Ten

"Why do we still need to do all these?" Luhan sighed. They have been doing this for three days now. It is no wonder why no one ever volunteer for this activity every year. The school claimed the activity is from student for student, but he begged to differ.

 

Though a group of girls offered to do the things for him, by now, he won't even let them to come near him. When they asked it yesterday, he was happily accepted the offer. But things don't always go as plan. The girls only work for the first ten minutes, after that they all started to ask him about him and the boys. A few even started to flirt with him which at the end he drove them all out from the classroom. Now, they are back to square. He and Jessica need to do all the things by themselves again.

 

Jessica laughed. "Why complain when you're the one that declined the girls' help."

 

Luhan made a face. He's not the only one that didn't appreciate the ‘help'. He noticed how Jessica took all her things to one corner and she plugged her ears with her earphone. Though her face didn't show it, but her action speaks louder than word. On top of that, he realized how relief she looked like when the girls left them alone again.

 

"If we have a few more helping hands, I think we can finished this by today."

 

"We're here, Luhan hyung!"

 

Right after Luhan finished talking, all eleven of them dropped by to help him. They even brought two bucket of fried chicken and apple cider with them as if they're coming for party.

 

"You guys are late!"

 

Sehun laughed. "No, hyung. We thought of coming here after you guys finish doing those. Then maybe we can celebrate together. That's why we even bring food here."

 

"But then, Kris hyung urged us to quickly finish what we were doing and come here to help both of you." Chanyeol grinned and all the boys gave the same look in their face.

 

"Can we eat now?" Kai asking while rubbing his tummy. He just had his lunch, but he can always eat more if it's chicken.

 

"No. We work first, then we eat." Luhan decided it first before any of them agree with Kai. Once the start eating first, they will take hours to finish it. Especially when they will take their own sweet time talking about everything while eating.

 

"Let's start work now." Kai instructed them right away and he took the seat beside Luhan and started to do his part. There's no point arguing with Luhan because most of the time, he will win the argument anyway.

 

Everyone was laughing while looking at his act. Then they all surrounded Luhan and joined him. Only Kris took his seat beside Jessica and since his handwriting is quite decent, so Jessica let him to help her with the writing.

 

They all focused and work hard on it and they only took for about an hour to finish the remaining work. They packed all the pamphlets back inside the box. Right after that, Kai was the first one to take the food and drinks to their table. Luhan chuckled looking at him and he helped the maknae to distribute it to the members.

 

"Can you eat fried chicken, Soo Yeon-ah?" Kris asked her, just to be sure. A lot of girls that he met didn’t eat it since they said they're on diet and it's oily. He used to not eat it, but once he tasted it, there's no turning back for him. He felt for chicken for life.

 

Jessica laughed. "Why you asked as if the chicken is a rare food? Of course I can eat fried chicken."

 

Kris smiled looking at her. He always like eating with girls that are not choosy with foods and he noticed that she can really eat despite her look and size.

 

While they're enjoying their food, one of their classmate came into the class.

 

"Ae Ra? You're not going home yet?" Chanyeol was the first one that noticed her at the door.

 

"Do you want to join us, Ae Ra?" Lay offered her. Though they are not really close with her, but good thing should be shared around.

 

Ae Ra smiled at them. "Actually, I'm looking for Soo Yeon. Can I talk with you for a moment?"

 

All the boys turned to look at her. They never saw her talking or befriend with any of the girls here even after three months she transferred here. Most of the time, she was always alone. But then they remembered Kris talked about Shin Ae Ra before and now she's looking for her?

 

Jessica gave a cold look at her. "I don't have anything to talk to you." She declined it without taking any second to think.

 

"Just for a while." She pleaded.

 

Jessica walked out of the classroom with her.

 

"I never see her that pissed off."

"Jessica doesn't look like she likes her."

"Why is she looking for her?"

"Also at this hour?"

 

They watched both of them in silence. None of them do anything as they all didn't understand the situation in front of them.

 

Jessica walked to her seat and she packed her belonging with her. Ae Ra was still talking to her, but she completely ignored her. She also ignored the boys' stares.

 

"Soo Yeon-ah, can't you forgive me?"

 

"What happened here?" Kris asked both of them as he couldn't stand to watch it anymore. Why Jessica suddenly looked sad while Shin Ae Ra looked nervous?

 

"Kris, I know I made a mistake, but I.."

 

"I thought I made it clear yesterday that I want no girls inside the class at this hour?" Luhan cut Ae Ra before she could finish her sentence. They don't need to hear her as whatever the matter is, it doesn't involve them and both of them should settle it by themselves.

 

"Luhan, I.."

 

Luhan avoided her eye contact.

 

She looked at Kris.

 

Kris shrugged. It is not his style to overwrite what just said.

 

Ae Ra didn't has any other choice but to leave. Before she left, she put a small wrapped gift box with a card on her table.

 

Jessica hold her bag. She has no appetite left and she wanted to go home. She couldn't face anyone at this moment after Ae Ra's attempt just now. Their history started long ago and what happened between them was not so pretty after all.

 

"I never said you could leave, Jessica. At least finish your food first."

