Corrine's pov:
Wednesday, after class
"Choi Siwon."
Siwon raised his eyebrow as Donghae regarded him with a sharp, cobra-like gaze. I just stared at my best friend, wondering which screw he had loose. Siwon had just asked if Hyukjae could join us for supper, and this guy started acting like he'd rather go to war than agree. Monday was already bad enough, because he'd scowl whenever Hyukjae was near.
"Dude-"
"Don't dude me."
"Hae, it's just one meal. You're both close to Siwon, so why not let him join and get to know him? I know you guys can get along if you just give each other the chance."
"Give me one reason to do that."
"It's not a lot to ask for." A voice spoke from behind, revealing Hyukjae as he approached us. He looked Donghae in the eye. "Why, is that too much for you to handle?"
An odd smile stretched onto Donghae's face. "Sorry to disappoint, but hardly. Feel free to join in, coach."
Hyukjae smirked at him before turning to me. "Shall we go? I know a great burger place that's just twenty minutes away."
Well, thank god that only lasted for a few minutes. I was really going to facepalm myself real hard had they continued challenging each other like how they did at my place that day.
"Burgers? Hell yeah." I grinned at Hyukjae. My gaze caught his dreamy, brown irises and the warm smile on his face. It sure is hard to look away...
Donghae suddenly snapped his fingers in front of me, then grabbed his bag. "Move it then, stop acting like we have ten years to spare."
I barely even managed to pick up my stuff from my locker as he made a turn to leave and pulled me away by the hand in the process. Ugh, why's he in such a hurry?
When we reached the burger place, all I could think about was beef and fries. The aroma was such a torture to my hungry stomach! Hyukjae slid into the seat next to me with a smirk, making me grin at him. "Any recommendations?"
He occasionally tossed glances at the menu and the other two boys as he spoke, but mostly kept his eyes on me. Oh, gosh. When our orders arrived, I took one look at Donghae's plate and wrinkled my nose. "Ugh, I really don't get your love for avocado."
"Me neither." Hyukjae spoke from beside me, holding his hand up for a hi-five. I beamed, giving him a light tap with my palm. Ooh, those sparks are what I live for.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Siwon cautiously lowering Donghae's hand which was fisting a fork tightly.
"Woah... Take it easy, pal."
"I am taking it easy." Donghae spoke between gritted teeth. Geez, why does he look like he's about to murder someone?
Things took a strange turn from then on. First I'd catch Donghae eyeing me like a detective watching a crime suspect, then distinctly tense moments between him and Hyukjae.
For instance, when I needed a tissue, they grabbed one for me at the same time and ended up glaring at each other. When I finished my glass of water, they both offered me theirs and again, ended up glaring at each other. Oh, and it gets worse.
When the snack platter we ordered for sharing arrived, Hyukjae rammed his fork against Donghae's just when he was about to pass me a chicken tender.
"Let. Go."
"You let go."
Heaven's sake, I can't even get my food in peace now?! I turned to Siwon for help, but he just did this.
[A/N: Not at Siwon stealing the show lmfao GAHAH]
Then he continued eating and watching the scene before him as if it was his favourite tv show. UGH! Are they going to do fork-fencing on the table?! Am I supposed to take a side? Whose side do I even take? They reminded me of Jedediah and Octavius from Night At The Museum.
The night ended on such a chaotic note that my mind had gone haywire by the time we all went our separate ways. I was beyond confused by how the two remained at odds with each other. My attempt to help them get along was clearly futile and I still couldn't understand why!
Also, Donghae crashed at my place again for no reason. This time when he shared my bed and locked me in his arms, all sorts of feelings swirled about in my chest. But as I drifted off to sleep, one took over - bliss.
I could fall asleep in his arms over and over again.
The next morning
Hmm... Waking up next to him feels good. I don't want to get up.
I smiled into his chest when I felt him stroking my hair. "Morning, Hae."
"Mmm." A comforting silence lingered in the air before he spoke again. "Why'd you have to get Eunhyuk to join us last night?"
Why's he asking that all of a sudden? I pulled back to look at him, only to see that he was dead serious. I raised my eyebrow. "Seriously, what do you have against him? You guys literally just met, and he's done nothing to you."
His gaze intensified. "Exactly. You also just met him. Why does it matter so much to you that we get along?"
