"You don't actually expect him to notice you, do you?" Kyungsoo questions his best friend, though to no avail. His shortness prevents him from meeting Jongin's eye level, but with the way Jongin is so blissfully staring across the hall at a certain someone, Kyungsoo isn't quite sure height will do him any good. "Yah!"

Kyungsoo always deepens his voice when he's trying to assert some authority over Jongin. Being the loyal puppy he is, Jongin usually takes notice and heeds Kyungsoo's words. Usually. But if a particular Kim Jongdae is involved, well, there is no higher authority as far as Jongin is concerned. Leaning back against his locker, Jongin hugs his textbook tighter to his chest, his sigh in sync with the bang of the metal against his back.

"Hyung, why is Jongdae-"

"Yeah, yeah, 'so cool' or 'so hot,' I know," Kyungsoo scoffs and makes no effort to hide his gigantic eye roll - not that Jongin will notice anyway.

"I just," Jongin begins, taking a discouraged pause. "He'll never like someone like me." Jongin's arms drop to his sides, holding the book in his left hand with a loose grip. The book bumps on his thigh a couple times before Jongin presses his fingertips into the spine. With another sigh, Jongin looks down at his long legs, clad in black and white plaid-printed pants. He smoothes out the wrinkles of his slightly oversized, white button-down and mentally curses himself for not having a cooler sense of fashion. At least he didn't have to wear round-rimmed glasses like Kyungsoo. 

"Stop being so harsh on yourself," Kyungsoo scolds. "You talk like there's something terribly wrong with you."

"Isn't there?"

"I mean, other than the fact that you like Jongdae, not really."

"What's wrong with Jongdae?" Jongin's voice takes on a defensive tone and he uses his shoulder blade to himself forward.

"Nothing," Kyungsoo replies. "Except that any guy who willingly runs around a giant field wearing tights and piling on top of other guys is just plain weird."

"What are you talking about!" Kyungsoo's words seem to have ignited something in Jongin. Kyungsoo could definitely tell from the way Jongin's eyes light up in his outburst. "Jongdae's such a talented athlete! He's probably the best receiver in our school's history!"

"Okay, calm down, fanboy."

"And besides... Jongdae is so fast," Jongin coos. "I think I've only ever seen him get tackled like, once."

"Oh, so you're saying he likes to top?" Kyungsoo teases.

"What! Well- I mean- It's not like I would know!" Jongin stumbles over all his words because it's not like he hasn't thought about that kind of thing before, but it's also not like Kyungsoo needs to know about it. Or maybe he does, because as Jongin sees Jongdae laugh at something funny his best friend Chanyeol says, he becomes instantly mesmerized, and suddenly his lips are speaking on their own accord. "But I wouldn't mind letting him top me."

"Yah!" Kyungsoo snatches Jongin's book out of his hand and hits him square in the chest.

"Ow!"

As Jongin rubs the assaulted area, palm pressed tightly to his chest, he still can't take his eyes off Jongdae, and suddenly he finds himself clutching his heart. At least the sight of his hopeless love is enough to dull the pain of Kyungsoo's unnecessary violence. It's also enough to make Kyungsoo gag a little.

"Well, don't stare for too much longer," Kyungsoo advises. "Besides the fact that it's weird as hell, I'm sure he'll notice sooner or later and probably think you're creepy or something." When Kyungsoo says this, Jongin holds his breath, which bottles up the anxiety that comes along with Jongdae noticing him. Is Kyungsoo saying that Jongin actually isn't invisible to Jongdae? That's got to mean something, right?

"Anyway," Kyungsoo continues. He can see that he's more or less lost Jongin once again, so he may as well bid goodbye now while he still has at least some of his attention. "I gotta head off to class now, so I'll see you later."

The only response Kyungsoo receives is a small grunt from the lovestruck boy, but he'll take whatever he can get, slinging his backpack over one shoulder as he walks off to math class. Between his teeth, Jongin chews his bottom lip, trying hard to imagine how it would be if Kim Jongdae so much as looked at him. He can't help but think how good Jongdae looks in his football t-shirt, which is just tight enough to loosely cling to his body, but not too tight that he looks like a douchey jock or something. Jongin knows he's in deep.

Everything about Jongdae hypnotizes him - the way his eyes thin into cat eyes when he smiles, the way his jawline so strongly contours his face, the way he laughs with his whole body, shoulders bouncing to the rhythm of his laugher, the way the lines of his body move with such a cool fluidity when he walks this way, and - OH GOD HE'S COMING THIS WAY.

******************

"It was so hilarious, Jongdae. You should've seen the look on Baekhyun's face!" Chanyeol booms. Stray chuckles interlace his words as he recounts the horrified look on the poor waterboy's face when he switched out all the waterbottles with ones he and Sehun had filled with vodka instead. Needless to say, the coach was fuming while all the players choked on fiery alcohol after an intense, thirst-inducing practice. He was so drunk on anger that he didn't even notice Chanyeol and Sehun dying on the ground, choking on their own laughter instead.

