Day 5

Weekend doesn't feel like a weekend these days, because classes are never scheduled in their usual time frame anymore. Eventhough the whole beta frat shares the same schedule, it's becoming likely that one or two may skip out a few classes to finish off assignments, and the others fill in their absence and help grab for extra notes.

Kyungsoo skips out that Saturday because Jongin says he's free, and he wants to go somewhere without his sister spying on him all the time. They agree to let her do that during weekdays, but on weekends, Jongin prefers to live out his life without her nose poking into everything he does. And he's been meaning to ask Kyungsoo out again.

Rightfully, Kyungsoo would have booted Kim Jongin off the property back then if the younger male has the balls to even exist. But now...well, he supposed he could say he's changed. None of them are the same kind of person they used to be few months back; Kyungsoo a heartless 'I-give'no'' smart on campus, and Jongin the cheater who lives and breathes .

The Jongin standing in front of him is definitely not someone Kyungsoo would regard as a predator though. For all his fame and reputation in running the alpha group for the last two years (or less), this person--- with a bouquet of roses in hand, a pair of slim-fit casual tight jeans that hugs his legs, a purple knitted sweater over his crisp white-collared shirt and a bright, bubbly smile on his flawless (and devilishly handsome) face--- Jongin is definitely NOT a predator. If anything, he looks like---

"Bless my balls! Kim Jongin?!" Baekhyun's shrilly voice rings beside Kyungsoo's ear, and the latter tries not to wince in pain. But Jongin could see the look on his lover's face, and it's not a happy one. His own smile fades after that when Baekhyun rushes back inside to pull Jongdae out.

"Look, Jongie, he's wearing a knitted sweater!"

Jongdae's eyes look like they're about to pop out from their sockets.

"! I KNEW something was up when Kyungsoo's mama called last night." Jongdae says. "The end of the world, as we know it, is finally here."

"My mama called you?!" Kyungsoo screeches back, horrified. His mum never calls unless she's having a bad feeling about something, and no one ever takes her seriously. But since Jongdae acts like a total angel in front of her all the time---never once going against anything she says---she's taken to call him her second son. Or third, if Kyungsoo still counts. "When the hell was this?!"

"Last night, after everyone went to bed. She said something about dark clouds and . Oh, and sweaters. There was definitely something about sweater in there. We talked for ten minutes. And here Jongin stands: in a knitted sweater. I'd never see the day come, but it came."

Kyungsoo groans. He's never spoken to her on the phone that long. She's always too occupied with too many things lately to care about her youngest son's welfare. At least his dad calls up once a while, which reminds him, I really ought to go home when the next holiday rolls in.

And that would be the coming Christmas holidays in three more months.

"That's creepy though." Baekhyun echoes, after everyone almost forgot that he's still there.

"What's creepy?" Taemin asks, poking his head out to see what's going on. He takes one look at Jongin and swears. "Sweet mother of---"

"Don't you ing curse in front of the children, Tae." Joonmi's voice yells out from inside.

And Taemin yells back. "YOU cursed, !"

"Mummy, uncle Tae just said the B word."

"Don't listen to him, Jonggu. Mum will whack him later."

Kyungsoo tries to ignore the commotion around him and pulls Jongin away; away from Jongdae and Baekhyun, away from Taemin, and especially from Joonmi. Everyone is just so...UGH! He couldn't even describe how annoyed he is.

"Sorry you had to see that."

"Sorry you had to live with that." Jongin mutters back, cheeks dusting in pink because it's his sister in there, and oh god, does she have to be so ing embarrassing?!

"It's quite fun actually. Last night, the six of us had to stay up the whole night because Jongsu was crying and Joonmi had to prepare his milk. He had the stomach bug, poor him. And I think he hates Taemin, because he keeps glaring whenever Taemin gets close. We took turns playing with him, and feeding him, and burping him, and Jongdae sang a lullaby, and we all fell asleep on the floor listening to him. Minseok hyung had to carry us to our rooms." Kyungsoo laughs, eyes crinkling with mirth.

Jongin finds this the most adorable thing he's ever seen, and he couldn't believe how much he missed seeing that eye-smile that automatically crinkles everytime the elder smiles, and how his mouth sort of twitches into a grin at first before turning into a full-fledge smile. It's adorable.

"Did you have enough sleep though? Do you feel sore anywhere?"

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him. "Why? Fancy giving me a massage?" He chuckles, amused. It's difficult to picture Kim Jongin giving someone a foot massage.

"I'm quite good actually. I gave one to Kris hyung last year before the basketball match we were supposed to play in Busan. Our team won because of him. And it's all thanks to me." Jongin says proudly. Kris was a mess last year, having sprained his ankle the night before when he missed a step on the staircase. He was so devastated about it that Jongin took it into his hands and started giving the blonde male a massage.

And they won the game after Kris slamdunked the last two points.

