{Baekhyun}

“You WHAT?”  Jihae’s voice is like a piercing siren, loud and clear when she shouts.

“Is everything okay over there?” Suho says from the living room.

“Yea.” I reply him. I shift my gaze back towards Jihae, a grin manifesting on my face. “That’s the only way I can earn his trust back.”

Her eyes carefully narrows at me. “What exactly had you told him?”

“I just told him that you’ve agreed to be my girlfriend and the reason why I’ve been acting so strangely is because I’ve been trying to hide my feelings.” I tell her the honest truth.

“And he believes you?” She looks at me as though what I had said was completely bull. I did a quick read on his mind. Hope she’s having fun at his house. And nod.

“Wow my brother must be pretty gullible.” Jihae comments and shakes her head.

“You have no idea.” I laugh. Because if Luhan were a little smarter, he would have suspected something about me always knowing what was on his mind. I guess he doesn’t think much about it, thankfully.

“Go to your room Jihae, I’ve got something to discuss with them.” I make it clear enough that I don’t want her hearing out conversation. “I’ll tell you when dinner’s ready.”

“You speak like my mom.” She rolls her eyes playfully. “And as though I live here or something.” She looks around the kitchen one last time before finally going upstairs.

I exit the kitchen and once I hear the doors of her room click shut, I head toward the living room where the rest of them are seated. Sehun is there too.

“Finally convinced your girlfriend?” Sehun glares at me the moment he notices my presence.

“What are you on about?” D.O sneers at him before I can reply.

“Nothing. It’s just I don’t see why we should waste our time on well…her.” The boy shoots me a look of displeasure.

This time it’s Kai that makes his move. He kicks Sehun in his sheen using his foot and by the sound of it, it must really hurt. Sehun grabs his leg and winces from the pain.

“What was that for?” He cries.

“Stop being a childish whiner Sehun. Baekhyun hyung needs our help and if he wants us to protect her then protect her we shall.” Kai says with determination b his eyes.

“Yea and don’t forget it’s because of him that we’ve all attained freedom.” D.O smiles at me as if he’s still thankful for what happened years ago. I return the smile.

“Sehun ah, you need to trust me alright. Everything is going to be okay.” I say calmly and place a reassuring grip on his shoulders. His thoughts told me that he is more scared about getting killed rather than he is annoyed about wasting time.

Sehun looks up like a helpless puppy and nods his head.

“Okay now that we’ve got everyone’s trust, let’s discuss more in depth about our plan.” Suho starts the discussion. “So school break begins next week so we won’t have to worry about school getting in our way. Till then we will begin with our training schedule. We’ve got exactly nine more days left until the end of the month.”

Nine more days. Suho says it as though it’s a death sentence. Perhaps it really is.

“I don’t get it Baekhyun, why can’t we just let her join our pack and then the Head will have to let her go.” Chanyeol asks me.

“It doesn’t work that way Chanyeol.” I think back about how I was completely wrong about the reason the Head had attacked her the other time round. The warning wasn’t to tell me that they’re on to me. The warning was to tell me that Jihae is indeed different. One of us. All this time it wasn’t about tracking me and capturing me. It was about capturing her.

“Why not Baekhyun?” Suho asks and I know this question has been in their minds for a long time now.

“Because I don’t want her life to be ruined.” I finally blurt out. “Joining a pack, joining this mutant world, it isn’t for her. All the fighting and stuff she shouldn’t know. She should be living a peaceful life. A normal human life.”

“So you’re saying that all our lives are ruined when we formed EXO-K?” Suho’s voice show signs of rage, but more of disappointment.

“It’s not that. It’s just that she doesn’t deserve this. Any of this. If not for me they wouldn’t have found her. They were tracking me as usual and they just happened to find out there’s this girl I’ve been really close to and BAM they realised that girl is a mutant too.” The regret in my voice is unmistakable and I know they’ve noticed it when they don’t question my plans any further.

“Guys I’ve got to go make dinner.” D.O breaks the silence that enveloped our conversation. "You just continue with your discussion and update me later on.”

I nod as he takes his leave to the kitchen.

“Let me get this right Baekhyun. We’re training our powers over the weekend as well as the next few days of school break until the thirty first comes?” Suho asks with an eyebrow raised at me.

“And then we’re going to fight them?” Kai asks.

“Yes and yes.” I reply.

“How are we going to do that? You know very well he can control people! Who knows how much his powers have peaked?” Sehun sounds as though he is on the brink of despair.

“We got away last time. I’m sure we’ll be able to do it.” I tell them, awaiting for the tons of objections that are sure to come flying at me.

“Last time was pure luck Baekhyun.” Chanyeol frowns. “You know very well what happened and we can’t risk doing that again.” Terror flashes across his eyes for a split second.

