❝Chapter Twenty

"Ah! I'm tired!" Kai yawned as he watched Jiyoung run into the school building.

Jae Hee rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to come."

"Gosh, I came for you. Can't you at least appreciate it?" he wiped a fake tear and sniffled.

She looked at him and frowned, "No, I can't, especially when you fake such fake sadness." She stuck her tongue out mockingly before she walked off.

"Fine, fine," he pouted and walked next to her, "Let's get some coffee!"

"I don't want any coffee." She made a face. She just wanted to go back to bed.

"Yeah, it's best you not have some. I mean, you're already short as it is." He patted her head.

She glared at him and slapped his hand away. "Jerk."

"Well, I still want coffee," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Then go get coffee. I'm going back to sleep." She walked ahead.

"Nooo!" he pouted and grabbed her arm, "I don't know where the café is!"

"We met EXO-K there, yesterday!" she snapped at him.

He pouted and clapped his hands together in a pleading manner, "Pweeeassseee? Come on! I don't want to go by myself! Some ahjummas might see my God-like appearance and try to hit on me!"

"God-like?" she burst into laughter.

He blinked at her. "How is this funny?" he frowned, "Last time I checked, ual harrassment was NOT a funny topic!"

"Okay, okay, fine…" She wiped a fake tear.

He pouted and made a face at her, "Can we just go get coffee already?"

"Fine," she laughed lightly and playfully punched his arm before she walked off to the café.

He pouted and rubbed his arm. *Why does she always punch me?* He chuckled and ran after her, a large smile on his face.

When they arrived at the café, they also bought coffees and donuts for EXO-K, Taemin, and Min Hee. They didn't get any for her parents, since they had gone to prepare the shop for opening.

"DONUTS!" Chanyeol snatched the box of donuts.

"YAH! SHARE!" Baekhyun lunged at him, but Chanyeol smirked and held it the box all the way above his head.

"Aw! What?! No fair!" Baekhyun whined and started to jump for it, but the tall giant would only hold it even higher… until Jae Hee kicked the back of his knee.

"Ow!" he yelped as he wobbled.

Baekhyun laughed and snatched the box, "Thanks, Jay!" he beamed at her before he ran off with the box of donuts.

"YAH! SHARE!" D.O. ran after Baekhyun, who squealed and jumped over the couch.

"Oppa!" Min Hee went up to Kai and linked her arm with his. "Did you sleep well?" she smiled at him.

He awkwardly smiled back as he stepped away from her, "Yeah…"

"I did, too," she beamed, "Guess what I dreamed about?" she then answered her own question, "You," she giggled.

He blinked in surprise. "Really? Um. That's… nice?" *And creepy.* He secretly added in his mind.

"Yeah!" she giggled again, "Want to know what happened?"

"Um. Not really. Bye." He hurried off. He slightly shivered and went into the living room, where Jae Hee's loud laughter erupted.

"What's… going on?" Kai blinked and warily sat down between Jae Hee and Baekhyun.

Baekhyun chuckled, "Sehun showed Jay his 'bbuing bbuing' aegyo."

*Jay?* Kai blinked. *When did they get so close?* He wrinkled his nose disapprovingly at his hyung.

"YOU'RE SO CUTE!" Jae Hee squealed and pinched Sehun's cheeks.

Kai nearly spit his coffee out as he stared at the affection she gave the shy maknae.

If there was one thing Jae Hee had a soft spot for, besides her family and friends… it was aegyo. Seriously. You do aegyo for this girl, and she will LOOOOVVVEEEE you.

*I'm cuter…* Kai pouted and sank in his seat, "Where's Kyungsoo?" He glanced around.

Suho chuckled, "Doing you a favor and trying to flirt with Min Hee."

Kai chuckled, "Kyungsoo? Flirt?" he burst into laughter.

"Min Hee kinda scares me," Sehun admitted, "Like… she's always got a poker-face on!"

