off to the races (9/?)
off to the races (9/?)
~ 5200 w, r, (krystal/kai) l part i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii.
He hated her then too, but in a different way that he does now.
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Sunday went by in a flash.
Suho rushed in before the sun is up with two set of Krystal’s uniforms, a stack of required textbook shoved in a navy backpack that he dumps on the foot of her bed when he went in for a check up and took a piece of toast with him on the way out the door. Baekhyun wasted away their morning by nagging him to go down to the poker joint at Gangnam with him but took a hint when Jongin slammed the bathroom door in his face. Chanyeol tip toes around Krystal’s room like it’s polluted when he leaves for his mom’s shop and Kyungsoo tagged along; something about stopping by at the warehouse. Sehun lounged around the pool room for an hour or two before he left; Jongin suspects it was to be alone.
No one had said so but they had left Krystal with him
Jongin supposed it made no difference; he didn’t once go into Krystal’s room to check if she was still there. He didn’t need to; he knew she had nowhere to run too. The house is her own private prison; Krystal could play hide and seek, jump on tables and bang on doors but she’d still be stuck.
But it’s now Monday and the alarm is loud enough to disguise Jongin’s groan when he rolls onto his front. Aimlessly, he reaches around the nightstand for a snooze button to slam his fist into.
Jongin doesn’t go back to sleep, instead he lies flat on his back, closes his eyes for a second and takes a long breath. He considers going over to wake her up now (how long do girls take in the bathroom anyway?) but he figures he’s not ready to battle her on an empty stomach. When Jongin finally sits up, everything from head to toe feels seems to weight him down but he persists and pulls the flannel shirt off the back of the chair, throwing it over his shoulder as he gets out of the room
On his way down the stairs, Jongin tries to ignore his irritation with how empty this place is. Clearly they forgot to let him know that Krystal’s his responsibility (again) this morning. She can make her own breakfast because he sure as hell isn’t -
“Is it a house rule to walk around half naked in the morning? ‘Cause if it is then I think this place is really starting to grow on me.” Krystal wags her brows at him, her chin rested atop the backrest of one of the arm chairs in the far corner. “Morning, sleepy head.”
It’s too early for this, Jongin thinks, buttoning up his shirt and pays her no attention as he walks over to the kitchen. A carton of milk and bits and bits and pieces of fruit loops is hanging around the other end of the table; he didn’t even know they kept those in the house. Wrinkling his nose at the mess she’s made, Jongin saunters pass and to the pantry.
“I thought the uniform would be ugly but it’s pretty cute,” She yells across the room, dropping back down on the arm chair with a loud ‘plop’.
Might as well be when it costs more than the usual one, Jongin mumbles under his breath. Why the hell was she already up when it isn’t even eight yet - just sitting there alone, hiding in the dark? And why is there nothing but shitty cereals? Then he remembers Baekhyun; he must be catering to his ‘princess’ wishes. With a heavy sigh, Jongin pulls out an almost empty packet of bread and butter and marmalade jam from the fridge.
When he turns around, Krystal’s right in his face with an innocent smile that is anything but. “What do you think?” She asks with faint amusement and blatant flirtation as she does a spin.
Krystal’s always been pretty, from the first time he saw her and the last time. Jongin just doesn’t remember her being this kind of pretty. Because Jongin remembers her with a boyish smile; a blooming grin that always reached her eyes and a pair of pin like legs with bruises all over them from trying to outrun her aunt’s dog. Not thunder thighs, legs that go for miles and curves in all the right places.
She looks good enough to eat and she knows it.
“Do you disapprove?” Krystal huffs when he turns away and starts buttering up the piece of bread, “It’s my first day of school, you should be more encouraging, you know?”
His undeterred silence etches an angry glower on her made-up face. “I’m talking to yo -“
“It’s school,” he says shortly, “Doesn’t matter how you look.”
She rolls her eyes, hot on his feet as he moves over to the dining table. “First impression matters, hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
Jongin gives a small, heartless shrug.
The bread is tough, he never liked marmalade to start with and Suho’s drained all the coffee in the house. Jongin feels a beginning of an oncoming headache, this is not his ideal start to the day. He scans through the sports magazine Baekhyun had left lying around but all the racing cars in the world wouldn’t be able to turn any man’s head (including his) when Krystal’s still standing right in front of him with hands fidgeting with the hem of her tartan skirt
He raises his head, just enough to look her over. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about how you’re going to get out of here and not how to fit in with a bunch of rich teenagers?”
“Obviously, that’s my concern,” she counters, folding her arms over her chest, “Unless you want to let me go, if that’s the case then trust me, I’m all for it.”
Trust me, I would if I could, Jongin has to bite his tongue from saying.
“But of course, you can’t,” With the smuggest smirk yet, Krystal rests her hip against the side of the table and leans closer, pouty lips brushing against his ear as she purrs, “You need me.”
Jongin wonder if he will always compare this girl; this bombshell with perfectly tousled hair and bedroom eyes with Soojung, the one who was shy and naïve and mean and bright. It feels pointless when they are the same girl, except just not the one who ran around the field with dried mud on her white dress and daisies in her hair. He hated her then too, but in a different way that he does now.
“Yes,” he admits but not in a way that should make her ego swell, “So make yourself useful.”
“Oh?” Krystal arches a brow, suggestiveness to her tone, “And how might I do that?”
And Jongin almost smiles because he’s got her right where he wants her.
“By,” he tilts forward so his forehead is pressed to hers, “Staying out of my way at school.”
His fingers curl around her shoulder blade and when Krystal lets out a gasp, Jongin pushes her hard enough for there to be enough room for her to stumble back and for him to watch it happen.
“What the fuck -“
“And want to make a good impression?” He offers, pulling out a fresh washcloth from the cabinet and throwing it at her, “Go easy on piling that crap on your face.”
When Jongin walks off, he makes sure to get a real good look at just how much he’s pissed her off. He’ll need it to get through the morning.
-
“Get in the car”
“No”
“Seriously, get in the car -“
“No”
“Please, I will get on my knees,” Suho pleads, “Please, just get in the car.”
“No”
Everyone’s got their breaking point, even Suho, apparently. “Why the hell not?”
“Because,” Jongin shrugs on his blazer and lights a cig, continues, “I’ve got my own bike. Why should I get in that fancy-as-fuck limo with you?”
Suho takes a weary glance over his shoulder at the reflection of the monster in his nightmare, checking her hair in the mirror and hisses, “Maybe because she’s going to be in it with me.”