“It was six against six the other time. Now the Head has all twelve of them with him, it’s a losing battle.” Kai says dejectedly.

“But we have to try.” I say amidst the crowd of hopelessness.

“Why?” Suho voice echoes in my ear.

I pause, trying hard to think why I’m even so desperate to do this. Why I’m willing to do all it takes. Then I realise it’s for a very simple reason.

I look around at the four of them and say, “For her.”

•••••

“DINNER IS READY!” D.O’s voice bombards the entire house as he carries plates of dishes over to the dining table. Kai goes over to help him and I see floating rice bowls hovering to the table. When everyone else is settled in, I realise Jihae still hasn’t left her room.

I am about to stand up from my chair when Kai beats me to it. “I’ll go get her,” he says and before I can stop him and tell him I’ll do it, he’s already disappeared into thin air.

And that’s when all of us hear a scream. From upstairs, a muffled voice sounds, “WHERE THE HECK DID YOU COME FROM?” The voice no mistakably belongs to Jihae. When Kai teleports back to the dining room, laughter hangs on his lips.

Loud footsteps announces the arrival of Jihae. “Ever heard of privacy Mr Kai?” She pinches his ear after walking over to his seat.

“Just wanted to show you what I can do.” Kai smirks and a smile breaks onto Jihae’s face. Without myself realising, my fist folds into a tight ball. My gaze is oddly hooked on the both of them and I can’t look away.

“Jihae ah go sit beside your boyfriend. He’s staring so hard I’m not surprised if his eyes pop out.” Chanyeol jokes, earning a kick from me from under the table.

“Who says I’m his girlfriend?” Jihae rolls his eyes. As much as it’s true, she doesn’t have to spell it out. Does she really have no feelings for me at all? I watch as she takes a seat opposite from me in between Kai and D.O. I crestfallenly look at the seat beside me. The seat that had been meant for her.

“Woah who cooked all this? They look great!” She looks at the spread of food on the table.

“I-I did.” D.O speaks softly. There is no need for reading his mind, his reddened cheeks indicates his embarrassment.

Jihae holds up her chopsticks and carefully picks up a slice of fish. “Mm! My god these are good! I didn’t know a guy can cook so well.” She speaks with her hand over , trying to prevent any food from falling out from her filled-with-fish mouth.

“Don’t be a ist okay.” Sehun says but with less venom as compared to his previous comments. He means it more as a joke now thankfully. Guess he has finally started opening up to her.

And after a while, the table erupts into total silence, except for the slight sound from chewing and the sipping of water. Everyone is enjoying the great cook’s food and hence talking has become secondary, right after filling up our stomachs.

After dinner, I help to wash up while the rest of the boys head to my game room to play their consoles, something they always do when they come.  I guess some people will never grow up.  I think as a quiet laughter escapes my lips.  I had thought Jihae went up to her room so when I hear footsteps coming from behind me, I blindly assumed it is just one of the guys taking some snacks.

“The chips are over at the left cabinet.” I say.

“What am I to you? A pig?” Jihae laughs and I turn around to greet her.

“I thought it was one of them.” I explain.

“Need help?” She asks me but before I can reply, she grabs a bowl from the sink and begin rinsing it with detergent.

“So how’s everything going for you?” I try to start a conversation.

“Yea its fine. They’re nice and all.” She smiles. I feel a shot a jealousy rushing through my veins and I instinctively say the next line.

“I can learn how to cook for you if you want,” I mumble. I’m taken aback by her reaction when she laughs and can’t stop laughing.

“What?” I ask her, confused.

“Are you jealous?” She’s seen through me.

“N-no. Why would I—”

“If you’re not then I guess you wouldn’t mind if I went upstairs and play WII with them right now?” Her eye brow shoots up as she questions me.

“Don’t—” My hand finds her wrist and it tightly holds her back. She shoots me a smile and I immediately let go of my grip. “Just accompany me alright?” I sound pathetic as hell.

“Don’t compare yourself with them okay.” She speaks so softly it’s almost inaudible but I manage to catch those words. I tilt my head to my left and look at her. This time she is the one that places her detergent soaked hand on mine.

She leans in until her lips are pressed on mine. My eyes closes and I feel her hot breath on my tongue and it stays away for a few moments with our lips enveloping each other before I finally pull away when I am finally out of breath. It is that quick, we had just kissed.

Well technically out lips met before when I did mouth to mouth resuscitation then, but this time it was a whole lot different. An array of emotions bubbled in me when her soft moist lips touched mine, it triggered an electric current that passed through my whole body.

“You’re the only one I’ll ever kiss.” She says and the edges of her lip curl into a sweet angelic smile.