That night, Hayoung returned to the dorm late, which meant that she did not get a chance to talk to Minah that much. Minah was extremely pleased with this.

 

Minah made sure to check her alarm before she slept, and even set an extra alarm on her cellphone, so that Hayoung could not turn it off again.

 

Her clock did not ring the next morning, for Hayoung had turned it off again, but her phone did. Minah arrived to her classes on time.

 

After enduring through a few hours of bullying, it was finally lunch time.

 

Minah sat down with her best friends at their new table ( since the old one was gone now) and opened to speak.

 

“Hey, I’ve got someth -- ” Minah said, smiling brightly. However, Taeyeon interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

 

“DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF EXO FOR ME?!”

 

“Us,” Junhyun corrected.

 

“Me,” Taeyeon repeated. Junhyun coughed loudly, and Taeyeon looked over at her boyfriend and blinked, as if she was seeing him for the first time.  “Uhh, I mean, us,” she smiled sheepishly. Junhyun nodded in satisfaction and looked back at Minah, urging her to respond.

 

“I was just gonna talk about that. Before I was so rudely interrupted by you!” Minah hmphed and turned her head to the side in a teasing manner.

 

“I’m so sorry!” Taeyeon gasped. “Please, don’t mind it! Please! I didn’t mean it!”

 

Minah chuckled and turned her head to face the front again. “Apology accepted! And the answer is no. I didn’t take pictures of EXO for you guys.”

 

Taeyeon’s mouth dropped. “But you just-- ”

 

“I didn’t take pictures of EXO for you guys,” Minah repeated. “ but I got you something better. Today, we’re gonna go somewhere. We’re going to go see them in person.”

 

Taeyeon’s mouth dropped even lower, if that was even humanly possible. Junhyun’s eyes bulged out of their sockets.

 

“What?!” they screamed in unison. “WHAT?!”

 

Minah laughed at her gawking friends. “You heard me! We’re going to hang out with EXO today. Come on! Time is ticking away! We’d better hurry!”

 

She stood up and waited for her friends to follow. But they sat in place, still gawking at each other, totally frozen.

 

Minah snorted and pulled Taeyeon up gently. Taeyeon obliged without any resistance. Then, she pulled Junhyun up as well, and began to pull them towards EXO’s private café.

 

“I never thought this day would come,” Taeyeon murmured. “We’re actually going inside their café…”

 

“I know right?” Junhyun breathed. “Inside their private café…”

 

“Oh, stop being so freaky, guys! Be yourselves! Be normal! Well, you guys aren’t really that normal… but be yourselves!” Minah grinned. She saw Luhan waiting outside their private area, and waved to him.

 

“Hey!” Minah called. “I brought them!”

 

“Nice,” Luhan smiled. He walked over. “Hello, I’m Luhan,” he introduced himself. “You guys must be Minah’s friends.” He went quiet, waiting for Taeyeon and Junhyun to introduce themselves.

 

“T-T-T-Tae-Taeyeon,” she stuttered.

 

Junhyun just stared at Luhan. “Oh my god you’re so much hotter up close…” he whispered. His girlfriend nodded in agreement.

 

“Um,” Luhan said awkwardly. He looked at Minah uncertainly. “Is he..?”

 

“Uh, no. He’s not gay. He’s just obsessive. Please don’t mind him,” Minah laughed. Luhan managed a small gauche smile and gestured to their booth. “Follow me!” he said, leading the way. Minah had to push Taeyeon and Junhyun forward to get them moving.

 

The boys all turned their heads when they heard someone enter. Despite their calm faces, they were all nervous. What would these two newcomers be like? Would they be as friendly and likable as Minah? Would they be crazy like their fangirls and fanboys from school? What would they be like?

 

Tao was basically hyperventilating in his seat, but Kris smacked his hand over Tao’s mouth rather hard, and he shut up.

 

“Hello,” Suho smiled warmly. “I’m Kim Joon Myeon.” He nudged Lay, encouraging him to introduce himself. It felt like their first meeting with Minah all over again.

 

“I’m Zhang Yixing,” Lay offered. “But please call me Lay.”

 

“I’m Kim Minseok,” Xiumin announced.

 

“I-I’m Huang Zitao.”

 

Luhan’s lips stretched into a forced smile. “As you guys already know, I’m Luhan.”

 

Baekhyun waved hesitantly at the couple. “I’m Byun Baekhyun.”

 

“Kris Wu.”

 

“I’m Park Chanyeol.”

 

Minah noticed that the boys were acting more formal towards Taeyeon and Junhyun. After all, they were providing both their first and their last names. And only Lay had offered his preferred nickname. They hadn’t done that around her on their first meeting.. Though she didn’t say anything about it, she was very curious about it. Perhaps they weren’t as comfortable around them as they were around her?

 

Chen gave Taeyeon a little smile. “I’m Kim Jongdae.”

 

Kai looked at the couple. “I’m Kyungsoo,” he joked.

 

“I’m Kyung--” D.O began, and frowned. “No, I’M Kyungsoo,” he said, glaring at Kai. He shaped his hand into a fist and bopped him on the head lightly. “This annoying kid is Kim Jongin. Kai.”

 

“I’m not annoying!” Kai gasped, acting offended. “You’re annoying!”

 

“You’re more annoying!”

 

“You’re most annoying!”

 

Suho coughed, and the two stopped bickering.  “Moving on,” Kai grinned, pointing to Sehun.

