I dare you not to fall in love (Listen to your heart)

Once Upon A Story

A/N: Hi guys, how has everyone been doing?

This one is definitely my favorite of the bunch. Because I've been feeling nostalgic I decided to write this. To a certain extent the story contains current and past events that are my personal experiences. That being said, you guys may find this boring, so I won't be offended if you choose to skip over this chapter. 

Note that this is all in Luhan's POV.

Featuring: HunHan, the rest of EXO, OCs

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"Look, you've had more than enough time to think over what your next step should be. We accepted your wish to not continue with your current studies, but you are not allowed to abuse our accommodations. You can't keep wasting time sitting on your every day." My father fumed, he had been fed up with me lately. But really, this wouldn't have been the first time. 

My mother who had been sitting beside him sighed. "Every time I glance over at you I feel so- just this whole situation makes me feel so uncomfortable. Why is it so hard for you to make a decision?" I could hear the displeasure in her tone and see the anger reflected in her pupils. 

Well that's not new. It's not like you've ever been comfortable looking at me. And we're talking about a lifelong decision here, it can't and shouldn't be taken easily. I thought bitterly to myself, biting back my retort. What was the point in arguing back? It would not help this situation in any way, so I opted to remain silent. 

I zoned out after this. Their mouths were still vigorously moving, their eyes still ice cold; but I couldn't bring myself to continue listening. Whatever they were saying at this point fell on deaf ears.

Truthfully, I've never been enthusiastic about life; especially not since knowing that the older I become, the more responsibilities I'm burdened with. I know there's so much more to live for; there's still so many places I want to visit, so many people I haven yet had the pleasure of meeting. But reality is much different from dreaming. And maybe by living in ignorance, avoiding my duties had been my way of coping with this cruel reality. I'm well aware that I can never expect to have everything I want; but when it comes down to the single thing I crave more than anything else, it would be happiness. It seems like such a simple emotion, yet why is it so unachievable and so out of reach?

Everyone  has been more than open with their opinions about their expectations for me and my future, mainly my parents; and really it's becoming unbearable. But yet ironically, I don't have a clue about my future. The only thing I can be sure of is that it's an endless path of uncertainty. 

A frightening bang broke me out of my train of thoughts. 

"Unbelievable! He hasn't even been listening!" My father roared, his complexion reddening from all the shouting. He was now standing up from his seat, the chair had fallen over due to his abrupt outburst as his palms were slapped right against the table top. 

Suddenly, a new voice spoke up. "Uncle Lu, I have a proposal I'd like to run by you." I whipped my head over to the right, where my childhood friend had been seated. I forgot Kris had been with us from the beginning when my parents decided to confront and interrogate me. They called him over to "talk some sense into me" as they'd phrased it. 

My father seemed to have forgotten Kris' presence as well as he cleared his throat to recollect his emotions. "Go on." 

"It's obvious that Luhan still has some thinking to do." At this he turned to give me a knowing look. He is my best friend after all, there's no way he doesn't know what's really going through my mind. "So until he knows what he wants to do, I suggest he comes to work with my basketball team. The boys I'm co-coaching is constantly in need of a medical aid and Luhan has the knowledge and skills to help me. This way he'll still be doing something while he takes the time to think."  

Silence engulfed the atmosphere as my parents were now deep in thought about Kris' offer. 

After receiving approval from my parents I wasn't sure whether I should've been thankful or not that Kris once again saved my . I knew his idea hadn't been a joke and that I really was going to be helping him as a medical aid. And I guess I don't have a choice but to settle for this. Besides, I'd much rather be anywhere than in the suffocating confines of this place I call home and the people I call family. 
-------

It's been a couple months since I've step foot into the university, more specifically the gymnasium. There was an infinite amount of noise as the school's basketball team was already inside practicing and warming up. I trailed in after Kris with the sports medicine kit.

"Everyone gather around." Kris hollered. The students of various years and sizes came bustling over to where we stood. "Before we begin practice today, I just wanted to introduce you all to Luhan. He's going to be our trainer, for at least the rest of this school year." He gestured to me and suddenly I became the center of attention. Not knowing what else to do, I just offered them a small but I'm sure it came out looking awkward smile. "Alright, Sehun stay and the rest of you continue with your warm up."