“That’s your problem,” He replies carelessly, “Guess you should have picked up Chanyeol on the way.”
“You really think that’s a good idea?” Suho looks livid, tugging at the knot of his tie, “That kid can’t even talk to girls without peeing himself a little and the one time he did, he tried to kill her.”
“Too bad then”
“Please don’t do this to me -“
“I’m going to be late to my first day of school if you two keeps on bickering like this,” Krystal sings-song, skipping over to them with a big, cheesy, enthusiastic grin - an act, no doubt, “You don’t have to worry, Suho, I don’t bite - not if you don’t want me to.”
Suho looks at him with wet eyes that say ‘please’ with all the conviction in the world.
“No”
Krystal ‘tsks’. “Didn’t take you for a scaredy cat, Kai, but I guess you never know.”
“Don’t call him Kai at school,” Suho says like an order, suddenly serious, “It’s Jongin outside this house.”
Her lips curl into a conniving one when she glances in his direction, a challenge bit back in her mouth. Jongin tries hard not to roll his eyes and inhale his cigarette, blowing one last smoke before putting it out in the ashtray. It’s not like Krystal can afford to expose any more of herself; it was a high price to pay to fuck him over for sport.
“Jongin it is then,” Krystal agrees, “Can we just settle on who’s driving me to school already?”
“If I take her, alone,” Suho pounces on the opportunity, not letting him get a single word in, “Then she’s going to get interrogated before I could tell anyone that she’s just my little cousin -“
“I’m your little cousin?” She laughs in exasperation, “So I’m being put in the year level below you all?”
“He’s older than us”
She raises a brow. “What about Sehun?”
“He’s in the same year level,” Jongin answers easily, “Why do you care?”
Krystal looks down at her shoe, twisting her feet left and right like a child. “Just want to know who my classmates are, that’s all.”
“Sehun’s in Calculus and homeroom with you,” Suho explains quickly before turning back to Jongin, “Back to my point, she’d be getting too much un-needed attention so can’t you take her and I’ll meet you behind the gym where you park your bike, then I’ll take her to the front office?”
“And what if someone sees?”
“Who?” Suho asks like he knew what Jongin was going to say (he probably did), “And even if someone sees they’re not going to think she’s your girlfriend. Everybody - even the teachers, know that you don’t date!”
Krystal finds this amusing, apparently.
“Your case is weak, hyung,” He says, a touch snappishly as he walks over to the door and yanks it open, “But you’re obviously not going to stop until you win the argument so one of has to.”
“So Jongin’s giving me a ride then?” She purs his name, looking too chipper for her good when she bounces over to his side, one foot out the door and waiting impatiently for him to follow, “Hmm…the weather’s nice today, perfect for a bike ride, don’t you think?”
He snatches the keys from the counter, throwing Suho the dirtiest of looks he can muster and mumbles, “Perfect for falling off one, is more like it.”
-
“You’re not very convincing as my cousin,” Krystal muses, resting her chin on her fist and elbow on her knee as she watches Suho arrange the folders on the head master’s desk, “What should I call you? Suho oppa - how about it?”
To her surprise, he nods in agreement. “Sounds good”
“So…” She clucks her tongue, rising to her feet and spinning around on her heel to get a good look around the office, “Are you the protective kind of cousin or the bullying kind?”
“Uh…do I have a choice?”
He shows an inkling of his smile as he chuckles dryly. To Krystal, it sounds oddly friendly but she doubts they can remain civil for long under this condition. Suho wasn’t so bad; she thinks of it that way when Chanyeol and Kyungsoo comes to mind and Sehun - how can she forget Sehun? Jongin’s like an ice block, she gets chills just riding on the bike with him this morning. At least that part about him hasn’t change.
“Hello, hello,” The headmaster bellows, gliding into the room with a big, grey coat in hand, followed by his secretary which he hands his suitcase to, “Morning, Suho, I hope I didn’t make you wait too long.”
Suho bows and sends her a look that signals her to do the same. “Not at all head master, Krystal had to go get her locker sorted first anyway.”
The small man had an equally small frame, his hair is graying and when he smiles it reaches his ear and made him look fat with joy. He struck her as a very nice man but by now she knows looks are very deceiving.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Krystal,” He looks at her with those beady eyes, says, “You’re very lucky to have a family here with you at the school. I understand that it must be difficult; moving from the States to Seoul so abruptly but it seems like you have nothing worry about,” The man glances to Suho, his smile widening, “Suho yet again, proves himself to be a very responsible young gentleman and already have everything ready and organized for you.”
In that moment when the man sticks his hand out and offers it to her, Krystal is unable to do anything. She can’t do this; this isn’t normal - she isn’t a normal school girl with perfectly ironed plaited skirt and white washed knee socks. Suddenly the office seems so small now; like the walls were closing in and the heating has been turned up. The collar of her blouse scratches against her neck as she gulps and turns to look at Suho; unbelievably enough it’s for guidance because she just can’t move.
“Um…” Suho laughs awkwardly and steps in between them, “Krystal - uh - she’s a bit shy, like you said head master, it’s very difficult for her. She’s not very confident with her Korean, you’ll have to excuse her.”
“Oh” Leaves the old man mouth before he breaks into yet another smile, “Well, that’s okay then but why don’t you sit down first and we’ll go over your schedules and courses we have to offer you here.”
Stoically, Krystal lowers herself onto a chair. It’s not her first day of school but it feels that way; maybe that’s enough of an excuse to be a nervous wreck.
-
“Gentleman, gentleman, gentleman!” Kibum kicks the door open with a ‘bang’, looking more alert than he’s been in his last three years of education, “There’s a new student! A new female student!”
An ooh is on full surround sound with the boys, their ears perking up at the words ‘new’ and ‘female’. Jongin rolls his eyes, spinning the basketball on his finger as he waits for things to escalate. Kibum’s always been a bratty ass diva that over-exaggerates when he gets the chance which means he won’t be shutting up about this ‘news’ until Mister Hong gets here and smack him across the face with a textbook, hopefully.
“How do you know?” Hoya shouts from across the room, “Actually fuck that. Is she hot or not? That’s all anyone gives a shit about - am I right?”
Kibum squeezes his eyes shut, biting his lips as he does what might as well be a swoon. “So fucking hot - like her legs, those legs - shit, I’ll come late everyday and sneak past scary Moon, if it means that I get to see those legs from that angle.”
