"Weee~ are the chaampiioon, my frieendss~" Jongin with both arms waving in the air, belts out as soon as he barged in Sehun's room.

"What's with you?" Sehun asks, looking up from the book he's reading, who's sitting by his desk.

"Chicken overdosed I guess." Jihyo banters, occupying Sehun's bed.

"I'm not so going to be affected by you, Jihyo!" Jongin smiles widely as he flops down Sehun's bed, beside the girl.

"Spill." Jihyo's studying him while Sehun listens.

"I just had a wonderful time with Soojungie~" Jongin singsongs.

"...Really?"

"Yup! Really. And guess what?" Jihyo then asks him nervously as Sehun just keep an eye on his two friends.

"Soojung and I are now dating!"

"WHAT?!" the two unsuspecting friends exclaimed at the same time.

"Okay, let's play that. Rest assured that it's you who'll lose since I've decided to make you fall." Jongin smirks.

"I don't think so, Jongin. I've been hurt and played by people around me so I don't think I would fall that easily... I've learned that the hard way." Soojung sighs.

"Then let me prove to you that it's not always like that. Maybe you were hurt before but I promise you, I won't do that to you." Jongin hold Soojung's hand and looks at her sincerely. "Just give me a chance to prove myself to you, Soojung. You also deserve to love and be loved. If you really want to play that game of yours... then so be it! I'm willing to do whatever you want."

Soojung huffs and says, "You're really persistent aren't you?"

"They said follow your dreams, and that's what I'm doing right now." Jongin smiles sheepishly while Soojung scoffs.

"Okay." Soojung said after so much thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I said okay."

"Okaaaay... as in... we're together now?"

"No, we're not boyfriends and girlfriends yet... we're more like dating."

"Exclusively dating, huh? That's fine with me."

Jihyo's mouth was hanging low while Sehun's jaw tightens as he carefully watch the girl's reaction, then to Jongin who was over the moon that he flails his arms and legs, missing the sadness in one of his friend's eyes. As much as he wants to throw Jongin out of his room, he's lazy to do that. Or maybe he can just grab Jihyo and take her away and go somewhere else - but yep, he's too lazy to do that.

Sehun sighs as he turns his back to his friends and continue to read his book. He caught a figure at the corner of his eyes and turns his head to look at his neighbor's window.

Their eyes meet for awhile, but as usual she was just ignored by her neighbor.

***

The news is out and the whole university's now aware of Kim Jongin's new relationship status. A lot of girls got their hearts broken (again they wouldn't get used to that, NO!). Some take the news nicely but most of them were not, thinking "how did the new girl managed to capture Jongin's heart and why can't we?!"

Soojung's feeling awkward with all the stares and glares (mostly from those bitter, heart broken girls) she gets, especially when she arrived with Jongin on her side, holding her hand. Sehun and Jihyo were also in tow behind them, walking in silence. She didn't know if she did the right decision to date Jongin.

But Jongin is a sweet and very caring person.

Every morning, Jongin either fetch Soojung from her house or waits for at the school's gate then walks her to her class before he goes to his own class. He sometimes surprises her; leaving chocolates and sweet notes inside her locker or sneaking in a flower in her class. He always waits for her outside her room so he could walk her home (though they live in the opposite side of the city). Jongin even introduced her to his other friends and teammates, and he even dance in front of her once when her 6 o'clock class was cancelled.

Soojung appreciates Jongin's effort and sweetness towards her, and she would lie if she'll say that she didn't like everything he does for her. His attentiveness and thoughtfulness never fails to put a smile on her, and she's very thankful about it. Maybe one day, she'll accept Jongin as her boyfriend and hopefully this time she'll made the right choice.

But she also thinks that everything is too good to be true about her and Jongin's current situation. Then as if lightning struck her, she finally took noticed - she hardly sees Jihyo around. Even Sehun wasn't visible though they were only few meters away. Heck their rooms were even close to each other, but her neighbor's room is either pitch dark or his window is always close.

She sometimes notice Sehun's room turns bright but then it'll turn dark as soon as she sees his shadow. She didn't know if Sehun is mad at her because Jongin has little time with them since they started dating. Although she hates to admit it, she missed their little bantering everytime their windows are open. She kind of wanting to scribble and raise her sketchpad again to show it to the other side.

