“Really?” Chanyeol’s eyes sparkled like a child who was fed with information to satisfy his curiousity. He was lying on his stomach on the warm wooden floor with his hands propping his head up.

Luhan nodded before taking a sip from his ice coffee.

“I really thought you’re intentions of Seyoon aren’t real,” the taller muttered.

“What?” Luhan looked at him in contempt. He took one boiled egg from the tray and cracked it on Chanyeol’s head.

“Ouch! Why did you do that?”

“Serves you right.” Luhan stuck his tongue out to Chanyeol before taking a bite of the easily peeled egg with the help of Chanyeol’s sturdy head. “I’d rather crack the egg on your head rather than the floor. It’s more effective,” he claimed happily.

“What did you say?!”

Chanyeol was already on the verge of hitting Luhan when another egg was cracked on his head. The pain electrocuted as if he felt a slight crack on his skull. But he never dared to protest or hit the perpetrator. Instead, he massaged his head for a temporary cure.

“Shut up,” Kris said calmly before eating the egg. “I didn’t bring you here to fight.”

One glare from Kris and the two knew how to shut their mouths. Of course, that only lasted for seconds because the happy virus, who was immune to any seriousness, started chuckling at the corner.

Luhan and Kris looked at him.

“What’s your problem?” Kris scowled.

“Nothing. It’s just that…hehe,” Chanyeol giggled.

“You haven’t said anything, yet, you’re already laughing by yourself. Crazy,” said Luhan.

“I just couldn’t stand looking at Kris with his lamb towel hat. It…It doesn’t suit him. Haha!” Chanyeol’s eyes crinkled as he kept hitting the wooden floor with too much laughter. Somehow, Luhan had acquired the virus and also started laughing, hitting Chanyeol’s arm as one of his laughing mannerism.

Kris sighed heavily in disappointment. What had gotten to his mind to bring two crazy people with him to experience the Korean sauna for the first time? Honestly, he didn’t know. He only expected to interrogate Chanyeol because of their cut off conversation the last time. But then, a deer came and pleaded to come with them since he was all left alone in their dorm. His puppy eyes and pouting mouth, which Kris and Chanyeol found utterly disgusting, somehow worked.

In the end, Kris was stuck into foolish childishness of the two.

“Did you forget that we put all our clothes in one locker and I have the keys? You don’t want to end up going home , do you?” Kris smirked.

Luhan nudged Chanyeol and the two shut their mouths. Kris sometimes just thanked the gods for blessing him with a brain that was more functional compared to other people like the two people he was with right now.

Kris let out a cough. “Let’s go back to your story. So, you’re saying that you already like Seyoon since you became an exchange student during your middle school years. But then, you never dared to say what you feel because you thought that Kai and Seyoon were in some kind of mutual understanding.”

Luhan’s round eyes looked at him and nodded.

“But then, you found out that Kai already has a girlfriend so you found the courage to ask her out.”

Interesting. It seems like it has been long that Kai was showing interest to my princess. Then why did things ended up differently?

“Well, that’s an interesting story.”

“But—” Luhan interrupted.

Both Kris and Chanyeol looked at Luhan’s change of expression to a dejected one.

“But lately, we just—she said to me that…” Luhan’s eyes averted somewhere.

“Did she dump you?” Kris asked nonchalantly.

“What?” Chanyeol looked at Luhan with feelings of sympathy. “I don’t know that you’ve been—”

“I’m not dumped, alright? No one has dumped me before,” he whined. “It’s just that I noticed that Seyoon likes someone else and it took a lot of courage for me to accept it. It’s my fault for asking her anyway and she admitted it herself.”

“She admitted it? To you?” Kris frowned.

That kind of hurts. She would admit to this guy but not to me.

“So you also knew who she likes?” Chanyeol asked Luhan.

“What do you mean ‘you ALSO knew’? Are you trying to tell me that you also knew?”

Chanyeol nodded and took a last sip from his ice coffee. Luhan’s eyes widened and Kris kind of wanted to hit the two for knowing more about Seyoon than he did.

“Since when? I thought all you did was ing so you could get Seyoon all by yourself. I never thought that you already knew she likes someone else.”

“? I never do that? I’m just protecting Seyoon from possible dangers.”

“Are you telling me that I am a possible danger?”

Kris let out another fake cough. “Are you going to start the fight again?” he glared at the two. The two swayed and lowered their heads. “Good. So, tell me, when did you know that Seyoon likes Kai?”

“I never said that she likes Kai,” Chanyeol denied.

