Seoul Kim Hotel; Banquet Room

Just smile. If anything or even nothing always smile. I could feel my cheeks numbing since I have been doing this smiling thing since I got to this event. It was the SIA Christmas Charity Event and I was invited as Suho's date. Not that I agreed to it, but if I wanted to stay on Suho's good side for the sake of Kris I could do this tiny little favor for him. Besides, it was interesting viewing the lifestyle of the rich...Not to mention looking like one everyonce in a while too.

 

I looked over at Suho who kept my hand wrapped around his arm in a tight lock to make sure I was following his lead. Suho looked down at me, breaking into a laugh as he took his thumb and smudged something off my bottom lip.

 

"Oh! Did I have lipstick there??" I panicked letting my smile go for once. He shook his head.

 

"Rian, do you still get nervous at these events?" I nodded my head.

 

"Well, I've only been doing this for how long and you've been doing it all your life!" I pointed out as we made a quick bow to the business couple we passed by in the crowd. "You have more experience in this better then I do."

 

"And what do I always tell you??" We came upon our designated table and Suho pulled my chair out for me. I sat down, lazily repeating the motto he always told me,

 

"'Just follow my lead and you can stick beside me for as long as you need to.'" I turned my head and was taken back a bit as Suho came face to face with me invading my personal bubble.

 

"So do that and we'll breeze through this, no problem. Okay?" He gave me a peck on the cheek then stood up massaging my shoulders as if we were going into "game time" mode. Before I could reach my hand up to slap him, a deep familiar voice called both of our names.

 

"Suho, Ariana." We both turned our heads immediately seeing Mr. Kim with a glass of champagne in his hand. I stood up immediately giving him a polite bow, Suho doing the same. Mr. Kim looked at me giving a nod. "You look wonderful as always Ms. Rian."

 

"Oh! Thank you, thank you!" I said bowing more than I should have. "It is an honor to be here."

 

"Yes, yes I see you more often at these events with my son then I expected." Mr. Kim gave me a double meaning smile as in yes, he liked me, but it was definitely out of the question if I was dating his son.

 

"I enjoy her company at these events father" Suho interjected into the conversation. I felt his arm wrap around my waist pulling me close to his side. "Besides, she is the only date I have ever brought who has been getting more attention then me, when it should really be the opposite effect."

 

Mr. Kim nodded laughing and I let out a nervous laughter as well. I jabbed my elbow into his stomach as punishment for embarassing me, which made no effect on him what so ever.

 

"Omo! Rian?!" I turned my head to look who had called my name: it was Krystal. She ran up to me giving me a hug as if we were old buddies. "What a surprise to see you here!" She turned her head and looked at Mr. Kim bowing to him.

 

"Ah Krystal! I am so glad you could make it." Mr. Kim nodded. "You know Ariana?"

 

Krystal nodded coming over to me and linking arms with me. "We met each other at the mall today and got coffee together...right Rian??" I nodded, catching a peculiar facial expression on Suho's face. I looked at him closely again and he seemed... annoyed. It was as if he was trying to ignore Krystal's presence. Krystal must have noticed this too cause she quickly shuffled her feet to face Suho still holding onto me.

 

"Yah Suho!" She gave him a quick slap on the arm and he flinched looking even more annoyed. He never gave me that face whenever I did that to him...why was he acting like this all of a sudden? "Aren't you going to say hi to me?!"

 

Suho didn't look too happy as he turned to Krystal with a closed lip smile on his face. I couldn't quite out my finger on it but he seemed to want to ignore her...

 

"Hello there Krystal" Suho barely gave a proper bow. "I thought you left Korea...for good."

 

She smiled at him. "Well, I thought I should stop by and say hello before heading to California. I just came from Paris you see and--"

 

"Glad to hear that" Suho interrupted taking a glass of wine off a waiter's tray and downing it like a shot. I could tell his father was getting a bit pissed at his behavior; I was getting a vibe that there wasn't good history between these two...

 

"Suho, why don't you leave Rian to wait for your friends and then introduce Krystal around. Mingle with people." Mr. Kim stepped to the side a bit to open a path for them.

