Chapter 7

“Here you go, Miss Cho. Classes will start next week.” The lady in the cashier said.

I bowed, and then left.

Today, I just enrolled in the university. Kyunghee University, of course. It’s the place where Kyuhyun studies. So, he insisted that I should study there too, so that we would see each other often! Aww. My brother is really sweet.  No, I’m not that dumb to believe him. He wanted me to study in Kyunghee so that he could still keep an eye on me. *sighs* He really doesn’t trust me.

Well, about the survival guide. It’s still in my bag. I bring it anywhere. Just in case those crazy guys would appear out of nowhere, you know.

“Hey, Gyuri!” someone called. “It’s me, Sungmin!” Speaking of the devil. He half-ran towards me with a bright smile on his face. “Long time no see, huh?”

I just smiled at him, but not really a smile. Something forced, perhaps.

“So, when are you going back to the dorms?” he walked beside me as I left the university.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I dunno.” Well, about that. After that small ‘thing’ I did at the coffee shop, I headed straight to Hyesub’s apartment. I stayed there for three days. Kyuhyun knew about it. I told him. And he went to visit me and got my phone and my credit cards. Only a few thousand won was left in my wallet. I had to borrow money from Hyesub so that I could meet up with my parents and get the things necessary for me to apply to this university that Kyuhyun boasts about. Seriously, Kyuhyun is torturing me. Why did Omma and Appa agree on letting Kyu watch over me?

And besides, I don’t want to see that guy named Yesung who has a very big and abnormal head. I hate him, and I know that you already know that. He’s irritating, and I don’t think I can live with someone like him. I am repeating myself, you know. And besides, I don’t want to bring awkwardness in the dorms.

“You should get back.” Sungmin said. “I miss you already.”

I stopped. I gave him what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about-look. “You miss me?”

He nodded. “No one to talk to in the dorms. Everyone’s busy with the promotions, you know.”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Of course I am! But, come to think of it. I see them all day, all night. I have been with them since we started training. I know them so well already that it starts to get boring. But, with you in the house—” he looked at me with a smile. “It feels different. A breath of fresh air.”

“So, let me clear it out. You’re saying that I am a breath of fresh air?” he nodded. “Literally? Like, air? So, that makes me invisible, huh?”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Gyuri. What I’m trying to say is that, you’re different.”

“Whatever, Sungmin. I’m sorry if I’m being mean, but I can’t help it. It is part of what I am.” Especially with the people that I don’t trust.

“You can trust me, Gyuri.” Sungmin assured me with a smile. “You can.”

“I don’t know. I’ve learned my lesson.” I walked faster so that he won’t be able to catch up, but I twisted my ankle and fell on the ground. Damn these stilettos. I should’ve worn my sneakers instead.

Sungmin squatted in front of me. “Are you ok, Gyu? You hurt yourself, right?”

“I’m not.” I tried my very best to stand up, but to no success, I fell again. Once again, I embarrassed myself in front of Sungmin.

He chuckled. “You didn’t hurt yourself, ok.” He said sarcastically. He suddenly patted his back. “Get on.”

“Piggy back ride?” He nodded. “Are you sure?” he nodded once again. “Shireonde.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why, don’t you want me to help you? And besides, where in the middle of the street. We’re attracting attention, you know.”

“For me, it’s nothing. They don’t even know me. But for you, Super Junior’s Lee Sungmin,” I raised my eyebrow in a mocking manner. “Does it matter that much?”

He tilted his head to the side. “A little?”

I playfully removed his hat and sunglasses. I stood up slowly. I cleared my throat. “Everyone, this is Super Junior’s Su—” before I could finish my sentence, Sungmin quickly covered my mouth with his hand.

“You really are stubborn, huh?” he was trying to keep his voice sound calm. He got the hat and the sunglasses and wore them again.

“You’re irritated?” I mocked him. “That’s what I am, irritating, annoying. So stop being nice to me. I’m used to meanness.”

“You’re not irritating, ok? Stop thinking about it. Think positive about yourself, Gyuri.” He smiled.

“I’m irritating.” I simply said.

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m irritating.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m irritating.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m irritating.”

He heaved a sigh. “Ok, now you’re irritating me.”

