Chapter 21

Aisha Kim

Part 1 Background music:http://youtu.be/AV4smtJrIOM

"UP. UP. UP."

I heard Minji barking at us.

"WE'VE RAN OUT OF PAINKILLER."

I opened my eyes slowly, and for a moment I forgot where I was and why my lower stomach hurt so much but then it hit me all at once. I was on tour. I performed my first concert and got my monthly bill shortly after doing the unexpected q&a with Exo. Minji and HeeYoung got theirs in the shower. We're out of painkillers. Today is our second concert. I need some food. We need more painkillers. The boys don't know a thing about periods. I really need some food. Wait Chanyeol, Xiumin, and Jongin have sisters, they're not hopeless. Where the heck is my mask? I HAVE TO HAVE FOOD.

I climbed out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, rubbing on my concealor for my stain and then made my way to the living room of the train-bus. Minji looked ticked off but still fabulous all tied up in her fuzzy robe. HeeYoung was rocking back and forth and whimpering while SunJung was desperately trying to look for food.

"I can't believe you guys ate all the food." Minji growled. My eyes widened. They actually ate all the food we packed for the tour in Korea? "Now what are we going to do?"

Sage was glaring at Minji. "Well if someone hadn't been poppin' pills like a druggie then maybe we'd at least have some relief."

"No one asked your opinion purple-haired pabo." She snapped. Sage raised her eyebrows.

"Least I'm not trying to sleep around with the Exo boys, ya lill' ." She snapped back.

"G...g...girls, lets not fight..." HeeYoung whimpered, but no one heard her. Where were the boys? How could they sleep through this? What was going on?

"If you're talking about Luhan, he's only with you to taste, literally, a bit of different culture!" Minji said.

"Does not! He's just a bit shy." She retorted.

"Has he kissed you yet? I think not!" Minji shot back.

"What do you know about dating anyway? Being a trainee for so long do you even know whatta guy is?" Sage snapped. Minji's boss face faltered. Did I see hurt in her eyes? But the flash was gone as quickly as it came.

"You know nothing about our culture. You're just a wannabe that's obsessed with the idea of falling in love with us Asians. Plus, you're a fangirl, you don't really respect their work they do."

"Excuse me princess, but in case you haven't noticed, I've been with y'all since day one of y'all's career! I know dang well what hard work is!" She shouted, standing up with her accent flaring. "Have you seen yourself lately? Have you read what the media thinks of you? You're a !"

"So what? I like to show off, there's nothing wrong with being half in your effed-up culture!" Minji popped her hip out. "And I don't give a crap what media thinks of me but it looks like you sure as hell do!"

"You should! You're the spoiled princess. You shamelessly flirt with the Exo boys and everyone knows it but they're so shy to admit it. You're so demanding and everything just has to be about you since you've trained the longest out of them all!" Sage said angrily. "Opinions matter!"

"What's going on?" I heard a sleepy Jongin and Luhan say at the same time. SunJung went over and shushed them.

"Cat fight, this is getting good." She said mischievously. I looked at her in shock. Since when did she tolerate cat fights?

"Opinions don't matter to me. You're just a foreigner, I wouldn't expect you to understand anything about the dating culture here. He, and you know exactly who I'm talking about, knows your culture and would probably take advantage of that." Minji said with an eye roll.

"I have full confidence that he won't be like the stupid hook up trend in America right now." Sage snapped.

"Oh please, like he'd actually like you. He just wants to say that he rode a white horse." Minji fired back. Since when did the conversation turn to Luhan again? I mean, yeah Minji flirted with him, a lot...but Sage was better for him. Well that was my opinion. Wait...did she just say white horse?!? What even...

"Minji." Luhan said, "Can I have a word with you?" His voice was full of stern. Both of the girls turned around in shock to see Jongin and Luhan standing there beside me, not looking pleased at all. Her eyes went round.

"Uh...sure Oppa..." She sputtered.

"Don't call me that." He said dangerously. My eyes widened. The two left the room. Sage was shaking and HeeYoung was crying again. SunJung walked over to handle the situation with how both of the girls were feeling.

"What was that about?" Jongin asked me.

They always fight when one or the other gets their Mother Nature call. I wrote on his arm. He nodded. But I'd never it get so intense.

"My sisters would snap at each other too, but not like that." He said. I nodded.

I'm going to see what they're talking about.

"Are you sure that's wise?" He asked. I nodded again and crept my way over to the spot they chose to argue quietly.

"Why, Luhan? Why the hell do you like that foreigner so much?" She whispered. "You know your parents wouldn't approve."

"Yes, I'm aware my parents are traditional, but if they see I'm happy with her, I'm sure they'll understand." He said slowly. I was surprised that they weren't arguing in Chinese.

"You still didn't answer my question."

"I like her, not because she's 'white.' Not because she's American, not because she acts a certain way, or uses aegyo, but because she's naturally charming. She's real. She's honest. She's not afraid to say what needs to be said, even if it's bad. She doesn't take into account age or rank, but by how they treat her. Sometimes people need an awaking by someone younger than them. You could learn from her if you put your hatred aside." Luhan said. I feel like he meant it with all of his heart.

"Well, why haven't you made it official with her yet?" Minji asked.

"...I'm too shy." He muttered.

"I know something that'll do it." She said. Wait wait, Minji's going to help Luhan and Sage get together? She's having some major mood swings. I heard her climb up into her bunk and get something.

"What's that?" Luhan asked.