"PUH, PUH, PUH PO-"

"Please…" Baekhyun sighed and clapped a hand over Chanyeol's mouth, "…do not start singing Poker Face."

"Mmm, you guys are all up?" Taemin yawned as he walked into the living room.

Jae Hee immediately fell silent and gulped. As the kiss scene ran through her mind, her heart strangely skipped a beat and cheeks started to turn red. *Aish.* She bit her lip nervously. *What's happening to me?* She mentally slapped herself. *It was just in the heat of the moment! Nothing more.*

"Are you cold?" Baekhyun blinked at her. "Your cheeks are red."

She cleared , "N-No… I'm just…" she cleared again, out of excuses.

Despite how she denied it, Kai wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, worried.

She blinked at him in surprise before she cracked a very, very small smile and looked away.

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A few days later, they all returned to Seoul, since they had classes to attend now that their short break was over.

Kai and Min Hee had gone out to their university (since she applied for the same university and enrolled in the same course as Kai, just to watch him all day). Jae Hee was left home alone, since his parents had gone out to a business party, which she was grateful for.

"Hey!" Jae Hee beamed and sat up, her phone pressed against her ear, "Hana, wanna catch a movie?"

"Sorry, Jay," Hana laughed guiltily, "I'm out with Yoseob, right now…"

Jae Hee pouted, "Come on~! What happened to 'sisters before misters'?"

"Shut up!" Yoseob yelled distantly, "You're interrupting our make-out session!"

"Yoseob!" Hana scolded but accidentally laughed a bit, because he had made a childish face at her, "Sorry, Jay. I have to go."

"Awww, fineee…" Jae Hee sighed and hung up before she scrolled through her contacts.

She had exchanged numbers with the rest of EXO-K but couldn't ask them to go out, since they were in the middle of their class. Then there was Daehyun, but he was way in Busan. Then… there was Taemin.

Softly, Taemin's lips pressed against Jae Hee's, and she kissed him back.

He slowly brought his hand up to the back of her neck and tilted it for a better angle, giving him the chance to deepen their kiss. He lightly swiped his tongue across her bottom lip, and she parted them immedia-

"Ahhh!" she squealed, embarrassed, and buried her face in a pillow, her face the shade of a tomato. *No, no, no, no!* She bit on the pillow and shook her head. *I can't ask him to hang out! Not after… that.* She shook her head again and threw her phone onto the bed before she stood up.

"I can just go out by myself," she huffed and marched into the bathroom. She quickly changed into a t-shirt, hoodie, and skinny jeans before she applied her make-up and headed out her room.

*Ice cream, ice cream.* She sang in her head as she cheerfully skipped down the stairs. She slipped her sneakers on and reached to twist the doorknob, when it suddenly swung open.

"Whoa!" They both jumped back a bit, startled.

Taemin blinked at her attire. "Are you going somewhere?"

She nodded as she scratched her head awkwardly.

"Oh," he cleared his throat and stepped inside before he closed the door.

"Yeahhhh…" she created a 'pop' sound with her lips as she rocked back and forth on her heels. *Wait, why am I still here?* She blinked at her own actions before she opened the door.

"Are you going alone?" he blurted before she could exit the house.

She turned to him and nodded. "Unfortunately, my only two friends are on a date." She made a face before she unconsciously stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he blurted again.

"Like, a date?" she blurted back without thinking. *Oh my gosh…* She gasped, her eyes slowly widening. *Did I really just ask that?!*

It was like they were having a blurting competition. Neither of them were thinking before speaking.

"Yes," he blurted again, "Oh, wait!" he quickly caught himself, "I-I-I m-me-mean, n-no!" he stuttered, "J-Ju-Just as fr-frie-friends," he sighed disappointedly at himself for answering 'yes' the first time.

"O-Okay," she stuttered, too. *This is so weird.* She shrieked in her head. *Why'd I agree? It's going to be so awkward, since we… that.* She blushed at the memory, for the millionth time.

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, "Just give me a sec." He grabbed his backpack and ran up to his room, nervously tripping along the way.