Chapter Eight
•••

HYUNJIN | FELIX

Entering into an empty home after school wasn't anything new for me, but it was always a welcomed experience. The solace of being alone inside the monstrosity of a house was a blessing, and also something to cherish as I wouldn't have to hear constant yelling for hours on end. By the time my parents would arrive home, I'd be long gone to sleep.

The sun was beginning to set behind the clouds, marking the end of the longest first day I've had in a while. Stepping into the kitchen, my eyes darted to the refrigerator, eager to see what was available for me to eat. Opening the stainless steel door, I grabbed pre-made leftovers Mother prepared ahead of time, which consisted of fried rice, kimchi and sweet & sour pork ribs, and began to reheat the entree in the microwave. While watching my food slowly turn against the monotonous humming, my mind went back to thinking about Felix.

Why did he leave school early...?

If it was about what I did earlier to him in the hallway, I wouldn't be surprised if I got an intense questioning session from Chan-hyung later about it, and by intense, I mean a nonverbal brutal beating from his right-hand man Changbin. There was some sort of speculation of Chan and Felix being merely just a pair of friends from the same home country by coincidence, but no one expected them to be actual cousins.

The microwave beeped eventually, alerting me that my food was ready for consumption. Scoffing to myself in annoyance, I took my food and slammed the tiny door shut, placing the container on a tray and trotting upstairs to my bedroom. As soon as I made my way in, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Placing the tray on my bed, I fished my phone out of my jacket pocket and read the notification.

"Shit."

It was a message from the person I least wanted to hear from: Chan.

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked my phone and proceeded to read the message with hesitation.

"I don't know what you did to my cousin, but be grateful that he didn't tell me all the details. Expect to see us at your party on Saturday, including Changbin and Lisa....Get your shit together and start acting properly by then Hyunjin, or else..." - Chan-hyung

"Damn it!" I cursed, throwing my phone on the floor.

With that, I only had four days to get on Felix's good side, something that seemed to be impossible based on how I treated him today. However, if I could just put on an act for the time being and convince him to talk good to Chan-hyung, then all would be good.

I smirked to myself. "Easy."

Crawling into bed and beginning to indulge in my meal, my phone started ringing on the floor. Groaning loudly, I swiftly picked it up and looked at the incoming caller.

Minho is calling...

Swiping the 'accept' button, I placed the call on speaker. "What do you want?"

Minho scoffed. "Hello to you too, jackass. Guess what I heard."

"Sorry, I'm just trying to eat. What is it?"

"Han told me that all of his friends are coming to the party. Did you hear that, or do I need to repeat myself?"

I sighed. "I heard you, and don't worry, Chan-hyung made sure to inform me that he would be attending as well..."

"Why do you say it as if it's something unexpected? Doesn't he always come to our parties?"

"Because apparently Felix brought my name up to him and now not only will he be attending, but Changbin-hyung and Lisa-noona will be too. I also got an indirect threat to fix my behavior or else..." I muttered, biting into one of my rib pieces irritably.

"Shit...What did Felix even say to him to make him reach out to you like that?"

"No fucking clue, but I have a plan to get Felix to like me." I smirked to myself.

Minho chuckled, and I could tell he was shaking his head. "Go ahead. I'm all ears..."

•••

Waking up the next morning was quite easy, since a mission was on the forefront of my mind. The goal for the next couple of days was to try and persuade Felix into believing I wasn't as mean as I came off to be, but I knew that was a task that would require more than simple gestures to accomplish. With how our last encounter went, I could only hope that he would at least show his face today for me to alleviate some of my guilt.

Rushing through my hygiene, I chose to dress in a denim-on-denim concept, something different than the usual choice of mostly black. Letting my hair loose in the mirror for final touches, I dashed downstairs for breakfast. However, once I reached down, I saw that neither of my parents were home. There was no sight of Mother cooking or Father sitting at the dining table, which was odd.

"Guess no breakfast then..."

Shrugging it off, I quickly grabbed keys and walked out of the house, locking it and striding towards my car. Hopping inside, I started my drive to the school yard.
The drive didn't take long, as the school was only fifteen minutes away from the house.

Pulling into the school grounds, I noticed Minho and the others standing by Seonghwa's car waiting for me. I smirked, knowing that Minho already informed the others about the plan and the situation facing me. Slightly glancing at the dashboard clock, I saw that it was half past seven, meaning that the plan would officially begin at eight.

Taking the open spot next to Seonghwa's car, I parked and stepped outside to meet the guys.

"So, is what Minho-hyung said true? Chan-hyung sent you that message?" Jongho asked suspiciously.

I nodded, shrugging. "Yeah, it's true. Last thing I need is a beat down by Changbin at my own party. So, the plan is simple: pretend to befriend the nerds and all is good."

"You sure it's that easy? Based on what happened yesterday at lunch and after school, I think you're the one who they despise the most..." Seonghwa sighed. "This isn't going to be as smooth as you think it is..."

"That's why I need you four to help me. Minho said that they all are attending the party, and Chan-hyung told me he, Changbin and Lisa-noona are attending as well. If they see Felix and I getting along, even if it's one sided, then I'm sure everything will be fine."

Minho shook his head, pointing to another car. "If you say so...Look, they're already here."

All of us turned our heads to see a black Mercedes pull into the parking lot away from our cars. I tried to see who exactly was inside, but my eyes grew wide as I watched Felix step out of the driver's side first. Next was Wooyoung who stepped out of the passenger, followed by Hongjoong, Han, and Yeosang in the backseat. All of them dressed in black and red cohesively, with Felix and Hongjoong being the flashiest of the five.

"Holy fuck, what happened to them?" San gawked. "It's like they've completely changed...Woo looks so good..."

My heart fluttered as I watched him walk towards the entrance building with laughter between themselves, gathering attention from all the other students nearby.

Felix...

Seonghwa noticed my gaze and walked over to me, patting my shoulder with sympathy. "I think your plan may have a few obstacles..."

"No it won't." I scoffed, brushing off his hand. "Just because they decided to have a new change of clothing, doesn't mean their nerdy status changed too. I'll keep my word on not bothering them, but the plan will go on."

The countdown begins now...

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