❀ 1+1=oh sehun (for prompt #70) [1/3]
author: london9calling
title: 1+1=Oh Sehun
prompt number: 70
rating: NC-17
other pairings involved: Chanyeol/Jongin
length: ~21.6k
summary: Kyungsoo has a love hate relationship with windows.
warnings: Underage handjob (under 18 but of consenting age), swearing, epic dance off
notes: Much love to the prompter for the amazing prompt!
part one ❀ | part two ❀ | final ❀
1+1=Oh Sehun (Part One)
Architects are assholes. Okay, maybe not architects. Maybe athletic planning committees or the school board or whoever thought it was a genius idea to stick a football field within perfect view of a classroom. Whoever that was, they were Do Kyungsoo’s enemy.
“Do Kyungsoo, would you like to solve the problem on the board?” Mrs. Oh, she was an enemy too.
“I am sure he would love to,” Baekhyun snickered. Baekhyun was also an enemy.
Another enemy, perhaps the worst of all, was clearly visible out the large classroom window. Enemy #1 was currently jogging slowly around the field, a lazy run that did nothing but show off how well his long legs carried him. He was taking it slow, like he always did, though one would never know it given the way he played. A star, ready for a full scholarship when the time came. Kyungsoo glared. Enemy #1 was such an effective enemy.
“Do Kyungsoo!” Mrs. Oh raised her voice a level to that pitch where everyone knew she was getting seriously annoyed. “The board!”
“On the board?” Kyungsoo finally answered, looking away from the window. His eyes widened as he stared at his math teacher, questioning, imploring - begging for mercy.
“Yes, as in the giant board in the front of the classroom you are sitting in. The giant board that you should have been paying attention to for the last half an hour.” Mrs. Oh smiled that sweet innocent smile that Kyungsoo knew hid her evil math teacher mind, a direct countermeasure to her heightened tones and short words.
Kyungsoo’s chair squeaked against the linoleum flooring as he stood, walking slowly to the front of the classroom. He hated this, having all eyes on him. And all eyes were currently on him, his classmates watching as he dragged his feet, painfully slow, making his way towards the chalkboard. A few of his classmates snickered, Kyungsoo didn’t have to guess who the ones laughing were.
A foreign language greeted him, all x and y and formulas and other mumbo jumbo already filling the chalkboard. Kyungsoo didn’t speak this language, not fluently, at least not this year. In his sophomore year, even his junior year he recalled speaking this language at least conversationally. Not now though, not since he took a seat near the window.
He picked up the piece of yellow chalk. Raising it to the board, he did the only thing he could think to do. He wrote a large question mark, his own attempt at this strange form of communication passing through what was already written there.
The class burst out laughing.
“I hope you like detention, Mr. Do.” Mrs. Oh shook her head, disappointed but not surprised.
Kyungsoo remained silent, knowing full well it wasn’t worth arguing. Disagreement would only earn more detention. Plus the room where detention was held didn’t have a view of the football field.
“Hey Kyungsoo!”
Kyungsoo ignored Chanyeol, preferring to pretend he was doing homework instead. Of course he wasn’t really doing homework, just staring at the sheet of math problems while he considered his poor life choices.
“Kyungsoo!”
Kyungsoo started writing, gibberish really. Best to look busy.
“Kyungsoo!”
Still writing.
“Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!”
“What?!” Kyungsoo snapped his head back, glaring.
“What is so interesting outside the window?” Chanyeol grinned. “Is it Sehun?”
“No!” Kyungsoo returned to his math problems. Why, of all the people in the school, did the most annoying ones always seem to be the most perceptive?
“Sehun is pretty cute but I doubt his mom likes you ignoring her class so you can stare at her son,” Chanyeol teased.
Kyungsoo ignored him. So what if it was the truth. It wasn’t that Kyungsoo wanted to be so…enraptured by Sehun. It wasn’t like he had planned it this way. It just happened. The first day of his senior math class he sat by the window, honestly paying attention to what Mrs. Oh had to say. Then he made the mistake of looking out the window.
Oh Sehun was a junior, a year below Kyungsoo. He was handsome, tall, outgoing, and popular. He was everything that Kyungsoo wasn’t. He was everything Kyungsoo usually avoided in crushes or…well, he was just something to avoid. Yet Kyungsoo couldn’t look away. The way Sehun ran around the field, practicing, his long legs and broad shoulders and - Kyungsoo was becoming a downright pervert.
“Another detention for ogling Sehun?” Jongdae dropped his backpack on the desk next to Kyungsoo, chuckling. Kyungsoo didn’t confirm or deny.
“Yep. He was pretty bad today,” Chanyeol piped up.
“I thought he was going to jump through the window,” Baekhyun chimed in.
Kyungsoo sighed. “What did you three do?”
“Chanyeol put a mouse in the teachers’ lounge and blamed us,” Jongdae explained. Kyungsoo wasn’t surprised. The three of them - Jongdae, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun - were usually in trouble for one thing or another. They were loud, proud, and well, hyper. The odd thing was that Kyungsoo didn’t dislike them. No, he actually considered them close friends. The four of them had gone to elementary school together, attended middle school together and suffered their awkward phases in tandem, and then trudged through high school as peers.
On weekends Kyungsoo went to Chanyeol’s house, Baekhyun and Jongdae never far behind. While Kyungsoo was more reserved and generally better with his academics (barring his math class) than the other three, they meshed well. They made an odd quartet, yet Kyungsoo was happy to have friends that were, well, different than he was in some ways. In other ways they were so similar it was scary.
“Eyes on your assignments.” Mrs. Oh entered the room, her stern words affecting the four. It was only the four of them in detention, which again was not a huge surprise.
After an hour sitting in silence Mrs. Oh called an end to the detention period, the four young men rushing through the door.
“Anyone up for some Diablo?” Baekhyun asked as they walked towards their lockers.
“With you, no.” Jongdae pushed Baekhyun playfully. “How much have you leveled up your character already? To level 100.”
“It only goes to level 70. Geez.” Baekhyun laughed.
“Still,” Jongdae slammed his locker door shut, “I am not playing with someone who is twice as powerful as my character.”
“Soo, up for some gaming?” Baekhyun turned to his next victim.
“No. I think I am going to watch movies tonight.” Kyungsoo gathered up his backpack.
“Another depressing movie marathon? Have fun.” Baekhyun snorted.
Kyungsoo would protest the descriptor of depressing movie marathon however it wasn’t really an incorrect statement. He liked to watch sad documentaries, emotionally charged dramas, and anything else that would have him reaching for a box of tissues and lying awake at night considering the question that was humanity.
“Oh…” Chanyeol gasped, the other three boys staring down the hall at whatever had startled him.
Kyungsoo gulped. The afternoon sun was filtering through the large windows on either side of the metal doors, playing on the cheap linoleum floors, haloing a silhouette. Broad shoulders, long legs. Oh Sehun.
“I’d do him,” Baekhyun murmured, Kyungsoo glaring at him.
Sehun was fast approaching and Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what to do. How to move. What to say. How to human.
“Is my mom still in the classroom?” Sehun stopped a few feet from Kyungsoo, looking a bit indifferent and bored and amazing and Kyungsoo wanted to scream.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo squeaked, surprised at how high pitched his voice sounded.
“Thanks.” Sehun walked towards the classroom. Kyungsoo could swear he smelled a heavy, manly scent as Sehun passed him.
Once the door to the classroom was shut, Sehun inside, Chanyeol started laughing. “Man, your crush on Sehun is worse than that time you wanted to marry the guy who ran the smoothie stand at the mall.”
Kyungsoo punched Chanyeol in the arm, biting his bottom lip as he considered why he made such foolish life choices.
The next day Kyungsoo found his day going from bad to worse, starting at lunch.
Kyungsoo tried not to stare, which was rather ironic given the fact he ended up staring a lot these days. He was seated at the lunch table, the one tucked into the corner with the well-known label of the “dork table” when he spotted Sehun’s best friend, Kim Jongin, jogging across the cafeteria.
Chanyeol, Jongdae, and Baekhyun didn’t seem to notice the tall football player tearing through the room; they were engrossed in discussing their recent trade of Magic cards.
Kyungsoo wondered what the junior was doing, it wasn’t his scheduled lunch period. Kyungsoo was well aware of the fact Jongin ate lunch with Sehun, at the cool kids table, the one that sat in the middle of the cafeteria (he happened to see them there one afternoon as he made a beeline for the restroom after eating Chanyeol’s homemade kimchi tuna rice burgers - which he could swear should have had a poison label on them).
Jongin was standing in the middle of the cafeteria, scanning the room like he was looking for someone. When he spotted Kyungsoo, their eyes meeting for a split second before Kyungsoo quickly looked away, he approached the table.
Kyungsoo swallowed hard, trying to keep calm, trying to figure out what Jongin wanted. It didn’t take long for him to find out, however, as Jongin reached the table quickly.
“Do Kyungsoo?”
Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Chanyeol stopped talking, staring up at Jongin like he was an alien species who had invaded their high school.
“Yes?” Kyungsoo squeaked.
“I found this in Mrs. Oh’s classroom and I believe it belongs to you.” Jongin held out a folded piece of paper. Kyungsoo snatched it away, realizing what it was. Jongin smirked, letting out a low laugh as he turned and left.
“What in the hell was that?” Baekhyun asked, glancing from Kyungsoo to Jongin’s retreating form.
“Nothing!” Kyungsoo slipped the paper in his pocket. Panic set in, followed quickly by intense embarrassment and outright horror. It wasn’t like he had thought it was a good idea at the time, but Sehun looked so - sketch worthy as he ran and Kyungsoo had a pencil in his hand and why was life so terrible?!
“You didn’t…” Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at Kyungsoo.
“Shut up!” Kyungsoo shoveled yogurt in his mouth, not wanting to talk about it.
“Wait, what am I missing?” Jongdae nudged Chanyeol.
“Kyungsoo, what is Jongdae missing?” Baekhyun crossed his arms, giving Kyungsoo a suspicious look.
“Fine, I was um, sketching and well…” Kyungsoo wanted to die of embarrassment but he knew if he didn’t say anything Baekhyun and Jongdae wouldn’t drop the subject.
“He was probably drawing Sehun naked or something,” Chanyeol added.
“No! I wasn’t. God, I hate you guys!” Kyungsoo was done talking to his three friends, thankfully they shut up after he offered his explanation. He definitely had not drawn Sehun naked. No, he had happened to draw a tall, broad shouldered football player jogging around a field but that could have been anyone really…What if Jongin had shown it to Sehun? What if…what if ….Sehun probably knew and everything was terrible and…what if Mrs. Oh saw it and…
“I am not hungry anymore.” Kyungsoo hated life.
The afternoon dragged on, Kyungsoo considering what to do if Sehun had found out about his crush. Would he have to transfer schools? Would Sehun confront him about his weirdo crush before he could fill out transfer paperwork?! Why was life so terrible and hard and stupid?! And then there was Mrs. Oh requesting Kyungsoo to drop by her classroom after his last class of the day. Maybe she was going to yell at him for sexually harassing her son by ogling him during math class. Kyungsoo was feeling close to a nervous breakdown when he walked into Mrs. Oh’s classroom - and had to hold it all in lest he collapse from fright and terror.
Sehun. Oh Sehun was sitting at one of the desks, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He looked lazy and tall and…Kyungsoo hated the fact that no matter how terrified he was he couldn’t stop himself from staring.
“Kyungsoo.” Mrs. Oh sounded too cheery, it made Kyungsoo nervous. The woman was probably attempting to appear accommodating and pleasant before she accused him of harassing Sehun and threatened a lawsuit, Kyungsoo knew it. “Please, sit.”
Kyungsoo sat one desk length away from Sehun. Clasping his hands tightly he decided he would bear it like a man, whatever she had to say, however messy the conversation got, however many threats were hurled his way.
“Kyungsoo, I asked you to drop by because I have a proposition to make.”
Kyungsoo was sure his eyes had grown two sizes. Proposition? Would she tell him he had to leave the school? Was she…demanding he leave? Was she asking to settle the harassment lawsuit out of court?
“Your finals are coming up and you cannot afford to fail, as I am sure you are well aware based on your midterm grade. Kyungsoo, my son Sehun has offered to tutor you. He is in college level math courses right now, in case you are going to protest his grade level.” Mrs. Oh was still being nice.
Kyungsoo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Tutoring?”
“Yes. I believe that you have quite a bit to catch up on if you hope to pass this class. I know you have set your academic goals rather high, and honestly I am worried about how failing your senior mathematics course may affect your chances at gaining entry to the college of your choice.” Mrs. Oh added, “Kyungsoo, I want to help you and I think some added tutoring may be what you need to succeed.”
