THE ZOO [FF NCT AESPA]
Part 9's

Karina and Giselle sat facing each other under a shady tree near the sports hall that they would use for club activities in a few minutes. They are ready in their white, red and blue cheers uniforms. While waiting for the cheers club members to come, they both chose to talk under a shady tree that was dropping its leaves.

Giselle propped up her chin, she listened to Karina who told her a long story. He retells Jeno's story to Giselle about the events of a year ago experienced by the band's club. Giselle listened carefully and captured Karina's story with various expressions. She began by twitching her forehead in wonder, then in delight, and now, Giselle lowered her eyebrows and her eyes looked teary. The storyteller also got carried away. He told me a story with an expression that was more fussy than Jeno. Karina even moved her hands when she told of the consecutive collision that night was done by 3 wild race cars. Holding back her tears, Karina tells how the fate of the band club was after the incident and that's when Giselle understood why the band club was closed. It had answered the question he had wanted to ask Hendery.

BUKS!

“Aigoo!”

“Aglow!”

Karina and Giselle exclaimed in shock as a stone slammed into their table in a loud voice. They both looked at the direction the stone was coming from. Yangyang's figure was seen walking leisurely while showing off his wide smile.

“Shock yes?” Yangyang laughed as he walked up to the two of them.

“Iya, lah! Stupid fool!” Giselle hit Yangyang's arm that passed behind her to sit next to Giselle.

“Aw.” Who groaned in pain while stroking his arm. “hadnya, you guys look so serious,” he replied staring at the two girls in cheers uniform. “mwoya?! You crying?!” She was shocked as she looked at Giselle. He pulled Giselle's shoulder to see her face clearly.

“Hya!” Giselle brushed off Yangyang's hand. Giselle then wiped her tears. “basis stupid,” she cursed Yangyang again.

“Karina hya, you too?” Yangyang pointed at Karina who was also wiping her tears. The eyes and faces of these two Yangyang friends looked red.

“Hehehe,” Karina replied by laughing at herself.

“How is it? A.. I only brought one anyway.” Yangyang pulled out the milk box from his suit pocket. It seems that from earlier Yangyang was aiming to find Giselle to give her a milk box before she participated in cheers club activities. “nih for you,” Yang who put the milk box on the table and shifted it to the front of Giselle. “mian Karina,” The grimacing looked at Karina who just smiled nodding.

“Dwaeseo,” Giselle pushes that milk box to the front of Karina. “I'm full,”

“Kenyang?!” Which overreacted. “Karina hya, you know? Lately Giselle diet,” Yang who teases nosy classmates. “she just keeps eating eggs, like weightlifting athletes!”

BUKS!

“Aw!”

Yangyang groaned in pain again as Giselle hit him in the same spot.

“Mwoya? You're stalker?!” Giselle.

“Hya, I'm sitting next to you, ‘kan. Of course I know!” Yangyang looked at Giselle who showed a frown in the middle of her eyebrows.

Yang who then continued to talk to Karina. “ morning rest, he ate eggs and bananas, lunch break, he ate 3 eggs and milk! Ti-ga te-lur!” Yangyang continued again. This time Giselle's punch can be avoided.

“Giselle ah, you diet?” Karina looks worried hearing Yangyang's honest story. “Wae? Is it because of the words of the child majoring in Social Sciences?” Tanya Karina mentioned the cheers who felt from the first grade students majoring in Social Sciences who always commented on Giselle's body.

Karina's guess is a little appropriate, but Giselle prefers to lie to cover up her feelings. “Aniya..” answer.

The one who was not spoken to pulled the milk box that was in front of Karina and directed her in front of Giselle again. “makan. I know you're crying hunger, ‘kan?” Who doesn't stop teasing Giselle.

“Ania, not because of it.” This time Karina answered to relieve Giselle's tantrums. Karina tries to change the topic before Yangyang increasingly makes Giselle a joke. “Yang ah, have you heard any rumors about the band club?”

“Eh? Suddenly?” Yangyang tilted his head hearing an unexpected question from Karina.

“Ah, hehe. Ani, because until now the band club members are still you two alone, so..”.

