Chapter 2

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“Cheers to our new member!” The boys applauded.

Sarang giggled at the boys who revealed their rather dorky side. Chanyeol unleashed his 5 year-old self out of that tall body of his. He chanted her name in a cutesy manner while throwing confetti in the air. Kai performed an outrageous dance solo.

“Guess you’re gonna have to put up with us for a while,” Baekhyun said folding his arms across his chest.

“I don’t mind, you guys are a lot of fun,” she said in between her giggles.

Baekhyun smiled wearily. Behind that smile, Sarang could see that he was troubled by something. She knew what it was. Even she tried to forget, but it was almost impossible to. To avoid the worst, she decided not to bring it up unless she had to.

“To celebrate, why don’t we go stargazing tonight?” Suggested Suho.

Sarang’s eyes sparkled in all its glory. “Let’s do it!” The boys gooed and awed. “She’s so damn cute!” Kai whined biting his bottom lip.

“But, shouldn’t we study in the meantime? Exams are right around the corner.” Sarang proposed.

Kai and Chanyeol made a dreadful face.

“Study? You’re joking. There’s no way you’re making me do that.” Snapped Kai. Kyungsoo leaned in, whispering into Sarang’s ear. “Don’t worry. Kai’s awfully persistent. The good news is, he’s already fallen for your charms. He’ll do anything you say.”

“Anything? He sounds just like a puppy.”

“Yeah, a lost puppy.” Sehun added in. Sarang raised her eyebrows. Perhaps he was implying something else.

“Anyway, I have a show this weekend. I can’t miss out on practice,” Said Kai.

“A show? Can we come and watch?” Asked Sarang, clasping her hands together.

“Who says you’re not allowed to?” Kai said.  A big smile crept on the corners of . He pinched her cheeks. Oww. She cringed in pain but it went away after a few seconds. “I’m taking my leave. See you guys later.” And with that, he grabbed his bag and left for the door.

“Studying, here I come,” Sehun said, letting out a yawn. The five remaining boys took a seat in the fancy, red velvet chairs. They all had dull expressions. Somehow, the liveliness had died down. Even Chanyeol who had so much energy earlier, was awkwardly silent. It turned out that he was absorbed in a math problem.

“Sarang-ah, can you help me?”

“Okay!” Sarang rushed to his side. Chanyeol took out his reading glasses and put them on. “I can’t figure this one out. Will you teach me step by step?”

The other members lifted their heads up from their books and observed the two closely. Meanwhile, Sarang inched closer to Chanyeol - close enough to burst into his bubble. “Well, if you start here…” she began. Chanyeol stopped to glance at her every once in a while. Whoa, I only realized this now but up close, her eyelashes are really long and those lips… He couldn’t help but stare at her pink, alluring lips. He was really tempted to do the four letter word.

All his focus was entirely on her. It was noticeable for their creepers to see.  

“Look at that, he’s not even paying attention,” Sehun pointed out.

“Well said, captain obvious,” Baekhyun muttered sarcastically. They could tell he was irritated.

“Hmm, are you jealous, hyung?” Kyungsoo teased. “I’m going kyaah, kyaaah over here.”

Damn, I can’t even focus, Chanyeol thought. “S-Sarang-ah, could you repeat that?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t get pissed.

“Sorry if I explained it too fast. Okay, if you divide…” Chanyeol got his attention on the math, but then, it slowly reverted back to her. A lock of hair fell down over her face. With a light touch, Chanyeol gently pulled it back behind her ear. Sarang who was taken aback, dropped her pencil on the floor.

Baekhyun stood up from his seat. “That’s it. I need to whack some senses into him.” Kyungsoo grabbed his arm. “Hyung, don’t do it.” He pleaded with his irresistible puppy dog eyes. This kind of technique seemed to work for everybody.

Baekhyun sat back down, crossing his arms against his chest. He mumbled a few words so that the other members couldn’t hear.

“Sorry about that,” Chanyeol said reaching down for the pencil. At that moment, Sarang was blushing furiously. She hid her face behind the book. “Okay, let’s do it this way,” She continued to go over the problem until Chanyeol finally got it. I doubt he was really paying attention, she thought. Lucky for Chanyeol, Sarang wasn’t quick to get a temper.

After two hours of study session, the club members finally withdrew from their books.

“I’m tired,” Sehun groaned. Baekhyun sat up, stretching his arms over his head. “Sarang-ah, are you still up for some stargazing?”

She shook her head. “Well, Kai’s absent. I don’t think we should do it without him.”

