Sehun:

Hey mom. I'm staying at a friend's house right now. I just need some time to clear my head. I'll be back home whenever I'm ready.

With that, Sehun turned off his cell phone and placed it on the coffee table, not wanting to know how she would reply to the message. Frankly all he needed right now was to relax and he seriously wasn't in the mood for his parents' non-stop nagging. He didn't want to go back home because being in that mansion despressed him. It was as if the walls, the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the floors, the furniture, everything there was looking down at him, almost mocking him. Reminding him of all the memories and the pain he had gone through. A home is supposed to be somewhere you feel safe, comfortable, reassured that you have somewhere to go back to at the end of the day. But what he felt in his own house was the exact opposite of that. It was like the moment he set foot in that mansion, he would be plagued with all this negativity and loneliness.

But Jongin's house was comfortable, cozy. It felt more like home than his own house.

Jongin walked into the living room a second later, throwing Sehun a carton of chocolate milk, to which the blonde raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What? I thought you liked chocolate milk." Jongin said with a silly grin as he popped open his can of soda and plopped down on the couch next to Sehun.

"I do. I'm just surprised you actually remembered that."

"That's because you're the only one in school who actually drinks it."

Sehun rolled his eyes as he shoved the straw into the carton and took a big sip. "Everyone at school is too cool for chocolate milk."

"Yeah I'm sorry no one at school is five."

"You think I'm five?"

"Ahh give or take."

"Gee, thanks." Sehun rolled his eyes. 

If there was one thing that Sehun liked about Jongin, it was that he wasn't treating him differently even after he told him everything. He didn't look at him with pity or treat him like glass that was about to shatter at any second. No, it was just like it was before he even said anything. Maybe the elder was just trying to pretend like nothing happened so Sehun wouldn't feel uncomfortable but the latter appreciated it anyway.

They stared blankly at the television screen for a few minutes before Jongin spoke up again. "Luhan's leaving in a few days."

Sehun felt his heart sink in his chest but managed to keep his voice flat, "I know."

"I hope you didn't forget about the party I was planning to throw for him."

"I didn't. I was just waiting for the whole showcase thing to be over with first. But are you sure you want me there anyway? I mean, you guys are old friends. I wouldn't wanna be there and make it all awkward which I always seem to excel at."

Jongin scoffed, "Are you kidding? Of course you have to be there! You're the reason we were able to sort out differences in the first place. Besides, it's obvious the guy really cares about you."

Sehun lifted a brow curiously, "Really?"

"Of course." Jongin grinned. For a second, Sehun wondered if Luhan liked him back. Luhan had always been caring, but maybe he was just being a good Hyung. The blonde didn't want to misunderstand his actions or get any wrong ideas.

What's the point now, anyway? He's leaving.

Every time the thought crossed his mind, his heart would clench painfully. Luhan was his first friend. And he was leaving just like that. Then what was going to happen to him? He knew he was going to miss his Hyung terribly. He wondered how different things would have been if only they met a little sooner. Maybe the elder would like him back someday and they could be together, even if it was just for a short while. But Sehun knew that was just wishful thinking.

"It's a little weird, you know? Seeing a guy like another guy..." Jongin said with his head slightly tilted to the side as if he knew Sehun was thinking about the doe-eyed boy, "But when I really think of it it's not all that different from straight people."

"What would you know? I doubt you ever even liked a person before." Sehun scoffed, "You just sleep around."

"Of course I did. I'm not made of stone, you know?" Jongin said almost indignantly. "And hey, it's not my fault girls throw themselves at me. I'm a teenage guy with hormones, do the math."

Sehun rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say."

"So wait... You've never actually done it before?" Jongin asked, intrigued.

"I could act dumb and pretend I don't know what it is but then that'd be stupid. So, to answer your question, no, I haven't."

"Wow." Jongin whistled, "You must be quite the catch. Girls love s. To them, you're like this untouched, neatly wrapped present just waiting to be unraveled. Too bad all the ladies don't know you don't swing that way."

