.:3:. First : Protect
Have You Ever
♫ Lee Gikwang ♫
"Don't forget to make an omelette for me!" I say it out loud from the main room. "You know what my favorite is, Sunhyun!"
"I know so can you keep silence?!" Sunhyun replies loudly from the kitchen. She is preparing our dinner with Yoseob. "Just help Hari with the lyrics!"
I laugh and turn my eyes to Hari. For my surprise, she was looking at me just now but she quickly shifts her gaze to the paper on the floor, trying to focus with her lyrics.
Yoseob invited us to have a dinner together in his apartment. Since he lives alone, we always love to drop here sometimes after our performance to share our opinions about almost everything, especially our music.
Hari just told me and Sunhyun that she still hasn't finished her lyrics. I told her to take her time since we still haven't announced about the new song in our official website, the one Yoseob created for us. I think Hari is working hard enough nowadays.
Even though I have a part time job, I know Hari doesn't have too many spare times as well. Hari is a part of the student committee in our university which makes her has special access to know about special events around us.
I'm glad because even though three of us are busy with our own activities, we still manage our times to meet each other. Because we love music.
I still remember the first day I met Hari.
It was a rainy day and I was on my way back to my apartment. Even though I used my green umbrella to shelter myself from the heavy rain, I still wanted to arrive at my apartment as soon as possible.
I saw a girl with red jacket was squatting down. I stopped my step and examined what she was doing. She helped a kitten got out from a hole. I thought it tripped down to the hole.
I stepped closer to her and shifted my umbrella to shelter her; she was all drenched by the rain.
She realized that something was sheltering her. She immediately turned around to look at me with a straight face.
"You can fall sick if you stay in the rain," I smiled to her, trying to be polite. She looked around the same age with me.
"Look who's talking," she stood up, pushing back the umbrella to me so it could shelter me again. "You're the one who will fall sick if you give the umbrella to me."
I found this girl was amusing. Instead of thanking me, she talked with sarcasm in her words. But, strange enough, I didn't think she was a bad person. She just helped a kitten, didn't she?
"Then both of us can't fall sick," I stepped closer to her so the umbrella could shelter both of us. That's when I realized that she had a petite figure. "What's your name?"
She looked at me with hesitation for seconds but she answered it calmly, "Yoon Hari."
"Hari," I repeated her name. It's a simple name. "My name is-"
"Lee Gikwang," she cut my introduction. "I know. You're infamous among the students."
I found out that she was studying under Department of Design in the same university with me. I walked her back home that day.
The next day I met her, I exchanged phone number with her and we started our friendship. I realized her beautiful vocal when I went to karaoke with her and Sunhyun while Yoseob had an assignment to finish that day.
"Do you need help for writing the lyrics?" I move to her side, taking a peek of the lyrics. "You want us to perform a ballad song, right?"
"Hmm," it's all her reaction. She doesn't seem to focus on the paper but her eyes are locked on it though.
"Yah, Hari," I look at her face. She is thinking about something else. She is so easy to read for me. "Are you listening to me?"
"Hmm," she murmurs again. She is totally not listening to me. She doesn't even know what I'm talking about, does she?
"Hari ah, you know that I'm talking with you, right?" I mutter, leaning closer an inch to her. When she acts clueless, she is at the best state to be teased.
I kiss her ear quickly, making her to turn around with her hand covering her ear that just kissed by me. Her cheeks are blushing red.
"That's for daydreaming when I'm with you," I laugh at her reaction. "What are you thinking, Yoon Hari? Me?"
Hari flinches a little upon my statement. She covers with her another hand, obviously blushing harder now that her ears are red as well.
I stop laughing. She never gave me this kind of reaction. She usually would give me a deadly glare and sarcasm words, telling me to stop being so arrogant.
"Hari ah, I'm just kidding," I mumble, not sure about what I must say right now. Why am I feeling guilty? It's nothing unusual for me to tease me, isn't it?
