{ 07 }

“What do you want from me, Kim Jongin?” Sulli spat as she came face to face with him.

He smirked as he cocked his head to the side. He pocketed his hands and looked at her. “Oh, so you want to come straight to the negotiation?”

“Negotiation?” She scathingly said. “There’s nothing else to do.”

Kim Jongin stepped closer, and Sulli distinctively took a step back. Seeing her reaction, he laughed. “Au contraire, my dear. There are a lot of things that two hormonal girl and boy do in a dark space when they’re all alone,” he responded, winking suggestively.

Sulli was tempted to land a punch on his face, but the rational side of her won. “I’m not kidding, Kim Jongin.”

He shrugged. “Me neither, Sulli.” Somehow, Kim Jongin managed to taint her nickname. The way he said it was just… different. It rolled off his tongue as if it was a sweet, torturing sin you will bear just so you can have it. Aigoo Choi Sulli! What are you thinking?!

“Stop beating around the bush.”

“Feisty.” He commented. He dug out a piece of paper from his pocket and tossed it over to her. She cautiously picked it up and when she opened it, she saw that it was a copy of her love letter’s full version.

“What are you planning to do?” He asked her as he watched her reaction towards the letter.

Sulli tried hard to put a blank expression on her face. She crumpled the paper and stared hard at Kim Jongin. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”

“You’re a smart girl, Sulli.” He remarked. “When I first found your letter at the library, I wasn’t actually planning on doing something… scheming like this. Actually, I was even thinking of handing it back, but things haven’t been going my way, my dear.”

“So you’re admitting that you need something from me, right?”

“Yes.” Kim Jongin answered, lazily looking at her in a way that makes her feel nervous.

Sulli swallowed an imaginary lump in . “What is it?”

“Be my girlfriend, Choi Jinri.” He answered in a cool, steady voice, as if what he told her was an everyday thing in his life. Well, knowing him, maybe it is an everyday thing for him.

“Are you crazy?! You know how I like–”

“Uh-oh, uh-oh. Before you jump to conclusions, Ms. Choi, I don’t like you. I don’t feel anything about you except for amusement. I wasn’t the kind of guy who stoops down to this level, but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.” He explained.

Sulli felt her energy being drained just talking to him. “Explain well, Mr. Kim.”

“By all means, Ms. Choi,” he responded and smiled crookedly. “You see, my parents are not quite happy about the reputation that’s going around about me. It’s bad for business, so they’re planning to introduce me to some goody-two shoes boring girl so that I’d make people forget about my crooked ways. Alas, that’s where you fit into the picture. You’re different from the girls they’ve seen me with, and your school record’s not bad–”

“How did you even see my records?” She asked in disbelief.

A smile tugged at the edges of his lips. “Ms. Choi, there are a very, very few things that money can’t buy.” He went back to his explanation. “Anyway, long story short, you’ll be a good candidate to pose as my goody-two shoes girlfriend without actually tying me down.” He finished.

“And if I don’t comply?” She challenged, staring at his eyes.

His playful smile shifted to an evil one. “Well, it’s not like you have to ask.” He responded as he eyed the crumpled piece of paper on Sulli’s fisted hand.

Sulli felt torn. She doesn’t want her letter to be published and posted around the campus, but she also sees Kim Jongin’s proposal as a bridge for her to be close with Baekhyun. Yet, she doesn’t want to go around proclaiming she’s Kim Jongin’s girlfriend. She grunted. “If I do accept–”

“Trust me, Choi, you’ll definitely accept.” He cut off in a confident manner.

Sulli only glared at her before continuing. “If I do, what will entail this… stuff?”

“First, we have to start the act right away. We have to build some kind of foundation. I can’t just go around telling my parents that you’re my girlfriend. They’d need proof. Parents like mine even snoop around at school gossips just to confirm. Second, this will be indefinite. I have the say on when it will end. I will keep you around until I need you.” He replied. “I think that’s enough for now, I need your answer, Choi Sulli.”

She sighed. “Can’t I think about it for a moment?!”

“I’ll give you a few hours to think it over.” He walked towards the door, and Sulli recoiled as he got closer. “If you say yes to this, sit at our table tomorrow on lunch. I’ll get it.” After that, he left and she was all alone in the dark and abandoned dance room.

--

She was disoriented the whole walk home. The crumpled copy of her love letter and Kim Jongin’s first note was tuck safely at the bottom of her backpack. Truthfully, she doesn’t think she has much of a choice. Kim Jongin didn’t give her that many options. She has to either sink or swim, and Sulli’s not looking forward to dying.

She was even more surprised when the door opened when she hasn’t even inserted her key. She saw Gongchan smiling at her. “Hey, you came late.” He greeted.

Gongchan has a spare key of her place, as well as Soojung and CNU. It was mostly Gongchan and Soojung who hangs out at her house, but she also gave CNU one in case some emergency happens. Her parents approved of it and they’re glad that her friends are watching over her.

“Why are you here?” She asked as she removed her shoes and made her way towards the living room.

“I ordered pizza,” he said, avoiding her question. They proceeded to the living room and she saw a box of Hawaiian on top of the table and two liters of Pepsi. She sat on the floor and grabbed one as he did the same.

Silence passed before she asked again. “Chan Chan, why are you here?”

“You looked upset.” He said. “Is this still about Jinyoung hyung?”

Sulli sighed and leaned at the sofa on her back. “Upset? Yes. Jinyoung? No.”

Gongchan frowned. “If not him, who?”

“Chan Chan…”

“Yeah?”

“I found my missing love letter.” She said, biting her lip.

He smiled. “Isn’t that a good thing? Why are you looking like the world ran out of chocolates?”

She stared at him. “It was in Kim Jongin’s hands.”

“WHAT THE. Jesus! How did it happen?!”

“Remember when I forgot to type my assignment?” He nodded. “I think it fell out then.”

“Ugh! You’re so careless! I even reminded you that your bag was open!” He looked at her and asked. “What did he say, then?”

Sulli explained the circumstances to Gongchan. Once she was done, she asked him for advice. “Ssul-ah, do you really like Byun Baekhyun that much to go through being Kim Jongin’s indefinite girlfriend? Besides, who cares about the letters being posted? We’re still here for you.”

“Chan Chan, it’s not just about the letters. I really like Baekhyun, and if I do this, I’d be hitting two birds with one stone. I’d be closer to Baekhyun and I won’t get humiliated.” She replied.

Gongchan only sighed. “I don’t know, Ssul…”

“It’s okay, Gongchan. Just don’t tell a soul about this, okay? Especially Dongwoo oppa!”

“Still, Ssul. If you plan on being Kim Jongin’s girlfriend tomorrow, you should give CNU hyung a heads up.” He reminded.

Sulli nodded. She knows that CNU will worry about her, and even Soojung’s words were still swimming through her ears.

“…Besides, you know Kim Jongin gets a lot of confessions, and rumors are going around… You wouldn’t want to get tangled to that, Sulli.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Omonaaaa. Sulli's nightmare (?) begins! ;D Comments? ^^