Dear Diary: What Do You Want?

(Chapter 12)

“Jongdae caught something weird”

Suho tapped at his Samsung Galaxy Note with it’s stylus as he jotted down notes, much like a secretary. It seemed as if he was learning a lot whilst working with his Dad in Japan over the few weeks of break before graduation.

“What kind of ’weird’?” Sunhi gave a gagging expression, though she was probably over reacting. “Ewww?!”

“I guess some sort of throat infection” Suho clarified as he placed his cell phone down and clasped his hands in a very gentleman like manner. “With him out of the picture… who’s going to take on lead singer?”

Our high school had put together a fund raiser in order to gather extra funds to hold our graduation ceremony at one of the fancy hotels in the main city. After our auditorium sprung a leak during general vacation, it was either fundraising or graduating on the track field and no way was that happening.

So rather than a bake sale or open day, it was decided that we would hold a Summer Jam Festival in the Incheon City Park, and our graduating class would be the ones to organise performances.

We had high hopes of having Jongdae singing the hit song from the Ancestors of the Moon OST ‘Everynight’, but with Suho’s news about his throat; our plans of a winning performance were becoming pear shaped.

Our entire karaoke gang had gathered once again at the karaoke room, except there was no music or backing tracks blasting from the speakers. Everyone was simply snacking on the assortments of chips and rice cakes as we figured out exactly what we would perform.

“Hey, I can sing!” Chanyeol boasted, as Seulgi, who sat besides him, nodded in agreement. “And plus, Seulgi is already the other lead. The performance is more believable if you have us as singing since we’re a couple!”

“Uh”

Was the overarching thought playing in everyone’s head. Not that Chanyeol couldn’t sing, because he could. No doubt about it. But it seemed as if he forgot about the ban the school had placed on him for misusing the P.A system back in the 10th grade (he tried picking up girls over the system, and our Principal banned him from using any microphone for any school function until graduation).

“Dude. You’re not even allowed to touch a microphone. Let alone sing” Yixing burst Chanyeol’s dreams with a single reminder that none of us really wanted to say. “-Next”

“How about our new friend Kyungsoo!” Kai suggested as he raised up Kyungsoo’s own arm for him, causing him to be a tad bit embarrassed. “He’s got an awesome voice, right?”

“Except he doesn’t go to our school” Sehun shook his head. “But! If one of us guys lip syncs over Kyungsoo’s track. It could totally work! I saw some people do it for their auditions at S.M”

“This isn’t The Lizzie McGuire Movie” I sighed before slumping into the much too comfortable lounge seats. “It’s going to end up being just you, Seulgi, at this point”

“Ahem” Luhan nudged me softly in my sides with his elbow, as if he were saying that he was volunteering for the part.

“Luhan!!!" 

All the rest of the girls seemed to pick up on his hint and pointed at him in unison. It was as if they were his cheerleaders. Ha! If only they knew that he was mine. All miiiiiiine!

"Agreed” I spoke up on behalf of my boyfriend (it feels so weird calling him that!), “Luhan always scores above 90 whenever he sings a ballad. I think he should sing with Seulgi”

From across the table, Sehun sent me a funny look, causing Kai and Kyungsoo to question what the sudden fuss was about. I didn’t think that either of them could put the picture together, so I continued to vouch for Luhan, who seemed pleased at the thought of representing our group.

“Raise your hand if you vote for Luhan!” I jolted my own right up, and watched as almost everyone followed the motion. “Then Luhan it is!”

—

“The Park’s said that they bumped into your parents at the marketplace”

Kyungsoo tidied up the karaoke room, as he always did after every marathon session. After agreeing on having Luhan and Seulgi as our representatives, the group decided on the musicians. I was on the guitar and so was Chanyeol. Suho volunteered for bass whilst Lay asked to be on the keys. Minah was on the drums, whilst the rest of the group were on backup vocals.

