“Goodness. There it is again. That hyena laugh. What the hell was that?” Jimin asked Yerin incredulously. The other girl simply shrugged her shoulders, her eyes too filled with curiosity. A mere curiosity, whereas Jimin was fighting the urge to rip the door apart and scream at the hallway to whomever it was that made such stupid noise - to be on their way and not disturb their practice. She needed to get the pitch just right today before her vocal instructor comes for their daily lessons. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath; holding it in longer than necessary before letting it out. Much good that the breathing practice did her; when again, the hyena-like sound came from out in the hallway.

“That’s it.” Jimin flung down her notes and much like she imagined just now, she stormed down the hallway; searching for the source, flinging open every practice room she came upon. If she could have looked at her face right now, she looked more than furious. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, her eyes narrowed to steely slits. Subconsciously she knew that she was mad at herself for not getting the tone right, and she was just looking for someone or something to vent that anger on. How could she be mad at Yerin, when the sweet girl was trying her best to help her. She thanked God for bestowing this unlucky person in her path today.

Rounding the corner, she entered dance practice room and found JB and Jr. lounging around with another boy that she didn’t recognize. Tampering down her temper, she greeted her label-mates, while eyeing the boy decked in all black curiously, her lips widening into what she hoped was a polite smile and not a grimace.

“Oppa, did you hear the weird sounds just now?” she abruptly asked when all the casualties were done.

“What sound?” JB asked pleasantly.

With all the incredulity she felt earlier, she blurted out, “The high-pitched hyena laugh. Were you guys watching gag-shows or something?” she felt too high-strung to sit down comfortably on the floor like they boys were doing. Her mother would have chastised her for not doing so, even if the oppas were only a couple of years older than her. The stranger looked to be about their age too, so she guessed that he’s an oppa to her.

JB and JR looked back and forth at each other, then at the stranger, before bursting into a full-blown laughter, involving slapping the floor a couple of times in the process. And that was when she heard it all again. Loud and crystal clear. In 3D. There was no mistake this time when she looked straight at the source of the sound.

“It was you!” She was so shocked to find this good looking boy able to produce such horrendous sound that she forgot that she wasn’t supposed to use banmal. With nothing else to do but wait until they cease to find her question funny, she leaned against the wall, tapping her foot with exaggerated patience. A few seconds after, when they looked calm enough, she cleared expectantly, smiling insincerely at the boy.

“I’m sorry, what was your name again? I didn’t catch it earlier.” Both of them knew nothing of such has passed between them. She watched patiently as the boy got up to his feet, taking his sweet time about it, arching one of her brows, for when in his full height, he was as tall as she is in her wedges.

“Jackson Wang at your service, miss…?” his voice greasy, she unconsciously knew that he would have pulled her hand in for a kiss had her hands been anywhere near him but in her pockets. Big eyes twinkling mischievously down at her; as her own narrowed at him.

 “Jimin Park.” She offered reluctantly. When he didn’t offer any apologies for causing her discomfort, she snapped out in rapid English, knowing that the other two boys wouldn’t be able to keep up, and thus, wouldn’t know what she was going to say.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but some of us come down here to the practice rooms to do just that; practice. So… when you’re done with the tour of our company why don’t you go grab a bite down at the cafeteria? I don’t think the ahjummas would mind much when you…laughed out loud.” She amended her sentence, not wanting to insult the boy more than she probably already has.

“And what makes you think I’m on the company’s tour?” his tone was low, and accompanied by the slow smile he gave her, she’s starting to realize what a lethal combination this boy is. She wasn’t aware that her cheeks were flaming red, betraying her unknowingly. Eyes widening a little at the attraction that’s she’s starting to feel towards this stranger, she took a step back and addressed the other two oppas who were watching the two of them with blatant interest now.

“Uhmm… I’d better go. Yerin must be waiting for me.” She excused herself without another look in the direction of Jackson Wang. He didn’t say anything at her abrupt departure, although  she could feel his eyes on her – following her movements out of the room.

….

Jr. cleared his throat a few times on purpose, his eyes clashed with his hyung JB; both of them have knowing smiles on their faces. They waited patiently while Jackson still stared at the empty doorway, before he seemed to recollect himself and sat down again. His cheeks were flushed under his light tan.

“So that was Jimin.” JB mentioned offhandedly when Jackson continued on being silent.

Chewing on a piece of blood sausage distractedly, the newcomer nodded. “Yeah, I gathered as much. We introduced ourselves after all.”

Jr. stifled a chuckle and asked as casually as he could manage, “Isn’t she just cute?” he sighed adoringly. Jackson frowned at the other boy, taking a large piece of sausage and stuffing it in his mouth before answering the well-plotted question with enough vehemence, “NO.”