 

"That would be wonderful!" Krystal immediately transferred her clasp to Suho's arm while he looked deeply annoyed not making eye contact with her. He looked straight at me with big puppy dog eyes then walked away with Krystal by his side. I felt some sort of a pang in my heart, but it couldn't be of jealousy, right? I shook my head sitting at my seat again, drinking the glass of water beside my plate. Me jealous of Krystal and Suho? No, why should I be? I have Kris!

 

"Oh Kris!" I said to myself taking out my cell phone. There was already a text message waiting for me from my one and only.

 

Kris

Hope you are having fun w/Suho (but not too much fun of course!) stay safe & if you need me you know you can always contact me. (:

Anyways, call me after the event when you are on your way to EXO

PS

I know I'm not there to see it, but regardless, you look beautiful tonight.

& always. ;)

 

I couldn't help but smile to myself. As I was about to reply back, I felt a hot breathe running down my neck and looking over my shoulder Kai gave me a scare.

 

"Who you texting Rian??" He asked with that killer smile. I quickly put my phone in my clutch holding it securely in my hands.

 

"Oh its just Kris reminding me to remind the group about the race tonight." I nodded my head approving of my little half lie taking a sip of my water. I gave a cheek to cheek kiss with Kai and all the other boys as they came around the table to greet me. When we were all seated, they noticed that there was one empty chair beside me. They started counting themselves off, realizing that Suho was missing.

 

"Rian, did you come alone?" Baekhyun asked with a very confused look. I shook my head pointing to the scene behind me.

 

"Suho's here. He's just guiding around--"

 

"Krystal?!" D.O looked with wide eyes. All the other boys looked in his view and I even turned my head to look at the scene. She was laughing and chatting with the older businessmen as Suho stood there with his businessman face on. He didn't seem to be paying attention to Krystal, but was having a side conversations with the other busninessmen in the group as well.

 

"They look like a cute couple" I blurted out. I turned around noticing the shocked eyes from the boys around me. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

 

"Well, they technically are a couple..." Sehun started off. But Chanyeol elbowed him before he could move further on with that thought.

 

"What?" I asked looking around for an answer from somebody. "Wait, so that's actually Suho's girlfriend?!"

 

"No, they're just engaged" D.O said in a non-chalant manner. I gasped and turned to the other boys who were giving D.O a look. D.O's eyes widened looking at everyone's expression around the table realizing what he had said.

 

"YAH D.O YOU PABO!" Kai exclaimed standing up faking a punch at him. The rest of the boys jumped in giving D.O a piece of their mind, but all I could do was sit there in amazement....Suho was engaged?! As in he was about to get MARRIED?? Then I thought of "that night" a few weeks ago; I felt so sick and dirty I couldn't help but shiver in my seat. Not only that, but what was worse: I ENJOYED his comforting. Oh my god, I was the "other woman".

 

"Engaged" I whispered to myself. "Engaged..." I felt a pat on my shoulder and Baekhyun was patting me on the back probably to comfort me.

 

"It's not the situation you think it is Rian" he said giving me a comforting smile. "There is nothing to worry about."

 

"Worried? Me? Worried?" I put a hand to my chest giving out a little laugh. "Please, why should I be worried? If anything I should be happy that I have something to use against him when he tries to pull a move on me."

 

Baek gave me a look. "Oh really?"

 

I gave him a look. "Yeah really, Bacon." I punched him in the arm. "I don't like him like that!"

 

"I don't recall asking if you did..." Baekhyun gave me the brow and I immediately shut my mouth. 

 

"Hey!" We all turned to the booming voice and it was Suho. "What's going on here??"

 

All the boys immediately shut up all turning to look at me. I stood up from my seat then pointed towards the doors that led out into the empty hallway.

 

"You" I dug my finger into his chest hard with every word I said. "We. Need. To. Talk." I didn't wait for a response turning my heels to walk away from the group; I didn't look back until I made it out the doors and far into the empty hallway as possible. I turned the corner into a small sitting room where no one could hear or see us. As expected, Suho had followed me.