“I…” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how to talk, how to answer, how to -human.
“It isn’t a problem for me, if you are willing,” Sehun drawled, which made Kyungsoo conjure images that fit with the word willing and suddenly he was blushing.
“Sure. Yes. Fine,” Kyungsoo blurted out, wanting the entire awkward meeting to be over.
“Very good, you two can work out whatever schedule works the best for you.” Mrs. Oh moved to take a seat behind her desk. “I really think this is what you need, Kyungsoo.”
Kyungsoo nodded dumbly.
“I am free tomorrow evening if you are. Five o’clock? We could meet here,” Sehun offered, Kyungsoo agreeing hurriedly.
“I…have to go.” Kyungsoo stood up, having to consciously stop himself from running from the room. He muttered a quick thanks before retreating as quickly as he could without coming off like an even bigger weirdo.
Once he was halfway down the hall he burst into a jog, not slowing down until he was in front of his locker, his breathing ragged. Baekhyun picked that moment to appear, having just finished up his latest round of detention with the science teacher Mr. Kim.
“You okay there?” Baekhyun took in Kyungsoo’s disheveled appearance, his flushed face and ragged breathing and blurted out, “Did you just make out with someone?!”
“No!” Kyungsoo slammed his locker shut, stomping off towards the exit. What a horrible, no good, terrible day.
The day was torturously long. Kyungsoo found his attention span nonexistent as he flitted from one class to the next. Lunch dragged on as well, Jongdae dominating the conversation as he relayed his near “would have totally been” success at asking out the cute redhead from his gym class. Kyungsoo was barely listening, Chanyeol and Baekhyun shooting him questioning looks in between making fun of Jongdae’s failed love life.
Five o’clock came slowly, Kyungsoo milling around his locker after classes ended, attempting to mentally prepare himself for time alone with Sehun.
“Staying late today, Soo?” Chanyeol asked, slamming his locker shut and leaning against it as he eyed Kyungsoo up and down like he could discern his secret by sight alone.
“I…have tutoring.”
“Tutoring? The great and mighty Kyungsoo has tutoring?” Chanyeol guffawed, Kyungsoo reaching out and landing a punch on his arm.
“Ouch!” Chanyeol rubbed his arm and feigned a hurt expression. “Is it for math class?”
Kyungsoo nodded, knowing full well that his friend knew that his grades were excellent in every class but Mrs. Oh’s accursed numbers-torture-horrible-hour.
“Who is your tutor? Anyone I know? Anyone cute?”
“I am not telling you,” Kyungsoo answered firmly.
“No..NO!” Chanyeol, of course, was easy to figure out the only person Kyungsoo would care to hide as his tutor. “But he is a junior?!”
“He is in advanced math class,” Kyungsoo muttered, staring at the cheap linoleum floor. “If you tell Baek and Jongdae I will kill you.”
Chanyeol mimed locking his lips and throwing away the key, adding a cheesy wink. “Just remember to focus on your math, young man.”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, deciding he was done with the conversation, and he wandered towards Mrs. Oh’s classroom. Peeking his head inside he found the classroom deserted. He was secretly relieved that he wouldn’t have to sit with Mrs. Oh in awkward silence, or worse yet engage in awkward conversation.
Kyungsoo, by habit, took his seat by the window. Looking out on the field he saw that the soccer team was warming up by running laps. Finding nothing - or more accurately - no one of interest he decided to get his textbook and notes out in an attempt to appear studious when Sehun arrived. He was halfway through the latest math assignment, none of which he had solved, all of which he had decided was written in an evil foreign language, when Sehun showed up.
“Working hard already, I see.” Sehun slung his backpack over the back of the desk chair, plopping down next to Kyungsoo with a thud. “Sorry if I am late.”
“No problem.” Kyungsoo smiled at his paper, not bothering to look at Sehun much less the clock to confirm the younger man was actually late.
Sehun pulled out a pencil and scratch paper and leaned over to look at Kyungsoo’s math homework. Kyungsoo swallowed hard, awkwardly contorting so he was as far away from Sehun as possible. He still wasn’t looking at Sehun so he missed the way Sehun raised an eyebrow at the way Kyungsoo distanced himself.
“What in particular is giving you trouble?” Sehun asked, perusing the paper.
“Ev..everything,” Kyungsoo managed to speak, which was sort of a huge accomplishment considering his crush was inches away from him. Sehun was so close Kyungsoo could smell his cologne, or what he assumed was cologne. It was musky and manly and Kyungsoo suddenly wanted to bury his face in Sehun’s shirt and never let go. Kyungsoo was having a definite mental conflict that he wasn’t sure he was going to overcome, at least not in the way he hoped.
“Then we shall start with the beginning of everything.” Sehun motioned towards Kyungsoo’s textbook. “Can I see that? I want to give you a few problems to see exactly what you are having troubles with.”
Kyungsoo handed the textbook over, accidentally making eye contact and he looked away quickly.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes.” Kyungsoo couldn’t explain that no, he wasn’t feeling okay. He was sweating profusely and his heart was racing and he wanted to puke. That might be weird.
Sehun flipped through the textbook, writing down sample problems. Kyungsoo found that as more time passed in Sehun’s company his nerves eased slightly. Focusing on the sample problems helped his state of duress even more, abetting the sick feeling in his stomach as his attention was drawn to not looking like a total idiot in front of Sehun.
Kyungsoo found that Sehun was a patient tutor, correcting his mistakes with easy to understand explanations. As the minutes ticked by Kyungsoo started to feel completely at ease - as long as he didn’t make eye contact of course.
“Oh, wow, I didn’t realize it was already six.” Sehun chuckled. “I was having so much fun.”
“You are lying,” Kyungsoo muttered, but honestly he hadn’t realized an entire hour had passed either.
“No, I am not. You are really easy to tutor. You seem to pick everything up really well.” Sehun sounded, dare Kyungsoo imagine it, excited. “Should we meet tomorrow night?”
Kyungsoo nodded rapidly. Now that he was no longer focused on his math assignment his anxiety started to return.
“Good, then see you around, Kyungsoo.” Sehun left first, Kyungsoo hanging back a few minutes in fear that he would somehow catch up with Sehun and be forced into a conversation he was too nervous to have.
When Kyungsoo got home that evening he made a beeline for his bedroom, ignoring his younger sister’s ramblings about her day and he plopped face first onto his bed. Had he really survived an entire hour in Sehun’s company without making a total fool of himself? Maybe life wasn’t so bad after all.
The next tutoring session found Kyungsoo daring, in between problems, to sneak peeks at Sehun here and there. He had never really seen Sehun up close, or noticed how much more handsome he was when he was only inches away. The sharp line of his jaw and the way he pursed his lips when he was concentrating were beautiful, at least in Kyungsoo’s mind.
Halfway through the tutoring session Sehun leaned back in his chair, sighing. “I am hungry. Do you want a snack?”
“A snack?” Kyungsoo asked dumbly, as though he didn’t know the word.
Sehun riffled through his backpack pulling out a bag of gummy bears. “I like sweets,” he explained as he set the bag down in the middle of the long desk. “Help yourself.”
Kyungsoo was cautious as he reached forward and plucked one of the gummy candies from the bag. He liked sweets too and his stomach had started to rumble; he hadn’t eaten since lunch. He popped the candy into his mouth, relishing the sugary treat.
“Hey, has anyone ever told you that your lips look like hearts. I mean, are heart shaped.” Sehun cocked his head forward to get a better look at Kyungsoo’s lips.
Kyungsoo was horrified at the comment, feeling the heat rise up in his cheeks and he directed his attention towards the window. “No, no one has ever told me that.” It was a lie. Baekhyun had told him that, well - made fun of him for it. Something along the lines of, “Dude, is that like a deformity or something?”
“That is cool, I mean, your lips are nice.” Sehun stopped staring and went back to the math assignment, shifting to calculations so easily that Kyungsoo was taken aback. Had he been ogling his lips?! Sehun had been ogling his lips and then went back to talking about x and y this and that like it was the most normal thing in the world to tell someone their lips are nice?! What in the fresh hell?!
Kyungsoo couldn’t concentrate for the remaining twenty minutes of their tutoring session, too focused on what Sehun had said. Was it a joke or what did it mean…did it have to mean anything? Kyungsoo was so frustrated with his own inner monologue that he found himself considering how much it would hurt if he punched himself in the face. Thankfully he held back from getting in a fist fight with himself, giving Sehun the cursory nod at the suggestion they meet again on Monday.
Later that evening Kyungsoo sifted through his thoughts concerning the compliment, if it could be called that. Kyungsoo decided quickly that Sehun wasn’t paying him a compliment for anything other than friendly reasons - or maybe polite reasons. They weren’t really friends, just student and tutor. The thought of Sehun liking him in any other way was laughable.
Then it occurred to Kyungsoo, yet again, that his sketch of Sehun may have reached the man himself before Jongin had returned it. He found himself punching his pillow, hating life again.
“So how is tutoring with Mr.. Dreamboat going?” Chanyeol clasped his hand over his mouth as soon as he said it, realizing too late that he wasn’t supposed to be talking about Kyungsoo’s tutor in the presence of others.
“Mr. Dreamboat?” Baekhyun was quick to pry, having suspected something was up with Kyungsoo for the last few days. One glance at Kyungsoo’s flushed face and Chanyeol’s look of abject terror and Baekhyun put two and two together. “Noooooo, you have to be kidding! Sehun is your math tutor?! Bahahahaha!”
“Chanyeol, come here.” Kyungsoo was using his calm voice, the kind that instilled fear in his soon to be victims. Chanyeol had enough sense to run around the bench, out of reach of the small ball of fury that was intent on inflicting pain.
Baekhyun watched in amusement as Kyungsoo caught Chanyeol, forcing him back down on the bench with a pinch to the back of his neck. Chanyeol let the word sorry fly half a dozen times before Kyungsoo let him go.
“How have you managed to hide your hard on during your tutoring sessions?” Baekhyun took a sip of his smoothie, the noise of the thick strawberry concoction through the straw loud and annoying.
Kyungsoo didn’t think the question justified an answer, only a death look which he quickly served up.
“I bet he smells like baby powder, manliness, and dreams.” Baekhyun cooed, really laying it on thick. “Does he?”
Another glare.
“Fine, suit yourself. I will smell him myself.” Baekhyun pouted. Chanyeol didn’t dare say another word, knowing he was already in more trouble with Kyungsoo than he was comfortable with.
Kyungsoo stretched his back, feeling very tense. Stupid Chanyeol and his forgetfulness. He picked up the smoothie cup he had discarded on the ground when he had went after Chanyeol, taking a loud slurp as he tried to calm down. The day hadn’t exactly been a restful one, which he had kind of expected when he had given in to Jongdae’s pleas to go to the mall with the three of them. “You need to relax, come on it will be fun. All you do anymore is stare - I mean, look pissed.”
A Saturday afternoon at the mall was not Kyungsoo’s idea of a good time. He hated being anywhere that was overflowing with so many people, most of whom were outwardly annoying at first glance. The mall was a place for people like Sehun or Jongin to hang out at, not a place where Kyungsoo found a good time. In fact it was the antithesis of what he and his group of friends stood for - other than of course the largest gaming store in town. It was amazing what lengths they would go to if magic cards or dungeons and dragons handbooks were involved.
“What is taking Jongdae so long? Did he get mangled by teddy bears or something?” Chanyeol craned his neck out, looking towards the stuffed animal making shop that Jongdae was visiting. He needed to make a present for his niece. The sight of the place had the other three guys retreating, too much pink and happiness for their comfort.
“Maybe he finally managed to pick somebody up.” Baekhyun kept a straight face long enough to deliver the words, then broke into a fit of laughter alongside Chanyeol.
“I don’t see you two with dates,” Kyungsoo reminded them, rolling his eyes.
“At least we aren’t borderline stalking some younger dude.” Baekhyun winked at Kyungsoo.
“Shut up.” Kyungsoo wasn’t stalking Sehun. No…he was just…staring a lot and fixated on him every second of every day. That wasn’t stalking, no, normal crush behavior. Completely normal.
“Here comes Romeo.” Chanyeol smirked at the sight of Jongdae running from the store, the plastic bag containing whatever plush monstrosity he had created swinging violently as he ran.
“Soo, guess who I just saw.” Jongdae was out of breath as he stopped in front of Kyungsoo, panting hard he relayed his encounter. “Your boy toy is making a stuffed bear. A pink bear!”