"You really should stop playing pranks on poor Baek," Jongdae advises. "What did he ever do to you?"

"Come on Jongdae," Chanyeol coaxes. "He's just so small and cute - how can I not?"

"What? Do you like him or something?" Jongdae always teases Chanyeol about liking Baekhyun the waterboy. Tall, suave, popular Chanyeol falling for helpless puppy Baekhyun. It was a prime pairing, in Jongdae's eyes. Not to mention, it always threw Chanyeol into an amusing fit of denial.

"No! God! How many times do I have to tell you?!" Chanyeol protests, sticking his tongue out to illustrate his apparent disgust.

A wide smile graces Jongdae's lips because he knows just how much Chanyeol is bluffing. He can see right through his lanky friend. No matter how cool or handsome he may be, he's at hiding his true feelings - at least in front of Jongdae. Chanyeol's hopeless transparency causes Jongdae to laugh, and when Chanyeol starts blubbering more excuses, Jongdae can't contain his joy, breaking out into a full fit of laughter to match Chanyeol's adamant repudiation. Eventually, Chanyeol just gives up and waits for the shorter guy to finish.

"You alright there?" Chanyeol asks with obvious sarcasm.

"Yeah, yeah," Jongdae huffs, trying to regain his breath. He clears his throat a couple times and looks up at Chanyeol, whose eyes are locked elsewhere. "What?"

"There's a guy staring at you from across the hall," Chanyeol informs his friend. Jongdae's eyebrows perk up and his lips set into a small squiggle, making him look like a cat. "Don't look!" Chanyeol swiftly regains Jongdae's attention before he makes a fool of himself by making eye contact with the admiring stranger, especially while looking like that. "Aish, do you have to make that face?"

"What face?" Jongdae replies, pouting. Chanyeol really can't tell if he's doing that on purpose or if he honestly doesn't know how much of a kitten he is.

"That stupid cat one. Can you not?" Chanyeol scowls and reaches forward to literally wipe that half smile thing off his face, but Jongdae swipes him away with his right hand before he's able to do so. Defeated, the taller boy huffs an annoyed sigh. Perhaps this is why Chanyeol has never fallen for his best friend before. He hates cats, especially when they're personified into Kim Jongdae. He's always been more of a dog person. Not that Baekhyun actually resembles a dog. And not that Chanyeol actually likes him. What does Baekhyun even have to do with this? Whatever, he thinks. 

"What's he look like?" Jongdae questions, bringing Chanyeol back from his tumultuous romantic thoughts.

"Huh?"

"The guy. Is he cute?"

"I mean.. he looks kinda nerdy," Chanyeol first observes. He glances at the boy up and down, who seems too entranced by Jongdae to notice Chanyeol inspecting him.

"What, like what kinda nerdy are we talking here?"

"Like, plaid pants and awkward stance, textbook closeby. He was hugging it earlier I think."

"Damn," Jongdae sighs. "I was kinda hoping we were talking like, Pokemon fanboy or something," he admits.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Chanyeol challenges.

"Hey man, I'd like a boyfriend worthy of Pokemon battle." Jongdae's statement is so matter-of-fact it's cringeworthy.

"You know you're like 17, right?"

"What? Am I not allowed to play Pokemon anymore?" Jongdae knits his eyebrows together tightly. He has a fight-me-and-I'll-wreck-your--with-my-Jolteon look written all over his face.

"You do you, bro. And hey, I mean, he could like Pokemon," Chanyeol offers. "He just kinda looks like the studious type, so can't say how much time he has for little games."

"'Little games?'" Jongdae groans. "Chanyeol, how deprived are you really? Don't you know Pokemon are the greatest games of all time? I mean come on." He knows this isn't exactly the matter at hand, but having a Pokemon illiterate best friend was really killing him right now. It's not like the constant rejection and ignorance from Chanyeol every time Jongdae asks to play hasn't been slowly wearing him down over all these years. Chanyeol was really on the brink of breaking him at this point. Maybe Jongdae could have some luck with this secret admirer, and maybe, just maybe he could sneak a glance at him. He'd definitely piqued Jondgae's dangerous curiosity.

The other boy chooses to ignore Jongdae's jab and invites him to walk to class together instead. Perfect timing, Jongdae thinks, responding with a quick 'sure' while thinking much too hard about where he's looking and if stranger-boy is still looking at him. When he asks Chanyeol, the taller responds with a small hum of assent and Jongdae whines under his breath. No fair, Jongdae thinks to himself. I mean I know I'm hella fine, but I need to know if stranger-boy is hella fine too! Ugh. He starts to feel a little shy and unsure. He can't decide if he's ready to make eye contact because if this kid is as dorky as Chanyeol makes it seem, he's almost positive he'll become flustered. Jongdae likes a chase, but by no means does he want to chase this guy away.

