POSTED LOVE

II

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It didn’t take long for Jongin to send in his first query. He didn’t give his name or a codename, but decided to be anonymous—because he’ll be sending in tons of questions after this first trial. He prayed fervently after dropping his slip of paper in the Ask Box; hoping that among the many who send in entries, his will be one of the chosen.

Thankfully, he was.

“Chocolate sundae or Strawberry sundae?”- Anonymous

Hi there! I personally love chocolate, because seriously, who in the world doesn’t like chocolate? It’s like… the universal confectionary, hahaha. So, that’s my choice; I’ll never get bored of chocolate no matter how many times I eat it. But, if you happen to eat chocolate a lot and you want to be a little more adventurous, strawberry also tastes good. Although I always thought that chocolate was compared more to vanilla than to strawberry. But anyway, my choice will eternally be chocolate. As for you, strawberry may not be a bad choice. Why not give it a try? For curiosity’s sake. Who knows? It might turn out to be your sugary addiction. I hope I helped you make up your mind!

Needless to say, Jongin bought a strawberry sundae later that day. And he was not disappointed.

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After the first trial, Jongin started bringing a small messenger bag to school. Minseok and Junmyeon thought nothing of it, but Sehun raised a brow.

“What’s that for?” Sehun asked. “You already have a school bag, why are you still bringing another?”

Jongin grinned widely, and proudly held up his bag. Opening it, his three friends were met with a sea of slips of paper, each one with a question or concern.

“You’ve gone mad…” was all Sehun could muster. “If you put in that much, there’s no way other people’s questions would get picked. You should tone it down a little.”

Jongin pouted. “Why? I have a curiosity bigger than this entire school. I have my needs.”

Minseok chuckled at the childish answer, and Junmyeon smiled while shaking his head.

“I think he’s right, Jonginnie,” Junmyeon began. “You shouldn’t be too greedy. There’s only one of D.O. and a ton of entries. Putting in that much lessens the chance for other people.”

“But… I really write so many questions during my spare time; I could write twenty in a day. What am I supposed to do with all my other questions?”

“Let’s divide them per week,” Minseok suggested. “That way, more than one of your questions will be picked, but you still give chance to other people. Fair enough?”

“… Okay… because I’m such a nice guy, after all,” Jongin stated glumly in sarcasm, heaving out a sigh.

“The next thing we should work on is controlling your question-making urges,” Sehun concluded. “You are one weird boy; I never thought I’d be friends with someone so strange. You may look normal on the outside, but you’re entirely something else.”

“Watch it, Oh.” Jongin smirked. “If you’re going to play it that way, let’s not forget your awkward elementary years of being a lispy misunderstood bundle of stoic.”

“Sheesh, don’t bring that up,” Sehun frowned. “It was because of my retainer.”

“Yes, yes—and I took pity on you and your vulnerable lispy self. So you’re going to have to accept me, no matter how weird I am. Bros for life, dude. We made a pact at the canteen; a bond of brotherhood written in ketchup,” Jongin grinned. Sehun was his first friend after all. It was fun to push all his buttons until he made the “Sehun Grumpy Face.” It just wouldn’t be Sehun without the occasional frowns, grimaces, and poker faces.

The maknae lightly not so lightly punched Jongin on the shoulder. It’s his own special way of showing affection, really. He’s got a small smile on, and shook his head. “Why did I ever agree to you and your stupid ideas?”

“Well, it’s a lot less painful than using actual blood.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

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Three weeks into the whole habit of writing to D.O., Jongin’s never felt more exhilarated every day. He writes down everything that comes to his mind, and makes sure he stores all of the extra ideas away for future use. He’s always eager to read the replies D.O. posts; at least three to four of his questions often get picked.

“Why is the sky blue?”

“What came first? The chicken or the egg?”

“If I took a bath in milk, would that make me whiter?”

As of now, he’s got an extra stack of papers that could suffice for a whole month. He guessed he really should control himself. He and his friends labeled Wednesdays and Saturdays as “No-Curiosity Days,” which means that he must refrain from writing down or even thinking of any topic that isn’t of current use. He’s gotten better over time, and his parents have also noticed the change. He was permitted to start using the internet freely again, provided that he disciplines himself and not go overboard like he used to.

I’m not really sure why the sky is blue, but I heard it’s the reflection of the seas and oceans or something. But then, what about the sky above land? Why isn’t brown, or colored like the pavement? Sorry, I guess I can’t answer your question! When you find the answer, let me know!

I think the chicken came first, but of course, that’s based on my beliefs. I’d love to explain to you in logical terms, but all I have is a religious explanation. I’m not sure if you’d want to hear it (cause our beliefs might clash) so I won’t mention it, but just remember this: whether or not the chicken came first, what matters is that either way, there’s a birth of life. Thanks for asking!

Take a bath in milk? I always thought that it made your skin softer and smoother, not whiter... isn’t it an ingredient in lotion products? I’m sorry, I don’t know; why don’t you try it out, yourself? Actually, why would it matter? Whether you’re white or not, you’re great just the way you are. Everyone is. We all have things that make us special, and you don’t need to think like you have to be anybody else but you. So cheer up, forget about the milk, look in your mirror, and tell yourself that you love yourself. Thanks for submitting a question!

