Elementary school: no dating.

Makes sense, duh.

 

Junior high school: no dating.

Some cute guys..but still, makes sense?

 

High school: no dating.

There were more cute guys.. Wait what? Still?

 

"You go, my girl. Make me proud. Never come back until you had that graduation gown and you got your degree.."

"What?"

"Don't mind him. You know he's been always like that" Her mom brushes her hair lovingly.

Jinri sighs, just when did the last time her parents become this clingy? Oh right! 5 minutes ago.

"Mooom... I'm entering college today." She whines. "Why are you guys still treating me like this is my first day-"

"This is your first day."

"-in elementary school." She finishes. "I'm all grown up, mom, dad. I can manage." 

Her parents look at each other before embrace her in a group warm hug. More like a bone crasher hug, she thinks.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie. You really made it to this prestigious university.." Her mom chokes a sob.

She smiles as she pats her parents in the back.

"If the college life is too harsh, you can always drop out and enroll next year with an easier major."

She sighs, "No, dad. No dropping out and since the beginning, I am willing to take this major so then I will bear its consequences. And I know, the college life will be harsh."

Her dad pulls away only to attack her once again. Jinri can only sigh but feeling relieved inside—she loves and feels so thankful for her parents.

"I'm gonna miss you mom, dad.." She says finally as she hugs them back.

Her mom tightens the hug, "Oh yeah, you would, honey."

She feels her dad's nod, "Hold on a little more if you miss us, okay? Time passes fast when you don't really count it."

"You're living not so far from here anyway." Her mom says again.

Her dad agrees, "True. We can always visit you.. But I think not in these few weeks, we've already booked by Maldives for our second honeymoon. Right, honey?"

Jinri gapes at the sudden scene where her mom giggles and her dad wriggles his eyebrows, and just when she's about to retort back she hears a honk.

The warm scene breaks apart.

"Err," Jinri coughs, "that's my ride."

Her dad furrowes his eyebrows as he studies the growling sound of the machine, "A jeep. Soojung has a new car?"

Jinri thinks for a reason while she picks up her luggages. She has moved out some of her stuffs so there's left one or two more suitcases. And yesterday, she did it with Soojung. With her cooper. Which had way different sound from this vehicle outside.

Her mom gasps, "Oh my God! It's a boy?" She tiptoes to see what's behind the railings.

Jinri stays silent, busying herself by checking her phone back and forth only to be nudged by her father. 

"What, dad? I'm checking my to-do-list if there's anything left that I haven't brought." She pays attention to her phone again.

Her parents look at each other before shrug her off and continue their spying on the suspicious car in front of their house. She looks at them and sighs inwardly.

"I'm done!" Jinri half yells and brings her parents back to the reality.

"What? That fast?" Her mom looks at her sadly.

Jinri nods, "I guess.."

It's then silent for barely a minute between them when there's this intruder coming into the scene. A way good looking intruder.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Choi!" Says a loud deep voice from behind.

Jinri mentally bury herself in her lawn whilst her parents turn their heads.

The intruder himself just smiles—more grinning creepily—and adds a perfect 90 degrees bow, "I'm Park Chanyeol. I was born in 1992 and I live not so far from here. I'm studying at the same university as you, Mr. Choi, and I went to the same high school as you, Mrs. Choi." He blabbers non stop, not missing any single hand gesture as he talks.

Jinri once again mentally bury herself even deeper to the ground.. If it's possible, she wants a place right before the source of the earth's heat. She still wants to be alive, afterall. What's with this scientific thoughts, Jinri shakes her head.

"Basically, me and your daughter right there—whose face is now as white as the jasmines behind, have been in the same school since her first day in high school. And now if you'll excuse me," he walks boldly passed her parents and goes straight to Jinri to take all of her suitcases from her grips, "I'm going to put these into my car." 

Before he steps out of the lawn, he doesn't forget to bow and smiles—once again, grins—at the her frozen parents. 

Jinri sighs, "Mom? Dad?"

No answer. She walks to their front and looks at them exasperatedly.

Her parents' expressions are oddly... Unreadable?

"He's..."

