It was already midnight when the movie ‘How To Train A Dragon 2’ ended. They really need to turn down the volume a notch; I seriously think I lost my hearing even with me plugging my ears. Are they on a mission to make everyone get hearing aids or something? Anyways, we stopped at the grocery store for some snacks before heading back to our apartment since Key has been complaining none stop about his empty stomach.

“Hurry guys! It’s getting late and we have morning classes tomorrow.” Minho reminded everyone.

“Argh! Don’t remind me. Stupid professor with her stupid time. I mean seriously!?! Who starts class at 6 AM, on a Monday to boot?” Henry shouted in frustration.

“Mrs. Park, duuuhh” Key answered when he came out of the store carrying a bag full of chips.

“It was a rhetorical question.” Henry stated not forgetting to roll his eyes.

“And it was a rhetorical answer.” Key said sticking his tongue out at Henry.

“Wha-that doesn’t even make sense!!” Henry shouted.

“You don’t make sense.” was all Key said before opening a bag of chips and popping a chip into his mouth.

“As much as I enjoy standing here listen to you two bicker I would like to get some rest for tomorrow. Follow us when you two stupid heads are done.” I added in before walking away, letting the two go on with their silly argument.

“Yah! Minho, Onew, Ambro, wait for me!” Key shouted as he ran to catch up to the rest of us, leaving Henry behind.

Our apartment building was just a few blocks down from the grocery store. With the building in sight, the group’s pace fastened. I smiled thinking that in just a few minutes I can finally get to sleep on my soft, comfy bed when my thought was interrupted by a voice. Stopping in my track I turned my head left and right frantically trying to search for the source. Seeing that I have stopped the guys also stopped.

“What’s wrong, Am?” Key questioned, sounding slightly concern.

“Did you guys hear something?” I asked the group.

“Hear what?” Minho popped up from behind Onew and asked.

I put a finger to my lips telling everyone to be quiet. Not hearing anything I shrugged my shoulders and dismissed the voice. Thinking that whatever it was was probably all in my head we continued walking. Not even having taken five steps yet I heard the voice again.

“Did you guys hear that? Someone was calling for us.” I asked. I was slightly praying that someone had heard it too. I don’t want to sound crazy.

“I did.” hearing that I lowered my head and released a sigh. So I wasn’t crazy, that’s terrific! But…that didn’t sound like any of the guys. Snapping my head back up I saw that this time the guys had heard it too since they were beginning to look for whoever it was that had answered me.

“I’m right here. No, a little bit more to the left. Too far! Now stop. Do you see me?” following that person’s directions our eyes landed to a cramped alley way blocked by boxes. Upon further squinting of our eyes we were able to see a middle-aged woman.

“Come, come, I will tell you your future.” the woman gestured for us to go towards her with a creepy smile.

“Psst! Should we go towards her?” Onew whispered softly to the group.

I’m honestly crept out. If this had been during the day, in a much wider street, with more people around I probably would have walked towards her.

“I don’t think it’s such a good idea. What if she’s luring us in only to kidnap us and then auction us off at in a black market to become slaves? You know how y I am, everyone would be going after me! I can’t take that!”

“Key! Enough with the drama. We don’t need that right now.” Minho snapped at Key.

Seeing that we hesitated the old woman spoke. “You, the boy in the middle .”

“Me?” I pointed to myself.

 “Yes, you!” she said confirming that it is indeed me who she’s talking to. The boys snickered at the fact that this ‘fortune teller’ got my gender wrong.

“I will tell you your fortune for free.” the old woman said.

“Some fortune teller she is, she can’t even tell if you’re a boy or not.” Key said in a low whisper causing the rest of the guys to laugh.

“She should use her power to figures out your gender first if you ask me.” Onew added causing more laughter.

“Ha.ha.ha. very funny guys.” I whispered just enough for the guys to hear me then rolled my eyes.

“I-it’s okay ma’am, I don’t need my fortune to be read.” I was trying to tell the woman but was cut off when she began telling my fortune.

“It seems to me that you will come face to face with your past, oh! And what’s this? Because of this encounter you will be able to meet your future.” She looked up at me, smiled then continued “Hold onto her and don’t let her go because she will be your happiness.” With that said she left.

“Oooookay. That was weird.” I said to no one in particular.

“! Dude, it’s already 2 in the morning!!! So much for trying to catch some sleep.” Minho shouted bringing us back to reality.

“Holy mother of pearls!” we exclaimed and started running towards the apartment.

By the time I crawled into bed it was already quarter after 3. With the five of us sharing this apartment we draw sticks to see who gets to wash up first. Unluckily, I drew a 5 and had to wait for the guys to finish before it was my turn. You’re asking why me, a girl, is sharing an apartment with 4 guys? That is because they treat me as their brother and vice versa. I’m practically a guy to them which I don’t mind. It’s more comfortable for me this way.

RING RING RING

“Aish! Stupid alarm!” I shouted before grabbing it and tossing it somewhere. I then continued to throw the blanket over my head in an attempt to drown out the annoying sound. Incoherent mumbles and grumbles could be heard throughout the apartment following by the sound of shuffling feet. Why can’t you all just be quieter? After a good 10 minutes of hustling and bustling around the noise finally died down. A smiled appeared on my face. Ahh now I can sleep in peace.

“Llama! You have 15 minutes before you’re late!! I’m not going to come up with an excuse for you this time.” Key shouted before slamming the door close. WTF? My eye shut open looking for the time.

