Chapter 17

I had decided Jen should meet everyone before I had to go and stay in the dorms again and possibly bring her with me.  I also decided it was best to have her comfortable with the other members at least initially.  She had already met Jonghyun and Kibum along with Jongin, so I arranged that we go to dinner together the 6 of us, I invited Jongin to come too, thinking he might feel more comfortable around her if he had more people there, however I wasn’t sure of his schedule and if he could make it or not. 

I had told them we would meet them in a restaurant we usually went to.  It was known for its privacy so we often went there.  Knowing we could trust the staff to be discrete. 

We arrived a little early parking in the basement and taking the elevator up to the 5^th floor where we were shown into a private room.  No one was there yet, it was just me and her.  She looked good tonight and I was feeling proud of having my friends meet my girlfriend.  I had not gone through this before, having never really dated before, but I had met girlfriends of theirs and the process usually went something like this unless we knew them already from working together like Jongin and Krystal.

Fortunately, over the past few years all the members had really tried hard with English so I wasn’t as worried about her being able to speak with them as I was with Jongin or anyone else she was going to meet. 

Jonghyun walked in first with Minho.  He greeted Jen as he did when he first met her saying ‘Hello sweetheart’ and kissing her hand.  He was always the most relaxed with anyone he met.  His flirtatious and charming nature shining through.

Minho wasn’t shy but he was usually quiet preferring to speak only when he had something to say or he was offended something didn’t quite go his way.  He wasn’t one for touching new people so he gave her a friendly smile and a modest ‘Hello’ as I introduced them. 

‘How do you like Korea so far?’ Jonghyun asked her, breaking the ice immediately.

‘It’s good, but I haven’t really seen anything as yet’ she smiled at him.

‘Do you like soccer?’ Minho asked immediately curious.

‘Is that all you think about’ Jonghyun asked him, rolling his eyes.

Minho shrugged back grinning at him.

Jen considered his question for a second before replying ‘Yes and no, I wouldn’t say I watch it, but if I don’t say I am a Liverpool F.C fan my dad might disown me’

Minho laughed and then groaned.  ‘I’m going to have to hate you then’ he smiled.

‘It’s ok, I already know you love Man U, traitor.’ she giggled back.  She was relaxed and beautiful as she spoke to both Jonghyun and Minho, she didn’t show any signs of being intimated or overwhelmed in their presence. 

Key came in next, he squealed in excitement at Jen, evidently, he had fallen in love with her style and asked her 100 questions about where she got her jeans and if she liked his shoes.

Jinki followed him quickly and quietly the only way Jinki could do.  I greeted him warmly as I had not seen him since I had returned and he was just as warm towards Jen as the rest of them.  No one could not love him.  He had the biggest smile all the time and he listened to you as if what you were saying was the most important thing in the world.  I was glad to see him.

We ordered drinks and were in the process of choosing food, everyone being hungry when Jongin walked in.  He gave Jen a shy smile and a wave and hugged me.  I was shocked to see him, I thought he was busy.

‘I couldn’t miss food’ he told me regarding the rest of the members.  He was followed in by Baekhyun and Chanyeol whom I was also surprised to see.

‘Sorry for gate crashing’ Baekhyun told me smiling widely ‘I was bored and we were hungry!’ I laughed welcoming them.  I went to introduce them to Jen, who had stood up to greet them. 

I saw Baekhyun take all of her in, his eyes wide, a smirk on his face and for some reason it made me uncomfortable.  I always liked him and he was funny, but that look as his eyes drew over my girlfriend made me slightly uncomfortable. 

‘Hello beautiful’ he cooed taking her hand in his, he kissed it while looking up at her winking.  ‘I am Baekhyun’

‘I’m Jen’ she replied smirking back at him.  I swallowed feeling very strange.  Chanyeol, who was not great with English said hello and waved at her smiling sweetly. 

I went to sit back down, trying my best to not to obviously put myself between Jen and Baekhyun and failing as he decided he wasn’t comfortable where he was sat so he moved to the opposite end of the table next to her, facing Jonghyun, under the pretext of wanting to talk to Jong.  I kept my eye on him throughout the meal, and occasionally I would catch him eyeing her again when he thought no one was looking. 

I tried to put it out of my mind and relax.  I was friends with him, he wouldn’t try anything with my girlfriend surely.  It had to just be the fact she was someone new for him to show off too and speak English with.  This was what Baekhyun did.

After eating Chanyeol had moved positions so he was now next to Jonghyun in front of Jen listening intently to Baekhyun making Jen laugh with his eye brows slightly furrowed together in extreme concentration.  He was just half a second behind everyone else’s reaction with the exception of Jongin.  He was doing his best to talk to her though and I began not to worry as Jen seemed to take pity on him a little and seemed to be ignoring Baekhyun, giving her attention to Chanyeol and Minho who were both listening to her as hard as they could. 

After the food, we decided to stay a while and kept ordering drinks.  I hadn’t drank very much in the past few weeks.  If truth be told I was a bit of a lightweight, Jen didn’t ever seem to ask for alcohol while we were in Bali so I had never seen her drink so much before. 

‘So you’ve heard of all us before right?’ I heard Baekhyun asking her.