A week later, Minseok introduced his friend called Yixing. The guy was lean and muscular, pretty handsome plus, he had a dimple. Turns out Yixing was part of the school’s dance club. Jongin, in his natural curiosity, asked Yixing if he could show off some dance moves. The latter thought it was a great idea because their club happened to be recruiting; he invited Jongin and the rest watch the club practice.

After class, they all followed Yixing to the clubroom. As all dancers began their routine, the boys were in awe—they clapped and cheered at every spectacular turn, step and flexibility. Minseok and Junmyeon were clearly enjoying themselves, but Sehun and Jongin were experiencing more than that—it’s like watching these people dance passionately to the music made want to do the same.

“Do you think we should?” Sehun inquired. “Yixing hyung said they’ll be holding auditions two weeks from now. We could study some moves off the internet and try it out; maybe even ask him for help if he’d want to. What do you say?”

Jongin pursed his lips in thought. “Hmm… I’ll let you know by the end of the week.”

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“I’m interested in joining the dance club… but I have no experience in dancing at all. My friend’s inviting me, and the whole thought seems exciting even though I’m clueless. Should I… give it a try?”-Anonymous    

Wow, the dance club? That sounds cool. If you’re interested and excited, I say go for it! It might turn out to be something you’ll love. Giving things a try is always worth it; even if you don’t succeed in the end, you learn—and that’s one of the important things in life. You come out of the experience a little smarter—a little wiser, and you can make use of that knowledge as you go through other events in your journey. Also, don’t be afraid of making mistakes, ok? It’s all part of growing up. Do your best, and I wish you well!

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“Sehun?”

“Yeah?”

“When do you want to get started?”

The maknae gave Jongin a wide grin. “As soon as possible.”

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During the past two weeks, Jongin didn’t write a single query to D.O., as all his curiosity was focused on one area (for the first time in his life): dancing. He got so excited and spent most of his time checking out different styles of dance and execution. But, since he had a lot of extra questions at home, he still made sure to drop some in the Ask Box, and to read D.O.’s replies.

Sehun really asked Yixing to help them with a choreography they could use in the auditions. The dancer was more than happy to help.

“Thank goodness, I’m not one of the judges or else this would be cheating,” Yixing chuckled.

Sehun, Jongin and Yixing always met up after class. Yixing taught them a few moves, and found that they were fast learners. A ton of video reviews, practices, and hard work later, they decided to make a remix of hiphop songs for Sehun, and a remix of club songs for Jongin.

“Sehun looks perfect when he dances effortlessly; looks cool when his expression is firm and stoic, while he dances to hiphop songs like it’s the easiest thing in the world. What’s great is that, after getting to know Sehun, I found that he was naturally expressionless. But when he dances? It’s a totally different story. Everything he’s ever wanted to convey is there. And when he smirks? Gosh, that would be the ladies’ national anthem,” Yixing explained how he observed them.

“And Jongin? The guy oozes  appeal when he gets on dance the floor. He’s so different from his dancing persona, compared to his real carefree self. When he dances to club tracks, he’s got a smooth flow and great coordination. Look into his eyes, and you might just forget about the world. And the way his tanned skin shimmers when glistened with sweat, doing his expertise waves and body rolls, I tell you—girls are going to line up just to see him flip his hair.”

Minseok and Junmyeon were there to watch the two grow in dancing; to watch their improvement as the two weeks went by; making sure to attend every practice and cheer them on. They can attest that it’s the first time they’ve ever seen the youngsters look serious, and absolutely attractive. Also, they’ve never seen others learn how to dance that well in such a short amount of time. It was certain that those two were born to dance.

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The night before the auditions, Jongin couldn’t sleep. He was too excited; so ready for this. His parents have been telling him that he’ll do great; kept reminding him to ask Minseok and Junmyeon to video the performance so they could watch it too.

Up until now, Jongin never knew that dancing was so much fun. That it could possibly be his new hobby.

D.O. was right; Jongin ended up loving dance.

At the thought of D.O., Jongin wished that guy could come to his audition.After all, he was the one who gave Jongin the extra push. Actually, now that he thought about it, Jongin had never wondered who exactly D.O. was. Was he a guy? A girl? Older or younger?Someone he often passed by in school, or someone in the library?

Jongin’s brows furrowed and his lips curved into a pout. Even though he was the most curiosity-plagued guy in school, he had never even tried to guess who D.O. was. The guy has been generously answering all his questions, given him kind and inspiring advice, and made time to always be sincere. Jongin knows this, because even though he’s never met D.O., by the way the guy replies with utmost honesty, Jongin can see he’s sincere.

Jongin wants to meet this guy; the answer to all his curiosities.

Jongin wants to meet D.O.

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Author's note:

Second chapter now~ hehehe. Do you guys like the poster I made?

I'm not exactly an expert, but I think it was pretty okay ^^; 

Thanks for reading; comment when you have the time!