Chapter 6 – Halloween

“Will you be my May?”

Kang Seol blinks at the man standing in front of her.

“What?”

“I said,” Jongin clears his throat. “Will you be my May?”

“May?” she frowns.

“May from the Pokemon series,” Jongin grins. “Or Haruka in the Japanese series, but yes—May from Pokemon,”

Seol blinks at him a few times before asking a very confused, “Why?”

“For the Halloween Party!” Jongin exclaims excitedly. “I’m planning to be Torchic, that cute fire pokemon that looks like a chick,” he fidgets with his fingers. “And, I thought that it’ll be cool to have a partner for this year’s party, so—“

“No,” Seol rejects immediately, moving back to her notes. “I’m not going to the party,”

“Oh, come on, Seol,” Jongin pulls the chair beside her and drops himself on it. “It’ll be fun! You’d look awesome in her red bandana hat,”

“I don’t even like Pokemon,” she muttered.

“Just like May!” Jongin reasoned passionately, banging on the table. Seol takes a deep breath before continuing with her notes as she ignores Jongin’s words. “In the series, May didn’t like pokemon either! She only joined because she’d be able to travel, but she grew to love pokemon, and so will you, Kang Seol,”

“Ask someone else,” Seol sighs. “I have enough things to deal with,”

Jongin tilts his head, glancing at her notes and realized that she was actually drawing instead of writing. “Why, are you busy with something?” he tried to take a closer look of her book until Seol moves it away.

“It’s none of your business,” she gives him her signature cold look before standing up, picks up her stuffs and move out of the classroom.

Jongin heaved a sigh and watched the girl leave. When will that girl put a bit of colour in her life? Playing as May isn’t too showy compared to his clown suit as Torchic. Or is it because of his showy outfit that she’d be ashamed of going door to door with him?

“Wait, Seol!” Jongin runs out of the classroom and found her heading to her locker.

The girl glanced at him with a lifted brow, showing her annoyance. “I’m not going,”

“Is it because my costume is too eye catching? Fine, let’s be something else. What about Hansel and Gretel? Or you become a witch and I’ll be your cat!”

Seol stops on her heels and Jongin stops out of surprise. The girl turns around to face him with an upset look, “I have to help my mom, I don’t have time for this,” she reasons. “Stop bugging me, or you won’t even make it to Halloween,” she mutters before continuing on her walk.

Jongin pursed his lips. “Is it because of that cupcake you’re drawing?” he asked out loud, causing her to stop in her steps. Jongin smirked to this, approaching her. “Your mom owns a bakery, right? Did she ask you to make some season cupcakes?” he asked, noting the Halloween design she had on her cupcake drawings.

Seol rolls her eyes. “So what if it is?”

“I can help you,” Jongin smiles. “I had experience working in a bakery. My aunt owns one too, so I’m not just talking,”

“How can you help?”

“More brains, more ideas,” Jongin points on her book. “Besides, I know an awesome pumpkin pie recipe that solely paid my aunt’s bakery bills,” he wiggled his eyebrows. “What do you say? I help you, and you join me for trick or treating,”

Seol narrows her eyes at him. She’s on a deadline, so she’s not really in a position to refuse. Not to mention that baking is not really her forte. She studied his expression for a good solid ten seconds before sighing. He looked sincere—she wasn’t sure if this is gonna be good or bad, but she’s down with it as long as princess Baekhyunella doesn’t suddenly appear.

“Fine,” Seol almost groaned. “Afterschool, my house. Got it?”

Jongin fist pumped the air so passionately, veins were popping out, “GOT IT,”

“And I’m deciding the costume,” she pointed before rolling her eyes as she walked away freely now.

“No problem, pumpkin!” Jongin chirped, only to receive a good smack of Kang Seol’s notebook straight on his face.

“So,” Luhan placed his tray on the table before looking at all of his friends. “What are you going to be for the school’s Halloween party?”

“Minseok and I are planning to be the Siamese cats from the Lady and the Tramp,” Tao grinned.

“I was forced,” Minseok corrected, muttering as he sipped his coffee.

“Well, what about you?” Luhan turned to Sehun and Li Ah.

The two glanced at each other before Li Ah opened , “We… we’re planning on being partners for the party, so—“

“Oh, just date will you?” Baekhyun bemoans.

“She was speaking,” Sehun muttered.

“Oh, right,” Baekhyun faked a smile. “Carry on,”

“Well, I’m planning to be Snow White, and Sehun will be one of the dwarves,” Li Ah shyly revealed.

“HAHAHAHA,” Baekhyun and the whole lot burst into laughter, even Suho spurt out his milk. “An oversized pole like him—a dwarf? God, switch roles and it’d be perfect!” Baekhyun had tears running out of his eyes.

Li Ah visibly pouted. “Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have brought up that idea,” she mumbled. “You are pretty tall,”

“Uh huh,” Sehun nods, seemingly pleased that she wasn’t very keen on the idea of dressing him up as an old, beardy dwarf.

“Maybe you guys can play as Minnie and Mickey Mouse or something,” Jongdae suggested. “It’ll be cute too,”

“Well,” Chanyeol clears his throat. “I’m not telling what costume I’ll be wearing,” the tall male had a smug smirk on his face.

“You’re going to cosplay as some Marvel hero, right?” Jongin quickly mentioned.