Yangyang nodded in understanding with Karina's explanation that was hesitant to say. “I've heard all. Strange rumors stating that if you join a band club, our fate will be unlucky, the value will go down, even strange rumors that state that the club room is haunted band,” replied Yangyang who seemed to have been used to hearing those rumors. “every time I said that I was a member of the band club, everyone who heard always reacted the same; forbid me to join the club or do I see ghosts in the room. Hahaha!”

“Mwoya...really?” Asked Giselle who seemed like she had only heard this strange rumor first.

Yangyang nodded clearly. “Just ask Haechan. I first heard this rumor from Haechan, she heard from the sunbae in her choir club. I don't know who started it,”

“On that unlucky fate. I also heard from my classmate,” Karina stroked her chin considering her friend who once told me about the rumors of the band club. “ my classmate who is also a basketball princess, who is also a female player, he has unnie who used to go to school here, he heard the rumor from his unnie,”

“Hahaha! All the rumors are not true,” Yangyang clapped with a laugh. “hya, when cleaning the room yesterday did you see a ghost?”

Karina and Giselle shook their heads together.

“Tuh ‘kan!” yangyang exclaimed while flicking his finger. “Or...the ghost is afraid of you?” Yangyang pointed at Giselle while putting on a shocked face.

BUKS!

“Aw!” This is the third time Giselle has hit Yangyang. “Hendery hyung already knows about all those rumors, he doesn't care because they are all untrue. I've asked him myself,”

“You asked about the truth of the rumor to Hendery sunbae?”

“Ya,” Yangyang nodded quickly answered Karina's question. “I asked about the truth of the rumor and why it could appear,”

Instantly, Karina and Giselle exchanged glances trying to communicate through their gazes. Giselle then turned her face to Yangyang. “Did Hendery sunbae tell you about the band club incident one year ago?”

Who scrunched his forehead, “kalian.. already know ya?”. He alternately looked at Karina and Giselle who were nodding.

“I know from my friend,”

“Jeno, ‘kan?” Guess Yangyang on Karina's answer who did not say the name of the informer. “if Jeno knew this story from Johnny sunbae, it is definitely 100% correct,”

“Mmm. I know from Jeno,” Karina confessed. “Johnny sunbae who told her,”

“Aa.” Yangyang opened his mouth while nodding. “hya is that why you are crying?” Which came back to the scene a few minutes ago.

“Mm,” nod Karina. “I just told the band's club story to Giselle. I think the original story is not secret, ‘kan?”

“Iya,” Yangyang smilingly agree Karina opinion. “for what is confidential. Precisely people should hear the original story, so that strange rumors do not spread,”

his proposal. The latter returned with his mischievous behavior. “Well, I thought you were crying from hunger,” Yangyang nudged Giselle's arm with his arm.

“..You..!”

“Eits!” Yangyang caught Giselle's fist before he landed onto Yangyang's arm again. The one who put a straw of milk into Giselle's fist. “Lup. Hehe,” joke Yangyang.

...****************...

Hendery hummed as he walked through the 3rd floor hallway filled with school club rooms. In that long hallway, he passed through the drawing club room, the astronomy club, the kitchen lab for the cooking club, the literature club, and finally stopped at the room at the very end of this hallway. The band club was located at the very end and looked lonely, no students came in and out of there.

Hendery tilted his head in confusion as he held the doorknob of the room. The sound of a guitar from inside the room. Hendery did not lock the door to the room, but he did not remember that Yangyang would visit the room today.

KRIEEKK…

“O!” Hendery sees Mark, his close friend, and Jeno, a 1st grader whom he had not expected to visit in a room that had nothing to do with him. “Jeno?”

“Annyeong haseyo,” Jeno stood up and looked down at Hendery. He looks like he is putting a guitar on his body. Of course the guitar sound was produced from the game Jeno.

“Hendery hya, where have you been?” Mark's grouse was confused as he walked into the room and did not find Hendery inside.

“Oh, I spilled water earlier, so I cleaned it,” replied Hendery while referring to one of the parts on the floor. “I just returned the mop to the second floor,”

“Ck.. You are, always careless,” Mark straightened his legs on the sofa while hugging his bag. “oh yes! He entered by himself,” Mark pointed to Jeno who played the guitar slowly. A surprised Jeno his name was called, pointing to himself and rounding his eyes. “you know Jeno?” Mark asks who does not know that Jeno, his junior brother at the basketball club, is acquainted with Hendery.

