Luhan made me wait at the lobby. He had excused himself and I from the boss, saying it was a little late and we needed to go home. The boss looked in my direction and nodded his head and Luhan bowed slightly. I bowed slightly from where I was, too. On the way home, Luhan asked me what happened.

Luhan: So, what happened?

Me: Taeyong just wanted to get away from-

Luhan: No. What happened? Why were you almost got hit by a car?

Me: Oh. Oh... well, I was... Taeyong was...

Luhan: What?

Me: He wanted to get away from the hotel. I told him there was a park nearby. And I was not...the light was green for pedestrian!

Luhan: You didn't look before crossing the street?

Me: It was green!

Luhan: No excuses. I'm not going to tell mama or papa for now. But you're still grounded.

Me: Lu ge...

Luhan: That's final.

Case was closed. He didn't say anything else after that and I didn't plead my case. I knew it was hopeless. I'd be staying home the rest of the week after classes. AND I will be confined at home the first week of the holidays.

.

The boys were already home by the time we arrived. They were just eating dinner and announced that the FISSk Team got in the latest eliminations. They only had one last round of eliminations and they're off to finals. There was no fixed date for the last round, but it was temporarily set around February. Finals were temporarily set for April.

The boys, especially Chanyeol and Sehun, tried to talk Luhan into calling papa to inform him that they only needed one last round to be in the finals. Papa had promised them he'd watch the finals if the boys got in. But Luhan was not in the mood to make any calls. He was still sort of stressed out from the recent dinner incident.

And the boys asked how our dinner went. I had sat on my chair at the dining listening to their blabber about skateboard eliminations when they suddenly asked. I didn't really wanna talk about it. One of them might let slip to mama or papa that I was almost got hit by a car. I didn't want to be shipped off to a convent or something.

Kris: Xiao Yi, how was your dinner with the future family?

Xiumin: Oh, so you decided already?

Tao: She has picked Taeyong?

Me: No. I didn't.

Xiumin: Mind telling us how dinner went?

Luhan: It was okay. Except Taeyong walked out in the middle of it.

Kris: Huh? Why?

Luhan: He probably just wanted to go already.

Me: He wanted to get away from it all.

Suho: So you finished dinner without him?

Me: Not really. I let him eat streetfood.

Suho: Whoa? The boss' son eating streetfood?

Me: Yup.

Luhan: We thought you two got lost or something.

Kris: Wait, why?

Luhan: They were gone for almost an hour.

Me: Geez.

Kris: You were out with..with..that...you are not going anywhere anymore.

Luhan: That's what I said. She's grounded for two weeks.

Kris: Good call, Lu.

Luhan: I know right.

But Luhan left the almost accident out. They didn't have to know, or else I would get more than just two weeks of being grounded. I would probably be imprisoned for the rest of my life.

Chanyeol: Oh! I forgot to tell you. I decided to make use of the plane ticket vouchers that eomma gave me on my birthday. I'm going to spend Christmas with her.

Xiumin: I'm also spending Christmas in Korea.

Kyungsoo: Me too!

Chen: Let's go together! I'll be going too, actually.

Kai: , but eomma wants me with her this Christmas too.

Lay: I don't wanna spend Christmas with my mom this year, though.

Suho: Why not? She must miss you already. You were here this summer vacation. She'd be expecting you this Christmas.

Lay: Nope. I will tell her I'm staying here.

Chanyeol: Why don't you come with me?

Lay: Jinjja?

Chanyeol: Yup. You wanna come?

Lay: Sure.

Tao suddenly shushed everyone at the table. He was done eating and was online on his phone. He had come across J's FB status update just posted a few minutes ago.

Jin and J were on their way home from an errand after the eliminations and had noticed a suspicious car following them. J had posted on his status that the car only stopped following them two blocks away from their house.

Lay suddenly took out his phone and went online to comment on J's status. The other boys followed suit. Suho had instructed the househelp to clear the table, since they were done with dinner. I also took out my phone and went to sit at the living room couch. The boys had stood up from the dining and walked over to the living room as well.

I went to check J's FB status as well. Yep. It was there.

"Going home after errand, Jin hyung and I saw a suspicious car following us since the grocery. It turned left two blocks away from our house. Very suspicious. Really scary."

Lay had asked J if the car which followed them was either a GT or a Subaru. J had responded that it was a different car.

Then it became a Facebook conversation among the Kim and Wu boys. Jin had gone online and helped with relaying the incident. Jimin and Jungkook also joined in the FB conversation.

The Min boys joined the discussion only when Taehyung went online and innocently asked what was with the 100+ comments on J's status.

I decided not to join. I would be the only thorn among the roses.

Mama arrived a few minutes later and she sort of was surprised to see us all downstairs.

