“Hello?” Heechul answered his phone.

We were watching a movie in the living room when his phone rang.

“Who’s that?” I whispered to him.

“Yes, manager-hyung. Okay, okay. I got it,” he said, still talking to the person on the phone. Soon as the call was cut, he immediately let go of my hand and stood up. “I need to go to the company. There’s an emergency meeting.”

“Oh,” was my only reply.

I was not surprised, actually. At times, when he says that he doesn’t have a schedule, suddenly, manager-sshi will call telling him to come to the company immediately. Ha~, the life and times of a celebrity is so complicated. They’re always on call, always in work, always tired.

Teachers have weekends to stretch out there bodies, to relax after a long weekday of work and taming kids or teenagers and sharpening their potentials.

Heechul’s face doesn’t show any disappointment or anything; still the normal, “don’t-care-wont-care” face he wears in a normal day (just like today).

Fifteen minutes later, after changing clothes in his room, he came out in a green t-shirt and dark pants, and just the right amount of that manly-man perfume he always wears.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said, coming near me.

“It’s okay; it’s work,” I told him.

“I’m sorry I’m leaving you…”

“I told you it’s okay. Go,” I said with a smile.

“I love you,” he smiled. He leaned his face closer to mine.

“Go…”

“I said…I love you,” he smiled wider.

“Goodbye,” I said, smiling wider as well.

“Seriously…” he whispered, now getting a bit annoyed.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I want my goodbye kiss,” he pouted.

“You’re still a kid,” I giggled. I leaned closer to him, making the gap between my lips and his to an inch before…

“Are you sure you’re kissing me on the lips?” he suddenly asked, looking at my lips.

I fell silent. Should I or should I not?

Then, I finally kissed his left cheek.

“Ah, I thought…” he said, standing up straight. “I really thought…”

“You thought I would kiss you when you didn’t even…what, prepared a decent date with me,” I said. I pouted. “Hmmm… you better go before your manager kicks your for being late.”

He stood up straight. “But I really want a REAL goodbye kiss.”

I stood up, push him left shoulder to make his turn around, and push his back gently, making him walk towards the front door. “You’ll be late.”

He whined like a baby. “I want my kiss.”

I gave him a back hug. “I’ll give it to you, IF…”

He stopped from walking, released my arms around him and faced me. “If…what?” he asked, wide-eyed.

“I want a real date.”

“Call. No take backs.”

“Alright, alright. Go; before I kick your out, annoying Cinderella,” I said smiling.

He smiled, wider than mine. He’s eyes seems to speak out his thoughts, like he was thinking “Wait and see, Shin Yerin” or “I’ve got some EVIL plan under my sleeve.”

“I love you…”

“Go.”

He walked to the front door, opened it and waved goodbye.

“I love you too,” I whispered, looking at Heechul’s back as he walks away from our unit, down the long hallway to the elevator.

“Commence plan,” I shouted soon as I walked in into Super Junior’s dorm.

Okay, I wasn’t actually going to the company; I was going here. And it wasn’t actually manager-hyung who called; it was Big Mouth Leeteuk asking about some schedule.

When my phone rang…

“Hello?” I asked.

“Heechul, are you going to the afternoon show on Tuesday,” Leeteuk asked.

Then it hit me. I’m not in the mood to talk about that. Now that Yerin finally come clean about her feelings, I want to talk about THE DATE.

“Oh, okay, I’m on my way,” I said.

“What?” Leeteuk asked, completely clueless.

“Be there in 20 minutes.” I cut the call.

“Who’s that?” Yerin asked.

“Manager-hyung…”

“Yah! Kim Heechul, are you out of your mind?” Leeteuk greeted me with a cold welcome soon as I stepped in the living room. “What nonsense were you talking about on the phone?”

Leeteuk walked towards me, holding a blue mug in his right hand.

“The date you promised; how’s it going?” I asked with a smile.

Leeteuk looked at me like I was some stupid monkey. I’m clearly not Eunhyuk.

“What date?” he asked.

I smacked his left arm. Wrong answer!

“The date you promise you’ll plan for me and Yerin. She wants one,” I said with an annoyed face. “You better plan it soon or I’ll kill you.”

Leeteuk just stared at me without a reply.

“I’m serious.”

Leeteuk smiled. “I was just playing with you. Of course I have something up my sleeves…”

“Then do it…tonight!” I shouted to him.

Leeteuk collapsed on the couch in surprise, spilling coffee in his brown sweat pants. 

