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Part 4: Lunch hours and afternoon breaks

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“Why am I paired up with that jerk?! What have I done to the world that this had to happen to me?” Kibum whined to Sulli and Amber while eating lunch. Well, Kibum had not even touched his food because he was busy complaining.

Sulli hummed her question because was stuffed with the lasagna that she bought. She may look thin and fragile but she sure had a lot of room for pasta in that small stomach. Amber, on the other hand didn’t even bothered to interrupt Kibum in litany of solitude, she had known better to do that.

“You remember our play, right?” and Sulli nodded.

“I was selected, well not really —“

“We had draw lots.” Amber butted in while piecing the garlic breadfrom Kibum’s tray and eating it.

“— Yeah… as the Rich man’s wife.” Kibum continued.

Sulli swallowed and chugged down on her soda to squeal a reply to him, “AH!!! That’s a really cute role, you know?” she finished happily earning a disgusted look from Kibum and a light chuckle from Amber.

“It is… if the rich man was not Kim Jonghyun!”

Amber burst out laughing. Sulli squealed like a 4-year old who was told that her crush had a crush on her too. She leaned closer to Kibum, moving the half-eaten pasta a little to the side in the process. She wanted to know more.

Kibum’s eyes widened. How could they?! His close friends?!

“Don’t tell me you two are actually enjoying this?!” he exclaimed voice an octave higher. “TRAITORS!”  He added and crossed his arms on his chest.

The girls continued to laugh their hearts out while Kibum was sulking on his side of the table.  He was not really angry it was just normal to be diva-ish at these kinds of moments and the two girls with him were able to understand that. Even if he was a transfer student in the middle of the last school year, they were able to click together like puzzle pieces.

Actually, Kibum should only be in his sophomore year with Sulli. But because his schooling in America was quite advanced than that taught in their present school, he was accelerated to the junior year. Good thing was that he was classmates with Amber and had noting much to worry about. Oops! Scratch that! There was Kim Jonghyun to worry about.

“Speaking of the devil…” Amber said while sipping her iced tea, looking over Kibum’s shoulder.

Kibum didn’t move an inch. He knew his friends and they might just be fooling around and teasing him. But that was one big mistake because he was not able to prepare himself from an angelic voice whispering on his right ear, lips vaguely making contact with his earlobe.

“How’s my Yeobo doing?”

Kibum flinched slightly. Sulli and Amber laughed harder.

“Yah~! You two, are you taking care of my Yeobo while I’m away?” he asked the other two while sitting at the empty chair beside Kibum.

“Jonghyun oppa! He is not eating!!!” Sulli answered going with the little charade.

Jonghyun raised his eyebrows and turned to the guy beside him who was staring daggers to the girls across them, it was an I’m-so-gonna-kill-you look. He had enough that morning and he was not in the mood to play today.

“Aigoo! Yeobo, you should eat. You want me to feed you?” Jonghyun picked Kibum’s fork and tangled fettuccine on it. “Say ‘Aaaah…’ Yeobo!” he then brought it up to Kibum’s mouth. But the said boy just kept the thin line on his lips, obviously ignoring the otherand chose to continue sending death glares at the giggling girls across him.

Other students were starting to stare at their table. Sure, it was a sight to behold since both Kibum and Jonghyun were popular in their own rights. Not to mention the entertained pair sitting with them.

“Hmmm… Say ‘Aaah…’ or I’ll feed you with my mouth.”

“There you are Hyu—“ Minho arrived, his backpack strapped at his back with a pair of drum sticks poking out. “Am I interrupting something?”

Jonghyun placed the food back on the plate and turned to Minho. At that point, if looks could kill, maybe, three people laid dead at that area. Two girls and a tall boy.

“Nice save, Minho!” Amber said as she collected her tray and stood up from the table. She patted the boy’s shoulder before walking away with Sulli tailing behind, still giggling. Kibum also collected his food, which he did not eat and also went away.

“Give me a valid reason to spare your life Choi Minho.” Jonghyun said once he was standing in front of the drummer.

“The teachers will watch our practice later.” He replied, totally ignoring the threat that Jonghyun said earlier. “They also said that we’re excused for the afternoon classes.”

“Yeah yeah…” and they walked together to the music room with stares following their backs.