“Don’t try to hide it. It’s too obvious. Now, tell me, since when did you know that she likes that tan boy?”

“It’s a long story,” Chanyeol insisted.

“We have all day to listen,” Kris firmly stated.

“Then, can I have another ice coffee?” Chanyeol begged with a huge grin and wide eyes.

“Me too,” Luhan pouted.

Kris wanted to take what he thought earlier. Maybe it was true that gods blessed humans with the same functional brains but some just used them differently and in a very manipulative way. He wondered if Korean saunas accept credit cards because this talk would have a long way to go.

---

Chanyeol wasn’t really the straightforward person that Kris thought he was. It was just that all through the years, he decided to be open to what he felt for Seyoon or at least, showed her that he really cared for her and would always be there to protect her. That was his way to show her how grateful he was to meet a friend like her, at least, even though he knew that his love would never be reciprocated.

“It wasn’t really the kind of confession that Luhan did or any of you thought it was,” said Chanyeol as he took a sip from the newly ordered ice coffee courtesy of Kris.  Lucky enough, the sauna accepted Kris’ credit card.

“Obviously it was different – as different and weird as you are maybe,” Luhan mocked but Chanyeol didn’t protest.

It was actually weird in a sense that that time that Seyoon tried to tell him who she really likes was also the time that his tongue slipped away the feelings that he tried to keep inside. It was the dumbest but most fulfilling accident in Chanyeol’s teenage love life, he thought. And he never regretted spilling the beans that one particular time.

 

~*~

Chanyeol had never been excited and nervous at the same time when a new term started. It wasn’t an ordinary term, of course, because he just entered high school. High schoolwas like a label more advanced and mature than middle school but fresher and younger compared to the adults entering the university. But more than that label was the new experience he had been waiting for and of course, someone he had been waiting to meet even it was only months that they had been separated.

“We’re in the same class again!” Chanyeol shouted when Seyoon entered their homeroom class.

“Sshh! You’re too loud. This is not like middle school where all students were used to your deep voice,” Baekhyun whispered while holding Chanyeol’s large hands. The latter stood up in excitement when he saw Seyoon.

“I thought my high school life will be less loud but I think not,” said the less energetic, lethargic Kai who came after Seyoon.

“Good to see you all,” Seyoon greeted.

“We’re all in the same class. This is great,” said Kyungsoo.

“Should we celebrate after class then?” Baekhyun declared.

Seyoon looked at Kai whose head was dipped on his desk, trying to catch a quick nap. “You’re going with us, right?” she patted his back in which Kai groaned in response.

“Of course…” he muttered sleepily. Seyoon smiled at him.

It was the first time that Chanyeol saw Seyoon smile that smile again after not seeing her over the vacation and he had never been happier.

“Seyoon, there’s a vacant seat beside me. I think we will be great seatmates,” Chanyeol declared.

Seyoon looked at him and was about to check the seat when someone’s hand grabbed hers. She looked back to see what was stopping her and saw Kai’s hand holding her tightly while his other hand was fixing his disheveled hair. He was looking at her with half-lidded eyes. He motioned his head to the empty seat beside him and patted it as if telling Seyoon to sit beside him.

Seyoon looked back at Chanyeol and then at Kai.

~*~

 

“So he was a commanding sissy back then,” Kris remarked while hitting the moving hand who was targeting the last egg on the tray.

“Hey!” Luhan pouted.

“That’s mine. Back off,” Kris declared threateningly.

“Then buy us another one,” Luhan muttered.

“Can I have patbingsu?” Chanyeol requested.

“Ah! Me too!”

Kris took a deep breath and no matter how deathly his glare was, it seemed like the two were immune especially when it came to food.

“No,” he stated firmly. “I’m not falling to a bunch of manipulative kids like you.”

“Then, I will not continue my story,” Chanyeol threatened.

Suddenly, Kris muttered words that Chanyeol didn’t understand while standing up to order what they wanted.

“I think we should stop pissing him off Park,” whispered Luhan.

“Why?”

“He just cursed in Chinese.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Deeply bad. Like he was going to kill us or something.”

Kris came back with a bowl of soup and two servings of patbingsu.

“Why didn’t you order patbingsu? Don’t you like it?” Chanyeol asked with a soft motherly tone.

“Who says I didn’t order one for me?”

“But you only have—”

“You two share a bowl. The other one is mine. And!” Kris almost shouted when Chanyeol’s spoon traveled to the seaweed soup. “That soup is mine, too. Get off!” He scolded Chanyeol.

