Kai watched in barely hidden delight as you clambered off the usually cold and emotionless male, senseless apologies and cursing spilling in a muddled mess from your lips, your face glowing like the setting sun. However, it was Kris's dazed and clouded expression that was the icing on the cake. His eyes were half glazed over, his knuckles white as he clenched onto the armrests for dear life, not uttering a single sound in reply to your apologies. Kai never knew that seeing the human brick wall so, uh, frustrated, could be so amusing.

 

Luhan's frown deepened when he noticed Kai's -eating grin.

 

"He's going to kill you," he muttered quietly, annoyed. Kai scoffed.

 

"Thank me, more like."

 

"What do you mean?" Suho asked.

 

"Oh come on, you've seen the way he's always staring at her. I just did him a huge favour - a push in the right direction, so to speak."

 

"I don't get-" Tao began in confusion.

 

"That's not a good idea," interrupted Jessica frostily, causing Kai's smirk to falter a little. "You shouldn't meddle with that stuff. Especially when it comes to Jinhye."

 

"What-?" asked Sehun.

 

"Actually, it's not a bad idea at all," said Sunny thoughtfully, cutting off the maknae. "It's been over two years now. She needs to move on."

 

"What are you- ?" Chen started, only to be cut short once more.

 

"But I don't think Kris is the best choice...doesn't he seem like...you know..." Taeyeon said slowly.

 

"The type to and leave? The one-night stand type? The casual at best type?" Hyoyeon quipped. "You said that about Jaejoong too, Tae, and look where that ended up."

 

This time, none of the EXO boys said anything, but each stored that piece of information away in their minds.

 

Sooyoung sighed. "I just don't want Jinnie to get hurt again. She's been through enough already."

 

Tao shook his head, racing to defend his gege before anyone else could interrupt. "Kris-ge isn't like that at all! He's really loyal to the people he cares about!"

 

"That's the question then, isn't it?" Heechul said with a snort. "Whether or not he actually cares, or if he's just thinking with his ?" He glanced back at the man on the couch, who seemed to be slowly coming back to himself now that you were off him and digging around in the box. "Personally, I'm inclined to believe that it's the latter."

 

"I don't think that's exactly fair, sunbaenim. I don't think Kris-hyung has figured it out himself yet." Chanyeol said quietly.

 

"Kim. Jong. In."

 

Any smartass comments he might have had prepared promptly died a quick death on Kai's tongue as he felt the looming presence behind him. He didn't turn around immediately, instead trying to beg for help non-verbally, putting on his best puppy eyes. However, each of the boys refused to meet his desperate gaze, and Chanyeol, Sehun, and Luhan, who had joined him on the sofa, inched away from him. Nobody wanted to be in the vicinity when the dragon's rage erupted.

 

"Uh, h-hey hyung! You, uh, look nice without the b-" Kai stuttered nervously, turning around slowly to face the furious older male.

 

"What," stated the Chineseman in a frighteningly calm tone, "in the name of all that is sentient and logical were you thinking?!" His speech slowed and quietened with each passing word, yet Kai shrunk away from him as if he were shouting.

 

"It was an...accident?" The usually smooth and suave boy was reduced to a quivering mess while trying to become one with the couch cushions under Kris's glare, his voice ebbing away to a squeak.

 

"You-!" his voice suddenly raised to a growl, and he was about to give the cowering younger boy the verbal thrashing of his life when Tao latched onto his arm hurriedly.

 

"Pleasegegedon'thurthimhewasjusttryingtohelpbecauseyou'reapparentlyuallyfrustratedoverJinhyejieandmaybeinlovewithherevenbutyoudon'tknowityetandKaiwastryingtogiveyouapushintherightdirectionsohesaysbecausehethinksyoureallyneedtogetlaid!"

 

Suho pressed a hand against his face at the panda's breathless outburst, a small part of him wondering just how he managed to say all that in such a blunt manner. On the brihgt side, Kris was stunned into motionlessness while he tried to figure out exactly what was just said, giving Kai time to slip away to hide behind a wide-eyed D.O. On the downside, by the time that he figured it out, his fury would probably be ten times worse.

 

Fortunately, Taeyeon seemed to catch on to his nervousness while the rest of the girls were either gaping in shock or trying to force back giggles.

 

"Well, if you're done with the boys now, we should go get your stuff, Jinhye!" she called out to you, standing up.

 

You paused in your conversation with Masako.

 

"I'm not done yet though, their hair-" you replied quickly.

 

"What's this? Don't tell me that you don't have your dress yet!" Masako gasped. "Hyo-chan!"

 

"I can go after they finish-" you tried.

 

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You are going with the girls right now. I will see to their hairstyles," she stated firmly.

 

"But-"

 

"But nothing! Do you not trust me with hair?"

 

"No, but-"

 

"Then everything is good! Now shoo!"

 

Your protests were cut off as Sooyoung and Jessica each seized one of your arms and proceeded to drag you to the elevator, Heechul and the rest of SNSD following. 