Rehearsing with the karaoke system, it was early into the evening when just about everyone besides Kyungsoo, Luhan and myself were left to clean up the room. Though the Aunty who owned the karaoke club didn’t like us cleaning for her, we owed it to her for always letting us in at the last minute without a booking.

“Wait, what?!” My parents didn’t even leave me a message or call. I was still expecting them to arrive next week, according to what my cousin Emi said. Perhaps they arrived early and were too tired to let me know?

“Yeah. Mr. Park told me before I came here. I wanted to tell you earlier but everyone was so busy and chatty” Kyungsoo tossed out the last of the chip packets and Luhan waited by the door. I was dusting off the couches with the song list book to dust off the crumbs.

“I should probably go home and see them” I answered and now satisfied with how we cleaned the room. “Are you okay to find your way back home to Chanyeol’s place by yourself?”

Kyungsoo nodded before asking me a question in return.

“Are you okay to head home by yourself? It’s already dark out”

I briefly looked to Luhan. Maybe Kyungsoo forgot that he was there?

“It’s fine. Luhan’s going to give me a lift on his bike” I answered happily and thrilled at the thought of finally getting into that bike once again- especially since the last time was the first time I ever did.

“…Right” Kyungsoo gave one final nod and a short wave. “Then I guess I’ll be off. Take care, yeah?”

“Mm. Will do!”

I escorted him out of the room with Luhan tailing just behind me, at a distance not too close to cause suspicion. As soon as Kyungsoo was out of sight, Luhan reached for my hand and drew me back to his side.

“You know, anyone of our friends could be lurking around the corner” I teased Luhan as I pecked his cheek with a quick kiss.

“We’ve held it in for too long for today” He kissed me on the forehead in return. “I’ll take my chances”

—

“We’re here”

Luhan switched off the ignition of his bike but here I was still holding onto him so tight from behind. The scent of his perfume was rubbing onto my summer dress and the gentle warmth of his body in the crisp evening was more than enough reason for me to not let go.

“I don’t want to go… Not yet”

“Why? You’re going to miss me?” Luhan chuckled, “cause actually, I was planning to stay for just a bit longer”

“What?! Did you miss the part where Kyungsoo said that my parents were home. And even if they weren’t, there is no way that you are staying over!!!" 

I had seen enough movies to know where things could be heading and what could be racing through his head, and I wasn’t letting any of that happen just yet.

"Calm down. I just want to meet your parents”

”Calm down?!?! Did you just hear what you just said?“ "I haven’t even told my parents that we were, you know, dating!”

“Then let me tell them!”

Luhan was already headed for the front gate, leaving me absolutely no choice but to race after him, in hopes that I could reach the gate before him. But before I could scold him one more time, he was already at front door and my Dad had already answered it.

“Aera! We were about to go out for dinner, thinking that you’ve already eaten” My Dad crossed him arms as my Mother followed behind him, smiling fondly at the sight of her own daughter after so long. “Have you eaten? How about your friend?”

“Oh, hi Uncle and Aunty” Luhan became this strangely warm, perfect son like person as he bowed a full 90’ degrees to my parents. “I’m Luhan”

“We haven’t eaten, dinner that is. We just came back from the group at karaoke” I shooed Luhan to the side, hoping to explain everything before he could. “What were you planning on eating for dinner?”

“Definitely not fast food” My Mom tutted and shook her head. “​All you kids ever eat at the karaoke club is snacks!“

—

My parents agreed upon eating at the Grandma’s eatery across from Uncle Choi’s convenience store. It was a few blocks walk and the potato noodles made there were really the best that you could find in town.

The walk in the early summer night was ever so slightly romantic as Luhan tangled his fingers into mine, the two of us hand in hand behind my parents.

"I can’t wait to start rehearsing for the Summer Jam Festival” Luhan was proud of himself for bagging the spot of lead male singer, even if it was because of my suggestion. “Getting to do something on behalf of our friends… It makes me feel…”

“Special?” I chuckled heartily before realising that he was in serious contemplation, and his grasp of my hand tightened.