“So?” Kyungsoo tried to seem disinterested, but Baekhyun wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Um, Jongdae, he isn’t his boy toy. He is his naughty tutor,” Baekhyun corrected Jongdae.
“Tutor?” Jongdae had the same reaction Baekhyun had, minus the comment about hiding his boner. “Seriously?”
“Red alert, red alert, red alert!” Chanyeol started squawking loudly, nodding with his head towards the direction Jongdae had come from. Jongdae promptly whirled around, uttered a curse word, and took a seat next to Kyungsoo. The entire scene probably looked suspicious as hell.
Kyungsoo found time slowing down- like a cliché stupid romance movie or something- as Oh Sehun approached. He hoped he hadn’t seen him sitting there, didn’t hear anything about a naughty tutor or…
“Hey.” Sehun waved. Oh Sehun fucking waved. Kyungsoo stared, not moving, until Jongdae nudged him so hard he remembered to wave back.
Thankfully Sehun didn’t stop, he kept walking, and thankfully Kyungsoo remembered how to breathe after Sehun disappeared from sight.
“Hey.” Baekhyun mimed. “I take back what I said earlier. I bet he smells like sex.”
“Like you know what that smells like.” Jongdae argued, Kyungsoo drowning out their banter. Oh Sehun had just said hi to him. In a public place. What is life?
“Wonder if he was buying that bear for someone special.” Chanyeol spoke his thoughts aloud, Jongdae shushing him. “Dude, not cool.”
Kyungsoo wished Chanyeol hadn’t said that, his mind suddenly asking the questions he should probably have asked before. Like was Sehun dating someone? Or interested in someone? No, it didn’t matter, because it wasn’t like Kyungsoo would ever date him. He could buy pink bears for whoever he wanted. Yes, it was fine. Totally fine. Kyungsoo was one million percent fine.
Maybe.
Kyungsoo spent the rest of his weekend shifting between deep depression and mild annoyance, blowing off a movie night with the guys for a pouting session alone in his room. When Monday rolled around Kyungsoo was actually looking forward to it, even if it did mean having to see Sehun. He just wanted something to occupy his mind; all of the time alone was making him crazy.
During Mrs. Oh’s math class Kyungsoo stared glumly out the window, the image of a pink bear dancing in his mind. Stupid pink bear. Stupid pink bear and stupid Oh Sehun buying the stupid pink bear. When the class period ended Kyungsoo realized he hadn’t heard a word of the lesson of the day, which was kind of a vicious cycle. The less he learned, the more he ignored because he was too caught up thinking about Sehun, which meant the more he would need to be tutored by Sehun. Why was life so cruel?
Kyungsoo moped through the morning, managing to take half assed notes for the rest of his classes while imagining himself punching pink teddy bears. When lunch hour arrived he found that he was happy to see his friends. Their nonsensical arguments would be a welcome diversion to his own mental prison. He was almost to the cafeteria, finally about to find some sort of relief, when he heard someone call his name. Turning around he was faced with Kim Jongin, walking towards him.
“Hey, shorty.” Jongin flashed his pearly whites, which Kyungsoo assumed was supposed to counter the very rude name he had just directed at Kyungsoo. “Got a second to talk?”
“Sure.” Kyungsoo found anxiety coursing through him as he followed the junior to a corner of the hallway, desperately trying to figure out what Kim Jongin could possibly have to talk to him about.
“I heard Sehun is tutoring you.” Jongin crossed his arms, leaning against the wall he appeared both bored and intimidating at the same time. “I need you to tell him to stop.”
“What?” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he understood.
“He has been shit at evening practice lately and I don’t doubt it has something to do with the extra workload of tutoring your sorry ass right before he has to gear up. You are a distraction he doesn’t need. Besides, it isn’t like it is his fault you are failing…oh, well, maybe he has some responsibility. But it isn’t his fault you are a weirdo.”
Kyungsoo realized then and there that any hope that he would ever think Jongin was a nice guy, maybe a tad bit misunderstood, someone who perhaps said mean things now and then but was hiding a heart of gold - was dashed. Kim Jongin was an asshole.
“Who are you calling a weirdo, you…sporty freak..you?!” Chanyeol stuttered as he delivered the insult, not able to hold back when he spotted Kyungsoo standing and talking to Jongin, overhearing the junior’s biting words to his friend.
“This doesn’t concern you,” Jongin drawled, looking disinterested at the person who had just joined the conversation.
“I think it does, considering you are treating my friend like crap.” Chanyeol stood straight, trying to appear even taller than he already was.
Kyungsoo grabbed Chanyeol’s arm, dragging him towards the cafeteria. “Come on, let’s go.”
“He called you a weirdo!” Chanyeol protested.
“Let it go!” Kyungsoo shouted, finally convincing Chanyeol to drop the matter, at least where confronting Kim Jongin was concerned. Once they had their lunches and had taken a seat at their usual table, Baekhyun and Jongdae already there, Chanyeol launched into a play by play of what had just happened.
Kyungsoo stabbed his lunch with his fork, violently taking his frustrations out on his vegetables. If Jongin knew he stared at Sehun, which had been implied when he found the sketch Kyungsoo had so stupidly dropped, then had he told Sehun? Had they talked about Kyungsoo, mocking him in secret, joking about how he was strange and a freak and probably a stalker? The entire time that Sehun had sat with him had he been thinking of Kyungsoo as a sort of freak? Kyungsoo felt tears threaten to spill at the thought.
“Hey, hey.” Baekhyun noticed the signs of Kyungsoo about to spill tears, reaching over he put an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Just forget what that jerk said.”
Kyungsoo nodded, swallowing back the tears. He wouldn’t cry, not in the crowded lunch room. He managed to hold back through lunch, through his afternoon classes, letting his despair morph into anger over how big of a tool Kim Jongin was. By the time five o’clock rolled around Kyungsoo was feeling angrier and less sad. Whether that trend would continue through his tutoring session with Sehun remained to be seen.
When Kyungsoo arrived at the classroom he found Mrs. Oh sitting behind her desk, grading papers. “Kyungsoo!” The teacher looked positively excited to see him. “How is tutoring going?”
“Good, I think.” Kyungsoo hadn’t had a quiz since his tutoring had started. While he was understanding the previous assignments more than he had, he was in no way caught up to where the class was.
“Great to hear!” Mrs. Oh smiled sweetly. “I think this arrangement is good for both of you.”
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that. Good for both of them? Mrs. Oh elaborated: “I probably shouldn’t say this, but Sehun has been a bit lost lately, hanging out some bad influences, that sort of thing. I have noticed a change in him already, and he just started tutoring you. I think you are just what he needs.”
Kyungsoo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was just what Sehun needed? He wanted to laugh maniacally but decided against making the teacher think he was insane - it was bad enough Sehun and Jongin probably already thought so.
Sehun walked into the classroom, saying hi to his mom and ending anymore of the woman’s talk about how lost he was of late.
“Where is the bear?” Sehun stared at the desk, pursing his lips.
“Bear?” Mrs. Oh appeared confused, then placed a hand on her forehead, flinching. “I am so sorry dear! I forgot it at home. I will bring it tomorrow.”
Sehun seemed happy with the answer, taking a seat next to Kyungsoo after a muttered hello. The pair launched into math problems, Mrs. Oh leaving a few minutes after they began, telling Sehun she would see him at home.
Kyungsoo concentrated on the formulas before him, not wanting to consider that Sehun was probably thinking of him as some weirdo, maybe even laughing at him to Jongin after their tutoring sessions.
“Kyungsoo.”
The way Sehun said his name was…soft, maybe uneasy. “Yes?” Kyungsoo didn’t make eye contact, not daring to see mockery that he imagined was present in Sehun’s gaze.
“I am really pissed that Jongin did that to you earlier. Sorry, my friend is an idiot.”
Kyungsoo had not been expecting that. “Oh.”
“He gets really weird when it comes to football. When he told me he had asked you to drop tutoring I wanted to punch him, no lie. I like tutoring you and it is no business of his.”
Oh. Well…Kyungsoo had to remember to breathe. Was this, wait what was this?
“He is kind of my only friend, so I put up with him. I hope you know I don’t think the same way.”
Kyungsoo couldn’t help but turn and look at Sehun, too surprised that Mr. Popular had called Jongin his only friend. “But aren’t you super popular?”
Sehun laughed. Dragging his hand through his hair, in a show that had Kyungsoo wishing he hadn’t looked, Sehun shook his head. “I don’t know why you think that. I mean, I don’t really hang out with anyone other than Jongin.”
“I guess I just thought…” Kyungsoo really wished his mouth would stop.
“I was thinking maybe you and I should hang out sometime. If you want - no pressure. You just seem like a cool guy and Jongin pisses me off a lot anymore.”
Kyungsoo wondered if the water he had been sipping was laced with a hallucinogen. Was Sehun, Oh Sehun of the long legs and perfect - well, everything - asking to hang out with him? Was Oh Sehun telling him Jongin was an asshole and that they should be friends? This couldn’t be real.
“Just forget I said anything.” Sehun looked dejected, Kyungsoo wide eyed and surprised quickly tried to rectify the situation.
“No! I mean yes! We can hang out, if you want.”
Sehun smiled widely. “Great! Are you free after tutoring tomorrow?”
Tomorrow? Kyungsoo wanted to laugh maniacally. Yes, he was free - but was he mentally prepared to spend more time alone with Oh Sehun? Probably not. “Sure, tomorrow, great.”
Sehun seemed happy with the answer, smiling broadly as he returned to explaining what Kyungsoo needed to work on after reviewing his latest math exercises. Kyungsoo should feel happy considering his crush had just invited him to hang out, but instead of being overjoyed he was terrified. Completely and utterly terrified.
When six o’clock rolled around Kyungsoo found himself leaving first, needing to desperately extract himself from the atmosphere that was Oh Sehun and his strange request to be friends.
“Nice try, but you honestly think that your prayer from five weeks ago is going to protect you against a Death Knight hoard?” Jongdae rolled his eyes. “Byun Baekhyun, sometimes I think you mistook the paladin class for a playable god.”
“Listen, nerdboy, I know more about the paladin class than you ever will,” Baekhyun shot back, picking up a handful of popcorn and threatening to toss it at Jongdae.
“Then why aren’t you the dungeon master?” Jongdae countered, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
“I could be! Probably better than you!” Baekhyun stood up, placing his hands on his hips, and he glared at Jongdae.
“Soo, you want a soda? And by want I mean do you want to take a breather while these two morons fight it out?” Chanyeol whispered to Kyungsoo, knowing full well it would be another fifteen minutes before Jongdae and Baekhyun settled their differences and game play could resume. Kyungsoo nodded, not really in the mood to listen to his two friends throw every game rule they could recall at each other until one of them finally caved in.
Kyungsoo followed Chanyeol to his kitchen - well, his parents’ kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Park were having a date night, which led Chanyeol to invite his friends over for a weekday Dungeons and Dragons session. The game wouldn’t go on as long as if it was the weekend but they were still resolved to get a few hours of gaming in.
“Grape soda okay?” Chanyeol held one up, the other half of him hidden by the fridge door. “Sorry, it is the only thing my mom buys anymore.”
Kyungsoo took the soda, cracked it open and took a sip.
“So how was tutoring?” Chanyeol added, “Do I need to kick Mr. Dream Boat’s ass like I did with his punk friend?”
“You didn’t kick Jongin’s ass.”
“I could have!” Chanyeol shut the fridge door, walking over to the counter he jumped up to sit on it. “You seem like you are in a better mood though…”
Chanyeol was fishing for information and by all rules of common sense Kyungsoo should have kept quiet. Yet he really needed someone to talk to. “Sehun said he yelled at Jongin for his comment.”
“Oh?!” Chanyeol whistled. “Maybe he is Mr. Dream Boat.”
“Please don’t call him that.”
“Fine, sex on legs.” Chanyeol paused for a moment, waiting for Kyungsoo to hit him. When the smaller boy did not throw a punch he continued. “It still seems like something is wrong... You didn’t even cast the acid splash spell on Baekhyun once, and by all accounts he was being super annoying. You love that spell - I know something is going on, Soo, so spill it. Tell Chanyeol what is troubling you.”
The sounds of Jongdae and Baekhyun arguing could be heard from the dining room. Kyungsoo sighed, knowing it would be awhile before their game would resume. In short, concise sentences, he detailed what was eating at him: his fear that Sehun had seen the sketch, knew about Kyungsoo’s mega crush, and maybe even laughed at him behind his back.
“If you creep him out then why would he yell at Jongin for telling you to quit tutoring?” Chanyeol was confused. “I think you are reading this all wrong.”