It's silly, Jongdae thinks, but as he walks down the hall, his heart beats a little bit faster. Who is this guy? It's been awhile since Jongdae was in a relationship, and he's totally ready to get back out there and try something new. All two of his past relationships have been with fellow athletes - a small and fiery soccer player named Luhan, followed by a hardcore Wushu artist named Zitao a little more recently. Jongdae had liked dating the two of them, but ultimately, he found them too similar to himself. Having a workout buddy 24/7 was convenient, and two very fit individuals made for very aggressive (and y) bedroom play, but those things weren't enough to cure Jongdae's boredom. There was never anything new or different. Jongdae wanted to be thrown for a loop, given a challenge, learn something new - he wanted to adventure into a different lifestyle and fall for someone until he got lost.

As he walks by though, he can't bring himself to look at the guy, so he just keeps his gaze down, listening to Chanyeol rattle off ideas about how to trick Baekhyun the waterboy next. The only thing Jongdae sees of his secret admirer is his shined, black shoes and perfectly-matched plaid pant cuffs, resting along the tops of his feet. Not a bad style, now if only I could see your face, Jongdae wishes.

"Chanyeol," Jongdae says under his breath.

"What?"

Holding his breath for a beat, the two pass by his secret admirer (regretfully, on Jongdae's end.) When he's sure he's out of earshot, Jongdae says, "You gotta help me find out who he is."

******************

"Oh my god, he was totally avoiding me. My life is over." Jongin becomes acquainted with the table quite well with how quickly his forehead meets the offwhite laminate surface. The jarring bang of Jongin's skull didn't seem to faze him at all, considering how much his internal (and external) screaming occupied him for the moment. However, it was enough to catch the attention of Yixing, who looked up at the younger boy mid-bite into his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Chewing idly, he stares at Jongin, unsure of what to say. Luckily for him, Kyungsoo joins them at the table, carrying a slice of pizza that's much too big for the grease-soaked plate it's on. But that's fine, Kyungsoo will argue. At least it's the only edible thing from the school's lunch line. Jongin hasn't even bothered to move since he plopped himself down at the beginning of the period. Normally, he'd join Kyungsoo in line and buy himself some chicken nuggets, offering relentless arguments as to how they were actually pretty good, and chicken is still chicken. Not that he's ever had any success in remotely convincing Kyungsoo, but as a self-proclaimed chicken maniac, he almost feels as though it's his duty to advocate for chicken everywhere. Again, Kyungsoo will roll his eyes at Jongin at his outrageous mission. However, as ridiculous as that is, he thinks it's even more ridiculous how hung up over Jongdae Jongin is.

"Jongdae?" Kyungsoo asks. Yixing twitches with a shiver, as if the coldness in Kyungsoo's voice was enough to send a chill down Yixing's spine, crawling over the back of his neck. Jongin's pretty used to Kyungsoo's general disinterest in anything Jongdae related, but he still notices the iciness Kyungsoo brings to the table. The ice king, however, makes no effort to notice and simply bites into the crust of his pizza first, since it's his least favorite part, and tears the chewy dough with his teeth. Yixing watches him intently.

"Ughhhh." Jongin finally raises himself up, revealing a palm-sized red mark on his forehead from banging it too hard.

"I told you not to stare for too long," Kyungsoo says through another bite of crust. He's finally chewed it down so that only the triangle of pizza is left.

"I can't help it," Jongin pouts. "He's so-"

"Yeah, yeah," interrupts Kyungsoo. "He's so beautiful, he's so amazing, I get it."

"Yixing hyung, what should I do??" Jongin must be desperate if he's asking Yixing for advice.

"Me?" Yixing's wide eyes make him look lost and surprised that anyone would ask for his help. It's not exactly a regular occasion. "Well, I don't know, Junmyeon and I never really had this problem." It's almost painful how easily Yixing brushes off Jongin's issue, simply taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Well, I'm guessing you didn't stare at him for hours," Kyungsoo posits, meticulously eating his saucy pizza triangle to avoid drenching his fingers in oil.

"It wasn't that long!" Jongin protests in defense of his honor. How can Yixing treat this so lightly? How can Kyungsoo walk all over him like this? Don't they know what it feels like to be in love???

"Right, because the bell rang and you had to get to class." Kyungsoo really showed no mercy. 

Jongin groans again and returns to his original face-desk position. At least the table wouldn't scold him for his romantic woes.

******************

Slipping away from the jocks' table at lunch is no easy task for Jongdae, especially not when he needs to drag Chanyeol along with him. When Minseok asks them where they're going (which, of course directs the attention of everyone else on the football team), it's not like Jongdae can say 'the bathroom' like the cheerleaders so easily can.

