XIAO YI

 

I haven’t really greeted him properly on his birthday. At that time, I was worried he wouldn’t reply or say anything. I think it’s time for me to do something special for him. I want him to know that I’m really sorry for what I did before.

What should I do then?

Luhan is back and I don’t think he’d be happy if he found out that I’m spending time with Jungkook that much. Luhan shouldn’t know. I still have one more year before I’m allowed to date.

As much as I want to do something special for Jungkook, I think I’ll have to make do with a simple treat out after class later.

*takes out phone and types message*

 

 

*sends text message*

I hope he’s free this afternoon. I forgot to ask if they had skateboard practice. It’s awkward to always ask Kai or Sehun about their schedule, knowing that they are aware why I am asking. The looks in their faces when they hear me ask them about their schedule. Especially Kai and his smirk. Sehun just gives me the look like he’s found out a secret.

*phone beeps*

He replied!

*checks phone while walking downstairs, dragging backpack with other hand*

 

 

Oh. So he’s kinda busy.

 

 

I was still not used to him calling me by my formal first name. It was always Xiao Yi before, well almost. There were only a few times when he called me Yinzi, but most of the time, it was Xiao Yi.

I reached the ground floor and hastily stuffed my phone in the pocket of my backpack. I couldn’t be bothered placing it inside the special compartment I have designated for my phone. I tossed my bag to the armchair just by the stairs. I walked to the dining and sat down to eat breakfast. Kai and Sehun were already there, eating. Sehun was slurping his milkshake. It had been a habit of his every morning, I noticed. He always either requested for milkshake or he made it himself.

 

Kai: Had a good sleep?

Me: Yup. You?

Kai: Of course.

Sehun: Are you riding to school with me today or you want Lu ge to drive you?

Me: I…can I ride with you?

Sehun: Sure.

Kai: You better hurry up and eat before Lu ge comes down. I’m sure he’d offer to drive you to school.

Me: Right.

 

Kai didn’t have to tell me twice. I quickly pulled the food toward me and scooped them to my plate. Sehun snorted and almost choked on his milkshake as he saw me gobble up my food. Kai muttered something under his breath. It sounded like “starving kid.”  I didn’t mind him and just ate.

 

 

LUHAN

 

Xiao Yi has gone down to eat breakfast. She was texting someone while going down the stairs, so she didn’t see me follow her. She had hastily stuffed her phone in her backpack and tossed the bag on the armchair and walked to the dining room.

I was really tempted to check who was it she was texting. If I was not mistaken, it would have been Jungkook. Right?

I stared after Xiao Yi walking in the dining room’s direction. She didn’t turn around. I was safe.

I quickly ped her backpack’s pocket and pulled out her phone.

Damn. I feel like a thief.

It was a good thing that she didn’t password-lock her screen. I smiled at her wallpaper. It was one of those wacky pictures of the thirteen of us. This particular one was when we spent Christmas in London. The first time that all of us were there. Mama had taken the picture. Papa had just watched from the sides and waved us off.

I quickly accessed her messages and found what I was looking for.

So, they were going to meet later.

Luhan. You really have to bathe in Holy water later. You have sinned a lot right now.

Jungkook’s reply didn’t really say anything about him being into Xiao Yi. His reply was kinda normal for a guy when a friend asks them out. Xiao Yi on the other hand, it was clear that she still had something for him. She wanted to do something for his birthday, even if it was a bit late.

I guess I’d have to go to FIS later after school and follow them.

I replaced the phone back in the pocket and zipped it. I walked nonchalantly to the dining room.

Kai and Sehun were already there, too. I slowly walked towards my chair. The three of them didn’t notice me until I pulled the chair so I could sit down. All three of them sort of jumped from their seats and turned to look at me in a synchronized manner.

 

Me: Good morning.

Kai/Sehun/Xiao Yi: Good…morning gege.

Me: What’s for breakfast? Hmm. Oh, nice. I missed this.

 

I pretended not to notice their awkwardness. If I was going to stalk little sister today, I might as well act nice right now. I didn’t want her to suspect me of wanting to follow her later.

 

Me: Aren’t you three late for school?

Kai: Oh…oh.

Sehun: Five minutes. Just five more minutes.

Kai: There’s probably traffic today, Sehun. Faster.

Xiao Yi: I’m done.

