“Yo yo yo ~~Seee~~hunnnn~~”

KNOCK KNOCK-THUMP KNOCK

“Sehun!”

“Sehun!”

“Sehuuunnn!”

KNNOOCKKKK BANG-BANG-BANG

“Sehun!”

KNOCK

KNOCK

RATATATTAT

“Yo Seeehuuunnn~~~ Open uuppp~~~~”

BANG

‘Se-………………………………………” Lu Han’s voice fell away as he gaped at the tiny crack his kid brother’s door had finally opened to. “ ……………………………………………………..  …………
Uwwaa~~~ what the hell!!??”

“…………………………. ………………….. “ Wordlessly, Sehun stared at Lu Han through heavy lidded eyes, the aura around him pitch black - almost like tendrils of darkness creeping out of his bedroom behind him, to the cheerfully bright corridor outside.

 “….What do you want.” His voice, when he finally spoke, was a harsh growl.

“….Waahhaaa my precious little child, don’ be like that~~~” Bouncing in, Lu Han draped an arm about Sehun’s shoulders and pulled him over to the crumpled bed. “Seee~~~huuunn~~aaa~~” Smiling happily as he sang the words, he plopped down, pulling one of Sehun’s oversized pillows into his lap, before titling his head expectantly like an eager sparrow.

Clicking his tongue, Sehun dropped down onto the middle of the bed like a sack of potatoes, glaring off into the distance. “what do you want.”

“Now, now, is that any way to be, I haven’t seen you all daaayyy, babeehh~~~”

“…………….. …………………”

“…….. aaahh…” Sighing, Lu Han shook his head, dropping his playfulness to lean back, his brows quirking in concentration. “no retort, huh….something’s def up, mom was right~~”

“………… …………”

“So? What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’ lie to your big bro, you can’t hide anything from me, ya know~~” Grinning as traces of teasing cheerfulness crept back into his voice, he flicked Sehun’s nose to punctuate each word. “I ~can ~see ~right ~thru ~youuuu~~”

“Askdhsja!!” Spluttering incoherently, Sehun, grabbing his nose with both hands, scurried away to the foot of the bed and yanked a cushion off his chair to throw at him.

“Well? What’s gotten you all grumpy, it’s gotta be serious for you to skip dinner~~ehehe… the last time this happened, that chick you were going out with had r-”

“AKJHSHJA!!! Shuttup!!” Springing forward, Sehun flung himself on his idiot brother, slamming his hands over his mouth. “We don’t talk about that, remember!!??”

“BWahahahaaa!!!” Laughing, Lu shoved him off, only to pull his properly into his lap, cuddling him into his chest, and planted a kiss on the top of his head. “If you don’t want me to speak about that, give in and tell me about this, already~~”

“……. …………. Fine!! Fine, ah, actually, Big Bro might be able to help!!” Sehun wiggled into Lu ’s lap, pressing his head into his chest as he craned up to peer at his face.

“Yeah!! See - So tell me!!”

“Okay, so, say - ….erm….wait…… “

“Whatttt~~~”

“Wait!! Give me a moment….”

“….. …… …………… ……. Ding-ding ding ding diiiiiinnggg time”s up!! Tell me~~” Wrapping his arms tighter about his kid brother, Lu Han started tickling him – as expected, making him yell and frantically fight him.

Five minutes later, winded after the wrestling match that had ensued, both of them flopped down to lie on Sehun’s bed again.

“Okay, Big bro – listen, k?”

“Uh-huh~~”

“Okay. SO, say there is someone… a friend of mine… person A.”

“….It’s you.”

“NO!!!! It’s a friend!!”

“…..ehehee, ok ok, for now let’s say that. Go on~~”

“Okay, so, someone……someone else, right, like…erm…..”

“Person B??”

“Yeah!!!” Delighted, Sehun reached to pat Lu’s hair. “Brother got it!”

“……. It’s a girl.”

“YES!!!!!!!!!! YES IT’S A GIRRLLLL!!!!!”

“…………………. ……………….”

“………………………………..err what………?”

“It’s kinda weird that you agreed so quickly…..”

“……… …….. tha- its- perfectly normal, I- aarghhh, ok, just stop talking and listen, okay?! SO, this GIRL, basically..like…. confesses – yeah!! Ha!! Totally just goes and confesses HER feelings to person A, right?”

