Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

“As the signal is off,

take the furthest step and let’s start the race”

“I’m really at lost if you asked me”

Minseok glanced from the half baked cookies on the tray. He raised his eyebrow at the boy who’s now supposedly help him with the goods they’re going to sell at the upcoming school festival. But so far all the younger could do is complaining. “Then why do you agree on helping?” Minseok inquired lightly.

He straighten himself, musing himself whether the icing sugar looks perfect on the cookies’ surface. Minseok tried not to be annoyed by the clanking sound of cooking utensil Chen – as he had known the boy’s name beforehand – was playing for more than five minutes. He silently hope the thing won’t break.

“Because it’s so much better than helping with the props” Chen answered as if it was the most obvious thing. “I would happily do an act. Unfortunately my partner in crime apparently is quite occupied at the moment”

Minseok laughed a little. “I find it amusing how you refer your partnership with Sehun is a crime” he commented which made a smug appeared on Chen’s face. “It is, wasn’t it?” the younger merely shrugged his shoulder.

Accepting the fact that Chen isn’t going to answer, Minseok continued his work. Putting one tray aside, he started to work with the other. “Aish,” he managed to hold a curse when he found out he’s running out of the light blue colored icing sugar. He was glad he had prepared other before. Minseok walked to another counter where he had put a bowl of more icing sugar only to be surprised on the view that greeted him.

He pointed at it with his free hand. “Chen, the hell are you doing?!” he scolded the younger who’s helping himself with some the crumbs of half baked cookies. However from the look of it the crumbs are actually a whole piece of cookie.

“Um? Eating?” Chen said in a far too innocent voice.

Minseok wants to face palmed his own face. “At least eat the fully baked one. Now you’re making me worried whether you’ll get stomachache later” he told Chen sharply when he snatched the half eaten cookie in the younger possession.

Chen looks displeased, but before he could complain, the older already shoved a jar of cookies at his direction. “I won’t tell others about the missing cookies” Minseok promised. Opening the jar, the younger started to eat the cookies and squealed in delight.

“This is so~ good!” he exclaimed. “Would you like to be my personal chef? Would you the great demon, make a contract with me until my wish is fulfilled?” Chen started to splutters words from inside of his mind that would be not far from some anime and manga he has been catch up.

Normally Minseok would ignored it, or perhaps give some snarky comments as he barely understand the half of what the younger had said. “Kyungsoo’s better” he murmured and regretted it afterwards. He wished Chen hadn’t heard him, but the questioning look he received said otherwise.

“White Leader?” Chen inquired yet Minseok refused to say anything thus making the sly actor-in-making smirked. “My, my. Do I sense a conspiracy?” he joked which made Minseok snorted. He has to admit working with Chen is far more un-peaceful-like than usual, but some changes might do him good after all of this. Still, Chen is one tricky fox and a master of blackmail.

“Just stuff yourself with those!” Chen grinned at this and complied happily. Without five minutes the jar almost empty. Minseok doesn’t care as long as the younger don’t do anything annoying or doing something that might threatened the safety of the cooking utensils.

The home economy classroom become quieter as no one talks, the only sound came from outside where most of the students are preparing the stands and decorations. Chen who leaned towards the window laughed a little when Chanyeol’s towering figure looks extremely visible in between of shorter figures. If it’s not obvious enough, the deep booming voice belongs to said tower will do just fine.

After few seconds of laughing, Chen’s eyes swept the entire scenery before a knowing smile appeared on his face. “He’s awesome” he said out loud. His words managed to catch Minseok’s ears who asked absent-mindedly of the identity of this ‘awesome’ individual.

“Ha, I never thought of it before but Minseok Hyung, please tune out any voice because I’m going to make a great announcement-“

“Chen, please just get over with it” Minseok scolded, halting the boy who’s arms spread up, emphasizing the ‘great’ in his sentence.