 

Sehun took one glance at Minah’s friends and pouted. He wrung his eyebrows together, as if he wasn’t too happy. “Sehun,” he muttered.

 

“What’s wrong with him?” Minah thought. “He doesn’t look too happy. He looks like he just swallowed a lemon.” She looked at Sehun, and when the boy lifted his eyes and noticed her, she cocked her head to the side. He turned away, not responding. Weird.

 

“Well,” Suho clapped his hands together. “Has everyone introduced themselves?” The boys all nodded. “Alright then. Your turn,” he said, gesturing towards Taeyeon and Junhyun. They were still staring with their mouths open.. The boys were beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable.

 

Minah nudged Taeyeon. “Hey,” she whispered. “Stop staring! I think they’re starting to feel weird. Introduce yourself!”

 

Taeyeon seemed to snap out of her daze. “Sorry,” she smiled at EXO. “I’m just… I’m just a little nervous…”

 

“It’s okay,” Chanyeol nodded. “Just act normal.”

 

“I-I’m T-Taeyeon…” she faltered, not knowing what to say next. “I’m… Minah’s… friend? Best friend.”

 

“And I’m Junhyun…” Taeyeon’s boyfriend said softly. “My bias is Kris.” He chuckled nervously to himself. “Yeah… My bias is Kris.” He repeated slowly, staring at the tall Chinese man. “And Taeyeon is my girlfriend..”

 

Kris squirmed uncomfortably under Junhyun’s gaze. If he had a girlfriend, then why the hell did eyes look like that?! They were all creepy and… y!  On closer inspection, Taeyeon seemed to have that same look too…

 

Minah smacked herself in the forehead and smiled to herself. They were all acting so awkward!

 

“Um, a word please,” she said, pushing Taeyeon and Junhyun out the door. “We’ll just be a minute,” she called back to EXO.

 

She heard D.O reply with a small “Okay..”

 

Outside, Taeyeon and Junhyun instantly snapped back to reality. Minah bopped both of them on the head. “You guys were so awkward back there!” she scolded. “I bet they all think you two are weird now!”

 

“But they were so hot,” Taeyeon sighed in delight. “So hot and their voices sounded so nice…”

 

“I can’t believe I just met them in person,” Junhyun gasped softly. “They’re like… gods…”

 

“Let’s go back inside…” Taeyeon suggested. “Let’s go see them again..”

 

“Yes, let’s…” Junhyun agreed. The two started to advance towards the door.

 

“Oh no you don’t,” Minah said, blocking the door with her body. “Not until you guys snap out of it! If you guys keep acting creepy around them, then they might not invite you next time!”

 

That seemed to do the trick. Taeyeon’s eyes widened and she cleared . “Oh my god, you’re right. We have to act normal, so we can keep seeing them! Best behavior, Junhyun!”

 

“Aye-aye, captain!” Junhyun saluted. The two  put on determined faces, and Minah sighed with relief. She stepped to the side, and the three entered again.

 

“Sorry about that,” Taeyeon announced, her voice slightly shaky. She cleared and continued. “We were just so… overwhelmed. S-Sorry.”

 

“We’ll try not to freak you out,” Junhyun laughed nervously. “Sorry.”

 

“That’s quite alright,” Lay said politely. “We understand.”

 

“No we don’t,” Kris thought. “Minah never acted like this around us.”  He didn’t announce his thoughts out loud, though.

 

“Please, sit down,” Lay spoke again, since nobody else was speaking up. Taeyeon and Junhyun plopped down next to Minah.

 

“So, uh,” Xiumin said. “What would you guys like to eat?”

 

Chen handed Taeyeon and Junhyun the menu.

 

The two stared at the menu for a few moments, before announcing their choices.

 

“Popcorn chicken, huh?” Kai smirked, looking directly at Minah and Kris. “Reminds me of something. What do you guys think?”

 

Kris and Baekhyun both happened to be drinking something at that moment, and both boys snorted on it, spraying liquid everywhere.

 

“Kai!” Kris hissed. “It was nothing! Knock it off!”

 

“I refuse to let anything like that happen to Minah again!” Baekhyun growled. “Don’t remind me! Oh god, my poor, innocent little Minah..”

 

“Guys… I’m right here,” Minah sighed. “And nothing happened. You guys are making a big deal out of nothing!”

 

“Wow…” Taeyeon murmured. Everyone turned to look at her. “You guys are so friendly with each other. You and the boys, Minah. I’m so happy for you.”

 

Minah smiled. “You’re here too, aren’t you? Take this time to get to know them better!”

 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Taeyeon smiled back. “I’ll try. P-Please take care of me, everyone.”   

 

The boys all nodded, including the grumpy Sehun. “We’ll try as well,” Chanyeol said kindly. He smiled widely, his eye twitching in the process. “We’re not used to having so many outsiders with us, but we’ll try as well.”

 

As awkward as it was with the two newcomers, the EXO boys decided that they would try and adapt to new situations.

 

“Wow,” Luhan thought. “Minah really did affect us all. I just hope her influence affects us positively… I hope things don’t turn out like it did in the past.. With Hayoung…”

 

Then Luhan shook his head and smiled at himself for thinking such silly thoughts. How could things possibly spiral downhill like they did in the past? If anything, Minah would make them better. If anything, she would help them develop into better people.  Minah was nothing like Hayoung.

 

 

 

 

 

____________________________

 

 

There was a power outage 2 days ago... and I didn't save.... so I had to retype everything Q ___ Q Some pieces changed here and there.... oh wells.