Me: Don’t forget to brush you r teeth.

Xiao Yi: *rolls her eyes* Of course gege.

Sehun: We still have ten minutes to spare, actually.

Kai: I don’t wanna be late, Sehun.

Sehun: You can always go on ahead.

Kai: Are…you…sure?

Sehun: I-I’m..well. No, I’m kidding. I’ll just brush my teeth and we’d go.

 

I deliberately shrugged and let them do their thing. But not to let my guard down, I just eyed them one by one as they filed out of the dining toward the front door. I tiptoed to peek at them walking to the front door. Xiao had picked up her backpack and I felt sorry for her.

I had to do that, mei baobei. You’re going to thank me later.

I really need to talk to Jungkook.

I was sure of my little sister’s feelings for him. I wasn’t sure about him. I didn’t want my sister to be tied to someone who didn’t cherish her as much as she did him.

I was somehow regretting my actions before. I was always in the way when it came to them spending time with each other. Now that it looks like Xiao Yi has no escape in getting married to him, I wished that I paved the way for them to get a little bit closer. Papa and Mr. Kim had spoken about this pairing before, and I just took it for granted.

What if Jungkook didn’t like Xiao Yi as much as she did him? What can I do? Do I have to make him like my sister? Or do I have to stop the engagement…?

I knew papa and Mr. Kim were doing this to strengthen the ties between our families. A solid partnership, not only business, but also as a future family. Blood is always thicker than water. If Wu and Kim are tied in matrimony, we’d become a family by affinity. Jungkook and Xiao Yi would have children in the future, and that’s where the sanguinity ties mattered.

Gahhh!

It wasn’t a bad idea.

No.

If Jin was a girl, I’d just volunteer and marry her. But he’s a guy, and I can’t marry a guy for my sanity’s sake.

I need a cold shower.

 

 

XIAO YI

 

I don’t know where to treat him later, actually.

I’m kinda nervous.

What if he can’t go later? What should I do? I couldn’t possibly ask him out on Friday or Saturday. Luhan had said that I should clear my schedule too. He wanted to talk to me about something. I think it’s partly about the Fusion soft opening. Maybe he wants me to invest to help out with the financing of the restaurant. But Sehun still hasn’t paid me off. It would take at least two months for him to pay off his debt. That is, if he won’t be absent at work, and if he gave all his earnings to me every payday.

Ughh. This is becoming complicated.

What if Lu ge wants me to invest in the restaurant? What will I tell him? Let’s say that he’ll take the alibi that Sehun’s working at the ice cream shop for experience. So if he asked Sehun to resign and be full time at Fusion, how are we going to hide the fact that he owes me money? If he finds out that Sehun is working to pay me off, what excuse would we tell him what Sehun was paying me for?

Sehun is dead meat.

 

I think I failed that quiz. I wasn’t really paying attention. I hope it’s not graded or something. I hate how I blanked out. If papa knew that I failed a quiz because I was daydreaming of Jungkook. Oh god…

But the teacher didn’t announce the results. I guess she just wanted to see how far we’ve learned. If I failed, it meant that I didn’t learn anything from her lecture earlier.

*facepalms*

 

Yue: Wu Yinzi. Are you okay?

Me: Huh?

Yue: You look…devastated.

Me: I think I failed that quiz.

Yue: What quiz?

Me: Oh. I forgot, we didn’t have the same classes.

Yue: You tend to forget a lot of things these days. Are you okay?

Me: Not really.

Yue: By the way, Ling Yan and Shanna aren’t gonna be having lunch with us today. They have a sort of group project and will eat out.

Me: Okay.

Yue: Now, tell me what’s the problem?

 

I looked to the left and right, and turned my head around just to check if nobody was eavesdropping. When I saw that no one was paying attention to us, I leaned forward and whispered.

 

Me: It’s Jungkook.

Yue: Oh. What about him? He did something…uh..?

Me: No. I sort of asked him out, like a belated birthday treat later.

Yue: And?

Me: I don’t know where to take him.

Yue: Hmm.

Me: I can’t take him to the ice cream shop again, you know.

Yue: Right. How about you bring him to your house and cook for him?

Me: I…can’t do that.

Yue: Why not? It’s sweet. Just like how you told me that you cooked for him when he invited you to his house.

Me: But Lu ge is home.

