January, 14/2008

Dear diary,

“Em...excuse me, sir...” I squeezed my body on the seat and ruffled my messy hair once strange voice startled me. The second later, I simply drifted back to sleep. I heard the voice hissed.

                “Sir...please wake up...we’re already here...” I’m positively sure that this voice belongs to a man. Yeah – but I was too lazy to open my eyes so I clicked my tongue impatiently.

“Go away...I want to sleep...” I shooed him away with my raspy voice but the man cleared his throat and I felt a warm hand touched my shoulder. “If you don’t get down here...we’ll bring you back to the station and you might have to pay more for the double paths...”

I hastily jerked awake and straightened my body on the seat. I scanned around the bus; it was already empty with no one – exceptional for me, the bus’s driver and the conductor. “Oh...”

Then I stretched my hands and waist before I stood up. As I walked over to the bus’s door, I casually yawned and massaged my shoulders lazily.

                “Thanks for the ride...” I waved my hand to the driver when I walked past him down the stairs and jumped out from the bus. As soon as they threw me away, the ear-wrecking engine of the public bus roared again and it zoomed away from behind of me. I stole a quick glance to it before looked ahead again.

“Wow...what a big campus!” my eyes blinked a few times when I set my sight on the modern buildings of the university area in front me. I bit my lips and arranged my steps entering the front compound of it, where I could see all the students were walking in group – their laughter and jokes clearly audible to me.

“What an easy life...” I slipped the comment under my breath but decided to pick up my paces and walked away, leaving those groups as they tilted their heads around to look at me. Well, I knew what exactly they were thinking.

What a weird-looking boy was doing here??? I didn’t call myself as a very handsome boy but I looked confident enough in my faded jeans, pagoda white tank top that covered with hoddie purple sweater outside of it. Taking my steps in a pair of my favorite sneakers – colored in purple too – and I knew everyone could see how much I loved music when I paced around with a purple headphone hung around my neck and a black colored guitar bag was slung casually across my back. Yeah, they could stare at me for less than 5 minutes and completely aware the passion that I had in purple color.

“Art Department...Art Department...” my mouth kept chanting the words as I wandered my eyes around the deserted corridor once I got into one of the buildings.

                “Ah! There you are...” I made a clap, loud enough to echo throughout the empty corridor when I stopped walking in front of a door. ‘Dance Practice Room’ was written on top of the door. As I read it, my hand reached out toward the knob and pulled on it. I poked my head inside until my eyes paused scanning around on a tall figure. A young boy with a height that totally out of place for a 20 years old boy. This jerk, I thought – how can he reach over 180 cm already? My mind thought dully but I pushed the thought away and made myself into the room.

“Yo! When did you arrive here?” I grinned, showing off my dimple and waved my hand high in the air toward that boy earlier. The tower glanced around and smiled at my sight.

“Annyeong, Yixing hyung! You’re here...I just arrived about 10 minutes before...my training class ended early today...” I rolled my eyes – no wonder he was super tall just because of his major interest and hardworking in training as a professional kick boxer! I chuckled but walked over to stand beside him – no, neglect our height.

                “Wish you good luck, Tao...I might be cheering more for you if you manage to enter the Olympic in taekwondo or wushu...” I said as I winked and smacked Tao on his . He shrugged but flashed me an amuse smile. “Well, Olympic is not my aim but it’s not bad to put it in the future’s list...”

We broke into short laughter together before I stopped and tilted my head around the dance room; it was all empty and quite now. “Where are Sehun and Kai?”

“They gone just now when I came here...probably are taking their shower...” Tao guessed but I raised my eyebrow and glanced down to my wrist watch.

“Gosh, we’re late! Kyungsoo might reward me a nice punch with his frying pan if I don’t drag all of you to be at his place in time!” I complained but Tao giggled and chuckled again.

                “No worries, hyung...I got your back...” he tapped me on my shoulder and I beamed at him smugly. Then we heard the door, situated not very far from where we stood was being pushed open by someone.

“Ah!!! So refreshing!!!” Kai shouted as he walked out from it and stopped for a minute to twist his waist around.

