A week later

Saturday - 10 am

Everyone had woken up later than usual during the weekends which was at around 8 o'clock in this house and everything was pure chaos. There were bags/suitcases, camping equipment, beverages, food and a whole lot more other stuff lying everywhere around the house. The main floor, second floor and third floor were very busy, not to mention there was one huge tour bus right outside waiting for everyone to be ready. And more than ten people were on their way. 

I was packing the last of my things in a hurry. My room was a mess and so was I. Clothes were lying everywhere, I hadn’t zipped up the back of my blue maxi dress yet, my hair was wet, frizzy and sticking itself on me and I was having a very stressful conversation with the members of Exo on the phone.

Well, it first started off as a conversation with Chen but somehow Kris got hold of the phone, put it on speaker and started rambling about random things. It didn’t take long before the rest joined in and now I was having a hard time keeping up because everyone was talking at the same time.

“I brought my boom-box”, Xiu Min announced. “I really want to party today.”

“You know”, Kris spoke as Xiu Min continued talking to himself.  “I have this feeling that today will be a wonderful day.”

“A loud day is what it seems like it’s going to be,” D.O sounded grumpy as usual. “Do you have an aspirin Ji Eun?”

“I think s-“, I said.

“Wow!” Lay shouted, cutting me off. “That car was the bomb!”

A loud noise erupted in the phone. It seemed the boys were talking at each other mouths cutting themselves off mid-sentence.

“Boys and their cars”, Kris said. “What do you think today is going to be like Eun ah? I have this feeling in my gut. I think I might make out with your friend. What was her name again?”

“Alice,” Chen answered. “And no, you’re not going anywhere near her. She doesn’t need you messing up her life.”

“What do you know about what she wants?” Kris asked. “Do you maybe like her?” In the background I could still hear the boys talking, they sounded like a bunch of animals at a zoo.

“Chen knows what every girl wants,” Su Ho commented. “It’s a fact. Right, Ji Eun?”

“Yu-”

“A fact?” Kris interrupted me. “A fact! Is this a joke?”

“Guys,” I started.

“No,” D.O and Baek Hyun said in unison. “Jinx!”

“I said it first!” D.O said.

“No,” Baek Hyun disagreed. “I said it first.” And finally the bickering started and I felt my head spinning. I closed my bag and collapsed on my bed. It’s amazing how talking to 8 people at the same time for a few minutes could make me feel so drained though I felt perfectly peppy this morning.

“Guys,” I tried again.

“Ahjussi”, Chan Yeol who had been talking in the background with the others said to the manager. “Can you make a quick stop here? I haven’t had breakfast and I’m really really hungry.”

“You’re on a diet Chan”, Lay said. “Stop eating for all our sakes.”

“This is not fair”, Chan Yeol moaned.

“A fact?” Kris continued obviously steal dealing on what Su Ho said. “Ji Eun ah, do you think it’s a fact too? You think Chen knows what every girl wants?”

“Okay”, I said. I had enough of their craziness. “I know you guys have a lot to say but since you’re on your way and I’m busy, I think I need to hang up. Bye.” Before any of them could say another word, I hung up.

The peace and quiet welcomed me briefly before someone knocked on my door. I pouted before answering. The door opened and closed again. I didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“What do you want?”  I asked without looking at him.

“I wanted to see if you were okay”, Kai said. I turned around in the bed and faced him.

“I’m not okay”, I frowned. “Look at this room, everything is a mess. My hair is a mess and I’m a mess. I just had one of the world’s most exhausting conversations and to think the people in that conversation are on their way here for a camping trip. They made me go crazy. Today is going to be one hell of a day. I can see it coming and I don’t think I can deal w-“

“Ji Eun”, Kai called. I stopped rambling and looked at him. “I just wanted to see if you were okay. I mean if things were okay between us.” After our argument last week we hadn’t really talked addressed the elephant.

“Oh”, I said and stood. I grabbed my cellphone and my bag. “No, it’s not okay. Do you think it’s fair that you got to be angry at something I had no control over and I have to be okay with something you could have opened your mouth about?”

“It was a long time ago”, Kai said. “I didn’t think it really mattered.”

“It might have been a long time ago”, I said, “but you don’t get to decide. You don’t get to decide if you still liking or being in love with your ex matters to me for me. I can do that for myself, thank you.”

“Ji Eun”, he said. I shook my head and zipped my dress.

“I don’t want to be in the middle of another drama”, I sighed. “I had enough with the triangle between Chen, you and me.”

“There won’t be any drama”, Kai held my hand. “Krystal doesn’t matter to me anymore like she did before, you matter to me.”