"Oh right!" A yell from the opened window, along with a hip hop music with its loud bass cut her right there, "I'm picking up her right now because she's going to be my junior—well, she has been always one— and I thought it would be better if I come by today to greet you guys because maybe, since this moment, I'm gonna come here often considering I'll be the one who drives her back and forth if she needs something back here. Well, Soojung might drive her too. But she's a girl. You know.. Anyway, I'm sorry for leaving this important part!" 

The poor pair just blinks.

"And yeah, I'm your daughter's boyfriend. It's pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Choi!" He says, way too outloud. When he finishes, he once again smiles politely—still, more like a grin—and closes the window.

Jinri can feel herself already in the center of the earth.

Not a second passes when her mom has her hands all around her dad's body—preventing him from going after the bouncing jeep to knock the driver down. And he won't be pleased easily. Not until the so called boyfriend of his beloved daughter is as flat as the heat source of this earth.

Thank God for a karate mom, Jinri thinks as she gawks at the scene in front of her very eyes.

"M- mommy's so.. Proud!" Her mom squeakes, still snaking her arms around the struggling man, "He- he's... Cute."

Her dad, on the other side, has his bold brows furrowed and he looked so damn furious.

"Dad...?" Jinri says slowly.

"Let. Me. G- go! Honey!" Her dad scolds but the grip is not loosen up. "Choi Jinri. You don't get in the car. Not when that weird eared giant in there! Oh and his scary wide eyes- Honey, let me go!"

Her mom thinks she's now old enough to not being able to handle this strong ex-taekwondo-champ husband in her grip any longer when she let out a whimper, "Run, my dear. Send my greetings to your cute boyfriend!"

When she hears the sign, she immediately runs away for her life. 

Or her boyfriend's life.

***

I'm gonna get karma. I'm gonna be punished by mother nature. This is not good. This is wrong.

"Are you nervous?"

Jinri nods, continuing her chants inside her mind.

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

Jinri shakes her head, still chanting.

"Then.. Should we pull away to buy some pancakes?"

"No! I'm gonna be late! You should drive faster!"

He laughs, "No, you're not! The opening ceremony will be held in an hour and we're just like few kilometers away, Sull. You put your luggages way too fast back then. Even Soojung was still sleeping- wait, it was Soojung right?"

She ignores his question and falls to the backrest, "Oh, I'm gonna die from being paranoid."

"Yeah, you will." He says, along with a pained yell after he gets a punch on the arm.

"Anyway, Chan, I'm sorry about my parents." She says, looking at the packed street.

He unplugs his phone from the tape and changes it with her iPod, "Why? They're nice. And why are you calling me with Chan again.."

She smiles, "Well. They are. But they like to lay it on thick—more when it comes to things that revolved this creature called me." She pouts.

Chanyeol chuckles and ruffles her hair, "They love you. And they'll love me too. I can feel it."

Jinri swats his hand away and combs her hair with her fingers, "You know, you have problem with your overly confident self. It's not healthy."

"Whoa why? I think you're the one who has problem with the lack of confidence." He defends, still keeping his eyes on the street.

Jinri straightens up, "Why me? I have my everything balanced at some point that prevent me from wrong doings."

"Uh uh? Really?" Chanyeol smirks.

"Yes of course! And I can feel today's gonna be a hard day.." She says slowly, fidgeting her fingers on her lap.

Chanyeol glances her side and stiffles a laugh, why would it be bad when you're the girlfriend of this person that the whole campus participants know?

"Oh yeah, I can feel it too."

"You can feel it, right?" She says, throwing her hands up in exasperation, "Oh God. I shouldn't have left my dad when he was boiling back then. I'm gonna get the karma."

"Yeah- what? Karma?"

"And I'm gonna be cursed because I didn't kiss my parents goodbye and I even left them hanging—or struggling with each other."

Chanyeol hasn't even blinked when she explodes again.

"I didn't even opened my window to bid them goodbye properly!" She yells hysterically.

"Sull-"

"And my dorm is like so far away from home. God, Chan, we should head back."

"Sulli-"

"I know!!! I'm gonna be late! But-"

"Jinri." He calls to gain her attention, "We're here."

