I almost came late to my class this morning, but still got there in the nick of time. I woke up late, with Heechul already out of the house. Thank god the living room and the kitchen was spotless. Heechul must have nagged at s to death to clean the place. I’m impressed. Though sadly, I have to go to school with an empty stomach. It would be great if Heechul could slave in front of the stove once in a while.

I feel like I had a hand-over from the exhaustion last night. My class even noticed that my eyes are begging (still) to rest. But I have no choice but to teach.

After class, I found Sunhwa in the faculty room, busily typing in her computer.

“Hey…” I greeted. I slammed my but on my chair and droopily laid my head on the table.

Sunhwa stopped her computer work and looked at me over the divider in front of us. “What up with you? Are you drunk?” she asked.

“Exhausted…” I mumbled.

“And why is that?” she asked again.

“…had a party last night,” I mumbled again.

“You what?” Sunhwa asked disbelievingly.

From the tone of her voice, I felt disappointment and shock. I quickly lifted my head and looked at her. Her eyes are bulging and is wide open.

“Please don’t tell me…the guest…your guest…” she managed to say behind the shock.

“Sunhwa, I’m so sorry. I know I promised that I’ll invite you if ever they come over but…” I explain, but had to stop. I continued in whispers as Sunhwa had to dropped her head and hear what I was going to say, “Heechul…rashly decided to have a dinner party last night. I had so much going on in the house … I forgot about you. I’m sorry,” I pleaded.

Sunhwa pouted. “But… I wish I was there though.”

“I know, that’s why I’m sorry,” I continued. “And if ever there’s going to be another party… I’ll try to remember.”

“Hey! What do you mean ‘try’?” she asked her eyebrows in a furrow.

“Oh, scratch that. I’LL remember,” I said, beaming my best smile.

Sunhwa smiled too. “Okay, I forgive you. Just make sure I’m going to meet them next time. You know im a big fan…”

“I promise.”

“Hey,” she said, standing straight. “Do you want to grab some lunch? I’m starving,” she said, rubbing her tummy.

“Urgh, same here,” I said standing up. “I didn’t have breakfast this morning. I’m so hungry I can eat a whole cow.”

“Don’t jinx your figure, Yerin. Maybe Heechul is drooling over your y figure…you just don’t know,” Sunhwa said, snickering in between.

“Please…” I said, almost disgusted.

Munching over a chicken sandwich, I recalled last night’s party to Sunhwa, and she was happily listening to my story about how crazy Super Junior is. I have to talk on whisper from time to time, but it was okay, so long as Sunhwa hears about everything last night.

“…and, I was so exhausted I almost fell asleep on the couch. But Heechul lifted me…”

“Lifted?” Sunhwa asked with a shocked, happy face. “You mean like a bride?”

Oh, crap. I shouldn’t have said that.

I hesitated, but then answered, “Well…yeah.”

“Oh my gosh!” Sunhwa giddily shrieked.

Teachers from nearby table looked in our direction with either a shocked or a disgusted face. I bowed at each of them and apologize for the disturbance.

I looked at Sunhwa, and whispered, “Will you keep low…please.”

Sunhwa put her hands in and bowed at the teachers on the nearby tables.

“I’m sorry,” she told me. “It’s just that… it’s so unexpected of Heenim to be like that. He looks cold yet crazy on TV, but…he also has that side in him. That’s so sweet!” she continued, smiling like a fool.

I only looked at her in annoyance. “You’re crazy.”

“No…envious,” she corrected, still smiling like a fool.

“What’s the big deal anyway?” I said before I took a bite from my sandwich.

“Hey, that happens to be a big deal. Think about it… why THE Kim Heechul would carry you like a bride?” she whispered.

Oh, poor Sunhwa, you can’t fool me. “Simple answer. I refused to go to bed that time because I have to cater to the group’s needs. ‘Cinderella’ insisted and carried me to bed.” I smiled when the foolish smile on Sunhwa’s face was wiped clean.

“That’s it?” was Sunhwa discontented question.

“Yup. Just that,” I replied, still smiling at Sunhwa’s reaction.

I continued to eat my sandwich, so did Sunhwa. And for a while, we both ate quietly..until my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it says ‘Leader’.

“Leeteuk?” I whispered to myself.

“Hello?” I answered the phone.

“Yerin-sshi, good morning,” he said. “Well I just called to say thank you for the dinner last night. You were sleeping by the time we had to go. We didn’t want to wake you up either.”

“It’s okay. The pleasure was mine, anyway. I did have fun last night,” I replied.

“Good to know. Well, you must be too tired last night; Heechul had carry you to bed,” he said, and then laughed.

“Ummm…don’t say it out loud,” I shyly said. “Other people may hear you.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m here at our dorm, unusually alone.”

Sunhwa was eyeing me intently, trying to figure out who is on the other line. “Who’s that?” she asked, but I only ignored her.

“You don’t have a schedule? I thought the leader is always busy.” I asked Leeteuk. Sunhwa finally figured out that I am speaking to Super Junior’s leader. Well, clearly, Super Junior is the only idol group that I know of. Her face lit up and she was smiling widely.

