Something in the way you're looking through my eyes
Don't know if I'm gonna make it out alive

- teeth
(5 seconds of summer)

51. teeth

"Lee Suho, a word?"

Han Seojun had never felt this furious in years. All this while he had kept every sort of emotion to himself. But seeing Kang Soojin standing right in front of him - still unable to believe it- he could not help but feel outrageous. The people present in the room were surprised, the band mates were eyeing each other with a curious expression on their faces. Mr. Choi was extremely professional and kept a straight face but Kang Soojin had a hint of a smirk on hers.

Lee Suho excused himself -following Han Seojun who walked past Soojin without batting an eyelid - and asked the guests to sit back and take a breather. Seojun looked at Suho with an intent of murder while Suho put on his best nonchalant expression.

"What the fuck?"

Suho took a deep breath. "What?" He asked, a soft voice to infuriate the singer even more. "I don't underst-"

Seojun grabbed Suho's collar, shaking him with a thuggish growl. It was more than just a reaction - it was a meltdown. Suho expected Seojun to speak up but to react in a manner that resembled the High School Han Seojun - that was a pleasant surprise. It was a good thing they were back in their private auditorium so to avoid any media atrocity. But unlike High School, Suho did not react in any manner to Seojun's childish action.

"You are crossing a line, Lee Suho." Seojun was seething - loud gasps and even louder thumping of his heart was heard- and glaring at Suho, he wanted to throw hands at him. "How could you?"

Suho looked Seojun in his eyes - calm and collected - a smile etching on his handsome face, something Seojun had never seen lately. "It is good to see you back, Seojun-nnie." His smile broke the angry grasp Seojun had on him and he stepped back. "I missed you."

Seojun did not realise when he crossed a line. He looked at his hands, fisted in anger - an emotion he forgot he had - and then back at Suho's happy face. He was reacting, he was angry, flustered and pissed at Lee Suho. And all of these new emotions were overwhelming him. When did he get the energy to react? He avoided conversations - even a simple hello - and here he was, fighting like a gangster...

Ya Han Seojun, are you a gangster?

That was a memory he had locked in a deep corner of his mind. The two different Kang Soojins popped in his mind, the first one being a Saebom High junior who wanted to throw hands with him for messing with her friend. The second one - his favourite - was from the last time he had met Soojin, back when they had to part ways.

Why now? After everything he had to go through? Why now, when he did not want to relive any of it?

"It is not going to work." Seojun's voice softened, like a whisper. He met Suho's determined - and some what hopeful eyes - "whatever you are trying, it won't work."

Suho took another deep breath, maintaining the eye contact with his friend. "You do you, Seojun-ah. And I will do what I have to do." That sounded more like a challenge, a provocation than a promise. "And if you don't know, might I remind you that I will do everything - beyond your comprehension - for you." Lee Suho smiled again, a reflection of his confidence and an additional reason to piss off Seojun.

He stepped closer and dusted Seojun's jacket only for the latter to shrug his hands off him. "Be nice to the guests." The crisp tone of being a CEO was evident in that line, Seojun refusing to meet his eyes. "Well, I suppose one of them is more than just a guest to you." With a chuckle - a mocking scoff - Suho stepped out to welcome the team as Seojun sighed, fisting his hands in sheer anger.

The emotions and fury he had withheld since the last five years were unleashing all at once. But more than all of the anger and frustration, he could feel his heart weirdly beating aloud. He slid his hand over his chest - begging it to cool down - and chanting some words of comfort. He could not afford to have his plan to fail at the very last moment and he could not afford another heartache. He already had few pieces of his heart remain after the accident, and there was nothing more he got to lose. He popped the anxiety medication and washed it down with water, trying to avoid getting in the middle of anything.

So what if Kang Soojin was here? It was not like she could change the past nor could she change his decision. If she wanted to get involved in the mess, then that was on her. The only thing he can control was his emotions and that was exactly what he would do. Give Soojin and Suho no sort of reaction, keep it to himself throughout.

The Korean Music Festival - KMF as it was called - was a month away and Seojun had to focus on his performance. Everything else was not important. Nothing was.

Not even a very pretty Kang Soojin.

She does look pretty, Seojun thought, she had aged gracefully and her eyes- STOP!

When Seojun walked back to the conference, Mr. Choi - the man who irked Seojun for no reason - was in a conversation with Suho and Soojin was surrounded by his band mates. The rest of the team had split up, Starlight's managing team was discussing something together while the PR team members were listening to the conversation of Suho and Mr. Choi. He picked the iced coffee styrofoam cup from the corner of the room and observed Soojin.

"Whaa," Kim Jae-song - the band's drummer - sighed dreamily, "Soojin-shi, you are literally the prettiest woman I have ever seen!"

