~경수~

I feel myself shrink smaller and smaller as I watch Kai amidst his group of friends. “C’mon, Kai,” I say, as I tug at his sleeve, “Eomma is calling you.”

Kai yanks his hand out of my grip, and says nastily, “And why should I listen to you?”

“Because,” I say, and my tongue feels too thick in my mouth to form the words, “Because I’m your bro- I’m your Hyung…”

“You hear that?” I am rewarded with laughter from all around. I feel myself redden as I shrink further in on myself. “He thinks he’s my brother!”

Kai’s face zooms into my vision, then, and he mocks, “You’re not my Hyung. You’re not a part of my family. And you will never belong!”

I wake up with cold sweat dotting my brow, and shudder as I recall the all too real dream. I draw up my knees and sit in bed for several long minutes, before deciding I may as well get on with the day.

~

          ~종인~

This is madness!

I sit in the front-seat, arms crossed, frowning out of the window, as Appa drives us to school. D.O Weirdo is at the back, being mollycoddled by my Eomma.

“Have you got everything? Your books? Your pens?” She gasps. “I didn’t get you new pens, no? Will you be alright? Do you want me to get some for you? Shall I give you money?”

I scoff.

Can she hear herself, and just how ridiculous she sounds?!

I turn aside and glimpse her handing D.O a 1,000 Won note. See, already that bugger was absorbing all the attention.

You could say I was jealous. 

God, am I glad when we reach school. I can finally say goodbye (and good riddance) both to D.O and to Eomma. But the universe just has to go and prove me wrong, doesn’t it?

“Jongin, darling, you know Kyungsoo’s in your class, right? You can help him carry his new books and all, can’t you?”

I colour at Eomma’s words. Did she expect me to become that nerd’s personal slave? D.O climbs out, large eyes ogling my way.

“No, I can’t.” I snap, and flinging my bag onto my shoulder, I leave.

Things escalate to a whole new level when I am greeted at the gate by Sehun and Chanyeol, just as D.O walks past me, giving me a small smile – (The nerve of that twerp! I’ll teach him a lesson or two) Sehun stare s after the weirdo, while Chanyeol guffaws, “He smiled at you, didn’t he? What’s up with him?”

My tanned skin colours up. I shrug, hoping my embarrassment doesn’t show.

“Did yall just climb out of the same car?” Sehun asks quietly, a curious frown on his face. I just dig my hands deep into my pockets and stay silent, wishing my best friend wasn’t this observant.

Sehun’s eyes widen with sudden understanding. “It’s him, isn’t it? That’s the guy your Eomma adopted?”

Chanyeol’s laugher turns into chokes. “She-did-What?!! Dud, that’s Keurazy!”

 “You don’t say,” I stare after the small-maid boy making his way up the stairs, slowly and painstakingly carefully, through narrowed eyes. Sehun and Chanyeol both follow my gaze.

That’s when the thought crosses my mind. A smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth, as I tell my friends, “Guys… I’ve got an idea….”

~

          ~경수~

Class 9B.

Last row.

Corner desk beside the window.

Not one thing has changed since I got adopted, and I laugh spitefully at myself for thinking school would be easier to survive if I had parents.

Silently, I weave my way to the back and sit in that lonely seat, hands automatically folding over my lap. A vacant look crosses my face as my mind floats away to where it usually does – dreams of a family (yes, even after adoption. Old habits die hard, and it’s not like my life is all dandy, so I can dream, okay?) – when I am rudely interrupted by a large hand on my desk.

I follow the arm with my eyes, to the messy blonde hair and long face it belongs to. I don’t recognize the guy until he speaks.

“Go to the shed in the school backyard this interval,” he says in a low raspy voice, “someone wants to meet you.”

My ears turn pink.

This was Kris, already a high-school-er, with his own band, in which he was the rapper. He, Kris, spoke to me. Me, the social outcast.

I stare after him, and nod, but he is already gone.

~

          ~경수~

There’s a sudden hoot of laughter, and three boys able into the class. I don’t have to look up, I know it’s Kai, Sehun and Chanyeol. Who else would enter the class so noisily?

