuitous attempts to annoy the hell out of her are met with rebuffs because Yoona can’t care less. Besides, she still has a life (fortunately) to focus on amidst this oversaturation of misfortunes and Choi Sooyoung has not yet disappointed her by being here at the most proper time.

“Though I have yet to meet another model like you, chomping on high calories chocolate bar before a photoshoot.” Sooyoung pouts indignantly when Yoona snatches the bar from her, exchanging it with a bottle of plain water instead, “Clear your throat off and let’s start now. We have not much time left and I seeeriously don’t want to end up lining outside Kim jackass Keybum’s office along with other failures.”
Yuri clicks her tongue at that, “Heyy, where’s the respect for a senior, Yoong? I thought you were practical!”
This sight of Sooyoung and Yuri high-fiving each other causes a rise of something nasty in her and would she just knock both heads together for continuously embedding sarcasms into describing her ‘perfect’ life, as quoted.
“Whatever girls, I’m just way more mature than that and while you two keep ridiculing me to your heart content, I’ll just have to pick up this incoming call and be the professional photographer Im Yoona who in the end, owns money more than you both combined~” She twirls around to walk to a corner of the office leaving behind two ladies in a giggling fit…

…that instantly die down because too fake and Yoona’s now out the door.

“Now, choose!” The pocket opens and it’s like a rushed magical visit into Pandora ’s Box.
Pictures and names, these are the only things scattered all over the desk but the atmosphere is as tense as a battlefield while Sooyoung fiddles for a response from the flustered Kwon Yuri,
“…Come on, Yul, tell me! Should we give her the chance to choose from this or should we just throw any of it we think suitable to her face and drag her along tonight?”

Yuri has her eyes flicking between pictures and honestly, these are pure eye candies that even she can’t dare to choose, “These are some seriously hot ones, Sooyoung. Where did you even find them? I mean like whoa.”
“I have my super Siwon, don’t I? He’s as good as Cupid and better, he actually wears suits not diapers.”
“Yeah he better not or else those diapers are going to be ripped off by his bulging muscles.” Yuri’s comment about the muscles has stopped becoming offensive since forever and it’s really not a big deal anyway even if back then it would’ve caused Sooyoung flipping all the tables because Siwon is perfect, nobody judges him okay.

“…I really can’t compete your level of determination in finding the right guy for Yoona considering how you’ve literally failed three times already and the last one wasn’t even that long ago.” A photo sparks Yuri’s interest, “…But Sooyoung, I think I’ll go with this one.”
The taller girl takes the picture from Yuri’s hand and frowns for a while,
“But Yul, you know Yoona doesn’t really like extremely pale boys, right?” Yuri nods and that gives Sooyoung another reason to frown deeper, “…So?”

“Who said that’s for her? I said I’ll go with this one~” Yuri emphasizes the word again and laughs when her friend finally scoffs after getting the whole point, “…But for Yoong though, I’d say…him!”
Sooyoung catches a glimpse of that handsome face with chiselled features and she gotta say, they could be quite an item. She holds on to the picture firmly with a whole new vision to succeed at any cost this time around.
“We should set up a dating agency already with this amount of professionalism, Yul.” Proud smiles inflate their prettiness but both soon disperse into natural gigs impulsively preceding Yoona’s nervy entrance with her continous I'm doomed(s).

“I’m freaking doomed today!" She aggravates it with the throw of her arms in the air, "... What is wrong with me I swear my Yin and Yang is thoroughly messed up gosh I should just reaaaally go get my luck check now! Sooyoung, give me any shaman’s contact number, do you have one? What about you, Yuri?”

Yuri shakes off the desperate cling for help and hints Sooyoung with a glare for some help over here, please.
“Yoona, relax. Just breathe in. And breathe out.” Sooyoung fixes both palms on Yoona’s cheeks and she can just overlook the way Yoona’s opposing her instructions for regular breathing , anything as long as she stays alive, "...Okay, now speak."

“The male model who’s supposed to work with us today...” Yoona begins a little difficult because she really feels like crying, “…He rang me just now, said he wouldn’t make it here. And Sooyoung I’ve no time left! I don’t want to be Evil Keybum’s target just because I couldn’t finish up a pictorial for my group of alumni, he’s really going to tear my pride into shreds trust me he’s done that once HE CAN DO THAT AGAIN.”

