"I lost it," Tao straight out confessed.

"It's in the laundry," Xiumin and Luhan said simoutaneously.

"I framed it," Chen offered.

"What?" Lay said barely registering.

The current situation consisted of a meeting of the Chinese-American-Korean club. No one except for you and Kris had bothered to wear their shirts and now you and Kris were awkwardly coupling. You were vauguly aware of Chen snapping a picture and muttering the word 'scrapbook', but you shook this off and proceeded to zip up your hoodie a little better, as you noticed Kris do the same.

"So," Tao asked Kris while nudging Lay back to planet earth, "What's on the agenda today?"

"New years," Kris announced.

"Which one?" you chimed and five heads turned to you curiously.

"It's just that the majority of you are Chinese," you glanced at Chen and Xiumin, "Or seem to be. So I thought maybe you observe Chinese New Year instead." 

Five pairs of eyes blinked.

"How thoughtful," Lay observed, "She has a point. But no, Jangmi, we usually just stick to the January 1 date."

You nodded in understanding, "So what happens?"

"And that brings us back to the original point," Kris said taking back the reins, "There is a party we could attend if we want, Chen is in charge of taping the ball dropping in New York-"

"Don't you dare screw that up again," Luhan suddenly interuppted, "The Life of Pi is a great movie but I would've preferred to see the ball drop."

"The directions were all in English and I wasn't good at it yet! How was I supposed to know it wasn't taping right. I was trying-"

"I'm trying to lead a meeting here," Kris said in his authoritative voice. You slightly smiled at how the room became silent once he brought out that tone.

"Anyway," he said ruffling his hair, "If you need help, Chen, then just ask. Anyway, we'll do the usual and meet on the dorm roof top and around 11:50 and countdown to midnight together. Assuming that Chen did his job right, we can watch the ball drop the next day and we'll make our resolutions on the rooftop."

"The rooftop?" you questioned.

"Yeah. We were all trying to escape the party one year and ended up on the rooftop. We now just do it everyear. Welcome the New Year there and make our resolutions," Lay explained.

"Which is the last order of buisness," Kris said as he started to stand up, "Don't forget to make a New Year's resolution. And please," He said while turning to Chen, "Let it be something serious. You of all people Chen, have a lot of thigns to work on. If you can't come up with anything, I'm sure everyone on the campus can come up with a few self improving things you should try."

Chen merely rolled his eyes but nodded anyway.

"You could always ask our receptionist," Lay spoke with wide eyes, "She's been complaining a lot about you recently. She might have some things for you to work on." Chen rolled his eyes and again and you were starting to think he might get a headache from it.

"Unless there's any other buisness...." Kris said gaging the room, "Metting adourned-"

"I have something to say," Tao chimed from the corner, "I found you sleeping in my bed the morning after Christmas and Jangmi sleeping in your bed."

"Something that relates to the purpose of this club," Kris said trying to direct away from the shady topic that now had the both of you slightly blushing and embarassed.

"What exactly is the purpose of this club, Kris?" Xiumin said cheekily. Five pairs of eyes stared at him expectantly, while you just kept your eyes focused on the ground.

"Meeting adjourned," Kris called and made for the door followed by a grumbling Tao and a snickering Xiuhan duo.

"Wait Tao!" Chen called, "I need pictures of this. Did you forget about the book?" You frowned at whatever he was saying and prayed that Tao didn't have any pictures of what happened.

You sighed and rubbed your temples before gathering your things and turning of the lights and closing the door of the abandoned dance studio. You headed for the campus library next; you just wanted to talk to Jaejoong and you owed him a call anyway.

~~~~~

"I am so hurt, my little dongsaeng!" Jaejoong dramatically cried into the phone.

"I didn't forget you, I was just preoccupied," you defended. Looking back on it, you could have at least bothered to send Jaejoong a Christmas e-mail.

"I suppose my Christmas gift for you wasn't sincere. I confess that without you here I forgot to go shopping. I transferred some money to your account instead," he said shyly.

"Psshht, I hope you treated Bo-ah better," you said rolling your eyes even though he couldn't see it.

"I did, I did," he paused for a moment and you wondered if he was still there when he suddenly spoke again, "You know we've been dating for almost two years now."

You had a sharp intake of breath, "You have, haven't you?" You knew very well where this conversation was headed, but you wanted Jaejoong to say it first.

"I don't want to go into the New Year with her as my girlfriend.... I think we're both ready to move on and I found myself looking at engagment rings the other day," He admitted, you could hear the smile as well as the worry in his tone. 

"If you're worried she might say 'no', I think you can rule out that possibility. You two are so in love and more than ready to take your relationship to that level. Whatever you decide, I support you fully," you reassureed.

"I think I'm ready, sis. I want forever with her and I want her to be mine as soon as possible. I don't think I have another option besides her; I love her to much."

You smiled listening to your brother speak so lovingly of the girl her loved, but a part of you wondered when the roles would be reversed and you would be calling him to tell him about a special someone in your life.

"Enough about me," Jaejoong said breaking you out of your depressing trance, "How's that Kris guy you're partnered with?"

"He's doing well. We just spent Christmas with the other guys and it was so much fun."

"Believe me I know."

"I'll still send you a gift man, get over it already."

"Have you realized," Jaejoon started, voice suddenly serious, "That everytime you call or skype me, you drone on and on about Kris? I have. At first you would lump him together with your other friends, but over time you just talk about him. 'Kris said this and I laughed," 'Kris and I did this," "Guess what I did today with Kris?"

Jaejoong was just confirming what you already were semi-aware of.

"Maybe I'm just being an over protective older brother, but from what I'm hearing, you and Kris have something, whether or not you realize it."

"I just do more stuff with him; we're partners." You said as though you could justify this.

"It's not wrong to develop feelings for someone you're close with. I can see the admiration and friendship you have with Kris and I fully support it. I'm not saying you have feelings for him, but you've become a whole other person since you met him. A happier and more optimistic person. I remember finding you after you broke up with Woohyun and it scared me. But now I see you over a webcam, smiling brightly as you tell me about your new adventures. But maybe it's just me."

By the time Jaejoong was done speaking, you were thanking your instincts that you had phoned him instead of skyped because you didn't want him to see your face right now. You knew it was the truth or at least part of the truth. Around Kris you were a much more adventurous, and optimistic person with a much brighter outlook on things. Even doing the most basic things were him were so much more exciting and different; he just changed everything.

"Jaejoong," you asked slowly, "What exactly did you feel when you were developing feelings for Bo-ah?"

He paused for a while, "Constant warmth.