"Um," Jongdae stammers while trying to think of an excuse. It's no surprise that Chanyeol is of absolutely no help, a noodle shamelessly hanging out of his spaghetti-crammed mouth. "I... left a thing in Chanyeol's locker, so you know, gotta get it out before practice... yeah." Real smooth, Jongdae.

"What? You move in with Chanyeol or something?" Minseok teases. "Is he cheating on Baekboy?"

"Yah!" Chanyeol's outcry comes out muffled due to the mush of meatball occupying his tongue, but Jongdae simply laughs at Minseok's joke, thankful for the opportunity to just scurry off while everyone else does the same. At least if they're all laughing at Chanyeol's expense, they won't have time to ask Jongdae anymore questions. Without wasting so much as a second, Jongdae's striding away, pulling Chanyeol in tow.

"I don't like Baekhyun!" Chanyeol exclaims once he swallows his mouthful. Albeit, it's also after anyone from the group at the table can hear him, thus his words finding no ears to fall on. None except Jongdae's, which was more or less the exact same thing.

"Alright, Chanyeol, sure." Despite the fact that Jongdae says the words Chanyeol wants to hear, it's not the way he wants to hear them, clearly indicated by the scowl on Chanyeol's handsome face.

"Where are we going anyway? The locker room is the other way."

Jongdae ignores Chanyeol's confusion, and finally finds a hidden space in the residing area of the healthy vending machines no one ever uses. "I know," comes his delayed reply. "I need you to help me find my secret admirer."

"What? That nerdy guy from earlier? You serious?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Are you like, hung up over him or something? Since when do you chase after guys? Especially guys you don't even know."

"Look, are you gonna help me or not?"

"Why should I help you?" Chanyeol challenges. "All you ever do is terrorize me about liking Baekhyun."

"So you admit it?" Jongdae smirks, and Chanyeol just stares at the slightly older boy with the blankest of blank expressions. So blank, Jongdae almost can't tell if Chanyeol's fed up with his or broken. Maybe somewhere in between, Jongdae thinks.

"I'm out," he says, turning to walk away.

"Wait! Chanyeol!" Jongdae calls out to him, but not in a desperate tone of voice or anything. Jongdae hasn't lowered himself to that level just yet. It would take much, much more for that to happen.

"No, you can find your mystery guy on your own!" Chanyeol isn't actually mad at Jongdae; he never is, which is really to his incredible disadvantage, considering Jongdae is well aware of this fact. And it is definitely not above Jongdae to exploit it for what it's worth.

"You better come back here right now, Park Chanyeol," Jongdae demands in a weird sing-song voice. It's the tone of voice he takes when he's about to stir up some trouble, and if Chanyeol would ever learn, he would know not to indulge him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Because if you don't," Jongdae threatens. "I'll tell Baekhyun you like him."

"You wouldn't."

"Just imagine the way his eyes would light up and that wide smile that's sure to spread across his face. Man, it'll probably be the happiest day of his life."

"Kim Jongdae -!"

"Oooh, that'd be a messy situation then," Jongdae muses. "You'd either have to reciprocate, or break the poor kid's heart. I mean, I'm sure -"

Jongdae's make-believe madness is cut short by a rough jolt from Chanyeol. "Aish, alright! I'll help you!"

"I knew you'd see it my way," Jongdae smirks again and nonchalantly rubs his shoulder where Chanyeol pushed him. It takes everything in Chanyeol's power not to punch his best friend in the face, so he settles for an "I hate you" instead and leaves it that. "I know," Jongdae replies. "But I really need you, Yeollie." Jongdae only uses that nickname when he's trying to coax Chanyeol into loving him again.  "You know what he looks like! I only know that he wore black shoes and plaid pants."

"Okay, but really, Jongdae. How many people at this school wear plaid pants?"

There's a moment of silence between the two friends followed by some nervous stuttering from Jongdae. Surely he should have thought this one through. Just as the back of Jongdae's neck flushes a soft shade of red, Chanyeol's ears seem to stick out three inches more, a clear sign of excitement. In the case of this specific instance, he's exhilarated at the sight of the great Kim Jongdae crashing down from embarrassment.

"You don't know how to talk to him!!" Chanyeol exclaims, pearly white teeth flashing in Jongdae's face. "Oh my god, THE Kim Jongdae is shy??"

Jongdae squints his eyes as he glares at the bag of gluten-free popcorn in the vending machine, if for no other reason than to avoid making eye contact with Chanyeol. "Okay well, it's not like you'd know how to talk to him either! Unless you were making fun of him..." Jongdae mutters. Taking a moment to consider it, Chanyeol eventually shrugs and agrees.

"I wouldn't necessarily call myself a bully," Chanyeol inspects his nails as he explains, lips drawn into a thin line. "Just that, well, I like to show a little tough love." Cue Chanyeol's infamous smirk.