Luhan stared at Chanyeol’s defeated face. “That must had been what you looked like when Seyoon chose the seat next to Kai.”

Chanyeol looked at him and swayed his finger in disagreement. “No, no, no, you’re wrong,” he proclaimed in English.

“Seyoon chose to sit beside you?” Kris asked curiously.

“Of course!” Chanyeol grinned with his high-class set of front teeth.

 

~*~

It wasn’t really a winning moment for Chanyeol but he still felt like it was. It’s not that Seyoon chose him because he could see on her eyes that she was hoping to sit beside Kai but the gods must have favored Chanyeol that day and they sent an angel that help him unknowingly.

“Yah, what are you doing?” Kai asked the person who took the seat beside him as fast as lightning even though the person eyes didn’t differ to that of a slow moving sloth.

“I’ll sit here,” Sehun declared with his emotionless eyes.

“It’s okay Kai. I’ll just sit beside Chanyeol. I think it’s good that we change seatmates once in a while,” said Seyoon before taking a seat next to Chanyeol.

“So, how’s your vacation?” Chanyeol started talking.

Chanyeol looked at Kai, who was glancing at them and gave him a glare but was only interrupted when Sehun started asking him about his vacation and stuff.

Chanyeol thought that this could be the start of something new.

~*~

 

“He must have promised Sehun something,” said Luhan.

“Definitely,” Kris seconded.

“What? No. Sehun just sat there because that was his favorite spot – something close to the window.”

“So?” Kris asked.

“What ‘so’?” Chanyeol asked confusedly.

“Get straight to the confession part. We don’t want to hear any more of your moments with Seyoon,” Luhan demanded.

“You’re just jealous because Seyoon and I have more moments than you two,” Chanyeol replied like a child.

“He’s right. Go to the confession part. We don’t need your high school moments. You know, sometimes, we only retain the memories we want to remember and leave the unworthy memories behind. Who knows you might have changed some of it?” said Kris.

“Woah, you’re cruel.”

It was also the same time a few years back, sometime after the school festival, when that accidental confession happened. And Chanyeol wasn’t even ready to let a huge part of him go but at the same, never ready to get hurt. But it all happened anyway and he let himself into big a sacrifice because like they said, there was a need to sacrifice in the name of love.

 

~*~

Months had passed and it never really occurred to Chanyeol to confess his feelings to Seyoon though he felt that his feelings grew day by day, each time that Seyoon would sit beside him with a pleasant smile plastered on her face.

“Chanyeol…” Seyoon asked him to stay after their cleaning duties that particular day. Chanyeol was extra happy because not only that he was Seyoon’s seatmate; they were also assigned on the same day to be the classroom cleaners. It only meant more bonding time with Seyoon which he made sure to savor each moment.

“Yeah?” he placed the eraser on its place before sitting on the seat in front of Seyoon.

Chanyeol noticed their stretching shadows on the floor as the afternoon sun passed through the window.

“Can I tell you something?” she said with a tone of hesitation. Chanyeol couldn’t see her face clearly because it was covered with her long flowing hair.

“What is it?” Chanyeol asked in a calm tone, hoping that Seyoon would open up to him willingly.

“Ah…,” Seyoon looked at him and smiled blushingly. “But you should promise me that you won’t be frantic if I tell it to you.”

Chanyeol had never been this anxious his whole life. He felt as if something was constricting his air passage or what. He took a deep breath before giving Seyoon a nod. Why was he feeling nervous all of a sudden?

Seyoon nodded back and her lips moved weirdly as if she was trying hard to let the words come out.

“Chanyeol, I think I like…”

‘Huh? Is she going to confess to me? Oh no, I’m didn’t prepare myself for this.’

“It’s complicated but I think I like…”

‘Is that the reason why she smiles differently to me? The way she looks at me during PE classes…’

“I can’t explain this feelings anymore and I think I should let it out and—”

“Seyoon, I think I’m not ready for that”

“Huh?”

“I mean, aren’t we too young? I…”

“Really? Sorry. I thought it is okay with you talking about this. I’ll just ask someone else then.”

“What? You already have a change of heart?”

“Huh? I don’t think I get what you mean—”

“Not talking about it doesn’t mean that I’m not okay with it. I mean, even if we’re young, we can still maintain the same feelings right? We just need time to think and be mature, I guess.”

“Yeah, sure. But I’m not really sure if I get what you’re saying.”

