-days-of-us-

The whole school buzzed like a noisy swarm of bees the moment Jonghyun was sighted at the corridors together with Gwiboon. The students weren't even hiding those stares that they were giving him, and Jonghyun could only sigh at how they must be mocking at him silently for actually having that much of a courage to confess to Eunsook (who already had tons of suitors to begin with) and ended up being rejected immediately. It wasn't Jonghyun's fault that his crush didn't like him back right? 
 

"You guys are so freaking childish! Just stop staring or I will seriously pull your eyes out!" Gwiboon glared at the group of guys nearest to her who immediately turned silent from their loud laughter after noticing how threatening she really looked. "At least he has the courage to confess! Do you?"

Jonghyun had to hold Gwiboon back who was trying to claw a guy's face when he just sniggered at her words. 

Gwiboon was so elated when Jonghyun told her that he finally had the courage to confess to Eunsook who he had been crushing on for so long yesterday until they stepped into the school, where everyone was being such a jerk and she just want to bury them alive so badly. Those mean reactions towards Jonghyun who was still upset from the rejection were definitely not needed.

"Don't let me catch you confessing!" Gwiboon scowled as Jonghyun pulled her away to somewhere else that lesser people would be at. "It's a huge crime, I tell you, a huge crime! You will be mocked forever!"

Jonghyun didn't see Jinki coming to the classes after those huge commotion, and he could only sigh silently at how he was really wrong -- he confessed to someone that was already attached, to his best-friend on top of that too. Jinki was probably upset by the news of it and didn't want to see him in the school and people weren't exactly being a jerk for these reactions since he was clearly one too.

 

 

 

o2.

"Now it seems like I'm the crazy girl at school because really, I've been cursing at everyone that I see."

Minho just smiled at how Gwiboon was pouting as he filled the pink bottle with cold water to the brim using the water dispenser. She met this taller friend of Jinki when she was on her way to refill her bottle of drink (she finished them so quickly to distinguish the fire in her stomach whenever she heard people trying to gossip about Jonghyun) and they ended up chatting instead of returning to their classes.

"All that you've done was to try and protect your friends," Minho tightened the lid that was decorated by star-shaped stickers on the bottle securely before passing it to Gwiboon who thanked him with a small smile. "You're not being crazy but just protective and caring to people that you really care. You don't want Jonghyun to get hurt from all those words that those people were--"

Gwiboon felt the need to drink more water to cool her anger down at the thought of that. She resorted to torture the poor pink bottle with white polka dots with her tight clutch when Minho just looked at her with concerned eyes instead. 

"I don't get what's wrong with Jonghyun coming clean and confessing." Gwiboon looked at Minho and knew he thought the same as her too. "I'm proud of him, in fact of anything else I'm very proud of him. Not everyone will be able to do it that straightforwardly like he did, I'm proud."

Gwiboon smiled when Minho did the same, and ruffled her hair so gently with those hands of his that were so used to dribble a basketball. 

"He doesn't seem any less perfect to me even if his confession was done abruptly and that he got rejected. He still is -- but don't tell him, he will get so arrogant!" The memory of how Jonghyun rushing out of the class and whispered nervously about how he had confessed still stayed so vividly clear. "Eunsook doesn't like arrogant guys, does she?"

There was a short silence that dragged over for the next few seconds, until Minho suddenly broke into a soft chuckle.

"I think I get it all now,"

 

 

o3.

Jonghyun blinked when Jinki suddenly came charging towards him and dragged him off the table to the library which was always empty during break time. Along the way there, Jonghyun could hear messy gossips about him and before he could even ask Jinki if he's mad at him -- his best-friend was exactly the same as Gwiboon for being so protective over his friends and for the first time unlike Gwiboon who did it countless times recently, snapped at somebody.

"Stop blabbering nonsense!"

That's the maximum Jinki could go for when he's trying to make someone feel miserable and to be unfriendly, but didn't it just mean that Jinki wasn't upset at him for confessing to Eunsook already? He broke into a silly grin even before Jinki could drag him into the library -- his best-friend stopped in his tracks after noticing it with a puzzled look. Honestly speaking, who's at the right place to get mad at anyone now? 

