Jongin and I looked at Sehun from behind, wondering what he ate wrong that he was suddenly walking with us to school.

“He greeted me good morning too,” I muttered to Jongin in secrecy.

His eyes widened a fraction, but slowly a grin spread on his face. “Something must have happened for him to be like this. Say, did your mom’s secret potion work like magic this time?” he whispered back, making me shake my head, smiling.

Sehun looked back at us, probably suspicious as to what we were whispering about, and immediately Jongin and I stifled the smile we were sporting before. He raised a brow at the two of us and I only managed to shrug and look away, not being able to keep the smile off my face.

When we got to school it was not anymore a surprise people started talking about Sehun’s sudden appearance with us. This was pretty much big news to them since it was the first time in five months they saw us together. Sehun was always with those other friends in high school while the original people in our gang were still stuck together—sometimes with additions of Jongdae and Yeri or the unavoidable visits from the exasperating Luhan, the cute Minseok sunbae and Seol who always grabbed Luhan by the ear if he neglected his responsibilities in the student council.

It seemed like a great progress, knowing that Sehun didn’t want to be seen with any of us. Not sure why, but I was just happy that something must have changed. Maybe he was really beginning to warm up with us again.

I was just glad he was, that was all.

“Luhan’s forever getting in trouble with Seol noona,” Baekhyun chirped while we eyed the pair at lunch in the cafeteria. Luhan was thrashing in Seol’s hold. She was nagging at him while twisting his ear in between her fingers as she dragged him out.

I smiled, saying without much thought, “they seem really close. Luhan sunbae is too insufferable, but Seol sunbae could easily make him bend. It’s amazing.”

Joonmyeon was smiling across from me, his eyes teasing. “Are you marvelling at them or are you secretly jealous?”

Immediately I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, the urge to defend myself and deny his claim so strong that I stood up, sputtering, “it’s not like that! Seriously! I-I was just set up the other day. Luhan was fooling around for some reason and asked me out on a petty date. It isn’t like I agreed to it…but now I really have to go.”

The admittance made Jongin take a sharp intake of breath beside me. I totally forgot about him that I quickly regretted ever saying the last part. “Y-you’re really going on a date with him?” he asked his voice laced with disappointment.

I nodded, feeling my insides twist in fear of hurting Jongin more than I already did. But he only nodded, smiling. “I see,” said he. “He’s so lucky. You’re going on a date with him.”

Chanyeol chuckled, clapping a hand on his back, trying to cheer Jongin’s spirit up. I couldn’t stop looking at him, feeling very sorry at the turn of events. “Oh man. You’ll probably get your chance soon. Why not just ask our MIjoo to lots of dates in the future? I’m sure that this time if you did that she’ll fall head over heels for you soon,” the tower said, trying to cheer up Jongin.

I smiled a little despite it doing little for Jongin. At least he had friends he could count on like this.

“It’s not really a date,” I somehow found myself saying, wanting to reassure him the date this Saturday was nothing of importance. “Seol sunbae and Sehun will be coming with us too.”

“Heol,” Minseok sunbae exclaimed, catching our attention as he invited himself to sit with us. He was still in his practice clothes, sweat all over him, when he took the empty spot next to Jongdae.

Girls were squealing at the background at his sweaty glory, but he ignored them, seemingly unaware of how much effect he has on his fangirls that admired him from the distance. They almost fainted at the sight of him and it was annoying. However, for some entertainment, it wasn’t that bad if I wanted to have a laugh. Yeri was just as amused, I could tell just by the way she was stifling a smile when we exchanged looks.

“Is Luhan really going on a date with you while Sehun and Seol third-wheels?” Minseok sunbae spoke again, addressing me as he leaned closer to Jongin who was in between us.

“Hyung, you stink. Move away a bit,” Jongin was complaining as he tried pushing MInseok sunbae away in disgust. We laughed at his displeasure and Minseok sunbae ruffled his hair, ignoring his complaint.

“Deal with it brat,” Mnseok said, pushing his chest closer to Jongin who scrunched up his nose and laughed while begging him to stop doing that. “Most girls like how I smell. They say that I do have perfume as my sweat and that they’d want to keep it in a bottle to spray on themselves.”

