Chapter Seven

This is Love

I fit the red cap over my head before lacing up my shoes.  As I opened the front door, the cold September air stung my nose.  I shivered lightly, tugging at the ends of my sleeves over my hands. The winter days have only been growing colder and colder.  I began down the street toward school, but I stopped and stared  and Min Seok's house before walking any further.  With a heavy sigh, I continued on my way, though I couldn't help but wonder why Min Seok hadn't waited to walk with me.  Could it be that he was mad with me?  He seemed okay with the whole issue of Chanyeol and Sehun when I told him...but...No.  I dismissed the thought.  It was more likely that he just skipped school.

In soon time, I arrived at my first class of the day,  Of course the other were seated in the back of the class, talking amongst themselves.  When Sehun met my eyes, he  smiled softly.  He rose to his feet and approached me. 

"Hey," he murmured, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," I tilted my head to one side, curious as to what he had to say.

He took my hand, and I followed him into the empty hallway.  He lead me to the end of the hall, where the two of us stood underneathe a staircase.  It was apparent from the way he held himself that he was rather anxious; the way he his lips when he was nervous.  But to the eyes of others, he must have seemed to carry the same panache as always.

"Are you okay?" I the back of his hand with my thumb.

"I'm fine," he scratched the nape of his neck, "It's just that I'm worried.  Are you upset with me or something?"

"What? No," I shook my head, "Of course not.  Why would you think that?"

"Well we've barely hung out all week.  Usually we skip classes and talk and all, but we've really only seen eachother in class.  So I thought you were upset," he shrugged.

"I'm not upset," I s my arms around him, "You've done nothing wrong.  I just-I have some things going on right now..."

He nodded in understanding, not pressing me for an explanation.  There was a pregnant silence before he spoke, "You know I love you, right?"  I could surmise that  he was nervous to say this so suddenly.

I pecked his cheek, "I love you, too."

"Don't forget that," he returned the gentle kiss.  He rest his forehead against mine,  "I really do love you."   I could feel myself blushing under his gaze.

"What we have isn't just a typical highschool romance," he continued, "We've been together for five years, and I've known I've liked you for six."

"And I've liked you for seven," I poked out my tongue, "But why the sudden confession?"

"I've missed you this week," his cheeks flushed pink.  It's not often that he allows his 'tough guy' image to falter, but every now and then, he shows me that his heart isn't as cold as his exterior.  It's both his fierce approach  to things, and his soft heart toward me, that made my attraction to him incontrovertibel.  And now, after five years, I couldn't imagine myself without him, and every second I spend with him, I love him more and more.

"How about the six of us hang out at my house today," I suggested.

"As long as I get to see your beautiful face," he replied with a cheesy smile.

"Flattery gets you no where," I laughed.  My heart melted upon looking into his beaming eyes.  I hugged him once more and spoke into his chest, "I never want this to end."  There was much more said in that sentence then Sehun could have possibly known.

"We never will," he caressed my back and I could feel the steady beat of his heart.  I remained content in his arms.  I found myself reminscing to the day I met him, all those years ago...

Seven year old me sat against the wall.  In second grade, I didn't really have friends, but I watched as the other children played on the field.  With a sigh, I began for an empty swing.  But the moment I stepped forward, a boy came speeding paast me.  He collided into me, knocking the both of us to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, stupid!" I chided him, rubbing my now bruised elbow.

"Stupid is a bad word!" he whined, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your face is a bad word!"

It was then that a second boy approached us at top speed. "Die, monster, die!" he cried as he struck the boy beside me with an imaginary sword.  He caught sight of me and bowed deeply, extending his arm to me, "I, Sir Sehun, have rescued the lovely damsel in distress from the ugly beast, Jongin."

"I don't like being the monster," the boy, Jongin, complained, "It's just an excuse for you to beat me up."

"I'll be the monster," I interjected, "being the damsel in distress is too girly."

"You can't play with us," Jongin protested, "Girls have cooties."

"But I'm not a girl, I'm a monster," I smirked malevolently before tackling him to the ground once more.

"Then Jongin is the damsel who I must save!" Sehun raised his sword with a giggle.