“Is she really that pretty?” Son Seunghwan squeaks, her eyes wide.
Kibum nods in confirmation then rushes over to a circle of boys; the speculation (if you can even call it that) grows out of control in seconds and soon they were speaking on the top of their lungs, over each other and everyone else in the class.
-
“He really does like to exaggerate,” Taemin murmurs, shaking his head as he looks on at the commotion his friend has created, “It would be nice to have a new girl coming in though, we haven’t had one in years. What do you think?”
“We have too many people.”
“Cheer up,” Taemin whack him on the back, too harshly to be just teasing, “Maybe she’s your future girlfriend”
Jongin throws Taemin the ball. “Yeah, right”
“You’ve got to have some faith!” Taemin teasing, indulging in a private grin, “You like pretty girls, don’t you?”
“Don’t you?”
“Why are you asking me?” Taemin points to himself as he breathes out a laugh, “I’ve dated a girl; obviously I do. What about you?”
“She wasn’t pretty”
Taemin grimaces. “She was to me when I was thirteen.”
He snorts. “That’s cute”
“Be quiet, all of you! It’s too early for me to deal with this!”
Kim Boa, the Biology marches in with knotted hair that’s starting to look like a bird nest, her aviator is hiding all the eye bags she’s been carrying around from a night of extreme drinking; so Jongin suspects anyway. She’s possibly the youngest of the staff but smarter than post; most likely why she’s still employed despite her eccentric approach to teaching. Her walking around at twenty past eight with a ghost face and one shoe missing isn’t much of a surprise to anyone but walking into their class? She doesn’t even take homeroom in general.
“Miss,” Song Minho clears his throat, “What are you doing here? You’re not our homeroom teacher, you do know that right?”
The tiny woman stops in front of his desk, radiating ‘no bullshit’ attitude when she slams his hand on his table and takes her sunglasses of. “Choi Minho, are you suggesting that I don’t know what I’m doing?”
“N - No”
“Good, because I know what I’m doing,” she glares, putting her shades back on, “We have a new student; now you all smile when she gets here and when I make her give an embarrassing ‘my name is blah blah blah and I like school blah blah’ speech, you’re all going to look like you care and clap with that same attitude when she sits down. Understand?”
No one says anything, they all know what to do. From here on Miss Kim’s good at that; giving instructions and shutting people up.
“Dude, just a thought but,” Taemin inches in to whisper, “Does she still manage all the girl students?
Lucky for the girls and Whose crazy idea of a joke was it? Are the first few thoughts that come to mind.
Jongin holds in a snort while everyone else in the room holds their breath. He can appreciate the peace and quiet of these short seconds; it’s an achievement for the class to have kept their mouth closed for this long. The suspense must have been reaching its limit because it’s so still that he can hear approaching then stopping as the door budges for the tiniest bit, the sound of the metal clanging echoing and someone gasps, either running out of oxygen or too eager for their own good.
Boa taps her feet impatiently. “You can come in.”
Krystal emerges in a manner that is foreign to him; a curtain of dark tresses covering the sheepish look that doesn’t belong to her. Stiffly, she rotates around to the face the class; looking almost…shy with blood rushing to her cheeks and evading gaze.
“Do you want to introduce yourself?”
She looks at Boa like the woman has made some scandalous request.
“O - okay,” Krystal rasps, her voice tiny, “He - hello, I’m Krystal. Nice to m - meet you, all.” She gives an awkward wave, her smile wobbly as she speaks, “I don’t know what else to say so…yeah, that’s all…I guess.”
The uproar that follows is even greater than Jongin’s expected: the girls rearrange their chair into an exclusive circle of whispers and aim sharp looks at the boys; their parliamentary firmly in session (the word ‘cute’ gets thrown around, a lot). Jongin feels someone nudge him and he wouldn’t blame them if they were to think he was caught in some sort of a trance like they were because they’re right but not the good kind. He’s appalled…who the hell is that?
“Great, very good,” Boa clasps her hand together, taking a sip of her coffee, “You can go sit down next to…” She squints, scanning around the room like a woman on a mission, “Taemin, right there - the one who looks like he’d just pee himself.”
Krystal looks slightly abased as she whispers something to Boa. The older woman grumbles, her mouthful of chocolate chip cookie and her index finger pointing to the desk on his right. She lifts up her head, her gaze never catching his but latching onto Taemin’s.
True to Boa’s keen observation, Taemin does look like he hasn’t got a grip on himself. The closer Krystal gets to him, the less he bothers with blinking and maybe breathing altogether. She sits down timidly, crossing her legs over another, as if there’s a single cell in her body that she needs to be insecure about.
“Hello,” Krystal sounds delicate, “You’re Taemin, right?”
When Taemin looks at her, he also, is a stranger to Jongin.
-
“Geez, Krystal’s one lucky girl, isn’t she?” A tall brunette twists a lock of curl around her finger, biting the end of her marker, “She’s really close with all of Suho oppa’s friends already and she’s only been here for four hours…must be good, being in his little cousin and all that.”
“It’s so unfair!” The redhead next to her chimes in, “I’ve been trying for years and she’s already beating me!”
And Krystal would say something; a smart ass comment or two to earn some skittish chuckles. If only she can tell whether they’re actually talking to her or not. Classes after another, group of girls would be sitting a couple of rows in front of her, talking amongst themselves like she isn’t within an earshot. They’re not mean comments necessary; only varying opinion of the ‘new girl that’s Suho’s little cousin’.
“My princess!”
Oh fuck
Skipping through desks and text books is Baekhyun with Chanyeol following close behind; looking like he’s ready to bash the living shit out of the dumbass coming her way.
“You look so cute in your uniform!”
Was that a squeal? Krystal wrinkles her nose before looking up from her worksheet to show everyone the girlish grin she’s been practicing since this morning. “You’re too nice to me, Baekhyun.”
The idiot stops in his track, taken aback by her response.
“Here, I saved you a seat!” She says with every inkling of enthusiasm she can muster, gagging inwardly as she pats chair next to hers, “And Chanyeol, you can sit here.”
“Princess…”
She could have sworn Baekhyun’s eyes began to water.
Oblivious (Baekhyun, she has no doubt) or too annoyed to care (Chanyeol), the two of them made their way over to the island of desks she’s made and each filled up the empty seats beside hers.