A fairly tall, well built bleach blonde boy sporting a stoic expression stayed behind as the crowd around us dispersed. "What's up coach?" He asked. His voice was husky sounding with just the slightest hint of a lisp.

Kris explained to Sehun that he was to skip today's practice to work through some shin splint rehabilitation exercises with me. I could tell Sehun wanted to protest against his command, but since Kris is the coach, there was absolutely no room for negotiation. Before going off to the rest of the team, Kris handed me a sheet of paper with the exercises and told me to go through as many as possible.

We didn't bother with further introductions. I read through the first listed exercise, taking a theraband out of the bag and handing it to Sehun instructing him to sit down. "Have your injured leg outstretched, wrap the band around your foot and just pull, hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds. Tell me when you don't feel a stretch."

I noticed that he had been watching the team practice while he was doing what he'd been told. "Do you still feel a stretch?"

He didn't respond. I just thought maybe he didn't hear me so I kneeled down and asked him again. He finally looked over at me and replied no. "Alright, moving on to the next one."

I skimmed through the next exercise. "Okay, stand on your non-injured leg and bend the knee of your injured leg and grab the front of your foot." Sehun did as he was told, at the same time his line of sight never leaving the team. And as a result he stumbled and nearly fell over due to lack of concentration, but I held onto his arms to prevent that. "You can use the other arm for support." I then let go of my grasp on him after I made sure he regained his balance.

This was beyond awkward and the fact that he wasn't very responsive was really getting on my nerves.

"Alright, I'm going to do one more exercise with you and you can do the rest at home." Again, no response from Sehun; why am I not surprised?

"Okay?" I couldn't help but probe in annoyance.

But this seemed to have triggered his attention as he looked over at me for a brief moment. "Okay."

I rolled my eyes and sighed out of frustration. Kris is not going to be impressed, but it's not as if I wasn't trying. It's more than obvious Sehun longed to be practicing with his teammates as opposed to sitting in a corner doing rehab with some stranger! This was going to be one heck of a long year. I'm not sure what I got myself into, or rather, what Kris got me into. This is only the first day meeting Sehun, but already my impression of him isn't a positive one. And if the other guys turn out to be like him, this will be infuriating to say the least.

-------

A week has passed and I've slowly adapted to my position on the team and have become better acquainted with the rest of the members. Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Chen are the boisterous ones that have been friendly and were the first to truly welcome me, I feel the most comfortable around them. Tao, Xiumin, Lay and Kai are the complete opposite, and I'm glad for the contrast; they're nice and pleasant to be around. At first glance, Suho and D.O seemed to be the least skilled, but after seeing them practice I was in awe; they really do deserve their place on the team. And during this period of time, Sehun has only proved to me how much of an arrogant and cocky brat he is; which of course caused my impression of him to worsen. 

I walked into the gymnasium of Lester B. Pearson, the school we were playing against tonight. Both teams were getting ready so I just settled myself on one of the seats on the left side. Across from where I was seated, I had the perfect view of the audience on the bleachers. 

A surge of mixed emotions suddenly coursed through me. My heart was pounding with excitement as I watched the boys enter and begin their warm-up. Truthfully, I never liked watching games in the past, but when I took sports medicine back in high school, it was a requirement. I never regretted it though because it was seriously the best experience. However, because I haven't done this in nearly four years, my limbs are starting to tingle with nervousness. 

"Can you tape my shin splits?" I looked up upon hearing that familiar voice, sensing someone hovering over me. 

I inhaled a deep breath in an attempt to calm down my anxiety; hopefully, he didn't notice. "Yeah." After gathering two rolls of athletic tape and a roll of prowrap, I stood up from my seat. 

Sehun had already taken off his shoe and sock. I placed a roll of tape under the heel of his right foot. Upon kneeling down, my heart began racing, the anxiety was once again picking up. This was the first tape job I would be doing in a while. And even though I dislike Sehun, I was still scared that I might accidentally hurt him. I took in another deep breath to recollect myself. I prowrapped his leg before placing an anchor strip right above his malleolus and two strips overlapping by half right under his knee. Before plastering the first spiral on, I made sure to pull. "Is that too tight?"