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“…and the costumes, ah… Kibum-ssi?” their class president stopped ranting about their play and the said preparations as she glanced at the said male.

Kibum looked up from the book that he was reading, well not really because he was actually just staring at the page for the past thirty minutes or so. He raised his eyebrows, asking her to continue on whatever she was going to ask him.

“Would you like to join the costume committee?” she asked. “But I will understand if it will be a burden for you since you are already one of the main actors and you still have other responsibilities.” She added in one breath, afraid that she’ll stammer if she stopped in the middle.

An ‘o’ was formed on his heart-shaped lips and a soft sound escaped his mouth. “Maybe I’ll look over when I have time, and you guys can always approach me if you need help.” And he smiled as he finished. He sat back on his chair again, reading —oh! Staring! — at the same page.

He could feel his body sitting on the chair, hear his classmates talk about their contest and see the page on the book, but his thoughts were far away. And he didn’t know where it went. Maybe in the music room, in search for that mysterious piano guy or in the lunchroom...

“Yah! Kibummie, you’ve been looking at that page for an hour! Have you turned to a snail to read that sloooooow?” Amber said as she nudged him on the side. They were sitting beside each other since there was no teacher and it was just a free period.

Kibum sighed, keeping the book and his glasses in his desk. “I don’t know… I… I can’t focus on some things lately.” He crossed his arms on his desk and bowed his head on it.

Amber knew enough to tell that there was something—or rather, someone— that was bothering her best friend. And she also knew enough that Kibum would tell it to them if he was ready, so she just patted his back to remind him that she will always be there.

The bell rang after another hour and it was their afternoon break. Amber still sat beside Kibum while flipping on the pages of a music magazine that she borrowed from a classmate. She was humming lightly at some song that she recognized when someone called her and she went out, leaving Kibum alone. There were a few of their classmates left in the classroom, but they seemed unaware of Kibum there.

“…Love~ loved love lo—“ Jonghyun stopped mid-song when he recognized the person bowed on the desk behind his. He walked slowly so that he could sneak up on him. He smiled when the person didn’t even move from his spot when Jonghyun sat on his chair. The singer glanced back on him and realized that he was asleep.

Jonghyun moved his chair sideways so that its back was on the wall beside their desksand his right arm on Kibum’s desk. He smiled at how vulnerable and peaceful Kibum looked when sleeping. Kibum was like an angel sleeping there, with the afternoon sun casting a magical glow on his gentle features. Jonghyun wanted to hold him in his arms badly, hug him, or claim him as his... aigoo! Why am I being so romantic all of a sudden? And he chuckled lightly.

He pulled out his blue iPod from his pocket, popped his earphones on his ears and selected shuffle. His right hand moved to Kibum’s hair lightly so as not to wake him. Jonghyun leaned his back on the wall and closed his eyes as well. Then he began to sing with the song in his soft tenor voice.

...Oh geochin salmae shideuleogal ddae
Geudaega naegae dagawa
Eoleobooteun geu maeumae soneul daen soongan
Na.ae salmeun shijak.dwaesseumeul...

...Sesangae mureup kkulgo noonmul heullilddae
Pokpoong sok bal mumchul ddae geudaeman seo itdamyeon
Eereon apeum, gotong.jjeum gyeondil su itneun.geolyo
 Ojik geudaeman
Naegae itdamyeon in my life...  

bzzzzz—bzzzzzz!!!

Jonghyun fished his phone from his pocket and read the message,

From: Jinki-hyung ;P

Msg: Hey Romeo! Back to the battle field! And your classmates are complaining ‘coz it raining cheese balls in your classroom already! xD

Jonghyun smiled at the childish message from his band-mate. He sure knows what was going on huh?
He clicked his phone and stuffed it back in his pocket.

He stood up from his chair quietly, careful not to disturb Kibum’s peaceful slumber. He moved Kibum’s fringe away from his eyes and he smiled once more.

“Sugar dreams...

...my princess"

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a/n: so, how was it? i hope to get some feedback from you guys. i'm forever grateful to my readers and subscribers, specially to those who leave some comment :D you just don't know how much you make me happy~~~

lots of love to everyone ♥

btw, the song in blue is Life by SHINee :)

image by: Cheylin @deviantart