“See? I’m irritating. No one wants to stay with me because I’m irritating. So, tell me. Why are you doing this?”

“Simple.” He smiled warmly at me as he looked straight into my eyes, which caught me off-guard. “I want to be your friend.”

I felt awkward towards Sungmin. I felt uneasy, so I looked away. “Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I do,” he held my hand. “I want to be your friend.”

“You know what, you should go home.” I quickly shoved his hand away, and faced the opposite direction.

“No, Gyuri. WE should go home.” He emphasized the word ‘we’.

I didn’t look at him; instead, I continued to walk away while shaking my head in confusion.

“You’re really stubborn.” I felt his voice close, and suddenly, he lifted me from the ground and carried me on his shoulder. “We’re going home, araseo? No but’s!”

“Put me down! I’m wearing a dress!” I protested, as I continuously hit his back.

“Do you want me to hold it in place for you?” he asked in an amused tone.

I blushed hard, and then I hit his back harder. “ert! ert! Put me down!” he did not respond. “I will shout.”

“You’re already shouting, Gyuri.”

“I’m serious!”

“And so am I.”

“Ugh, you’re irritating!” I crossed my arms with a pout as he continued to walk.

He laughed gently. “Now, we’re even, friend. Starting now, don’t think of me as your brother’s group mate, or a celebrity. Think of me as me. Lee Sungmin, your friend.”

“Why do you want so much for you to become my friend?” I am curious as hell right now. Why on earth would he want to be friends with an irritating person like me? And besides, I am his evil dongsaeng’s evil younger sister. Does he have anything that he wants to get from me that’s why he’s so nice to me?

“Do I need to have a reason to want to be your friend? If you want to be friends with someone, does that person need to be pretty? Rich? Or in your case, irritating?”

“Just go straight to the point.”

“I don’t need a reason to become friends with you. I just feel like it.”

“So, if you don’t feel like being my friend anymore, you’re going to stop, right?”

“If only I could hit your forehead, I already did. Stop thinking about negative things about yourself, arasseo?”

I made a face as he said those words. I heaved a long sigh. “Where are you taking me Sungmin?”

“It’s ‘oppa’.” He corrected.

I grimaced. “You’re like Kyuhyun.”

“If you don’t want to call Kyuhyun ‘oppa’, call me that instead.”

“Shiro!” I said in a sharp tone. Why do they want to be called ‘oppa’ for goodness’ sake? Lots of those ELFs around the world call them that! What’s so special about me calling them oppa? “You have your fans. They call you ‘oppa’, and there are millions of them. Why do you want me to call you that, huh?”

“Because I know that it will end there. Oppa. The fans will call me ‘Oppa saranghae!’. It’s like my surname already.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Of course I do! They are our fans after all. They love us, we love them more. But you calling me oppa would be a breath of fresh air.”

“There we go again with the air thing. I get it, Sungmin. I’m invisible.”

“Say that once again and I’ll drop you.” He threatened.

“Then drop me! Do as you wish! As if it is my loss.” I’m not scared, you know. He would not do it, right? After all, I am a girl.

In an instant, he suddenly dropped me, and I fell on my . WTH? “Yah! Lee Sungmin! Why did you drop me?”

“I told you, it’s ‘oppa’. Not Sungmin, not Lee Sungmin.” he squatted in front of me. “You didn’t think that I would drop you, right?”

I stood up in an instant, and walked away. I was literally limping, I twisted my ankle a while ago, right? Stupid Sungmin! Why do you need to drop me? Aish. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

Without any notice, he suddenly held my hand and carried me on his back. “Let’s go home!” he ran happily towards the bus stop.

I hit his shoulders. “Yah! Yah! Lee Sungmin! Stop! Stop!”

“Go home with me first!”

“Shireonde!”

“Then, I will bring you home no matter what. Mehrong~”

“Araseo, araseo!” I gave up. Lee Sungmin is not human. He is a robot. A robot full of stubbornness! Ugh. “I’l go home with you, but can I see my baby first?”

He stopped in his tracks. “B-baby?” I nodded. “Y-you have a baby?”

“Of course! Her name is Paris.” I proudly said.

“Kyuhyun didn’t tell us that. . .” he put me down. “Araseo, I’ll accompany you. Promise me we’ll go home after?”