"Yeah, that's not what everyone else at school would say."

"Well they're irrelevant," Chanyeol shoots back.

"Wait," Jongdae says. "I think I know how you can help me. We're gonna need some of your so-called 'tough love'."

This is exactly why Chanyeol can never be actually mad at Jongdae - because his best friend always knows what to say to make Chanyeol happy. The corners of Chanyeol's lips curl into a grin.

"I'm listening."

******************

By the end of the day, the halls have mostly cleared, those students needing to catch the school bus home having made their way out the door already. Those students usually clear the area within five minutes of classes finishing, leaving only the lazy bustle of those who were waiting on rides or participating in after school activities. Although he had no obligation to do so, Jongin generally chose to practice for the dance team in the dance practice room with Yixing after school. Usually Jongin will dance for about an hour before Kyungsoo comes to pick the two of them up after finishing with student council meetings and actvities.

"Yah!"

Jongin spins around at the sound of a voice that booms like thunder to find out that, unfortunately, it comes crashing down on him. A violent twitch overtakes Jongin's entire body as he jumps back at the sight of Chanyeol charging toward him. The linebacker looks even more intimidating when he's not wearing tight football clothes and when he's hurtling straight toward him. Like a deer in the headlights, Jongin freezes in place. His mind goes silent white and a crackly static noise fills the void with each of Chanyeol's footsteps ringing in his brain like a bass drum. Why does Chanyeol want to talk to me? are the meager thoughts rolling through Jongin's head. At least until he feels Chanyeol's fists twisting into the fabric of his shirt, and suddenly a flurry of panicked thoughts take over his mind. 

"W-wait up, uh -" Words sputter out of Jongin's mouth but fail to form anything really coherent. But in his defense, it's not like the situation itself made any sense to Jongin at all.

"Heard you had a little crush on our Jongdae?" Chanyeol accuses, starting directly into Jongin's face. Like Jongdae, Jongin wasn't particularly keen on making eye contact with the taller guy either.

"Wha.. Uh, um wh-what?"

"Don't play dumb," Chanyeol commands, earning a small squeak from Jongin. How does he know? "I saw you staring earlier." Oh.

"Look um, I think, uh.. I think there's just been a misunderstanding so -"

"So what?" The grip on Jongin's shirt tightens as Chanyeol pulls him closer, their faces only inches apart.

"Um..."

Eyes dart everywhere but at Chanyeol, and just when he's sure he's about to die, a third voice enters the mix.

"Yah!" This voice isn't as deep as Chanyeol's, but it's just as firm, and much scarier. Not to mention, Jongin would know that voice anywhere.

Before Chanyeol even has a chance to locate the sound of the interruption, a small hand grabs the back of Chanyeol's polo shirt, forcefully pulling him off of Jongin and even more forcefully throwing him aside like discarded trash. After being unexpectedly extracted from his target, Chanyeol's the one who spins around, ready to take on his assailant. Though to his surprise, he finds no one - at least not until he looks down and sees two large, white eyes, anger defined by thick eyebrows, staring straight at him.

"Yah," Chanyeol laughs. "Who are you?"

To pipe down Chanyeols laughter, Kyungsoo reaches forward, grabbing one of Chanyeol's s and twisting mercilessly. The mewls that escaped Chanyeol's lips were nothing short of pathetic and Kyungsoo, as calm and collected as he is, simply twitched his lips upward in a tiny grin. "Yah!" Chanyeol retaliates, grabbing Kyungsoo's hand and desperately casting it aside to relieve the pain. His voice cracks in the process and he rubs his chest with a pout.

"Don't mess with my friend," Kyungsoo growls.

"Hey look man," Chanyeol says, attempting to tower over the demon-like guy, but one check from Kyungsoo makes Chanyeol cower back down like a frightened puppy, strong powerful voice reduced to a helpless yelp within milliseconds. If only Chanyeol could pick up on patterns more quickly and learn, he wouldn't have to find himself in these situations. But instead he keeps talking in poor attempts to defend himself, effectively angering a volatile Kyungsoo more and more. Good going, Chanyeol.

At this point, a hundred conflicting thoughts are flying through Chanyeol's head. This isn't what was supposed to happen, Jongdae!! Oh he's coming at me! What do I do now? Why isn't his friend saying anything? HELP. Chanyeol looks to Jongin in the hopes he can control his friend who's flailing his limbs at him, practically beating Chanyeol wherever his flat palms land, but the boy looks just as confused as he is. Chanyeol's also considered just checking out of there but then the whole school will know that Park Chanyeol got beat up by the little troll doll that is Kyungsoo. That was definitely not an option.

Jongdae really better thank him for this.

******************

Dashing across the hall, Jongdae stumbles over his shoelaces, totally contradicting his usual image of coolness. He was too distracted to notice the giggling group of cheerleaders standing against the lockers, and he probably wouldn't have noticed them if it wasn't for his one friend among them who rushed to his aid.

