Selcouth;

Chapter 4

By: M.S.Jing

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"Jihoonie, wake up, school starts in 20 minutes" a seemingly far off voice called, my body shaking, probably by the same person. "Jihoon-ah if you don't get up now, I'll leave you behind". Ugh, school, I have to see Seungcheol and show him my track. Wait my track. I shooed my tiredness away and shot up, my roommate falling back at my sudden action "I need a flash drive".

"There's one on the desk, Why?" Mingyu wondered, recovering enough to get up and go over to get the little stick. "I need to give Seungcheol-ssi a demo of one of my songs and I didn't have one good enough so I made a new one last night" I explained as I worked my magic with my weirdly stiff fingers. While it was saving I played it for the older, singing along at some points.

"It's amazing" he awed as he quickly checked the clock, spazzing as he saw what it was "we have to leave like… negative 5 minutes ago". "Okay, I'll get changed and then we can run, you're dressed right, make some lunch" I ordered to his dismay, finally nodding and going to the kettle. I ran upstairs and grabbed the first clothes I could find and rushed back downstairs in only boxers, trying to get dressed as I ran. I realized I grabbed one of Mingyu's lighter sweaters and one of my skinny jeans. “This is gonna be an interesting look” I thought to myself. I barely buttoned up the pants and got my bag on my shoulder before rushed out the door and down to the bus.

We barely made it into the grounds before they closed the gates. Which left me running to the second floor for English. I remember sprinting down the hall and seeing the teacher closing the door when I stuck my hand in the opening to keep it open. "Mr. Lee, cutting it a little late and dressing a little down aren't we?" the teacher smiled sweetly before letting me in and locking the door behind me. I huffed heavily as I made my way back to the seat I was sitting in yesterday, beside the very devil himself. "Hey, why were you late?" He wondered, looking me up and down. I wanted to punch him, how can he be so casual after what happened yesterday? "My alarm didn't go off" I partly lied, setting everything down and letting my head fall onto the desk. "Ah, did you remember the demo?" He wondered, turning his full attention to me, which made me flustered.

"Y-yea, it-it’s in my pocket" I murmured, feeling around the loose sweater I was wearing to try and find it. ', it was in my other sweater'. "Umm... it's...uhh, " I swore as I went on to check my bag and pants pockets as he watched me freak out. "It's okay, we'll just go to your place after school and I'll listen to it then, today we'll just work on putting it together and making lyrics if we have time" he sighed, turning back to the short review of yesterday. "Wait, my place?" I clarified, messily pulling out my books and pencils.

"Yea, you have a simple sound system, right" he muttered as he double checked yesterday's notes with what the teacher was reviewing right now. "Of course, you can just take the bus home with me" I gave in to myself as I calmed and began writing notes. "No, I have a vehicle here, I'll drive us there" he decided by himself, writing the new facts that were written on the board. "Wait you can actually legally drive, I thought that was a temporary car you had before".

"Yea, I'm 17, I got my learners licence a year ago" he informed me as we both wrote notes. "I see" I hummed, the awkward tension rising by the second. I knew that things could probably never be normal again but I didn't expect things to be this awkward, is it like this for him too? Shouldn't he be shunning me about now? Wait, if he can drive, why did he insist on carrying me to his house the other day? Maybe he didn't bring his car with him that day, or maybe he had two cars, a one person motorcycle and a regular car? Why is his body heat so high? Wait why am I thinking of that? I need to do something to get my mind off of this stupid situation. Maybe I'll take an extra shift tonight. Ugh, why do I have so many questions I could ask right now of all times.

"Jihoon-ah, hello, Jihoonie" the deep voice that makes my mind wander whispered, really close to my ear, something blocking my view every few seconds. "What" I gasped slightly hopping away from him as I realized he was waving a hand in front of my face. "You were spaced out there for like a minute or two" he chuckled, going back to his computer as the teacher sat down at his desk "did you at least hear what the project was". I stared at the board, blank. "I'm guessing ‘no’" he smiled softly as he turned his computer for me to see "we have to write up a report on a certain current event, simple". "Okay, thanks" I murmured, pulling out my phone and looking up current events. This is gonna be a slow day.