Chanyeol snorted, feigning himself throwing up at that idea Minseok was trying to inject. I couldn’t imagine it either but didn’t react nonetheless. “That’s so gross, hyung. Stop it.”

“He’s so gross all the time,” Baekhyun added.

“Yeah, right. Go ahead, brats. Say whatever you want. That won’t affect my popularity you know,” Minseok mused, waving at them dismissively and then turning back to me again with a huge grin. “As we were talking about a while ago, you’re really going out with the three of them? Is that even a date or a joke?”

I reddened at the mockery. It was true, though. I did think the setup officially turned into an utter joke. But somehow I was glad it ended up that way. After all, I was not really looking forward to a date with Luhan. Plus, it would be weird if I went to it even if I didn’t like him, but since Seol sunbae decided on coming and dragging Sehun along it made it less awkward and truthfully I looked forward to it more. We were going out with Sehun, after all.

“He said it was a date. I didn’t really agree to it unlike what he was spreading to the entire student body, but something happened that’s why I had no choice. I mean, I probably do have a choice but..” I trailed off, deciding to tell them what had happened that eventful afternoon in the classroom. All of them listened attentively, widening their eyes when I told them about the fight that almost ensued between the cousins.

“That’s a surprise considering that Sehun looked up to Luhan a lot,” Minseok said as a matter of fact.

Joonmyeon nodded, agreeing to his cousin. “They never even fought. Sehun respected Luhan dearly even for his childish antics. And Luhan just loved Sehun like a real brother. He dotes on Sehun so much so why did he seem like he was trying to pick a fight with him?” he wondered out loud, keeping us thinking.

I secretly agreed to Joonmyeon’s thoughts in my head. If the two of them were that close why did Luhan seem like he always wanted to pick on Sehun? And why would Sehun simply snap because Luhan was joking about Lisa?

“My exact thoughts,” Minseok beamed at me, only for me to realize I did say my thoughts out loud.

The embarrassment on my face didn’t go unnoticed that I earned some laughs from the others and I did my best to hide in Jongin’s shadow who willingly shielded me from their teasings despite himself laughing.

“But seriously, the vice president is coming too? What’s her deal? She’s not typically one to agree on dates. Like she seemed too goody two-shoes and all. For all I know, boys don’t approach her due to her intimidating aura. No matter what the arrangement is. It’s pretty surprising.” Jongdae mused, drawing invisible circles on the table. “Does this confirm the legend about Luhan hyung and Seol dating in their younger years?”

“Eh?” My eyes were as wide as saucers. “What are you talking about Kim Jongdae?”

Jongdae’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned over the table, taking more space than he should as he grinned at me. “You don’t know the legend about those two?” I shook my head. The others tried to swat him away, telling him not too get over excited and sit back since he was taking up too much space on the table, but he was too uncaring to listen.

“Oh com’on Jongdae. Just sit down! Let’s get to the boring part about Luhan hyung together!” Chanyeol whined, pulling him down with him.

“Aish! Park Chanyeol, really!” Jongdae glared at Chanyeol who successfully managed to hold him down, his excitement slowly dying down.

Baekhyun laughed, shaking his head. “Jongdae you’re too excited for this.”

“He’s into gossips, you know,” I added, beaming when I saw Jongdae throwing me a dirty look.

“You’re selling me out, Mijoo!” He complained, but I only laughed in amusement. “You’re just like your friends. How could you!”

“You guys are way too childish. Why don’t we just get to the point of this conversation?” Joonmyeon had cut in.

Everyone looked at him as if he’d grown two heads because he spoke as if he was not one with us and yet his words were just as childish. Baekhyun was the first to snort a laugh, shaking his head at Joonmyeon who obviously knew what they were thinking.

“You’re one to talk!” Minseok accused, wagging a finger at Joonmyeon who had a hearty laugh afterwards. “But seriously,” he said, leaning towards Jongin again as he grinned at me in amusement. ”You probably don’t know,” he said, cupping the side of his mouth as if he was conspiratorily talking to me about a well-kept secret that shouldn’t be exposed. “But Seol and Luhan grew up together. The three of us did!”

Baekhyun had cut in, suddenly jumping into the gossip boat, saying, “And not all that. Minseok hyung is always the third wheel in their trio!”