“Ya,” Reply Hendery while picking up acoustic guitar. “dia friend Yangyang,”

“Not really,” muttered Jeno very slowly.

“Ne, hyung. I like playing guitar,”

“Waah,” Mark standing and approaching Jeno. “Hendery hya, she's the same as I used to be, yes!” Mark asked Hendery for recognition on him who used to be the band's club guitarist.

Hendery did not answer Mark. He turned his chair to be able to face Hendery who was holding an electric guitar. “you are not looking for Yangyang ‘kan?” Guess Hendery.

Jeno smiled awkwardly. “Ne, sunbae..” the answer is slow. “I guess sunbae is also not here,”

“Mwoya? You come here often and play guitar?!” Mark closed his mouth to draw a conclusion.

“A.aniyeyo, hyung!” Jeno Seru. “Only once!” Jeno made clear her call. He then confessed while staring at the head of the band club who stood in front of him. “ at that time I was in this hallway, then this room was not locked, so I entered. Jwisonghaeyo, sunbae,” Jeno apologized for his presumptuous treatment.

“Ey, gwaenchana,” Hendery smiles kindly at Jeno who looks guilty. “you want to join the band club?”

“Hya Jeno,” Mark interrupts Jeno with his heavy voice. “dia belongs to basketball club,”

“Wae?! ‘Can it's okay to join two clubs!”

Jeno smiled bitterly, “Jwisonghaeyo sunbae,” Jeno apologized again. “ini.

“Hya.. said you like playing guitar.” Hendery whines inadmissively.

“Ne sunbae, and I also like to play basketball,” Jeno slightly smiled looking at his senior's whine. “since childhood, my body is not too healthy, my body is not very healthy, so I always join the sports club to keep my stamina awake,” explained Jeno.

“Oh...” Hendery and Mark nodded simultaneously. “yahthen,” Hendery raised his shoulder resignedly. “you can play guitar as long as I am here, yes,”

“Wooo... baand club chairman.” Temptation Mark on Hendey's authority.

Hendery throws a pillow at Mark who is still sitting on the couch. “Be quiet,” he said while blushing shyly. “ini so that last year's events do not happen again,” Hendery turned his eyes on the side of the room containing photos of band members.

Mark hugged Jeno's search pillow and made a reclining position on the couch. “Jeno hya, you know, this room used to be the headquarters for the truant, you know. Hahaha,” said Mark while staring at the back of Hendery who was observing one by one photos on the band club mading.

Jeno stopped playing his guitar. He looked at Hendery from the side who was showing a bitter smile.

“The band club used to have a lot of members. I'm one of them,” continued Mark pointing fingers.

“Ne, I've heard the story from Johnny sunbae,” replied Jeno who had understood everything that happened to the band club.

“Ha?” Hendry and Mark were shocked at the same time. Mark even immediately took a sitting position and looked at Jeno who was still sitting in the guitarist's seat.

“Johnny sunbae told you?” Hendery now took his eyes off the pictures and looked at Jeno.

“Ne, sunbae” answer. “Johnny sunbae tells me that Mark sunbae failed the band club selection and made sunbae enter the band club in the middle of the semester,”

“Pppft!”

“Hya.” Mark throws a pillow at Hendery when he sees his best friend laughing at him. “i.it's just because of the value, you know!”

Mark tried to explain to Jeno. “honey once a band club lost a member like me,”

“Then sunbae.” Jeno wants to continue the conversation. He then pointed to a series of photos of the side of the room. “I also know about the incident of Taeyoung sunbae band,”

Hendery turned his head quickly to see the direction show Jeno. “oh, they? Johnny sunbae also told you about them?” Hendery pointed to the people in the photo.

“Ne, Johnny sunbae tells the beginning of the closure of the club and the accident,”

“Mwoya.. Are you close to Johnny sunbae? Very cool..” compliment Mark amazed at Jeno.

“A.aniyeyo hyung,” Jeno shook his head. “Johnny sunbae thought that I was close to Hendery sunbae, at that time we had met in this room to help the band club clean up the room,” replied Jeno to Mark who had heard the events of berberes band club room from Hendery's story.

