-days-of-us-

"The lights in Jinki's room weren't on last night, Jonghyun. It was nowhere near eight when I went out of the house to buy some groceries and saw it--" Jonghyun pulled his earpieces off as he watched Gwiboon pushing her eyebrows together with a small frown on her face. They were currently on their way to school before Gwiboon finally broke the news to Jonghyun as to why the fallen expression since breakfast. "--could it be that he was ill and his mother asked him to sleep real early? You know Jinki won't sleep that early even if he loves it so much, so I was just..."

 

Jonghyun nodded his head before Gwiboon could even finish her sentence.

 

"I was wondering why did he turned in so early last night too," He cleared his throat when Gwiboon looked at him questioningly. "I wasn't checking on him or anything, it was unintentional. I'm still... kind of, mad at him."

Both of them fell into a long silence right after Jonghyun's words, fully concentrated on the route to school instead of anything else. He didn't mean to be a childish prick and get all mad at Jinki, but the upset feeling was seriously overwhelming. He really didn't expect that from Jinki, who was so close to him just like a brother. He could only shake his head with a soft sigh escaping from his lips, taking a quick glance at Gwiboon who was once again, staring at her phone for whatever reasons ever since the last afternoon.

 

"Am I a traitor if I actually talk to Jinki later on?"

Jonghyun stopped his steps immediately at Gwiboon's words, his mind blank and lips slightly apart with zero idea of what to answer.

 

 

 

 

 

o2.

"I highly doubt that Minho and Eunsook are dating--"

"They are not dating." 

Kibum chuckled immediately at Taemin's quick and firm answer, whose face showed a total disapproval expression. His best-friend over there was seriously,over-protective of his beloved elder sister who he cherished as a pure gem. Anyone who actually dared to hurt her would be literally flipped with the taekwondo skills that he had learned over the years and sliced into neat pieces. 

Still, it was really interesting to see how Taemin who was most of the times too nonchalant about things going around the Earth to panic over his sister at the smallest thing.

"It's best that they're not," Jinki who was walking beside them suddenly spoke, his eyes fixed onto the trio who were walking before him -- Minjung, Minho and Eunsook. The younger sister of his classmate was just too engrossed in the music that she was listening to even join the conversation that Eunsook and Minho were having. Not that the other two minded, either. "Or Jonghyun will be terribly hurt,"

Kibum rolled his eyes immediately at Jinki's words as he threw an arm around Jinki's neck, successfully choking his dear friend who he had known for long.

"Are you stupid? Only you will still worry over someone who got mad at you for nothing,"

"Well maybe there's really something, it's just that I don't know what's the stupid reason yet!" Jinki insisted hurriedly, only to get flustered seconds later at how Kibum just stared at him with doubtful eyes while on the other hand, Taemin just carried on watching his sister who was walking in front of them. "Also, it can be something small so maybe when I reach school later on, they will be talking to me already!"

Jinki gulped the instant Taemin actually tore his vision away from his sister and to him, with an expression of disbelief. Kibum looked almost like he was able to skin a tiger alive.

"Excuse me? If it's something small they won't be giving you the silent treatment and if they really did -- be sure that you're definitely not returning to that group of friends. I won't allow you to--" Not that Kibum believed that Gwiboon and Jonghyun would be so unreasonable, but sometimes teenagers were just so unpredictable nowadays, right? "-- and if you're really so confident that everything is going to be okay, why did you came to my house yesterday and spent the night there? You were clearly avoiding them, Lee Jinki."

Kibum only shook his head as the conversation came to an end with Jinki looking away, a small defeated pout formed on his lips and also his phone which started to buzz. He caught a quick glance of Taemin patting Jinki on the shoulder before looking at his phone which lit up with a particular person's message.

"So see you at Friday, 5pm at the station right? ^^ -- Ah, before I forget to, thanks for agreeing to be my teacher for cooking when even my mother has already given up on me ㅠㅠ" 

He smiled when Taemin and Jinki were not looking, too busy in their own thoughts.

o3.

Jinki stood at the doorway of his classroom, not knowing which seat to take. Should he pretend as if nothing was wrong, and go to his usual seat to be with Jonghyun or just find any random seat at the corner which was enough to swallow him up? He didn't know, really -- he did not have a single idea. Why was Kibum not with here? He would definitely sit with him if so!