“Ah, later. I have Strong Heart taping this afternoon,” he answered.

Sunhwa, clearly couldn’t control herself, jumped off of her seat and ran to my side. “Can I speak to him, please?”

“Wait, I’ll ask,” I told Sunhwa.

“What?” Leeteuk asked. “Are you talking to me?”

“Ummm, my friend. Well…” I paused, just to get Sunhwa’s hand off of my phone. She couldn’t let go of the phone, afraid that it might be snatched by other ELFs. “…my friend here, she wants to talk to you. Can I…”

“Sure…” he said without hesitation.

I gave the phone to Sunhwa, telling her to, “Stop shrieking.”

“Hello, Leader-sshi?” Sunhwa asked.

Leader-sshi? Haha! Sunhwa, really? You act like you own Super Junior, but then you still can’t call them with their name.

“Hi, my name is Sunhwa…” she said shyly. “I’m a friend of Yerin.”

She was smiling foolishly. Okay, this is just a phone call. What will happen if Sunhwa meet the guys FOR REAL? I’m going to faint when that day comes.

“Really? I’m looking forward to that.” A minute later and she gave the phone to me. “He wants to talk to you,” she said, still on high.

“Yes, Leader-sshi?” I imitated Sunhwa. “Seriously…” I laughed.

“Haha, you’re friend is funny,” Leeteuk laughed too. “It’ll be fun to meet her in person.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that…” I told him.

“Well then…I don’t want to keep you from work,” he said. “I hope there’s a second party.”

I looked at my phone to see the time, and surely, time is running out and Sunhwa and I have to go back to the faculty and get ready for our next class. “Oh my gosh, your right; I have to go. And about the party: sure, why not.”

“Bye then. Fighting!” he shouted.

I stood up from the chair and pulled Sunhwa off of her chair. “Thanks. Bye…” I cut the call.

“What?” Sunhwa asked, confused.

I pointed to my silver watch and said, “Let’s go.”

Finally, my work is done…for a while. I still have loads to do later. But for the mean time, I’ll stay at the dorm first, hoping that somebody will be there to make me something to eat. As I opened the front door, I heard Leeteuk’s voice.

“Bye, then. Fighting!” he shouted. What is this nonsense?

I saw Leeteuk sitting on the couch, talking to the phone, with a huge grin on his face. When finally he saw me, the call ended.

“Who was that?” I asked abruptly.

Leeteuk, probably hesitating to answer, looked at his phone for a while before answering, “It was Yerin. I wanted to thank her for the party last night. She was asleep so…”

YOU DARE CALL ME WIFE! Well, technically I told Yerin to be my wife while were living together but…THIS STUPID…

“It’s okay…” I said, hiding my temper and making my way to the kitchen. “Do you have anything to eat?” I asked. “I’m starving.”

“There’s pasta on the microwave,” he simply said, following me to the kitchen. “And there’s orange juice in the fridge.”

“Okay,” I said, raiding the fridge first.

I kept my silence the whole time I was eating; quietly eating the pasta in the dining area. I ignored Leeteuk as much as I can, ‘cause I thought if he mention Yerin, I’ll completely burst my frustration at him. Honestly, he can thank me about the party. Why call Yerin?

“Heechul-ah,” Leeteuk called from the living room. “You’re unusually quiet. What’s the matter?”

Now this is what I am afraid of: him, asking ‘What’s up?’.

“Nothing…” I answered, and ignored him again.

Leeteuk, not taking my answer, stood up from the couch and sat on the chair beside me. “Something’s up.” He looked at me suspiciously.

“I’m fine,” I irritatingly lied. “Just tired.”

But Leeteuk continued to eye me suspiciously. “With you ignoring me, something must be up.”

“Something will be up is you don’t quit bothering me,” I said before taking a huge slurp of orange juice from a tall glass. “Seriously, leave me alone…”

I know Leeteuk is still suspicious. His eyes never left me even after me moved back to the couch and changed the TV’s channel. He is seriously nerve-wrecking! Not to mention SUPER annoying!

“By the way… how’s you and Yerin going?” Leeteuk asked.

I almost spat the pasta I was chewing. Scratch what I said a while ago. THIS is what I’m afraid that’ll come up: about YERIN.

I swallowed hard before saying, “Fine…”

“Just fine?” he asked again.

I nodded.

“Nothing romantic happening?” he asked.

Annoyed, I put down the fork from my hand to the pasta bowl in front of me. I turned around to look at him. I wish I could yell “ACTUALLY THERE IS! WE MAKE LOVE EVERY NIGHT!” but I can’t; I’d be a complete liar. Not to mention that I always deny that I actually like Yerin. “What’s with you?”

“I’m just asking,” he said, with the most hideous smile in his face. “Why are you so defensive?”

I turned back to my food and ignored about what Leeteuk just said.

“I only want to ask if there’s something going on between you two,” Leeteuk said. “Honestly, you guys are just staying together for a hundred days…then you’re done. If there is nothing going on, just tell me. If in any case Yerin rejects you, tell me right away…”

“Why?” I asked without turning around.

“Ummm… maybe I can have a shot with her. You know…maybe I can court her.”

__________________________________

Missed me?

~Crina