Your voice keeps on bothering me like an
Echo Echo Echo in my mind
I tried to block it but it's like an
Echo Echo Echo Echo

Echo - SNSD

Minah pushed the café’s glass door open and stepped in, head turning and eyes wandering before he spotted familiar faces, one of them waving frantically to her.

“Minah-yah!” Baekhyun shouted from his seat. His bangs grew longer that it should, and he flipped it to the side with a motion of his head.    

Minah’s face beamed instantly of the sight of Baekhyun and she hopped to the table, to the grinning Baekhyun and the smiling Suho. “Hello! Did you guys wait a long time?” she said, sitting herself in the third seat.  

“No, we just came in,” Suho handed the menu to her. “But we already ordered… Ah, just pick whatever you want, I’ll pay.”

“Really? Thank you, Oppa!” and soon Minah was engrossed in the menu.

After the waiter took her order and after their orders came 5 minutes later, the conversation stirred to the reason they gathered that day.

“Where are the others?” Minah asked, sipping on her drink.

“Sehun still had stuff at school, Jongin…,” Baekhyun took out his phone, reading Jongin’s message loudly, “… Not interested. Get a life, Bacon.” Baekhyun made a scoffed, “Remind me not to pick this Kim guy to be my best man,” before he continued, fingers pressed to his phone, “And Kyungsoo is busy with something right now, he promised to help if he can, but… ‘As long as it’s not against what Bomi wants. Don’t push her, OK?’” Baekhyun slipped his phone back to his pocket.

“That’s what Kyungsoo said?” Minah frowned, eyebrows disappeared into her thick bang. “Gosh, he sounds exactly like Seyeon! Seyeon also told me not to push Bomi about Chanyeol. Seyeon and Kyungsoo are very protective towards Bomi, they’re like…”

“Mother hen!” Minah and Baekhyun shouted in unison and both of them exchanging looks before laughing and high-fiving each other happily.

Suho brought his cup of coffee carefully to his lips, took a sip as his eyes wandered. Slowly, he glanced to Baekhyun with a questioning look, “… am I…?”

“Yes, you’re a mother hen too when it’s concerning Sehun,” Baekhyun answered without Suho needed to finish his sentence. “Anyway, where’s Seyeon?”

“She has club activities. And even if she doesn’t, I doubt it that she wants to join us,” Minah pouted.

“What club activities?”

Minah turned her attention to Suho. “Seyeon’s in the track & field club, she’s been running since junior high, so I heard. And… Seyeon has been thinking of letting it go… So she’s giving it all of her. She should be finish in an hour or so… But, like I said, I doubt it she wants to join us. She probably just tells me to mind my own business or something,” Minah shrugged.

“Well, it’s just us then!” Baekhyun clapped his hands together. He rubbed them together as he started. “Okay, so. Chanyeol’s an idiot-”

“True,” Suho nodded in agreement.

“-and he keeps on saying that he’s just friends with Bomi-ah-”

“Bomi says the same thing too about Chanyeol!” Minah chirped.

“-but Chanyeol lightens up when he gets her text and he giggles like a teenage girl, god damnit, and he’s still denying his feelings!” Baekhyun pounded the table with his fist. “… I mean… those freaking giggles got to mean something… right?” Baekhyun suddenly backed out, and he nervously stared at Suho, asking for approval. It’s quite strange when he was the one with over-dozed optimism.

Suho’s smile was slight and small but it’s reassuring. “Yes, I think it does,” he answered earnestly. “We were there through all Chanyeol’s giggles, so yes, I think this time, too, it means something. Don’t worry, Baekhyun, you want to help him. But if they’re not working out after the push, we drop this. Sounds alright?”

Baekhyun nodded, his worried face turned to relief, and Minah could understand why Suho was the leader except the fact that he’s the oldest.  

“What do you think, Minah?” Suho calmly averted his gaze to Minah.

