“Not you two again!” She almost shrieks as she sees you sitting on the floor with Jae Min serenely sleeping on the long, white cushion. Tao gets astounded by her sudden yelp that he immediately stands from his stance.

“So you… came.” He says so quietly that it almost comes out like a whisper, as if he’s just talking to himself.

“Is she asleep?” She asks gently tiptoeing not to wake you up. “I mean, duh Hana of course she is.” She self talks this time standing just a little beside Tao. “Can you wake her up?” She asks. She actually finds it weird asking him. She is the best friend after all. It wouldn’t even matter if she’d pour water on you or something. Though somehow, she also thinks that she should ask for his permission.

“Uhh… you do it.” He says.

“Why me? You’re the one here first.” She answers. She doesn’t want to go through the hardships and consequences of waking you up. If killing isn’t a crime, she probably already died many times before trying to wake you up.

“You’re her best friend.” He pushes.

“Well you’re—fine.” She walks around him and leans down on you, shaking your shoulders after. You wake up instantly after two tries. You squeeze your eyes shut as you bend forward in a sitting position. You rub your curled palms with your eyes to shake off the drowsy feeling. You almost fall back on your seat when you see Hana standing in front of you. So she did come.

“What exactly are you two again?” Is the first question that comes out from Hana’s mouth when the three of you calmly place yourselves on the dining’s chairs. If you could only feel fear… then you would’ve been fidgeting your hands already. “I mean, no one practically kisses like that if there isn’t something going on, right?” She adds up striking right in the middle. “Well… unless you’re drunk… which I doubt you even were. I know how high your alcohol tolerance is, Jae Min.”

She intently glares at you trying to read your mind. You know you are too good for that though. No one can easily read your emotions. You are so good at hiding it like that. You glance at Tao who is avidly looking at you for answers too. You contemplate on telling her the whole truth… or just half of it at least. “He’s my --”

“Boyfriend. We’re together... a couple,” He interrupts. Another lie.

“WHAT?!” She shouts while standing, banging her palms on the table.

“It’s hard to believe but that is the truth…” almost.

 “How?!”

“It just… happened?” He answers almost not believing it himself.

“You’re asking her?” You quickly glare at him.

“What was I supposed to answer?” He asks in a whisper.

“You could’ve made something up!” You exclaim under your breath making sure Hana won’t hear anything. Hana clears that makes both of you stop and look at her.

“I get it. I get it guys. You don’t want people to know about this surreptitious relationship of yours. I’ll keep my mouth shut.” She says emphasizing the italicized word, sitting back down gesturing her hands as if she is zipping close. “When did it start though? It was really so sudden.” She exclaims nodding her head as if reflecting.

“A few weeks ago…” You reason which she actually buys out.

“If that is so, then I’m happy for the two of you. I just felt a little bad because no one told me about it. But then I realized no one was actually supposed to know. It’s just fair. But I told you so Jae Min! You’d make a good couple together.” She beams as she walks towards the fridge opening it to get some food and grins widely as she takes out a tray of homemade ice box cake. She wiggles her brows in contentment.

“I did not approve of you eating that.” You say in a straight face.

“Aww please? I’m hungry.” She purses her lips.

“Buy me Sungjong’s photobook first. I’ll let you eat all of that then.” You blackmail her. She always does everything for food. She’s dumb like that. You still love her though, even if you won’t admit it.

“I’ll do that right away! Thanks gwiyomiiiii!” She smiles broadly taking a spoon with her other hand while your eyes dart at hers. She is not supposed to call you that when people are around. Apparently, Tao heard her as he is suppressing his chuckle now. You slap his upper arm as you look at him deceitfully.

“I’ll be upstairs.” You casually say as you stand up from your seat. Hana’s too busy eating to glance at you. You keep on walking towards your room in a turtle’s pace without sensing Tao walking behind you. You only do so when you enter the room, about to close the door, when a foot gets stuck between the wall and the door stopping you from fully closing it.

You gather he wants to go in. You open the door wider then.

“Are you mad…” he trails off.

“I’m mad?”  You scoff. “Do you really want to know? Huh? Well I’m not mad… I’m furious!” You shriek, which is quite unusual for you.

