Today was meant to be one of the most exciting days of your life, having transitioned into his world, meeting his friends, being presented as someone he knows other than just somebody he happened to have passed by.  And yet, you find yourself planted there with your heart racing and cold sweat breaking out of your forehead wondering how everything turned out to be so wrong.  You never thought it possible that a sudden gust of cold air could slap you wide awake from your fantasy right on the face in a closed room.

You could not believe what you have just heard.  It must be a figment of your imagination.  So, you trod lightly a little more to face the circle of boys in the living room trying their best to hush Chansung down, only to attract their attention and have them look your way.  For a moment, silence hang in the air as they all kept staring at you like they had seen a ghost, until you saw that pity in their eyes that made loneliness bite into your bone.  It appeared to be true after all.  The emotions on their faces flashed before your eyes like an open grave.

You scraped your bottom lip with your teeth in an attempt to prevent the anger vibrating in your bones, feeling your muscles tighten as raw emotions riled up inside of you.  Wrinkles began to appear in your brows as you wrapped your arms around yourself.  “I was a bet?”  You finally asked in a quiet tone when your voice box decided to function.

“No.”  Junho said quickly as he took one step closer to you only to be stopped by the glare in your eyes.

“No?”  You turned to face him with a bewildering expression that seemed to say you believe otherwise.

“Yes.  But it’s not –“  Junho started but you finished his words.

“-what I think it is.”  You forced yourself to smile, but the throbbing muscle in your jaw betrayed to him how furious you were even when you kept your voice under control.  “Now why is it that it always comes down to that statement in the end?  What does that even mean?”  Your eyes travelled back to the boys who seem to be waiting for you to erupt any moment soon.  “So what are the conditions?”  You asked with a small smile that came with great effort to produce.

“Conditions?”  Chansung asked as he shot you a skeptical look tilting his head to the side.

You crossed your arms over your chest in an effort to subdue the pain that was making its way up your body.  “What’s the wager?  If Junho does or doesn’t get me to kiss him, then what?  I hope I’m worth a lot or at least enough for a round of drinks.”

“If Junho doesn’t, he becomes our slave.”  Chansung said thoughtlessly as the rest of the group is seemingly on freeze pane.  “If he does –“

“Chansung, shut up.”  Junho interrupted, jumping back into the conversation and shot a glance at Chansung telling him to zip it before he started to walk his way towards you.  He tried to hold your hand, but you flinched and shoved your hands in your pockets instead.  You weren’t ready to be touched knowing that even the slightest of touches now will break you.

“Slavery and emancipation.  Now that’s something.”  Your voice was dipped with sarcasm as they all looked on, watching the proceedings with identical awkward wide-eyed faces.  You exhaled with a deep breath and began to move away backwards.  “Well, now that I know, I think I should go.  I think I just ruined the party for you boys.”  You bit your bottom lip so hard it was white as you walked towards the door only to be stopped by Junho.

“Stop.”  Junho turned you around and held you still by the shoulders.  “I’m sorry.  I really am.  But you have to know –“

“Oh, don’t worry I knew about it somehow.”  You fiddled uncomfortably with his touch making you release yourself from his grip.

“Wait, what?”  Nichkhun asked as his brows came together and his nose wrinkled.

“You knew?”  Wooyoung said in disbelief.

“I sort of had an idea on what’s going on.”  You said slowly like they were imbeciles, making sure to emphasize each word for clarity.  “I doubted your intentions from the very start, remember?  I mean, why else would someone like you, Lee Junho, Mr. Famous pants and his equally popular celebrity friends spend their most precious time getting to know a nobody like me?  I’m not all that stupid, you know.”  You felt an ache in your chest feeling like it was about to explode as your heart started to beat faster and your fingers began to tremble.

“It’s not like that.  It’s nothing like that.  You’re not a nobody.”  Junho held his head in frustration.  “I called it off.  I called the whole thing off.  Ask them.”  He points at his friends.

“He did.”  Chansung said as he reached in his pocket to find his phone.  “I could show you his messages if you want.”

You scoffed at his remark and shook you head lightly in disbelief.  “Well, that’s quite wise…unfair, but wise.  Calling it off when you’re just about to lose.  You guys should complain.”