“Okay, okay. Yoona, I understand but you should calm down now you don’t want to collapse from hypertension.”
This feels like a real life drama while Yuri is just waiting to flip into a different channel because the main character is too edgy it’s like she so much in acting it feels wrong to even watch while the other friend character is being too nice and fake. Since Yuri knows how much Sooyoung just want to whip her hair over Yoona’s face (it’s more painful than a typical slap) to shut that girl down and maybe shut her off for the rest of the week.
She needs that rest anyway.

But fortunately, supporting roles are really a relief in mainstream dramas. This is when two handsome guys will make a cameo with their fierce rockstar faces though in reality they’re just a couple of pretty flower boys walking down the stairs. Yuri uncrosses her legs and jogs towards the door unnoticed by the other two because she needs to act fast before the only hope(s) can disappear and never return.

“Siwon’s not answering.” Sooyoung plops on a chair next to Yoona who luckily still has a minute amount of hope to even sit properly or else she would’ve fall flat onto the floor.
“Should I get Sehun to do it? I mean –” Yoona’s eyes light up with twinkles, “…He’s so much easier to be bossed around and besides, I can get him here in no time!” Her excitement falters from an immediate objection by Sooyoung as the expert claims on how the boy lacks soul.
“He can’t model! His eyes are as dead as yours!” Sooyoung blurts out, smiles ungainly then includes a twisted version of no offence.

Yoona ponders for another few seconds, “I know! What about Kyungs –”

“Yoong, please! Just don’t. You’re being cynical and that is rude.”

“WHAT. I didn't mean it that wa -Wait a second this is a misunderstanding I-"” She goes bug-eyed and begs with her whole life for Sooyoung to believe the fact she wasn’t being cynical at all. Do Kyungsoo is a cutie patootie that deserves all the love in this world and she feels wronged to be accused like that when the boy is her ultimate bias amongst the rest of neighbours next door.
“Okay enough, Yoona. I know, I know.” It’s an infliction to shrug off Yoona’s dying wails and the discouragement but all the girl needs is a pat on the head and that’s exactly what Sooyoung is doing when Yuri suddenly enters with a big smile on her face screaming, “Eureka!”

Behind her, two tall heads pop out and is anybody going to ask why the trio all have the same flavoured milk teas in their hands?

 

// / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /  // / /

It’s of no use. Unless she can try to squeeze out a drop of tears now even if Yoona’s sceptical both girls would believe her. Sometimes she thinks to herself that maybe after all, Yuri and Sooyoung weren’t joking when they once said they hated her. It all begins to make sense now like how rain shower clears off hazy dark skies.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Yoong you know we love you. A little amount of hate is healthy for any kind of relationship.” Yuri waves it off and steadily stands next to Park Chanyeol who is acting like the most well-mannered boy ever created in history while Kai is just being himself. And like seriously speaking, it would have been better if he can just zip his mouth because nobody wants to hear him arguing about why Sooyoung is hot while Yoona is not.
“OH YEAH then can you just explain to me why is Kyungsoo so kind while you’re such a pain in the ??” the victim retorts.

Sooyoung finds it really troublesome having to hold Yoona back meanwhile Kai doesn’t even care about his own life and he really shouldn’t underestimate a furious Im Yoona because that girl can flit in and out like a bipolar person. Yuri heaves a sigh so heavily, turning to the other tall guy instead as she can already foresee a bigger disaster if they ever hire Kai.

“So Chanyeol, can you model for my friend here?” A soft nudge from Yuri makes him speaks but unlike that someone who is currently nonchalant about Yoona’s burning glare, Chanyeol lives off being courteous.
“I’m sorry, noonas I wish I could but I can’t.” He winces when the self-proclaimed professional photographer goes ahead insisting him to provide legit reasons because this is a matter of pride we’re dealing with. 
“…Because.” Chanyeol gulps, “It’s complicated but I’ve made a promise to not flaunt my good looks and it’s really something so holy to break.”

Does –this –even –make –sense?

“Excuse me if I’m being deliberately obtuse here but WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO KID, FOOL ME?” This time around, it’s Yuri who is in charge of pushing Yoona back before she can chew on the kid’s head.
“I’m not fooling around, I swear Mom made me kneel in front of our ancestors’ jars of ashes and vowed to live humbly because I was the only one in my family blessed with good genes. I can show my family photo too if you want!”