“I mean, not talking about this sensitive topic does not mean that I don’t recognize your feelings. I like you too so…”

“What? What are you thinking talking about? I just want to tell you something about…”

“Aren’t you confessing? You like me and so I want to tell you this for a long time that I like you too. Since the day that we’ve met, I already like you to be my friend. But as each day passed, you slowly looked differently to my eyes. Like there are butterflies fluttering inside my stomach each time I see you or I’m with you. At first, I thought it was just my natural reaction towards girls but when I am with you, it was really different. And then my chest rise and fall rapidly. I think I like you too.”

Chanyeol took a deep breath. He didn’t expect that he let those out in one rapid firing of words. But he felt lighter after letting his feelings out. He looked at Seyoon who had a shock expression written all over her face and gaping widely.

“Oh my goodness,” she finally exclaimed.

“Why? Did I just say something weird? Are you—you’re not confessing to me, are you?” Chanyeol finally get the worried look on Seyoon’s face.

“Ah—”

“You’re not confessing to me. You’re going to say something different, don’t you?” Chanyeol asked with a feeling like he wanted to hide himself forever from the world but everything was too late to save his face from such embarrassment.

“I’m sorry…”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I—I…It’s my fault that I went straight to my own conclusion. Oh my goodness, did I just tell you that I like you?”

Seyoon nodded.

“No, no. Forget about it. I’m just rehearsing a line from the play I watched last week. You know, ever since we starred on that play when we were in middle school, I already found plays interesting. That’s it. Hehe,” Chanyeol smiled sheepishly and Seyoon gave him an awkward look.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted, you may continue.”

“I don’t think I can still say it to you.”

“No, please tell me. I don’t want our relationship to change Seyoon. Please,” Chanyeol whined.

“Are you sure? It’s—”

“Please,” Chanyeol pleaded. “I’ll never say anything weird in the future. Please, just tell me about it.”

Seyoon looked at him for a moment before settling her calming herself down.

“Alright. It’s—it’s about a friend who likes her other friend and—”

“Who’s that friend?”

“It’s—I can’t tell you but—”

“Please, tell me.”

“It’s about my friend who likes Kai.”

Chanyeol looked at her with his mouth forming into an ‘o’.

“And the way you told me earlier about the butterflies in the stomach and the fluttering chest, I think that friend feels it too about Kai and maybe she likes her too.”

Chanyeol nodded slowly. “I’m not jumping into conclusions here but I will anyway. That friend of yours, is that you, Seyoon?”

“Huh? What?”

“You like Kai, do you?” Chanyeol held her hand and looked at her straight into the eyes. He moved his head up and down and Seyoon also followed him. “So, it’s true. You really like Kai.”

“Chanyeol, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? There’s nothing wrong liking someone. And as you’re friend,” Chanyeol gulped before continuing. “I’ll help you confess you’re feelings to Kai. Let’s just say that I’ll be Cupid.”

“What? But I am not planning to—”

“Will you just let your feelings wither inside you? Do you know that you will feel a little lighter when you let those feelings out? So, choose, are you going to confess or not?”

“You’re such a demanding friend.”

“I am. And since you become open to me, I’ll be more demanding.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll confess to him.”

“Really? Great! Now, can I hug you?”

~*~

 

“ert,” Luhan muttered.

“What?”

“Who would ask the person you just confessed to and rejected you to give you a hug?”

“Seyoon didn’t reject me. She just likes someone else. Besides, there’s nothing wrong hugging a friend.”

“Still, a ert.”

“Definitely,” Kris seconded.

“The world is such a cruel place for people like me who only wants world peace.”

 

~*~

“Hug?”

Chanyeol nodded. “To commemorate our new friendship level. To Seyoon and his cupid, Chanyeol.”

Seyoon smiled and stood up to hug Chanyeol. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to. I’ll help you on anything, no matter what, my friend.”

“No. I’m thankful that you told me that you like me. Thank you.”

“What?!” Chanyeol’s heart fluttered again which he hoped Seyoon wouldn’t notice.

“I appreciate it Chanyeol. I like you too…”

“But you said that you like—”

“As a friend.”

“Oh, right. I know. I like you too…as a friend.”

‘No, this must be love.’

~*~

 

It was love that Chanyeol had and it was love that Chanyeol learned to turn into something platonic – maybe ninety-nine percent of it. He wouldn’t deny if there was still one percent remaining of that other kind of love but that didn’t affect at all the way he treated Seyoon the same way that Seyoon treated him as a special kind of friend through the years.

“So Seyoon actually confessed to Kai?” Luhan asked with a loud voice.