“This is the best!” Baekhyun cheers, leaning back in his chair and resting his feet on the desktop, “The three of us together, this Korean class is going to get so much better.” He beams at her and throws an arm around her shoulder, squeezing tightly, “I’m never going to be bored with princess here with me.”
“Yah! Yah! I feel left out here,” A boy sitting behind them asks, sticking his head forward, “Baekhyun, you should introduce me to your friend too.”
“Of course, I can but…” Baekhyun’s got a sickeningly proud look on his face, “Krystal’s so precious, I wouldn’t let her be friend with just anyone.”
Let?!
“You’re a dick,” The boys spits at Baekhyun with rumbling laughter but offers her a smile, says, “Nam Taehyun - everyone’s favorite class clown.”
“Krystal, don’t touch him -“
Quickly, Taehyun takes her hand before Baekhyun could slap it away. “I’m way less of a loser than he is, promise.”
“I hope so,” a nervous chuckle escapes her, “Nice to meet you -“
“Oh hey, it’s Sehun!” Chanyeol exclaims, nodding at the devil’s spawn that breezed through the door only moments ago.
“You’re like a ray of sunshine’s today,” Baekhyun teases and sticks his hand out for a high five that Sehun turns down, walking right past him without so much as a word. “Love you too!”
Krystal can’t find it in herself to look at him, suspecting that more doom would come if she so much as make any indication of having notice his entrance. She grits her teeth and curls her fists around her plaited skirt - she still can’t figure out how he knows so much in so little time?
“You’re in my seat”
As if on cue, all students turn at once; eager and ready to devour what’s to come between the two boys sitting behind her. But not her, she’d rather be a self pronounce coward than so much as pay him any attention.
“Oh come on, man!” Taehyun chuckles as all the humor in the room drains away, “There’s no seating plan and there are plenty of seats in here. Here, why don’t you sit here? I’m not such a shit company -“
Slowly this time, “You’re in my seat”
Krystal hears the chair’s legs scratching against the floor. That’s the sound of Taehyun screwing off.
-
“Yo, man, that was awesome!” Jonghyun tries to catch his breath, “We should do this again. If coach Choi isn’t such a dick, we’d be in the same team every class.”
Jongin smirks, throwing his gym bag over one shoulder. “It’s Choi, he can’t help himself.”
“Too true!” Jonghyun laughs, patting him on the back as he leads him out of the change room and away from his pack of followers, “Hey, man, so I know you’re tight with Suho in the year above and I was thinkin’, you close with the lil’ cousin?”
He should have seen this coming, really.
“You mean Krys?”
Jonghyun lights up like a Christmas tree. “I knew it! Of course, leave it to a slayer like you to know all the hot chicks.”
“She’s off limits for me -“
“Not for me!” He pounces on the opportunity like a hungry dog, “Man, can you be a match maker or somethin’? I heard she’s a hottie, a really shy one but if she’s as hot as they say, I’m up for it.
“Have you even seen her?”
“No,” Jonghyun shoots him a devilish grin, “That’s what I rely on you for.”
Jongin scoffs. “Asked and you shall receive.”
From the other side of the hallway, Krystal grunts at the lock, the code system clearly not working out for her. A few lockers down are Chanyeol and Sehun engaged in a conversation where Chanyeol talks and Sehun doesn’t listen.
He hates that uniform on her; transforming her into any regular girl that she is anything but.
“That’s her!” Jonghyun hollers, ready to run over and dry hump her, “That’s Kim Suho’s cousin! Where the fuck has he been hiding her?!”
“Obviously you think the rumors are true then,” Jongin surmises, watching as she drops her stack of books to the ground and glare at her locker like it’s possessed by the demon, “Hey, Krys!”
Like a true assassin, Krystal turns, her head snapping around in one clear-cut movement and eyes bouncing from one corner of the room to another. She looks self-aware but he supposes that’s in her nature now.
“Krys!” He tries again with the nickname that with some practice wouldn’t make him want to gag as much as he does now, “For fuck sake, is she fucking deaf? Krystal!”
She blinks, her gaze like a blank canvas that’s suddenly had fifty shades of paint thrown onto it. Jongin couldn’t help but shudder at how easily she can switch character.
“Look, I know this is the first time you’ve seen me all day and you’re excited,” She’s teasing him but without the usual edge of malice; this is a plain, old, classic high school girl trick, “But could you try not to yell my ears off?”
Krystal skips up to them with a warm smile that goes through Jonghyun like an electric shock that makes him straighten and behave himself like Jongin’s never seen before.
“Ew, you’re all sweaty,” she pouts, standing on her toes so she can run her fingers through his freshly washed hair, “At least you took a shower, or else I would have dropped dead right here.”
“Hello,” she greets Jonghyun, her hands linked behind her back and rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, “I’m Krystal, nice to meet you. Are you…Jongin’s friend?”
“Close friend,” Jonghyun declares, winking at her smarmily, “Jonghyun but you can call me Jjong ‘cause you’re cute.”
Her sudden shyness clearly restored Jonghyun’s overblown ego.
“Me and my gang usually have lunch at the courtyard,” He continues arrogantly, “That’s where all the cool people hang so I never invite nobody but since you’re Jongin’s friend, you can turn up, tell ‘em you’re with me and no one will dare kick you out.”
How fucking kind.
“Really?” She brightens at this, “I’ll think about it.”
“T - think about I - it?”
“Yeah,” Krystal nods then hook her arms with his, the soft curve of her lips sorting itself out into a fond smile, “Like I said, I haven’t seen Jongin since this morning in homeroom. Sorry, the offer sounds really cool and all that but for today, I want to only have lunch with Jongin and our friends.”
Jongin doesn’t appreciate her touching him or even being this close but what he does appreciate is that sunken expression painted on the jackass’s face.
“Some other time then?”
Jonghyun looks like she’s kneed him in his tiny balls apart with that question.
Krystal drags him off in snooty little strides, her snigger returning to its rightful place upon her features like a perfect fit. It still amazes him how this girl works; she manipulates emotions like it’s a toy. She’s only gotten better at it with age.
“What are you trying to do?” Jongin hisses, ignoring the nosy stares from students and teachers alike.
Her touch peels off him, the warmth of her skin burning into his bare arm. “Be everyone’s favorite girl’s next door.”
“You weren’t really nervous about your first day,” it’s a proclamation of one of the many unsettling thoughts he reserves for her, “You’ve been putting on an act all this time."
The split second of hesitance can’t be so easily hidden with her back turned to him.
“Can you tell? If you can then I’m not doing my job as the enemy.”