Mama: Done with your dinner, boys?

All: Done, ma.

Mama: How was your day?

She had seated herself to one of the armchairs that Suho vacated for her. The boys then relayed the just concluded skateboard eliminations and proudly told her that they got in.

Mama: Congratulations boys! Your papa would be happy. Have you told him already? No? Might as well tell him soon.

Mama then asked Luhan how our dinner went with the boss' family.

Mama: Xiao Lu, how was dinner with Soo Kui?

Luhan: It was okay, ma. But...

Mama: But what?

Luhan: Taeyong walked out after speaking his mind...

Mama: I worry about that, now.

Luhan: Why, ma?

Mama: Soo Kui might do something drastic about the situation.

I frowned at that. So, it was possible that this whole marriage thing was going to get shoved down my throat? Papa should start packing up his stuff from Mr. Soo Kui's office, then. I didn't wanna get married to someone I barely knew.

I'm just thirteen.

Mama excused herself and called papa. She told him about the skateboarding eliminations first. I bet she was just warming papa up for the real news.

I went upstairs to my room. I didn't wanna be in the same room with mama talking to papa about my future. My stomach got queasy and I wanted to vomit.

Why me?

If papa would push me to choose Taeyong, I wouldn't choose him. I'm not going to choose Jungkook, either. I would probably end up getting old unmarried. I'd rather stay unmarried for the rest of my life if it meant I can do what I want.

I went to wash up and change to my sleep clothes. As I snuggled in bed, I took out my phone and texted Jungkook. I congratulated him for getting in the eliminations. He sent his reply thanking me. He didn't say much, though. I felt as if he was avoiding me again. I tried asking him what's up, but he just replied that he was tired from working hard on his skateboard drills today. I didn't ask about it anymore and just wished him goodnight. He replied with just a "Goodnight."

He knew I had dinner with Taeyong's family.

Did he also know I ran after Taeyong and finally became friends with the brat?

Possibly.

I hated myself for today. I guessed Jungkook might have felt betrayed. I should have done more to make sure he didn't feel bad. I think he felt bad confessing to me. He might have thought I didn't like him, because I didn't say anything about it. I only avoided the topic. But I already assured him we're friends.

But he didn't just want me to be his friend.

Ughh...

I hate myself. I was being insensitive. I didn't exactly tell him I was waiting for my seventeenth birthday before I decide, then he found out I had dinner with Taeyong. I should have told him I have not chosen anyone yet.

I started typing a message again.

"I think you're already asleep, but I just want to let you know that I feel as if I did something wrong to you. I'm sorry."

I sent it to him and didn't really expect a reply, so I placed my phone on my bedside table and went up to turn off the lights. I turned my night lights on and went back to snuggle under the blanket. I closed my eyes and prayed to have a nightmare-free sleep. I wanted to sleep soundly.

My phone buzzed.

Jungkook was calling.

He's still awake?

I reached out for my phone and answered it.

Me: Yeoboseyo.

Him: Hi.

Me: I thought you were asleep.

Him: I couldn't sleep.

Me: Have you tried closing your eyes?

Him: Hmm...yup.

Me: Oh.

Him: About what you said...

Me: Uhm...

Him: No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...just..a little jealous, that's all.

Me: Oh.

Him: I heard from your brothers you were having dinner with...his family...at the eliminations.

Me: I haven't chosen anyone yet.

Him: No?

Me: Yup.

Him: Oh. I thought...

Me: I had lunch with you and your parents, too. Remember?

Him: Ahh...yes. I feel stupid now.

Me: I didn't say you were.

Him: Mmmm...

Me: Do you want me to sing you to sleep? I think you need to sleep now.

Him: My body is tired, but my mind is still awake.

Me: At least you're not grounded.

Him: You're grounded?

Me: Yes.

Him: Why?

Me: Almost got hit by a car.

Him: You're making me worry. Why were you almost got hit by a car?

Me: I didn't look first before I crossed the street and a car went speeding by.

Him: Pabo.

Me: But it was green for pedestrian.

Him: No. I mean, the driver was pabo.

Me: Oh.

Him: But you still had to look left and right, you know.

Me: I won't be able to attend the Christmas party at school this Saturday.

Him: Because you're grounded.

Me: Yes. Bummer.

Him: Do you want me to come over? We'll do Christmas party Jungkook and Xiao Yi style?

Me: Shouldn't you attend yours? It's your first time to experience it.

Him: Nah, I can pass that this year.

Me: Don't be pabo.

Him: I don't mind getting pabo for you.

Shut up Jungkook.

He sounded better than how he was when he first called. I covered myself with the blanket and the sound made him ask what I was doing.

Him: What's that? Are you crawling under your bed or something?