"Jongdae yah! Are you alright?" the girl asks, bending down to help Jongdae up. She tries to straighten him up as they rise to their feet, but Jongdae's stiffness makes it difficult for her to make sure he's alright. "Jongdae ah?" she says again, finally earning a second of eye-contact from her friend. If not for that quick moment, he probably would have scampered off without so much as acknowledging her presence.

"Sorry Joohyun noona, not now," Jongdae says hastily, brushing straight past her and pressing forward toward Chanyeol. He starts worrying when he sees the the smaller, owl-like boy raise an intimidating fist at his friend. The faint sounds of Joohyun yelling after him just barely reach his ears, the high pitched sound of her voice tugging at Jongdae's ear, begging for an explanation.

"I'll explain later!" Jongdae turns around to call out to her, assuring her that he has a perfectly good reason for acting like a weirdo, but she's not sure how much assurance she can gather from his efforts, considering he trips again, hitting the ground with a harder thud than before. "I'm okay!" he calls and gets back on his feet once more. Gotta save Chanyeol, is his current most important objective. This isn't how he envisioned his plan at all.

Jongdae manages to make his way across the rest of the hall without falling all over himself for a third time, but a couple of freshmen suffer the collateral damage of the football player crashing through them. He may be a wide receiver, but that didn't detract from the fact that it still hurt to have a star athlete run right through them. He can't be sure if he only thought it or if he actually mumbled an apology to the poor guys who were now picking up stray papers that had fallen all over the place, but the thought slipped from his mind the instant he threw himself between an angry Kyungsoo and a trembling Chanyeol.

"Whoa whoa whoa, there, uh," Jongdae was about to say the aggressive guy's name, but he realized he didn't know it. He'd been in enough squabbles to know that calling someone by their first name can sometimes throw them off and create a vital moment of calm. But of course, that only works when he actually knows what his name is. Instead, Jongdae finds himself pressed into Chanyeol, his back fitting into Chanyeol's chest like a puzzle piece. Outstretched arms allow Jongdae's palms to meet Kyungsoo's harder-than-expected pecs, and he finds that his precious elbows are pretty much the only thing separating the two.

"You're touching me," Kyungsoo says in a low voice.

"Right, um, look, uh... Say what was your name?" Jongdae nervously asks, hoping to defuse Kyungsoo's fierce demeanor. Instead, his efforts earn him a very cold stare and an equally cold, "No one touches me." Shaky laughter erupts from Jongdae's lips unwillingly and Chanyeol follows suit, just because he's at wits end and copying Jongdae seemed to be the only thing he was capable of at the moment. Jongdae at least has enough sense to slowly retract his hands, as if any sudden movement might set Kyungsoo off.

Although Jongdae had the right idea, his intentions were in vain because Kyungsoo went off anyway. He didn't think such a small man could have this pent up rage, but he was proven wrong ten times over. It wasn't clear to Jongdae whether or not there was actually steam coming out Kyungsoo's ears or if he was just imagining it. Either way, it was not a fun time.

He couldn't be sure when, but Jongdae finds himself squeezing his eyes shut, deciding that if he was going to get hit, it'd be best if he didn't see it coming beforehand. But a strike never came. In fact, he realized the silence he was imagining was actually real. Kyungsoo had stopped screaming at them. But why? Jongdae slowly opened his eyes and half expected to see the other boy standing in front of him, just waiting to hit him so he could see the light leave Jongdae's eyes or something before taking on Chanyeol next. That seemed like something he would do, Jongdae thinks. But instead of being eye level with the person before him, Jongdae's gaze met a tanned throat with a particularly y Adam's apple.

Cautiously, Jongdae allowed his eyes to travel upward, inevitably making eyecontact with the boy in front of him. When their dark eyes met, the other boy's grew wide with something Jongdae pinned as fear and nervousness. With a stray glance, Jongdae saw the aforementioned Adam's apple bob slightly as the stranger swallowed anxiously. Even though Jongdae was certain of who was standing in front of him, he felt like he couldn't believe it until he looked down and saw the tell tale plaid pants covering the boy's long legs and leading down to the shiny black shoes he had seen this morning.

"Kyungsoo hyung," Jongin finally finds something to say, and Kyungsoo, now leaning against the lockers with arms crossed, meets Jongin's simple request with a grunt. "Could you give us a minute?" Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but he knows how long Jongin's waited for a chance like this and so he obliges, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he walks off. He makes sure not to take his leave without shooting Chanyeol one more glare though, eyes speaking the words he doesn't need to say. Chanyeol gulps himself and tries to smile back at Kyungsoo, giving him a timid wave. Not that he expected a wave back, but it stings a little when Kyungsoo gives him yet another look and walks off instead.