His rather cold words doesn’t affect the younger who’s still excited of his new thought. “Jongdae. Kim Jongdae. Since you’re a nice person who secluded himself making sweets, I let you know my real name before I’m turned famous” Chen pointed out. Minseok merely raised one of his eyebrows but not saying anything regardless.

Chen looked through the glass again and have a crooked smile on his face. “We’re always like stagnant water when the Blacks are like tidal wave”

“I remembered clearly of the earlier day’s announcement. We’re no longer divided, at least temporary” Minseok said nonchalantly. Chen titled his head a bit when he looked towards Minseok with a shining pair of eyes.

“Please, everyone heard that since three days ago at the very first meeting. It shouldn’t be surprising,neither is endearing” Chen commented and Minseok doesn’t blame him for thinking so, albeit he is a bit annoyed at the main-protagonist tone he used. “Either way to carefully planned the fall would be when we’ll be holding an all-out events and everyone will able to participate regardless class is quite admirable”

Minseok blinks his eyes. His arms on his side with undecorated half baked cookies in front of him. “I’m sorry, but you lost me there”

Chen chuckled when he saw another towering man in the crowd. “Just remember this, Kris Wu surely is one hell of a teacher”

~//~

“Yah, Oh Sehun!” the younger boy’s mind snapped open when he heard the temporary-retired Black Leader is in front of him with gaze that slowly makes Sehun started to cower. He hid the book he was so mindlessly reading under his thigh and made him unable to respond at Luhan. He might no longer had the same power in this period, however Luhan is still his senior.

And the fact Luhan eyed the thing he hid only makes the taller nervous. “Um… is it my turn?” Sehun asked slowly. Luhan glared instead of snap which Sehun is eternally grateful. What’s more embarrassing than to be scolded in front of Joonmyeon’s staff which consist of adults. Even Luhan and Jongin looks wary.

“It is” Luhan said sharply. “Seriously, if it wasn’t the fact you used to be an ulzzang I might never ask a ditzy as you”

Sehun, instead of feeling offended just rolled his eyes. His tongue slightly visible in between his lips as he stood up from the seat. He said nothing to Luhan – in a thin line between respect and utter annoyance. He made a mental note if he’s the Black Leader then he won’t be as sassy as Luhan is. Even man has his patience.

As he walked towards the center of the room, Sehun glanced around, catching some familiar faces. Jongin of course, and there’s some other boys, one he believe was part of the Whites – Myungsoo is his name. Girls from both Blacks and Whites also present as they will work on different type of project.

He bowed his head slightly, greeting the crew and mostly to Joonmyeon who smiles at him encourage Sehun who is new to all these – camera and lights but without action. “Just do it naturally” Joonmyeon reminded behind an expensive yet professionally looking black camera. The high school student barely nodded his head. Now that he’s in front of the camera and all the lights, Sehun feels his confident crumbles.

Sehun gulped the lump inside of his throat. “Okay”

It was a miracle Sehun managed to pull off some photos in despite his troubled mind consist of the nervousness that suffocating him and the reason behind his current situation – here at lost like being given as some kind of lamb sacrifice. In the end, however, he just nodded at the result and thanked the person in front of a white colored computer, before he returned to his seat.

He eyed Luhan who seems immersed on a book he was holding. Sehun doesn’t make any comment when he settled on the seat next to the older. But curiosity get the best of him as he leaned back. Thanks to his height it was almost an easy task to peek on whatever Luhan has been focused for a while – or the entire time Sehun had left. It was fortunate that the older is way too occupied at the moment. But when the pale boy read through the crappy looking Korean writings, he cannot hold a gasp. Sehun wished Luhan wouldn’t notice his breach in the‘operation’, but alas, Luhan is the Black Leader.

Sehun meekly smiled as Luhan started to glare oh-so fiercely at him. The passing crew might think the younger is far from being afraid, but that’s where they’re wrong. Sehun is trying his best not to wet his pants because right now the daggers from Luhan’s gaze is swallowing him whole. He gulped. “I don’t know you like-“

“Shut your trap!” Sehun flinched, eyes closed when the book collided with his head. His hand rubbed the sore part of his forehead. “You do not dare to say the word” Luhan’s tone is ordering but somehow Sehun wasn’t half affected by it.