Oh, the parking lot already.

He pulls out the key and the engine stops. Jinri stays silent for a minute, looking blankly to the outside. There are only 2 cars, with their car, there are only 3. Early birds get the worm, she thinks. 

She looks back at Chanyeol. He can see the fright in her eyes and how trembling she is—like, literally—because her nonstop shaking hands.

"Breath," Chanyeol instructs her.

He always loves his girlfriend being this dramatic. Cute, he thinks. How her voice raises up two octaves higher, how she keeps her hands up and pulls her hair in fright, how she has natural blush on her cheeks because she's feeling nervous as hell. She's just this adorable. This girl.

"What time is it?" Jinri manages to ask.

Chanyeol raises an eyebrow, "Oh really? You're asking me that now?"

She brings her palms up, "I'm a bad daughter."

He scoots closer and takes her hand off of her face, "No, you're not."

She looks up and sighs, "I should call my parents. I should-"

Chanyeol takes out his phone when before, he had dialed her home's number.

"It'll be okay." He reassures.

She sighs, "How can you always be this sure about everything?"

He shrugs, "Just because."

She has no power to roll her eyes so she just roll it mentally. Is that even possible.

"Mom," she breathes, "tell dad I'm sorry because I thought the rule is over by high school? But well I've been dating him since uhm two years ago but yes I've been lying to you guys I'm really a bad daughter I'm soooooo sorry do you want me to enroll next year instead so I can be grounded first for my horrible mistake? Please bless my freshman year?" She blabbers non stop and Chanyeol's recording everything with his own eyes and he really is having a hard time stiffling his laugh. If only he used her phone instead of his, he could've recorded all this Hysteria Jinri moment.

"What? He's not mad?" Jinri raises her voice in surprise.

"Oh my God is this a dream?"

"Yes, mom, I'm arrived- wait what, he's not mad? Like- not mad? At me? Because I lied? A boyfriend? I got a boyfriend? And? He's not mad?"

After 5 minutes long call she finally ends it with a super long I love you and thank you to the other line. Chanyeol can see faint tears on her eyes as she lays her back in relief.

"So you're not getting a karma?"

She nods cheerfully, "Yep!"

"So that means we're not dating secretly again?"

She nods once again, cheerfully, "Right!"

"So can I kiss you now?"

She nods her head, wait. "What?"

She doesn't realize that until she opens her eyes, to see Chanyeol is already leaning, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She hollers.

He blinks, "About to kiss you?"

Jinri pushes him slightly, "No!"

"Why?" He whines.

She sits up and looks around, strangely.

"What are YOU doing?" Chanyeol asks in bewilderment.

She rolls her eyes—finally this time, "And you're calling yourself my senior. Don't you know the story about this parking lot?"

"I don't?" He answers like it's what normal people would answer. When in fact, none of them are considered sane. But sanity is relative, though.

"Well," she positions herself so that she's facing him and resting her back on the door, "this campus, for its loooong long history, has uncountable stories. 'How this poor guy became one of the country's influencing people because of studying here' stories, 'how this girl threw herself out of the window because she was rejected by her senior' stories.."

"Go on." Chanyeol says, not actually looking at her but his phone. Opening ceremony in a half an hour so please be here as soon as possible, it says. He scrolls down for more messages from his friends saying 'there's a bully target down here' and 'aw there's this girl Minseok keeps eyeing at and man they really look alike' and 'where the hell are you don't you know the phrase early birds get the worm?' He chuckles to himself, why on earth he wouldn't know when his girlfriend is the one who probably made the phrase in the previous life.

"And for our case, there's this story about a junior and her senior and I'm warning you, this story doesn't have a happy endin- Listen to me!" She snatches the phone and locks it.

"I'm listening!" He says in the same tone.

She ignores him as she looks as excited as a minute ago when he was listening—or that's what she thinks he was, "Back to our story.. A junior and her senior who fell in love with each other... That's so much like us, right?"

"Yes?"

"Yes! There, they went for different major. And that was the cause for all of this tragic story.." She fakes a sob which Chanyeol just shakes his head at.

