I underestimated my abilities as a second year in uni :(

I need MORE time to write now than usual.

bear with me ;;( I’ll edited it better in the morning, I have to sleep for the exam tomorrow.

there’s part two of this, by the way. More fluff and FEEEEEEEELSSSSS

Mina’s dragging legs took a big, sudden pause once she felt the vibration of her phone coming from her purse. She was just a few inches close to her apartment door, but she felt the need to stop and check for her message right there.

Her heart instantly reacted to the name with the heart flashing over her screen. BaeSuho <3.

She started to think of all sorts of things together. Why was he texting her? Did he really text her? How was she going to reply? What did he say? Should she become angry? Should she anticipate it? Should she dunk her phone under the solid ground under her or smash it into tiny bits of glass? She breathed, in and out, like she was getting a panic attack, fanning her quickly burning face with her free hand. With anticipation she couldn’t simply quench or deny; she unlocked the text message with quivering fingers.

‘I don’t regret what I did. Maybe I should have given you the ability to choose, and I realize it now, I shouldn’t have taken that away from you. But I don’t regret it. I didn’t want you to go through what I had to go through just because you’ll be bond to my love. I choose to give us a chance when I was capable of giving one, and I’d have done it again. The only thing I’m sorry about is that I took your ability to decide for yourself. I shouldn’t have left you in the dark, I’m sorry.’

Mina’s knees felt weak, suddenly, and she sat down right on the ground. She didn’t even hold herself. She pocketed her phone in her jeans’ pocket and just, sat there, the blazing light in her eyes gone away with the soft breeze mulling around her hair. What should she think about? How was she supposed to react? How was she supposed to feel? She had always thought she was overreacting her anger towards Suho, maybe because she loved him a lot to the point everything he did she was willing to forgive, no matter what. That was a big reason on why a part of her wanted to give up her brave mask and go jump into his arms, especially since he said he loved her too (or something close.)

Why was it that whenever she got something, it felt like she was getting something else ripped away in return?

She slowly rose to her legs, blinking the overwhelming emotions that single text of his bloomed in her chest away and balancing her wiggling feet on the ground. She took the remaining steps to her apartment and softly opened the door. She didn’t expect to meet Kai there, since she knew his schedule, and most of the time he comes back later than she does.

“Jongin..” she murmured, taking off the red heels she was wearing - which truthfully were painful, but was also gorgeous. It automatically meant she’d bear the pain as long as the heels were steady in her feet throughout the day - and closing the door. Kai stood up from the couch he was sprawled on, fixing his ruffled brown hair and blinking his drowsiness away. Had he been waiting for her?

He gave her a puppy eyed look with a single, round and blue cupcake cupped in his rough hands, his hair flopped over his forehead half dry, his whole posture hunched over himself. Mina’s heart flamed within her chest and she felt it expand upwards to until she was afraid she’d have to swallow it back down.

“Mina, accept my apology.” He gave her the cupcake, or stretched his arms for her to take. She lowered her eyes to the small, round and blue cupcake, sprinkled with small unicorns and rainbows. It was too cute to eat.

“It’s more of a bribe than an apology..” she joked, rather weakly, her hands growing limp at her sides and the keys of the apartment clinking between her fingers. She didn’t even think Kai would be home when he still had a class to finish. Did he skip just to be here for her? Her inflated heart expanded even more. That was such a sweet gesture.

“It’s whatever you want it. Just accept it.”

She took the cupcake with hesitance, her eyes lifting up to meet the brown of his, his plump lips parted and ready to say something his head didn’t seem to register yet. Whatever it was, he didn’t have the right word to name it. All he knew that her taking his cupcake was the first, close step to success. 

“What’s flavor is it?” She found herself ask when the silence stretched too long from his part, knowing that he took longer time than people to organize his thoughts.

“Vanilla,” he murmured, taking a step closer to peer down at the cupcake himself. “Since I know you’re not very keen on anything heavily sweet.”

“May I eat it?” She asked gently, looking up at him. It seemed that Suho’s message drained the preppy, happy energy that enwrapped her earlier because of her kickass assignment which the professor liked a lot. It didn’t help that Kai was a gentle soul himself, and she always turned into a parallel version of him around him.