“Hi! Nice practice, Jongin?” this badass, good looking-for-nothing boy was one of my best friends too. His name was Kim Jongin but we edited it to a cooler version of Kai to make it sounded better. But still, I preferred the Jongin one. Kai smirked but he came to give me a quick hug.

“It’s been a while since I saw you, hyung...” he commented but I snorted to him. “Yeah...I know it’s hard to be an art student, especially in your course...you need to practice dancing everyday...”

Kai chuckled upon listening to my reason but he shook his head and patted me on my arm as an assurance. “Trust me, hyung...I’m doing well as a dancing machine! Sehun can’t beat me too...”

                “Say that again! Who’s the generous person which helped you in your yoga practice when we need to have the practical section from the last semester huh??? Your score was just a rank higher than the worst dancer in our class, as I remember...” Sehun suddenly jumped out from the door earlier and kicked Kai playfully on his . Kai whined in pain but he gritted his teeth and chased Sehun around to return his favor just now. They ran into each other like little kids – as expected from the youngest among us but Tao pushed his body between them and made them to stop.

“Okay, okay...time’s up! Let’s move now or we’ll be super late!” Tao cut them off and I made a thumb up at him. He grinned and the three followed me from behind, leaving the dance room. We made our way straight to the next building where the entire intelligent and nerdy crowd gathered. Yeah, the Pure Science Department and we headed straight into the Architecture’s section. Tao, Kai, Sehun and I stopped inside the main office as we scanned around for a person. Another one of my friends was working here as a professor – young lecturer.

“Oh, there you are!” even before we managed to spot for Luhan, he had already got up from his seat and came running to us from his personal desk.

“Have you finished your work??? We’re ready to Kyungsoo’s place...” I asked when Luhan stopped smiling in front me. He briefly nodded but changed his eyes to Kai, Sehun and Tao.

“You kids have already ended your classes???” he narrowed his eyes but it earned a smirk from Kai on his question. “Don’t worry, old dad...we’re doing fine...”

                “Got it...so, are we leaving now?”

                “Yeah, we’ve been waiting here...” Sehun sang but Luhan chuckled to him and asked us to wait as he excused himself to pick his bag and professor’s stuff. As soon as Luhan joined the group, we made our way exiting the building and out from the campus area. We walked as five, the reckless kids who used to play muddy sand together were now all grown up boys – some of us were turning into a mature man too. Luhan was one of the oldest hyung among the twelve of us. He was 23 and enjoyed his stable occupation as a professor. Meanwhile Kai and Sehun were both studying as first year students in the very same university with Luhan in their beloved Dancing Course. Tao, on the other hand, was having a special training under his own team to become a professional kick boxer. Then how about me??? People around me were so devoted to move on with their respective life but when I came to think about myself, I’m satisfied to say that...Yixing will stay as himself – as me.

“Yah, let’s get a free ride to Kyungsoo’s place!” I yelled happily, suggesting to them when we finally reached the nearby bus station. Luhan frowned to me. “Free ride??? Where???”

“Hey, you two! Come here!” Luhan skipped on his feet once he saw two giggling toddlers were running outside a building or specifically known as Kim Enterprise.

“Uncle Luhan!!!” the girls screamed on top of their lungs and they ran over to hug him around both of his legs. I rolled my eyes but stopped beside him to pat one of the babies on her head.

                “Hey, sweetie! Where’s your dad???” I asked, smiling down to her but she stuck out her tongue at me and waved her hands playfully. “Gone, gone, gone...I don’t know where papa would be right now...”

Despite her only 5 years living on this Earth but this little one talked like she was older. Tao, Sehun and Kai stopped behind me and they shrieked upon eyeing the girls’ behavior. The cute twin had now dragging Luhan by his hands and brought him to enter the manufacture section of this little factory. The rest of us followed along until we paused inside, amazed to see the modern processes of baking the steam buns.

“Papa!!!” we were once again startled by their scream when the girls let go of Luhan and ran over to catch for another man. I tilted my head toward his direction and saw the oldest hyung in my gang was waving to his daughters.

                “There you are...my sweetheart, Hara and Hana!” Minseok grinned and he scooped both Hara and Hana inside his strong arms.

“Hyung!” Kai and Sehun waved in union to him while Minseok smiled and walked approaching us.