"I'll be back in 45 minutes," Kyungsoo tells Jongin. "You made me late for my student council meeting," he complains under his breath as we walks toward the staircase. 

"Thanks Chanyeol," Jongdae whispers to his tall friend while Jongin is yelling after Kyungsoo to express his gratitude. When Chanyeol nods his head so quickly at Jongdae's thanks, it makes him look like a puppy the way his hair flops all over the place. It's also clear that Jongdae's short words of appreciation don't even begin to repay the trauma Chanyeol went through for him, but Jongdae will sort that out later. For now, he just wants to talk to his less-than-mysterious crush, and Chanyeol doesn't waste any time getting the heck out of there. He'd rather not run the risk of Kyungsoo coming back. 

Turning his head back to face Jongdae, Jongin is surprised to find Chanyeol missing. He realizes that they're finally alone, and he feels anything but ready. Erratic heartbeats translate to lumps in his throat and his ears are hot with the ringing of anticipation. The hallway had pretty much cleared out by now, leaving it wide and empty, but despite having all the space in the world, Jongin still feels stuffy. After all, Kim Jongdae was standing in front of him. And not just randomly standing in front of him in the lunch line or something, but actually in front of him - facing him, looking at him, noticing him.

"So, um," Jongdae starts. "I like your pants," he awkwardly compliments, not really sure what else to say.

"I like you," Jongin blurts out and immediately, his hands fly over his mouth as if he could shove the words back in there. Maybe he should listen to Kyungsoo and learn to keep his mouth shut more often. Not wanting to seem like a twelve year old girl, Jongin removes his hands as quickly as he had brought them up, clearing his throat and trying to regain any kind of dignity he had left. He's so embarrassed. It's cute, Jongdae thinks.

"I've heard," Jongdae replies. At this point, Jongdae's smiling kind of like an idiot, but he's able to keep it enough at bay so he isn't grinning hardcore. He doesn't want to scare the guy off, and he may or may not be having a little more fun than he should watching him squirm. Only when Jongdae understands that the person who's speaking to him belongs to the league of brainiacs (aka NOT one of the popular social classes, like his own) does he realize he should have some mercy on the poor kid.

"So, um," Jongdae repeats, hoping he can start over without flustering Jongin again. "I'm Jongdae. What's your name?"

"It's Jongin..." Even though he's trying to keep his composure, Jongin finds it terribly hard to keep a friendly face. Considering Jongdae's only response to his confession was "I heard," Jongin begins to believe Jongdae has no reciprocating feelings. Jongin knows his confession burst out of him unexpectedly, but if Jongdae liked him back, he would have said so wouldn't he have? Between being starstruck and going through the reasoning in his head, the distraction makes it hard to just enjoy some time with the guy he's been crushing on for what seems like forever.

Jongdae notices Jongin's visible sadness and confusion and feels a bit guilty for making him go through so many emotions. Evaluating their encounter thus far, Jongdae would say it's nothing short of awkward. However, there's something about Jongin that keeps Jongdae reeled in. He can't place his finger on it, but Jongdae can already tell Jongin isn't like his other classmates, nerdy or otherwise. He's intrigued by him which means a lot to someone as capricious as Jongdae. Analyzing the other boy's face, Jongdae compares him to onion. Not because of looks, but because he can tell that Jongin isn't a "what you see, you get" kind of person. There's layers and layers of stuff to unravel, and Jongdae feels compelled to get to the core. And since he was thinking about looks, he wouldn't mind peeling off some of those clothes Jongin's wearing and get to the core of that. Later, Jongdae. Let's at least try and get to a first date first.

"Um, be right back!" Jongdae exclaims, and more or less runs away and around a corner, leaving Jongin completely and utterly shocked. He hopes Jongin will continue his pattern of freezing in place long enough for him to come back and start this whole scenario over - and do it right this time.

Did he just... ditch me?

Standing in the middle of the hallway dumbfoundedly, Jongin can't decide if he should stay or go. More often than not, Jongin refuses to cry, and generally doesn't need to, but seeing how confusing this all is, he can't stop tears of frustration from welling up. Why'd you have to go and fall for someone like Jongdae anyway? He's obviously out of your league, Jongin.

Just when Jongin thinks he's about to lose it, he bites his bottom lip subtly and looks in the direction Jongdae ran off. To his pleasant surprise, he sees Jongdae walking back, coolness restored and clearly displayed in his gait. He's the definition of confident, and all of Jongin's negative thoughts get thrown out the window because never has Jongdae looked so attractive. He mentally scolds himself for questioning his love for Jongdae because it's so painfully obvious now.

"Hey," Jongdae greets and flashes him a grandiose smile. Jongin can't help but chuckle at Jongdae's splashy gesture, especially when he adds a little raise of his eyebrow and his front teeth. Somehow, Jongin isn't dead yet from being the sole focus of Jongdae's attention, but he genuinely enjoys it, rather than feeling like running away and hiding under a rock. He hasn't felt so natural around someone since becoming friends with Kyungsoo in the third grade.