“It’s yours, silly.” Kai smiled, glad to be appreciated in the form of her request to eat his cupcake when she wasn’t very much into sweets.

She took a small bite before she was enwrapped around tight and secure arms, courtesy of Kai who hugged her, tugging her under his chin and making sure she had the cupcake in a position it wouldn’t be squished by his body, and of course filling her with the infinite warmth the boys’ bodies always had and provided.

“Sorry.”

He needed only one word to gain her forgiveness. She wrapped her free arm around his waist, making herself comfortable in his infinite sea of heat, placing her cheek on the wool sweater he had on, accumulating his broad shoulders and long arms.

“Only Kyungsoo left, the .” Kai heard her whisper, and he lowered his head to be able to catch her eyes, his chin grazing her hair, sending nice shivers down her body.

“He didn’t say sorry?” He sounded a little taken aback, something that made her wonder why. The answer came to her faster than she imagined. “Huh, and he was so pissed about the whole thing. He was nearly as objected to Suho Hyung as Sehun was.”

“The .” She murmured sourly, scowling and then quickly losing the scowl, remembering that she was in Kai’s arms, not his. “He was so pissed today too but for totally different reasons.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ing have a clue,” she continued to mutter, rather murderously, and Kai blinked his eyes in wonder. “The butthole doesn’t exactly gather everyone around and recite every reason for his anger. He’s a like that.”

She curses a lot when she is angry, or confused, which she was both right now. Kai decided to change the subject before she attacked him as well for being an accomplice, leaning his face over her forehead until his soft, plump lips touched her skin. She raised her head to face him in reaction to the cool sensation of his lips on her forehead.

“So, am I forgiven?” Kai asked.

“Only because of this cute cupcake.” She showed him the cupcake in emphasis, smiling cheekily yet delighted to be asked for forgiveness in such an adorable way.

“You didn’t even eat it whole.” Kai pointed out, finally leaving her out of his embrace. She pouted for a second, not liking how quick the hug has ended, but she pursed her lips soon after, recalling how suffocating these hugs of theirs turn the longer she stayed wrapped in them.

“It’s too sweet,” she took a small of the blue whipped cream on the sides of the cupcake. “I’ll take a bite each time I’m feeling mad with you.”

“Better not put it in the fridge. Sehun will push it down his throat in one gulp.”

“You’re right.”

The two headed to the couch to sit down, and they continued their talk until they reached his reasons of not being in Uni when he should just because of an apology he could do any time later. Kai ended up being scolded for straight ten minutes, and he reminded her that she wasn’t the perfect student herself. She went on in a rant about how she’s a model student with a scholarship, which he ended up interrupting.

“You know? I don’t think I mind being in a bond with you.” Kai so suddenly said, interrupting her with whatever story she was getting so excited about retelling regarding her perfect scores and her perfect academic schedule. She paused dramatically, lowered her flailing hands, and turned to him with narrowed, dubious eyes. Kai was leaning half of his body on the couch, his head on his closed fist on top of the couch’s armrest. He had a small smile that softened his sharp features, and that smile of his only became bigger when her brown eyes sat on his slightly darker one, confusion swarming there.

“What?” She murmured unsurely.

“You, and the bond Suho Hyung told us about,” Kai murmured back, just as tenderly and softly, even though his tone was a lot more confidant than hers. “I don’t mind being in a relationship with you, honestly. I don’t think I’d hate it if I fell in love with you.”

“Why?” She whispered breathlessly, her eyes getting a bit bigger, and her still hands beginning to twitch, while her heart began to race. What was Kai saying? Why did he feel like he needed to share this with her as well?

“I just feel like the others are exaggerating their reactions, you’re not horrible to be with,” he told her his thoughts gently, his dark brown eyes dancing and swallowing her into his pits of soothing tenderness. “You’re a presence I wouldn’t mind seeing every morning. A person I’ll be anticipating to spend each day with. You’re very interesting, and I can easily learn to love you.”

