Journey 12

It was time to bid farewell to the month of August as September seeped in. The usual warmth that summer brought to Earth people was no longer existing for September signified the first countdown to chilly Christmas which means frosty air.

Despite of the weather Jinri and Luna chose to remain outdoors who were by the way the only people left outside SMA. Most of the students preferred to seclude themselves inside the comforts that the school offered that the two friends chose to ignore.

Luna was busy strumming her guitar and tuning the chords right while Jinri watched her silently. Two mugs of hot chocolate from Seungmi sizzled beside them, bringing at least a little bit of warmth to the ladies.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." a disgruntled Amber sat beside them and ruffled her hair at the same time.
"Where were you?" Jinri inquired.
"I was blocked by a couple of freshmen again and they were bugging me with selcas again. Ugh this is so annoying." Amber shook her head in irritation.

Luna continued on strumming her guitar with a little bit of tune this time. She plucked its strings while she addressed Amber without looking at her.

"Well why don't you just accept their love?"

Amber stared incredulously at Luna like she asked the dumbest question ever.

"Because I'm a girl." she replied with an obvious tone.
"Do you like a man then?" Luna asked, finally looking at her friend.

The boyish girl fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair and scratched her head.

"It... it doesn't matter..." she answered hesitantly.
"I think it does, at least your admirers will realize your identity." Luna disagreed.

Amber's cheeks flushed red and looked at Jinri for help. But Jinri just smiled at her because like Luna, she was curious if Amber does likes a man.

"W-well..." Amber searched the park and then to her friends' faces until her face lit up. "well how about you? You have tons of suitors but you did not choose anyone. Do you like another man?" she diverted.

It was Luna's turn to get fidgety that made Amber puffed triumphantly.

"It... it doesn't matter." Luna re tracked lamely and went back to her guitar.
"Hiya!"

Kyungsoo's bright smile beamed over the three girls as well as his usual odd taste of clothes that includes a number of garlic garland strung around his neck today.

"What's the garlic for?" Jinri asked.
"Victoria and I were hunting werewolves earlier - you know, for our club - because we believe that wolves like to appear at cold weather.
"And in broad daylight?" Jinri challenged.
"That's the purpose of the garlic. Its strong smell can lead the wolves to us." he replied which made Jinri roll her eyes.

Amber pushed her giggle back and indulged herself with hot chocolate from Luna's mug. Meanwhile, Luna continued strumming her guitar that patterns a song familiar to Kyungsoo.

"Hold on a sec! Is that Goodbye Summer you're playing?" he asked Luna.

Luna seemed surprised at Kyungsoo's sudden approach but she nodded nonetheless. Kyungsoo smiled at her and reached out his hand.

"I thought so. Let me have your guitar, I can teach you the whole chords." he offered.
"You play guitar?" Luna passed her guitar to Kyungsoo who nodded in response.
"So I can serenade the nymphs."

Kyungsoo closed his eyes and started strumming the first chords. His fingers sought the right string at the right time that showed how he knows the song by heart. 

[Now playing: Goodbye Summer by f(x) ft. D.O]

"Gieokhae bokdoeseo tteodeulda gachi honnadeon uri dul; Beolseomyeonseodo wae geurido jeulgeowonneunji arasseo". His mellow and relaxing voice made Jinri smile. It had been a long time since she last heard Kyungsoo sing.
"Geunal ihuro (yeah yeah) urin neul (yeah yeah) ;Ssangdungi byeoljaricheoreom neon na naneun neoyeosseo" Luna joined in.
"Chinguraneun ireum eoneusae miwojin ireum; Gamchudeon gamjeongeun jigeumdo apeun bimirui gieogil ppun; Uri sain jeongnihal su eomneun sajin bomyeon gaseum arin story; I’m sorry yeoreuma ijen goodbye yay-yeah" Kyungsoo and Luna chorused.
"What do i say we didnt have to play no games; I should’ve took that chance i should’ve asked for u to stay; And it gets me down the unsaid words that still remain; Sijakhajido anko kkeutnabeorin iyagi" Amber sang.

And since Jinri was not familiar to the song, she just clapped in harmony of the melody. It seems ordinary, but for Jinri it was a nice start on her first day of September.

* * *

The tension that the last two weeks of the month brought to the students eased, and now all they needed to do was to wait for their midterm results. Jinri started her lazy Saturday morning with a few stretches before going to her wall and placing a large "X" on the number 50 of her hand-made calendar.

It means the 50th day that Chanyeol spent in her house.

Jinri worked extra hard in cleaning the living room and cooking breakfast. She and Joonmyeon agreed the other day that they'll have a movie marathon at her place in celebration of the end of midterm examinations. She would like Kyungsoo, Luna and Amber to join them but she knew that: 1) her girl friends wouldn't agree because they'll prefer Jinri to spend the whole day with Joonmyeon and 2) Because Joonmyeon wouldn't agree to let Kyungsoo join them.

That left Chanyeol for additional company.

At 08:00 Joonmyeon arrived at Jinri's place with a surprise.

"Hey! Wha - Ohhh..." Jinri ended lamely, looking at the special gift that Joonmyeon brought. 
"She's cute, isn't?" Joonmyeon exclaimed, welcoming himself in.
"Yes." Jinri agreed. However there was a problem at the back of her mind that kept popping in.

Chanyeol tore his eyes off from the television and glare at the creature that Joonmyeon brought. Meanwhile, the latter opened the cage and hold the puppy carefully, then he placed it on his arms and patted its fluffy, white and black fur.

"Jaq has three puppies. I asked Dad to give one to you and he agreed. Her name's Bambi. She's a zu." Joonmyeon explained.

Unable to hold her worries off, Jinri blurted.