In Writing we had time to work on the play project, I based my story off of a boy who was obsessed with the story of the princess and the frog. He grew up, the story stuck in the back of his mind. And when he was out one day, riding his horse, there was a small puppy that he couldn't help but give a small peck to. Before he knew it, it had transformed into a man with stunningly hot figure and adorable dog ears. He was forced to take the man home and give him some clothes. That's about all I've written so far, mostly because there a few filler scenes in between each one.

At lunch the three of us hung out on the roof, Jeonghan and Seokmin having to go to an extra vocal practice. "Chan-ah, how did you forget to pack lunch?" Mingyu sighed as him and I sat on the ground, leaning against the wired fence. "You can have some of mine" I offered, showing him my wired tuna sandwich, making him cringe. "I'm good, I'll be right back" the youngest groaned, lazily dragged himself back to the door we came from. "He probably woke up late" I laughed as we started eating our mediocre lunches. "We should watch some cooking videos when we get home, or get Jeonghan-hyung to teach us something" Mingyu decided, staring down the sloppy sandwich he had made in a hurry this morning.

"Mingyu-ah, I have a friend, that has a problem" I decided to say as he tried the suspicious piece of meat "who is it?". "I can't say, but promise you won't tell anyone" I sighed, sad that I have to lie to him, only getting a nod in response. "Okay so he was in class with his enemy's brother and they were left alone eventually. They were yelling at each other and now the other guy’s mad at him. But he's acting like it never happened, should they talk about it. and the enemy is being so friendly and touchy feely".

"It sounds like this enemy of ‘your friend’ likes this guy" Mingyu scoffed, finally taking a bite of the probably good tasting sandwich. "What?!". "Well I mean, there was a reason he forgave him so easily, you don't usually forgive someone that's your enemy no matter how sorry they are. Like would you forgive Soonyoung for punching you out of the blue?" He tried to explained with a mouthful.

"It sounds like the other guy likes him back, if he notices the other is being touchy then from what I understand he's not stopping him. If they like each other by the brother is the problem try making friends with one of their friends". "You sound like an oracle or something" I laughed, trying to lighten my own mood which worked because we both laughed. "I see nothing but great future in your ‘friend's’ life" Mingyu joked, sitting criss-cross and putting his hands together. ‘A friend of my enemies? Vernon? No. Wonwoo? Maybe. "I have to go, I'll be right back" I huffed, deciding to go and find Wonwoo. "Okay I'll see you in third".

I rushed downstairs and to the vocal room where I planned to go in and pull Wonwoo out and talk to him but I ended up standing outside, leaning on the door. I was truthfully terrified to go in, what if he was still mad.  "I have something to ask you" I heard Seungcheol's voice from inside as I pretended to play on my phone while a teacher passed by. "Did you kill someone?" Soonyoung joked, the others chuckling softly. "No, seriously, it’s for a friend of mine... Saechan. He had this boy who was the enemy of his brother, Junghyun they started yelling at each other and then they almost ed". I internally cried, how do we tell the same story but make it sound so drastically different. Are we even telling the same story.

"I… umm, there were like five words in thy sentence" Vernon teased, drawing out the i in five “Love?”. "What?!" Seungkwan gasped. I imagined him looking absolutely disgusted. "Why so surprised" the youngest wondered, a small thump coming from inside. "They just wanted to , if it were for deeper reasons, like one of them was sorry for making the other mad then it would be meaningful". "Well, my friend was... in an forgiving state" Seungcheol chuckled, almost sounding sad. "They're gonna " Wonwoo muttered in a sing-song way, as the rest of them hummed agreeably. "Okay, that's great," Seungcheol grunted sarcastically as they all laughed lightly, weirdly louder than usual "what about the kid's brother, he's kinda scary from what I've heard around campus".