Chanyeol sat silently for a solid ten seconds before shaking his head, “No,” he said rather unsurely.

“Good job, Jongin. You dug his secret out,” Jongdae snickers.

“Actually, I have a backup plan!” Chanyeol raised his hand, indirectly admitting that his secret was in fact found out. “Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and I are planning to be playing as Rilakkuma! Well, I’m Rilakkuma. Baekhyun is Korilakkuma and Kyungsoo agreed on being Kiiroitori, the yellow chick,”

The others seemingly widened their eyes, gaping at a calm Do Kyungsoo.

“You’re trick or treating as something else other than a demon?” Jongin frowns at him, speaking in amusement.

Kyungsoo gave him a look before clearing his throat, “I’m just doing this because I don’t want to dress up as a penguin again,” he explained with disappointment, recollecting the days he made the elder teachers pass out due to this horrifying demon and ghosts costumes.

“You don’t even have to put on makeup or dress up, you still look like a demon,” Baekhyun blurted before getting hit by the owl.

“What are you dressing up as?” Luhan asked Suho.

“I’m going to be a farmer,” Suho proudly reveals. “We all must be grateful for all the hard work that farmers had done for us, for if it wasn’t for their blood and sweat, we wouldn’t be having good meals,”

“Are you really supporting farmers or are you just boasting about the vegetables on our plate that came from your garden club?” Kris lifted a brow.

Suho shrugged, “No comment,”

“It’s kind of weird that this clean freak is brave enough to touch dirt,” Kris comments.

“I wear gloves,”

“Typical,”

“Well,” Luhan tapped on the table. “I guess nobody is taking deers?” he grinned. “Again?” Sehun frowned, the others groaning from Luhan’s question. “You dressed as a deer a few times now, it’s so boring,” Baekhyun moaned out. “I’m perfect as a deer and you know it,” Luhan pointed at him with his chopsticks. “Besides, I always dress up differently,”

“Well, I’m dressing up as a giant lightning!” Jongdae raised his hand cheerfully. “And I’ll be the person hit by it,” Yixing raised his hand too. “Partner and couple costumes are getting trendy these days,” Minseok rubbed his chin. “I’m surprised that nobody here is dressing up as Joker and Harley Quinn,” Chanyeol chuckled.

Li Ah immediately choked on her water, Sehun showing panic in his eyes as he pat her back hastily while she coughs the shock away. They all blinked at her. Well, they guess they ruined yet another costume idea for her.

“What are you planning to be?” Luhan nudged Jongin who was engulfing the fries on his plate.

“Me?” Jongin asked with his mouth full. “I don’t know yet, Kang Seol hasn’t told me what we’re gonna be, so—“

“Wait, wait, wait,” Chanyeol immediately cut in, shutting him up with his finger. “You and Kang Seol? Together? Partners?”

“Yeah!” Jongin beamed. “It wasn’t easy persuading her, but I got her to do it with me,”

“Did you threat her?” Baekhyun frowned at him.

“Maybe he spiked her drink or something,” Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes.  

“No, I did not,” Jongin stressed his words through gritted teeth. “I simply negotiated with her,”

“Darn, does this mean I’ll lose my bet with Min Ji?” Minseok whined.

“You made a bet with who?” Baekhyun immediately scowled.

“Is nobody going to ask me?” Tao whines.

“Nobody wants to know,” Kris blurted casually.

As the boys continue to argue, Jongin was distracted when he saw a figure a few tables away from them waving her arms at him. Jongin narrowed his eyes to focus on who it was, but when he realized that it was Kang Seol, he immediately shot up from his seat.

“Come here,” she mouthed at him as she motioned him to come over to her table.

Hiding his grin, Jongin picked up his bag and left his tray before going over to her table. Everybody was so busy they didn’t even notice him leaving the table; Sehun was busy comforting a terribly depressed Li Ah, Tao was still nagging at anyone who have ears, Kris was trying hard to listen to Suho’s speech about the importance of cleanliness and agriculture, Baekhyun was still debating with Minseok, Luhan was explaining his detailed concept for Halloween to anybody who would listen and the others were spectators of this whole theater.

Jongin sat down beside her, and he already knew what she was going to talk about when she saw the cupcake design on the table.

“I need your opinion in this one,” she spoke in a soft voice, somewhat cautious of her surroundings. “If I make them like this, do you think kids would like it?”

Jongin takes the piece of paper on the table and inspects it, tapping the side of his forefinger on his lip. “I think the skull design is awesome. The spider web design is cool too, but…”

“But what?” her tone showed clear annoyance.

Jongin gave her a look, “Do you want my opinion or not?”

Kang Seol huffed, “Fine,”

“I think it’s cool and all, but it’s a little too main stream. Why not do Russian roulettes of sorts with these cupcakes?”

“Russian roulettes?”

“Yeah, we can also print some edible paper with warning designs to stick on top of the cupcakes. We can play with flavours. Kids these days love to play Russian roulettes, I mean you can make a cupcake out of horseradish or wasabi or stink beans is all I’m saying,” the male chuckled. “Adults might love it too to trick their kids or trick or treating children,”

Seol rubs her chin, “I like the idea,” she nods.

“Great, it’s settled then,” Jongin taps on the table. “Now, let’s talk about our costume,”

“Covered,” Seol simply replies, standing up as she assumed that their business is done. “You can take it after we bake these cupcake