"I don't feel anything at all." I had been taken aback by the fact that he'd answered me the first time.

But taking into account what he'd told me, I made sure to pull harder this time before placing the tape down. Two more spirals and then I reanchored, this time half strips on the top. "Okay, I'm done." I announced as I got up and dusted off my pants.

"Thanks." He'd said before being called off to gather with the rest of the team.

Shortly after, as I was placing the materials back in the bag, the game began. 

"He seems kind of different today." I mumbled to myself, but Kris must have heard me as he occupied the spot beside me. 

"Who seems different?"  

"The brat. He was actually attentive and responded right away when I asked him questions." 

Kris sighed. "You know, Sehun's actually not a bad kid once you get to know him better." 

I scoffed at how ironic I found the comment to be. "Really? 'Cause to me it seems to be the other way around." 

Kris shrugged. "Maybe it's his tactic to gain your attention." 

I couldn't help but grimace at that statement. "And why would he deliberately be trying to get my attention?" 

"Still as dense as ever." He muttered which earned him a slap on the arm courtesy of me. "But it seems to be working since you can't stop talking about him almost every chance you get." 

Gawking, I momentarily lost the ability to speak. "I-I don't talk about him all the time! I just rant about how annoying he is!" 

This caused Kris to quirk an eyebrow in my direction. "Does that really make a difference?" 

Unfortunately, I couldn't deny the validity of the question. Being too flustered for words at this point, I decided it would be best for my dignity if I didn't respond. Thus, we focused our attention on the ongoing game. 

Throughout the course of the game, I got out of my seat several times to refill water bottles. When I came back in, my eyes roamed through all the faces on the court and stopped once they landed on Sehun. I subconsciously chewed on my bottom lip in worry as I saw him limping as he ran. 

"Crap, why is he limping out there?" 

"I should be the one asking you. You were the one that taped him. Were you perhaps trying to take revenge on him or something?" 

My eyes widened at the accusation. "Just 'cause I hate him doesn't mean I'd intentionally hurt him!" I knew Kris had meant that as a joke, but I still couldn't help but become defensive.

"Kai, I want you to replace Sehun on the court." Watching Sehun limp out there had my heart clenching, and it was something I didn't want to witness any further. So I mentally thanked Kris for making this decision.

"Yes coach." Kai sprinted off in Sehun's direction. 

As I watched the game resume with Kai taking Sehun's place, I silently prayed to the gods above that I wasn't the reason for Sehun's limping. 'I promise that I'll stop calling him a brat, heck I'll even stop being mean to him if it means he'll be okay.'

I offered him my chair when I noticed him walking our way, which he gladly took. "Can I get some ice?" I took a bag of ice out of the kit and handed it to him; thank god I came prepared. He placed it on his site of injury as he tried ripping off the tape starting from the sides. 

We were surrounded by noise from the crowd and the game currently in play, but somehow all the ruckus had been muffled out as tranquility settled between us. I observed his actions for a while, and decided to intervene once I noticed he was having difficulty. I did promise to be more cordial towards Sehun, guess I have to start somewhere. "Here, let me help you." I offered. And when I didn't receive any protests or complaints, I proceeded. 

Taking the shark scissors, I tore through the tape, being careful not to cut him. When the tape came off, I asked Sehun to position the ice wherever he felt pain before wrapping the bag to his leg with flexiwrap. However, once I tore the flexiwrap, I noticed a bubble in the bag of ice and couldn't help but let out an embarrassing sound. Words cannot even describe what it sounded like, at best it was a mixture between a strangled animal and maybe a dying engine.

Sehun seemed startled by the sound too, he averted his gaze from the game to stare at me and then at his leg and openly laughed. This was the first time I heard him laughing, and for reasons that remain unknown to me, I couldn't help but join him. At that very moment, I felt bad, guilty even for being so mean to him; even though he was oblivious to the fact. But maybe, just maybe, I had been wrong about him; Kris was right, Sehun wasn't such a bad guy after all.