“Ehehe, Seehuunnn~~ How many confessions this week, someone’s really popular, huh~~”

“……. Shuttup you , I-”

“HHUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH!!???” Springing up to pin him down again, Lu grabbed his cheeks, pinching them till his lips were pursed like a fish. “??? Calling your elder brother !!??? Which mouth is it, is it this cheeky mouth those words are coming from~~”

“askjdh – haaaahahahhaa- Big bro – get offfff – ou – bwwaahhhaahhhaaaa – “

Another five minutes later, with Sehun sitting firmly on Lu‘s stomach, holding him in place, the conversation continued. “SOOO, this person, B, confesses to A, right? What does it mean, if like, two weeks later, B is totally doing it with someone else!!??”

“…………….. …………. She’s cheating on you??”

“….wrarut – NO!! see-”

“- Wait, so, B is the one who confesses to A, right?”

“…yeah!!”

“…..and… they’re going out?”

“NO!! B just.. just went all…. Ya know, to A, but – “

“So A turned her down??”

“HAAA??!! OF COURSE!! Who the hell would go out with that – that…”

“Hold on hold on!! So they aren’t going out, right?? So what’s the problem, then? A turned B down, so she found someone else… why’re you- “

“UUUEHAAAARRGHHHH!!! Big brother doesn’t get it!!!! Look…

Look…

……………………….. …….the thing is…….

See……..

Aarrrrghhh!!!! It’s just been like, two weeks, okay!!!! And B’s been all…. Weird anyway, around A, like, being all…all… uuugrghhhg, WEIRD, okay, so who the hell, just.. goes and starts humping someone just TWO WEEKS after confessing to someone else, like WHAT THE HELL is wrong with that IDIOT, that TY –

Why. Are. You. Laughing.

??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“I’m – bwaahahhahaha – I’m sorry – hahhaaahaaa, omo, Hunhun, if you liked her so much, why did you turn her down, then??”

“……asdkjkjahsd!! What are you saying, I do NOT like hrmm – her!!”

“Sehun~~~you’re acting like a grade schooler!! You turned her down, then she goes out with someone else, n now you’re getting’ mad~~”

“BUUUTTTT!! If – okay, suppose B liked A, okay, enough to like.. be all… kyyaann Ohhhh Sehun, I’ll take it, please let me have it, I want yours FOR me all stupid idiot dumg asdjkadh…….. and what was that anyway, with the tart, like who the hell even asked you for it, !! And reposting that pic yesterday saying it was so cool, that’s the exact same jacket I have, I always wear it, what did that mean? And what is with that outfit, like, the rest of your club is just running in gym clothes, but you have to do your drills in that outfit!!??? And then making that face just coz I was playing around with my friends as if yoouu weren’t, ha, oohh YiFan take me, take me, I bet-”

“Sehun. You have totally lost me.”

“…………. Askjdhaskjhff” with a strangled yell, Sehun slammed his face into the pillow. “aksjhd alksd kshdkf alksh!!!”

“…………. …………………. ……………..” Heaving a deep sigh, Lu pulled the pillow away, comfortingly smoothening his hair.  “Okay, look, let me see if I’ve got it, so this B confessed to A right?”

“……um…” pouting cutely, Sehun nodded.

“and A turned B down….”

“Um!”

“But the atmosphere around them was….how to put it, I-”

“weird!!!”

“Interesting.”

“………… ……………I g…….uess…..”

“But then, two weeks later, A sees B doing it with someone else.”

“YEAH!! STUPID DUMB SHAMELESS TY – “

“Okay, okay, there there, Sehun…. So after seeing B, whom he rejected, doing it with someone else, A gets really upset and worked up?”

“………. …………. ………. WHO THE HELL IS UPSET!!!??? HAAAAA!! HA HA HA, AS IF, YOU WISH, I AM SOOOOO NOT UPSET, HAAA!!! WHO THE HELL GIVES A –”

“…………… …………Sehun……. I can’t believe I have to point this out, but…….You do realise this means A likes B??”

“……………….. ………………………….. okay you are SO wrong, you couldn’t BE more wrong – “

“………..ehhhh….is that so~~~” Laughing, Lu got up, straightening his clothes as he headed out. “But ya know what, little brother of mine~~ If you wanna stand a chance, ya gotta move fast now~~”

“…Huuuhhh???”

Pausing near the door, Lu titled his head back to look at Sehun. “Well, after all, she had to like you enough to work up the courage to come and confess, right?? I doubt that was just a spur of the moment thing.. so anybody she is with now, just days later, is at most, a….”rebound”…? Which means she’s prol still carrying a torch for ya, huh~~~ “

Pulling open the door, he stepped out. “So if you want her – I mean, person B~~ - then person A has to move fast – before she moves on for good ya know~~

Ah well.. though it might already be too late~~~”

Waving cheerily behind him, Lu closed the door – leaving Sehun alone in his room, which had started spinning around him for some reason.