“Yah!” he shouted.

“I want it tonight…” I pouted.

Leeteuk looked at me. “You’re not seriously making us do that, right? And you’re not seriously pouting in front of me, right?”

“I’m serious…hyung.”

“That’s a first,” Leeteuk said in a bothered tone. “You must have a high fever for calling me hyung,” he said, trying to touch my forehead.

I smacked his head. “Are you doing it or not?”

“Why don’t you plan it yourself if it’s so urgent?” he asked.

“Hey, you and Siwon had the brightest idea of planning a date for me and Yerin. Don’t you dare back out!”

“Why us, anyway? Why do you agree, huh?” he asked.

“Sheesh, you’ve got loads of money. Besides, I don’t want to break a sweat,” I happily replied.

Then, Siwon and Donghae emerged from their rooms.

“What’s going on?” Donghae asked.

But I was more interested in annoying Siwon first.

“Siwon, better prepare your ‘waiter suit’ alright?” I said with a huge devilish grin.

“Hyung, what are you talking about?”

I replied with an evil smirk.

“Oh, no,” Siwon said, finally getting what I meant. “When is it…”

“Tonight,” I said.

“What! Wait, I didn’t even agree,” Leeteuk said.

“Alright,” Donghae cut in, “what’s going on?”

“Call everyone. I declare that each and every one of you monkeys will follow every single word that I say,” I said, standing up, feeling the power flowing inside my body.

“Umm, Heechul,” Leeteuk cut in, “sorry for ruining your moment but let me remind you that I am the LEADER of the ‘monkeys’ you’re talking about. Let me break it up to you that you, too, are one of those ‘monkeys’.”

“Honestly,I don’t need your lecture right now. Chop chop! You have a dinner date to cater to.”

Leeteuk glared at me.

“I also don’t need that glare right now.” I looked at him. He’s too serious. “Hyung, you promised me this dinner date.”

“I did,” he replied, “but not this sudden.”

“I still don’t get it,” Donghae talked to himself. “What is this all about?” he asked Siwon.

Siwon answered him. “He wants a dinner date with Yerin-noona.”

“What’s that got to do with us?” Donghae asked again.

“We,” Siwon pointed to Leeteuk and himself, “sort of…”

“Clearly, that was not sort of to me.” I glared at Siwon. “Answer properly.”

Siwon sighed. “Leeteuk-hyung and I planned to plan a surprise dinner for the two of them. Clearly, he wants to do it urgently.”

“That’s right,” I cut in. “As urgent as tonight.”

Leeteuk stood up. “Heechul, we’re not sure if we can. Some of our members have schedules.”

“Come on. I really need that date!”

“Why?” Leeteuk asked. He stared at me with serious eyes. “Give me a good reason why we should do it tonight. Make it valid or else you’re really dead.”

I looked at each of the three’s curious eyes. How? I don’t know where to start.

“She…confessed…finally.”

“What?” Siwon said with a huge grin.

“She said she love me back.” I crashed on the couch, jelly-kneed. “Finally, it’s not a one-sided love affair anymore.”

At this point, I was more of talking to myself that talking to the three guys in front of me.

“Finally, she confessed she love me back. And do you know how good it felt? Do you know how it felt when the girl, the girl who mean the world to you, the girl that you feel that can complete your world, the girl that you want to spent your whole life with, said she loves you back?”

Silence. I didn’t expect a reply.

“It felt like I was floating on air. I was the happiest man on earth.”

I stared on the floor, imagining Yerin’s smile. When I look up to see Leeteuk’s face, a huge grin was painted on it.

“I’m serious!” I yelled at him.

“I know you are.”

“So?” I asked. “Are you going to do it?”

“Are you going to ask her to marry you…tonight?” Leeteuk asked.

“I…”

My heart pounded hard. What should I do?

“I…guess. Not to mention I might get my REAL kiss tonight.” I smiled.

“So that is what this is all about? Your REAL kiss, isn’t it?” Leeteuk’s eyebrow shot up.

“That… and more. Can’t you see how important that girl is to me? I’m allowing myself to become an idiot for her. Not that I’m complaining, but…yeah. And, I really want to do this for her. I want to show her I care for her, that I love her. I want to…”

“You want what?” Leeteuk asked.

“I want her…forever.”

Cheesy as it may seem, but I’m telling the truth.

“Hyung,” Donghae cut in, “don’t you think you’re rushing things?”

No. “I’m not. I’m sure about this. I don’t want to lose Yerin. I know she’s my other half.”