Sehun scrunched face up in disgust. To him, is supposed to mean something, not just shoving your thing into whatever is willing to accept it. "How did we end up in conversation again?" He asked, feeling uncomfortable with the topic.

"Oh please don't tell me you don't know about the amount of girls that are lusting after you."

"Excuse me?"

Jongin gasped, "I took one ing selfie with you and all the comments were about how handsome you looked. I'm almost jealous. Plus you should have seen the amount of fangirls last night at the showcase. They were losing their over you."

Sehun furrowed his eyebrows, "Over me? Why?" 

Jongin shook his head and sighed, "Oh Sehun, you're such a ."

Sehun glared at the brunette and threw a pillow at his face, "And you're such a ."

"I get that a lot." Jongin grinned a -eating grin. Sehun wondered why the brunette was so proud of the fact.

"Anyways, what do you say we watch a movie?"

"Well it's not like there's much else to do except for having pointless conversation with you."

Jongin rolled his eyes as he searched through the DVD rack, "Horror?"

"Sure. As long as you're not scared."

", please. If there's anyone that would be scared of a horror movie here, it'd be you."

"You wanna bet on it?"

"Sure."

* * *

Mrs. Kim punched in the code for the front door and stepped into the house tiredly. It had been a very long day at work and all she wanted to do now was take a long nap. However, as she passed by the living room, she was surprised to see two boys fast asleep on the couch with the credits of some movie rolling on the large LED screen. One of the boys was her own son while the other, on closer inspection, turned out to be Sehun. She couldn't help but giggle softly at the adorable sight in front of her. Sehun was sleeping on the couch while Jongin's head rested comfortably on his shoulder, both in seemingly deep slumber. She contemplated waking them up as she knew the position was probably uncomfortable and they'd wake up with terrible neck aches but decided to leave them to the awkwardness when they woke by themselves instead.

Smiling, she placed a soft kiss on her son's forehead. As she was about to go upstairs to her room, she paused and looked at the blonde boy. He always looked so sad for some reason, every single time she saw him. And from the way his parents acted when she visited them before, she knew they were neglecting him. They were your typical rich parents, and she'd had plenty of experience with those in her life, her own parents being the prime example. It was easy to tell from the way they talked exactly what type of people they were, because she precisely remembered being in Sehun's shoes as they bragged on and on about how proud they were of him and how academically excellent he was. She knew people like them very well, she'd seen them and their fake smiles many a times before. And it broke her heart because she believed that every kid out there deserved love.

She couldn't find it in her heart to just leave the boy so she placed a soft kiss on his forehead too before going upstairs to her room.

* * *

Sehun slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust to the lighting. His body felt extremely uncomfortable and there was a heavy weight on his shoulder. Blinking a few times, he was met with the movie menu of the ty horror movie they'd been watching. Being one of those typical horror cliches with a total of five seconds of thought going into the storyline, he had found himself falling asleep halfway through. Looking to the side, he almost jumped at the sight of Jongin's head resting on his shoulder as he snored softly.

What the ?

"Oye." Sehun slapped the brunette's forehead lightly, trying to get him to wake up. Jongin didn't even so much as twitch in his sleep. "Your head's ing heavy." He grumbled as he tried to wake the elder up.

"Yah!" He yelled and harshly pushed the boy off of him, who fell back on the couch and continued sleeping soundly. If it weren't for the light snoring, Sehun would probably think the brunette was dead.

"How long was I asleep?" He muttered to himself as he his mobile phone. He almost gasped when he saw that it was already 8:37pm. Then came the bombardment of notifications from the countless calls and messages he had received. Most of them were from his parents but some were from Luhan. He saw that the older had tried to call him seven times and left him many messages.

Luhan:

Hey. I tried calling but your cell phone was off :/

Is everything okay?

Luhan:

Sehun-ah... I'm kinda worried.

Are you there?

Please call me.

Luhan:

I went to your house... Your parents said that you were at a friend's house.

Sehun, where are you?

Luhan:

Are you at Jongin's?