"Tell your friend to man up and get the respect of this guy, we're here to hang out not give this person relationship advice" Dino complained, footsteps approaching, making me panic. I looked around frantically trying to find a place to hide, only seeing a small hallway a few feet away. I ran into it and pushed myself against the wall as I heard the vocal room door open.

"It's you isn't it" Wonwoo assessed with a soft voice, the others seemingly in front of him. "A little bit, yea" the man admitted awkwardly as the doors hit against each other as they closed. "Damn it Seungcheol" Soonyoung grumbled, the sound of impact coming from the other. "So do you like him?" Vernon piped up as they came up beside him as he pushed himself into the opening of the doorway. I felt my heart pound as I went farther into the corner. "I don't know, I don't not like him" the black haired male hummed hopping as he came into my view, looking towards Wonwoo who happened to be right in front of me. The taller man and I making eye contact.

I pointed at the brunette in front of him and he squinted his eyes a little, the other turning at his look. Making a disappointed look with his face. "Hey!," The brunette with natural highlights suddenly yelled, catching all of their attention towards him and away from me "why don't you guys go to the caf. and I'll meet you there, I left something in the room". "Okay, see you later Wonwoo" Seungkwan waved, laughing a little as he let the other brake off from the group. Seungcheol looking back curiously. He watched them leave as he walked backwards towards me, eyes narrowed.

"You!" He huffed looking like he was about to say something before he sighed and leaned against the opposite wall. "I was coming to talk to you and I heard you guys in the middle of a conversation so I waited but then you guys came out and..." I trailed off, trying to explain as he nodded understandingly, almost seeming sarcastically. "What did you need to talk to me about?" He moved on after running through it in his head. "Okay, I kind of trust you, you didn't attack me so I'm going to tell you this on the condition that you tell no one. That story, the one that Seungcheol-ssi was telling, was us but like way out of proportion". The brunette's mouth hung wide open as his eyes widened "you two kissed!?". "No!" I tried to hush him, attempting to clamp a hand over his mouth. "Just help me, what do I do?" I whined, stomping my feet as I clung onto his hand. At this point I was begging my enemy's step-brother, who wasn't that bad, to help me either get with, or push out his best friend.

"I'll get some info, give me your number" he finally agreed, pulling out his phone and opening his contacts. "Thank you so much, I'm not good with this stuff" I murmured while plunking in my info. "Yea yea, I'm too god damn nice" he hissed, grabbing his phone back and storming off. I raced to the gym as the bell rung, seeing that Mingyu was already changed "where'd you go? You said you'd be right back". "It ran longer than I thought, sorry" I apologized, stripping myself of my shirt. "I'll see you out there, I want to get a few laps in before class" the taller decided, racing out of the room, leaving me and three other guys to change. I quickly changed and went out to the class where half of us decided to go to the pond and the other half went to the dodgeball court. Finally a block that didn't need thought of much, though I wish I used it against my cunning best friend.

"Ah, Mingyu-hyung, why'd you push me down the hill, now my clothes are dirty and drenched" I complained as the bulk of the class entered the change rooms. Me and my dripping clothes in tow. "You tried pushing me first" he laughed, ruffling my hair with his one clean hand "you should have stood your ground better". "I'm not changing, I'll see you later" Mingyu waved, skipping out of the room with his bag and three other boys. I waited until most of the class was gone to begin stripping, being self conscious about my oddly pale, non muscular body.

I opened my lock only to find Mingyu’s, normally soft, grey hoodie and my black skinny jeans drenched in water and covered in dirt. Similar to my gym strip’s condition. I stood with the clothes in my hand, water dripping onto the floor. "Hey, what happened?" one of the other three getting changed wondered, looking over from their lockers. "Oh I was... wrestling with my friends by the pond" I lied as he nodded, going back to stuffing his backpack in his locker. "Sorry dude" the same guy sighed as he and the other 3 left.