Yoona falls back, clasping a hand on her neck and Kai who stands the nearest to her should have at least make an effort to catch her instead of watching her tumbling (luckily) against a chair. Yuri rushes for support, slightly reprimanding the guy for being so ignorant and while they’re all in a stir, Chanyeol becomes that man who carries the torch of hope running through the track at the mention of a close friend.
“He does modelling professionally but I don’t know if I can get him to come fast. We might need to make an appointment.”
This declaration marks the starting of a wholly new life to Yoona and she thinks it’s really the time to bid farewell to all the bad omens and odious spirits that have been latching on her putting her as the winning nominee for the worst luck award.

Until forty four minutes later and hope comes rolling in. His extremely striking features with the deep manly voice and the way he does this bro-fist thingy with Park Chanyeol lifts the remnant of expectation left. That bewitched smile on Yoona’s face is by any means, necessary because a male model just walked in being perfect in everything; tall stature, neat eyebrows, a smirk that makes your kokoro go ooh lala with an exceptional of one thing –he’s dressed completely similar to the Chinese delivery boy (only with a different colour.)

This is it. This is exactly how Im Yoona’s going to die. Of heartbreaks. Of hopelessness.
And of, cheers to the souls of all Chinese delivery men ever existed in this cruel world!

Yuri breaks down laughing until her sides hurt while Sooyoung’s too sorry to jump into the same laughing bandwagon. Park Chanyeol and Kai on the other hand, believe they’ve done their part so it’s time for a karaoke session with some cute chicks out there or do about anything –because anything is better than judging Im Yoona’s incompetency in life.

“You should really go home while I’ll just go find the easiest way to die because death by being a laughing stock to my alumni is going to be really painful.” Yoona shoos the said model away just to have him confidently blocking her,
“But we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet. And Chanyeol told me I’m here for work.”

“Alright.” Yoona gives in because despite the loss of hope she still thinks manner should come first, “…So what’s your name?”

“Kris.”

“Okay, Kris. Now you can go home.”

Yoona insists on pacing away but he stops her again, “Are you dismissing me because you think I’m just some delivery boy? Though yes, I am Chinese but a friend begged me to work part-time at his restaurant in order to attract some girls. You cannot blame me for my superior-genes-everybody-wants-me, no?” A narcissistic Kris ripostes, suffice to have all eyes fix on him and a jaw-dropped Yoona but once a curious Choi Sooyoung pokes her head into the scene, the table’s turned and all that is required is an accidental eye contact.

Summoned gust of wind and flying petals from the North, he blinks his eyes to the blinding constellation of a pulchritude figure, her pair of shining dark orbs and soft fringe. The endless track of her lengthy legs and the uniqueness of her lashes colliding to each other. Like magic, Kris; the one whose head’s up high every. freaking. time, is plunged into the enchanting side of the world at first sight.

And as he falls he declares it; true love.

 

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 

Okay, keut!

The last click and an extremely thankful Im Yoona is bound to fall on her knees at the tremendous overflowing feelings of satisfaction and gratitude to the Heavens for being so cooperative in making her life less miserable today. While the emotional scene goes on, Choi Sooyoung’s stuck inside a different stage instead. To be honest, she has had loads of experiences meeting men and somewhere along that line she acquired the talent to evaluate people in a short time. She has met a lot of confident guys but this one in front of her right now, has strayed miles away along the track of the conceited –God –I’m –so –fabulous kind of being. Hence, Kris can go ahead keep striking the pose while she’ll just take this chance to leave before he can even notice her absence, which is purely implausible because he’s like a watchful dragon that won’t let go of the prey he sets his eyes on.

“Are you just going to leave like that, Sooyoung sshi? But I thought we bonded through the photoshoot already?” Kris lazily tramps behind her but those long legs, he won’t be having a hard time catching after her steps.
“Well you see, I’ve other things to do and I don’t actually work here. I’m just here volunteering for my photographer friend over there you see –”
They both turn their heads to some brunette still dramatically overjoyed at the corner, “ –well she’s…uh, pretty eccentric at times but this is just to emphasize that I’m here for work.”
“Well, I’m here for work too.” Kris takes one step closer and recoils from Sooyoung’s glare, “…What I’m trying to say is, I think we’ve got chemistry and maybe we could go around for a drink some time later?”