"... Kim Jonghyun! You're still in the mood to smile?!" Jinki sounded exasperated instead of anything else that was near to infuriated. "What nonsense have you told Eunsook?!"

So Jinki probably was really upset at him for confessing to his girlfriend, but he didn't look entirely angry or blaming towards him. He just looked frustrated and was behaving a little panicky, but that's all -- why though?

He watched as his best-friend's eyes widened along with his when a group of students that happened to pass by just threw a really unexpected mocking remark at them which caught Jonghyun off by surprise totally.

"Both of you look so cute together!" Jonghyun's jaw dropped. "So did you get accepted already?"

Jinki was seriously going to hurl his bag towards those ignorant and childish people until Kibum suddenly appeared and held him with an amused expression, in contrast to him who just looked puzzled while his best-friend -- he still looked pretty much annoyed. So... well, awkwardly speaking, the remark that those people made was pretty much hilarious anyway-

"Seriously what did you tell Eunsook? Now the whole school is talking about it!" 

"I just confessed to her! I didn't know they will make such a big fuss!"

"My foot! You said you like what? Dubu? Seriously...?! Now of course they will!"

"It was just a slip of my tongue to use her nickname instead of her--"

"So it's just a slip of your tongue that you confessed almost in front of everyone in the class that you like me?!" Kibum looked like he had too much of a difficulty to hold his laughter in and finally released them as he ignored the threatening glare in Jinki's eyes. "You... you! Kim Jonghyun! Do you know what people are making up now?! I can't believe you!"

Jonghyun was still gaping at what Jinki had said while Kibum just continued laughing while patting his frustrated childhood friend's brown hair in sympathy. This was too much of a comedy for him to handle it. When did Jonghyun even said that he liked Jinki? 

His crush was Eunsook, Lee Eunsook! The sister of Lee Taemin and the person who was nicknamed "Dubu"! 

 

 

 

o4.

"I can't believe that I actually skipped class for this rubbish talk." Gwiboon deadpanned as she stared at Jonghyun with an unimpressed look. There wasn't anything left in this guy for her to be impressed of already. "You confessed to the right person about the wrong thing."

He really did. His memory had no impression of how "Dubu" was Jinki and Eunsook was actually "Tofu" instead. It was the nicknames he came up with after his best-friend and crush got grouped up for a subject and their personalities were just far too similar (soft-hearted nature) except for Jinki's love towards sleeping and chicken. 

"He's stupid! He created the nicknames himself and he forgot about it!" 

Taemin only shook his head with what seemed to be sympathy as Jinki wailed miserably into Kibum's back where he had his face buried at. He was just too embarrassed at his best-friend's stupidity and everything -- now everyone that saw him would disturbingly say something about how great he and Jonghyun look together. Bull.

"I really didn't know, Jinki." Jonghyun cleared his throat awkwardly as he looked at anyone who would understand it -- none. Not even Gwiboon who was still in disbelief after knowing the huge idiotic mistake he had made. "I honestly thought that--"

Kibum chuckled as he tried to pull his hiding friend back who seemed like he wanted to bite Jonghyun's head off and hit him on the head.

"You know they are now stupidly saying how you like me but you are jealous of Eunsook who is close with me so you confessed to ask her to back off from your crush, me! What a lovely love-triangle we have got here, Jonghyun really -- Kibum, stop laughing! It's not just your crush that got misunderstood, Tae-- many other people are going to get misled too! What should I even do?! They now think we are together or something!"

What? He wasn't trying to get Eunsook to back off or anything like that! He was just trying to confess to her, and not Jinki!

"... I honestly wasn't thinking when I confessed to her! I just thought about how you're together with her and all then my feelings got a better hold of me-"

Jonghyun could only stare at Jinki with a confused expression when his best-friend just lamented into Kibum's shoulders which were shaking due to his endless laughter that the poor victim of the day made himself to ignore -- Taemin shook his head and gave a comforting pat while Gwiboon shot a pitiful pout.

 

 

o5.

Taemin shook his head in disbelief when Kibum could only laugh at Junghee's question -- if Jonghyun were really playing for the other team and actually liked Jinki.

But the silly girl only had eyes for Kibum and only Kibum, she wouldn't even notice Taemin's answer to her question who didn't even know why he bothered in the first place and resumed to his sketching. Junghee, on the other hand, poked Kibum's shoulder gently three times before pursing her lips at how the other could only laugh -- (even though he looked incredibly when he laughs) she pretended to turn her back at him angrily and scribbled on the piece of empty paper.