Kyungsoo needed to hear that validation, it really did help to have his friend point out something he should probably have seen as obvious. Yet…there was still another problem.
“There is something else.” Kyungsoo hesitated telling Chanyeol everything that had happened earlier that day, knowing he would make a huge deal out of it. Yet…“He wants to hang out. He wants to hang out WITH ME.”
“Like a date?!” Chanyeol clapped his hands furiously, morphing into a teenage girl who just found out her favorite actress was marrying a prince or something. “YOU ARE GOING ON A DATE WITH OH SEHUN?!”
“What? No, not a date!” Kyungsoo protested, but it was already too late. Somehow, in some magical way, Jongdae and Baekhyun had heard Chanyeol’s shouts over their own argument. The pounding of footsteps and a few seconds later and there were two more teenage boys exclaiming, “YOU HAVE A DATE WITH OH SEHUN?!”
“NO! IT IS NOT A DATE!” Kyungsoo exhaled, frustrated. “We are going to hang out. IT IS A HANG-OUT! NOT A DATE! I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“You got those two to stop arguing so I think you did a good thing,” Chanyeol offered, Baekhyun and Jongdae shooting him dirty looks in tandem.
“What are you going to wear?” Jongdae looked thoughtful. “You should probably buy new clothes.”
“I can do your eyeliner if you want? I got really good at it when I dressed in drag last Halloween,” Baekhyun added.
“If you need any tips on how to get in his pants I am your man,” Chanyeol piped up.
“NO, NO, NO!” Kyungsoo felt like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “It is friendly, not romantic. I don’t even know what we are doing yet. “
“I suggest you do each other.” Jongdae snickered, Baekhyun high fiving him for his lame joke.
“Can we get back to the game?” Kyungsoo tossed his empty soda can in the recyclable, stalking into the dining room, no longer feeling the need to stay and talk about his future hangout date - time, he meant time - with Sehun.
Chanyeol hopped down from the counter, hooking an arm around each of the other two boys and he dragged them towards the dining room. “Come on, if we wait any longer I think Soo is going to burn down my house.”
Kyungsoo didn’t have to pick out what to wear for his hangout with Sehun, resulting in a very disappointed Jongdae. “Seriously, you don’t even get to put on tight jeans and be a tease?” Jongdae had tsked the situation over lunch, disappointed that Sehun and Kyungsoo would be going right from school - in their uniforms - to wherever they were going to “friend hangout, I said it IS NOT A DATE! NOT A DATE!”
On the other hand Kyungsoo was relieved he had one less thing to obsess over. He was already on pins and needles about everything else - his hair, his demeanor, if Sehun was only toying with him and other such totally minor things that had him feeling like he wanted to throw up every five minutes. By the time five o’clock rolled around Kyungsoo was in need of a drink, and he had never sipped liquor in his life.
“We should cut out early.” Sehun and his smile and suggestion they hurry up and get out of there was certainly not helping Kyungsoo’s frame of mind either. A mumbled agreement and forty minutes of math problems later and Sehun was snapping Kyungsoo’s textbook shut. “I think we did enough for today, don’t you?”
Kyungsoo nodded dumbly, collecting his things and following sex on legs - Sehun, he meant Sehun - out of the classroom.
“Do you like coffee?” Sehun asked lazily as they walked down the hall, Kyungsoo trying to keep up with Sehun’s long strides.
“Yes.” Kyungsoo hated coffee, loathed it, but he really didn’t want to admit the fact at the moment.
“Great, I know a little café a few blocks away. We could go hang out there.” Sehun ended up ordering bubble tea, not coffee, which made Kyungsoo feel like a fool for having immediately asked for the bitter iced Americano. Maintaining a straight face while he slurped up the bitter liquid, Kyungsoo fidgeted in his seat. He was sitting across from Sehun. In a public place.
“I hope this isn’t weird.”
“No!” Kyungsoo thought it was weird, really awkward and uncomfortable and he had no idea why Sehun would ever want to hang out with him to begin with.
“Are you part of that group that are always playing with those cards?”
Kyungsoo considered drowning himself in what was left of his Americano. Was Sehun asking about Magic Cards? Oh…..this was not good. “Um, well…” Kyungsoo cleared his throat, twirling the straw between his fingers he tried to think fast. “My friends like that game.”
“Is it with wizards, warriors, that sort of thing?”
Kyungsoo nodded, wanting to cry.
“I don’t usually play tabletop games, or cards. Usually just video games - last summer I developed a bad addiction to Skyrim.”
Kyungsoo was sure that love at first sight was a myth, because love only came after the guy you had been crushing on for months took you out for a horrible tasting drink and then admitted he liked role playing games. Yes, that was the magic moment, the moment when the sun shone around the beautiful blonde, tall and athletic Oh Sehun - the moment when Kyungsoo couldn’t look away even if the building was burning down around him. “You like Skyrim?”
“Yeah. Do you?”
“I play here and there.” Play it cool Kyungsoo, don’t let the embodiment of human perfection know how perfect he truly is. Play it cool.
“Before bed I try to sneak in a FPS game here and there.” Sehun took a long drink of his bubble tea, pulling out his phone he started fiddling with it. A few seconds later he was holding up a note on his phone. “I keep track of everything I have won, mostly because it pisses Jongin off.”
Kyungsoo was sure that there were stars in his eyes as he looked at the list, Sehun beaming proudly at his video game accomplishments. “You probably think I am weird, huh.”
“No! Not at all.” Kyungsoo wanted to laugh at how stupid Sehun’s question was.
“Do you like playing two player games? You could come over this weekend if you want. My Mom is going to be out of town so the house will be quiet.”
Mom.out.of.town.Come.Over. Kyungsoo swallowed, hard. “That would be great.”
“So what do you like to do, Kyungsoo?” Sehun was holding the cup of bubble tea in both hands, hands that Kyungsoo couldn’t help but glance at. Big hands. It was getting hard to focus.
“I…” Kyungsoo looked away, trying to regain his composure. “Normal stuff. Watch movies, fail math class, that sort of thing?” Oh my god, did he just try to make a joke?! Kyungsoo blanched, waiting for Sehun’s response.
A laugh. Sehun laughed, Kyungsoo felt immediate relief. “Well I hope I am helping with at least one of your hobbies.”
“You are. Thanks, by the way. If I haven’t said so already.” Kyungsoo managed to make eye contact again, fighting the urge to focus on Sehun’s hands.
“My mom said you are starting to show some improvement.” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if Sehun was boasting or showing pride in Kyungsoo’s ability to grasp the lessons now that he had one-on-one tutoring.
“I am trying.”
“I can tell.” Sehun smiled and Kyungsoo stared. Why did he always stare?
They spent almost an hour making small talk, Sehun doing most of the talking, Kyungsoo most of the listening. Sehun shared that he was growing bored with football, but he thought his mom would kill him if he quit, not to mention the fact Jongin would probably disown him as a friend if he dared to drop the sport. Kyungsoo shared that he really wasn’t into sports, which didn’t earn any teasing from Sehun, which Kyungsoo was thankful for. Sehun explained that he was in advanced English classes too and could graduate that year if he chose, but he didn’t want to cut his high school experience short. Kyungsoo mentioned a few schools he was thinking about applying to - and the fact he better apply to soon. Sehun gave him a “fighting”.
A causal “see you around” later (once Sehun realized his mom would kill him if he wasn’t home for dinner) and Kyungsoo was watching broad shoulders and long legs as Sehun elegantly strolled from the café. Kyungsoo wanted to remember that moment - because it was the first time he remembered feeling like he had a remote chance with Sehun, even if thinking so might be the most foolish thing he had ever thought in his life.
It wasn’t like it wasn’t already a well-established fact that Sehun turned him into a fool.
“Really?! Not a date my ass.” Baekhyun, hands on hips, wouldn’t give in.
“It wasn’t a date!” Kyungsoo repeated for the hundredth time. He had said so in writing - fielding half a dozen texts from his three friends the night before - most of which focused on anatomical questions involving Sehun and his dick. Now, sitting around the quad before classes started, Kyungsoo was facing a verbal onslaught of doubt over his lack of romantic escapades with Sehun the night before.
“I can’t believe you would go out with him and not jump him.” Jongdae slumped down on the bench, sighing. “Soo, you bring shame on us all.”
“Like you would have made a move?! We went to a coffee shop, what was I supposed to do - snog him in the middle of the shop?!” Kyungsoo threw his hands up, his frustrations getting the better of him. It was poor timing, just as he was belittling his friend’s for their comments about Sehun the man himself came walking across the quad, Jongin’s arm loosely slung over his shoulders.
Sehun waved, the same little friendly wave he had given when Kyungsoo had seen him at the mall the weekend before. Kyungsoo dropped his hands in horror, hoping Sehun hadn’t overheard the phrase “snog in him the middle of the shop”. Plastering a smile on his face he offered a small wave in return, noticing the way Jongin scowled at him in turn.
“I hate that guy,” Chanyeol muttered under his breath, clearly referring to Sehun’s best friend. Kyungsoo was thankful Chanyeol didn’t speak too loudly once it was clear that Sehun and Jongin were not passing by - they were making their way over to where Kyungsoo and his friends sat.
Jongin removed his arm from Sehun’s shoulders, deciding instead to cross his arms and give off a fighting stance, his distaste with Kyungsoo and his friends evident in his scowl. Sehun, on the other hand, was all easy going smiles.
“I am going to be a little late to tutoring today, I need to meet with the football coach first.” Sehun’s announcement gave Jongin reason to assume a told-you-so expression, which he promptly directed at Kyungsoo. Of course, tutoring was in the way of Sehun and football.
“Th- that’s fine.” Kyungsoo stumbled over his words, Jongin’s dislike getting the better of him.
“Can I have your number? I will text you when I am almost done so you know when to meet me.” Sehun pulled his phone from his pocket, holding it out to Kyungsoo. It was a sensible request, not at all screaming of dating or hooking up or anything of the sort - yet Kyungsoo knew his three friends were probably mentally screaming at the moment.
Kyungsoo took the phone, punching his number in and saving it under the rather plain and boring reality of his first name. He wasn’t going to try to act cute and save his number as a nickname. He didn’t have the guts to do anything like that to be honest.
“Can’t he just wait for you?” Jongin grumbled as Kyungsoo finished up entering his phone number in Sehun’s phone. “Do you think it is a good idea to be spreading your number around school like this?”
“At least there are people that want his number.” Chanyeol - Park Chanyeol of the impressive stature and awkward gait and jovial humor- seemed to possess an unusually courageous and somewhat foolishly hotheaded temperament when it came to Kim Jongin. Chanyeol stood up straight, attempting to look even taller as he stared Jongin down. I dare you, his stance said, a complete dichotomy to Baekhyun and Jongdae’s snickers from behind their friend’s tall frame.
Jongin scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think you of all people should be discussing popularity.”
“I am not a jerk face, so I think I have every right to talk about popularity and the way no one likes a jerk face named - wait. I need to take the high road.” Chanyeol let out a high pitched, awkward laugh, Kyungsoo flinching at how out of place it sounded. “Whose name starts with a J and ends with an Ongin.”
Jongin took one step forward and Chanyeol one step back, everything happening so quickly Kyungsoo paled at the thought that his friend may end up in a fist fight with Oh Sehun’s best friend in the middle of the quad - over the insult “jerk-face” of all things.
“Hey, chill.” Sehun placed an arm in front of Jongin, effectively holding him back. “And I don’t think giving Kyungsoo my number equates to spreading it all over school. He is my friend.”
Raised eyebrows, a questioning look, and silence were all that Jongin offered up in response to the announcement that Kyungsoo had friend status with Sehun. A change seemed to take place instantaneously, each boy unsure of how to act given the new situation.
“I will text you.” Sehun took his phone back, pulling Jongin away he nodded to Kyungsoo as a gesture of farewell. The entire episode lasted less than two minutes, maybe three minutes if Kyungsoo was being generous, yet it had felt like an hour.
“I should have hit him.” Chanyeol whacked his fist into the palm of his hand, staring after Jongin.
“You have never fought anyone in your life, he would have creamed you.” Baekhyun patted Chanyeol on the back. “Just admit it, you are more a lover than a fighter.”
“Shut up, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol sent one more glare at Jongin’s back before turning to Kyungsoo. “Way to score his number, you tricky devil you.”
