Home Gallery Wattpad Upvote monsteracademy   "To put it clearly, I'm going to a school filled with monsters?" FOURTY-FOUR: Monster Stalkers “Rise and shine Joo Ri-ya! Wakey, wakey!” “Mm...,” you groaned as you slowly squinted your eyes open to see Sehun’s smiling face a short distance from yours. “We’ve arrived,” he told you. You rubbed an eye with your fist in an effort to shake your sleepiness off. You saw that the other students had already stood up and were lining for the bus’ exit. I fell asleep, you thought, yawning. You stayed as you are for a few moments as part of your consciousness is still making its way back from dreamland. You realized that the earlier missing Totoro was now carefully tucked under your arm, and that you were actually leaning comfortably against someone else’s shoulder. You straightened up to see Chanyeol who was also leaning against Baekhyun with eyes closed and mouth wide open. He was making these loud, weird noises which you later realized was a cross between snoring and sleep talking. “Ya, ireona. Ya,” Baekhun was poking him on his check but he didn’t wake up and was murmuring incoherent things to himself. “Aish, YA!” Baekhyun shouted, flicking him hard on the forehead. “DON’T EAT MY CHICKEN!” Chanyeol bellowed before snapping into consciousness. He was clutching at his forehead in confusion until his eyes landed on Baekhyun and realized the source of his pain. “YA! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, MIDGET?!” “I was trying to wake you up for ages!” Baekhyun told him. “You didn’t have to flick me! You mean hobbit!” “You deserved it, you stupid troll! Besides, that useless brain of yours could use a jump-start,” Baekhyun shot back. “Why you little –,” Chanyeol gritted as he tried to reach for Baekhyun’s neck but Baekhyun leaned back while trying to push him away, squishing Chen against the window. “YA!” Chen yelled at the two. Xiumin sighed. “You kids, stop it. We’re getting off the bus.” Chanyeol and Baekhyun stood up with the rest of you, but they still continued to bicker with their hands carelessly flying all over the place, until Chanyeol’s large hand hit D.O. on the nose. “WILL YOU IDIOTS STOP IT OR I’LL BREAK ALL YOUR FINGERS OFF AND FEED THEM TO SUHO’S SHARKS!” D.O. bellowed while hitting both of them in the head with his bare hands. “Ya! How dare you do that to your hyungs!” Chanyeol shouted at him but he and Baekhyun stopped anyway. “You have sharks?!” You asked Suho. Suho grinned uncomfortably and shrugged. Your jaw dropped open. “Why would you have sharks?” “I keep them as pets. They’re kinda cute. Reminds me so much of D.O.,” Suho grinned while ruffling D.O.’s hair. “Do I look like a shark?” D.O. barked while swatting Suho’s hand away. “That’s not what I mean D.O.-ya,” Suho soothed. “Pets...unbelievable,” you muttered, shaking your head. “AAHHHHHHH!” Chanyeol suddenly screamed behind you. You turned around to see what was wrong. “What?” Baekhyun asked him. “JOO RI, WHAT DID YOU DO?” Chanyeol wailed. “What?” You asked, confused. “This is my favorite shirt!” He said wailed some more. You didn’t get what he was trying to say right away until your eyes landed on a yellowish spot on his sleeve. “I told you not to drool on me!” He moaned. “Sorry…hehehe,” you muttered as you guiltily looked at the trace of what was undeniably your drool. “Just put some bleach or chlorine and that stain’ll be gone,” Xiumin told him. Chanyeol huffed resentfully. “I’ll clean it for you okay? I’ll make sure it will be as good as new,” you offered. He huffed one more time before conceding. “Fine. And you’ll also do the rest of my laundry – OW!” “That’s already taking advantage, moron,” Baekhyun, who had hit him at the back of his head, said wearing a disgusted expression. “That hurt, midget!” Chanyeol shouted, and two of them went back to trying to strangle each other again. You hopped off the bus and took in the familiar scent of Seoul. It felt like a long time since the last time that you have been here though it hasn’t really been that long. A few squeals distracted you from your reverie and you found some girls and a few boys around the area who were giggling amongst themselves while seemingly taking videos and photos with their