Kibum stopped laughing almost immediately as he quickly shifted his seat closer to Junghee to cheer her up -- was she even upset in the first place? 

A smile was immediately put back onto Junghee's face when he suggested with such a gentle voice that he could teach Junghee drawing if she wanted, since he wasn't the chairman of the Art Club for nothing -- she smiled back sweetly in return and took him for his words seriously, forgetting everything that she was... Taemin was right, she wasn't upset all all. She didn't even question any further about Jonghyun and Jinki already (were they that insignificant?) as their surrounding just seemed to be decorated with cotton candy.

Taemin thought he might seriously just puke anytime. 

He honestly was in need of any distraction, just any -- his phone vibrated just in time with a message alert to save him from everything. He hadn't wasted a second less on reading the message that he had received, pretty much expecting it to be from his sister only to see it was from -- oh?

"Thanks so much for buying yesterday and today's meals for me during break-time! ^^ To make it fair, I'll go down to the canteen and buy the meals for the next two days! No arguing!"

Minjung was always afraid to owe others a favor or to be troublesome; hence she was always trying to make things fair and square. Just like earlier, she managed to sneak the money into his wallet when he already said it was okay to not pay. 

But Taemin wasn't entirely against this personality of hers too -- it's pleasant. 

 

o6.

Kibum noticed how Jinki seemed to be looking for someone while fidgeting nervously at where the school gate was.

"Jonghyun's Jinki!" Kibum immediately dodged the hit that nearly reached his forehead and laughed at how Jinki really detested this new nickname of his. "Isn't it cute? Jonghyun won't mistake this nickname for Eunsook's one anymore--"

The next moment Gwiboon just appeared out of the blue and threw Jinki a really tight hug while speaking in a fast speed at how she was glad that her Dubu (another salt to his wound) was finally back to her before apologizing again, even when she already did for umpteen times. Jinki only smiled and muttered softly about how no apologies were really needed. Many eyes were already fixed onto Gwiboon and Jinki who were hugging so tightly -- but none said anything until happened.

"So if the yellow lunchbox didn't belong to Eunsook, who did it--"

"... Jinki! I'm so freaking sorry and so just because you know urm pride is a really nasty thing to deal with so today you will be coming home together with us right?" Incoherent words always did came from Jonghyun. Jinki only sighed silently when they were really attracting a lot of attention. "You agreed right? You can't deny that you miss hanging out with us--"

Jinki silently thought of ways to send his best-friend to Mars for eternity and never see him come back when he was pulled out of Gwiboon's hug and into Jonghyun's really, even more suffocating one. Kibum immediately laughed at how people were already looking at them with loud gasps and widened eyes, as if they were a couple for real -- all until Kibum saw a pair of really surprised and round glassy orbs which he recognized to be a famous cheerleader's.

No one in the school had not heard about the breaking news of Jonghyun's confession. Poor Jinki. 

Of course, his childhood-friend noticed it as soon as he did and Jonghyun frowned like a kid when his friend quickly separated them so to take a clearer look at where she had gone -- she ran away pretty quickly, grabbing onto a hand that he recognized to be Junghee's.

Ah, he wasn't even in time to say goodbye yet -- Kibum mentally sighed.

"You --- you! Jonghyun! I'm starting a small - no a big riot on you now! I'm going to Kibum's place again!" Kibum could only sigh at his friend (starting an almost non-existent riot and going to his place to occupy the mattress in his room again) who looked really crestfallen after a particular cheerleader left so quickly. "L-Let's go!"

 

 

 

o7.

"Jonghyun definitely does not like Jinki," Minjung muttered softly under her breath as she finished a warm mug of plain water which was said to be extremely helpful to aid in a good night's sleep.


"Right?"

She frowned when her brother only continued to feign asleep with her laptop as his pillow. 

Minjung got away from her desk which had unattractive homework all scattered around and to Minho who finally woke up from his fake sleep once her palm meet his stomach hardly as she complained softly about how unfair her brother was, for actually keeping secrets from his very own sister when siblings should support and trust each other a lot.