Kris shoved a spoonful of patbingsu to his mouth. “Shut up. There are a lot of people sleeping here.”

“WHSFSATFGDGF,” Luhan tried to speak with his mouth full.

“What?” Chanyeol asked.

Luhan swallowed the patbingsu even when the shaved ice literally brought pain on his teeth. “So what happened to the confession?”

“That…” Chanyeol averted his gaze to the seaweed soup near Kris. He took a quick spoonful which Kris wasn’t able to stop anymore. Kris just glared at him before letting the kid go. “About that confession, I’m not really sure.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” Kris asked him as he moved the bowl of seaweed soup to the other side but it was Luhan this time, who was able to steal another spoonful from it. “Fine, eat it. Peasants…”

“Let’s just talk about something else, shall we?” Chanyeol suggested.

---

Kris cupped his ears, hoping that no sound would travel to it. It’s not that Chanyeol’s and Luhan’s voices were terrible. In fact, it was really good. Luhan’s voice was mellow and he could hit some difficult notes. On the other hand, Chanyeol had definitely some skills in rapping and he could sing too. But what irritated him was that they were singing for a full hour nonstop that he couldn’t take their voices anymore.

“I love this sauna. It has karaoke rooms too,” proclaimed Luhan.

“I know. We could sing the whole day while losing weight. Look, I’m sweating a lot,” said Chanyeol. “Kris, join us! Oppa gangnam style!”

“No! Let’s stop this.”

Kris got the control of the karaoke and pressed the stop button which caused the two to also stop dancing.

“Ei, Why?!” the two complained.

“I don’t want to hear any more of your annoying voices.”

“Grinch!” Chanyeol blurted but he quickly covered his mouth when Kris stared daggers at him. “Sorry…”

“Why don’t we just listen to another story?” suggested Luhan. Chanyeol nodded rapidly.

“What story? This guy wouldn’t say what really happened to Seyoon’s confession. What else is there to talk about?” said Kris.

“How about your story with Seyoon? How did you meet? Why does she have a friend whose personality is totally opposite of hers?” said Chanyeol.

“What did you say? Say another word and I will—” Kris eyebrows furrowed and was about to hit Chanyeol when Luhan stop him.

“Woah, woah. What he was trying to say was that you and Seyoon have this totally different aura between the two of you but somehow your relationship works out well. We want to know your secret?”

“Secret? We’re just who we are. I’m just fortunate that our relationship works better than the two of you.”

“Pft. Seyoon is just too kind,” mumbled Chanyeol.

“Sshh…Come on Kris. We shared our stories. Share yours too. Besides, why are you calling her ‘princess’? Is it possible that you like her too the way that Chanyeol and I like her?”

Chanyeol and Luhan eyed Kris intently; waiting for the older’s answer. But Kris just gave them a shrug and a smirk not knowing that it concealed a deeper meaning.

---

“No, no, no. I don’t want to take a bath with both of you!” Luhan whined as Chanyeol dragged him to the hot pool room.

“It’s a pool, Luhan. You don’t expect to be the only one in the pool. It’s too big for you. Now, let’s go!”

“No! What are you doing Park?!”

“Taking off my bathrobe. They don’t allow clothing here. Don’t you read the sign?” He pointed out at the huge sign saying ‘No Clothes Allowed’. Luhan, gaping as he saw Chanyeol’s body, tightened the rope of his bathrobe. Chanyeol just casually hang his bathrobe and walked inside the room.

“Oh my—”

“Why?” asked Chanyeol as he eyed Luhan suspiciously. The other looking at his body with a shock face. “Is it your first time seeing a man? Come on, we’re all men here. I also have that thing that you have so don’t hide it anymore. Do you want me to take that bathrobe for you?” teased Chanyeol as he grabbed Luhan who was now frantically whining inside the pool room. Luckily, they were the only people inside.

“Kris, help!” Luhan cried, trying to free himself from Chanyeol’s grasps.

“Shut up. Get to the pool if you want to hear my story,” Kris replied nonchalantly as he removed his bathrobe and went straight to the pool.

The two gasped as they stared shockingly to the hidden virility that was Kris Wu. They never thought that someone could be manlier without the clothes.

“I give up. After all, we are both nothing compared to that,” Luhan proclaimed, stripping his bathrobe and joined Kris in the pool.

“So, shall we hear your story then?” said Chanyeol.

“Well, unlike the two of you, I met Seyoon when we’re still kids. My mother owned a kindergarten school and it just happened that Seyoon is one of her students.”