Luhan:

Please call me.

Sehun immediately dialed in his Hyung's number and waiting for him to pick up.

One ring... Two rings... Three rings... Four-

"Hyung I'm so sorry." Sehun said the moment he heard that the boy answered.

"Sehun, where are you?"

"I... I'm at Jongin's place."

"I was so worried... Did something happen? Why didn't you tell me anything?" The elder's voice was soft and caring like it always was and it made Sehun's heart clench in a bittersweet way.

"I just didn't want you getting worried about me... I know you're already stressed out these days."

Luhan paused before sighing, "Please don't ever do that again. I thought something bad happened to you."

Sehun smiled ever so slightly, "I'm sorry, Hyung. I'll tell you everything that happened as soon as I can."

"Your parents looked kinda mad when I visited..."

"Yeah... I may or may not have fought with them."

"What?"

"Let's meet up, okay? I'll tell you everything."

"Okay... Let's meet by the park in half an hour, okay?"

"Sure... Hyung?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry again for making you worry. I really am..."

"It's okay, Sehun-ah. What's important is that you're safe."

There it was again. The butterflies in his stomach. The way his heart bloomed. No one ever made him feel this way before except Luhan. He couldn't help the rosy blush that crept up his cheeks. He hated that he felt like a ing teenage schoolgirl because of him.

"Thank you."

When he ended the call and turned around, he saw Jongin sitting up in the couch, eyes half-closed as he stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You look ing creepy." Sehun noted.

"Was that Luhan?" Jongin ignored his remark and asked instead, voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah. Why?" Sehun asked nonchalantly.

"Oh... nothing." He got up and stretched, yawning unattractively.

"Listen, I'm going out to meet Luhan-hyung. I'll be back later, okay?"

Jongin blinked a few times before shrugging, "Okay, I guess."

Jongin couldn't help but stare at the younger boy as he walked out the door, asking himself the same question he asked himself a hundred times before.

does this guy squat or something? I wish my looked like that.

* * *

Jongin waited for Sehun to get back while blankly flipping through the television channels, pausing at one to admire Yuna's assets in AOA's "Heart Attack" music video.

"Sehun left already?" His mom popped out of nowhere, sitting on the couch opposite him.

"He just went to meet up with a friend." Jongin shrugged, "He'll be back though. If you don't mind, he's gonna stay over here for a while."

Mrs. Kim furrowed her eyebrows at her son, "Of course I don't but why? Did something happen with him?"

Jongin sighed, placing the remote control down next to him, "He had a fight with his parents. Long story short, Sehun wants to dance but his parents don't approve of it and are forcing him to go to medical school. So he kind of fought with them about that today." The boy said briefly, not wanting to elaborate too much because surely the blonde wouldn't appreciate that.

"Poor kid..." She sighed, "His parents are those kind... too high and mighty for their own good. When you really think of it though, a big CEO and his wife who is a surgeon and has her own private practice surely would only want their son to follow in their footsteps."

"Yeah but what about what he wants? Isn't that just a little unfair?"

"If life were fair, there would be no rich and poor, no one higher in rank than the other, no disease and no suffering. But sadly that's not the way it is."

As much as Jongin hated the fact, he knew his mother was right, "So if you were to give Sehun some advice, what would you tell him? Because... I can sympathize with him. I love dancing so much and I couldn't imagine ever having to stop doing what I love."

"I think he shouldn't give up. The bigger the dream, the stronger the will to fight for it. Sehun is on a road with many bumps and cracks along the way. He's gonna have moments of weakness, he's gonna want to give up and just do what his parents ask of him. He could lose all his motivation and spirit in the split of a second. But it's definitely a journey worth taking because regardless of the end result, he's gonna look back and have no regrets. Because he tried anyway. Because he struggled for something that he loved."

Jongin silently nodded, letting his mother's words sink in.

"Sehun's a great kid. And I want you to be there for him on this tough journey. You of people should be able to understand him, after all your dreams are one and the same. Be the one to console him, motivate him and lift his spirits. And he can stay here for as long as he wants."