He can’t.
~ 5200 w, r, (krystal/kai) l part i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii.
He hated her then too, but in a different way that he does now.
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Sunday went by in a flash.
Suho rushed in before the sun is up with two set of Krystal’s uniforms, a stack of required textbook shoved in a navy backpack that he dumps on the foot of her bed when he went in for a check up and took a piece of toast with him on the way out the door. Baekhyun wasted away their morning by nagging him to go down to the poker joint at Gangnam with him but took a hint when Jongin slammed the bathroom door in his face. Chanyeol tip toes around Krystal’s room like it’s polluted when he leaves for his mom’s shop and Kyungsoo tagged along; something about stopping by at the warehouse. Sehun lounged around the pool room for an hour or two before he left; Jongin suspects it was to be alone.
No one had said so but they had left Krystal with him
Jongin supposed it made no difference; he didn’t once go into Krystal’s room to check if she was still there. He didn’t need to; he knew she had nowhere to run too. The house is her own private prison; Krystal could play hide and seek, jump on tables and bang on doors but she’d still be stuck.
But it’s now Monday and the alarm is loud enough to disguise Jongin’s groan when he rolls onto his front. Aimlessly, he reaches around the nightstand for a snooze button to slam his fist into.
Jongin doesn’t go back to sleep, instead he lies flat on his back, closes his eyes for a second and takes a long breath. He considers going over to wake her up now (how long do girls take in the bathroom anyway?) but he figures he’s not ready to battle her on an empty stomach. When Jongin finally sits up, everything from head to toe feels seems to weight him down but he persists and pulls the flannel shirt off the back of the chair, throwing it over his shoulder as he gets out of the room
On his way down the stairs, Jongin tries to ignore his irritation with how empty this place is. Clearly they forgot to let him know that Krystal’s his responsibility (again) this morning. She can make her own breakfast because he sure as hell isn’t -
“Is it a house rule to walk around half naked in the morning? ‘Cause if it is then I think this place is really starting to grow on me.” Krystal wags her brows at him, her chin rested atop the backrest of one of the arm chairs in the far corner. “Morning, sleepy head.”
It’s too early for this, Jongin thinks, buttoning up his shirt and pays her no attention as he walks over to the kitchen. A carton of milk and bits and bits and pieces of fruit loops is hanging around the other end of the table; he didn’t even know they kept those in the house. Wrinkling his nose at the mess she’s made, Jongin saunters pass and to the pantry.
“I thought the uniform would be ugly but it’s pretty cute,” She yells across the room, dropping back down on the arm chair with a loud ‘plop’.
Might as well be when it costs more than the usual one, Jongin mumbles under his breath. Why the hell was she already up when it isn’t even eight yet - just sitting there alone, hiding in the dark? And why is there nothing but shitty cereals? Then he remembers Baekhyun; he must be catering to his ‘princess’ wishes. With a heavy sigh, Jongin pulls out an almost empty packet of bread and butter and marmalade jam from the fridge.
When he turns around, Krystal’s right in his face with an innocent smile that is anything but. “What do you think?” She asks with faint amusement and blatant flirtation as she does a spin.
Krystal’s always been pretty, from the first time he saw her and the last time. Jongin just doesn’t remember her being this kind of pretty. Because Jongin remembers her with a boyish smile; a blooming grin that always reached her eyes and a pair of pin like legs with bruises all over them from trying to outrun her aunt’s dog. Not thunder thighs, legs that go for miles and curves in all the right places.
She looks good enough to eat and she knows it.
“Do you disapprove?” Krystal huffs when he turns away and starts buttering up the piece of bread, “It’s my first day of school, you should be more encouraging, you know?”
His undeterred silence etches an angry glower on her made-up face. “I’m talking to yo -“
“It’s school,” he says shortly, “Doesn’t matter how you look.”
She rolls her eyes, hot on his feet as he moves over to the dining table. “First impression matters, hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
Jongin gives a small, heartless shrug.
The bread is tough, he never liked marmalade to start with and Suho’s drained all the coffee in the house. Jongin feels a beginning of an oncoming headache, this is not his ideal start to the day. He scans through the sports magazine Baekhyun had left lying around but all the racing cars in the world wouldn’t be able to turn any man’s head (including his) when Krystal’s still standing right in front of him with hands fidgeting with the hem of her tartan skirt
He raises his head, just enough to look her over. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about how you’re going to get out of here and not how to fit in with a bunch of rich teenagers?”
“Obviously, that’s my concern,” she counters, folding her arms over her chest, “Unless you want to let me go, if that’s the case then trust me, I’m all for it.”
Trust me, I would if I could, Jongin has to bite his tongue from saying.
“But of course, you can’t,” With the smuggest smirk yet, Krystal rests her hip against the side of the table and leans closer, pouty lips brushing against his ear as she purrs, “You need me.”
Jongin wonder if he will always compare this girl; this bombshell with perfectly tousled hair and bedroom eyes with Soojung, the one who was shy and naïve and mean and bright. It feels pointless when they are the same girl, except just not the one who ran around the field with dried mud on her white dress and daisies in her hair. He hated her then too, but in a different way that he does now.
“Yes,” he admits but not in a way that should make her ego swell, “So make yourself useful.”
“Oh?” Krystal arches a brow, suggestiveness to her tone, “And how might I do that?”
And Jongin almost smiles because he’s got her right where he wants her.
“By,” he tilts forward so his forehead is pressed to hers, “Staying out of my way at school.”
His fingers curl around her shoulder blade and when Krystal lets out a gasp, Jongin pushes her hard enough for there to be enough room for her to stumble back and for him to watch it happen.
“What the fuck -“
“And want to make a good impression?” He offers, pulling out a fresh washcloth from the cabinet and throwing it at her, “Go easy on piling that crap on your face.”
When Jongin walks off, he makes sure to get a real good look at just how much he’s pissed her off. He’ll need it to get through the morning.
-
“Get in the car”
“No”
“Seriously, get in the car -“
“No”
“Please, I will get on my knees,” Suho pleads, “Please, just get in the car.”
“No”
Everyone’s got their breaking point, even Suho, apparently. “Why the hell not?”
“Because,” Jongin shrugs on his blazer and lights a cig, continues, “I’ve got my own bike. Why should I get in that fancy-as-fuck limo with you?”
Suho takes a weary glance over his shoulder at the reflection of the monster in his nightmare, checking her hair in the mirror and hisses, “Maybe because she’s going to be in it with me.”