Jongdae finds Jongin's smile dazzling. "So, I heard you like me?" Jongdae asks, slyly pushing Jongin back and guiding his back to press up against the lockers. He props himself up over Jongin's body, leaning in close to him with his palm pressed against the cold metal. "Cause I, uh," Jongdae starts fiddling with one of the buttons on Jongin's shirt and watches how his chest rises and falls slowly from his steady breathing. He's honestly astonished that he hasn't frozen the boy yet again, but he takes it as a good sign as he takes a deep breath himself. Looking up from the button he's rolling between his finger and thumb, Jongdae casually lifts his head and looks Jongin straight in the eye. "I like you too."

Time - 3:07 pm
Cause of death - Kim Jongdae

"Can I um.." Jongdae starts to ask, snapping Jongin back to reality, no matter how distorted or unbelievable it seems to the younger guy. Jongin focuses on Jongdae's face, which actually looks a little bit more nervous than before, and throws Jongin for a loop.

"Yes," Jongin blurts out again, hoping maybe it'll make it easier on Jongdae if he doesn't have to ask him out out loud. Jongin doesn't need to hear him say Can I take you out on a date?, he's more than ecstatic that Jongdae even wants to spend time with him.

"Are you sure?" Jongdae asks, proceeding with caution.

"Of course," Jongin agrees. He smiles gently at Jongdae, and Jongdae can hardly contain himself any longer, practically lurching forward, lips crashing against Jongin's. If Jongin was thrown for a loop before, he definitely was now. Out of sheer shock, Jongin reflexively jumps as back as he can manage with the lockers behind him. "Wh-what are you doing?!"

"I- I thought you said it was okay!"

"Well yeah, but... I thought you were gonna ask me out or something!!"

The two boys stare at each other with wide eyes, and both feel instant regret. The last thing Jongdae wanted to do was scare Jongin, and the last thing Jongin wanted to do was blow his chance with Jongdae. Not to mention, now that he was over the shock, Jongin totally enjoyed the feeling of kissing Jongdae. His lips were kind of rough, as expected of an athlete who practices outdoors every day, but he liked the friction. He knew Jongdae wouldn't be able to initiate a do-over this time, seeing as he was spewing out apologies now.

"I'm really sorry, Jongin, I just.. I mean... Yeah, of course I want to ask you out I just - Oh man, you probably think I'm a jerk or something. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Jongin says softly. Although he stops panicking out loud, Jongin can still see it in his eyes, and he knows that there's only one way to soothe all of Jongdae's worries. Slowly, Jongin leans forward, up and off the lockers and presses his lips against Jongdae's once again. He doesn't know where he got the confidence to take charge, but then again, he's made it this far, so he wanted to see it through. This kiss feels much more natural. Both Jongin and Jongdae feel their hearts start to pound a little harder, but it feels more rhythmic than arbitrary, and the two find some sort of harmony in each other.

"So," Jongdae starts, smiling, as they each pull away. "Can I take you out for coffee?"

Jongin beams back at him and nods his head simply in agreement. Excitement wells up in Jongdae at the thought of getting to know Jongin, and unraveling all the mysterious layers of his no longer secret admirer.

"When can I call you my boyfriend?" Jongdae asks playfully. He may be the older of the two, but he's definitely the more childish.

"Well, whenever I can call you mine, I guess."

"How about now?"

"Hmmm," Jongin ponders, his low voice resonating. "Now's good. Although, I don't know how Kyungsoo is gonna take the news."

"Who?"

"My best friend, Kyungsoo. The scary guy?"

"Oh, him," Jongdae shivers a bit at the mention of his name. New boyfriend means new best friend to deal with. "Does he... not like me?" Jongdae asks solemnly. No matter how much Jongin likes him, he knows he'll probably never reach the same status as Jongin's best friend.

"Nah, he thinks you're fine," Jongin laughs. "He thinks football and all its players are weird -"

"Hey!" Jongdae interrupts, pouting.

"But other than that," Jongin continues. "He thinks you're fine. Your friend though... Chan..."

"Yeol," Jongdae finishes. "Chanyeol? Yeah, well... He'll get used to him. I mean, I did." Jongin finds Jongdae even funnier than he thought he would be, and it makes him feel lighthearted and happy. "Besides, if it wasn't for Chanyeol, maybe we wouldn't have ended up together," Jongdae adds.

"What do you mean?" Jongin curiously looks at him, catching Jongdae with his mouth wide open. He could say something, but he decides to save it for later, when he needs a story to tell Jongin that they can look back on and laugh about. So he clamps his mouth shut and saves the story for another time.

"It's nothing," Jongdae says instead, holding his hand out for Jongin to take. "Shall we?"

"We shall."