That day, and every day after to the present, we would laugh and smile together.  For nine years we were inseperable.  Sehun and I have been loyal to each other.  Every kiss.  Every hug.  Every smile.  Every "I love you".  To think I may have tarnished all of that...

"Get to class!" a school faculty member scolded us.

Rolling his eyes, Sehun reluctantly returned to first period as I trailed along behind him.  As we walked through the door, the teacher stopped her lesson adn pierced us with a harsh glare.

"Why are we late again?" she folded her arms.

"Your job isn't to know our whereabouts," Sehun replied defiantly, "My father pays you to teach us science, and you're not exactly doing that right now, are you?"

She twisted her lips, blunted irrate.  "Just sit down," she hissed.

With an arrogant smirk, Sehun sashayed to the back of the classroom.  I took my seat as I giggled at his quip.  We joined the  others in our group of desks.  As usual, class went by and I  was barely able to pay attention.  The bell eventually rang, dismissing us from first period and summoning us to the next.  As the five us situated ourselves in study hall, Jin Soo sauntered toward us.

"We should probably work on our project," she suggested, looking directly at me.

As Kai stepped forward to  assist us with the work, Jin Soo raised her hand to stop him.  "Just Eun Mi," she smiled impeccably.  The boys looked at the two of  us quizzically, but chose to ignore the odd behaviour as Jin Soo dragged me to the opposite end of the classroom.

"Let my friend and I sit with you at lunch," she demanded.

"Like that's going to happen," I scoffed, "You and your stupid friends are such es."

"Oh then I suppose you wouldn't mind if Sehun knew about you and Chanyeol?" she opened once more to get Sehun's attention.  Before she could form the first syllable of his name, I clamped my hand over her lips.  She pryed my hand away from herself with a brute force.

"Ow," she spat brusquely, "I swear, if you so much as lay a finger on me or my friends, you and Sehun will be over."

"Fine!" I surrendered, "Sit with us at lunch."  I rolled my eyes before heading back to the others with a bitter sigh, but as I turned my back, I could hear her cocky snickering.

"How's your project coming along?" Kai hooked his arm over my shoulder. 

I simply shrugged.  "Hey, would you guys mind if Jin Soo and a dew of her friends sat with us at lunch?" I shuddred at the thought.

They all gawked at me.

"Jin Soo?"  You know her best friend is Jin Sung, right?  The who's always talking about you?  The one who you shoved into the lockers," Luhan expressed his confusion.

"I know," I cringed at my words, "But everyone deserves a second chance."

"Well, I guess, but..." Luhan narrowed his eyes in deprecation, "It's Jin Sung..."

"It can't hurt for them to sit with us..." Sehun pursed his lips.

We all glanced across the room to see Jin Sung talking with some other girl.

"Whatever," Luhan smacked his lips, "Hye In and I are gonna be busy studying at lunch anyways."  He looked to the table across from us and flashed the poor girl a suggestive wink.  She flushed pink as she and her friends squealed.

"By 'studying', do you mean making out in the bathrooms?" Tao clucked his tongue.

"Would you expect anything less?" Luhan feigned offnce humourously.

"Classy," Tao sarcastically replied.

That day at lunch, we all gathered at our table, with an additional, unwanted member.

"Where's Min Seok?" Jin Soo inquired.

"He's absent," Kai answered as he sat in his chair.

"Oh?" she knit her brows, "Well bye then..." She then left.

"Someone has a crush on Min Seok," Sehun scoffed.

"Does it really matter?  As long as she's not sitting with us, I don't care," Tao sat.

"Well I gotta go now, so..." Luhan dismissed himself.  Following his gaze, I could see that he and Hye In had been eyeing each other.  He sauntered to her with his usual confidence.  He draped his arm over her shoulder and made sure to signal us with a thumbs up as he exited the cafeteria.

"How has he not gotten some girl pregnant yet," Kai shook his head.

"The little man ," Tao shot a disapproving glance his way.

"Hey!" two boys, who I recognized as Jae Beom and Jin Young, called to us.

"We're having another party," Jin Young announced, "Some upper-classmen are coming.  How about you?"

"If it's gonna be as  fun as last year, count us in," Tao smiled, suddenly rather excited.

"Awesome!  Friday at my place," Jae Beom grinned.