-------

Sehun's shin splints no longer bothered him and he was walking fine a few weeks after that taping ordeal. However, being the accident prone kind of guy he is, he landed lopsided from a slam dunk during yesterday's practice. Unfortunately, this earned him a scolding from Kris and a sprained ankle.  

"Is it okay to be taped?" Kris asked as I was inspecting Sehun's left foot. The swelling had gone down immensely. I told him to go home and ice it and I guess he must have taken my advice after all. 

"Yes. But does he really need it for practice?" What I learned about Sehun was that he didn't like being taped unless it was for a game when he preferred the extra support. 

Kris considered that for a moment before speaking up. "No, it's not necessary but we have another game in the next couple days and I want him to get used to the feeling." 

It was nearing the end of January and their practice schedules have been readjusted. Instead of practice every other day, it's been every day. Our team has been invited to attend the tournament at Bishop Grandin. There were going to be four other schools attending and we'd be going up against them all. The event is a big deal and so no one could really blame Kris for being more strict than usual. 

I nodded in understanding. 

"Everyone else get into pairs to practice shooting, dribbling and passing." He blew the whistle and shouted out his orders. 

I instructed Sehun to sit with his injured leg propped up at the end of the bench. After prowrapping a bit of ways up his leg, I pulled off a strip to cover his styloid process and taped another anchor strip to the bulk of his calf. 

Instead of watching his teammates practice like he usually does, I felt his gaze lingering on me. I tried ignoring the uncomfortable feeling but the atmosphere around us only increased in awkwardness. 

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" I finally couldn't resist the urge to ask. I was halfway through the tape job and it was driving me nuts. 

Sehun avoided eye contact, his cheeks were reddening and the tips of his ears were tinged with pink. He scratched his nape out of embarrassment of having been caught in the act. "S-sorry. Actually, I was uh...just wondering why you decided to become the team's trainer is all." 

I was alarmed by the sudden question. Sure, I suppose Kris sort of just forced the title to me and pushed the responsibilities at me because of the one sided argument I had with my parents. But that would require me to get into the finer details about why there was a quarrel in the first place. I really wasn't sure how to give a simple answer, my situation is messy. And it would be too confusing to try to explain to someone who barely knows me. "It's complicated. But I'm kind of glad this happened, oddly enough, I'm having lots of fun." At least that hadn't been a lie.

"That's good to hear. But really, things are never as complex as they seem. In fact they can be quite simple. It's just our minds subconsciously over complicate them."  His facial expression became unreadable, and upon realizing what he'd said Sehun let out an awkward chuckle. "Sorry, guess I'm being too nosy. Forget everything I just said." 

Being the socially inept person that I am, silence enveloped us once more as I concentrated on the final steps of the tape job. I absentmindedly thought about his words, imprinting them to memory at the back of my mind. 

"Hey, Luhan! Watch out!" I heard Chanyeol screaming at me in the distance. Everything that occurred next happened too fast for me to react. 

Apparently, Chanyeol threw the ball far out of Baekhyun's reach and it was headed straight for the back of my head. And Sehun had instinctively lunged forward to bat the ball away before I would receive a concussion. While that happened, his soft plush lips accidentally came into contact with my forehead. 

My eyes gradually dilated in shock as I was frozen in my spot. It felt as if I had been electrocuted by the touch, the feeling is unexplainable; but I didn't hate it. Perhaps this had been what people describe to be sparks flying?

Sehun immediately pulled back and stumbled onto his feet, nearly colliding with the floor as he got off the bench and hurried his way over to the rest of the team. 

My heart was accelerating at an dangerous pace. I felt my cheeks heating up as the scene unfolded repeatedly in my head. It was just an accident, that much I had been sure. What I couldn't comprehend though, was why I was feeling the way I was. 

------

Today was the day of the tournament. We arrived at Grandin early to practice. The game was officially going to begin soon and I had just finished taping Sehun's ankle and was placing all the equipment back into the kit. We never spoke of that incident and we pretended as if it didn't happen, which was fine by me; in fact I was thankful. But every now and then thinking about that day still makes my heart palpitate and I can't seem to stop it; especially when I see him. 

"Can you fill my water bottle?" I turned around and found myself face to face with Sehun. There was about five centimeters of space between us.

