MINAH

After Kai got off the phone, he looked scared. He coldly stared down at the ground, scraping his sneakers on the pavement.

“Are you okay?” I asked, firmly holding his cold hand. I could tell there was so much tension building up on top of him.

He quivered a bit before meeting eyes with mine. Was the text message he received tormenting him?

He shook his head and gave me a faint smile. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. I was just remembering something,” he lied. “Let’s continue walking, hm?”

It hurts me seeing Kai like this. I didn’t like how he was pretending to be okay, when it was obvious that he isn’t. But at the same time, I didn’t know what I should do about it. Do I ask him what’s wrong? Do I just go along with it? At the end, I became quiet and nodded making the rest of our walk pretty quiet and awkward.

He seemed to notice this as well and spoke up, “Do you want to come by my house?”

I smiled, “Sure, I’ll love to.”

“Just so you know, you have to do something for me in order to enter my house,” Kai smirked. I couldn’t help but grin and chuckle silently to myself. One, because Kai was being ridiculous again. Two, because I was glad he was smiling again.

“I didn’t know there was such rule. What should I do to impress the owner?”

He whistled and looked around casually. “Oh, I don’t know. Guess?” he smirks at me.

“Are you thinking dirty thoughts?” I raised an eyebrow, half playing around, half being serious.

His cheeks beamed red. “Ya....”

I quickly turned to face him, tiptoed, held onto his shoulders, and pecked a small kiss on his red cheek. “Did I pass the test?”

In a flash, Kai held me in his arms, laying his chin on top of my head. I blushed and whispered, “Is that a yes?”

He gave me a peck on my forehead, then stared deeply into my eyes. I blinked continuously, feeling overwhelmed and anxious at the same time.

“Does that answer your question?”

I could barely breathe, nor speak a single word. It was as if his eyes were the life out of me. My body felt hypnotized by his mesmerizing stare. I tried opening my mouth, hoping that it would be able to say just one word; yes, but no words were coming out.

Kai pinches my cheeks, then gently lift my chin, so that my mouth would be closed. “It’s unattractive if you leave your mouth open.” This snapped me out of my little trance. I playfully smacked his shoulders, “Yah!”

*****

It was already 6:00pm, when we reached Kai’s garage.

“Why don’t you wait for me in the front porch of my house while I park the car inside?” He asked.

“Okay,” I agreed as I got out the car.

“Don’t miss me so much. I’ll be by your side in just a second,” he teased.

“I won’t!” I teased back, closing the door and head towards the front of his house. I was still amazed at how big and beautiful his house was.  

Once I arrived in front of his house, two people were already sitting on the stairs of the front porch. When they noticed me, they immediately stood up. One of them was a lady, while the other was a guy. It seems like we were all around the same age. But what bothers me the most was the lady looked very familiar… I just couldn’t recall who she was.

“You must be Korean right?” The guy asked in Korean.

“You’re right,” I responded. How did he know? Was it that obvious? “Uhm... can I ask what you’re doing here?”

“I need to talk to Kai. I’ve been trying to reach him for so long, but he hasn’t replied to me,” The lady answered. “Can I ask you something? ... Are you his girlfriend?”

I hesitated, unsure how I should respond. Thankfully, Kai came back from parking the car. He smiled when he saw me, but when his eyes wandered to the two people behind me, he froze. He stood in place with a blank face expression.

“Kai… It’s been a really long time…” The lady began to say. I looked back and forth between them. I was so confused about what was going on.

“Jiyeon?” Kai asked, laying his eyes on her. When he looked to his right to see a guy, he asked, “Baekhyun? What are you guys doing here?”

Jiyeon? Baekhyun? Now I remembered. Jiyeon was Kai’s ex-girlfriend and Baekhyun, I assume he was Jiyeon’s husband.

I couldn’t help but check Jiyeon out. Her flawless straight, long hair laid perfectly over her shoulders. Her thick winged eyeliner was on point and her red lipstick smeared on her lips was impeccable. Her fashion sense was also no joke. She wore a beige trench coat that ended mid-thigh and a grey tank top paired with black shorts that showed off her white, slender legs. If she just walks casually on the streets, people would probably think she’s a famous celebrity or a model. I envied everything about her. I guess that’s why Kai and Baekhyun like her a lot.

“Kai, I’ve been waiting for you to call me back!” Jiyeon said as she tries to approach him. However, it only made him feel uncomfortable as he took a step back.

“Why don’t we go in to talk?” Kai suggested as he opens the door, gesturing for them to go in.

*****

We all entered Kai’s lovely home. It still amazes me even though I already been here before. We all settled down in his living room. Jiyeon and Baekhyun sat on the couch next to each other while I sat on the couch adjacent to them, with Kai next to me.

“So, who’s this pretty lady? Perhaps… is she your girlfriend?” Jiyeon says. I realized they were talking about me and I shyly