 

Jessica looked at Luhan. He didn't look at her, but she know he won't like it if she left them at this moment. Three days straight working closely with him and a week sitting beside him, slowly she learnt one by one of his traits. Jessica put her bag and she sat down again.

 

"What was that gift for, noona?" Tao asked Jessica when everyone else still quiet.

 

"Today is my birthday." Her voice is almost inaudible when she answered him.

 

~~~

 

"Happy birthday, Jessica!"

"Happy birthday, noona!"

"Happy birthday, Jung Soo Yeon!"

 

When they knew it was her birthday that day, without taking any second to think, they all unanimously agreed to throw her a birthday party. Since Luhan hasn't fulfill his promise yet, so he suggested for them to celebrate it at the mandoo shop that he told her about. They also stopped by at the cake shop to buy her birthday cake.

 

"Sorry that I raised my voice at you on your birthday." Luhan apologized. He felt bad when he forced her to sit down again after she insisted to leave.

 

Jessica smiled at him. "It's okay, Luhan. If I left just now, I won't be having the mandoo at this moment."

 

Luhan laughed. Then he gave her present that he bought on the way here. "This is from all of us. Hope you will like it."

 

All of them grinned at her. They have emergency fund which kept by Suho in case they need to use it for occasion like this. Every month they will gave Suho an amount of money and they will use the money for eating out or when they want to celebrate something. But today is Luhan's treat as he promised her. They only used their fund to buy her the present.

 

"What's this?" She took the present from Luhan.

 

"Open it, noona." Sehun asked her to quickly have a look.

 

Jessica tore the wrapper and she opened the box. Inside it was a pink baby tee with a wording 'girl's power' on it. She chuckled looking at it. Along with it, they also bought her a headphone. She got it why they bought her the baby tee, but why with headphone?

 

"Next time when you didn't want to listen to other people, just put that so that they get the message. Earphone is too small for them to notice." Kris explained it to her when he saw her face expression after she saw the headphone.

 

"But of course you cannot use that on any of us." Luhan added.

 

Jessica laughed. Somehow, she felt so touched by their action. They always do something that's very nice to her even when she was a nobody to them. "Why are you guys so nice to me?"

 

"Because we like you, Jessica." Chen answered her joyfully. Though she is quiet, but they always like her personality and attitude. She’s not the type of girls that always try hard just to grab their attention.

 

"And because we always think of you as our friend, noona." Kyungsoo reasoned out.

 

"So, don't feel like you're alone here, Soo Yeon-ah. We are all on your side. Just call for us when you need anything." Kris smiled sweetly at her.

 

"Yeah, all of those. Only the last part, don't look for us." Baekhyun cheekily and Kris at the same time.

 

"Only look for our Kris hyung if you need anything. We are not free." Chanyeol mischievously joined Baekhyun teasing them.

 

"You two!" Kris frowned at the two of them.

 

All of them including Jessica laughed at Kris. She never knew he could frowned like that. All the while he always showed his cool side to her. But when he was with his group members, he could be whatever he wants.

 

"You shouldn't laugh, Soo Yeon-ah." Kris made a face at her.

 

"I always thought that among all twelve of you, you are the coolest. Probably because you looked so cold on the outside."

 

Her comments made the boys laughed even louder. They really couldn't guess whether she was compliment him or otherwise. But what she said was true. Kris is the cold guy among them. But he literally killed a lot of girls once he smiles. That's his strength actually.

 

"Since you mentioned this, noona, let's have a quick one. Who do you think is the most good looking among us?" Kai purposely asked her the question that would made Kris even annoyed if she didn't pick his name. Kris was always confident with his look, but he always tied with Luhan on the poll.

 

"You are all very good looking." Jessica picked the safest answer.

 

"We know that, noona." Sehun laughed. "But if you're to choose one?"

 

"Ermmm, Luhan?" She chuckled when Luhan smirked his victory while Kris made an annoyed face. She heard about the poll that going around and how the two always tied up. But personally, she thinks that Luhan is very eye candy.

 

"Next." Kris asked them to move to another question or topic if they still have any.

 

That made all of them burst into laughter.

 

"How about this? Since you have worked with both Luhan hyung and Kris hyung, who do you think is more charismatic between them?" Suho asked her the question that he always curious about. He noticed how Jessica always listened well to Luhan. Just like just now, when Luhan asked her to finish her food, she didn't argue back on him. Unlike with Kris, she will definitely talked back though in the end she will do what Kris asked her.

 

"No doubt, this is Luhan too."

 

"Why?" Her answer made Xiumun wants to know her reason.

 

"Somehow, I have this feeling that I need to listen to him when he said something. How to say it? It was like he didn't use force when he asked, but you will feel something is not right if you refused it. Maybe because he was way too cool when he asked you."

 

"So, what you're trying to say now is that I am not the coolest now?" Kris questioned her back. She chose Luhan twice over him. So, he cannot hold himself from asking that even though it might sounds childish.

 

Jessica shook her head. "You're still the coolest. Cool guy never ashamed of exposing his true self to anybody."

 

And that was enough to send Kris to cloud nine.