In a low tone, Sehun countered. “Shouldn’t it be a name?” the red shade on Luhan’s cheek proved to be quite amusing. The glare wavered for a second but the older is still trying to put a straight intimidating look on his face. Sehun dared himself to raise one of his eyebrow questioningly.

Luhan’s jaw clenched. He never thought such an underclassmen who trembled really hard when bunch of teachers cornered him, ever try to make fun of Luhan’s embarrassment. Luhan gave a warning look before putting the book he was holding back to his backpack near his feet.

Sehun watched him in amusement. “You know, you should let Seukri Sunbae knows that soon or later”. Luhan flinched and shiver run down his spine, he knows the younger is literally having a field trip. For a second, he regretted this ‘retirement’.

He casted a dark look at Sehun. “If you open your mouth again, I won’t be hesitant telling you off about that girlish comic you just read” Luhan threatened.

With a roll of his eyes, Sehun looked away, decided to drop the subject entirely for now. Although there’s an urge inside of him to tell Luhan that Sehun feels the issue regarding Luhan and his so-called infatuation to a certain painter is so much worth gossiping around than Sehun with shoujo manga.

~//~

“Bless you” Risa said when her best friend, Seukri just sneezed. Dust inside the storage room swirled in front of the painter and made Seukri’s nose reddened. Risa was about to say the same thing until Seukri raised her finger.

She sniffled. “I’m okay” she assured her friend while holding another sneeze. “Someone might be talking about me right now”. Risa could only raise her eyebrow questioningly. “I don’t think it’s relevant though”

Seukri let a fake gasp. “Im Risa, it does relevant!” she insisted which replied by a sharp snort from Risa. They giggled later on before continue their search inside of the dust covered room.

The place is dimmed with only a yellow bulb shining on top of the small place. A window on the wall, but it facing an empty space. Although thanks to it, both Seukri and Risa could hear the hectic outside. Risa even made a sarcastic joke about Chanyeol being a walking megaphone with his booming voice.

“He’s a good rapper but he’s just too loud sometimes” Risa remarked when she absent-mindedly telling Seukri about her relationship with the Black member, originally. Seukri could feel despite the entire feud between the factions in the past, maybe all the fighting and disapproving wasn’t as bad as it seems. Maybe, she decided second later as he remembered Kyungsoo and Luhan failed-working attempt to look friendly with each other.

Pulling out a random box from the lower case, Seukri began rummaging through the random stuff she could encounter. She even found some abandoned music tape and a hair brush with paint on them. The sight reminded her about something.

She looked up and saw Risa tried her best to tip toed and see if there’s something from their list over there. “Hey, Risa” Seukri called and her friend let a small hum, signaling that she’s listening. “How come your cousin knows that many of jobs?”

Risa’s feet touched the ground full before titling her head to side when staring at Seukri. “I don’t quite get what you say” she says lastly.

“I mean Baekhyun got a work on a rural project, and some of people from choir got some small gigs at weddings” Seukri pointed out. “Surely your cousin knows a lot of job chances. Does she work in mafia or something?”

Risa was in silent before laughing a little. “No silly” Risa said. “She’s working in a business where she and her co-workers provide links of facilities and resources. Their business is quite known, so now a lot of people seeks for their help” she explained. “And of course she’s not from mafia! That’s outrageous, you surely has wild imagination Kang Seukri”

The other girl pouted. “I don’t know whether it’s a compliment or not” Seukri muttered before pushing the box to its place. “And I also don’t understand why we’re looking for pans inside of the storage room”

Giggles came from Risa. “Me neither” she admitted. “But why don’t you call your mother, she’s a cook. She must have one at least” Risa suggested.