She was getting drunk and not careful with what she said. ‘Of course I have’ she waved at him. ‘My sister loves D.O’

He laughed politely getting to his point ‘So do you have a favourite then, from Exo?  What do they call them? Bias?’ he was poking her and she was giggling.

‘No!’ she squealed at him ‘I couldn’t say.’ Shooing his hand away from her.

‘Why not?’ pushed Baekhyun playfully, too playfully for me, ‘It’s someone here right?’

She blushed.  She did have a favourite.  Whether it was Exo or Shinee I didn’t know.  I had never thought to ask her this.  The table was quiet all looking at her waiting for her answer.

‘Do you have a favourite just from Exo or one from both?’ Asked Key from the other end of the table.

Her eyes slid to me.  She smiled sweetly and said ‘I had both.  I had favourites in Shinee, favourites in Exo and a favourite total’ he giggled.  I smiled back, I wasn’t really worried about her answer, and in my intoxicated state I also wanted to hear who it was. 

‘It’s me right’ teased Jonghyun.

‘Let’s see if you guys can guess’ She tease him back. 

‘Hahaha, I got this’ exclaimed Minho, he loved anything like this. 

‘Oh, leave her alone’ I whined at them, Minho gave me a shove and told me to shut up. 

‘We all know who the total favourite is anyway’ Minho teased me.  Did he mean me?

I looked at Jen who was blushing furiously, unable to stop herself grinning.

‘God, you are all out to embarrass me’ She complained shoving Baekhyun for starting this whole conversation and her eyes falling directly on me.

Minho cheered with Jonghyun, having guessed correctly. 

She had told me she knew me, and enjoyed what I did, she didn’t tell me I was her . . . what did Baekhyun say? Bias?  It made me feel kind of proud and I laughed along with her once I realised. 

I put my arm around her playfully. 

‘Ok that was too easy’ pouted Baekhyun.  ‘The question was what about Exo.  So, you’ve said you had a favourite, is he here?’ his eyebrows were raised and he was waiting for his answer.

Jongin complained ‘Leave her alone, that’s not fair’ to Baekhyun

‘It’s ok, I don’t mind’ I whispered to her.

She looked from Baekhyun to Chanyeol to Jongin and said, ‘Two are here.’ Which caused the room to erupt with screams. 

‘Two of them!’ I coughed in shock.

‘Two? You can’t have two’ cried Chanyeol laughing falling backwards in his chair.

‘I said two, of them, are here’ She said slowly in Chanyeols direction. 

‘Meaning there is more than two’ finished Jinki. 

‘Listen if you’ve got more than two favourites of Exo you can definitely have more than one favourite of Shinee’ complained Jonghyun, pouting at me. 

I had to laugh along with everyone else.  It shocked me a little she was a bigger fan than she had told me, however I was number 1, so nothing she could say would affect me now. 

‘Ohhh’ she groaned, ‘You’re all lovely and attractive, talented men’ she said ‘Can’t I just say all of you and not be embarrassed.’

‘No’ chorused back Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Minho, Kibum and Jonghyun.

‘Start with Exo beautiful’ egged Baekhyun. I rolled my eyes internally.

‘Ok fine’ she said and everyone went silent.  Her eyes fell on Jongin, which I had to admit I was expecting, the guy was hotter than the sun.  Minho and Kibum gave him a push as everyone made whooping noises.

‘and…’ Jongin pushed, he was blushing too and now trying to direct attention away from himself.

‘Suho’ she said very calmly.

The room was silent for a second before ‘WAHHHHHH’ started around the table.  Suho, I had not really expected.  Chanyeol and Baekhyun were pushing each other, Chanyeol not laying fully on the floor panting for breath.

‘What he’s manly?’ she said looking at me confused.  I shook my head and laughed.

‘They’re laughing at you using his stage name’ I grinned making her embarrassed.

‘Oohh’ she said frowning cutely.

Jonghyun composed himself and asked her ‘So come on besides lover boy over there who else did you fancy in Shinee?’ He was grinning, she gave me a shy look, and looked at each of them individually before her eyes landed back on Jonghyun giving away her answer. 

I had to laugh.  Minho jumped up shouting ‘What!!!’ Jonghyun burst out laughing and whooping as Kibum and Jinki fell about laughing.

Minho teased her ‘You clearly have no taste, first L.F.C and now this loser’ he shoved Jonghyun, grinned widely at Jen and caused more laughter to erupt from the table.  He was not serious but he played it up for our entertainment. 

When we had all regained control of our breathing from laughing so hard Baekhyun piped up again, ‘Ok, so we know Taemin, obviously, Jongin, Junmyeon and Jonghyun, one more left’ he grinned wickedly.

The table quietened down again waiting for her last answer. 

She turned away from the rest of the table to face Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Everyone was watching her, or at least the back of her head unable to see her eyes.  She didn’t turn her head and for a split second you could hear a pin drop before;

‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH’ Chanyeol screamed.

‘Whattttttt!?’ screamed Baekhyun. He was clearly offended but he hid it well behind his smile and faked offence.

She had chosen Chanyeol and somewhere in the back of my mind I thanked god it had not been Baekhyun.