Over the next hour a discovered just how popular Kai was. Not only one, or two, but seven girls approached him, each and everyone glaring at me as if ı was a bug that needed to be crushed. I scoffed. He wasn't a celebrity. What was with all the admirers? Anyone would think we were kids. But ı couldn't help but feel relieved whenever he rejected each one of them or politely escaped their presence. It meant he wasn't interested in any of them. Not that ı would care if he was. But as a childhood friend ı think it's my job to be protective over Kai. He's like my brother. Honestly. Because Kai was on the same course as me, we had our lessons together and so he stuck faithfully by my side all day. We would take our breaks together, then eat together and sit together in classes. The day felt a lot better with Kai here. "Let's go eat" he suggested. I frowned whilst ı thought. I wasn't really that hungry. "Please Ji Yoon-ie" he pouted, resting his head on my shoulder and blinking like a baby. I pulled a face and flicked him away. "Yah, don't call me that." He chuckled and grabbed my hand. "Let's go" he said enthusiastically before pulling me away from the comfortable bench and into the on site food hall. I unwillingly followed him.

Inside the hall it was decked out like a fancy restaurant with a buffet bar. We got into the short que and ı eagerly looked at the food being served, my mouth watering at the sight of pizza. I was suddenly hungry. Kai chuckled at my keen expression and grabbed a plate. He put all our food on the one tray, piling it high. We had chips and pizza, aswell as some rice and kimchi on a seperate dish along with some small soup that looked rather suspicious to me. Kai grabbed us some chopsticks and led me to a table near the window. I looked hungrily at the food. "So you were hungry" Kai teased, patting my hat further down my head. I stuck my tongue out at him and pulled it back up, grabbing a pizza and taking a big bite. Kai chuckled, leaning closer and wiping some sauce from the corner of my mouth. I could smell his minty scent. He leaned back and the sauce off his thumb before grabbing some chopsticks and dipping the rice into the soup. "That's such a weird way to eat it" ı muttered, watching him with mild fascination. He looked up and smiled. "Only to you it is." I rolled my eyes.

"No, ı think it would be weird to everyone." He laughed and continued to eat his food in a weird way. When we were done eating Kai took the tray, taking my hand again and steering me through the now thick crowd. I didn't find it weird that he would hold my hand. In fact it was kind of comfortable. And familiar. I felt like a child again. He stacked the tray on the dirty tray pile before turning to face me. "Stay right here. I'll just be gone for a minute" he said before flashing me a smile. I nodded and watched him disappear. Standing in the middle of a busy food hall alone made me feel awkward and uncomfortable, but ı knew it would be worse if ı left and spent the remainder of my break alone. And so ı patiently waited for Kai. That is until a loud set of laughs sounded from behind me.

I turned around to see a large table filled with boys and a few girls. They were all chattering loudly and ı wondered how ı could have missed them arrive. I counted each of the heads. There was a total of fifteen people, including the girls. I whistled quietly. They must have pushed the tables together because ı doubted the food hall had one that big. I felt fascinated with this large group of people and quickly scanned their faces. They were all quite good looking. My eyes stopped when they caught sight of a familiar pair of eyes and fair hair. For some reason seeing Sehun made my mouth go dry and ı quickly looked away, wishing Kai would appear. However ı had been too slow and in a few seconds Sehun was stood behind me. I could sense him stood there but continued to ignore him.

"Jess-ssi" he said my name loud and clear, but ı pretended to be preoccupied with my phone. "Yah, Jess" he lightly shook my shoulder. After a few seconds he said, "Yah, Ji Yoon-ah!" I froze as ı heard my name. How had he known that was it? I silently cursed my dad to the fiery pits of hell. Still ı forced myself not to retaliate and swiped across my phone. Then suddenly it was out of my hands. "Yah!" I yelled in annoyance and finally turned around, making to grab for my phone. Sehun held it up high and out of my reach, a mischievous smirk on his face. I glared at him and held out my palm. "Give me it back" ı instructed. He pouted and shook his head. "I don't want to."