Seukri sighed. “If it was the case, I’d probably already do that before” she told Risa with half annoyed face. “But my mom’s phone is dead. She accidently dropped it inside the sink filled with water… why are you giving me that face?”

“I don’t know, maybe because it’s now clear why you are such an accident prone” Risa joked.

Seukri huffed. She doesn’t remember being such a klutz. “I’m not” Seukri declared. She’s just happened to be quite unlucky sometimes, making herself in a very uncomfortable position time to time. Like when she first saw Luhan and Kyungsoo. Or the minimarket incident when she talked to Luhan for the first time. Or the time she got locked inside of the library and Kyungsoo helped her and walked her home in despite her own reluctance. Like it or not, without the leaders Seukri will never found herself safe and sound here, perhaps.

“Let’s ask Kyungsoo!” the name of the White Leader knocked her from inside her own mind. She let a small squeak sound that went unnoticed, thankfully, from Risa.

Seukri stood up with a confused look painted on her face. “Why Kyungsoo?” Seukri asked. She was surprised how fast Risa’s expression changed.

“Err, I thought he might know? He’s the leader after all. Ex-leader, for now” Risa added although her tone slightly stammered. Seukri saw the uneasiness on her best friend’s face and choose to let the matter slide. Beside it wasn’t the problem right now. Minseok is still in a cranky mood since Jongdae happened to ‘accidently’ knocked some utensils and one of the pans broke somehow.

She rather not want to know the real wrath of the so-called Baozi as she heard Jongin mentioned when he told both her and Risa about the situation.

With a smile Seukri nodded her head. “Figures that. Let’s go” Seukri is a bit relieved when Risa relaxed before leaving the dusty room together, locking the door behind them.

~//~

When Risa had suggested to ask Kyungsoo, this wasn’t what Seukri had in mind. Silently she hoped she has a better luck – or perhaps she’s just being contradict with herself, she couldn’t decide. But surely is, although she doesn’t entirely against the idea, Kang Seukri still finds the situation quite out of place.

She could hear some sales promotion from the speaker which she ignored right away. The air conditioned place wasn’t really bad, actually it’s pleasurable since the day was quite hot. And talking about hot, her face is also felt oddly warm in despite the cool sensation on her skin. Still about the same adjective, she can put the word with the person who’s staring at kitchen utensils like looking at national treasure, next to her.

“Sorry to drag you into this” Seukri apologized although Kyungsoo just gave her a half smile. He looks untroubled, which made her relieved. Both she and Risa headed towards Kyungsoo’s work station, aka the treasurer room. The White Leader was working about the possible outcome from the upcoming festival, making sure it balances and they will find good amount of profit. Although maybe it was a lot more tense than any school festival Seukri had participated in the past. Now they had to reach a certain not-so-little amount.

Kyungsoo flips shiny pan with his left hand. “It’s fine. It was boring in the office anyway” he told the painter who has this disbelief look on her face. Seukri feels it’s weird for a Do Kyungsoo who locks himself in the student council room almost every hour he spend at school to say ‘living in an office is boring’. But Kyungsoo pays no heed with her slight offending expression.

As she realized of what she did, Seukri ducks her head, and finger’s poking random items in front of her. She tried to look nonchalant, which she had failed miserably. Her train of thoughts stopped when Kyungsoo called her name. “Huh?”

A shiny pan is in front of her face, slightly taken her aback. “I don’t know how the hell Chen broke a pan, but I guess this will do. The one we had was old anyway” he said in a low voice. Seukri could only hold the pan Kyungsoo’s handing her. She looks at it thoroughly before eying Kyungsoo almost suspiciously.

“You just sounded professional just now” she told him. Seukri barely recognize the rigid movement Kyungsoo made when she commented. A second late, Kyungsoo shrugged while keeping his face straight as ever. Seukri complemented whether she’s allowed to ask, thinking it was a rather innocent one, she asked it. “Do you cook?”