"Their parties are always so much fun," I beamed.

"Let's just hope they actually have a dance floor this time," Kai added, "Last time it was  just a bunch of hormonal, reckless teenagers grinding on each other."

"It's a high school party," Tao rolled his eyes, "What else would you expect."

"Sometimes I like you better when you didn't know Korean," Kai scrunched his nose.

"Anyways," I ended their bickering prematurely, "As long as you guys don't get in a fight with someone at this party, I won't complain.  And hey, do you guys want to come over after school?"

"Well we've got no other plans,"  Kai agreed.

With the chime of the lunch bell, the boys and I congregated into the halls of our school along with the other students.  As we trekked down the cramped hallways, they rounded the corner.

"See you next period!" Sehun waved to me.

The four of them continued to  their math class as I headed to mine.  I often consider dropping  my advanced placement math class to be with the others; besides JIn Soo and Chanyeol, I don't know any of my classmates.  The majority of them are fourth year students.  But I understand that the torcherous class looks impressive on a college application.  But I'll admit, since I've met Park Chanyeol, that class had been less lonely.  I actually look forward to it nowadays...

"Hi!" at my side appeared a bright, smiling face.

"Hey, Chanyeol."

"Are we going to ditch Ms. Yoo's class again today?" A playful smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Again?" I snickered, "We can't skip everyday.  We have that exam soon, and we need to know that crap,"

"Today's only a review," he attempted to persuade me.

"A review of the stuff we missed yesterday," I added, grinning.

"Aish-Fine, you win," he groaned mockingly, "Will I be able to see you after school today?"

"Actually," I bit my lip apprehensively, "My friends are coming over today."

"Sehun?" his positive demeanour deflated into one of resentment.

"Hey," I smiled mekely.  Something about seeing him look so hurt pained me.  I clasped my fingers onto the base of my red snap back and removed it from my head.  "I think it suits you," I slipped it over his hair, the tip facing backward.  At frst, he seemed stunned by my gift and gawked down at me with blank, rounded eyes, but his radiant smile soon returned.

"Keep it," I nodded.

"OKay," he radiated with glee, "Well, what about tomorrow, can we hang out then?"

"Oh...." I twisted my lips, "My friends and I are going to Jae Beom's party."

"Right, of course..." his broad shoulders slumped.

"Chanyeol," Ms. Yoo spoke as we approached the class, "You know hats are prohibited in the dress code."

"Oh, yes ma'am," he snatched the cap off his head.

"I think it looks good on him," I challenged Ms. Yoo with a smirk, "If he wants to wear it, let him."

She glowered at me with a stern glare.  Nervously, Chanyeol slid the back on.

"Park Chanyeol, don't you dare," she spat, "I don't your father would be pleased to recieve a call explaining how defiant you're being."

At the mention of his father, he slapped the hat into my hands and cowered to his desk.  I mirrored Ms. Yoo's malicious expression as I stared into her narrowed eyes, adjusting the cap atop my own head.  I propped my elbow on my desk, and Ms. Yoo took her place at the head of the classroom.

"OK guys," she clasped her hands together, "Before I begin my lesson, I need to inform you that next Wednesday there is going to be a school assembly in the gym," she fixed her gaze on me, "and all students must wear the uniform."

The class bell sounded, and evrery studnet  hurried to pack their books and amble to their next class.  I tucked my thumbs beneathe the straps of my school bag, but as I exited the class, someone placed their hand on my shoulder.  I snapped around to find myself face to face with none other than Jin Soo.  I blew the fringe of  blue hair out of my eyes in annoyance.  Jin Soo's inecessant presence was more than I could handle.

"What now?" I groaned.

"I have another request," she began, "Convince  Min Seok to ask me out."

"So that's what this is all about?" I scoffed, "You blackmailed me because of some stupid crush?"

Her expression twisted, "Don't mock me."

"You're not exactly Min Seok's type," I snickered caustically, "He's not really into manipulative es."

The second those words rolled off my tongue, Jin Soo struck my cheek with an open palm, leaving a red mark and a sharp sting.  I was left speechless, my mouth agape and eyes wide.  Glancing into the classroom behind JIn Soo, I found that Ms. Yoo had witnessed the entire incident, but she only stared back at me with a victorious smirk.  I clenched my jaw and drew back my fist.