"Do you want to die instead?" I snapped. I quickly jumped for the phone and caught it in my hand, but he had a strong grip on it and wouldn't let go. I tried to tug it out of his hand but he wouldn't give up. "Give me it" ı whined, shaking my grip on the phone and lightly stomping my feet. He chuckled. "How cute" he pinched my cheek. In reflex ı bit near his finger to ward him off. He laughed and finally let go. I my teeth at him. "Immature" ı scolded. He continued to laugh. "Stop laughing" ı moaned, blushing. He closed his mouth to stop making a sound but his body still shook as he forced down his laughter. "Aish, you're really a pain" ı hissed, holding up my fist. He raised his arm in reflex and began to laugh again. I glared at him as ı put my phone away. "I haven't seen you all day. You've been avoiding me" he complained. I rolled my eyes. Why would he want to see me anyway? It wasn't as if we actually wanted to be around each other. I wanted to marry him even less. "I wonder why" ı muttered blankly.

He chuckled before grabbing my hand. I frowned and tried to pull it away but he held his grip and tugged it back, matching my frown. Why did he seem so cute when ı was annoyed with him? "Awh, come on. I want to show you my friends" he said enthusiastically. I looked around him at the large table full of people. A few of the boys were watching us, amusement on their faces. A couple were yelling at each other, throwing bread. All the girls were glaring at me, like they had when ı was with Kai. One in particular seemed to be giving me the death eyes, sitting next to Sehun's empty seat. I rolled my eyes again. Now he was just doing it to piss me off like always. He pulled my hand and was about to drag me away until another hand stopped me and pulled me towards them. I turned to see Kai. For some reason ı blushed, as if ı was doing something wrong. "Kai!" I exclaimed in surprise.

But he wasn't looking at me. Besides me Sehun turned and met Kai's glare. I looked between the two. Though ı didn't know their history, it was obvious something had gone wrong. The air around me felt thick and intense, snaking around me and choking me. It was so awkward. Even the boys at the table had gone quiet and most eyes were on us. "Kai!" One of the boys exclaimed. He had light blonde hair and big, dopey eyes. A boy next to him, someone quite tall with pitch black hair and dark eyes, hushed him. The blonde boy shrank back shyly. "Nice to see you again, friend" Sehun said blankly. There was no spite in his voice, but it wasn't warm either. Kai didn't return a greeting and instead met my gaze. He looked somewhat hurt and ı felt my stomach drop like a bag of weights.

Sehun pulled on my arm, catching Kai by surprise and making him loose his grip on me. I stumbled into Sehun. "Yah" ı hissed. He didn't let go of me when ı tried to pull away. "Perhaps you can't remember Kai. Shall ı refresh your memory? We're getting married. Ji Yoon-ah here, is mine" Sehun said, and his tone of voice had changed. It wasn't bitter, or insulting, but more clear, like he was warning Kai. A few people around us broke into whispers and ı squirmed under Sehun's grip like a lab animal. Though it had already been made public and our pictures were in tonnes of magazines, ı still felt uncomfortable with Sehun just announcing the marriage like that, especially in front of Kai. Kai stared back at him blankly, with emotionless eyes. It seemed so wrong and out of place on his face. I missed his childish smile.

Kai took a small step forwards and grabbed my free hand. His hand was warm and smooth, enveloping mine. He looked at me, and a faint flicker of life appeared. A small smile broke across his calm face and he looked back at Sehun. "I know" he suddenly tugged my right arm and pulled me away from Sehun. "But that doesn't mean she wants to be." Sehun took a sharp intake of breath at his words and glared at Kai. But still it lacked the hostility to it. Instead it felt heavy with emotion, like history. Kai returned the same look. So there ı was, under the eye of almost everyone in the food hall, stuck between two boys who wouldn't let go. This was not what ı had planned.