Suho smiled. “You can count him out. He’s already done it several times. Besides, he’s pretty occupied with all the practice going on lately.”

“If you say so…” There was a pang of guilt building up inside her chest. “Should we just call him first?”

“Speak of the devil, it’s Kai.” Sehun said. He took his phone out of his pocket and tapped on the screen to answer the call. Sarang could perfectly make out Kai’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Oh, you can’t make it? Guess there’s nothing we can do about it…. Alright…. Are you sure you don’t mind if we leave you out on this one?” There was a pause and a response followed shortly after.

“He said yes,” Sehun announced.

The news was a relief. The boys didn’t look too surprised. Amongst all the members, Kai was a busy bee.

“I’ll go get the devices.” Chanyeol said. With haste, he was off running to the equipment room.

“I packed some food for us in case we get hungry,” Kyungsoo said. He prepared the food in small lunch boxes, much like the traditional Korean bento. Sarang took the time to admire his skills. “You did this all by yourself?”

When Chanyeol came back, he was holding a bulky box. “Did you know he’s the mother of five children?” he smirked. “He cooks for us every day.”

Kyungsoo reconciled. “I can’t help it. I’m only fulfilling my duties.”

“Yeah, motherly duties. Let’s not forget how he nags at us” Sehun added. Sarang buried her perky smile beneath her hands. Pfftt, omma? She imagined Kyungsoo in a pink apron serving the boys’ dinner.  She pictured him getting fussy after the boys had made a mess. Sarang burst out laughing. “Bahahaha! If he’s the mother, then who’s the father?”

The boys pointed their fingers at their president.

“Seriously? Oh, man” Sarang fell to the floor, holding her stomach.

“I… can’t… stop…” Tears were flowing down her cheeks followed by hiccups. She hadn’t laughed this hard in a while. The boys kneeled down next to her. “Sarang-ah, are you okay?” they asked. Their faces were approximately an inch away from hers.

She locked her eyes. That’s way too close! I think I’m going to explode! Is it even legal for them to be this perfect? Sarang continued to fantasize on her current situation. It was like a cliché you’d come across in a reverse-harem novel. Now it’s happening to Sarang.

Baekhyun helped her off the ground. “You worried us. Don’t take it to extreme measures, dummy,” His voice was choked up. Sarang looked deep into his piercing eyes. The alarm in his voice faded away. She wanted to reassure him that she was alright.

“I’m sorry, everyone. That went too far.” To her surprise, the boys laughed it off. “Don’t apologize. Everyone has those moments,” Chanyeol comforted her, lightly patting her back.

It’s weird. When I’m around these guys, I feel more at ease. But then again I still don’t know anything about them.

 

It was twilight. The sun was nowhere to be found. Instead, the bright, full moon hovered above them in the dark blue sky.

“Has the night view always been this stunning?” Suho asked.

“The moon reminds me of Sarang-ah,” Chanyeol said as he scanned Sarang’s face waiting to see her reaction. Her cheeks flushed. “Ah, it can’t be me. I think Kyungsoo would fit the role perfectly. “

“She’s right,” Sehun said beaming.

“Ah, I see…. Then Sarang-ah, you are our Sun,” Chanyeol continued to shower her with his praises.

Meanwhile, Baekhyun was setting up the telescope. His face looked remotely intense. The moon shined brightly on his features, revealing a side of him that she’s never seen. Baekhyun’s amazing, she thought. Suddenly, her heart was racing. Why did it become like this when I am with him?

She moved towards him, being careful not to slip. They were standing at the peak of a steep hill. “Baekhyun, do you need help with anything?”

“No, in fact, it’s already finished.” He stepped back unveiling the modern looking telescope.

“Ah, it’s been such a long time since I went stargazing. Sure brings back memories…” Her voice trailed off. “I can’t remember how many years has it been. Ten years? It was roughly a long time ago.” She gazed at the sky, hoping for an answer.

Baekhyun finally opened his mouth to speak. “Can I ask you something?”

She froze for a moment, unprepared for the question he was about to throw at her. It was times like these that she felt it was best to avoid the other person’s eye contact. “What is it?” She asked, trying to keep her composure.

“Why did you decide to join?”

Sarang’s brain went flip-flop. The question played repeatedly inside her head. Her eyes searched the ground. What should I do? I didn’t see it coming. She stepped back. Then terror upheaved. Her left foot stumbled on a rock causing her to slide down the hill.

Next thing she knew, she was hanging on to the edge of a rock for her life.

 

 

 

…Am I going to die?