Me: No. Just under my blanket.

Him: Oh.

Me: Go to sleep.

Him: Sing me to sleep juseyo. Hahaha.

Me: Goodnight Jungkook.

Him: Heyyy...you gotta sing me to sleep.

Me: I'm not listening. Zzzzzz....goodnight...

Him: Haoba. Wo qu shuijiao. Xiao Yi wan an.

.

Him and his Chinese.

Dying.

Him: Xiao Yi?

Me: Uhm...I was..just...nodding off.

Him: You go to sleep too, then.

Me: Yes. Wan an.

Him: Tianmi de mengxiang.

Me: Ni ye shi.

Him: Yes...

He wished me sweet dreams. I just said the same to him. I heard him chuckle before I hung up. I pressed the end button.

Goodnight Xiao Yi.

I closed my eyes, smiling.

I fell asleep an hour after.

Thursday. The last Thursday of the school year. On Saturday, it will be the school's Christmas party. FIS holds it by grade level, just like General Assemblies. But I was not going to the party. I was grounded for two weeks. I would spend my Saturday at home.

The boys did not have any practice after school anymore, so it was either go straight home or go to the mall with friends. I had no choice but to go straight home. Luhan picked me up himself. He had asked Kyungsoo and Kai if they wanted to ride home with him, but the two decided to go with friends to the mall.

Great.

I felt like a prisoner.

I had wanted to go to the mall with Ling Yan and Yue. But my current predicament didn't let me. Shana was already out of the country...off to Switzerland to her dad's country to spend her Christmas and New Year holidays.

Papa had called that morning over at breakfast, telling us that he was on the way to Thailand and would arrive there soon. He was going to oversee the development of the resort. He was planning to open the resort for business in two months time, so he went there to make sure that the work was being done properly.

Papa also asked Luhan how the dinner with the boss' family went. I bet papa already knew the incident with Taeyong, but he just wanted to ask Luhan. The deer gege had relayed to papa what happened but again, left out the car incident. He also doubted that Taeyong mentioned it to the boss.

Papa didn't ask about it, so I guessed he didn't really know. I felt relieved and thankful that the Brat hadn't told on me.

After school, Luhan dropped me off outside the gate at home. He still had to go back to the office. Papa had instructed him that the boss was planning to hold a Christmas party for the Beijing office, so he asked Luhan, Kris and Xiumin to help out with the preparations.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the backyard swing, reading a new book that Taehyung had lent me. He was fairly improving his English skills. I was able to test him on the book and I was surprised that he answered everything correctly. I misjudged his skills. He was smart. He just chose to be different.

That evening, mama called just before dinner to tell us that she'd be home late.

As usual.

Then she announced that Mrs. Min, Taehyung's mom, was two months, going three, pregnant with her fourth child. That meant Taehyung would have a younger brother or sister soon.

He took this news with excitement on his Facebook account. He flooded his timeline with status updates about the news. Yoongi and Namjoon by threatening him they'd block him and report him for flooding the timeline. They also that their new baby bro or sis was conceived naturally, and that he's the only alien in the family.

I had a good laugh reading their comments on Taehyung's posts. They were teasing their younger brother so much that Taehyung posted yet another update. This time, he uploaded his mom's ultrasound pictures of the baby in her womb. He went on to caption it as: "If the baby isn't an alien, then how come it doesn't look human?"

Yoongi and Namjoon's comments were: LOL. LOL. LOL. Pabo.

I was laughing by myself at the first floor lounge when I received a text message. It was Taeyong.

"Appa has asked to organize a Christmas party for the Beijing office and your family is invited. Will you let me be your for the night?"

Before I could reply, another text message came in.

Jungkook.

"This might be too early, but I'd like to be your at the Beijing office party. Appa said there'll be one next week."

Why did you have to ask me both? I don't wanna choose. If I did, you two might think I already chose which one I wanna be with for the rest of my life.

I sent them the same text message: "I'm going with my brothers as my /s. Sorry."

But I held the puppy pendant that hung on my necklace.

In due time.

Jungkook.

You will wait for me, right?

Beep!

Jungkook.

"That's okay. But the first dance is mine."

*DIES*

The year is almost closing in on the Wu kids. Something big is going to happen soon. But before that, let's let them enjoy their Christmas holidays. Christmas party at the Beijing office before the other boys leave for Korea to spend the holiday there. ^_^  The Min family will have a new addition. Will it be a boy or girl? I can actually see Yoongi babysitting his baby sis/bro. LOL. That should be cute, ne? I'm still team JungYi, btw.  Anything I forgot will be in the Story Feed. Hehehe  → 사랑해요! ♥♥♥ 我愛你們！吴愛你們！