"And what does it eats?"
"A pedigree dog food would be fine. Occasional meat. But no leftovers." Joonmyeon replied.

No leftovers.

Deciding that it was best not to take the discussion further, Jinri prepared the DVDs that she and Joonmyeon picked. After a whole day of marathon movie (So Young, Pee-Mak & Cold Eyes), crackers and laughter, Joonmyeon decided to leave after an early dinner. When the sound of gravel left the parking space outside her apartment, Jinri went to the puppy and cuddled it.

"You're another mouth to feed but you're cute... so I'll keep you." she said fondly. The puppy wagged its tail happily then sensed Chanyeol, who growled in response.
"Arf! Arf! Arf!" the dog barked.

Chanyeol deepened his shooting daggers until his scowl turned into a snarl. He may not understand it, but he felt like dogs were his biggest Earth enemy. He would like to snatch the dog out of Jinri's arms and throw it outside the window but all he can do was to puff his chest angrily.

"ARF! ARF! ARF! ARF!" the dog barked louder.
"Shhhh Bambi." Jinri scratched its ears but Bambi was uncontrolled.
"ARRRF! ARRRF! ARRF!"

Chanyeol closed his eyes and breathed - one... two.. three... Inhale... Exhale... Inhale....

The dog's bark kept ringing in his head. It was noisy, almost sinister. Inhale....

"ARRRRF! ARRRRF! ARRRRRRRRFFF!!!"

Exhale!

Jinri screamed at the top of her lungs as Bambi disappeared in the thinnest air. 

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" she shouted, pointing a scared finger at Chanyeol. "Wh-what are you -"

Chanyeol fell on his knees and gasped for air. He started twitching and turning; his legs twisting awkwardly; his eyes bulging; his face turning purple. Jinri backed away until she met the wall opposite her. She watched horrified as Chanyeol screamed and screeched, his limbs growing bigger... his hair longer.... his height taller...

After a minute of tortured transformation laid a seven-year old Chanyeol, - and breathing heavily.

It was too much to take for Jinri. She slumped on the floor and clutched her chest - it's loud beat screamed escape. She was scared. Utterly scared; the dog disappeared and Chanyeol grew simultaneously in front of her eyes! It was something she wouldn't see everyday.

A sound of returning gravel crunched the parking lot. Jinri's thoughts went back to Earth and peeked through her curtains. To her dread it was Joonmyeon skipping his steps on the rusted ladder. *Oh could it get any worse?!!* she thought desperately.

A soft knock rapped the door. Jinri looked from Chanyeol to the door then back to Chanyeol again and helped him get up. She picked his torn clothes in the process then she locked him inside her bedroom.

Joonmyeon knocked again, this time a little louder. Now she snatched Bambi's empty cage and hid it inside the cupboard. She checked that everything was normal (except for her face because she still looked scared) then opened the door.

"Hey!" she greeted and attempted to look surprised.

Joonmyeon frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked, deeply concerned.
"I'm perfectly fine." Jinri let out a shaky laugh and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Oh.. By the way, I forgot to give you this." he held out a rubber ball in front of Jinri's face and smiled. "It's for Bambi."

Jinri groaned inwardly. What she saw earlier hadn't sunk in her head yet and she desperately begged the heavens that Joonmyeon wouldn't ask for the dog.

"Where is she?" Alas, today was not Jinri's lucky day.

*I don't know Joonmyeon! Ask that alien kid inside my bedroom!*

"Sleeping." she answered.
"Ahhh.. well just place this beside her, okay? And oh - treat her like our kid" Joonmyeon joked. He placed the ball in Jinri's palms and waved good bye.

Jinri sighed in relief and sought the wall for support. She thought she's grilled from Joonmyeon's return. The heavens might be listening to her after all.

She watched Joonmyeon go down to first floor. He paused at the bottom stairs and looked back at Jinri, who waved back at him.

"CHOI JINRI!!!" an angry Ann Li bellowed, her voice ringing on the hollowed corridor of their apartment.

Jinri and Joonmyeon jumped back in alarm and turned to Ann Li. The spinster banged her door and stormed at Jinri, who backed away in response.

"What?' Jinri asked a little defensively.
"May I ask you..." Ann Li hissed. "Why is your goddamn dog hanging on my clothesline?!!!" she shouted, ing Bambi in her arms.

Jinri's jaw dropped. *ADHJADHEDFGE2IFCGRFIG!!!*

"What dog?" Joonmyeon asked from behind.

*Kill me!* Jinri chewed her lip nervously. *Please Ann Li. Don't let me down today. Pleaseeee*

"That zu. And I bet it's hers. Why?" Ann Li snapped.

Jinri's knees almost snap. Thankfully, she was leaning on her door because if not, she was sure she'll fall on her knees just like a while ago. She received Joonmyeon's pained and angry expression that sent chilled goosebumps all over her.

"Let me explain..." she croaked. *No. I can't explain it.*
"You should have just told me that you don't like dogs." Joonmyeon cut. Without saying another word, he turned around and walked away from her.

Ann Li remained standing on the ground. Then she shook her head, grunted the word "teenagers" and walked away from Jinri too.

Now her day did get worse. It was her first row with Joonmyeon, and it was troubling her to death. She was surprised that she still has the strength to go back to Chanyeol, who was now breathing calmly but still .

It was useless to shout. It was useless to get scared. It was useless to chuck that kid out of her house, because now it dawned on her that there's no turning back: she's the only one who knows Chanyeol's innermost secret... and it'll hunt her 'till her deathbed.

She went to her drawers and picked a pair of uni pyjamas that she hasn't used for a long time.

"Dress yourself up. Oh what am I going to do with you? Really?"

Hi @AliciaLoveeKey! This is the most I can do for now, I hope you'll understand. :]