"Well, you're my best friend and he's... he's uh..." An amazing guy I fall for more and more with each moment we spend together. I know the answer, but why can't I say it?
"I'll go make breakfast." He got off the bed before I could finish my sentence and hastily left the room. What's wrong with him? Running away when he's the one who asked me...
I followed him into the kitchen, where he was spacing out with his eyes trained on the counter. He looks lost... At times like this, I know just what to do. I took his hands and gently turned him to face me before wrapping my arms around his back. "Hey... You know, I really, really missed you when you were away last week."
"Mmm... Prove it."
I pulled back, slowly gazing up into his eyes. He's really gorgeous... I've really never missed him this much before, even when he went overseas for a month that time. I cupped his face gently, stroking his cheeks with my thumbs before planting sweet kisses on them. Then I wrapped my arms around him, tenderly embracing him. "Sleep here for the rest of the week? That's how long you were gone for."
I felt a soft vibration from his chest as he sighed, slowly hugging me back. We stayed like that for a moment until he pulled back slightly, just enough to tip my chin upwards with his thumb and index finger. I froze under his unwavering gaze. Why's he looking at me like that?
"Why won't you look this way?" He whispered. Huh? I waited for him to explain, but he just released me and proceeded to prepare breakfast.
I never got an answer after that.
Two months later. Saturday, 6pm. Ryeowook's birthday party.
I shook my head as Siwon chased Ryeowook and his bestie Kyuhyun into the corridor. "They just had to tease him about his hi-fives."
Donghae chortled beside me. "Yeah, after all that trouble he went through to pick them up after school." Ha, exactly. Those little brats. I was about to comment when he stepped in front of me, narrowing his eyes at me. "I think it's all because of a certain guy who spoils them too much every time he comes over. Why you let him set foot in here is still beyond me."
I shot him a look. "Not now, Lee Donghae."
"Then enlighten me. Including the reason you even invited him for Ryeowook's birthday, when they've only known each other for two months. One of your worst decisions, really."
"He's one of-"
He abruptly wrapped his arms around my waist, raining kisses all over my cheeks. Not again! Well, not that I'm complaining. I closed my eyes and held onto his back, accepting his kisses as usual.
Things had grown tense between us during the past two months, because he'd randomly pick fights and shower me with loads of affection like this afterwards. It always left me disoriented because he'd make me mad one moment, then all smiley the next. He'd also appear inexplicably chafed and distant at times, which frustrated the hell out of me. He'd always speak up whenever something was bothering him, but it was clear that things were different this time. I knew I had to give him all the time and space he needed until he was ready to talk.
"Get a room!"
Oh! We broke apart, only to see Hyukjae standing at the door with Leeteuk and Heechul, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun's seniors from high school. Geez, everyone's here but at this sort of timing?
"C'mon, no need to be shy now that you guys are together." Heechul continued smirking at us while Leeteuk giggled, which made me roll my eyes as I unlocked the door.
"We're not together, kids. This is just-"
"Regular best friend stuff? Yeah, it still sounds weird to me no matter how many times I've heard it. Anyway, my bad." Hyukjae stepped forward, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. "I forgot to say hi. Hi, beautiful."
"Hi..." I blushed hard as he gently caressed my arm, an affectionate smile on his handsome face. He drives me insane, and I love it whenever we touch. We'd gotten a lot closer over the past two months thanks to our regular guitar lessons and suppers, and would even meet up at cafes or simply travel around together. Every moment spent with him was magical. Now, it was almost impossible to get him off my mind.
"Eunhyuk hyung...!" Ryeowook came running out towards Hyukjae with his arms open.
"Ryeonggu!" Hyukjae called adoringly before embracing him.
"Ryeonggu?" Donghae and I repeated, looking at each other. Ryeonggu is a nickname Ryeowook only allows Donghae to use! They're closer than we thought. I smiled, but heard what sounded like steam escaping from a sizzling kettle — Donghae swearing under his breath. I quickly dragged him away to the kitchen before he could pick another fight on my brother's birthday.
Once we finished dinner and cut the cake, we all sent Ryeowook off to enjoy the nightlife with his friends. He'd just turned a legal nineteen along with Kyuhyun who had his nineteenth birthday a few months ago, so Leeteuk and Heechul were taking them clubbing.
"Take care of my boys." I gave Leeteuk and Heechul a warning look at the door. Leeteuk nodded obediently, but Heechul winked at me. "Don't worry, we'll make sure they have fun."