------

Stupid Lu Han!! Calls himself my big brother, and doesn’t even have the sense of a FIVE YEAR OLD!!!!! As IF I, ME, Oh Sehun, would LIKE some stupid dumb idiotic senseless donkey head muscle monkey GUUUYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! Ha!!!!!!!! Ha!!!! D’ya even know how ma-

“SEHUN!!”

“…eh – ah!! Sensei!!”

“………. ………honestly!! First you come late to school, and then you sit there day dreaming! In first period, no less!”

“……… …. Sorry…” Ughhh!!!!! That was all stupid brother’s fault, after saying something like that, who could help -

“Fine, then its decided, the two who are too busy to pay attention can go from our class.” gathering up the papers and straightening them, Jongdae Sensei stood up, just as the bell went, ending homeroom. “Study hard kids~~ Sehun, Tao, come and meet me during lunch, I’ll give you the forms you need your parents to fill in and sign.”

Eh……

EEhhhhhh!!!???????

One Week, 3 days later

“Ummm…..so….”

“I’ll take this one! And stay away from me, you freak!”

“….HUUUHHHH!!??? I wasn’t even going anywhere near- “

“Aaarrrghhhhh!!!” Cutting him off, Sehun threw his bag onto the bed he’d picked, flopping face down into it. Behind him, Tao sighed, before heading to the opposite wall and the bed that stood alongside. What the hell…

He’s still so close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blushing, Sehun, who’d turned his face just slightly – just a teeny weeny bit enough to see what he was doing, quickly scrunched back into the pillow. Dammit…dammit, it was the stupid homo cooties again, he could just feel his cheeks getting hot!!!

This was all his fault anyway the stupid idiot, his and Big brother’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That day in class, Jongdae Sensei had apparently been talking about a new program their school was trying out – for a week during the summer vacation, they wanted to send a group of kids to a Job Experience Workshop run by the escalator college associated with their high school. Since it was the first time such a course was being conducted, they wanted a minimum of two students from each class to participate, as a trial run, hoping to expand it from next year onwards, and also include the other affiliated high schools. But for now, they wanted two kids from each class of their school - so a total of 12 students, along with two teachers, Yuuna Sensei and Yixing Sensei, would be spending the first week of the summer vacation in a dormitory on the college campus, attending Agriculture, Sales, Dining and Restaurant, Handicraft classes, as well as working in the Labs in the college, and even one day going to the Clinic to assist the doctor…. Of course, when Jongdae Sensei put it forward, not a single person in the class had volunteered, despite cajoling, threats, promises of extra credits, and it was around that point that Sehun had stopped paying attention, his mind falling back on the conversation with Lu Han he’d had the evening before – honestly, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, getting totally irritated each time – what the hell had he even meant, ha, there’s no way I could… Uggh, it was coz he’d been thinking about the same thing (that…and…even though he refused to even marginally admit it to himself, the memory of Tao’s face..in the gym….) that he hadn’t been able to fall asleep the previous night, till like, 4 am, ending up late in the morning – so Jongdae Sensei had an added excuse to mercilessly pull him up, him and, as his total bad luck would have it, that idiot too – uggh, what was his problem, couldn’t he have been, like, paying attention.. anyone else would have been better!!!!!!!!!!!

And Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Being all stupidly happy about the whole thing, totally supporting the idea of Sehun getting “work experience”, and meticulously filling in the stupid form, even though he’d begged her to write saying he couldn’t go!!!

Uggghhhhhh

Twisting around, he peeked out at Tao again – he had set his bag down on his bed, and was pulling out stuff to put on the small table beside it – his phone, tablet, the dock and a pair of blingy headphones… next came a cute cartoon-covered pouch, which he took through the narrow door at the other end of the room… ah… bathroom…

That was it, that was all the room had – two beds, so close by if he reached out an arm, he could touch Tao’s… a tiny side table beside each, a single desk at the foot of Sehun’s and a little bathroom you could barely stand up in, with just a toilet and shower.

Stuck…

In this tiny room…

For one whole week……

WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uggh, I bet he’s like….

Ah, that’s it, I’m just sickened by this whole thing.. having to live with a HOMO, it’s just totally disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uggh creepy!! And scary!!!!!! How can I even sleep feeling safe, ha, that’s right, I’m just totally creeped out!!!!!!!!!!