"... Hey," Jinki jumped at the deep voice behind him, and quickly braced himself with a flustered expression when his classmate stared at him with an eyebrow raised. Great, Lee Jinki. You just made a fool out of yourself too in front one of the most popular guys in the school, Minho. "I'm sorry -- are you okay?"

"N-No, don't be! I'm just too into my own thoughts that I didn't notice anyone behind me--"

Jinki wasn't even able to finish words -- Minho suddenly grabbed the strap of his bag and pulled him along as he walked with quick steps, to the front seats, just right before the white-board and the teacher's table. Jinki only turned to gape at Minho questioningly as his classmate tugged his bag gently off his shoulder, and rested it onto the yellow-colored chair.

"You can sit with me if you want," Jinki continued gaping like a fool. "Your friend Kibum told me just a bit of what happened."

... Kibum?

"I bet he told you all of it already, in fact."

Minho just smiled and made no response to that as he took the seat right beside where Jinki's bag was, leaving Jinki to sigh and frown at his childhood friend's actions. 

o4.

Minjung sighed in exasperation as she made her way down the stairs cautiously, careful to not trip or drop any books that she had in her weak grip. She had no idea which part of a badminton-player told her teacher that she was capable of carrying twenty-four textbooks to the library, this was seriously ridiculous. She'd rather copy "I'm sorry and will remember to bring my English textbook next time" twenty times than carrying such a heavy load and walk down stairs that just looked dangerous at her current situation.

How she wished her brother was here.

"Do you need some help?" Minjung turned immediately at the voice behind her, and saw Taemin standing just right there, swinging the toilet pass given by the teacher with an expressionless face. "I mean, you look like you really need some -- yea, let me help you."

She wasn't even in time to say anything when Taemin walked just right to her side, and took about three-quarter of the heavy load off her arms and into his thin but built ones. She quickly muttered a soft "thank you" when their eyes accidentally met, and nibbled at her bottom lip awkwardly when the other didn't answer. It was then Taemin continued to walk down the stairs where they had met yesterday, the sunlight coming from the wide window above bringing out the fiery natural color of his hair, in contrast to his laid back personality -- the stairway that they met at.

"Hey," Minjung quickly hurried down the stairs, with less effort now that the books were not that heavy anymore and caught right up to Taemin's fast pace. "I'm sorry that I didn't know this stairway actually belonged to you for so long and I even recklessly occupied it for quite some time; it must have troubled you."

Minjung lowered her vision and cleared embarrassedly when all Taemin did was to look at her with expression that she totally couldn't tell. Just why couldn't this guy be more obvious?

"You really didn't have to apologize, I didn't buy or own this place to begin with." 

"Don't forget the 'first come first serve' basis!"

Minjung sighed when Taemin only breathed out a soft laughter and shook his head instead of answering her in words. She wasn't even joking with him.

"And... I'm going to apologize for the second time too -- I'm sorry, again." Taemin stopped the instant she apologized for the second time of the day. "For that urm, I actually really like this place so instead of anything can we just share it? I mean, you can take the bottom of the stairway if you want -- I will take the top. Okay I know it's--"

Taemin just nodded his head with the slightest smile that one could ever had, and continued walking with the heavy load in his arms. 

 

 

 

 

 

o5.

"Jinki looks down, don't you think?"

Minho nodded as he watched the food-vendor wrap up the food that he had bought for his sister, then his portion skillfully. Eunsook was definitely right with her instincts -- according to a reliable source from Jinki's close-friend, the usual sleepy-headed yet cheery classmate had been in low spirits yesterday ever since something happened between he and his friends. Well, he expected something along the lines of that after Jinki asked to sit beside him yesterday.

"I think it concerns Jonghyun," Eunsook was always a spot-on regarding such things. "Gwiboon, their friend too."

Minho thanked the vendor softly as he was passed the food that he had bought, and left the queue to Eunsook who was poking at a blue lunchbox worriedly. Minho smiled slightly at that -- he knew Eunsook was really a kind girl who often put people before her, and cared for her classmates a lot. Jinki and Jonghyun were definitely not an exception. Anyone who Eunsook would be with was definitely going to be the luckiest person on Earth -- and no, Minho would definitely not look at Eunsook that way. She was like a sister to him, just like Minjung.

He had a particular other girl in his mind, anyway. 

"Don't think too much," Minho smiled at Eunsook who chewed on her bottom lip with her eyebrows pushed together. "Go and have a pleasant meal with Taeyeon and the other girls, okay?"

