028

Chapter 28

‘Hyung, why is she just sitting there?’ Tao asked Chen who was on his closest side.

‘How the hell am I supposed to know’ Was the male’s reply.

The boys crowded around, pushing and squeezing through each other in attempts to ‘spy’ on her.

‘Can you see her? What is she doing?’

The 6 were hiding between and behind the rubbish bins outside the café that Sooyeon had entered and had barely hid themselves when Kyungsoo had exited leaving the poor girl in deep thought. Still remaining glued to her seat.

‘Guys shut up you’re gonna blow our cover!’ Xiumin turned around to scold them. He raised his eyebrows when the boys actually listened, immediately shutting up.

‘Too late for that’

Xiumin turned around in surprise, finally realising why they bunch fell quite. He nervously smiled while retreating to his other guilty comrades, all awkwardly still crouching while Sooyeon stood in front of them, hands crossed.

‘Oh… haha Hi Sooyeon’ Luhan sheepishly got up rubbing the crook of his neck. She glared at the lad but strangely just sighed. They all let out a deep breath of relief, they thought they were destined for death when they got caught.

‘Come on, let’s go get food and call it a day?’ she pulled out a wipe from her bag and started harshly removing her makeup while turning on her heels and already walking ahead. The boys exchanged glances.

She was awfully strange today. What really happened in there?

But nether less they all scrambled up, pushing each other to get back on their feet before running after the lass.

###

‘So what exactly where you doing in there?’ Lay handed her a napkin.

‘Stupid Kai said it was a date’ She bluntly replied, wiping the edges of before stuffing all over again.

‘What me to jump him?’ Kris winked.

She glanced up to meet his eyes, mischievously smiling. ‘Be my guest darling’. But they were both quite aware she didn’t’ mean it. She had already placed a rule where no one is to hurt the tanned male and the others hadn’t questioned it.

He was a rather nice fellow anyways. The 6 had no problem getting along with him whenever he would visit.

At the end of the table, sat a young lad who had his eyes pierced on Sooyeon. Chen didn’t buy it. Something was off and he wanted to know.

‘Sooyeon’ he started. She looked up upon hearing her name called. He sighed before continuing as she stared at him with her big brown orbs he had to force himself to not stare for too long.

‘Are you going to tell us what really happened?’ He deadpanned, only to receive a smile in return. A smile full of sadness but a smile that also had hints of gratefulness.

She was grateful that he cared, that he could tell.

‘It’s going to be a long story’ she tried insisting otherwise.

‘We have time’ Tao chimed in and only received daggers shot his way.

It took her a moment to decide. And after a pause of silence, she took a breath on.

Playing with her cup of water, she refused to meet any of their eyes. ‘So where do I begin?’

‘From the beginning.’

###

‘Long story short. He offered me a deal and I’m not sure if I should take it’.

There was a moment of silence, only a table full of deep thoughts as Sooyeon awkwardly sat, playing with her fingers.

‘Guys I don’t thin-‘

‘Do it.’ Luhan cut her off. ‘I think you should do it. I mean, it’s safer for you right AND you won’t get in trouble with the law as much.’ He smiled warmly at her. He mouth dropped has she saw nods around the table.

They were supposed to stop her.

She was waiting to hear the disapprovals from them.

‘But I-‘ Kris now cut her off which surprised her.

‘I wouldn’t hurt Sooyeon’. Kris said.

‘No, Luhan’s right, you aren’t leaving us and think of it as an extra job, you get more money, and it’s basically a –‘

‘A free pass when we do bad things. I know’ She finally had a chance to speak when she cut Xiumin off.

‘Hey if it doesn’t work out, you favourite boys will always welcome you home’. She scoffed when Lay had said ‘Favourite’, but she would be lying if she said it wasn’t true.

And lastly, she looked at Chen who hadn’t said anything yet. The others noticing where her glaze was heading decided to help.

‘Chen, what do you say?’

He paused for a moment. ‘Get hurt, and I’ll personally drag you back. And don’t you dare neglect us’.

‘Is that a yes?’ She grinned.

He shrugged, keeping his cool but that quickly died when she rushed up and gave him a surprised hug which managed to make his breath hitch.

But she didn’t need to know that.

‘Hey I want a hug too!’ Tao whined. She rolled her eyes. ‘Maybe next time’ she waved him off, teasing the boy.

‘I guess if you’ll excuse me, I have to pay a visit to.. um D.O’ His name felt awkward as it fell out of . ‘… I’ll see you all later’. She waved and with that she ran out the door in half a second.

Once she was really at a safe distance, where she could no longer hear them they all let out a sigh. Her hearings did have its limits after all.

‘Do you think we did the right thing’ Tao asked Kris, a little nervous. He shrugged, just as unsure as he was.

‘Kai better be right on this one, or I’ll burn him so he’ll be darker than he already is.’ Chen growled, remember what Kai had said earlier when he caught the bunch lingering around the Café.

‘If his right, then she’ll be happy.’

‘And that’s all we want for her’ Luhan concluded, which everyone could safely agree on.

They all cared about Sooyeon, just as much as she did for them. Although the action was scare and rarely expressed, it was there. There would be moments where they exchange the nice gestures, but from what they are used to, the best form of love, is through the tough punches and the harsh (but meaningless) insults. From start to end, it was like that, and they wouldn’t have had it any other way.

‘Come on, let’s go do some work or something’.

###

With so many thoughts running through her head, Sooyeon ran, ignoring how abnormal she would have appeared, running at such a dangerously fast speed, but she was in too much of a mess to care, all she wanted was to meet D.O. She didn’t know why but she had a sudden urge to meet him again. She there she was, finding herself on the door step of his workplace, exactly one minute as to when he was supposedly let off from work.

And without the doubt, the door opened, and she saw him.

His dark brown hair, heart shaped lips and stunning smile. She mentally hit herself. What on earth was she doing?

‘Sooyeon?’ Kyungsoo was shocked upon seeing her crouching on the steps in front of the building.

Without even thinking. For the first time in ages, she felt the need to look good. She patted her hair, while quickly trying to run her hand through any untangled hair she might have had. Then bashfully lifting her head, she answered the male in front of her. Um... Hi’ she suddenly became nervous and mentally cursed herself. He rushed down closer to her as she stood up, dusting the dirt off her pants.

‘I… Um just wanted to say. I – ‘She stomped her feet frustrated at herself for not being able to get the words out. He chuckled at her cuteness, nether less still being amused and patient with what she was trying to tell him. Although he had the slightest idea of what it was and couldn’t control the massive grin threatening to spill across his face.

He watched as she scrunched up her face and squeezed her eyes shut before sheepishly mumbling ‘When do I start’.

Instinctively he took a step forward and found himself embracing her small figure.

‘Thank you. For listening to me’ He felt her hand gently on top of his back and he face digging into his chest. He liked it.

He missed it.

He craved it.

However he had to let go. Shyly realising what he did, he immediately apologised.

‘Sorry I- um I just sorry!’ Now he was being flustered. She chuckled.

‘When do we start officer D.O’

He looked at her and couldn’t help but smile. ‘Monday. We start on Monday’.

###

Author's Note: TODAY IS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE I AM SLEEP DEPRIVED AND DIDN'T SLEEP ALL NIGHT LONG SO I FEEL BOTH SUPER PUMPED BUT HELLA SLEEPY AT THE SAME TIME I HAVE PROBLEMS OMG OK BYE.