It's Always you

Chapter 31

Chanyeol's first text didn't arrive until the 27th of December.

Though I cheered myself up because things between Minji unnie and me were getting actually better, we were friendly enough that there wasn't screaming and shouting every five minutes, atleast. I got to meet her fiancee again and he was very helpful with lending me his books for the college entrance exam that I have to give a few months later. I finished my favorite Jane Austen novel in the vacations. And I was extremely delighted to spend Christmas with my parents, exchanging presents, meeting cousins and all that. But yeah, as I said, he didn't write to me until after a week. A whole week.

The sight of my phone's screen lighting up made me shamelessly happy, I just knew it was him. At the first opportunity, I shut myself in my room to read it.

I know, I know--I said I would write, and I'm terribly sorry I haven't until now. Mom's been driving herself (and frankly me, as well) crazy getting the house ready for the party. She's been making Baek, Junmyun and I work like unpaid laborers. We got to do cleaning, arranging, catering and hiring. Everything.
Anyways, I promise to make up for my lack of communication by saving you a dance at the party---I'm quite a brilliant dancer, I'll have you know. ;D

My heart skipped several beats as I read and re-read and re-re-read it. Finally finding enough words to reply, I had hardly typed when my phone buzzed again.

Listen, I've got to go. Mum's making us clean the main lounge for the twelfth billion time. Honestly, I'm looking forward to the decoration part. It's gonna be fun. I've copied out my address below. Make sure you come to the right party. See you.

I glanced briefly at his address before my eyes flickered to the word 'main lounge'. I mouthed it silently in disbelief. Just how big was Chanyeol's house, anyway?

-

"Hyun Jae. Hae won. Hyun Ae. Hyo Sonn. Hwa Young. Kyung Mi. Kyung Soon. Kun--"

"Yah, yah slow down, will you!!" Unnie yelled in annoyance. I looked up from the book opened before me and smiled sheepishly. "I didn't get a word you just said."

"Okay okay, I'll read slowly this time," I said, turning the previous page. Lately, Unni and I have been looking into Korean names for girls a lot and this is so difficult seriously. Naming your children, I mean. I love most of them but she wants it to be perfect, which makes sense. So far we haven't even bonded over a single syllable.

"Done." Unni grinned victoriously. She had been painting my nails maroon. I examined my fingers, nodding in approval. "Hmm, looks . . . . civil."

"Oh, they look perfect. You can seduce anyone with those hands." Minji wiggled her eye brows suggestively. "Or at least you can seduce him."

"Oh shut up." I turned my face away, blushing a little. When I had told my family about Chanyeol's New Year party, they were pretty skeptical about it and bombarded me with a thousand questions about his whereabouts and all. But the one question almost everyone asked me, was, 'Didn't you used to hate that boy? Why do you want to go to his place then?'

You can see that my family was clearly a little behind on things.

But Unni wasn't. After I was done assuring Mom and Dad that I would be safe there and they can trust my friends, she dragged me to her room and demanded what was going on. I managed to act pretty normal and keep a poker face but she saw right through me in a second and when I realized as much, I let it all out. How Chanyeol and I became friends and how I've fallen for him so bad that I can't keep it in. 
And she's been teasing me ever since.