MJ:…you can’t be….HaeRi!?

The girls face lit up at the mention of the name. She smiled, while her eyes became wet, not with pond water, but her own tears. I threw myself into the water and walked up to her, until coming face to face with her. She was still standing, with her arms crossed over her bare chest. I looked directly into her eyes; she was trying to contain herself. I couldn’t doubt it any longer…it was her… it was HaeRi.. It was my best friend…

MJ: HAERI!!

I plunged forward and embraced her in a hug, while caressing her wet hair. She began to cry and hid her face in the crook of my neck. There were so many things I wanted to tell her, so many things I wanted to hear from her too. But at that moment I couldn’t bring myself to ask anything, I just enjoyed the moment and repeated the only few words my brain could process at the time... or maybe it was my heart saying them… I just cried while trying to speak. But I kept hugging HaeRi as tightly as possible.

MJ: HaeRi…HaeRi… I’m so glad I found you…. You’re okay now… I’m here… HaeRi…. I love you HaeRi…HaeRi… I’ve missed you…I’ll protect you…I’m sorry… I’m so sorry HaeRi….

Neither of us could breathe normally under these conditions. We cried as loud and pure as we could. We sobbed, we coughed, we hugged, we let our nasal mucus run free. After a few minutes, which felt like eons, we slowly separated from the hug and looked at eachother. She looked exactly the same, only a little more mature. I was in the process of whipping away my tears and nose-flow, when Kai and Lay ran up to us. Apparently we had cried so loud they thought something bad had happened to me. Upon their arrival, HaeRi covered herself vigorously with her hands and submerged herself once again into the water, only letting her eyes be visible. I stepped in front of her trying to block her from the boy’s view. They kind of got the picture.

MJ: Guys!! Go back! Were still in the middle of something!

I said jokingly, but I think they took it the wrong way. They both opened their eyes in shock and looked at eachother then back at me.

MJ:.. WHAT!!?! You guys are so dirty thinkers!.. Just go back; I’ll tell you when you can come in again…aish!

I splashed them with some water and they backed away; not before releasing some small giggles. They headed back into the tunnel and I turn around to face HaeRi. We were so caught up in our emotional re-gathering that we totally forgot she was . Well whatever; were both girls, plus she’s my best friend! I smiled at her and then swam to the edge of the pond and dragged myself out of the water; she stayed behind.

MJ: I’ll give you some time to get dressed. I’m just going to be around the corner. Just come look for me when you’re done.

I started walking toward the tunnel, when I heard a splash behind me, followed by a wet grip on my wrist. I turned around and found HaeRi right next to me. She looked at me with a sad face; more like a pleading one. Maybe now that we found eachother she’s afraid that if I leave her she might not see me again. I actually felt the same way, so I smiled at her in a motherly way, like I always did when she came begging me to help her. I walked up to her clothing and picked it up; beside the usual underwear, there was a pair of khaki shorts, a blue shirt, and some flats. I took them back to her so she could change. While she did that, I took the opportunity to drink some water… man, I was thirstier than Tao after wushu practice…and that’s a big comparison since he drinks a whole water gallon after that. I kneeled before the pond edge and cupped my hands. I have to accept, I would have NEVER drank water from a public fountain, and now I find myself drinking from a pond where people bathe in, and the floor is made out of hardened soil… Wilderness, wae thou art so cruel~! Anyways, I drank it happily. After satisfying myself I let a big AHHHHH and HaeRi giggled; apparently it remind her of the old times when I use to be less-educated at the table. Speaking of education and manners, I just let my friends die of thirst back there just because I was letting HaeRi change…oops~

HaeRi had finished changing; she looked dazzling, as always. With no accessories at all, she always knew how to make the look.

MJ: Ive been needy in fashion sense these last few years. Im glad I have my personal fashionista back.

HaeRi smiled kindly and did a hand swat, like “You shouldn’t have”. I called the boys to come in and they appeared before us in a matter of seconds. Maybe because they came running like loose gazelles in a desert; they ran past us and threw themselves into the water with clothes and all… Even though I understood how hot and thirsty they were, only one thing crossed my mind at that moment…

MJ: KAI!!! MY CELLPHOOONE! IT’S IN MY BLAZER!! AHHHH!!

I grabbed my wet hair like a crazy maniac! Kai got scared at my reaction and quickly got out of the water, removing my blazer and giving it to me so I could search for the device. I looked for it in the right pocket and took it out to find it was still alive. Well, it was alive in the sense that water hadn’t gotten into its internal system, but it was still DEAD, since the second I stepped into Exotica the thing went haywire and out…stupid sensor-recognition system. I told Kai not to worry about it, and so he dashed into the water again. HaeRi stood next to me looking at the cellphone as if it were the most scientific thing in the World… of course she would! The last time she saw a cellphone was 2 years ago, and this cellphone is the latest thing on the market… I think she didn’t have the opportunity to experience 4G internet or BEATS integrated audio system, plus all the Android apps. I just looked at her and smiled.

MJ: Don’t worry HaeRi; once were out of here I’ll make sure to teach you how to use one of this things. I’m sure you’ll buy one for yourself.

She smiled and nodded. I still couldn’t believe I had found my friend in this place. Now I’m actually happy I’m here…well, not to the fullest since LuHan is still the victim, and she is also in peril. I spontaneously hugged her, and she hugged me back. The boys noticed us and swam to the edge of the pond to take a better peek at us. I let go of HaeRi, but kept a hold of her hand.