Sleazy. Sooyoung wraps her arms around her slender torso, waiting to see if Kris will ever shed off that vainglorious look on his face but maybe that’s a wrong move because with every second passing she’ll have no choice but to admit he does have that something quite charming about him.
But then, there comes Super Siwon in a Mini Cooper, taking his well-deserved spot in her mind.

“No thanks. I think I’d rather go home and submerge myself in lukewarm water bath instead.”  She replies and strangely there’s something about her words become this major turn on as Kris has mistakenly perceiving what should be the red light to stop and make a quick U turn, into a green light that screams go for it.
It doesn’t help that Kris has never been denied all throughout his life so a challenge is something new to him thus he’ll just directly put the blame on this Little Miss Attractive instead.
“Okay then, if you wish it that way. But Sooyoung sshi…” Kris succeeds to have her take a brief glance at him even when she’s half way leaving,
“…If we happen to meet again next time, I’ll take that as a fateful meeting instead of a coincidental one so…” A smirk appears on his face; confident and fetching, a total opposite to these trembling fingers of his hidden inside his pocket, “…when that day happens, I’m not going to hold myself back, girl.”

Cringe, just cringe you people no one's gonna blame you because even the flying Cupids are now freefalling along gravity as that is such a traumatizing scene written in the book of fate. On the other hand, someone should give Sooyoung a standing ovation for brushing it off with just a scorn.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Some things in this world are crafted for zero explanations. That’s how people come up with religions, ideas and mythical beliefs also the mere existences of Gods, just like how we want something to be in charge of these unaccountable entities. She believes she found her purpose of life on that day she got her hands on this device that aids her way going around behind lens, beautiful to her eyes yet unfathomable for the others. Like mentioned, if she were to list down on things she can’t understand like –why do people judge others? Or how could someone be so naïve thinking that love at first sight does exist? Because from what she can conclude, falling in love after you’ve only met someone for like three seconds won’t be taking you to the long run. Probably because Im Yoona just doesn’t depend on first impression (or she’s just unknowingly envious at the fact that Kris can’t stop leeching off Sooyoung from the beginning till the end of the hours long photoshoot.)

It could’ve passed as a boring day to normal people but honestly, she can never ask for more. This is Im Yoona’s kind of lucky day and being able to submit to her work for the whole day is already a pleasant achievement.

Great, Yoona scans the place one last time before she heads to turn off all lights, ready to go home with swollen feet and cracked knuckles after such a long day. Exhaustion has already established a comfortable position inside of her since four hours ago and she can just dive into a hole anywhere yet finds it cosy enough for a long snooze, just to emphasize on how tiring it is being her at the end of the day. But tonight the street lights are pretty in lines, blinking back at her sleepy eyes and there are less wanderers by the street also the scent of midnight cookies from the bakery across the road is relaxing. Susurrus voices behind attracts Yoona to glance over a pair walking hand in hand; big smiles and happy faces, the typical look of a couple in love. It makes her wonder to herself if she’d ever regret not having the chance to love like normal people do.

“But the traumatizing pain of meeting jerks.” Yoona blows a sigh, the exact same moment her eyes make contact with another person coming from the opposite direction from the previous couple she was checking out on. Could it just be the fact he’s wearing a mouth mask, Yoona’s more drawn to his pair of dark eyes with an unidentifiable sparkle to them –alluring but with a touch of mischief.
 
Kai stops roughly one metre and a half from her, pure eye contact with a conversation. Until he pulls up his sleeve and checks the time with an amused look plastered across his face.
“What are you still doing here? I thought your curfew is at ten?” Even if he’s being sardonic, Yoona will have to let it slide this time because she’s out of battery and she still have a twenty minute drive back home to go through.

She pulls the backseat door open and from the side she notices him leaving.
“Kai, wait up!”

He whips his head back at her without a change of expression but who would’ve known if he’d ever smirk behind that mask. She squirms in hesitation before finally letting it loose, basically leaning to the door and decides maybe if there’s ever any friction between them, they can take this opportunity to clear things up.