Kyungsoo closed his eyes tightly, exhaling as he let his shoulders fall. It was no use reiterating he hadn’t given Sehun his number because they were hooking up, hell, Chanyeol had been right there to hear the entire exchange. Sometimes his friends could be so horribly impossible to deal with.
part one ❀ | part two ❀ | final ❀
title: 1+1=Oh Sehun
prompt number: 70
rating: NC-17
other pairings involved: Chanyeol/Jongin
length: ~21.6k
summary: Kyungsoo has a love hate relationship with windows.
warnings: Underage handjob (under 18 but of consenting age), swearing, epic dance off
notes: Much love to the prompter for the amazing prompt!
part one ❀ | part two ❀ | final ❀
1+1=Oh Sehun (Part One)
Architects are assholes. Okay, maybe not architects. Maybe athletic planning committees or the school board or whoever thought it was a genius idea to stick a football field within perfect view of a classroom. Whoever that was, they were Do Kyungsoo’s enemy.
“Do Kyungsoo, would you like to solve the problem on the board?” Mrs. Oh, she was an enemy too.
“I am sure he would love to,” Baekhyun snickered. Baekhyun was also an enemy.
Another enemy, perhaps the worst of all, was clearly visible out the large classroom window. Enemy #1 was currently jogging slowly around the field, a lazy run that did nothing but show off how well his long legs carried him. He was taking it slow, like he always did, though one would never know it given the way he played. A star, ready for a full scholarship when the time came. Kyungsoo glared. Enemy #1 was such an effective enemy.
“Do Kyungsoo!” Mrs. Oh raised her voice a level to that pitch where everyone knew she was getting seriously annoyed. “The board!”
“On the board?” Kyungsoo finally answered, looking away from the window. His eyes widened as he stared at his math teacher, questioning, imploring - begging for mercy.
“Yes, as in the giant board in the front of the classroom you are sitting in. The giant board that you should have been paying attention to for the last half an hour.” Mrs. Oh smiled that sweet innocent smile that Kyungsoo knew hid her evil math teacher mind, a direct countermeasure to her heightened tones and short words.
Kyungsoo’s chair squeaked against the linoleum flooring as he stood, walking slowly to the front of the classroom. He hated this, having all eyes on him. And all eyes were currently on him, his classmates watching as he dragged his feet, painfully slow, making his way towards the chalkboard. A few of his classmates snickered, Kyungsoo didn’t have to guess who the ones laughing were.
A foreign language greeted him, all x and y and formulas and other mumbo jumbo already filling the chalkboard. Kyungsoo didn’t speak this language, not fluently, at least not this year. In his sophomore year, even his junior year he recalled speaking this language at least conversationally. Not now though, not since he took a seat near the window.
He picked up the piece of yellow chalk. Raising it to the board, he did the only thing he could think to do. He wrote a large question mark, his own attempt at this strange form of communication passing through what was already written there.
The class burst out laughing.
“I hope you like detention, Mr. Do.” Mrs. Oh shook her head, disappointed but not surprised.
Kyungsoo remained silent, knowing full well it wasn’t worth arguing. Disagreement would only earn more detention. Plus the room where detention was held didn’t have a view of the football field.
“Hey Kyungsoo!”
Kyungsoo ignored Chanyeol, preferring to pretend he was doing homework instead. Of course he wasn’t really doing homework, just staring at the sheet of math problems while he considered his poor life choices.
“Kyungsoo!”
Kyungsoo started writing, gibberish really. Best to look busy.
“Kyungsoo!”
Still writing.
“Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!”
“What?!” Kyungsoo snapped his head back, glaring.
“What is so interesting outside the window?” Chanyeol grinned. “Is it Sehun?”
“No!” Kyungsoo returned to his math problems. Why, of all the people in the school, did the most annoying ones always seem to be the most perceptive?
“Sehun is pretty cute but I doubt his mom likes you ignoring her class so you can stare at her son,” Chanyeol teased.
Kyungsoo ignored him. So what if it was the truth. It wasn’t that Kyungsoo wanted to be so…enraptured by Sehun. It wasn’t like he had planned it this way. It just happened. The first day of his senior math class he sat by the window, honestly paying attention to what Mrs. Oh had to say. Then he made the mistake of looking out the window.
Oh Sehun was a junior, a year below Kyungsoo. He was handsome, tall, outgoing, and popular. He was everything that Kyungsoo wasn’t. He was everything Kyungsoo usually avoided in crushes or…well, he was just something to avoid. Yet Kyungsoo couldn’t look away. The way Sehun ran around the field, practicing, his long legs and broad shoulders and - Kyungsoo was becoming a downright pervert.
“Another detention for ogling Sehun?” Jongdae dropped his backpack on the desk next to Kyungsoo, chuckling. Kyungsoo didn’t confirm or deny.
“Yep. He was pretty bad today,” Chanyeol piped up.
“I thought he was going to jump through the window,” Baekhyun chimed in.
Kyungsoo sighed. “What did you three do?”
“Chanyeol put a mouse in the teachers’ lounge and blamed us,” Jongdae explained. Kyungsoo wasn’t surprised. The three of them - Jongdae, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun - were usually in trouble for one thing or another. They were loud, proud, and well, hyper. The odd thing was that Kyungsoo didn’t dislike them. No, he actually considered them close friends. The four of them had gone to elementary school together, attended middle school together and suffered their awkward phases in tandem, and then trudged through high school as peers.
On weekends Kyungsoo went to Chanyeol’s house, Baekhyun and Jongdae never far behind. While Kyungsoo was more reserved and generally better with his academics (barring his math class) than the other three, they meshed well. They made an odd quartet, yet Kyungsoo was happy to have friends that were, well, different than he was in some ways. In other ways they were so similar it was scary.
“Eyes on your assignments.” Mrs. Oh entered the room, her stern words affecting the four. It was only the four of them in detention, which again was not a huge surprise.
After an hour sitting in silence Mrs. Oh called an end to the detention period, the four young men rushing through the door.
“Anyone up for some Diablo?” Baekhyun asked as they walked towards their lockers.
“With you, no.” Jongdae pushed Baekhyun playfully. “How much have you leveled up your character already? To level 100.”
“It only goes to level 70. Geez.” Baekhyun laughed.
“Still,” Jongdae slammed his locker door shut, “I am not playing with someone who is twice as powerful as my character.”
“Soo, up for some gaming?” Baekhyun turned to his next victim.
“No. I think I am going to watch movies tonight.” Kyungsoo gathered up his backpack.
“Another depressing movie marathon? Have fun.” Baekhyun snorted.
Kyungsoo would protest the descriptor of depressing movie marathon however it wasn’t really an incorrect statement. He liked to watch sad documentaries, emotionally charged dramas, and anything else that would have him reaching for a box of tissues and lying awake at night considering the question that was humanity.
“Oh…” Chanyeol gasped, the other three boys staring down the hall at whatever had startled him.
Kyungsoo gulped. The afternoon sun was filtering through the large windows on either side of the metal doors, playing on the cheap linoleum floors, haloing a silhouette. Broad shoulders, long legs. Oh Sehun.
“I’d do him,” Baekhyun murmured, Kyungsoo glaring at him.
Sehun was fast approaching and Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what to do. How to move. What to say. How to human.
“Is my mom still in the classroom?” Sehun stopped a few feet from Kyungsoo, looking a bit indifferent and bored and amazing and Kyungsoo wanted to scream.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo squeaked, surprised at how high pitched his voice sounded.
“Thanks.” Sehun walked towards the classroom. Kyungsoo could swear he smelled a heavy, manly scent as Sehun passed him.
Once the door to the classroom was shut, Sehun inside, Chanyeol started laughing. “Man, your crush on Sehun is worse than that time you wanted to marry the guy who ran the smoothie stand at the mall.”
Kyungsoo punched Chanyeol in the arm, biting his bottom lip as he considered why he made such foolish life choices.
The next day Kyungsoo found his day going from bad to worse, starting at lunch.
Kyungsoo tried not to stare, which was rather ironic given the fact he ended up staring a lot these days. He was seated at the lunch table, the one tucked into the corner with the well-known label of the “dork table” when he spotted Sehun’s best friend, Kim Jongin, jogging across the cafeteria.
Chanyeol, Jongdae, and Baekhyun didn’t seem to notice the tall football player tearing through the room; they were engrossed in discussing their recent trade of Magic cards.
Kyungsoo wondered what the junior was doing, it wasn’t his scheduled lunch period. Kyungsoo was well aware of the fact Jongin ate lunch with Sehun, at the cool kids table, the one that sat in the middle of the cafeteria (he happened to see them there one afternoon as he made a beeline for the restroom after eating Chanyeol’s homemade kimchi tuna rice burgers - which he could swear should have had a poison label on them).
Jongin was standing in the middle of the cafeteria, scanning the room like he was looking for someone. When he spotted Kyungsoo, their eyes meeting for a split second before Kyungsoo quickly looked away, he approached the table.
Kyungsoo swallowed hard, trying to keep calm, trying to figure out what Jongin wanted. It didn’t take long for him to find out, however, as Jongin reached the table quickly.
“Do Kyungsoo?”
Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Chanyeol stopped talking, staring up at Jongin like he was an alien species who had invaded their high school.
“Yes?” Kyungsoo squeaked.
“I found this in Mrs. Oh’s classroom and I believe it belongs to you.” Jongin held out a folded piece of paper. Kyungsoo snatched it away, realizing what it was. Jongin smirked, letting out a low laugh as he turned and left.
“What in the hell was that?” Baekhyun asked, glancing from Kyungsoo to Jongin’s retreating form.
“Nothing!” Kyungsoo slipped the paper in his pocket. Panic set in, followed quickly by intense embarrassment and outright horror. It wasn’t like he had thought it was a good idea at the time, but Sehun looked so - sketch worthy as he ran and Kyungsoo had a pencil in his hand and why was life so terrible?!
“You didn’t…” Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at Kyungsoo.
“Shut up!” Kyungsoo shoveled yogurt in his mouth, not wanting to talk about it.
“Wait, what am I missing?” Jongdae nudged Chanyeol.
“Kyungsoo, what is Jongdae missing?” Baekhyun crossed his arms, giving Kyungsoo a suspicious look.
“Fine, I was um, sketching and well…” Kyungsoo wanted to die of embarrassment but he knew if he didn’t say anything Baekhyun and Jongdae wouldn’t drop the subject.
“He was probably drawing Sehun naked or something,” Chanyeol added.
“No! I wasn’t. God, I hate you guys!” Kyungsoo was done talking to his three friends, thankfully they shut up after he offered his explanation. He definitely had not drawn Sehun naked. No, he had happened to draw a tall, broad shouldered football player jogging around a field but that could have been anyone really…What if Jongin had shown it to Sehun? What if…what if ….Sehun probably knew and everything was terrible and…what if Mrs. Oh saw it and…
“I am not hungry anymore.” Kyungsoo hated life.
The afternoon dragged on, Kyungsoo considering what to do if Sehun had found out about his crush. Would he have to transfer schools? Would Sehun confront him about his weirdo crush before he could fill out transfer paperwork?! Why was life so terrible and hard and stupid?! And then there was Mrs. Oh requesting Kyungsoo to drop by her classroom after his last class of the day. Maybe she was going to yell at him for sexually harassing her son by ogling him during math class. Kyungsoo was feeling close to a nervous breakdown when he walked into Mrs. Oh’s classroom - and had to hold it all in lest he collapse from fright and terror.
Sehun. Oh Sehun was sitting at one of the desks, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He looked lazy and tall and…Kyungsoo hated the fact that no matter how terrified he was he couldn’t stop himself from staring.
“Kyungsoo.” Mrs. Oh sounded too cheery, it made Kyungsoo nervous. The woman was probably attempting to appear accommodating and pleasant before she accused him of harassing Sehun and threatened a lawsuit, Kyungsoo knew it. “Please, sit.”
Kyungsoo sat one desk length away from Sehun. Clasping his hands tightly he decided he would bear it like a man, whatever she had to say, however messy the conversation got, however many threats were hurled his way.
“Kyungsoo, I asked you to drop by because I have a proposition to make.”
Kyungsoo was sure his eyes had grown two sizes. Proposition? Would she tell him he had to leave the school? Was she…demanding he leave? Was she asking to settle the harassment lawsuit out of court?
“Your finals are coming up and you cannot afford to fail, as I am sure you are well aware based on your midterm grade. Kyungsoo, my son Sehun has offered to tutor you. He is in college level math courses right now, in case you are going to protest his grade level.” Mrs. Oh was still being nice.
Kyungsoo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Tutoring?”
“Yes. I believe that you have quite a bit to catch up on if you hope to pass this class. I know you have set your academic goals rather high, and honestly I am worried about how failing your senior mathematics course may affect your chances at gaining entry to the college of your choice.” Mrs. Oh added, “Kyungsoo, I want to help you and I think some added tutoring may be what you need to succeed.”