MJ: Kai, Lay. I want you to meet my 2-year-being-lost Best Friend, HaeRi. We’ve been friend since elementary school, and 2 years ago she supposedly got kidnapped, but it seems she’s been here the whole time. And I finally found her! So she’ll be with us from now on. Please take care of her too! HaeRi. Meet JongIn dongsaneg and YiXing oppa. But you can call them Kai and Lay; they’ve been friends for a few years now, and they were separated just like us, but now they’re together again…. Thanks too moi! Jiji

Kai and Lay smiled innocently and climbed out of the pond. They fixed themselves in front of HaeRi and bowed at her, then giving her a hand to shake. I could sense a little tension in the atmosphere… was it me, or were the guys kinda shy in front of this girl? Or was it the other way around?...Or maybe it was another thing?!. Anyways…

MJ: Well, now that everyone knows everybody, its time I had a descent bath…since you guys went on without me!!

I took Kai’s stained shirt off of my waist and threw it into the pond; once inside I’d wash it by hand. So I proceeded to my uniform’s blouse, when I noticed Kai and Lay were looking directly at me…like, without any mercy!

Before I go on, there’s something you should know about me… Censorship: I bend its meaning. I mean, why is it bad if I’m in my underwear, but it’s perfectly fine if I wore a G-string to the beach!? What’s the difference between underwear and bathing suites? One is made of fabric and the other of spandex?! That’s not enough a reason for me. Of course, it doesn’t mean you’re gonna go take your clothe off in public for no reason whatsoever! But, in this case I should be permitted to take off my clothes since were in a critical situation; but it doesn’t mean I’m supposed to be devoured my male eyes!

MJ: Um… is something the matter guys?

Kai and Lay suddenly got on track and reacted upon noticing they’re “testoteronian” behavior. They blushed and turned around, making me face their backs. HaeRi let out a laugh; she knows I’m like that, so she wasn’t caught off guard. I have to accept, their actions were pretty funny and cute. My motherly senses came back on.

MJ: Guys, I don’t mean it like that! It’s okay if you look… just don’t eat me with your eyes. You just have to imagine it’s a bathing suit…trust me! My underwear covers a lot more than a bikini. Besides, were in a really tight situation; seeing eachother half is the least of our problems.

HaeRi nodded. The guys slowly turned around, but faced the floor… AWW! How cute!! They were embarrassed! Lay being the oppa should have been the “Lemme enjoy this chick” type, while Kai being the dongsaeng should have been the “I should look the other way; I’m not allowed to see nuna like that” type. Its funny how interacting with other male friends is… I mean, LuHan has always been my male Best Friend, so I tell him pretty much everything; while my normal male friends, I tell only a few things. Now that I’m here, I’ve been treating these guys like Best friends and telling them all sorts of stuff… So, I tend to do with them what I do with LuHan… if your question is if I’ve been in my underwear in front of Lulu, the answer is yes… WHAT!?!? We’ve been friends since the 2nd grade.. we’ve aged together.. what’s there to hide!... How does LuHan react you say? Well, like if he was looking at a wall: nothing. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always thought Lulu might be gay… DEAR LORD, after I get out of here I’m going to confess to him!! And if he says his gay… I’ll accept it and….OHHH, WHO AM I KIDDING!! I’m gonna cry as ! Hell!! I’ll even consider -changing surgery!... Lemme not think about these things right now, or I might die before I’m even finished…

Where was I? Ohh right! Kai and Lay! They hadn’t looked at me yet. Until I actually took the whole shirt off. They took a few peeks here and there, but didn’t have the courage to watch me at my fullest… Okay; I’m guessing not everyone thinks the same way as me, or gets use to it at the same speed…

MJ: You know what guys. For your sake and the well being of your heart-rate, I’m just going to take off my shirt and skirt, and I’ll leave my shorts on.

I took of my skirt and stood before them in my bra and lycra shorts. They slowly began to look at my body, without drooling, until the weirdest thing happened… Kai went running off into the pond; Lay following his example a few seconds later after letting out a breath of air….Men, they’re just too weird to understand…

I jumped into the water and went straight for the falls. I positioned myself right below it, in an angle that the current wasn’t hitting so hard, just strong enough to wash away all the dirt and impurities. HaeRi stayed sitting at the edge, looking at me and the boys. Kai and Lay had begun to throw water at eachother and occasionally laughing or teasing one another. After making sure I was spotless, I went looking for Kai’s shirt and upon finding it began to scrub it with my knuckles. After a few minutes of intense friction the fruit stains faded away.

MJ: Your shirts already clean Kai!

Kai smiled at me and gave me an OK sign; meanwhile Lay was trying to dive and do something underwater, a trick maybe.

MJ: LAY!! Your wound is going to open up again!! Take it easy, just relax for a while. Seriously guys, you both need to rest. Let’s just get out and lay down for some time.

The guys stopped playing and finally decided to come out. I followed behind them. By now they had grown use to looking more at me without feeling embarrassment. I let the water flow down my body for some seconds before I proceeded to put my clothes on. The guys pretty much just let their clothe dry on themselves, since they never took them off… and Kai got my jacket wet.

Anyways, we had taken care of two of our major issues: drink water and refresh ourselves. Now we had to rest for while. Even though I’m dying to talk with HaeRi, I feel like I can’t take another step without falling. I sat down next to my friend and threw myself back, until I was lying on the ground. I felt Kai do the same next to me, and Lay do the same next to him. Soon we found ourselves, all four, lying next to eachother, closing our eyes.

I took HaeRi’s hand, just in case I fell asleep, I would feel if she left, or if someone took her away… I wasn’t going to lose her again…all I know is…I have to be stronger…and keep protecting those I love…or else I’ll end up alone…just like Lulu is right now…Lulu…Lu…Han……..