phones. There were even some who were handing some gifts and other stuff to the MA students. “Mweoya,” you muttered in astonishment. “It’s crazy right? But we’re famous even outside school,” Chanyeol grinned proudly while putting an arm around your shoulders. “Huh?” “Well, you know. We’re good looking. No, scratch that. They’re good looking, I’m damn perfect. So anyway, it’s not all the time that they see beauties like us here.” “What?” You laughed. “Moreover, people from the outside think we’re some kind of geniuses in many different areas or something. In a way, we are, if we use our abilities. We’re famous. Even you will be, if you tell them you’re studying at MA,” he said while patting your shoulder before heading off to a cluster of girls. “Ayo wassup ladies! Long time no see.” “Chanyeol-oppa!” The girls squealed. “There goes that idiot,” Baekhyun muttered. But he also went after Chanyeol while throwing a flashy smile at the girls. “Yo!” “Idiots,” you heard D.O. murmur. “Um, excuse me.” You turned around and saw a couple of girls looking hopefully at you. “Yes?” “You’re an M Academy student, right? Since you’re wearing their uniform,” a girl asked hesitantly, as though for some reason you looked like someone who shouldn’t belong to MA. “Uh, yeah,” you answered uncomfortably as you remembered that you were still in your uniform since you didn’t have time to change earlier, while everyone else was in their normal clothing. “Can you tell us the name of those two, especially that taller one with golden blonde hair?” “Oh, Tao and Kris?” You said as you followed where her finger was pointing. “Oh! So which one is which? The taller one’s Kris, right?” “Uh, yeah. That’s Kris.” “I thought so. His name sounds so cool it suits him. Are they foreigners? Do you know their full names?” “And-and how old are they? Are they freshmen? We haven’t seen them before,” another one asked. “What things are they good at? Are they good at academics?” “Are they good at sports? I bet Tao-oppa is good at sports.” “Do they have girlfriends?” “Uh,” you muttered hesitantly while the girls were lunging at you like hungry hyenas. “Are you friends with them? Can you give this to them please? I want to give it personally but they seem so cold. I’m afraid they might ignore me and I’ll get embarrassed,” a girl said while holding out a paper bag to you. “Me too! Can you give this to them please? Can you also ask if we can have their phone numbers? Or if they can add me up at Facebook or Line.” “Me too, me too!” “Uh, jamkamanyo,” you muttered as you were being surrounded by girls who were shoving paper bags, boxes, and flowers to your face. Someone grabbed your wrist and you felt yourself being pulled out from the chaotic bunch. “She doesn’t know them. Leave her alone and keep you gifts to yourselves,” Lu Han said while firmly keeping you beside him. “Lu Han-oppa!” The girls exclaimed excitedly. “Lu Han-oppa, this is for you,” a girl said while holding out a paper bag to him. “This too oppa! Please take this,” another girl said. “I don’t take gifts,” he said before the others could also hand him their presents. “Let’s go,” he told you. “Lu Han-oppa! Is she your girlfriend?!” One of the girls asked. “What?!” He muttered. “Is she your girlfriend?!” The others quieted down as they waited for him to answer while looking back and forth at the both of you. Lu Han looked taken aback by the sudden question. He turned sideways to look at you at the same time that you turned to look at him, wondering what’s taking him so long to answer. “Of course not,” he retorted defensively after a while in his familiar annoyed tone. “Then who is she? What is she to you?” she asked while looking at Lu Han’s hand which was still firmly holding your wrist. “It’s none of your business,” he snarled and pulled you away. “Whew! Thanks. You really saved me back there,” you sighed as the two of you walked towards where the others were. He stopped walking and turned to you, looking annoyed. “Stop looking so dumb.” “What?” “At least try to look smart even though you’re not.” “MWEO?!” You yelled, both in shock and anger. He didn’t answer and instead just stared at his hand. He blinked a few times as though he was surprised to find it still