Kyungsoo stared at her. Seconds passed before he smiled – a bit sad perhaps? Seukri couldn’t fully grasp the meaning before the boy turned his head away and muttered under his breath. “Not really”

For some reason his answer made Seukri decided to shut .

~//~

Seukri watches the fidgety Kyungsoo when the cashier told the price of the pan. As someone who has a mother as a professional chef, Seukri knows the pan doesn’t cost as much as ones her mother has at their apartment. If only her mother’s not too clumsy, they might’ve save more money.

Kyungsoo wrote down the expenses on his phone, muttering in a low voice at how in tight of money they are. “How’s the finance?” the boy’s gaze lifted from his phone before sighing.

“Everyone’s working hard, but…” his tone trailed and Seukri doesn’t need for Kyungsoo to continue. She knows the rest. But I’m not so sure, or something along the lines, Seukri decided. She continue to watch Kyungsoo read through his small notes on his phone’s screen.

Kyungsoo’s thumb slides on the phone as he reads out loud for the sake of curious Kang Seukri. “We had to buy the ingredients for the festival stands also properties as well.

Luhan and his minions are at a photo session with profit according to their work. Baekhyun and some from the graphic art class are working a rural for some kind of events. Choirs are moving around weddings to sing…” Seukri swears Kyungsoo either flinched or shuddered as he says so.

The boy put his phone back to his pocket. “And Luhan gambled something about that Wushu kid” Kyungsoo said in a low voice. Seukri nodded at the brief explanation. They weren’t slacking or something but from how Kyungsoo sounded, he’s not entirely confident. “Let’s go before school ended” the boy reminded her before heading out the store.

But just before Seukri exited the store alongside Kyungsoo, her phone’s ringtone could be heard. “Wait,” she told Kyungsoo who’s stopped in front of the place and told her to hurry up. Seukri nodded her head before answering her phone.

“Hello-“

“Seukri!” The girl was surprised to hear her mother’s voice. Seukri was about to ask what’s the matter, but Nami already cut the chase. “I’m so sorry, I just got the call from the restaurant’s office…” Nami’s words became incoherent as she probably is filled with too much excitement.

Only after Seukri kindly reminded her, Nami returned to the real topic. “The gallery called, someone was about to buy one of your work. I should’ve called you earlier! The gallery needs you to settle some things with the buyer”

Seukri’s jaw dropped. “But the gallery-“

“Yes I know. So, hurry up! I heard about your school’s problem so this might help!” Seukri bid a quick goodbye to her mother as she shut her phone and raced towards the confused Kyungsoo when he saw her panicked look.

He was about to open his mouth to ask, but Seukri beat him. “Someone buys my painting!” she shouted at Kyungsoo’s face. “But the gallery will close in fifteen minutes” she explained at Kyungsoo who also saw the chance in her words. He called Risa right away but was directed towards the voice mail.

“She must’ve busy. Everyone is” Seukri pointed out.

Kyungsoo looked around and stopped when his eyes caught something within’ the perimeter. “The gallery shouldn’t be too far from here, but the traffic-“

Her sentence left incomplete as her wrist was being hold by Kyungsoo. She stumbled as Kyungsoo dragged her, some imaginative fire on his eyes. Seukri was more than certain her heart skipped a beat when Kyungsoo snapped at her. “Screw with the traffic!” the boy shouted un-Do Kyungsoo-like.

And what the girl will experience afterwards might be one time experience as well.

~//~

“AAHHH!”

Seukri screeched out loud. Wind brushed her face as she squinted her eyes, barely see anything other than Kyungsoo’s back. Her arms securely tightened around Kyungsoo, although the thought should have brought red blush to her cheeks, Seukri was more aware to the safety of her life now.

Because sitting on the passenger seat of the bicycle with Kyungsoo pedaling it with all his might, and the vehicle swiftly maneuvered between people through the street, wasn’t exactly what she had in mind when she’s venturing around with someone named Do Kyungsoo.

The bicycle went for another turn and Seukri yelled more.

“KYUNGSOO-AH!”

author's note--

author's note--