She didn't know why she feels uneasy about not seeing Sehun for a while. If Sehun really hates her that he keeps on avoiding her, she didn't know why she thinks she's a little affected by it. And she can't understand why she feels a little... hurt.

***

It's a Sunday afternoon, the Kim's household were a little noisy, courtesy of Jongdae and Jongin, who were busy playing some games on their Play Station, madly pressing the buttons of the controller, both trying to win their match, when the doorbell rangs. Junmyeon opens the door with a sigh after his "someone get the door, please?" was plainly ignored by the others.

"Jihyo! Glad to see you again." After few weeks of being MIA, Jihyo finally shows up to Jongin's doorstep.

"Is Jongin there?" Jihyo asks with a smile.

"You know you can always barge in, right?" Junmyeon steps to the side and let Jihyo enter their house.

"...you cheater!" Jongdae hollers.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Children, stop it please! Your voice's giving me headache." Junmyeon said as he rubs his temples.

"You're just getting old, that's w-" Jongdae commented but then stopped when he saw Jihyo. Because let's admit it, Jongdae wouldn't budge even if his hyung's eyes turns white after giving so much death glares. He loves it when he annoys his hyung.

"Can I... talk to you for a while?" Jihyo says directly to Jongin.

"Oh! Hyung~ let's give this two ex's some time for themselves." Jongdae laughs nervously, especially when he didn't get a reaction from the girl.

"We'll leave you both so that-"

"No. I want to talk to Jongin somewhere else."

"Ohh~ heart to heart ta- ow!" Jongdae hissed in pain when Junmyeon elbows his ribs.

Jongin was only looking at her, feeling uncertain with Jihyo's unusual behavior. He never saw her like this before; agitated and somehow restless.

"Mm... but I have to go somewhere at four. I promised Soojung-"

"It wouldn't take long."

"Oh... okay. Where do you want to go?"

***

"Hurry up, Jongin! You're slower than a snail!"

"Aren't you being rude to me? I thought you were going to talk to me, but then you make me buy fried chicken and beer! Is this your new strategy just to make me buy what you want?" Jongin rants as he sits at the park bench, placing the box of still hot fried chicken and cans of beer in between them.

They were currently at their usual hangout - the end part of the park - the place where he confesses to Soojung.

Yes, the park were a little far from their place to indulge theirselves with their chicken cravings, but they love the small restaurant near there that sells delicious fried chicken (plus they gets discount since the owner practically knew them ever since).

"So... where have you've been? I haven't seen you for a while." Jongin asks as he starts digging his chopsticks in the box.

"Why? Did you missed me?" Jihyo asks playfully with smirk on her face.

"No, I didn't. It's actually peaceful without you around, pestering me." Jongin laughs, not noticing Jihyo's sad face.

"That's nice..." Jongin looks at her, raising an eyebrow, "I mean, we should mind our own businesses once in a while, since... you know... you're single no more..." Jihyo trails off.

Silence engulfs them as they eat their chicken peacefully. Feeling a little bothered, Jongin looks down for a while then looks at Jihyo again. She's silently looking at the trees before them, as she slowly drinks her beer.

Jihyo sadly stares at the trees that has changed it's color gradually. Autumn will start anytime, and she should be happy by now, since it's her favorite season. Many things happened in her life during autumn; some are happy, some are sad.

It was autumn when she first met her two bestfriends - Jongin and Sehun. She decided that it was the best autumn in her life. But it was also autumn when she lost her grandfather. She didn't cry in front of her grandfather's wake, nor did she when they have to say goodbye to him - because she promised her grandfather that she'll be strong and that she'll keep her promise to him. But the moment Jongin drags her and shows her the beautiful scenery at the end part of the park near Sehun's neighborhood, she just broke down and cry. Jongin let her cry to her heart's desire, then after a while, she felt two hands patting her shoulder and when she looks up, Sehun and Jongin were smiling at her, telling her that they'll always be there for her.

A lot of things happened in her life, especially during autumn, but she thinks that this would be the bitter-sweet autumn she'll ever have.