“You’re not freaking out? You don’t think you’d want a relationship you’d want to choose yourself?” Mina asked, raising her eyebrows. She didn’t understand why he’d say such deep things without hesitation or doubt. Was he really serious?

“I wouldn’t mind either way. I just wanted to let you know that if we were meant to fall in love and we can’t prevent it, I don’t mind at all. You’re the perfect person to love anyway.”

It’d have been so much easier and lovelier to hear if everyone shared the same idea as he did, even her.

-

The bell of her apartment rang that same day a few hours later, before she was even ready for her new job, and she thought of Sehun right away as she moved to open the door, as he didn’t show his face the entire day, even after his school hours were done a few hours later.

However, she was surprised to see every one of her boys – aside Suho and Kyungsoo, a subconscious part of her mind provided as her eyes wandered around the large smiles in front of her to search for them. They were all holding some kind of beach bags, with a cap or hat or whatever it was halfway hanging through Sehun’s head. Slowly, she blinked her eyes.

“Why the heck are all of you here?” She exclaimed in surprise after the realization settled in, mockingly bringing the door close to her body as if to protect herself from the madness she was seeing. Yixing even had a red towel over his shoulders, with blue Tweeties drawn on it! “And what is that weird dangling over your head, Sehun?”

“We’re going to the beach!”

“It’s a silicon cap, you !”

Sehun and the rest answered together in the same exclaiming manner, Sehun protectively wrapping his hand around his ‘silicon cap’ while the rest continued to grin manically; Baekhyun even beaming in delight once her eyes fell on his. At least he and the rest weren’t wearing weird over their bodies (and their heads).

“Didn’t I tell you that I’d take you to the beach?” Chanyeol blinked his large, brown eyes, eyeing her jean skirt and her converse shoes, her winged eyeliner and her nice, low bun. She looked ready to leave, not to the beach, but to a nice date in the café near their house, and Chanyeol knew instantly he was being insane. Mina didn’t do dates.

“You were serious?” She asked with a similar blink.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Chanyeol threw her a big pout that made her gulp, pulling on his puppy, magical eyes. Screw him. “Aren’t I the cool, traveling Oppa? What happened to that?”

“That was before, when you were actually cool enough for such kickass title,” Sehun, who was beside him, snorted. “Now you’re just stupid.”

“And highly preoccupied with Yoomi.” Minseok added in a pompous tone, since he was the eldest and everyone knew Yoomi’s subject was a sensitive one to Chanyeol, for whatever reason, so they didn’t dare mention her. At once, the boys shut up, waiting for Chanyeol’s reaction or comeback, and thankfully, Chanyeol didn’t seem too offended.

“People who don’t date shouldn’t have an opinion about this.” The taller boy stated in a matter-of-factly tone. Minseok narrowed his eyes threateningly.

“I date fine.”

“Is that why you left Luhan Hyung hanging?” Yixing blinked his eyes in mock innocence, and Mina bit her lips as soon as these words came out of the boy’s mouth, definitely catching Minseok’s widening eyes.

“How the do you kno— you know what? I’m not going to even ask. Mina, prepare to be drowned.” He decide to shoot his threatening eyes to Mina, and she shook her hands in mock fear.

“Oh no, I’m shaking in my boots. Save me, my pure hearted soldiers!”

“Anyway!” Jongdae announced in his loud, sharp voice, pulling Minseok’s arm in his hands before the boy could delve right over to Mina and smack her – he had done it before; and honestly, she had deserved it – giving Mina a look of warning and plea all together. “We really need to leave. I don’t want to wait for the salivating sun-rays to burn my . Let’s go while it’s warm.”

“Can’t, I’m busy.” Mina replied casually, crossing her arms and waiting for the onslaught of questions that would come her way.

Surely enough, every head turned to her.

“Busy? Doing what?” Yixing asked curiously, nothing but genuine curiosity there, while everyone else narrowed their eyes at her suspiciously.

“Studying…” she said slowly, avoiding their eyes.

“Studying?” Minseok skeptically asked, everyone having the same look on their faces. Sehun downright glaring, catching to her lie immediately.

