CHAPTER 10

"Hmm... what should I watch?" Soojin mumbled as she made herself comfortable on the sofa while looking for a good show to watch.

"Wait, that looks like Kai..." Soojin mumbled again and made a closer look at the TV. She stopped on a channel that shows a guy dancing and she was right, it was Kai. She had seen him dance to that choreography when they hangout in her mirror room.

After Kai finished dancing, Soojin immediately run to her room to get her phone and dialed his number. She can guess it was not a commercial video but a teaser video for a debuting idol or group.

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"5 minutes break" EXO's choreographer announced as he grabbed his phone and exited the practice room. Just a second after the door closed, Kai's phone rings.

"Hey" Kai answered. It was a video call from Soojin.

"Yah! Kai, why didn't you tell me you're an idol?" Soojin bombarded.

"I'm not an idol..."

"Pssh~ I already watched your teaser." Soojin interrupted.

Kai chuckled, "Still I wasn't lying. I haven't debuted yet that makes not an idol, right?"

Soojin puffed her cheeks, "Fine, but it's just the same. You're going to debut sooner or later."

"So how was my teaser?" Kai asked.

"It was... uhmm... alright..." Soojin said, not putting a lot of enthusiasm in her answer. She wanted to tease Kai.

"Just alright? Not even good?" Kai questioned, he was expecting more. He was used that Soojin praised his dancing so he was expecting more than just alright. Just 'alright' didn't make him feel good.

On the other line, Soojin burst laughing, "Hey cheer up and don't scrunch up your face. I was just kidding. The video was daebak. You know, I think we should celebrate when you get back."

"You said it, no more taking it back, arraso. You'll cook a lot of food when I get back."

Soojin laughed while nodding her head, "Deh... deh..."

"Who is she?" Luhan suddenly appeared beside Kai while staring at Kai's phone.

"Luhan hyung... this is Soojin, my friend. Soojin, this is Luhan hyung, my co-member." Kai introduced.

"Annyeonghaseyo" Soojin greeted and bowed, making herself disappear from the screen for a moment. Kai and Luhan chuckled.

"Annyeong, Soojin-sshi" Luhan greeted back and wave his hand but just then their choreographer came back.

"We're going back to practice. I'll call you when I get back." Kai said.

"Deh, take care. Fighting!" Soojin held her fist and bid her goodbye.

Kai laughed, "Yeah, fighting!" and ended the call. He put down his phone and went back to the center of the practice room but they didn't start immediately.

"I've never heard of Soojin before." Luhan commented in a low voice so their choreographer won't hear them.

"But you did. Chanyeol hyung opened the topic about her and I remembered you said that she made you curious." Kai said. He knows his hyung is curious and he decided to be a cliffhanger.

Luhan got puzzled and dig into his memories and just like that a bulb in his head lit up.

"No way... so you mean she was the neighbor that you've seen three times after months since they moved in?" Luhan gaped at the reality. The girl he saw earlier seems to be bubbly and not the type to hid herself from the outside world. Kai simply nodded.

"YOU TWO ARE FRIENDS?! I... I mean how come? How did it happen?" Luhan bombarded.

"Position…" their choreographer suddenly hollered.

"Want to come to my house later?" Kai asked instead as they walked to their position.

"Sure" Luhan said, having the feeling that Kai would tell him on their way to his house.

LATER ON...

"Come on hyung, I already called Soojin and she's already cooking." Kai said as he finished packing first.

"Someone's excited?" Luhan teased as he sling his bag on his shoulder.

"You just don't know how good Soojin can cook..." Kai said, not minding his elder's teasing. They walked out of the building and ride a cab to Kai's house.

They stopped by first at Kai's house to put down their things. Kai didn't tell yet how he became friends with Soojin and Luhan didn't have the chance to insist since his eyes would occasionally close during the ride.

"Umma, we'll be at Soojin's house." Kai informed his mother on their way to the door to go to Soojin's house. Kai's mom nodded and they bid their goodbye.

Kai crossed the road with Luhan following him. He rings the doorbell and in a moment Soojin's mom opened the door for them.

"JongIn-ah... Oh who is this handsome young man with you?" Soojin's mom asked as he noticed Luhan's presence.

"Aunt Sooyeon, this Luhan hyung, my friend. Luhan hyung meet Aunt Sooyeon." Kai introduced them.