 

~*~

“Excuse me, can you please reach that bag for me?” said a girl who approached Kris, who happened to be standing beside the shelf as he observed his mother supervised the other kids.

“Which bag?” he asked coldly.

“That bag.”

Kris eyed the girl frighteningly but the girl just averted her gaze.

“This purple bag?”

“Ah…no. The other bag, that bag.”

“This pink bag?”

The girl crinkled her lips. “No…I don’t think that’s the one.”

“What? You don’t even know your own bag?” Kris said angrily which he wished to take back because the girl looked as if she was about to cry.

“Sorry…I just thought that you need someone to talk to. You’re all alone here…” she said softly, lowering her gaze on the floor.

“What?” Kris sighed. “Sorry, I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

~*~

 

“Cruel,” Luhan remarked.

“Absolutely. If only I was the one approached by Seyoon, I would definitely treat her nicer,” Chanyeol swayed his head in disappointment. “But, it’s Kris so…”

“So what? Tell me,” Kris glared at him.

“Nothing…”

“Anyway, so she never stopped following me after that saying that I she would never leave me not until I talked to her which I did a few days after. And we ended up being friends since then, my first friend to be exact. And then I also met Suho who became my best friend.”

“Ah…that’s it?” asked Luhan.

“We shouldn’t have asked you about your story. It’s not really that interesting,” said Chanyeol.

“Will you two just shut up? I thought you wanted to know why I called her ‘princess’.”

“Just make sure that it is as interesting,” said Chanyeol.

Kris smirked. “Don’t worry. It’s better than Luhan’s mascot story or your failed dumb confession.”

Chanyeol pouted angrily.

“Anyway, Seyoon was on the seventh grade then and I was on my ninth grade when I did something not so good.”

Luhan and Chanyeol look at him with a scowl. Kris just looked at them aloofly.

“This better have a happy ending because when it comes to Seyoon, I have no mercy.”

“Shut up, Chanyeol,” retorted Kris.

“Okay…”

“The truth is I told the whole school that Seyoon was my girlfriend.”

“You what?!” both shouted in unison.

 

~*~

It’s not that Kris was arrogant to announce to the whole school that he already had a girlfriend; it was just that he had no choice. With his height and being part of the basketball team, he couldn’t help gain other people’s attention especially girls and he was not really happy about it. So the only solution that he could think of that time was to announce that he already had a girlfriend. And that unknowing girlfriend happened to be his closest friend, Seyoon.

“Seyoon! Wait!” Kris shouted when he spotted Seyoon just a few feet away from him. She saw him among the crowd and she started walking briskly without looking back. Kris never saw her for a week and he already felt his body sinking in guilt. If he wouldn’t be able to talk to her right now, he might not stand another week of torturing conscience.

Kris jostled his way to the swarm of students taking their recess. After being able to catch up to Seyoon, he immediately pulled her from the crowd and brought her to an empty classroom.

Seyoon looked at him wide-eyed. “Ah…”

“Okay, let me speak first. I know you’re mad at me because of what I did but please let me explain.”

“But Kris I’m not—”

“Sshh…It’s like this. I—”

“Kris, wait. No, I’m not mad at you.”

“You’re not?”

Seyoon nodded. “Sorry if I avoided you this past week. It’s just that I really don’t know what to do or how to face you. It’s complicated, you see.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“The truth is I like you too but I’m not really ready to put myself into a commitment.”

“You what me?”

~*~

 

“Are you sure this isn’t fabricated? Because, you see, we only retain the memories we want to remember.”

That sounds familiar.

“On worse case, we only retain the memory the way we wanted it to be remembered. You might have changed—”

“One more Chanyeol and I will not think twice to drown you here.”

“What?”

Luhan immediately went in the middle to stop the possible pool brawl in which he never intended to do a future CPR to neither the two of them in case they drown in the pool. And somehow, Luhan felt weird that he was being sandwiched by the two towering guys, considering the fact that he was the smallest among the three and he never felt smaller than before.

“Stop it, alright? Kris, please don’t mind this dumb elfish giraffe. He didn’t know what he was saying,” Luhan said to Kris in Chinese.

“What? So is this Chinese versus Korean now?”

“Shut up Park! I’m trying to save your here. Can you just listen without asking any question or any side comments? But really Kris, did Seyoon really say that to you?”

“Is there a reason for me to lie?”

“Then what happened? Do you like her back?” Chanyeol asked.

Now, the three were resting their arms on the pool gutter. Luhan’s and Chanyeol’s head turned to Kris who was in the middle.

