Unexpected Surprises. Chapter 1.
Chapter 1: The Meeting.
The cooling sensation engulfed my lips as they touched the tip of my water bottle. I swear, you would have thought that I'd never tasted water before this moment by the way I consumed nearly half the bottle in a few breaths. I wiped away the sweat -- now stroking my cheeks as they made their path to my jawline -- as I rested my back against the mirror, taking the opportunity to steady my exasperated breathing.
"God dammnit, Taemin, you're going to kill us with that one!" Minho shouted from a few feet away from me. His voice, despite being elevated, always had the tendency to carry such a soothing and mature tone to it. One I don't think anyone could ever match.
"It's not my fault none of you practice on your spare time! Key and I the only ones that are serious about this!?" I heard the (normally) shy boy snap back in rebuttal. Minho seemed to be the only person who could evoke such a reaction from him.
"Yeah, Minho, it's not his fault." I added, attempting to deviate from the argument I felt ensuing. Neglecting the eyes I could feel narrowing in my direction, I flashed him a half-hearted smile_ the best one I could muster up in my exhausted condition.
"Ugh. Fine!" he scoffed, forfeiting in frustration.
"It will be fine, guys. We just need to really focus and I'm sure it will be okay!" Onew adjoined in encouragement. He always played the role of the motivational referee for all of us, it seemed.
"Oh, did I come at a bad time?" I heard bellowing from an unfamiliar voice. Immediately capturing my attention, my eyes set on a short silhouette glancing nervously in my direction briefly. His voice was apprehensive, but strangely tender and his hair was littered in a gradient of blondes. His roots were a chocolate brown and, as my eyes followed the strand further, it faded into an orange copper colour and then, finally, into a platinum blonde at the ends of his hair. Through his fringe were a pair of oddly cute oculars, a prominent jawline, and an innocent face that resembled a puppy.
"He's cute." I thought, before I caught myself and returned to reality.
"Who are you?" I mistakenly allowed to slip from my lips -- probably sounding a bit more aggressive than I actually intended for it to be.
"Ah!" Onew exclaimed in retaliation. "Key, don't be rude!" he finished, with a sympathetic and displeased facial expression now claiming his features.
"I--" I began.
"Everyone, this is my best friend, Kim Jonghyun! The one that I've been telling you all about! He will be joining us, beginning next dance practice!" Onew declared, a smile stretching across his lips.
"And I want you all to be very nice to him!" he furthered, his gaze shooting in my direction.
"Hi, Jonghyun!" Taemin greeted, delighted. "My name is Lee Taemin!" he continued, his hand extending.
"Nice to meet you, Taemin!" the stranger replied with a smile.
"Yo. My name is Choi Minho." Minho joined, nodding his head swiftly in acknowledgement.
"Yeah, we have a few classes together." he retorted, mimicking Minho's previous movement.
"I'm Kim Kibum," I said, reluctantly lifting myself from my comfortable position and making my way toward where they all were standing. "but you can just call me Key."
"Okay, well, hello, Key." he said with an undeniably cute smile forming to welcome me. "Nice hair, by the way!" he quickly complimented. I had almost forgotten that I had just coloured my hair a few days prior.
"O-oh. Th-thank you." I said, attempting to sound less stupid than I know I probably had. I could feel the pink fighting its way to my cheeks.
"Don't worry, Jonghyun. They'll take good care of you." Onew said, reassuringly.
"Yeah, I just wish you would have met us sooner. Before we got all sweaty and stinky." he teased, a laugh escaping from his lips.
Everyone laughed and nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yeah, seriously, Onew! Why didn't you invite him when I looked pretty!?" Taemin whined.
"It's actually my fault." Jonghyun began. "I was supposed to be here sooner." he explained, scratching the back of his head anxiously. It was almost as if he was intentionally being this cute.
"We're all going to get something to eat after we go home, shower, and get prepared. Do you want to come?" Minho questioned in a friendly tone, sharing a smile.
