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Chapter 14 - A Glimpse of the Past

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Saturday morning. Ryeowook and Donghae are busy checking what they need - from food and drinks to books and notebooks.

It is their first long-run hanging out activity - as Donghae names it - so everything has to be perfect. It is also for another purpose - to get closer to Sungmin and Kyuhyun.

Their plan is that they are going to start group studying at four in the afternoon so that Donghae and Ryeowook will have plenty of time to prepare. For the other two, it is just studying, but for them, it is more than it.

"So, our plan is?" Ryeowook asks, sorting all their notebooks and other school stuffs, while Donghae is checking the ingredients needed for their dinner later. "Aside from this, of course."

"Let me cook for Sungmin, and I'll let you cook for Kyuhyun. Then after that, we'll start studying. I will make you study with Kyuhyun for a very long time, and I will tutor Sungmin while you are busy with Kyuhyun," Donghae explains. "Wait, do you have ramyun?"

"Yes, I do. Wait, I'll get it later," Ryeowook replies. "Do you think this will work?"

"Of course. The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Donghae confidently mentions a saying. "Anyway, what does Sungmin like aside from strawberries?"

"He likes pumpkin. He can live with just pumpkin soup on the table. And he likes pink very much. Some say it is not a color for men but he likes it. If you insult him for liking pink, he won't ever talk to you ever again," Ryeowook tells Donghae. "How about Kyuhyun?"

Donghae pouts and tries to recall what Kyuhyun likes. "He is not particular at anything, especially food. But I guess Kyuhyun likes wine. When we had a school project, we went to a wine cellar and he was really interested in tasting all of them. So they let them. He ended up a bit drunk."

Ryeowook giggles. "I can imagine."

"Anyway, he likes green bell peppers too. And he hates pink. Very much," Donghae adds. "He dislikes seeing it."

"Sungmin and Kyuhyun are really opposites," Ryeowook comments as he puts the notebooks alongside with the books. "Their codes don't really match, eh?"

Donghae smiles. "But opposites attract right?"

Ryeowook doesn't speak.

"Oh, it is nearly lunch. Do you want to practice?" Donghae asks.

Ryeowook questions back, "Practice what?"

"Cooking. It is very difficult to fail," Donghae answers. Ryeowook just nods. "Pumpkin soup is so easy to cook but Sungmin's special so I can't just be okay with just a pumpkin soup."

"Oh, okay, but later. What does Kyuhyun want for dessert? I am going to buy macaroons for Sungmin," Ryeowook says to Donghae.

"Dessert? Kyuhyun does not like sweets, so buy cookies," Donghae utters. Ryeowook nods and goes out Donghae's room.

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"What now?" Sungmin grumpily looks at his ringing phone. It must be his dad who will just nag him to go to the tutorial session before the group study. If only he didn't mention it to his father that the group study would be at four in the afternoon that he thought was earlier, he would not nag him to be early so that he can study more topics.

His father was urging him to go to the house of one of the lawyers of the firm because the he had a son who was from Inhwan, and he was going to tutor him. He did not want to go because he didn't like meeting people from Inhwan. In contrast to how he is friends with Donghae and Kyuhyun.

"How can an Inhwan student tutor me? Aren't they busy with their looks and riches?" He asks himself as he sit on the bed. His father disturbed his sleep. So he can't sleep anymore. "Everyone really has that freaking trust in Inhwan students."

He sighs. His father doesn't know how he feels about Inhwan students, and how they left a bad impression on him because of what happened before.

The phone continuously rings so he gets impatient and he answers it without looking at the owner of the number flashed on the phone screen, "Dad! What do you want!? I will not go there, okay?"

"Seriously, you're really insisting that I sound like your dad?"

His eyes open wide as he confirms the caller. "Kyuhyun!?"

"Who else can it be? Didn't you look at your phone screen," He asks then continues in a gloomy voice, "or didn't you save my number?"

"I saved your number, idiot!" He yelled defensively. The truth is that he didn't save Kyuhyun's number. He doesn't get why he is very defensive about it, he could have told the truth. "Why did you call anyway?"

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't want to call you but-"

"Are you ing kidding me!? You called but you didn't want to call me? Are you-"

"You are in a bad mood, huh. As always," Kyuhyun comments. "I just want to ask where is Donghae's new apartment?"