She nodded with a small smile, the worried expression still evident on her face as she quickly made her way to where her group of friends was and suddenly stopped at her steps when somebody pushed the back of her head with a bottle gently. It was Taemin, her younger brother who broke into a rare smile when Eunsook pouted frustratedly at him, and attempted to flick his forehead which was a difficult task to do.

"Taemin, go away!" 

Most of the people in the canteen who were near the siblings all stopped when they saw Taemin laugh in a really relaxed way which was definitely rare, and Minho watched with an amused expression as Taemin then went scuttling to a particular stairway which Minho was just starting to get familiar with two bottles of iced lemon tea clutched securely in his hands after Eunsook jokingly threatened to hurl the lunchbox at his face if he were not to get going. 

Two bottles? He heard from Eunsook that her brother had a small appetite, though --- wait he was really going to where Minjung nowadays went to.

Raising an eyebrow questioningly, Minho quickly pulled his phone out when his phone started to vibrate, most likely a message from his sister who was probably famished already. 

"You don't have to come up here to accompany me! ^^ Junghee agreed to be with me already!"

Minho nodded, an unknown suspicious feeling stirring in his heart as he sighed at how he had already bought the portion for his sister already. He was about to look for his group of friends who usually had a huge appetite until he noticed Junghee just right at the table where Eunsook was already seated at. 

 

 

 

o6.

Gwiboon's orbs widened when a pair of legs knocked onto the table that she and Jonghyun were sitting at accidentally which emitted a loud bang. Her childhood friend who wasn't in the mood for eating and was reading a thick book instead, immediately looked up once she gasped at who it was that stood before the table, rubbing at where his legs hurt. 

"M-Minho! Are you okay?" Gwiboon asked worriedly, after seeing how the basketball player was hissing at pain made on his legs while glancing over to the group of people that knocked onto him earlier. "Really, those people should've apologized instead of just running away! Just their luck, I'm going to skin them alive!"

Jonghyun gulped silently when Gwiboon stood up from her seat hurriedly with a frown on her face and, a displeased glare in her eyes. He was about to pull his reckless friend back to her seat until he saw that Minho had already done so -- luckily. Gwiboon was desperately finding someone to vent her anger on ever since her bad mood started in the morning when she tried to talk to Jinki but nothing came but just a blank stare, which only did gave a wrong idea. 

Jinki just shrugged and walked away after Gwiboon really had no idea of what to say. 

"It's not entirely their fault, Gwiboon. I just wasn't looking,"

"How can you miss that group when they are just right there!" Gwiboon immediately nibbled at her bottom lip embarrassedly after her ridiculous outburst that occurred all of a sudden. "... I mean -- sorry, I didn't mean to. Things just aren't going my way today, with all those teachers suddenly just asking for those homework that I didn't bring and I can't even squeeze into the queue for my favorite stall today--"

Gwiboon blinked in surprised when Minho pushed a warm plastic box into her hands

"You can take this then, I kind of accidentally bought extra food for myself today so -- you can have it since it's from your favorite stall." Jonghyun raised an eyebrow at those words while the huge crowd sitting at the corner of the canteen was calling out for Minho. "... Ah I've to get going right now, my friends are waiting. I will see you around the school,"

Gwiboon could only stare at the tall basketball player with a blank expression on her face while Jonghyun poked at her arm, curious about something.

"Gwiboon?"

"... What?"

"How did Minho know which is your favorite stall?"

 

 

 

 

o7.

"Did a fire occur at your place or something?" Taemin ignored how Kibum rolled his eyes at his words. "Then give me a proper reason at why did you bought so many sets of uniform back home; it's not as if all of them are gone or something."

Kibum finally did look at him after slipping the green plastic bag that contained the uniforms into his bag with a soft yawn. 

"It's for Jinki; he asked me to buy these for him since he's going to stay over at my place for some time," Taemin nodded his head, half-knowing the reason for Jinki's actions. "That silly boy is really going to camp in my house days after days until the trio decided to reunite for whatever tearful reasons."

The reason for why Jinki had gotten ignored by his dearest neighbors still remain a stupid mystery, and funnily it created quite a small stir in the school since this trio was kind of famous for being together whenever and wherever. Most of the people that actually didn't know how Kibum and Jinki were actually close-friends, pretty much had an idea now while people that had more curiosity went up to Kibum to ask more about Jinki -- the popular cheerful guy had been so obvious about his gloomy feelings.