“So if Krystal were to come and want you to be her boyfriend”, I said, “You wouldn’t run to her?”

“I would not even have to think about it”, he beheld his eyes with mine. “I would have said no, because I like you. I’m in love with you. And I want to be with you.” Kai kissed me on the forehead adding to his already perfect and heart melting speech.

“Kai”, I bit my lip trying not to give in. But when he kissed my nose and finally my lips, I did. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tiptoed to reach his length. Unfortunately before our lips could touch once again we got interrupted-

“Ji Eun!” Kai and I jumped from each other when my name was called. I wiped my lips and faced Mr. Kim who was in the room looking at Kai and me. I didn’t know how to react. It felt like he had caught us doing something bad when all Kai and I did was kiss.

“Good morning Mr. Kim”, I forced a smile.

“Ji Eun”, Kai squeezed my waist gently and bowed his head to me. “Dad!” He bowed to his father and hurriedly left the room leaving me with Mr. Kim.

“I wanted to tell you that your friends had arrived”, he said. I could clearly feel the awkwardness and it was killing me. “They are helping us put everything in the tour bus if you wanted to join."

“Oh”, I searched for a pair of shoes. “I’m on my way.”

“Take your time”, he turned around but came back. “Ji Eun ah?”

“Yes”, I said.

“Are you and Kai in a relationship?” He asked.

“Uh”, I nervously stuttered on my words. I looked everywhere around but at him. *God this is awkward!*

“It’s fine”, he said. “I don’t want to know.” I bowed and watched him leave. Somehow I wished Mrs. Kim was the one who had opened the door. At least I would have known how to react to her.

I quickly left for downstairs where some of my friends were entering and leaving. I went to those who weren't doing anything and hugged them good morning.

"You are here", I said in glee.

"Of course", Lay answered.

"This is going to be awesome", Alice smiled.

"I bet it is", Kris winked at Alice.

"I think we're done", Se Hun entered the living room that looked empty compared to a few minutes ago. He was carrying Lime on his back.

"I want to be carried too", Xiu Min pouted. "I'm tired."

"We are all tired", Kris remarked.

"Thank you guys so much", Mrs. Kim delightedly said when she walked in. Chen was at her side. "I cooked breakfast for everyone as a thank you." Se Hun's eyes lit up.

"Food", he said. Everyone laughed.

"Please", Mrs. Kim showed them to the dining room where more than a dozen chairs where placed. "Sit and enjoy." The idols shyly took a place each whereas Tao, Chen and Alice seemed very comfortable when they sat down.

"I smell food!" Someone yelled further away. A couple of loud footsteps were heard and Chan Yeol entered followed by Lu Han and D.O. His face brightened and his stomach rumbled loudly. "Yes!" They joined us.

Later

"Bba bba bba bba, bba bba bba bba", everyone sang to crayon pops bar bar. The radio blasted out the latest kpop hits and since we were 16 teenagers in a V.I.P tour bus without other passengers, excluding the bus driver we were definitely not going to miss the opportunity to go crazy. Thanks to my travelling patch though I was free from any discomfort and it felt good. Well at least it felt good until I saw a grumpy face a few seats behind me. 

He was the only one, even the bus driver was in with us, who didn't sing along to the song. I looked at him until he turned to look at me at me too. By the way his eyes were on me I knew he was asking why I was looking at him. I narrowed my eyes at him and he did the same. With both hands on my hips, I walked to him but was grabbed behind by two strong hands. I had no idea who it was, but if I had to take a wild guess I'd definitely point Kris or Tao out. The person swirled me around on my toes and grabbed my waist very roughly when I finally faced them.

"Lady Go Ji Eun", Kris smirked.

"What are you up to?" I asked.

"The guys all decided to share their tents with each other and I'm left out", he said.

"Okay?" I asked not quite catching what he meant. "Aaannndddd?"

"Aaannnddd do you think there's room in yours for me?" Kris asked with a purposeful cute smile on the face. "We'd make quite a nice pair in there." I was left a bit speechless. 

Who in their right mind would ask to share a tent with a girl who had a "boyfriend" sitting a few seats away from her? I was too dumbstruck to speak, but when Kris started laughing I came out of the cloud that was building in my head and realised he was joking. His arm being the first thing I saw, I hit it.

"You mean little...", I hit him once more.

"You should have seen your face", Kris laughed hysterically. "Priceless." He turned to Chen who had a grin plastered on his face. "Did you take the picture?"

"A beautiful two shot and a video along", Chen nodded. I gasped. *What the ...?*

"You were in on this too?" I walked to him accusingly. When Chen answered by laughing, I stomped my foot and frowned.  "Ya, Kim Jong Dae! I'm going to get back at you so bad."

