I don’t know why before I came to his house, I was nervous as heck. I was pacing around in my room thinking what to wear and what to do, whether I should act normal or act polite –those kind of thoughts.

   Yes, he’s one of my best friends now (I don’t know why I blushed saying that) but although I’m pretty much comfortable around him, it’s not as comfortable as I am around Jonghyun. With Jonghyun, I don’t give a damn about what I wear or how I should act around him if I’m at his house –where I’ve been plenty.

   My bedroom door spring open and my sister’s head popped inside. “ Yah, Mum asked to come down for dinner” she said with her usual lazy stare. I’m sure she was forced to call me. “ Don’t you knock?” I pointed out.

   She rolled her eyes and shut the door loudly. As expected of her.

  I looked at the clock and it’s already 7:30pm.

I went down for dinner. At the table, there’s only my sisters and my Mum, excluding my Dad. “ Where’s Dad? “ I asked. My Mum was flipping some pancakes in the pan as she turned to reply “ Company dinner”

  I nodded. I took a seat next to Sulli. She’s eating with her lazy stare and slumped shoulders –the usual. Whereas, Sunhwa, my other sister, was eating with her eyes wide, moving fast as she chew everything she can pop in . I sniggered.

  “ Are you going somewhere? “ my Mum asked as she finally settled on the table with us. “ I’m studying with my friend “ I said, unknowingly blushing when I said that. My Mum wasn’t looking at me and asked “ Jonghyun? Jieun? “ leaving out Jiyeon because she knows she doesn’t study much.

  “ Other guy, Mum. Look at how she’s blushing”

  I choke on my rice and turned scarlet as I glare at Sulli. She gave me a sly smirk. My Mum blinked “ Really? Which guy? “ she interrogated.

  “ Ah, Soohyun. He’s one of my friends, too. You met him before! “ I said loudly as if I let some cat out of the bag ( I was nervous) and slapped Sulli hard on her arm with fake enthusiasm. She winced and glared at me like she’s going to curse but stopped when my Mum was looking.

 “ Have I met him before? “ my Mum asked. I moved in my seat uncomfortably. “ I don’t think so” I replied quietly. My Mum nodded in silence. It looked like she didn’t trust me. I was laughing-crying in my mind.

Surprisingly, my Mum wanted to send me to his house. I was shaking for no reason. Why am I so nervous? I felt like I’ve been caught doing something bad. I sat in the car in silence with her and told directions to his house.
  

   “ You’ve been there before? “ she asked suspiciously without looking at me. “ No. But I know where it is “ I replied.

   “ He helped me the other day when the bullies hurt me “ I tried giving a good word for him. My Mum looked puzzled. “ Wasn’t that Jonghyun who helped you?”

  “ Well, yeah. Him, Soohyun and another friend, Ji Soo”

 My Mum looked more puzzled “ Who’s Ji Soo?”

  I sighed in my seat. “ Look, Mum. I just have many good friends, okay? It’s better than middle school” I said bitterly. I saw my Mum glanced at me from the driver’s seat. “ All right” she said.

   “ Funny that you have many male friends. I didn’t have any when I was young. It was only your Dad “ she added. I nodded  but didn’t reply.

   I got out of the car when we reached his house. I turned to my Mum who’s in the car and raised my eyebrows. “ Are you not going?” I asked as polite as possible. It’s cold too and she had her windows down.

  She smiled “ Let me see you go in”

   I nodded hesitantly and walked to press the doorbell. “ Who? “ the intercom voiced –it’s Soohyun. I instantly smiled. “ It’s me” I said , smugly. I heard him chuckling and said “ Okay”

   My heart suddenly received a surge of warmness even in the cold, which made me smile like an idiot. I glanced at my Mum to see if she saw my expression but she was busy staring at the house. Soohyun’s house is much bigger than ours. His front lawn is wider so the walk to his front door is further.

  I squinted my eyes and saw Soohyun opened the front door and the small gate unlocked. I turned to my Mum and waved a goodbye. “ You don’t have to pick me up later “ I said. My Mum nodded and grinned. I don’t know why she’s so eager.

  Soohyun seemed to notice my Mum’s car and he rushed out of his house without proper shoes and any jacket on. I open my eyes wide when he reached me in seconds. “ What are you doin- “ I said but he gave me a nervous smile and pushed me aside a little to get to my Mum. “ Good evening “ he greeted politely. My Mum has her heart eyes on by now. “ Oh, good evening. Please make sure she studies well “ my Mum said which embarrasses me. He nodded and asked my Mum to leave first. My Mum can’t keep her eyes off of him and nodded. “ All right. Go in quickly, it’s cold”

When we got in, he was making a small run around the living room. I eyed him weirdly. “What are you doing?”