“What time is it?? Where did the alarm go?!?” I frantically searched for the alarm. ! I cursed inside my head. Finally finding the alarm in the trash bin (I know, even I’m amazed with my basketball skills) my eyes widen when I saw that I only had 10 minutes before class starts. Putting on whatever I could find I ran into the bathroom and washed up, brushing my teeth and washing my face at the same time is painful. My toothpaste kept getting in my eye. I hurriedly grabbed my book bag, put on my shoes, and ran out the door. It’s at least an 8 minute walk from the apartment building to the university and another 5 minutes to the room; I only had 7 minutes left. I ran for dear life not wanting to be late. Mrs. Park hates it when students are late to her class. That is why she created a punishment for whoever comes in late. I shivered at the thought of the punishment. I fastened my pace.

Opening the classroom door panting heavily and sweat dripping down my forehead, I was greeted by…..

an empty room. My face has lost its color. WTH? Am I in the wrong room? I looked at the classroom number again. Well, it is the right classroom number. Tilting my head in confusion I was about to enter the room and wait for someone, anyone to show up but just then Key called out to me.

“Amber!”

I was glad to see Key. I beamed him a smile before walking towards him. “Hyung, where’s everyone? Why is there no one in class?” I asked him in one fell swoop.

“Chill man, seems like Mrs. Park caught a cold so class is canceled for today.” Key told me with a huge smile. “We’re all in the cafeteria waiting for breakfast to be served. You coming?”

I released a sigh of relief. For a moment there I thought I was going to have to undergo Mrs. Park’s crazy punishment. Seeing that Key was already walking towards the cafeteria I followed suit.

“So what do you think Mrs. Park will do about the lab today?” Onew asked while chewing down his breakfast.

“Am, do you think she’ll cancel it?” Key asked.

“I’m not sure. Knowing Mrs. Park she’ll probably make us come back during our free time to finish it.”

“NFOWNZ;DKS!” Key cried out gibberish in an outburst attracting attention to our table.

“Yah! Quiet down!” Minho reached over to smack his head.

Rubbing his head “This is why we shouldn’t have taken Chemistry! Who was the crazy fool that said we should all take chemistry together? That it’ll be fun?!?” Key asked the last question in a girly tone.

Minho, Henry, and Onew pointed their fingers at me. I rolled my eyes at them. “Guys, it is fun. It’s just that we had bad luck being stuck to Mrs. Park.” I tried to reason.

“I still don’t understand why you’re majoring in chemistry. What’s so fun about molecular structures?” Minho asked.

I didn’t reply and just shrugged my shoulders.

Our next class didn’t start till 10 so we decided to kill time at the basketball court after breakfast. It was a 2-on-2 game since Key complained about stomach cramps. If you asked me I just think he’s afraid to chip his nail. By the time the game was over I noticed that we had collected a small audience. I don’t know why this surprises me anymore. Onew, Key, Henry, and especially Minho are the princes of this university. They attract attention where ever they go. Just as we were heading out of the basketball court a professor came running towards us, flagging us down.

“Amber Liu of the Chemistry Department, the head director of the school wants to speak with you.” He said.

Oh boy, what did I do now?

“I’ll meet up with you guys in a bit, ‘kay?” I told the guys before leaving with the professor.

“Mmhm” they all mumbled.

“Go on in” the professor told me when we reached the head director’s office. I hesitatingly knocked on the door waiting for an answer.

“Come on in, Amber.” He said. I cracked the door open to see the head director sitting at his desk, facing me, and someone sitting in front of the desk, with their back towards me.

“Sorry sir what am I called fo-” I stopped midsentence when I recognized who was sitting in front of the desk when that person turned around.

“H-hyung?” I stuttered quietly. I haven’t seen my brother for years now. What is he doing here?

“Thank you for understanding our situation, sir. If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way.” Donghae hyung said to him while shaking his hand. He then looked to me and proceeded to walk towards the door gesturing for me to follow him.

Just before we left the director’s office the director said something to me. “You’re a great loss to this university, Amber. But we understand that family comes first. Once the family situation is over do come back.” What is he talking about? Once outside of the administration building Donghae began talking.

“Nice seeing you again, llama.” He turned to me.

I don’t understand why is hyung here? How did he find me?

As if reading my mind he answered, “I hired a private investigator. A family emergency came up and I need you.”

“O-okay, what happened? What do you need me for?” I was scared; I haven’t talked to my family in three years after what happened.

“Relax. It’s nothing big. I just need you to help me with………” he started explaining the situation and his plan.

“Your what?!? You withdrew me from university just because of this? This isn’t a family emergency; i-it’s just you wanting to run away from your responsibilities. I can’t do something like that! It’ll never work.” I protested against his weird plan.

“Awww, come on, Am. Help your hyung here. Pretty please with a cherry on top?” hyung attempted doing aegyo.

“No!”

“It’s just for a couple of weeks, days if I’m lucky. No one will ever know. So please? Plea~se!!!” hyung begged. He was starting to draw attention from the students.

“Does umma and appa know about this?” I asked hyung. He shook his head.

Letting out a sigh I reluctantly agreed. Hyung has always been there for me, he even stood up against appa when they found out that I-let’s not go there. I don’t want to remember what happened.

“Yes!” he shouted throwing his arms up in victory. He then turned to me and scanned me from head to toe before shaking his head in dissatisfaction. “This won’t do, you need a haircut and new outfits. After all, you are replacing me.” he smirked before dragging me out of the university campus.