"I wouldn't," Jin Soo tried my patience, tilting her head as if she were innocent, shr reitterated, "Sehun wouldn't be too happy."

"I'll talk to Min Seok," I said disinclinededly.  Of courde, I had no actual intentions of adhereing to her wishes, but she would be fine believing that I atleast tried.

Following the last few classes of the day, the boys and I started toward my house.  Once again, Chanyeol walked the street a head of me.  I locked my eyes on the back of his head as he made his way to his house.

"Does he still bother you?" Kai followed my gaze.

"No," I answered.

"I feel kinda bad about attacking him Saturday," Tao admitted, "He still has a black eye."

"He hasn't mentioned it, don't feel guilty," I consoled him.

"You two talk?" he raised an eye brow.

"Well we sit next to each other in math, we sort of have to," the guilt of lying pinched my heart.  What bothered me even more was that my lies were going unpunished.  I didn't deserve such amazing friends after lying to them and betraying Sehun the way I did...

"Oh, Xiumin-ah!" Luhan jubiliantly shrieked as he hurried to the front step of Min Seok's house.  Raising his fist, he knocked twice before Min Seok opened the door.

"You weren't at school," Luhan pouted, pulling his friend into a hug.

"Can I help you?" Min Seok chuckled softly.

"We're all going to Eun Mi's.  You coming?"

"Yeah," Min Seok smiled, joining the rest of us.

"Jae Beom's having another party tomorrow," Sehun told Min Seok as I pulled opened my front door.  The six of us  removed our shoes in the foyer, and they followed me up the staircase.

"Eun Mi?  Are those boys here again?" my mom called  to me from the living room.

"Yes!" Sehun answered her.

"Eun Mi, we talked about this," she argued, "Leave your door open."

"Don't worry, mom: we have condoms," I taunted her.

"What?!!??" Min Seok's eyes doubled in size as he gaped at me.

"I'm kidding."

I lead the boys into my bedroom, closing the door behind us. Tao sat at the edge of my bed as Luhan  sprawled himself across the mattress.

"Dude that Jin Soo girl is so annoying," Tao complained with a childish groan, "Why do you hang out with her, Eun Mi?"

"I don't, really," I bit the inside of my cheek, "She just sort of follows me, and I'm being nice."

"Nice?" Luhan huffed, "This coming from the girl who doesn't hesitate to beat someo one twice her size."

"And I'll do it again, so watch your mouth," I threatened him jokingly, "And I could be nice.  It's not like I'm a cruel , right?"

"You'ree not," Sehun wrapped his arms around my waist, "You're my angel; you just don't take from anybody.  That's a good thing."

"Yeah," Kai agreed, "You're not a , you're a bad ."

It was then that my door burst open, smashing into the wall behind it.  The boys watched in shock as my mother pinched my ear and pulled me into the hall.

"What's your problem?" she snapped.

"My problem? Your nearly tore my ear off!" I pressed my hand against the throbbing pain.

"I am sick and tired of you-"

"Mom," I interrupted her, "I have friends over can we just talk later?"

"No!" she barked, "For once, you listen to me. You shut up and listen! I am done with your behaviour.  I love you to pieces, but I deserve and demand some respect! I stay home, raising you alone while your father  runs around on his business trips.  Sixteen years I've put up with you!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat.  Never before has she raised her voice at me.

"I am your mother!" she raged, "Not your servant!  I want those boys out of my house and you're going to apologize!"

"I'm sorry...." I mumbled with a wavering voice.

In my room, the five boys were still seemingly as strcuk as I was.  They ambled past me and down the stairs.  I watched from the railing as they hurried out  the front door.  With a bitter sigh, my mother disppeared into the study.  I was left alone in the empty house, my mind blank...

author's note:

Hello my readers!  I apologize deeply for not updating in so long, I don't want to make pathetic excuses, but my computer wasn't exactly reliable.  BUt now, I will definately be updating at a faster rate.  Please enjoy this chapter and Merry Chritmas or Happy Hannukkah or whatever you celebrate!  Please anticipate the future chapters and thank you for reading~