Minho only then opened his eyes, with an unconvinced expression on his face. 

"Really? You're talking about this now? And you're not telling me anything about you and Taemin?"

Minjung pushed her eyebrows together -- what about she and Taemin? They were friends and only friends! "I'll think about telling anything about Jonghyun and Jinki to you once you come clean--"

Minjung hit her brother on the stomach with a great strength again with a small frown on her lips.

"And you're the so called perfect guy in our school! If only they saw how you bully your very own sister--"

"Who lied to me about being with Junghee when she was with Taemin? So who's going to come clean now?"

Minjung immediately drove Minho out of her room afterwards -- she lied because she thought her brother would definitely get the wrong idea and felt unsafe if he knew about them having lunch together, but apparently his brother had gotten the wrong idea already. 

o8.

"No this is so not happening - the great popular cheerleader Taeyeon, is getting jealous over a guy for a guy!"

Taeyeon only sighed in exasperation as she fell back onto her bed tiredly, with her phone which was decorated with pretty crystals pressed to her ear gently. At the other end of the phone-call was Junghee, her best-friend who was studying in the same class as her -- she was one to talk about jealousy and her being ridiculously stupid when crushing on Jinki.

Had she even seen how she behaved like when Kibum was there?

"I mean they did say that Jonghyun likes Jinki! And wasn't he really the reason why Jinki was so moody for the past few days?" Taeyeon shifted at where she was lying gently, so that the pillow was comfortably cushioning her arms which were sore from all those cheerleading practices lately. "I'm not being jealous but just... Jonghyun's just really lucky to get to hug Jinki together with Gwiboon."

Junghee's laughter over the call was so loud that Taeyeon really had the urge to hang the phone almost right away. But instead, she just sighed and held on with it while silently thinking of ways to get back at her best-friend next time.

"So you are really jealous!"

"I mean really, if what they said were true and that if Jonghyun really likes Jinki -- isn't he a really lucky human-being then? To be able to hug somebody that you really like so much! Jinki didn't even seem to hate it too!" Taeyeon nibbled on her bottom lip in defeat when Junghee started to laugh again, but she just knew exactly how to stop the laughter this time. "So just picture you hugging Kibum--"

Junghee immediately squealed in shyness ("Taeyeon, why talk about this!") and ended the call right away, leaving Taeyeon to stare at her phone with a dumbfounded expression.

o9.

Kibum watched lazily on his bed as Jinki rolled the blue mattress out right beside him, and got the thick blanket spread out before lying there with really comfortable pillows. He looked so content, as if he could stay there for almost forever, just sleeping and nothing else. But before he could proceed with all that, Kibum had a question for him.

"So when did you and Taeyeon started?"

Jinki got choked on his saliva. 

"... We haven't, actually." Kibum raised an eyebrow -- weren't they dating already? "I think she likes me, or maybe she really does and I -- I like her too! She... she's sweet. Really cheerful and caring on top of that too."

Kibum blinked when Jinki suddenly sat up from where he was lying at, and gripped at the edges of the bed where Kibum was sleeping on. He wanted to laugh the next moment, so badly when Jinki's eyes were filled with love so purely and sincere but he knew better to disrupt this ''romantic and honest'' moment which came so rare. 

"She made me a lunchbox as soon as I said about how it's really heart-warming to receive one! But we haven't really talked -- we're just shy and... I really like her a lot. I actually only met her by coincidence when I was doing voluntary work at the orphanage. She was there too, Kibum--"  Jinki's smile was really genuine and natural. "-- and I just thought she really looks like an angel when I look at her up-close, that moment when I walked her home while she talked about the joy of helping people around."

Love-struck Jinki wasn't one that people could get to see easily - remember how Kibum first thought his childhood-friend was a monk? For sure he really thought he was -- but he guessed, everyone would have their own exceptions.

 

"But I haven't told anyone about she and I because I just want to... let it grow stronger before anything else. There's a silly thinking inside me which wants to protect this relationship that hasn't even started first -- I don't want to stress and scare her." Jinki scratched his nape shyly. "We haven't even started dating officially, so telling all these to my friends... it's like telling her that it's a must to be with me. I don't want her to think that way, you know?"

And for Jinki's stone-heart for love, Taeyeon was one melting exception.