Ah…

Tao came out of the bathroom, having deposited the pouch on the little shelf beside the mirror, studiously not looking over at Sehun, just standing there with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet….. for a moment….

Before sighing, going over to his bed to put on his headphones, quickly losing himself in his tab.

Ugghhh…

Even if the kids from the other class had been like, okay, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but seriously…
From the third year, it was the student council president, the vice president, and two senpais from the discipline committee – and through no fault of his own Sehun wasn’t on good terms with any of them… AARGH!! That too!!! When they’d met up in school in the morning and the senpaitachi had seen Sehun and Tao… the way they’d looked at them, like, “why are these monkeys here”…, it had pissed him off so bad!! It wasn’t even like he wanted to be there, but acting like it was something only the “elite” students would go to…stupid dumb NERDS!!!! And the first year kouhais were no better, one total geek, one Chanyeol’s ex (who utterly hated their whole circle now, Chanyeol n Baekhyun and Minseok and Jongin, and Sehun was no exception), one weird guy who was obsessed with Yuuna Sensei, and one who was going out with that idiot Jimin (they were the total crazy in love, obsessed, clingy, spends every second of the day together type of couple it was sickening to be around), who, along with Hana, had come from the other second year class.. (Hana was out of the question, she’d liked him and confessed a while back, but he’d turned her down…coz he was with Rina at the time, and now he totally could not hang out with her, she’d get the wrong idea and start thinking he liked her or something!!)

And then there was him….

Sehun peeked over again, to see he was frowning at his screen, his inky black hair prickling against his tanned skin…

His warm, golden, exotic skin….

That gradually suffused a pink dye…. -

“Stop it!!!!!!!!”

“…………….eh?”

“Looking at me like that!!!!!!!!!! Stoppit!!!!” Still without looking over at Sehun at all, Tao snapped, his ears turning crimson – making Sehun, choking internally in embarrassment, shoot up to his knees of the bed. “HHHUUHUUHHHHH!!???? Of course I’m gonna look at you, as if I’d stay in the same room and take my eyes off, god only knows what will happen to me!! if I let my guard down-”

“ENOUGH!!!!” Slamming his tablet down, Tao spun to face him. “Get it through your stupid head already!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t like you, I never have, I never will!!!! Honestly…. Goddamn ing annoying nutjob!!!!”

“……………………. ………………… ….. ……….. WHAAT THE !!??? IF ANYONE SHOULD BE – “

“AAARRGHHH!!!” this time, it was Tao who cut him off. “For ’s sake, gimme a break!!!! Every single day, it’s been this same – glaring at me, acting like I- Aarrghhh why the should I have to take this from you anyway!!!!????”

“EERRHM, coz you’re ing gay!!!????? And you ing hit on me!!???? , just be grateful I did- Ooof – gruhdrg – what the- ge- “

……………………………..

Shi –

what the waht is this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too shocked – and partly terrified – to think, Sehun stared blankly up at the boy….

At …

At Tao, who had leapt across, over to his bed, to thump him down.

Push him over…

And slam himself over him…

Bodily slam himself over him…………..

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Get this!!!!” Angrily, Tao shoved him down harder into the bed, pushing his hands in, leaning in –

Closer –

He’s so strong!!! And ….and , warm – this –

Closer…..

BU DUMP

That time…. That time, in the storage room when he was…..

If he .. IF he... by any chance if he makes that face agai-AAH!!! WHAT AM I – WHY AM I EVEN THINKIN ABOUT THAT NOW!!!!!! THAT’S-

BU DUMP

BU DUMP

BU DUMP –

shtithsithis what is happeni- why is he – all of a sudden, why is he ON me, why-

“gru – “

His lips –

Almost touching my skin, his breath –

I –

His tone icy chill, Tao pushed him in one last time, almost whispering right into his ear, his voice harsh. “Even if I WAS one hundred and ten percent flaming gay, you’re the last person on earth I’d even like, gettit!!????? You’re ing obnoxious, I don’t want anything to do with you. So cut it out already!”

Flinging himself up like just being this close to Sehun was disgusting, Tao stomped off, out of the room, banging the door behind him.

……………………………… ……………………………….

……………………

…. ….  It was like a jolt of freezing water, splashing into his face, the inrush as Tao’s skin left his – as his weight disappeared – and for a moment, Sehun could do nothing more than draw in big gasping breaths of air –

The heat dissipating..

The tense buzzing in his ears fading….

……….Before his words sunk in.

Last person… he’d even want….

HHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!!!???? What the bloody !!!! GOOD!!!!! Who the would want to be wanted by him, stupid damn – stupid –

I don’t care!!!! I never liked him or anything, and honestly, it’s a RELIEF to –

….

What the was he talking about anyway?? Glaring at him!!?? I was only….

I was only…

When I couldn’t help it, coz he…..

Ugghh, it wasn’t even like I WANTED to look at him, it’s was like I –

I can’t help it, I just….

AARGHHHHH istfg,it's just a RELIEF, who the wants to – Ha! I’m GLAD, SO GLAD that he’s not targeting me, that’s all, GLAD, so don’t……….

Outside the door, Tao shoved his face into his hands, trying to stop their shaking.

….

what did I just do……

His whole body was trembling -  he’d been so mad, so upset, of course he had every right to be, that… that..idiot!! OF COURSE he didn’t like Sehun or anything, it was all.. just….
But even so, to have to put up with that – all these days in school it was like that, being looked at like he was disgusting, like… he was sick, like anything he felt or thought or did – not that he ever felt anything like that, but…

But like very single bit of him was sickening, the way Sehun kept glaring at him – with so much revulsion and disgust…

Sehun

That Sehun looking at him like that, there was no way he could be just… fine with being… abhorred by him, was there…

Aarrghhh, I’m going to cry….

It’s not even my fault anyway!!! I did nothing wrong!!
dammit, that’s right!! He hadn’t even – he’d never even thought anything like that, but still…

Every day….

The way Sehun glared at him, all the time, the way he avoided him, even drawing himself away when he walked past, in the corridor or on the stairs, like he was some…untouchable, like he had some contagious disease, like Sehun… Sehun didn’t want to get even anywhere close to him…
like he was totally grossed out by him.
Two days ago, when he’d come back to class first from the fire drill, and Sehun had come in right behind him – and seen it was just him in the classroom and… and backed out and slammed the door, coz he couldn’t bear to be alone in the same room with Tao..The day before that, when Sensei had randomly assigned partners in PE and they’d been paired for stretching and Sehun had promptly faked a stomach ache so he could sit out…
That time Minseok had borrowed his bottle of water for a sip, and Sehun, who’d just come in, ran up and asked him for some, so sweetly cajoling… till Minseok had said, ‘Fine, but it’s Tao’s..’… he’d dropped away so fast, turning away from Minseok and saying he’d just go to the vending machines….

The way he’d…. Aarghh it was everything!! All these stupid little dumb pointless things, day in and day out…

Dammit, of course he wasn’t gay!!!!!!!!! That idiot had sooo got the wrong end of the stick!!!!!!!! He did NOT like him!!! Ha… that…. Would be impossible!!

But still…

When Jongdae Sensei had picked the two of them, he hadn’t been able to help feel…just a little bit…glad..

Ah!! It was totally normal, right? When someone hated you.. even if it was someone you didn’t particularly have any feelings for or anything, if someone actively hated you..and was, like, disgusted by you… it would hurt, right???

Ha!! Esp when… when he’d thought SEHUN was the homo, he’d been totally…he’d… he’d been willing to accept it right??

He’d really thought…

Well, he’d hoped, that….

Like..

He hadn’t even realised they’d be sharing a ing room or something like that, he’d just thought, if they were together, he could..somehow…
be friends with Sehun.

It was just…. Aahh, it was nothing like that, it was just, he’d been kinda.. well, it was easy to see, Sehun was super fun, there was a reason he was as popular as he was, right!?? And he’d just thought… it would be nice to be.. on good terms with him…at least, even if they weren’t close friends or anything… even if they weren’t even friends at all… at least he could show him – that is, he could..maybe convince him not to hate him??

If it had been ANYONE else, it’d have been different..but…. but being hated like that – by Sehun!!???

I can’t take it.

I can’t take it anymore!

AAARRGHHH, but then, he’d just….. It was like this ALL the time!!! Sehun would – ah, that’s what he said, right? That he couldn’t take his eyes off, coz he was scared Tao would…. So he had to watch him like Tao was gonna… do something, like he was some sort of… revolting…. monster!!!  

Coming over in the bus, he’d actually gone to sit next to Yixing Sensei just coz he didn’t wanna share a seat with Tao…..

And then…

In the room…

UGHHHHH!!!! It makes me so MAD!!!!!!!!!!!

But…

.

The memory flashed into his body again – not like something he was “remembering” or “imagining” in his head at all, but like it was his body itself that could remember – the feel of Sehun…

under…him…

…

Tao covered his mouth with a hand that was still trembling.

A bead of sweat trickled down his spine.

….