BLUES 121

--- HAE ---

"Oh-Oh-Oh, I hate to say this, but you're the man Hae!" Heechul wrapped his arm around my neck and rummaged my hair. I pulled out from his arms and ran towards the front of my car.

"Yahhh!!!" I shouted at him.

I tensed up when Siwon walked towards me and patted my arm. "So happy for you bro! I didn't know you could actually man up!" He said with a smile on his lips.

I playfully poked my fist on his stomach which he was able to avoid. "Yah! I don't know if I should be happy with your words or get hurt! What do you mean you didn't know I could man up?" I glared at Siwon.

Heechul, Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun all laughing as they leaned on the car parked beside my car.

"Seriously Hae, I didn't know you could finally make your way at the end of the tunnel. All those , but no pun intended.  After all those teasing, pranks and jokes you threw at her. I didn't really believe you will be able to make her yours." Eunhyuk added.

I looked at my friends who were all lined up in front of me. "So Khunhyun, what are you gonna add?" I looked at him waiting for his reply, he didn't say anything till now.

"I was really surprised Hae when I heard the gossip flying around the campus. I thought it was just a gossip. But the fact that I knew you are serious and I knew your intention for Dara is sincere, I believed that is indeed a news and not a gossip." He walked towards me and put his arm around my shoulders. "Congrats man. You deserve to be happy." 

"Finally someone sensible here." I smiled at him.

"But it was so sudden Hae, last time Dee walked out of our Circuits 101 class angry or sad. I actually cannot read her expression. But she seems upset after working with you on that group activity. Then the next class, you were both in ceasefire. What happened yesterday or today?" Eunhyuk asked.

I sighed. I don't know if I should tell the guys I forced her into this relationship. I know it's wrong, but I saw the opportunity that's why I grabbed it.  Was it really that wrong? She is attracted to me right? It couldn't be that bad. Who knows she will come to like me as well?

"Well?" Heechul asked and broke my silence.

"I have to admit, I kinda forced her into it." I bit my lower lip. I waited for their reply, but they didn't say anything instead they have astonished expression on their faces. They didn't say a word so I continued. "I kinda helped her in that diagram and she told me she would repay me..." I stopped again and wait for any of them to speak but their mouths were just open, but no sound is coming out from it. "So I told her to be my girlfriend as payment, and she agreed. Well not instantly, after some blackmailing of course."

I looked at them one by one. All of them just stared at me for a while. "Guys?"

"Hell no Hae." Heechul finally spoke.

"Well, it's not that bad, she agreed anyway, if she doesn't like it, she would make a way to avoid it." Eunhyuk spoke after.

"But that's a false relationship isn't it?" Siwon then answered.

"I don't care. I'll support this relationship, just make her love you Hae. Make the most out of it." Kyuhyun spoke. I want to hug him.

"Thanks Khun." I looked at the other three monkeys.

"I'm cool with it. Just be good to her." Eunhyuk said finally. I smiled at him.

Siwon looked at me and nodded. "Yeah, it's cool man. You've gotta make her yours. so do whatever you can."

Heechul stood straight and held the back of his head. "I don't know Hae." He then looked at me. "But since I know you love her that much, I'll support your relationship, forced or not. Just don't make her feel that it is forced. Show her your love." He then smiled at him.

"Thanks hyung!" I smiled back at him.

"Yah! I will take that back! Don't call me hyung. We are at the same age aren't we?" He glared at me.

"Of course, if you say so!" We all laughed.

"How did she take it?" Kyuhyun asked after we all stopped laughing.

"I guess she was fine with it. We even ate lunch together." I answered him.

"How was she during your lunch? How was your lunch?" Hyuk asked.

"It was okay. Hmmm, let me used your words. We are in ceasefire. I enjoyed it." I was nodding as I spoke, remembering how our lunch went.

"Did she enjoy it?" Siwon asked me.

"I think so. She didn't show any evil feelings toward me. We even chatted while eating. She let me hold her hand as we walk. I think we are fine." I'm saying this not just to convince them but to convince myself too.

Hyuk chuckled. "You sounded more like you are convincing yourself than us. Was she accommodating?"

"What do you mean accommodating?" I asked him.

"Hmmm.. Like she is not pushing you away or anything like that? How did she receive you holding her hand? Isn't she irked at some point?" He clarified.

"Irked? Hmmm I don't think so. She kept blushing though." I smiled at remembering how the faint color of pink never left her cheeks.

"Dude, she likes you just fine then." Kyuhyun responded.

