Chapter 15: “I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me - Sylvia Plath”

She sobbed in the middle of the silent hallway, Taemin simply observing her behind. When she stopped crying, the boy took his sweater off, wrapping the girl. He looked at her eyes, those once blank eyes...

“Do you still want to finish the movie?” he asked her casually, as if nothing wrong had happened.

Her head was lowered, not even looking at Taemin when she shook her head weakly. With that, he slowly held her shoulders and made her stand up.

“Taemin-sshi...” she quietly uttered, feeling so helpless and guilty. “I’m...sorry. He...He...He didn’t even...remember.”

“Things change and people change. He’s stupid, I know,” Taemin agreed, nodding his head as he walked her to the exit. “Come on, you’re going home. You need rest. That guy just keeps getting you so stressed out.”

“Taemin-sshi, I know...I know you’re angry at me,” Sohee stated, looking at the boy next to her. He smirked but he avoided her gaze.

“A little, you can say so,” Taemin answered. “‘He knows how to take care of me, unlike you.’ I know you were going to say that. Are...are comparisons your method now? I mean...yeah, okay. You’re acting better, Sohee.”

“It wasn’t acting,” Sohee replied apologetically. “Aish, I’m sorry. I know I’ve hurt you. I’m sorry. That was...”

“I understand,” he said at once. “I understand who he is to you. How could I forget? You need not compare us. If I wasn’t in the classroom at that time, I knew you would still be that Sohee in love with...the dude who I suppose has the same smile as I have. Yeah, I know.”

His hurt showed through the way he plodded down the sidewalk. Sohee with her head---like that of a dog----on the boy’s arm, unhappily getting closer to him.

“I’m in love with Lee Taemin now,” she confessed.

He rolled his eyes. “At least, you told me how you felt for him before...” Taemin trailed off quietly, as his eyes brushed away the hatred after he saw the moon. Walking under its reign, he looked at her under that light, and she was the same innocent fragile creature he met a month ago, the same pouty Sohee with brown eyes ever so radiant. He too felt the wonders of her purity that he fell in love with her again----just the sight of her exquisiteness, like the first time. Putting his arms tightly around her, he kissed her head in compassion.

“Do you forgive me?” she wondered.

He smiled at her, sweeping the hair that fell on her shy face. He couldn’t resist it, so he again gave her a smack on the forehead. Giggling, the girl hugged him back.

“I love you, my Sohee. I can never be angry at you,” he told her proudly as they walk. “Happy Birthday”

-o0o-

“Sooyoung,” called the boss from his office. The girl immediately entered, buffing her lashes at him nicely. He laughed at this aegyo attempt, letting out a few giggles to loosen him up. It was already half passed one and the Elite Chronicles worked very hard to get this week’s issue out by tomorrow Thursday at the break of dawn. They hardly get any sleep during Wednesdays; it was publishing night for the week’s news.

“Have you started with the report I wanted?” he asked when she sat down on his table. She always did this, prying her long legs in front of him in that skirt of hers. She had been the first among his women in the office to start flirting with him in a manner so straightforward.

“No, Onew-oppa, I’m sorry,” she replied, chewing on the gum. “Can I just start next week? Mr. Jae said I could.”

“Use Chief,” Onew’s mouth slightly opened, glaring at her, his eyes already weary. “Well, Mr. Jae isn’t beating a deadline. We need the interview with Mr. Choi immediately, Sooyoung. We have to have it only until the end of the month. It’s almost November! It should be in next week’s paper. Do you want me to ask someone else to do it?”

Her feet reached the floor, stepping on to the carpet with humiliation of her standing. She bowed her head at Onew; she was being apologetic. The smile on her face disappeared, replaced by an undeniable blank expression.

“I’m sorry, chief.” Sooyoung said. “I will do it as soon as I wake up tomorrow. Sorry to have disappointed you.”

She said, as again she bowed her head in acknowledgment to the superior. Her eyes were lost in their own world, Onew quickly noticed. At once, he wondered how she could change from one personality to another that fast. From a mocking Sooyoung, to a respectful one, she evolved in some way Onew had just observed. She was truly one of the most extraordinary reporters he ever had.

“Sooyoung,” Onew called once again, thinking.

She looked back and opened the door, head popping inside. “Yes, Onew-oppa?”

“Are you doing anything this Friday night?” he asked her, a little unsure. “Drop the ‘Onew-oppa’, it’s creepy.”

She shook her head. “Nothing, Chief, do you have something for me that night?”

He twisted his lips, still undecided on whether to really let Sooyoung go. Oh well, nothing beats the curiosity than actually trying it out. He gazed at her from top to bottom, keeping in my mind the possibilities. She was quite tall indeed, that was a problem if she were to wear a miniskirt. erts were bound to be around at that time. He didn’t want her to be looked at like that---she was still very young.