"Oh, yeah, I'd like that." the man -- I now just identified as being a cute puppy -- answered.
"We'll all meet up in, lets say, an hour, then? Onew can give you directions. It's a good barbecue place by my house." Minho inquired, still smiling.
"That's fine!" Taemin acceded, looking at me.
I self-consciously nodded my head as his eyes were joined by Minho and Onew.
"It's a date, then." Minho jested again, garnering a few laughs.
"See. I told you they'd be nice! Not that I had any doubt!" Onew doubtfully uttered, sharing his judgemental glare amongst the three of us before wrapping his arm around Jonghyun and ushering him out of the studio.
"I'll see you guys in an hour!" I heard him say just before him and Jonghyun seemingly disappeared.
"I'm giving Taemin a ride home. Do you want me to give you one, too?" Minho beckoned, grabbing his belongings that were now scattered amongst the studio floor.
"No, I'll be fine." I declined.
"How else are you getting home? The bus? Your bicycle?" he pried.
"I--"
"I know your mom is working and you have no other transportation so just stop being stubborn and let me take you home, okay? Okay. Now get your stuff. Taemin and I will be waiting in the car." he announced in a somber voice.
Before I even had the chance to intervene or disagree, he was also gone from view with Taemin harmlessly giggling behind him.
After gathering all of my possessions, I met them by Minho's car. The ride home was a bit more awkward than normal. I, being trapped in my own thoughts, predominately just listened to Minho and Taemin's banter. They concisely discussed Jonghyun after Taemin stated how "adorable" he thought he was and Minho pretended to be jealous (he did have a point, after all, Jonghyun was clearly adorable). Their behavior was always so refreshing -- and it was a nice distraction. Upon arriving home, Minho and I bickered again. -- thankfully, however, with enough convincing, Minho relinquished his desire to pick me up before dinner. I said my goodbyes to the two of them and promptly made my way inside of my house to shower.
--
It seemed like I had no clothes to wear. Or, at least, none that I liked. I must have shuffled through at least seven different outfit combinations before I finally settled on one that I found moderately acceptable. I don't know why, but I had this awkward feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. That, coupled with the fact that I must have fiddled with my hair in the mirror for another ten minutes, the feeling of discontent just expanded.
"Are you nervous, Kim Kibum? He's just a guy. A guy that's more-than-decently attractive. Pull yourself together." I attempted to console myself.
"Who's cute?" I heard my mother's voice asking from the doorway, her head poking through the crack in the door.
"And who are you so dressed up for? Are you going on a date!?" she catechized, her voice becoming unnecessarily high and taunting.
"No one! And nothing, mom! I'm just going out to dinner with the guys!" I countered, my cheeks sensing a bit of pink nipping at them for the second time that day.
"That's not what your flushed face is telling me!" she mocked.
"I'm taking the car! Take a shower, dinner is in the microwave, and then go to sleep and get some rest!" I negated, changing the subject and sliding around her, making my way to the doorway_ being extra cautious to evade her challenging eyes that followed me relentlessly.
"Alright." she agreed as a smile covered her face and she leaned back on the wall, her arms folded in a matter-of-fact stance. It was as if she knew everything without me telling her anything.
"Bye!" I said, still ignoring her tantalizing aura as I made my way out the door and into the parking lot. I could hear her chuckling as I closed the door behind me.
--
After what seemed like forever, I finally arrived. Surprisingly, as the last one. I knew that I had taken a few minutes longer than expected, but I certainly didn't think I'd be the last one, either!
"Wait, how long have you all been here?" I investigated, a concerned look now manifesting its way on my face.
"It's fine, Kibum! Onew and I arrived early and Taemin and Minho just came about ten minutes ago." the puppy-boy remarked, rising from his seat and patting me on the shoulder.
"Key--" I tried to remind him before being interrupted.
"Yeah, plus, we told him that you would probably be late. We know how the diva-Key is!" Taemin ridiculed before hugging me.