“I think…,” Minah stopped. She thought about that one particular afternoon, when she went out with Bomi to hunting photos. Bomi’s nose was red from the slight cold and probably that’s what made her gloomy, but Minah remembered the sad look in Bomi’s face when she told her about her first love. How they broke up and a few days later he went out with the girl that made them broke up in the first place. Bomi then smiled, trying to say it’s okay now, that it was just a stupid love story from her younger days, but Minah certainly didn’t think so. Bomi certainly didn’t look like it was behind her, too. And then Minah thought about when Bomi stood in front of Chanyeol, neck stretched because of Chanyeol’s height but he was bending his back too for her, and how she laughed and how they seemed relaxed and fit each other…     

Maybe Seyeoen’s affection to Bomi was contagious, but Minah truly wished for Bomi to be happy, and maybe Chanyeol was the answer. It shouldn’t hurt to try. And when Bomi and Chanyeol finally happy, Do Kyungsoo could bite his nails in despair as he watched from the side, the angry-bestfriend in Minah thought.  

“I think Bomi and Chanyeol suits each other well,” Minah finally said. “You probably won’t guess it, but Bomi is as silly as Chanyeol… well maybe not that silly,” she added when noticing Baekhyun’s dreadful gasped over her statement, “… but they’re a match. And… And Bomi smiles a lot when we about Chanyeol. I think.” Minah blew her bangs away. “No, I’m sure.”

“Great,” Baekhyun grinned and he looked genuinely happy, almost like a little kid with his childish face. Minah was dying inside over Baekhyun’s smile and she returned that grin, her eyes disappeared into a crescent-moon shape. “Woaaa… Your eyes-smile is so pretty!” suddenly Baekhyun leaned over, eyes directed to Minah’s.

“A-ah… t-thank you,” Minah stuttered, inched herself back from Baekhyun.

Suho raised his eyebrows in discreet, sipping his coffee that hide his smile while he shook his head. “Baekhyun,” he said when he put down his coffee, “You said something about beach?”

“Right!” Baekhyun pat his own tights. “Well, Hyung, you see, since Chanyeol hasn’t fully aware of his feelings, he still quite normal in front of Bomi-ah, but you know once he realized he will freak out and probably stop functioning like a human being whenever Bomi-ah is around… So maybe we all can go to the beach, create some romantic mood or a situation for them...”

“Beach? All of us? Me too?” Minah’s eyes unmistakably glittered from joy.

“Of course!”

“Sounds good…,” Suho said as something else slipped in his mind. “What do you think, just one night? Or two nights?”

“We’re spending the night?” Minah almost jumped in her seat.

“Oh, I haven’t thought about it through,” Baekhyun his lips, thinking.

“Well, I know a guy, his hotel has pavilions, so it’ll be convenient for us. I’ll contact him, see if we can get any discount. Tell me once you’ve decide. And,” Suho tapped the table with his index finger, “Since there are 9 of us, we need two cars. I’ll bring mine, but I doubt that Kyungsoo can take his father’s car for 2 days or more. What about yours, Baek?”

“Umm, I can ask my brother,” Baekhyun frowned. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s cool. But I can’t drive-”

“Chanyeol can pick you and the car up. Now...,” Suho glanced at his watch, “You two can decide on the date, right? And Baekhyun, don’t forget to ask your brother. I need to pick Sehun up from school now. Minah, can I have your number?”

“Uh, um, sure,” Minah quickly recited her number for Suho to keep.

“I’ll be going first. Do you want anything else?” Suho nodded at Minah’s drink. “I’ll pay on my way out.”

Minah grabbed her glass, “No, no, it’s okay, Oppa.”

“Okay. Tell me the result,” Suho smiled to Baekhyun as he stood up. “Bye.”

“Drive safe, Oppa,” Minah bowed while Baekhyun waved. Both of them sending Suho off with their gazes. “… Is Suho Oppa always like that?” Minah asked Baekhyun when Suho already went away.

“Yes, practical, dependable, and full of patience… On top of that, he’s smart, he’s handsome, and he plays music… Girls go wild for Suho Hyung,” Baekhyun rested his elbow on the table, his chin on his palm while he bit his straw up and played with it. “… On second thought, guys probably go wild for him too…”

Minah coughed at this statement, and Baekhyun patted her back in sympathy.

Seyeon ran through pass her club-mate, the one who recording her time. She walked around a bit before she came to her friend, “How was it?” she wondered, still panting from running.

“It’s better than the last time…,” her friend showed the stop-watch to her.

“… but it’s not enough,” Seyeon replied firmly, using her shirt’s collar to wipe the sweat in her face. 