"I thought we're studying the same major?" He asks.

"Exactly! We're not even half of the story. What I just said were all the summary, if I could say that. Do you want me to continue?" She asks expectantly as she wriggles her eyebrows.

Adorable, yet so creepy. Chanyeol sighs inwardly, "If I say no, would you still telling me the story?"

"Yes?"

"Fine, go on."

"Yay!" She pumps her fist and Chanyeol really has the urge to pinch her cheeks, and he does, in the end.

 

As she tells him the story which he barely catches, his phone keeps on buzzing. He had tried to snatch it back without her knowledge but failed miserably and earned a glare from the latter. Soon, the story finally ended with a 'that's why ever since then couples don't kiss here, in this parking lot!' and Chanyeol replies with a 'but we're taking the same major' and Jinri ends the argument with a 'still!' and he finally flies up the white flag in defeat.

"Now can I please have my phone back?" He asks.

"Oh, of course!" She hands him back like she hadn't glared at him because that question just few minutes ago.

He widens his eyes as the numerous messages turn from all kind like hey where are you? to be like get you here like right now or I'll break your guitar into pieces and they all written in caps lock. Chanyeol grimaces and glances sideway to look at the freshman—all peaceful as she slurps a bottle of milk.

"Where did you get that?" He asks, confused.

She finishes the drink, "I made it back there at the dorm- Oh, someone's calling." She points out with her chin to his phone.

He looks at the caller ID—the president committee. He'd be dead meat.

"Hey, instead of me telling you the time, what about running for your- our life to the campus hall?"

She inhales sharply, "Stick to our plan. Okay?"

***

The opening ceremony goes well. The beginning was a bit harsh with a one-lap run for the girl and a threat for the boy. She begins to blend with her friends from the same major and she finally makes some new friends because Soojung is in the other side of the campus. Finally, it's time for lunch. Her first lunch as a college student. She giggles to herself as she makes her way to the line. 

"Park, who are you staring at?" Baekhyun comes with a full plate of food and sits down besides him.

He ignores him and takes a spoonful of noodles—Baekhyun's noodles.

Another shadow pops and takes a seat besides him, "The girls are not as pretty as last year. Boring."

"Oh really." Chanyeol asks boringly. "I see you've been eyeing that girl with puffy cheeks. What's her name again hyung? Joonhee?"

Minseok chokes on his food and glares at Chanyeol who's now laughing loudly.

"For me," Baekhyun says with a muffled mouth, "I already have my target."

"And who's that poor girl?" Chanyeol says, really uninterested as he pokes Minseok's spaghetti.

"That one." Baekhyun points with his fork, "The one with short hair and pale skin."

Chanyeol rolls his eyes but stops midway when he sees his direction. No. No freaking way. But he has to stick to the plan that sounds like 'no one knows us being connected'. The plan he had made with her. Not a plan actually, more like a one-sided agreement. The plan has been working well because his friends never really give a damn whether he has a girl or not. He sighs, "No. You can't make her as your target."

Baekhyun his head, amused. "And why is that, mister Park? I thought your ideal is someone like Scarlett Johansson. All... round. You know." He slurps the noodle after he said the fact. Everyone knows how much Chanyeol is a fan of her ever since he hacked the campus TV network to play The Avengers and announced through the speaker that connected to all faculties 'this is my girlfriend' when Johansson appeared. And it happened years ago when he just entered the university. A real shame for his fellow soon-to-be-engineers, Wufan—the head of student body from the engineering faculty said.

Chanyeol opens his mouth to retort back. "She! She looked like... her! Right?" His offence turns into a hesitant one and Baekhyun raises an eyebrow for it. "But you forgot how much I love Sandara Park! Right! That girl exactly looked like her!"

Minseok on the other side of the table widens his eyes and brushes his palms in interest, "Okay this's gonna be fun. Jongdae'll regret for pretending to be sick today."

"Except their height." Baekhyun scoffs. He is indeed a champion from the debate club for two consecutive years.

Chanyeol smacks him on the arm and the latter glares. "What was that for? I'm stating the fact! And I'm gonna get her. You can get 10 girls at once just with a wink but not me! Don't even remind me how you magically turn the president committee from a geek into someone with overloaded charms that he got girls hitting on him every single week." 