 

"You know, if you wanted to ask me something in private" He took out a room card from his inside pocket. "I have a room up--"

 

"You're engaged?" I input straight away not even going for the build up approach. Instead of the stunned, surprised look I was expecting from him, he just shrugged as if it was no big deal.

 

"I would say that I'm under a business agreement more then I am 'engaged'" he replied putting out bunny ears with his fingers emphasizing "engaged".

 

"Still, you are somewhat engaged to Krystal?" I crossed my hands over my chest looking more curious then jealous or angry. At least, that was the look I was trying to go for...

 

"If I lie and say no, can we just ditch this party and take the room upstairs?" He took a step towards me waving the card around in a teasing manner. 

 

"SUHO!"

 

He held his hand up uselessly as defense. "I WAS JUST KIDDING RIAN! JUST KIDDING!"

 

I took a deep breathe putting my mind back at ease on the topic. "Why didn't you tell me that you were engaged?"

 

"I didn't think it mattered" Suho answered me as he gave me that familiarly annoying shrug. "Besides, why do you care..." Then Suho's eyes widened a bit as if he came to some sudden realization. Before he could say anything I put my hand over his mouth to shut him up.

 

"Don't you dare say that you think I like you because I DON'T Suho." I took my hand off of his mouth wiping it on his suit. "I just thought that we were good enough friends for you to tell me that important piece of information in your life."

 

He took the hand I was wiping on his suit holding it in his. "That's the thing though..." Suho clasped my fingers into his keeping it there on his chest. "I don't find that piece of information important."

 

"Why?" I felt that familiarity of comfort wave through my body. The way he held my hand was how I always liked it: fingers intertwined into each other, not just a hand in a hand.

 

"Because this engagement they call it...its just a way for our family companies to merge and become one. And you know how I like to keep my double lives in there place."

 

I nodded my head understanding what he was saying. But, why did it feel as if there was something more? As if my heart was still yearning for some kind of other admittance from all this. I couldn't think further cause before I realized it, Suho had his free hand tucked under my chin.

 

"Rian" he whispered my name so delicately; the way Kris would say it to make my heart race. "Are you--"

 

"No I am NOT jealous or angry at you!" I pushed him away coming to my senses. You have a boyfriend Rian. You should get your head on straight!

 

"I was going to ask if you were ready to go back...But, now that you mention it--you did seem a bit pissed back there when Krystal and I--"

 

I tried shutting him up once again by putting my hand over his mouth, but he counter attacked it by grabbing at it first. He took my other hand quickly, his arm strength impossible to escape. With my hands behind my back, chest-to-chest I couldn't avoid his gaze or talk now.

 

"There's no reason to be ashamed Rian" Suho said laying his forehead against mine. "If you like me, just say it."

 

"Suho, I like you" I said giving him a bit of hope. "But, not the way that YOU think."

 

"Well, the way I'm thinking is" He said his eyes traveling down to stare at my lips. "That you like me as a friend, but eventually you'll fall for me sooner or later."

 

"Have we not already talked about this?" I rolled my eyes once again thinking about "that night".

 

"Yes, but tonight just proved to me that there is a light at the end of this tunnel." He started to move in closer with his lips. "I just need one more bit of evidence to prove this..."

 

I shut my mouth tightly watching as if my whole world was turning into slow motion. His lids were falling slowly as his lips closed the distance between mine. Suddenly, an image of Kris appeared in my head which fueled me to escape whatever this scene was turning out to be. I pushed him away gently, and looking at his expression he looked confused.

 

"Suho, please don't do stuff like that to me anymore."

 

"You owe me though, do you not?" He asked. "Remember that night..."

 

"Was the same night Kris and I kissed and started going out" I confessed out loud without any thought. After blurting out the words, I suddenly thought about what I just said. If there was ever a chance to see Suho surprised, it was now: his mouth was tightly closed, his eyes widened to its fullest, and the tips of his ear turning red. I know I should have felt victorious finally catching Suho off guard, but somehow I didn't feel that way. I felt...guilty.