"Omelette is ready!" Sunhyun and Yoseob walk to the main room with plates and bowls. They put it on the floor, arranging them in order, not noticing about the awkward silence between me and Hari.
The second I take a glance at Hari, she is talking wiith Yoseob as if nothing happened. She smiles, telling Yoseob that she will help him with the dishes later as her gratitudes.
Ah, I must be imagining it. Hari must be working too hard with her works lately. That's all.
♫ Cho Sunhyun ♫
After having a dinner together, we walk out from Yoseob's apartment building, ready to return to our own place.
"I'll walk you home," Yoseob says to Hari when we have reached the lobby of the apartment. "It's already this late."
"Ah, don't worry, I'll walk her back," Gikwang chirps in with wide grin. He glances at me, "I'll drop by her house before walking back with Sunhyun so you don't need to go back and forth."
Hari's house is just two blocks from Yoseob's apartment while I stay in the same apartment with Gikwang, so we often go back together when our schedules meet up.
"It's alright," Hari tucks her long behind her ear. "You must return now with Sunhyun. You two have classes tomorrow morning."
"Hari, there is no way we will let you walk home alone!" I complaint, pouting my lips. "I have Gikwang as my bodyguard! Don't worry."
"Yoseob will accompany me...," she suddenly says. She takes a doubt glance at Yoseob, "... right?"
"Eh?" Yoseob blinks in confusion, surprised with the sudden decision. "Well, if you say so..."
I exchange looks with Gikwang. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles widely, patting Hari's head, "It's decided then. Thank you for the dinner. We'll see you tomorrow, Hari, Yoseob!"
We bid goodbye to both Hari and Yoseob, taking separate path. They turn to left while we turn to right, heading back to our apartment.
"How's the life of dance instructor? Having more fans?" I tease Gikwang as we walk side by side.
I know he is really popular and he seems to enjoy his popularity. But he just acts all arrogant and cocky when he is around me, Hari, and Yoseob. Probably because we love to back with his growing popularity.
"How's the life of art teacher then?" he teases me back, raising his eyebrow. "Any confession from the students?"
"Yah! They are elementary school students!" I laugh at his joke, punching his shoulder playfully. "I'm not a e!"
He laughs along with me and starts the conversation about our upcoming performance, the one I accepted from a senior.
Walking together with him like this is one of the scenes that makes people to think that I'm his girlfriend. No matter how many time I have told our fans, they said they will be happy if I am his girlfriend.
I must admit that he is perfect if I put aside his cocky and arrogant side. He is smart, talented, and mature. Who can ask for more from him?
Don't get it wrong. I admire him as a best friend. I know him long enough that I don't think that I can fall for him as more than best friends.
After all, he is Yuseon's ex-boyfriend. Talking about irony, Yuseon is my best friend. We're not that close now because of our hectic schedules. Yuseon with her modeling world and me with my art world.
We used to be classmates during our first year. And I was the one who knew that she was cheating with Gikwang's best friend. I've told her to stop or at least tell Gikwang the truth but she ignored me.
I can't hate her even though she has hurt Gikwang. She is Gikwang's first girlfriend. Now Gikwang refuses to be attached with someone since, according to him, he wants to concentrate on his works.
"Hey, Sunhyun," Gikwang says when we have reached our apartment building. He crosses his arms while we are waiting for the elevator. "Do you think there is something between Yoseob and Hari?"
"Yoseob and Hari?" my eyes widen because of his question. "What's with the sudden question?"
"Nothing. Random question," he laughs, stepping inside the elevator with me. He leans to the elevator wall. "Just thinking about what will happen if one of us has lover."
"Didn't Hari say that she will concentrate with Musique and the student committee?" I chuckle because he sounds like a boy who is afraid someone will steal away his best friend. "You know I don't have any intention to start a relationship."
"You're right," Gikwang mutters, straightening his body. "I'm exaggerating everything. I really need to sleep now."
I know what Gikwang is worrying. He has felt how hurt it is to lose a best friend because of love.
He wants to protect his friendship.
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