"Yeah, we told him that we could just be seated and you could join our table when you got here, but he insisted that we wait for you." Minho said with a laugh, but also with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"I thought it'd be rude." the blonde boy spoke again.
"Thanks, but really, he's right. It would have been fine." I assured, exchanging his smile for one of my own.
"I can't look him directly in the eyes." I recorded, making a mental note as I consciously battled with that pink feeling again.
"Now lets eat!" Onew eagerly interjected. I could see the excitement welling up in his eyes. Food. His favourite part of any day.
Onew stereotypically ordered fried chicken -- albeit we were in a barbecue restaurant, they knew us all well enough to know that that was Onew's staple food. They made him a special order of it every time we decided to eat here for dinner. They called us their "favourite customers." Also, despite Taemin being knowingly underage, they didn't mind allowing him to drink with us.
That night I learned a lot about the puppy-dog that sat across from me. The beginning of the night was quite uncomfortable, being that we all were still in the process of trying to get to know the boy and still maintain conversations with one another. Although, no one else seemed to have as much of a problem socializing with the new dance member as I did. For them dialogue just seemed to flow effortlessly. The awkward air dissipated almost instantly as soon as the alcohol arrived, though. We were the loud, rambunctious group in the entire restaurant who, to everyone else, seemed to be laughing uncontrollably. Luckily this was a popular attraction for younger kids so we began to blend in after some time. Onew has a particularly low tolerance for alcohol and, even after much coercing from all of us, he expeditiously became more drunk than any of us.The rest of the night was spent with us laughing at all of the ridiculous things he said.
"Hey. H-hey.. hey you.. are you.... ready!?...... to party!?" Onew questioned, raising his hands in the air and demanding for another drink.
"No, no, buddy, I think you've had enough." Jonghyun intruded, joining in the laughter with everyone else.
"Whaaaat!? Can I at least have some more fried chicken!" Onew compromised with a frown.
"I just want some more chicken!" he augmented, his cheeks still redder than a cherry.
"You're done, hyung! You're crazy!" Minho jeered.
"Yeah, hyung, come with me. "Taemin said gently, placing Onew's arm around his shoulder and lifting him to his feet.
"Wait. Wait. I just want to say something..." Onew moaned.
"I........ I love you guys..." he slurred, but with sincerity plaguing his words.
"Drunken words speak sober thoughts!" I derived.
"We love you, too, hyung!" everyone said unanimously, Taemin still escorting him out the door.
"Do you need me to help?" I inquired, Taemin only nodding his head in denial. He was soon gone, Onew along with him and Jonghyun following closely behind.
"And what about you? Do you need me to help with the bill?" I continued, looking at Minho's tall figure towering over me.
"Nah. Onew gave me his money before he drank and Jonghyun paid his portion so we're good. I got you covered." Minho returned, his words sending pulsations to my heart. Minho was my best friend, the over-protective brother that I never had growing up. Even if we never said it much, I knew how much we meant to each other.
"Thank you." I mouthed silently.
After paying, thankeing our waitresses and waiters and saying our goodbyes, we reconvened with everyone else in front of the restaurant.
"I'm going to take Onew home. He's in no condition to drive." Minho announced to the four of us -- only three coherent.
Taemin, Jonghyun and I just nodded our heads and unison. We all knew that he couldn't drive: not that we'd let him if he tried.
"Are you okay to drive?" I asked uneasily.
"I'm fine. You know it takes more than that to get me drunk." Minho clarified.
"Alright, but text me when you get home. I want to know you made it there safely." I said, troubled, a few scary images tugging away at the back of my mind.
"I always do, mom." Minho quipped.
We traded a few words and the three of them -- Taemin, Minho, and Onew -- all receded from view.
Completely unaware of the situation I had just put myself in, I awkwardly looked in Jonghyun's location.
"What about you? How are you getting home?" I asked, anxiously, twiddling my keys amongst each finger. My gaze permanently fixated on the ground in front of me.
"The bus." he quickly replied.