 

"You guys can take the rest of the day off afterwards!" Sooyoung called out to the remaining boys with a wink before the doors closed.

 

 

--

 

 

"I hate you all."

 

You were sitting in a reclining chair, clad in a fluffy white bathrobe, your hair covered in pieces of aluminum foil. A greyish layer of thick, sticky cream sat on your face, while four of the staff buffed away at your hands and feet.

 

The dressthat you had ended getting was already sitting in a white box on your dresser back in your apartment, along with matching shoes and other accessories the girls had deemed necessary. It had taken a surprisingly short time, considering the fact that your requirements didn't exactly coincide with theirs when it came to clothing. You'd then naively thought that you would get the rest of the day off too, to tinker away at EXO's mods. Evidently, Heechul and the girls had other plans. And they didn't just mean basically trapping you in a spa.

 

Tiffany shot Sooyoung a meaningful look and a nod from her own beauty chair while Jessica sighed and rolled her eyes at the mirror.

 

"So, Jinnie. What do you think of the boys?" Sooyoung asked, cheerful as ever.

 

You raised an eyebrow at her via the mirror. "What do you mean?"

 

"Sooyoungie told us you thought they were pampered brats at first," Yoona said, blowing at her newly polished nails.

 

"Oh."

 

"Well?" Yuri egged you on.

 

You sighed. "Okay, so they're not that bad. They're actually...pretty good people. They're hardworking, and nice to work with."

 

"Jinnie, you could say that about Super Junior as well," Hyoyeon said. "What Sooyoung meant was what you thought of each of them. Individually."

 

"Why do you want to know? You weren't serious when you said you'd tap any of them, were you?" you asked suspiciously.

 

"Just humour us, Jinhye," Jessica said.

 

"Uh, okay...well. I get the feeling Kai's mad eit his life mission to get on my nerves whenever possible, but he works when he's supposed to. Baekhyun and Suho are heaven-sent angels that keep me from going insane around the rest of them. Xiumin and Tao are as adorable as . Chen and Lay are comedic trolls and I appreciate their deadpan humour more than I can say. D.O's a sweetheart, though he worries about his teammates more than is healthy. Chanyeol's smile kind of still creeps me out, but it's seriously too contagious for me to care anymore. Sehun's still kind of quiet and shy, but Luhan takes care of him really well," you listed off.

 

"What about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?" Sunny tittered.

 

"What?"

 

"You know, Kris. The guy you, er, fell on today?"

 

You could feel your face heat up at the mention of the incident and was suddenly glad for the thick, opaque paste on your face.

 

What about him?" You asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

 

"You didn't say anything about him," Tiffany answered.

 

"Didn't I?"

 

"No, you didn't Jinnie. You know, you sound like you're purposely avoiding it," Taeyeon mused.

 

"I'm not! Why would I? I guess I just forgot, that's all!" you retorted sharply.

 

"No need to be so defensive, Jinnie," Hyoyeon said, smirking. Seohyun giggled.

 

You pouted at the mirror.

 

"Well?" Yuri said again after a few moments of silence.

 

"Well, what?"

 

"Jinnie!"

 

"Okay, okay! Jeez, are you sure you guys aren't trying to get into their pants or- "

 

"Lee Jinhye, stop beating about the bush and tell us what you think of the goddamn guy," Heechul said exasperatedly. You glared at him.

 

"Honestly, I don't really know!? He's kind of hard to get a read on."

 

"Oh come on Jinnie. Stop hiding stuff from us," Yoona whined. 

 

"Yeah girl. We've known you practically since you were in diapers. Don't give us that bull," Hyoyeon snorted.

 

"I'm pretty sure I wasn't wearing diapers anymore when I was thirteen, Hyoyeon."

 

"Jinnie, just tell us anything. No pressure," Sooyoung encouraged while Hyoyeon rolled her eyes.

 

"Seriously? Why are you so persistent?" you gurmbled, suspicious and annoyed. And slightly embarassed, though you couldn't fathom why.

 

"It just doesn't seem fair that you said something about everyone else but left him out," Seohyun piped up innocently.

 

You sighed.

 

"Fine! He's like a human block of ice most of the time, but practically melts around Tao, who he seriously spoils. It's actually kind of cute. Whenever he says something - which isn't very often, mind you - EXO listens. Not really surprising, I guess, since he's kind of...intimdating..."

 

"Does he intimidate you?" Taeyeon asked deviously.

 

"N-" you were about to deny that ridiculous notion when the image of his sharp, penetrating gaze swam across your mind. You mentally recoiled and felt your face heat up.

 

"She's blushing! I knew it!" Sunny cackled. You cursed the fact that apparently, sometime during your banter, your mask had been removed.

 

"I am not!" you shot back, at the same time bending down to hid the dull flush.

 

"Aigoo, this is perfect!" Tiffany squealed.

 

"What are you talking about? What's perfect?" you asked, looking back up.