"Ani, maybe she is just attracted to me as well. But like? Maybe not yet."

"Attracted, like... What's the difference? It's same!" Siwon exclaimed.

"No." Heechul responded. We all looked at him. I was waiting for his clarification if it will be the same as Bommie's. "Like and Attraction is different. In a sense that when you say you are attracted with somebody, it might mean you like her smile, you like her face but not her whole being. Maybe you like something in her that makes you attracted. But like is liking her whole being. You like her. That's it. You like everything about her."

"Ahhhh..." The three reacted in unison.

 "Heechul really has some sense since he is o---." I stopped as I saw Heechul glaring at me.  "Outstanding, yeah he is outstanding of course! Haha!" I finished my sentence.

"Good, I know that!" Heechul answered.

"Oh, Dee is coming." Hyuk said pointing somewhere towards the exit.

I walked towards her and was surprised when the four also followed my suit. I looked at my back and they were all grinning.

"What? We wanted to see." Siwon raised his shoulders as if he wasn't doing anything wrong. I shrugged and looked straight ahead as Dara walked towards her car.

"You're going home now?" I asked her as she walk towards the driver's door. I walked faster to beat her and opened her door.

She looked at me with surprised expression. "N-nae." She looked ahead, just behind me and her expression changed to being confused why there are 4 monkeys following me.

"Hi Dee!" Hyuk jumped his way towards Dara's side. "Classes are finished?"

"Of course her classes are finished, stupid. Hi Dara!" Heechul greeted her.

"Hi Dara." Siwon said his greeting in a simple way.

"Hi Dara! You are still glowing even it's the end of the day!" Kyuhyun greeted her and we all looked at him in disbelief. Is he hitting on my girlfriend?

"H-Hi! What are you all doing here?" She finally answered as she try to remove her bag to put it inside her car. I took it for her and slung her stuff towards the passenger's seat.

"Just saying hi." Heechul smirked then winked at me.

"Yah! Don't scare my girlfriend!" I said to them while wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards me. She didn't avoid it. She looked down, but I was able to take a glimpse of her face that is beginning to blush.

"O-Oh, too protective, maybe you are the one scaring her. Right Dara?" Siwon asked her.

She looked up then met my eyes. "A bit." She smiled awkwardly. Then she looked at them back. "Are you all going home now?"

"Nae. Maybe we should all go to the nearest mall and have some dinner before going home?" Eunhyuk asked.

I felt Dara tensed. I squeezed her shoulder a bit to reassure her. "Ani, I think Dara is tired now. Right? Maybe next time?" As much as I wanted her to spend time with me, maybe it will be too much for the day. It's our first day being together and I don't want to put too much pressure on her. Like hanging out with my friends this fast.

"Ani, I think it's a great idea. I'm starving now." She looked at them and then looked at me. She patted my hand twice before putting it inside her pocket.

"Assa!" Kyuhyun exclaimed. "Well, Hae, you better drive Dara's car, we'll drive yours, Heechul didn't bring his car today." He smiled at me.

"Are you sure?" I looked at Dara.  She nodded and smiled at me.

"But is it okay to bring the girls too? I kind of have this dinner agreement with them." She looked at them and waited for her answer.

"CL?" Heechul asked.

"Nae. Hyesun, Minzy and B--" She answered.

"Bommie?!" Siwon asked with delighted face. Okay, Heechul I get it, but Siwon? Where the heck does this came from? I looked at him in awe and I realized everyone of us looked at him this way. He laughed shyly "B-Bommie?" He changed his tone.

Dara looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. She looked at Siwon and just nodded.  "Oh here they come."

"What's up Mechanical Engineering students slash Basketball Varsity players, University's eye-candy?" CL said in a rapping tone when they reached us.

Bommie moved in between us and pushing me away causing my arm to fall out of Dara's shoulders. "Ouch"

She glared at me jokingly. "You cannot take my best friend yet. You have to pass through me first." She teased me while putting her fist up in the air.

"Ohhh, feisty. I didn't know the man magnet can be feisty too. I thought it's just the eye candy." I teased them both.

"Oh, oh, oh, you should have known better. I am the feisty one." Bommie answered.

"Hi Guys!" Hyesun said while waving her hand.

"Annyeong, are you all coming too?" Minzy asked while smiling. "Hi Hae. Congrats."  I smiled back at her.

"Where are we going?" Hyesun asked.

"Where did you plan on going? We are like hitching here." Heechul replied.

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