I gulped and immediately averted my gaze not daring to stare at his facial features. Without giving him a response, I took the water bottle he held in his hand and headed towards the doors but was stopped when I heard Chen speaking to me.

"Can you fill mine too?"

"S-sure." I mentally cursed myself for stuttering but nonetheless held out my hand for his bottle.

After tightly screwing the lid on Sehun's water bottle, I picked up Chen's off the floor and walked at a regular pace to the gym. At the doors, I saw Kris rounding them up. I quickened my steps and handed Chen his water bottle. "Thanks." He smiled at me before joining the rest of the group in a huddle.

I spotted Sehun, but D.O and Xiumin were standing between us. They had been focused on Kris' instructions and didn't take the initiative to move aside. Instead, Sehun stretched his arm out around them, I followed by mirroring his actions. Sehun kept his attention on Kris so when he reached out, he'd mistakenly grabbed my hand and that familiar surge of electricity flowed throughout my body. He seemed to notice too as he quickly retracted his hand. This time when he held his hand out for it again, he paid extra care to make sure to take the right thing. "T-thanks." He muttered, locking gazes with me and all I could manage was a nod.

Maybe it was just me being my typical paranoid self, but I swear I thought I saw Tao smirking as he witnessed everything that had just happened. And Baekhyun looked like he was trying his hardest to suppress his chuckling. I disregarded it all though, most likely it was just me being overly self conscious.  

For the next couple hours, I watched the games with excitement, honestly I wasn't at all worried for my team, the other teams weren't comparable. There were constant requests for water bottle refills, and once I made my way back in, I looked up to see only 10 more seconds on the clock.

Lay ran towards their opponents' basket. Sensing that someone was hot on his heels, he swiftly passed the ball over to Sehun.

 Five seconds.

Sehun caught it and shot the ball into the air three feet away from the basket. Everyone watched as the ball danced around the rim, it dropped in just before the buzzer went off. The score was 74 to 38, the wolves had won! Both teams got into two lines and shook hands, exchanging a mix of friendly thanks and congrats.

Our team was asked to stay behind. The coaches from Grandin pushed a cart into the room. The team made themselves comfortable on the gym floor. I watched as Chanyeol was rewarded the MVP award which turned out to be a wooden doll held up by a metal rod; of course the meaning behind it was more significant than its appearance. The rest of the team received plaques indicating that they'd won the Grandin tournament.

After witnessing them receive their awards, I decided it was time to pack up. I zipped up my jacket and turned around to find Kris in front of me. "Hey, this is for you." He handed me a plaque.

"Thanks."  Smiling, I extended a hand to take it.   

"Come take pictures with the team." He waited for my response.  

I had been startled by the request. "No, it's okay." I've never been fond of pictures, and Kris was more than aware of that.

"I wasn't giving you an option, come on." I rolled my eyes, not being able to contain the smile that broke out on my face as I was practically dragged to the other side of the gym.

I positioned myself beside Baekhyun. I saw Sehun sticking his head out from his position on the other end. But as soon as the cameras started clicking and flashing, he recovered his posture as their parents continuously snapped away. I felt my lips twitching as I tried my best to maintain a decent smile.

After that finally finished, Kris gathered the team in a circle. Thinking this had nothing to do with me, I attempted to slip from the crowd, but Kris caught me, calling me back before I could take another step.

"Good job today guys and thanks Luhan for being here. You're the best trainer ever!" He put his hand up for a high five.

And before I could properly register what was going on, 10 other hands were launched into the air and awaiting my high five.

I got through about three of the guys before I couldn't help but shout out, "Too many hands!" My sudden outburst caused the guys to chuckle.

I shared a gaze with Sehun as our hands came into contact. He grinned, his eyes turning into crescent moons and it must have been contagious because I smiled back.

I am so proud and grateful that I was able to share the glory with them, and at the same time I'm so glad that I didn't miss this. And to think that I actually disliked the idea of becoming their medical aid in the beginning; it's ironic how things ended up this way.   

