The Girl With The Iron Will

A Tumble Of Something Secretive

"Everyone looks but they're not looking at me. Everyone is looking at you, who is the brightest."

EXO, The Star

***

Kris leaned back against the sofa, watching the members unwrap gifts they had gotten from the fanmeeting earlier in the day.

His limbs were pleading for rest, and his mind was numb from the screaming of what seemed like a million fans earlier. Yes, it was great to create that kind of reaction in people, to make them love you like there was no one else. But it made him exhausted, all these shows, interviews, practicing. All he wanted to do was get away and have some silence, even away from the other members, for once.

He stared at his phone. The past few days were chaotic; they had had to skip school, in favor of promotions for the upcoming album, and he was sure the hours had seemed longer than they had. Today was supposed to be the day Jang Mi returned to school and he wondered how she was.

In his heart of hearts, he had even considered sending a get well soon text.

And he had actually wondered if she would even reply.

He wondered if she noticed he wasn't in school. He wondered if she even cared.

But then he dismissed the thought. She wasn't sentimental, and she was never indecisive about her emotions; if she was upset with him, it would remain that for some time. Her steadfastness was one of the things he liked about her.

As if on cue, his phone vibrated in his hand.

It physically hurt to reach for it on the coffee table, but he did it anyway, blinking at the name that was calling him.

The name in Chinese characters was enough to kick him in the gut.

It was Jang Mi.

He sucked in a breath.

She's calling me, his thoughts yelled wildly. She wants to talk to you.

He looked around wildly. Most of the members were in the bedrooms; only Baekhyun and Chanyeol were in the living room with him, and they were too busy unwrapping their presents and chatting amongst themselves to notice the way he was panicking silently.

He got up and went to the kitchen, noisily grabbing a mug and turning on the kettle.

His phone continued to buzz, the phone call persistently waiting to be picked up.

Here goes nothing, he thought, pressing the green button and placing his phone to his ear. "What?" he said inaudibly, so as not to attract the attention of any of the members.

Not that they would notice. The kitchen was empty, and he waited for the water to boil, its sound slightly masking his voice as he waited.

"Come over," a voice, very unlike Jang Mi's, slurred.

He paused, frowning as he held the phone in front of him, just to make sure that it was her who called him.

It was.

"What did you say?" he asked quietly, tearing a satchet of instant coffee and pouring its contents into his mug. The kettle clicked, and he poured the hot water, stirring with as much sound to wake up the exhausted members.

"There's something really important I have to say to you...and I can't tell you over the phone," she continued, "Can you come?"

There was something so different – so pained – in her voice, and he was momentarily hooked. He hated how easily she held sway over him, without doing it on purpose.