"So the story is true?! Junmyeon was really a geek?!" Minseok curiously butts in.

Baekhyun shrugs. "Confirm yourself."

"Oh, please. It's a long story and everyone knows he was already handsome and just needed some new clothes.. and a new haircut.. and some contact lenses. Anyway, you can't get her. No. Find another one. There are plenty girls here. End of discussion." He waves him off.

Baekhyun grins. "Once again, Park Chanyeol, give me an acceptable reason then I'll back off." He looks straight at Chanyeol's eyes.

"You asked for it. Fine then." Chanyeol doesn't break the eye contact with Baekhyun as he stands up, "Because she's already mine."

Baekhyun snickers, "Oh, is that why you chose the seat right next to her back there at the class when the dean was busy with the sudden phonecall?"

He blinks, he didn't know someone would actually notice that. He just looks back at him and nods, not really getting where this will lead at.

"Makes sense.." Baekhyun shrugs, "But I saw her avoiding you. She switched place with her friend the moment you placed yout on the chair. What makes you think she wants your company? Moreover, to be yours?"

Chanyeol narrows his eyes, "Don't you realize that she's from my high school?"

"So?"

"Well," he backs away, "I have this kind of vow that I must not break but I think I've gone way too far. You shall see in a," he glances his black watch on his wrist, "three- no, two minutes? Have a good show, gentlemen."

Minseok and Baekhyun gapes their mouths open and watches in awe.

"It's you that have gone too far, stupid." Minseok hisses, not leaving Chanyeol from his eyes.

Baekhyun grins, "I didn't really make her a target or whatsoever, dumb. I just thought about this when I saw him keep staring at her the whole ceremony and I think a thank you would be better instead of calling me stupid? This will be a great show, you know."

Minseok laughs, popping a chip into his mouth, "Yeah. Thank you. Whatever."

They keep their eyes on the moron as he approaches the girl and after few seconds of Chanyeol's back, he makes the girl to turn around while glaring at him. The girl looks as confused as hell and she somehow looks like she's hissing under her breath? Oh, she's standing up.

"What are they talking about?" Minseok asks.

Baekhyun shrugs and just about to pops Minseok's chip into his mouth when he chokes hardly. Minseok eyes widens at the scene in front of him. Just what the hell is that guy doing up there?!

"W- water! Water!" Baekhyun tries to reach the bottle that's on the other end of the table but Minseok barely looks at him. He's too engrossed with the show that Chanyeol's giving him. This could be the headline of this month's magazine, he thinks excitedly as he pulls out his DSLR from wherever it is. Such a thoughtful leader of the journalistic club.

"GIVE ME WATER, STUPID!" Baekhyun smacks his head and the both of them ended in a not very good ending.

 

And here's a rewind of the show.

Chanyeol walked confidently to approach Jinri's table. He could feel the stares that he got from the other first year girls. Well, not only the freshman. He's just that handsome, he thought. Jinri, herself, looked fidgeted as ever on her seat as she caught a figure was coming closer. No, no, I'm gonna kill you Park Chanyeol just-

"Jinri."

She stayed still, focusing her eyes on the food.

"Choi Jinri."

Don't talk to me! she yelled inwardly to the food, hoping the rice could like send the message to the person behind her. She glanced behind and back to her food.

"I think he's calling you," one of her friends whispered.

Jinri finally turned around and stood on her feet, glaring at him. Chanyeol himself just looked at her for few minutes before he leaned in. Jinri, once again, had a major heart attack with a similar situation.

"Please cooperate." Chanyeol huskily whispered.

She gulped, "In. What."

He pulled away to smirk, "In this."

There, the whole canteen exploded in a mix of gasps and chokes. Ew. The chokes must be belong to one of those in the corner, Chanyeol thought. He leaned to kiss her on the forehead which stopped by her hand. Chanyeol sighed, why now.

"Not. On. The. Forehead." Jinri hissed.

Chanyeol blinked as he could snickers from around him, "Then here?" He leaned in again to give her cheek a peck. Only to be stopped once again by a pair of hand on his chest.