“You?” Jongdae sounded more amused than anything, really, as he could catch her growing mischievousness and how avoidant she was becoming. His smile didn’t help his case, and Mina glared defensively.

“Yes, me. Do you think the only thing I do is party and play around?”

“Ahuh, that’s exactly what we all think.” Jongdae replied just as casually as before, undeterred by her massive defensiveness.

“I’ll have you know that I’m a good student too.”

“Sometimes.” Yixing sheepishly corrected her.

“Occasionally.” Jongdae nodded in approval of the word he found.

“Never.” Baekhyun snorted, flicking one of his eyebrows up. Mina groaned low and deep, knowing that the excuse of studying wouldn’t exactly work. However, Yixing defended her before she could fall on her knees and beg forgiveness for her sins.

“Let’s be honest here. She’s a scholarship student who passes her exams without studying. Why would she need it?”

“Remember when she failed math the last time?” This was Jongin, calling from behind her inside the apartment, actually exiting the house and forcing the door she was so protectively holding apart so he could pass her. He too, had a backpack on, throwing on brown sunglasses over his eyes too. Mina raised her eyebrows both because of his shades, and because of what he accused her with.

“That’s because I drank the day before the exam and had a severe headache on the exam’s day.”

“It doesn’t give you a higher IQ, sweet pumpkin,” Minseok snickered. “No one drinks in the night of the exam.”

She rolled her eyes painfully slow.

“The point is, I’m going to study today. Maybe I learned my lesson?”

“You’re lying. What are you planning?” Kai asked, actually sounding amused and playful at the same time, which would have been great to see and face, if it wasn’t against her. She didn’t point that out, however, in fear he’d retreat back to his shy self, and blinked her eyes innocently.

“Nothing. Should I though?”

“C’mon, Mina!” Chanyeol groaned aloud, throwing his arms around. He was extremely done with their never ending bickering. Mina thought he’d outrightly flop down on the concrete beneath her feet if he wasn’t holding his bag. “We’re going to the beach and have a damm good time! Don’t be a party pooper!”

“First, I can’t be a party pooper, that’s impossible,” she rolled her eyes like she was talking to an idiot, which she was, according to her (he really wasn’t.) “Second, I thought only you and I are going? What are these weirdos doing here? Third, I really, really can’t.”

“Why can’t you?” Chanyeol continued to whine undeniably loud. “You’re usually always available for any surprise parties and stuff!”

“Welllll…”

“What are you hiding?”

Mina looked up at Sehun’s narrowed eyes, suspicion and doubt dripping down clearly from the brown of his iris. Mina matched his stare with one of hers, but soon sighed in surrender, not because she admitted defeat, but because the others would take the answer out of her either way, so why the heck bother?

“Will you promise you won’t tell Suho?”

“It depends on what it is. I mean, if you’re pregnant, Suho definitely needs—“ Sehun’s cheeky words were intercepted by a loud bellow from Mina.

“What the ? I drink special pills for that in case I was irresponsible with who I sleep with .”

The boys all blinked their eyes, surprised with her more than shameless confession that wasn’t exactly needed, whereas Jongdae all but winked at her suggestively, suggesting whatever it was he was suggesting by that single wink. Mina’s cheeks quickly started to burn, red, dark and fiery flames, trickling down her skin. God, the embarrassment!

“That’s beside the point!” She exclaimed again, amidst the silence, focusing on Sehun. “Don’t mention pregnancy just because I’m a girl, you ing ist.”

“You’re the only one with a , you ing stupid!” He retaliated in the same childish exclaim as hers.

“Anyway, that’s not what’s happening.” Mina rolled her eyes. Talking with Sehun was always so tiring, and she’d rather not take unnecessary long time doing such unproductive bull like that. “I just, I’m not going to say anything until you promise Suho won’t hear a bit about it!” She declared decidedly, stomping one of her feet on the ground determinedly while crossing her arms over her chest.

“We solemnly swear, God of Hell!” They simultaneously hollered together, which made her smile and exhale tiredly soon after. They were so stupidly cute sometimes.

“Fine. I found a job.”

Right away, the group erupted into incoherent jumbles. One was louder than the other, while one was more surprised than the other. Minseok was even