( eleven )

“Well, it seems that there’s nothing more to worry about,” the principal dismissed the two after Kai had stated the scenario that happened to the both of them yesterday. He pushed the door open, allowing Ara to exit the office before him. “Ladies first.”

She docked her head a little due to shyness, also, accepting his offer. After exiting the office of the principal’s, she was a bit hesitant if apologizing was a must. To her viewpoint, no one was to blame. But she knew she had caused him trouble as much as he caused her, too. She tilted her head to him to see whether he kept himself busy or whatever and saw that he was keenly observing her actions, waiting for her to speak, waiting for a reason for him to enter her life. But he thought, if he kept that way, he will be waiting for longer seconds. Anticipating the hallways is an opportunity for him to engage a conversation with the one he has been searching for quite a long time.

“Sorry for the trouble.”, he blurted all out of a sudden.

“It’s nothing.”, Ara felt more guilty. She felt guilty because she hadn’t said it first and she felt guilty that she had to wait for him to say it.

“It’s nothing really big.”, Kai let out a chuckle after seeing her wagging her hands. “Okay then.”

“Bye.” 

Ara headed towards the left while Kai went to his right. He walked continuously in a normal pace, but paused in the halfway of the hallways and looked at his back – to Ara. “Nice to meet you, Yoo Ara.”, he shouted.

Ara was taken aback. “Yeah. Nice to meet you too.”, she waved at him, shyly, and then continued.

---

They meet in a different place – the library. According to Miyoung, there was a supposed book for her to find. Ara insisted to accompany her since she’s free in the time of being. “Here!”, excited as she brought out the very thick history book, almost covered with dust, Miyoung clipped a lock of her at the back of her ear. They searched for vacant seats, and when they settled down, Miyoung pushed to see the contents of the book she borrowed from its resource.

While Miyoung is busy, Ara was kept in silence. She lurked around the corners of the room and then spotted a couple hanging out from almost in front of her. She immediately went to fetch her phone inside her bag and put on her earphones to busy herself. But the two were so sweet, so clingy to each other that she thought they weren’t going to break their relationship for quite some time. She has encountered lots of incidents like this but never did it cross her mind to think that she can have the same kind of buddy too. In herself, she asked if having someone to call a ‘boyfriend’; the person, besides one’s family, who is always there no matter what happens. A person who, with commitment, reciprocates that same feeling the other showed. A person who can lit up a smile in her smile with simply doing nothing and even acting like a weirdo in front of her when there was none of the reasons to react about, would make her a lot of fun

She also thought of what will be Luhan, Lay’s and Sehun’s reaction if someone sent her home or if someone, who as her boyfriend would man enough to ask for a permission from her three older brothers and invited her for a date.

But that wouldn’t happen, not until she wants, not until she does something, and not until she finds the one. It’s tragic to know.

She shook off the thought with literally shaking her head. Unluckily, Miyoung saw her. She looked back at her, where the young couple are locking their hands together, and gazed at Ara again. Sarcastically and with a smile, she asked, “What were you up to?”

“Nothing.”, Ara shook her head, a bit shy to give an answer to her friend.

“You’re cheeks are red.”, she teased.

Ara sought for a mirror where she can see herself. “No, it’s not.”

“Yes.”, then one simple glare caught her. “Don’t tell me…that Chanyeol...”

She felt immediately dried. Nonetheless, that didn’t prevent her from speaking. Silence would only mean she was agreeing with her friend’s assumption. “Chanyeol?” Her eyes grew bigger. “What about him?”

“Nothing.” Miyoung shook her head, smirking at her friend before walking away, leaving Ara curious.

‘What about him? What is she going to say about him?’ Ara thought before trailing behind Miyoung.

---

Meanwhile at the caf, Chanyeol pushed his tray and then left. He was about to exit the caf but one man came across with him. He looked at him carefully, even they have a gap in their heights, cautioning him for somewhat reason Chanyeol cannot get. He never seen him before, but even analyzing, he wasn’t a hundred sure of it. The mysterious one looked at him in a way that he did know his whole life like every bit part of his life was noted on his gaze. “Excuse me.”, the boy said as he grabbed his tray and headed to a totally different direction while leaving him a smirk away.

---

“Kai?”, Miyoung tongued out.

“You know him?”, Ara curiously asked. It was a relief for her to have a leeway of a topic. She thought of an off topic to make her forget about asking too much about Chanyeol – her secret childhood who’s complicated to be called her friend. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She doesn’t want to talk about him, not now. 

“Yes.”, shyly giving her a sure response, Miyoung shifted her look to a different direction.  “We’ve been seeing each other and…”

Miyoung’s eyes glittered, shimmered like a glass that has been passed by a strike of light. She bit her lips as she docked her head, noticing that she has been very noticeable when it comes to expressing her feelings to Kai and saying it to a person she doesn’t even want to know the secret of her own life. She was a researcher, and a researcher must be in her poker face reaction or else they couldn’t find the things that they want to find. Moreover, she did not want to fall for Kai again. He had been always that arrogant of a type, teasing her always, and now that they’re here on Earth; a different planet, he became her rival so she stopped, “… really became good friends.”

“Ahh, I see.”, content of what she heard, Ara nodded at her and moved farther.

---

Along the regularly semi-crowded hallway, Ara moved her feet towards her locker in gray paint with slight etches on the steel.

Ara got her things out of the locker but one book slipped away from her hand. She knew it was to fall down but she waited for it to settle first before she extend her arm and claim it. Maybe it was her always reflex whenever that situation happens.

“Hey.” A deep man’s voice, from the back of her suddenly came out. He was too close. Too close to Ara’s face. “H-Hey.”, Ara tucked a lock of hair of hers at the back of her ear. She rubbed her temples as he extended his long arms and gave her, her book.

“Thanks.”, looking up, Chanyeol was there. “No prob.”