                “Wow! I never expect it to see you guys here...what do you want actually?”

                “Doesn’t Kyungsoo call you??? He wants to meet us at his cafeteria...” I informed Minseok and he nodded while rolling his eyes. “Yeah...I guess he did but...well, pardon this old man...”

“Yup! I can understand that aging factor...seeing how much you try to keep up with your business and these two divas...” Tao , pointing his finger toward Hara and Hana but Minseok simply stuck out his tongue to us – don’t underestimate the attitude of this so called 23 years old hyung, he could be bubblier and more childish than the rest of us! I shrugged as the idea popped out from my head but I tugged Minseok on his sleeve when he set Hara and Hana free on their legs again.

“Hyung, come on...since we’re going to the same direction, let’s just drive there together...” I pleaded to him, blinking my eyes and pasting my dimple smile to win his heart. Minseok smirked to me.

                “Don’t try to act cunning toward me...I knew it that you guys aren’t too free to in here without prize!” he replied me sarcastically but we broke into loud laughter together. At last, we stopped to catch our breath and Minseok nodded.

“Alright...give me a minute...” he said, turning back to look for his daughters. He called out to them once he spotted the girls were playing in front of the nearby PC, situated for the operator to control the machine’s system. “Hara, dear! Come here...”

                “Yes, papa?” the little girl jumped off from her seat and ran over toward Minseok. His daddy bent down his head to reach the face’s level of Hara.

                “Tell your mom that I’m out for a drink, okay??? I’ll be back soon enough...I’ll bring the car with me so just go back home with your mama and wait for me, okay??? I’ll see you at dinner...take care of Hana!”

“Roger!!!” Hara made a salute sign to her dad and she tiptoed to kiss Minseok on his cheek. “See you again!!!”

Luhan and the rest of us waved our hands toward the pretty twin and we tailed Minseok to his car, parked at the back of this little factory. Yeah, Minseok was married at a very young age. He was just 23 but he had already got that twin in his life alongside with his beautiful wife. Thanked God that he decided to take over the family business and worked on the small factory of steam buns manufacturing.

We drove until we arrived in the midst of the busy Seoul city and stopped parking in front of a small cafeteria, built among the narrow shopping street.

                “Yeah! Finally!” Tao pulled open the door of Minseok’s van loudly and he jumped out, followed by Sehun, Kai and me. Luhan and Minseok came out from the front seats and we made our way into the cafeteria.

“Welcome! Ah!” the bell hung on top of the entrance door rang and it made Kyungsoo, the owner of this cafe to look up from the menu card in front of him toward us. We smiled and showed peace signs with our fingers.

                “Glad that you guys are finally here! Now, come! Join the rest...” he pushed away the card and walked out from the counter to welcome us into his cafeteria. He had been running this place since he ended his high school. Kyungsoo wasn’t a type to pay much attention in studies – just like me – but he considered his interest in cooking and business as a ticket to expand his future with brighter plan. Successfully, he did.

“Go on...take your seat there...” Kyungsoo shoved us toward a long table that place at one corner inside here but as we walked, we heard people buzzing around and whispering among them. I scanned on them through my suspicious eyes before I finally grasped the matter.

                “Too much of attracting the attention neh, both of you...” Luhan commented first even before I manage to open my mouth. I landed my next to another tall boy and he turned around to me, eyes on Luhan instead. “Hey, Luhan! Keep your jealousy to yourself because I’m pretty sure that you’re a hot stuff too...among your students...”

Chanyeol and Baekhyun were both laughing after listening to Chanyeol’s reply on Luhan’s comment earlier but Luhan rolled his eyes. He settled himself across from me while Tao, Kai and Sehun were all sat in line beside him. Minseok had probably gone bursting into Kyungsoo’s private kitchen, ignoring the sign written ‘STAFF ONLY’.

                “So...remind me why are we gathering here??? Because I’m pretty much stuck with my schedules! I have another photo-shoot after this...” Chanyeol was blabbering about his busy daily routine again. Well, we all understood his situation as a famous model nowadays. He was young, breathtakingly good looking and tower enough to become the most wanted model now. Almost every poster or commercial clips advertised his face! I had no doubt when the girls were all going mad when he sat in here, looking so insanely Goddess. Adding to the bonus of the chaos was Baekhyun.