“That’s your problem,” He replies carelessly, “Guess you should have picked up Chanyeol on the way.”
“You really think that’s a good idea?” Suho looks livid, tugging at the knot of his tie, “That kid can’t even talk to girls without peeing himself a little and the one time he did, he tried to kill her.”
“Too bad then”
“Please don’t do this to me -“
“I’m going to be late to my first day of school if you two keeps on bickering like this,” Krystal sings-song, skipping over to them with a big, cheesy, enthusiastic grin - an act, no doubt, “You don’t have to worry, Suho, I don’t bite - not if you don’t want me to.”
Suho looks at him with wet eyes that say ‘please’ with all the conviction in the world.
“No”
Krystal ‘tsks’. “Didn’t take you for a scaredy cat, Kai, but I guess you never know.”
“Don’t call him Kai at school,” Suho says like an order, suddenly serious, “It’s Jongin outside this house.”
Her lips curl into a conniving one when she glances in his direction, a challenge bit back in her mouth. Jongin tries hard not to roll his eyes and inhale his cigarette, blowing one last smoke before putting it out in the ashtray. It’s not like Krystal can afford to expose any more of herself; it was a high price to pay to fuck him over for sport.
“Jongin it is then,” Krystal agrees, “Can we just settle on who’s driving me to school already?”
“If I take her, alone,” Suho pounces on the opportunity, not letting him get a single word in, “Then she’s going to get interrogated before I could tell anyone that she’s just my little cousin -“
“I’m your little cousin?” She laughs in exasperation, “So I’m being put in the year level below you all?”
“He’s older than us”
She raises a brow. “What about Sehun?”
“He’s in the same year level,” Jongin answers easily, “Why do you care?”
Krystal looks down at her shoe, twisting her feet left and right like a child. “Just want to know who my classmates are, that’s all.”
“Sehun’s in Calculus and homeroom with you,” Suho explains quickly before turning back to Jongin, “Back to my point, she’d be getting too much un-needed attention so can’t you take her and I’ll meet you behind the gym where you park your bike, then I’ll take her to the front office?”
“And what if someone sees?”
“Who?” Suho asks like he knew what Jongin was going to say (he probably did), “And even if someone sees they’re not going to think she’s your girlfriend. Everybody - even the teachers, know that you don’t date!”
Krystal finds this amusing, apparently.
“Your case is weak, hyung,” He says, a touch snappishly as he walks over to the door and yanks it open, “But you’re obviously not going to stop until you win the argument so one of has to.”
“So Jongin’s giving me a ride then?” She purs his name, looking too chipper for her good when she bounces over to his side, one foot out the door and waiting impatiently for him to follow, “Hmm…the weather’s nice today, perfect for a bike ride, don’t you think?”
He snatches the keys from the counter, throwing Suho the dirtiest of looks he can muster and mumbles, “Perfect for falling off one, is more like it.”
-
“You’re not very convincing as my cousin,” Krystal muses, resting her chin on her fist and elbow on her knee as she watches Suho arrange the folders on the head master’s desk, “What should I call you? Suho oppa - how about it?”
To her surprise, he nods in agreement. “Sounds good”
“So…” She clucks her tongue, rising to her feet and spinning around on her heel to get a good look around the office, “Are you the protective kind of cousin or the bullying kind?”
“Uh…do I have a choice?”
He shows an inkling of his smile as he chuckles dryly. To Krystal, it sounds oddly friendly but she doubts they can remain civil for long under this condition. Suho wasn’t so bad; she thinks of it that way when Chanyeol and Kyungsoo comes to mind and Sehun - how can she forget Sehun? Jongin’s like an ice block, she gets chills just riding on the bike with him this morning. At least that part about him hasn’t change.
“Hello, hello,” The headmaster bellows, gliding into the room with a big, grey coat in hand, followed by his secretary which he hands his suitcase to, “Morning, Suho, I hope I didn’t make you wait too long.”
Suho bows and sends her a look that signals her to do the same. “Not at all head master, Krystal had to go get her locker sorted first anyway.”
The small man had an equally small frame, his hair is graying and when he smiles it reaches his ear and made him look fat with joy. He struck her as a very nice man but by now she knows looks are very deceiving.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Krystal,” He looks at her with those beady eyes, says, “You’re very lucky to have a family here with you at the school. I understand that it must be difficult; moving from the States to Seoul so abruptly but it seems like you have nothing worry about,” The man glances to Suho, his smile widening, “Suho yet again, proves himself to be a very responsible young gentleman and already have everything ready and organized for you.”
In that moment when the man sticks his hand out and offers it to her, Krystal is unable to do anything. She can’t do this; this isn’t normal - she isn’t a normal school girl with perfectly ironed plaited skirt and white washed knee socks. Suddenly the office seems so small now; like the walls were closing in and the heating has been turned up. The collar of her blouse scratches against her neck as she gulps and turns to look at Suho; unbelievably enough it’s for guidance because she just can’t move.
“Um…” Suho laughs awkwardly and steps in between them, “Krystal - uh - she’s a bit shy, like you said head master, it’s very difficult for her. She’s not very confident with her Korean, you’ll have to excuse her.”
“Oh” Leaves the old man mouth before he breaks into yet another smile, “Well, that’s okay then but why don’t you sit down first and we’ll go over your schedules and courses we have to offer you here.”
Stoically, Krystal lowers herself onto a chair. It’s not her first day of school but it feels that way; maybe that’s enough of an excuse to be a nervous wreck.
-
“Gentleman, gentleman, gentleman!” Kibum kicks the door open with a ‘bang’, looking more alert than he’s been in his last three years of education, “There’s a new student! A new female student!”
An ooh is on full surround sound with the boys, their ears perking up at the words ‘new’ and ‘female’. Jongin rolls his eyes, spinning the basketball on his finger as he waits for things to escalate. Kibum’s always been a bratty ass diva that over-exaggerates when he gets the chance which means he won’t be shutting up about this ‘news’ until Mister Hong gets here and smack him across the face with a textbook, hopefully.
“How do you know?” Hoya shouts from across the room, “Actually fuck that. Is she hot or not? That’s all anyone gives a shit about - am I right?”
Kibum squeezes his eyes shut, biting his lips as he does what might as well be a swoon. “So fucking hot - like her legs, those legs - shit, I’ll come late everyday and sneak past scary Moon, if it means that I get to see those legs from that angle.”