"Thanks mom." Jongin smiled, "And I won't leave him alone."

Mrs. Kim beamed at her son proudly, "That's my Jonginnie."

* * *

"Ooh what do we have here?" Baekhyun asked slyly as he saw Jongin and Sehun walking into the school building together, "I thought you guys hated each other."

"Oh please don't misunderstand." Sehun stated, looking at the elder boy beside him, "I still want to saw his head off." 

"You see, Baekkie?" Jongin grinned, throwing a heavy arm around Sehun, making the latter scowl, "We're like besties, now."

"Sure." Baekhyun said flatly, rolling his eyes. "Well come on. We're gonna be late for class."

As Baekhyun started pulling Jongin away, the latter hesitantly followed him and looked back at Sehun, "I'll see you around."

Sehun replied with a short nod before making his way to his own class. However, he didn't miss the looks people were giving him. Or more specifically, the girls.

"Oh please don't tell me you don't know about the amount of girls that are lusting after you."

Now that Jongin had mentioned it, he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. Is it really true?

Just then, a pretty girl with long brown hair appeared in front of him with a shy smile on her face.

"Hi, Sehun-sshi. I just wanted to say your performance on Friday was really amazing! I didn't know you danced so well."

Sehun blinked. Well this is new. 

"Uh, thank you." He said shortly, "I'm sorry but I have to go to class now."

"Oh sure! Go on ahead." She smiled, "Congratulations on winning!"

For the rest of the day, he kept getting stopped by people, both boys and girls (the latter more often than not), complimented for his dancing and congratulated for winning. It was a little flattering at first but it quickly got annoying. Sehun didn't think he ever talked to so many people in one day ever before and it almost gave him a headache.

"You should be happy." Luhan said as he munched on a french fry.

"I'd rather just go back to being a nobody. I'm not used to all this attention."

Luhan scoffed, "You were never a 'nobody'. People were just scared to approach you. But now that you won the competition, they have something to talk to you about. Besides, everyone was pretty shocked. Who knew the top achiever guy who never talked to anyone was an incredibly amazing dancer?"

Sehun felt a light blush color his cheeks as he stared down at his food, "You think so?"

"I know so." Luhan smiled tenderly, "Never stop dancing, Sehun-ah."

"...I won't."

A happy smile made its way onto Luhan's lips, doe eyes twinkling as they bore into Sehun's. Sehun felt the air almost being knocked out of his chest as he stared at the elder. Luhan looked a lot happier than when he first saw him. Of course there was that tinge of sadness in his eyes because he was leaving but he didn't have that distant look anymore. He looked like he was finally at peace.

Sehun thought he looked so beautiful.

"Sup." Their little moment was interrupted when Jongin took a seat next to Sehun at their lunch table, followed by the rest of his friends. Minseok sat down next to Luhan and they smiled at each other before naturally going into conversation. It was clear to Sehun that the two were really close and Luhan seemed so happy he could finally talk to his friends again. Soon enough, the table was filled with loud chatter and laughter. Everyone seemed to get along so naturally, everyone except Sehun that is. He felt like some sort of third wheel sitting between them since they were all old friends except for him. He didn't really speak much, only laughing when one of them said something funny, but he felt awkward nonetheless. 

Sehun smiled when he saw the wide grin on Luhan's lips but soon enough it faded.

What am I doing here?

Sehun realized he could never make the elder smile like that. He wasn't funny, he didn't have many words, he wasn't someone entertaining or amusing in the least. Coming to think of it, all he ever did was swarm Luhan with his own problems. Use him as some sort of outlet for all his frustrations. Sehun didn't even know how to crack a joke. All he could do was be awkward and make everyone else around him awkward, too.  But these other people at the table... they have known him for years. They were light-hearted, conversational, and funny. They were everything he wasn't. 

He realized he didn't belong on this table, with these people.

"Sehun? Is everything okay?" Jongin asked him, frowning slightly. Everyone else at the table was busy talking and no one paid attention to them.

