As time went by, the new boys and the old boys had completely merged into one solid pack. It was as if we'd been together since birth. It's really amazing the types of people that can float around unnoticed for so long and then suddenly change your life for the better. Every time I tried to imagine a life without Dongwoo, Sunggyu, Sungyeol, and Sungjong I ended up with a killer head ache. We'd become such a close knit group of friends; a band of brothers; a family.

Within this family each one of us had a role. Sunggyu was the oldest, and naturally became the authority figure and leader. Dongwoo was the energetic caregiver. He didn't have a negative bone in his body and always showed his love for us by straightening a tie or picking the lint from our pants. He acted like a protective mother would towards her son. Woohyun was the ladies man of the group. He often tried to act 'cool' in public or did loud aegyo as we walked down the halls, hoping he would capture the hearts of every girl we passed. Hoya was the jerk of the group. Every group has one; the great thing is that we're all able to poke fun right back. His tough skin and sharp tongue gave us all a laugh, and for that we loved him. Sungyeol was the class clown, not only in the group, but in the entire school. He was always cracking jokes and running around like a child, continuously getting caught by teachers. The thing is he never seemed to care. He'd stop for a moment, but the very second the teacher turned away he was right back at it. My own role in the group seemed to be the mysterious one. I'm always caught deep in thought, or in a daze, making things awkward for whoever is speaking to me. Also the boys' jokes seemed to hit me harder than the other boys, causing me to become known for my uncontrollable laughter. 

Sungjong's role was obviously cute maknae, sweet and sassy. Something in me didn't quite believe that. There was more to him. There must be. Whenever I looked at him I could only see fake smiles and empty eyes. Not only was he throwing me off, but he was also ignoring me completely. For the month or so we had known each other we have never actually talked one on one. Whenever we were out with the group he would cling to Sungyeol, almost hiding behind him. After a while my curiosity, and anger, got the best of me. I heard him say that he was going to the music room after school, so instead of driving Sungyeol home after class, I sprinted there hoping he might explain himself.

Once I reached the room I hesitated at the door. He was playing the piano. I cracked the door open slightly and the familiar music filled my ears. I knew this song.... but how? I stood at the door watching his long fingers gracefully dance across the polished black and white, the tip of his boot touching the pedals ever so slightly. I couldn't bear being at a distance any longer; I had to get closer. I crept over to the piano and sat alongside him on the cracked leather bench. He didn't even flinch. My still injured hand reached over and began to play the melody as if it had done it a million times. When did I learn this? I could no longer feel the constant pain my hand had caused me. We continued the piece without eye contact. When it finally finished we sat in silence for a while, looking down at the keys.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat to break the silence. "You're really talented...” I mumbled, still unable to make eye contact.

"Thanks," he mumbled back. "Do you play piano too?"

"My mom used to play with me when I was young, but she was nowhere near as good as you are." I finally turned my head to look at his face. His cheeks were pink and his breathing was shallow. He was nervous, but why? "Sungjong?"

"Mmm?" his eyebrows arched questioningly as he turned to face me for the first time since our introduction.

"Why don't you like me?" I asked timidly. Silence. "Sungjong, why?" I repeated. More silence. "It's okay, really. You can tell me."

"I... do like you," he said quietly. "A lot." He nodded slightly, looking back at the shiny white keys, "a lot."

"Then why won’t you talk to me?"

"I just...." his voice trailed off. He really didn't want to talk to me right now. Or ever. I wanted to push him off the bench and yell at him. I hated being ignored. I hated being forgotten. Instead I let him sit their nervously. His face had changed from a flushed pink to a full on bright red. He began to shake his leg feverously. "I just can't. You wouldn't want me to anyways, trust me." He stood up and tried to walk away but I swiftly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to the leather bench, nearly cracking his porcelain skin. His eyes were somewhat misty. Was he really going to cry over something this petty?

"What do you mean? What are you even saying?" All he could do was look at me with glossy eyes, the corners of his trembling mouth sliding towards the floor. I felt like I was yelling at a lost puppy. Damn him. "Please," I said a little softer, "Just help me understand." Silence. I sighed, growing even more frustrated. "Sungjo-" His soft hand held my jaw and pulled it towards his. Suddenly his supple lips were pressed against mine with more force than I could have ever imagined coming from such a fragile boy. My eyes widened in shock while his shut tightly, allowing a single tear to fall. I lifted my hand to push him off but was stopped midway, officially being paralyzed by shock. His lips let out a string of sobs as they parted from mine and he quickly stood and fled the scene. There I sat, in utter silence, hand still suspended in the air. The sound of the door shutting snapped me out of my trance. What? I thought to myself as I shook my head. I... he.... I couldn't even think in full sentences. My attention swayed towards the shut door. Why had I heard it closing several minutes after Sungjong's disappearance? Was it the wind? Was someone there? Did they see? No. I refused to even weigh the possibility of this option, stood up, and headed directly for my car.