“Is she really that pretty?” Son Seunghwan squeaks, her eyes wide.
Kibum nods in confirmation then rushes over to a circle of boys; the speculation (if you can even call it that) grows out of control in seconds and soon they were speaking on the top of their lungs, over each other and everyone else in the class.
-
“He really does like to exaggerate,” Taemin murmurs, shaking his head as he looks on at the commotion his friend has created, “It would be nice to have a new girl coming in though, we haven’t had one in years. What do you think?”
“We have too many people.”
“Cheer up,” Taemin whack him on the back, too harshly to be just teasing, “Maybe she’s your future girlfriend”
Jongin throws Taemin the ball. “Yeah, right”
“You’ve got to have some faith!” Taemin teasing, indulging in a private grin, “You like pretty girls, don’t you?”
“Don’t you?”
“Why are you asking me?” Taemin points to himself as he breathes out a laugh, “I’ve dated a girl; obviously I do. What about you?”
“She wasn’t pretty”
Taemin grimaces. “She was to me when I was thirteen.”
He snorts. “That’s cute”
“Be quiet, all of you! It’s too early for me to deal with this!”
Kim Boa, the Biology marches in with knotted hair that’s starting to look like a bird nest, her aviator is hiding all the eye bags she’s been carrying around from a night of extreme drinking; so Jongin suspects anyway. She’s possibly the youngest of the staff but smarter than post; most likely why she’s still employed despite her eccentric approach to teaching. Her walking around at twenty past eight with a ghost face and one shoe missing isn’t much of a surprise to anyone but walking into their class? She doesn’t even take homeroom in general.
“Miss,” Song Minho clears his throat, “What are you doing here? You’re not our homeroom teacher, you do know that right?”
The tiny woman stops in front of his desk, radiating ‘no bullshit’ attitude when she slams his hand on his table and takes her sunglasses of. “Choi Minho, are you suggesting that I don’t know what I’m doing?”
“N - No”
“Good, because I know what I’m doing,” she glares, putting her shades back on, “We have a new student; now you all smile when she gets here and when I make her give an embarrassing ‘my name is blah blah blah and I like school blah blah’ speech, you’re all going to look like you care and clap with that same attitude when she sits down. Understand?”
No one says anything, they all know what to do. From here on Miss Kim’s good at that; giving instructions and shutting people up.
“Dude, just a thought but,” Taemin inches in to whisper, “Does she still manage all the girl students?
Lucky for the girls and Whose crazy idea of a joke was it? Are the first few thoughts that come to mind.
Jongin holds in a snort while everyone else in the room holds their breath. He can appreciate the peace and quiet of these short seconds; it’s an achievement for the class to have kept their mouth closed for this long. The suspense must have been reaching its limit because it’s so still that he can hear approaching then stopping as the door budges for the tiniest bit, the sound of the metal clanging echoing and someone gasps, either running out of oxygen or too eager for their own good.
Boa taps her feet impatiently. “You can come in.”
Krystal emerges in a manner that is foreign to him; a curtain of dark tresses covering the sheepish look that doesn’t belong to her. Stiffly, she rotates around to the face the class; looking almost…shy with blood rushing to her cheeks and evading gaze.
“Do you want to introduce yourself?”
She looks at Boa like the woman has made some scandalous request.
“O - okay,” Krystal rasps, her voice tiny, “He - hello, I’m Krystal. Nice to m - meet you, all.” She gives an awkward wave, her smile wobbly as she speaks, “I don’t know what else to say so…yeah, that’s all…I guess.”
The uproar that follows is even greater than Jongin’s expected: the girls rearrange their chair into an exclusive circle of whispers and aim sharp looks at the boys; their parliamentary firmly in session (the word ‘cute’ gets thrown around, a lot). Jongin feels someone nudge him and he wouldn’t blame them if they were to think he was caught in some sort of a trance like they were because they’re right but not the good kind. He’s appalled…who the hell is that?
“Great, very good,” Boa clasps her hand together, taking a sip of her coffee, “You can go sit down next to…” She squints, scanning around the room like a woman on a mission, “Taemin, right there - the one who looks like he’d just pee himself.”
Krystal looks slightly abased as she whispers something to Boa. The older woman grumbles, her mouthful of chocolate chip cookie and her index finger pointing to the desk on his right. She lifts up her head, her gaze never catching his but latching onto Taemin’s.
True to Boa’s keen observation, Taemin does look like he hasn’t got a grip on himself. The closer Krystal gets to him, the less he bothers with blinking and maybe breathing altogether. She sits down timidly, crossing her legs over another, as if there’s a single cell in her body that she needs to be insecure about.
“Hello,” Krystal sounds delicate, “You’re Taemin, right?”
When Taemin looks at her, he also, is a stranger to Jongin.
-
“Geez, Krystal’s one lucky girl, isn’t she?” A tall brunette twists a lock of curl around her finger, biting the end of her marker, “She’s really close with all of Suho oppa’s friends already and she’s only been here for four hours…must be good, being in his little cousin and all that.”
“It’s so unfair!” The redhead next to her chimes in, “I’ve been trying for years and she’s already beating me!”
And Krystal would say something; a smart ass comment or two to earn some skittish chuckles. If only she can tell whether they’re actually talking to her or not. Classes after another, group of girls would be sitting a couple of rows in front of her, talking amongst themselves like she isn’t within an earshot. They’re not mean comments necessary; only varying opinion of the ‘new girl that’s Suho’s little cousin’.
“My princess!”
Oh fuck
Skipping through desks and text books is Baekhyun with Chanyeol following close behind; looking like he’s ready to bash the living shit out of the dumbass coming her way.
“You look so cute in your uniform!”
Was that a squeal? Krystal wrinkles her nose before looking up from her worksheet to show everyone the girlish grin she’s been practicing since this morning. “You’re too nice to me, Baekhyun.”
The idiot stops in his track, taken aback by her response.
“Here, I saved you a seat!” She says with every inkling of enthusiasm she can muster, gagging inwardly as she pats chair next to hers, “And Chanyeol, you can sit here.”
“Princess…”
She could have sworn Baekhyun’s eyes began to water.
Oblivious (Baekhyun, she has no doubt) or too annoyed to care (Chanyeol), the two of them made their way over to the island of desks she’s made and each filled up the empty seats beside hers.
“This is the best!” Baekhyun cheers, leaning back in his chair and resting his feet on the desktop, “The three of us together, this Korean class is going to get so much better.” He beams at her and throws an arm around her shoulder, squeezing tightly, “I’m never going to be bored with princess here with me.”