-------

Time flies by when you're having fun, unfortunately, I agree with this statement. In the blink of an eye, three months had gone by. Today, Kris was holding a celebration party for all we accomplished during this season. I'm not one for goodbyes, but he insisted that I had been a major help to the team so I had to attend. 

So here I am now, standing outside the gym doors, listening to the familiar sounds of the boys playing ball; almost as if time had rewound itself and this whole journey was beginning again. 

"Aren't you going in?" I heard a voice from behind me and saw three gigantic boxes of pizza in Suho's hands while Sehun was beside him holding drinks. 

I smiled sheepishly as I walked in to make room for them. Baekhyun was the first to notice me, smiling and waving in my direction. 

"Food's here guys!" Kris signalled them all to gather around while Sehun and Suho settled everything on the table. He also gestured for me to join them, and coincidentally, I stood right next to Sehun. "But before you monsters start pigging out, I'd like to say a few things." He cleared his throat before he began. "Alright guys, so I know it we didn't make it to the championships. But we tried our best, we worked hard and we had fun along the way; it's been a good season. I think we can all agree that Luhan deserves our thanks for being here with us for the last couple of months." 

A bunch of "thank yous" were being shouted before everyone broke out into applause. At this, a shy grin appeared on my lips. 

"Thank you for helping out with their injuries, for taping Kai, and taping for Tao; what I'm trying to say is, I'm sure everyone at some point needed taping. And geez, Sehun had every injury imaginable." Everyone laughed and teased Sehun, who just ended up rolling his eyes; but he smiled nonetheless. "Anyways, we couldn't have done this- couldn't have come this far without you. So thank you, best trainer ever." 

Kris placed his hand out for a high five and soon enough they all followed suit. My lips subconsciously curved upwards as we all slapped hands. Tears pricked at my eyes as I felt like I was reliving the moment at Grandin, only this time, it really is the end. 

"Okay, let's dig in!" 

After devouring two slices of pizza, I stayed and watched them play for a bit, just to dwell in the moment for a while longer. But I knew that the longer I stayed, the more reluctant I would be to leave. So as hard as it was, I told Kris it was time for me to go, he gave me a box of pizza to take home. As I headed out the door, I heard them hollering "goodbye", but I didn't have the heart to turn around to tell them farewell because I knew I wouldn't be able to contain my tears. 

My temporary escape from reality, but mostly from my problems have come to an end. And while it had been a memorable experience, it unfortunately didn't help me in the slightest to figure out where I was headed. 

It was already seven in the evening, and though the sun had set long ago, I didn't want to be at home so early. I'd wandered over to the school's garden and lowered myself down on the bench. 

'Things are never as complex as they seem. In fact they can be quite simple. It's just our minds subconsciously over complicate them.' Sehun's words from the other day suddenly flashed through my mind. It's been popping up frequently ever since that day. Too bad we didn't resume that conversation, I'm intrigued by what he meant when he said that. 

And it was as if god really heard my prayers because I was not anticipating Sehun to just show up out of nowhere and plop down beside me. 

"You just left without saying goodbye." He sounded upset. 

My sight of focus shifted to my shoes as I gnawed on my lower lip. "Y-yeah, guess you could say I didn't really have the guts to do it." 

If he didn't comprehend what it was I had been referring to, he didn't voice that aloud. And I'm grateful for that since I'm sure the water works would start up again while I sappily confessed how much I would miss them. It's dumb, even laughable how attached I've become with the team even though I barely know them. But sometimes life itself just doesn't make any sense. 

"Goodbyes don't always have to mean the end. Just because basketball's finished, doesn't mean we can't remain friends." 

I couldn't refrain myself from staring at him in awe. He never fails to amaze me with his words. There's so much more to Oh Sehun than meets the eye. 

"Remember when you said things aren't as complicated as they seem?" He nodded, recalling the brief conversation. I guess he must've also been reminded of the event that happened after because his cheeks were starting to grow pink. Or perhaps that was the weather's doing, as it can still be quite chilly during March. "Do you really believe that?" 

"Yeah." There was no delay or hesitation in his response. "Has something been on your mind?" 

Either Sehun's a freaking mind reader or I'm just way too obvious. "Yeah, and for a while now." 