“I thought… you didn’t want her to know the real--”

“I know that! And I’m not mad because of that.” You say striding towards your bed to sit on the edge of it to calm yourself. “I’m mad because she believed a lie! I mean, how can she be so dumb? She knows I hate strangers and I don’t just go and jump right into a relationship, especially when you’re a bit of stranger yourself! But why did she believe our excuse as if it was the most obvious thing in the world?!” You let it out grasping hardly on your hair for dear sanity.

“Uh… should I really answer that?” He asks taking a few steps closer.

“What? Of course not!” You immediately shout out. You think better of it though. You blink your eyes and ask, “Well… do you have an answer for it?” you almost want to take it back after you said it.

Stillness takes over.

“An intelligent guess, maybe she just trusts you. You are her best friend after all.” He sits beside you now.

“You’re really making it harder for me. I feel worse now thanks to your trust issues.” You sardonically say.

He perplexes and points at you. “You asked for it!” You know he is right. You don’t want to hear any of it though.  It hurts your ego badly. You hate being wrong. But why do I always seem wrong around him?

“Shut up.” And he does.

---

A knock on the door is heard many minutes after you and Tao went inside it. You didn’t talk the rest of the time. You just lie on your bed while he sits around on the bean bag or plays with the stick he found on the corner. You gather he is practicing Wushu. You don’t even realize you’ve been staring blankly at him while he twists and turns around with the stick. You are mesmerized by his skill.

The knock emanates through the air once again which causes you to stop from your staring. You look at the door but you don’t plan on opening it. You’re too tired for it. Tao seems too engrossed on practicing so you doubt he even heard the loud knock.

“Yah… I might be disturbing you guys there... I think so since you won’t open the door, so I’m just gonna leave now, okay? I’ll process the photobook once I get home so don’t worry about it. So… uh… goodbye.” She talks on the other side of the door with the obvious embarrassment on her voice. She must think you’re doing something else in the room. She’s too erted to be innocent sometimes. Worst is when she usually thinks of such on times where such isn’t even happening.

You hear her footsteps until there is no more. You stand up when the coast is clear. It’s not that you’re hiding from her, but it’s more because of the fact that you lied to her. You feel guilty about. It’s odd how you just felt it now and not days ago. Tao by this time already finished whatever he was just doing.

You sit on the bed again as he places his self sitting beside you. It’s a good thing he’s not roaming around your room much. You just figured out that there are a lot of things in your room which only you are supposed to look at, or see. It’s a relief somehow that he doesn’t know about your secret room. It would have been so discomforting.

You take you phone from your bag since you feel like playing 2fuse even if you are still lying down. You are shocked a little when you see the time on your phone. It’s actually past 6 o’clock. Time flies so fast today.  A lot has happened. You wonder why Tao is still here, but you shrug it off since a company is always better.

“Isn’t anyone coming back yet?” He asks.

“Kyu usually goes home by 7; mother by 8; and the other by midnight. So he’d be here soon.” You answer referring to Kyu last. Tao remembers the fact that you hate your father. He thinks he’s the one coming back by midnight. And he isn’t wrong at all. He wants to ask why you hate your father so bad like this aside from the fact that he blames you for your grandfather’s death… but he feels that he’s not in the right position to ask such, yet. He keeps his mouth shut instead.

“So you’re always just alone?” He interrogates.

“Mostly.” You just nod since you start playing the game now, tapping every ones, twos and stars.

“Aren’t you disappointed by it?”

“I don’t care. It is better if they’re all gone for the whole day. I wouldn’t have to bother dealing with their pent-up s and anger exploding on me every time.” You explain, still concentrating real hard on the game.

“You really do push people away.” He talks with himself that unfortunately, you hear.

“Who said that?” As if on cue, his name escapes from both your mouths. “Kris…”

“He keeps on insisting on that still?” You ask in disbelief. “Ugh—No!” You react on the game.

“But it’s true.”

“Who cares? I don’t really need much people anyway. The less people I know, less the chances I’d be left behind. Less the times I’d get hurt.” You speak of it with great intensity. Tao could almost feel your pain. He knows you hate people leaving you. That’s the main reason why it’s hard for him to get close to you in the first place.

“So you want me away?”