“Do you have anything against me, Kai?” Yoona watches him hardly shaking his head and truthfully who can even believe that when he’s almost always trying to do things to irk her either purposely or not.
“…Because really: the mess, the loud noises upstairs, your blunt remarks and oh, how can I even forget? The cotton underwear…seriously?”

“I thought Kyungsoo handled that for me?”

He makes her smacks on her lip pretty hard with that one, “Excuse you, but I was there too, okay! And I’ve heard from Kyungsoo that you were out of this country for too long so I guess you’ve been Westernized but dude, let me tell you something, here in Korea, girls don’t go around helping boys to buy their personal things. Though grocery is fine.” Her voice thins out, because anything ahjumma asks for is fine.

“So grocery is fine?”
His boyish chuckle solidifies the previously flimsy reason for Yoona to just kick him on the nuts but considering how she’s not skilled in martial arts and there’s nobody else out here right now, she may want to retreat. Because who knows if he’d ever thought of killing her before, he can do that now while no witness is around and all he needs next is an alibi. “…Man, you sure do have a lot to complain.”

“Excuse me?” Yoona makes a step further, closing the car door shut and who cares if he’s way taller than her, she’d just tiptoe if that can able her to spit some words right out to his face, “Well you know what? Actually I do have a lot of things to complain about and it doesn’t really require that much amount of cognizance for you to realise that! Although I have to say that I’m quite overwhelmed by your ignorance which is really out of this world!” The big pair of eyes now squinted to slits, Yoona hopes she really has succeeded to at least knock some sensibility into his lack of concern attitude, an attempt to inform him that he has put the phrase ignorance is bliss way too higher up there for his own good.

When Kai doesn’t even flinch a bit or does he even show any sign of discomfort, Yoona knows she’s been undervaluing his indifference, “Am I the only one whom you have a lot of things to complain about?” She’s unsure if that’s even a valid question but Yoona will take that as a yes and so the head nod. “…Did my mere presence somehow changed your life or anything for you to be this ticked off?”

Again, Yoona nods but with a serious glower that masks her feminine beauty that’s been regrettably hidden by the superfluous thoughts she has implanted into her make beliefs, of what is needed to create her own little perfect world –which is a fail to be honest.

“Yes, Kai. FYI, ever since you came, all you did was flipping my life upside down like that.” The monotonous tone as she speaks and those little waves of her arms that should’ve demonstrated perfectly how radical it is to her, somehow backfires when he simply replies,

“Great, then.” Pause. “Because that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
 

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
 

One, two, three, he counts, four. The door opens at the fifth floor and Sehun knows it’s the right time to recite some prayers because there’s no one out there and there are ghastly rumours about really unpretty things residing amongst the humans. Just press on the button, Sehun and you’ll be fine. He doesn’t know how many times he has been telling that to himself hence when the door finally opens again to the seventh floor, he nearly faints from anxiety but as soon as he steps outside bearing in mind that it’s way past midnight, the sight of a long haired girl standing opposing him triggers a panic attack.

For a while there, Oh Sehun forgets he’s a man.

Hysteric screaming, ing ghost!! and some seconds wasted prowling between going straight to the door of the house and elevator, I don’t wanna die, repetitive hiccups, Sehun bounces back, cornered to a wall by a strong tug of his arm. “No matter what happens when you see a ghost, don’t ever open your eyes.” These are wise words from Kim Joonmyeon and considering how the hyung had lived two years longer than Sehun himself, he’ll just hold on to that for life.

“Sehun.”

He scrunches his eyes tighter, “Oh Sehun, what in the world? Just open your goddamn eyes, silly!” So he does.

“NOONA?”

Yoona brushes her fringe back, torn between laughing her off at the sight of a cowardice young friend or offers him pity instead because he actually needs that a little more right now.
But then again, this isn’t even the right moment for her to mock someone else not when she has her own pride battered thanks to some evil being with shaggy jet black hair and lazy eyes.

“Noona! You’ve scared me! Why would you even –” Sehun struggles to regain his masculinity by finding excuses but his words are all tumbling over a syllable to another, he finally gives up on that because come on, they’ve all well accustomed to each other’s flaws anyway.
“I’m sorry if I freaked you out but ugh, Sehun. I’m soooo out of energy right now and I don’t know if sleep is all I need.” She suddenly plops down sitting right against the door to her house, rambling about a lot of things that in a second, it’s Sehun who holds the ticket to feel sorry for Yoona now. He settles down close next to her.