I stood in the same spot for about 2 minutes even with the bell going before I fully realized what happened and threw my clothes on the ground in a fury. "!". I sat down on one of the benches and ran my finger through my damp hair in frustration, kicking my clothes to the side. Just then someone burst into the change room, obviously in a hurry as the door hit the wall "I'm sorry, I forgot... Yah~~ Jihoon-ssi, skipping are we? You- what happened?". I looked up and was met with the majorly worried eyes of Soonyoung.

"Not like you'd care" I grunted, turning away from him in an attempt for him to ignore me and leave. "I don't kick puppies who are already down" he mumbled, coming over and picking up both pieces of my outfit. "I'm not a ing puppy" I protested weakly, putting my head in my hands as he walked over to the showers, turning one on "it's an expression".

"Can't you just grab what you came for and get the out" I whined, getting to close my locker and pick up my shirt. "I'm trying to be nice Jihoonie" Soonyoung grumbled, the sound of his locker opening from the other side of the room. I heard his footsteps come closer and I expected him to hit me but I felt something fall onto my head. "It might be a little big but it'll do, just give it to Seungcheol-hyung tomorrow" his voice spoke, a pair of shorts falling into my lap. "Soonyoung-ssi..." I started while turning to him, only to be cut off by his voice "Hyung, call me hyung". "Thank you, hyung" I smiled, kind of happy to be over our 'rough patch'. "Now put a shirt on, no one wants to see your pasty chest" he finished, closing the door softly behind him as he left.

I quickly showered, changed and he was right, it was big. After I stuffed m. Wet clothes in a plastic bag I put he clothes on. The white graphic ‘Basketball league’ T-shirt went down to my high-thigh and the sports shorts were barely hanging onto my hips with a damp belt. I decided I wasn't going to wear sports shorts with a belt after looking at myself in the mirror. With little dignity left I went to the lost and found, grabbing a pair of women’s jeans skinny that managed to fit me. I was a little bit happier as I sprinted off to the studio, almost tripping over my own feet. I opened the door to our mini studio and huffed out my lungs in the doorway for about 10 seconds before Seungcheol noticed me.

"You're finally here, you said you'd do most of the work today," he whined, turning around in his seat while swinging his legs like a child "why are you wearing my clothes?". "What?" I replied, surprised as I looked down at myself. "Those are my clothes, I leant them to Soonyoung-ah" he explained, pulling me over by my wrist to get a better look at them.

"He leant me them because mine were vandalized" I admitted as he inspected the pants, making me nervous. "Van-vandalized? B-by who?!" He stuttered, looking up at me with worried eyes. "I don't know" I informed him, slightly surprised by his mini outburst of interest. "Ah, it's probably that jerk Jinhyun, I'll get him later" he growled to himself, still using my hand as he guided me to my chair. "It's okay, I can handle it myself" I assured him, turning on the computer while he fumbled with his phone. "Jihoon-ah, Jinhyun is as big as me, you couldn't take him on with your life" Seungcheol chuckled while angrily typing some into his phone. "So" I hummed, not really getting his point as he looked back up at me "so? You're easy". "Seungcheol-hyung, I could beat you up almost any day" I scoffed, opening our project and watching it load onto the multiple screens.

Just then I felt myself being spun around by the arms of someone very familiar, being faced to the older. "What did you just say?". "Calm down, I was bluffing, I couldn't actually beat you up" I laughed nervously, taking his hands off my shoulders and leaning back. This situation seems slightly familiar. "You called me hyung". "Oh, sorry, Seungcheol-ssi, sorry Soonyoung-hyung told me to call him hyung so I got mixed up" I corrected myself making him shake his head furiously "no, call me Hyung". "You want me to?" I repeated, eyes feeling dry from not blinking. "Your calling Soonyoung-ah it, why not me?" He interrogated, looking offended as his pulled back and put his hand to his chest in offence.

"Fine, Seungcheol-hyung" I muttered, kicking his chair before I got back to work, finishing the lyrics for the most part. He was really no help today, he made paper airplanes out of my failed lines and threw them at me.

