No notifications.

I sighed, my index tapping on the screen and it darkened with a lock sound. My eyes fluttered shut as I leaned my head back, resting it against the wall. My fingers turned the phone endlessly, whirling it around and around before I lifted it up to my eyes where I opened one. I pressed on the home button. The same old wallpaper greeted me.

No new notifications.

I sighed once again, locking the phone and spitefully flung it next to me. Bending forward, I rested my chin on my knees and let my arms dangle down to the marble floor. Hair salons sure have nice flooring, huh.

A pair of shoes soon strode into view, the owner having walked so silently that I didn’t even hear the person approaching. White Converses stopped on either sides of my own pair, creating a sandwich out of my navy-blue ones.

“Mother, what are you doing?”

I sighed, for the third time in minutes, and reluctantly straightened myself to find a square-shaped smile greeting my eyes. I shrieked, my body flying backwards and my back and head unfortunately hit the wall rather painfully. With a loud curse, I cradled the back of my head in my hands, toppling sideways to lie on the couch.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean for you to do that!” The person spoke again, and I felt warmth enveloping my hands as he appeared in my sight, a worried expression on his face. “Mother, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” I deadpanned, willing myself to not tear due to the heightening pain gathered at the back of my head. Damn, I better not have a concussion because of this. “I’m fine, uh…”

“Oh, you don’t know my name, do you...?” The worried countenance vanished, his face replacing it with a disappointed one as he pushed me back up. Taking my phone into his hands, he sat next to me, eyes looking at mine. “That’s just sad…”

“I’m sorry,” I made a move to retrieve my phone, but the boy wouldn’t release it. For a moment then, I swear I saw the ghost of a small smirk having played across his lips. “I’m working on remembering all of your names. It’s hard, y’know, there’s like twelve of you.”

“My mother didn’t have a hard time.” He mumbled under his breath, fingers still clamped tightly onto my phone. I gave up trying to get it back.

“Well, I’m not your biological mother, am I?” I was getting annoyed, frustration seeping into me and this boy’s spiteful actions were adding fuel to the already raging fire within me. “Sheesh.”

We stayed like that in silence for a few minutes thereafter; his fingers whirling my phone like I had done, while I twiddled my thumbs absentmindedly as I stared at nothing in particular. After all, I had already waited for an hour, just sitting on the couch, nose breathing in the smells of the salon. What’s another hour of boredom to me?

I must have zoned out pretty deeply for the next time I returned to reality, there was warmth against my cheek and across my shoulders.

“Huh?” Blinking my eyes rapidly, I wiggled my fingers, letting feeling return to them as I tried to straighten myself (or I tried to). “Did I doze off or something?”

“You sure did.” A voice replied.

“Damn, I was supposed to watch over Mr. Cho’s shop–” I tilted my head upwards, not expecting to find myself gazing into a pair of brown orbs. “–Oh my gosh, who are you!”

I leant backwards and away from those chocolates, but I couldn’t. I was firmly held in place and after glancing towards my shoulders, I realised that an arm had positioned itself around them. Turning back to the face, narrowed eyes and a small frown greeted me as I gulped. He does not look happy.

“Who is this Mr. Cho you spoke of,” The boy asked, his tone rather scathing and his facial expression matched it. “Is it an ahjusshi that we should know of, mother?”

“N-No, you don’t have to know who he is,” My eyes swept over his features, taking them in and suddenly, a name popped up in my head. “Baekhyun ah.”

At the mention of the name, the boy froze. His brows separated, eyes gradually dilating and the corners of his lips slowly tugged upwards into a square-shaped smile.

“You remembered my name! You finally remembered my name! Yay, I am so bragging to Chanyeol and Jongdae.” The boy, whose arm was still around my shoulders, pulled me towards him and with widened eyes, my nose met with the side of his neck and warm breaths fanned my ear.

A tingle ran through me.

A tingle I did not enjoy.

[Jongin]

I walked towards the space where our mother was told to wait in, as our manager-hyungs went out to settle some matters. They would return upon Joonmyun-hyung’s call, but until then none of us are to ring them unless necessary. I wonder what they’re up to, and why they couldn’t bring her along.

She must be bored on her own,