  “ My feet are freaking cold” he shivered while saying that. I laughed out loud “ I knew it. What were you thinking going out with no proper shoes, idiot”

  He grinned “ You heard what your Mum said “

  “ Huh?”

  “Please make sure she studies well”  he imitated my Mum. I scoffed and took a seat on the floor where his books are sprawled on the coffee table in front of the TV.

  “ It’s going to be a torturous night” he said as he opened his History book roughly. “ You’re not gonna stop until I tell you to” he continued.

 I blushed madly when something popped in my dirty mind. When he sensed I gave no reply he glanced at me. “ Are you sick? Your face is red “ he pointed out.

  I bit the insides of my cheek to stay expressionless. I mentally hit his head with a cooking pan. How can he be so oblivious to point that out. He’s making it worse!

  “ What were you thinking ?” he suddenly said making me freeze in shock and embarrassment. He caught me.

   I didn’t look at him and pretended to read. He coughed loudly and started flipping the pages of his book harshly. I glanced to look at his face through my bangs –he’s face was scarlet too. It made me chuckled and he caught me.

  I quickly looked back at my book, so does he.

  “ That’s why you don’t get this facts in your head. You have a dirty mind “ he suddenly said, trying to act stern.

  I scoffed. “ You’re the one who worded it to sound like that. Better word your sentences clearly next time “ I argued. He stayed quiet after that, probably easing his red face. I bowed down my head as if reading by covering my face with my long hair. I was smiling like a complete idiot by myself.

After an hour, I gave up. My head is on the table, facing Soohyun who’s still facing his book. “ Don’t your shoulders ache? “ I asked. “ No” he dismissed me. I pouted and stretched out my hands. Then, I lie on the floor. “ Ah, better” I mumbled, smiling because it felt so good lying on the floor like that. I could fall asleep!

 “ Get up and read. I told you, you can’t stop unless I say so?” he said without looking at him. I rolled to the side “ Just for 5 minutes? “

  He stayed quiet.

  “ 10 minutes? “

He glared at me. I giggled. “ Fine, 5 minutes “

I rolled back so I was on my back. “ You know I’ve never stayed reading History for an hour “ I suddenly said. “ You did good “ he replied, still not looking at me.

I smiled with his compliment. It made me feel happy and funny in my stomach.

Soohyun

5 minutes, she said. It’s been half an hour already since she dozed off. Her legs are sprawled on the floor, so do her hands and hair. She doesn’t seem to sleep properly. is slightly opened and if I go near her, I could hear faint snores. I chuckled. I wonder if she always have her guard down like this. I sighed. That’s dangerous of her. I’m still a guy.

She’s probably like this around Jonghyun ,too. I thought.

I wanted to wake her up after the 5 minutes were up but she looked so comfortable sleeping, I felt bad waking her up. But it’s been half an hour and she only studied for an hour. She’s going to waste her time coming here.

  I closed my book and sighed. I have to wake her up.

 I inched closer to her and looked down at her sleeping figure. Some of her strands of hair is covering her face. I reached out and brushed them over to the side, revealing her bare, pretty face.

My heart begins to shake like it always does when I’m close to her. I looked away –trying to shake off that feeling.

  “ Yah “ I called calmly, pushing her cheek with my pointed finger –trying to wake her up. Instead, her face fell to the other side. I chuckled. She’s so cute.

“ Suzy ah “ I called again, this time closer to her face. I heard a grunt coming from her. “ Wake up “ I said. Then, she turned and rolled her body to my side, her face facing me. I didn’t have enough time to move and my face was met with her soft hair. There, I heard it. Her faint snores. I could almost feel her heart beating.

I gulped –feeling nervous. My nose caught the smell of her hair –strawberries. I started to lose my sense so I immediately back away. I turned my attention to my book but I couldn’t focus anymore. My heart is beating loud in my chest. I blew some air out of my mouth and fanned myself, suddenly feeling hot despite the cold weather.

 I heard my house door opened and my Mum appeared. “ Soohyun ah! I bought your favourite Fried Chicken!” my Mum said with a loud shriek at the ‘ Chickennnnnnnnnnnnn’.  She always does that.

 At that loud shriek, (not surprisingly) Suzy woke up from her sleep in a shock. “ Huh, fried chicken?” she mumbled. She looked funny with her hair messy like that and her eyes are still in daze.

  “ Omo. Who is this?” my Mum asked as she approached us. “ My friend, Suzy” I said, my eyes still on Suzy who’s trying to wake herself up by shaking her head and blinking several times.

 I laughed. She’s so cute, I could die. 

*

thx for the comment guys. rly appreaciate them. xo