Cool With A "K" PART 23 - CHAPTER 16

Leo stared at Chris and his jaw went slack.
"C-Chris," Leo stuttered quietly, "What are you doing here?"
Chris stared at Leo with wide, red eyes. He was looking at Leo like he had been betrayed.
Leo glanced into the English room. Tae-Hyun thought he had left.
Leo turned back to Chris and whispered, "Chris, come on, talk to me. Why are you here?"
Chris stared at Leo and said shakily, "I-I was here for math club... And we got let out late... A-and I was just past here and I heard you guys talking, so I..."
"So you stopped and eavesdropped on us?" Leo hissed.
"Well, sorry." Chris whispered back harshly, "I didn't exactly know you guys were in some secret relationship."
"We're not!" Leo whispered, "It was just... Spur of the moment."
"Well, I'm so sorry that I stopped to listen to you two yack about your lives. If I had known you were gonna eat each other's faces off, then I would've kept walking!" Chris shot back, turning and walking away.
"Chris!" Leo hissed, going after him. He grabbed Chris' sleeve and Chris hit his arm.
"Ow!" Leo said.
Chris turned around and pointed a finger in Leo's face.
"Don't you touch me, Lover Boy." Chris said.
"Lover- You know what?" Leo said, forgetting to be quiet, "You need to let it go! You're pissed because it turns out your crush is a girl and you're pissed at me because I kissed Tae-Hyun! Well, news flash, Princess. That's not my fault and he's my friend too! Think of what was going through my head when I found out he was a girl!"
"Oh, cool, Tae-Hyun's a chick. That means I'm not a fag! Oh, goodie! Now we can make out!" Chris yelled.
Leo hit Chris upside the head and Chris gasped.
"You stupid little punk!" Chris yelled, pulling Leo's hair.
Tae-Hyun ran out of the English room and said, "Chris! Leo!"
Chris and Leo were full-on fist fighting now.
Tae-Hyun ran over to the boys and pulled them apart.
"Guys, stop!" She cried.
"He started it!" Chris said.
Leo scoffed, "Are you kidding? You were being a jerk! You started it!"
"I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT!" Tae-Hyun yelled, sounding like her mother.
Leo and Chris were silent.
Still holding onto their sleeves, Tae-Hyun said more gently, "Now... You two are the only people here who know that I am a girl besides my brothers. Please, I really need you two to get along."
Tae-Hyun let go of the boys and stood back from them.
Chris and Leo looked at each other for a while, then they ran at each other again.
Tae-Hyun squeezed herself in between them, facing Leo, and said, "Guys, please!"
The boys stopped fighting and Leo looked at in the eyes, blushing.
Chris bit his lip; Tae-Hyun's back was pressed right against his chest.
"Leo," Tae-Hyun said, "Please, I... I need you to act the same way around me as always, even thought we..."
Chris glared at Leo and Tae-Hyun awkwardly turned around to face Chris.
"Chris," Tae-Hyun said, "Please, don't hate Leo because of me. He cares about you and I know you care about him. You guys are good friends and I want to be your friend too, but I don't want to mess anything up between you guys. Understand?"
Chris nodded and said sincerely, "Yes, I understand."
Tae-Hyun side-stepped out from in between Chris and Leo. She looked at Leo and he said, "Me too."
Tae-Hyun smiled and said, "Good. Now, to prove to me that you mean it..."
Leo and Chris eyed her nervously.
"Hug." Tae-Hyun said, beaming.
Leo and Chris looked at each other and both laughed nervously.
"Hey, I-I don't think that's a good idea, Tae-Hyun." Leo said.
"Yeah, really. I'm not very comfortable with that..." Chris said.
"Oh, sure it is." Tae-Hyun said, smiling more, "Come on, it's not that bad."
Chris and Leo glanced at each other again and Tae-Hyun said, "Go ahead, hug."
The boys awkwardly half-hugged.
Tae-Hyun smiled proudly, "There, wasn't that nice?"
"Ehh..." Chris and Leo said, each taking a step away from the other.
Tae-Hyun sighed and said, "Guys, you guys can't hate each other. Everything needs to be the same as before."
"This is close enough." Chris said, smiling tightly.
Leo nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it wasn't much different before."
Tae-Hyun gave them a suspicious look and said, "I hope you guys know that my secret is in my and your hands only."
"And your brothers'." Leo piped up.
Tae-Hyun nodded and said, "Yes, but that's not the point. The point is it needs to remain between us and in order to do that, we need to act as if nothing happened today."
"So, I have to pretend I didn't kiss you?" Leo said, not trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
Tae-Hyun stared at him for a long time, but she didn't say anything.
"Okay, you guys ready to put on a smile and pretend you still think I'm a boy?" Tae-Hyun said enthusiastically.
Leo and Chris smiled and nodded.
"Yeah," Leo said, "I'll see you guys later."
"Me too," Chris said, "Bye, Leo. Bye, Tae-Hyun."
"Bye, Chris." Leo and Tae-Hyun said.
So, Chris and Leo went home with the ultimate secret.




Let's play the Which-Guy-Will-Mess-Up-Everything-First game!