On the way home I saw someone stomping along the sidewalk. The tall skinny boy took his fist and carelessly threw it at the side of his head. He repeated this act with both of his fists, his head being tossed back and forth. I smiled, happy to see I wasn't the only one who was distraught. I turned off the radio and rolled down the window. He was grunting and grumbling to himself. "Yah!" I shouted as I slowed the car to be in step with him. The boy stopped immediately and looked up, startled by my voice. "Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself." I giggled remembering the time he said those words to me. I opened the door for him to get in. He continued walking. "Lee Sungyeol, get in the car!" Still walking. "Come on, I'm not kidding. I'll give you a ride home."

"Oh thanks," he said sarcastically. "It's not like you were supposed to do that anyways..." So that's why he was mad. Of course! I should have known. I didn't even think to tell him that I wasn't giving him a ride today. How could I let him slip so easily? 

"Ughh!! I'm sorry, hyung. I had to take care of something after school and forgot to let you know."

He scoffed. "Take care of something.... yeah okay." Why was that so hard to believe?

"What? I did... you really think I would lie to you? And about something this small?"

He stopped walking and I stopped the car as well. "If it's so small then why don't you just tell me where you were?" I said nothing. "Just tell me and I'll get in the car." What was I supposed to say? 'Hey hyung, I was kissing Sungjong, one of your closest friends!' There was nothing I could say that wouldn't sound so terribly embarrassing and weird without lying to him.

"Exactly." He said, continuing to stomp down the street. I remained in the car, watching him walk away. What just happened? Why was he acting so strange? I'm so sick and tired of everyone filling my head with so many questions all the time! Was it so hard to lead a simple life? I closed the car door and rested my head on the steering wheel, pretending it was a magnet, pulling all this confusion out of my head.

When I finally got home I noticed a note on the kitchen table. 

"Myungsoo-ah! I had to stop by and pick something up this afternoon and was hoping to see you but you weren't home. Were you with a friend? Or maybe even a girl? I hope you're not avoiding me. You haven't responded to any of my notes but I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to talk to me either if I were you. Myungsoo, please write back. Just once for your Umma. Take your time, I will wait for the day I hear from my lovely son with patients and understanding. Love always -Umma"

I immediately opened my phone and called Sungyeol, like I had been doing every time my mother left a new note for me for the past few weeks. This time I wanted him to help me do something that I knew, from past experience I could never do on my own. Write back.

Ring........Ring............Ring................. No answer. My stomach dropped. I tried again.

Ring.............Ring.....................Ring................................... No answer. I started panting. I tried one last time.

Straight to voicemail. He was ignoring me. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe something terrible happened to him. Maybe he got hit by a car on his way home all because I didn't give him a ride. Maybe his phone died. Maybe he was asleep. There were too many options, but none of them eased my mind. I paced back and forth, contemplating my next move. I needed him and he wasn't there. I needed him and he ignored me. Why though? I don't understand. I stopped pacing and sat on the floor against the refrigerator. I shut my eyes. You don't need him. I told myself. You have to be able to get by on your own. This was true. I can't freak out every time my hyung wasn't around. I'm stronger than that. Instead of dwelling on the situation any longer I gently placed the note on the table where I had found it and went into the living room to do some homework.

After an hour or so it started to rain. I hate rain. I always have. I always will. Whenever it rains, I as if mother nature herself is crying. I feel hopeless. I stared at the rain through the glass doors that lead to the back yard. As I looked up at the thick, dark clouds they began to growl. There was about to be a storm. I prepared myself for the mental breakdown I usually have during thunderstorms by looking around the empty house for a suitable place to hide. There was none. Tears stung my eyes. It was always during thunderstorms that I realized I had nothing to comfort me. No mother. No friend. No one. I breathed heavily and walked around in circles, searching desperately for something, anything to sooth my fear. A crack of thunder followed by a blinding flash of lightening threw me over the edge. I immediately collapsed on the ground, clutching my ears and shutting my eyes as tightly as I could. Soon enough I was hyperventilating rocking my shaking body back and forth.

I opened my eyes and saw a figure through the glass. Someone was pounding on the door. I scrambled to my feet and grabbed one of my school books, scared out of my mind but prepared to fight off any potential threat that stood on the other side. The door creped open and a sopping wet, panting figure stood in the darkness. Lee Sungyeol. I dropped the book and clung to his soaked body before he even had the chance to step into the house. He held me for a short moment, then pried my body off of his. All I could do was stand there, weeping like a child after a spanking.

"Aigoo," he said with a smile, ruffling my hair with his wet hand. "It'll be okay Myungie. It's just rain. Now, I'm gonna need a towel, unless you want me to drip all over your lovely home." I lead him up the stairs to the bathroom attached to my room. I gave him a towel, along with a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt to change into. I changed out of my school clothes and into an outfit similar to the one I'd given him. When he came out I hugged him again. His body was surprisingly warm even though he had been standing in the rain just minutes before. 

