Sulli

It's already been a week since I arrived here Harvard Square; I usually spend my mornings going around the streets to familiarize myself with the neighborhood. 

I would always go to this restaurant across my building to dine while Siwon and I would talk for several minutes before he goes to duty at the hospital.

“So how are you doing there?” he asked me one Thursday afternoon.

“I’m doing fine; the people here are very nice. Also, I’m excited to start the term on Monday. There are paper works for the office though that I need to finish but I’m getting the hang it, you?”

“The hospital is still the same but I’m doing extra hours or extra shifts at the ER.”

“Aren’t you working a little too much?”

“Don’t worry I’m okay. You’re like texting me three times a day to remind me to eat my meals so how could I forget. By the ways, who’s this new friend of yours that you’re telling me last night?”

“Well I told you I roam around the neighborhood every morning and I found this bookshop just around the corner and they have these amazing book collections. You can either borrow the book or buy it, I remember that you’re looking for an old edition of Wuthering Heights, they got one so I bought it for you and you’ll probably have the package when you get home tomorrow after your shift.”

“Wow! Thanks Ssul, so how’s this connected to your new friend?”

“Well I was browsing one of the books and I saw something written in a book card, it says ‘what is broken when you speak of it?’ you and I both know the answer to it so I wrote the answer after the riddle. When I got back the other day to check if there’s a response I was really surprised. So to make the story short, I gained a friend through a book.”

“Jinri Laughtner, what if he’s a bad person and he hurts you?”

“Si, you know I’m capable of protecting myself and don’t worry I will be careful.”

“I know you can handle yourself but still, you can’t just tell me not to worry. Keep me posted okay especially with this book nerd friend of yours, I still need to prep for an operation.”

“Okay, good luck. I miss you Si!”

After finishing my lunch I decided to drop by the bookshop to see if my mystery friend already answered my riddle.

When I entered the shop, the book keeper called me, “Hi! I’m sorry to bother but you’re the one who goes to the classic section every morning right?”

“I think so sir”

“Someone wants to have you this,” and he gave me small package, by the looks of it, it’s probably a book.

“Thank you sir,” I went straight to the back section where they have a couch and tables for customers who wants to read the books.

“Hi! I’m sorry to trouble you but it seems that you like answering riddles. I’m Oni by the way. I hope you like this book,” when I opened the package an old edition of The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers was in it.

I thank the book keeper and ask if he could give my thank you card to the person who gave me the package. After leaving the shop Taemin called me…

“Hi Taemin!” I said.

“Hello Sulli, do you have plans for dinner tonight?”

“No, but I was planning to have take outs tonight.”

“Would you like to join us for dinner at Key’s place, you know they really want to be friends with you.”

“That’s very nice of you but are you sure it’s okay? I think your cousin don’t like me at all.”Ever since that night I tried to avoid Taemin’s cousin due to the falling incident and I really think he doesn’t like me.

“No worries, Minho is always like that.” As much as I want to decline his offer, he and his friends have been very nice to me since I arrived here from London, so I think its best I accept their invitation. What else could go wrong?

**Dinner at Unit 5

After dinner, Jonhhyun was asking everybody if we have something to do tomorrow.

“Hey Minho, do you have readings for tomorrow?”

“No, Mr. Johnson will leave for a conference tomorrow.”

“So you don’t have anything to do?”

“I guess so, why?”

By the looks of it, these four conspired to drag me and Minho to Grendel’s Den at Winthrop Street. By eight in the evening I was sitting between a very drunk Taemin and absolutely quiet Minho. I didn’t notice if Minho was drinking or not but at least he wasn’t as drunk as Jonghyun and Key who is almost dancing on our table top.

At  twelve midnight, Minho got up and said that he’ll be settling the bill and they guys should sober up. When Minho came back Key was insisting that we take a picture as souvenir and remembrance for our first friend night out. Jonghyun agreed and drunkly ask a waiter to take a photo of us. Being an only girl in the group I was placed in the center when the waiter counted 1…2…3! Onew suddenly grabbed Minho and quickly placed him beside me. CLICK!

I said goodbye to Onew while Minho helped him with Jonghyun and Key. I place my phone on the table because I help Taemin to reach the bathroom so he can vomit all his insides out. I heard Minho coming in the apartment.

“I’m sorry you have to see this, they always drink too much whenever we go out.”

“That’s okay. I’m used helping drunk people.” I remembered Siwon and our brothers who always drink so much whenever we go out.

**Ring ring!

“I think someone’s calling you.” I checked on my watch it’s already one in the morning so that means nine in the evening London time.

“Can you please look who’s calling, Taemin might crack his head if I let him go like this.”

“Siwon.”

“Oh shoot!” I forgot to tell Siwon I was going out tonight, he’s probably hysterical right now, “Taemin, I going to let you go, can you support yourself?”

He just wave his hand, I took it as a yes so I slowly let him go and took my phone from Minho.

“He…” before I could even finish the word hello, my dear best friend went non-stop scolding me over the phone about not picking up and neglecting his messages. When I check, 20 missed calls and 15 messages.

“I should go, thank you for tonight. Please tell Taemin and the others I enjoyed it.”

“Do you want to have coffee first before you go?”

“Thank you, a cup would be great.” He went to the kitchen and fixed us two cups of coffee. I sat at the kitchen counter while I look at him, he looks graceful for a guys to move around the kitchen and placed the cup in front of me.

“Thank you,” I said.

I drank my coffee silently while he just stood there in front of me. It’s the longest 15 minutes I ever had since I arrived here in Harvard.

“I should go, thank you for the coffee.” He didn’t even say anything or smiled back at me, “I think you should check on Taemin, see if he’s okay”

He walked me to the door and opened it for me, “good night,” he said.

“Good night Minho.” I replied.

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