“Take it easy on yourself, Seyeon. We just started, we still have a lot of time… You can make it for the team next year…”

Seyeon shook her head, disagree, but she said nothing. She turned around and walked to the bench, intended to grab her things and took a shower. But someone was waiting in the bench, stood over with a gentle smile; towel in one hand, bottle drink in another.

“You’re done? How about a lift home?” Suho handed her the bottle drink first.

Seyeon took the bottle drink, but her eyes remained at Suho, even when she opened the lid and gulped half of the bottle down. When she done, Suho took the bottle from her and handed her the towel.

“… Thank you,” Seyeon made a slight bow with her head. “I still need to take a shower, it’ll take too long.”

“I have the time,” Suho put the bottle down in the bench. “I’m picking Sehun from his school, care to join me?”

Seyeon remained silent for a good sixty seconds, just staring at Suho, who kept his smile all the time. Again, she felt something about that man didn’t feel right. But Seyeon couldn’t figure it out what is it.

She didn’t realize it the first time they met, but now, under the sun’s light, she could see that Suho’s dark hair was bleached with dark red color. The tips of his bangs were long enough to cover his eyebrows, and Seyeon faintly remembered Minah talked about EXO’s leader who resembles an angel, because his smile was so beautiful it’s blinding.

Their staring contest was broken when Seyeon’s friends shouted to her, “Seyeon-ah! We’ll go first!”

Seyeon turned and nodded, waving without a word. Her friends noticed Suho, who bowed a little and sent them another smile, and one of them whispered loudly, “Wait, isn’t that a member of EXO? The guitarist… the leader?” they murmured as they left, turning head one and two times to Suho’s direction.

Seyeon draped the towel around her neck and slung her bag, walking away from Suho.

“I’ll be waiting in the parking lot,” was Suho’s words when Seyeon walked passed through him.

When Seyeon walked to the parking lot, hair still damp from the shower, she saw Suho was leaning to his car; one hand in his jeans’ pocket, another holding his phone, earphones in earlobes, and his mouth was singing to the song. He wore dark fitted jeans and a plain white long-sleeved shirt tugged into his jeans, the sleeves were pulled up to his elbows. He straightened up when he noticed Seyeon; white and red stripes t-shirt and black short.

“You should dry your hair properly,” Suho said when he opened the car’s door for Seyeon.

“I don’t want to make Sehun waits too long,” Seyeon replied, climbed up to the passenger’s seat.

“… good point,” Seyeon could hear a smirk over Suho’s affirmation.   

Their drive to Sehun’s school was quiet, with Seyeon resting her head to the back, eyes observing the world outside the car. But it wasn’t an awkward silence, not when Seyeon could feel Suho’s smile beside her.

“Baekhyun thinks we all should go to the beach, for Chanyeol and Bomi,” Suho said, breaking the comforting silence. “Surely, you don’t want Bomi to go with us all by herself?”

This time, Seyeon turned her head, looking pissed off, while Suho on the other hand looked amused.

“Beach, really? Sunbae.” She added a little bit late, as if she only realized now who was she talking to.

“And they call you a mother-hen. Baekhyun and Minah. Baekhyun said I’m a mother-hen when it comes to Sehun…,” Suho glanced at Sehun, but the girl already turned back facing the window. “What’s your story with Bomi?”

Seyeon didn’t reply immediately. “… I’m an only child. I always want a sister. A dongsaeng.”

“How about a brother?” They stopped at the red light, and Suho leaned on to the wheel, head fully turned to Seyeon. “Sehun’s a good dongsaeng… Well, technically he’s my kid cousin, but still… Feel free to think of him as your own dongsaeng.”

Seyeon turned her head slowly at Suho, arms crossed in front of her chest, and her stare was full of questions and judgment.

Suho raised his right eyebrow, “Just call me Oppa,” the corner of his mouth curled up into another smile.

They reached Sehun’s high school, and Suho stepped down from his car, waiting outside. Curious, Seyeon too got out from Suho’s car, standing beside him. They waited in front of the school.

“You sure like waiting outside your car,” Seyeon said, running fingers through her damp hair, combing it.

“Don’t you think it shows more respect to the other person?” Suho sent her a small smile, his hand stretched out to fix Seyeon’s hair.

Students were starting to leave the school, scrambling here and there; some were walking near them enough to notice Suho.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Suho Sunbae.”

“Suho Hyung.”

“Sunbaenim, annyeonghaseyo.”