“Oh.” Mark reacted to Jeno's explanation. “ I thought you weren't in the band club because of the rumors,”

Hendery gnashed his forehead at Mark's words. “Aduh... why are you talking about it again? ‘Kan told you it was bullshit,”

“Hya, I know!” Mark opens his hand. “but the rumor has indeed spread. Even junior basketball clubs and cheers clubs have talked about it. Yes ‘kan, Jeno?”

“But I know it's not true, sunbae,” Jeno tried to calm Hendery down. “Bad luck for following a band club? It has nothing to do with it. And it would be impolite if anyone spread rumors about this haunted room,”

Mark flicked his finger, agreeing with Jeno's opinion. “That's what I mean,” he said. “oh yes, said you want to meet Jungwoo, already?” Mark tried to divert the conversation. “Jeno hya, you know that school radio announcer? He used to be a band club, he passed the second audition, just like Hendery. He's the smart student,” explained Mark without waiting for Jeno to ask who Jungwoo is.

“Already,” Hendery looked at Mark who was still faithful sitting on the soft sofa belonging to the band club. “it has been a long time since I had a conversation with him, the last time after me and Yangyang broadcast on the school radio. We didn't have time to chat,”

“So she wants to not?” Mark could not wait to hear Hendery's reply.

Hendery shook his head and pursed his lips. “Jungwoo said, he can't join two clubs because he's been quite busy. Jungwoo is now the school's mc radio and the leader of the school magazine team, so he has a lot to do. Not to mention the student majoring in Mechanical Engineering ‘kan is famous for having many projects to make,” Hendery tells Jungwoo answer he had received when Hendery invited him to return to the band club.

“Ah, what a pity.” Mark patted his own thigh.

“I've met all the old band members. Just Joy I haven't met,”

“But now he is the chairman of the cheers club, I think he will turn it down,” guess Mark.

“I heard Jaehyun sunbae is also a member of the band club?” Tanya Jeno was curious about the club that the chairman of his basketball club followed.

“Mm,” nod Hendery. “dia also passed selection,”

“After the band club disbanded, what did the band club members do?”

“Taeyoung sunbae and Kun sunbae join the literature club,” replied Hendery to Jeno who already knew the club selected the two band members from class 2. “Murid class 2 was just them. The rest is class 1. Well, as you know, Jaehyun came back to the basketball club after being out. And when the band club closed, he re-entered the basketball club,”

“Iya, Johnny hyung had scolded him,” interrupted Mark considering the incident of Johnny who once told a furious story to Jaehyun who used to be willing to come in and out of basketball club membership.

“Jungwoo certainly to the broadcasting club, because he from the beginning already has 2 clubs. If Joy…. Joy was recruited herself by the cheers chairman at the time. Then...”

“If sunbae?” Jeno interrupts Hendery's story. It seemed that he was only curious about the fate of Hendery.

“I?”

“She cried,” Mark quickly answered Jeno's question. “she cried all day. Until we classmate confused and comforted him,” continued Mark with a face of wonder.

“Hya! Why are you telling me that!” Hendery exclaimed inadmissive. He then scratched his head that did not itch, “How yes.. at that time I was very sad, I really liked the drum…. I'm not interested in signing for another club, so for almost two months, I didn't participate in any activities,”

“Eh? Indeed can yes, sunbae?” Jeno tilted her head like a confused dog.

“Hya of course can not.” Hendery laughs at Jeno's silly question. “by therefore, Doyoung hyung invites me into the same broadcasting club as him. You know Doyoung hyung the head of the sausage, ‘ right? He used to be the chairman of the broadcasting club and also a member of the isa,”

“Sounds like he's worried about you breaking down the club's activities,” commented Mark.

“Haha. It seems so,” said Hendery guessed Doyoung's mind at that time. “even in the club I do not have to actively follow any activities. I wasn't on the radio team, the magazine team, the media team, even the mading team. I'm like a street kid that Doyoung hyung took and asked not to do anything at home,”

“Hahaha. What parable is it?” Mark laughed at Hendery's imagination.

Jeno laughed at Hendery who told her with a cheerful smile on her face. An expression that turned around with what Hendery was experiencing. Jeno imagines Hendery's love of the band club should accept the harsh reality that the school should end all activities at the band club, even to enter that room, he could not.

...****************...