Ouh, these clubbers. While the kids were off partying, Siwon, Donghae, Hyukjae and I just decided to chill and drink since it was a Saturday. I thought Donghae would get a substitute drink for the alcohol as usual, since the guy was such a terrible drinker he'd get drunk on one sip. But when Hyukjae laughed at him, he filled his glass with beer to the brim and challenged him.
Siwon's eyes went as wide as ping pong balls. "What are you doing? All you can take is one sip!"
I smirked at Donghae. "Alcohol kisser!"
He tossed me a glare, then shoved Siwon in the shoulder. "Whose side are you on?!"
"What—me? What did I do?" A total derp expression appeared on Siwon's face.
"PAHAH!" Hyukjae and I burst into laughter and hi-fived each other. Is this guy a comedian or what?!
Siwon ended up dozing off on the couch an hour later, while Donghae knocked out after half a cup of beer — his new record wow — and fell asleep with his head on my shoulder.
Hyukjae who was beside me on the floor suddenly shoved him away, and grabbed my face before I could turn to help him. I froze as he stared at me, his palms warm on my cheeks. Gosh, he's so red. How much did he drink? He's adorable when he's drunk!
"Why'd you eVeN let anooother guy KISS you like that when you're just fRIENds, huh? That's not RIGHT! But I've NEVER met aaaaanyone like yoooou, dO you knOw that?" He slurred. "You're so... soooo..."
In seconds, he was planting kisses on my cheek and jaw. I gasped when his plump lips brushed against the side of my neck. Holy, freaking... Goddamn, is this what heaven feels like? His fresh scent mingled with the intoxicating scent of alcohol was making me lose my mind.
"So sweet..." He mumbled, coaxing a soft moan out of me as the movement of his lips on my skin intensified. His tongue had just snuck a taste when I felt him slowly come to a stop. Then he started snoring on my shoulder.
Sweet jesus, what on earth just happened? I just sat there in a daze, shock and disappointment clouding my mind which was already whirring. Heck, I can't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't stopped.
I had no idea how I fell asleep that night.
The next morning
I found myself lying on the floor... with my head on Hyukjae's chest. Memories of last night came flooding back, and I instantly felt a rush of heat through my body. Oh, this man... I propped myself up to look at him, only to see him grinning sleepily at me.
"Enjoyed your free pillow?"
"I've had better." I winked, which made the mischievous sparkle in his eyes grow. He always brought out this playful side of me, and it made me feel like I could dance with the wind. My gaze fell to his lips, which were holding up his grin ever so innocently. He doesn't seem to remember what he did... "Do you... not remember what happened last night?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "Last night? Weren't we just — ah gosh, my head..." He groaned softly while rubbing his temple, which I instantly took as a sign to change the subject.
I shook my head and started heading to the kitchen. "I'll make some soup for breakfast. You boys really had a little too much to drink, especially you."
"Why'd you say that?" I heard him ask as he followed me behind. "You sound as if I did something I shouldn't have."
Uh oh. I quickened my pace until I reached the fridge and nervously threw it open. I'd definitely look suspicious if I don't say anything, but my damned mind is out of any ideas!
"Wait, I did? Really?" He walked in, his round eyes widening a fraction.
"U-uhm..." I barely managed to shut the doors. Not my dumbass stuttering! Should I tell him or not?
"It's a yes then." He walked towards me so that I had to back up until he had me trapped me against the fridge. He held my gaze intently, studying me in a way that made my heart race. "So are you going to give me the missing piece of the puzzle?"
All I could hear were my heartbeats getting louder as I felt the tension between us increase tenfold.
"The only puzzle that needs solving is why you're still here." My eyes widened when I saw Donghae standing a distance away, brooding with silent anger. Shit. I quickly moved away from Hyukjae as he entered the kitchen. "For how long more are you going to stay here, until Christmas?"
And just like that, the two started another war.
"Sounds like a great wish, but I'd rather Santa grant me another - for you to stop coming in between us."
"You'll never get on his nice list, but you're getting on my last nerve."
"And what will you do about it?"
Instead of replying, Donghae glared at Hyukjae for a few seconds. Then he disappeared into the living room for a moment and headed for the door with his jacket and wallet. He's leaving all of a sudden?
I quickly rushed forward and grabbed the door handle before he could. "Yah, where are you going at this hour?"
