Ch. 8 - 

I spent most of my days at home and nothing special happened. Jaewon looked like nothing happened, I didn't want to confront him, because I couldn't remember a lot about that night.

However it were nice few days. Jaewon and my mom got closer. They cook together and mom teaches him how to spice up the food just right. It was getting weirder when mom started telling her stories behind the right spicing up.

"There is a saying, when the food is too salty. It means that you're in love" mom spoke up as she was stirring the vegetable in a pan. She had that tiny little happy smile on her lips. But that was not what interested me. Eventually, Jaewon turned around just so slightly and glanced at me. After all, he can't hide from me forever. But he saw me looking and he quickly turned back to my mother. What was that about?

On Monday, I had many exams and tests to write because I was absent. Vernon and Chan helped me with studying, because I had no clue what the exams were about. Jinny also came to cheer me up, but it kind of seemed strange. She never really hung out with us and suddenly she tried to be our fourth companion and Vernon supported that idea. What was going on?

The math test didn't go well at all. It devastated me. I only got 47 out of 100. How could I?

"I'm so dumb, so stupid" I scolded myself pulling on my hair in the cafeteria. Vernon was sipping on his box juice and Chan was eating his lunch. On the other side, Jinny was comfortingly patting my arm and actually acted like my mother.

"It's not your fault" she whispered. Gazing to Vernon, he nodded, agreeing with Jinny.

"It's not fair to give you a test after missing school for a week"  Chan added, his mouth full. "This school is a hell" adding, he took another bite of his sandwich.

"Speaking of hell" Vernon sighed and his eyes stopped somewhere behind my head. I turned around into an uncomfortable angle and saw the whole Jaewon squad walk inside the cafeteria. I wanted to look cool, because we seemed to finally get along, at least that was how we were at their house.

From left to right, they were coming down the hall in the order of Seungcheol, Jaewon, Wonwoo and Mingyu. The four gangster jerks. For the first impression you would guess they are just sweet guys, they appeared like that, but they could cause a huge trouble.

Seungcheol, also known as S.Coups, was Jaewon's best friend. They always hung out together. They have been ever since childhood, as long as I know. He was a happy person, always smiling and sometimes looking like a puppy, although he had his tough side of himself. He could be really rough and scary sometimes. He was the eldest of them and also the school's radio host. He had a fine voice and he could do magic with music.

Wonwoo on the other side was always tough looking. He had that solid image, the image of a cold statue that never broke. His emotions were well kept underneath his surface, but he wasn't like this all the time. He has an older brother, Seokmin, that made their name famous at this school. He was a very talented student and when he graduated, Wonwoo dropped in the attention of every teacher. He got compared to him and judged, but he never was good enough to stand up to his brother. He got sick of it and that's when his strong facade started to build up. Ever since then, he has been really known by his closest friends and family and only them.

Mingyu was a ladies man. Whereas the other boys had eyes only for their crushes, Mingyu was actually the crush of every girl at school. He usually changed girlfriends as often as he changed underwear, but I don't know about that. With the looks of a sweetheart, he always made it into the hearts of women, even teacher. It's not a tragedy, but as it is rumored, he either likes elder women or he doesn't like females as a gender at all...

They were acting like some famous folks and it almost looked like it was going slow-motion. Jaewon's eyes roamed the cafeteria and a smile suddenly crept on my lips. I thought he was looking for me. His eyes didn't stop on me, whatsoever. The whole group aimed to the table in the center. There was Suzy and her girl squad sitting chatting and giggling over something.

"Those fudging Betsies!" Jinny muttered under her breath as she turned back from looking at the seat of popular. She gained our attention with her funny cussing. She was too pretty to curse and this was the worst we ever heard from her. 

"Wow Jin... that scared the out of me" Vernon said in English, because we were not allowed to cuss at school. It was an obvious mocking and Jinny took it too seriously. However, guys will always be guys.

"Don't curse, goddamnit!" Chan spoke his mouth full and crumbs all over his mouth. I laughed.

"Chan, you have all over your face" I leaned over and wiped his mouth with my sleeve, just to have my hand swatted by Chan. We all laughed, except for Jinny. She was pouting and hiding her head between her shoulders.

After some time, it was getting annoying. The loud laughs, loud chatters and noises from the popular seats were making students leave the cafeteria with angry mutters. Jinny also groaned all the time and clicked her tongue on the roof of . Chan didn't mind, he was enjoying his meal without getting disturbed. Vernon was glancing over at them with a frown, before looking back at me. I only rolled my eyes with a heavy sigh and returned Vernon's gaze.

"He's talking about you" Vernon mentioned as he put a piece of Chan's sandwich into his mouth. Hesitantly, I turned my gaze over at Jaewon and his group seeing how all of them were looking in his direction, laughing quite amused about something. Jaewon's eyes were fixed on me as he was looking over his shoulder. Something was strange about his smile. It was teasing, yet fully observing. It felt like he was feeling me up with his eyes and his smile just proved it. I changed my mind, it was a freaking smirk!

It was bothering me for a very long time today. What were they talking about? Was it really about me? What was he thinking? Do I really want to know?