I ignore them and take my books out. The teacher is already in class – which says something about those noise makers. They have absolutely no respect for any one: which is evident from the way each of them nod their heads – instead of bowing, like they should – to Jeon Jihyun Sansaengnim, and mutter “Annyeong Hasseyo” through a fit of giggles.

I shake my head in disapproval, and open my history book.

It is the sudden quietness in the class room that makes me look up. Jeon Sansaengnim has assigned us an open book test, so all us students are busily copying down answers onto a sheet of paper. But those three – Sehun, Kai and Chanyeol – they are never quiet, even during the tests, so….

Through narrowed eyes, I glance at them. The three sit to my right, last row on the other side of the class. They are huddled together, whispering – so different from their usual pointing and laughing. This suspicious behavior should have made me scared, yet I am only mildly curious. It shouldn’t bother me, as long as they ignore me as usual, and I mind my own business.

That’s when Kai catches me watching them. He just smirks, and that has shivers crawling down my spine.

It’s at this point that I realize that this is way out of the ordinary. It concerns me! Why else would Kai look at me like that? Up to this day, kai and his gang have always ignored me, and I’ve given them the space they deserve – I avoided them as I avoided everyone. So now, if they acknowledge my presence…

I shudder.

History isn’t as easy to concentrate on as it had been just a few minutes ago. 

~

          ~경수~

The bell goes off, and suddenly I remember Kris’s request (more like command) that I’d gotten this morning, which had moved to the back of my mind thanks to the looks and snickers Kai and his friends had given me right through History and Math.

Without going to the library, as usually do each lunch hour, I grab my lunch and walk around the basketball court, to the shed behind it.

Lemme tell you this: I am a first class fool. I should have seen it coming; I mean, with the suspicious behavior of my classmates, not to mention the fact that a popular high-school-er actually spoke to me; it should’ve been plain obvious.

But I don’t see it till it’s staring at me in the face.

Quite literally.

Behind the shed stands Kai, arms folded across chest, smirk pulling at his lips, leaning against a moss-ridden wall; Chanyeol sits across him, on a low wall. Sehun was astride a bike (from where he got hold of that, no one knows) Popular high-school-er – nowhere to be seen!

I panic. My lunch box falls out of my grip, causing Sehun to snigger.

I redden, stumbling further back, but before I can escape, Chanyeol is behind me, (Man – that giant can move fast!) his hands gripping my shoulders.

My heart races as if I’d been running for miles. I screw my eyes shut, and can literally feel the floor vibrate as Kai nears me.

I don’t fight back.

I don’t see the point.

That will only make things a million times worse. And trust me, I speak from experience when I say I don’t want that.

My eyes are still shut when Kai hooks a finger under my chin, pulling my face up to look n into his eyes. “Didn’t I tell you not to mess with me?” His voice is barely above a whisper.

I open my eyes a crack, and shudder at how close Kai is. My heart is in my mouth, so I can’t reply. Either way, he continues: “Since you clearly didn’t understand, let me show you.”

My eyes fly open as a punch lands on my stomach. I fall back on my , gasping for air.

“Do not talk to me. Do not smile at me. Do not even look at me. I want to forget you exist; so I mean it when I say Stay. Out. Of. My. Life.”

Tears threaten to fall, and it’s not just because of the throbbing on my stomach – but I cannot let those hostile eyes see me any weaker, more vulnerable than I already am.

I scramble to my feet, and too afraid to face my back to the three, awkwardly stumble away from the backyard, away from the shed, and away from Kai.

A/N:

How about that, eh?

This has gotta be my most favourite chapter so far! (Is it wierd that I pick my favourites?) And sorry, I just went Keurazy with the gifs today, Sorry about that, buuut, I'm not really sorry XD - I know!!! 10 bloody gifs!!!! And 5 of them are just Kai!!! Wo0t! Kai gifs are the BEST~ (ahh my biases are showing again) And even that Kris one has a sorta hypnotic quality, or is it just me? And yay! a hunnie gif! And not to mention squishy >...< 

Guys guys guys (I dunno if this is asking too much, but) pleeeasee comment? Jebaal? *puppy eyes* I love comments, and I really want to know what yall think, what with this being my favourite chapter so far and all...