"How did you know?" I mumbled into his chest.

"I remembered a conversation I had with Woohyun. He said that there's nothing worse for you than a thunderstorm. I saw the rain and I ran here as soon as I could. Sorry I'm a little late; I've never been the fastest runner." I chuckled. Late? He was just in time. I sat on my bed and the TV. He hesitated, but I welcomed him by patting the spot next to me. We sat there watching the screen for a while. Every once and a while I caught him staring at me, but when I turned to look at him he looked away. Sometimes I would stare at him for a while until he looked at me and I would look away. We played this game of tag for a while, watching each other more than the actual television. Finally my curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask him.

"Why didn't you answer your phone before?" I said.

"Because I was mad at you." He answered matter-of-factly.

"Why were you mad at me?" I questioned.

He sighed. "To be honest," he said uncertainly, "I'm not really sure." He sunk down on the bed so that he was lying down on his back, facing the ceiling. I lied down too, but my side so that I could face him. "I saw you with Sungjong today," he continued, "I saw what you guys did, and I.... I just got mad. I don't know why."

"Sungyeol..." I didn't know how to respond. I was too embarrassed. He, of all people, had seen what happened. Something in me felt the need to explain myself. "I went there to ask him why he was ignoring me, but he just kissed me out of nowhere... I think he likes me."

He his side and faced me. Our faces were inches apart. "Do you like him?" He was completely serious. It was then I began to make sense of everything that had happened since our first introduction. As I was enthralled by his cuteness, he was intrigued by..... What? There was something about me that he liked from the start. But what was it exactly?

"I don't think so..." On the other hand, I still wasn't sure what I thought of the maknae's surprise attack, but now that I knew what Sungyeol thought of me I finally knew what I did like. Him.

The thunder cracked again. I jumped and Sungyeol rubbed my back a few times and then rested his hand on my waste. I couldn't help but shiver at his touch. I looked up at his face. His eyes were glued to mine and I could tell he was trying to read my mind. Finally he just smiled and pet my head lightly. "Okay." He whispered. When he was done petting my head he slid his hand down my spine back to its resting spot on my waste, making me shiver more intensely this time. 

My eyes drifted down his face and to his neck. I smiled at his falling birthmarks, remembering the time I traced a line from one to the other with the tip of my nose when we were on the rooftop. I my lips and reenacted the scene, playing connect the dots with my finger this time. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up.

"Myungsoo-ah," he said softly, eyes closed, "You found my weak spot." That's my cue, I thought as I leaned over and touched my lips to his neck once at each mark, but just barely. He gripped my waste tightly now, pulling me closer. I looked up at his panting face and smirked. I liked pleasing him. I liked making him want more. I slowly took his head in my hand and positioned it so that his forehead was pressed against mine. His eyes opened and we both started to giggle. Our lips found each other easily, separating only for air, then quickly finding their way back to each other. Neither one of us could help but smile as we kissed, giggling every so often. His hand crept under the fabric of my shirt and he caressed my abs, clawing at my skin every so often. His mouth was so soft, but strong. He never failed to amaze me with his strength. I needed more. I used my tongue to part his lips. I explored his mouth with my tongue, letting it glide gently around his. He let out a small moan and I giggled again. I really wanted to keep making him moan, but the giggles wouldn't stop. Before I knew it I was in the midst of one of my infamous laughing fits, completely unable to control myself. I wasn't the only one, he was laughing too. Suddenly we were both rolling around on the bed, dying of laughter. He just made me feel so happy, so... right. Neither of us knew what to do other than laugh.

When we finally calmed down several minutes later, we ended up lying on the bed shoulder to shoulder, staring at the white ceiling.

"Yah! If you ever do that again I'm going to have to kill you!" He teased.

"Me? That was all you!" I argued.

"Ohhno. You started this. And I'm warning you," he turned and wagged his finger at me, "stop being so damn tempting or I might just have to teach you a lesson." He said, turning back to face the ceiling.

Instead of following orders I rolled over and kissed his cheek. I giggled at his surprised face, got up and ran away.

"YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

I pretty much already know what you're gonna say,

"Wat." 

"It's too soon for a kiss."

"Where is this story going?"

You know what I say. Who knows. I wanted to end with something happy since the last chapter was so dark and angsty and you're gonna think I'm bipolar but really I'm a pretty happy gal I like to smile and laugh and I'm not depressed but you know what I really do hate thunderstorms that part was true to me and now you know that congratulations. This chapter is really long I was working on it all day cause I didn't go to school cause I had a migrane and now I'm so tired I'm gonna go die sorry for being so weird please still love me because I love you :********** BYE <3 <3 <3 <3 <3