"Well um...if you're comfortable sharing with me I'd love to listen. I don't guarantee I'll be of any help. But it's good to just get it off your chest." His tone of voice is so sincere, so inviting that I didn't need to think twice before opening up to him. 

I explained how confused I am about my life. I'm enrolled in the nursing program and at one point I really did believe I'd be able to graduate. But along the way my confidence wavered, I felt like I didn't know anything compared to everyone else. I'd been lucky in the beginning because as long as I crammed before a test I would do good enough to just pass the course. But I didn't expect luck to always pull me through; I was aware that one day it would fade. And that day has finally come, I failed my clinical because of my lack of knowledge. It's not a big deal, I can just try again, but now I'm stuck contemplating whether or not nursing is the right career for me. My parents are frustrated with me and my lack of motivation for life. Which is basically why I ended up becoming the team's trainer. "So you still think my situation isn't complicated?" 

Sehun merely shrugged. "It really doesn't have to be." And when he saw the quizzical look I gave him, he elaborated. "Only you are capable of knowing whether or not you like nursing. If you can't answer yes right away to that question then you probably don't like it that much. So yeah, I understand that there would be lack of motivation for something you don't love wholeheartedly."

I nodded, agreeing with him and feeling more relieved that someone understood my inner turmoil.  However, I wasn't quite sure of the relevance of his words to my question. "Where's this going?" 

He disregarded this and instead commented, "I'm in the physical education program majoring in dance." 

"And your parents are okay with that?" I clasped a hand to my mouth immediately once I realized what I blurted. It was beyond inappropriate so I apologized. 

He just chuckled and waved it off. "No, they weren't. But they did eventually understand that I love what I'm doing and they don't have the right to choose my future for me." 

I let the information sink in before voicing what I was almost afraid of asking. "I-isn't that kind of being selfish though?" 

Thankfully he didn't seem offended when I said this. "Why, just because in the eyes of others, I'm being disobedient?" I hesitated before nodding. "Perhaps, but sometimes you have to be. If you're constantly thinking about other people's feelings and what they expect of you,  you'll never truly be happy because maybe it's not what you want." 

Happiness, the one thing I'd willingly choose over everything else. Could this be the missing piece? Maybe this was the obstacle I had to surpass to not fully reach but at least become one step closer to achieving happiness? 

Sehun took my hand and held it in his own, successfully grabbing my attention. "What I'm trying to say is that you're over thinking this. All you really have to do is go back to the basics. What are some things you excel at or things you enjoy doing? It may not be the direct solution to your problem, but it's a good starting point." 

Sehun was right. I'd been so clouded with thoughts about what my parents would think that I lost sight of what I deemed important. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I finally felt my shoulders and chest lifted of all the burden I was previously carrying. And I owe it all to Sehun, for helping me see life in a new light. 

I took him by surprise when I spontaneously pulled him in for a hug. "Thanks." I whispered against his ear. I smiled when I felt the warmth of his arms around my body. 

The future is ambiguous, no one knows what's going to happen next. Time is always moving forward, there is no end, only junctions; so when one door closes, another will open. But I know that somehow everything will turn out alright. 

 

 

 

 

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AizuUzia
#1
Chapter 14: Oh gosh ChanLu <3
AizuUzia
#2
I love your writing~
Feliciachristabel #3
Chapter 19: Please update and please make a lubaek one and please make Luhan be the dominant one of the relationship. Please. And I love your stories soo much ♥♥ ^~^
teufelchen_netty #4
Chapter 19: update soon more =)
hunhanjenam #5
Chapter 18: Happy birthday Oh Sehun, LUHAN'S SEHUN
Luhanyo #6
Chapter 17: Baek is a
Luhanyo #7
Chapter 7: Cute chalu
Luhanyo #8
Chapter 5: Poor krisssss
Luhanyo #9
Chapter 2: Luhan so manly haha
lanasakura1 #10
Chapter 17: Omg! Baekhyun is so hot and ty when he said that "We're finally going to give your baba the grand babies he's been longing for." Too bad it wasn't longer~ kinda want to read the part and Tao scream happily for grand babies! Thank you for the wonderful chapter ever! You make my day better! :)