Leeteuk looked at Donghae. “Call manager hyung. We have a dinner to plan.”

“Oh, and call Sunhwa. Tell her to come over,” I added.

“Hyung, are you crazy? A girl…here?” Siwon said, his eyes about to pop.

“Just do what I said.”

“Why?” the three of them chorused.

I smiled. “You’ll see.”

“Sudden call for the mall,” I told Sunhwa as I drive our way to the mall.

“Sure its sudden but it’s a Sunday; we need our stress relievers,” she said back.

“Anyway…”

“Hey, I don’t need your sarcasm, alright. Besides, I have a good excuse why were going to the mall,” she said while punching random icons on her touch-screen phone; a silly smile is on her face that I haven’t seen for a while.

“Good, thank you. I need to know why you dragged me to the mall all of a sudden.”

“I need you to buy a really pretty dress because you’re coming to a party with me.”

“Okay, FREEZE! What? A party?” I said in shock. “You’re kidding, right.”

“I’m not.” Sunhwa’s smile was genuine. She’s absolutely telling the truth and she’s absolutely going to nag me to come with her to this party.

“When is this party, then.” Please don’t tell me…

“It’s tonight.”

Great, why is my instinct always correct? She dragged me to buy a dress for a party. Why do I feel she’s inventing all of this stuff? Okay, instincts aside. I don’t feel like thinking. Yet again, I’m not in the mood to party anyway.

“I can’t go.”

“And why not?” Sunhwa said in disagreeing tone. “It’s a Sunday.”

“Yes, and tomorrow’s Monday, which means there school tomorrow. I don’t think it’s good to be absent on the first day of the school week.” I am totally in arguing mode.

“Who says were going to be absent tomorrow?” Sunhwa defended. “Come one, Yerin, lets unwind. Besides, it’s a formal party. We’re not going to be wasted or something, you know.”

“It’s still a no. Besides, Heechul doesn’t know you’re dragging me into this party.”

Not to mention he will not let me go even if I ask him. Heechul, not that he got me, I don’t think he’ll ever let me go.

“Well, you don’t know yet,” she argued. “Call him once we get to the mall.”

“Heechul,” I said soon as the call connected. The parking lot as deserted I feel comfortable saying his name.

“Oh, Yerin-ah.” Weird, this morning, he called me ‘my princess’ or ‘my angel’ or other things that made me want to puke. He must be with the others; he doesn’t want to let his infamous sarcastic ‘Heenim’ guard down.

“I’m at the mall right now.”

“Oh, why?”

“Sunhwa dragged me here to buy a dress.”

“For what?” he asked.

Really short answers. I’m guessing he’s not in the mood. Stress got hold of him soon as he arrived in the company; that must be it.

 I hesitated. I’m afraid I’ll stress him more.

“Yerin?” he said. “Are you there?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s just…I don’t know if you’ll agree to it.”

Soon as I said that, Sunhwa snatched the phone my hand.

“Sorry for bothering you, Heenim, but…I was wondering if you can let Yerin come with me to this party. Please say yes because I will absolutely feel left out because I only know one person in that party. I know it’s a sudden request but I really, really, really appreciate it if you would…oh, okay.”

Sunhwa handed me the phone. “Hello? Heechul.”

“Next time, never give her the phone.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay if you come to this party. I don’t mind.”

“Really?” I said puzzled.

“Yeah. I have work tonight, anyway.”

“No way, I thought you’re free today.”

“I thought so too. But that’s a celebrity’s life. Sorry, Yerin.”

I sighed. “Well, if you’re busy then I better take this chance to unwind. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Positive.” I heard him breathe. “I love you, princess.”

I hesitated for a second but replied, “I love you too.” I heard Sunhwa squirm, warning me to cut the call or all hell of cheesiness will break lose.

“Nice work,” Sunhwa said giddily. “How did you turn him to…that?”

“Piece of cake.”

“Heechul? Are you alright?” Leeteuk asked. “You look constipated.”

I stared in space. “You don’t know how nervous I am right now.”

Leeteuk chuckled.

“And I think I need to use the toilet,” I said as I stormed off of the couch.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Good day, my dear readers! Finally out of hiatus.

My Literature teacher said in her lecture some bits and pieces that made me open Heerin's word document and started typing. This chapter is sooooo pending for months and finally I'm showing it to you. I'm really in the mood right now. In the ZONE!!!!!

I'd appreciate your comments and sorry for typos.

~Crina