"I'm fine. I'm going to class a little early, okay?" Before waiting for a reply, he quietly stood up and slipped out of the cafeteria. He felt tight in his chest as he walked through the almost empty halls, fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't help but feel a little envious of them, of how easily they could make Luhan laugh. But Sehun... he simply couldn't.

Why did he have to like the elder so much? If it already hurt so much now, how would he be able to handle it when he left?

As if his feet had taken him there at their own accord, Sehun found himself at the rooftop of the school building. He sat down at his usual bench and looked up at the sky, taking a few deep breaths as if to loosen the knots in his chest. 

"You said you were going to class." A sudden voice made  him almost jump up in shock. He heard a few footsteps coming towards him before a figure sat down on the bench next to him.

Sehun sighed. He really just wanted some alone time right now. "Why did you follow me?"

Jongin blinked a few times, as if he himself didn't know the exact answer to that question, "I... I don't know. You just up and left like that and it's obvious something's bothering you."

Sehun just sighed deeply and stared ahead without saying anything.

"...Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I'm done burdening people with my problems. I need to grow up and face them by myself."

"You've handled enough on your own, Sehun. There's nothing wrong with letting someone stand by you and support you. You of all people should know how hard it is to be alone."

"It's better than just depressing everyone in my way."

"That's not true." Jongin shook his head, "Friends are supposed to be there for each other and help each other out. Besides, think of everything you've done when you were alone. You let your parents push you into whatever they wanted. You didn't fight them. You let yourself into this black hole and you had no one to pull you out. Now think of everything you've achieved after you started opening up to people."

Jongin's tone softened, "You followed your dreams."

"Yeah everything's great for me. What about you? And Luhan? All I did was use you guys as an outlet. Someone to let myself vent to to feel better about myself. What do you get from that? A friend is not just someone you talk about about your frustrations. A friend should also be someone you would want to call when you just want to hang out, or have fun, or laugh with. I can't do that. I'm not a fun person. I'd rather just stick to myself so I don't spread my negativity to other people."

Jongin sighed as he thought of a way to make Sehun understand. In a way, the boy had a point. But he wasn't exactly right either.

"I like hanging out with you though." Jongin muttered.

"What?" This seemed to take Sehun by surprise.

"I like hanging out with you. You're not a bad person, Sehun. I like spending time with you. You're fun in your own weird, awkward kind of way."

Sehun blinked, trying to process the words Jongin just said. The latter sighed.

"Look, Sehun. Friendship is not as complicated as you think it is. Why do you think I left all my friends and followed you here? Why do you think I bothered to listen to your problems and try to help you out? Why do you think I offered for you to stay at my place? I wouldn't do those things if I didn't like you. I already consider you my friend, even if you don't. So stop over-thinking and over-analysing things and start living. Time is not gonna wait for you."

Sehun was shocked to say the least. As dumb as the other boy looked and sometimes acted, he sounded so mature right now. Maybe it was true. Why would he go through all the trouble if he didn't care about the younger?

"You... are not as bad as I thought you were." He muttered.

Jongin grinned and flipped his hair dramatically, "I know I'm awesome. Now come on, stop being depressed and let's go back down to the cafeteria. I haven't finished my lunch."

"You go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Jongin rolled his eyes and stood up, pulling Sehun up along with him by the arm, "Nope. You're coming with me. You haven't eaten either."

"I'm fine." Sehun urged as he tried to pull away from the elder's hold.

"If you wanna dance well you gotta eat more. You're already so skinny." Jongin didn't want to propose his hypothesis that everything Sehun ate seemed to get deposited in his bottom because he literally had zero fat everywhere else. The younger boy sighed and gave up, allowing Jongin to lead him back to the cafeteria. However, he felt a lot more at ease now. It was crazy how Jongin could make him feel so much better with just a few words.

Yeah sorry for this filler kinda chapter. More Sekai moments, I guess xD. I bet you guys are so happy that Luhan will be gone soon lol. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this long-ish chapter since I haven't updated in so long. Until next time!