 

~*~

“You like me? Oh no…”

Seyoon looked at Kris worriedly. “Why? Did I say something…bad?”

“No. But I think I did something bad. I didn’t realize that things would turn out like this.” Kris brushed his hair in frustration.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you but I announced that you’re my girlfriend for a different reason. You see, it’s been hard for me lately.”

Seyoon fell helplessly on an empty desk near the window. “You don’t like me, do you?” she asked to him with crestfallen eyes.

“I’m so sorry Seyoon.” Kris knelt down in front of Seyoon with one knee. “I know that what I did was wrong but please can you listen to my explanation. After this, it’s up to you on how you would like our friendship to end.”

Seyoon didn’t look at Kris but she nodded which gave Kris the cue to explain and pour all the contents of his heart.

“You see, I’ve been receiving a lot of letters lately from different girls. I really don’t know who’s sending those letters because it just piled up on my locker. And then, there are some who are following me from my basketball practice until we finished to the men’s locker. It’s quite creepy you know. I just couldn’t take those girls following me so I accidentally told them that you’re my girlfriend. I…I used you. I am sorry.”

Seyoon didn’t know if she would find the courage to look at Kris anymore. There were mixed feelings accumulating inside her and it felt as if their years of friendship had just crumbled apart in a matter of seconds. But she felt more surprised than angry when she heard a sniffling sound. And when she lifted her head up, she never thought he would see Kris, the whole one-hundred and eighty plus centimeters that he was, crying and his palms covering his already damp face.

“Kris…” She held Kris’ shoulder.

~*~

“That’s it? You cried and she already forgave you. That’s so—”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop interrupting me?”

“I think ‘dramatic’ is the right word, Chanyeol,” Luhan backed up.

Kris hissed. “You too. Just listen to me. And I know that you will never interrupt me anymore after I finish my story. In fact, even without submerging yourself underwater, you may go home breathless.”

“What do you mean?” asked Chanyeol.

“Seyoon didn’t forgive me because I cried. The truth is…”

---

“Sorry if I interrupted your rest day. I found out that you’ve been very busy with your school activities. But your parents asked me to fetch you. I think there is something they want to tell you.”

“It’s okay. There’s nothing to do at home anyway.”

“Why? Didn’t Jongin bring you out once? Like going to a mall or park during weekends?”

Seyoon swayed her. “No, we only stay at home.” In our separate rooms.

Jongdae sighed and poorly looked at Seyoon. But he smiled immediately and patted Seyoon’s shoulder. “It’s alright. Things will work out between the two of you eventually especially when you two walk down the aisle.”

“I don’t even imagine that day will come,” Seyoon mumbled inaudibly.

“We’re here. Your parents are inside. Just call me when you’re done. I’ll send you home.”

Seyoon nodded. “I’ll see you, oppa.”

---

“What?!?” Chanyeol’s and Luhan’s voices filled the empty pool room. The steam coming from the hot pool was almost filling the air.

“Ple—please, I’ll accept the fact that Seyoon told you that she liked you but not this. Please tell me that this is a lie!” Chanyeol shook Kris’ shoulder rapidly.

“I don’t believe this. You, with that body…Why?!” Luhan winced.

Kris held Chanyeol’s arms to stop him from shaking him. The hot pool plus Chanyeol’s shaking kind of made him a little dizzy.

“Stop it. Besides, why would I lie to you and to Seyoon?”

“But for you to be—” Chanyeol examined Kris from head to his bare abdomen (because the rest of his body was submerged in water). “—Gay is just too unbelievable.”

“Believe it or not, that’s what I am,” Kris whispered to Chanyeol, their bodies were too close. And because of Kris’ revealed secret, Chanyeol had been more sensitive and cautious that he literally run back, only to find himself slipping on the floor, drowning himself in the process.

Luhan rescued him immediately and help Chanyeol gain his balance.

“Tch. You don’t have to be overly sensitive of me. It’s not as if I’m going to bite you or something,” said Kris.

“I think we just need more time to calm our minds and process everything that you’ve said,” said Luhan.

“Alright.”

---

After the chaotic revelation and acceptance inside the hot pool room, the three were now resting on the sleeping hall while wearing their facial masks on.

“I still don’t believe it,” Chanyeol sighed while staring on the ceiling. “So, did Seyoon accept it immediately?” he said as he sat up and the facial mask was warning to fell off of his face.

“Will you just lie on the mat?” Luhan said to him.