holding your wrist. You stared at him both in irritation and confusion. He let go of your wrist roughly and placed his hand in his pocket. “If you keep looking like an easy prey, you’ll surely get eaten,” he said before heading off to the others. “What?” You scoffed. “What is it with this devil and telling people they’ll get eaten,” you murmured and also followed behind. “Who wants to go with me and grab some coffee?” You heard Suho say as you approached the others. “I will,” Lu Han said. “Sehun, Lay?” Suho asked the other two since Lay and Lu Han are staying over at Sehun’s house and the three of them are taking the bus together. “We’ll go,” Lay nodded. “Maknae?” “I was craving for bubble tea,” Sehun muttered. “I know a café with a bubble tea shop nearby,” Suho said. “Our bus is leaving in fifteen minutes,” Baekhyun sighed, looking at his watch. “We should get going,” he told Chanyeol. “Chen, let’s go,” Chanyeol called to Chen who was taking the same bus as them. “I’m not going. I’m staying over at Suho-hyung’s place,” Chen told him. “You’re not going home?” You asked Chen in surprise. “Nope,” Chen replied casually. “Doesn’t your family miss you?” “Joo Ri, we've been around each other for the last hundred years we’ve had enough of each other’s faces,” Chen laughed. “Your mom likes it better when you’re not home anyway,” Baekhyun sniggered. “True that,” Chen agreed. “I’ll go for some coffee. Your treat,” D.O. told Suho. “What?” Suho exclaimed. “Throw in some donuts. I’m famished,” Kai told him. “Actually, why don’t we just get dinner? It’s dinner time anyway,” Lay suggested. “Good idea. Hyung, I want samgyupsal...and spicy dokkboki!” Sehun pleaded with Suho. “Ya, I’m not gonna pay for your dinners,” Suho told them. “C’mon Suho-ya. You’re rich anyway,” Lu Han said, patting his shoulder. “Don’t be stingy,” Chanyeol goaded. “Fine,” Suho sighed in surrender, “but just this once!” “Oh yeah!” Chen shouted. “What?! Ya, Baekhyun let’s take the next trip,” Chanyeol said. “Of course. I’m not letting them eat free dinner without us,” Baekhyun answered without any second thoughts. Suho sighed. You laughed secretly to yourself. You had a feeling that Suho paying for the others doesn’t only happen ‘just this once’. “How about you Joo Ri?” Lay asked. “I’m heading home,” you answered. “Already? Come eat dinner with us first,” Xiumin said. “Thanks but, my mom’s cooking,” you told them. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped,” Suho muttered. “You guys have a great dinner,” you told them as you set to leave. You would have wanted to go with them but your mom told you last night that she will be preparing a special dinner for you once you get home. She had sounded so excited over the phone and by the looks of it, you’re sure she’s putting in extra effort for tonight’s dinner. “How do you go there?” Suho asked. “Well, my bus stop is over there, two streets from here,” you told them. “Ya, isn’t that street dangerous?” Sehun asked. “I don’t think so,” you told him. “Know what? We’ll walk you to your bus stop,” Suho said. “No, that’s actually unnecessary. I can go there alone –” “C’mon,” Kai cut you off while placing an arm around your shoulders as they started walking. “Ya, guys,” you protested. “Just come along. They don’t listen anyway,” Kai smirked as he dragged you along. “Yeah, you all don’t,” you pouted. “Guess we learned that from you,” he said. “What?” You disputed but he just laughed and raffled your bangs. “Ya, quit ruffling my bangs all the time,” you grumbled. “You don’t like me touching your hair?” “No!” You retorted as you smoothened your bangs in place. “Jinjja? Where do you want me to touch you then?” He smirked. “Ya!” You shouted as you pushed him away. He just laughed at you like he usually would. Aish, seriously this ert. I don’t know if he’s going back to normal is a good thing, you frowned. But remembering how he looked like when he told you about his past, you know you’d rather have this erted Kai and see him laugh like he does now. As you walked towards your bus stop, you couldn’t help but feel really uncomfortable. Almost everyone was looking at your cluster all the time, and some of the girls from a while ago had followed you not far behind. Moreover, the