 

"The fact that he has the hots for you, and that you like him too, duh," Hyoyeon replied with another eyeroll at your slow uptake.

 

You nearly choked on air.

 

"What the hell- he doesn't- what are you- you guys!!" you spluttered, too shocked at their declaration to form a coherent sentence.

 

"Oh save it, Jinnie. He so does. Didn't you see him when you fell on him? Poor guy probably popped a few blood vessels," Yuri said.

 

"What the- "

 

"That expression on his face. I'm surprised he didn't jump you then and there," Tiffany laughed.

 

"You're insa- "

 

"He's always staring at you too, Jinnie. Every time I've been at the tracks," Sooyoung added gently.

 

"YAH!"

 

The room went quiet at your shout.

 

"Stop it! All of you! You don't know what you're saying! Kris doesn't like me like that! Hell, I'll be surprised if he even likes me at all! He's just an acquaintance, so you can all just-"

 

"No, you stop it, Jinhye," Heechul said. The unusual harshness of his tone caused you to do exactly that.

 

"Stop trying to blind yourself to make things easier. He wants you. I've seen enough in my life to know that. Whether or not he actually knows it, or acknowledged it, is another matter, but he's definitely attracted to you."

 

You opened your mouth to retort, only to shut it again as he continued.

 

"You want him too, Jinhye. Don't deny it. He's not the only one doing the staring."

 

This time, you couldn't even formulate a response. The silence was unbroken as the girls also took in Heechul's words.

 

"Heechul..." Sooyoung began.

 

"Don't. She needs to hear this," he said bluntly.

 

"But-"

 

"Goddamnit, Sooyoung! She's wasting her life away! It's been two years- "

 

"That's enough."

 

Ten pairs of eyes turned towards you.

 

Your face was a hard mask, hiding the unwanted roil of emotions that had broken free at Heechul's words. The feelings that you had worked so hard to keep at bay had spilled, and you were fighting to keep yourself together. You didn't want to face this, especially not now, not here.

 

"Who or what I want is my business. What I may or may not feel about Kris is also my business. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to tell me how I'm supposed to feel," you said emotionlessly. 

 

Despite your words, Heechul's speech had forced you to look at some of the things you had been avoiding. Your discomfort around Kris, you realized, was not so much intimidation as a sort of gut-clenching...excitement. His stares made you feel giddy, as if you had gotten a head rush. That time that he had given you his leather jacket and left in only a shirt, you had felt warm, not only physically. 

 

Fast forward to today, when you'd toppled on top of him. You didn't want to admit it, and though you cringed away from the idea, you would be lying if you said you didn't feel by the feel of him against you, his large hands burning on your waist.

 

You wanted none of this. You didn't need this at all. You knew that your heart still belonged to only one person, and the thought of you physically wanting another disgusted you. You refused to give in to this irrational lust, knowing that one, or both of you would end up getting hurt.

 

Your thoughts were interrupted when you realized that Sooyoung had quietly sat down beside you. Small talk had broken out again between SNSD.

 

"Jinnie..."

 

"Don't, Sooyoung."

 

"Jinnie, listen, please."

 

You glared at her, but the soft, pleading look in her eyes stopped your words.

 

"Heechul was a bit harsh, but he means well," she said quietly.

 

"I'm not mad at him, don't worry."

 

"I wasn't talking about that though."

 

You raised an eyebrow.

 

"I think you need to give him a chance, to give yourself a chance," Sooyoung said, looking at you directly in the eyes.

 

"Sooyoung- "

 

"Jinnie, listen to me. You're only twenty-one. You have a whole life ahead of you. You can't do this to yourself forever," she continued.

 

You said nothing.

 

"Jaejoong wouldn't have wanted this, Jinhye. He wouldn't have wanted you to be alone."

 

 

--

 

*hides behind life-size cardboard cutout of Kris* 

 

PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I'M SORRY I'M SORRY AS:FS:DFKGFDS:K---

 

I literally pulled this out of my arse OTL Worst writer's block ever. .____.
 

...it doesn't help that I can see the next chapter being just as bad, since it's Kris's turn for the Spanish Inquisition. Oh dear lord. A lovely quote from my lovely friend LavishlyLay perfectly describes this situation.

 

"The problems with writing a fic that has two metal posts as the main characters."

 

*sobbing* Why. Why this.

 

Oh well! Here's an update QAQ

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my subscribers and commenters. You guys, you have no idea how much I love you all. It makes my day just that much brighter to see the New Alerts! sign pop up *sniffle* Thank you for sticking with me so far, and putting up with all of my bull. I hope this story won't disappoint you!

 

On that note, thanks for reading~ and I leave you with this:

 

 

 

 

I hate you.

 

Also because I feel it necessary to remind that angry faced prick up there why he's not my Supreme Bias Overlord (AND NEVER WILL BE):

 

 

That's right. TAKE THAT YOU GIANT TOWER OF FAIL. *_*