Ring ring ring

"Let's go!" He shouted, throwing his work-of-art-in-the-making in the recycling before picking up his bag and sprinting out. "Why are you so excited to go to my house?" I wondered, slowly packing my bag as he poked his head back in, the other pairs passing behind him. "I get to go to Lee Jihoon's house, you must have all kind of secrets there" he grinned like a child, bouncing on the spot as I finished packing. "I'm an open book" I only half lied, I keep one secret at a time if he asked me 'do you work at the cafe?' I'd say yes but I don't brag about it. My current secret... I'll decide that later. "So if I find something that interests me, you'll explain" he scoffed, waving goodbye to the teacher as we left the slightly musty smelling basement.

"Of course, though I have to say, we don't have much stuff in there" I shrugged, following the hyper one up the stairs. "Two of you live together it can't be that bad" he sighed, walking to the left after we exited the basement. "W-wait where are you going" I spoke up before he turned another corner at the speed he was going. "To the parking lot". "Eh, no, no, no, we're taking the bus" I intercepted, pointing to the right which was towards the bus stop. "But my car's here, am I just gonna leave it here and walk home" he protested, he looked like a child as he pointed and hopped around. "B-but, Mingyu-hyung" I tried to argue but leaving your car in the school parking lot is like asking for it to be egged "fine". "Yay, you know when I first met you or if I was mad, I would've made a joke about you riding me or something" he joked, making me as uncomfortable as I could possibly be as we walked through the slightly crowded halls. I ignored the next words the older had to say about taking the technically unsaid joke back.

I had to text Mingyu's and tell him I'm going home before him. We got there relatively fast and weirdly got lost in the underground parking lot since I'm never down there. But we found the door and are now in the elevator. "Actually, I haven't matured at all. Since I gave you a ride in my car how about I give you a ride on something else" he smirked, leaning into my side.And we almost made it back without any weird jokes.

Ugh, I could feel the familiar butterflies in my stomach as well as another interesting feeling a little south. There was also a bit of throw up somewhere in there. Then I thought, what would happen if I played along for once, he's teased me for a long ing time. We're in my property, I could kick him out anytime I want. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer," I whispered in his ear, making his eyes widen and him back away. Oh god, I'm going to regret this in ten seconds. "Seungcheol-oppa". I could almost hear his tears flowing as he started laughing out loud and leaning against the railing for support. “I- I can't… believe you… said that” he cried in the middle of huffs. His laugh was oddly deep, for a laugh, it was endearing. “I tried, okay? You always make fun of me, so I tried to make fun of you” I poured, crossing my arms and trying to look as mad as possible.

“Aigoo… Jihoonie is mad at me” he pretended to whine, still trying to stifle laughter as he pinched my cheek. “I can make you nervous if I wanted, I just don't want to” I tried to convince him, not wanting to see too innocent or weak as the doors opened. “I doubt it” he basically challenged, lighting the competitive spirit inside me as I walked out of the elevator before him. “Do you really want me to prove it?” I wondered, still not looking at him as I fast walked ahead of him to my apartment. “Try it, you little child, I'll bet you a sandwich you can't” he decided as I stopped in front of my door and looked back at him as he came to stand beside me.

I sighed and thought about it, unlocking the door then staring at my door like it would open by itself. “Jihoonie, the door?” He whistled, waving a hand in front of my face. I took a silent deep breath as I looked up at him with a innocent look. He stopped, hand still at my face, like he was suspicious of my next movements. I grabbed his wrist with one hand and his collar with the other, pushing my back against the door and pulling him up to my chest. His free hand naturally landed on the door beside my head, effectively trapping me here. I looked up at him with hooded eyes, wishing a magic force would shoot me about now. I brought his hand that under my control up to my hip and set it there. Keeping eye contact the whole time I basically moaned in his ear.

“ me till I can't walk, Cheol-Oppa”.