He sighed again, "Can you tell me why?"

She looked uneasy then she ushered him to get closer. He blinked, is she the one who's going to kiss me? He thought cheerfully as he came closer.

That wouldn't be Jinri, of course. Instead, she whispered to his ear, "Don't you know the story?"

With that, Chanyeol really wanted to bury himself, or his girlfriend, but he's just a good sould so maybe he would bury himself into the ground. "You heard too many myths.." He mumbled but she caught that.

"Those are not myths! They are true stories!" She yelled which gained everyone's laugh once again. 

This is pure humiliation, Chanyeol thought.

He pulled away and looked at her in disbelief, "Okay. What is it about this time?"

Jinri grinned, "You see. I don't wanna get pimples, not until I pass my first year. And from what I heard, pimples' source are kisses! So that's why I don't want you-"

She widened her eyes and her stomach felt like exploding. Chanyeol already closed the gap between them and pressed his lips on to her. She barely heard the claps and the cheer and gasps and choking sounds (again) that given from around them and she even long forgot the plan she had made with him. Her breath twitched when she felt his big hands cupping her face to brought her closer. This is unacceptable, she thought. This is wrong, she thought. I'm gonna be doomed because of this, she thought. 

All those mental scolding disappeared when she felt herself smiling through the kiss. 

It was their first kiss after their long term relationship. It was her first kiss for her 19 years long live as a human. Truthfully, it was really different from what she thought her first kiss would be. First of all, she really didn't expect it would be Chanyeol just because. Second, she really didn't expect she would have her first kiss in the daylight where the sun streams through the wide window of her canteen instead of in one special night at one party after he says something like 'I love you'. Third, she really didn't expect she would be that surprised because from what she heard, people knew at least for 5 seconds before the kiss happened. And last but not least, really, she didn't expect it would turn out that way.

She slowly closed her eyes and kissed him back, which actually surprised him how did she know how to kiss back? Yes, Jinri's lips were as soft as what he had thought before. The kiss was different from all kisses he had before but the one with Jinri is undoubtly the best he ever had because of the tickling feeling inside his belly, which rarely appears. Then he concludes himself, that one was maybe his true first kiss. Now he sounds so gay.

As for the first timer, she thinks it was very embarassing. She barely talked to Chanyeol for a week after the event and she felt like dropping out because of the stares she got the first three days. She even made it to the first page of the campus' magazine with a headline 'Fresh-kiss-man!'. What an achievement, she thought as she laid herself on her bed two weeks after the incident.

But as much as she hates that incident, she can never deny that she's happy that she finally got her first kiss. Because she will never, ever, can get rid of the butterflies inside her belly everytime she recalls what Chanyeol said right before their lips touched. "You can't possibly get pimples on your lips, right?" People said butterflies indicate love, and love gives happiness, and at the very least, happiness is what a sane person would ask for. And she's sane enough to make the first move at one welcoming party one night with the soothing music playing in the background when they're dancing in the center of the full decorated garden.

She stops dancing and smiles at Chanyeol's confused face. "Sull, why-"

She has tiptoed on her her heels and leans in until their lips are just inches away. He widens his eyes at her sudden movement but not complains afterall. He brings her closer so their lips are finally on each other's and they both smile.

"This should've been my first kiss." Jinri mumbles on his lips.

Chanyeol pulls away to laugh. "Don't you like the other one?"

When she's about to answer he shuts again with another kiss. "Okay. This could be your first kiss. Talk later."

She chuckles on to the kiss and wraps her arms around his neck. "Moron." She says again.

"Said the one who believes in nonsense myths." Chanyeol says back, stil kissing her.

Jinri finally pulls away and glares. "I told you they're not myths! They're-"

 

He hushes her once again and everyone knows how he does that.

---

a/n: say what at the ~4k words????? lameeeeeeee pmsl im sorry for disappointing. and im sorry for any error in this story im too lazy to edit tbh so well.. anyway, exo's goodbye stajeus alrd but i can sense f(x)'s comeback in the corner so i can still hope for any interaction in some event in the future right. :D