“No! I… I don’t know.” You connect right away since you did not plan on answering that even. Almost.

“Really?” He mordantly asks. He smirks while doing so. You get freaked out a little by his sudden change of emotion. He’s so bipolar. Still, you like him better like this than him being all teary and caring. That freaks you out more.

“Go away.” You promptly say lashing him out by the shoulder where he gradually falls down the floor. He did not expect that coming. You didn’t, either. Both of you just laugh after realizing the silly thing you just argued about. He knew a part of you, without your full consciousness on. You blame the game you’re playing.

He slowly stands up from his contorting position down and heads towards the door. “Goodbye. I’ll see you at school.” He mumbles as he walks out of the door. You didn’t mean for him to leave. You want so badly to shout at his back, ‘Stay, you idiot!’ but you feel wronged about it. You just let him leave until the view of his back turns to just your door. With the words he said, you gathered he won’t be coming back for the whole week. You feel a little disheartened by it. Classes will resume next week. You’ll be alone for a week.

You sluggishly walk down the stairs to the kitchen to get something to drink when you hear the main door opening. He probably came back? You continue pouring water to the glass when someone enters the kitchen.

“Hey, I saw Tao on the way out. You really are getting close.” He says taking the glass of water you just filled and drinks all of it. You are used to this though. You just take another glass and fill it up again.

“We’re not.” You gloomily answer since you expected someone else. It’s 7pm now exactly. He never misses his schedule.

“Sure you are! He’s putting efforts on this arranged thing. Appreciate it, okay?” He wiggles his brows then. If he isn’t just some well-know idol, you bet you already threw the glass at him. You pity his face though so you control yourself.

“I can’t do that. He’s still clinging for his ex to come back.” You answer. “Are you sure?” He asks you yet again, eyeing you suspiciously.

“Why can’t I have your love life instead? Yours is so perfect.” You comment.

“It’s because you’re not as beautiful as Seohyun.” He replies with a wide grin plastered on his face. He’s being in love again. Uck. “Kidding. Anyway, work your way on the top. I know you hate competition. You can’t just give up like that now.” He encourages you as he pats your shoulder. He’s practically close to saying that you should make a move. But that would be just so wrong.

“Whatever Kyuhyun. I’m going back up.” You say as you roll eyes. You’re not sure if he’s sarcastic or he really is trying to help. He’s so evil like that. It makes you wonder though. Is he really still clinging for his ex?

You take your phone from the bed and find Hana calling you. You answer on probably the last ring.

“Yes?”

“OMGGGGGGGG! I can’t believe you! But I already—oh and the pictures!”

“Wait! Calm down okay? I can’t understand you.”

“Firstly, the photobook is already ordered. Sungjong’s previews are so cute!”

“The second?”

“Oh well… I just can’t get over from you and Tao being a couple and all. Wink! Wink!”

“Ugh stop being so squishy.”

“Don’t deny you like it though!” She laughs out loud from the other line.

“Shut up.”

“Hahaha—Anyway, I saw a lot of Myungsoo’s previews too. And I decided to buy a photobook of him.”

“Good for you then.”

“Tss, you’re no fun! Back to the second though, I’m glad you got over the boy from the maple tree. He is such a pain in the neck, you know.” She says but you are left dumfounded. You never really got over that boy. In fact, you still are waiting, hoping for his return. When he will return, is the question. It hurts you that she thought of it as that, though you can’t even blame her. She knows so little of your reality right now to begin with. 

“Uhh… right. I’m tired. Call you back next time.” You say as you fake your yawn. You quickly turn off the call then throw your phone somewhere. You don’t want to be disturbed now. You go through the happenings of the day an there’s only one thing on your mind.

You swing up from your position searching for your phone that dropped somewhere. You see it on top of a bean bag. That’s why it didn’t make any sound a while ago. You walk towards it and get your phone, and then you run back to your bed. Apparently, you want to call Kris.

Kris is usually the one you talk things over with. You want to know what he thinks about the overall happening today. He always answers on the 3^rd ring under normal condition, sometimes on the 7^th when he’s busy. But, he never leaves your call unanswered. It’s so unlike him. You dial him up again but for 20 tries now, he’s been constantly failing to answer.

Did something wrong happen?