 

Without a word or even a a second look at me, Suho turned his back on me and started walking. I followed him in silence, getting a sense that calling his name and trying to hold on to him was not something to do right now. It was like this the entire time, guilt eating my insides, even as we sat by each other at the table to eat our dinner. The other guys must have gotten the deal as well, carefully making conversations around our aura. Even as I tried to catch him looking at me just so I could mouth a simple "sorry", it never happened. He kept his eyes out on everything but me, which made me feel...sad.

 

The rest of the night as the auction went on, it was clear to the boys and I that Suho was completely ignoring me. I didn't try to make any excuse to talk to him because in a way I was mad at him as well, but I technically didn't do anything wrong. I mean, we weren't dating or anything so I wasn't cheating on him. Then why in some form or another was I the one feeling guilty of my actions? That kiss with Kris led me to my happiness with Kris: to call him all mine, my boyfriend. Yet, telling Suho about the kiss and our relationship together made me feel something other then happy. I didn't want to admit it, but I was feeling all the feelings I usually have when I was betraying someone.

 

Who exactly was I betraying though? 

1 week later; EXO Garage

"Hey there Skywalker" Luhan greeted Shin as we entered the garage. They gave each other a high five adding on a secret handshake they apparently made up together. He ruffled Shin's head pointing him towards the hall leading to the house. "Tao, Xiumin, and Chen are in there and have been kidnapped by Darth Vader!"

 

Shin gasped then immediately ran. I laughed shaking my head watching him dodge the random tool carts and cars in his way while Shin was singing the Star Wars theme song out loud.

 

"Kris isn't here right now" Luhan said turning back to his work on the engine of the car. "But, he'll be back soon."

 

I nodded my head taking a seat on the rolling chair beside his cart of tools. "Is it okay if I just wait here with you then?"

 

Luhan nodded. "Rian, you know you are always welcome here."

 

I started to tie my hair in a bun. "Thanks." I took my school jacket off rolling the sleeves of my uniform up.

 

"So...has Suho talked, talked to you yet?" He asked looking up from his work to see my reply. I sighed shaking my head no; it has been a week since the charity event and the night I told him about Kris and I. Ever since then, I wouldn't say that he has been completely ignoring me. Suho would acknowledge my presence by doing small talk with me, but nothing extravagant or over the top like before. It was more as if he was treating me like an acquaintance; a familiar face you would see in the hallways and just be nice to and talk to for no reason.

 

"The guys have been treating me the same though, so the situation isn't all that bad" I crossed my legs clasping my hand together putting them on top of my knees. Guessing by how the boys have been treating me, I guess Suho never told them about Kris and I. But, if Suho was treating me like that...how would the guys treat me if they found out? I stared at Luhan's back: how would Kris' friends treat me if I told them?? I haven't even told Kris that Suho knows about "us".

 

I bit my lip getting nervous. Why was I scared to tell people about Kris and I's relationship? I mean, what was it that kept us from not telling the world? Was it because of the deal that was still intact? I mean, even though Suho and I aren't exactly talking like before, he made the effort to bring me to the club to do my racing duties. Once there though, Suho would disappear not showing up until after everything had been done to take me home. Between that time, I would try to focus my time on hanging out with the guys and spending some time with Kris but it just wasn't the same without Suho being in there. To be honest, I was missing his little antics, our long talks about life we would sometimes have at home, and him taking care of Shin with me.

 

I missed him in my life, and that was something I thought I would never find myself thinking.

 

"Hellooooo??" Luhan was knocking on my forehead. I jerked my head realizing that I had zoned out in my own thoughts forgetting where I was. "Someone had been deep in thought to be ignoring me for the past 2 minutes."

 

"Sorry, I was just--" Suddenly, an idea came up in my head. "Luhan, what if I told you that Kris and I are--"

 

"Dating?" He finished with a finger to his lips. "Shhhh, I know...they know...we ALL know." He smiled. "Well, at least this side of the pond knows."

 

"What?!" I exclaimed standing up hitting him on the shoulder. "Who?! How--"

 

"Kris told us the night of the festival" Luhan laughed. LAUGHED. "Besides, we all kind of saw it coming so it wasn't THAT big of a deal to us."

 

"See!" I threw my hands up in the air. "If it's not that big of a deal to you guys, then why is Suho just being such a--UGH!" I put my arms out in front of me pretending to choke the living life out of the imaginary Suho in front of me.