"Something I don't need anymore. But I know Sage would love it. It was given to me...but it's no longer of any importance to me." Minji muttered. I heard something open and a gasp.

"Does she know you have this?" Luhan asked.

"No one does." Minji said. "Take it. And be a happy couple, Kay?" I crept away and back to Jongin.

"What was it all about?" He asked. I quickly wrote all I remembered down. "Seriously? She's helping him ask her out? That's insane...."

It's best not to question Minji, especially on her monthly bill.

"EXOOOOOOO WAKE UP YA LAZY BONES!!!" We heard Minji scream. "BIG DAY. BLEEDING HUNGRY HORMONE RAGING GIRLS. NO PAINKILLERS." We heard a bunch of boys complain and a few climb out of ther bunks. Luhan came back into the living room, looking a bit more awake and well-groomed. HeeYoung and SunJung covered their faces with embarrassment. You just don't talk about something like that so openly around them.

"Sage?" He said, getting her attention. She looked up. I saw him holding a small box behind his back. "Sage, I...I've been needing to ask you something....uh um I mean tell you something, and then ask you something." She looked at him strangly.

"Did you and Minji sort stuff out?" She asked. He nodded slowly.

"She's not going to bother me, or you, hopefully, anymore." He said. "Now for the thing..."

I noticed that the boys were up and watching Luhan. It didn't look like Luhan noticed the presence of his fellow members. They were all watching eagerly, while Minji was shooting daggers at the ones who might give away the spying. Jongin laced my fingers with his. SunJung and HeeYoung were watching now, not making a sound, eyes wide with wonder.

"Sage, this is probably the most nervous I've been in my life." He started. She stood up and walked over to him, concern in her eyes. She didn't have her contacts in yet so she pushed her glasses up her nose.

"Are you okay?" She asked. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"Sage, you're beautiful. But not like the magazines, thank God. You're beautiful in the way that you think. You're beautiful when you get that sparkle in your eyes when you talk about all the things you love even though I don't quite understand them. You're beautiful in the ability to make other people smile even when you're sad. You're beautiful, deep down to your soul....and...wait why are you crying?" I noticed Sage was crying.

"No no, keep going." She said softly.

"And you're most beautiful when you're not trying to impress anyone, when you've taken down your walls you've built up. And...and... You make me laugh, you make me smile. You're smart, you're different, you're awkward and crazy...but that's why..." He pulled out a small box. All of the girls gasped.

"I love you, Sage. May I have the honor of being the man to take care of your heart?" He opened the box as he brought it to the attention of Sage, and in it were couple rings. The girl's had glittering multicolored opals embedded around the ring. Sage was crying harder. My heart was leaping with joy. How romantic!!! My feels....they're broken....

"Yes. Yes Luhan." She choked out. His face lit up and he slipped her couple ring onto her ring finger. She pulled Luhan to her and hugged him tightly, still crying. She let go for the brief moment to put his couple ring on his finger. He carefully wiped her tears away, replaced her glasses, and cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

All of a sudden cheers erupted from the boys and the girls screamed. I jumped up and down with excitement, wishing I could scream too. Luhan and Sage broke apart, faces flushing a deep red, completely unaware that the boys and us girls were watching the entire scene. There was one thing I didn't understand. Why and how had Minji conviently have couple rings? Did she used to have a boyfriend? If she had they must've broken up. But what motivated her to keep the rings? I saw her smiling a little in the corner while everyone else celebrated. I whispered that I'd be right back to Jongin and walked over to her.

"Why?" I signed, knowing she knew that sign.

"So, you were eavesdropping?" She asked. My eyes got big. "Nah, I don't care anymore. Those rings...yeah they were mine and a boyfriend's once upon a time. I was his 'Opal', because I was ever changing, and yet still 'uniquely beautiful.' It's bullcrap now. I caught him cheating on me two years after I became a trainee. Obviously I wasn't unique enough if he was off riding some other chick as I train my off. What the hell am I saying? That dickhead had been cheating on me the entire time. We had dated for four years...I had given him everything..." She explained. I saw the hurt I saw earlier when she was fighting with Sage.

I grabbed her arm and wrote, he obviously didn't deserve you. You're still unique, unnie.

"Well, after that happened, I became a heartbreaker. I stopped caring about what the boy felt and played around with boys, because they're pigs, and they need to learn their lesson. That's why everything I do is without shame. I just don't care, Aisha. I'd like to have a chance at love again, but I don't deserve it, not after I've broken so many boys' hearts. I kept those stupid rings to remind me that I used to think that love was beautiful."

I nodded. It's okay, Unnie. One day, you'll find love again. Someone will learn your game and maybe even outsmart you.

Minji raised her brows.

"Don't tell anyone, please. Only you and HeeYoung know now. I still wanna be the fearless, shameless princess." I laughed lightly and signed,

"I promise."

I walked back to the rest of the group and noticed that Kris and Suho had come up to Luhan. "Okay, we're going to tell you now, we support the relationship. Be carful, okay?" Luhan and Sage nodded and interlocked their fingers. We all felt the train-bus stop. We heard someone coming up to our door. All of us looked at each other. We knew.

"Why are you all still in your pajamas? GET READY! We have a busy schedule to keep today." The Fist boomed. Nonetheless we all jumped at the sound of his commanding voice and got ready as quickly as possible. Minha went to speak with Sage while we were getting ready, which struck me funny. Why did she need Sage all of a sudden? I'd noticed it first at the concert, and now when we're getting ready f