Soojin beamed at the compliment, the rest of the band mates were nodding in agreement. "gamsa-habnida." She was blushing, profusely as Seojun noticed her tuck her hair in response. Since when was Soojin so - girlish? What happened to the girl who'd spin kick any man who stepped in her comfort zone. "I am such a huge fan of Starlight, you guys are so talented!"

Seojun rolled his eyes. His grip on the cup had tightened. It was not a new thing for girls to surround the band and throw all sort of compliments, giggles and finger hearts but it was definitely a new thing for Seojun to notice Soojin do so. He could not help but glare at the band mates - something Suho noticed from the corner of his eye - and throw something on their head.

"I did not know Seojun Hyung had a high school friend other than our Sa-jang-nim," H said, standing next to the flushed girl. "Soojin-shi, you should tell us about Hyung's high school stories!"

"Don't bother her," Ha Min-ju approached the woman, a haughty smile on his face.

Ha Min-ju was known for his insane fandom - of girls and boys - mostly because the handsome boy was an extremely talented guitarist and was known for his once-a-year autograph charade. He had managed to garner attention by signing very few autographs for fans which he'd do only once a year at their annual concert. Thus hiking the demand for Ha Min-ju's rare signatures whenever he was around.

"Soojin-shi, I am glad you could join us. It is boring with just these guys to be honest."

Seojun eyed the duo, since when did Min-ju pay attention to fan girls? But then, Soojin was not just a fan girl. She was working with the band - even though he did not agree to it - and was one of the most beautiful girls to ever exist, with her pretty dark eyes and her heavenly smile.

"Min-ju-shi," Soojin could not believe it was Ha Min-ju standing in front of her. She could not believe any of this, especially being surrounded with her favourite band. It did not help that all of the boys were so handsome and attractive. She was literally living the dream of millions of girls. "You are even more good looking upfront - "

That made the boys cheer and howl in response as Min-ju smirked. He was used to being the most cherished and worshipped member of Starlight (since Seojun hardly responded to anything.) He forwarded his palm towards her, asking for her hand. Soojin - in a quick instance - forwarded her hand to Min-ju, she would have given her life too (for pretty boys as them, she'd do anything.)

"Here you go," Min-ju signed on her palm, making everyone - the boys especially- gasp in shock. Suho and Mr. Choi could not help but wonder what commotion was the group creating, the latter watching Soojin keenly before engrossing in the conversation again. "You are officially one of my favourite fan."

Soojin's eyes widened - in amazement - as she admired the beautiful black marker signature on her palm. Her hands had never been prettier and fancy as they were now. "I AM NEVER GOING TO WASH MY HANDS!" She exclaimed, happily. She could not wait to rub this in Hana's and Jinah's faces.

That was when the glass of cold coffee 'accidentally' dropped from Han Seojun's hand on hers. There were another series of gasps, Suho and Mr. Choi stopped talking and looked at the duo. Soojin's eyes widened, again - this time in expression of horror and surprise - and mouth remained ajar as Seojun looked at her hand, the dripping iced coffee and then her startled face.

"mianhaeyo" Seojun may have apologised but there was no way he looked sorry for that. "You may wanna wash your hands now."

Soojin met his eyes - the hazel brown orbs - and for a second there was a flicker of petty playfulness in those eyes. But that lasted only for a second, because when Soojin blinked, they were back to being hopelessly dark. She looked at her hand, the signature had blurred as the ink mixed with the other. She could not even take a picture of it.

"We gotta go to the recording studio in ten." Seojun ignored her, facing the gang. "and Kang Soojin is not my friend." He addressed the boys and the remainder of the people, "to make things clear." With that, he and the band mates left - the boys bid her a goodbye and H muttered a 'sorry' before being glared at by Seojun.

Aish, she forgot how petty Han Seojun was back in the day.

"Miss Kang - "

Soojin straightened up when her Team Leader approached her. His expressions were just as firm as Seojun's, in fact he looked disappointed. "If you are done with the informal pleasantries, can we go back to business?" Soojin nodded, bowing her head as Mr. Choi looked at her hand and the spilled coffee. "Let's meet in the conference in ten."

And with that, he was off too.

Soojin let out a sigh, more like a grunt of frustration.

"Not an hour and you sure stirred a storm, Soojin-nnie." Suho - the only sane one - forwarded her the box of tissues which she took with a huff.

"You know what, I am so thankful that you changed Suho-ah." She wiped her hand with the tissues, almost crying over the scribbled signature on her hand. "Because I could not for the love of God handle three arrogant assholes!"

Suho chuckled, shaking his head and patting Soojin's shoulder. "Let me buy you a cup of coffee - you will need it, trust me."

Soojin did not need to be told twice as she accepted the offer. She had to deal with two of the same kind and might as well get a head start on caffeine to live through the day.

How was she to manage a month with them both?

_

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