"I'd like to see you try", Chen welcomed my challenge. The bus suddenly stopped and I fell right next to Chen's chair. "That's just your luck." We both looked at each other and chuckled.

"What about me?" Kris asked. "Aren't you going to get me?" I looked at Kris after ending my laughter.

"No", I answered.

"That’s cause you know it'll never work", Kris winked and went to his seat next to Alice. Chen helped me get up. "Thanks." I walked back to my seat.

When we arrived, the weather was sunny. Mr. Kim, Mrs. Kim, my father and Min Ho had arrived earlier and left us a few of the bags of food Mrs. Kim had cooked before driving off to a store nearby. Meanwhile it took us an hour and more to fix the tents and after working seriously for so long, we were all tired and hungry. The tent partners went like this: Alice and Lime, Kris and Tao, Lu Han and Se Hun, Baek Hyun and Chan Yeol, Chen and Xiu Min, Lay and D.O and Su Ho with Kai. This practically meant I was partner(less).

"Here!" Xiu Min who was looking through all the mixed up bags showed us a black bag. "My boombox!"

"Alright!" Lay pat his back and grabbed the bag out of his hands. "Let's get this party started."

"Guys", D.O said. He had been dozing off ever since we stopped fixing the tents. "It's 3 pm. Let's just take a nap before we start partying."

“We’re going to ignore you grumpy face”, Kris ruffled D.O’s hair. “Put some music on. I have something of my own to find.” Soon a song I had never heard before blasted through the boom box.

“What song is it?” Lu Han asked.

“It’s our upcoming song”, Chen said.

“Sounds good”, Alice said. She walked up to me with Lime and they sat on the grass with me. “What’s up?”

“You two are abandoning me”, I answered. “When was the last time the three of us hung together?”

“What about you?” Lime asked. “You’re always surrounded by them.” She looked at the boys.  What she said was true. I was always hanging out with the others.

“I know”, I said. I was about to say something when I saw Alice looking at Kris with shining eyes. “Don’t tell me you went there?”

“She totally went there”, Lime admitted.

“Alice!” I called. She turned to us.

“What?”

“You like Kris?” I asked. Her cheeks grew pink. “Seriously?”

“What’s so wrong with liking him?” Alice pouted. “He’s cute.”

“So you’re over Lu Han?” Lime asked.

“I still like him but after we made out he started to ignore me”, Alice explained. “So I’m trying to move on.”

“With Kris?” I asked. “Why him? You could have gone for Baek Hyun or Lay or anyone else. Kris is bad news.”

“Because you say so?” Alice asked.

“No because everyone says so”, Lime answered. “Se Hun told me stories about him. He’s a bad boy.”

“I’m not saying Kris isn’t a nice guy”, I said. “But he isn’t the kind to stick with one girl and he can very playful to the point of being sneaky. Just be careful.”

“I will”, Alice smiled. “Don’t wor-” As if he had been listening to our conversation, Kris walked over to us with a small suitcase. He sat next to me on the grass with a very mischievous smile.

“What are you up to?”, I asked. He opened the suitcase and Lime, Alice and I gasped.

“Voila”, he said. “I brought beverages.” But the beverages he brought weren’t what I was gawking at.

“And you brought magazines!!???” Alice yelled. “You sick ert!”

“Uh?” Kris looked as surprised as I was when he spotted the magazines. “I didn’t put those there.” I looked at the magazines and recognized it from somewhere. I observed the guys and spotted Tao laughing his off.

“It’s Tao’s magazines”, I whispered at Kris.

”Tao?” He looked at Tao. When Tao caught Kris’ gaze he lost his smile and ran away in a flash of light. Kris ran after him and tackled Tao down. Soon began a wrestling match between them.

“Se Hun!” Lime called because he was probably the only one who could break them apart.

“They are not being serious”, I said to her. “They’re going to end it soon.” And I was right. Tao and Kris eventually stopped and called it truce. Kris walked back to us looking way too perfect and fine for someone who’d just been in a fight.

“Anyone of you want to get wasted before the night falls?” He asked. He took a beer from the beverage bag he had brought that was filled with alcoholic drinks and drank from it. He then took another can of beer and looked at Alice with an inviting smile.

“Why not”, Alice spontaneously said.

“Here’s one for the princess”, Kris winked before handing her the drink. When he turned away, Lime and I faced Alice whose face was flushed.

“He’s so hot”, she bit her lip, “I might need more than one drink to stay away from him.”  I smiled. I had this feeling the night was going to be very interesting.