Sungmin laughs. "What the hell, Cho? Donghae is your best friend but you don't know his address. It is near the ice cream parlor, just a ten-minute walk from your school. There is a main street near your school, right? Just turn left after another street you'll see a brown gate and-"

"I am pretty bad in this, so can we just go there together?"

Sungmin is not able to speak. Kyuhyun, who is acting mighty and all, is bad at directions? He wants to laugh at it, but he isn't able to do it because he just realizes that Kyuhyun is asking him to go together. There is a weird feeling that he experiences when Kyuhyun mentions 'together,' he isn't sure what though. Something that equates to nervousness or anxiety. But it fades away immediately. "Good thing you have that phone, or you can't call anyone and ask about Donghae's address. Are you sure you couldn't catch what I said?"

"Yeah," Kyuhyun says. "I know how important this is now so I am going to use your gift forever."

Sungmin doesn't know if his ears are deceiving him, but he hears Kyuhyun laugh softly. The weird feeling comes back again, this time, it is stronger. He hears Kyuhyun asking him again if they can go together. "No! Go there by yourself, I have something to do. And that is not a gift. I am hanging up, bye!" He immediately presses the 'end call' button and throws the phone to his bed.

That feeling is creepy. He does not know why he acted like that. It was the first time that he acted that unstable around Kyuhyun. The latter's voice was like boiling water poured to his skin. But he feels unbelievably light afterwards as he recalls what Kyuhyun said the word 'forever.'

"What the hell is this?"

He hears another ring from his phone. He thinks that it is Kyuhyun, so he does not answer it. But when he sees the screen, he learns that it is his mom. He knows that she is going to talk about his father. He reluctantly answers the phone. "What is it, Mom?"

"Why aren't you answering your dad's phone call?" She asks. He thought right. His dad probably called his mom who is currently on duty just to make him obey his father.

His mom is a police officer. His parents met during a trial, and they said they fell in love at first sight. Of course, he didn't want to believe it because it was illogical, as he thought. But that was what he was told, so he didn't elaborate more. "Uhm, because he'll just nag me to attend the tutorial session with that Inhwan student before coming to the group study. You know that I don't want to, right?"

"Is it still about that incident before? It was not that student's fault that his father-"

"Mom, don't bring out the past, okay? It is not why I didn't want to go today," he says half-truthfully. It is part of the reason why. The other is that he is not comfortable with other people tutoring him.

"Your father expects you to be there, Sungmin. That lawyer is important for his firm. Please, for me?" His mother pleads.

He sighs. If it is his mother, he would not be able to resist her. "Alright, Mom."

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"Where is Sungmin?"

It is the first question that escapes Kyuhyun mouth when he arrives at Donghae's apartment.

He called Sungmin few hours ago and asked him to go together to Donghae's apartment. But he said he had something to do first. True that he is weak at directions but he can go there by himself just by hearing the details that Sungmin told him. It's just that he wanted to go with Sungmin.

"Not yet here," Donghae answers, a bit sad that Sungmin is still not there. "Wow, why are you asking where he is?"

"Oh yes, why am I? He is going to be late anyway," he says as he looks away. "Do you want to eat some cookies first?" Ryeowook asks.

Kyuhyun looks at him. "Not yet hungry. Maybe later," he then excuses himself, "I'll just go outside to wind up."

He walks towards the door and when he is about to open the door, he hears a knock. Knowing that it is Sungmin, Donghae rushes to the door and opens it. He freezes when he sees Sungmin with a tall guy. If he is not mistaken, he is also from Inhwan. And what makes them shock is the guy is clinging to Sungmin.

"Thanks, Siwon," Sungmin says and smiles at him. "Thanks for tutoring me earlier."

Kyuhyun sees how that Siwon's eyes twinkle as he is pulls Sungmin closer with his arm. "No problem, Min. I am going now. Bye! See you again soon." Siwon leaves.

Just like nothing happened, Sungmin goes inside the room. "So, what did I miss?" Donghae weakly follows Sungmin. He is acting strange - to Sungmin's observation.

Kyuhyun remains standing near the door, facing away.

Sungmin raises his eyebrows and asks him. "Donghae?"

"W-Who... w-who is that person and why are you so close?" Donghae asks. His voice is a bit shaking, and his face is gloomy.

"He's Siwon, a new friend," he answers while laughing.

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《Spoiler: Siwon only has a cameo role. He appears in this chapter and will be mentioned in the next chapter for this installment.》