“Yah! Yah! I feel left out here,” A boy sitting behind them asks, sticking his head forward, “Baekhyun, you should introduce me to your friend too.”
“Of course, I can but…” Baekhyun’s got a sickeningly proud look on his face, “Krystal’s so precious, I wouldn’t let her be friend with just anyone.”
Let?!
“You’re a dick,” The boys spits at Baekhyun with rumbling laughter but offers her a smile, says, “Nam Taehyun - everyone’s favorite class clown.”
“Krystal, don’t touch him -“
Quickly, Taehyun takes her hand before Baekhyun could slap it away. “I’m way less of a loser than he is, promise.”
“I hope so,” a nervous chuckle escapes her, “Nice to meet you -“
“Oh hey, it’s Sehun!” Chanyeol exclaims, nodding at the devil’s spawn that breezed through the door only moments ago.
“You’re like a ray of sunshine’s today,” Baekhyun teases and sticks his hand out for a high five that Sehun turns down, walking right past him without so much as a word. “Love you too!”
Krystal can’t find it in herself to look at him, suspecting that more doom would come if she so much as make any indication of having notice his entrance. She grits her teeth and curls her fists around her plaited skirt - she still can’t figure out how he knows so much in so little time?
“You’re in my seat”
As if on cue, all students turn at once; eager and ready to devour what’s to come between the two boys sitting behind her. But not her, she’d rather be a self pronounce coward than so much as pay him any attention.
“Oh come on, man!” Taehyun chuckles as all the humor in the room drains away, “There’s no seating plan and there are plenty of seats in here. Here, why don’t you sit here? I’m not such a shit company -“
Slowly this time, “You’re in my seat”
Krystal hears the chair’s legs scratching against the floor. That’s the sound of Taehyun screwing off.
-
“Yo, man, that was awesome!” Jonghyun tries to catch his breath, “We should do this again. If coach Choi isn’t such a dick, we’d be in the same team every class.”
Jongin smirks, throwing his gym bag over one shoulder. “It’s Choi, he can’t help himself.”
“Too true!” Jonghyun laughs, patting him on the back as he leads him out of the change room and away from his pack of followers, “Hey, man, so I know you’re tight with Suho in the year above and I was thinkin’, you close with the lil’ cousin?”
He should have seen this coming, really.
“You mean Krys?”
Jonghyun lights up like a Christmas tree. “I knew it! Of course, leave it to a slayer like you to know all the hot chicks.”
“She’s off limits for me -“
“Not for me!” He pounces on the opportunity like a hungry dog, “Man, can you be a match maker or somethin’? I heard she’s a hottie, a really shy one but if she’s as hot as they say, I’m up for it.
“Have you even seen her?”
“No,” Jonghyun shoots him a devilish grin, “That’s what I rely on you for.”
Jongin scoffs. “Asked and you shall receive.”
From the other side of the hallway, Krystal grunts at the lock, the code system clearly not working out for her. A few lockers down are Chanyeol and Sehun engaged in a conversation where Chanyeol talks and Sehun doesn’t listen.
He hates that uniform on her; transforming her into any regular girl that she is anything but.
“That’s her!” Jonghyun hollers, ready to run over and dry hump her, “That’s Kim Suho’s cousin! Where the fuck has he been hiding her?!”
“Obviously you think the rumors are true then,” Jongin surmises, watching as she drops her stack of books to the ground and glare at her locker like it’s possessed by the demon, “Hey, Krys!”
Like a true assassin, Krystal turns, her head snapping around in one clear-cut movement and eyes bouncing from one corner of the room to another. She looks self-aware but he supposes that’s in her nature now.
“Krys!” He tries again with the nickname that with some practice wouldn’t make him want to gag as much as he does now, “For fuck sake, is she fucking deaf? Krystal!”
She blinks, her gaze like a blank canvas that’s suddenly had fifty shades of paint thrown onto it. Jongin couldn’t help but shudder at how easily she can switch character.
“Look, I know this is the first time you’ve seen me all day and you’re excited,” She’s teasing him but without the usual edge of malice; this is a plain, old, classic high school girl trick, “But could you try not to yell my ears off?”
Krystal skips up to them with a warm smile that goes through Jonghyun like an electric shock that makes him straighten and behave himself like Jongin’s never seen before.
“Ew, you’re all sweaty,” she pouts, standing on her toes so she can run her fingers through his freshly washed hair, “At least you took a shower, or else I would have dropped dead right here.”
“Hello,” she greets Jonghyun, her hands linked behind her back and rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, “I’m Krystal, nice to meet you. Are you…Jongin’s friend?”
“Close friend,” Jonghyun declares, winking at her smarmily, “Jonghyun but you can call me Jjong ‘cause you’re cute.”
Her sudden shyness clearly restored Jonghyun’s overblown ego.
“Me and my gang usually have lunch at the courtyard,” He continues arrogantly, “That’s where all the cool people hang so I never invite nobody but since you’re Jongin’s friend, you can turn up, tell ‘em you’re with me and no one will dare kick you out.”
How fucking kind.
“Really?” She brightens at this, “I’ll think about it.”
“T - think about I - it?”
“Yeah,” Krystal nods then hook her arms with his, the soft curve of her lips sorting itself out into a fond smile, “Like I said, I haven’t seen Jongin since this morning in homeroom. Sorry, the offer sounds really cool and all that but for today, I want to only have lunch with Jongin and our friends.”
Jongin doesn’t appreciate her touching him or even being this close but what he does appreciate is that sunken expression painted on the jackass’s face.
“Some other time then?”
Jonghyun looks like she’s kneed him in his tiny balls apart with that question.
Krystal drags him off in snooty little strides, her snigger returning to its rightful place upon her features like a perfect fit. It still amazes him how this girl works; she manipulates emotions like it’s a toy. She’s only gotten better at it with age.
“What are you trying to do?” Jongin hisses, ignoring the nosy stares from students and teachers alike.
Her touch peels off him, the warmth of her skin burning into his bare arm. “Be everyone’s favorite girl’s next door.”
“You weren’t really nervous about your first day,” it’s a proclamation of one of the many unsettling thoughts he reserves for her, “You’ve been putting on an act all this time."
The split second of hesitance can’t be so easily hidden with her back turned to him.
“Can you tell? If you can then I’m not doing my job as the enemy.”
He can’t.