“I…” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how to talk, how to answer, how to -human.
“It isn’t a problem for me, if you are willing,” Sehun drawled, which made Kyungsoo conjure images that fit with the word willing and suddenly he was blushing.
“Sure. Yes. Fine,” Kyungsoo blurted out, wanting the entire awkward meeting to be over.
“Very good, you two can work out whatever schedule works the best for you.” Mrs. Oh moved to take a seat behind her desk. “I really think this is what you need, Kyungsoo.”
Kyungsoo nodded dumbly.
“I am free tomorrow evening if you are. Five o’clock? We could meet here,” Sehun offered, Kyungsoo agreeing hurriedly.
“I…have to go.” Kyungsoo stood up, having to consciously stop himself from running from the room. He muttered a quick thanks before retreating as quickly as he could without coming off like an even bigger weirdo.
Once he was halfway down the hall he burst into a jog, not slowing down until he was in front of his locker, his breathing ragged. Baekhyun picked that moment to appear, having just finished up his latest round of detention with the science teacher Mr. Kim.
“You okay there?” Baekhyun took in Kyungsoo’s disheveled appearance, his flushed face and ragged breathing and blurted out, “Did you just make out with someone?!”
“No!” Kyungsoo slammed his locker shut, stomping off towards the exit. What a horrible, no good, terrible day.
The day was torturously long. Kyungsoo found his attention span nonexistent as he flitted from one class to the next. Lunch dragged on as well, Jongdae dominating the conversation as he relayed his near “would have totally been” success at asking out the cute redhead from his gym class. Kyungsoo was barely listening, Chanyeol and Baekhyun shooting him questioning looks in between making fun of Jongdae’s failed love life.
Five o’clock came slowly, Kyungsoo milling around his locker after classes ended, attempting to mentally prepare himself for time alone with Sehun.
“Staying late today, Soo?” Chanyeol asked, slamming his locker shut and leaning against it as he eyed Kyungsoo up and down like he could discern his secret by sight alone.
“I…have tutoring.”
“Tutoring? The great and mighty Kyungsoo has tutoring?” Chanyeol guffawed, Kyungsoo reaching out and landing a punch on his arm.
“Ouch!” Chanyeol rubbed his arm and feigned a hurt expression. “Is it for math class?”
Kyungsoo nodded, knowing full well that his friend knew that his grades were excellent in every class but Mrs. Oh’s accursed numbers-torture-horrible-hour.
“Who is your tutor? Anyone I know? Anyone cute?”
“I am not telling you,” Kyungsoo answered firmly.
“No..NO!” Chanyeol, of course, was easy to figure out the only person Kyungsoo would care to hide as his tutor. “But he is a junior?!”
“He is in advanced math class,” Kyungsoo muttered, staring at the cheap linoleum floor. “If you tell Baek and Jongdae I will kill you.”
Chanyeol mimed locking his lips and throwing away the key, adding a cheesy wink. “Just remember to focus on your math, young man.”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, deciding he was done with the conversation, and he wandered towards Mrs. Oh’s classroom. Peeking his head inside he found the classroom deserted. He was secretly relieved that he wouldn’t have to sit with Mrs. Oh in awkward silence, or worse yet engage in awkward conversation.
Kyungsoo, by habit, took his seat by the window. Looking out on the field he saw that the soccer team was warming up by running laps. Finding nothing - or more accurately - no one of interest he decided to get his textbook and notes out in an attempt to appear studious when Sehun arrived. He was halfway through the latest math assignment, none of which he had solved, all of which he had decided was written in an evil foreign language, when Sehun showed up.
“Working hard already, I see.” Sehun slung his backpack over the back of the desk chair, plopping down next to Kyungsoo with a thud. “Sorry if I am late.”
“No problem.” Kyungsoo smiled at his paper, not bothering to look at Sehun much less the clock to confirm the younger man was actually late.
Sehun pulled out a pencil and scratch paper and leaned over to look at Kyungsoo’s math homework. Kyungsoo swallowed hard, awkwardly contorting so he was as far away from Sehun as possible. He still wasn’t looking at Sehun so he missed the way Sehun raised an eyebrow at the way Kyungsoo distanced himself.
“What in particular is giving you trouble?” Sehun asked, perusing the paper.
“Ev..everything,” Kyungsoo managed to speak, which was sort of a huge accomplishment considering his crush was inches away from him. Sehun was so close Kyungsoo could smell his cologne, or what he assumed was cologne. It was musky and manly and Kyungsoo suddenly wanted to bury his face in Sehun’s shirt and never let go. Kyungsoo was having a definite mental conflict that he wasn’t sure he was going to overcome, at least not in the way he hoped.
“Then we shall start with the beginning of everything.” Sehun motioned towards Kyungsoo’s textbook. “Can I see that? I want to give you a few problems to see exactly what you are having troubles with.”
Kyungsoo handed the textbook over, accidentally making eye contact and he looked away quickly.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes.” Kyungsoo couldn’t explain that no, he wasn’t feeling okay. He was sweating profusely and his heart was racing and he wanted to puke. That might be weird.
Sehun flipped through the textbook, writing down sample problems. Kyungsoo found that as more time passed in Sehun’s company his nerves eased slightly. Focusing on the sample problems helped his state of duress even more, abetting the sick feeling in his stomach as his attention was drawn to not looking like a total idiot in front of Sehun.
Kyungsoo found that Sehun was a patient tutor, correcting his mistakes with easy to understand explanations. As the minutes ticked by Kyungsoo started to feel completely at ease - as long as he didn’t make eye contact of course.
“Oh, wow, I didn’t realize it was already six.” Sehun chuckled. “I was having so much fun.”
“You are lying,” Kyungsoo muttered, but honestly he hadn’t realized an entire hour had passed either.
“No, I am not. You are really easy to tutor. You seem to pick everything up really well.” Sehun sounded, dare Kyungsoo imagine it, excited. “Should we meet tomorrow night?”
Kyungsoo nodded rapidly. Now that he was no longer focused on his math assignment his anxiety started to return.
“Good, then see you around, Kyungsoo.” Sehun left first, Kyungsoo hanging back a few minutes in fear that he would somehow catch up with Sehun and be forced into a conversation he was too nervous to have.
When Kyungsoo got home that evening he made a beeline for his bedroom, ignoring his younger sister’s ramblings about her day and he plopped face first onto his bed. Had he really survived an entire hour in Sehun’s company without making a total fool of himself? Maybe life wasn’t so bad after all.
The next tutoring session found Kyungsoo daring, in between problems, to sneak peeks at Sehun here and there. He had never really seen Sehun up close, or noticed how much more handsome he was when he was only inches away. The sharp line of his jaw and the way he pursed his lips when he was concentrating were beautiful, at least in Kyungsoo’s mind.
Halfway through the tutoring session Sehun leaned back in his chair, sighing. “I am hungry. Do you want a snack?”
“A snack?” Kyungsoo asked dumbly, as though he didn’t know the word.
Sehun riffled through his backpack pulling out a bag of gummy bears. “I like sweets,” he explained as he set the bag down in the middle of the long desk. “Help yourself.”
Kyungsoo was cautious as he reached forward and plucked one of the gummy candies from the bag. He liked sweets too and his stomach had started to rumble; he hadn’t eaten since lunch. He popped the candy into his mouth, relishing the sugary treat.
“Hey, has anyone ever told you that your lips look like hearts. I mean, are heart shaped.” Sehun cocked his head forward to get a better look at Kyungsoo’s lips.
Kyungsoo was horrified at the comment, feeling the heat rise up in his cheeks and he directed his attention towards the window. “No, no one has ever told me that.” It was a lie. Baekhyun had told him that, well - made fun of him for it. Something along the lines of, “Dude, is that like a deformity or something?”
“That is cool, I mean, your lips are nice.” Sehun stopped staring and went back to the math assignment, shifting to calculations so easily that Kyungsoo was taken aback. Had he been ogling his lips?! Sehun had been ogling his lips and then went back to talking about x and y this and that like it was the most normal thing in the world to tell someone their lips are nice?! What in the fresh hell?!
Kyungsoo couldn’t concentrate for the remaining twenty minutes of their tutoring session, too focused on what Sehun had said. Was it a joke or what did it mean…did it have to mean anything? Kyungsoo was so frustrated with his own inner monologue that he found himself considering how much it would hurt if he punched himself in the face. Thankfully he held back from getting in a fist fight with himself, giving Sehun the cursory nod at the suggestion they meet again on Monday.
Later that evening Kyungsoo sifted through his thoughts concerning the compliment, if it could be called that. Kyungsoo decided quickly that Sehun wasn’t paying him a compliment for anything other than friendly reasons - or maybe polite reasons. They weren’t really friends, just student and tutor. The thought of Sehun liking him in any other way was laughable.
Then it occurred to Kyungsoo, yet again, that his sketch of Sehun may have reached the man himself before Jongin had returned it. He found himself punching his pillow, hating life again.
“So how is tutoring with Mr.. Dreamboat going?” Chanyeol clasped his hand over his mouth as soon as he said it, realizing too late that he wasn’t supposed to be talking about Kyungsoo’s tutor in the presence of others.
“Mr. Dreamboat?” Baekhyun was quick to pry, having suspected something was up with Kyungsoo for the last few days. One glance at Kyungsoo’s flushed face and Chanyeol’s look of abject terror and Baekhyun put two and two together. “Noooooo, you have to be kidding! Sehun is your math tutor?! Bahahahaha!”
“Chanyeol, come here.” Kyungsoo was using his calm voice, the kind that instilled fear in his soon to be victims. Chanyeol had enough sense to run around the bench, out of reach of the small ball of fury that was intent on inflicting pain.
Baekhyun watched in amusement as Kyungsoo caught Chanyeol, forcing him back down on the bench with a pinch to the back of his neck. Chanyeol let the word sorry fly half a dozen times before Kyungsoo let him go.
“How have you managed to hide your hard on during your tutoring sessions?” Baekhyun took a sip of his smoothie, the noise of the thick strawberry concoction through the straw loud and annoying.
Kyungsoo didn’t think the question justified an answer, only a death look which he quickly served up.
“I bet he smells like baby powder, manliness, and dreams.” Baekhyun cooed, really laying it on thick. “Does he?”
Another glare.
“Fine, suit yourself. I will smell him myself.” Baekhyun pouted. Chanyeol didn’t dare say another word, knowing he was already in more trouble with Kyungsoo than he was comfortable with.
Kyungsoo stretched his back, feeling very tense. Stupid Chanyeol and his forgetfulness. He picked up the smoothie cup he had discarded on the ground when he had went after Chanyeol, taking a loud slurp as he tried to calm down. The day hadn’t exactly been a restful one, which he had kind of expected when he had given in to Jongdae’s pleas to go to the mall with the three of them. “You need to relax, come on it will be fun. All you do anymore is stare - I mean, look pissed.”
A Saturday afternoon at the mall was not Kyungsoo’s idea of a good time. He hated being anywhere that was overflowing with so many people, most of whom were outwardly annoying at first glance. The mall was a place for people like Sehun or Jongin to hang out at, not a place where Kyungsoo found a good time. In fact it was the antithesis of what he and his group of friends stood for - other than of course the largest gaming store in town. It was amazing what lengths they would go to if magic cards or dungeons and dragons handbooks were involved.
“What is taking Jongdae so long? Did he get mangled by teddy bears or something?” Chanyeol craned his neck out, looking towards the stuffed animal making shop that Jongdae was visiting. He needed to make a present for his niece. The sight of the place had the other three guys retreating, too much pink and happiness for their comfort.
“Maybe he finally managed to pick somebody up.” Baekhyun kept a straight face long enough to deliver the words, then broke into a fit of laughter alongside Chanyeol.
“I don’t see you two with dates,” Kyungsoo reminded them, rolling his eyes.
“At least we aren’t borderline stalking some younger dude.” Baekhyun winked at Kyungsoo.
“Shut up.” Kyungsoo wasn’t stalking Sehun. No…he was just…staring a lot and fixated on him every second of every day. That wasn’t stalking, no, normal crush behavior. Completely normal.
“Here comes Romeo.” Chanyeol smirked at the sight of Jongdae running from the store, the plastic bag containing whatever plush monstrosity he had created swinging violently as he ran.
“Soo, guess who I just saw.” Jongdae was out of breath as he stopped in front of Kyungsoo, panting hard he relayed his encounter. “Your boy toy is making a stuffed bear. A pink bear!”