Yue: WHAT?

Me: Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

Yue: Your Luhan gege is back in Beijing? When?

Me: Yesterday.

Yue: Oh. That’s a big problem, then.

Me: I know, right.

Yue: Why not ask Jungkook to bring you to his house again, then cook for him?

Me: Actually, even if I did, I don’t really know what else to cook for him. That soup I made for him was just one of the very few things I could do. Lay and Kyungie oppa aren’t here to save me from this kitchen dilemma.

Yue: You need something special for Jungkook, right?

Me: Yes.

Yue: What time is it in California now?

Me: Why?

Yue: I’m gonna ask Jimin what his dongsaeng loves.

Me: I think around eight in the evening.

Yue: Oh, good. He’s not asleep yet, I hope.

 

I eyed my friend suspiciously. Yue had that mischievous look in her face and she chuckled as she took out her phone and tapped on her screen a few times. I forked my food sadly as I leaned on the table.

Yue: Uhm..hi. Good evening.

Jimin: Hello. Oh, you’re in school.

 

I jerked up and sat properly. Yue had decided to do skype video call with Jimin on her phone. I saw Jimin raise an eyebrow when he saw me.

 

Jimin: Ohh. Xiao Yi. Well, hello.

 

I waved at him. Jimin was snickering. I felt uneasy all of a sudden. Here I was in the middle of a couple conversation, and we were supposed to ask him about his brother. I knew Jimin would tease me again when he knew why we called him.

 

Yue: Did I wake you up?

Jimin: Aniyo *eyesmile*

Yue: Uhm, we just wanted to ask you about something.

Jimin: About Kookie?

Yue: How did you know?

Jimin: You’re with Xiao Yi. Hahaha.

Me: Shut up.

Jimin: Have you two talked?

Me: Yes.

Jimin: Ohhh. Jinjjayo? How was it?

Me: Urineun gwaenchana.

Jimin: Really? *wiggles eyebrows*

 

I really wanted to swat his head and headlock him. But he was in California.

 

Me: Just wait til you’re back in Beijing, I’m gonna beat you up.

Jimin: Ouch. Yue-ah, your friend’s gonna beat me up.

 

And he did that puppy face in front of Yue. Of course, I saw it. We both were looking at the phone screen. I shivered. The fluff. I felt like I was invading their privacy.

 

Yue: Aish.

Jimin: Would you let your friend hurt me?

Me: *rolls my eyes* We just wanna ask you what Jungkook likes.

Jimin: Oh. He likes you.

Me: That’s not what I meant.

Jimin: Oh? You mean you already know? He told you?

Me: No. What?

Yue: In terms of food or place that he’s into these days. That’s what Xiao Yi meant.

Jimin: Jungkook likes sunsets.

Yue: How about food?

Jimin: Right now? He loves to eat anything actually.

Me: He says he’s allergic to some food.

Jimin: *snickers* He’s just trying to be cute to you.

Me: You don’t say..?

Jimin: Just feed him anything pasta, while walking along the beach.

Me: There is no beach in Beijing.

Jimin: Right. Maybe near a water park or something.

Me: It’s like three to four hours going to Qinhuangdao and Tianjin. I doubt I’d get that kind of permission from Lu ge.

Jimin: Wait. Your Lu ge is already in Beijing?

Me: Yes.

Jimin: Appa and Jin hyung are going back early tomorrow. I guess they’d be in Beijing by Friday.

Me: Oh yeah. Fusion.

Jimin: Yup.

Yue: Is that your new restaurant?

Jimin: Uh-hm. Kim and Wu business, jagi.

 

Ja. Gi.

Honey.

I bit my lip and looked away.

I shouldn’t forget that Yue and Jimin were dating now.

I huffed and let my eyes wander back to the phone screen. I took a deep breath before speaking.

 

Me: Thank you Jimin. Uhm. Yeah. Thanks.

Jimin: And you’re doing this for?

Me: A belated birthday gift.

Jimin: Oh. You’ll be fine. Just the sunset is enough, actually.

Me: Thanks.

Yue: Go to sleep. Jeongmal kamsahamnida.

Jimin: Ppo ppo?

Me: Not here you two.

Jimin: Hahaha.

 

I rolled my eyes again.

 

Jimin: So, Kookie hasn’t kissed you yet.

 

I pressed the end call button.