I had been entirely under the impression that I was only going to and from the convenience store and therefore would not need my thick winter coat and a scarf and possibly three more pairs of socks. I watched a car pass by as I shivered, rubbing my hands together in an attempt to bring warmth. That had been the second car in only twenty minutes, which wasn’t so bad considering it was almost eleven in the evening. Especially in the wealthy neighborhood Luhan’s family resided in, it was normal for activity to die down – unlike my neighborhood, where it wasn’t unusual for fireworks to still be going off at 4AM during holidays.

However, the two vehicles had been the only sign of life I had seen in the past hour, period. Absolutely none of the males inside the house had been outside to check on me, but it wasn’t like I had expected them to. I wondered if Luhan’s mother was home, sleeping somewhere upstairs. It was pure curiosity, because I had no plans or reasons to know or speak to her. It just would’ve been comforting to know I wasn’t the only female within a two mile radius.

I my chapped lips for the millionth time as I made a futile attempt to get warm in my thin jacket. Though spring was in the air already, it was still extremely cold. At first, it wasn’t that bothersome, but the cold felt like it had frozen my veins, not to mention my bladder. Only five minutes before, I’d felt like I was about to wet my pants, but now it was as if my whole body had frozen over, inside and out. No way was I going back into that house. And no way was I wandering mindlessly around the streets in the middle of the night.

Another thirty minutes passed and I had surprisingly almost dozed off in the porch swing I had curled up in. I blamed the painkillers: I had been feeling drowsy ever since I had taken them, but they had taken a lot of the pain away. Then the door opened, spilling the bright kitchen light onto the dark porch and jarring me awake. The door closed again as a figure stepped out and sat on the top step leading off the porch. I sat alert and ready to yell if it was Luhan or Byun Baekhyun, but then I heard a scrape of metal and a small flame lit up the dark in front of the figure. He lit the cigarette and set the lighter down next to him on the step.

I nearly started to scold him for openly smoking while underage, but I was hesitant after the scene in the kitchen with him. Sehun probably wouldn’t have reacted to kindly if I scolded him for being stupid. Besides, no one was out to see him smoking anyway. Pulling my legs as close as they would go without causing pain, I silently watched the smoke float up and disappear each time he breathed. Earlier, when he had been so close, he hadn’t smelt like cigarette smoke at all. The smell was quite sickening and I hated it, one reason being it reminded me all too much of the encounter in the alleyway and after the basketball match when he made his big comeback. It also reminded me of my late uncle who had always smelled like cigarettes and wet dogs, but that didn’t bother me near as much.

Sehun suddenly stood with a small cough and tossed the cigarette. Smashing it with the tip of his shoe, he turned back around and snatched the lighter from the step. I wondered if he knew I had been here the whole time and my thoughts were confirmed when he spoke without looking at me.

“You’re welcome to sit here and freeze just as much as you’re welcome to come inside. Don’t be a fool,” he said just before stepping back inside the house.

I stared at the ground, contemplating his words. They didn’t sound as nice as they were worded; his voice was husky and annoyed. It seemed both of us were still bugged over earlier. But I wasn’t taking fault because this all could’ve been avoided he had only taken me home when I’d politely asked.

Not even five minutes after I had decided I was not giving in, someone else stepped outside. A non-smoker this time.

“Sehun said you’re not coming in,” he affirmed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

I recognized the voice and partially tucked away the acidic tone I thought I needed.

“There’s no big surprise as to why not,” I told him. It was enough that Oh Sehun was inside, nevermind Luhan, Baekhyun, Tao, and several others. And just because Kim Jongin was being exceptionally nice on this particular night, it did not mean I was going to start making friends.

“You’re going to get sick,” he said, like I hadn’t thought of th