It's closing to evening now and I'm bored as hell... Mom is in her study finishing up some costumes for the performance and Mr. Jung is watching TV in the living room. Jaewon is up in his room, locked inside since he came home. And I'm in the kitchen, writing this. The TV is so loud! Mr. Jung loves watching those criminal channels where they describe those real ones, that really happened. He was watching it with anxiety and he would ask each one of us who we guess is the murderer. It creeps me out sometimes. 

"What are you doing?" Jaewon asked me and poked me on my back. I straightened up a little, startled. I didn't notice him come in. 

"None of your business... What were you talking about during lunch?" I shot my question at him and turned around in my seat. He poured himself a glass of water and chuckled as I asked.

"None of your business..." he mocked me, imitating my voice annoyingly. I sighed and knew I wasn't going to get anywhere near the answer I want to hear.

"My last will" I uttered and leaned my elbow on the counter and looked at him. He hummed with wide eyes, probably not hearing my answer. He took a great sip of the glass of water, face turned to me. "I was writing my last will" I repeated myself, joking of course. He hummed a snicker and put the glass down.

"Pink fluffy unicorns" he responded with the most annoying and mocking grimace, looking like a Chinese fish... no offense! He walked up to me and ruffled my hair. "Why does your last will have so much of my name in it?" he asked as he pass me by and I realized he had to take a peek of my dairy. Great! "Do I inherit something?" he teased with a grin.

"Sure, a palm on your face" I replied and closed my dairy at the spot. He laughed and nodded, walking into the bathroom downstairs. It wasn't likely that he was going there, because he had been using the bathroom upstairs since forever. I followed him with quick steps and slipped inside the bathroom, before he could close the door. It was too late, however, when he realized I slipped inside. He closed the door. We shared a long, piercing, disturbing stare, Jaewon's lips curving in an 'o' shape and my twitched into a smirk. I knew he was going to act soon and I was right.

He threw a towel at me to distract me and he was successful. I grabbed the towel by instinct, but I didn't realize that Jaewon already lunged forward to attack me with a wide playful smile. I dodged his clawing hands and slipped towards the shower, jumping into the bath tub and waiting for him. I remember hearing my cracking voice and my hard panting as he was laughing and scolding me for running away from him. I could feel a pair of arms wrap around my torso and held me down for a moment.

"Let go!" I squirmed and tried to loosen up his grip and earn my escape. But he wouldn't budge. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I could cuss and hit him or kick my feet nothing would help. He was thickheaded. He left the bathroom and headed upstairs to, perhaps, his room. 

Mr. Jung was disturbed by my loud yelling and scolding. He turned his attention to us and pulled his glasses lower on the bridge of his nose.

"What the- Jaewon?" he asked, trying to take a better look of us as we actually had fun at the moment. "What are you guys doing?"

"I'm teaching him a lesson, don't worry" Jaewon laughed and the door of his room closed behind us.

"How's your head?" asked Jaewon as he was lying on his bed, face buried deep into a tattoo magazine. I was let to play video games in his room on his huge TV and I didn't feel any need for anything ele.

"It's fine" I replied shortly, too focused on the game. He hummed and turned a page. "What were you talking about at lunch?"

"Why do you care?"

"I want to know."

"Why?"

"Because-"

"Nothing" he replied shortly and put away his book. He was chuckling in process and shifted his position on the bed, crossing his legs. "Nothing that concerns you."

"It didn't seem like it" I insisted. I could feel him watching me, but when I heard his bed creak I didn't actually mind. "Vernon noticed you talking and all of you were looking at me... and then I turned around-" I turned around again, but I went numb right there. His face was an inch away from mine, leaning against the back rest of the sofa he had in his room. He was smiling handsomely, but it was strange that he was so close. I could feel his breath on my face. I couldn't take my eyes from his eyes, but he sure was really interesting from this close up. He had full lips, pink and moist, his nose was pointy but soft, like he had no bridge bone in his nose. His eyes were big, constantly moving, memorizing every and each spot on my face. Corners of his lips rolled up into a small smile, almost impossible to notice as his chin was squished under the pressure against it from the bottom.

"And then what?" a whisper left his lips, teasing my sensitive skin on my face. His breath was surprisingly clean and minty, almost like he brushed his teeth a second ago. As he spoke, my eyes darted to his lips on their own and my own parted in thoughtfulness. It was almost as close as before, when he almost kissed me. But now, he was sober. There was no excuse for this action.

"You looked at me" I finished shortly, not breathing at all. He smiled wider with a hum.

"I'm always looking at you," he whispered and slowly inched closer, "Samuel."

"SAMUEL!" a loud voice suddenly shocked me and I jumped, falling over the sofa and hitting the hard ground. I was in Jaewon's room, but what was going on? "Can  you at least pause the game or turn it off when you decide to fall asleep?" Jaewon scoffed. I pushed myself up from the floor and met with Jaewon's dark eyes looking at me over the edge of the book. "The sound of your game over is pissing me the off" I only saw how his forehead wrinkled up, frowning.

Was this just a dream?