“This is just a huge misunderstanding.  Junho really likes you.”  Minjun replied while he tried to stop Taecyeon from taking another piece of pastry from the box.  There was something about his love for food even in times like this that continues to amaze you.  It was like he’s eating on impulse without much thought.

“He’s right.  This is a misunderstanding.  Please listen to me, at least let me explain.”  Junho clasped his hands in front of him as he leans forward to have him his face up right in front of yours.

There it was, his beautiful face inches away from yours.  The very same face you have almost fallen completely for.  And realizing that, your tears just began to bubble up in your eyes.  “More lies?”  You said, not even trying to hide the sadness in your voice.  “You really are my walking misfortune, aren’t you?”  You stared at him for several seconds, having the tears in your eyes that you wipe all too quickly tore at him. 

Junho sighed deeply running his hand through his hair as he kept rocking on his heels.  “I never meant to hurt you.  I just wanted to –I wanted to be your – f…fr…friend.”

Your eyes had no comfort in them anymore as you tried to blink back the tears burning your eyes.  “You don’t need a friend Junho.  You need a toy to play with.”  You let out a breath and managed to give a smile.  “And don’t worry, I’m not planning on telling the world about this.  I don’t think I should be telling the story of my stupidity to anyone.”

“I don’t care about that.”  Junho shook his head as he caught your hand in his.  “Let me fix this.”  You shook your head dumbly because words were stuck in your throat.  “Please.  You know I’m not a bad person.  Right?”

“You got me to kiss you for a bet.  Imagine what I think of you right now.  Know what?  You suit the Petrus so well.  You’re both sweet at first, but you leave a sour aftertaste.  It’s not my ideal after all.  Goodnight boys.  I’d appreciate not seeing you again.”  You gave him one last look and went for the door in a hurry, closing the door gently behind you.  You weren’t going to make a scene…more than you already have.

In that moment that you closed the door, you felt everything going back to normal.  The world has returned to how it was, crashing down on you violently.

“Stupid!  Stupid!  As if people like that would like people like you.”  You whispered as you hit your head with your hand walking up the stairs to your floor.  “Of course it was just a bet.  Of course.”  You shook your head and sniffed several times, trying to get yourself back under control.

---

The door closing echoed and faded into silence.  Junho stood in front of it with just the pounding of his blood in his ears as he stared at the door in the emptiness.  He lowered his head in defeat and the boys just instantly stood beside him in comfort.  He looked to his right, to find Chansung standing there and gave him a punch in the arm.  Hard.  Hard enough to make him yell and grab his arm as his face contorted.  Maybe all that training for Junho’s action movie was paying off.

“I can’t believe you ruined it all.”  Junho smacked Chansung in the arm again.

“I didn’t know she was here.”  Chansung yelled as he rubbed his bicep only to be smacked in the back of the head by Taecyeon.  “What was that for?”  Chansung angrily screamed again as he held his head looking at Taecyeon.

“For being an and making that dimwitted bet.  Nichkhun and I told you it was foolish from the start.”  Taecyeon said as he held the box of pastries close to him.

“It was just-“  Chansung tried to say only to be cut by Taecyeon again.

“It was just that you turned her into a game piece and made her less human.”  Taecyeon said.  “Just admit that you deserve being smacked.”

“I know.”  Chansung admitted hanging his head low.  “It was my fault.  Sorry man.”  He turned to Junho.  “I was just trying to give you a little push to express your real feelings.  I’m sorry it turned out this way.”

“I know.”  Junho patted Chansung’s back lightly.

“What do you want to do now?”  Nichkhun asked.

Junho blew a mouthful of air as he ran his hands through his hair again, slouching back against the wall.  “I don’t know.  I don’t think anything’s going to work right now.”

The men stared each other for a bit, before Chansung came to Junho’s side again.  “I think we’re going to have to grovel.  You and I at least if not all of us.”

“I say…all of us.”  Wooyoung said with a warm smile.  “Let’s march up there and beg all together at her door.”

“Right now?”  Junho shoved himself off the wall and puts on an enthusiastically smiley face.

“Not now.”  Taecyeon said dampening the mood.  “She needs time.  Give her that.”