"You talk like an old person," Taemin tilted his chin up and moved back quickly to dodge the flick that nearly hit him. "So much of a friend you are -- you didn't even helped me to pick up a pencil before."

Kibum rolled his eyes for the third time of the day when Taemin exhaled intentionally loudly, trying to draw some sympathy votes over. 

"Even if you did, you will be too prideful to ask anyone for help anyway. I'm just protecting myself from being flipped by not doing anything," 

Kibum chuckled along together with Taemin who did too, at those obvious truthful words until the teacher chided them for not paying any attention to the lesson. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o8.

Minho watched as some of his friends started to throw the basketball around skillfully while waiting for the rest of them basketball players to return from the toilet and join them for a match later on. They were always so cheerful and full of energy that it surprised Minho at times, even when they had gone through the most boring lesson: mathematics. The numbers already had his head aching, he didn't even have the mood to join in the basketball passing when his friends asked. 

He rubbed at his temples as he slouched over the table, his cheek pressing onto the table lazily as he watched Jinki leaving the class to Taemin and Kibum who were waiting. Where was Gwiboon? She usually came outside of their class to wait for her usual trio gathering too -- then Minho saw her. 

She stood at the other end of the corridor, hiding behind whatever people that were crowding just so Jinki wouldn't see her. She was having this frown on her face as she twirled her pigtails that were tied loosely and her usually confident face was painted with dark clouds. 

He stood up from his seat, ignoring all those loud shouts from his group of over-energetic friends ("Stupid monkey, you can't even pass a basketball right!) and walked to where the window was, where he finally came into Gwiboon's vision.

She looked as if she was caught off by surprise, not knowing what to do while Minho just smiled back politely at her, raising his clenched fist up before nodding lightly while mouthing a soft "Fighting!".

Gwiboon smiled back at him.

o9.

"You just can't survive one day without scolding me uh?!"

"Obviously, your skull just seems to be empty! You're an insult to the monkey species!"

Jonghyun sighed at the loud noise that the basketball players were making at the back of the class while he packed his bag quickly in a fast speed, only looking up when books that he didn't recognize to be his were rested onto his table. Those pretty stickers that were sticked onto the front of the history textbook made Jonghyun had an immediate idea of who was before him -- he gulped.

"E-Eunsook, do you need something?"

They had talked before, of course they did. They were paired together for a chemistry lab test before and that was when Jonghyun started to like her, ever since stupidly he spilled an acid onto his hands and she was cutely uptight over his carelessness. Other than that, he would only just smile at Eunsook who would always smile back politely and prettily.

"I'm sorry if I'm being too over nosy or anything but -- did something happen between you and Jinki? Both of you look so down and aren't even sitting side by side when you two usually do,"

The question hit Jonghyun directly so hardly that he could only gap unattractively at Eunsook who finger-combed her long raven-hair while looking at him worriedly. It was that quick instant that Jonghyun forced himself to think of just any other excuses that were acceptable and wouldn't have anyone being the bad guy. But as unluckily as Jonghyun's life went, his mind was all blank except for the word "well, because of you?".

No, that was the last thing Jonghyun wanted to say right now.

His mind thought otherwise though, and decided to pour in how upset he was when she passed the small sweet note which contained sweet nothings to Jinki and the honey lunchbox made with love -- Kim Jonghyun, you were just hallucinating. The note might just be some important study note while the lunchbox... no, you couldn't just get upset again by those memory again!

But he did, and he just thought of how long he had been crushing on Eunsook. He also started to think about all those stuff that he had been doing behind her just to make her smile and have her day smooth. Just no, Jonghyun was not going to screw-

"Are you okay? Jonghyun--"

"I like dubu--" He wanted to slap himself so much for that slip of his tongue because apparently, dubu was the nickname that the class had given Eunsook (in fact Jonghyun invented it) and the worst way to confess was probably actually through nicknames he knew. But he had already did it -- there was no way he could turn the time back right? "... I like dubu, okay? D-Do you get it?"

He said it louder when he repeated it for the second time, getting uncomfortable immediately at how the group of basketball players turned silent at his words and at how Eunsook just looked at him with wide, confused eyes which probably meant that he was going to get rejected. Which of course, was the case since she liked Jinki.

"... I get it," 

She answered that instead of something like "yes" or "no" before holding those books of hers up to leave quickly and silently. Jonghyun could hear the surprised gasps coming from the people behind but made no response to it and also the stare from Minho who looked pretty much surprised.