I quickly set the plate of japchae and lettuce wraps on the table. “Call your friend,” I command Saemi, and she scurries to her room to get him.

“Who is this friend of hers, anyway?” Kai gripes. “Is he too good to eat my dessert?”

“Anyone that doesn’t want to die of food poisoning is too good to eat your dessert,” I scoff, eliciting a frown from him. “Now sit down and let’s eat.”

A grin spreads across his face. “I get to eat with you?”

Oh shoot. I didn’t think before asking him to sit. Unfortunately, I can’t take back what I said now. “Sure. You did attempt to help.”

“Thanks.” He slides into the seat next to me, grabbing a fork and spoon. “Where did Saemi go?”

Right as Kai says that, Saemi walks into the dining room, followed by a slouching teenage boy. A baseball cap is perched jauntily on his head. He exudes an aura of “too-cool-for-school”... similar to Kai when we were in high school.  

“Hello.” I stick out my hand. “It’s nice to meet one of Saemi’s friends. What’s your name?”

The boy coughs when I say the word friends but quickly recovers.

“Yeah. Nice to meet you.” He shakes my hand. “My name’s V... I mean, Taehyung.”

I glance at Saemi, who’s staring at the floor. “Well, anyway, just sit down. We’ll start dinner.”

I expected Saemi, who is normally sweet and bubbly and loud, to make conversation with Taehyung during dinner. However, the two don’t say a word to each other. Kai nudges me under the table and gives me a confused glance, bobbing his head towards Taehyung and Saemi.

I don’t know, I mouth. The entire atmosphere is slowly deteriorating into a tense quiet.

“So what’s the school project that you two are working on?” Kai inquires, trying to start a conversation.

“Just some art project for school,” Saemi replies. “No big deal.”

“Really? You should show us what you have done so far!” I suggest.

Saemi and Jin look anywhere but each other, until Taehyung finally says, “Sure.”

The rest of our dinner progresses in silence, until Kai announces, “It’s dessert time!”

I shoot him a horrified look. “Um, Kai, in case you couldn’t remember, you ruined dessert. We don’t have any-,”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sojin. My cookies are perfectly fine.” And Kai marches out of the dining room. A few moments later, he’s entered again, carrying the repulsive burnt clumps of god-knows-what. I pinch my nose in an effort to block out the smell.

“So that’s what the smell was,” Taehyung remarks. “I was wondering if you were hiding a dead body in here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Saemi scoffs. “Sojin would properly embalm the body so it wouldn’t give off a smell.”

“Jeez, thanks,” I say sarcastically. “The terrible smell solely belongs to Kai’s food, though. Don’t try any.”

    Kai rolls his eyes. “You guys are missing out.” He takes a big bite of the cookie-

    And collapses on the floor, gagging.

    “Told you so,” I smile. Seeing him writhe on the ground is incredibly amusing.

    “Thanks for dinner,” Kai tells me as he prepares to leave. “But no thanks for not saving me from my cookies.”

    “Hey, you’re the one that told us to eat them,” I protest, crossing my arms. Kai grins.

    “Sojin, give me your number.” he says. My eyebrows shoot up.

    “Why should I?” I ask.

    “What if I want to call you?”

    I give him a strange look. “Why would you want to do that?”

    “Because,” he says, his adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

    “Just go.” I poke his foot with the tip of my toe.

    “Go on a date with me.” Kai pleads.

    “No. Now leave.”

He pouts. “I won’t leave until you give me your number.”

“Fine. Then stay here. I don’t care.” I turn to the refrigerator, trying to hide my blushing face from Kai.

    An hour later, Kai and I are sitting on the sofa, eating vanilla ice cream while watching old reruns of Heartstrings. When he sees Yonghwa, who is supposed to be playing the college idol, Kai scoffs, “I’m much more attractive than them. Just saying.”

When I roll my eyes he protests, “What? I’m telling the truth!”

    “Yeah, yeah.” I chuckle. “Then why aren’t you an idol, huh?”

    He takes a big bite of his ice cream. “I could’ve been an idol if I wanted to. But math is cooler than singing and dancing and stuff.”

    “You’re such a nerd,” I giggle, nudging him with my toe. Kai responds by scooting closer to me on the couch.

    “I’m too cool to be a nerd,” he whispers in my ear, his cool breath tickling my skin. I crinkle my nose and lean away from him-

    When someone yells, “You’re doing it wrong!”

    Kai and I look at Saemi's door.

    From inside Saemi's room, we hear her exclaim, “You say that no matter what I do!”

    I set down my bowl, furrowing my eyebrows. “What’s going on?” I murmur.

“Maybe you should check up on them,” Kai suggests in a concerned tone.  

    More shouting ensues from Saemi’s room. “Stop thinking you can do everything and just listen.”

“I am listening! Why don’t you stop being so-,”

Suddenly, the sound of something crashing to the floor resonates through the house. There is utter silence.

    I knock on Saemi’s door. “Er, is everything alright in there?”

    No answer. Frowning, I open the door.

    What I see causes my blood to freeze.

    Saemi is collapsed on the floor, her legs covered in bleeding gashes. Shiny objects are embedded in her skin; when I look closer I realize that they’re glass shards. Taehyung is gaping at her with a horrified look in his eyes.

    “Saemi!” I scream, pushing Taehyung aside. “What happened?”

    “Sojin,” Saemi whimpers, tears leaking out of her eyes. Her breathing is rugged. “It hurts...,”

    I turn on Taehyung. “What the hell happened?! What did you do to her? Kai, help me carry her!” Kai hurries over and lifts Saemi up, careful to avoid touching the cuts on her legs.

    A hand tugs on the sleeve of my sweater. “Don’t... yell at... him..,” Saemi gasps between breaths. My heart just about breaks seeing her in pain.

    “Saemi!” Taehyung grabs her hands. “I’m so, sorry, I didn’t mean to-,”

    “Move!” My voice is hysterical. “We have to take her to the hospital!”

A/N: Noooo Saemi! o: I think I'm going to end this fanfic soon. But I'll have the spinoff posted soon!

BTW: If you have a Facebook, you should like "Kpop Delight"! I created/admin that page :) Drop by and say hi to Rubi hehehe (that's me eyy)