"Annyeonghaseyo" Luhan greeted and bowed in respect.

Soojin's mom nodded while smiling, accepting the younger one's greetings. She then turned to Kai, "Come in, what brings the two of you here?" she asked as she opened the door wider for them.

"Soojin is treating us, is she at the kitchen?" Kai asked.

"Oh so that's why she's cooking, Soojin left to the mart just now. She said she has to buy a few ingredients." Mrs. Eun said.

"Jinja? Did Mr. Park accompany her?" Kai asked.

"No, Soojin didn't want to bother Mr. Park since she said she wouldn't take that long."

Kai didn't like what he heard. Soojin never went to the mart without someone accompanying her. It would either be him or Mr. Park. He stopped on his track, "Aunt Sooyeon, I think I'd follow Soojin to the mart. I remembered I need to buy something too." He said but the truth was he was just worried for her.

Soojin's mom looked a bit puzzled but then smiled and nodded. Kai quickly walked out the house, forgetting he was with Luhan. He immediately called a cab and ride it with Luhan.

"Hey relax there, Kai. I think nothing bad will happen to Soojin-sshi just by going to the mart." Luhan said. He couldn't figure out why Kai looks so worked-up.

"You don't know hyung. Soojin shouldn't be left with no one to accompany her it's delicate for her." Kai said.

"I don't get it." Luhan only muttered.

"You see hyung, Soojin had this illness that whenever she's in a crowded place, she would have a hard time breathing and sometimes faint because of it." Kai made a brief explanation. "Ahjusshi, this is our stop." He said again as he noticed the familiar look of the mart. They immediately stepped out of the cab and entered the mart.

Kai went to the grocery section and scanned the place. Luhan followed closely and helped Kai look for Soojin even though he was having a hard time recognizing her face since he saw her for just a short while on Kai's phone.

"Soojin..." Luhan heard Kai muttered and watched the younger one jogged towards a girl which he guessed was Soojin.

"Yah! Are you out of your mind? Why did you go out by yourself?" Kai scolded Soojin in a low voice as they neared her.

"Kai, you're here." Soojin said and gave a sheepish smile, not minding that Kai was scolding her.

"Aish... why are you just standing here? I thought you're going to buy some ingredients." Kai said, knowing that Soojin wasn't taking his scolding seriously.

"Well err... yeah... it's just that the section that I needed to go is a bit crowdy." Soojin explained as she pointed to the meat section where it was a bit crowded.

"You should have asked Mr. Park or better yet you just cooked with the ingredients you have... What are you buying anyway?" Kai asked.

"I'm buying beef."

"Okay. Stay here, I'm going to buy it for you." Kai said and left.

*They totally ignored my presense.* Luhan thought after watching the two interact.

"Hey, you're that hyung that Kai introduced to me earlier over the phone." Soojin suddenly said, making Luhan jumped a bit in surprise.

"Ah-yeah..."

"Tsk that brat, forgetting his friend." Soojin whispered and shook her head. "Annyeonghaseyo, it's nice to formally meet you." She said and bowed.

"Nice to meet you too, you know Kai was really worried about you."

"Yeah... tell me about it." Soojin chuckled but Luhan could sense that recognition and gratefulness in her voice.

"I bought it, is that all that you wanted to buy?" Kai asked as he came back with a plastic of beef.

"Actually, I needed to buy assorted fruits and then that's it." Soojin said. She was ready to go to the fruits section when Kai stopped her.

"Just stay here with hyung, I'll buy it. Hyung, keep her away from the crowd." Kai said and left to buy assorted fruits. He could see more and more people coming inside the mart, that's why he volunteered to buy what Soojin needed so that they could exit the mart faster.

Not long enough, Kai returned with the beef and assorted fruits. "Let’s go." He ushered and they exited the mart, unfortunately it was raining and the surrounding was getting cold. There's no cab yet and Kai noticed that Soojin was getting cold so he took off his jacket and wrapped it to Soojin.

"Kai, I'm fi..."

"Use it, it’s getting cold." Kai zipped the jacket and fixed her hoodie.

"T-thanks..." Soojin said. She couldn't argue with Kai at times like this, especially when he using his bossy tone.

*Are they only friends?* Luhan thought and felt that his presence was ignored once again.