Minseok sunbae nodded, not realizing what Baekhyun was spouting about him until he abruptly stopped and stared at Baekhyun, scowling, “Ya! You rotten little brat how could you say that out loud!” he shouted, turning heads in the cafeteria.

Baekhyun jumped out of his seat, Minseok sunbae hot on his tail as they circled the cafeteria. Obviously the student body was amused at the show they were displaying, cooing words that would make me want to shiver. Aish. I’d rather not go over it.

“Let’s leave those two out,” Joonmyeon said, going back to the main topic of the day—Luhan. “And let’s continue talking about Seol noona and Luhan hyung.”

I was starting to feel frustrated that they kept stalling when my curiosity had been already piqued by the too much excitement they fed me that I couldn’t stop my own enthusiasm from showing. I nodded eagerly at Joonmyeon whose eyes sparkled with mischief, the rest leaning towards the center, our meeting beginning again.

“The two of them grew up together along with Minseok hyung as we were saying.” We all nodded at what Joonmyeon was saying and let him continue, “They were very close. Totally inseparable. That their mothers even couldn’t help but pair them up for the future. Even their fortune told that they were very compatible. The stars said they were soulmates. That even their families were ready to be in-laws.

However,” Joonmyeon paused, looking at us, trying to stall. A glint of excitement was on his face just as he noticed how focused we were on him. He was surely liking all the attention. “Luhan hyung went back to China during their last year in middle school. His father who was Chinese wanted him to experience what it was like to be in his native land that he studied there for a year, trying to be accustomed to the culture and the business that was soon to be passed over to him.

During those times, Seol noona was left alone here, waiting in vain for his return. She emailed him, texted him, but Luhan hyung never replied to any of it, as if there was nothing she sent to keep in touch. We never saw her cry despite being ignored by the closest person to her, yet we could easily tell by the dullness in her eyes that she missed him.”

“Very much,” Chanyeol nodded wistfully, nodding. I couldn’t help but sympathtize at Seol sunbae.

“Until one day—on the first day of school—Luhan hyung appeared again. No one knew he was coming home that’s why we were all so surprised when he showed himself, but we were all happy. Seol noona was so ecstatic with the news that she rushed to his classroom that same day, but I knew for sure she was disappointed for his lack of reaction when he saw her. He looked not too happy to see her. And ever since then, Luhan hyung seemed different.” Joonmyeon said, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration as he clasped his hands together on the table. “She and him used to be stuck together by the hip, but after his return from China it was as if she was a stranger to him. He didn’t seek her company and had her chasing him everywhere.”

“Noona looked so pitiful then,” Jongin quipped, his expression resembling sadness as he went through his memories. “Especially when Luhan hyung got his first girlfriend last year. She didn’t show it but seeing the expression on her face when he introduced Chaeyeon to her, I’m sure she must have been hurt. Gladly, he broke up with Chayeon two months after.”

My eyebrows rose at the revelation. “Does Seol sunbaenim like Luhan?” I was not able to stop myself when I blurted out the question, seeing how everything I was imagining before was finally falling into place.

The boys answered with sighs.

“By the looks on your face it does look like she does,” Jongdae uttered, raising an eyebrow, trying to confirm the news.

Yeri nodded, silently watching the conversation—she was still her quiet self, holding back her thoughts.

Chanyeol shrugged. “We don’t know,” he said, pouting sulkily—which was rare for Park Chanyeol. They must have truly cared for Seol sunbaenim. “Because we asked her about it before but she only laughed at it, saying, how could she fall for the likes of her friend? She even calls him a brat and a jerk since then.”

“Right,” Jongin said, looking back at me with worry filling his eyes. “She says she doesn’t like him.”

“Truly doesn’t like him,” Joonmyeon seconded solemnly.

“And you truly believed her?” I asked.

They looked back at me as if not understanding the question I spouted. But I knew for sure, more than me, they already knew the answer.

-

Saturday arrived so soon.

It was not my choice to go to the so called ‘date’ that Luhan prepared for us, but suddenly I was determined to come. There was just something I was itching to do. Something that none of them had done, probably because they didn’t want to meddle with the situation or they were pretending to be blind or perhaps they just lacked some push to give someone a hand.

How could that be the case? Becaus