The instinct that can’t be hidden,

You know I’m gonna

Let out the Beast

EXO- Let Out the Beast

Symptom No.4: Something Beastly

Kai never thought he’d ever find himself watching a girl group music video so many times.

It wasn’t like he didn’t admire looking at beautiful legs and pretty faces on screen. He was a guy after all. But after taking a good look at the whole package, he always got bored sooner or later. At least that’s how things went for the old Kai…but things were different now.

His eyes roamed over the screen of his phone. Four lovely ladies became the topic of subject dressed in flaunting colors. The girls of 2NE1 weren’t one of Korea’s favorable girl groups for nothing. They knew how to work magic on screen.

However, Kai’s eyes were focused on one sole member alone.

Minzy downright took his breath away with her moves. The exotic maknae was in a category of her own. Everything about her was fascinating: full lips, seductive curves, and brown eyes that can tame any man.

She was so peculiar, so boldly different, and yet so cutely innocent. It was because of this girl that Kai had been having a hard time setting his head straight these past three weeks. Even the sweet scent of hers still haunted him.

He brushed a thumb over the screen of Minzy’s face.

This isn’t like me at all…

“Turn down for what!”

Kai’s phone nearly slipped out of his hands as his seat was suddenly being kicked from behind.

Goodbye peace and quiet.

He sighed with a roll of his eyes as he turned around. Right behind him sat EXO K’s main vocals and visuals, the one and only Baekhyun.

He wore a pair of Beats headphones, jamming along to his music like the party monster that he was.

“Turn down for what!”

Another kick to the seat.  Kai clicked his tongue.

“Hyung, there’s more members on the bus than just me. Can’t you go kick someone else’s seat?”

Baekhyun noticed Kai’s annoyed frown and smiled. “Huh? I can’t hear you.”

“I said can you go kick someone else’s seat?”

“What?”

“Can you go kick someone else’s seat?”

“I still can’t hear you!”

“Just go sit somewhere else hyung!”

Baekhyun snorted but consented to removing his headphones. He gave a playful punch to Kai’s arm.

“You don’t have to yell at your elder like that. I was only kidding.”

Kai grinned. “Hyung, you get too hype way too fast.”

“Hey, can you really blame me?” Baekhyun leaned back in his seat and groaned. “We’ve been on this stupid bus forever. I’m bored as hell.”

There was no joke about that. The ride had definitely been a long one, about five straight hours in fact. But that was the price of being on a tight schedule as an idol.

KBS was kicking off a new variety show. This time it involved idols partnering up as couples to compete in events. Visual boy band EXO was hot this year, and seven members had been invited to participate. Each of them was currently spread out among the bus.

Kris was two seats up busy skimming through a fashion mag. Luhan was on the left, bundled up in a SpongeBob blanket. Just in front of him sat Lay who was on his laptop. Beside Kai sat Chanyeol, munching on Kimchi chips. And sitting next to Baekhyun was Sehun, who appeared to be annoyed after being stirred awake.

“Hyung, you’re being too loud,” Sehun muttered. “Take Kai’s advice and go sit somewhere else.

Baekhyun ignored him. “But hey, isn’t this kind of weird though?”

Chanyeol took another mouthful of chips while asking, “What is?”

“This couple wars thing. Don’t you guys think it’s too much? I get the increase popularity by media, but why do we have to partner up with someone as a couple? I mean I might not even have a type there.”

“That’s because you have a thing for older women,” Sehun drawled.

“What?”

Sehun simply sighed with one eye open. “Taeyeon noona.”

Quiet snickering filled the bus at the mention of the name. Baekhyun’s ears went red on the spot. Sehun returned to sleep, smirking on the cool.

“Y-yeah?” Baekhyun snorted. “At least I have a girl now. I’ve got my rights… And there’s nothing wrong with an older woman.”

“You think they’ll have my type?” Kris chimed in, coming to sit closer to his bandmates. “They should have some members from different girl groups there. Maybe they might have a girl my style I can partner up with. What do you guys think?”

There was a long pause. Each EXO member gave lazy glances at each other like the answer was obvious.

“So anyway,” Chanyeol cleared his throat, “I call the best room when we get there. The camp should have at least one room that’s bigger than the rest.”

“Yah! Who says you get to call dibs? I call best room.”

“I was the first to call it Baekhyun. Can’t always get what you want.”

“No way, I’ll play you for it. Rock paper scissors, right now.”

Kai appeared to be in a world of his own as his brother members bickered. He sighed under his breath and decided to find a seat elsewhere. It would do him some good to get things off his mind. He found a spot over by Lay who was busy humming to himself.

“What are you doing, hyung?”

“Organizing my playlist files,” Lay answered, eyes still glued to his laptop. “I came up with my own self-compositions and want to choose the best ones.”

“Oh…”

Lay spared a glance Kai’s way after the solemn response. “You seem like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

Kai half smiled. “Hyung, I’ve been thinking… a lot actually. It’s something really strange though.”

“That right?”

“Hyung, you’re known to be pretty strange yourself sometimes but you know a lot. I heard that you even know a lot of things behind the history of our company.”

At this Lay chuckled. “Yes, this is true. I’m pretty sharp on a lot of weird things in this world.”

“Yeah so,” Kai paused on the subject. He laughed with a shake of his head. “I was just wondering if maybe… you knew anything about what I’m going through.”

Lay arched a brow as if to probe him further.

“There’s this girl. And I think… I don’t know, but I’m sure I have a thing for her. I mean like maybe a really strong thing for her. But it’s really weird.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Hyung…” Kai wondered if he should keep going. “I feel like I’m different around her and I don’t mean in a good way. At first I thought maybe it was just like I admired her or something behind the scenes but then it became something else. I feel… I feel like there’s another side to me that comes out.”

Lay crossed a leg over the other and mused over the information. “I see. You feel like you become someone else?”

Kai nodded, “Completely. I thought if I gave it time, I’d find myself just thinking it’s some small crush or something… But it’s not. I can tell that it’s something more. I’m always the coolheaded one but I’ve never felt so weird before. Hyung, I really think I’m going crazy.”

After letting everything out, Kai straightened up with a sigh. Had he just released something he shouldn’t have? He watched Lay’s nonchalant expression.

Finally, Lay gave a small “Hm” as he shut his laptop.

“Let me ask. Do you often feel that there’s a strange heat building up inside you when you think about her or whenever you’re around her?”

Kai nodded carefully.

“What about when you talk to her?” Lay continued. “Do you feel like you’re in a daze? Do you often find something special about let’s say her scent? Maybe you find yourself watching her like she’s a target, like you’re ready to pounce on her as if you can’t resist.”

“Y-yeah,” Kai answered rather embarrassed.

Each question made him out to sound like some kind of stalker. That was reassuring... 

“Hyung, you really are good. Ho