 

"Well did it ever occur to you that--oh I don't know...Maybe Suho is trying to keep his distance from you?"

 

I stopped choking the imaginary Suho looking at Luhan with curious eyes. "Why would he keep his distance from me?"

 

Luhan shook his head amused by my confusion. "Because you are dating Kris now."

 

"So?" I asked putting my hands on my hips. "How does that change our friendship though?"

 

He slapped his forehead shaking his head. Taking a deep breathe he walked up to me placing his hands on my shoulders shaking me a bit.

 

"Don't you see Rian?" He shook me a bit more. "Suho likes you."

 

"Of course Suho likes me" I responded now crossing my hands across my chest. "I mean, as his barbie doll and arm candy and as a--"

 

"No Rian" he said starting to get a bit of annoyed laughter in there. "Suho LIKES you." He shook me a bit harder making my head do a bobble head effect. "As in HE wants to be YOUR boyfriend."

 

"Impossible!" I laughed it off shaking Luhan's hands off my shoulders. "Psssht, he's just a big, over protective, flirt that's all! Besides that he is engaged. He wouldn't break that off just to be with me..." I pointed a finger at him. "You know Suho's business side, he'll do anything to get what he wants."

 

"Believe what you want to believe Rian" Luhan input throwing his hands up in the air in defeat returning to his work. "Besides, we all know it just a business stunt to merge Kim  & Jung corporation together. There's no true connection between the two other then the fact that they raced for it...."

 

My ears perked up at the "r" word. Raced? I walked over to Luhan leaning over the hood of the car. "So your saying that this arrangement was because of a race??"

 

"The first race Suho lost that he drove in himself" Luhan added turning something inside the car.

 

"He lost to a girl?!" I covered my mouth to keep myself from laughing. Luhan looked up at me with wide eyes shaking his head as if it was a bad thing for me to say.

 

"F(x) is one of the top girl gangs when it comes to racing, after SNSD. Especially the Jung sisters" he said in sort of an awed toned.

 

"So why did she leave Korea?"

 

"I don't exactly know for sure, but rumor has it that she got beat out by the Unknown and was kicked out of Korea."

 

"The Unknown?" I asked leaning against the car.

 

"Yeah. Its ironic how they are the most known and powerful gang in the racing ring, yet know one knows whose in it or who runs it." He took his hands out of the hood wiggling his fingers for a creepy effect; laughing at his attempt.

 

"So for all we know, you might have raced against them and didn't even know it." I waited for a reply, but there was silence. Looking at Luhan he had stopped midway in his work in deep thought. He turned his head slowly finally replying,

 

"He has gone against them." He stood up closing the hood of the car leaving his hands on it. "And to Suho he lost the most important prize of all."

 

"His mom..." I finished for him. Luhan nodded wiping his hands on a towel.

 

"She was a legend in the racing world" He said reinstating the same words Suho had said to me in the same night. "From what I think, Suho started a new club and racing gang just to get a second chance at going against the Unknown."

 

"To get revenge?"

 

"Seems so, but I don't know if those are really his motives." Luhan handed me a cup of water he had gotten from the water cooler. "The Unknown comes to you, never the other way around."

 

I nodded my head taking a sip of the water. Learning more about this world now led me to even more questions then answers. Who was in the Unknown? How could one find the Unknown? What did Suho's mom have to do with the Unknown? Was Luhan's theory on Suho's reasons true?

 

Trying to hypothesize answers to my own questions, I suddenly felt a pair of lips make contact with my cheek; a pair of arms wrapping around my waist pulling me from behind.

 

"Hey" Kris whispered in my ear giving me one more kiss on the cheek before I turned around in my chair. My cheek was on his chest now, my arms around his waist. "Sorry, I made you wait for so long..."

 

I looked at Luhan who turned away allowing me to give Kris a kiss on the lips. I pulled back from it saying,

 

"It's all right. Luhan kept me company." At the sound of his name he spun around in a cool way stopping and posing.

 

"That's right, we had a nice talk" Luhan gave me a wink and I laughed nodding my head. "Nothing too important..."