“Yeah, I think I need to rush back too...I promised few producers to record many new songs with their artists...I couldn’t afford to be late!” he complaint because we all knew that as an outstanding composer, Baekhyun can’t neglect his job. Furthermore, his popularity was over the roof too!

                “Keep it cool, Baek ah...we haven’t talk for a while, right??? Stay longer with us...here, your drink...” Kyungsoo stopped facing the table as he put down a big tray filled with multi-types of drink for us. Minseok walked after him, his hands already holding a basket of bread and cakes – plus, he already chewed on them!

“So...we...” Minseok began right after he sat beside Kyungsoo but... “Sorry, I’m late!”

We all rolled our eyes when we turned to look at Jong Dae. He smiled apologetically and pushed his tiny little body to sit between Tao and Sehun.

                “I’m terribly sorry! I just finish my shift for today...it’s hard to escape...the bank was full!” yeah, Jong Dae was working as a banker right now and he seems to enjoy it even when he rarely got his free time for simply hanging out or vacation.

“Dully noted...but where are Suho and Kris???” Kyungsoo frowned, desperate to gather our gang so that he could proceed in discussing about his so called mysterious plan. I simply shook my head, indicating that I didn’t have any idea about where on Earth the two of them would be but then, someone came walking to stop before the table.

“I’m here, buddy...sorry for being late...I got stuck with emergency case just now...but I think Kris is on his way flying back to Korea today...” here came Joon Myeon or we nicknamed him as Suho for easier pronunciation. The rest of us were nodding to him in understanding, Suho was a doctor – he was always on call for any emergency so we could bear with his complicated situation to keep his awareness on all the time. Luhan shrugged.

                “Kris is going aboard again??? Aish...thanked God I’m not a big company’s director!” he teased, grinning to us while we laughed in union. Well, it was truth. I agreed with Luhan because I had never fancy such a troublesome job like the one positioned by Kris. But he can’t actually help it than to be busied because Kris was working inside his family’s company in a very big and important position, the main director.

“Okay, guys...let’s not wait for him...just start the discussion first and I’ll inform Kris later when I see him...” I pressed them to start talking and Kyungsoo nodded in agreement. But as he leaned forward, placing his hand on the table to talk, it was my phone to interrupt our conversation. Minseok shot me a glare and I smiled sheepishly to them.

                “Excuse me...” I stood up and went to stand next to the wall before I picked up the caller without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello...”

“Yixing ah! Where are you, son??? We’ve been looking for you since this morning!” I closed my eyes and bit my lips – mom, aish! Then I snapped open my eyes again and grinned widely.

“I’m at Kyungsoo’s cafe now, omma...we are here to talk about something...why???”

                “I need you at home...now!”

I was whistling alone when I arranged my steps into the living room. I excused myself earlier from the gang, even before knowing Kyungsoo’s plan right after I got the phone call from my mom.

                “Omma, I’m here...” I sang as I hopped on my big, favorite couch inside the living room and threw my guitar bag down on the floor.

“Son...” I heard the stern voice of my father so I hastily sat up again. My eyes peered up to him and I saw his serious expression as he walked over to me, followed by my mom from behind.

“What is it, appa???” I asked and gulped down when my parents sat straight on the sofa across from me.

                “I want to show you something and talk about it...” my father informed and I gave him a nod.

                “Okay...let’s hear it out...”

Instead of talking to me, he handed me a dark blue colored file that he had been holding inside his left hand. I blinked my eyes on it but when I saw my mother was nodding to me, I took it and brought it closer to my face.

“What is this, appa???” I questioned, flipping the file back and forth but didn’t make a move to check its content. My dad took a deep breath before he beamed his head toward the file.

“Open it...” he ordered and I bluntly obeyed. As my hand flipped on the first page, my eyes instantly dropped on a photo of someone – a girl. My first impression about her was...well, she was pretty. Then I darted my eyes down on the details printed below her picture and I read.

                “Seo...Joohyun???”

I looked up again, checking the faces of my parents and my mom nodded. “Yes...she is the girl that you’ll be marrying soon enough...”

Then I felt my eyebrow rose higher.

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