“So?” Kyungsoo tried to seem disinterested, but Baekhyun wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Um, Jongdae, he isn’t his boy toy. He is his naughty tutor,” Baekhyun corrected Jongdae.
“Tutor?” Jongdae had the same reaction Baekhyun had, minus the comment about hiding his boner. “Seriously?”
“Red alert, red alert, red alert!” Chanyeol started squawking loudly, nodding with his head towards the direction Jongdae had come from. Jongdae promptly whirled around, uttered a curse word, and took a seat next to Kyungsoo. The entire scene probably looked suspicious as hell.
Kyungsoo found time slowing down- like a cliché stupid romance movie or something- as Oh Sehun approached. He hoped he hadn’t seen him sitting there, didn’t hear anything about a naughty tutor or…
“Hey.” Sehun waved. Oh Sehun fucking waved. Kyungsoo stared, not moving, until Jongdae nudged him so hard he remembered to wave back.
Thankfully Sehun didn’t stop, he kept walking, and thankfully Kyungsoo remembered how to breathe after Sehun disappeared from sight.
“Hey.” Baekhyun mimed. “I take back what I said earlier. I bet he smells like sex.”
“Like you know what that smells like.” Jongdae argued, Kyungsoo drowning out their banter. Oh Sehun had just said hi to him. In a public place. What is life?
“Wonder if he was buying that bear for someone special.” Chanyeol spoke his thoughts aloud, Jongdae shushing him. “Dude, not cool.”
Kyungsoo wished Chanyeol hadn’t said that, his mind suddenly asking the questions he should probably have asked before. Like was Sehun dating someone? Or interested in someone? No, it didn’t matter, because it wasn’t like Kyungsoo would ever date him. He could buy pink bears for whoever he wanted. Yes, it was fine. Totally fine. Kyungsoo was one million percent fine.
Maybe.
Kyungsoo spent the rest of his weekend shifting between deep depression and mild annoyance, blowing off a movie night with the guys for a pouting session alone in his room. When Monday rolled around Kyungsoo was actually looking forward to it, even if it did mean having to see Sehun. He just wanted something to occupy his mind; all of the time alone was making him crazy.
During Mrs. Oh’s math class Kyungsoo stared glumly out the window, the image of a pink bear dancing in his mind. Stupid pink bear. Stupid pink bear and stupid Oh Sehun buying the stupid pink bear. When the class period ended Kyungsoo realized he hadn’t heard a word of the lesson of the day, which was kind of a vicious cycle. The less he learned, the more he ignored because he was too caught up thinking about Sehun, which meant the more he would need to be tutored by Sehun. Why was life so cruel?
Kyungsoo moped through the morning, managing to take half assed notes for the rest of his classes while imagining himself punching pink teddy bears. When lunch hour arrived he found that he was happy to see his friends. Their nonsensical arguments would be a welcome diversion to his own mental prison. He was almost to the cafeteria, finally about to find some sort of relief, when he heard someone call his name. Turning around he was faced with Kim Jongin, walking towards him.
“Hey, shorty.” Jongin flashed his pearly whites, which Kyungsoo assumed was supposed to counter the very rude name he had just directed at Kyungsoo. “Got a second to talk?”
“Sure.” Kyungsoo found anxiety coursing through him as he followed the junior to a corner of the hallway, desperately trying to figure out what Kim Jongin could possibly have to talk to him about.
“I heard Sehun is tutoring you.” Jongin crossed his arms, leaning against the wall he appeared both bored and intimidating at the same time. “I need you to tell him to stop.”
“What?” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he understood.
“He has been shit at evening practice lately and I don’t doubt it has something to do with the extra workload of tutoring your sorry ass right before he has to gear up. You are a distraction he doesn’t need. Besides, it isn’t like it is his fault you are failing…oh, well, maybe he has some responsibility. But it isn’t his fault you are a weirdo.”
Kyungsoo realized then and there that any hope that he would ever think Jongin was a nice guy, maybe a tad bit misunderstood, someone who perhaps said mean things now and then but was hiding a heart of gold - was dashed. Kim Jongin was an asshole.
“Who are you calling a weirdo, you…sporty freak..you?!” Chanyeol stuttered as he delivered the insult, not able to hold back when he spotted Kyungsoo standing and talking to Jongin, overhearing the junior’s biting words to his friend.
“This doesn’t concern you,” Jongin drawled, looking disinterested at the person who had just joined the conversation.
“I think it does, considering you are treating my friend like crap.” Chanyeol stood straight, trying to appear even taller than he already was.
Kyungsoo grabbed Chanyeol’s arm, dragging him towards the cafeteria. “Come on, let’s go.”
“He called you a weirdo!” Chanyeol protested.
“Let it go!” Kyungsoo shouted, finally convincing Chanyeol to drop the matter, at least where confronting Kim Jongin was concerned. Once they had their lunches and had taken a seat at their usual table, Baekhyun and Jongdae already there, Chanyeol launched into a play by play of what had just happened.
Kyungsoo stabbed his lunch with his fork, violently taking his frustrations out on his vegetables. If Jongin knew he stared at Sehun, which had been implied when he found the sketch Kyungsoo had so stupidly dropped, then had he told Sehun? Had they talked about Kyungsoo, mocking him in secret, joking about how he was strange and a freak and probably a stalker? The entire time that Sehun had sat with him had he been thinking of Kyungsoo as a sort of freak? Kyungsoo felt tears threaten to spill at the thought.
“Hey, hey.” Baekhyun noticed the signs of Kyungsoo about to spill tears, reaching over he put an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Just forget what that jerk said.”
Kyungsoo nodded, swallowing back the tears. He wouldn’t cry, not in the crowded lunch room. He managed to hold back through lunch, through his afternoon classes, letting his despair morph into anger over how big of a tool Kim Jongin was. By the time five o’clock rolled around Kyungsoo was feeling angrier and less sad. Whether that trend would continue through his tutoring session with Sehun remained to be seen.
When Kyungsoo arrived at the classroom he found Mrs. Oh sitting behind her desk, grading papers. “Kyungsoo!” The teacher looked positively excited to see him. “How is tutoring going?”
“Good, I think.” Kyungsoo hadn’t had a quiz since his tutoring had started. While he was understanding the previous assignments more than he had, he was in no way caught up to where the class was.
“Great to hear!” Mrs. Oh smiled sweetly. “I think this arrangement is good for both of you.”
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that. Good for both of them? Mrs. Oh elaborated: “I probably shouldn’t say this, but Sehun has been a bit lost lately, hanging out some bad influences, that sort of thing. I have noticed a change in him already, and he just started tutoring you. I think you are just what he needs.”
Kyungsoo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was just what Sehun needed? He wanted to laugh maniacally but decided against making the teacher think he was insane - it was bad enough Sehun and Jongin probably already thought so.
Sehun walked into the classroom, saying hi to his mom and ending anymore of the woman’s talk about how lost he was of late.
“Where is the bear?” Sehun stared at the desk, pursing his lips.
“Bear?” Mrs. Oh appeared confused, then placed a hand on her forehead, flinching. “I am so sorry dear! I forgot it at home. I will bring it tomorrow.”
Sehun seemed happy with the answer, taking a seat next to Kyungsoo after a muttered hello. The pair launched into math problems, Mrs. Oh leaving a few minutes after they began, telling Sehun she would see him at home.
Kyungsoo concentrated on the formulas before him, not wanting to consider that Sehun was probably thinking of him as some weirdo, maybe even laughing at him to Jongin after their tutoring sessions.
“Kyungsoo.”
The way Sehun said his name was…soft, maybe uneasy. “Yes?” Kyungsoo didn’t make eye contact, not daring to see mockery that he imagined was present in Sehun’s gaze.
“I am really pissed that Jongin did that to you earlier. Sorry, my friend is an idiot.”
Kyungsoo had not been expecting that. “Oh.”
“He gets really weird when it comes to football. When he told me he had asked you to drop tutoring I wanted to punch him, no lie. I like tutoring you and it is no business of his.”
Oh. Well…Kyungsoo had to remember to breathe. Was this, wait what was this?
“He is kind of my only friend, so I put up with him. I hope you know I don’t think the same way.”
Kyungsoo couldn’t help but turn and look at Sehun, too surprised that Mr. Popular had called Jongin his only friend. “But aren’t you super popular?”
Sehun laughed. Dragging his hand through his hair, in a show that had Kyungsoo wishing he hadn’t looked, Sehun shook his head. “I don’t know why you think that. I mean, I don’t really hang out with anyone other than Jongin.”
“I guess I just thought…” Kyungsoo really wished his mouth would stop.
“I was thinking maybe you and I should hang out sometime. If you want - no pressure. You just seem like a cool guy and Jongin pisses me off a lot anymore.”
Kyungsoo wondered if the water he had been sipping was laced with a hallucinogen. Was Sehun, Oh Sehun of the long legs and perfect - well, everything - asking to hang out with him? Was Oh Sehun telling him Jongin was an asshole and that they should be friends? This couldn’t be real.
“Just forget I said anything.” Sehun looked dejected, Kyungsoo wide eyed and surprised quickly tried to rectify the situation.
“No! I mean yes! We can hang out, if you want.”
Sehun smiled widely. “Great! Are you free after tutoring tomorrow?”
Tomorrow? Kyungsoo wanted to laugh maniacally. Yes, he was free - but was he mentally prepared to spend more time alone with Oh Sehun? Probably not. “Sure, tomorrow, great.”
Sehun seemed happy with the answer, smiling broadly as he returned to explaining what Kyungsoo needed to work on after reviewing his latest math exercises. Kyungsoo should feel happy considering his crush had just invited him to hang out, but instead of being overjoyed he was terrified. Completely and utterly terrified.
When six o’clock rolled around Kyungsoo found himself leaving first, needing to desperately extract himself from the atmosphere that was Oh Sehun and his strange request to be friends.
“Nice try, but you honestly think that your prayer from five weeks ago is going to protect you against a Death Knight hoard?” Jongdae rolled his eyes. “Byun Baekhyun, sometimes I think you mistook the paladin class for a playable god.”
“Listen, nerdboy, I know more about the paladin class than you ever will,” Baekhyun shot back, picking up a handful of popcorn and threatening to toss it at Jongdae.
“Then why aren’t you the dungeon master?” Jongdae countered, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
“I could be! Probably better than you!” Baekhyun stood up, placing his hands on his hips, and he glared at Jongdae.
“Soo, you want a soda? And by want I mean do you want to take a breather while these two morons fight it out?” Chanyeol whispered to Kyungsoo, knowing full well it would be another fifteen minutes before Jongdae and Baekhyun settled their differences and game play could resume. Kyungsoo nodded, not really in the mood to listen to his two friends throw every game rule they could recall at each other until one of them finally caved in.
Kyungsoo followed Chanyeol to his kitchen - well, his parents’ kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Park were having a date night, which led Chanyeol to invite his friends over for a weekday Dungeons and Dragons session. The game wouldn’t go on as long as if it was the weekend but they were still resolved to get a few hours of gaming in.
“Grape soda okay?” Chanyeol held one up, the other half of him hidden by the fridge door. “Sorry, it is the only thing my mom buys anymore.”
Kyungsoo took the soda, cracked it open and took a sip.
“So how was tutoring?” Chanyeol added, “Do I need to kick Mr. Dream Boat’s ass like I did with his punk friend?”
“You didn’t kick Jongin’s ass.”
“I could have!” Chanyeol shut the fridge door, walking over to the counter he jumped up to sit on it. “You seem like you are in a better mood though…”
Chanyeol was fishing for information and by all rules of common sense Kyungsoo should have kept quiet. Yet he really needed someone to talk to. “Sehun said he yelled at Jongin for his comment.”
“Oh?!” Chanyeol whistled. “Maybe he is Mr. Dream Boat.”
“Please don’t call him that.”
“Fine, sex on legs.” Chanyeol paused for a moment, waiting for Kyungsoo to hit him. When the smaller boy did not throw a punch he continued. “It still seems like something is wrong... You didn’t even cast the acid splash spell on Baekhyun once, and by all accounts he was being super annoying. You love that spell - I know something is going on, Soo, so spill it. Tell Chanyeol what is troubling you.”
The sounds of Jongdae and Baekhyun arguing could be heard from the dining room. Kyungsoo sighed, knowing it would be awhile before their game would resume. In short, concise sentences, he detailed what was eating at him: his fear that Sehun had seen the sketch, knew about Kyungsoo’s mega crush, and maybe even laughed at him behind his back.
“If you creep him out then why would he yell at Jongin for telling you to quit tutoring?” Chanyeol was confused. “I think you are reading this all wrong.”