"Cool." Kyungsoo says, shrugging. It seems that there's more to Kim Jongin than he knew, and as he starts to learn more about his man, the more he starts to think that maybe judging Jongin with all the bad things in the world just because of one night's mistake is like turning someone into a criminal for the crimes he didn't do. Kyungsoo should have gotten things sorted out first before he pulls the plug on their relationship. They should have sat down somewhere and talk it out like adults, putting any sort of anger aside first. But no, the moment he saw the act, he already decided that Jongin was no good for him.

He thought that the younger male had changed; turned away from his old life, but all these while, it was always focused on what Kyungsoo expected of him, not what Jongin wants to be. He never really took a second to ask Jongin if he liked changing into someone he's not; ignoring just because Kyungsoo hated it, staying away from girls who usually cling to him just because, spending more time with Kyungsoo rather than his own alpha mates, unable to do anything without being found in a compromising position (though in reality, it's the complete opposite), and finally, unable to explain for it.

Kyungsoo realized that the life he led so far is one that he's comfortable with, and if someone tells him to change (even if not directly), he'll want to have something to cling to as a memory of what he used to be. He wants to feel how it's like again to live like a geek, to be invisible (but at the same time, moderately popular amongst his cliques), to be...well, himself.

And maybe that was how Jongin felt too. He was already comfortable with his life as one of the most popular and influential figures on campus; having a family that came with wealth, connections that could put him in places no one could ever dare question, good looks that naturally attracts attention, popularity that comes from being an alpha member, friends that would never betray him, and most importantly, freedom. As a son of a rich tycoon, he has the means to do anything his wants, with no expense at all. Everything is given to him on a silver platter but it comes with a price.

Just like what Joonmi noona had said last Valentine. Jongin could do whatever he wants now, but his life is already decided for him. I'm going to make sure he doesn't walk down the path that my parents wanted him to walk. And you'll be helping me with that, Soo.

Kyungsoo already said yes to Joonmi noona before, and he wasn't about to back out from a promise.

They stop walking before long---Kyungsoo finally realizing that Jongin had led him all the way to a pizza parlor without even saying anything. How long had they been walking without uttering a single word? There is a serious look on Jongin's face when Kyungsoo looks at him for a second. But then the younger male starts ordering pizza---

"Extra cheese, more pepperoni, and go crazy on the olives. Pour the whole jar in if you must." Kyungsoo interrupts, causing a small grin to break out on Jongin's face.

There's an aghast look on the cashier's face, and Jongin smoothly deals with him. "Just add more olives than you usually do. I'll pay for it."

"Capsicum can go die. If I see one stray piece of pepper on my pizza, I'm coming for you." Kyungsoo warns the cashier before cheerily heading off to find a seat. Jongin sighs, wondering how he missed out this feisty side of Kyungsoo before. He should bring the older male elsewhere for a date next time.

"Sorry about that. Just don't add any peppers, okay man? Here, keep the change." The cashier numbly nods his head before taking the golden card to swipe it. The order has been to made to the kitchen, and now it's just a matter of waiting for their pizza.

Jongin takes a seat across Kyungsoo. "Still pissed about your friends?" Jongin strikes up a conversation when Kyungsoo remains silent, staring at the menu even though he's not actually reading it.

The older male snaps out from his reverie and stares up at the face of a man with a kind smile, very unlike the Jongin he used to know before they started dating. Tears pool in his eyes then, and before anyone could even say anything about it, he's already sobbing right there in front of Jongin, lips wobbling and body trembling.

Jongin reaches out immediately, wiping away the tears with his thumb and all the while asking if he's okay. But he's not, goddamnit! How could a person who spontaneously combust into tears in the middle of a full restauurant be okay? He shakes his head and cries harder, attracting attention to their table. Even the workers aren't sure about what to do. Someone rings the kitchen to hurry up, and seconds later, a pizza emerges at their table, but Kyungsoo isn't hungry anymore. He just wants to hug Jongin and go to sleep somewhere, be completely embarrassed and ashamed of himself for misunderstanding the younger male all these while.

He wants to feel miserable for making Jongin so miserable for the last couple of months. And right now, he's probably making Jongin more miserable for not being able to shut him up, and that makes him even more depressed. He's not sure if he could more depressing than his current state, because he's already made three babies cry in the restaurant.

"Shhh....Soo, it's okay. Hey, it's fine. Calm down." Jongin cooes, trying very hard to calm his boyfriend down. He occasioanlly sneaks a glance at the other diners and bows his head as an apology for disrupting their mealtime. "Soo, please stop crying. You're breaking my heart."

And it really feels like his heart is shattering into a million pieces. He's not sure what's been bothering Kyungsoo all morning, and now the older male is crying with no reason. In the end, he does what he usually do best, and drags Kyungsoo out of the restaurant with him. "Free pizza for the workers. My treat." He tells the manager. The spectacled man could only nod in respond.