"Home." He always stays for as long as he can and never leaves like this!
"What? Now? You're not even staying for breakfast? C'mon, I'll make your favourite seaweed soup."
The look in his eyes hardened. "I lost my appetite." He removed my hand and vanished out the door.
I just remained frozen in my spot. Was that really the Donghae I knew? He was so cold and closed off...
The next day
The anxiety was kicking in as I headed over to the gym for the lesson. Donghae had been ignoring my texts since yesterday, so I didn't even know if he'd be coming today. He'd never ghosted me like this before! Just what on earth was going on with him that got so big and led to this?!
I fidgeted nervously when I saw that he wasn't in the training area yet, but then I caught sight of Hyukjae. My cheeks started heating up. Does he still not remember what he did? Do I pray that he won't ever remember or that he does?
He walked over to me, biting his lower lip lightly as his eyes met mine. "Hey. Where's that guy?"
I sighed. "Donghae? He didn't tell me if he's coming for today's lesson, so I have no idea."
"Hmm." A meaningful smile spread onto his face. "Shall we continue yesterday's conversation?"
I swallowed. "Yesterday?"
He leaned forward, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Want me to jog your memory?"
"What. In the hell. Is this?"
Hyukjae and I stepped apart, and that's when I saw Donghae standing there, gritting his teeth.
"You are in my spot." He glared at Hyukjae.
"We don't use name tags here, my friend." Hyukjae replied coldly. A very tense silence settled in the air as they stared at each other, which instantly made me nervous. Are they going to argue here in class?! Then Hyukjae smirked at me. "We'll talk later." I watched helplessly as he walked away to start the class. Gosh, he keeps making me blush.
When I saw how pissed Donghae looked, I quickly stepped forward and caressed his arm. "Hey... You're here. Take it easy and we'll talk after class, okay? Just focus and don't think about anything else for now."
He took my wrist, his gaze piercing as he looked into my eyes. "I could tell you the same thing. Do you know how distracted and playful you are whenever he's around?"
"I... It's not like that. What about you? Can you please tell me why you're always like this with Hyukjae?"
He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Like what? I don't see anything wrong with my attitude towards him."
I stared at him, taken aback by his response. Seriously, what's happened to him? He's the most polite person ever on earth! "You think that's okay? What's happened to your manners?"
"I came here to train, not to be nice to everyone when I don't feel like it."
I bit my lip hearing his curt tone. Is he... shutting me out when he knows how much I hate it? "I can't do this with you if you won't calm down."
"Do it by yourself then." He replied sarcastically while undoing his hand wrap, and I watched in shock and confusion as he threw it on the floor and stormed off.
I'd never seen him lose his temper with me like that before! I quickly removed my gloves and went after him. I found him by the lockers, drinking from his bottle. "Lee Donghae, tell me. What exactly's going on with you?"
"Nothing." He wouldn't look at my eyes and continued drinking his water.
Hurt and frustration rose up in my chest. He still can't tell me? "It's been two months, I can't let you go on like this. If it was something I did, all you have to do is tell me about it and I'll make a change. You know that. Why can't you just do that?"
He slid his bottle into his bag, exhaling in frustration. "Because there's nothing to tell. What do you even want to hear from me?"
Talk to me, damn it. I'm going crazy with worry! I took a deep breath, gently cupping his cheek and imploring him with a soft tone. "Please, Hae. You're getting me so worried! Just talk to me, please. Don't push me away, just... Whatever it is, we'll get through it together."
He stared at me for a moment, then removed my hand and looked away. "I'm leaving first. Call a cab home, the rain's heavy and it's cold."
I felt a deep pang in my chest. The night suddenly seemed darker, and the splatter of the rain outside grew louder. How could he push his best friend away like this when we've basically crossed mountains and rivers together?
He was about to turn and leave, but I grabbed his hand to stop him. "You're leaving without me? How... How can you shut me out like this? Do you have any idea how freaking worried I am about you and how much it hurts to see you like this? I hate what's happened to us and I don't understand why you can't just talk to me, I'm your best friend and we've gone through so much together. For god's sake, just tell me what on earth is your problem!"
"My problem is you!" He snapped. Then his lips came down on mine.
[Pic credits:
Siwon on Super TV with Lovelyz: https://pin.it/7lzkCTK
Siwon on Super TV Season 2 Ep 2: https://pin.it/68webYh]