"I thought you drove." I questioned, confused. mistakenly releasing my restraint and peering on his figure. He was gazing into the distance. I was almost relieved he didn't match my gaze.
I hadn't noticed it before, from a distance, but up-close, his eyes were even more entrancing. It was as if the naiveté that we all lost as teenagers still existed in his eyes. It was strange, perhaps even a little silly, but it was as if all of the purity and beauty we had acquired as children still existed in this man. As if he was exempt from the cruelness of reality. His eyes told a story that I was almost positive his lips would never tell.
"I do." he confirmed, nonchalantly.
It was as if I had barely heard him, though. My eyes were too focused on his lips. How they seemed to fit his face so perfectly. They were the perfect shade of pink. Not too pale, but not too hued. They accentuated his jawline flawlessly. His jawline was very prevalent, very defined. His features were all very masculine, but very mild and soft_ his demeanor compassionate. It was as if everything about this man was one giant contradiction.
"He answered." I reprimanded my thoughts from running astray.
"Alright, so.." I meddled.
"Onew persuaded me to leave it at home and let him drive me here." he explained.
"But I'm fine." he said in a consoling tone, as if he was trying to comfort me moreso than himself. He now glanced at me and flashed an encouraging smile, weakly grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm taking you home. Just give me directions." I affirmed.
"But--"
"Get in my car." I professed.
I probably thought I sounded much more intimidating than I really did, but he adhered to my wishes and hesitatingly entered the passenger's side.
--
The ride, which seemed like the fifteenth time that night I found myself in an awkward interaction, ended too quickly. I learned so much about him. Even more than I had discovered throughout dinner. It wasn't at all as tense as I assumed it to be. We talked about everything, but nothing at all. Eventually, I recognized myself saying and asking him absolutely anything in an attempt to promote the conversation. I asked him his favourite colour (which was two: black and green), his favourite shape (which was a triangle, by the way), even his blood type (AB). It didn't really matter what he said, so long as he kept talking. Anything to hear that wonderful voice grace my ears again. Even though we talked about a bunch of useless information, I still managed to retain all of it. I laughed at him a lot during that car ride. The way he stumbled over his words, or how he would always say something and then change his answer or take it back. It seemed that we were both really nervous, but it was a contented feeling. A relaxed one. I didn't feel as pressured to communicate. Every word, every action, was so raw and unrefined, but so natural. He asked me a lot of questions, too, just as equally. For everyone I had him answer, he would ask me the same, and then another. Occasionally, we would be so wrapped up in conversation that I'd miss a turn or two. By the time we arrived at his house, I was wishing that we could have spent even more time together.
"Hey, I'm still a little tipsy so it's okay to tell me no, okay?" he reassured, his eyes glistening in the darkness.
"Okay, go ahead." I replied, snickering under my breath. I had to keep reminding myself that I had just met him today for the first time.
"Can I have your number?" he asked, eyes remaining intently on the ground. I could hear the sheer fear consuming his question. I couldn't conceal the widening of my eyes. Thankfully, he was not looking at my facial expression.
"O--"
"I mean.. I swapped numbers with Minho and Taemin before you got to the restaurant and I already have Onew's number because he's my best friend.." he continued. "It's fine if you don't want to.. I just.." I couldn't help, but to take pity on him. Not that I felt bad for him, but he was just so adorable in this dimly lit car of mine. He really did resemble that of a puppy. I just wanted to take him home with me.
"Jjong," I started, a nickname I had invented for him during our long interrogation. A variation of a name his mom used to call him when he was a child. "Of course. I don't mind that, at all."
I could see the satisfaction radiating from his face as a smile overwhelmed it. His eyes becoming two little slits above his cheeks.
I wrote my phone number down on a piece of paper I had stored in my glove department as we wished each other a good night simultaneously. If I wasn't mistaken, I could have swore that I saw him carry that grin from my car all the way to the front of his house where he turned around one last time to send me a farewell wave.
"That was, by far, one of the most extraordinary days of my life." I thought to myself as I drove away.