A lot of them greeted Suho on their way, with polite bow and clear admiration. Suho sent them away with a lot of smiles, waving hands, and sometimes even a slight bow.

“You’re popular,” Seyeon pointed out.

Suho shook his head. “They’re Sehun’s friends.”

Seyeon didn’t think so, but instead she asked another question, “Why are you called Suho? It’s not your real name.”

“No, it’s not. It’s Kim Joonmyeon. About Suho…,” Suho’s voice trailed off as he noticed a tall figure with blond hair walking down the school’s yard. He raised his hand, waving it to Sehun to make him notice them. “… Sehun’s not always like this.” Now he looked at Seyeon, smile that warm and calming and slightly another emotion. “The boys made the nickname, and somehow it sticks.” He turned when Sehun’s already in the conversation range, “Hey, how’s the school?”

“It was okay…,” Sehun hesitated, his eyes fixed at Seyeon. Seyeon smiled to him, and Sehun politely bowed.

“I met Seyeon at campus,” Suho explained to Sehun, opening the back seat’s door for him. “Let’s grab something to eat.” After Sehun was inside the car, Suho turned around to open the door for Seyeon. Right before Seyeon got in, he leaned over to Seyeon, whispered in her ear, “… Smiling only to Sehun? That’s not fair.”

Seyeon stopped and stared at Suho, the opponent was smirking at her. “… Kim Joonmyeon.” Suho raised his eyebrows in question, didn’t bothered at all by the fact Seyeon just call his name without honorific. “I like it better than Suho.”  

“Is Chanyeol really that idiot?” Minah asked in frustration after several ideas for Chanyeol’s and Bomi’s romantic time were declined by Baekhyun, with Chanyeol’s idiocy as the main reason.

Baekhyun tapped his cheek. “Well. It’s Chanyeol. He always manages to say or do something to blown off the mood… Girls dig on his voice, but they have been saying his smile is creepy… Ugh, which is kind of true, actually…,” even Baekhyun had to admit that.

“Hm… now when I think about it… Bomi’s an expert in setting the mood away, too,” Minah cringed. “Do you know that she likes the do an impersonation of a gorilla walking? Yes, she does,” Minah convinced Baekhyun when the boy looked at her with disbelief. “Just how they ended sleeping together in the first place?” Minah burrowed her fists in her hair.

“… Oh.” Suddenly Baekhyun and Minah realized at the same time. They turned to each other, shouted, “Alcohol!”

“Of course, why we didn’t think of it before?” Baekhyun yelled and flicked his finger.

“But I don’t want it if this is just to make them… sleeping together,” Minah mumbled. “It’s not like that, right?”

“No no no! I want Chanyeol to have a girlfriend,” Baekhyun quickly answered. “They won’t do it with us around… Just a little tipsy… Maybe alcohol can make Chanyeol to take action… A kiss… Holding hand… Anything that can count as a progress…”

“What is it?” Minah tilted her head, noticing Baekhyun’s sudden silence.

“It’s just that…,” Baekhyun stopped. He was thinking of Chanyeol’s high tolerance to alcohol. “… No, it’s nothing,” Baekhyun brushed his own thoughts. “So, maybe we need a game, too, to set up the mood?”

Minah rubbed her hands. “Uuuuh I’m so excited for this trip!!!”

“Me too!” Baekhyun grinned. “Ah, I’ll order food for us. Looks like we’re going to be here for quite a long time.”

This is a sloppy chapter, expect a lot of typos. 

Thank you for reading the story (and my useless author's note, if you read it) and thanks for subscribing aaaaand thank you for leaving a comment! The comments are the highlight of my day~

By the way. I write this out of my love for Bomi and Chanyeol (and Kyungsoo) and I know Chanyeol-Bomi is less popular than Eunji-Chanyeol or Bomi-Luhan (I think?), but I read somewhere, Hayoung mentioned Bomi as Apink's Happy Virus~ I know it's nothing but at least there's a connection between the two (yeah I know it's lame) (exopink fav otp: Baekhyun-Eunji, Suho-Chorong) (nobody cares~)

exofics recommendation: just finished reading The Touchline and I really like it. For a lighter fiction, It's Good To Be Bad, it's funnyyy. And yeah the genre is but nothing . And they have Kim Joonmyeon as the main chara~