Jongin takes Kyungsoo to a secluded area in a park nearby and makes sure no one is staring at them. Then he kisses Kyungsoo hard, completely shutting off the older male's tearducts (and airpipe, for that matter) before cupping Kyungsoo's face with his hands. Kyungsoo naturally reciprocates the kiss, eyes still glassy with tears because his emotions are haywire at the moment, and Jongin's gentle kissing is doing odd things to his chest. There's definitely a mixture of guilt, remorse, and joy somewhere in there. And something else too.

Something close to...love? Dear god, he's falling deeply in love with Jongin again, and the thought scares him.

When Jongin pulls back, his look is one filled with concern. "Are you okay now? Does it hurt anywhere?"

Kyungsoo shakes his head, a lump forming in his throat. He's too embarrassed to say it out, but he knows it wouldn't be fair to keep it from Jongin. "J-jongin, I'm sorry." He mutters, resting his head against the crook of Jongin's neck. "I'm sorry for not realizing this sooner."

"Realizing what, sweetheart?"

"That I've been...so unfair to you these last few months. And selfish. And self-centered." His word vomit comes out in a rush, unable to stop now since he's already started, and he couldn't meet Jongin's eyes. The younger male remains perfectly still in front of him, arms wrapped around his waist, and fingers grazing his back.

"All these while, it's always been about me, isn't it? Do Kyungsoo, the perfect example of how a student should be and act. People says I'm smart, wise and kind, always so friendly and supportive, always getting the highest grades in class, and never ever missing a single class. Lecturers adore me, other students praise me, and my parents are proud of me. But I've never been in the spotlight, never really stand out the way you do. You had your own way of living; women, alcohol, parties and . And it was something you're used to. I was the goody-two-shoe who wanted to cuddle in bed with my boyfriend and just go on date during the weekends because that's the way I prefer living out my life. Both of us are different, Jongin." He pulls back, and Jongin could literally feel his heart stop beating for a second there. He's not sure if whatever Kyungsoo was saying is something good or bad. And he dreads the latter.

"What I'm trying to say is that...I'm sorry for pushing you to quit the life you once led. I never once stop to ask if you were happy about it; not being able to socialise the way you usually do, having to deal with someone like me who couldn't even try to understand your intentions of not telling the world about our relationship and then shutting you off completely when you didn't want to follow what I say. I'm sorry for ignoring you immediately after finding out about that night in the club. I realized now...that we should have sat down somewhere and talk things through before I blindly shun you off like that. I didn't even give you time to explain to me about your actions. I realized that now, Jongin, and I'm sorry. I feel like such an right now, and you probably hate me."

He wipes his eyes again, tears coming down in fat drops, and Jongin could only pull him into another embrace, rubbing his back to soothe him. "I don't hate you, Soo. I could never hate you."

"That night when you joined your friends at the club, did you enjoy it?"

There's a flash of guilt on Jongin's face for a moment, and it doesn't go unnoticed. Kyungsoo tries to keep a straight face, but he doesn't run this time. He stays there in Jongin's arms, waiting for an answer.

"I did enjoy it, Soo. Not the . I couldn't remember any of that. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, just dancing and clinking beer glasses with the others. It's what we usually do before boyfriends and commitments happened. But I'm not saying that having a boyfriend is a bad thing. Heck, I felt like afterwards when you didn't want to speak to me ever again, and Chanyeol had it worst with Baekhyun. What I really enjoyed was..."

"The thrill of the moment? The comfort of experiencing your old life again?" Kyungsoo chips in.

A small nod answers his question.

"D-do...do you want to feel it again?" Kyungsoo asks.

A small sigh escapes Jongin's lips, but he mutters, "I don't think so. After trying to get you back for so many months, it's like I grew distant with my old life. All I could think about is you. Guilt haunts me to sleep every night, and I wake up feeling worser than ever. If losing you is the price I pay for wanting to experience my old life again, I think that it's better I give up on it altogether. Hurting you makes me feel ten times worser than waking up next to a person I didn't know, At least I could forget those people easily. They don't mean anything to me. But you..." He swallows the lump in his throat. "You're different, Soo. I love you."

Kyungsoo returns a small smile then, squeezing Jongin's hand in his. "I love you too, Jongin. I never stopped loving you, even after all these months. And I'm sorry. Again." He mutters, before throwing his arms around Jongin's neck and just embrace this beautiful god-given creature that he adores so much. "I love you, Jongin." He says, as a measure of certainty. He needs to make sure that Jongin understands what he meant by those words.

"Thank god..."Jongin chuckles. "You have no idea how long I waited for you to say that."

"Five days?"

"Are you kidding me? I waited months to hear that. Don't you dare take it back or else I might just cry right now."

Kyungsoo couldn't think of a proper retort for that. He simply ravishes himself in Jongin's warm embrace, wondering how his next nine days with Jongin would be like. It certainly won't be innocent anymore.