“Mm. How do I say it without sounding weird…? Like, I finally feel like manlymaaan?”

“However you say it, it’ll sound weird” I smiled in return, trying my best to show that I understand. Because I do. “I get it, Luhan”

This time, he softly wrapped his arm around me, taking me into a quick side hug before any of my parents realised what was going on behind them.

After pacing through another block, Luhan and I quietly followed my parents as they sat in their favourite table right next to the doors to the diner’s kitchen where Grandma (not in actual relation to any of us) would be humming to an old tune whilst cooking the day away.

“Luhan, your parents must not be from around here, guessing by your name?” My Dad immediately started conversation, as if they were the ones who wanted to meet him (and not other way around). He was straight forward in his questions, especially with people he genuinely wanted to get to know.

“You’re right, Uncle” He fiddled with the paper menu before looking both my mother and father in their direct gaze, “They moved to Incheon from Beijing when I was in the 6th grade. We’ve been loving living here ever since, I almost don’t remember what it’s like living else where”

“Good answer!” Mum chuckled as she clasped her hands together before calling the waiter over as Dad ordered. “Have you ever been back to China? How about your relatives?”

Freezing for a good second, Luhan’s face went a shade paler. He usually didn’t mind talking about his mother country, most of the time he was quite eager to tell us about his cousins and childhood stories. Did something happen to change that?

“Maybe that’s too many questions, Ma” I piped into the conversation as my Mum nodded in response. “Anyway, how’s Emi and the family?”

Flipping the direction of the evening talk, I watched from the corner of my eye as Luhan took a deep breath and settled into his seat beside me. He was becoming unnerved again. Whenever I thought that we were finally in a good place, it always seemed to happen.

“Emi’s doing fine, she’s taken a break from Uncle’s business and focusing on finishing this semester of college” Dad had finished ordering on behalf of all of us and rejoined the conversation, “Aunty’s been taking care of Uncle, plus, Emi’s been seeing this very helpful boy who’s been doing the odd jobs at their home since her Dad isn’t able to do them anyway. Hon, what was his name again?”

I gawked with a silly grin at the thought of my cousin Emi, dating someone. She was always so busy doing this and doing that, I never thought that she’d have any time!

“I think she said he was a Park? I think Park Jimin?”

“Boyfriend’s are great, huh?” I tried to slip in a hint inconspicuously but maybe it was way too obvious as my parents exchanged looks to one another on their side of the table, whilst Luhan nudged my leg with his from under the table top.

“-about my relatives” Luhan flipped the conversation once more, as he seemed to finally return back to earth. “They’ve been wanting to see me since I’m graduating soon. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, especially my grandparents”

“That’s right!” Mum perked up once more, “The both of you and your friends are graduating in a few weeks time! We haven’t even thought about your gift, Aera. You need to let us know what you want”

On cue, three bowls of noodles came out, delivered to our table by Grandma’s grown up grandson who always seemed to wear an Adidas tracksuit. Mom and Dad were going to share one serve as Luhan and I had one each to ourselves. I guess this was my parents saying that there weren’t going to approve of any boyfriend of mine just yet.

Back to the point, I didn’t even know what I wanted. But if my parents were open to any suggestion, then maybe accepting the fact that I finally have a boyfriend might be the only gift I want - That along with a finally calm and stable relationship…

“No rush” I beat around the bush and quickly looked to Luhan, who seemed borderline distracted once more. 

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out…”

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did anyone get the ‘Ancestors of the Moon’ joke? HAHA

oooo subtle cliff hanger. I actually wrote too much LOLOL and didn’t want to put too many events in one chapter but that’s a good thing because that means our next chapter is half way done already! 

but yay for Luhan meaning the parents and yay for the group performing at the Summer Jam Festival!!!! Seriously guys, look forward to the next chapters!!! 

anywho, thank you so much for reading (as usual haha) please don’t forget to subscribe / comment / upvote / tell me how you feel !