“Sorry…”

“She had the same reactions as you but she was never as frantic as Chanyeol. She just took a deep breath, looked at me with a gaping mouth, and tried to gather oxygen to her lungs. It took me a lot of pats on her shoulder before she calmed herself down.”

“Who wouldn’t be surprise? With your manly looks and demeanor, who would’ve thought that you are…” said Luhan.

“I thought she wouldn’t accept me after that but she did. And I’m lucky that she was the first person to know my secret and accepted it. That’s why I promised myself not to do anything that will hurt her in the future.”

“Why did you call her ‘princess’ then?” asked Luhan.

“Because she’s the only girl in my life. Well, my mom is the queen so Seyoon is the princess. And I promised that I will be manlier than any knight in a shining armor when she is in distress.”

“Woah, you’re the best,” said Luhan.

Chanyeol raised his hands and gave Kris two thumbs up. “Props to you!”

“That’s why if any of you two hurt my princess; I will surely let you suffer.”

---

“We found out that you apply for the SUPA scholarship. So how is it?” Seyoon’s father asked her.

“The audition will be two weeks from now.”

“Are you preparing for it?” her mother followed.

Seyoon looked at them anxiously but she tried to hide it with a smile. “Of course,” she lied even though she hasn’t started practicing yet. Worse, she still had no idea what song she would perform that day.

“Good. Seyoon?”

Seyoon looked at her parents. Somehow, she wasn’t feeling well since she entered the room. Her parents were kind and she knew that but their seriousness was really drowning her sometimes in fear. And this day was not an exception.

“Yes?”

“Your mother and I have talked about this. You know that we’re expecting you and Jongin to take over our company in the future, right?”

“Yes, dad.”

“Well, it seems like the Kims are letting Jongin take any course that he likes and I also doubt that he will comply with his parents’ request.”

Seyoon knew that. Besides, Kai’s parents were the ones who enrolled him in the dance school since he was a kid. They knew that it was his passion since then. And that’s what he would surely pursue in the future.

“It’s not like we’re stopping you to take what you want but we have a condition.”

Seyoon waited nervously.

“You know that you’re brother took a different course and it’s far from the business course. So, in our family, we are only rooting for you.” Her father took a deep breath. “Your mother and I decided that if you are not accepted on the SUPA scholarship, you have to take a business course no matter what.”

Seyoon knew it. Her grandfather warned her before. He would always tell her that as long as he was still alive, he wouldn’t let her parents control her life no matter what. But what could she do now? Her grandfather was already gone. She was tied in an arranged marriage. She wouldn’t let Kai gave up his dream just to pursue business. She had no other choice.

“Seyoon,” her mother approached her. “You know that we’re doing this for your future, right?”

Seyoon nodded.

“Don’t worry. We believe that you can pass the scholarship. Just do your best. Anything that concerns that scholarship, we will never intervene. But if you didn’t pass, the rest will be up to us. Understand?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “I understand,” Seyoon reluctantly replied.

---

“I’ve never been relaxed like this my whole life. This is the best experience ever,” Luhan claimed.

“Yeah…” Chanyeol hummed while his body was enjoying the massage chair.

“But I didn’t bring you here for nothing – including you, Luhan, since you’re already here.”

The two turned their heads to Kris. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t ask for your own stories for nothing,” Kris looked at them with serious eyes. “Since you two proved that Seyoon really likes Jongin and that kid also likes Seyoon—”

“He what? No, no. That’s just impossible. Kai would never like Seyoon because he already has Krystal with him,” pointed Luhan.

“Really? How about you tall boy? Do you think it’s impossible that Kai likes Seyoon? You’ve been friends with the two for long. I’m sure you already noticed it.”

Luhan looked at Chanyeol. “Ahh…I’m not really sure…”

“Doubting just means that you’re also thinking that there’s a possibility. And based on my observation, it’s really true. Jongin likes Seyoon.”

“So, what do you want us to do? Break Krystal and Kai up? We’re not as cruel as you are,” said Chanyeol.

“And I am not as cruel as you think I am,” Kris defended. “And no, I will never ask you to do that. That’s too shallow and too desperate. What I want you to do is to make Jongin decide who really weighs more for him. I’m not saying that you should ask him directly who he really likes. What we should do is to lead him to that decision moment. If he is courageous enough to give up something for the sake of what he really feels our job is done. But if he remains the coward that he is then—”

There was a moment of silence.

“Then what?!” Chanyeol asked irritably.

“I will convince Seyoon to withdraw from their arranged marriage whether he likes it or not.”

And there was an even longer silence after that.