“On Friday,” Onew told her, yawning before he continued. “Wait for me here. Do you understand clearly? I’ll be here at six sharp.”

“Are...are you asking me out?” she teased.

“A date is a date,” Onew denied. “This isn’t a date.”

Her imagination started running amok, keeping a very direct and business-like attitude towards his tilted purpose. Whatever it may be, Sooyoung decided, she will be here. It may be that Onew wanted to cover a story. Oh, he really must have great trust her. Sooyoung clapped her hands in joy.

“You may leave now,” Onew said. “Just be here on Friday night, okay? Don’t let me be the one waiting.”

She saluted, smiling stiffly. “Okay, Onew-oppa...I mean, Chief.”

-o0o-

“Kyuhyun, go buy this week’s newspaper,” commanded Heechul the next morning, dawdling down the staircase in his pajamas. “I need it for my journalism test.”

The maknae was lying on the sofa again, half-asleep when the hyung entered. He jolted up, yawning and stretching. Before agreeing, Kyuhyun threw a mean glare at Heenim---as if asking him why he would do it and what would he get in return. Every morning they would find Kyuhyun on the living room. Thinking that Kyu had sleepwalking issues, the hyungs permitted him to sleep there like the watchdogs in crime television. Last night he was tasked to wait for his hyung-nim to come home, but he completely fell asleep and didn’t realize that Eeteuk already came home. Kyuhyun was already draped with a white comforter.

Though this was a weekly routine, the maknae did this for his hyungs in return for whatever mistake or joke he did. Kyuhyun (at times still wearing his nightclothes) still hated riding the bike and strolling down to University’s proper academy. Elite Chronicles was only sold at a stand near the cafeteria.

Heechul reached his pocket for some coins, giving them to Kyu as he went outside to unchain the bike.

“I should get half of this,” Kyuhyun complained loudly, yawning.

“You are getting half of what I give you,” Heenim reminded him.

Kyuhyun grinned, eyes still sleepy. “Yeah, right. I get half of what you give me. The other hyungs never add extra cash.”

Heechul smirked. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell them to give...give you a raise. Now get moving.”

“I am your favorite dongsaeng,” Kyuhyun told him happily. “I really must be the best maknae you guys ever had.”

“Ha, think again, Kyu-sshi,” Heenim said, as he pushed the boy out. “I rather have Wookie.”

-o0o-

He parked the bike by the corner, as the students lined up in front of the newsstand. They were waving their bills up, so that the boy selling them could give each the latest issue. Kyuhyun squeezed himself into the noisy crew, pushing and pulling whomever just to get in first. The delivery boy had shouted a few times that they form a single line so that service would be more efficient.

Since it was customary to always fetch the paper, Kyuhyun decided to wait until everyone else was finished ranting how their issue lost a page or that there wasn’t anything good lately. It was like this every Thursday, the readers bustling in front of the publication’s office.

Kyuhyun sat on one of the park benches, on the other end of the street was Seohyun, already in her uniform, walking with a man Kyuhyun was not familiar with. He stood up, forgetting about the paper and ran across, but hiding as he tried to stalk their conversation. When he happened to have gone closer, he noticed the boy, being tall and having brown hair, fairly having muscles on his arm and had broad shoulders, was carrying Seohyun’s bag. Kyuhyun curiously compared his own biceps as limp as they were but continued spying on them. Seohyun kept a straight smile, her eyes shining brightly.

“Oppa, it isn’t really that necessary to walk me to my room,” Seohyun said, Kyu overhearing.

“No, that’s all right,” he said. “That’s what I do.”

She giggled, “But...I feel like if you were late, I would be the one blamed. I can’t have that so you should just go and head to your class. I don’t want last time to happen.”

“It’s all right, Seohyun,” he chuckled. “I won’t be late. I just...I just have to see you off----“

“What’s taking you so long?” shouted a determined Heechul, interrupting his spying. He simply turned around, scratching his head in wonder at his hyung. Heenim looked at him in interest, not aware of what the maknae was doing.

“Ah, yes...hyung, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I...I was waiting for the other people to...yeah, you already got a copy yourself. I’m sorry.”

“Come on, kid,” Heenim said, throwing an arm over Kyu’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. I’m hungry. I need breakfast. It’s already a quarter till eight.”

He turned around, only to find the air of her perfume lingering. He followed Heechul back to the dormitory---Kyuhyun even more stubborn of telling Seohyun that he liked her very much. With those measures, he was confused with the feeling. It was rather a new encounter for the maknae, ever since he was young, the only girl he ever loved was his PSP (yes, because he considers it as a girl). A tiny crush on someone would never hurt that bad for some gamer. Even Shindong-hyung himself agreed that liking someone would not be that bad; it gave you goals to consider.

Kyuhyun thought about this deeply first before grabbing his phone as he walked to Biology class that morning. He didn’t know how to