“…I really can’t just go through one day without feeling like , don’t I, Sehun?”

“What happened? Your clients are giving you a hard time again?”

“I don’t even have enough clients to be giving me hard times, unfortunately. I just, I don’t know it may have been due to economy crisis our country is dealing with but it scares me that nowadays I can’t confirm what I’ll turn out being in ten years.” She glances over at him and despite that sorry look he has on his face, Yoona’s aware that he’s probably too inexperienced to understand her position at the moment.

“But you know what’s more frustrating than all of this?” She rests her head back to the door, “…It’s when someone who hasn’t a clue about who you are, comes walking in and the first thing he said is, your life is a huge mess no one can fix.” The exact image of that particular person she’s talking about comes flashing at the back of her mind. It’s frustrating how Yoona hasn’t found the right button to turn off his voice that keeps repeating inside her head ever since their last encounter about an hour ago.

“Great, then.” Pause. “Because that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

“What do you mean that’s exactly what you’re intending to do?? Can you even hear yourself right now??”

“Of course I do. But that still doesn’t change the fact that your life is somehow, slightly…”

“Slightly what??”

 Face down, he ponders for a better word but within that brief shrug of his shoulder one happens to seem befitting for the situation. With hands in his pocket, he casually picks a word.

“Deranged.” Sehun’s eyes are wide open when he turns to Yoona who seems to be comfortable with that word rolling on her tongue,
“...He –freaking –called –me –a –deranged –person.”
Sehun doesn’t ask but his intuition tells him that guy is Kai because only that friend can say such blunt things to someone, like how he’d call Kyungsoo’s eyes creepy and labels Chanyeol the village idiot. He simply gets away saying crude things like that.

In the midst of that, the dimmed lighting outside becomes bright and another door creaks open, putting a stop to what seems like a heart-to-heart session. A head peeps behind the door and only Kim Joonmyeon wears such fancy neon-coloured shorts to bed.
“It’s way past midnight. What are you guys doing out here?” He can keep being the grumpy go by the book Grandpa like he always is but instead Joonmyeon decides to turn a big deal out of this.

“…Are you guys secretly dating?” He gives Yoona sceptical look.

“WHAT? No we’re not!” Both of them get back on their feet, denying with all their hearts and will and souls while Joonmyeon maintains a ridiculous I’m-watching-you expression before he shepherds Sehun back into the house and stops to glance at Yoona who is still fumbling with her keys.

“Noona.”

“Seriously, Joonmyeon. We’re not dating! I was standing outside because I was too ashamed to walk in thinking Taiji would judge me for my miserable face and that’s when Sehun came out of nowhere –”

“I don’t mean to be rude but…” His intense stare into her eyes gives Yoona a flash of what’s possibly in his mind prior to his remark, “…Maybe it is time for you to start picking up the pieces back again.”

Just like that, she loses momentum. That’s two strikes for one night. Yoona harbours a quiet angst and it’s boiling beneath her benign smile. It’s usually her mind that slaps her heart awake when it’s being too self-indulgent but maybe not tonight. Tonight, she’s trapped within a sense of powerlessness, of insecurity and contemplation of whether she’s really been doing things right.

Or maybe, it’s them who are right; that her whole life has only been fictitious.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 

Hi guys, SooKris said hiii :3 There's just a snippet of them and I know there are a lot of Sookris shippers out there so you can anticipate more interactions between them in the next chapters. I actually rewrote this chapter so that'll explain why I took longer time than my promised 'two days' hoho sorry, I'm never going to make promises again because I know I'll just keep breaking 'em. 

Btw, notice the weird lyric about placenta and something-something? THAT'S REAL LYRIC FROM A REAL SONG OKAY I WASN'T MAKING THINGS UP LOL But nonetheless, I think that perfectly portrays the eccentricity of Kai's band which I am yet to disclose to you guys in the next chapters :) Once again, thanks for reading and do leave a comment cus as much as you enjoy reading the story, I find joy in reading your comments ^^ Thanks for your patience.

Love, Lynn.