Chapter 8 and 8.5 are both new! Make sure to read chapter 8 first. This chapter isn't technically a chapter....

Taemin blinked uncertainly at the scene before him, Minzy was sitting on a hip height wall with Jiyong leaning back against the brick between her legs. The shorthaired girl had her arms wrapped around the man in front of her and was resting her chin on the top of his head. Beside her Chaelin was arched over the wall, steadying herself against it with her elbows against the top of the short wall. The older girl was fiddling with her phone, smiling happily.

“What in the world happened yesterday?” Taemin set his bag down by Chaelin’s feet, “why are you so happy?”

“What? My happiness is more shocking than the lovey dovey couple right there?”

Taemin took a short glance at the two, “eh, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

The red headed boy sighed and slid down the wall onto his haunches, “it’s so depressing. When will I get a lover?”

“Who got a lover?” Minho popped his head over the divide, looking down at Taemin.

Taemin waved his hand at Minzy and Jiyong, “them. Plus something is weird with Chaelin.”

~Yesterday Afternoon~

Chaelin shifted the car into park and tapped her fingernails on the steering wheel. Minzy paused halfway out of the car and looked back at the driver who was pulling anxiously at her hair.

“Oh, what?” Minzy pursed her lips, “now you’re nervous?”

She nodded and Minzy simply blinked at her, “well, its now or never. Decide.”

Chaelin made an uneasy groan and forced herself out of the car.

“Seriously, I don’t know why you like him…” Minzy shook her head as she opened the front door.

She flipped on the light switch in the main hall and grimaced disgustedly at her brother in the living room. The dark skinned man was lounging on the couch, like usual, one arm slung across his bare chest, the other shoved down his pants.

“Ugh, you gross pig,” Minzy threw a pillow from the chair at him, “there are girls in the house.”

Seunghyun paused his movie, “little sister, you don’t qualify as a girl.”

“Screw you, Seunghyun,” Minzy scooted aside and pulled Chaelin into the house, “I was referring to her, you jerk. And I do too qualify.”

Chaelin stood beside Minzy, uncharacteristically quiet, though her eyes were fixed on Seunghyun’s chest. Sitting up he glanced at the other girl, finally noticing her, and gave her the once over from her head to her toes.

“You look… familiar.”

She yelped when Minzy elbowed her in the ribs, “ye-yeah. I go to the same school… that yo-you went to.”

“Hm, yeah I remember you, “he scratched his chin,” but I remember you being a little more mousy.”

Chaelin twisted a lock of her hair, “ahaha, yeah. I tried some different styles.”

Seunghyun raised his brow and smirked, “you grew into your body very well.”

Minzy gagged and stepped away from the living room, “god, could you be any more gross? I’m outta here.”

Chaelin’s mouth gaped as she tried to think of something to get Minzy to stay; she was too nervous to have a reasonable conversation with this man. Shaking her head Minzy backed away into her bedroom and shut the door. From the couch Seunghyun chuckled and relaxed back into a lounging position.

“So, what brings you here today?”

She transfered her weight onto her hip, “she needed a ride. Didn’t want to wait for Taemin’s brother.”

“Ah, the little one. So that’s where she’s been staying after school.”

Chaelin nodded, “she’s been making friends.”

Seunghyun watched the girl shift uncomfortably by the archway, “did you want to sit down?”

“Thanks,” Chaelin blushed slightly, moving to sit on the armchair.

Seunghyun tutted and draped his arm over the back of the couch, “so you’d rather sit all the way across the room?”

“We… ah?” She froze halfway into the seat. Seunghyun patted the spot beside him on the couch.

The blush on the girls face deepened as she stumbled across the room, Seunghyun reached for her hand and pulled her down beside him, “so why are you here?”

“T-told you,” she tried to scoot away from him, “to drop of Minzy.”

“Ah, but why are you still here?”

Minzy walked by the living room with a bag of chips in her hand, “why do you think, you idiot.” The shorthaired girl snickered at the bewildered look on Chaelin’s face as she disappeared into the back of the house again. 

Chaelin snapped back to reality feeling her arm pressed tightly against his bare chest. She finally managed to pull away from him and settled about a foot away on the couch.

Seunghyun grinned, “you’re quite shy, aren’t you? Your personality and appearance don’t match.”

“You’re one to talk.”

He cocked his head and stretched his legs out, “how’s that?”

“Well Minzy and Jiyong kept saying how lazy you are. Plus you and Minzy kind of have the same personality, you know, not being interested in anyone.”

“Jiyong, huh?”

“And to be honest, you’re pretty much how they described,” Chaelin laughed.

“And yet, you’re still here,” Seunghyun’s smiled widely, “now why would that be?”

~~

Taemin grumbled and slung his bag over his shoulder angrily, “will you all stop flirting around me?”

Chaelin’s head snapped to the angry red head, “I’m not flirting, dammit.”

“Oh, yeah, like you and Minzy’s big brother didn’t make sweet, sweet love yesterday?”

Chaelin blushed, “no. I’m not like that. Besides, we only talked. It’s not like we’re dating, unlike little miss and blondie.”

“Hrmpf,” Taemin narrowed his eyes, “I want a date, dammit.”

Minzy leaned over to the redhead and whispered in his ear, “you don’t just want a date. You want a specific date.”

“Shut up,” Taemin pouted and stomped away. Minzy giggled, she noticed Minho watching the boy walk away and gave him a friendly wink.