Kyungsoo needed to hear that validation, it really did help to have his friend point out something he should probably have seen as obvious. Yet…there was still another problem.
“There is something else.” Kyungsoo hesitated telling Chanyeol everything that had happened earlier that day, knowing he would make a huge deal out of it. Yet…“He wants to hang out. He wants to hang out WITH ME.”
“Like a date?!” Chanyeol clapped his hands furiously, morphing into a teenage girl who just found out her favorite actress was marrying a prince or something. “YOU ARE GOING ON A DATE WITH OH SEHUN?!”
“What? No, not a date!” Kyungsoo protested, but it was already too late. Somehow, in some magical way, Jongdae and Baekhyun had heard Chanyeol’s shouts over their own argument. The pounding of footsteps and a few seconds later and there were two more teenage boys exclaiming, “YOU HAVE A DATE WITH OH SEHUN?!”
“NO! IT IS NOT A DATE!” Kyungsoo exhaled, frustrated. “We are going to hang out. IT IS A HANG-OUT! NOT A DATE! I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“You got those two to stop arguing so I think you did a good thing,” Chanyeol offered, Baekhyun and Jongdae shooting him dirty looks in tandem.
“What are you going to wear?” Jongdae looked thoughtful. “You should probably buy new clothes.”
“I can do your eyeliner if you want? I got really good at it when I dressed in drag last Halloween,” Baekhyun added.
“If you need any tips on how to get in his pants I am your man,” Chanyeol piped up.
“NO, NO, NO!” Kyungsoo felt like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “It is friendly, not romantic. I don’t even know what we are doing yet. “
“I suggest you do each other.” Jongdae snickered, Baekhyun high fiving him for his lame joke.
“Can we get back to the game?” Kyungsoo tossed his empty soda can in the recyclable, stalking into the dining room, no longer feeling the need to stay and talk about his future hangout date - time, he meant time - with Sehun.
Chanyeol hopped down from the counter, hooking an arm around each of the other two boys and he dragged them towards the dining room. “Come on, if we wait any longer I think Soo is going to burn down my house.”
Kyungsoo didn’t have to pick out what to wear for his hangout with Sehun, resulting in a very disappointed Jongdae. “Seriously, you don’t even get to put on tight jeans and be a tease?” Jongdae had tsked the situation over lunch, disappointed that Sehun and Kyungsoo would be going right from school - in their uniforms - to wherever they were going to “friend hangout, I said it IS NOT A DATE! NOT A DATE!”
On the other hand Kyungsoo was relieved he had one less thing to obsess over. He was already on pins and needles about everything else - his hair, his demeanor, if Sehun was only toying with him and other such totally minor things that had him feeling like he wanted to throw up every five minutes. By the time five o’clock rolled around Kyungsoo was in need of a drink, and he had never sipped liquor in his life.
“We should cut out early.” Sehun and his smile and suggestion they hurry up and get out of there was certainly not helping Kyungsoo’s frame of mind either. A mumbled agreement and forty minutes of math problems later and Sehun was snapping Kyungsoo’s textbook shut. “I think we did enough for today, don’t you?”
Kyungsoo nodded dumbly, collecting his things and following sex on legs - Sehun, he meant Sehun - out of the classroom.
“Do you like coffee?” Sehun asked lazily as they walked down the hall, Kyungsoo trying to keep up with Sehun’s long strides.
“Yes.” Kyungsoo hated coffee, loathed it, but he really didn’t want to admit the fact at the moment.
“Great, I know a little café a few blocks away. We could go hang out there.” Sehun ended up ordering bubble tea, not coffee, which made Kyungsoo feel like a fool for having immediately asked for the bitter iced Americano. Maintaining a straight face while he slurped up the bitter liquid, Kyungsoo fidgeted in his seat. He was sitting across from Sehun. In a public place.
“I hope this isn’t weird.”
“No!” Kyungsoo thought it was weird, really awkward and uncomfortable and he had no idea why Sehun would ever want to hang out with him to begin with.
“Are you part of that group that are always playing with those cards?”
Kyungsoo considered drowning himself in what was left of his Americano. Was Sehun asking about Magic Cards? Oh…..this was not good. “Um, well…” Kyungsoo cleared his throat, twirling the straw between his fingers he tried to think fast. “My friends like that game.”
“Is it with wizards, warriors, that sort of thing?”
Kyungsoo nodded, wanting to cry.
“I don’t usually play tabletop games, or cards. Usually just video games - last summer I developed a bad addiction to Skyrim.”
Kyungsoo was sure that love at first sight was a myth, because love only came after the guy you had been crushing on for months took you out for a horrible tasting drink and then admitted he liked role playing games. Yes, that was the magic moment, the moment when the sun shone around the beautiful blonde, tall and athletic Oh Sehun - the moment when Kyungsoo couldn’t look away even if the building was burning down around him. “You like Skyrim?”
“Yeah. Do you?”
“I play here and there.” Play it cool Kyungsoo, don’t let the embodiment of human perfection know how perfect he truly is. Play it cool.
“Before bed I try to sneak in a FPS game here and there.” Sehun took a long drink of his bubble tea, pulling out his phone he started fiddling with it. A few seconds later he was holding up a note on his phone. “I keep track of everything I have won, mostly because it pisses Jongin off.”
Kyungsoo was sure that there were stars in his eyes as he looked at the list, Sehun beaming proudly at his video game accomplishments. “You probably think I am weird, huh.”
“No! Not at all.” Kyungsoo wanted to laugh at how stupid Sehun’s question was.
“Do you like playing two player games? You could come over this weekend if you want. My Mom is going to be out of town so the house will be quiet.”
Mom.out.of.town.Come.Over. Kyungsoo swallowed, hard. “That would be great.”
“So what do you like to do, Kyungsoo?” Sehun was holding the cup of bubble tea in both hands, hands that Kyungsoo couldn’t help but glance at. Big hands. It was getting hard to focus.
“I…” Kyungsoo looked away, trying to regain his composure. “Normal stuff. Watch movies, fail math class, that sort of thing?” Oh my god, did he just try to make a joke?! Kyungsoo blanched, waiting for Sehun’s response.
A laugh. Sehun laughed, Kyungsoo felt immediate relief. “Well I hope I am helping with at least one of your hobbies.”
“You are. Thanks, by the way. If I haven’t said so already.” Kyungsoo managed to make eye contact again, fighting the urge to focus on Sehun’s hands.
“My mom said you are starting to show some improvement.” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if Sehun was boasting or showing pride in Kyungsoo’s ability to grasp the lessons now that he had one-on-one tutoring.
“I am trying.”
“I can tell.” Sehun smiled and Kyungsoo stared. Why did he always stare?
They spent almost an hour making small talk, Sehun doing most of the talking, Kyungsoo most of the listening. Sehun shared that he was growing bored with football, but he thought his mom would kill him if he quit, not to mention the fact Jongin would probably disown him as a friend if he dared to drop the sport. Kyungsoo shared that he really wasn’t into sports, which didn’t earn any teasing from Sehun, which Kyungsoo was thankful for. Sehun explained that he was in advanced English classes too and could graduate that year if he chose, but he didn’t want to cut his high school experience short. Kyungsoo mentioned a few schools he was thinking about applying to - and the fact he better apply to soon. Sehun gave him a “fighting”.
A causal “see you around” later (once Sehun realized his mom would kill him if he wasn’t home for dinner) and Kyungsoo was watching broad shoulders and long legs as Sehun elegantly strolled from the café. Kyungsoo wanted to remember that moment - because it was the first time he remembered feeling like he had a remote chance with Sehun, even if thinking so might be the most foolish thing he had ever thought in his life.
It wasn’t like it wasn’t already a well-established fact that Sehun turned him into a fool.
“Really?! Not a date my ass.” Baekhyun, hands on hips, wouldn’t give in.
“It wasn’t a date!” Kyungsoo repeated for the hundredth time. He had said so in writing - fielding half a dozen texts from his three friends the night before - most of which focused on anatomical questions involving Sehun and his dick. Now, sitting around the quad before classes started, Kyungsoo was facing a verbal onslaught of doubt over his lack of romantic escapades with Sehun the night before.
“I can’t believe you would go out with him and not jump him.” Jongdae slumped down on the bench, sighing. “Soo, you bring shame on us all.”
“Like you would have made a move?! We went to a coffee shop, what was I supposed to do - snog him in the middle of the shop?!” Kyungsoo threw his hands up, his frustrations getting the better of him. It was poor timing, just as he was belittling his friend’s for their comments about Sehun the man himself came walking across the quad, Jongin’s arm loosely slung over his shoulders.
Sehun waved, the same little friendly wave he had given when Kyungsoo had seen him at the mall the weekend before. Kyungsoo dropped his hands in horror, hoping Sehun hadn’t overheard the phrase “snog in him the middle of the shop”. Plastering a smile on his face he offered a small wave in return, noticing the way Jongin scowled at him in turn.
“I hate that guy,” Chanyeol muttered under his breath, clearly referring to Sehun’s best friend. Kyungsoo was thankful Chanyeol didn’t speak too loudly once it was clear that Sehun and Jongin were not passing by - they were making their way over to where Kyungsoo and his friends sat.
Jongin removed his arm from Sehun’s shoulders, deciding instead to cross his arms and give off a fighting stance, his distaste with Kyungsoo and his friends evident in his scowl. Sehun, on the other hand, was all easy going smiles.
“I am going to be a little late to tutoring today, I need to meet with the football coach first.” Sehun’s announcement gave Jongin reason to assume a told-you-so expression, which he promptly directed at Kyungsoo. Of course, tutoring was in the way of Sehun and football.
“Th- that’s fine.” Kyungsoo stumbled over his words, Jongin’s dislike getting the better of him.
“Can I have your number? I will text you when I am almost done so you know when to meet me.” Sehun pulled his phone from his pocket, holding it out to Kyungsoo. It was a sensible request, not at all screaming of dating or hooking up or anything of the sort - yet Kyungsoo knew his three friends were probably mentally screaming at the moment.
Kyungsoo took the phone, punching his number in and saving it under the rather plain and boring reality of his first name. He wasn’t going to try to act cute and save his number as a nickname. He didn’t have the guts to do anything like that to be honest.
“Can’t he just wait for you?” Jongin grumbled as Kyungsoo finished up entering his phone number in Sehun’s phone. “Do you think it is a good idea to be spreading your number around school like this?”
“At least there are people that want his number.” Chanyeol - Park Chanyeol of the impressive stature and awkward gait and jovial humor- seemed to possess an unusually courageous and somewhat foolishly hotheaded temperament when it came to Kim Jongin. Chanyeol stood up straight, attempting to look even taller as he stared Jongin down. I dare you, his stance said, a complete dichotomy to Baekhyun and Jongdae’s snickers from behind their friend’s tall frame.
Jongin scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think you of all people should be discussing popularity.”
“I am not a jerk face, so I think I have every right to talk about popularity and the way no one likes a jerk face named - wait. I need to take the high road.” Chanyeol let out a high pitched, awkward laugh, Kyungsoo flinching at how out of place it sounded. “Whose name starts with a J and ends with an Ongin.”
Jongin took one step forward and Chanyeol one step back, everything happening so quickly Kyungsoo paled at the thought that his friend may end up in a fist fight with Oh Sehun’s best friend in the middle of the quad - over the insult “jerk-face” of all things.
“Hey, chill.” Sehun placed an arm in front of Jongin, effectively holding him back. “And I don’t think giving Kyungsoo my number equates to spreading it all over school. He is my friend.”
Raised eyebrows, a questioning look, and silence were all that Jongin offered up in response to the announcement that Kyungsoo had friend status with Sehun. A change seemed to take place instantaneously, each boy unsure of how to act given the new situation.
“I will text you.” Sehun took his phone back, pulling Jongin away he nodded to Kyungsoo as a gesture of farewell. The entire episode lasted less than two minutes, maybe three minutes if Kyungsoo was being generous, yet it had felt like an hour.
“I should have hit him.” Chanyeol whacked his fist into the palm of his hand, staring after Jongin.
“You have never fought anyone in your life, he would have creamed you.” Baekhyun patted Chanyeol on the back. “Just admit it, you are more a lover than a fighter.”
“Shut up, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol sent one more glare at Jongin’s back before turning to Kyungsoo. “Way to score his number, you tricky devil you.”
Kyungsoo closed his eyes tightly, exhaling as he let his shoulders fall. It was no use reiterating he hadn’t given Sehun his number because they were hooking up, hell, Chanyeol had been right there to hear the entire exchange. Sometimes his friends could be so horribly impossible to deal with.
part one ❀ | part two ❀ | final ❀